he had spoken. He put a steadying arm around her waist and pulled her close, keeping her from falling into the rising tide.
His breath caught at the strong sensation of having her pressed against his side, and he fought to keep his mind where it should be.
Let her go.
Yet, his arm remained where it was, wrapped around her waist. She thrust away and stepped back, effectively helping him with his internal struggle. A myriad of emotions crossed her features.
He considered showing her the jagged scar on his left shoulder that provided a constant, aching reminder of his limitations. But, aside from stripping off his uniformed shirt and Kevlar vest in front of several tourists, he had no convenient way of showing her what had happened the night he had thought he could handle any situation alone.
“I understand you want to do everything you can to help find Serena. But, you’re trying to carry a load which isn’t yours to carry.”
“Yeah? And you’re trying to change the subject.”
Another errant wave crashed into them, causing her to stumble again. He started to reach for her, but stopped when she put up her hands in defense.
“Don’t.”
“Cali, I…”
“How many?”
“What?”
“How many women have been abducted?”
He hesitated only a moment. “Serena’s the third.”
“What happened to the other two?”
Nick had to be careful. He could not give out any more information than could already be found in the local newspapers. “They’ve been found.” The heat shimmering in her gaze turn into ice-cold fear. “Alive,” he added quickly.
Cali let out a sigh and some of the fear in her gaze abated. “When? What happened to them? Who took them?”
Nick nodded politely at a young man walking past them carrying a long surfboard. A mother rounded up her squealing toddler, keeping her from running full-force into the crashing waves. He glanced to the area behind him. The tourists continued filling the beachfront, settling in for the afternoon with beach towels, umbrellas and chairs.
He looked back to Cali and held his hands up. “Not here.”
“Why not here? Tell me. I have a right to know,” she raised her voice, drawing attention from several other people.
Her demand snapped his carefully controlled patience. He stepped close, forcing her to retreat. “Do you? And what gives you that right? Just because you live a privileged life back home as daddy’s little girl does not mean you have special privileges here on my island, and it does not give you the right to know the details of an ongoing investigation.”
Cali backed away. She opened her mouth, and then clamped it shut without saying a word.
Nick turned, grabbed his shoes and socks, and walked away before the moisture gathering in Cali’s eyes had a chance to breach his tight resolve, and make him feel more regrets than he already did.
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter Eight
“Dad?” Cali held her cell phone with shaky hands.
“Yes?”
“I want you to be honest with me.”
“About what?”
“If I wasn’t your daughter, would you have hired me as a reporter for the Brookstone Herald?”
“Why would you ask me something like that?”
“Because I need to know.”
“You’re good at your job, Cali. Don’t ever doubt it.”
“I don’t doubt I’m good at it. But you have to admit, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity in the first place if you weren’t my dad.”
“Well, it is a family run business. That’s how things work.”
“Yes. But, I’d like to think I’ve earned my position at the Herald.”
“You have earned it. What’s all this about?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed and flopped back onto the bed in the motel room. Thankfully, the cleaning staff had changed the sheets on both mattresses today.
Bye-bye bed bugs.
She rubbed her forehead with her palm. “I think the heat’s getting to me.”
“Or maybe a certain officer of the law is getting to you?”
Cali sucked in a breath as her
His breath caught at the strong sensation of having her pressed against his side, and he fought to keep his mind where it should be.
Let her go.
Yet, his arm remained where it was, wrapped around her waist. She thrust away and stepped back, effectively helping him with his internal struggle. A myriad of emotions crossed her features.
He considered showing her the jagged scar on his left shoulder that provided a constant, aching reminder of his limitations. But, aside from stripping off his uniformed shirt and Kevlar vest in front of several tourists, he had no convenient way of showing her what had happened the night he had thought he could handle any situation alone.
“I understand you want to do everything you can to help find Serena. But, you’re trying to carry a load which isn’t yours to carry.”
“Yeah? And you’re trying to change the subject.”
Another errant wave crashed into them, causing her to stumble again. He started to reach for her, but stopped when she put up her hands in defense.
“Don’t.”
“Cali, I…”
“How many?”
“What?”
“How many women have been abducted?”
He hesitated only a moment. “Serena’s the third.”
“What happened to the other two?”
Nick had to be careful. He could not give out any more information than could already be found in the local newspapers. “They’ve been found.” The heat shimmering in her gaze turn into ice-cold fear. “Alive,” he added quickly.
Cali let out a sigh and some of the fear in her gaze abated. “When? What happened to them? Who took them?”
Nick nodded politely at a young man walking past them carrying a long surfboard. A mother rounded up her squealing toddler, keeping her from running full-force into the crashing waves. He glanced to the area behind him. The tourists continued filling the beachfront, settling in for the afternoon with beach towels, umbrellas and chairs.
He looked back to Cali and held his hands up. “Not here.”
“Why not here? Tell me. I have a right to know,” she raised her voice, drawing attention from several other people.
Her demand snapped his carefully controlled patience. He stepped close, forcing her to retreat. “Do you? And what gives you that right? Just because you live a privileged life back home as daddy’s little girl does not mean you have special privileges here on my island, and it does not give you the right to know the details of an ongoing investigation.”
Cali backed away. She opened her mouth, and then clamped it shut without saying a word.
Nick turned, grabbed his shoes and socks, and walked away before the moisture gathering in Cali’s eyes had a chance to breach his tight resolve, and make him feel more regrets than he already did.
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter Eight
“Dad?” Cali held her cell phone with shaky hands.
“Yes?”
“I want you to be honest with me.”
“About what?”
“If I wasn’t your daughter, would you have hired me as a reporter for the Brookstone Herald?”
“Why would you ask me something like that?”
“Because I need to know.”
“You’re good at your job, Cali. Don’t ever doubt it.”
“I don’t doubt I’m good at it. But you have to admit, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity in the first place if you weren’t my dad.”
“Well, it is a family run business. That’s how things work.”
“Yes. But, I’d like to think I’ve earned my position at the Herald.”
“You have earned it. What’s all this about?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed and flopped back onto the bed in the motel room. Thankfully, the cleaning staff had changed the sheets on both mattresses today.
Bye-bye bed bugs.
She rubbed her forehead with her palm. “I think the heat’s getting to me.”
“Or maybe a certain officer of the law is getting to you?”
Cali sucked in a breath as her
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