“Skye!” Mason called out to her when he saw her. He jogged over to her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. “I was so worried about you.”
“Hey! Get back here!” Miss Winnie yelled.
Skye glanced back and saw the men who had been tied up were no longer tied up. They were running for the water after having knocked some of the club members down.
“Stop!” Mason yelled and took off after them.
“Go after them!” Skye was so confused. Why weren’t Granger, Kord, and Peter going after the men?
“We have their IDs and I have my team waiting for them at the drop off point in Charleston,” Peter told her calmly. “Plus Charleston PD and the Coast Guard are boating upriver as we speak.”
Ryker crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at Skye and then to the men running. “Why do you want them caught, Jessamine?”
“So they can tell you I didn’t hire them.” Skye’s head was spinning. Her breathing was coming in quick and shallow. This wasn’t right. Trent was fighting Granger, the men were getting away, they thought she was behind this . . . “Oh my God.”
Skye spun and took off toward the river as the men yelled at her to come back. The answer had been right in front of her the whole time. The sound of the boat engine roared to life and then the boat full of men raced away. They were out of sight in no time.
29
“I won’t forget this,” Trent threatened his friends and family as he shoved Granger before taking off after Skye. He knew the others were running behind him. Even the knitting club was teetering as fast as they could down to the river.
Trent pushed himself into a full-out sprint as he kept his eyes on Skye racing toward the riverbank.
“Mason!” Skye yelled and Trent would never forgive Granger or the others if Skye left him for Mason. She had to know Trent loved her and didn’t believe she was behind this.
Skye opened her arms as if she were running to leap into Mason’s arms. The actor turned from the riverbank and smiled at her. He opened his arms wide and Skye bounded into the air to fling herself into his arms.
Wait, no. That wasn’t what she was doing at all. Her right hand fisted, her arm came back, and when she flew toward him, she let loose with a beauty of a punch to Mason’s face. The punch had the full weight of her body behind it as she slammed into him and the two of them careened onto the ground in a heap of rolling bodies.
Skye seemed to roll twice as long as Mason. Mason was already on his knees when Trent reached them, shaking his head as if to clear it. It wasn’t Mason who Trent was concerned about, though. Trent didn’t stop running until Skye was in his arms and he was looking into her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
“What is going on? Are you okay?” Trent asked as he put himself between Skye and Mason, who was on his feet already.
“Skye? Why would you do that to me? I’m your best friend. I was trying to protect you and you hit me.” Mason had a little whine to his voice that seemed to make Skye very pissed off. Trent could hear her almost growling behind him.
“You did this. You set this whole thing up, didn’t you?” Skye shouted furiously as Trent fought to keep her back and away from Mason.
“I helped set up the demonstration at your trial. Is that what you mean?” Mason looked thoroughly confused.
“No, you rat. I mean tonight and possibly even before tonight. You set this whole kidnapping fiasco up, didn’t you? Did you send the threatening notes too?” Skye shouted at him. Her face was red and Trent worried he’d see steam begin to come out of her ears soon.
“How could you say that?” Mason looked hurt. Like, really hurt and Trent was wondering if Skye had hit her head during all the mayhem.
Kord had been the first to reach them, but Granger and Peter were only steps behind, followed by everyone else in his family and the knitting club.
Skye shoved Trent’s arm away and stalked around him to get into Mason’s face. She poked him in the chest with her finger and he backed up a step closer to the riverbank, trying to prevent another jab.
“Those men were all professional stuntmen, Mason. We have their