“Stay here and wait for backup if you want.”

Brandon ducked behind a clump of trees and tried to orient himself. The house was due west of him, on the steep slope facing the lake. A private driveway accessed the property from the east. Brandon unholstered his weapon as he surveyed the house.

“See that?”

Brandon turned around as Antonio walked up beside him, brushing leaves off his pants.

“No,” Brandon said. “What?”

“The boathouse,” Antonio said. “I thought I saw a shadow move down there.”

Brandon stepped closer to the trees and spied the boathouse at the edge of the water. No lights around it.

“Let me see if I can get a better look,” Antonio said, slipping into the trees.

Brandon watched the boathouse. The building was completely dark, and he saw no sign of movement.

An engine growled to life. It sounded like a boat.

“You! Drop your weapon!”

Brandon whirled around.

*   *   *

Leigh held her hands in the air, heart racing, as she tried to think of what do. The man behind her had a gun at her back and seemed to be going through her phone, probably reading her texts.

“Move. Let’s go.”

The voice was low and menacing, and Leigh’s stomach filled with bile as she recognized it. It was the man in the ski mask who’d attacked her. Mason’s brother, according to Brandon.

“Now.”

She started moving. “I’m here to talk to Mason. I—”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Fear gripped her as she stumbled through the woods, veering around shrubs and trees as she strained to see a path in the dark.

“If you’ll just let me—”

Pain exploded above her eye as he smacked her with the gun. She staggered forward, reeling with shock.

“Now go.” He prodded her lower back, sending her tripping forward through the trees. Pain pulsated through her head and she felt a warm trickle down the side of her face.

Leigh’s heart pounded wildly. Where was he taking her? As she walked down the slope, she saw that the boathouse was dark now, no more floodlights.

She heard the low grumble of a boat engine.

Vanessa. She was down there with Mason. He was taking her out on the lake in the dark, no witnesses.

Was that where she was going, too?

Leigh’s stomach clenched and her limbs felt leaden. She grasped for a plan, a weapon, something she could do to get away from him. She remembered the can of sunblock tucked into her waistband.

“Oops!” She pretended to trip, catching herself just before her knee hit the dirt. She grabbed the can and whirled around, spraying it directly at his eyes.

He staggered back with a curse, then lunged forward. She threw the can at him and made a dash for the trees.

*   *   *

We’re Austin PD,” Brandon said as he slowly knelt down and set his Glock on the ground. He didn’t want any misunderstandings.