Zack watched his island disappear behind them. He loved being there, but the adrenaline, attraction, and connection he was experiencing with Maddie made him realize he was getting bored with his lifestyle. He was comfortable being alone, but he really liked interacting with people, especially breathtaking brunettes.
Maddie laughed at something Brooks said, then shared a look with Zack. He couldn’t believe she wasn’t taken in by Brooks’ charm like every other woman. Zack didn’t blame the women, but Maddie was a breath of fresh air to him. All women seemed to think Brooks was handsome with his flowing dark hair and megawatt smile, not to mention filthy rich and funny. Zack couldn’t ask for a better friend, but he had no intention of giving Maddie up to him. Brooks could find hundreds of other women, and he probably would go through more than that before he settled down, if he ever settled down.
Maddie was the one for Zack. Sure, she was beautiful, but she was also well educated, funny, and cared about children. She hadn’t freaked out or thrown a fit this entire trip, no matter how uncomfortable or scared she’d been. The disappointment of her father’s letter showed on her face as she blinked to keep back tears, but instead of breaking down and bawling, she’d pressed on. Zack was impressed.
Settling back onto his cushion, he thought about making her his. They came from different worlds, and he didn’t know how a relationship between them could develop. They lived on different continents and wouldn’t see each other after they dropped her off at Key West tomorrow morning. Should he offer to stay with her? Would she want him to? He’d never had doubts if a woman wanted him before, but being alone the past two years had dulled his flirting skills and his confidence.
He glanced out the open rear of the boat, concentrating on the wake rolling behind them so he wouldn’t stare at her nonstop. A white boat was coming from the south. Zack squinted. No. It couldn’t be.
Could they outrun that yacht in Brooks’ boat? His friend’s yacht was fast, especially with the modifications he’d done, but not as fast as Zack’s. He jumped to his feet and found the cupboard where Brooks kept his binoculars. His heart thudded heavily in his chest. It couldn’t be the pirates. They should be coming from the north.
If it was them, how would he protect Maddie? She placed a soft hand on his arm. Zack jerked to look at her.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Brooks had turned around in his seat and was looking at him, quiet for the first time in forever.
“There’s a white yacht coming up fast. I can’t see the flags or determine if it’s them yet.”
Maddie swayed. Zack put an arm around her to hold her up. “It can’t be … can it?”
Zack’s lips tightened. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Brooks responded by pushing the throttle forward. The yacht accelerated in response. Would it be enough? “How fast can she go?” Zack asked.
“With the alterations I’ve done to her?” Brooks shrugged. “A little over forty-five knots.”
Zack wasn’t sure if that was a Sussurro, but they should be able to go the same speed as Brooks’ Ferretti. He should’ve kept his boat instead of switching to Brooks’ yacht to throw the pirates off their trail back on Cozumel. His boat could do close to fifty knots.
Brooks clung to the wheel, muttering quietly to himself. Zack held on to Maddie. “You doing okay?” he asked her.
She shook her head slightly. “I’m praying.”
Zack smiled. “That’s a great idea.”
The smile and any thought of praying fled as he noticed the white yacht was closing in on them. He directed Maddie to a seat. “If they get closer, I’m going to have you go below.”
She nodded, gave him a halfhearted smile, and bowed her head. Zack was amazed at her self-control; he’d never been much for whimpering or shrieking women. He liked that she was offering a prayer. It might be the only hope they had if that boat really was full of pirates.
He strode to Brooks’ side. “How close are we to Cozumel?” he asked quietly.
Brooks glanced behind them. “Too far.”
“You want me to take over?”
Brooks released his grip on the wheel. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He disappeared down the stairs, returning a few minutes later with an arsenal. Maddie gasped, covering her mouth. “Is that really necessary?”
“Let’s hope not,” Brooks responded.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Brooks turned to her with arched eyebrows. “Thank me?”
“You’re doing so much to watch out for me.”
