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  “How do you know where Serena is?” Cali voiced her fears, daring to look back at Chad, who had lapsed into silence.

  He lifted his head a notch. “He told me.”

  “How can you believe him?”

  Chad broke into the conversation. “Because he has no other choice.” A smug smile formed at the corner of his lips. “I’m still in control, Cali.”

  She ignored his comment, turning her full attention back to Nick.

  “You’ll have to trust me on this one, baby.” He glanced her way. His eyes held something more than concern now. Vulnerability showed through, reminding her of when he had asked her to pray with him.

  Then the truth hit her. He was acting on instincts, and faith. Not only on what Chad had told him.

  “I trust you,” she offered in a whisper.

  A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and relief showed in his eyes. Nick pulled onto the highway that ran along the length of the nature preserve. He set the headlight beams to high, and the rays of light reflected the rain as it poured from the sky.

  “The road washed out about five miles down. I set up a barrier earlier this evening. But, we should still be able to get as far in as we need to.”

  Should be able to?

  Cali didn’t want to dwell on the doubts running through her mind. So far, Nick’s confidence had remained strong. It radiated through his firm grip as he continued to hold her hand, and she was determined to keep the confidence she had gained from him, from slipping away.

  Flashing blue lights appeared in front of them. Two cruisers sat parked on the road, but no one was in sight. Nick parked behind the cruisers and started to get out, but hesitated when Chad spoke.

  “Let me out. I can show you where they are, Sheriff. You’ll never find them on your own.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I’m not on my own, isn’t it?”

  Chad’s gaze smoothed over. Now, his features revealed nothing. No emotion showed through. No hatred. It looked as if he had mentally retreated, pulling himself away from reality.

  Nick looked at Cali and his voice softened. “Are you ready?”

  Cali’s pulse leapt; she hadn’t expected him to ask her to go with him. “I’m ready.”

  They climbed out of the truck at the same time. Nick walked around the front and put his arm around Cali, tugging her to his side. “Let’s go get Serena.”

  Night Waves

  Night Waves

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Cali wasn’t sure what she was seeing at first. The darkness swallowed everything farther than three feet ahead. The driving rain didn’t help her vision either. But, a moment later, flashlights appeared ahead of them. Two of them, directing bouncing rays of light to the wet, sandy ground. Two human forms appeared, then the shadow of another emerged, huddled close to the others. As Cali and Nick made their way down a sand dune, the people drew closer. She recognized Deputy Owen from his lengthy stride, and he was carrying something. Or, someone.

  “Serena!” Cali broke free of Nick’s grasp, running to meet the two deputies.

  She nearly ran into Deputy Owen in her haste to get to him. Nick caught up and shone his flashlight at the woman in Owen’s grasp. It was Serena, and it looked as though she was asleep. “Is she…?”

  Owen said, “She’s been drugged, but she’s spoken to me already. She’s confused, but knows her name.”

  Relief overcame Cali, and she expelled the breath she had been holding. She tasted salt on her lips before she realized she had started to cry. She glanced at the woman huddled beside Deputy Castle. Marlene Stanton’s short, dark hair stuck out in all directions, and she ducked her head against the strong winds. They continued to walk toward the cruisers as Cali turned her attention back to her friend.

  Nick took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “Let’s get her to the hospital,” he said, urging her back toward the road.

  When they arrived at the truck, Nick switched Chad to Deputy Owen’s cruiser, freeing enough space for both Cali and Serena to ride in the back seat. Cali climbed in, and Deputy Owen placed Serena next to her. Serena drew open her eyes, blinking several times. “What’s going on?”

  Cali’s silent tears turned into deep sobs. When she could speak, she said, “It’s so good to hear your voice again. You’re safe now. It’s over.”

  Serena seemed to understand, although she was not fully awake, and relief registered on her face for a moment, before she leaned over and fell back to sleep.

  Nick climbed into the driver’s seat and twisted around. “We’ve notified the hospital. They’ll be waiting for us.”

  “I can’t believe it’s finally over. We did it Nick. We found her.” Tears continued to stream down her face. Cali leaned her head back against the headrest as the adrenaline, which had fueled her body for the last several hours, drained away. Exhaustion claimed her, making her more emotional by the minute.

  It would soon be time to go home. Somehow, the thought was not as appealing as it used to be. Going home meant leaving Nick. A new kind of anxiety seeped its way into Cali’s system, dampening the tremendous joy in finding Serena. Cali’s gaze met his intense, deep-blue eyes as he glanced into the rearview mirror, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

  Night Waves

  Night Waves

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Cali’s damp palms rested on the hard, wooden armrests of the hard, wooden chair in which she sat. She looked around Nick’s office, thankful the sheriff’s station had emergency backup generators. The lights were dim, but sufficient.

