Chapter 27
Returning to Devil’s Pointe felt like coming home. Warm light spilled across the patio while music drifted softly through the night air. Laughter rose from the scattered groups gathered beneath the palms, relaxed and familiar, the kind that came from people who knew and trusted each other.
It wasn’t a club night. No scenes were playing out; no protocols were in place. Just friends lingering over drinks and food while the river moved dark and slow beyond the yard.
Julia paused at the end of the walkway, taking it in. For over a week now, she’d felt trapped with too much time to think. Whatever he’d seen in her that night in the shower had unsettled him more than she realized. She hadn’t even asked to come tonight. He had suggested it himself.
That still surprised her. Especially after how fiercely he’d resisted any other conversation involving her leaving the house.
“You look better already.”
She glanced toward him. “Because I feel like I can breathe again.”
The tension that lived in him since they’d left his house, her cocoon of protection, was still visible in his eyes despite the calm face he put on for everyone else. He worried but had brought her here anyway.
“Oxygen and mental health are important, I’m told,” he drawled.
His hand settled on the small of her back, guiding her farther inside. They had barely made it three steps before Cari appeared.
“There you are.” She wrapped Julia in a quick, tight hug before giving her a slow appraisal. “Look at you. Out in the wild again.”
“Yes, free from captivity. For tonight at least,” Julia murmured.
Cari’s gaze flicked to Leland, amused and far too knowing.
Dev appeared behind her.
“Good to see you,” he said warmly, one hand settling briefly on her shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze. “And thanks for risking Hale’s blood pressure to come celebrate with us.”
“Happy Birthday, Master Dev,” Julia said with a hesitant smile. “I’m afraid I come empty-handed. Shopping isn’t on my current list of approved activities.”
“No gifts,” Cari said. “He insisted, unless it was a check made out to one of his pet charities. Leland was generous enough for you both,” she added, smiling warmly at the big man beside her.
“Thank you,” Dev told him. “The shelters can use every dime for repairs after this past hurricane season.”
Julia glanced up to see his reaction, but the only acknowledgement he gave was a subtle chin lift. Classic Leland.
“Help yourselves to the buffet,” Cari said, leaning into her husband’s side. “Emily catered, naturally. Her stuffed shrimp are Dev’s favorite. But you should hurry. They’re going fast.”
Dev looked toward the buffet line with concern. “I’ve been too busy greeting people to eat.” He grabbed Cari’s hand. “If you’ll excuse us.”
“Cari was being nice. Dev would trade one of his kidneys for Emily’s shrimp.”
Julia snorted. “Only one?”
“Depends on whether the stuffing is crab or lobster.” He glanced toward the bar then at her. “Want a drink, or do you feel like battling the birthday boy for whatever’s left?”
“A cool drink, please,” she said. “I’ve had Emily’s stuffed shrimp. I’d prefer to keep all my fingers.”
He chuckled softly, his guiding hand on her again. “Wise choice.”
The evening unfolded easily after that. Good food, plenty of drinks. Conversation and laughter flowed in familiar circles.
Slowly, without noticing when it happened, Julia relaxed and began to feel normal again. For the first time in weeks, she wasn’t thinking about surveillance cameras, accidentally setting off hair-trigger alarms, and whether someone might be watching her from the shadows.
Leland stayed close at first. Not hovering but always aware of where she was.
Gradually, he let some of that vigilance loosen. Because this was Devil’s Pointe. A trusted space where half of D&A’s payroll was on the guest list while the rest worked behind the scenes protecting everyone there. Tonight, her especially.
The Devlin men eventually gravitated toward the outdoor bar. Gaby seamlessly joined their group, as if she’d always been a part of it. The investigation had entered the evening. Julia could tell from their lowered voices and from the glances thrown her way, not all from Leland.
Cari reappeared by her side, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Come with me.”
Julia arched a brow. “I’m under orders not to leave the yard.”
“You won’t,” she said, slipping her arm through hers. “I noticed you didn’t get close during the unveiling. Now that people have stopped hovering, I want to show it off.”
They strolled arm in arm down the slope to the dock. Much quieter now, the earlier crowd thinned to a handful of lingering conversations.
Soft lighting traced the walkway, guiding more than illuminating.
Julia glanced back once.
Leland looked up at the same moment—like he’d felt it. His gaze swept past her, quick and assessing, taking in the dock and the shadows beyond it. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him because he gave a small, approving nod before returning to the conversation.
