Jonas's Redemption: A Standalone Romantic Suspense (Titan Security Book 2)

by Cynthia P. O'Neill

  I guess Erica felt the same way. “I wish this would let up. The noise those trees are making reminds me of the raid we had on the safe house.” We were still on the couch, her body shaking up against mine, which wasn’t doing much better.

  Her eyes looked up at mine, “I know you said this house is built to withstand wind, but what about a palm tree falling on it?”

  I told her the house would stand, though I had my doubts as well; however, I wouldn’t let her know that. I got up and went to our bedroom to grab our backpacks, guns, her phone, and any other items I thought we might need and brought them downstairs. I suggested we might want to stay on the ground floor until the storm passed and, as another safety, maybe take a shower and get some food just in case the water or power went out.

  She didn’t argue with me, allowing me to grab us a change of clothes and our toiletry items. She already had the shower going and a nice steam building, which I thought was perfect to help alleviate the stress and tension in our muscles.

  The shower did wonders, and while Erica was drying her hair, I started some oven-roasted chicken, rice, and green beans. I was thankful not to have to eat fish today. I was beginning to think I’d grow gills if I continued on.

  While she was finishing up and I was waiting for the food to finish, I started looking around the rooms of the house. I found some candles and several board games to help keep our minds off the storm. We had a backup generator that was supposed to kick in, but it never hurt to be prepared.

  I placed the games and candles on the dining table, checked on the food, and then headed back to the room where the ammunition was held. I’d put my sniper rifle in there to keep it safe while we were here. I grabbed it and noticed a small metallic box that enticed me to open it. Bingo. Tranquilizer darts. I’d killed enough men on the battlefield. I didn’t relish the idea of killing anymore, not unless they threatened harm to my Erica. My Erica. Those words brought a smile to my face. So I grabbed the tranquilizer gun and darts too. Why not have some fun with the hitmen if they managed to find their way ashore.

  To my surprise, that old expression “Time passes when you’re having fun,” held true. We ate our food and played one board game after another, only looking up at the outdoor monitors when we heard a strange noise.

  Erica was a formidable opponent in board games, beating me in Monopoly and Scrabble, but not Yahtzee or Chess. She was smart as a whip, and I loved it.

  We hadn’t realized how much time had passed or that the storm had finally passed until the phone rang. “Hey, it’s Rick. Just wanted to let you know we persuaded the Coast Guard to let us take Mr. Prescott’s yacht out to pick you guys up. They’ll probably offer an escort service out to the island. Cat and Jasper are with the crew to lend a hand should there be an issue.”

  His words grew silent, and his audible swallow filled me with concern. “The hitmen managed to persuade a fisherman to take them out your direction. So you have inbounds headed your way. Might want to take cover or escape to the safe room. Cat will be in touch when she and Jasper arrive.”

  Jonas held the phone in his hand. I could tell he was talking to Rick, because he seemed to be more straightforward, not shooting the breeze with him unlike with Rick’s half-brother, Derrick. Then again, Derrick and Jonas had been on assignment with one another, causing them to bond to a certain degree.

  It became obvious that the conversation wasn’t good when Jonas whipped his head around to the makeshift window screen showing us the activity outside. The winds had died down considerably, but the surf was still quite choppy. The center of the storm seemed to closely pass by about five hours ago and, from what we could tell from the various monitors around the island’s perimeter, caused quite a bit of wind damage. Wait a minute. I walked up to the monitor screen and pointed, “Jonas, is that?”

  I didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to think it. I just walked forward, grabbed my backpack, shoved my gun in the back of my waistband, and headed toward the door.

  “Wait!” Jonas yelled out as he hung up with Rick and placed the phone in his backpack. I noticed his was a bit heavier than it had been before, making me wonder what all he had inside. Had I forgotten to pack something important?

