He took a step back, and his jaw hardened. “That’s the worst idea ever. You know he’ll kill you.”
“I don’t have a choice. This is between Ryan and me. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true.”
“I’m just supposed to stay here and let you get yourself killed?”
Her heart squeezed. “Not exactly. That’s why I said you need to trust me.”
He tilted his head and let out a breath. “Cassidy . . .”
“Please.”
“Can you at least tell me where you’re going?”
She licked her lips. “Atlanta.”
Finally, Ty nodded. “Okay.”
“I’d lean up to give you a kiss, but my ribs can’t handle it.”
Ty leaned toward her and brushed his lips against hers. “We’ll have time for that later.”
“Yes, we will.”
She turned as she heard a vehicle headed down the lane. An FBI agent stopped the car before it got too close. A moment later, her friends stepped out.
Ty took her hand, and they walked through the drizzling rain toward the group. They each started to hug her until she pointed to her ribs. Instead, they squeezed her shoulder and rubbed her arm and offered compassionate smiles.
“This wasn’t the engagement party I envisioned,” Lisa said.
Cassidy offered a weak smile. “Me neither.”
“We’re glad you’re okay,” Austin said. “We weren’t going to stop looking until we found you.”
“I appreciate that,” Cassidy said. “More than you could possibly know.”
Part of her felt like she was saying goodbye right now. But if her plan worked, maybe that wouldn’t be the case.
Cassidy only hoped things didn’t go terribly, terribly wrong.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cassidy and Samuel rode down the street in silence. They’d just gotten off the second ferry and were headed away from the Outer Banks and toward Raleigh. From there, they’d hop on the interstate and go to Atlanta. The drive would take twelve hours.
She’d needed a big city when she developed her plan, and she’d wanted it to be as far away from Lantern Beach as possible—yet still within driving distance.
In one way, Cassidy felt like she was leaving part of herself behind. I’ll be back, she told herself. Yet, if her plan didn’t work, that might not be the case at all.
The good news was that her pain medicine had kicked in. She’d changed into some sweats and a T-shirt from the back of one of the FBI agent’s cars. And they’d been able to grab some biscuits from a fast-food joint.
“You’ve done good, Cassidy.” Samuel’s deep voice brought a certain kind of comfort and calm to her heart.
“It doesn’t feel that great right now.” She turned toward him. “This level of corruption within the government? It’s disturbing, to say the least.”
Samuel took a long sip of his coffee, his eyes on the road. He set his cup back into the holder, his expression pensive. “I know. The sooner Ryan and his guys are behind bars, the better.”
“I think Ryan’s uncle killed my friend Lucy.”
“I think you’re correct. When I was looking through the case files, I found a grainy surveillance photo that had been taken several years ago. They looked like two men who were at the ATM at the same time, like strangers, so no one ever put it together.”
“But you did?”
“That’s right. I did. I went to ask Ryan about it, and he acted skittish.”
“You must have really gotten suspicious then.” She glanced out the window, as the wipers moved in hyper drive, trying to keep the water off the windshield. Globs of rain sloshed back and forth, almost taunting anyone in their path.
“You bet I did. But I made a fatal mistake. I confronted Ryan.”
Cassidy tried to picture how that might have played out. “What did he do?”
“At first, he denied my claim. But then he realized it was doing no good. He pulled out a gun and told me that we were going to walk outside together, calm, cool, and casual. That we were going to get into his car, and I was going to go with him.”
“That’s never good.”
“No, it’s not.” Samuel took another long sip of coffee. “But when we got out of the building, he ran into a coworker who was quite talkative. I saw my opportunity and ran.”
“He said you went into hiding because you were the mole.” Cassidy could hear Ryan telling her that. She remembered how easily the lies had slipped from his tongue. It was enough to make her nauseated.
“I figured he’d turn it around on me. And I figured he would come here to Lantern Beach also.”
“He said he discovered my location because of that PI my parents hired.”
“That could be true. Your parents said they told the guy to back off, but I’ve talked to Ricky Ernest before. He doesn’t like to back off.”
Cassidy leaned back against the seat, her eyelids feeling heavy. But she couldn’t rest until she had some answers. “How long were you on Lantern Beach?”
“I just got there earlier today. I knew if I tried to buy a plane ticket or do anything else on the grid that Ryan would have his men after me. I suspected Greg was helping Ryan, so I put a trace on his phone, which led me here. That’s how I found you tonight.”
“I’m glad you did.” He’d gotten there at just the right time. A little later, and someone else besides Greg might be dead right now.
“I am too. I’m just sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
“I suspected that Ryan was behind it,” Cassidy said. “Then when he kept telling me that maybe I should give up the location of the jump drive, I knew something was up. I figured Greg might be listening, and I knew I needed to buy more time, so I led him to a fake device.”
“You actually hid the other jump drive?” Samuel stole a glance at her.
Cassidy nodded. “I sure did. One can never be too careful.”
