The first secret is personal. The second one is a killer…

The trip with old friends to Whispering Springs should have been a happy reunion. Yet former army ranger Dylan Burkhart suspects there’s something darker at play. It doesn’t take long before a game of anonymous secret-telling stirs the embers of a decade-old tragedy. A time when Dylan and Ava North stole a night of passion…and one of their friends died.

Then Ava stumbles upon a written confession of murder. Unable to trust anyone else, Ava and Dylan must confront the truth of that terrible night—and their hidden attraction for each other. Now their reunion has turned into a reckoning. They must find which of their friends is a killer…and fight for their lives and their love.

“It was my choice. And for what it’s worth, it was the second-best decision I ever made.”

Now it was Ava who hesitated. “What was the first?”

“Telling you how I really felt. Laying all my cards on the table. I never had to look back with regret. I never had to wonder what-if.”

Her hackles rose in self-defense. “You assume that I have?”

“I never said that. I speak only for myself.”

The conversation was getting a little too intimate for comfort. Ava felt a sense of relief at having survived their first encounter, but now she searched for a subtle excuse to go her own way even though a part of her wanted to just stand there and stare at him forever.

She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a sound, a scream pierced the night, jangling her nerves and freezing her to the spot. For a moment, she stood in horrified silence, unable to breathe, unable to move until a second scream propelled her straight into Dylan Burkhart’s arms.

Whispering Springs

Amanda Stevens

www.millsandboon.co.uk

AMANDA STEVENS is an award-winning author of over fifty novels, including the modern gothic series The Graveyard Queen. Her books have been described as eerie and atmospheric, “a new take on the classic ghost story.” Born and raised in the rural South, she now resides in Houston, Texas, where she enjoys binge-watching, bike riding and the occasional margarita.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Ava North—Trapped by raging floodwaters and stalked by a ruthless killer, assistant DA Ava North teams up with a man who mysteriously disappeared from her life ten years ago.

Dylan Burkhart—A former army ranger turned security consultant, he’s been hired to protect Tony Redding from a ruthless business rival, but the killer stalking Whispering Springs has a more personal motivation.

Blair Redding—She’s invited her closest college friends to Whispering Springs for a long-overdue reunion. But the gathering is shattered when a killer issues a deadly invitation: Play the game.

Tony Redding—He’s been receiving threatening phone calls from someone he claims is a business rival. But is he the victim or instigator of a nefarious scheme?

Celeste Matthews—A vivacious redhead with a mean streak. What is her real motive for coming to the reunion…and what is her real relationship with Tony Redding?

Jane Sandoval—She’s carried a chip on her shoulder since Lily Callen’s tragic suicide on graduation weekend. Has she come to the reunion to exact her pound of flesh?

Lily Callen—Ten years ago, guilt over Lily’s suicide drove Ava North from Dylan Burkhart’s arms. Now Lily’s ghost haunts their reunion.

Noah Pickett—Whispering Springs had been in his family for generations. Now he is an employee. Does he harbor a secret resentment toward the new owner?

Sarah Rainey—An employee of Whispering Springs, she went out one evening to walk the trails and was never heard from again.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Cast of Characters

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

The bored driver waited for her at baggage claim, placard in hand as he scanned the harried travelers. There was her name in big bold lettering: Ava North.

She was almost embarrassed to wave him over. It wasn’t like she’d been traveling for hours or needed assistance getting from point A to point B. The flight from Houston to San Antonio had taken all of fifty minutes, less time than the commute from her apartment to the airport.

Ava could have easily headed west on I-10 in her own vehicle, but Blair Redding, the former college classmate who had put together this ill-advised gathering, had insisted on arranging all the transportation. No doubt with the intent of making it harder to leave before the week was up. Ava wouldn’t be at all surprised if she and the other guests were asked to relinquish their cell phones once they arrived at the destination. Blair had always been that much of a control freak.

Steeling herself for the coming days, Ava put up her hand to attract the young man’s attention. She didn’t like vacations in general and reunions in particular. Spending time at a remote ranch with the people she’d left behind years ago was a version of hell she would have preferred to avoid, yet here she was. An uncharacteristic outburst in district court had jeopardized not only what should have been a slam-dunk case but also her five-year career as an assistant DA. The judge had threatened to hold her in contempt, and her superior had promised a suspension if she didn’t make herself scarce for a few days.

“You’re exhausted,” he’d said, not without sympathy. “The caseload we get in this office wears us all down eventually, and you do yourself no favors with the hours you keep. How long has it been since you put in for a personal day, let alone a real vacation? Go,” he’d insisted when she tried to formulate a passable defense. “Get out of my sight before I’m forced to do something drastic.”

Ava had dragged herself home, where she intended to drink and fume for the rest of the day. But idleness, her mother always said, was Ava’s worst enemy, followed closely by the unholy trinity of overreaction, righteous indignation and self-destruction. No matter how appealing the thought of a good wallow, Ava knew a week of brooding in her apartment would lead nowhere good. So she’d dug the invitation out of the trash and RSVP’d at the last minute. Then she’d packed a bag and headed for the airport that same afternoon without allowing herself time to reconsider.

The man with the placard gave her a perfunctory smile as he picked up her suitcase. “This is it? Just the one?”

“That’s it. I’m Ava, by the way.”

“Noah Pickett.”

“Have the others arrived yet, Noah?”

“Two flew in over the weekend. They came with a lot of baggage,” he felt compelled to add.

Ava wondered if she was to take his observation literally or figuratively.

“Do you remember their names?”

“Jane got in on Saturday. The redhead came on Sunday. I don’t remember her name, but I remember her,” he said with a grin.

No man alive ever forgot Celeste Matthews. “What about Blair? I assume she’s already at the ranch.”

