“You’re in Willow Harbor,” the handsome stranger said.

Willow Harbor. I’d never heard of it, which made it sound just about perfect right now.

Well, except for the fact that I’d ruined my getaway car. That part was less-than-ideal, but from the sound of the waves crashing on the shore in the darkness nearby, I had somehow managed to make it all the way to the coast.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, assessing the aches and pains in my body. The accident didn’t seem to have done any real damage, thank God. I was mostly just bruised and battered from the fight with Dominic’s demons the other night.

Running into a tree was nothing compared to that.

No, I was tired, but I was safe. I let my breath out slowly, feeling the stress of the past two days melt away.

I was finally safe. For a little while, anyway.

“Help me up,” I said, reaching my hand out toward the stranger who had come to my rescue.

And God, was he handsome. Thick, brown hair and dark, blue eyes. Even though he was kneeling, it was obvious he was tall. He was solid, too. Strong, but with a kind expression that made me feel safe with him out here in the dark, alone.

He shook his head and stared at my outstretched hand.

“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?” he asked. “I really think you should let me call someone to help. You probably shouldn’t try to walk just yet.”

“I’m fine,” I said. I was alive, and right now, that was good enough for me.

He shrugged and took my hand. I pulled myself up, wincing at a sharp pain in my shoulder. Okay, so maybe I was a little banged up, but I’d survived much worse. I just needed to find a place to rest my head for a night or two. I definitely didn’t want to get the police or a hospital involved.

Things like that left a paper trail.

“If you would be kind enough to point me in the direction of civilization, I need to try to find a hotel. Preferably something cheap,” I said. My stomach grumbled. How long had it been since I’d had anything to eat? More than twenty-four hours by now. “And a restaurant that might still be open.”

The guy stepped back and ran a hand through his hair as he studied me. “You’re serious?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “You just ran your car into a tree in a strange town and basically passed out in my arms, but you don’t want me to call anyone? You just want to grab a bite to eat and go to bed?”

I groaned. I was too tired for this, but a simple look around told me I needed his help. It was probably close to midnight, and there was nothing out here but a handful of boats and a bunch of trees. I at least needed him to point me in the right direction.

“Look, over the past few days, I’ve been through some things I’m sure you couldn’t even begin to imagine,” I said. “A banged up car is the least of it, I assure you. I’m hungry, and I’m exhausted. I appreciate you wanting to rescue me, but all I really need for you to do is show me which way to start walking.”

He looked at the car and then back at me, as if trying to make sense of it all. I’m sure by now he thought I had completely lost my mind or suffered a blow to the head, but I honestly didn’t care what he thought of me. As long as he wasn’t calling the cops, I was good.

And if he wasn’t willing to help me find a place to eat, I would just start walking and find it myself. There were some lights down the beach a little farther down, so there was bound to be someone there who could help.

I reached into the open door of my car and turned off the headlights. I grabbed my keys from the ignition and my purse off the passenger seat. I moved my body to hide his view as I grabbed my dagger off the floor. I shoved it into my purse before I straightened and shut the door.

I didn’t have much else to my name. I’d left in such a hurry, I hadn’t even had time to pack a bag. Hell, the car wasn’t even really mine, so I had half a mind to just leave it here and never look back.

I walked around to the back of the car, pretending to assess the damage. Making sure the stranger couldn’t see what I was doing, I placed my hand on the license plate and called forth my energy.

The plate changed instantly from a California license plate to an Ohio one. I’d been changing it every time I stopped, hoping it would be enough to keep me from getting caught, at least for a little while.

The stranger still hadn’t said a word, so I just turned toward the lights in the distance and started walking. He scooped his jacket off the ground and jogged to catch up with me.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but you have to at least try to imagine this from my point of view. A minute ago, you were completely out of it and the next thing I know, you’re asking about restaurants and hotels, like you were just some tourist passing through instead of a woman who’d just wrecked her car.”

“It’s fine,” I said, walking a little faster. Man, I was hungry. “You don’t owe me anything, but I assume since you’re walking next to me that I’m heading in the right general direction?”

“You’re heading toward town,” he said. “But you aren’t going to find much open this time of night. Willow Harbor doesn’t have a lot of cheap hotels, either.”

“Great,” I mumbled. Leave it to me to crash-land in a sleepy little town with nothing open. I was used to Las Vegas, where nothing ever closed.

“But I do know a place,” he said. “In fact, I was headed there when I saw your headlights just now.”

My stomach rumbled again, and I wrapped my arms around myself. It had been stupid to go so long without eating, but I hadn’t wanted to waste any time. Just in case.

And I hadn’t wanted to leave a trail that would be easy to follow. I’d taken back roads as often as I could, and I’d only stopped to get gas, making sure to wear my hoodie to hide my face from any security cameras.

I was starving, though. I needed to eat.

No wonder I’d passed out. Or fallen asleep. I wasn’t even sure which. The last thing I remembered, I had pulled off a dark highway and headed straight through some large iron gate. I’d had no idea where I was or how far I’d managed to go, but I’d felt drawn to those gates, so I followed my gut.

It must not have been much longer before I’d lost consciousness and crashed into that tree.

Oh well, better than crashing into the ocean, as far as crashes go.

My hip and shoulder ached, but it was nothing that wouldn’t heal in a day or two. I’d been wearing my seatbelt, at least, and I hadn’t been going too fast. Besides, I had learned the hard way that I was a bit more resilient than a normal human.