Brooks grinned. “Does that mean I’m getting a kiss after I protect you from these varmints?”
Zack’s stomach tightened in protest. “I’d probably kiss you if you protect us.”
Brooks scoffed. “No deal. I’m talking to Maddie.”
Maddie gave an uneasy laugh. “How about a hug and a kiss on the cheek?”
Brooks hefted a machine gun and grinned. “I’ll take it.” His voice lowered. “And turn my head at the last instant.”
Zack pushed at the throttle, but there was no give in it. They were at top speed, and the white yacht was still gaining. He kept an eye on the mirrors, not sure if it was the same boat, but it was hard to tell at this point. The flag was from Mexico instead of Italy like her father’s boat, but they probably changed flags on a whim. They might have even changed boats. That would explain why they were gaining when Zack’s boat had easily pulled away from them; he was going close to that speed now.
Brooks set up a machine gun and had a semi-automatic and several long-range hunting rifles on the back cushions.
“Can you look through the binoculars?” Zack asked Maddie. “See if it looks like your father’s yacht. I don’t think they could move this fast. Remember how we lost him in my boat? They shouldn’t be catching us this quickly.” He was trying to reassure himself as much as Maddie.
Maddie pressed the binoculars to her eyes for several long seconds. Finally, she pulled away. “I don’t know. It looks like it, but I can’t tell for sure without the flag to identify it.”
Zack could see her hand trembling as she set the binoculars back down. The boat was still closing. “Steer for a second so I can look.”
“Okay.” She brushed past him and took the wheel. She looked so terrified with her eyebrows pinching together, lips thinned, and her entire body shaking. Zack wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and reassure her it would all be okay, but this wasn’t the time. He settled for a quick squeeze of her arm and a smile that he was sure she could read as fake.
“Should I start firing?” Brooks called back to them. “They’re within range.”
“No.” Brooks sounded much too excited—probably hadn’t had any combat opportunities for a while. “It might not be them.”
“Killjoy,” Brooks said.
Zack shook his head. Brooks was the best man he could imagine having around in a fight, but he loved to fight so much he often jumped in without thinking it through. Zack pressed the binoculars to his eyes and studied the lines of the boat for half a minute. It looked the same as her father’s yacht, but there were other Sussurros in the Caribbean. “Were there other women with you on the yacht?” he asked Maddie.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Unless they picked some up, this might not be Bello’s boat.” He studied it a little longer, clearly seeing several women sunbathing on the top deck. “I don’t think it’s them, though I’m pretty sure it’s a Sussurro.”
“Really?” Maddie let go of the wheel and grabbed the binoculars from him.
Zack took the controls, but warned her, “Let’s keep watching them, but it looks like it’s just somebody out to prove that their yacht is faster.”
Maddie was nodding. “I don’t recognize any of the people on that boat.”
“Are you two saying I’m not going to get to shoot anybody?” Brooks sat back on his haunches and glared at them.
Zack laughed. “Not sure why that�
��s making you grumpy.”
“Well, I do like to use my guns, but I was also planning on getting a kiss out of the deal—and not from runner man.” He winked at Maddie.
Zack ignored him. “I’m going to slow down a little bit and let them pass. If they try anything, I’m going to turn and make for home.”
“Okay.” Brooks settled back down behind his weapons. “Maybe if I’m lucky, they’ll try something.”
Zack slowed their speed, his hand poised on the wheel to make a quick turn if it did turn out to be the pirates. The boat approached, and several men came out onto the deck holding their drinks high and hollering at them. The women stood up and displayed a lot of skin as they cheered. Zack rolled his eyes, though relief poured through him. A bunch of drunk idiots, but not the pirates.
Brooks held up his gun and saluted all of them. One woman screamed and dropped her drink, while the others hooted and hollered like the machine gun was a prop at a party or something.
“What a bunch of imbeciles,” Brooks said, grinning and waving.
“My thoughts exactly.” Zack took one look at Maddie and gestured to his friend. “Come navigate for a bit.”
