Chapter
Thirteen
Where the
hell is she?
Sean checked his watch for the tenth time. His knees ached from kneeling on the
hot deck as if waiting for execution.
Merek leaned
closer. “She’s fine. She knows what she’s doing.”
“She told me
to give in and give it up rather than fight so what’s she up to?”
“Something
must be different this time.”
It had been
over fifteen minutes since Sean had glimpsed Jess on the stairs. She should
have returned, guns blazing or something. Fear for her churned in his stomach.
Had she run into one of the missing gunmen? Was she hurt or worse?
“Ready to
tell me where your bodyguard’s hiding, McCloud?”
Sean glared
at the gunman. “I told you, we left the women behind to shop for a few days.”
“Then what
are you so nervous about? Your eyes shift to the stairs every two minutes.”
“I’m watching
for your lover to return.”
A scowl darkened
the man’s features and his finger stroked the rifle’s trigger again. “I could
kill you easily, rich boy.”
“Before you
do that, want to tell me why my mother’s employee fascinates you so much?”
“None of your
business.”
“Too bad you
picked the wrong day to board us. I’m sure Jess would have loved to talk with
you.”
“Enough.” The
man walked closer to the cook and pressed the rifle barrel to her forehead. “Where
are the other women?”
The woman
trembled and tears trickled from her expressive brown eyes. “No hablo Inglés.”
He snorted
and looked across the faces of the men. “Doesn’t matter. Rich boy and the rest
of these guys understand me. One of them will save you by telling the truth.
Isn’t that right, boys?”
“Looking for
me?” Jess walked across the deck like she belonged in a video game. Her pistol
rested steady in her slender right hand. Her left hand caressed the hilt of her
knife.
No, God damn
it!
He’d wanted to know where she was, that she was all right, but she should have
stayed out of sight.
“Ah, the
bodyguard at last.”
“In the
flesh. Why don’t you leave poor Juanita alone now that I’m here?”
Sean itched
to slug someone as the man’s eyes wandered over Jess’s slender form.
“Where have
you been hiding?”
“Playing with
your boys and contacting the authorities.”
His cocky
laugh said he didn’t believe her as he moved to keep the staff between him and
Jess. “You forget the radio is on the bridge.”
“And in the
captain’s quarters. What do you think took me so long?”
Was she
bluffing? Sean couldn’t tell, but he hoped the hell not.
“Then we
should hurry to get going. As soon as my men return—”
“Were you not
listening? Jorge and the wimp are incapacitated. They won’t be leaving this
boat without a police escort. You should either sit down and wait politely for
the local authorities or leave.”
He shook his
head as if denying her words would make them false. “Put down your weapons and
join your friends.”
“I don’t
think so.”
“Do it or I
will kill them off one by one as you watch.”
She shrugged.
“Collateral damage is part of the job.”
“You think I’m
kidding.” Sweat rolled down the man’s face, and his hand trembled.
Sean cleared
his throat. “Come on. No one has to get hurt here. Why don’t you do as Jess
asked and leave? We won’t stop you.”
The gunman
glanced from Jess to the stairs leading down to his boat.
“I also sent
the authorities to Mr. A’s place.” Jess strolled a bit closer. “He will not be
happy your man told me about him.”
Color left
the man’s face. “You know nothing.”
“Don’t I? I
would lay money that your Mr. A is also known as Mr. Avakian or less agreeable
to me, my ex.”
Was she
serious? Of course the selfish asshole would run an operation like this.
“Shut up. I don’t
know what you’re talking about.”
Jess smiled
and edged closer. “Captain, please take your people and Mr. McCloud down to the
staff lounge. This is apparently a matter between Rafe and me.”
Did she
really think he’d leave her with a cornered madman? “I’m not leaving, Jess.”
Rafe swung
the rifle wildly from Jess to the captain and back. “No one goes anywhere. How
do you know my name?”
“It’s amazing
how much information a bleeding man will share.”
Rafe glanced
down the stairs toward his boat once more, indecision strong on his nervous
features.
Sean motioned
the captain to take the others out of harm’s way. “This doesn’t have to end
ugly, Rafe. You’re in one of the most beautiful areas of the world. Leave.
