When I nodded, he headed toward the suite's door, but then paused. Turning back to face me, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He tossed it onto the side table and said, "When they show up, pay with cash, and leave a good tip, okay?"
I considered how much he had tippedmeat the coffee shop and asked, "How good?"
"There's a bunch of hundreds," he said. "If they're nice to you, give them one of those."
I smiled. "And if they're not nice?"
He gave me a look. "Then give me their name, and I'll deal with it when I get back."
I wasn't even sure if he was joking, but I laughed anyway, and then settled back on the sofa to wait – whether for Ryder to return or for food to arrive at the door.
In the end, the food won out. The delivery person arrived shortly after Ryder left. The man delivering it was exceptionally nice, so as Ryder had instructed, I grabbed his wallet and dug out the cash. But as I did, something else fluttered to the floor.
A business card.
I didn't give it much thought as I paid, tipped, and got everything settled with the food.
Alone again, I almost forgot about the card until I glanced toward the door and spotted it lying carelessly on the carpet.
I jumped up from the couch and rushed over to crouch down and pick it up. By the time I stood, my blood had gone ice cold.
My fingers trembled as I read the name on the card.
Evan Carver.
In stunned horror, I turned it over as dread pooled in my chest. Scribbled on the back was a place and a date, written in basic blue ink like it meant nothing at all.
The place was a rooftop bar I'd been to exactly once, maybe a year ago. But it was the date that made my stomach lurch like I'd eaten something bad.
The date was a month ago – around the same time Ryder had first arrived on the island.
And now, my whole body was shaking, but not from the cold.
It was from a horrible realization.I'd been a fool.
I glanced toward the balcony, where rain still pounded the glass. Thunder rumbled. The wind howled. And even here in the hotel, the lights flickered just a little.
Suddenly I didn't feel safe.
And it wasn't because of the storm.
62
Bad News or Maybe Not
Ryder
The bike was fine. No dents. No scratches. No mechanical issues either. I proved this by riding it in a small circle around the other bikes so I could tell Tessa, truthfully, that she could cross it off her worry list.
During the past few hours, I'd learned something important, something I should've noticed earlier.Tessa worried far too much – and almost never about herself.
But me?I dealt with problems head-on, which was why I'd been keeping an eye out, not only for Tessa, but for Evan Carver, too.
He would never get to her – not if I could help it.
And unlike Tessa, I wasn't above asking for help, which was why when my phone buzzed in my pocket, I pulled it out and hit the answer button right away.
It was Maddox. Without waiting for my hello, he said, "Bad news."
