Chapter 9
Sloane
Knox led me up the wooden steps, his hand warm against the small of my back. The touch was desperately welcome, and I found myself leaning into it.
Claire’s home was classic coastal Carolinas, raised on stilts against storm surges, with weathered gray shingles that had survived decades of salt spray and Atlantic storms. A wide porch wrapped around three sides, complete with a swing that creaked gently in the morning breeze and mismatched rocking chairs that’d hosted a thousand conversations. Some of them ours.
“Fair warning,” he said as he opened the front door. “Archer and Colton aren’t exactly known for their subtlety.”
“Noted.”
We stepped inside and I smiled with warm memories. I’d been here several times before. Rocking with Claire on the deck discussing business plans over sweaty glasses of sweet tea.
It wasn’t grand like my parents’ beach house with its soaring ceilings and designer everything. This house was better. It was loved-in.
Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows that framed a stunning ocean view.
The open-concept living area was decorated in soft blues and sandy neutrals, with driftwood sculptures on every surface and vintage nautical charts covering one wall.
Everything about it screamed Claire Hawthorne: adventurous, warm, welcoming.
A collection of photos lined the mantel above a stone fireplace. Knox as a gap-toothed kid holding up a fish. Knox in his dress blues at what must have been his graduation from boot camp. Claire with her arm around a younger Knox, both of them windblown and laughing on a beach.
My throat tightened. This was the home of a woman who’d loved fiercely and lived fully.
“She had good taste,” I said softly.
“She did.” Knox’s voice was rough. He cleared his throat and called out, “Archer! Colton! We’ve got company.”
Heavy footsteps sounded somewhere in the back of the house, drawing closer and growing louder until two men appeared in the kitchen doorway. Both men were large and unreasonably attractive. Was that a requirement of the US Marine Corps these days? Must be giant and good-looking?
The stocky one, a hair shorter than Knox, with shoulders that suggested he could carry a Volkswagen if necessary, offered a lift of his chin in greeting. His dark eyes were sharp, taking in every detail in seconds.
The other one, leaner and more unassuming, had a wiry build and exuded restless energy. Even standing still, he seemed as if he might spring into motion at any second. His fair skin was an angry shade of pink across his nose and cheeks.
“Gentlemen,” Knox said, “this is Sloane Mercer. Sloane, meet Archer Stone and Colton O’Connor. We served together.”
“Ma’am.” Archer stepped forward first, extending his hand. His grip was firm but careful, and his eyes dropped briefly to my throat where the bruises were still visible before meeting my gaze again. “Knox told us what happened. How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay,” I said, appreciating the direct approach. No dancing around it, no uncomfortable avoidance. “Better now that I have protection.”
Their gazes moved to Knox.
“Sloane has asked me to keep her safe while the sheriff and his men look for her attacker,” he explained. “I told her we’d work as a team.”
Their heads nodded in silent acceptance.
“She’s asked me to stay with her during that time,” he added. “Sloane wants to help the sheriff however she can, and I’d like to continue Mom’s efforts to find the hikers. We think those missions work well together. Your assistance will be crucial to make this a success.”
Colton moved forward, his hand outstretched, and his handshake equally respectful. “If anyone can keep you safe, it’s Knox. Well, him and us.” He grinned. “We’re pretty good too.”
“Don’t let them fool you,” Knox said, moving toward the kitchen. “They’re not nearly as incompetent as they look.”
Archer barked a laugh, and the humor reached my lips.
I followed Knox into the kitchen, certain his friends had felt the tremor in my hand.
I hadn’t stopped shaking since last night.
The other men trailed behind. The space was bright and airy, with white cabinets and butcher-block countertops that showed years of use.
A coffee pot was already brewing, filling the air with a rich, dark scent.
Knox pulled mugs from a cabinet with the ease of muscle memory, and I watched as he moved through his mother’s kitchen. This was his home. His history. And he was sharing it with me.