  She focused on her surroundings while waiting for Nick to finish speaking with Helen in the main room. His office looked the same as the first time she had entered it, but it felt different. The sense of organization was still there, and the bare essentials remained occupying the desk, but now that she knew the man behind it all, it felt welcoming instead of intimidating.

  Fatigue blurred her vision, and she rubbed her eyes to clear them. She checked her watch, but it had stopped working, probably from being drenched for most of the night. She looked around Nick’s office for an indication of the time, but found none. She figured it was well after midnight by now, and her energy reserves were fading fast.

  Chad and Serena had been admitted to the hospital for treatment—Chad for burns, and Serena for dehydration. Marlene was still in good physical condition, but they kept her overnight as well, based on the trauma she had undergone in her ordeal.

  Nick had insisted Cali let the emergency room doctor take a look at her, and she had earned a bandaged shoulder for complying. She had a sprained shoulder, but luckily nothing had been permanently damaged. She had wanted to stay in the hospital with Serena, and it took both the doctor and Nick to convince her Serena needed to rest.

  When she and Nick returned to the station a few minutes ago, Helen had greeted them at the door with hot coffee and a warm smile. Then, she hugged Cali, surrounding her with much needed compassion. Cali had nearly broken out in a fresh wave of tears at the friendly gesture.

  Cali stood and paced Nick’s office, wearing an extra pair of his clothes, which he had given her before they left the hospital. His sweatpants gathered around her ankles, and kept slipping at the waist, although she tightened the drawstring and hiked up the legs repeatedly. The T-shirt hung down close to her knees, but she couldn’t think of anything else she would rather be wearing at the moment. Nick’s fresh, soapy scent clung to the material, and she enjoyed the comfort it provided.

  A pang of loneliness hit her as she remembered again that now that they had caught Chad, she would be leaving soon. Nick had been so busy dealing with the aftermath of tonight’s events, he hadn’t said anything about what was to come, and Cali wondered if it had crossed his mind.

  “I want you to get some sleep.” Nick’s deep voice shook her out of her thoughts as he entered the office.

  Her pulse leapt and she turned. “What about you? Your eyes are bloodshot. You loo
k exhausted.”

  “I’ll sleep soon enough. I want to get you settled first.”

  “Where?”

  “The worst of the hurricane is over, but I think it’s best if you stay here tonight. We’ll check on my cottage first thing in the morning, but for now, Deputy Owen has a couch in his office. It sleeps well.”

  “You sound as if you know from experience.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I’ve been known to work long hours on occasion.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed,” she replied with her own smile.

  He shrugged, and took her hand in his. He led her to Deputy Owen’s office. “I’ll go grab a pillow and blanket for you. We have brand new ones in the storage closet.”

  “Where will you sleep?”

  “We have emergency cots. I’ll set one up in my office.”

  “And Helen?”

  “She’ll probably insist on staying up through the night. I’ll be right back.”

  Cali hadn’t been alone for long before Deputy Owen peeked in the door. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

  His question startled her. She turned to face him. Dark circles ran under his eyes, and his usual arrogant smile had deflated, leaving a solemn expression on his features. He held his lips drawn tightly together as he waited.

  “Of course.”

  He stepped inside the office and shut the door, offering her a seat.

  Cali opted to sit in the chair next to the door. Still uneasy about being alone with Owen, she wanted to have access to the exit. “Nick said I could sleep here. But I don’t have to if you’d rather…”

  He waved his hand. “It’s fine. That’s not why I wanted to talk to you.” He pulled another chair from behind the desk and sat in it. He ran a hand through his tussled hair and met her eyes. “I’m sorry.” His long, narrow face held traces of regret.

  Cali consciously kept her mouth from dropping open. “Sorry?”

  Owen shot a pointed look at her bandaged shoulder. “Chad Livingston found you because of me.”

  She leaned forward, surprised by the remorse in his voice. “Deputy Owen, I don’t think…”

  He held up a hand. “Please, hear me out.”

  “All right.” She settled into her seat, waiting, and fighting to keep her head clear enough to focus. She tried to hold back a yawn, but couldn’t.

  He blew a deep breath into the air. “I shouldn’t have told Lex Harrison where you were staying. He led Livingston directly to you.”

  “Chad would’ve found me anyway.”

  “It would’ve taken him more time.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Why are you defending me?”

  Good question. She should be mad, but for some unexplained reason, she wasn’t. Cali had to think about her answer for a moment before she realized the truth. “Because I don’t want you to feel guilty for something someone else did. Chad kidnapped me, Deputy. You didn’t. I spent too much time this past week blaming myself for something he did.” She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs.

