by K C Luck
I nod. While music plays, the plan is to let Claire walk up the stairs to join Madison at the rear of the ship. Kris will be waiting and with a little ceremony, marry them. Lila will stand with me as a witness, as will Georgia, and if everyone keeps her word, Chloe. A small group, but enough. The greater party will come later. Still, there will be time to photograph Madison and Claire standing happily with Georgia to send out on specific social media channels. If Madison can do it with even the remotest smile, I will be impressed. There is nothing but mutual hate between them.
Ducking to clear the doorway into the hull of the ship, I am halfway down the three steps when I hear Kris shout out. Alarmed, I rush back topside. “What is it?” I ask slipping my hand under my military jacket to touch the butt of the handgun I wear in a shoulder holster.
Kris points, and I look to see a red speedboat racing toward us. My entire body tenses as I wait until they are close enough for us to identify the driver. This could be anything—including an attack. Then, I see the dark form of none other than Georgia DeLane, wearing her own style of a tuxedo, hers chicer and more feminine, standing at the wheel. Clearly, she has the throttle open to race at us, closing the distance in moments. My eyes scan the rest of the smaller craft, and only the sandy-blonde head of who I guess can only be Chloe is with her. Otherwise, it seems she is alone.
“This is it,” I say under my breath. I feel Kris tense beside me. When I asked her if she wanted to carry a gun earlier, she declined.
“Not my style,” she had said. Considering her quiet, conservative demeanor, I am not surprised and hope she knows when to duck if it comes to that. And the time for possibly ducking is coming quick. The other boat is only a hundred yards away. If I’m going to pull my weapon, now would be the best time and not after trouble breaks out. It comes down to how much I trust Georgia DeLane. With a frown, I realize there is no question. I don’t trust her at all and take my gun from where it is hidden under my coat. Lowering it to hold behind my thigh, I wait. Madison joins me, and with Kris, we three watch as Georgia makes her final approach, navigating the speedboat perfectly. When she is close enough to throw a line to tether her ship to the Water’s Edge, she is smiling. As is Chloe.
“Fancy meeting you out here like this,” Georgia chuckles as she idles the boat’s engine and ties it off. “So, what did I miss?”
28
Madison stands defiantly at the railing. “You’re late,” she snarls.
“I hit traffic,” Georgia replies shrugging one shoulder. A glance at Madison, and I see she is gritting her teeth. For a moment, I think she won't allow her adversary to board. With Chloe still in the speedboat, a confrontation at this point will only ruin our agreement. Slipping my gun away, I step forward holding out my hand for Georgia to take to help her up onto the Water’s Edge. Anything to diffuse the situation. She hesitates staring at my offering. There really is no other way to board, but there is also the opportunity for me to try and restrain her once I have ahold.
“You're going to have to trust me,” I tell her, and a slow smile crosses her face.
“Said the spider to the fly.” She grabs my hand, and with one quick pull, I have her onboard beside me. Surprised at how easily I hefted her, she looks me up and down. “Well, aren’t you handy. Workout much?”
I don’t bother to reply and instead slide past her to help Chloe. Once she is on deck as well, Madison clasps her in a hug slapping her on the back. “Good to see you safe, my friend.”
“Right back at you,” Chloe says with a grin as they break. “Although I wish you hadn’t made a deal with Georgia. Not at my expense.”
Madison glares over at Georgia, who continues to smile. It is clear she is enjoying every second of this. “What?” the woman asks. “I was a perfect hostess. And this way, you get to marry sweet Claire even sooner.” Then, she turns to Kris, who is standing back from the group. “And who are you?”
“A friend who I asked to officiate,” Madison jumps in while I watch Kris blush under the scrutiny. Georgia can no doubt sense easy prey when she sees it and moves closer. She runs a manicured fingernail along Kris' lapel.
“I see,” she murmurs. “So, you're a minister? Or at least the mail-order kind.” Kris steps back but meets the other woman's eyes. A hint of defiance is in her look, and I silently cheer her bravery.
“Web certification, actually. Just this week.”