“So,” Archer settled into a chair at the kitchen table, gesturing for me to sit. “Welcome to the team.”
“Thanks.”
I sat, and Colton took the chair across from me while Knox poured coffee. “We all agree there’s a connection between the missing hikers and the man who attacked me?”
“We do,” Archer said. “We’ve been going through Claire’s notes, but there’s nothing definitive so far. We’re classifying everything into categories that feel relevant. Deciding where to start.”
“Knox’s mama was one hell of a woman,” Colton said quietly. “We met her a few times over the years. She flew out to the base anytime we were stateside.”
“She invited us here whenever we saw her, but we never made the time to come,” Archer added. His obvious heartbreak made him appear suddenly younger, vulnerable.
“I’m glad you’re here now.” I looked each of Knox’s friends in the eye. “Claire would love seeing you here for him. And just seeing you here. She adored this place and took every opportunity to share that. She’d want you both to feel as happy here as she was.”
Knox set mugs in front of each of us, his expression soft with memory. “That’s one hundred percent true.”
“Your mama was always trying to feed us,” Colton said with a grin. “She worried about our nutrition like it was her job. My mom didn’t even notice I’d lost weight on deployment.”
“To be fair,” Archer said, “you could stand to lose a few pounds before that deployment.”
“Hey!”
Their banter chipped away at my tension, and my shoulders lowered inch by inch.
“How long have you three served together?” I asked.
“Years,” Knox said, settling into the chair beside me. “We met during our second deployment. These idiots got themselves pinned down in a valley, and I had to go extract them.”
“Again with the lies,” Archer said. “You were the one who got lost trying to find the LZ.”
“I wasn’t lost. I was creating a diversion.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now?”
I sipped my coffee, enjoying the easy rhythm of their conversation. This was a side of Knox I hadn’t seen yet. Relaxed, playful, surrounded by people who knew him before his mother’s loss had broken his heart.
“Truth is,” Colton said, his tone shifting to something more serious, “Knox saved our lives more times than we can count. He’s the kind of leader who always puts his team first. Even when it meant putting himself in danger.”
“That’s the job,” Knox said, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team. And, for the record, I haven’t done anything these two haven’t done as well.”
Archer looked at me directly. “When we heard about Claire, we put in for leave the same day. Got here as fast as the Corps allowed. Knox is our brother, and brothers show up.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest at the fierce loyalty in Archer’s voice. I didn’t have siblings or friends this close, not since college, and that was more than five years ago now. I appreciated the way these men had chosen a family that chose them back. I was even a little envious.
Colton offered Knox a fist bump across the table. “Losing someone you love isn’t something anyone should have to do alone.”
Knox sipped from his mug, lines of tension forming around his eyes.
Archer cleared his throat, elbows on the table as he turned to me. “How are you really doing? That wasn’t something small you went through last night.”
The directness caught me off guard again, but I appreciated it. “Honestly? I’m terrified. But I’m also angry. And determined to make some sort of good come from all this tragedy.”
“Fear is good,” Colton said. “It’s a natural response to trauma. But it doesn’t have to be permanent.”
“Are you speaking from experience?” I asked.
He and Archer exchanged a look, and an unspoken knowing passed between them.
“Yeah,” Archer said quietly. “Combat changes how you see the world. We’ve all got our demons to wrestle.”
“Some of us wrestle them better than others,” Knox added, his gaze flickering warmly to me.
“Either way,” Colton said, “you’re not alone in this. Whatever you need, you can count us in.”
“Knox needs help, we help.” Archer said. “That’s how this works.”
“And it works both ways,” Knox pointed out. “Hard stop.”
Colton grinned. “I’ve got a month, and Shaw’s got six weeks to decide if we’re re-enlisting. Might as well make our trip to the islands interesting with a civilian mission.”
“You’re both getting out?” I looked between them.
