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I slipped over to him and clutched his hand in mine. “What happened?”
He swallowed so loud I heard it. “Nikki slit Ebony’s throat.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, and a tear spilled down his cheek.
“Oh, Tyler, it’s not your fault.”
Sucking his lips into his mouth, he nodded. It was a long agonizing moment before he sucked in a breath. “That’s what everyone has told me, but if I’d just stayed away . . .”
“You couldn’t have known what would happen. Just like Dad didn’t know what would happen to Mom.”
A frown drilled across his forehead. “At least your dad got his justice. Blood splatter evidence proved that my bullet hit Nikki, but she got away, and both her and Owen vanished into thin air. That was two years ago.”
“Maybe she died?”
“I don’t think so. I can feel . . .” He shook his head.
“What can you feel?”
He curled his hand over my knee, and it was so tender I nearly wept, but when he looked at me, the raw pain in his piercing blue eyes made me hold my breath instead.
“Nobody prepares you for ghosts.” His voice was barely a whisper.
I sucked in the air. “I see Mom’s ghost, Tyler. All the time. I know what you’re talking about.”
He shook his head. “This is—” His head jerked forward, and he jumped to his feet. “A boat!”
I surged to my feet, and the rocky sand dug into my instep.
Grabbing my hand, he dragged me behind the tree. Peering over his shoulder, I stared at the glint on the water as the boat emerged from the shimmering horizon.
“A rescue party?” Tyler’s breath hissed with uncertainty.
“Can’t tell,” I said. As the vessel drew closer, my heart stuttered. “Son of a bitch! That’s Kane fucking Devlin.”
CHAPTER 26
Indiana
Tyler’s brows knitted together as if he were piecing evidence into place. “Isn’t that the guy whose boat you set on fire?”
I groaned. “That was an accident.”
Tyler returned his gaze to Kane’s massive yacht, which had released its anchor offshore. “This should be interesting.”
As a rubber dinghy carved a white path through the blue toward us, I said, “Kane’s a lying, sneaky bastard, Tyler. Don’t believe a word he says.”
“Copy that.” Tyler rubbed the stubble on his chin. “That won’t be hard. There aren’t too many people in this town I do trust.”
Standing with our ankles in the tumbling waves, we stood side by side, watching the boat approach. As the humming engine grew louder, my heartbeat thumped in my ears.
The boat slowed to a crawl, and the hull squeaked as Kane drove it right against the sand. Kane jumped off the raft, landing with the grace that always irked me.
“Indiana, babe, what a surprise,” he drawled with his cocky smirk that pissed me right off.
“Cut the crap, Kane,” I shot back, unable to keep the venom out of my voice. “Just get us out of here.”
“Tyler Kingsley,” Tyler interrupted, stepping forward and offering his hand. “Thanks for getting here so fast.”