Disappear into these islands. I’ll give you everything of value on this damned
yacht if you go without trouble.”
Rafe shifted
the rifle to point at Sean’s head. “Stop. Everyone sit down and shut up so I
can think.”
Jess edged
closer still. No more than a few yards remained between her and the dangerous
end of an assault rifle. “You won’t shoot these people. As of now you have
nothing more than thievery on your hands. Hurt someone and the entire game
changes. Let everyone go below. I’ll even come with you if that’s what you
want.”
Was she out
of her mind? “You’re
not going anywhere with him, Jess.”
Jess ignored
him. Moving slowly until she stood in the rifle’s sightline. A siren wailed
across the waves from the north as a white and blue vessel streamed across the
water. “That would be the cavalry now. You still have time to run, Rafe. Kurt
will never find you. Even if he rolls over to the cops, the islands will hide
you.”
“I’m leaving,
but rich boy goes with me, too.”
“That wasn’t
part of the deal. You want a hostage, you get me or no one.”
His eyes
flashed between Jess and Sean. The cockiness melted from his stance. “I’ll take
you both. You to meet my orders, him to keep you quiet. Let’s go.”
Sean didn’t
see more than the flash of silver in the sunlight before Jess’s knife sank to
the hilt in Rafe’s right shoulder. A scream cut above the approaching sirens.
His light blue shirt turned crimson in moments as blood poured from the wound.
Eyes wild, he tried to steady his weapon, but his right arm hung limp. “You
fucking bitch!”
Jess leveled
her pistol at his face. “You’re almost out of time. Go before it’s too late.”
“Not anymore.
Now you die.” Rafe pulled the semi-automatic up with his left hand. His arm
shook as he steadied the weapon against his side.
Everything
slowed down. Jess stepped farther in front of Sean and fired her pistol as the
first rifle shot rang out.
“No!” Sean
grabbed her and jerked her out of the way. Bullets flew around them. She kept
firing. She’d be killed right in front of him, and there wasn’t a damned thing
he could do about it. He shoved her behind him, keeping the gunman in his sight
while placing his body between her and the rifle. A bullet ripped across his
bicep. Her soft cry of pain slashed at his heart, but he did not budge as Rafe
fell.
The rifle
continued to fire into the air before it clattered to the deck. Feet thundered
on the landing below. Suddenly a dozen men in Navy uniforms swarmed around
them.
Too late.
Rafe’s
lifeless body lay in a bloody pool.
“Jess!” Sean
spun to find her. She lay on the deck, her fair skin unnaturally pale. A
perfect circle marred her skin above her right breast and blood oozed from it
at an increasing rate. When had she been shot? He sank to his knees and felt
her throat for a heartbeat. Her pulse bumped weak but steady beneath his
fingers. “Someone get me something to stop the blood.”
Miguel
materialized by his side with a towel. “She hit her head pretty hard when she
fell.”
Sean pressed
the rag over the wound, praying it was not as bad as it looked. “Is there a
paramedic in that bunch?”
“The captain
went to explain things. He’ll send help.”
Gently, Sean
lifted Jess onto his lap, cautious to keep the makeshift bandage pressed over
her heart. Her back remained unmarred. The bullet had lodged somewhere inside
her chest. Careful not to hurt her further, he felt the back of her head. A
goose egg the size of a baseball distorted her skull and blood seeped from the
split skin. Had he done this? Did she hit her head when he pushed her aside?
“You saved
her from worse.”
“How do you
know that, Miguel? Maybe she’d be fine if I hadn’t shoved her.”
“The bullet
caused her to lose her balance. You’re not to blame, Mr. McCloud.”
“I didn’t
protect her. I should have, but I couldn’t.” Pain worse than the fire in his
arm seared his heart. What kind of man failed his woman when she needed him? Maybe
she was right. Maybe he wasn’t responsible enough to be in a relationship. His
hands trembled. He loved her more than anyone or anything else he’d ever known,
but he might never have a chance to convince her of that.
His eyes
burned as he hugged her closer. “Don’t you fucking die on me, Jess. Do you hear
me? Don’t you dare die.”