  Jonas walked over to me, gave me a gentle hug, and ran his fingers through my hair, before gripping it hard, forcing me to look at him. “I’m going to need you to follow my lead, to obey all my orders, and trust that I’ll keep you safe. Can you do that?”

  Wow, even in crisis mode, he still dominated and commanded my attention, making me tingle all over in anticipation. I knew we were in some serious shit, but I also knew I could trust him with both my life and my heart. “Yes, Sir,” I instantly responded without reservation.

  I watched as he picked up the mobile security remote. He pressed in a couple of things, and then I heard strange sounds coming from the exterior of the house. “I’ve locked us down and electrified the outside of the house. There’s only one way in and one way out, and I know it.”

  My eyes flipped back to the screen showing their boat approaching. The buoys didn’t alarm like they were supposed to, indicating either a power failure or so much rocking of the waves that their sensors weren’t picking up the activity they were designed for.

  We watched as the hitmen made their way ashore. There were five of them—three in one boat and two in another—all dressed in suits and carrying handguns. What was this, a bad b-rated mafia movie? Who the hell wore suits in this stifling heat and, especially, right after a hurricane? Geez.

  Jonas grabbed hold my hand, giving it a squeeze. “It’ll be all right, princess. I’ve got you.” Yes, yes he did.

  We watched in amusement as the guys shoes kept getting stuck in the sand. They looked all macho and fierce, but they were struggling to walk, similarly to a sea lion on land. They kept falling down, losing a shoe, and getting tangled up in the debris that had washed onto the beach as a result of the hurricane.

  A couple of them made it to the edge of the palm trees and into the dense foliage. Jonas didn’t even have to tell me what was going to happen next, as I’d watched him construct each and every one of those booby traps.

  One of the guys tripped the wire, springing the trap, and up in the air he flew, wrapped tightly into a cargo-like net Jonas had fashioned out of old vines he’d found throughout the trees. There’s nothing like nature to supply you the means in which to snag a bad dude. I’d had to be mindful of where I’d stepped out front, because the island floor had camouflaged the net.

  The guy behind him ran to the side, thinking he’d avoid the same fate only to trip another one of those nets, which lifted him into the air. Two of the bad guys were now down or, in this case, up. Three more were left.

  The three remaining guys fell back to the beach. You could see them talking animatedly with their hands. They kept pointing toward the house. I’m not even sure they’d seen the house, thanks to it blending in so seamlessly with the island.

  While the hitmen were trying to figure out a solution, Jonas went over to a panel by the door, unlocking it to expose a space no bigger than the size of a lemon. I was about to ask what he was doing, when I saw him pull a tranquilizer gun and a couple of darts from his backpack. He pushed the barrel through the edge of the hole, lined up his shot, and fired.

  Looking over to the monitor, I watched as both guys in the nets stopped squirming. Their friends were still arguing on the beach, clueless to what was going on around them. “You didn’t kill them did you?”

  He closed up the hole, “No. But they’ll have a hell of a headache when they wake up. I’m just trying to even the odds a bit or put them in our favor so we can leave here safely once Cat and Jasper arrive with Mr. Prescott’s boat. From what Rick told me, they might have a Coast Guard escort to the island. If that’s true, they can pick up these goons and cart them back to the mainland and straight to jail.”

  “We’re definitely leaving? It’s safe to go now?” I was hopeful, but then again, what abou
t those bastards outside coming for us?

  “Yes. But we can’t leave the safety of the house until Cat and Jasper get closer, and we have to do something about these guys so we can get off the island. Derrick and Rick are arranging another safe house for us; somewhere we can hide until they finally get Victor. They’re close, but he’s still one step ahead of them.” He admitted a bit sheepishly.

  I moved up on my tiptoes to give Jonas a kiss on the lips, when the lights began to flicker and a man’s scream was heard coming from outside. I panicked. “What’s going on?”

  Jonas moved to the computer screen to see where the power was being diverted. “One of them managed to reach the front door but quickly discovered the walls outside are electrified.”

