Mia slowed.
Dana.
She wasn’t pacing, wasn’t hiding. Just waiting like this was the most natural place in the world to have a conversation.
Mia stared at Roy. “Why is she here?”
“She said she needed to talk with you,” Roy replied. “Didn’t want to show up at the farm. Not after everything.”
Mia hesitated. She didn’t remember Roy ever mentioning Dana before, but then again, he didn’t talk much about his private life.
Mia watched Dana for a minute.
“Five minutes,” Mia said.
Roy nodded. “That’s all.”
Dana smiled when she saw them. “Oh, good,” she said. “Roy told me you were coming out here. I just wanted to make sure you knew what people were saying before it got out of hand.”
Mia’s gaze slid past her.
That’s when she noticed it.
Set back from the lot, half-hidden by brush, was a low concrete structure nearby. Square. Windowless. Municipal-looking. The metal door was dulled with rust. A single light burned above it, yellow and dim.
Not part of the marina she remembered.
Something older. Forgotten.
Her unease sharpened.
Mia slowed. “What is that?”
Dana followed her gaze. “Old emergency locker. The town barely uses it anymore. My family invested a lot of money in them years ago.”
“What do you want?”
Roy shifted his weight, hands sliding into his jacket pockets. He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t look away either.
“I just wanted to tell you I’ve been hearing rumors about you,” Dana said. “You need to be careful.”
Mia exhaled, impatience cutting through the last of her unease. “Not telling me anything I don’t know. I appreciate the warning, but I really need to go.”
She stepped back, reaching for Roy’s sleeve. “We should head out.”
Dana moved too.
Not blocking them. Just close enough.
Mia stiffened. “Excuse me.”
Dana didn’t move.
Something in Mia snapped. “We’re leaving,” she said and tried to step around her.
Dana’s hand came up quickly, gripping Mia’s arm.
“Don’t touch me,” Mia said, jerking free.
