Desperate Whispers

Hideaway Key, Present Day, 5:45 a.m.

It was good that Jordan Jamison hadn’t needed him to introduce himself, because if he had, she’d have had to do the same, and she didn’t feel like being Avery Hall, the person she was pretending to be. 

Even before seeing his chest and abs—inches and inches of hard, defined muscle—his honesty about wanting to be alone at sunrise inspired an urge to be someone other than Avery, the identity she’d assumed upon entering WITSEC, the witness protection program administered by the US Marshals Service. Yes, she normally liked to be alone early in the morning. For some reason, though, she hadn’t wanted him to walk away. As sunrays revealed more of Quinn, and their conversation unfolded, she wanted to be Jordan Jamison, the person she’d once been. The person who would have been free to tease him for as long as he’d let her.  

Reality was that flirting with Quinn Roberts—even subtly—was a hard no.  

Because I’m Avery, not Jordan.

If she screwed up the opportunity she and her family had at living on Hideaway Key, their chance at a fundamentally-fake-but-otherwise-nearly-perfect life, she’d never forgive herself. Happiness wasn’t the only issue, she reminded herself. Nor was her life the only life one at stake. She also had her family to worry about, and she’d die before she’d put them in jeopardy.

“Are you swimming to the buoy, or along the shore?” he asked, gesturing with his chin to toward the orange ball, now visible and bobbing with the ocean’s gentle swells. Early morning light glistened across the rippling waves, turning frothy crests into a reflection of the magnificent sky. 

“Look at that,” she said, distracted. “The waves are pink and gold.”

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

“Gorgeous.” She watched another wave roll ashore with seafoam that held a prism of orange, silver, and gold, then she turned back to him. He had his mom’s – Laura’s – eyes. Under his dark lashes, their hazel-green color was striking – mostly forest-green, with hints of golden brown. They were serious, lacking the light of Laura’s ever-present smile. Nor did they hold any trace of the gentleness that defined Laura’s personality. “I love it here.”

“Me too.”

“To answer your question, I’m swimming to the buoy.”

“How many laps?”

“At least as many as you.”

He chuckled. “Competitive?”

“What gave you that idea?”

“I’m doing five. That too much for you?”

“Cocky, huh?”

He shrugged, and his magnificent, broad shoulders stole her attention. “Sometimes.”

“Five sounds like a good amount.” 

Now that the sun had fully risen, she wondered when—or whether—he’d recognize her as one of The Resort’s two new event planners. She hoped he wouldn’t. She didn’t want her anonymity to end. He became quiet, and she did, too, not wanting these moments—sitting on the Resting Rocks, feeling like her old self with him beside her—to end. 

When choosing where to place them, the marshals had explained that one of the benefits of Hideaway Key was that there weren’t many full-time residents. In addition to members of the Robert’s family, locals included artists and craftsmen who had galleries on the island, some of The Resort’s key employees, and security personnel. Avery and her family had also been provided an on-island bungalow.  

The isolated, protected location also offered a layer of security against the man who was hunting them. Another plus was the high-priced, exclusive nature of The Resort, which had policies that ensured privacy. Photography on Hideaway Key was not permitted except at weddings and other celebrations. Even then, only professional photographers were allowed. Cell phones were to remain in guest rooms. Use of computers in public places was discouraged. The privacy policy applied even to day trippers who dined there and visited the island’s shops and galleries. According to the marshals, the no-photos rule made it less likely that random photos of Avery and her family would appear on the internet. 

Given that both Quinn and Hunter Roberts were known by the marshals to be employed by Black Raven, the marshals had crafted Jordan and her family’s identity with the assumption that it would be professionally vetted. It had seemed to Jordan that everyone had breathed a sigh of relief—herself, her family, and the marshals trying to place them—when they’d received news of the resort’s hiring decision. Instead of focusing on the irony of being in hiding on an island named Hideaway Key, she chose to see it as a sign that their new life would work out. Hideaway Key had been waiting for them.

Their personnel file had contained photographs of them, so if Quinn had looked at it, he had to know she was one of the new event planners. 

He had to have seen the photographs. Right?

Maybe not, because maybe he hadn’t looked in the file at all. Absorbing the air of quiet confidence he exuded, Jordan guessed that Quinn’s responsibilities with Black Raven were larger than background checks. Even as the man sat on a rock, in his bathing suit, leaning back on his hands, and glancing at the ocean, he exuded an I’m-in-charge vibe, not an I-perform-menial-tasks vibe. 