“Since last week,” he confirmed with a nod. “Her husband is arriving today.”

So they were all there, Ava thought with a shiver. With the exception of Lily, of course. Lily Callen had been the group’s first tragedy, a horrifying suicide on graduation weekend that had left everyone stunned. The days following her jump from a hotel rooftop had passed in a nightmarish blur of police interrogations and funeral preparations. Afterward the friends had parted in a flurry of tearful goodbyes and silent recriminations. Ava had fled to the isolation of her family’s beach house for the summer. Blair had gotten married. Celeste had backpacked through Europe with a guy she barely knew before settling down in New Orleans with another. Jane had moved to California.

And Dylan Burkhart, the love of Ava’s life, had disappeared off the face of the earth.

Funny how his desertion still niggled at times, mostly when she was already feeling blue or vulnerable. No reason why it should, of course. After all, she was the one who had ended their relationship. She was the one who had sent him away. Told him in no uncertain terms that it was over and she didn’t want to see him anymore. She’d just never considered that he would take her at her word.

No matter. Some things weren’t meant to be, and Ava had no regrets. She was happy enough with her chosen path, but her time in the DA’s office had changed her. Not that her physical appearance was so different. Same brown hair. Same green eyes. But she’d become hardened and world-weary. A cynic though she’d once been a romantic.

Such was the life of a prosecutor, she thought with an inward shrug.

She wondered how Blair had coerced the others into coming, especially Jane. She’d been the first to lose touch. Ava hadn’t seen or heard from Jane Sandoval since the day she’d driven her to the airport. That strange goodbye had lingered with Ava all summer long, but then law school had consumed her time and attention and she’d eventually moved on, too.

Over the years, she’d heard from the others sporadically. Celeste still lived in New Orleans and Blair was in Austin. For a while, the three of them had made an effort to get together, but their visits had been awkward and unpleasant. The events surrounding Lily’s death had eroded their friendship, and Ava was only too happy to put those days behind her. She rarely thought of any of the women anymore. Even Dylan was little more than a passing memory. Or so she told herself.

“Have you ever been to Whispering Springs?” The driver gave her a sidelong glance as he stored her bag in the back of the SUV.

“A few times in college. A group of us used to go out there to rock climb. Spooky place.”

“You’re a climber?”

“Not me, no. I have a thing about heights. I like to hike, though, so long as the trail doesn’t get too vertical.”

“You’ll find plenty of easy trails around the ranch,” he assured her. “How long has it been since you were there?”

“At least ten years.”

“You won’t recognize it now. The owners have completely restored the property. I thought they were crazy when they first came in with a boatload of cash and a scheme to turn a run-down old ranch into a retreat, but the place has been booked solid since they opened seven years ago.”

“I just remember how isolated it was. And the springs really did seem to whisper, especially at night.” An unexpected chill seeped in as Ava thought back to those weekend excursions. Had their first trip to Whispering Springs been the start of her feelings for Dylan? Or had she been secretly in love with him for years, hiding it from herself and the others because he was taken?

“It’s a natural phenomenon,” Noah was saying.

“The springs?”

“The whispering. It has something to do with the rock formations.”

“Oh, I see. No ghosts, then,” she teased.

“I didn’t say that.” A shadow flickered across his face as he waited for her to climb in the back seat. Then he closed the door and went around to slide behind the wheel.

“What did you mean by that?” Ava asked curiously as he started the car and merged with the airport traffic.

He shrugged. “Nothing important. Just shooting the breeze.”

“Really? Because I get the feeling I said something that disturbed you.” She caught his eye in the rearview mirror. “Did I?”

“Your mention of ghosts reminded me of an old story. An urban legend, I guess you’d call it. I hadn’t thought about it in a long time.”

“I like urban legends,” Ava said. “Why don’t you entertain me while we drive?” She settled back against the seat and tried to relax, but as their gazes connected again in the mirror, she felt another inexplicable shiver along her spine.

“There was a girl once, a college kid who worked at the ranch when it first opened. One evening after her shift, she went out to walk the trails and never came back. The cops were called in and a search party formed, but they didn’t find so much as a footprint. It was like she vanished into thin air.”

“Wait a minute,” Ava said with a frown. “I think I remember reading something about that disappearance. It happened while I was still in law school. The police suspected her boyfriend, but they could never find her body.”

“That was just an easy explanation to avoid a lot of bad publicity for the new retreat.”

“And I thought I was cynical,” Ava muttered. “What do you think happened to her?”

“Beats me, but no one who knew her bought that story. Her boyfriend had an airtight alibi. The police couldn’t pin it on him no matter how hard they tried.”

“Doesn’t mean he didn’t have something to do with it,” Ava said.

“He wasn’t even in the area. And if she ran away like some folks thought, she would have told her friends or at least left a note. A person doesn’t just walk out the door and disappear off the face of the earth.”

“It could happen.” Ava thought about Dylan. “Did you know her?”

“Before my time,” he said, but with an edge in his voice that made Ava wonder. “Anyway, to circle back to the urban legend part, when the wind blows down through the canyon, people claim they can hear her scream.”

“Have you heard her?”

“Me? No. But I don’t wander too far off the beaten path after dark. The terrain is deceptively rugged even for those of us who grew up around there. Don’t go out alone,” he advised. “Travel in a group or hire a guide. If you prefer solitude, then stick to the trails close to the house.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

They both fell silent after that. Ava leaned her head against the back of the seat and watched the passing scenery. Traffic thinned as they left the city, and the road wound through the countryside like a twisted gray ribbon. After a while, the fenced meadows gave way to a breathtaking vista of ridges and valleys in earthy hues of slate, ocher and moss.

