Rescue After Dark: A Gansett Island Novel

by Marie Force

  “I waited a long time to find perfect.”

  “I know, but now that you have, you need to be patient and give her some room to breathe while she figures things out.”

  Mallory was right. He knew it, but he didn’t like it. “I hear you.”

  “You need to keep breathing, too.” Mallory reached across the table for his hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “If it’s meant to be, it will be.”

  That, too, was true, but God, it was hard to know she was out there somewhere and so far away from him as to be living on a different planet. He would do as Mallory suggested and be patient and stay calm and hope for the best.

  For now.

  Jordan thought she was ready for the meeting with the show’s producers and the network that broadcast it, but when she walked into the room full of familiar faces, all she felt was dead inside. When they’d first been approached about doing the show, it had seemed like the most exciting thing that could ever happen.

  She’d lived a lifetime and a half since then, and all she wanted was something simpler and more meaningful.

  She wanted Mason, even if he was the second guy she’d ever slept with. She wanted him and had no doubt he wanted her just as much. She was about to bet her life on it.

  “You good?” Gigi asked when they were seated together on one side of the conference room, across from the execs.

  Jordan nodded. She’d worn a black dress with red flowers on it, red heels and was carrying the black Chanel purse she’d bought when Brendan’s tour took them to Paris for the first time.

  “Jordan, it’s so good to see you looking so well.” Matilda Spencer, the executive producer and show runner, smiled warmly at her. She was forty-five with red hair and green eyes and was one of the smartest people Jordan had ever met. It was thanks in large part to Matilda’s hard work that the show was such a hit.

  “Thank you.”

  “We’re very excited to get back to work on the new season.”

  Now or never, she told herself. Tell them what you want. “About that…”

  Gigi glanced at her, her expression full of trepidation.

  “I’d very much like to do another season,” Jordan said.

  The relief on the faces across the table was palpable.

  “But I want to do it on location.”

  “Oh my God,” Gigi said, her expression incredulous and perhaps a bit angry. “Could I please have a moment with my client?”

  “We don’t need a moment,” Jordan said to her friend. “I heard what you said last night, and I agreed with most of it. But sometimes you do fall in love with the second guy you ever sleep with, and you do get happily ever after with him.”

  “No, that doesn’t actually happen.”

  “Yes, it can happen.”

  “Who do you know that’s had that happen and had it work out?”

  “Gigi, I love you. But I also love Mason, and I want to be with him.”

  “You barely know him!”

  “I already know him better than I ever knew Brendan, and he’s good to me. I’ve never had anything like what I have with him, and I’d like to think I’m smart enough after everything I’ve been through to know a good thing when I find it.”

  “Um, excuse me,” Matilda said as the other suits exchanged confused glances. “I don’t mean to interrupt this lovely moment, but could someone please tell me what the hell we’re talking about here?”

  “Yes, please, Jordan,” Gigi said. “Why don’t you fill them in?”

  Jordan took a deep breath, held it for a second, then released it and met Matilda’s intense gaze. “I’m planning to relocate to Gansett Island in Rhode Island, and I’d like to film the new season of the show there.”

  For a long moment, there was only silence.

  Jordan forced herself to hold Matilda’s gaze without blinking or otherwise showing the nervous reaction she was having on the inside. This was what she wanted, and she was going to do everything she could to make it happen.

  “I’m sorry,” Matilda said, “but did you just say you want to film your show, which is about two LA women living their best LA lives, on a remote island in Rhode Island? Or did I hear that wrong?”

  “You heard me right.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand. What sort of show do you think we could produce on an island in the middle of nowhere?”

  “The same kind of show we do here. Me, my friends, my family, my life.”

  “Your friends including Gigi?”

  Jordan glanced at her oldest and dearest friend, hoping she could find a way to support something Jordan wanted desperately, silently pleading with her to at least consider it.

  “I don’t know,” Gigi said, sighing. “I love Jordan with all my heart, but I just don’t know if I could do it.”

  “Think about how fun it could be,” Jordan said to Gigi. “With you as a fish out of water on the island.” Turning her focus to the executives, she added, “Gansett is the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen. Rugged coastline, gorgeous beaches, an adorable downtown, bars, restaurants, live music everywhere you go and year-round residents who are such incredible, interesting people. How many reality shows are being shot in LA? Think about how amazing it would be to do something totally different from what everyone else is doing.”

  “I like the idea,” Tom Sturgeon said. He was from the network and had been a big supporter of the show from the beginning. “Jordan is right. LA is done to death. No one is doing what she’s suggesting.”

  Jordan’s heart took flight. Was she actually going to pull this off?

  “We’d have to relocate the entire crew,” Matilda said hesitantly. “Most of whom will not want to be sent to a remote island for months on end.”

  “I think we could go with a much smaller crew on Gansett,” Jordan said, thinking on the fly and powered by the excitement of actually making this work. “There’re fewer locations, and it could be a smaller production overall.”

  Matilda appeared to give that some thought while Jordan held her breath and tried to keep the hopefulness under control. She was a long way from actually making this happen.

