Chapter 1

Sadie Carrington’shands trembled as she climbed from her SUV and slammed the door.

She needed to run.

But she couldn’t. Not until she talked to Trevor.

He should be here any minute.

She would tell him everything—including why she had blood on her hands.

She glanced down and saw the red streaks again.

Panic threatened to consume her.

She couldn’t let the panic win.

She couldn’t lose it right now. She had to hold herself together for a little while longer.

This would have all been easier if she’d stuck to the plan—a plan that hadn’t included falling for Trevor McGrath.

Everything had been one mistake after another.

Now she needed to make things right.

Sadie paused near her Bronco and surveyed the parking lot.

No one else was at the small, secluded beach located on Lake Michigan. Its privacy was part of the reason she liked it here.

She blew out a long breath as she rehearsed what she would say.

She could do this.

Sadie looked at her palms again, and her breath caught.

She had to wash her hands. Get the blood off.

She could run to the lake and rinse them there.

But would she have time?

Her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen.

Trevor.

She quickly read the message.

Running a few minutes late. Can’t wait to see you.

She shoved the phone back into the pocket of her shorts. She hoped he would get there soon.

The more time that passed, the more she feared she might change her mind.

But she didn’t want to leave him wondering.

She hadn’t known Trevor long, but she cared too much to do that to him. She cared enough to risk everything.

She started across the lot to the walkover. The sounds of the lake’s rolling waves grew louder as she approached the beach.

Her oversized bag cut into her shoulder. She should have parked closer to the beach, but she liked her corner spot. It was shaded and, at first glance, easy to miss her vehicle there in the shadows. That made the space perfect.

Sadie readjusted her bag then stopped and turned when she heard a car pull into the lot.

She glanced at the dark sedan with tinted windows.

Not Trevor.

Great. Someone else was here.

Disappointment gripped her. She needed privacy right now. The fewer people who were around, the better.

Then the engine revved as the driver headed toward her.

She froze, contemplating backing up to the sidewalk.

But the driver didn’t slow.

Instead, he gunned the engine, and the vehicle accelerated at an alarming speed.

It charged straight toward her.

Panic kicked into gear.

Sadie needed to move.

She might not be able to outrun the vehicle.

But she would try.

With a piercing scream, Sadie dropped the beach bag, turned on her heel, and sprinted toward the dune in the distance.

* * *

Trevor McGrath glanced at the beautiful coast to his right as he drove his truck along the shore.

He’d always thought of beaches as being more of an East Coast/West Coast thing. But Michigan had proven him wrong. The shorelines here were gorgeous with sparkling water, soft sand, and a smattering of green trees gathered on gently sloping hills like fans assembled on bleachers.

But it wasn’t the beach that really had him excited.

It was seeing Sadie.

He already had the whole day planned for them.

He’d packed a picnic lunch. An oversized beach blanket. He even brought a frisbee for them to toss around.

Today would be fantastic.

The only unfortunate part was that he had to keep his budding relationship with Sadie a secret.

He hated the fact that seeing her was so cloak-and-dagger. But his boss, Alan Larchmont, didn’t approve of romantic entanglements. Not that there weren’t exceptions. Two of his colleagues were now in successful relationships, so it was possible to change the man’s mind.

Trevor didn’t want to go through the headache of trying to convince Larchmont that he deserved a life outside of work. Not yet. It wasn’t that Sadie wasn’t worth it.

She was absolutely worth it.

But Trevor needed to see where the two of them were going before he took those steps.

That was why he hadn’t told anyone what he was doing. Why he’d continued to see her in such a secluded location. He didn’t want anything to burst the bubble around their budding romance. If he had his way, he’d keep it like this for as long as possible.

Beaches stretched up and down Michigan’s coast, some busier than others.

But this beach—the one where he and Sadie had initially met—was a hidden gem. Though it was maintained by the state and had a decent-sized parking lot, it wasn’t considered a tourist hotspot.

He wasn’t complaining. Having a slice of paradise to share with Sadie was something he’d take any day.

He turned off the main road and toward the parking area where he and Sadie were meeting.

As he did, he spotted two vehicles in the lot.

One was parked in the corner of the lot—Sadie’s Bronco.

The other was a dark sedan, and it was racing across the lot . . . toward a woman.

His lungs froze.

Not just any woman.

The driver charged toward . . . Sadie.