Ava felt unaccountably anxious. She wanted to blame her disquiet on Noah’s story or even the mess she’d left behind in Houston. Deep down, she knew better. She hadn’t thought through this trip. Until now, she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on the consequences of facing her former friends and all their old demons.

She closed her eyes and tried to block out the foreboding. The road noise lulled her and the next thing she knew, the car had pulled to a stop. She sat up abruptly. “Are we there?”

“Ten miles out,” Noah told her. “I need to gas up. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not. Where are we, exactly?”

“Lawton. It’s the nearest town to the ranch. Not much to see, but you’re welcome to get out and stretch your legs if you want. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

“Thanks. I wouldn’t mind a stroll.” Ava got out of the car and stretched, then set out in the direction she vaguely remembered as downtown. She passed a couple of eateries, a cluttered antiques shop, the post office, a hardware store and a handful of other businesses lined up along the main drag. There was no picturesque town square, no quaint gazebo or clock tower to attract passersby. The place had seen better days, but there was charm to the dusty windows and peeling paint. A stubborn resistance to the march of time that Ava found comforting.

At the edge of town, the cracked sidewalk gave way to a dirt footpath that disappeared into a cedar thicket. The sun beat down warm on her shoulders as she drank in the fresh air. The sky was very blue and mostly cloudless, but a shadow on the horizon warned of rain.

She stood for another moment enjoying the woodsy spice of the evergreens and the distant gurgle of a creek fed by underground springs. Then she turned to retrace her steps to the gas station. She hadn’t encountered a single soul on her short excursion, although she’d glimpsed a handful of patrons and shopkeepers through plate glass windows. Enough to know she was hardly alone, and yet the oddest sensation of isolation beset her. She wanted to hurry back as fast as she could to the car, but instead she halted and scanned her surroundings, searching for the reason for her sudden unease.

He stood on the opposite side of the street, sheltered beneath an old tin awning so that at first Ava could detect little more than a tall, lean silhouette. She told herself not to stare, move on, nothing to see here.

But she remained rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed on the stranger. As her eyes adjusted to the shade, she could make out his clothing and features. He had on jeans, boots and a plaid shirt common to the area, but Ava didn’t think him a local. There was something about the way he carried himself, about the slight tilt of his head that struck a chord. A memory.

It couldn’t be, she thought in near panic. Not after all this time. She was seeing things. A mirage, a dream, a trick of light and shadow. Why, after all these years, would Dylan Burkhart turn up in Lawton, Texas, of all places?

She resisted the urge to cross the street for a closer look and the even greater desire to flee in the opposite direction. Instead, she skimmed her surroundings yet again, testing her perception. She wasn’t dreaming or imagining things. She was fully cognizant.

But when she glanced across the street, the silhouette had vanished.

* * *

DYLAN BURKHART STEPPED BACK into the shop, moving quickly to the window, where he fastened his gaze on the woman across the street. For a moment, he wondered if she meant to come look for him. He could have sworn she took a step toward the curb. Then she turned with a shrug and moved on down the street.

He watched her walk away with a mixture of relief and regret, doused with icy shock. She wasn’t supposed to be here. He’d known there was a chance she’d show up, of course, but from everything he’d been able to ascertain, Ava North rarely took time off from her job. She’d become a workaholic, a tireless prosecutor who never used vacation or sick days and who rarely ventured beyond the triangle of her apartment, the courthouse and her office. And yet here she was.

She’d changed since their final parting. She could still turn heads, but there was a cynical twist in her smile that hadn’t been there in the old days. Not that he’d taken all that in from a quick observation across the street. In the year since he’d relocated to Houston, he’d seen her twice before—once in a restaurant and once from the shadows across the street from her apartment. The first time had been by chance, the second by design. He hadn’t set out to look her up. Told himself when he accepted the position in Houston that he would let sleeping dogs lie.

But then he’d started seeing mentions of her in the paper, along with an occasional photograph. She was a rising star in the DA’s office. No surprise there. She’d always been smart and driven, but the woman who stared up at him from the pages of the Chronicle seemed so different from the young crusader he’d known in college. She still had that wild mane of brown hair, but tamed for court in a loose bun. Her green eyes still sparkled, but now with a deadly determination.

He hadn’t approached her either time. He’d observed her from afar until he’d sated his curiosity, and then he’d gone about his business of starting a new job and finding a place to live. And he’d made certain they never traveled in the same circles. Until now.

“Something I can help you with?” the clerk asked from behind the counter.

“Just browsing,” Dylan replied absently, his gaze still on the street.

“Holler if you need anything.”

“I will, thanks.”

He waited until she was out of sight and then exited the store with a nod to the curious shopkeeper. He moved down the street, keeping to the shady side until he caught a glimpse of her. She was getting into a white SUV with the Whispering Springs logo on the side. Leaning his back against a building, he watched the vehicle pull out of the gas station and onto the road. After the dust cloud settled, he walked back to his own car, following at a discreet distance, although it didn’t much matter if he was spotted. He’d already checked into his room at the ranch, and his client would make certain the others bought his cover.

As he navigated the winding road, he rolled down his window, allowing the scents and sounds of the rugged countryside to settle over him. It had taken a long time after three tours of duty in the Middle East to silence the noise of war in his head. When he first came back, he’d had no plan beyond finding a little peace and quiet. With his undergrad degree and service record, he’d had no shortage of opportunities, but for a while, he’d used the money left to him by his grandmother to hibernate.

For nearly a year, he’d done nothing but camp and hike and read. Then dinner with an army buddy had brought him to Houston and to an informal interview with Ezra Blackthorn, the founder and CEO of the Blackthorn Agency, a global security firm. Dylan had turned down the offer of overseas assignments despite the generous bonus incentives. He’d had his fill of foreign chaos. The domestic side of the agency was more to his liking, in particular surveillance where he could blend into the woodwork.

