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Maybe there was no partner. Maybe the thief would make good on the promise to burn down the bakery if Lila didn’t cooperate. Then again, if it was just Lila up against the criminal in front of her, the bakery was probably safe. “We planned an exchange at the swings.”
The woman snorted. “As if you don’t have cops waiting for me there.”
Lila held her ground. The thief couldn’t know about that. Not for sure. Unless she had a partner watching the area. Or maybe she had some wireless camera in place. Lila would leave any guesses on tech to the experts.
“There are cops here on the ferry,” Lila bluffed. In her opinion, Travis and the Guardian Agency protectors were better than a police presence. And to a man, they would be reliable witnesses against this horrible woman. “As soon as I give you this bag, they’ll swarm you. You might have a chance to escape at the swings.”
The woman folded her arms, and tilted her head, considering. “I’m supposed to believe you want me to get away with the haul?”
“Believe this.” Lila glared at her. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of my life. For good.”
The truth of that statement seemed to sink in. The woman’s icy demeanor slipped, giving Lila the opening she needed. She lurched forward, faking a slip, and managed to shove the other woman down to the deck. There wasn’t much room on the small ferry, and virtually nowhere to hide, so she hurried toward the covered area where they would have more witnesses in case the woman tried to retaliate.
No need to shout or cause more of a scene, Travis had to be close by. He’d probably seen the whole conversation. He andwhoever was backing him up would take down the thief. Any second now.
Before she reached the sheltered seating area, she smacked hard into a sturdy body. The man was tall and bulky and the glower on his face would make children—or a fleeing woman—cry on sight. Heavy eyebrows shaded dark, beady eyes. He glared at her down the length of his blade-like nose. “Going somewhere, Lila?”
No. No way. Instinct tried to deny it, but that was the voice from her nightmares.
Dan Copeland. Even after all this time, she cringed at the ever-present disappointment in his tone. She stared up into her father’s weathered face as emotions swamped her. He’d changed. Decades of hard living were etched into his skin. Angry and hurt, she tried to make sense of seeing him here and now.
Her father had wrecked the bakery. He’d harassed his own mother. Why? Her parents had made their choices long ago. She’d worked to overcome their mistakes. She forced herself to take a good look. His long beard, more gray than brown, muddled the features she remembered. In her memory, he was always skinny with a farmer’s tan and a carefree laugh.
Until he got mad.
Questions and accusations whirled through her mind, but her throat was too dry to speak. He turned her roughly and marched her back toward the bow of the ferry. Was there any way to get out of this without revealing his connection to her? She dreaded the moment when Travis came face to face with the real identity of the thieves.
She dug in her heels. “Where’s Mom?” Why was Dan working with someone new? Someone who looked young enough to be Lila’s sister.
“As if you care.” Soundlessly, the bag slipped away. He’d sliced through the strap.
She tried to shake him off, to catch the loose strap of the bag, but he outmaneuvered her. “You’re nuts to do this here. The ferry is too small.” Too small for her to hide or escape. Too small to keep him away from Travis. “I should’ve known it was you all along.”
“Damn right. Baking turned your brain to mush.”
Of course he would’ve kept tabs on her. Even after all this time, he would think of her as an asset to be used. She was suddenly grateful Travis hadn’t shown up. It gave her precious seconds to pretend this might all work out, that he could rescue her and overlook the bad apples that were her parents.
“Says the fool trying to rob me.”
“You robbedme,” Dan said, lip curling. “Bad time to use your sticky fingers.I’mthe victim.”
Lila swore. The victim card was the litany of his entire life. Dan always demanded the best be handed over to him. From Gram, his wife, even his only daughter. Strangers were a money buffet to Dan. He assessed people based on the value of what he could take from them.
“You’re a bully!” She inched back, ready to scream for help. But when he reached for the zipper on the bag, she panicked. He couldn’t discover the ruse yet. “You’re a bully and a thug,” she shouted in an effort to distract him. “Thief!”
Naturally, her father ignored her. For a moment he was too preoccupied with the realization that she hadn’t brought his loot. She glanced around, hoping for someone to get curious. The delay cost her. Before she could dart away, he seized her, his fingers digging into her upper arm above her elbow. She winced, curling into him to alleviate the pain.
“Let me go!”
He shook her, same as when she’d been a little girl. Pinning her body to the rail with his, he leaned in close, his breath hot on her face. “You won’t get away with this. I told you what I’d do.”
“You told me?You?No way.” It was her last show of defiance, fueled by a fear for Travis. He’d be here if he could. Two thieves—her father and his accomplice—meant big trouble, but surely Travis and whatever backup he’d put in place could overcome the unexpected twist. “Why couldn’t you wait for me at the swings?”
“I call the shots,” Dan said. “Where’s my stuff?”
“Your partner, the woman, took it already.” She reached for the bag when he glanced around the ferry. The deck wasn’t brightly lit and the shadows were long now that the sun had set.
Dan jerked the bag away from her. “Don’t you lie to me!”
