by Piper Stone
A dozen thoughts about how I could handle this entered my mind. I rubbed my jaw to buy time, trying to figure out her next move. She wasn’t going to give in. That was certain. I would be forced to wrangle the weapon out of her hands. “I think I’m going to take that chance. Besides, I believe the safety is still on.”
The look in her eyes changed, as if debating what she needed to do. I moved closer, still holding out my hand. When she clenched her jaw, a bad feeling rushed through me.
Bam!
“You always thought you were better than me, Carter. You couldn’t run this company if I wasn’t here,” I stated with zero inflection, trying to keep my anger out of the equation. Our arguments had escalated. The second I’d resisted his buyout attempt, everything had changed. He’d become even more secretive, taking long lunches and missing days at work. I wasn’t a fool. He was working to oust me in whatever manner worked best for him.
Carter lifted his head, gazing at me as if we’d never had a business relationship. “It’s time for a change whether you like it or not.”
“Over my dead body, Carter.” I smacked my fist against his desk. “If you continue and push me, it’s something you’re going to regret. That’s what you need to keep in mind.”
“Fuck.” The pain blinding, I struggled to turn over, sand blowing in my eyes. Panting, an intense chill was already rushing into my arms, even though my chest and shoulder hurt like a son of a bitch. I struggled, wincing as I placed my hand against my shoulder. As I pulled it away, the amount of blood covering my fingers was disconcerting. It also pissed me off.
She’d pulled the trigger.
Delaney had attempted to kill me.
Every damn breath I took hurt like hell, but I couldn’t allow her to get away with this. I narrowed my eyes, unable to locate her. Maybe she high-tailed it back to the estate. Thank fucking God. Only when I was able to climb to my feet did I realize that I was wrong.
Dead wrong.
She’d made it all the way to the boat. Fuck me.
“Delaney!” I roared, certain the damn sound floated away in the harsh wind. I stumbled forward, biting back another yell but this time from the agony sweeping through me. I’d been shot before, hell, more than once, but this time the burning sensations were crawling down my arm as well as my chest.
I had to get to her. She had no idea what she was headed into, and the powerboat was one powerful machine. I doubted she understood that driving a boat on the rough seas took significant experience. Shoving the pain aside, I took off running.
“You need to stop.” This time, my bellow wasn’t lost.
She snapped her head in my direction, tugging on the last rope, immediately jumping inside. Goddamn her, the feisty broad was going to get herself killed. As soon as I heard the rumble of the engine, I issued a series of growls, despising the fact the boat had a push button to start the damn thing.
“Delaney. Don’t do it.” I managed to jump onto the dock just as she pressed down the accelerator, flying out of the cove. Stopping just as the end of the deck, I was forced to catch my breath, my chest now on fire. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” What the hell was I supposed to do now?
I gingerly eased my hand over the wound, the blood instantly seeping through my fingers. While the boat was heavy, I was horrified at the intensifying waves, some cresting over twelve feet, perhaps more. If she could make it out of the choppy waters bordering the island, maybe she would stand a chance.
If she knew where the hell she was going. Was it a lie that she mentioned she had no idea where the island was? I wasn’t certain what to believe any longer. A part of me wanted to root for her, the other wanting to drag her over my lap and spank her until she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere for a week.
I took a deep breath, the ache progressing. While I didn’t think the bullet had hit any major arteries, the pain was excruciating. Fuck. There was nothing I could do. Nothing. I’d played a card and I’d lost.
Yeah, I’d lost...
I stood staring at the boat, ready to turn away when I heard the first sign of engine trouble. Craning my neck, I could tell the boat was being rocked violently from side to side by the waves. When the engine stalled, Delaney immediately attempted to get it running again. As I glanced toward the horizon, there was no mistaking the huge wave heading in her direction.
Oh, fuck. Oh...
Time seemed to stand still as I peered out over the water. The moment the wave swept over the boat, I held my breath. When it didn’t capsize, a moment of relief flooded into me.