He’d settled quietly into his new life in Houston. He completed his assignments, kept to himself and that was that. Then one day he’d walked into Ezra Blackthorn’s office and been confronted by his past. Blair Redding had heard about his work at the agency through a friend of a friend. She was in need of protection for her CEO husband who had received a series of threats in the wake of a rumored merger.

Tony Redding had refused to take the threats seriously, but for Blair, a line had been crossed when someone had broken into their home and scribbled a troubling message across the bathroom mirror. She wanted to hire the Blackthorn Agency and Dylan in particular to provide covert protection during their upcoming stay at Whispering Springs.

Dylan had received a list of guests and staff, and he’d noted with relief the absence of Ava’s name. Would he have backed out of the assignment if he’d known she would come? He couldn’t answer that question and it didn’t matter anyway, because he was here now and he had a job to do.

Pulling off the main road, he drove through the arched entrance to the ranch and slowed his vehicle as he took stock of his surroundings. Nestled against a verdant hillside of wildflowers and rushing creeks, Whispering Springs was bordered on one side by a line of rugged live oaks, cedars and Texas pinions and on the other side by a natural barrier of arroyos and canyons carved from the walls of limestone bluffs.

The white SUV was parked on the circular drive when Dylan arrived at the house. He pulled to the rear and grabbed his backpack before heading up into the hills. According to Blair, her husband was due to arrive at the ranch around dinnertime that evening. As far as Tony Redding and the others knew, Dylan was just another invited guest. But instead of mingling or relaxing, he’d spent the last few days getting the lay of the land. He’d explored the ranch house and outbuildings, the walking trails, the creek beds, the ravines and outcroppings—anywhere a perpetrator might hide.

Leaving the trail, he continued to climb until he had a panoramic view of the area. He lifted his binoculars, trailing his gaze along the tree line, peering into the evergreen thicket before zeroing in on the ranch house, a sprawling limestone structure with rough-hewn beams and outside arbors. No one was about. The chairs and gliders placed strategically around the property for sunrise and sunset viewings were all empty and the porches sat forlornly deserted. It would be dinnertime soon. Maybe everyone was inside getting ready for the evening meal.

As he turned to store his gear, something flashed in his peripheral vision. He turned back, scouring the valley with a naked eye before once again lifting his binoculars. He didn’t see anything at first, but he’d long ago learned the value of patience.

After a moment, the flash came again from one of the upstairs windows. He made note of the location even though the glare seemed nothing more than sunlight bouncing off glass. But the longer he lingered, the more convinced he became that someone stood just beyond his line of sight, watching him back through binoculars.

* * *

AVA LEANED AGAINST the balcony rail of her second-floor bedroom and surveyed the breathtaking scenery. The sun was just setting, gilding the jagged ridges that rose beyond the tree line. A breeze ruffled her hair, and she absently tucked back the wayward strands as her gaze lit on a lone hiker making his way toward the ranch. He was still some distance away, too far to make out his features, but his confident gait seemed familiar.

Recognition mingled with unease as Ava stepped back into the shadows. As he drew closer, she could see that he was tall and lean with close-cropped brown hair. She even imagined a slight auburn tinge to his five o’clock shadow. He had on sunglasses, but she knew behind those dark lenses his eyes were a piercing blue.

A memory came to her now of those electric eyes peering down at her intently as she held fast to her determination.

“Please don’t look at me that way. We both know it’s over.”

“It’s not over for me, Ava. I still love you. I still want us to be together. Nothing’s changed.”

“Everything’s changed! When we’re together, all I can think about—”

“Don’t. You’re hurt and confused and you feel guilty. But what happened wasn’t our fault. We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why are we still keeping secrets?”

He was crossing the grounds now, and for a moment, Ava had the strongest urge to step out of the shadows and call down to him. I loved you, too, Dylan. I was wrong about us. It doesn’t matter now, of course, but I thought you should know.

She held her ground and in the next instant, he paused as if sensing her scrutiny. His right hand dropped to his side as he turned casually to observe the path behind him. Then he scanned the woods, the canyon and finally the house. His gaze slowly lifted. Ava was certain he couldn’t spot her in the shadows, and yet she could have sworn their eyes connected a split second before he crossed the grounds and entered through one of the side doors.

Her head fell back against the wall as she let out a shaky breath. Crazy to feel so stunned by the mere glimpse of an old boyfriend, but the sight of Dylan Burkhart had caught her completely off guard. He was the last person she’d expected to see here. Ava didn’t really care about the how or the why of his presence at the ranch. Her only concern was her reaction to him.

She took several calming breaths, trying to quiet her racing pulse. This wasn’t her. She was not that woman. She didn’t live in the past or carry torches. She didn’t dwell on what might have been. She’d moved on. Forged ahead. There’d been no one really serious since Dylan, but that had nothing to do with unrequited love and everything to do with ambition. She simply had no time for anything more than a casual relationship. No strings, no commitment, no expectations.

Her reaction meant nothing. She could handle this. Already she felt steadier. Soon she would get dressed and go downstairs for dinner, where she would spend a pleasant evening reminiscing with old friends.

But first, she’d have a long soak and a good stiff drink.

Chapter Two

The great room was empty when Ava came downstairs a little while later. She milled about for a bit, studying the William B. Travis portrait over the fireplace and the framed photographs on either side before moving through the French doors to the terrace. The sun had set by this time and the sky over the treetops had deepened to lavender. She could smell mountain laurel on the breeze and a hint of rain in the distance.

