Safe Harbor

by Christy Barritt

  When Dez returned to the room, he had a strange look in his eyes. His gaze remained on Bobby Dee.

  “That was the chief of police,” he started. “She was calling to let us know that Trixie Dare has been cleared and released from jail.”

  “How is that possible?” Bree felt the air drain from her lungs.

  “Turns out she has an alibi for the time during some of the crimes.”

  “An alibi?” Bree asked.

  Dez’s gaze went to Bobby Dee. “With your drummer.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Bree watched the shock roll across Bobby Dee’s face. At once, the man shook his hands in the air, as if trying to stop an army of renegades from coming at him. Dez’s words had definitely shaken him up.

  “It’s not like it sounds, man.” He leaned back, as if trying to distance himself.

  “Then how is it?” Dez loomed closer, his intimidating presence making Bobby Dee shrivel even more.

  “Yes, Trixie and I did have a thing going on.” Sweat spread across his forehead.

  “But you have a girlfriend back home.” Bree shook her head, her faith in men dying a little bit more.

  “I know. I know, all right? I didn’t say it was something I’m proud of. But Zoe knew when she hooked up with me that I had a wandering eye. It was an . . . an agreement we had.”

  “You’re saying that Zoe is okay with you being with other women while you two are dating?” Bree felt sick to her stomach as the words left her lips. She’d known Bobby Dee liked to party, but she’d had no idea he’d gone this far.

  Bobby Dee shrugged. “Yeah, that’s basically what I’m saying.”

  “And Trixie was your choice?” Bree didn’t like where all of this was going.

  “That’s right. Trixie is cute, and she’s fine. She’s using me and I’m using her, and we’re both okay with it.”

  Another thought slammed into Bree’s mind. “Bobby Dee, did you ever let Trixie hear that song we played around with?” Bree asked.

  His eyes widened. “Which one are you talking about?”

  “The one I wrote about love being like an ocean on a cloudless, beautiful day.”

  Dez knew where this was going, and he didn’t like it.

  Bobby Dee’s face turned another shade paler. “I don’t know. I don’t remember. Why?”

  “Because she stole that song from me and recorded it. I was trying to figure out where in the world she could’ve gotten her hands on that. The only people who had ever heard me play it were you and Lloyd.” She leaned closer. “Bobby Dee?”

  He looked away, an obvious sign of guilt.

  “I may have let her listen to it once a few months ago. But she would have never stolen it.”

  “I’m telling you, she did steal it. It was just on the radio.”

  Bobby Dee’s eyes widened even more. “Oh, Bree . . . I am so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “No, I guess you didn’t. You had more important priorities, didn’t you?”

  “I’ve messed up.”

  “There’s more to this,” Dez said. “What aren’t you telling us?”

  “Nothing. What else could I have to tell you? Everything you’ve heard is already bad enough, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t believe you when you say that Emerson is treating you right. Tell us the truth.”

  Bobby Dee looked away again and let out a long breath. “He’s been blackmailing me. He threatened to tell Zoe about my extracurricular activities in return for my silence.”

  “Your silence over what?” Bree’s voice climbed in pitch.

  “I knew he wasn’t doing right by the band. By you. I overheard a conversation he was having once, and it became clear. He’s taking our money and using it for these other investments. It’s almost like a Ponzi scheme of sorts.”

  “And you just sat on that information?” Dez shook his head.

  Bobby Dee didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, his gaze jerked back and forth with thought. Finally, he said, “My girlfriend really doesn’t know about my indiscretions, okay? That was a lie. He was going to tell her. I can’t lose her. But I get so lonely here on the road by myself.”

  “That’s a pitiful excuse.” Bree shook her head, not disguising how she felt.

  “I know.” Bobby Dee hung his head down low. “How can I make this right?”

  Bree was quiet as she climbed back into Dez’s car. He made no move to leave. Instead, he just sat there with her for a moment.

  “Why do men do the things they do?” she finally asked.

  So many thoughts swirled in her head. She almost didn’t know which one to pick. Her song being stolen? Her drummer betraying her? Her manager being wrapped up in a possible Ponzi scheme?

  But, instead, her thoughts had gone back to Bobby Dee’s behavior. It matched that of so many people from her past. Were there actually any good men out there? She was beginning to think there weren’t.

  “I don’t know what to tell you.” Dez shifted to face her, his voice soft with concern.

  “Are there actually guys who care about the women they’re with? Or do they all just want what’s best for themselves?”

  Dez’s hand covered her shoulder. “There are still good guys out there, Bree. I promise.”

  “Why do you sound so sure?” She tried to ignore his touch, to ignore the electricity she felt whenever he was around. Hadn’t she learned any lessons yet? Or would she continue to be too trusting—with both her career and with men?

  “Because I know a few of them. There are men out there who care more about commitment and honor than they do about chasing the next thing. Maybe they’re harder to find in your line of work, but they do exist.”

