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Mia cracked open her eyelids. Everything ached. Where am I?
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
She turned her head as a young boy’s face came into focus. The boy from the alley!
She gasped, bolting to a sitting position, every cell punishing her for the sudden movement. She shivered, her clothes soaking wet. She was no longer on the street, but in someone’s house. She shifted carefully on the couch, taking in the small living room with a coffee table, chair, and television. A few pictures hung on the wall—artsy photographs.
He held up his hands, dropping the pad of paper and pencil he’d been holding. “I promise I’m not gonna hurt you.”
“You’re the one from the alley.” She held her throbbing head. Her lungs were heavy, making it painful and difficult to breathe.
He reached into his pocket and then held out his palm to her. A glint of gold caught her eye.
My mother’s ring!
Mia eyed him warily as she retrieved it.
“I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t have a choice. He said . . .”
“I know,” Mia croaked. Her throat was raw.
“I stole it back from him and carried it around in hopes of finding you to return it. I couldn’t get the necklace though.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled on his feet.
“Thank you . . . Where am I?”
“My sister, Belle’s, house. She’s a nurse and said you needed to go to the hospital. But we didn’t know your name. Found you on the road on our way back from the library.”
Mia nodded slowly. “I don’t need a hospital. I’ll just get going.” Mia tried to stand but every muscle protested and the room began to spin.
The boy reached out his hands gently. “Please just rest. I called a friend to come help.”
Mia stiffened. “Friend?”
“He’s actually the sheriff of Shattered Cove. He’s got it bad for my sister, but he’s a cool guy. She acts like she hates him, but I think he’s wearing her down.”
Mia blinked, trying to comprehend everything the boy was saying. Bently was friends with this kid?
“What’s your name?”
“TJ. What’s yours?”
“Mia.”
The floorboards creaked overhead. TJ shifted uneasily. “Uh, I know I don’t deserve it, but, uh . . . could you keep that whole thing in the alley between you and me? My sister doesn’t know, and neither does Bently.”
Before Mia could answer, there was a knock at the door. TJ ran to open it, giving her one more pleading look before he let the visitor with a familiar voice in.
“What’s the problem, buddy?” Bently asked.
“I found some lady passed out on the road,” TJ answered.
“Mia?” Bently gasped, rushing over to her side just as a beautiful dark-skinned woman came down the stairs in scrubs.
“What is he doing here?” TJ’s sister snapped.
TJ shrugged.
“Don’t act like you’re not happy to see me,” Bently responded.