The feeling of disquiet that had descended earlier came back as she took in the isolation of her surroundings. Except for the muted clatter of china and silverware coming from the dining room, she might have been alone. But then she sensed another presence a split second before she spotted a silhouette in the deepest shadows of the patio. She wanted to turn away from his relentless gaze, seek refuge inside the lit great room. Instead, she took a step toward him.

“Dylan?”

“Hello, Ava.”

Her hand fluttered to her chest. “My goodness. It really is you.”

“You seem surprised to see me. No one told you I’d be here?”

His voice was rich and deep and very unsettling. Ava shivered as the breeze blew across the terrace. “I came at the last minute. I haven’t spoken with the others yet.”

She still couldn’t see him clearly but she very much wanted to. She wanted to know if the flesh-and-blood man could hold a candle to her memory. Not a fair comparison, she acknowledged. Time had marched on. She wouldn’t like to be held to the same standard.

As if reading her mind, he stepped out of the shadows. Her hand was still at her chest. She could feel the pounding of her heart through her sweater and forced her hand to her side.

He was still peering at her through the twilight. “You don’t have a problem with my being here, do you?”

“Why would I have a problem? You were always a part of this group. You belong here as much as anyone.” She sounded fine, but her smile felt brittle. She drew a breath and tried to relax. “But I didn’t realize you’d kept in touch with the others.”

“I didn’t. Blair and I ran into each other through a mutual acquaintance. She invited me to the reunion. I had nothing else planned so here I am.”

“Here you are,” Ava echoed faintly.

He returned her cautious smile. “It’s good to see you. You’re looking well.”

“Am I? That’s kind of you to say, but I’m feeling a bit of a mess these days.” She touched her ponytail, wishing she’d taken a little more care with her appearance. Wishing she’d worn the navy sheath rather than the black pants and sweater. “You, though...” She trailed off, taking in the fitted charcoal slacks and jacket. She sighed and dispensed with discretion. “You look fantastic. I kind of hate you right now.”

He laughed, a soft, intimate sound that wrapped around her like an embrace. “Why are you feeling a mess?”

“Oh, work. Life.” She shrugged. “The usual.”

His gaze deepened as he searched her face. “Can’t be more than a temporary setback. I hear impressive things about you.”

She stared back at him. “You do? Oh, that’s right. You said you ran into Blair. She’s biased, you know.”

“I doubt she needs to be in your case. She tells me you’re an attorney.” He leaned a shoulder against a post as he observed her in the waning light. “It’s nice to know you followed through with your dream of law school. I can’t remember you ever wanting to do anything else.”

“Yes, although I didn’t go into practice with my dad. I work for the DA’s office in Houston.”

“Challenging work, I imagine.”

“It can be.” She shoved her hands into her pockets as she gazed at him across the terrace. There was a surreal quality to their casual conversation after a decadelong separation. Ava tried to decide if the meeting was easier or harder than she had imagined it would be. “You have me at a disadvantage. I haven’t heard anything about you. In all these years...not one word.” Her voice took on an accusatory edge despite her best efforts.

His voice held no such edge. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“It was. But I can still be curious, can’t I? What have you been up to since college? Are you married, single...? What do you do for a living?” The questions tumbled out before she could stop them.

There was a slight hesitation before he answered. “I’m still figuring out what I want to do. I’ve been at loose ends since I left the army.”

She went completely still. “You were in the service?”

“You didn’t know? I enlisted the day after graduation.”

Ava felt as if the wind had been knocked from her lungs. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You know why.”

“The others...?”

“I didn’t tell anyone. It seemed best that way. After you left, there was nothing keeping me in Austin. My grandmother was dead. Most of our friends had scattered.” He canted his head, still watching her. “I needed a purpose and I found one.”

“The army,” she murmured. “For how long?”

“Eight years.”

“Were you overseas?”

“Afghanistan for a time.”

She closed her eyes. “I wish I’d known. I should have known.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t seem right, you over there in that nightmare and the rest of us here getting on with our lives.”

“It was my choice. And for what it’s worth, it was the second-best decision I ever made.”

Now it was Ava who hesitated. “What was the first?”

“Telling you how I really felt. Laying all my cards on the table. I never had to look back with regret. I never had to wonder ‘what if.’”

Her hackles rose in self-defense. “You assume that I have?”

“I never said that. I speak only for myself.”

The conversation was getting a little too intimate for comfort. Ava felt a sense of relief at having survived their first encounter, but now she searched for a subtle excuse to go her own way, even though a part of her wanted to just stand there and stare at him forever.

She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a sound, a scream pierced the night, jangling her nerves and freezing her to the spot. For a moment, she stood in horrified silence, unable to breathe, unable to move until a second scream propelled her straight into Dylan Burkhart’s arms.

* * *

DYLAN’S FIRST INSTINCT was to pull her tightly to him, protect her from whatever danger lurked on the property, but that wasn’t a good idea for so many reasons. Too many years had passed and he had a job to do. He held her for only a moment before sliding his hands to her shoulders, subtly keeping her at bay.

“Did you hear that?” she asked on a breath. “Sounded like it came from directly above us.”

“Hold on.” He shifted his position, putting his body between her and the shadowy grounds as he moved out from under the terrace to scan the second-story bedrooms. Only one of the windows was lit against nightfall. He saw a movement in the room and then, a second later, a female figure appeared in the balcony doorway.

“Blair?” he called up to her softly.

She rushed out on the balcony, clutching a white robe to her chest. “Dylan?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not hurt, but you’d better get up here.” Her hushed voice quivered with excitement. Or was that panic?

“What’s wrong?”

“Just come up, okay?”

