by Posey Parks
“Marco, I’m ready.” Emoni hopped to my side, clicking the plastic buckles on her pink life jacket. “The white sand feels nice and warm between my toes.” She beamed.
I smiled behind my yellow tinted aviators. The blaring sun radiated my chest.
Beach goers pointed, oohed and ahed at my tatted body.
Emoni looped her arm through mine and smiled at the vacationers. “Aren’t his tattoo’s badass?”
A couple of guys threw their fists in the air. “Nice ink, bro.”
I tossed my chin up at the surfers. “Thanks.”
My wife always had to make a big deal out of my tattoos. Not in a bad way. She loved the hell out of my ink.
“I’m ready to hit the waves. And I want to hit that pussy after lunch,” I growled against her ear.
“I want that too. Can’t wait.”
I devoured her lips as I palmed her ass.
“Guys, come on.” Sierra waved us toward the dock.
“Party time on the yacht,” Emoni shouted.
The girls waved her toward them. Threading our fingers, I led her along the wooden dock. My nose fell against her hair. I loved all things Emoni. “You smell like a jolly rancher. The mosquitos will light that pretty ass up before the day is over,” I chuckled.
She shot a cold stare my way. “Marco, don’t say that. Besides, it’s shampoo not perfume.”
I held her hand tight as she stepped onto the boat.
“Not sure it will stop them.”
Emoni rolled her eyes as Sierra grabbed her free hand.
“Bye, Marco,” the girls sang as they lured Emoni away.
I wandered into the control room. Romeo and Rémy settled into the plush seats at the state-of-the-art control panel.
“You guys good in here?”
Rémy grinned. “Yes, Marco, enjoy yourself we have your back.”
My eyes fell on the duffel in the corner. We always came prepared. No way would we travel anywhere without fire power. Besides, we had a little work to do.
I joined the guys on the top deck.
“They look happier than I’ve seen them in a while.” Jacob grinned behind a glass of champagne.
The girls slinked around the yacht in their bikinis as Romeo sailed out into the ocean.
“They do.” I grabbed a beer from the large white cooler.
“All they wanted to do was have a bonding trip. Not be confronted by asshole after asshole.” Brandon shook his head.
“True shit.” Dominic’s eyes burned a hole into Carmen’s ass.
My heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Happy you’re able to unwind.”
“Marco, me too. If something would have happened to Carmen Thursday, I would have burned down half of Tulsa.”
“Brother, me and you both.” Dillon waved at Sierra.
“Once we’re further out at sea, we can survey the possible points of entry the thieves might use.” Sebastian tapped the map under his tropical shirt.
“Sounds good.” I stated against the mouth of the beer bottle.
“I can’t get over the president flying to Dallas to order you guys to complete a mission.” I pointed between Jacob and Sebastian.
Jacob snickered. “Yeah, no.” He pointed at each of us.
“All of us.”
“How did he know we’d help?”
“Marco, we’re professionals. Guess he figured we’d persuade you guys. Listen, if you guys choose not to help, the assassin team is more than capable of handling the mission alone. But hey.” He tipped his champagne glass toward me. “The more the merrier.”
“You knew I’d help.” Tony slapped Jacob’s shoulder.
“Do you ever turn that off?” I asked.
Jacob’s brow wrinkled. “What?”
“Your character.”
“Of course, but I’m having fun this morning.”
“Jacob rarely turns that shit off.” Tony snickered.
The horn sounded, and the girls shrieked in excitement. You would have thought this was a cruise ship. The clear blue water sparkled around us.
“Hey guys do me a big favor.”
We glanced at Jacob.
“Please tell my wife you love the set up today. She wanted to make everything perfect for everyone. There’s food up here and in the state room.”
“Is this your yacht, Jacob?” Dillon tossed shrimp onto a tiny plate.
“No, we rented it. Ours is back home.” He snapped his fingers. “Maybe next time we sail on our next vacation. The girls couldn’t get into trouble that way.”