Georgia laughs, clearly delighted, but before anyone says another word, Madison throws up her hands. “Are we done with the fucking banter?” she snarls. “I want to get this started. Jael, if you don’t mind. Let’s try this again.”
I nod and head down the short stairs to let Lila and Claire know we are ready. A quick rap on their cabin is answered by Lila cracking the door a little. “Is everything okay? We heard a motor.”
For a moment, I cannot reply as I look into the face of the woman. In such a short time, I have come to care for her so much. The emotion is so strong it fills my heart, and the need to apologize for last night rises in me, but I don’t. This is not the time. Later, when we can be alone, I will find a way to make her listen. Swallowing my feelings, I motion toward the deck. “Georgia arrived via speedboat. Everyone is ready.”
“And Chloe?”
“Safe and sound.”
Lila visibly relaxes at this news. “Thank God,” she says. “All right. Give us a minute and then start the music.” When she starts to shut the door, I place my hand on it to stop her.
“Lila,” I begin but then pause. She looks at me, and for a moment, our eyes hold. There is a gentleness there which reassures me all is not lost. “I will see you up top,” I finish and then step away to let her go. As the door closes behind me, I hurry to go back to tell the others. Emerging, the tension is thick on deck. Madison and Georgia both scowl at the other. At any moment, it feels like they will be throwing punches. “They are ready,” I say as if I can’t tell they are nearly at each other’s throats. “Start the music.”
The words seem to snap Madison back to the moment, and she blinks as if coming out of a trance. There is no time for fighting right now. This is her wedding day. As Kris starts the music, and then the two of them take their places at the back of the boat to await the bride's arrival, I see Madison's hands are shaking. She is actually nervous, and somehow, I find this the most touching gesture of all. Suddenly, Lila emerges, and for a moment, my heart stops. She looks stunning in the flowing, soft pink dress she wears. When she crosses the deck to stand beside me, I catch the scent of her perfume. Passion rushes through me. I desire everything about Lila, and I know at my core, I always will.
“You look beautiful,” I whisper in her ear. She smiles and glances up at me.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “But wait until you see Claire.”
Turning to watch, the woman emerges slowly, her eyes locked on Madison. She is breathtaking in white. Her off-the-shoulder, lace, mermaid wedding dress fits her perfectly. Her blonde hair is in tousled curls, with a sheer slim veil down her back. Simple yet elegant and absolutely stunning. A glance at Madison, and I see she is frozen in place while she watches her bride come closer. Attraction leaps like electricity between them. As much as Madison can infuriate me, I am convinced no two people could be more perfect for each other. They balance each other, and it is an honor to be a witness at their wedding. When Claire finishes her walk to stand across from her love, the two join hands, their eyes still locked. Kris, looking pale, but ready to soldier on, clears her throat to begin. “We,” she starts with a chirp and then pauses. Swallowing hard, she starts again. “We are gathered here today…”
As I listen to the words, a part of me registers another sound under Kris’ voice. It is far away but growing louder every second. Concern floods through me, and I glance over my shoulder to assess what might be happening. My stomach clenches when I see the last thing I want. Another speedboat. Black and gray, so it is hard to see against the water, but clearly headed in this direction and coming f
ast. “Shit,” I say under my breath. Georgia double-crossed us, after all. Grabbing Lila by the arm, I turn her toward the stairs to go below deck. As much as I hate to do it, I interrupt the vows before either Madison or Claire can say ‘I do.’
“Someone is coming,” I call out while pulling my handgun. “Get below deck.”
“What the fuck?” Georgia roars, her face filled with fury. She pulls her own gun and trains it on me. “You set me up.”
Suddenly, we are at an impasse. I aim at her, and she aims at me. Without looking away, I nod my head toward the stairs. “Madison, get them safe. I have this under control.”
“Oh, you think so?” Georgia snarls turning to point at Claire. Madison leaps in the line of fire to shield her, and thankfully no one pulls a trigger.
I have never seen a person look angrier than Madison does at that moment. “No one set you up,” she hisses. “I would never risk Claire's safety doing anything that stupid. That boat is not mine.”