“Brilliant move on your part. I guess Ryan wants all the copies so he can destroy them. Without that evidence, he’ll be free and clear. As you probably know, Ryan took over for his uncle. Ryan himself grew up dirt poor, and he clawed his way to the top.”
“I just don’t understand it, though.” Cassidy stared out the window, her thoughts heavy. “He has a respectable job.”
“For some people, that’s not enough. Sometimes money is never enough. They want more. Their appetite for it is insatiable.”
“I guess so.”
He glanced at her. “You sure you want to go with this plan?”
“Absolutely. It’s the only way I can think of.”
“You should get some rest, Cassidy,” Samuel said. “We have a long drive, and you’re going to need all your energy.”
Ty sat at his house and absently rubbed Kujo’s head. Austin had offered to come over, but he wanted to be by himself. He needed some time alone to process everything.
He couldn’t believe Cassidy was gone. Life felt so empty without her here.
She’ll be back.
Ty kept telling himself that. Yet doubt crept in.
He wanted to be with Cassidy. He wanted to help her, not sit on the sidelines. Yet he understood that she needed to do this alone, and Ty wanted to respect her wishes.
“This stinks,” he muttered to Kujo.
Kujo nuzzled him, as if he understood Ty’s agony.
He stared out his screened-in porch and watched the waves crashing in the distance. Usually, the sight calmed him. But now it only reminded him that Cassidy wasn’t here with him.
“I’ve got it bad,” he said to Kujo. “I know I do.”
He glanced at his cell phone. He’d pulled it from his pocket earlier and set it on the arm of the wooden porch swing. He had little hope that Cassidy would call.
But another idea churned in his mind.
No, leave it alone, Ty. Let it go. Don’t get involved.
Yet he found himself picking up the phone.
While he’d been in
Ryan’s car—when he’d found the man’s cell phone—Ty had jotted down the phone numbers from Ryan’s call log. He’d done it just in case.
And now that “just in case” was going to find fruition.
Shoving aside his reservations, he dialed one of the numbers. He knew it was a long shot that this call would prove anything, but he was still going to try.
A moment later, someone answered. “Hello?”
Ty didn’t recognize the voice, but he played it off like he did. “It’s me.”
“Who?”
At least the man was smart enough to ask that.
The breeze blew into the receiver, muffling Ty’s voice—which worked in his favor right now. “Do I really need to spell it out for you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Good because I don’t have much time,” Ty said. “And the line is breaking up.”
“Is the plan still the same?”
“Part of it.”
“Let me guess: the part where we find her and kill her?”
“That’s right.”
“I listened to the bug you left in the cabin. She’s headed to Atlanta. I heard her telling her boyfriend.”
What? They knew? Ty’s heart plummeted. “Guess where we’re going then?”
“You sure you want to kill her?”
The hollow feeling in Ty’s gut grew. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay, then. I’ll meet you there. And we’ll find her.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear. I’ll see you there.”
Ty hung up. But knew his promise to Cassidy would be nearly impossible to keep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
23 Weeks Earlier
Cady thought she might pass out. She stood on the edge of the room—it might as well be the edge of a cliff. Other members stood around also, muttering under their breaths, and sweating profusely. She could smell the pungent odor more than she could see it. A guard was situated at the door, which meant no one was leaving without permission.
Her turn in the examination room was coming.
Her turn to be interrogated here in the filthy underbelly of the converted apartment complex.
Only Raul and Orion were doing the questioning—which seemed like a sure sign they thought Cady was guilty. Usually, she was a part of Raul’s trusted inner circle. She should be helping them with this matter, but somehow she’d ended up on the other side of things. Had something happened to tip them off?
And that heart Raul had shown everyone a picture of . . . who did it belong to?
Nausea gurgled in her gut.
Another gang member emerged from the interrogation room with tears streaming down her face.
But at least she was alive.
Still, what had they put her through in there?
Raul’s eyes scanned the room until they met Cady’s. “You’re up.”
A quiver of dread quaked inside her.
This was it.
The make-or-break moment.
The instant when everything could change.
Her life could be over, and Cady would have nothing to show for it.
Her feet moved toward the door, toward the room, but her mind felt like it had entered another dimension. Like it wanted to separate from the trauma while it could.
A lone chair sat in the dark room, and the lights were dim. Flickering. Buzzing. The place smelled foul, like something had rotted—kind of like the souls of most of the people involved with DH-7. And there was a brown stain on the floor. Was that dried blood?
Her stomach squeezed harder.
Don’t show your nerves, Cady. Don’t do it.
Raul placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and pushed her into the chair. Her body felt as stiff as the wooden spindles behind her. She glanced over and saw Orion hunkering in the corner, his eyes glistening like a wolf hiding in the darkness, ready to attack.
“You’ve been pretty faithful.” Raul paced in front of Cady, his gun tucked into his waistband and a knife on his belt. Red stained his hands.
