Impatient, her father sighed. “Let’s have it. The PRIM. Hand it over.”
April met her father’s cruel eyes over the top of her sweet baby’s boy head. “It’s hidden behind a Coke cooler. I’ll tell you the rest when Jonas and the other two men are free.”
“Fine.” Her father nodded, went to the landline, and picked up the receiver.
April hugged Archie a little tighter.
“Our guests…” Philip said into the phone. “Shoot them.”
“No!” Sophie shouted and lunged forward.
Sergey grabbed her from behind, and Archie started crying.
“Wait!” April yanked away from Sergey.
She kissed Archie’s cheek and soothed him with gentle words. He sniffled and blinked at her with frightened teary eyes.
She looked past him to the monster who inhabited her father’s body. Albatross stared back at her.
“Carly, give him the PRIM.”
The first two guards Jonas and his brother surprised in the upstairs hall never stood a chance. Jimmy took them out with two clean shots and Jonas stripped them of their guns. When he offered one to Anders, he shook his head.
“No, thanks. You and Jimmy, that’s your thing not mine.”
“Then keep your head down and stay close.” Jonas took the lead because he knew his way around the house, and Jimmy followed behind Juan and Anders.
They reached the center stairwell when a frumpy woman at the bottom of the steps pointed up at them and shouted. “Look! There they are!”
Juan bent over the top railing. “Eleanor, who let you out of the little girl’s room?” He turned around. “Captain Tom was right. I should have used duct tape instead of rope to tie her up.”
A stampede of boots barreled up the main staircase. “Move. Move.”
They hustled down the back stairs and were halfway to the bottom, when the door opened and Babyface ran up the first three steps before noticing them. He pointed his gun at Jonas.
“Duck,” Jonas shouted then kicked out and contacted with the weapon. It fired wide, chipped off plaster, and left a streak across the wall. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the narrow space.
Jonas charged Babyface, and they tumbled down the stairs. When they landed at the bottom, pain blasted through his knee, but the kid took the brunt of the fall. Pushing himself up, Jonas reared his arm fist. Before he could land the punch, the kid caught Jonas off balance and flipped him over. He landed flat on his back with a grunt.
Babyface scrambled for his gun.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Juan raised his golf club and brought it down on the back of Babyface’s head.
He collapsed unconscious and slid down the steps again.
Jonas rolled to his feet. “Nice job. Take this gun.” He picked up Babyface’s weapon and handed it to Juan. “Go out the back door and hang a left. Then stay inside the tree line all the way to water. Don’t be afraid to shoot anyone you come across.”
Juan turned the gun over in his hand. “How do I—”
“Be careful. The safety is off. Just point and squeeze the trigger. Got it?”
“Dios mío, I think so.”
“Go with him, Anders.”
Jonas’ oldest brother stopped in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Bring Archie and April home.”
“I will.”
Anders squeezed his shoulder. “Be careful.”
“Move it, brothers, or nobody’s going home today.” Jimmy pushed them both out of the stairwell.
Anders glance back at them as he followed Juan past the disconnected security camera and out the back door. Jonas and Jimmy turned right and headed through the house toward the lanai.
April winced and held Archie closer as more gunshots rang through the house. It sounded closer now, as if the violence was moving toward them. Archie was getting heavy to hold, so she put him down and guided him to stand behind her.
Albatross held up the small missile he called the PRIM, examining it in the light, seemingly unconcerned by the chaos ensuing inside his home. “It’s not damaged and doesn’t look like a fake,” he said to Sergey, who stood beside him. “Repack it and put the briefcase in the helicopter.”
Sergey nodded and took the missile out of his hands.
“You have what you want. Now please, let Juan and Carly take Archie home. I’ll stay if you want me to.”
“I have no use for you. You can go. You can all go.”
April’s blood began to pulse through her veins in a thick, slow rhythm. She wanted to believe him, but she didn’t. “What’s the catch?”
Shouts. More gunfire.
Albatross’ cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
“No catch. I have what I want. Young Archie, come say goodbye to Papa.”
Before she could stop him, Archie slipped around her and ran into his grandpa’s arms. Albatross stooped to pick up the little boy.
Carly swung around and punched Sergey in the nose. He staggered backward and dropped the briefcase containing the PRIM. Holding his nose, he fell to the floor, cursing in an Eastern European language. When he pulled his hands away from his face and saw the massive amount of blood, he growled and kicked out, swiping the back of Carly’s legs. Her feet flew out from under her and she landed hard on her backside with a high-pitched squeal.
Sergey reached for his gun.
“Drop it, Jimmy Panama stood in the open doorway to the house with his gun pointed at the bodyguard.
“Jimmy!” Sophie shouted, relief in her voice.
“Hey there, Duchess.” He did a double take and a mischievous smile spread across his handsome face. In a slow, deep southern draw, he said, “Shantay, you stay.”
The screen door opened and slammed closed as Albatross grabbed the PRIM and took off with Archie.
“Stop!” she shouted, and went after them. “Daddy, stop! You can’t take him.”
Archie started crying again. He twisted in Albatross’ arms, kicking and hitting him. That slowed Albatross down long enough for April to catch up to him on the lawn.
