Chapter 41
Jett
“You look weird,” Levi says, eyebrows quirking as he stares at me.
I snort and lift my beer. “Thanks?”
“You’ve had a smile on your face all night. Kind of giving serial killer vibes.”
“Says the guy who glares at everyone.”
Leaning back in his chair, his eyes drift past me toward the crowd like they’ve been doing all night. “Having a teenage daughter is going to be the death of me. I don’t know how to relax. I’m constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop…or a text requesting more money.”
“She’s a good kid. Ran over to Wren and I at the craft fair. Most teenagers wouldn’t acknowledge adults.”
Levi types away on his phone, grumbling under his breath.
I take a long pull of my beer and lean back.
The Spillway is packed, but not suffocating, since most people are outside waiting for the fireworks show to start.
Music pulses from speakers around the bar linked to the jukebox, heavy enough to vibrate through the soles of my shoes.
It’s the kind of place that smells like beer, sweat, and nostalgia.
I track Wren without meaning to. It’s like she’s a magnet and I’m a pile of metal, destined to find her in every room.
She’s on the makeshift dance floor—a patch of floor where tables have been shoved aside.
Her red sundress flows around her thighs with every twist and spin.
Damp hair clings to her temples, leaving tiny curls along her hairline.
Leaning forward, she’s singing off-key into her fist as if it were a microphone, as Greer mimics her.
Alcohol has a way of lowering inhibitions, but this is the Wren I remember most when I close my eyes at night.
Dancing without a care in the world. It never mattered if she was out of rhythm or making a fool of herself; she was in her own carefree bubble.
“She looks happy,” Russ says as he passes, nodding toward her.
“Yeah.” I don’t take my eyes off her. “She does.”
“Different kind of happy,” he adds. “Not like the last time she was in here.”
My stomach sinks as the memory lands like a punch. At the reminder of him calling me to come get her and finding Wren passed out with her head on a table. New wounds were made as revelations poured like blood. It feels like a lifetime ago, even though it was only a few weeks.
As much as it broke us, it healed us the same.
“It was a rough night.”
Russ grunts, a silent agreement. “This looks a helluva lot better on her.”
We watch as Greer spins her, nearly crashing into a table. Their laugh is boisterous over the music, causing the corners of my lips to tip.
Yeah, happiness looks good on my girl.
Russ raps his knuckles on the table. “You two need anything?”
I glance at Levi, who shakes his head. “We’re good.”
I take another sip of my beer, needing something to do with my hands.
My gaze is glued to her like gravity’s got me in a chokehold.
But it’s not gravity, it’s love. Loving her feels like something my body figured out it needed in childhood, as if she’s my own personalized vitamin, long before my brain caught up.
It’s in the way my shoulders relax when she laughs.
In the way I track her exits without thinking, then immediately chastise myself.
Without thought, I glance around the packed bar, needing to make sure she’s safe. That there’s nothing out of the ordinary lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce. But I come up empty. Only a bunch of Silo Bay locals enjoying cold spirits and the holiday.
She’s safe.
Levi clears his throat, loud and pointed. “You gonna stare at her all night, or actually listen to me?”
I blink, dragging my attention to my friend. “You were talking?”
“Fuck you,” he says with a chuckle. “You’re such a bastard.”
I lift a shoulder. “Not telling me anything new.”
Levi shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest.
Pushing my beer aside, I give him my full attention, mentally chastising myself for taking the seat with my back to the dance floor. “Someone piss in your beer?”
“Talk to me when you have kids,” he grumbles, running his hand over his beard. “Audrey’s been at the festival all damn day. Sure, she’s been with friends, but it’s hard not to have her near. I know I raised her right, but…”
“You’re her dad and you worry. I imagine every parent with kids worries, especially when they gain their independence,” I pause before mumbling, “especially with our track record.”
Levi groans, deep in his chest, and I can’t help but chuckle. “You gave her a loving home with strong roots; she’s gonna be fine.”
He studies me for a second, then shakes his head. “How do you know what to say? You ready to pop out some babies?”
I splutter, waving my hands. “An outsider's perspective.”
“Uh-huh. You and Drummond gonna waste another ten years, or you going to give her the ring you’ve had for her?”
