Page 10 of The Engagement Party

He supported Cassie’s stubborn refusal to see a potential problem here because it would cut down on the fighting later. “We’re all a little tense. Blame being surrounded by water. Cassie’s right. We’ll handle this situation then we can concentrate on dinner.”

No one said a word. Sierra and Mitch looked at each other, communicating in silence before she marched over and grabbed the fireplace poker.

Alex admired her self-preservation instincts. “That’s badass.”

“And smart,” Ruthie said. “Now I want to go with Sierra.”

Will winked at his fiancée. “I’ll protect you.”

“Yeah, you’re a hero.” Cassie nodded for Alex to head outside. “We’ll figure this out then feel ridiculous for ever worrying.”

Alex didn’t buy his wife’sno big dealattitude. The firmness of her voice pointed toward trouble. The tougher she sounded, the bigger the worry lurking underneath. But delaying wouldn’t make the situation better, so he rushed to follow Cassie’s division of labor before any member of the group balked at her orders.

The cool wind enveloped him as he opened the side door off the kitchen, almost pulling him onto the small porch and down to the grass. With each step he tried to trick his brain into believing there was an obvious explanation. All the lame self-lectures fizzled out by the time Alex stood in front of the open garage door and discovered something new to worry about.

A car, smashed up and abandoned, sat inside. On an island.

“The engine is running.” He said the obvious because nothing else fit.

“Why? I mean...Why?How?” Sierra sounded stunned. “We would have noticed this when we walked up to the house, which means someone started the car and opened the door while we were inside.”

Alex hated that she’d voiced exactly what he was thinking. “Okay, so where the hell is the driver?”

Anxiety roared through him as he studied the nondescript but damaged sedan. The driver’s side door stood open. A dent that bordered on a cave-in ran along the back passenger door toward the fender. The trunk looked uneven as if jimmied and mangled then propped up but not quite open on one side.

Sierra took careful steps toward the driver’s side with the poker lifted high, ready to strike. A second later, she lowered her arm until the tip of the weapon knocked against the ground. “I don’t get it.”

Alex moved to the opposite side of the car and peeked inside. “Nobody’s here.”

She scanned the front and back seats. “No wallet or bag. The key fob is on the seat. The outside of the car is a mess. None of which makes any sense.”

They’d confirmed the most confusing part—no driver, which meant the person could be roaming around anywhere. But why park the car in the garage? And how did anyone get this wreck of a vehicle across the water and onto the island?

Worse... why hide?

Alex’s thoughts went to Cassie and a warning light flickered to life in his brain. He reached for his cell then remembered he’d left it on the table in the house. “Maybe we should find the others.”

“The trunk.” Mitch stood behind the car and had stayed quiet until then. He touched the puckered metal before sliding his hand into the damaged trunk opening.

“Careful.” Sierra tightened her grip on the poker as she joined him. Her voice sounded breathy, as if she’d been running and could barely get the word out.

A loud screeching noise echoed around them as Mitch pulled and shimmied the lid. He got the trunk open then his hand froze in midair. The color drained from Sierra’s face as she looked at the darkened interior. Her mouth moved but no words came out.

“What is wrong with you two?” Alex walked over to Mitch, anxious to see whatever had them mesmerized. “What’s going—” Air punched out of his lungs on a harsh breath as he took a reflexive step back. “Damn.”

It took a few seconds for Alex to process what he was seeingbut nothing prepared him for the sprawled, unmoving body. The blood. That face.

The familiar tattoo.

Alex fought the panicked yelling rising inside him.

“Is this a joke?” Mitch reached into the trunk as if to shake the body awake.

“Stop.” Sierra grabbed his hand. “You could contaminate the evidence.”

“I don’t understand.” The rush of blood into Alex’s head made it difficult to hear his own voice. He fought through the banging crescendo of white noise and the whispered but rabid denials fighting for space in his head. “He shouldn’t be here.”

The words seemed to shake Sierra out of her shock. “Wait, who?”

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