  Bree ran a hand over her face, feeling completely overwhelmed at the situation. But she was so glad that Dez had been there. Despite the walls she wanted to put around her heart, Dez made her feel things she hadn’t experienced in a long time. He helped her forget her troubles. Her insecurities. Her doubts.

  And there was a lot to be said about that.

  “You’re the kind of guy people like me write songs about, you know?” she murmured.

  She wasn’t sure, but it almost looked like Dez blushed.

  “Is that right?” A sparkle filled his gaze and a soft smile pulled at his lips.

  She nodded, wanting more than anything to kiss him right now. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. “Yes, it is.”

  “Well, I’m glad I can inspire someone to do something. But I’m far from perfect, Bree.”

  “How so?” She waited, eager to see if he’d answer.

  “I was supposed to cover my SEAL team leader when we were . . . training. I failed. He died.”

  She reached out and squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry, Dez.”

  “And this kind of life I live . . . it isn’t for everyone.”

  “You mean, it wasn’t for someone in your past?”

  He shrugged. “You could say that. The one woman I gave my heart to broke it. Said I was fun to date but I couldn’t support the lifestyle she wanted.”

  “It sounds like she wasn’t the one for you then.”

  A soft smile played on his face. “I guess she wasn’t.”

  Dez was paid, Bree reminded herself again. At least, she was supposed to pay him. Again, she was going to have to figure out her finances really soon. How many more bills was she behind on?

  A car pulled up beside them. Bree held her breath when she saw Jill step out. Would she receive another verbal lashing? She braced herself.

  As Jill climbed from the car, her gaze went to Bree. She stormed toward them and paused by Bree’s door. After a moment of hesitation, Bree put her window down.

  “How’s Lloyd?” Bree asked.

  “He’s being released. I just came back here to get some clothes for him.”

  “That’s good news.”

  Jill stared at Bree another moment before sighing. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier. I was a little emotional, and I was
worried about Lloyd. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

  Surprise filled Bree, and she nodded. “It’s understandable.”

  Jill took a step back and pointed to the house. “I should go.”

  “Give Lloyd my best.”

  “I know he’ll want to see you when he gets settled.”

  “As soon as he says the word, I’ll be there.”

  Jill waved before walking toward the cottage. Bree released her breath. That had gone better than she’d thought. And Lloyd was doing better. At least it was a small amount of good news. She’d take what she could get.

  Dez cleared his throat, shifting back to the present. “Where to now?”

  “I say we go back to my place. At least for now. I need to clear my head.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Dez stood in the kitchen, ready to make picadillo, a Cuban rice dish, for lunch. Benjamin had dropped off the ingredients earlier. As Dez filled a pot with water at the sink, he hoped having a brief mental break would be a nice distraction.

  As he did, his gaze remained on Bree. She sat at the table across the room, numerous papers in front of her, as well as her laptop computer and her cell phone. She’d been on the phone for most of the day since they’d been back, talking to her attorney and financial manager. She had a lot of things that she needed to work out.

  She’d been a surprising tower of strength in the middle of a very stressful situation today. The woman continued to impress him.

  Maybe she wasn’t anything like Leah. Leah fled when the going got tough. She looked out for herself. Her first thought during a tragedy wouldn’t be to look out for the needs of other people.

  Maybe he had Bree all wrong from the start.

  “Your pot’s overflowing, man.”

  He swerved his head toward Griff’s voice. His friend looked down into the sink. Dez followed his gaze and saw that the pan was dripping all over the counter. He quickly turned the water off and grabbed a towel to clean it up.

  “Distracted?” Griff asked with a smile.

  “More like lost in thought.”

  Griff let out a little grunt that clearly stated he didn’t believe him. Dez couldn’t argue that his eyes had been on Bree. He couldn’t deny that. Nor could he deny his attraction to the woman.

  He tried to remind himself to keep it professional. But every time she touched him, all of those thoughts went out the window.

  Griff lowered his voice. “Did you talk to Colton?”

  Dez nodded. “Yeah, he called me into his office today.”

  “Brian Starks, huh?”

  Dez put the pot on the stove. “Yeah, I was just as surprised as you are.”

  “It sounds like trouble is still brewing.”

  “Did you ever hear back from your friend Anderson?”

  “Not yet. But he’s still keeping his ears open. He’ll let us know if he discovers anything.”

  Dez’s phone rang. It was Colton.

  “You’ll never believe this,” he said. “I just received word that Brian was in an accident on his way home.”

  Dez’s spine stiffened. “What?”

  “He left here about the same time you did, wanting to get back before anyone noticed where he had gone. But Cassidy called and let me know that there was a car accident right before the ferry. Brian hit a phone pole. He’s being life flighted to a hospital in Raleigh right now. He’s unconscious.”

  “It can’t be a coincidence.” Dez’s gaze met Griff’s, letting him know something was wrong. It looked like their Blackout team still had their work cut out for them.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Colton said. “I have a feeling trouble is still brewing around the Savages. We’re going to need to keep our eyes wide open.”

  Bree had been on the phone for so long that her head was beginning to spin. There was so much that still would need to take place before she made any progress on the mess around her. Her attorney had things to look into, as did her financial advisor and her record label.

