“That’s when I realized he had a knife. I kicked him in the groin, which dropped him down, and he stabbed me. I didn’t get the feeling he was trying to kill me, but I didn’t want to wait around to find out. While he was down, I kicked him in the face, got up, and took off. I managed to get into my car before he could catch up to me—but barely.”
“Why do you think he wasn’t trying to kill you?”
“I heard someone yell, ‘Don’t let her get away,’ from what sounded like a phone on speaker. Again, I didn’t wait around to ask questions.”
“He chased you?” If what she overheard on the phone wasn’t enough to sway me toward a targeted attack rather than a random mugging, that would. Muggers don’t want attention, so nine times out of ten, they’ll bail at the first sign of trouble. If this guy actively pursued her, then he was out for something else.
“Yes. I still didn’t see his face, though. Like I said, it was dark, and I was more focused on getting away.”
Because I need to do something, I take my baseball cap off and run a hand through my hair. “Is your car nearby?”
She shakes her head. “It broke down right before I reached Tidewater Bay.”
“How did you get here?”
“I wrapped my thigh in a sweatshirt I found in my trunk so no one would notice it; then I walked.”
“You walked on your injured leg? That must have taken at least an hour.”
“Two, actually. And yes. I needed a place to lie low, and this seemed like the best option. It’s been so long since I was here; I figured there would be little chance anyone would find me.”
“Why is that? It wouldn’t be hard to trace you once they have a name.”
She stares back at me for a moment, then shakes her head. “No, my turn. What exactly do you do for the government?”
I let out a deep breath, trying to decide how much I can tell her. “I solve problems others can’t solve.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I can’t give you much more than that,” I reply honestly.
The corners of her mouth tilt in a partial grin that stirs the feelings I’m trying really hard to ignore. “Why? Because then you’d have to kill me?” Her words are echoes of the action movies we’d watch together back before everything fell apart.
“Never,” I repeat without hesitation. “I would never hurt you.”
Even though you ripped out my heart and stomped on it, you’re still safe with me.
Her smile falters. “Why do you want to help me? Why are you so interested in making sure I’m safe?”
“It’s my turn,” I say, not exactly wanting to get into the fact that, even after all this time, and the fact that she chose to leave me all those years ago, there’s not a single thing I wouldn’t do to protect her. “Why did you pick my boat? Any one of them would likely have had medical supplies on board, and mine is docked toward the end of the marina. It would have been a long, painful walk on an injured leg.”
Her expression darkens, and she crosses her arms. “I knew you would have what I needed because you always made sure you had emergency supplies whenever you went out on the boat.”
“It’s been nearly two decades. For all you know, I could have abandoned the boat.”
“You would never do that,” she retorts. “Because you love it.”
“We don’t always get to keep the things we love.”
Her gaze leaves me momentarily, but I never let mine stray from her face.
“Look, I don’t know why you’re so curious about what happened.”
“Because someone tried to kill you.”
“Key word: tried. I have no intention of letting them get another chance.” She takes a staggered step toward the door, and I fight the urge to reach out and help her. Since I know she’ll withdraw, though, I fist my hands at my sides and follow her out of the room and down the hall.
There’s a massive hole in the floor that she moves around with ease. It was here the last time I was, too, only her dad had placed a piece of wood over the top of it to keep from falling when he was too drunk to pay attention.