“I’m in. Sounds like pure relaxation,” Dominic smiled behind his whiskey.
“It wasn’t all bad.” Sebastian leaned over the railing.
Dillon clutched his cousin’s neck. “That’s because you have all your fucking computer gadgets.” He peeked at Brandon. “You didn’t seem fazed either.
“It wasn’t that bad.” He adjusted his baseball cap. “Dom on the other hand. Dude, you fucking lost it.”
Hearty laughter echoed around us.
“Hey, Brandon. This guy.” I gripped Dominic’s shoulder. “Was just looking for a reason to bash someone's skull in.”
Dillon pushed his sunglasses on top of his head. “Ain’t that the fucking truth.”
Dominic smacked his lips. “Stop pretending I’m the only murderous motherfucker on this yacht. Every last one of you guys wanted to chop those assholes up in that van.”
I gruffly rubbed my palm along my smooth face. “Yeah, you got me there.”
We laughed.
“Marco, thanks for renting out the club tonight.”
“My pleasure, Jacob. Our wives deserve another stress-free evening.”
“True.” Brandon nodded.
“They look so happy.” Sebastian smiled.
“I’m proud of them.” Carmen blew Dom a kiss. He blew her one back.
“They held their own the entire trip.”
“Beauty, brains, and killers. Can’t get better than that.” I cracked open a fresh, cold one.
“It’s important we make time for the wives to hang out. Even if it’s flying the mob wives to Cali. And Sydney, Samantha, and Zoey are always welcome in New Jersey.”
Jacob punched Tony in the arm. “Thanks brother.”
“Speaking of a place for the girls to relax. After spending time on your family’s ranch yesterday, I thought maybe Marco and I could purchase a ranch in Dallas.”
“I like that idea.”
“Guys, I know a great realtor.” Jacob pointed his chin at Sebastian.
“Yeah, let me know.”
“I think we’ll build. We can use our construction teams.”
“Dillon sounds good.”
“If the ranch isn’t occupied, guys, feel free to stay there.”
Dillon nodded. “Yeah, it’ll be gated of course.”
“I like that. The bodyguards would walk the property. Gives the ladies a chance to enjoy a stress-free girls weekend. Cut out the chances of random murders taking place.”
Jacob chuckled. “I don’t know. My wife will find a way to commit murder. I’m convinced.” He threw his hand in the air, waving at Samantha.
“We should tell them at dinner.” Brandon tossed pretzels into his mouth.
“Good idea,” Dominic rested his sunglasses in his hair.
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder. “Guys, let’s hit the water.”
∞
The jet ski purred beneath us. Emoni’s hands massaged my abs.
“I wish you would’ve worn a vest.”
“Baby, I can swim.”
“Me too. I still won’t take any chances.”
I laughed. “You’re safe with me.”
She giggled, kissing my shoulder. “I always feel safe with you.”
Parked in a circle, we scanned our surroundings. There were other boats several feet away.
“Sebastian, what’s on your mind?” I asked.
“There are three shipping boats expected to arrive
today, Monday, and Tuesday. I need to slap a tracking device on those boats.”
I peered through the binoculars. “There’s a shipping boat traveling toward the town now.”
“Right on schedule,” Sebastian chuckled.
“Shit, we need to get over there and check it out.”
“Emoni, are you carrying?”
“Baby, you know it.”
“Sebastian, we’ll ride with you and Sydney.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for you guys from here,” Brandon stated.
“Great.” Sebastian nodded, dipping further out to sea. Emoni held on tight. The wind spun the goggles around my neck.
“I want to drive back.”
“Have you ever driven a jet ski?”
“Yes, my family has a few.”
“Yeah, just don’t throw me off.” I laughed.
“Marco.” Sebastian peeked at me.
“We’ll stop a few feet away from the ship. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. I snapped several pics with the gadget glasses.”
I nodded.