There was no way to get to her. None.
“Fuck!” I roared, clenching my fists. What the hell did she think she was doing?
The wind whipped across my face as drops of rain fell against my heated body. I was angry that she’d defied me. I was furious that she hadn’t been able to understand the danger.
I continued to suck in deep breaths, glaring at the boat, pain washing over me, yet it had nothing to do with the bullet shattering my shoulder.
I’d lost her.
I’d fucking lost her.
“Delaney!”
As if my call would mean anything.
I fisted my mouth, trying to clear my mind, my entire body shaking. I’d—
Boom!
Time seemed to stand still as debris flew into the air, a rush of water cresting over the hull.
An explosion.
What. The. Fuck?
As a massive plume of smoke rose into the air, I stared in horror as flames consumed the boat.
There was no other choice. I was going to save her. I shifted back several feet then took off running, taking a flying leap off the dock. I had to get to her. Goddamn it, I would save her.
The water was murky, the waves tossing me back toward the shore. Within seconds, debris from the explosion rolled toward me, hindering my actions. I couldn’t see shit. Nothing. The smoke was too thick, but I refused to stop. I shifted direction, able to make some headway. “Delaney!” I called, taking a few seconds to scan the water. There was no sign of her. Nothing. Not a fucking thing.
Coughing, I fought my way through the tumultuous waves, intaking saltwater as I fought to move closer.
My muscles tightened as I powered on, struggling to move forward as what was left of the boat began to drift away. She couldn’t be dead. No. No!
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew the odds of her survival were slim, but I refused to stop.
Please. She has to be alive.
Fighting the stinging smoke, I paddled in the water, turning in a full circle as portions of the boat floated past me. Where are you? “Delaney!”
I dove under the water, my entire body aching, kicking out as I fought to continue forward. Forced to break free of the dark domain, I bellowed again, refusing to give up.
After a few seconds, her body popped to the surface, although she wasn’t moving at all.
“No. No!”
Still a solid fifty yards out, I knew there was little time and I was running out of energy and breath.
Hell, no. You will get to her. Suck it up, asshole.
Growling, I pushed forward, swimming faster, no longer able to feel my arms, but I was gaining ground even as she drifted toward the open water.
Push. Push. Push.
Dredging up every last ounce of energy, I took faster strokes, finally reaching out for her just as she started to go under. One more wave and I’d lose her.
That wasn’t going to happen. Not on my watch.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
The second I wrapped my arm around her, another massive wave washed over us. I could still hear the crackling sounds as the fire consumed the remainder of the boat. All I could do was hold on with all the strength I had left. The force of the powerful surf carried us toward the shore, but I could see nothing as the water churned all around us. The cold was biting, the saltwater burning my eyes as I tried to maneuver the arm that had been shot to carry us forward. It was almost no use.
&
nbsp; When the wave began to recede, I fought to keep the momentum we’d gained, gasping for air as we were dragged to the surface. The shore was within sight, but we’d been carried down at least a hundred yards, what was left of the boat no longer in view.
I didn’t give a shit. We were going to make it.
“Hold on, baby. Just hold on,” I managed. There was no time to see if she was even alive. I had to get us both to safety or we’d drown, likely unable to take another hard hit. I continued swimming, taking shallow breaths to keep the agony at bay.
Five feet gained. Three feet lost.
Six feet gained. Three feet lost.
I refused to stop. I wasn’t going to allow us to die. We had a reason to live.
Hell, I loved her.
I almost laughed, giddy as some damn kid, getting close to becoming delirious. As I drew closer to shore, I could swear I noticed two people.
Oh, God. “Almost, baby. They’re going... to... help... us...”
We had to be within fifty feet.
Blinking, I managed to see both Rafael and Jax rushing into the water, Jax diving underneath.
“They’re almost here. The... cavalry.”
I was so freaking cold, my grip in her slipping as the waves attempted to pull us out to sea again.
