Page 19 of Pirates in Calusa Cove (Everglades Overwatch #2)

CHAPTER 16

Trinity twisted and turned the knife. It dug into her skin, making her wince every time it drew blood, but with the last flick of her wrist, her hands broke free from the restraints. Her shoulder throbbed, and her arm felt like a dead weight against her body without the sling.

The engines roared to life.

Oh no! Her chance at freedom was being snatched from her grasp before she even had the opportunity to try to escape.

The boat rocked as it pulled away from the slip.

She stared out the porthole. She knew exactly where she was—a popular marina lined a channel leading into Gullivan Bay.

Where was Mallary taking her and why? What was the plan? Had Fenton boarded the boat? What did he have to do with all of this?

So many questions, and she didn’t have any answers .

The only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to die if she didn’t do something. But what?

Don’t be reckless. Don’t act impulsively.

What would Keaton do? Well, he’d be prepared with a weapon and a plan. She had neither. But she did have a window. And there were other boaters. She hobbled around the cuddy in search of a pen and paper. She opened every drawer…every cabinet…and found nothing.

She had to find a way to signal a vessel as she passed them. Pressing her nose against the porthole, she watched as the boat accelerated into the open waters.

The door rattled.

She spun, losing her footing, and fell on her ass. She groaned when she used both hands to cushion the blow, causing her bad shoulder to explode.

“Well, lookie who found a way to escape her restraints.” Mallary waved her gun around and laughed.

“You won’t get away with this.” Trinity lunged forward.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Mallary pointed her gun right at Trinity’s chest. “You are literally of no use to me now.”

“Why not?”

“Fenton has the jewels. He’s meeting us out at sea. Once I get them…” She shrugged. “You’re shark bait.”

“Just like that. You’re a stone-cold killer.”

Mallary inched closer, pressing the gun into Trinity’s gut. “This isn’t my first rodeo.” She smiled. “Mommy didn’t swallow a bottle of pills and kill herself. ”

Trinity covered her mouth and gasped.

“That’s right.” Mallary smiled a wicked, deadly grin. “Sure, I painted this picture of how close we were, but the truth was, I hated my mother. She was selfish and not much better than wife number two. Can you believe she thought that me working on my dad’s slimy boats was a good idea? My mother thought I should be groomed to take over the family business. Like I want to smell like fish guts all day.” Mallary scrunched up her nose.

“And Amber? Did you kill Amber, too?” Flashes of that college party from so many years ago bombarded Trinity’s brain like a cattle prod.

“Damn, what a leap, but yeah.” Mallary shrugged. “She was sleeping with Tim, and he should’ve been mine. Not to mention, you and she were becoming a little too buddy-buddy after all the hard work I had put into you. Talk about not showing respect.” Mallary shook her head. “You know, I thought about putting an end to you when you chose to move back to Calusa Cove instead of coming to Marco Island when that dipshit Charlie did a number on you. I couldn’t believe you slapped me in the face like that.”

Trinity lifted her shaky hand. If she was going to overtake Mallary, it was now or never. The boat rolled up and down with the ocean waves. It moved at a good clip, heading out to sea. Thus far, she’d only seen two other men onboard. Big men. With big guns. But one would have to be behind the helm, driving. One thing at a time. Just breathe.

She sucked in some oxygen as her fingertips brushed against the cold metal. Her heart landed in her throat like a cement brick. She couldn’t swallow if she tried, so she didn’t bother.

“You’re a fucking bitch,” Trinity said, curling her fingers around the grip of the gun. She shoved Mallary hard.

“What the hell?” Mallary’s eyes went wide with shock as she slammed against the table.

The boat hit a wave, and she rolled to the side.

It was all Trinity could do to balance herself with her legs while holding the weapon in her good hand. Her father had given her a million lessons on how to shoot, but she’d been better with a rifle.

However, when it came to a handgun, she wasn’t the worst shot. She just didn’t like guns, which is why she didn’t own one. After this, she might change her mind. It was Florida, and almost everyone she knew had one, Baily included.

Mallary twisted and turned her body, pushing away from the table, and stepped closer.

“I won’t hesitate to shoot you,” Trinity said.

“Then do it.” Mallary sneered before lunging at her.

Trinity jerked to the side. Mallary missed her completely and smacked into the wall.

“You bitch.” Mallary wiped the blood from her cut lip. “You’re going to pay for that.” The cold, dark stare that danced from her eyes made Trinity’s heart drop to her knees. Mallary inched closer.

Trinity held the weapon as best she could with both hands. Her shoulder was useless, but she needed to steady her aim. She needed to be willing to pull the trigger because she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, she was staring back at death.

“Fisherman’s Run, this is the Coast Guard. We are investigating a possible violation of boating laws. Please stop your vessel immediately and have your registration ready. We will board your vessel for inspection,” a man’s voice crackled over the radio.

That was music to Trinity’s ears.

The boat slowed.

“Jesus,” Mallary muttered. “You better let me go topside.” She cocked her head. “My partners are going to need me to smooth this one over.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Trinity said. “Not until the Coast Guard opens that door and I can tell them what’s really happening here.”