Emoni gripped my shoulder and hollered. “Sydney, this is fun.”
“Yes,” she squealed.
Sebastian pointed his fist downward. We killed our engines. Sydney dived into the water, creating a diversion. Emoni jumped into the water too. I wasn’t expecting her to take the leap. She wasn’t a fan of the ocean.
“Baby, be careful.”
She swiped her hands over her face, removing the excess water. “I’m ok. I’ll let you know if I’m not.”
“Shit.” I glanced at the ship.
“What?”
“There are two guys toting AK’s standing guard. We’ll need to get closer and plant the tracking device.”
“Sebastian, I can do it.”
“Great, you’ll need to slap this device under water on the back end of the ship.” He pressed it against my palm. I dropped the small plastic circle into the zip pocket on my swim trunks.
“Got it. Emoni, let’s go.” I helped her climb on.
“Once we’re close, I’ll jump off.”
“Marco, I don’t know about this.”
“Baby, I’ll be fine.” I decreased my speed as we approached.
Good thing my wife carried the Glocks. If they caught us, she’d have to shoot one of them and we’d break off from the team. One of the guards walked toward the front of the ship.
My heart pounded my chest as I kissed her lips. “I’ll be right back.” I adjusted the swim goggles over my eyes, then gripped the jet ski step as I lowered myself into the water.
Worry struck her face. “Be careful, baby,” she whispered.
“I will.” Emerging under the turquoise water, I swam like a fish toward the ship. The moment I was upon the boat, I popped my head out of the water. One arm swayed in the water, keeping me steady as I fished the device out of my pocket. Lowering my body under water, I remained steady as my legs moved profusely. I slapped the device onto the boat, then swam toward Emoni.
Her eyes lit up as I climbed onto the jet ski behind her.
“Drive in an L shape. We’ll meet them back at the yacht in fifteen minutes.” The goggles fell against my neck.
“Yeah.”
Gripping the throttle, she increased her speed as we put distance between us and the ship.
“For a minute back there, I thought a guard saw you. Don’t worry, Marco, I didn’t make eye contact.”
“Good, we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
Emoni zipped past a few other boats en route to the humongous white and cream yacht sitting in the center of the ocean. My hand slid across Emoni’s belly as she drove onto the boat landing.
“You’re a natural, baby.”
“See just because I’m not a fan of the water doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun.”
We walked along the main deck and each grabbed a towel. Reclined in the chaise lounge chair, Sydney rested her head on Sebastian’s chest. His thick brows pinched together as he stared at his laptop screen sitting on the small table beside him.
“You get anything?” I sat on the edge of the lounge chair, rubbing my wife’s foot as she leaned over whispering to Sydney.
“Great job, the tracker is working.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll keep a close eye on them. If the ship docks here, I’ll know. I set an alarm to sound if that happens.”
I nodded. “Anyone want a beer?” The sun beat against my back as I stood.
Emoni placed her hand over her eyes, blocking the sun. “Water.”
“Got it.”
“Sydney wants to take a nap. We’ll be back in an hour.” Scooping her in his arms, he grabbed his laptop and disappeared into the stateroom. I peeked to the right. The rest of the crew sped across the ocean. Dominic and Dillon raced with their screaming wives, holding on for dear life. I shook my head, smiling.
After I grabbed Emoni a bottle of water, I entered the control room.
“Marco, your cell has vibrated nonstop for the last twenty minutes.”
I stared at the screen. “It’s Kahn. I hope he hasn’t broken some poor fuck's nose on the beach.”
Rémy and Romeo chuckled.
Sitting in one of the leather seats, I closed my eyes. The cool air filled the room at the perfect temperature. “It feels great in here. It’s eighty-five degrees out there.”
Our bodyguards were always on the job, but they deserved a little R&R too.
Rémy patted Romeo’s shoulder. “I want to suck up the sunrays. I’ll be back in an hour so we can trade off.”
“See you soon.”
They wore solid short sleeve shirts and swim trunks.