Indecision crosses Georgia's face, and I suddenly wonder if she is telling the truth. The boat is not hers either. Then, who is coming? In an instant, I know that the boat cannot get to the Water’s Edge. Taking a deep breath, I lower my weapon. “I believe you,” I say. “But I need to borrow your speedboat.”
Georgia shakes her head but thankfully turns her gun away from Madison and Claire. “No way. You're not taking it. I won't be trapped here without a way to escape.”
She has a point, but there is no time to argue. The approaching speedboat is closing in on us. “It wasn't really a request,” I tell her and moving swiftly, I jump over the rail to land in the sleek, red craft. Thankfully, the key is still in the ignition, and as I turn it, the engine roars to life. Boats are not my expertise, and I hesitate, assessing the instruments. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I see someone else jumping the rail to join me.
“You don’t even know how to drive this, do you?” I am shocked to hear Georgia say behind me. Whirling around, she points her gun at me again. “Move.” Considering if I can get my weapon up fast enough to shoot first, I decide against trying and instead slide out of the way. “Now get off my boat. I’m leaving this little party.”
“Wait—” I start, ready to plead with a woman with no honor. Her boat is our best chance of stopping the unwelcome visitors.
She waves her gun, motioning me back to the sailboat. “Go,” she interrupts. “It's probably just paparazzi for crying out loud. You all need to just—” Before she finishes, gunshots ring out. One hits the windshield of Georgia's boat, and the other whizzes past my head. On instinct, I drop to one knee and raise my gun to return fire. As I unload on the boat, nearly upon us, I realize my shots are being matched by Georgia’s. She is firing on what is suddenly our common enemy. Facing what is probably an unexpected resistance, the speedboat veers to change course. I get a quick look at a man’s face and then see he is armed with an assault rifle.
“Georgia, get down!” I yell pushing the woman toward the bottom of the boat just as the assailant opens fire. Bullets rip along the sidewall of the craft, and for a fleeting moment, I think Georgia's boat will surely sink now. Then, I am returning fire, happy to see them turning away to flee. Lowering my gun, I let out a long breath of relief. We are safe.
“Fuck, you’re bleeding,” Georgia says from beside me. Blinking with surprise, I look down at myself. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t feel it, but now pain in my abdomen roars through me as I watch a stain of red bloom on my uniform.
29
Everything is confusing now. The reality of being shot clouds my thinking as I squeeze my eyes shut to ward off the pain. Suddenly, I feel hands on me, lifting me by the arms, and it hurts like hell—as in the worst pain imaginable, and a scream of sheer agony escapes my throat. Still, whoever is pulling me does not relent, and I wonder if the cry was only in my mind. Then, I hear Chloe's voice clearly. “Don't fight us, Jael,” she says. “We have to get you up here. The speedboat is sinking.”
“Which is a serious fucking problem,” Georgia snarls from near my ear. There is no doubt one of the sets of hands dragging me painfully onboard is hers. The anger in her voice makes me think she is happy to make me suffer. If her boat is gone, she truly is trapped. I open my mouth to comment, but the taste of blood runs over my tongue, making me cough. Pain flares through me, and what I first thought was torment now seems like nothing by comparison. Again, I cry out.
“Jesus,” Madison’s voice adds to the mix. “Try to be gentle, will you? It’s not her fault your boat—”
The end of her sentence fades away in the red mist of pain, and then I hear nothing until the next time I come back to consciousness. Thankfully I am flat on my back on the deck with a pillow under my head, making me grateful. Yet, when I open my eyes, I see it is not a pillow which cushions me, but Lila's lap. Her face is wet with tears, but when she sees me looking at her, a brave smile crosses her face. “Hello, darling,” she whispers as she touches my cheek. The sight of her makes the pain burning inside me subside a little. It occurs to me she is all I ever want to look at, even with smudges of red blood on her cheek, and I try to smile
Suddenly, I want to tell her I love her, because I finally realize it is true, but when I open my mouth, another coughing fit starts. The pain it causes nearly makes me blackout again, but I push it back. Right now, I need to know what is happening. “Don’t talk,” Lila tells me. “Everything will be okay.” This I know is a lie. Years on military battlefields taught me being shot in the midsection is almost impossible to recover from. So many organs could be damaged or destroyed when a bullet blasts through the abdominal cavity. There are poor odds of survival from this if not attended to immediately. All the more reason I must tell Lila how I feel.