Ava caught his arm, her eyes wary and anxious as he moved back under the lattice cover. “What’s going on?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” He gently untangled his arm. “Wait here while I go have a look.”

“What? No! Are you crazy? I’m not waiting out here alone in the dark.”

“Then come inside.” He took her hand, pulling her toward the French doors. “I’ll be back down as soon as I can.”

“If Blair’s in trouble, I should go up there and help her. Dylan, those screams—” She broke off. “Wait a minute. How is it you’re still so calm? You don’t even seem surprised. It’s almost as if you—”

“As if I what? You heard her. She said she’s fine. There’s no cause for panic.”

“You don’t scream like that if you’re fine.”

“Then why are we standing here arguing?” he asked in exasperation.

“That’s a very good point.” She brushed past him to the doorway.

Dylan hesitated for only a moment before catching up with her and taking the lead. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, pausing on the landing to take stock. A crystal chandelier tinkled overhead in a draft. Farther down the hallway, a door clicked shut. He turned his ear to the sound, holding up his hand to silence Ava when she would have questioned his caution.

Blair had arranged to have the ranch exclusively for the reunion. The invitees had all been assigned rooms upstairs, leaving the detached cabins unoccupied. In the two days that Dylan had been there, he’d made a point to familiarize himself with all the staff members. A stranger wandering around the house or grounds should be easy to spot. He scoured the hallway now for any sign of an intruder or anything out of the ordinary. Except for that faint click of a door, nothing seemed amiss.

Blair’s suite was just off the landing, and as Dylan started toward the door, she burst into the hallway, the hem of her silk robe floating behind her like a ghost.

“Dylan, thank God. You have to see this—” She halted abruptly when she spotted Ava. Her hand flew to her throat in alarm. “Ava! I didn’t know you were here.”

“I got in a little while ago.” She moved around Dylan. “What’s going on? We heard your screams. That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes...”

“You scared us half to death,” Ava said. “It sounded as if you were being murdered up here.”

Blair seemed at a loss as her gaze darted to Dylan. “Murdered? No... I...”

“Take a breath,” he said, “and tell us what happened.” He kept his voice neutral, but his eyes warned her to proceed with caution.

She bit her lip and nodded. “I’m okay. I...it’s nothing really. I feel completely stupid. I saw a scorpion in my bedroom.”

“A scorpion?” Ava repeated in disbelief.

“On my bed.” Blair clutched the lapels of her robe. “They’re everywhere in the Hill Country so I shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose. But you remember how deathly afraid of spiders I’ve always been. A scorpion is a million times worse.”

Ava nodded. “I remember, all right. You nearly drove us into a ditch once when you saw a spider in your car.”

Blair shuddered. “It was a very big spider.”

“I can see you’re upset,” Ava said. “Why don’t I call downstairs and have someone come up and take care of the problem?”

Dylan maneuvered around Blair to the door, blocking Ava’s path into the suite. “I’ll deal with the scorpion. You go downstairs and let everyone know that Blair is fine. We can’t be the only ones who heard her scream.”

“Yes, would you?” Blair managed a weak smile. “I’m too embarrassed to face anyone right now.”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. I’m sure I would scream, too, if I found a scorpion in my bed.” Ava addressed Blair, but she trained her gaze on Dylan. Unease niggled. He could almost hear the gears turning inside her head. The scorpion cover wasn’t bad, but Ava North had never been anyone’s fool.

“Thanks,” Blair murmured.

Ava shrugged off her gratitude, but she had a determined look on her face that Dylan remembered only too well. “Think nothing of it. I’ll take care of everything. But are you sure you’re okay? You still look a little pale. My room is just down the hall. Would you like to wait there while Dylan exterminates yours?”

“I’m fine now.”

“If you say so.” Her gaze on Dylan was direct and slightly challenging. “You’ve got everything under control up here?”

“Yes, no worries.”

She nodded though she didn’t look particularly convinced. “I’ll see you both downstairs, then.”

Dylan waited until she’d disappeared across the landing before turning back to Blair. “What happened?”

“It’s better if I show you.”

He followed her into the suite. A small entryway opened into a luxurious sitting area with buttery leather furniture, a limestone fireplace and a row of French doors that looked out on a wide balcony. Blair paused in the sitting room and pointed to a doorway through which Dylan could glimpse a bed and another set of French doors.

“In there.”

The lamp on the nightstand cast a soft glow over the room. More light spilled in from the open bathroom door. Dylan quickly scanned the area, peering into shadowy corners and taking note of the night air drifting in through the open balcony doors. Like the sitting area, the room was both rustic and luxurious with a vaulted beam ceiling and plush rugs on a wide-plank floor. But it was the bed that drew Dylan’s attention. Or rather, what had been placed on the covers.

Lying atop the opulent linens was a doll, the kind of expensive keepsake his grandmother had once collected and kept behind the locked glass doors of her curio cabinet. Only this one hadn’t been so lovingly preserved. The porcelain arms and legs had been shattered and the neck grotesquely twisted so that the painted visage faced the doorway. Light glinted in the glass eyes, prickling Dylan’s scalp as he moved into the room.

Behind him, Blair said breathlessly, “You see it, don’t you?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “The doll?”

“It’s not just a doll. It’s an effigy. Notice the color of her hair, those eyes. The way she’s been posed. You must see it.” A note of hysteria rose in her voice. “Dylan, it’s Lily. Your Lily.”

Chapter Three

Dylan turned slowly to face her. “What did you say?”

Blair leaned back against the door frame. “Surely you can see it, too.”

