“She sounds like an amazing woman.” Christopher’s eyes darkened with emotion.
“She was,” Isabella agreed. “I miss her every single day.”
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, finishing their chestnuts and watching the afternoon light play across the water. Isabella felt something settle in her chest, a sense of rightness that had been missing from her life for so long. Christopher understood her in ways she hadn’t expected, and being with him felt easy and natural and like coming home.
As they drove back toward Anastasia Island, Isabella’s phone buzzed in her purse. She dug it out, expecting a message from Janeabout the girls.
Instead, Todd’s name appeared on the screen.
Her stomach dropped. She opened the message, and ice ran through her veins.
This is your last chance to help me, or you won’t like what I do next.
Christopher glanced over and noticed her expression. “What is it?”
“Todd,” Isabella managed, her voice tight.
Anger flooded through her, hot and cleansing. She was done being scared. Done being manipulated. Done letting this man have any power over her life.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard:Get lost, Todd. I already told you my attorney will bury you in court.
The response came almost immediately:Is that your final word?
Isabella typed back without hesitation:Yes. Get lost, Todd.
She watched the screen as the three dots appeared while Todd typed his response. The message that popped up sent a chill down her spine, unrelated to the car’s air conditioning.
You’re going to be sorry.
Isabella stared at the words, her earlier confidence evaporating in the face of that simple, direct threat. Christopher pulled into the inn’s parking lot and immediately saw her face.
“What did he say?” Christopher asked, his voice hard.
Isabella handed him the phone without a word, watching as he read through the exchange. His jaw clenched, and something dangerous flickered in his eyes.
“We need to show this to Charlie,” Christopher said firmly. “Right now. This is escalating, and we need to be prepared for whatever he’s planning.”
Isabella nodded, but her hands were shaking as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Todd’s final message echoed in her mind.
You’re going to be sorry.
And for the first time since this whole nightmare began, Isabella believed him.
16
GABE
Gabe shifted the picnic basket to his other hand as he made his way down the sandy path toward the beach. Trinity had told him they’d be near the old beach access behind the inn, and he’d decided to surprise the three of them with snacks and cold drinks. The afternoon was perfect for the beach, warm without being too hot, with a light breeze coming off the ocean.
He muttered under his breath about his stupid leg as he limped along, trying to keep sand out of the medical boot. It was impossible. Sand was getting everywhere despite his careful steps, working its way into the edges of the boot and irritating his still-healing injury. The uneven terrain made every step awkward, and he had to concentrate to keep his balance on the shifting surface.
But Trinity had been so happy when she’d told him about the beach plans. Her face had lit up when Jane invited her and Maddy to spend the afternoon by the water with Duke. Gabewould limp through hot coals if it meant seeing that joy in his daughter’s eyes, so a little sand in his boot was nothing.
A car roared out of the parking lot as he turned the corner toward where Trinity said they’d be set up. The vehicle drove too fast for the small lot, tires kicking up gravel as it accelerated toward the main road. Something about it felt wrong, but Gabe couldn’t pinpoint what exactly. Just a feeling. The kind of instinct that had kept him alive through multiple deployments.
He rounded the corner fully and stopped, confusion washing over him at first.
Jane was lying in the sand. He knew it was Jane because, much to his chagrin, he remembered exactly what she’d been wearing when he’d seen her earlier that morning. Navy blue tank top that made her auburn hair look even more vibrant. Denim pants. Simple and practical and somehow beautiful in its simplicity.
