He just stared at her, stunned. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

She paused and then said, “That’s it? That’s all you’ve gotta say?” She waved her hand at her head. “Not a word about my hair?”

I almost snorted, despite my pulse racing. I’d never actually seen them interact together. I met Alex long after Will was sent here.

She was so comfortable with him.

He blinked at her, wiping his nose as more blood dripped out, and then he grabbed her hand. “Fuck,” he cursed, swinging open the door and yanking her out of the room. “Goddamn, son of a bitch…”

He bolted with her, and I stilled, wondering if I should jump out and run with them, but I stayed in the walls, racing down the corridor instead.

I peered into every room I passed, afraid he was taking her upstairs to his room, but he wouldn’t risk keeping her out in the open that long.

I passed the drawing room, peeked in quickly and was about to fly off to the next room, but then I saw him slip inside, pulling her behind him, and close the door, securing it with a chair.

I looked through the thin slit in the bookshelf I knew was on the other side of this wall, watching as she threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over.

I pressed on the wall, about to open it, but…I stayed, watching.

His arms hung limply at his sides for a minute, but then he snapped out of it and wrapped them around her, squeezing her tight. She sobbed quietly, pressing her lips to his cheek as he closed his eyes, smiling—really smiling—for the first time since I’d been here.

My heart ached.

“I missed you, kid,” he said.

She nodded, still hugging him. “We’re going home.”

They held each other for another few moments and then pulled away, staring into each other’s eyes.

“How’d you figure this out?” he asked, pulling off his shirt to wipe down his face and the remnants of his fight with Taylor.

“I didn’t,” she replied.

“Rika?” he asked.

“Misha and Damon figured it out, actually.”

A laugh bubbled out of him, the deep, rich sound like déjà vu. He was a teenager at the Cove all over again.

Rika. He meant Erika Fane. I’d heard she was engaged to Michael Crist, one of his best friends. Kai was married and a father, as was fucking Damon Torrance. Shocker.

Misha Grayson was his younger cousin. He went to Thunder Bay Prep, too, but that was after my time.

Alex knew all of them. She was a part of his life now. Friends with his friends.

“Damon and Misha…” Will mused. “Like in the same room?”

“There may have been blood,” she joked.

A knot twisted and twisted in my stomach, listening to them.

But then he grabbed her, squeezing her arms. “You want to tell me what you’re doing here? Huh? This was stupid.”

She looked at him, worry etched on her brow, and then he released her and walked away, tossing his T-shirt onto a chair. The black ink all over his body melted into itself in the dim light.

She approached him. “It’s been a year. You had to know we were going to figure out something was wrong,” she told him. “Your parents are telling everyone you’re doing humanitarian work in…like South Sudan or something.”

He started laughing as he rubbed his forehead.

She knit her brow. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because I don’t know if I’m more hurt that it took you all so long to come after me, or aggravated that you had no faith that I’d be able to get myself out of this on my own?”

“At least you’re not mad they sent a girl,” she shot back, shrugging her shoulders.

He flashed her a look. “Oh, I know you get shit done.”

He said it with almost a reverence.

I didn’t know what I’d thought, but I didn’t think they were so chummy. I wasn’t sure why. It was like he was with one of the guys when he was with her. At ease.

She shifted on her feet, the silence stretching between them. “So, um…if you want to bring anything, I’d pack it now. I have an exit plan, but I can’t say when it’ll go down. I need you to be ready.”

He didn’t move, though. “How did you get here?” he asked. “Can you get back?”

“What do you mean?”

He wet his lips, finding the words. “I need you out of this house. Now. This minute.”

Her brow creased with confusion. “What’s the matter with you?” she whispered, but I could hear the worry in her voice. “I’m taking you home.”

“No, you’re leaving,” he said. “And you’re going to tell them I can solve my own problems. I don’t need help.”

“And Emory?”

He stopped, straightening his spine as he looked down at her. “What do you know? Did you have her brought here? Did Michael?”

“She just asked me the same thing,” Alex blurted out. “Why would we do something so dumb? I have no idea who sent her here or why, but it was probably that brother of hers.”

My brother didn’t have the funds for this place, and I wasn’t that important.

Will regarded her. “You know her?” he asked.

She nodded. “We met last spring.”

Will’s eyebrow shot up.

“Don’t give me that look,” she told him. “She was in Thunder Bay burying her grandmother. We ran into each other. I didn’t seek her out.”

“How long have you been here?” he asked.

Alex remained quiet, and a look crossed his face that said he knew the answer.

“So you arrived on the shipment with her days ago, and you, what?” he continued. “Spotted her and decided to roll the dice and stay hidden to see this play out with her and me?”

She folded her arms across her chest, a satisfied smirk on her face.

“Get her out of here,” he bit out, “and both of you fuck off.”

My breathing turned shallow. That was why she left me on my own these past days. She couldn’t get caught and risk stalling communication with their friends who were on their way, which I understood, but she wanted to see what would happen with Will and me. Maybe for her own interest or maybe for his.

He didn’t want to leave. Why?

Alex stepped toward him, staring hard into his eyes. “Damon’s second child is on the way,” she said. “Michael and Rika are getting married on Devil’s Night. They’re getting ready to tear down the Cove and move forward with the resort. We need to leave.”

“Sounds like everything is going pretty well without me, actually.”

She swatted him twice, not really hard, but I could hear her palm hitting his chest. He reared back.

“I almost prefer you wasted,” she growled in a low voice, “because I have no idea who you are right now. When we met, what did I say to you?”

He stood there—silent, contrite, and not spouting another word.

“I can take anything as long as I have enough lipstick,” she recited. “I just shove it all underneath an extra coat, like you always did with your smiles. Rika, Michael…all of them, they’re my family.” She softened her voice, nearly choking on the tears. “But you… you’re my reflection. Now snap out of it. You’re coming with me or…”