The ocean breeze kisses my face and I inhale the salty scent. I’m right down at the end of the pier, gazing out across the water. No one else is around, the sun is shining above me, and I’m overcome by that sense of peace I can’t stop chasing. It never stays with me for long, but when I do get my hands around it, I like to hold on and feel it course through my entire body.

I’ve always loved the ocean. The endless blue. An unreachable horizon. No matter what’s happening in my life, this vast body of water gives me a sense of hope. Like maybe anything is possible.

As a kid I used to imagine it taking me away from the pain. If I walked straight into those waves, they could wash me clean and every bad thing around me would be wiped away. But life doesn’t work like that, and childish dreams only make reality hit that much harder.

I close my eyes and shake the dark thoughts loose. It’s my day off; I don’t want to cloud out the sunshine or kill the peace with shit from my past.

It’s my past.

And I never have to go back to it.

Vallejo is a lifetime ago.

I’m not that person anymore. I never have to be him again.

Guilt niggles as I think about Marshall, my new boss. I lied on my application form. He has no idea that my driver’s license and social security number are fake. If I was fully transparent, he’d learn that I’ve never even taken a driving test. I kind of taught myself and then bought the ID…along with a social security number that hides who I really am.

My first name’s still the same, but everything else is just a cover.

I’ve been living this lie since I skipped out two and a half years ago. The fake documents cost a pretty penny, but I’ve been Griffin Ayala for nearly two years now and I’ve managed to make it work. As far as anyone knows, I am that guy, and I always have been.

I scan the beach of Ryder Bay and wistfully hope I can stay here, but it’s a pipe dream. I’ll be lucky if I make it through to the end of the summer. Staying in one place too long is never a good idea, but damn I wish I could. Something about this beach speaks to my soul.

Yeah, I may have seen prettier. The two resorts I worked at in Mexico were amazing. The beach where I learned to surf—white sand, clear water…a freaking utopia.

But this place. I don’t even know what it is.

It’s like my soul has some connection with Ryder Bay, because the second I drove into this small town, I felt like I’d come home.

It’s a dangerous feeling. I should have ignored it and just kept driving.

But I pulled into the parking lot. I got out of my truck. I fell in love and applied for the first job I could find—renting out surfboards and boogie boards on the beach.

I get to spend my days on the sand, watching people have fun in the water.

It’s a pretty sweet deal.

My new boss, Captain Marshall Swinton, is a lifeguard, but he owns Ryder Rentals as a side business. Suits me just fine. I like that he’s around to chat with. I’ve never worked for a nicer guy.

Things just keep falling into place for me here. That should be a freaking siren warning, but I keep ignoring it. I’ll stay for as long as life will let me.

I just hope it’s more than—

A noise over my shoulder makes me tense. I glance behind me and notice a cop ambling down the pier. My muscles knot a little tighter. Cops always have that effect on me. He doesn’t say anything as he stops beside me, his feet spread apart. He rests his hands on the cruddy railing and lets out a heavy sigh before looking at me and slowly removing his shades.

The right side of my mouth twitches with a nervous smile. “Afternoon, Officer. Can I help you with something?” I can’t help swallowing, and pray he doesn’t notice.

The man studies me for a second longer, then sticks out his hand. “Officer Malloy.”

I glance at his hand for a beat before forcing myself to take it and then mirror his smile.

“I’m just trying to figure out what happened to a member of our community last night. She was down here and…” His voice trails off with a sad sigh.

“The girl,” I murmur. “I heard about that.”

“Oh yeah?” He looks back at me, his gaze sharp. “What’d you hear?”