Page 59 of Beginnings By the Sea

I accepted the call and quickly put the phone to my ear. “Hello,” I answered.

“Good evening, cousin,” Cohen replied, his voice low and sinister. “Oh wait, I guess I should say morning now.”

My hands clenched with pent-up rage, and I jumped to my feet. “Where’s Nyla?” I demanded.

Cohen laughed. “She’s fine. We had a good time tonight. She’s passed out in the bedroom right now.”

“I want to talk to her!” I shouted, my whole body shaking with anger.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be home first thing in the morning. But I have to say, you shocked me tonight.”

I was so furious I couldn’t see straight. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Cohen chuckled. “I received some pictures of you and a sultry blonde looking mighty cozy in a parking lot.”

I froze in place, my gut clenching so hard I could feel it twisting inside of me. I should’ve known Cohen would do anything to come between me and Nyla.

“You son of a bitch,” I growled in disgust. “You had me followed.”

“Hey, I just want Nyla to know she might not be able to trust you. She leaves for one day and you’re off with another woman.”

Running a hand through my hair, I stormed across the living room floor. “You set this whole thing up. You paid the woman to come onto me, didn’t you?”

Cohen snorted. “Do you seriously think I would do something like that?”

“I know you would,” I snapped. “You can’t have Nyla, so you’ll do anything to break us apart.”

Cohen laughed. “I can’t have Nyla? That’s not what she said a couple of hours ago when I put a ring on her finger.”

Anger consumed me further. “What the hell are you trying to do?”

He laughed again. “Don’t worry, cousin. The story should be on the internet soon. I’m sure everyone in town will be talking about it first thing in the morning.”

“Where’s Nyla?” I demanded again. “I want to talk to her!”

“Sorry,” Cohen replied, “that’s not going to happen tonight.”

The line went dead, and I slammed my phone onto the kitchen counter.

What was I going to do?

My heart thundered in my chest as I looked over at the clock on the wall. An idea came to mind, but I didn’t know if it’d work. Still, I had to try.

* * *

Sitting outside the Sandy Shore Bed & Breakfast was a ludicrous idea, but it was precisely what I did.

Was Candace speaking the truth when she said she was staying there? Maybe, maybe not.

Either way, I had to try to find her. And if she was staying there, she had to leave at some point.

I watched the entrance of the two-story brick building, parked only a few blocks down the quaint downtown streets. The sun had just risen over the horizon when Candace emerged from the bed and breakfast, dressed in running shorts and a tank top, with her blonde hair pulled high in a ponytail. She took off down the sidewalk with earbuds in her ears, her mouth moving along with the music. It wasn’t my plan to chase after her, but I didn’t know what else to do; I had to get answers.

Once out of my car, I ran across the street. Candace was still a few yards ahead of me, but I didn’t want to frighten her. A break in the sidewalk was coming up, and I knew she would have to stop before running to the other side. When she did, I took that as my opportunity.

“Candace!” I called out.

She jerked around and a smile lit up her face as she took out her earbuds. “Hey, you. Did you decide to take me up on my offer?”

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