Cady swallowed harder. Just what had happened in here?
“You even killed Reginald,” he continued.
Her throat tightened. Had they somehow discovered she hadn’t killed him? That she’d faked his death?
Just like she’d faked Samantha’s death.
Raul paused in front of her and sneered. “Would you ever betray us?”
“Why would I do that? DH-7 is my family. Besides, Orion saw me shoot Reginald.” She’d actually used a rubber bullet.
“Yet you still work at the drugstore,” Raul said.
“I get you drugs.”
“You know that’s small scale compared to what we do.”
“Every bit helps, right?”
“I need you to do us a favor,” Raul said.
“Anything.” Yet Cady’s voice sounded strained. She’d already done too much. She wanted out. Now.
“I need you to figure out the narc.”
Her pulse jumped. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“I want you to watch people. You’re a woman. People will open up to you more easily.”
“Ain’t no one going to open up about that.” She kept her voice even, using her street dialect she’d perfected. “But maybe I can think of other ways to get it out of them.”
Raul leaned close—so close Cady could see the flecks in his beady eyes. That she could smell the nicotine on his breath. Could feel him breathing.
“You know what I like?” he finally hissed. “I like can-do attitudes. I like how you’re willing to do whatever it takes.”
“Of course.” Had this been Cady’s test? And was that a fatal mistake?
“You’re to report back to me.” He straightened and pulled out his knife. He began studying the blade, watching the gleam of its sharp edges in a slur of light from overhead.
She shivered. “Okay.”
“If you can’t find the narc, I’ll have to think it’s you.”
Panic swirled inside her again. “Why would you assume it’s me?”
“Because you have more of an outside connection than most of the people here. You know I take care of my people. Yet you want to take care of yourself.”
“I’ve always taken care of myself.”
“Not anymore.”
She swallowed hard. “Of course not.”
“Good. We’re on the same page then. I’m going out of town tonight, but I’ll follow up with that when I get back.”
“You’re leaving now? It’s midnight.” Why had Cady said that? Bedtime had never stopped Raul before. In fact, he preferred to operate in the darkness.
“It’s important,” he said. “There’s something I want to see with my own eyes.”
Cady didn’t like the sound of that. “I see.”
“Some of my guys are going to go firm up a deal for me across town. Do you want to go?”
“I can.” Going was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Actually, you should stay here. Get some rest. Talk to anyone who’s still here. Understand? See what you can find out?”
“Got it.”
Tonight, as soon as Raul and his guys were gone, Cady was leaving. She was going to get a message to Samuel, and that was it.
She couldn’t do this anymore.
She had the information she needed. Her job was done.
And she was ready to take charge of her life. Not as the person she used to be. No, this assignment had changed her. She would be making some improvements.
Her life couldn’t be all about her career or making her parents proud or living up to the expectations of others.
No, she needed to find community—a positive community. Not like this gang. She needed to find people who surrounded her with love.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to do that. She only knew her first step was getting out of here.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Today’s Goals: End this once and for all. Take back my life.
Ty hadn’t been able to sleep all night as he’d wrestled with what to do.
Break his promise to Cassidy? Or save her life?
There weren’t many in-betweens.
He’d prayed about it. Argued with himself. Tried to convince himself that he could make the right choice.
Yet he still wasn’t sure.
As soon as he’d gotten out of bed, he headed to the police station. Mac’s truck was out front, indicating he was here. Mac was the only person Ty could talk to about this.
Ty walked inside just as Mac stepped from his office.
Mac stopped in his tracks and flinched. “You look like you’ve been run over.”
“I feel like I have. Can we talk?”
“Of course. Come into my office. The FBI just left. I’ve been up all night dealing with them. The good news is that they’re keeping what happened quiet.”
“Islanders will ask questions, though. They’ll know something was up.”
“They will. But we’ve got our story in place. Everyone thinks Cassidy’s old boyfriend died a month ago when he came into town. Now they’ll think her boyfriend’s brother came here to exact revenge for his death.”
“And Ryan’s presence in town? How do we explain that?”
“We don’t. We tell people he was an investor looking to buy some property, and you tried to convince him to invest in Hope House.”
“Let’s hope people fall for it.”
Mac closed his door to the office and pointed to a chair in the corner. “Have a seat.”
Ty didn’t bother to argue. He plopped down, his body both weary and wired at the same time. As Mac thrust some coffee from a nearby carafe into his hand, Ty muttered, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Mac leaned against his desk. “Now, what’s going on?”
“Ryan and one of his sidekicks are headed to Atlanta,” Ty said. “They’re going to kill Cassidy, Mac.”
“How do you know that?”
Ty explained to him what he’d done.
Mac grunted and nodded as he comprehended Ty’s words. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to go to Atlanta. I want to warn Cassidy. I want to keep her safe.” He fisted his hands as he said the words, all the adrenaline inside him putting a fire in his blood.
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