by Susan Stoker
Chapter Twenty
Aleck was pissed—so angry he was having a hard time thinking straight. His options were also severely limited. Shawn was fucking insane, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d made it extremely difficult for anyone to do anything to stop him.
As far as he could tell, the bomb was legit. He wasn’t a bomb expert, and for a second he wished the former SEAL Mustang had mentioned meeting in California—when he’d flown out for their friend Phantom’s Admiral Mast—was there. Dude was his name. He had a reputation for being one of the best explosive experts the SEALs had ever had. He’d know if the bomb was real or not, and how to take this asshole down without turning the beach into one giant crater. But he wasn’t here. And Aleck had to figure out how to end this situation without setting the damn thing off.
He guessed Shawn hadn’t activated the bomb until he’d arrived at the restaurant. Mercury switches could be tricky, and tilt mercury switches even more so. One jerky movement could make it blow, and Aleck wasn’t going to do anything to put Kenna in more danger than she was already in.
But the thought of this asshole torturing her made his adrenaline skyrocket. Aleck would sacrifice himself before letting Shawn get away with Kenna.
He hadn’t missed the way the man’s gaze had constantly flicked toward the ocean, not that he could’ve seen much through the rain and wind. The most obvious escape route was the water. Cops would be converging on Waikiki by now, and there was no way he’d be able to escape by vehicle or on foot. Not after threatening to take down an entire damn building.
As pissed as Aleck was, he was proud of Kenna. She hadn’t panicked. Hadn’t done anything rash. Was staying reasonably calm under the circumstance, probably waiting to see how he would get her out of this.
The bitch of it was—Aleck had no idea. Shawn had the upper hand.
The second Aleck stepped onto the beach after leaving the shelter of the restaurant, he was soaked to the bone. If the situation hadn’t been so precarious, he might’ve been awed by the power of the storm currently raging around them. The normally calm and serene Waikiki Beach was anything but. The ocean surged and frothed angrily. While the waves weren’t quite North Shore worthy, they were as high as anything Aleck had ever seen on this side of the island.
It was the one thing working in his favor. The storm might hinder any quick escape Shawn had planned.
Jag and Pid hadn’t gone far when they’d exited the bar. He knew they were at his back as he stalked his target. But Aleck had no idea what they could do to help mitigate the situation. There was no place for them to hide on the beach; Shawn would see every move they made. His mind raced as he attempted to come up with some sort of plan, but at the moment, all he could do was wait for Shawn to hopefully screw up—and not start shooting again.
Shawn and Kenna were about thirty feet in front of him. Aleck was scared to get any closer. Scared Shawn would hurt Kenna.
“Let her go!” Aleck yelled, making himself heard over the howling wind.
“Fuck you!” Shawn shouted back, dragging Kenna as he shot off another round.
Aleck felt the bullet graze his leg, but he didn’t even stumble. He wasn’t going to die here. No fucking way. Not after all he’d seen and done in his lifetime. He’d faced down some of the worst terrorists the world had ever seen. Men and women who held no respect for human life. He’d been beaten and tortured, hiked for miles and miles through every type of terrain, had gone a week without eating…had even been shot before.
No, this asshole wasn’t taking him down—not when this was the most important mission of his life. Keeping the woman he loved safe. He hadn’t found Kenna, only to lose her now.
He couldn’t. He wouldn’t survive it.
Shawn was backing into the water—and dread swamped Aleck. The crazy asshole knew how little it would take to set off the bomb. Why was he risking going into the rolling waves and possibly losing his balance?
Nothing the man was doing made sense.
“Easy,” he muttered, more to himself than to the insane man in front of him.
“You want me? Come at me, asshole!” Shawn yelled. “You won’t take me alive, and if I’m dead, so is this bitch!”
Aleck heard more people now. The police had finally arrived. When they didn’t immediately begin shouting at Shawn, or threatening to shoot him, he knew they’d been briefed on the situation. Probably by either Jag or Pid, who were still somewhere behind him.
“Stand back now, sir,” the closest officer said. “We’ve got this.”
But Aleck didn’t retreat; instead, he took a step closer to the water. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, fighting with the anger and frustration, urging him to act. To rush toward the woman he loved and snatch her away from danger. But he couldn’t do anything, not without possibly hurting or killing her.
He wasn’t in a position to help Kenna.
He’d never felt more helpless in his life.
Sheets of rain were still coming down from the sky with a vengeance, as if Mother Nature herself was pissed off on his behalf.
