Unease crept up Angelina Baroni’s spine. The kind of unease a person feels when she thinks she’s being watched but doesn’t see anyone.
The tinkling of laughter and the sound of distant voices drifting on the Atlantic City ocean breeze couldn’t pull her out of her funk. Not even the incessant chattering and giggles of her best friend and business partner, Maria Lopez, could calm her dark mood as they strolled the beach.
Something was wrong.
She couldn’t put her finger on it but her senses flashed warning signs. She wouldn’t be alive today if she hadn’t paid attention to those inner warnings over the past three years. It unsettled her to have them crop up again.
Nothing unusual had happened during their marketing meeting tonight. On the contrary, Maria had given an excellent presentation. They’d signed a lucrative advertising contract with one of the larger casinos. This was a huge milestone for their tiny firm. First time they’d gone up against the corporate advertising giants and won.
They’d celebrated with dinner in the swanky dining room they would now promote and were walking off the huge calorie overload at the edge of the surf. Maria had worked hard for this account. Her enthusiasm was contagious and Angelina couldn’t be happier for her, for them.
Still.
A sense of foreboding crawled up her body like a bug she’d been unable to swipe away.
She glanced over her shoulder.
Nothing.
No one.
But someone was there. In the darkness. Watching them. Waiting. She could feel it.
The pale glow from a full moon provided extra illumination. Except for the two of them, the beach was deserted. She glanced at the boardwalk. People walked back and forth in a continuous motion. No one stopped to stare at them over the rails.
Her gaze settled on the area under the pier. Had she seen someone move in the shadows or was her mind playing tricks on her? She stared harder into the darkness. Nothing.
But that feeling of being watched...
Her stomach clenched.
She trusted her gut. This familiar, although unwanted, tightness told her she was missing something.
But what?
A splash of cold water hit her face.
“Hey, Angie! You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”
It took her a second to respond to the shortened name. Believing her life was in jeopardy, she’d run away from the witness protection program, trusting no one but herself to keep her alive. She’d changed her name, staying close to her birth name so she’d respond to it easily, yet even three years later she still occasionally hesitated. Now Angelina Baroni, aka Angie Robertson, wiped the salt water from her cheek and grinned at Maria. “I’ve been listening. And stop throwing water at me. It’s cold.”
“It’s October, silly. The ocean is supposed to be cold. Don’t change the subject. You’ve been ignoring me.” Maria’s short black hair with its one large aqua streak blew in the wind. Strands danced across her freckled nose and coiled in her large hoop earrings.
“I heard every word.”
“Okay, fine. Tell me what theme I’m going to use for our first ad?”
Busted! She’d tried to listen. Honestly, she had. But that unsettled feeling had distracted her.
“See! I was right. You weren’t listening.” Maria stooped and splashed her again.
Angelina threw her hands up to protect herself and laughed. “Enough!”
“Our first casino! Can you believe it?” Throwing her arms wide and her face to the heavens, Maria spun around. On one of her passes she threw a glance Angie’s way and stopped in midtwirl.
“Okay. What gives? Something’s bothering you.” Maria shot a look in each direction. “What?” Her expression sobered. “Ang? You look scared to death. What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m being paranoid.” She stared into the darkness under the pier again. “It’s just...” She didn’t see anyone, no moving shadows this time, only darkness. “Forget it. I’m being silly.” She turned her attention back to her friend and grinned. “I’m so proud of you. You did a great job tonight.”
“Thanks.” Marie grinned in return. “Just think, Ang. We’ve worked so hard. Now all our dreams are about to come true!”
Something whizzed past Angelina’s ear.
Before her mind could identify the sound, another bullet whizzed past. This one landed in a soft thud.
A small patch of moisture formed on the left side of Maria’s dress.
Angelina blinked in shock and stared at the stain.
Blood?
Oh dear, it is blood!
A surprised expression appeared on Maria’s face moments before her body began to crumble.
Angelina rushed forward. Bullets kicked up the sand where she’d been standing only moments before.
“Maria!” She caught her friend in her arms. “No!”
Tears burned her eyes. Her arms begged to release the heavy weight but she couldn’t. Not yet. She clasped her friend against her body. Her arms ached with the strain of the deadweight. Her heart breaking with the sorrow.
Dear Lord, be with Maria. Carry her home in Your arms.
Slowly, gently, she lowered her friend to the sand.
The prayer had been automatic, instinctive. Angelina had stopped praying years before to God, whom she believed never answered her prayers. But she couldn’t take the prayer back. Not this time.
Two more bullets hit the water, each one closer than the last.
Springing into action, Angelina zigzagged across the beach, doing everything she could not to be an easy target. If she could reach the boardwalk she’d be safe. Lights, people, help loomed only a few dozen yards ahead.
Almost there.
She pushed harder, her feet fighting her as they sank into the soft sand. Her calves cramped beneath the punishing pace. Her breath bubbled in short gasps, each one feeling like her last.
Only a few more yards.
She never heard the bullet that claimed her. Never felt the pain as the velocity of the shot threw her to the ground.
I’ve been hit.
That was her last conscious thought as a second bullet sent her into blessed oblivion.
* * *
US marshal Dylan McKnight stormed down the hospital corridor and came to an abrupt halt outside one of the rooms. US marshal Thomas “Bear” Simmons stood with his back against the closed door.
Dylan never knew whether the man had gotten his nickname from his enormous linebacker girth or the fact that his huge hands could be mistaken for lethal weapons. Either way he never thought of his partner as anything less than the bear of a man he was.
“Is it true?” At six foot one Dylan still had to look up at the gentle giant.
Bear held his hands up and grinned. “Hey man, I know better than to play with you about this. Yeah, it’s true. Angelina Baroni is inside.”
Dylan exhaled slowly. He’d thought about what he’d do if