by S. E. Rose
“Hold up,” I raise my hand. “You know this is a drop-off point?” She nods. “And you came here on purpose?” She nods again. I shake my head in complete disbelief. “I don’t understand. Why, why would you do that?” I can feel the anger in me starting to take hold.
She shrugs. “I…I’m tired of being useless. I can be helpful…well, I thought I could be helpful. Oh, I don’t know, Jesse. I saw your computer screen and then we went past this island and I just thought, yeah, I’ll come over here and check it out and maybe I can provide Jack or Bryce with some useful information. I thought those guys were leaving. I thought…I thought…” Her voice breaks, and she lets out a sob.
I grab her and pull her into an embrace. “Oh, Vanessa, what were you thinking?!” I half-yell. I’m so pissed, but also so glad she’s alright.
She shakes her head. “I wasn’t,” she whispers against my chest.
“Clearly, damn it! Can you swim?” I ask her as I help her to her feet. She’s a little wobbly, but she nods.
“I’ll follow you,” I say as I point into the spring.
We jump in and swim back the way we came. When we get to the other side, I can see lights. Our heads break the surface and Jack is standing on the edge next to my shoes and phone and he is pissed.
“What the bloody hell?!” he yells.
“Jack, not now, help me get Vanessa out of here,” I growl as I help lift her up toward Jack.
Jack hoists her onto the rocks surrounding the spring. “Jesus, are you alright, Vanessa?” he asks as he realizes she is injured.
“I…I think so,” she says.
Jack is looking at her wounds. “You’re going to need stitches, love,” he observes as he ties back up my shirt fragments that are covering her wounds.
“Did you find them?” I ask as I pull myself up next to Vanessa.
He shakes his head. “Not yet, but we will. A vessel that size can’t just disappear. Plus, Bryce is in the helicopter, so he’ll find them.” He pulls out a cell phone. “I’ve got them. Meet us at the cove in five minutes.”
“Copy, over and out,” Dean’s voice responds.
“You two are a complete fucking disaster. Seriously, what the fuck?!” he grumbles as we help Vanessa back toward the cove where I left the boat.
“It’s my fault, Jack,” Vanessa mutters. “I thought I could help. God, I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I did that.” Tears stream down her face, and she shakes her head.
Jack gives her arm a squeeze. “Well, don’t fret about it now, love. What’s done is done. Let’s get you cleaned up and you debrief us this time, alright?” I can tell he’s biting his tongue and I can only imagine the verbal beating I’d get if I had made such a colossally huge mistake.
She nods, and we walk the rest of the way in silence. Dean is in a boat that is pulled up next to mine. It’s not a huge boat, but much larger than the twelve-foot boat I used to get over here. I can hear a helicopter in the distance.
“Baxter’s bringing the other vessel over here. Vanessa’s Jet Ski is along the leeward side of the island, if you want I can drop you off there to bring it around,” Dean says to Jack.
“Yes. Jesse, you take Vanessa out of the cove. I’ll go with Dean and grab her Jet Ski and we’ll meet just past the breakers at the edge of the reef,” Jack instructs.
“Got it,” I say to him as I help Vanessa into the boat.
“I don’t know if it has any gas left,” she says with an apologetic look.
“We’ve got extra,” Dean says and gives her a harsh look. She blushes and nods as she takes her seat on the small boat. Dean tosses over a blanket and I wrap it around her.
“You guys have your phones?” Jack asks.
“Vanessa’s is waterlogged, but mine are still good,” I say holding them up.
“Good, just keep it on in case we need you,” he says as they pull out of the cove and head around the island.
We follow them out to the edge of the reef, and they continue on around the island. I see our vessel coming in the distance, and I finally make out the helicopter as well, although there’s no sign of the other vessel. I’m sure Baxter’s going to be super pissed off too. I am deep in thought about everything when Vanessa finally speaks.
“They were scoping it out,” she says quietly. With the wind whipping around us, I’m unsure if I am hearing things at first. I turn to her and she’s looking at me. She sighs. “It wasn’t that Saeed guy. It was a local guy and two Middle Eastern guys, but they kept saying names and it wasn’t that one.”