“So how much farther to this restaurant you were talking about?” I asked. I was a strong woman, but I was starting to feel a bit weak in the knees. I needed to eat, and then I needed to collapse. I would worry about the rest tomorrow.

“Only a few more minutes,” he said. “To be honest, it’s more of a bar than a restaurant. The food’s pretty terrible, but it’s going to be just about the only thing open this time of night on a weeknight.”

“I’ll settle for just about anything right now,” I said. I glanced sideways at him, trying not to stare, but having a hard time keeping my eyes off of him. There was something different about this guy’s energy, but I couldn’t quite put words to it.

“You might think differently once you taste Drifter’s food, but it’s the best I can do for you,” he said with a slight laugh.

“Drifter?” I asked.

“The guy who runs the place,” he said. “He’s an old friend of mine. You’ll like him.”

I could see the building now, just up ahead along the shore. It didn’t look like much. Just a shack of a place really, on the far end of what looked like a long boardwalk. The lights of the main town were visible now, too, and I started to relax a bit more.

It looked like a small, quaint little seaside town. The kind of place where people raised their families and stayed for generations. It was the opposite of a city like Vegas, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Even if it was just for a few days.

We climbed up a set of creaking wooden stairs that led up from the beach, and the stranger—I realized I still didn’t even know his name—opened the door and held it for me as I walked inside.

It was surprisingly warm and inviting inside, even if it was a bit bare. The floor creaked beneath my feet, and an older man with silver hair and a matching beard looked up from behind the bar, his eyes wide as they landed on me.

“I was just about to ask what took you so long,” he said. “But now I see you’ve brought me a customer.”

“A hungry one,” the stranger said. “I know the kitchen’s technically closed, but we were hoping you could make an exception.”

“For a beautiful young lady, I’ll do just about anything,” the old guy said, smiling. He set a menu on top of the bar and pushed it toward me. “What can I get for you?”

I glanced at the menu, but there wasn’t much to it. Fish, chicken, nachos, and burgers. I wanted one of each, but my wallet was a bit empty these days, so I picked the least expensive thing.

“I’ll take a cheeseburger with fries, if you don’t mind,” I said.

“Coming right up,” he said.

“Make that two.”

The old guy was already halfway to the kitchen, and he didn’t bother turning around. He just held up a hand in recognition and disappeared through the door.

The stranger reached over the top of the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. He pointed toward a booth a few steps away, and I sat down, glad to be off my feet.

“I don’t even know your name,” I said when he sat down across from me.

He poured a couple shots of whiskey and scooted one toward me. I shook my head as he tossed the first one back. He shrugged and downed the second shot, then quickly poured two more.

“Nik,” he said, relaxing against the back of the booth. “You?”

“I’m Eva,” I said.

“Very nice to meet you, Eva,” he said. “Even if it was under strange circumstances. How did you end up in Willow Harbor, anyway?”

I set my hand on my purse, thinking of the dagger I’d hidden inside. How I ended up here was a story I didn’t feel like sharing with anyone. In fact, it was one I’d like to forget.

“It’s a long story,” I said.

“I like stories.” He raised that eyebrow again, almost like a challenge. His lips curled into a hint of smile, and I realized just how much I’d underestimated his good looks in the dark.

“Maybe another time,” I said, refusing to fall for his charm.

“Maybe,” Nik said. “People don’t usually end up here on accident.”

I narrowed my gaze. What did he mean by that? It was a beach town, and even if it was a small one, there surely had to be tourists passing through here on a whim all through the summer months.

“How about you?” I asked. “Have you lived here a long time?”

“Not exactly,” he said, downing a third shot and avoiding my gaze. “I grew up near here, but I didn’t officially move to town until about ten years ago.”

It didn’t seem to be a story he was too excited to share, either, so I let it go. Everyone had their secrets, and I was happy to let them stay that way.

“Thanks again for helping me out back there,” I said. “I’ve been driving for days without much sleep, and I guess I just drifted off for a second.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t end up taking that car of yours for a swim,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess the tree was the better option there,” I said, my cheeks warming. I would have preferred no one had been around to see that, but it was nice to have some company.

The door to the kitchen opened, and I nearly shouted for joy as the old man set two plates of hot burgers and fries down on the table.

“I can’t thank you enough,” I said, already shoving a few fries into my mouth. They were so hot, they nearly burned my fingers, but I didn’t care.

“You’re very welcome,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of pretty young women in a place like this. Especially out-of-towners.”

He and Nik shared a look, and I wondered again what the deal was with this town. I would have thought a bar on the beach would get all kinds of guests from out of town, but what did I know? I had never been to the beach before.

I had never even seen the ocean.

A thrill ran through me as I thought about what it would be like to open my eyes tomorrow morning and see the ocean for the first time in daylight. I had dreamed of it my entire life, and somehow, I had made it.

Barely.

“This is Drifter, by the way,” Nik said. “Drifter, this is the very mysterious Eva.”

I had a mouth full of burger, but I quickly chewed and swallowed so I could talk. “Nice to meet you,” I said.

Nik was right. The food was less than amazing, but I didn’t care. It was hot, and it was available. Good enough for me.

“What brings you all the way out here to Willow Harbor?” Drifter asked as he pulled up a chair to the end of the booth.

That seemed to be the question of the hour.

“Luck, I guess.”

The two men shared another look, and as I finished off my food, I wondered just what kind of place Willow Harbor really was.