“I wanted to kill him.”

• 201 •

RAdCLY fFe

“I don’t blame you.”

“I’m not just saying that. I really really wanted to do it. He was talking about raping my girlfriend.” Bri looked hard at Carter. “You don’t think that’s bad, me feeling that way and being a cop?”

“You’re a human being first,” Carter said gently. “Family comes before everything, and you protected your family today. What you’re feeling—I’d be feeling the same. Exactly the same.”

“Thanks,” Bri whispered.

Reese returned from the holding area and motioned them toward her office. When they were inside, she closed the door.

“Any word on Allie?” Bri asked immediately.

“Not yet,” Reese said.

“What about the scumbag who shot her?” Carter added.

“The state boys are on their way down to pick him up. His parole violation is small time now. He shot a cop. He’s going away for a long time.”

“What’s your take on his claim he didn’t try to break into our place last night?” Bri asked.

“He swears he was with Randy Thompson, his old football buddy, all night.” Reese shrugged. “Thompson corroborates it, but I don’t put a lot of stock in his word.”

“There’s still the issue of the dead FBI agent,” Carter said. “Do you see any way he’d be involved in that?”

“I can’t see him for that,” Reese said. “The feds would have no reason to be looking for him. And he would have no reason to take out a federal agent. It doesn’t play.”

“What about the breakins at your place and mine? And Rica’s car?” Carter added.

“Everly admits to being in town for the last three days, so the timeline works for him being good for all of them. Of course, he denies that he did anything other than hide out at his buddy’s place.” Reese rested her hip against her desk and thought back over the sequence of events—the intruder at her home, Rica’s car being vandalized, the burglary at Rica and Carter’s, the attempted breakin at Caroline and Bri’s. Everly was directly tied to her and Bri and Caroline, and Rica was Caroline’s close friend. In a town this small it wasn’t difficult to track anyone’s movements, and Everly could easily have seen Caroline with Rica. Perps didn’t always follow a logic that made sense to others,

• 202 •

RetuRning tides

and a pretty solid case could be made for him being responsible for everything. It was tempting to tie it all up in a neat package because more often than not, the simplest explanation was the right one. William Everly, like so many criminals, was not particularly smart, and with the instincts of a homing pigeon, he’d simply returned to familiar ground.

Once here, he’d wanted to exact a little revenge on the people who had sent him to prison and those close to them. And most of all, he’d wanted another chance to prove to Caroline Clarke that all she needed was a good man.

“We’re not going to be able to prove it was him,” Reese finally said. “One thing that bothers me is that Everly is a hometown boy. My house is all the way out at the East End, your place is at the far West End, and Caroline and Bri’s is right in the middle. He had to cover a lot of distance getting from one place to the other, and we’ve been asking about him around town for several days. But no one has admitted seeing him anywhere.”

“Yeah,” Carter said broodingly. “I don’t like that much myself.”

Bri looked from Carter to Reese. “Why would anyone except Everly go after Caroline?”

“I don’t know.” Reese blew out a breath. “And we’ve still got the murdered FBI agent, who doesn’t seem related to any of it.” She glanced at Carter. “I think we need to have a sit-down with Supervisory Special Agent Allen, don’t you?”

“Unfortunately, I agree.” Carter grimaced. “I’ve got history with her, and I think she’s still got an ax to grind with Rica. Maybe I can piss her off enough that she’ll actually tell us something useful.”

“Give it your best shot,” Reese said with a wry grin. “In the meantime, make sure everyone keeps their eyes open. Just in case we’ve missed something.”

v

He wasn’t sure what was happening at the far end of town, but he’d heard sirens racing back and forth for close to an hour. All the extra police activity on the streets suddenly disappeared, and he took that as a sign to make his move. He had gotten used to working at night, but he didn’t want to wait until nightfall. He’d been waiting for so long already. He kept thinking back to the night before, to the surge

• 203 •

RAdCLY fFe

of excitement when the knife had parted flesh, to the rush of blood in his head and his groin. He craved the sensation. Nightfall wasn’t for hours, and he needed to satisfy his craving now. He felt for the knife in his pants pocket, and let his fingers drift over its smooth surface onto the hard ridge of his cock. She’d be alone now. And all his.

• 204 •

RetuRning tides

chapteR twenty-thRee

Ireally don’t want to go to Hyannis,” Allie pleaded. “Look, it isn’t even bleeding anymore. The x-rays are okay, right?”

Tory smiled indulgently as she wrapped Allie’s upper arm with a clean dressing. “You’ve had a little Demerol, sweetie. You’re not totally capable of making a rational decision right now.”

“Nobody has the time to cart me all the way up there. And believe me, the Demerol is totally busy working as a painkiller. I don’t feel high at all.”

“Are you hurting a lot?” Tory asked gently.

“I think I’m supposed to be tough and say it doesn’t hurt much,”

Allie said with a shaky laugh. “But it really really hurts. Like, I don’t think I want to get shot again. Ever.”

Tory stroked her hair. “I hope you never do either.” She pulled over one of the stainless steel stools and sat down next to the stretcher.

“I think you were very very lucky and the bullet went through your triceps and missed the bone and all the major arteries and nerves.”

Allie brightened. “Which means I can go home and I’ll be good as new in a few days, right?”

“Not exactly,” Tory said with another slight smile. “There are a lot of important structures in your upper arm, and you were bleeding heavily when you came in. There’s only so much I can do to evaluate what’s going on inside without actually opening up the wound and examining it internally.”

“Like an operation.”

“Exactly. But operations can damage tissue, and we don’t like to do them unless they’re absolutely necessary. How about we compromise.”