  “I’d need to see the place and where we’d be filming,” Matilda said. “I can’t get my head around it without seeing it.”

  “That’s no problem. I’d be happy to take you there and show you around so you could get a feel for the place and what we could do there. I want to add something that you may not know. When my identical twin sister and I were growing up, we spent our summers on Gansett Island. It’s home to both of us. Nikki lives there full time now.”

  “Would she be willing to be on the show?” Tom asked.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t discussed it with her.”

  “She wasn’t willing to appear when it was in LA,” Matilda reminded her.

  “Yes, I know, but this might be different. She’s engaged to a man who has a big family on the island. They own a marina, hotel and the new event facility that Nikki is managing for them. Perhaps we could feature his connection to the first family of Gansett Island.”

  “What does the fiancé look like?” Matilda asked.

  Jordan couldn’t believe she was asking that, and her expression must have said as much.

  “Don’t look at me like that. You know it matters for this kind of show.”

  “He’s hot, and so is the guy I’m seeing there. He’s the chief of the island’s fire department.”

  “And of course he’s the reason you want to do this.”

  “He’s part of it, but it’s also the fact that I don’t want to live here anymore. LA isn’t my true home. Gansett is. It’s always been my home, and it’s where I want to be.”

  Matilda leaned in, elbows on the table. “I hear what you’re saying, and I appreciate what you’ve been through the last few months. We were all horrified by what happened in Charlotte, and we’ve tried to give you the proper amount of time to heal and regroup.”

  Jordan felt like there was a massive
“but” coming.

  “However…”

  Or a “however.”

  “The show is set in LA. We have a genuine hit on our hands with the current formula. If I’ve learned one thing in twenty years in this business, it’s that you don’t mess with something that’s working.”

  Jordan forced herself to remain calm. “I hear you, and I appreciate all the experience you bring to our show. I’ve always appreciated you, Matilda. You know that. But I have a really good feeling about this idea. It feels fresh and different and exciting in a way that another season here doesn’t. The show is about me and my life, right?”

  “Yes, of course, but—”

  “My life has evolved since we started the show. I’m no longer married to Zane. Or, well, I’m in the process of getting divorced. I’m shaking things up, figuring out what’s next, meeting new people. Why shouldn’t the show evolve along with me?”

  “She makes a good point,” Tom said.

  If he hadn’t been old enough to be her father, she would’ve kissed him on the lips for his support during this meeting.

  “All I’m asking is that you consider the possibility that different won’t be bad. It may give the show a whole new shot of adrenaline that’ll propel it forward for years to come, rather than one more season of the same old tired formula.”

  Before Matilda could reply, Jordan’s phone rang. She glanced at it on the table and saw Riley’s name on the screen and had an immediate and visceral feeling of dread come over her.

  “Why is he calling you?” Gigi asked.

  Jordan wanted to know the same thing. “I-I’m sorry. I have to take this.” She grabbed the phone, stood and walked out of the room as she answered the call. “Riley? What’s wrong?”

  “Jordan… It’s Zane. He’s here, and he… He’s in the house with Nik and your grandmother, demanding to see you. He… He has a gun, Jordan. The cops are here… It’s bad.”

  The sheer terror she heard in Riley’s tone nearly brought Jordan to her knees.

  “Can you get here?” Riley asked.

  Gigi came out of the conference room to check on her.

  “Get me a plane back to the island, Gigi. Right now. Yes, Riley, I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Please hurry. I don’t know. I can’t imagine. Hurry, Jordan.”

  “I’m coming. Tell him I’m coming.” She ran for the elevator, banging repeatedly on the Down button as she fought off hysteria.

  By the time the elevator finally arrived, Jordan was nearly to the point of a full-on meltdown. She tried to call Nikki, but the call went right to voicemail, leading her to wonder if Nik’s phone had been turned off. The thought of Nik turning off her phone added to Jordan’s panic, because Nikki’s phone was never off.

  Gigi stepped into the elevator with Jordan, working the phone to arrange for a plane. “No, it’s an emergency. We need it right now. We’re on the way to LAX. Yes, Gansett Island, so it has to be able to land there.”

  Thank God Gigi was handling the details, because Jordan could barely breathe as she leaned back against the wall of the elevator car. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she did nothing about them. The thought of Nik and her grandmother being held hostage by that son of a bitch… What was he thinking? What did he hope to achieve by threatening the people she loved best?

  The thought of losing one or both of them had Jordan shaking uncontrollably as she wept as quietly as she could so Gigi could hear on her call.

  “That’s fine. Tell him to hurry. We’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  It would take hours to get to Gansett. Would Brendan wait that long for her, or would he do something that could never be undone before she could get there? The thought of life without either her sister or her grandmother or, God forbid, both of them, was unimaginable.

  Gigi put her arm around Jordan and hustled her out of the elevator and into Gigi’s car. “Try to breathe. We’ll get you there.”

  Jordan’s chest tightened as she gasped for air.

  Gigi, who had grabbed Jordan’s purse from the conference room, rifled through it and found Jordan’s rescue inhaler. She held it up to Jordan’s mouth. “Breathe. Jordan!”