“Who are they going to believe? The woman holding the gun? Or the woman saying, ‘Oh my God, she’s going to kill me. Please help me.’” Mallary waved her hand in front of her face for dramatic effect. “Now give me the gun.” Without a care in the world, Mallary closed the gap with her arm stretched out.

With her heart in her throat, Trinity shifted her aim and squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

Mallary jerked backward into the wall, grabbing her shoulder. She glanced down at her hand, and blood trickled through her fingers. “You fucking shot me?”

“And I’ll do it?—”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Rapid fire sounded—machine gun fire.

The boat picked up speed .

Men shouted.

Trinity fell to the ground as the boat lurched. She slid toward the back of the cabin, rolling like a sack of potatoes.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

More yelling, but she couldn’t make out the voices. Or the words. The boat pitched to the starboard. Then to port.

Trinity gripped the weapon with all her might as she and Mallary tumbled about inside the cabin, lunging at each other. Mallary grabbed her hair and pulled. She punched her in the shoulder and then kicked her side.

Trinity gave as good as she got, but her one arm was freaking useless.

Mallary knocked the gun from Trinity’s hand as the boat pitched again.

More gunfire. More shouting. Cussing. It was utter chaos.

And then, as if it were magic, the boat slowed. It was as if someone had yanked the throttles to neutral. It rocked in the swell of the ocean waves.

“Where the fuck is she?” Keaton’s voice echoed in Trinity’s ears. It was loud, sweet, and sent one big warm shiver up and down her spine.

“I’m down here.” She jumped to her feet, but Mallary grabbed her ankle, and she face-planted to the fiberglass floor with a thud. “Ugh.” She groaned. Her eyes watered. Her nose felt as though it flattened right into her brain.

The door flung open.

She lifted her head. Her vision blurred, but she knew Keaton’s frame when she saw it, as he stood in all of his glory, pointing a weapon at…

“Drop it,” Keaton said.

“You shoot me, I’ll shoot either you or her, it doesn’t matter.” Mallary laughed.

Bang!

“No,” Trinity whispered.

Keaton’s body flung backward.

Bang!

Dawson appeared at the door. “Mallary’s down. I need help with Trinity, and will someone please help Keaton? I don’t need to hear his moaning.”

“He’s been shot.” Trinity tried to scramble to her feet, but everything spun around her like she was on that stupid ride at the amusement park that made her vomit every single time. “He’s not moaning. He’s dying.”

“No, I’m not,” Keaton said with more of a breathless groan than anything else. He crawled to the opening. “I need help getting this damn thing off. I can’t freaking breathe.”

“Is he always this big of a baby?” Chloe came up behind Keaton while Dawson knelt beside Trinity.

“Take it easy.” Dawson forced her to sit back at the table. He flashed a light in her eyes. “You definitely have a concussion, and that nose is broken. You popped a few stitches, and it looks like she got you with a knife in the thigh.”

Suddenly, her leg burned.

She glanced down, and her entire body screamed at her as if she’d walked into a minefield. But she honestly didn’t care. “Keaton!” She grabbed Dawson by the shirt. “Why isn’t anyone?—”

“Babe, I’m fine.” Keaton tore some big vest thing off his chest. He tapped on it. “Chloe and her friends made us all wear these things. I just got the wind knocked out of me, that’s all. Not even a scratch.” He took her by the chin, tilting her head, and grimaced. “You, on the other hand…well, you might need a plastic surgeon.”

“Lucky for me, my daddy’s rich.” She stared into his sweet eyes. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. I thought you were dead.”

“I’ll try not to.” Gently, he kissed her forehead.

She glanced over her shoulder. Dawson was now kneeling over Mallary. “Is she…”

Dawson nodded. “It couldn’t be helped.”

“You should know she confessed to two other murders.” Trinity leaned into Keaton’s strong body as he lifted her off the bench.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Dawson sighed. “You can tell me all about it after a doctor has seen you and you’ve had a chance to visit with your dad.”

“My father? He’s okay?” she asked.

“We just got word he’s in recovery, and he’s going to be just fine.” Keaton carried her up the small set of stairs and out into the warm Florida air. The two men who had been on the boat with Mallary were lying in pools of blood.

A bunch of official-looking people were huddled in the corner of the vessel, chatting with Chloe and Hayes. She had no idea who they were, but she’d be forever grateful to them .

“I don’t think I’ll ever ask for anything exciting to happen in my life again,” she whispered. “And I could use a vacation.”

“How does Oregon sound?”

“Boring,” she said. “Let’s go.”

“My cousin Foster will love that.” Keaton handed her to a burly Coast Guard man before hopping onto their vessel. They laid her down on a stretcher, and another man began poking and prodding at her, checking her vitals and all that stuff.

She took Keaton’s hand. “And Fenton? How does he fit into all of this?”

“One of her pawns, and while I still don’t like the guy, he’s not responsible for this.”

She palmed his cheek. “How bad do I look?”