• 205 •

RAdCLY fFe

Tory checked her watch. “You stay here for another four hours. If there’s no further bleeding and no change in your neuro exam—the feeling and movement in your hand—I’ll let you go home with someone who can watch you.”

“Okay. Yes. Perfect.” Allie started to sit up, but Tory pressed a hand against her shoulder.

“That means four hours of lying still, sleeping if you can,” Tory admonished.

“I need to talk to my mother. Let her know I’m all right.”

“I’ll get your cell phone.” Tory gestured to the hallway. “A lot of your friends are outside. I’ll let them know that you’re doing all right.”

“Thanks.”

“Allie, is there someone you want to see? You can have visitors back here, I just don’t want a crowd. You really do need to rest.”

Allie looked away for the first time. “Is Reese here?”

“She was, but she had to go back to the station to take care of the arrest procedure. I just called her a few minutes ago to let her know that you’re doing all right. She said she’ll be by later. Bri will be here too, as soon as she can.”

“That’s cool. That’s good.”

“Reese mentioned Ash is waiting outside, and she’s pretty worried about you.” Tory didn’t want anything to upset her patient right now, but she couldn’t keep things from her either. “Flynn has been asking for you too.”

“Flynn’s here?” Allie asked quickly.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Will you ask her to come back?”

Tory nodded. “Of course. I’ll get her.”

v

Ash sat for a while after Flynn went inside, waiting for the strength to return to her legs and for the sharp, bright pain that lacerated her heart to lessen enough for her to walk away. Allie had asked for Flynn.

She shouldn’t have expected anything different. Allie had told her, more than once, that she had a girlfriend and was happy with her. Flynn was decent and cared about Allie. That was easy to see. So Ash finally

• 206 •

RetuRning tides

had her answer and she wasn’t really surprised. She hadn’t trusted Allie when it mattered, and nothing killed love faster than distrust. Her greatest regret was not telling Allie how much she loved her, and how very much she needed and wanted her. Ash grasped the handrail and pulled herself to her feet, feeling inconsequential in the still, dusty air.

After taking a few shaky breaths, she walked down the stairs and across the parking lot to her vehicle. Her mind was sluggish, her movements hesitant and uncoordinated as she searched for her keys. The days and weeks of forgotten meals, late-night binges, and transitory hookups were finally catching up to her. She climbed behind the wheel and after a few tries, got her key in the ignition.

“Ash! Ash, wait!” Flynn jogged down the steps from the clinic and over to the car. She braced the vehicle door open with her arm.

“She wants to see you.”

Ash shook her head. She was done. She didn’t have anything left, not even anger. “I’ll stop by and see her tomorrow. Tell her I said I hope she’s feeling better.”

Flynn leaned farther inside, blocking Ash from turning the wheel, and waited until Ash looked at her. Flynn’s eyes were oddly soft and tender. “Allie is hurt and she wants to see you. Forget the past, forget your pride. Do right by her.”

“Do right by her,” Ash whispered, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to the earth. Do right by her.

What did that mean? She’d told herself she was doing right by Allie in refusing to tie her down, to box her in, to limit her choices. She’d thought she was making a sacrifice, being noble. But she hadn’t done it for Allie, she’d done it for herself. Do right by her. She looked at Flynn, desperately needing guidance. “How?”

Flynn’s voice was gentle, filled with compassion, and unexpectedly encouraging. “I think you’ve already figured that out. Now let her know.”

Ash wasn’t so sure, but she slid out from behind the wheel and closed the door. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Flynn said.

Ash started toward the building, then looked back. “You coming in?”

“In a few minutes,” Flynn said. “You go ahead.”

Ash waited, but Flynn walked over to the EMT van, sat down on

• 207 •

RAdCLY fFe

the wide rear step, and closed her eyes. When Ash entered the clinic, Tory was talking on the phone behind the high counter in the reception area.

“Allie asked to see me,” Ash said.

Tory gestured to the hallway behind her. “Treatment room two.

She’s tired. Don’t stay too long.”

“Is she all right?” Ash asked.

“She’s stable, but she really needs to rest.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Ash hurried down the hall, then hesitated in front of the door. Do right by her. She knocked and stepped into the room.

The head of the stretcher had been propped up to forty-five degrees, and Allie lay covered by a sheet, her shoulders bare, her eyes closed.

She was very pale. Her skin, framed by her dark hair, was nearly translucent. She appeared fragile and ethereal, and Ash’s heart twisted at the thought of how very close she had come to losing her. Right at that moment, all that mattered to her was that Allie was safe. The world without her would be a far darker place. Crossing as quietly as she could, Ash stopped by the side of the stretcher and clasped Allie’s hand.

She leaned forward to kiss Allie’s forehead and stopped when Allie’s eyes flickered open. Her deep brown eyes were slightly unfocused, but still endlessly beautiful.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Ash whispered.

“Hi, baby,” Allie murmured. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Close your eyes again.” Ash brushed her lips over Allie’s cheek.

“Tory wants you to rest.”

“She said I can go home soon.”

Ash wasn’t so certain that was a good idea, but she wasn’t going to argue. “That’s good. How are you feeling?”

“Loopy. Arm hurts.” Allie slipped her hand from Ash’s grasp and rested her palm against Ash’s cheek. “I think I’m still mad at you.”

“That’s all right. I don’t blame you.” Ash’s throat was so tight she could barely talk. She wanted to climb onto the stretcher and pull Allie into her arms. She wanted the bullet to have pierced her flesh, not Allie’s. She wanted to erase the pain she’d seen in Allie’s eyes that morning, the pain she’d put there. She wanted to go back and do everything over again, but she knew she couldn’t. Sometimes there were no second chances. “Do you need anything?”