Hard Tide by Elise Noble

Author:Elise Noble
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912888603
Publisher: Undercover Publishing Limited

CHAPTER 38

ARI

I watched with my heart in my throat as Zach dropped into a wave and sprang to his feet. Months ago, Erin, the girl I’d met on that first day in Santa Cruz, had told me that Zach had magic. Flair. A connection to the ocean. Back then, I hadn’t had a clue what she was talking about, but now I understood. Zach was hypnotic on a surfboard.

Today, he was taming the waves in Teahupo’o, French Polynesia. I’d never been to Tahiti before, and…I couldn’t see myself ever visiting.

Right now, I was slouched down in the back seat of my rental car, hidden behind darkly tinted windows as I studied a video on YouTube. Zach had arrived in Tahiti several days early, and he’d been using the time to practise before the WST contest began tomorrow. I hadn’t been able to resist torturing myself by checking out the clips his fans uploaded.

Research. It was research.

The Mercedes coupe had appeared outside my home last Sunday morning. I’d rolled groggily out of bed to answer a knock at the door, only to find a bemused man in a suit standing outside with a key fob, no doubt trying to work out why he’d been asked to deliver a car whose monthly payment was undoubtedly more than my rent.

This job sure did come with perks.

And challenges.

In the restaurant opposite me, Baylee leaned closer to the man seated across from her. They’d arrived separately, and he’d greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before a server led them to a table near the window. Now he fed her a spoonful of whatever they were eating for dessert with one hand, then adjusted his crotch with the other.

Dammit.

Steven Shaw had been right, hadn’t he?

Baylee had moved on from Tyler already, and they’d only parted ways a week ago. The news of the breakup had come from Alexa, who’d heard it from Dawson, who’d heard it from Zach.

Rather than taking the softly-softly approach, I’d risked visiting Shaw at home in Woodward Park, an upscale community on the edge of Fresno. Lots were large and streets were lined with trees. I knew from my enquiries that schools were excellent and crime rates were the lowest in the city, and I also knew that I couldn’t afford to live there.

Shaw was a doctor, according to Alexa’s research, which was surprisingly thorough. As I read through her notes and observations, I’d known one thing without a doubt—this wasn’t the first time she’d prepared a background check. And still she’d given nothing away about her own history. Six days after first speaking with her, I knew little more than her name and that she was younger than me, she had a “companion” named Chase who could have been an assistant or a boyfriend or both, and she was probably somewhere in Europe, judging by the time differences she mentioned.

Anyhow, once I told Shaw who I was and spun a plausible story—that I was working for the ex Baylee had just bankrupted—he was only too happy to talk.

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