Page 37

Chapter

Nineteen

The bright rays of the search light hit them.

This was it.

They were about to find out if they’d just been rescued by his brothers or somebody they’d hired, or by the men who had been hunting his family for months.

Life or death.

What awaited them on that boat?

For about the millionth time in the last ten or so minutes since they’d first spotted the other vessel, Jake second-guessed himself.

Alannah said she knew what they were getting into, understood the risks involved, got that they didn't have a lot of choices, and their chances of stumbling across land in what amounted to a rowboat were slim.

But it didn't matter that she said she was on board with this plan, he couldn’t help but feel that she didn't truly understand just how dangerous these men were and what they’d do if they got their hands on her.

She knew what it felt like to believe she was going to die in a fire, but the last thing he wanted was for her to know what it felt like to be tortured. To be unable to get away from the pain that others inflicted not just willingly but joyfully.

Men like the ones hunting them were sadists. They enjoyed other people’s suffering, got off on it. If they weren't, they would have found a legitimate way to put their skills to use without working for someone like the man determined to keep his identity a secret.

Still, it was too late to back out, too late to try to come up with a different plan or just cross their fingers and pray for a miracle.

Even if they hadn't started waving down the boat, the chances of them not being spotted were slim. They had only makeshift oars so they couldn’t move very fast while the other boat had an engine.

It would have found them sooner or later, they’d just sped it up a little.

“We’re in this together, Jake,” Alannah said as the light stayed fixed on them and the boat drew closer. “If it’s them and we’re captured now, I don’t blame you. I agreed with this plan. Don’t blame yourself, okay?”

As if he wouldn't if the worst was about to happen.

When the boat reached him, he knew. This wasn't his brothers out searching for them.

If it was, the first thing they would have done was yell out to let him know it was them, aware of the fact that he’d be uncertain if it was friend or foe.

But there was no sound from the boat other than its engine running, and his fingers curled into fists as he resisted the urge to grab his weapon and open fire.

The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that if he started shooting, they’d shoot back, and with their positions it was him and Alannah who would likely get shot.

While the light stayed fixed on them, a rope was dropped down, but still no one spoke.

“I’m sorry, sunshine,” he whispered as he forced himself to reach out to the rope that would soon be delivering them to their enemies. To pain and suffering. To death.

“It’s them?”

“Yeah. If it were my brothers, they would have let us know before now. I’m sorry.

We should have tried to hide from them, get away.

” Regret pressed heavily against him, and his mind scrambled for a way to undo this.

Only there was no way. Even if they jumped into the water, it wouldn't take them long to be found.

There were likely a dozen or more men currently sitting on that boat.

“Together. We’re together in this. I agreed, stop blaming yourself.” A hint of irritation was in her voice this time, like she was annoyed with him for trying to shoulder all the responsibilities, and it was so very brave of her that he couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m not giving up. We’ll figure something out, find a way,” he vowed.

“Course we will.”

Knowing that if they didn't let themselves be pulled up the men would simply come down and get them, Jake guided Alannah’s hands to the rope and then gave it a tug. Immediately, they were pulled upward, out of the minimal safety the broken motorboat had offered and into the unknown.

Seconds later, hands reached out and grabbed hold of them, hauling them over the side of the boat and tossing them down onto the deck.

Alannah stayed close to him, her fingers reaching out to grab his and holding onto him tightly, but she didn't cower under the leering stares of the men surrounding them, and for that, he was so very proud of her.

Bravery wasn't the lack of fear, it was simply doing what you had to do despite being afraid. Which was exactly what his sunshine was doing, and it made him love her so much more.

There was no point in denying it.

Staring certain death in the face made being scared of his feelings pretty redundant.

Right or wrong, somewhere along the way these last couple of weeks, he’d fallen in love with his best friend.

“Seems this time you lose and we win,” a voice sneered as a man stepped closer. A faint hint of smoke surrounded him, and Jake deduced this was the man who had been setting the fires.

