by Kelly Moore
I’d wondered what it was from, but I never asked her. “I would’ve helped you bury him too,” I say as I take a forkful of lettuce. “I’d never hurt you.”
She walks around the bar and kisses me softly. “I know you wouldn’t. You’re a kind, gentle man. I knew it the moment I saw you with Lily. My husband was horrible with kids.”
“Did you ever want children of your own?”
She sits in front of me. “Yes, but I knew it could never happen with him.”
“Do you still want kids?” I raise a brow.
“Is that an offer?” She smiles.
I place my fork down, wipe the corner of my mouth with a napkin, and walk over to her side. “I’d love to have children.” I kiss her, tasting Italian dressing on her tongue. “I’m more than willing to practice.”
She pulls away. “I’m a traditional kinda gal,” she says.
Returning to my seat, “I don’t think there’s anything traditional about you.” I laugh.
“I never thought I’d want to remarry.” She glances up at me. “If I were to have a child, I’d want to be married.” Her full lips press together.
“I can handle that if you don’t mind being tied to a deaf man.”
“You’re deaf?” She winks at me. “You, Sean Rebel, are a better man than anyone I’ve ever met. You could have a horn sticking out of your forehead, and I still would’ve fallen madly in love with you.”
I rub my head. “I think I’d rather be deaf.” I chuckle.
“There’s someone at the door.” She points and looks a little fearful.
Grabbing my gun, I answer the door to a bellhop. “Can I help you?” I peer around him for anything that might look suspicious and keep my weapon out of sight.
“The hotel manager says there’s an issue with the card you gave him.”
“Okay. Tell him I’ll be right down to take care of it.” I close the door.
“What’s wrong with your card?” Ember’s hand shakes as she places it on my shoulder to get me to turn around to look at her.
“I’m not sure, but I’ll go take care of it. I’ll be right back.” I hand her the gun and pick up my wallet, tucking it into my pocket.
The only room available was on the bottom floor of the second section of the massive eight-story hotel. I found us a small house to rent, but it isn’t available until the end of the week. We’ll move then, and I’ll purchase another spot to start a bar again. I think about what Ember said as I walk through the hotel grounds. Marriage. I’d like that. Normal would be nice for a change.
A kid jets out in front of me, forcing me to come to a complete stop. “Excuse me, sir,” he says and keeps running. There’s a movie playing poolside, and kids are floating in the water. I lean my elbows on the fence surrounding the area and watch them. “A kid.” I smile. “My own little one walking around. How cool would that be?”
I stop daydreaming and go to the office. A man with a manager badge pinned to his shirt is standing behind the expensive marble counter. “Ah, Mr. Brown, your card was declined,” he says when I lay my identification in front of him.
“I don’t understand.” I walk over to the guest computer and pull up my account. Balance, zero. “This makes no sense.” A wave of sheer fear hits me. Nina. I pull out my wallet and throw cash on the counter. “This should cover it.” I all but run out the door. As I’m walking past the pool, someone comes up beside me and jabs something hard into my side. I don’t have to turn around; I know it’s her. She pushes hard a few times then walks in front of me.
“Poor Sean. I forget you lost your hearing.” She lifts the gun to show me and then shoves it into my side. “Take me to Lily.”
“Fuck off!”
“You wouldn’t want me to open fire right here where all these little brats are, would you?” She raises a brow, making her appear even more evil.
I move, trying to come up with a plan. There’s no way in hell I’m taking her to Lily and Ember. When we make it between the two buildings, there are no lights. I swiftly move and duck into the darkness.
I know she’s saying something, but it’s too dark to read her lips. I squat between two bushes and wait for her to move closer. I jump out, hitting her hard, knocking us both to the ground. I scramble to get the gun away from her, but it’s not in her hand. I feel the ground around me. The tips of my fingers feel the metal as I reach out. I roll off her to grab it. When I flip back over with the gun gripped in my hand, all I see is the darkness.
