"He's so going to know," Gina said as I stopped at the first stop sign past Dominick's farmhouse.

I turned. "He'll never know."

She dropped her head into her hands. "He's so gonna know."

"What the hell?" I asked and slammed on the brakes. Gina jerked forward and put her hand on the dash to stop herself.

"What?"

"That!" I whipped out my phone and pointed at a building to our left. Someone spray-painted a huge white snowflake on the side of the building. The building right next to my office building. I'd for sure have seen it the next time I came into the office. "Have you ever seen that before?"

Gina squinted at it. "No, I don't think so, but I don't get away from the compound a bunch."

I turned my head to her and stared. "You've never seen that image around the club?"

She shook her head with a frown.

Damn it. I believed her.

But that graffiti matched the one that they'd drawn on the rock someone tossed through my window two months ago. It also didn't pass my notice that they'd painted on a building close to my office. They had to be connected? But why? What did it mean? How did I stop it?

Was I destined to have a snow phobia from now on?

Something told me this didn't mean harmony or presents. Nobody ever just gave me random surprise presents. It was always rocks through windows and graffiti murals in this line of work.

"What is it?" Gina asked, breaking up my contemplation. "Why the pictures?"

A car came to a stop behind us and honked. I let off the brake, inched forward, and took one last shot of the graffiti. "Research."

I turned onto Main Street and tried to put the graffiti out of my head. Everyone in town would see it soon, but I didn't want to alert Broadrick and make him worry before he left for his mission. Once I had some free time, I'd have to stop in and ask Ridge what he thought of it. I guess. If I had to.

I rolled my eyes at myself. It's the responsible thing to do, Vonnie.

Gina leaned over to turn up the heat, and I sniffed the air. "Do you smell coconut?"

It reminded me of summer and the beach. Not the beach here but one in Florida. Baking skin, sand between your toes, sunburn. It'd been a long winter, and I needed sunshine.

I stuck my nose in my hair to make sure the wonderful odor wasn't me. Nope. "Do you smell that?" I asked again.

Gina's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Dom likes this smell, so I've been using a lot."

I slammed on the brakes and came to a screeching halt half a block from the bakery. "What?"

Oh shit. I rested my head on the steering wheel again. What a shit day. I really messed it up this time. Dom had a preference on her shampoo? He definitely liked her which meant he'd notice I'd kidnapped her. We were screwed.

"He's so gonna know," I whispered.

Gina stiffened. "You said he wouldn't find out."

My forehead rubbed against the leather steering wheel as I moved it back and forth. "Yeah, but I didn't realize you two were at hair-sniffing level."

The contents of my stomach rolled, and I lifted my head. I'd driven her too far now. We couldn't turn back, so I might as well get a cupcake before my death. We'd probably have the entire biker gang and half of Ridge's crew hunting for us.

"What's that mean?" Gina pressed as I parked in a spot in front of the bakery while contemplating what cupcake flavor would constitute my last meal.

If she didn't know, I didn't want to be the one to tell her.

But someone had to.

If not me, then who?

"You're screwed," I said and opened the car door, hoping she'd follow my cue.

She did.

"Me?" she asked, meeting me at the hood.

"And me." I couldn't forget about myself. "I just kidnapped the leader of a motorcycle gang's girlfriend."

Gina followed me to the bakery door, and I held it open for her. "I don't think it's that big of a deal."

"I'm getting two cupcakes," I said. Choosing between the chocolate on chocolate and strawberry was an impossible task. If I had to die, I at least wanted to go out tasting perfection.

If it took him long enough, I'd try to cram a cookie in there, too.

Pearl had her place at her favorite table across from the register, and I sat Gina in the one by it we reserved for visitors. The proximity to the counter made it easier to hear when they finally divulged all their secrets.

Gina's gaze floated around the bakery as she took in all the sights. I suppose for a first-timer, all the pink might be a bit much.

"I just have to feed the fish and then we can pick out our last meal," I said.

Pearl sipped her tea. "Anessa said his name was Jeffrey."

"Right. Jeffrey." I slipped behind the counter and found my apron-a pink piece of fabric with frills and my name embroidered into the front.

Someone-probably Anessa-had set Jeffrey's bowl next to the coffeepot. But where the hell did she leave the food? I twisted to open the bottom cupboard and my elbow hit the fish bowl.

It slid across the counter.

Water splashed over the top, hitting the counter and spilling to the floor.

Shit.

I jerked up, hitting the bowl with my forearm, causing water to splash from the other side. Jeffrey floated with the waves with bulging eyes and flippy fins. Was he looking green?

Aunt Claire would kill me if I killed her fish.

