Page 77 of Secrets in the Deep

Emily stopped when she saw her, air cutting off in her throat.

“Faye?” She dropped to the woman’s side and touched her pulse. Strong beats pumped beneath her fingers. Thank God! She looked up at Nora. “Get the guys.”

Nora spun and ran toward the door. Emily was just turning back to Faye when the jiggle of the door handle sounded, followed by Nora’s gasp. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Emily called.

“It won’t open. I think we’re locked inside.”

The second Emilywalked away from the table, Ryan felt her loss. A month ago, sitting at dinner with his friends had been the most comfortable thing in the world. Now, anytime he didanythingwithout Emily, it felt like something was missing.

Fuck, he was screwed.

“She really accused you of breaking into her room and attacking her?” Zac asked, scowling.

“Yeah.” Ryan sipped his soda. “I think she would have really enjoyed seeing Ward drag me out in cuffs.”

Ethan cursed. “You think she planned it? Faked the attack?”

“I don’t know. There were no physical injuries, not even a bump on her head as far as I could tell, so it’s possible.” When Melanie was involved,anythingwas possible.

“Be careful,” Joel said quietly, the usual grin on his face completely absent now. “If she’s willing to fake an attack in an attempt to get you arrested, there are likely very few lines she won’t cross to get you out of her daughter’s life.”

Ryan wasn’t scared. He’d faced bigger threats than Melanie Prior.

“What’s going on with you two?” Connor asked. “You and Emily.”

“I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it.” But it had been on his mind…a lot. “She has an entire career, an entire life, outside of me and Deep River.”

“We had an entire life outside of Deep River too,” Ethan said. “Until we didn’t.”

A banging from the back of the café caught his attention. It was distant, like it was coming from the hall. “You guys hear that?”

Everyone at the table quieted.

He scanned the restaurant to see Emily and Nora still hadn’t come back.

He shot to his feet and moved to the back of the café, the banging growing louder with each step.

What the fuck?

He stopped outside the women’s bathroom and tried the handle. It didn’t move. He inspected the lock, cursing when he saw the toothpick that had been jammed inside.

One hard shove of the handle, and the toothpick snapped and the door opened.

“Thank God!” Nora gasped. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the last stall.

Ryan cursed when he saw Faye on the floor, eyes closed, and Emily kneeling beside her. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.” Emily shook her head. “We found her like this.”

Zac rushed in, and Emily stood so he could take her place in the stall. As Zac looked over the unconscious woman, Ryan called an ambulance.

The second he hung up, he crossed over to Emily’s side. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, face pale.

He curved an arm around her shoulders. “Help’s on the way.”

She nodded, but her entire focus remained on Faye. “Ryan?”