Brooks took his weapons downstairs, then returned and took the wheel. Zack directed Maddie out front where they could have some privacy. The other boat was streaming away from them now. Brooks increased the speed to a comfortable rate again. Maddie shuddered as the boat sped up. Zack pulled her into his arms and sank onto a couch with her.
“You okay?” he whispered against her hair.
She nodded, but her trembling said otherwise. Laying her head on his shoulder, she let him hold her for a few minutes. The shaking subsided. She glanced up at him. “Am I ever going to be safe again? Am I ever going to feel safe again?”
Zack nodded, though he couldn’t reassure her. He and Brooks couldn’t stay and protect her once they were in America. He wanted to, but it wasn’t his place. The authorities would take over. “Brooks could take on any ship of pirates with his arsenal. Before you know it, we’ll be in the U.S. and you’ll be done with us, and the authorities will protect you.”
She stiffened in his arms. “I don’t want to change my identity or be in protective custody,” she muttered.
He didn’t know how to reassure her about either thing. “It would be tough, but at least you’d be safe.”
She pulled free of his embrace. “Thanks for watching out for me. I need to … use the bathroom.”
Zack watched her walk through the main cabin and down the stairs. He’d obviously not reassured her, but he wasn’t the type to lie or offer empty promises. The worry gnawing at him, now that the other yacht was long gone, was all about if he would see Maddie again after this journey was through.
* * *
The rest of the morning was uneventful. Maddie talked with Brooks and Zack, but even Brooks was a little quieter, as if he could sense something was wrong. She was upset at Zack and trying her best to hide it. It was silly to be mad at him after all he’d done, but he didn’t seem to have any desire to be with her after they made it to America and was obviously planning to hand her over to the authorities and be on his way. He was more than willing to hold her, kiss her, and tell Brooks to back off, but he must see her as a quick fling.
Dang men anyway. Who needed them? Her hands unclenched. She was grateful for these two men’s protection and going so completely out of their way to help her, but she wanted more from Zack. Much more. She needed to either get brave enough to see where he wanted to go from here, or give up dreaming about seeing him again once they reached America. It was just so hard when every other man she’d met paled in comparison.
She helped Brooks prepare sandwiches with raw veggies and cut-up fruit for lunch. Zack kept giving her these come-hither looks, but she didn’t know how to talk to him without revealing how attached she’d become over the past two days. She wanted to help the authorities catch Bello and know she was safe from him, but she wanted to be with Zack more.
She concentrated on cutting apple slices so Brooks wouldn’t see how upset she was. Zack had already done so much for her. She had no right to ask him to make a radical change and come spend time with her in Montana when he didn’t even want to be in America. She sighed.
“What is all this weepiness about?” Brooks lowered his voice enough that Zack didn’t even turn around at the question.
“Nothing.” Maddie whipped up her head and forced a smile. “Thank you for taking care of me and feeding me.”
“No. Uh-uh. This is not the Maddie that I’ve come to love and covet. Where’s the spice? Tell me how I’m too full of myself or something.” Brooks finished assembling a huge croissant sandwich, put some veggies and fruit on the plate, and said, “Wait a minute while I feed lover boy. You and I will take our lunch out back.” He gestured with his head as if he knew she needed to get away from Zack and the underlying tension that kept growing between them.
“Okay,” she whispered. She made a sandwich for herself and then grabbed water bottles out of the fridge.
Brooks’ sandwich was already towering on his plate. He added some sides and pointed at the open patio. Maddie couldn’t resist glancing at Zack as she walked out. He gave her a look of longing that made her want to forget about lunch and be with him some more, but that wasn’t fair to him. She’d collided into his life and had no right to try to coerce him into staying with her longer than he wanted.
Setting her food on the back patio table, Maddie relaxed into the chair and took a second to soak the sunrays into her face. Ah. This was an amazing way to travel. Fresh air, sun, beautiful boat, handsome men. She glanced back at Zack one more time.
