A little white lie. But the security guard didn’t need to know everything.
“A lot of people come and go, but you’re lucky. I remember seeing him. He left about an hour ago.”
What? “Weird. Okay, I’ll just wait at the Starbucks. I can text him that I’ll be there.” Now that she thought about it, the security guard might wonder why she hadn’t texted Pop to begin with. Well, she had but never got a response. “Thanks.”
Acid rose in her throat. Jo rushed through the exit without looking back. But there was nothing more she could do.
I never should have come.
She stepped out into the rain and hurried down the hill. Glancing over her shoulder, she happened to catch someone leaving the building ... and stopping to watch her. She turned to get a better look. The watcher ducked out of sight. Frowning, Jo blew out a shaky breath. She was just seeing things.
Jo rushed forward, speed-walking her way around the pedestrian traffic until she got to the corner.
Another glance back confirmed that no one followed her. Still, the sounds, the rush of people, would give her an anxiety attack. She didn’t wait for the light to signal but dashed across the street, receiving honks and a few choice words. At the parking garage, she raced to her vehicle in the corner. Another glance over her shoulder—because there could never be too many—told her others entered the garage, heading to their vehicles, oblivious to her.
Sayonara,Seattle.
Jo scrambled into her red Land Rover Defender, which Pop had customized. Starting it, she appreciated the deep rumble. Nobody was going to mess with her while she wasin this beast. She paid at the gate and sped out of the parking lot.
Jo was done with the city. And ... done with her father? The thought sent a pang through her heart. She wasn’t done with him. This couldn’t be the end.
Downtown traffic was maddening, and Jo didn’t relax until she was on the ferry, crossing Puget Sound to Bremerton, where she could drive the rest of the way to Hidden Bay. Sitting in cold silence, Jo remained in her beast where it was safe, fighting the nausea erupting from the rocking motion of the ferry. The water was surprisingly rough today.
Jo glanced up from her cell and couldn’t believe her eyes.
Waves crashed onto the deck with the cars, moving them around a little too much for comfort. She couldn’t imagine this was a normal happening. Maybe she should get out. Another wave, and then the Toyota Camry in front of her nearly knocked into the Lexus next to it. Getting out now might be dangerous.
I should have stayed inHidden Bay.She’d been hiding away for the last three years, and now venturing out into the world was giving her a panic attack.
The waves calmed. If she was getting out of her vehicle, now was her chance. She’d head up to the top deck. Grab some vending machine food. Jo weaved between the parked cars, noticing that she’d been the only one to remain inside her vehicle.
“What are you doing?” A muffled, fear-filled voice drew her attention.
The question hadn’t been for her. She glanced around the shadowed car deck filled with vehicles. Hearing nothing more, she headed toward the steps, where she could make her way up. Pressing forward between the cars, she couldn’t ignore the grunts that came with a struggle, and in the reflection of a truck window, she watched as someoneslid down the side of a car. Someone else holding a knife appeared in the reflection and looked down at the body, then slinked away. The killer wore a heavy overcoat with the hood pulled forward.
Jo should scream.
But she couldn’t breathe.
He hadn’t looked in her direction, but he was aware she was there and watching—she knew that to her bones. Looking at her would send him to prison—whoever he was—because then she would see his face. She hoped security cameras caught him.
Jo hurried toward the stairs. She had to get out of here. Get away. He was still here somewhere, hiding behind or in a vehicle, she didn’t know. Another wave crashed, sending water onto the loading deck. If she could just escape before he saw her. The intrusive waves rushed around her ankles, soaking her shoes in ice-cold water. The cars were moving with the waves again, and she could end up crushed.
She eyed the stairwell. Where were the two ferry crew members she’d seen earlier? Maybe someone would come down to check on the vehicles and see what was happening. She had no choice, really. Jo rushed between the cars and sloshed through the water, slipping a few times as another wave crashed.
A chill crawled over her. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck lifted. Her breaths quickened.
She sensed someone near and—
A hand covered her mouth as a strong arm seized her. She fought and kicked, but he treated her as if she was as weightless as a small plastic toy. He dragged her between the vehicles, then, at the last car, opened the door. Horror filled her when she saw a body in the back seat. The man he’d killed. A scream erupted in her throat, but he punched her in the face, stunning her. Pain shot through her headas it lolled. She struggled to find her way out of the growing darkness and failed.
Blinking, she suddenly realized she was in the driver’s seat of a sedan. He’d knocked her out, but she was awake now. She scrambled to get out, but the car was already in motion, rolling over the edge. He must have removed the net barriers and forced the vehicle over.
Heart hammering, Jo screamed as the sedan plunged into the water. The man stared down at her from the deck, his face shrouded in darkness.
Except his eyes.
She’d never forget them.