Jax roared as he breached the surface, immediately grabbing my arm. “Fuck! What happened?”
“Take her. Get her to... shore,” I instructed. When he hesitated, I snapped, “I said get her to shore. She’s...”
Jax took her into his arms, turning away just as Rafael made it toward me, using the power of his muscles to keep me from drifting any further.
“Christ. What the fuck happened? The damn boat exploded,” Rafael snarled, his eyes drifting to the blood on my shirt. “We need to get you out of the water now.” He threw his arm around me, able to make headway.
When he managed to get me onto shore, I rolled onto my back, glaring up at the sky. “Delaney. She’s okay. Right?” My voice no longer sounded like my own as I asked the question.
When there was no answer, I jerked my head toward where Jax had her on the ground, crouching over her. What. The. Fuck? He had her head tilted back, his fingers pinching her nostrils as he blew into her mouth.
A moment of horror rushed into me and I shifted in order to try to get up.
“Whoa, buddy. You’re not going anywhere. You’ve been shot. Jesus fucking Christ. You need to let me take a look at this shit,” Rafael demanded. He yanked at my tee shirt, ripping until he was able to see the wound. “You might have gotten off lucky, buddy. She shot you in the shoulder.”
“Let go of me.” I pushed him away, half crawling toward her, ignoring the pain slicing all the way down the length of my arm. “Is she breathing?”
Growling, Jax eased back, pressing his fingers against her pulse. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of sadness as he shook his head.
Light and dark. I’d seen and experienced both agony and joy in my life.
I’d had highs and lows, times when I was ready to take on the world.
Today was the lowest day of my life.
As I tumbled toward her, taking her hand into mine, a chill swept through me. I tipped my head back, thrusting my fist toward the heavens. “No!”
Chapter Thirteen
Sawyer
Revenge.
The word had been front and center in my mind for almost two years. Now the concept seemed a distant memory. I’d gambled on my ability to harness the darkness in my soul, but I had no control over it. The aftermath of that anger had nearly destroyed a woman who had no full understanding of my wrath.
I was a horrible man.
Someone who didn’t deserve salvation.
My thoughts drifted to the explosion. What the hell had happened? I knew my design, every detail and every aspect of what the powerful engine could do.
And it wouldn’t simply explode.
Not for any reason.
Not unless somebody had fucked with it.
And I would kill the motherfucker who’d done it. If I had to guess, I’d say the assholes who’d followed us in the water had made calculated guesses as to where we’d gone. Either that or they’d somehow found out who owned the island.
“She’s gone, Sawyer. There’s nothing else we can do,” Rafael said quietly as he gripped my unhurt shoulder.
“Fucking bullshit,” I barked, my heart hammering against my chest to the point it was difficult to breathe.
As the wind continued to howl, I refused to give up. Lifting Delaney’s head, I brushed the hair from her face, trying to keep my focus. “Listen to me, sweet sunshine. You are not going to die on me. Do you hear? You are not going to disobey me again.” I pinched her nose once again before capturing her mouth. As I blew gently, all I could do was pray.
And I hadn’t been a praying man since the darkness of my childhood. That hadn’t done me any good then. Why did I think it would matter now? Yet I continued to whisper in my mind as I performed CPR on the single chance that I could give her life.
“Fuck. Fuck!” Jax roared from behind me, his voice bellowing over the sound of the crashing waves.
Breathe, baby. Just breathe.
I closed my eyes, trying to give her the breath of life.
My life.
In the wretched seconds, images of my life played out in my mind, the callous behavior I’d embraced for so damn long. I eased back, brushing the tips of my fingers across her cheek. She was cold, so damn cold.
Rafael squeezed my shoulder once again, but this time, I didn’t attempt to push him away. All three of us were responsible for her death.
“We’ll take her to the house,” he whispered, the voice barely audible. He yanked off his shirt, tossing it down. “Put this against the wound. You need to stop the bleeding.”