Shawn looked behind him at the ocean again, and Aleck realized he was searching for a boat. That was his escape plan. Either his partner was late or he’d capsized in the storm. Aleck couldn’t help but hope it was the latter. It was a bloodthirsty thought, but anyone who was in cahoots with Shawn, who’d planned to help him kidnap an innocent woman, deserved to die.
Pain and regret filled Aleck as he watched Kenna struggle in Shawn’s grasp. What use was all his SEAL training if he couldn’t employ those skills when he desperately needed them most—to save the woman who meant more to him than anyone else on the planet?
Kenna wasn’t as calm as she seemed on the outside. In her head, she was screaming bloody murder. But letting Shawn see how petrified she was wouldn’t help her or the situation.
She kept her eyes on Marshall, mourning everything they’d never have a chance to do…
Shaking her head, Kenna banished any defeatist thoughts. She wasn’t dead yet. Neither was Marshall. If anyone could get her out of this, it was him.
But even from a distance, through pounding rain, she could see the fear and frustration on his face.
Marshall and his teammates couldn’t risk charging them. The bomb would definitely go off, killing them all in the process.
Shawn backed them right into the surf, and Kenna frowned in confusion. “What are you doing?”
“Shut up,” Shawn said.
But she ignored him. “Are you going to swim away? That’s insane! You’d be killed. This storm is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and—”
“I said, shut the fuck up!” he snarled. “I’ve got a plan. We’re getting out of here, gonna have some fun together. When Carly’s delivered to me, you’re dead. And I’ll make sure that bitch knows she’s the reason. My word is law. She’ll regret even trying to break up with me…”
He continued to mumble under his breath—and Kenna realized the man had completely lost it. She’d had a feeling he wasn’t exactly stable to begin with, but now, unable to get his hands on Carly and with his plans falling apart…he’d gone over the edge.
And a crazy man, a bomb, and a gun was never a good combination.
Marshall yelled, “Let her go!” and Kenna jerked in fright when Shawn fired the pistol.
“Stop it!” she screamed, anger overtaking her fear. “You’re gonna kill him!”
“That’s the idea.” Shawn laughed. “Asshole thinks he’s a badass. Who’s in charge now?”
The waves were crashing against their calves, and every time one of them hit, Shawn staggered a bit. Not enough to be obvious…but enough that it gave her an idea.
The sand was already sucking her feet down, and the farther into the ocean they went, the harder it was to stay upright. It was only a matter of time before Shawn lost his balance and fell, taking her down with him, and setting off the damn explosives strapped to his chest.
Eying the distance between the restaur
ant, Marshall, and where she was standing in the surf, she knew this was the best chance she had to mitigate damage to property and other people, while also getting away. Any farther, and she wouldn’t be able to run through the churning water fast enough to get any distance between her and the bomb.
And just like that, all the noise around her disappeared.
Kenna had no idea if her plan would work. He might shoot her in the back the second she moved. But she refused to just stand there docilely and let Shawn kill her—or haul her into the boat he was obviously waiting for.
The arrival of a swarm of police forced Shawn’s attention away from Marshall.
The hand on her arm loosened a fraction.
Kenna met Marshall’s gaze one last time. She could practically see the tension vibrating off his body. He was about to do something. She could feel it.
But Shawn still had his gun. He’d kill the man she loved before he could even get close. She knew that as well as she knew her own name.
Mouthing I love you to Marshall, she took a deep breath.
He shook his head, fear swamping his features—
And at that moment, a wave crashed against their legs.
Shawn shifted to keep his balance.
And Kenna moved.
Jerking her wet arm out of his grasp, she took off, lurching through the waves doing their best to knock her off her feet, their momentum actually helping to push her toward the shore.
Another wave crashed against her as she stepped out of the water. Kenna stumbled forward, gaining her balance and running as fast as she could in the sand, away from the gun. Away from the bomb. Hoping and praying the police would deal with Shawn.
For an excruciating moment, she heard nothing.
Then several shots rang out.
Kenna ran faster.
A heartbeat later, a massive explosion erupted and a shockwave hit her so hard, Kenna was thrown forward. She landed hard, her chin bouncing off the sand.
A wave of heat seared her back. She heard the sound of windows shattering even over the howling wind and crashing waves.
Kenna lay still, not daring to even breathe. She was in pain—but she was alive.
“Kenna!”
She’d never heard a sound so beautiful in her entire life.
Swallowing a moan, she rolled onto her back and looked up at the man she loved with all her heart.
“Kenna, talk to me! Are you all right? Shit, your chin is bleeding!”