“You’re beautiful.” He smiled.

“No, seriously, because I feel like I have snot for brains.”

He chuckled. “You look like you need a new nose.” He brushed her hair from the side of her face. “But that doesn’t change how much I love you.”

“You can bring me flowers in the hospital this time.”

“Is that all I’m gonna get?”

“I love you, too, Keaton Cole.”

“Wow. My whole, entire name.”

“Because I love you with my whole heart.” She closed her eyes and wished for this ride to be over and to be at the hospital. As much as she enjoyed all of this with him, her body hurt. And it hurt a lot.

The following morning, Trinity stared into the mirror. She looked like a horror show. If she wanted one, it would be six months or so before she could get a nose job. That all depended on how crooked this thing ended up. Right now, it was the swelling and bruising that made it look so damn ugly. But it could have been worse.

She could have been dead.

Or Keaton.

Watching his body fly backward after Mallary pulled the trigger had been one of the most horrifying experiences, only second to when her father had been shot.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in.” Trinity stepped from the hospital bathroom and padded back to the hospital bed. She’d forced Keaton to go with his friends down to the cafeteria and eat some real food with the understanding he’d bring her back a milkshake.

There was something to those milkshakes that Hayes was constantly slurping on.

“Good afternoon, Trinity,” Emily said with a sheepish grin.

Trinity had always thought one of the reasons she’d gotten such good care the last time she’d stayed in this place had been because her dad had money, not because he had a freaking girlfriend.

As in Doctor Emily Sprouse, of all people.

She couldn’t believe her old man had kept that juicy piece of news from her, but she supposed he did so because Trinity could be a pain in the butt .

And Emily was younger. But she was so sweet and kind, and Trinity was thrilled for her dad.

“Are we here on official doctor duty or as my dad’s girlfriend?” Trinity winked, and the effort hurt, but it was worth it to see Emily blush.

“I’m so sorry we kept our relationship from you.” Emily sat on the edge of the bed. “He wanted to tell you, but I was worried. He kept telling me that you’d accept me and that our age difference, which is barely ten years, wouldn’t bother you, but it being so new, I wanted to?—”

“Emily, it’s fine. I get it. I do. You’re a private person, and I respect that. I do accept you. I think you’re good for my dad. He adores you, and it’s obvious you care about him.”

Emily smiled and nodded. “I do. I never thought I could feel this deeply about anyone. But he’s so special.” She cleared her throat. “However, I’m here right now as your doctor, and I have a bit of a touchy, personal matter to discuss with you.”

Trinity stiffened. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“It’s not bad. It’s just that I wouldn’t want to discuss this in front of anyone but the patient, and Keaton wouldn’t leave your side—all night.”

“Now, you’re really scaring me.” She touched the side of her cheek. Sometimes, when she talked, her face hurt.

“Like with every patient, we run a standard blood test, and your hCG levels came back elevated. I had the lab techs run them again and also run a pregnancy test to confirm?— ”

“Pregnant?” She grabbed Emily’s arm. “I’m pregnant?” Trinity had forgotten all about the missed pills and unprotected sex. The plan to pick up a different option had all flown out the window when she’d been kidnapped. “How is that possible?”

“Seriously?”

“No.” Trinity shook her head, which was a mistake because it just made it seem like a rocket blew up in her head. “It’s just that it’s only been like ten days since all this crazy stuff went down, and I couldn’t take my pills because… Well, that doesn’t matter. And we only had unprotected sex like once, though I’m not the greatest at taking my pills daily or at the same time every day when I’m not in a relationship, and I’ve only been in an official relationship with Keaton for like two weeks.” She paused her rambling. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure your pregnancy levels are elevated. When are you supposed to get your period?”

“Yesterday,” Trinity said softly.

“We can confirm with an ultrasound, but based on our findings and everything you’ve provided, I’d guess you’re barely four weeks. We’ll need to do some testing with OB/GYN to confirm that date.” Emily rested her hand on Trinity’s thigh. “That is, if you want to continue with the pregnancy. There is no judgment here. I’m certainly not going to say anything. This is one hundred percent your decision. Right now, you have options, but understand that in this state, we only have a couple more weeks before the decision is taken out of our hands and there are some hoops we’d have to jump through. ”

Trinity sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I wouldn’t make that decision without Keaton.”

Emily jerked her head back. “I mean no disrespect to your boyfriend. He’s a fine man, but this is your body.”

Trinity placed her hand protectively over her stomach. “I have no idea how he’ll react to this news, and I’m still in shock, but is it weird that I’m already attached to the idea of it?”

“No, not at all.” Emily smiled. “I want you to know that no matter what happens between me and your dad, you will always have a friend in me and if you need to talk, all you have to do is call.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“I need to see some other patients.” Emily stood. “You know how to reach me.”

Trinity ran her hand across her taut mid-section.

A baby.

No, she couldn’t think of it that way. Not yet. Too many things could go wrong with the pregnancy. Or Keaton might not want it—something she had to allow herself to consider—even if she knew without any doubt, she wanted it.

So much for having calm in her life.