"Okay, little guy. Let's get you back in place." I pushed him closer to the back wall for safety and cupped the top of the bowl to stop more water from sloshing over the edge. The water slowed, and I used a dish towel to sop up the counter. What a freaking day.

And to think that the only thing I had to look forward to was my imminent death via motorcycle gang leader.

I needed that cupcake.

Crap, first I had to feed the fish. I dropped the towel in the dirty laundry pile under the counter and searched behind it for the small container of beta food my aunt left. Anessa left it in the shark diaper bag that came with Jeffrey shoved in the extra space. I pulled it out and found the food in a pouch. How was this my life?

Right. I lived here.

First, feed fish. Second, feed myself.

I unscrewed the top of the container with my attention on the dessert rack as I preemptively picked out my cupcake. Two shakes and then I turned back to close the container and move on with my day.

"Holy freaking cow." What the hell happened?

Orange flakes covered the entire top of the water in the bowl. What the hell? I stared at the top in horror. "What happened to the shaker?"

Pearl gave me a weird look as I held the bottle out to her. "The top is missing. The thing with the little holes."

My bottle had no second top, only the fish food. Where were the little holes? You needed the little holes, so you didn't overfeed the super important family fish.

What did I do now?

A good inch of water was missing, and as I tried to scoop out the food with my hands, it floated out before I grabbed it enough to remove most.

"You're going to need a spoon," Pearl said, ever the least helpful.

It's not like we just kept those lying around the bakery. Oh. Wait. We did.

I opened the drawer behind me and grabbed the big wooden spoon Anessa used to stir stuff. The spoon dipped through the layer of water and brought the excess food right to the wood. I scooped it out and dumped it in the trash. It took ten dips, but I finally captured most of the food. A few pieces had already floated to the bottom and Jeffrey swam by, sucking them up.

"It might be time to look into a new career," Pearl said, and Gina widened her eyes.

I held the spoon at her with my other hand on my hips. "What does that mean? I'm a great PI."

She waved her half-eaten cookie in the air. "I meant the whole fish-sitting thing."

I scoffed, a deep gritty sound. "Someone should tell my mother that."

The phone rang. Wonderful. What next?

"Bakery by the Bay," I said, grabbing the phone receiver off the wall.

Anessa liked to keep it old school. She said it added to the environment.

"Is Gina there?" a gruff voice asked, and I gripped the phone harder. It sounded an awful lot like Dom.

Who else would know to ask for Gina? Maybe she had a rogue ninja after her. That might be better than Dominick. A rogue ninja didn't want to take me out along with her.

No.

I couldn't think that way.

I had a duty to Gina and keeping her alive.

"You there?"

I snapped back to attention. "I haven't seen her. No idea where she could be," I lied.

"Don't lie to me, Vonnie," he growled. Definitely Dom's growl.

"Have you checked the diner? They have good pie." Not a lie. It was the one thing they did better than the bakery. That and turkey clubs, but the bakery didn't sell a turkey club, so it wasn't a fair competition.

Gina stared at me from her seat without even a cupcake. Damn, I was really messing it up today. I grabbed two double chocolates and two strawberries. One of each for her. The others were for me. I'd have to chew fast if Dominick had already figured out where we were.

"Let me talk to her," he said even more growly as I walked over to her with the cupcakes.

The phone cord stretched as Gina held out her hand for it. I shook my head. She didn't want this phone. She needed to hide. We both needed to hide.

Priorities.

First the cupcakes and then the hiding.

Gina motioned for the phone again.

"Fine," I mouthed and handed it over.

"Hey, Dominick," Gina said with a smile. She didn't at all sound fearful for her life.

He spoke, and I leaned closer but couldn't hear anything from his side of the conversation.

"I'm having cupcakes with my friends," Gina said, tucking the phone between her shoulder and ear.

Anessa came from the kitchen area carrying a stack of pink boxes. She placed them on the counter next to Jeffrey and frowned at the drying counter.

"Yes, they are my friends. No, I am not coming home right now. You'll just have to figure it out for yourself or wait for me."

My mouth dropped open.

Anessa's mouth dropped open.

Pearl stopped sipping her tea and let her mouth drop open.

Who talked to Dominick-The Impaler-that way? She had to be the bravest person in Pelican Bay. Or incredibly dumb. Probably dead soon. We'd have to put her in witness protection.

I desperately wanted to hear what he said to Gina.

"Okay, see you then," she said and then handed me the phone.

I took it, surprised it didn't burn my hand, and walked backward to keep my eye on her. I'd never underestimate Gina again. All our mouths were still open in shock.

"What?" she asked when none of us spoke after I hung up the phone.

"Is Dominick going to kill us now?"