Brooks’ booming laughter interrupted her perusal of the Most Beautiful Man in America. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
Maddie shoved a baby carrot in her mouth and muttered, “No, I don’t.”
Brooks had a mouthful of sandwich, so he luckily couldn’t talk.
“Besides, I’ll never see him again after we get to America, so what does it matter?”
Brooks swallowed and took a swig from his water bottle. “Ah. I see how it is. The poor girl is pining away for her man, and she hasn’t even left him yet.”
Maddie rolled her eyes and took a bite of her sandwich. It was very good, with fresh, savory meats and crunchy veggies on a buttery croissant.
“Why don’t you just talk to him about it?”
The bite of sandwich stuck in her throat like a glob of bread dough. Maddie finally gulped it down and shook her head at Brooks. “Don’t you dare say something to him.”
Brooks reclined into the chair and grinned. “Why would you think I would meddle in your affairs?”
“I know your type.”
Brooks chuckled. “No, you don’t. You think I’m this super-good-looking buff rich guy who doesn’t care about anyone but himself.” He arched an eyebrow, challenging her to refute him.
“The selfish and rich part, yes.” She couldn’t quite hide her smile and started laughing.
“Yes! That’s what I want to see. The laughing, happy Maddie who would tease me rather than kiss me.” He winked, but then his face grew sober. “Truthfully, Maddie, I won’t interfere, even though the biting of my tongue is killing me. It has to come from the two of you.”
“Thank you.” She nodded and took another bite of her sandwich.
“But I have to tell you that I’ve never seen my boy like this. Of course, the women usually come to me.” He gestured to himself with a cocky grin. “But Zack has had his fair share of women hitting on him.”
She remembered the conversation about that and how he’d acted like he didn’t like it.
“I’ve never seen him this interested in or protective of any woman.” He inclined his chin. “You’ve got something special with my boy. Don’t screw it up by being a moody female.”
“Moody female?” Maddie uncapped her water bottle and splashed it at him.
Brooks cried out in surprise and
dodged away. He came out unscathed, but his sandwich got drenched. “Ah, no, you’ve ruined a masterpiece.”
Jumping from his chair, he came at Maddie. She tried to stand and run from him, but he was too fast. He swooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. Hurrying down the steps to the ramp that was level with the water, he turned her upside down and dipped her hair in the salt water streaming past the boat. Maddie let out a combination of screaming and laughing that had Zack running to them. The boat swerved with no one steering it, and Brooks almost dropped her in the ocean.
Brooks backed away from the open sea and set her on her feet, laughing. Her wet hair trailed onto her dress. She smacked him. “This is the only dress I’ve got!”
Zack eyed the two of them. “Everything okay?”
“Yes.” Brooks strode past him. “I think I’ll go make myself another sandwich. Your chickadee ruined mine.”
Zack studied her for a second. She couldn’t quite wipe the smile off her face—partly because of Brooks’ antics, but also because of what Brooks had said to her. Sometime today she was going to get brave and talk to Zack alone.
“You okay?” Zack asked.
“Yes.” She squeezed the water out of her hair. “I’d better go shower.”
He nodded, his eyes still much too serious. He turned and walked back up to the front of the boat. Maddie wished he would talk to her, but she straightened her back and promised herself she would be brave. Later. After her shower. Maybe tonight, when it was dark and she couldn’t see his expression very well. She sighed and went through the lower entry to use one of the bathrooms.
9
Zack knew Brooks and Maddie’s interactions were innocent and fun, but it bugged him all the same. Brooks was so much fun to be around, so charismatic, that women always fell for him. Zack clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to feel like this about his best friend. But at the same time, this was the first woman he had staked a claim to; he was usually more than happy to let Brooks have all the attention and women. Brooks needed to respect that Maddie was his and back off. He grimaced. Maddie wasn’t a possession, and she’d probably tell him off if she knew what he was thinking.
Caribbean Rescue (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 11