While I shoved it under my own shirt, I couldn’t care less whether I bled out. My heart aching, I leaned down once more, this time pressing my lips against hers before whispering, “I’m so sorry.”
In the next few seconds, I threw my head back, railing against the gods above. She didn’t deserve punishment for my sins.
“Sawyer,” Rafael exclaimed.
The ragged cough was the sweetest music that I’d ever heard. As her body shook, water spewing from her mouth, lights flashed in front of my eyes.
“Jesus Christ,” Jax huffed. “That’s fucking... amazing.”
I turned her head as she continued coughing, the wretched sounds something I would never forget. When her eyelids began to flutter, I rubbed my thumb across her mouth, peering down with a smile. “Hey, beautiful. You’re okay.”
At first, she didn’t seem to be able to focus, her chest heaving. As she opened her eyes wider, she darted a glance from right to left, finally lifting her arm. “What... happened?” Another fit of coughs rattled her entire body.
“Don’t try to talk. I’m going to take you back to the house.” As I gathered her into my arms, Jax tried to intervene.
“Let me take her,” he said in a tone of voice that I’d never heard from him.
“No. This is something I have to do.” With the whipping wind, the walk was arduous, but as she clung to me, at least I had hope.
For the woman I cared about more than I wanted to admit.
She’d been the single beacon of hope I’d felt for years, her brazen attitude and refusal to give in a reminder that I wasn’t lord and master of anything.
Including my destiny.
I’d allowed the shit to happen to me. I’d known better. I’d simply enjoyed the spoils of my own creation. Money. Cars. A hefty bank account. What the fuck had it mattered in the end? I’d failed in every other way.
As soon as we entered the house, I eased her onto the couch. She was pale, her breath still shallow.
But at least she was alive.
My mind still shifted to the explosion, unable to process what could have happened.
“The boat was working perfectly when we l
anded,” Jax said under his breath.
“Yeah!” I hissed, then yanked back on my emotions. “I know that.”
“Then how did it explode?” Rafael pushed.
“I have no fucking idea. Just get some blankets,” I commanded as I tucked a pillow under her head. “We need to get the wet clothes off her.”
“The bastards from the boat,” Jax realized. “We’ve been compromised.”
“Sawyer. Need I remind you that you’ve been shot?” Rafael growled.
“I don’t give a fuck. We need to get this damn place secured. The hurricane is obviously strengthening. We won’t have much time.” As gently as possible, I began to peel off her tee shirt, ignoring the throbbing in my shoulder.
Delaney opened her eyes, staring at me intently, her expression blank.
“Get the fucking blankets. Something. And towels. Then see what we can do to secure this fucking place. We have to hunker down.”
I heard both men cursing, but I didn’t give a shit. Whatever Mother Nature had in store was just another round of punishment karma intended on handing out. Maybe well deserved, but not for Delaney. The rage toward Carter remained, but that would be dealt with another day.
What I couldn’t understand was the fact the boat had exploded. Was there someone else on this freaking island? If so, the fucker would face my wrath.
“Just stay still. I need to get you warm,” I said in a quiet tone, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. She didn’t resist when I removed her shorts, yet her expression changed.
To utter hatred.
She’d remembered everything that had happened.
Within seconds, Rafael returned, handing me a thick comforter as well as towels.
“What the fuck did you do out there?” he snarled. “Now the damn boat is gone. How the hell are we supposed to get off this freaking island?”
“Shut the fuck up. If we live through this goddamn storm, maybe then we’ll figure it out.”
She didn’t move as I rubbed her body with gentle strokes, but she didn’t offer assistance either. In her mind, I was the enemy.
She was right.
“You can play the martyr all you want, Sawyer, but I strongly suggest you take a look at the wound you suffered. The house is equipped with hurricane shutters. Jax and I will lock them down. You just need to figure the fuck out what we’re supposed to do now.” Rafael’s anger was justly deserved, yet as he stormed away, I bristled.