I nod, unsure about what to say. “You can tell us once we get you back to the resort,” I say to her.
“I’m sorry, Jesse. I am so fucking sorry,” she whimpers as she lets tears fall down her face. I want to hold her and tell her it’s alright and I’m just happy she’s not hurt, but I have to steer the boat, so I look away and follow the edge of the reef.
I anchor us when we get out of the shallows and wait for Baxter, Jack, and Dean. Baxter arrives first, pulling up alongside us, he drops anchor.
“So, we’ve had ourselves quite the day, huh?” He smirks as he looks at us, clearly angry. His face softens when he sees Vanessa’s tear-stained cheeks. “Oh, come on, it’s not like I haven’t fucked up once in a while. Let it go, sweetheart. Maybe you’ll have some good intel for us.”
She nods, and I help her up onto the boat. Baxter and I get my vessel tied up with the larger one, and shortly afterwards, we hear the Jet Ski and the other boat. Jack and Dean pull alongside, and we get the Jet Ski put away next to the other one. Dean and Jack follow us back to Moorea which takes about an hour.
It’s dark when we make it back. The captain greets us at the dock. I hand off the boat and we all walk back up to the bungalows. Bryce is waiting at the dock as well.
“Jack and I got a room for the night. We’ll let you get cleaned up. Baxter is a certified medic, so he’ll patch you up, Vanessa,” Bryce says. He really is a scary-looking dude. In short sleeves, his arm tattoos show and his mere size, plus that angry look on his face, makes him look like the Incredible Hulk, minus the green.
I help Vanessa into the shower, carefully washing out her wounds. She winces periodically, but otherwise is silent. Baxter comes over once I have her situated and he gives her injections and cleans the wounds more before carefully suturing them.
When he finishes, he puts his head back and examines them. “Well, it’s been a while since I learned the art of plastic enclosure, but I think I did a damn fine job,” he says proudly. He bandages up her wounds and then hands her two bags of ice and some pain pills.
“Take these pain pills first thing in the morning. You’re going to be super sore once that injection wears off and make sure to ice them tonight,” he explains to her.
She nods, and he wraps the ice to her wounds with ace bandages. She looks a little silly, a bit mummy-like. She also looks thoroughly pathetic, so I decide not to tease her and also to refrain from scolding her, for tonight, anyways.
Bryce, Dean, and Jack come in a few minutes later. And we all sit in a circle around Vanessa, who looks completely overwhelmed by all our attention.
“So, tell us everything from the beginning,” Bryce finally prods, his deep voice echoing in the room.
Vanessa sucks in a deep breath and I place a hand over hers, which sit in her lap. I give them a gentle squeeze and she looks up at me and begins to speak as though she’s only talking to me.
“I saw the data on your computer and…well…I was curious at first. So, I glanced at it a bit and saw the islands mentioned and the dates. Then when you double-checked before we left, I glanced at it again and decided to…explore today.” She looks sheepishly at me. “I know, I know. It was the dumbest idea ever. I just had this overwhelming urge to help. Everyone here has been trying to protect me and, really, I do appreciate that,” she continues and looks at each man. “I guess I wanted to prove my worth, that I’m not some damsel in distress. I wanted to help you. I figured if I
could get over to that island, maybe I could hear the men speaking or even see something that would help you.”
She pauses and looks at us all again. “So, when Jesse was in front of me, I took off and headed over there. I thought I’d have enough fuel to go there and back, although I realized halfway there that we didn’t have full tanks. When I got there, I didn’t see anyone on the boat, and so I pulled the Jet Ski up to the far side of the island and started walking through the woods in the middle. That’s when I heard the men talking. They were speaking French to each other. They were talking about a shipment that would arrive later in the day and wondering if it should take place on the rocky side of the island or the side with the reef.”
I hold up a hand and she pauses. “You speak French?” I ask her.
She nods. “And Spanish and Italian and a little German and Farsi.” She shrugs. “I had tutors after I graduated high school and I took some online courses. I really wanted to speak with my fans when I toured.”
