"I know Emil stole those jewels. That's what you're talking about. I didn't know what happened until I got here. But—"
"Where are you? I have to see you. You can explain later. Where can I meet you?"
An exaggerated sigh filtered through the phone. "OK, yeah, we can meet. That's fine. But not here, not on the yacht. And Emil would flip out. How about . . . um . . . Do you know where Pelican Cove Beach is? It's not far from where his yacht is. It's a gorgeous beach, has big rocky cliffs but some sandy area too. We had a picnic there once. Anyway, meet me down on the sand. I'll explain. You'll see I'm fine. Then you need to get out of here. You're theone in danger. Just meet me there. But it needs to be now, before Emil gets back from the golf club. Can you meet me there in twenty minutes?"
"Yes, yes, I'll be there. See you in twenty minutes." The call ended.
Nervous excitement surged through her. "It was her. It was really Cassidy. She wants to meet at Pelican Cove Beach in twenty minutes."
Her hands shook. A sharp contrast to Nash's stoic response. He was almost annoyingly calm. "Yes, I heard most of it. And I'm not going to waste time arguing with you. I know you need to see her. But I'm going with you. And I'm staying next to you the whole time. I know you love your cousin, but that doesn't mean the situation is safe."
She bristled. "You think Cassidy would . . . You think this is a trap or something?"
"I want to be cautious, but I doubt it's a trap. If Emil figured us out and wanted to confront us, there are easier ways to go about it since we're working for him and living on his property."
"True. Cassidy wouldn't put me into any kind of trouble. I know she hasn't made the best decisions, but—"
"I know. We can meet her." He checked his watch. "Do we need to get Nutmeg first?"
"They haven't texted yet. Let's just get out there and meet up with Cassidy, and then we'll come back for Nutmeg."
He grabbed his shoes. "Let's go."
They saw the hand-painted wooden sign for Pelican Cove Beach and pulled into the small parking area. The only other vehicle in sight was a golf cart parked at the edge of the lot.
"Hopefully, that's Cassidy," Lena said.
"It is," Nash said. "That's one of Emil's golf carts. He keeps it at the marina."
Pelican Cove Beach consisted of a small sandy area surrounded by towering rocky cliffs. Small and picturesque, it looked like a postcard. They exited the SUV and walked toward the steep, sloping path down to the sand.
Nash's jaw twitched, his stoic tension suddenly unsettling.
"What's wrong?" Lena asked.
He worked his jaw, scanning the area. "Because of the rocks, the beach is only accessible via the narrow accessfrom this parking lot. And the cliffs flank the area on both sides."
He had a point. She bit her lower lip. "I see how it looks, but you said it's probably not—"
Motion near the bottom of the pathway snagged her attention. "It's Cassidy!"
Lena sprinted down the path, Nash's steady tread a breath behind her. She reached Cassidy and threw her arms around her. She held her in a fierce hug, then pulled away and leveled her gaze at her cousin.
"You need to leave with me today. Emil's not safe, he—"
Cassidy stared at Nash. "Who is he?"
"Oh, sorry," Lena said. "This is Nash. He's—"
"I'm here to help," Nash interrupted. "Please listen to Lena. Emil Van Horn is not safe. You and Lena both need to leave this island as soon as possible."
Cassidy looked annoyed at Nash's commanding tone, but not surprised by anything he said. "Look, I don't know who you think—"
Without warning, Nash grabbed both women by the arm and tugged them away from the path. "This way. Now." He pulled them closer to the base of one of the cliffs and stopped.
"I saw them," Cassidy said. She eyed Nash, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised. "The men on the cliff? Right? I don't know how you know they're dangerous, but yes, it's best they don't see you." She turned to Lena. "Who is this guy?"
Fear and frustration bubbled up in Lena's chest. "He's . . . he's one of the good guys. Not the time to explain." She grabbed her cousin's hand. "Who is on the cliff?"