“Shut up, man. It’ll happen when it happens. Not trying to scare her off.”
I follow the movement of his eyes as they track Wren weaving through the crowd, cheeks flushed and eyes filled with joy. Her head snaps up as if she can feel my gaze on her. The smile taking over her face nearly has me melting in my spot. I love this woman.
“Don't think there’s any scaring that girl off,” Levi mutters as Wren gets closer.
I reach for her without thinking.
My fingers wrap around her delicate wrist as she passes, her mouth parting in an ‘O’ as she lets out a surprising squeal. I tug her back, spinning her straight into my chest. Her skin is hot from the afternoon sun and dancing…and covered in a sheen of sweat.
“J,” she giggles.
I kiss her in greeting. She melts into my chest, my hand on the small of her back, keeping her on her feet as I deepen the kiss. Her hand fists my shirt like an anchor. I swear I’ve never felt greater love than I do with this woman.
She pulls back, pink creeping up her neck.
“Damn, I’m a little turned on,” Heath says as he falls into the seat next to me.
“Grow up,” Levi grumbles.
Wren rests her forehead on my chest. “Don’t hide, Whiskey. Let the world see what you mean to me.”
Her gaze snaps to mine. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, Wren.” I gently smack her ass, causing her to jump and gasp. “Go get your drink, baby.”
Grinning, she presses a kiss to my lips before slipping away.
Heath throws his arm over my shoulder, the smell of booze pouring off him. His head lulls as he gives me a dopey smile. “Love looks good on you.”
I shove him off. “Get a water, man.”
Levi chuckles. “It does.”
“What?”
“Look good on you,” he answers. “Never seen you like this, even back then.”
I watch Wren grab a drink, tilting her head in laughter at something Russ says, before shimmying her way back to the dance floor.
The music swells as the bar comes alive.
But even through the lightness of the night, I can feel it.
Something hums under my skin.
Something I can’t ignore.
The buzz isn’t loud or sharp. It’s a restless energy, one leaving me unsettled like my body knows something my brain isn’t aware of yet.
It’s the same feeling I used to get on assignments.
My fingers twitch against the condensation of my beer. I roll my shoulders once, cracking my neck to try to shake this feeling.
Heath drones on about the girls he met from the bachelorette party. They’re staying at the resort and invited him over at the end of the night. The way this fool is drinking, he’s going to be passed out before the fireworks begin.
He’s always been the one to go too hard too quickly. As much as I love the guy, he plays too much, trying to hide his inner workings. It’s as if humor is his coping device, and if he’s not making someone laugh or being the group idiot, he’s letting people see the fear behind his eyes.
I’ve lost track of the conversation as I watch Wren dance with Greer and a few other people we know. It helps having Silo Bay be a small town. There aren’t too many people I don’t know inside this bar; most of the out-of-towners stick to the lakeside park and businesses.
But the joy she once emanated feels fragile, like a sheet of glass waiting for one thing to cause a chip that’ll lead to a crack before it shatters.
The fireworks will be starting soon. The reminder sends a chill down my spine.
I breathe through it. I chose The Spillway for a reason.
It’s smaller, loud enough to drown out the explosions, and far enough not to see any residual lights.
I’m grateful for good friends who know what fireworks trigger.
They agreed to come without hesitation, even though Baker’s band was playing before and after the fireworks show at Sunset Shores.
Deep down, the edginess doesn’t feel like paranoia from fireworks. It feels heavier.
I scan the exits, the windows, and the crowd.
Levi’s face scrunches, aware of the change in my mood.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, startling me.
I fish it out. My heart drops straight to my asshole as I read the name on the screen.
Lifting my gaze, I find Wren instinctively. Her head tips back in laughter as she watches Greer do some ridiculous dance move. Her smile is wide and unguarded. I force the bile down my throat as I hop off the chair.
I weave through the crowd, my shoulders brushing shoulders as I murmur apologies. As I pass her, my hand lands on her hip. I give her a gentle squeeze, causing her to jump.
She throws her arms around my neck and brings my lips to hers for a quick peck. I slip from her arms with a wink and continue moving through the crowd.