I smile at her, completely impressed by this woman even if she did something completely stupid and reckless today.
“Anyhow, they were talking about Saeed. Something about him wanting to know if this location would work because it seems so remote and they were really wanting to show that it was good. And then something about that he wanted to come here personally and isn’t it fortunate that they have shipments coming in to show him how great it is here. Basically, they want his money.”
“Wait, when is he coming here?” Bryce asks.
She shrugs. “I think he might already be here. So, I thought I could make it back to the other side of the island and get back on the Jet Ski and go back over to Jesse. However…I didn’t realize one of the guys had broken away to do a perimeter check. When he saw me, I was standing by the spring and he pulled his gun and fired at me. I ducked and dodged the bullet and then another one grazed me. I fell into the spring and decided to swim for it. I got to the bottom and saw that crevice and then the tunnel and I just swam. I felt the second bullet hit me, but I kept going. I came up in that cave and knocked my head into a rock. I got out and I think I just passed out on the rocks.”
“I suppose they think you died,” Jack ponders as he scratches his chin.
“I guess so,” she agrees. “I mean I fell when that bullet hit my head. I’d think I had drowned or bled to death if I were them.”
“Question is, will they continue with the drop-off there or will they be too nervous that the island was compromised,” Bryce contemplates.
“Vanessa, did they have cell phones?” Jack asks.
“Yes, uh, the guy who shot at me was talking on an iPhone when I saw him and I heard one other on a phone at some point during the conversation.”
Jack steps away from our circle and makes a call. “I have a friend at the NSA and he’s going to try to use some tech to check calls in our area. This area doesn’t have great coverage, but if satellites are in the right place…maybe.”
Bryce nods his understanding. He also calls someone.
“Hey, tap into local cell towers and look for a cell phone pinging off the towers on Moorea between two and four this afternoon. The most northern tower—focus on that one. Yes, iPhone. Good. Call me when you do,” he says as he hangs up. “I have my people checking on trying to locate it off the local towers. There’s a marina on Tahiti with some big yachts that match the description, but there were several near there when I flew over and I didn’t see anything suspicious. I have a guy going over there now to check them out more closely.”
Jack is busy typing a message on his cell phone. “I’m calling in a favor and seeing what private planes landed in Papeete this week.”
“Good,” Jesse says.
“Jack has the bungalow across from you and I have the one next to that,” Bryce says. “We’ll keep Dean and Baxter next door to you and we’ll alternate active watch tonight. I’ll take the first shift.”
They all nod.
“There’s a special alert icon on your burner phones,” Bryce says and we nod our understanding. “If anything looks, feels, smells, or sounds strange, use it. I’ll be here in seconds.”
We nod and they all leave. “We’ll check in at oh seven hundred,” he says as he closes our door and I double lock it. All the blinds are already shut, and the lights are already dimmed. I turn and look at Vanessa who is sitting on the bed looking pretty dejected.
I walk over to her and take a seat. “It’ll be alright,” I tell her, and I pray that I am right.
She sniffles, and I pull her against me. She breaks down into big sobs. I gently run my hand up and down her back. I realize she still has the ice on her wounds. I pull back and slowly start to remove the bandages and ice. I leave the wound dressings on and then I help her remove her clothes. I gently pull one of my t-shirts over her head. I take off my shirt and leave on my running shorts as I pull us up on the bed and bring her against me. Her sobs have subsided, and her body begins to still.
“Get some rest, mon étoile,” I whisper to her. I want so desperately to make love to her, but I know her body’s sore and needs to heal. I feel her skin against my fingers as I trace her arms. I bury my face against her hair and breathe in the scent of her shampoo. I feel my body begin to relax and the anger I felt earlier slowly drains from me.
“I’m sorry, Jesse,” she whispers.
I pull her face up to mine. Her eyes are red from crying and the look on her face makes me lean forward and kiss her gently. “Stop apologizing. I’m just glad you’re safe and not hurt any worse than you were. God, to think what could have happened, you insanely silly woman. I was so angry with you. Please don’t ever scare me like that again,” I beg her.