Maybe Hunter had dealt with the background checks. If he had, he hadn’t mentioned it. Hunter had been to the island three times in the last two months. At twenty-six and the youngest of the Robert’s clan, Hunter had an easy smile and enthusiasm for seemingly everything, from stringing party lights in palm trees to playing beach volleyball. 

She turned her head, locking gazes with the man who, when silent, seemed much more serious than his younger brother. She wondered what he’d look like without the heavy beard and mustache. Without the long wavy hair, blowing in the wind. Like his brothers’,  his hair was dark. Almost black. The color accented his lighter eyes, which were now looking into hers, returning her gaze.  

She turned back to the ocean, happy to do nothing but watch the waves and think about the man on the rock next to her. From what Laura had said of her oldest son, Quinn had been ‘too busy to return home much in the last year.’ The way Laura had spoken of him with worry in her eyes had made Jordan wonder what she wasn’t saying. Zane had said that Quinn ‘had been caught up in his off-island work.’ With a shrug and a headshake, he’d added: ‘He and Dad were the closest. I think Quinn’s avoided coming home because of grief.’ With a gleam of younger sister adoration, June had said, ‘Once you know him, you’ll love him. If you ever play a game with him, bring your A-plus skills. He plays to win.’

As their silence stretched on, the shhh-shhhhuuuussss of the waves rolling in and out became the only sound of which she was aware. But when she turned to look at him again, even those sounds faded. She caught herself mid-sigh, as she admired his nearly delicious air of masculine mystery. He seemed to guard his true expression behind untrimmed hair that gave the impression he didn’t care one bit about his looks. Somehow, the facial hair, combined with all those muscles, and the perfect amount of chest hair, made him look like someone she’d love to get to know—inch by delicious inch. She longed to reach over and touch him, maybe just to trace a finger along his cheekbones. They were just high enough to create hollows between them and the upper reaches of his beard. 

She breathed in, shaking her head slightly, and his gaze fell to her lips. She smiled, and so did he. Surely, he has to be about to introduce himself? 

Near-panic gripped her. Please, no. Let time be suspended a little longer. Let me pretend, a little while longer. Because once he said his name, she’d have to say hers, and the magic that was making her feel like her old self, the self that had existed before her detour into hell, would disappear. 

 

(SPOILER ALERT)

1. Quinn is haunted by a past job that ended in tragedy. How does his guilt shape his character, his relationships, and his decisions throughout the book? In what ways does his memory of Winslow’s death influence the plot and Quinn’s emotional journey?
2. Avery and her family live in the federal witness protection program. What challenges does this create for Avery’s character, and how does it impact her growing bond with Quinn?
3. Intuition plays a major role in Quinn’s identity and actions. Do you believe his intuition is a strength, a weakness, or both? Why?
4. The setting of Hideaway Key provides both refuge and danger. How does the island setting contribute to the suspense and romantic tension in the story?
5. Avery is both fiercely protective and deeply vulnerable. How did you respond to her dual roles as survivor and protector? Did you find her choices justifiable? If presented with similar circumstances, do you feel you would have made similar decisions?
6. The story balances danger and suspense with attraction and emotion. Do you feel one element stood out more than the other?
7. What are your thoughts on justice versus vengeance? How do the characters navigate this theme? Discuss whether Avery and Quinn seek justice or vengeance, or a combination of both. Discuss whether the villains seek justice or vengeance.
8. Discuss the significance of identity and reinvention in the story. How do Quinn and Avery each evolve by the end of the novel? Do either succeed in reinvention of their core character? Why? Is there room for more character growth in Hideaway Book Two – Silent Screams? How would you like to see these characters develop further?
9. In Desperate Whispers, there are several villains, with different motivations. Discuss the different motivations of the different villains. Which villain has the clearest motivation? Which motivation is the most believable to you? Can you guess which villain will get closest to fulfilling their objective? Which villain do you think is most capable of surprising you in Silent Screams? Why?
10. The story is told in the point of view of several different characters. In the scenes that you liked the most, who was the point of view character? Which character was your favorite? Why? At the end of the novel, which character or characters do you feel are most in peril?