He whirled back to the bed, more shaken than he cared to admit. For a moment, he almost let her persuade him. There was something eerily familiar about the doll. Something perverted and sinister about the shattered limbs, the twisted neck and those open, staring eyes. He’d seen a lot of bad things in Afghanistan, dark things, but no amount of death and destruction could obliterate the image of Lily Callen’s broken body after a twenty-story fall. He wondered if the others still had nightmares about that night. About the lies that had been told and the secrets that had been kept.

“I don’t blame you for being upset,” he said. “But it’s a reach to think the doll is an effigy of Lily.”

“Is it? The blond hair, the blue eyes? The way she’s been placed on the bed? You think all that’s just a coincidence?” Something in her voice made Dylan glance over his shoulder again. She was clearly distraught, and yet her demeanor didn’t seem quite right. He couldn’t put his finger on it exactly, but unease stirred.

He turned back to the doll. “Of course it’s not a coincidence. But Lily wasn’t the only one with blond hair and blue eyes. That description fits you, too, Blair. I’d say if the doll is meant to represent anyone, it’s you.”

“Me? But what about the way the doll has been damaged?”

“As if she fell? Think about it for a minute. You and Tony are still avid climbers. There was a write-up about you in Summit Magazine not too long ago.”

“How did you know about that article?” she asked in shock.

“It’s my job to know.”

That seemed to give her pause. “You think the person behind the phone calls and break-in did this?”

“Isn’t that why you hired me? Because you were worried those threats would follow you here?” Dylan lifted his gaze from the doll, catching Blair’s reflection in one of the windows. She wasn’t looking at the bed. Her left hand was splayed in front of her and she seemed mesmerized by the sparkle of her diamond rings.

“Blair?”

Her hand dropped at once. “Yes?”

“You’ve told me everything, haven’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t received any other threats since you’ve been here?”

“No, everything’s been fine.”

Dylan moved around to the other side of the bed so that he could examine the shattered porcelain while keeping an eye on Blair. “Where were you before you found the doll?”

“I went down to the springs for a swim. I was gone for about two hours.”

“No one else has a key to your room?”

“Just the staff.”

“You didn’t see anyone lurking in the hallway when you left? Anything out of the ordinary happen while you were out?”

“Not that I noticed. Dylan...” She took a reluctant step into the room, averting her gaze from the bed. “The other threats were more straightforward. The phone calls, the message left on the bathroom mirror. This is more nuanced. More diabolical somehow. If what you’re saying is true...if the doll is meant to represent me, then Tony is no longer the target. I am.”

“He could still be the ultimate objective. From everything you’ve told me, he’s a ruthless negotiator. He doesn’t give up or give in. Personal threats wouldn’t faze him, but if his opponents believe you’re his Achilles heel, they may think the best way to get to him is through you.”

“If only they knew,” she murmured.

“Meaning?”

“Nothing.” Her head came up defiantly. “You’re right. Tony doesn’t give up or give in. No matter what. It may sound bizarre, but you’ve made me feel better. A stranger using me as leverage to gain the upper hand in a business deal is infinitely preferable to one of my oldest friends playing a malicious trick on me.”

“Even so, you shouldn’t take any of this lightly. This person has been watching you. He or she is familiar with your comings and goings, and they’ve managed to infiltrate your personal space not once, but twice. I’ll have another look around the grounds and I’ll talk to the staff, find out if any strangers have been spotted on the property. In the meantime, you should consider bringing in more security.”

“You know I can’t do that. I explained why in Ezra Blackthorn’s office during our first meeting. Tony would never agree to protection. He’d see it as a sign of weakness. If I brought in a bunch of strangers, he’d catch on immediately and send you all away. Like it or not, you’re our only defense, Dylan.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but I’m just one person and this is a large, isolated property. I can’t be everywhere at once, so I’ll say it again. Don’t let your guard down and don’t get careless.”

“I understand.”

He walked over to the French doors. “Were these open while you were gone?”

“Yes, the suite seemed a little stuffy. I wanted to air out the bedroom while I swam. We’re on the second floor. I didn’t think anyone could get in.”

“Someone can always get in. It wouldn’t take much skill or strength to scale the wall. Remind me again of the room arrangements?”

“Your room is across the hall, of course, and Ava is next to you. Celeste is at the end and Jane is across from her. There’s an empty room between her room and this suite.”

Dylan thought about the flash of light he’d seen earlier. He could have sworn someone had been watching him from a balcony doorway. “You’re sure no one else is staying at the ranch besides staff? Not even in the cabins?”

“The last of the guests checked out over the weekend. I reserved the whole place for a week, so no one else should be arriving until Saturday. Except for Tony, of course. He’s still due in tonight.”

Dylan stepped out on the balcony. Twilight had deepened to nightfall and a few stars hung low on the horizon. He could see the glitter of the moon through the trees, but the leaves muted the illumination. He took out his cell phone and shone the beam across the floor and all along the rail, looking for any evidence left by the intruder. Then he straightened and gazed down the row of balconies. A curtain billowed next door.

He went back inside and latched the French doors. “You said the room next door is empty, correct?”

“Yes, why?”

“Wait here while I check something out. Don’t let anyone in while I’m gone.”

Blair shivered as her gaze darted to the bed. “What am I supposed to do with the doll?”

“Leave it. Don’t touch anything. I’ll take care of it when I get back.”

He left the suite and strode down the hallway to the next room, pressing his ear to the door before knocking. He couldn’t hear anything inside and the door was locked. He retraced his steps to Blair’s suite. When she let him in, he went back out to the balcony.

Blair trailed after him. “Dylan? What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out how someone got into your suite.” He climbed on top of the railing and then hoisted himself up to the roof. From his vantage, he had an expansive view of the property. Light from the downstairs windows and patios cast an anemic glow over the grounds, but the woods beyond lay in deep shadow. The night was so quiet he could hear the ripple of leaves and the gurgle of a creek beyond the trees. To his right, the escarpment was a jagged silhouette against the navy sky.

