Page 107 of Fire Island
I tilt my head, giving her a deadpan look. “Let us in, Irry.”
She narrows her eyes and rubs her chin comically like she’s thinking it over. “Fine.” She beams as she opens the door, and we slip inside.
“You’re just in time to see Em, he’ll be here in a few.”
“Got another sofa to move?” I tease.
Iris’s eyes narrow. “You’ll be on it tonight if you keep that up, Cal.”
“You kicking me outta bed, baby girl?” I ask Evie.
She tamps down her amusement as she shakes her head. “Nope.”
Iris studies the two of us for a moment before heading behind the counter and disappearing into her living space. We follow. I have to run back to the boat and grab our overnight bag, butI’m sure Evie can keep our secret a little longer. “Be back in a minute. I’ll go grab the bag.”
I peck a kiss to her cheek, and she releases my hand. “Okay. I’ll be here.”
I wink at her, and she rolls her eyes playfully.
Out on the sidewalk, I make quick time to cross the road and parking lot and skip down the stairs to the marina. Firefly bobs in her slip, and I step over the side and into the cabin. The overnighter is under the bench seat. I pluck it up and turn back to leave. Something white on the console catches my eye.
I spin back and snatch it up.
A letter.
Addressed to Evie.
I look around the boat, as if whoever left it could still be here. Dropping the bag, I open it.
The messy handwriting is all aggressive strokes and impatient cursive. Like someone wrote this angry.
My eyes fly down the page.
My heart races faster with every sentence.
At the bottom, it’s signed with one letter.
T.
I flick my focus to the top of the page...
He called her Butterfly.
Butterfly.
I crumple the page in my fist.
“Hello?” Em’s voice drifts in from the dock. I pluck up the overnight bag and disembark.
Without a word, I hand the note to Em.
Em looks up after reading the note, his face tight with worry. “He’s back?”
“He steps one foot on our island and?—”
“We have to take this to the police, Cal. The longer we wait, the longer she’s in danger. And so are you.”
He holds the note out. “They have her abduction on record; this is all they would need to put them away. He’s basically threatened to kill the both of you.”