Albatross turned, walking backward. “You can’t stop me, April. Nobody can.” Behind him, the helicopter rattled and growled, its rotary blades thwapping as it readied for take-off.
“Please!” April shouted over the noise. “You’re scaring him.”
“Linus!” Jonas shouted as he came around the corner of the pool fence with his gun pointed, blocking Albatross’ path to the helicopter.
Jimmy caught up to April and trained his gun on the pilot.
“Don’t do this,” April begged her father. “You have the PRIM. That’s what you wanted, why do you need to take Archie, too?”
Albatross took a hesitant step forward then he glanced back at April and his face crumpled for a moment. “I’ve always wanted a boy, a son to follow in my footsteps and take over my empire. He can be the son I never had.”
“Let me shoot him, April,” Jonas growled.
“No,” she said firmly. “I’m giving you one last chance, Daddy. Put Archie down and let him come to me.”
Albatross shook his head. “They won’t let me leave here alive.”
“Damn straight,” Jimmy said, readjusting his grip on his gun.
“I’ve got a clear shot, April,” Jonas said. “I can make it without hitting Archie.”
“No,” she said firmly.
“Jonas will kill me, kitten. He won’t listen to you. He’s been using you. He was after me the entire time.”
“He will listen to me,” she insisted. “They both will. Put Archie down now, or I’ll let Jonas shoot you where you stand.”
Albatross hesitated, glancing between Jonas and Jimmy like a nervous mouse caught between two very large, tenacious tigers.
“For mama then,” April said. “Hope wouldn’t want you to hurt her only grandson. If you won’t do it for me, do it for mama. They’ll stand down. Won’t you?”
Jimmy cursed. “Make the pilot drop his weapon.”
Albatr
oss nodded to the pilot, and he tossed his gun in the grass.
Jimmy did the same.
Jonas carefully put his weapon back into the holster at his hip.
Albatross bent slowly to put the child down, keeping his eyes trained on Jonas. As soon Archie’s feet hit the ground, he ran to April.
Making a wide arch around Jonas, Albatross headed toward the helicopter. The instant he climbed through the open door, the helicopter lifted straight up in the air.
“He’s escaping with the PRIM,” Jimmy shouted, as they all crouched together against the wind pressure. “Shoot the bastard down.”
“Wait!” April shouted in Jonas’ ear. “What about the missile? Won’t it kill us too?”
Jonas shook his head. “It’s just a shell. No warhead inside.”
When he still hesitated, April grabbed his arm. “Do it then! That man in there is not my father. I have Archie, that’s all that matters. He’s my family. You and Archie are my family.”
The helicopter had almost cleared the top of the towering palm trees. Jonas aimed his gun. Then he shook his head and lowered it again. “No, I can’t do it. You’ll never forgive me—”
“Yes, I will, I—”
A loud boom came from the vicinity of the front yard making the earth beneath their feet shake.
Archie covered his ears and buried his face in April’s neck an instant before something struck the helicopter and it burst into flames. Jonas grabbed April and Archie and, with Jimmy’s help, they ran toward the house. Pieces of helicopters rained down on the lawn and then the largest chuck hit the ground with a resounding crash and exploded. The heat from the blast licked the back of their necks as they rounded the corner of house and dove into the soft, cool grass.
As they sat up, April turned to Archie, cupping his face and searching his body for signs of injury.
“Wow,” the little boy said, wide-eyed. “That was hot, mommy.”
She blinked her eyelids, trying not to cry. “Yes, it was, sweetie.”
Jonas reached around her and stroked the top of Archie’s head. “You okay, kid?”
“Yeah.”
“Who did that?” April turned to Jonas, searching for an answer. “Who fired the shot?”
He cupped the side of her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over now, and you’re both safe.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
April sat at a table at Dixie’s holding Archie on her lap as he devoured the turkey sandwich Oscar made especially for him.
“On our way to meet Captain Tom we ran into four Navy SEALS in scuba suits,” Anders explained to the group who had gathered back at the Bar & Grille after Archie’s rescue.
“I nearly peed my crotchless panties when they walked out of the water like the creatures from the black lagoon,” Juan added. He perched on a stool between Anders and Carly, sipping a passion fruit cocktail. “Except they were all shiny and buff and holding very large guns. They would’ve shot us dead if one of them hadn’t been a country music fan and recognized Anders.”
The SEAL team had surrounded the house and closed in when Philip took off in the helicopter. When the Team Leader had visual confirmation that they were all still safely on the ground, he gave the order to fire the anti-aircraft gun to bring down Albatross once and for all.
Sophie sat beside April at the table. “I want to know how you and Jimmy got nicked.” She’d peeled off her wig and eyelashes but still wore the belly dancer outfit.
Anders snorted. “I reckon, it’s ’cause your husband is an impulsive jackass.”
“Excuse me?” Jimmy came out of office where he’d gone to shower and change. His impressive abs were exposed for a moment before he pulled down his blue t-shirt. Swirly white Looney Toons letters printed across his chest said: That’s all Folks! He slid onto a barstool and Oscar handed him a bottle of Corona with a lime wedge peeking out the top of it. “At least I got us inside. Mr. Nice Guy over there got the door slammed in his face. That’s where too polite will get ya.”