“We had a deal,” I hear Georgia yell. “Do not call the Coast Guard in. Just sail us back to LA, and we can get her to a hospital.” I turn my head toward the woman and see she is nose-to-nose with Madison.
“A gun battle wasn’t in the deal. This is my ship. And I am calling for help,” Madison roars back.
Claire walks into my field of vision. “It’s already done,” she says a coolness in her voice like nothing I have heard from her. “I activated the distress signal.” Georgia whirls on her, raising her hand as if she will slap the woman, but when Claire does not flinch, she hesitates. When she does, Madison grabs her jacket to pull her away, a threat on her lips. Georgia shrugs her off before she can say anything and steps back.
“Fantastic,” she says, followed by something else, but my hearing fades again. Closing my eyes, I hope help arrives soon. Then, as more coughing starts, and the pain flares, I see and hear nothing else until I feel hands pulling at me again. Is the sailboat sinking?
“Relax, ma’am,” a man’s voice says from far away as renewed pain shoots through me. Moaning, I slap at the hands probing my wound. Then, someone strong takes my wrists, and my eyes fly open as I think of the men attacking us on the boat. Are they back? Yet, the gentleness in the face I see is entirely different than the cold eyes of the man who shot me. “We are going to take care of you.” Still a little panicked, I look around for Lila to find her beside my head. Her eyes meet mine, and she smiles, but it is not enough to hide the fear on her face. Pulling one of my hands free from the medic, I reach for her. She grabs it and squeezes.
“They are here to help,” she says. “You need to let them.” I nod. Speaking is impossible. There is too much blood in my mouth, and I don't want to scare her. The sharp pinch of a needle draws my attention back to what is happening. As I watch, an IV is attached, and suddenly I feel drowsy. The pain pulsing in me recedes, and I think maybe I am okay enough to tell Lila what I'm feeling, but then my vision narrows. I try to stay conscious, but I can't, and when I awaken the next time, I sense time has passed.
Fluttering my eyes open, I see the landscape has changed too. The soothing color of the walls and faint antiseptic smell tells me this is a hospital room. Blinking my eyes again, I say a quic
k prayer that I am not dead yet. There’s no way to know my status, but there is still hope if I am here and awake. “She’s opened her eyes,” I hear Claire say, and then a hand takes mine. Already I know it is Lila. The softness of her skin, the warmth of her touch. Looking around, I see the two women flanking my bed. Both beautiful, but there is tiredness on their faces.
All I want to do is reassure them I am still alive, but my throat is so dry. “Water,” I croak.
“Of course, darling,” Lila says turning away to return with a cup of ice slivers. She feeds me one, and if I was not already entirely in love with her, the gratefulness in my heart for the coolness of the ice would make me so. After a few more, I sigh. Now maybe the words will come.
“Lila,” I start. “I need to tell you something.”
Claire pats my forearm before I continue. “I’ll wait outside,” she says moving toward the door only to have it push open to reveal Madison.
“How is she?” the billionaire asks.
“Awake,” Claire answers. “But—” Madison is across the room and to my side before Claire finishes. A grin appears on her face when she sees for herself I am alive and responsive.
“You are one tough son of a bitch,” she laughs, and there is relief in it. She looks between the other two women. “I knew it, didn’t I?”
Claire laughs with her. “Yes, you were right. Thank God.”
Madison claps her hands together. “I need to let Zena know. And the detective.”
“Detective?” I whisper. She nods, a twinkle in her eye.
“Yes, they arrested Georgia DeLane and are taking statements about what happened.”
My eyes widen at the news Georgia was arrested. “Wow,” is all I can manage.