Pushing through the door, the heavy, humid night air hits me. The sounds of the bar are dull, replaced with the muted thrum of music and voices leaking through the walls.
My thumb swipes the screen. “What’d you find?”
Blackwood doesn’t waste time.
“Him. And we’ve got a problem.” His voice is low, clipped.
“No shit, there’s a problem,” I snap, my resolve slipping.
“Want my help or not?”
“Yeah,” I say, adjusting the phone to rest between my ear and shoulder, fishing out the packet of cigarettes I haven’t reached for as much lately.
I pinch a cigarette from the crumpled pack, placing it between my lips.
My fingers tremble slightly as I fumble with the Zippo, sparking it twice before the cigarette catches.
I inhale deeply, allowing the acrid smoke to burn through the knot of stress in my throat, holding it there until the frantic pounding of my ribs throbs.
For a moment, the world doesn’t exist outside the glowing tip of the cigarette.
I exhale the plume of smoke, watching it float into the night as Blackwood’s next words suck the air from my lungs all over again.
“Elias has been in Silo Bay for weeks.”
Motherfucker.
“Say that again?”
“He’s been staying at the campground.”
“Wouldn’t his name have been flagged?”
“Not gonna bullshit ya, man, he was good.”
“But you’re better.”
“Damn straight. Turns out, he gifted a low-level assistant at Hearst Properties a large bonus, enough for the assistant to purchase a used camper van.”
“Fuck,” I groan, taking another hit of my cig.
“The van was in the assistant’s name.”
“Shouldn’t a van registered to someone in California have triggered some kind of check-in?”
“You would’ve thought,” Blackwood grumbles. “I haven’t seen any credit card transactions on any of his accounts, so it’s safe to assume he’s getting by with cash.”
“Okaaay,” I draw out.
“I tied him to a burner phone and, Riggsby, this is where the problem escalates…” He pauses, and I roll my eyes at the dramatics. “It pinged off a tower less than a mile from Sunset Shores.”
My breath turns shallow. “The festival.”
“He’s been right under your nose the whole time.”
I let out a string of curses as I scrub a hand over my face, dropping the cigarette and stomping it out with my foot.
“Listen to me carefully, Riggs,” Blackwood adds, voice hardening to granite. “I’ve got my people moving in, but your holiday fun is over. You need to get her somewhere safe—”
“I’m on it,” I snap, adrenaline roaring.
“Do it quietly to avoid spooking him.”
“I hear you.”
“Do you? He’s unhinged, Riggsby. He won’t stop till you’re out of the picture and she’s his again.”
“Over my dead body,” I grumble.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I hang up without another word. I need to get my girl out of here…now.
My heart slams against my ribs as I fling the door open.
The music hits the second I step inside, but instead of the carefree mood, it’s made the potential for danger that much stronger.
I push through people laughing as drinks spill. Grunts and annoyance flare through each person I push through. Scanning the dance floor, I spot Greer and the group of people Wren was dancing with earlier. But she’s not there.
My pulse spikes as fear sends chills through my body as if I were plunged in a cold bath.
I move deeper into the crowd, eyes darting as I catalogue every face. Skimming the bar, I come up empty.
I slam my hands on the table, startling Heath and Levi.
“Where is she?”
They blink at me.
“Who?” Heath asks, and I could punch the ignorance off his face.
“Where is Wren?”
Levi tips his head backward. “She went out back to look for you. Thought you were having a smoke.”
The words barely register before I’m moving again. Levi’s pushing off his seat and following me, but I don’t stop to fill him in. My manic state should be enough to bring him up to speed.
I slam through the door. A loud crack sounds from where the back hits the brick.
A group of smokers gathers off to the side.
“Have you seen Wren Drummond?” I place my hand in the air. “About this tall, red dress.”
They shake their heads.
Fireworks crack in the sky, and I fight the anxiety threatening to pull me under. This isn’t the time to have a panic attack over the sound of explosions.
I spin in a slow circle, scanning the janky patio, the alley leading to a parking lot and Main Street.
Nothing.
Another firework detonates overhead, and I feel my heart crack with each explosion.
For the first time in a long time, I’m scared.
“She’s gone.”