“Where the fuck is this guy?” I mumbled.
I called Kahn again.
“Hey, Marco. Having fun out there?”
“Yeah, why didn’t you answer the phone?”
“I was talking to Gage.”
“What’s going on?”
“That package you asked Gage and Nadir to keep an eye out for arrived here today.”
I shot to my feet. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, it’s sitting at a local outside bar surrounded by larger packages.”
I clenched my fist. Octavius Young was the new thorn in my side. A rich bastard who traveled with an entourage. He was obsessed with my wife.
“What do you want Gage to do?”
“Keep tracking the package. I’ll catch up with you once I return to shore.”
“Shit, a beauty’s walking toward me. Kagan, don’t even think about it.”
I laughed.
“Sorry, Marco. See you later.”
“Yeah.” I disconnected the call.
Romeo glanced over his shoulder. “What did he say?”
“Octavius is here.”
His jaw slacked. “Dude has balls. Idan or Maceo’s with Emoni every day.”
“That’s why I assigned someone new to keep an eye on him. He’s never seen Gage.”
I waved my finger. “Something’s off about that guy.”
“What do you have planned?”
“We’ll have a little chat tonight. You know see where the discussion goes.”
“Do you think he’s an informant for the FBI?”
“Could be.” I braced my hands on the wooden panel.
“Dillon, had a problem with the guy from the rafting company who followed Sierra and now Octavius’s here. What if there was a connection? But why would someone come after us both?”
“Marco, you and Dillon are best friends and bosses of very powerful companies.”
I sat pondering on Romeo’s words. “I’ll run it past Dillon.”
“And Dom?” he arched a brow.
“We’ll tell him once we know more. He has enough shit to deal with right now.”
“True.”
“We’re heading back in two hours, right?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded as I walked toward the state room. Nev
er a dull moment in my life. Standing at the fully stocked bar, I poured Jim Beam whiskey into a low-ball crystal glass. Stabbing that asshole in the eye only played on repeat as I sipped the strong liquor.
I heard arguing as I stepped onto the deck.
“Jacob, you lost. I won.” Tone shrugged as he climbed the stairs.
“You cheated. Did you tell your wife to jump off the jet ski?”
I snickered. Men. We’re competitive by nature. Couldn’t be helped.
Tony’s forehead creased. “There was no need for cheating.”
“Rematch Monday.”
Tony pointed toward him. “You’re on.”
Dominic came into view. “I beat you, big bro, but I’m willing to give you a rematch on Monday too without the wives.”
Carmen and Sierra rolled their eyes, shaking their heads as they strolled past me.
“I’m starving. Samantha, where are the sandwiches?”
Carmen’s eyes darted in the group’s direction.
“In the kitchen, on the counter.” She sauntered toward them.
Halting on the threshold, she peeked at us. “Guys have a seat upstairs, we’ll bring lunch.”
“Thanks, Samantha,” we replied one after the other.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MARCO
MOBSTER
“WE’LL HAVE A GOURMET dinner. I didn’t want us to hold our tongues around staff this afternoon.”
Jacob caressed her shoulders across from us.
“The hoagie sandwiches and chips are great, Samantha.”
Emoni’s fingers ran over my thigh. “I agree with Marco. Lunch is good. The quick job with Sebastian and Sydney was cool too. I’m looking forward to the job Wednesday.”
The girls’ banter kicked into high gear.
“I think I’ll pose as a waitress and eavesdrop on auctioneers’ conversations.” Emoni pointed at Sierra.
“You should be an interested party. Wear a skimpy little cocktail dress.”
Dillon whispered in Sierra’s ear. She burst into laughter.
Not one of these guys could keep his hands off of his wife. The only two who disappeared for close to an hour were Sebastian and Sydney. They were supposedly asleep.
“Sydney, how was your nap?” I probed.
Her lips kicked up, and she leaned into Sebastian. “It was fantastic.”