  We watched as the man finally realized he needed to let go of the door handle in order to stop the power of electricity from running through his body. He moved back, faltering with his footing before falling down the steps into a heap of smoldering mess. You could tell he was breathing, but there was a small plume of smoke rising from the top of his head.

  Once again, the remaining men retreated to the beach to discuss new options, while I watched Jonas use another tranquilizer dart on the man who’d been electrocuted. I didn’t see the guy getting up anytime soon, but I guess Jonas wanted to ensure he could disable as many men as possible.

  It felt like several hours had passed since we’d been on high alert, but it had only been just shy of an hour. Where the hell was our rescue, and how the heck were we going to get past these beasts?

  The thought had barely left my mind, when the satellite phone rang again. Jonas quickly grabbed it out of his backpack and answered. “Yeah?”

  He held his hand over the receiver and mouthed the words, “It’s Cat.”

  I listened intently, trying to grab a few words here and there. From what I gathered, she was on the back side of the island closest to the jet-skis.

  Jonas filled in the remainder. “Cat’s going to sit tight on Prescott’s yacht. Jasper and a few men from the Coast Guard are going to draw the fire of the two men on the beach, hoping to keep them occupied long enough for us to escape out the back.”

  He walked over to me and deposited his phone in the bag before strapping it onto his back and pulling me close to him. “I can see you’re scared, Erica, but you can do this. Do you remember the route to the waterfall?”

  I nodded and he continued. “We’ll head that direction. Should one of them chase us, I want you to run to the safe room and lock yourself in until I come get you out with the code.”

  “But,” I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head and put his finger over my lips.

  “You promised to follow my orders, and that, my dear, wasn’t a request. Your safety takes priority over mine. Know that if we are ever separated, whether on this island or in life, I’ll find you.” Jonas bent down to kiss my forehead, moved farther south to kiss the tip of my nose, and ended with a soul-searing kiss to my lips that left me gasping for breath and wanting more, a whole lot more.

  “Do you mean it? This won’t end when we leave here?” My heart wanted to believe what I was hearing, but my mind needed to hear him actually say the words to offer me hope.

  “I’ll be with you as long as you’ll have me. I’ve fallen for you, princess. I belong to you as much as you belong to me.” A smile stretched wide across his face as he lifted me up in a bear hug and swung me around the room.

  There was only one way for me to respond, “Always.”

  We readied ourselves and temporarily disabled the electrical impulses running along the outside of the house, which offered us the chance to escape right at the moment Jasper had the two guys on the beach trying to duck for cover.

  Jonas was in front leading the way, scoping out the terrain to call out any changes in the landscape that might have happened as a result of the storm. Sure enough, there were some trees blocking our path that we had to either jump or climb over, slowing us down.

  We’d made it almost the full way to the waterfall when we heard footsteps following close behind, and then a shot whizzed past my ear and found its mark in the side of a palm tree, splintering debris upon impact.

  Jonas fell back, propelling me forward. “Go, run, get to your location. I’ll find you as soon as it’s safe.”

  I wanted to stop, give him a kiss, and let him know I feared for his life as well as my own, but I knew even one second could mean the difference between life and death. So I ran until I was nearly out of breath, finally ducking behind the back edge of the waterfall and depressing the rock, which exposed the panel where I entered the code activating the safe room and allowing me to enter. Feeling defeated for the first time in weeks, I dropped my pack onto the floor.

  Please keep him safe out there. I prayed the mantra over and over, not knowing if it did any good or not. I hadn’t been that religious, but right now, I needed a miracle, and I’d believe in anything that allowed Jonas to return to me unharmed.

  Tears began to fall down my face, and my strength began to leave my body, so I leaned against the back wall of the room and slowly slid to the floor. I finally gained control over my emotions and pulled my knees up to my chest to rest my head on them.