“Maybe,” Archer said. “I plan to visit my hometown, see the family, before I make any permanent decisions. But once the contracts are up, we have to choose. Sign on for another tour or see what life looks like outside the Corps.”
“The decision’s harder than it sounds,” Colton admitted. “The military has been our whole adult lives. We know how to be Marines. We’re excellent Marines. Adult civilians?” He shook his head. “That’s uncharted territory.”
“What would you do?” I asked. “If you got out?”
Archer considered this. “My dad runs a construction company in a small town out west called Fairytale. He wants me to take it over eventually. Good money, steady work. But it’s also...” He trailed off.
“Not what you want to do with your life,” Knox supplied.
I tilted my head at Archer’s mention of the familiar town. “Fairytale, Colorado?”
His brows lifted. “You know it?”
“I want to open an office out there.” I told them about my company, and Archer grinned. “You’d do well. Up in the mountains. It’s gorgeous. People are good too. It’s a great place to live.”
“But you aren’t set on going back?” I asked.
Archer ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not the town’s fault. After all these years of adrenaline and danger, I don’t know if I can do blueprints and permits for a forty-hour week.”
“I don’t even have a boring option,” Colton said. “I’ve got no job prospects, no particular skills outside of reconnaissance and tactical operations.” He laughed, but there was an edge to it. “Not exactly qualifications that translate to the civilian job market.”
“This is an awful situation, but the timing works. We could all use someplace good to put our attention for a while,” Knox said.
“Plus there’s the whole protecting Sloane thing now,” Archer added.
Knox slid his gaze to mine. “That too.”
“So what’s the plan?” Archer asked. His dark gaze returned to me. “How are we keeping you safe while investigating a potential serial predator?”
I looked at Knox, who nodded for me to explain.
“Knox will be staying at my house as a personal protection detail, keeping eyes on me until the man who attacked me is caught. In the meantime, we’re going to follow any leads we can. Interview families of the missing women. Try to find connections the police might have missed.”
“Smart,” Archer said. “Law enforcement’s often spread thin in small towns. Plus, civilians can go places, ask questions cops can’t.”
Knox nodded. “Maggie mentioned that the sheriff’s department was looking to hire. They’re especially overrun during tourist season.”
Thankfully it was off-season, and Sheriff Sullivan would have a little more time and resources available before the summer crowd returned next year.
“We think all three women visited Island Adventures before they disappeared,” Archer said. “Could be a big reason why Claire was so invested in helping locate them. This was personal to her.”
Knox nodded. “I saw that too, and I agree.”
I set my mug aside, suddenly ill. I couldn’t imagine how she must’ve felt, knowing the hikers went to her, then never came back. “She never said a word to me,” I breathed. “Do you think whoever’s doing this could have been watching the shop? Following the women after they got recommendations.”
No one answered.
“What about the attack on you?” Archer asked. “Does it fit the pattern?”
“I’m a solo hiker. I use the trails regularly. I spent a lot of time at Island Adventures with Claire this year.” I nodded. “And I’m sure, now, that I was followed on that trail the other night.”
Archer kicked back in his chair, big arms bulging as he bent them to lift his mug. He looked to Knox. “What do you want us to do while you’re gone?”
“Explore,” Knox said. “You’re two new faces to the area. This guy won’t be looking for you, or expecting you to ask around about this. Plus, you’re freely mobile. I’ll take Sloane anywhere she wants to go, but it will always be possible that he’s watching us. Sloane’s the one who got away. Twice.”
I looked at each of the men before me, overwhelmed by their level of investment. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice nearly failing me. “I’m grateful for all of this.”
Colton frowned. “Protecting people is kind of what we do. You need help. We’re here. It’s that simple.”
“Just be careful.” Archer stood and drained his coffee. “This guy’s already proven he’s dangerous. Stay close to Knox.”
“I’ll keep her safe,” Knox said, and the certainty in his voice sent warmth flooding through my chest again.
I hadn’t known him long, but I had every belief that Knox meant exactly what he said.