Page 102 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
“Yeah,” Daisy said thickly. “They did. Thanks.”
Fuck.
Daisy was glad every inch of her was soaked, masking the couple of tears that sprang from her eyes. Even so, the older woman gave her hand another squeeze before she let go. Daisy drew in a deep breath and tried to right her emotional rudder.
Candace.
Locking eyes with Daisy, Demi read her thoughts.
“Catch me up.”
Thankfully, Daisy did not have to explain about the date or where it had ended. Candace had sent a series of descriptive emojis to her best friend shortly after her last text to Daisy.
“It sounded like things went, ah,well,” Demi commented with a knowing grin. Her brow furrowed as she went on, and her tone was laced with worry. “Candace isn’t exactly clumsy, but maybe she broke her phone somehow. Are you sure she isn’t just—”
“No.I called my neighbor. Her car is still at my house, but she’s not. It’s that bastard Peter Perry, I know it.”
“He’ll have to evacuate the island like everyone else,” Demi pointed out.
Sure enough, the sirens began to blare all around them. The group shared nervous glances, while Daisy’s pulse jumped.TheiaThea made a motion for everyone to get moving down the boardwalk ramp for their vehicles.
Quickly, Demi continued. “I doubt he’ll evacuate to the high school. If Candace is with him, they’ll be at his mansion in Keller’s Grove.”
“And if she isn’t? Where else would he have stashed her?”
Daisy knew she sounded desperate, most likely looked it, too, but she did not care. Demi shook her head.
“I don’t know. He has property all over, friends, and business contacts. She’ll be safe, wherever she is… He wouldn’t do anything drastic.”
“Drastic?!He fucking kidnapped her!”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Demi reasoned. But, by the waver in her voice, Daisy could tell she suspected nothing good.
The clattering of a police cart sounded down the boards, clearing the last few stragglers. They were out of time. From the boardwalk ramp,TheiaThea called out for Demi.
“Be right there!” To Daisy, she pleaded, “Come with us. We’ll get to the shelter and figure out our next step. Ted will bestationed there, I’m sure he’ll help.”
Daisy held in a growl. She didn’t want to wait for Ted Freaking Cando to waltz in and save them. Beyond the police cart, far down the boardwalk, the fun pier loomed in her sight.
“Zee? We need to go!” She almost had to shout over the chaos. Slowly, Daisy shook her head.
“No. I… I’m supposed to get a ride with Rio. They’re meeting me at my place.”
Demi hesitated, holding back her whipping hair as she studied Daisy’s face. “Are you su—”
“Go on. I’ll meet you there.”
TheiaThea yelled something that made Demi jump. With one last backward glance, she left. Daisy, meanwhile, headed off to pay Janice a visit.
Chapter 25
Candace
It was dark when Candace finally woke. She thought that she was still trapped in that dreamless nightmare, drifting down into the depths of nothingness. However, as thunder rumbled the sky, she felt it in her bones. Primal, like an animal responding to danger that stalked just out of view. The lightning strike that followed snapped her to focus.
Sort of.
Candace groaned. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls, heavy and lolling as she rolled atop a soft surface. At a molasses pace, she managed to move onto her side and prop herself up. Memory of what happened, of her confrontation with Uncle Perry and the “help” he arranged, came back to Candace like a face-slap.