“Rambo kicked the door in when the maid tried to close it on us and then he pointed a gun her face demanding to see Linus.”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“Not before we were tackled and hog-tied like a couple of rodeo swine.”
“What happened to the staff?” Sophie asked. “And where were Courtney and her children? Has anyone told her what happened to her husband?”
When Jimmy shrugged, Sophie and April turned to Jonas, who leaned against the bar’s front windows away from everyone else. He stopped typing on the phone and glanced up. He was always hovering on the outskirts and lurking in corners, and it tugged at April’s heartstrings. She wanted him to join them, but he had to want that too.
He slid the phone back into his thigh pocket. “No one was injured. The few servants that hadn’t left for the day made themselves scarce.”
“And Courtney?”
“She went to the police yesterday when Linus kidnapped Archie. She and her kids have been moved to a secure location. She’s agreed to testify. Turns out, she’s been collecting evidence against Linus for years as a life insurance policy in case he ever tried to cut her off. With Courtney’s testimony, we should be able to shut down the entire Albatross organization.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Carly said rising from her stool. “And we have our little nugget back with us.” She stroked the top of Archie’s head, and he grinned up at her. He loved his Aunt Carly. “This calls for a toast. Where’s my drink?” Juan handed her the glass of Pinot. “I’m so glad to see all of your beautiful faces without a scratch on them. The only things hurt today were my backside and my pride.” She rubbed a sore spot on her bottom and several people laughed. “Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and I’m looking at a room full of them right now. So, here’s to heroes, big and small. My friends, I adore you all. Cheers.”
“Salud.” Juan winked at April over his cocktail.
April toasted him with her glass of Coke and took a sip through the straw.
Her heart was full. This was her family now, and they were the loveliest and quirkiest group of people she’d ever known. They’d risked their lives to help her save her son today. No amount of money could buy loyalty like that. She loved them all so dearly, each and every last one of them.
She turned to smile at Jonas, but he was gone.
Later that evening, April curled up in bed with Archie to watch a movie. It was difficult not to think about the harrowing day they both had, but he’d seemed to have already forgotten about it. Molly said kids were resilient that way. Archie was very young and wasn’t harmed or frightened for any significant amount of time. The day would likely end up as a dull memory, if he didn’t forget it altogether. She smoothed his hair off his forehead and kissed him there. She truly hoped Molly was right, she didn’t want him to be scarred by this.
April’s mind drifted to thoughts of Jonas, but she shoved them away. He knew where to find them. He would come back when he was ready.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Can I have a cookie?”
Normally, she would say no so close to bedtime, but she was so happy to have him home safe and sound, she felt compelled to spoil him a little bit. “Just one. I’ll be right back.”
“And milk,” he called after her as she left the room.
“Of course. What’s a cookie without milk?”
Smiling to herself, she opened the fridge.
Someone knocked softly on the front door.
Anders had said he would check on her when he finished in the studio. Padding barefoot to the door, she moved the curtain aside.
Jonas stood on the landing. illuminated in the golden glow of the porchlight.
Butterflies fluttered through her stomach. She hadn’t expected to see him so soon. Maybe he stopped to say goodbye. On that sobering thought, she unlocked door and invited him in.
He walked halfway into the apartm
ent before he turned to face her. He had showered and changed into a fresh pair of black cargo pants and t-shirt. He’d left his weapons and cross harness behind. He’d shaved too and trimmed his hair, though it wasn’t as short as he usually kept it.
“I paid a visit to Terrance.”
Of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them. “The loan shark?”
“Yeah, I brought the Miami SWAT team with me. He’s in police custody and won’t be bothering your friends anymore.”
She pressed her lips together trying to contain the feelings whirling around inside of her. Joy. Relief. Gratefulness. Longing. Love. She loved this dear, thoughtful, lonely, misunderstood man so much.
He glanced away and then at the floor. “I’m done running, April.” He raised his dark eyes to hers, and there was so much raw emotion in them her breath caught in her throat. “I have to go in tomorrow to be debriefed, but I’ve already notified my handler that I’m retiring effective immediately. I belong here, with my family, if you’ll have me.”
April didn’t want him to suffer a moment longer. She flew into his arms and kissed him. When he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, her heart expanded with joy.
“Is that a yes?” He rested his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes.
“Yes, of course, it’s a yes. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, April. God, I never thought this was possible. You changed my life.” He laughed hoarsely and wiped moisture from his eye. “Shit. I think I’m leaking.”
“You’re not leaking. Those are happy tears. I have them too.” She laughed and swiped at the wetness.
“Mommy? Where’s my cookie?” Archie scooted into the room. He stopped short when he saw Jonas embracing his mother. “Hey, Jonas, are you gonna watch the movie with us?”
“He can if he wants to?” April gazed at him, hoping he’d accept the invitation.
A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yay!” Archie clapped his hands. “We can both have a cookie.”
Passion Punch Page 27