She smiled. Rain was falling into her eyes, making her blink rapidly. Her arm hurt. Her head hurt where Shawn had hit her. Her chin throbbed. But she was still breathing. As was Marshall.
So she felt fucking fantastic.
Reaching up, she wrapped her hand around the back of Marshall’s neck and pulled him toward her. “Told you I didn’t need a man,” she said weakly, her voice a little wobbly. Then she kissed him as if her life depended on it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aleck growled at the nurse as she finished stitching his leg. All he wanted was to take Kenna home. He’d insisted on waiting to have his leg looked at until she’d been taken care of. The sand had helped cushion her fall somewhat, and somehow she’d escaped any wounds on her back from the bomb, but she’d managed to break open the skin on her chin. The wound had to be cleaned, since there had been sand packed inside it, then stitched. He’d held her hand throughout the procedure, refusing to let go.
He’d almost lost her.
He’d seen the moment she’d made the decision to do something, and he’d never been so scared in his life.
But she’d timed her escape perfectly. Shawn had stumbled when a wave crashed into them. He’d struggled to maintain his balance for a few precious seconds—long enough for Kenna to reach the beach.
The last decision Shawn made in his miserable life was to aim his pistol at Kenna as she fled.
The officers hadn’t hesitated, shooting several rounds at Shawn.
Aleck had enough time to yell “down!” before all hell broke loose.
It turned out Shawn hadn’t been lying about the amount of ANFO he’d used. Luckily, he’d fallen backward into the angry sea, another wave crashing over his body just as the fuse had been triggered. Anything less and the explosion most likely would’ve taken out Duke’s, as well as a huge chunk of the Outrigger resort. But the water helped to essentially muffle the blast.
Still, there was a huge crater in the sand, and parts of Shawn’s body were strewn over the beach. But the hostage situation had ended with no other deaths.
Aleck had run toward Kenna’s motionless body with his heart in his throat. She’d rolled over and smiled at him, the feel of her hand on the back of his neck bringing tears to his eyes. But it wasn’t until she’d kissed him hard and deep that he’d truly comprehended she was all right.
And now that she’d been stitched up, it was his turn. Aleck hated hospitals. He would’ve preferred to let Pid or Jag close up the gash from Shawn’s bullet grazing his leg, but Kenna wasn’t having it. And because he would do anything for the woman he loved, he caved.
“Don’t be a baby,” she said, smiling at him.
“The biggest, baddest men usually are,” the nurse said with a chuckle.
Aleck barely heard them. He couldn’t stop staring at Kenna. Her hair was in complete disarray and still filled with sand. She’d been given a set of scrubs to change into that swamped her frame. She looked tired and dark circles shadowed her eyes…but she was alive and in one piece. Aleck couldn’t ask for anything more.
The nurse finished stitching his leg and said she’d be back in a moment, leaving Aleck and Kenna alone in the small examination room.
Before he could move, before he could pull Kenna into his arms and simply hold her, the curtain was thrown back and his team filed in.
Mustang, Midas, Slate, Jag, Pid—even Baker fucking Rawlins—were all suddenly there.
Aleck swallowed hard at the emotion that balled in his throat at seeing his team.
He had no idea how they’d talked their way into being allowed back there, but at the moment, he didn’t care. He sat up on the table and swung his legs over the edge, ignoring the twinge of pain. Kenna snuggled into his side and the second he touched her, Aleck felt as if he could finally relax.
“Damn good to see you alive and not in a million pieces,” Pid said.
“That was fucked up,” Jag muttered, running a hand through his hair.
“The storm tapered off about five minutes after that bomb exploded,” Mustang said. “As if Mother Nature said ‘fuck you’ to that asshole and was satisfied he was in hell where he belonged after he blew up.”
“Heard they’ll probably be picking body parts off the beach for days,” Midas said.
“Gross,” Kenna muttered, before taking a breath and standing up straight. “But he deserved it.”
“Too bad his death was painless,” Baker said.
Kenna glanced at him, as if just realizing there was someone she didn’t know in the room.
“Baker,” he said, holding out his hand. Kenna shook it, but he didn’t let go. “I’ve seen the security tapes. That was a ballsy move,” he said.
If she was surprised that Baker had somehow already seen security video from either Duke’s or the Outrigger, she didn’t let on. “It was a no-win situation,” she replied. “It was either do something myself, or let Marshall do something that might get him hurt or killed, or wait for whoever was coming to pick us up, then suffer even more at Shawn’s hands.”
“There was literally nothing I could do that wouldn’t end in that fucker blowing Kenna up,” