LANGSTON
My gut told me something wasn’t right with them. It was their reasons for coming to Anchor Bay that had the suspicious feeling strengthening through the quick trip from Anchorage to home. It didn’t seem as if they wanted to harm anyone, yet the heavy weight of shame and guilt had ballooned in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
Why?
Hell if I knew.
I had a feeling the elephant sitting on my chest had to do with how the woman they were here to surprisewould take them showing up unannounced. The wordsurprisehad a positive spin to it; what they were doing seemed more like a sneak attack, but I still hadn’t found out why. Neither seemed the type to plan all this to attack Juno, but that wasn’t the only way to hurt someone.
Maybe that was just guilt hanging around my neck like a noose. I prided myself on protecting my family and friends, and somehow Juno too, yet I allowed the two people who wereobviously conspiring about something to walk off the boat with no interrogation about what that surprise encompassed.
Surprise her with an apology? Not likely, based on that douchebag Eric.
Surprise her with a knife in the back? Not their type.
Surprise her with news that wouldn’t feel like good news to Juno? That felt closer to the truth.
I ripped off my ball cap and slapped it on my thigh, cursing myself. I’d fucked up big-time. I’d allowed my frustrations with Juno to cloud the black-and-white guidelines I kept to, in order to keep those around me safe. Hopefully, it wasn’t as bad as the massive weight crushing my chest, slowly suffocating me, made it seem.
But why did it feel like I’d betrayed her just by being their water taxi?
The coarse rope slid across my calloused palms as I secured the multifunctional boat Uplift purchased for ferrying clients between here and Anchorage, plus other water activities that I guided. Both knees popped as I stood, dusting off my hands on my thighs before waving back at the captain as he pulled out into the bay. The docks were quiet at this time of day, most of the boats out fishing or out with clients. Uplift Adventure and Rescue wasn’t the only adventure company in Anchor Bay, but we were the biggest—and the best, if you asked the locals.
Brandon, Carl, and Amy handpicked everyone who worked for them, which was why the small community had grown from a place to work to a family. A genuine family. One that had one another’s backs and wanted the best for everyone. Sure, I had Mattie back in Vegas—she was my only living blood relative I had left—but the men and women at Uplift were just as much family as she was.
The water-swollen wooden planks groaned beneath my weight as I marched down the narrow walkway, the icy wavessplashing beneath me and slapping against the poles, making light showers of spray sprinkle across my jeans. Nostrils flaring, I inhaled the comforting aroma of salt water and diesel fuel, holding it until my lungs burned, hoping that would chase away the pressure in my chest.
“I didn’t know,” I grumbled to myself as I exited the dock, slamming the wire gate behind me with more force than necessary. “It was a job. Brandon said we couldn’t tell her.” Hand shoved into the front pocket of my jeans, I wrapped my fingers around the 4Runner keys, tightening until the metal bit into my skin. “Going against a direct order goes against everything the Army taught me.”
Reaching for the door handle of the late-model SUV, I paused to pull the ringing phone out of my pocket. A sigh of frustration blew past my lips at yet another delay. The insistent need to see Juno and make sure she was safe—from a distance, of course—rode me hard, making me almost twitchy.
I frowned at West’s name flashing on the screen. With a finger on the green circle, I answered the incoming call and tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder as I pulled the driver’s side door open. “I just got back, headed home now?—”
“We have a problem.”
It was the tremble in his voice, the fear and worry leaking through his words, that had me freezing halfway inside the SUV.
“Who?” I asked as panic surged. Once again, I wasn’t there, and someone got hurt. That was the only explanation for why West sounded like he was about to shit his pants.
“Juno.”
I would’ve thought hearing her name, not one of the other members of Uplift, would’ve offered a sliver of relief considering everything, but the opposite happened. Sweat instantly slicked my forehead as a fresh rush of guilt and dread pumped through me. Heart slamming in my chest, I slumped into the driver’sseat, death grip on the phone with one hand and the wheel with the other.
“Is she hurt?”
He paused.
He fucking hesitated.
It was bad, then. Each knuckle turned white from my tightening grip on the wheel.
His shaky breath blew across the mouthpiece. “Physically hurt, no. But she’s not okay, Lang. Like, really not fucking okay. I think she’s having a panic attack. Come help me. Help us.”
Shoving the key into the ignition, I cranked the engine and slammed the door shut.
“Where are you?”
“In the alley next to Sips.”