“Where the fuck are you?” My hand shakes. I get up and kick the bushes. She’s not there. I head back to the sidewalk and look both ways. “Damn it.” I can’t go back to the room; she will follow me. Going back to the office instead, I pick up the guest phone and dial our room number.
I give Ember long enough time to answer the phone and start talking. “I don’t know if you’re on the other end of the line or not, but don’t leave the room. Nina is here, and she’s searching for Lily. I can’t come back until I know it’s safe. Keep the gun glued to you, and stay by Lily’s side.” I hang up and watch my surroundings for any sign of Nina. I end up by the pool, tucked into one of the cabanas. I lay and watch until I drift off to sleep. I’m woken up in the morning by a waitress.
“Excuse me, sir, but you can’t sleep out here. It’s against the resort’s rules.”
I wipe my eyes and go from lying to standing. Gazing around the pool area, there’s no sign of Nina. Making my way toward the hotel room, I keep watching over my shoulder, expecting to see her. When I think the coast is clear, I shove my card into the door and open it, shutting it quickly behind me. I jump, throwing my hands in the air when Ember’s gun is aimed at me.
“You scared the shit out of me,” she says, dropping the gun to her side and running into my arms.
“I’m sorry, baby. Get packed. We have to get out of here.”
She leans back so I can read her lips. “I’ve already gotten our things together.”
“Smart girl. Where’s Lily?”
“She’s reading a book.” She points to the bedroom.
“We need a car.”
“I called early this morning. There’s nothing available.”
“Damn it. We’re sitting ducks here.”
“How about a boat? We can take it back to the other island. She’s hunting for us here, not where we came from.”
“How the hell did she find us? I was careful not to leave a trail other than… the note.” I punch the wall. “She took all the money out of my account.”
“Can you get access to Fallon’s?”
“Yes, but I’ll need a computer.”
She pulls a small zipper bag out of her purse and throws a wad of cash on the bed. I look at it, then at her.
“Tip money from the tiki bar.” She raises a shoulder. “Is it enough to get us a boat?”
“More than enough.” I smack her lips with mine. “Grab your things. I’ll get Lily.”
“Where we going?” she asks in a sweet voice as I pick her up.
“For a boat ride. We’re going to play the quiet game. Whoever speaks last gets a prize.” She buttons her lip. “It doesn’t start until we’re outside.”
I meet Ember at the front door. She’s peeking through the edge of the curtain. “Anything suspicious?”
She shakes her head. “We’ll go straight to the marina. If you see her, I want you to keep moving. Take that cash and get out of here, don’t look back. I’ll take care of Nina.”
We walk out, remaining close to one another. Lily tucks her head in the crook of my neck. There are couples and families already out and about starting their day. Boats are already leaving the docks, and there’s a line of people waiting in the rental line. We pass an old man who’s sitting in a tattered chair outside a small cabin boat. There’s a For Sale sign hanging on the side of the boat.
“How much do you want for it?” I point to it.
“It’s not worth much,” he says.
“Does it run?”
“Yes.”
I hold out my hand, and Ember digs the cash out of her bag. “Is this enough?” I say, tossing it in his lap.
He counts it and smiles. “She’s all yours.”
Ember climbs on board, and I hand her Lily. “Get inside. I’ll check the fuel.” The paint is chipped, and there are a few holes in places they don’t belong, but the engine looks as if it’s been maintained, and it has a full tank of gas. I climb on top and start the motors. It cranks right up but blows a plume of gray smoke in the air. Shifting it into reverse, I back it out and into the channel. I glance over to the marina one last time and see Nina. She’s wearing a hat and a dark pair of sunglasses, but I know it’s her. She has her hand on her forehead, shielding her face. She whips her glasses off, and she’s looking directly at me. She mouths something and makes a gesture with her hand. I can’t read her lips from here, although I’m sure it’s something about killing me.