“I promise,” she says as I kiss her again.
I pull back and look into those blue orbs that have me mesmerized. “Do you know how much I love you, Vanessa? I can’t lose you, ever,” I whisper, and I watch as her eyes fill with tears that come cascading back down her cheeks, only this time she’s smiling.
“Oh, Jesse,” she says. “I love you, too. I love you so much,” she says as she smashes her lips against mine. “I don’t want to be apart any more. Promise me, we won’t be apart anymore.”
I sigh and kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her jaw, and finally her lips once more. I pull back and gaze into her eyes. “I promise. No more being apart. I can’t take it either.
“Come here,” I finally say as I pull her back against me. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ve had a long day.”
She nods and within minutes I can hear her breathing slow. I lie awake for hours wondering what will happen next and how I’m going to keep this woman safe. The thought that this isn’t finished looms over me. Vanessa has a record coming out, a tour in a few months. She’s always in the public eye. It seems an impossible mission to keep her safe, when all I want to do is lock her away in a tower where no harm can come to her. Somehow, my thoughts begin to slow, and at some point in the night, I fall asleep.
Chapter 25
Jesse’s Playlist: “Way Down We Go” by Kaleo
It’s her thrashing that wakes me.
“No, no,” she mutters in her sleep. It takes me a minute to realize Vanessa’s having a nightmare. I gently shake her.
“Vanessa, wake up, baby,” I say softly. I rub her arm and she jerks violently. Her eyes fly open and she looks around wildly. “Hey, hey, shhhhh. It’s alright. You’re alright,” I coo as I bring her against me. I notice her face is wet with tears and sweat and she’s trembling.
She doesn’t speak but clutches my forearms. I pull back and look at her. “Let’s take a shower, mon étoile, you’re soaking wet,” I say, and she looks into my eyes. I can tell she’s not quite awake yet.
“You were…they came…I couldn’t stop…” She trails off and big tears start to splash her cheeks.
I pull her against me again. “It’s alright. It was just a nightmare,” I whisper into her hair. I pull her over so she’s straddling my lap and I wrap her leg
s around me. “Hold on, sweetness,” I say as I stand and carry her to the bathroom. I set her down on the counter and take off the t-shirt that’s now soaked from her sweat. I hand her the pain meds Baxter left us and she takes them before I help her into the shower. I don’t speak as I slowly wash her hair and then her body. I wash myself too and then I hold her against me as the hot water cascades down over us. I towel dry her before wrapping a towel around my waist.
“Wait here,” I tell her, and I grab a clean t-shirt for her before I lead her back to bed. It’s still early, the horizon just hints that the sun will come up soon, but we probably have a good hour or more.
We lie back down, and I pull her against me. “Want to talk about it?” I ask her as I kiss the top of her head. Her hair smells like coconut and tropical flowers and I breathe in the scent; it’s soothing like a balm for my soul.
She shakes her head.
“Alright,” I say slowly. “How about we just lie here for a while? It’s still early.”
“OK,” she whispers and buries her head against my chest. I rest my chin on the top of her head and lie there for many minutes.
“I can’t sleep,” she finally says as her head rises, and she looks into my eyes. “Make love to me, please,” she pleads.
I don’t speak as I lean forward and gently kiss her lips. She tastes of toothpaste, and I memorize her lips with my own. I let her take control; I let her deepen the kiss when she’s ready. She straddles me and puts her arms around my neck and I grab her ass and settle her over my bulging erection. Her weight feels good, and she begins to move against me. I’m not wearing anything, and she has on no underwear, so I can feel her heat and her wetness as she slides back and forth over my cock. She feels so good. I smile against her lips, and she leans back.
“What?” she asks quietly with a smirk.
“It’s just…you feel so right, like you were made just for me,” I say to her and she grins back at me.
“Maybe I was,” she says with a little laugh and then kisses me again as she continues sliding back and forth over and over until I can’t take it any longer. I lift her up and gently slide her down on to me, until she’s impaled by me. She stills for a moment, and I pull back.