Arching a brow at the man, Jake merely studied him impassively. “Yeah? You think? Because all the other teams your boss sent after my family are either dead or in custody. What makes you think you're going to be any different?”

Smoke man merely laughed like that was hilarious. “Look around you, my friend. This time we’re in the middle of the ocean, in a boat, and the odds are stacked quite firmly against you.”

“Odds have always been stacked against us since your boss is the one with all the knowledge, and we’re walking around blind.

Didn't stop my brothers from taking out every single team sent after us,” Jake reminded him.

The odds might be against him, but he was fighting for something more important than the money and ability to hurt others that had led to these men taking the job.

To them, this was just a job, but for him, the life of the woman he loved was hanging in the balance.

Failing wasn't an option.

So he had to figure out a plan.

“Don’t forget we have another beautiful person in the mix,” smoke man said as he took a step closer to Alannah, squatting down beside her and making her shrink closer against his side. “A stunning one. Being lost at sea hasn’t taken from your beauty at all, my dear.”

Gasping, Alannah looked from smoke man to him and back again. “It’s you. He’s the one, Jake. The one who got me out of the fire in the park. I don’t understand. Why did you try to kill me and then save me? If you hadn't stepped in, I would have died that day.”

A brief look of something crossed the man’s face.

“You reminded me of someone, your screams …” he trailed off and shook himself as though trying to let go of an unwanted memory.

“I left a note in your car. I thought you would see it, give it to them, and they would back off.

I believe I was misinformed. I was told you were his girlfriend, and when he went to you I thought it must be true.

But given that he and his family wouldn't back off to save your life, I suppose I was wrong, you're not that important to him after all.”

The words made Alannah flinch slightly, not noticeable to the others, but since she was pressed against him, Jake felt it.

Smoke man’s declaration had him clenching his teeth together to refute it.

Alannah was important, she meant everything to him, but if he said that he was painting an even bigger target on her back.

Better if these men believed they were just friends even if that no longer felt true to him.

“Bring them inside,” smoke man said to the other half dozen men standing around watching them.

Well, watching Alannah was a little more accurate.

It didn't take any special training to read their expressions.

They wanted some time with her, to be given permission to take whatever they wanted from her, and the sick feeling in his stomach told him that it was no doubt what would wind up happening after they tried to extract some information out of him.

“We have a room prepared for you,” smoke man continued.

“Probably not the kind you were hoping for. There’s no steaming shower and comfortable bed waiting for you.

No hot meal and clean clothes. But at least you’ll be inside, I'm sure that will be nice after your time on the island.

That was you, wasn't it? Who had the cute little shelter? Who killed two of my best men and stole their boat?”

There was no real anger in the man’s voice, though, and Jake doubted he cared that two of his men were dead. However, a thread of excitement worried him more than anything else. Smoke man was looking forward to this. He might have spared Alannah’s life once, but it wouldn't happen again.

And as the men grabbed them both, dragging Alannah away from him, Jake was forced to acknowledge there was likely nothing he could do to stop the inevitable from happening.

He hadn't saved his sunshine, hadn't fulfilled his long-ago promise to her.

He’d failed.

October 21 st

2:36 A.M.

The wounds on her feet stung as she and Jake were led through the boat.

Well, led was being more than generous. They weren't being led, they were being pulled along faster than she could keep up.

Which was probably a good thing so that her feet didn't take too much more punishment.

None of the wounds were deep, but Alannah wanted to be prepared to make a move whenever Jake gave her an indication that it was time.

They weren't giving up.

They were going to fight until their last breaths if necessary.

Of course, she didn't want to die there, especially not when things were changing between her and Jake, and it felt like a world of possibilities stretched out in front of her so long as she was brave enough to reach out and take them. But if they couldn’t fight their way out of this, at least she wanted to die knowing she’d done every single thing within her power to live.