  “You’re not going to let me feel bad about this are you?”

  “I don’t want you to feel bad about it. I just hope you learned you don’t need publicity and fame to be important. Nick thinks highly of you. That says a lot.”

  “Nick used to think highly of me. But not anymore.”

  “It may take some time, but I’m sure you can regain his trust.”

  “I hope so. I’m sorry I let him down.”

  Her opinion of Owen started to rise. “Don’t forget you’re the one who found Serena.”

  He nodded, stood from the chair and crossed the room, looking more uncertain than she had ever seen him. “Thanks for not being angry with me. I’m beginning to think Nick’s been right all along.”

  “Been right?”

  “You are special.”

  Her stomach dropped and the room began to spin. Chad had called her special. Nausea rose inside, and she was glad she was sitting down. “Nick told you that?”

  Nick stepped into the room. “I told you what?”

  ****

  Nick stood in the doorway to the office holding the pillow and blanket and waiting for a response. Cali’s cheeks paled right before his eyes. “Chad used that word.” A shiver passed through her. “He used it as an excuse to stalk and kidnap me.”

  “What word?”

  Deputy Owen cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  Growing irritated at not knowing what they were talking about, Nick stepped farther into the room and tossed the blanket and pillow onto the couch.

  “I’ll just go check on Helen.” Owen stepped around Nick and left.

  Nick turned his focus to Cali. She avoided looking at him. He was tempted to demand she tell him what they had been talking about when he caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes. The last thing he wanted to see was more tears. He had seen enough tonight to last him decades. First Cali, then Serena and Marlene. Even Helen had let out a few. His guilt returned, and he didn’t even know why Cali was starting to cry again.

  She walked to the couch and sat on it. Picking up the pillow, she asked, “How long do you think it will take?”

  “Cali, you’re confusing me.” He ran a hand through his hair as fatigue and frustration tugged at him.

  She stared at the floor. “How long will it take for me to stop hearing his voice? To stop smelling his lime-scented sweat? To stop seeing his distorted features every time I close my eyes?”

  Her whispered words instantly erased Nick’s agitation. “It’s only been a few hours, Cali.”

  “How long before one word will stop bringing me to my knees?”

  “What word?” Nick eased down beside her.

  “Special. He said I was special.” She lifted her gaze back to his. “I still feel the nausea that struck me when he used that word. The way he said it.” She shivered and hugged the pillow to her chest, but not before Nick caught her pulse going wild at the base of her throat.

  “He can’t hurt you anymore.” He wanted to take her in his arms, but the defensive look in her eyes held him back.

  “I’m not so sure about that.”

  He scooted closer. “I have two deputies guarding the door to his hospital room. He’s cuffed to the bed. He’ll be locked up in a cell where he belongs as soon as he’s well enough.”

  “Do you think he’ll ever get out?”

  “Not with the DNA evidence, and yours and Serena’s testimony.”

  “I can testify, but how can Serena if she was drugged and doesn’t remember anything?”

  “She remembers enough. She figured out Livingston was giving her the drugs through her drinks. So, she pretended to drink them, and acted like she was drugged. She nearly escaped once.”

  “But Serena was drugged when Deputy Owen found her.”

  “Livingston made her drink a soda laced with GHB while he watched. She had no choice that time.”

  “How do you know?”

  “She woke up enough for me to talk to her for a few minutes earlier in the hospital.” He leaned closer and took her hand in his, rubbing warmth back into her fingers. “She said Chad didn’t touch her.”

  Cali’s eyes rounded in surprise. But, she still held a hint of disbelief in her gaze. “He didn’t?”

  He shook his head. “Serena said he was distracted after he took her. He wasn’t at home much for the first few days. Then, she said he kept talking about you.” Anger surged through him at the thought, his protective instincts sprang to life again, and he shifted her hand closer.

  “What about tonight? She was knocked out.” She shivered, and goose bumps broke out all across her skin.

  Nick released her hand, picked up the blanket and draped it across her shoulders. “She was examined at the hospital. There’s no evidence she was…” he trailed off when Cali looked away.

  “What about Marlene?”

  “I don’t know. She’s not ready to talk much about
it yet.”

  Cali appeared as if she wanted to know more, but fell into silence. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes, wincing when she lifted her right arm.

  “How’s your shoulder feeling?”

  “It’s swollen and sore.”

  Another fresh wave of anger surged through Nick. Cali had been hurt by the High Tide Stalker, and he hadn’t been able to prevent it from happening. He lifted her hand and kissed it, then turned it over and traced circles on her palm with his thumb. He closed his eyes. “He had you, Cali. The stalker had you. What if…?” He cringed at the images flashing through his mind.