“You have no idea how hard it was keeping this from Nick,” Cari said as their shoes rang out softly on the deck boards.
The new pergola stretched partially over the river like an upscale boathouse retreat. Cedar beams framed the overhead structure, while recessed lighting glowed along the polished wood floorboards and built-in benches layered with thick weatherproof cushions.
It wasn’t flashy, more like Cari’s elegant taste, but unmistakably Devil’s Pointe.
The railing looked decorative until Julia noticed the spacing between the heavy vertical slats, narrow enough to keep curious gators from climbing aboard.
Cari stood in the center, slowly turning as she took it in with visible satisfaction. “He’s been talking about this for a year,” she said quietly. “Sketching it, changing his mind, sketching it again.”
Julia glanced at her. “So, you built it for him.”
Cari’s expression softened. “Yeah. He works hard and does so much for others. Case in point, charitable donations instead of gifts. I thought he needed something… special.”
Julia moved up next to her. The water lapped softly beneath them. The house behind them glowed, distant but present. For a moment, everything felt still.
“It’s perfect.”
“I think so too,” she said, smiling. She sat and patted the seat next to her. “Sit and tell me how things are going with Mr. Tall, Tattooed, and Brooding.”
Julia laughed softly. “That’s Leland, although not so brooding lately.”
“So, what Gaby says about forced proximity is true?”
“She didn’t lie. We’re not done figuring things out, and what happens after the case is still unresolved, but it’s definitely better.”
“Only better?” Cari said, disappointed.
“Much better.”
“Keep at him. He’s a good man. I think he’ll come around.”
“I sure hope so.”
Julia sat with that word a moment. Hope. She’d given up on it not so long ago. She steeled herself for what so often happened: crushed hope. But tonight, back at the Pointe, with friends, and for the moment, with Leland, things seemed right.
Beside her, Cari slapped her arm. “Darn mosquitoes,” she muttered.
“We can go up.”
“Thanks. Mosquitoes love me. They have me confused with an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
Julia arched a brow at her. “You’re a mosquito magnet yet you built a pergola on the river in Florida?”
“I know. I’m nuts. But I love making Dev happy. Besides, I ordered a truckload of citronella candles, tikis, incense sticks, you name it. They just haven’t come in yet.”
The gate swung closed behind them when they stepped onto the dock. The lights flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness.
“Be careful. Don’t fall in,” Cari warned. She made a small, startled sound—a sharp exhale, cut off—followed by a loud splash.
The first thing Julia thought was gators.
“Cari?”
The sound cut off as a band tightened around her throat. She reached up to free it with both hands. A hard forearm crossed her chest and dragged her backward.
“Caught you at last, little bird. The hunt went on longer than I had planned. Your punishment will be extra slow for the inconvenience.”
Fear warred with the need to breathe. She struggled, tried to scream, but it turned out that wasn’t possible without air. Spots danced in her vision and she heard his low, terrifying chuckle before darkness swallowed everything.
***
Leland stretched out with his feet propped on an ottoman, a beer in his hand. Conversation swirled around him, but he wasn’t participating. Dev and Callan lounged nearby, amused as they listened to Alec argue affectionately with Emily over the dessert.
“A French torte,” Emily corrected for at least the third time. “Not a simple birthday cake, which anyone can make from a box. As if.”
“So, you’re saying it’s cake with a superiority complex,” he replied, obviously teasing.
Emily didn’t appreciate his humor and looked deeply offended.
Rhys and Gaby spoke quietly with Michael and Greta beneath the string lights, laughter drifting in scattered bursts across the patio.
This was familiar, and comfortable. Feelings he almost remembered how to enjoy. He should have been relaxed. But he couldn’t quite get there. Not with Julia out of sight.
Callan’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, frowned, and muttered, “What now?” as he stepped a few paces away to make a call.
No one paid it much attention. Until he swore. Not loud but sharp, and very unlike him.
Dev’s head turned. “Problems?”
Callan dragged a hand through his hair, already moving toward them. “Security says the system just went offline.”
Leland was on his feet before he finished. His pulse stopped cold. “Offline how?”
“Whole grid,” Callan said. “Could be a crash. Might just need a reboot, but—”
“Alert the perimeter guards,” Dev said, setting his beer down as he rose.
Leland’s gaze had already shifted toward the river. The dock lights were out. “Is the power down, too?”
“They didn’t mention that,” Callan replied.
“We should bring Cari and Julia in.”
Dev was already moving. “I’ll come with you.”
Leland glanced at him. “I thought you fixed those glitches?”