Maneuvering the boat through the channel, I create a wake, going a little too fast. Someone yells for me to slow down. I wave but keep moving at the same pace. Once I get past the no-wake zone, I open it up, getting as far and as fast away from Nina as I possibly can to keep my girls safe.
Chapter 23
Fallon
“What are you doing?” I try to take the wheel from Theo. “We have to keep going!”
“It’s too dark out. We don’t have enough lights on this boat to protect us.” He jerks the boat near a small island and throws the anchor out.
“We can’t spend the night here!” I start pulling the chain on the anchor. Theo grabs my shoulders from behind.
“Nina can’t get to them either in the dark.”
I whirl around. “She may already have Lily.”
He moves me to sit on the cushioned deck. “Sean would die before he let that happen, and you know it.”
“Yes, but its Nina we’re talking about. She always wins.” I’d cry, but I’m too angry.
“Not this time.” It’s dark out, yet I can feel his gaze boring into mine.
“How do you know that?”
“My gut tells me she’s not getting away this time.”
“Your gut!” I stand, yelling. “That’s not good enough!”
He ignores my rant and hugs me. “You have to trust me.”
I do trust him, but I know how conniving my sister is. “It’s not about trust, Theo. We have to find her before she takes my daughter.”
“We will,” he says, moving me to face the water. “We can’t see in the dark. If we die out here trying to get to an island we can’t navigate to, we won’t stop her.”
He’s right. It’s pitch-black other than a few tiny boat lights in the water. I exhale hard. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’d feel the same way if she was after my child.” He starts throwing the cushions on the deck. “We need to get some sleep.” He lies down, and I curl on my side next to him. I hear him unzip his bag, followed by a crinkling sound. “Eat this.” He holds up something.
Feeling for his hand, I take it. It’s half a protein bar. “Always the Boy Scout.” I laugh. “Do you have any water?”
“You bet.” His canteen sloshes as he hands it to me.
I take a few sips from it. “You wouldn’t happen to have a bathroom in that bag of yours?”
He chuckles. “I’m not that handy. You’ll have to go in the water.”
“I think I’ll hold it until morning,” I snort. “I’m afraid a shark might eat me.”
We lay quiet for a moment. “Do you think we’ll ever get our happily ever after?”
He rolls on his side, facing me. “Yes. Fiona and I have big plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
“Commander Lukas has offered me a position training soldiers all over the world on becoming a sniper.”
“Really?” I prop up on my elbow. “What about Fiona? You’d travel and leave her and the baby behind?”
“Fat chance of that.” He laughs. “They’re coming with me once the baby is born. Fiona is bored in the gallery. She wants to go into other countries and take pictures of their way of life. It’s perfect for all of us. Our child will be safe on the base, and Fiona will get to follow her dreams.”
“I love that for her. She deserves it after everything she went through.”
“She does. I’m just glad I’m the man who gets to spend my life making her happy.”
“I want that. I’m so tired of running. I can see myself with the proverbial white picket fence around our blue cottage on the beach. Lily, playing in the sand with her little brother. Rebel resting back in a chair, enjoying the ocean air.”
“It sounds like the perfect plan.” He lies back.
We’re quiet again, and I hear the moment he drifts off to sleep. I’m exhausted, but I can’t shut my mind off. It races with all kinds of fears wrapped up in Nina. I have to be strong enough to take her out if I’m given the chance. She’d kill me without a second thought. I need to be able to do the same to protect Lily. I toss and turn most of the night, finally getting a few hours of sleep.
“Hey. Wake up.” Theo shakes my shoulder.
I blink the sleep from my eyes. The sun is breaking through the darkness with oranges and yellows in the horizon.
I strip out of my clothes down to my underwear and bra, jumping into the warm water.
Theo laughs, knowing I have to pee.