  She stood and stretched. Had two hours really passed since she started making all these phone calls?

  Dez’s eyes met hers from across the room and he lifted a bowl. “I made some picadillo for you.”

  “Picadillo?”

  He brought a serving over to her. “It’s a traditional Cuban rice dish. It has olives, raisins and some spices. I thought you might like it.”

  Bree held it to her nose. “It smells delicious.”

  He shrugged and sat across from her. “You said you were a closet foodie, so I thought you might want to try it.”

  She paused before taking a bite. Dez had a strange look in his eyes that she was trying to read. She’d seen him get that phone call. Saw the looks he and Griff had exchanged. “You look like you got more bad news.”

  “I did. That man I met with earlier at Ty’s . . . he was in an accident as he was leaving the island.”

  Bree sucked in a breath. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Was he your friend?”

  “More like an acquaintance. But he put a lot on the line to come here, and I didn’t want something like this to happen.”

  “I hope he’ll be okay.”

  “Me too.” He released a long breath and nodded toward her bowl. “Now, onto some happy news for a minute. What do you think of the rice?”

  She took a bite and let the flavors wash over her. Salty olives. Sweet raisins. Spicy cayenne. “Actually, it’s delicious. You need to tell your friend down at The Crazy Chefette to add this to her menu. People would love it.”

  He grinned. “Thank you. My mom would be proud.”

  “So you’re a Navy SEAL, a bodyguard, a singer, and a cook. Is there anything else you can do?”

  He stared at her, that grin still playing across his lips. “I may have a few other tricks up my sleeve.”

  “Is that right?” She cocked an eyebrow.

  “Maybe one day when I’m not working for you, I’ll show you.”

  Warmth spread through her chest at the thought of staying in touch with him when this was all over. “I would like that.”

  They stared at each other another moment, something passing between them.

  She had no doubt that there was definitely something there. And Dez felt it too. She felt sure of it.

  Bree knew that the two were an unlikely match. But wasn’t that how life worked sometimes? Was she really willing to give romance and a relationship another chance?

  Or maybe the bigger question should be, was Dez?

  She opened her mouth, unsure what was about to come out. Before anything could be said, her phone buzzed.

  They both seemed to snap out of the moment. She looked at the screen and saw she had a text.

  It was a video. She held her breath before pressing Play. A moment later, Trixie Dare appeared on the screen. There was a gag over her mouth and tears streaming from her eyes as she stared at the screen.

  The words beneath the video read: Come to the lighthouse in 30 minutes. Come alone. Don’t be late or she will die.

  Chapter Thirty

  “There’s no way you can go there alone,” Dez said. The image and words from that message burned into his mind. Someone was playing a deadly game right now, and he didn’t like it.

  “But if I don’t, Trixie will die,” Bree said. “I may not like the woman, but I don’t want to live the rest of my life with her death on my shoulders. I have to go. Alone.”

  He shook his head, unwilling to let this drop. “I’m going with you.”

  “I don’t know . . .” Bree frowned as she looked at the phone, no doubt remembering the words and image there.

  “This could have a very bad ending, Bree.” He had to get through to her before she did anything foolish.

  Bree’s wide-eyed gaze met his. The swirling depths of her eyes made it clear she understood how serious this could be. What he didn’t know was if it was peace or resignation lurking there.

  “What do you think this person wants with me when I ge
t there?” she asked.

  “Considering that he tried to kill you twice, nothing good.”

  Bree visibly shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut. “I have to do this.”

  Part of Dez wanted to lock Bree in a room and not let her go. He wanted to take matters into his own hands. This situation was bad. But he also knew that he couldn’t stop her. This was her choice, whether he liked it or not. He could try to convince her to at least take some safety precautions.

  “If you show up unarmed and this guy has a gun . . . you’re a goner.” He didn’t mince his words. She needed to know what she was getting into.

  Bree raked a hand through her hair and released a long breath. “If this is all about Emerson, I just don’t know why this person would need to hurt me anymore. Emerson is being held at the police station. Soon, charges will probably be filed and the whole world will probably know what he’s been up to.”

  “Maybe there’s more to the story than we know.”

  She stood, a determined look in her gaze. “I don’t have much time to sit here and talk about it. If I’m going to go, I need to go.”

  Dez’s thoughts raced through all the possibilities. If she was going to do this, she needed to be ahead of the game. “What if we call Cassidy? Her guys could hide out in the woods. This guy doesn’t even have to know that they’re there.”

  “He seems to know everything. I don’t know how we would keep that from him.”

  “They could be subtle. But I need to make the call. Now.”

  Bree stared at him a minute before finally nodding. “Okay, do it. But do it fast because I don’t like where any of this is going.”

  Bree felt the anxiety rising in her. She didn’t want to do this any more than Dez didn’t want her to do this. But she had no choice. Certainly, the person behind these threats had known that. He’d known that as soon as Bree realized somebody else was in danger, she’d do whatever she could to help out.