  I didn’t have a watch, and my phone wasn’t charged enough to play music to keep me occupied. Plus, I wasn’t sure how soundproof this safe room was. So I just sat there thinking about my remaining friends—hoping they were slowly getting back to life—and still reeling over the loss of Alyssa. This was all because of some stupid jerk who tried to rip a guy off and wanted to bump off the witnesses in the process.

  I got up and started to pace back and forth until, finally, noise came from outside. Someone was entering the safe room. I drew the gun out of the back of my waistband but left the safety on just in case it was someone I knew. The door swung open, and Jonas reached in to grab my bag and me, “Let’s go. The Coast Guard has four of the five guys, while Jasper has the other one on a wild goose chase back through the island. This is our chance to make a break for it.”

  I followed him out, watching as he shut down the room before leading me out the other side of the waterfall and down the path to the jet-skis. He got on the back of one and started cursing. “Damn it. I forgot the keys. I’m going to have to—”

  Not letting Jonas get any further with his expletives, I tapped him on the shoulder and produced a key; one of many I’d grabbed while we’d gathered supplies in preparation of this scenario. I wasn’t sure which one it went to, but we could try both. Luck was with me, as the machine he was on started right up. I was going to climb on behind him, but he shook his head. “I want you up front, Erica. That way, if the guy manages to come after us and starts firing, I’ll be the one hit instead of you.”

  Jonas was my protector—the protector of my body, my mind, and my heart. “Okay.”

  We managed to get through the small space where the jet-skis were stored and out into open water. We saw the yacht just off to the side a few hundred meters out, and I could see why: looking down into the shallow waters, I could see all the coral and sand surrounding the place.

  Jonas leaned forward yelling into my ear over the roar of the engine, “Hold on, princess. That asshole has managed to hotwire the other watercraft and is quickly approaching.”

  I didn’t look back, not wanting to see what was coming for me. I knew the guy was shooting, but with the waves still churning the water, his aim was completely off, sending shots everywhere.

  My focus was on Jonas’s body pressed to mine while I watched the distance between the boat and us diminish. Was that? No way! I saw a female on the upper deck of the boat holding some long metal tube. “Is that Cat?” I yelled back at Jonas.

  “Yes. She’s going to try and get the guy to turn back or blow him up.”

  I turned my head back toward him, “What?”

  He shook his head. “Just watch. The guy’s not turning back, so brace yourself. We’re about to feel an explosion at our
backs.”

  No sooner had the words left Jonas’s mouth than Cat took a stance and a flash came out of the end of the tube she was holding. It looked to be a small missile. I braced for the impact he said would come and boy was it loud and hot, throwing us forward into the water.

  I remembered hitting the water but nothing beyond that, only peace and the feeling of weightlessness. A quiet darkness surrounded me…

  The guy was closer than I’d thought when the missile hit his craft and exploded on impact. I knew Cat wouldn’t risk our lives unless she thought we were already in danger.

  I had the watercraft at the maximum speed skirting over the waves that were still wild and angry, despite the storm having passed. When I saw Cat launch the attack, I leaned forward to try and cover Erica to keep her safe. I didn’t expect either of us would be thrown into the air, and then pulled down into the water.

  My body hurt from the impact, but I quickly popped above the surface, spitting out water, and looking frantically for any sign of Erica. I looked back at the boat and saw Cat pointing toward an area, where I saw Erica’s dark golden main bobbing in the distance, but her face was down in the water, and her body was limp.

  Damn it! I took off swimming against the strength of the ocean’s waves, trying to reach her. I heard a boat engine turn over and something coming through the water toward us.

  It took some doing, but I finally reached her and flipped her over onto her back, thankful the backpacks doubled as a floatation device; otherwise, she would’ve been pulled under, and I might never have found her.

  Reaching my hand out to her carotid artery, I began to feel for a pulse. Nothing. “Damn it, Erica. Don’t you give up on me now. We’ve come too far, baby, you and I. I’m not going to lose you.”