I let the water flow over me and go under, soaking it in my hair. When I climb out, Theo hands me a t-shirt to dry off with. As I put my clothes back on, I pull my hair into a ponytail, while Theo brings up the anchor. He put the cushions back in place, and his canteen is resting on one of the chairs. I take a few swigs and hand it to him. He puts it in his bag and tosses me another protein bar. Opening it, I split it, handing him the other half.
Theo starts the motor, and we get back on track to Christmas Island. There are several boats flying through the water. Some are parked at smaller islands like we were. I glance over at one with a man standing on the deck, staring through binoculars, waving frantically in the air.
I squint to get a better look. “Is that Sean?” I nudge Theo with my elbow.
“Take the wheel,” he says, digging into this bag. He pulls out a pair of binoculars and looks through them. “Yes!” he yells and waves back.
I sharply turn the boat in his direction, and Theo nearly topples over.
“Sorry,” I say when he shoots me a dirty look. I don’t slow down until I drive up next to Sean’s boat. I let go of the wheel and immediately start climbing the side of the boat as Theo throws out the anchor.
“Thank god we found you.” I run into Sean’s arms. “Where’s Lily?”
“She and Ember are in the cabin.”
“How did you end up in a boat? I thought you were on Christmas Island.”
“That was the plan, but Nina showed up.”
“You’ve seen her?” Theo asks, boarding the boat.
“Yeah. She found us at the resort. We got away, but she saw us leave in the boat. We’ve been hiding from her all night in this cove.”
“You think she’s out here?” I glance out at the water.
“I’m sure she is. She’s not going to give up that easily. She’s after Lily.”
“I know.”
“Where’s my brother?”
“He’s on his way.”
“I was right, wasn’t I? He faked amnesia to draw her out.”
“Yes,” Theo responds.
“I want to see Lily.” I run down the stairs. She and Ember are curled up on the old plain two-seater couch.
“Momma!” she squeals, jumping into my arms.
I can’t quit squeezing her. “Thank you for keeping her safe,” I say to Ember.
Theo and Sean join us inside the small cabin. “We need a plan to get out of here,” Sean says.
“You take the girls back to the island. I’ll keep watch for Nina.”
; “No way!” I protest. “I’m coming with you.”
Theo takes a small bag out of his backpack and dumps out radios. He places one over his ear and hands me and Ember one. “We’ll be able to talk to each other through these.”
I put mine on. “Will Rebel be able to hear us?”
“Yes.” He punches numbers into a handheld device.
“This is Theo. Does the Gunner team have their ears on?”
I hear a crackle, then Rebel’s voice. “Where the hell are you? I’ve been trying to reach you all night.”
“We’re docked on an island. We have what we came for.”
“Thank god everyone is safe. Any sign of Nina?”
“She’s looming somewhere. Sean saw her last night.”
“Where’s my wife?” he growls.
“I’m here,” I answer.
“And Lily?” He chokes.
“She’s safe, too, in my arms.”
“We’ve got a chopper on standby. Get back to the island.”
“I can’t. I have to find Nina. This won’t end because we’re all together.”
“Damn it, Fallon. Do as you're told,” he yells.
I bite my lip to keep from responding back.
“Is that my brother you’re talking to?” Sean asks.
Theo nods.
“Give him our coordinates.” He jots them down on a pad of paper.
Theo reads them to him.
“Forget what I said about coming back to the island, we’ll come to you,” Rebel orders. “Stay put.” I know he adds the last part for me.
I hand Lily to Ember and go out on the deck. Theo is on my heels. “What are you thinking?”
“That this isn’t over,” I say after I take the radio out of my ear. “Tell him not to fly the chopper here. He can’t land anyway. We’ll have Sean lead us out. If Nina is truly here, she’ll see him.”
“You want to go after her.”
“Yes.”
“On one condition.” He squints.
“What?”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Fine.”
He tells Rebel, and I can hear the yelling through Theo’s radio as he yanks it off. “He’s pissed,” he snorts.