He scanned the cliffs and probed all along the tree line. If anyone was out there, they were well hidden by the night.

Lifting his face to the sky, he closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to calm a festering worry. Something was wrong. He could sense discord all around him, could hear it in the eerie saw of the breeze that blew through the pinions. In the whisper of water over rocks from the springs. Somewhere on the ridge a coyote howled, followed by a series of yips and barks that lifted the hair at the back of his neck. They sensed it, too, he thought. He wasn’t particularly insightful and definitely not clairvoyant, but he’d learned a long time ago not to second-guess his instincts.

The doll was a troublesome development. Nuanced and diabolical, Blair had said. Maybe they were both overthinking the situation, but Dylan couldn’t shake the notion that more was going on beneath the surface. That the threats to Blair and Tony Redding might be nothing more than a clever ruse to lure Dylan and the others to Whispering Springs. But why?

* * *

A FEW MINUTES LATER, Dylan hurried along the edge of the roof and dropped down onto the next balcony.

Parting the billowing curtains, he stepped inside. The layout and furnishings were similar to those of his room. King-size bed facing a large armoire with a flat-screen TV and bar. Desk and chair situated in front of the French doors. Bathroom and closet just off the entry. A quick search through the armoire drawers and closet yielded nothing. The room appeared spotless, bed neatly made, fresh towels in the bathroom. It was possible the cleaning staff had left the balcony doors open by mistake, but he kept going back to the flash of light he’d seen from the escarpment.

He went out into the hallway, glancing both ways before returning a second time to Blair’s suite. She answered his knock at once.

Before he could say anything, she leaned in to murmur, “Ava’s here.”

“Where?”

She pointed to the bedroom. “The door was open and she saw the doll. I couldn’t stop her from going in.”

He said nothing else as he moved out of the foyer and into the sitting room. Ava stood just beyond the bedroom doorway. She had her back to him, but she spun as soon as she heard him approach.

“Have you seen this?”

He took in her pale face and wide green eyes. “Yes, I’ve seen it.”

“What do you make of it? What kind of sick joke is someone trying to pull here?”

Before he could answer, Blair came into the room, keeping her distance from the bed. “It’s not a joke. It’s a warning effigy.”

Ava looked aghast. “A what?”

“Blair,” Dylan cautioned.

She gave a helpless shrug. “What’s the point of keeping her in the dark now? She’s already seen the doll. Besides, maybe she can help keep an eye out.”

“An eye out for what? For who?” Ava glanced from Blair to Dylan, her expression turning resolute and suspicious. “One of you had better start talking. And don’t give me any nonsense about scorpions and spiders. Just tell me the straight-up truth. What’s going on here?”

Dylan eyed Blair carefully. “It’s your call.”

She nodded before turning back to Ava. “Long story short, Tony is negotiating a merger for Redding Technologies. There’s been a lot of opposition within both companies and from outside competitors. That’s not unusual, but a couple of weeks ago, he started getting threatening phone calls at work. Then last week our house was broken into and someone left a message on the bathroom mirror.”

“What was the message?”

“‘Tell the truth.’”

“Tell the truth,” Ava repeated with a pensive frown. “And you think that message has something to do with the merger?”

“Coming after the phone calls, it seems a logical conclusion,” Dylan said.

Ava shot him a glance before turning back to the bed. She wore that look again, the one that told him she wasn’t about to accept anything at face value.

“Do you know what truth they’re talking about?” Ava asked.

“Tony doesn’t talk much about his business deals,” Blair hedged.

“Did you call the police?”

“No, because he doesn’t take the threats seriously. He thinks the opposition is trying to rattle him. If we go to the police, they’ll know they’re getting to him. It would weaken his bargaining power.”

“He’s playing a risky game with your safety,” Ava said as she moved around to the other side of the bed. She seemed to want to keep an eye on both of them while she examined the doll.

“I agree,” Blair said. “It is risky. That’s why I went behind my husband’s back and hired Dylan. To Tony and everyone else, he’s just another guest.”

Ava’s head came up. “What do you mean, you hired Dylan?”

He had remained silent for most of the exchange, preferring to let his client disclose as much or as little as she felt was warranted. But his gaze had remained on Ava, and now he saw a war of emotions on her face as she struggled to make sense of his deception.

“I work for a private security firm in Houston,” he explained. “You may have heard of it—the Blackthorn Agency.”

“Yes, I know of it.” Her tone sounded stilted. “For how long?”

“A little over a year.”

She shrugged, but her features hardened. “So much for being at loose ends.”

I can explain, he wanted to tell her, but instead he allowed her to draw her own conclusions.

“Please don’t say anything to the others,” Blair pleaded. “I asked everyone here so that we could catch up and have a good time. Maybe even mend some fences. We were once like family.”

“That was a long time ago,” Ava said, her cool gaze brushing Dylan’s before she looked away.

“And yet you’re here.” Blair’s smile turned hopeful. “Call me sentimental, but I still miss what we had. I still miss us. I thought if we could all get together just one more time, we could somehow recapture the magic. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Even so, I don’t want to cast a pall over our reunion.”

“I don’t like any of this,” Ava said. “I think you should go to the police regardless of what Tony says. It’s dangerous and irresponsible to do otherwise. I’ll keep quiet for now, but if anything else happens, all bets are off.” Her gaze dropped to the bed. “What are you going to do with this thing?”

Dylan moved around beside her. “I’ll handle everything in here. Why don’t you take Blair into the other room and fix her a drink? She still looks a little shaken.”

Ava nodded. “Good idea. Maybe I’ll fix one for myself while I’m at it.”

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