  Jordan took hold of the inhaler and forced herself to take a hit that eased her airways even if her chest continued to ache.

  Gigi answered a call from Matilda, told her they’d left due to an emergency in Jordan’s family, and no, she couldn’t say when or if Jordan would be able to finish their meeting. “Look, you heard what she wants to do. Talk it over. We’ll get back to you as soon as we’re able to.”

  Jordan couldn’t bring herself to care about the show at a time like this. Mason. She needed to talk to him. Maybe he knew something she didn’t about what was happening at Eastward Look. Though her hands were shaking, she managed to put through the call to his cell, but the call went to his voicemail. The sound of his voice provided immediate comfort. “It’s me. I’m sure you’ve heard what’s going on at the house. Call me if you can. I’m on my way.”

  After ending the call, she tried to keep breathing while Gigi drove them to the airport, darting in and out of traffic with reckless disregard for safety. Who cared about safety when her sister and grandmother were in grave danger?

  Chapter 24

  Nikki focused on staying calm while she held her grandmother’s hand under the table. The house was surrounded by police and other public safety personnel, not that they could do much about what was happening inside the house.

  It was her own fault. She hadn’t locked the door, which had allowed him to come strolling into the house, taking them by surprise when he pulled a gun on them. “Tell Jordan I’m here, and I want to see her right now.” His eyes had been wild and unfocused, making her realize he was high on something.

  “She’s not here.”

  “Yes, she is. Don’t fucking lie to me.”

  “I’m not lying. She flew home to LA yesterday for a meeting with the network about the show.”

  At about five-foot-nine and thin as a rail, Brendan had close-cropped blond hair and hazel eyes that bugged out of his gaunt face. He looked terrible as he stared at her in disbelief. “That’s not true. I was told she’s here.”

  “She was here for three weeks. She’s not here now.”

  “You need to get her here.”

  “I’ll need my phone.” She pointed to the kitchen counter, where she’d left her phone earlier.

  “Don’t call her. Get someone else to do it. Tell them to tell her your life and Evelyn’s depend on her getting here. No tricks.”

  Nikki got up from the table and went to get her phone. She texted Riley. Zane is here with a gun. He wants us to get Jordan here asap. Call her. Tell her what’s going on. I love you. We are fine. He’s too much of a coward to kill us. Try not to worry.

  Riley wrote right back. Jesus, Nik. Are you fucking kidding me? I can’t bear that you’re in there with him.

  Just get Jordan here. That’s what he wants, and tell the cops not to do anything crazy. He doesn’t have the stones to hurt us.

  Sorry if I don’t believe that after what he did to Jordan.

  It’s okay. I promise. I love you.

  Love you so much. I’m dying.

  Don’t do that. Need you.

  “That’s enough,” Brendan said. “Shut the phone off and go back over there.”

  “Let my grandmother go.”

  “No,” Evelyn said. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

  Nikki returned to her seat, and Evelyn took her hand again, holding on tight. “Don’t ask me to leave you in here alone with him.”

  “Shut up. Both of you.” He went to the fridge, opened the door and pulled out a bottle of water that he downed. Then he found a package of deli turkey and began eating that as he paced the kitchen. At least the gun was tucked into the back of his pants. For now, anyway.

  Nikki started thinking about how she could overpower him, get the gun and end this thing. She had
every confidence that she could do it and would’ve risked it if her grandmother hadn’t been there, too.

  Maybe she’d get the chance at some point. If she did, she wouldn’t hesitate to act.

  Riley paced the yard, his entire body racked with tension that made him feel like he’d been put through a wood chipper. That Nik was in the house with Jordan’s malicious, gun-toting ex was more than he could bear to think about. If anything happened to Nik or Evelyn, Riley would murder that son of a bitch with his own hands.

  The yard was full of cops and other first responders he’d summoned. They couldn’t do a goddamned thing until the state police’s hostage unit arrived. He’d been told they were en route. It wasn’t happening fast enough for Riley’s liking.

  A hand on his shoulder halted him. He spun around to find his dad there. The sight of his father’s concerned face nearly reduced Riley to tears. Somehow, he managed to just barely hang on to his composure as Kevin hugged him.

  “I came as soon as I heard,” Kevin said. “What’re they saying?”

  “State police are on their way with a hostage negotiation team.”

  “Good God, what is he thinking showing up here with a gun? Does he think he’ll get Jordan to reconcile after a stunt like this?”

  “Who knows what he’s thinking? All I know is what Nik told me when she texted that he had shown up with a gun.”

  “I’m so sorry, son. That’s horrifying.”

  “If anything happens to her…” Riley’s voice broke along with his heart. He couldn’t imagine life without her. Not anymore.

  “She’s smart and resilient and strong. She’s going to get through this and be totally fine. I know it. In fact, I’ll bet he ends up sorry that he messed with her.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’m always right. You know that.”

  For once, Riley took comfort in the fact that his father was usually right.

  Mason Johns approached them, looking as undone as Riley felt. “What the fuck?”

  “No idea,” Riley said, conveying what he knew to Mason.

  “So he showed up with a gun looking for Jordan?” Mason’s usually robust complexion had gone pale.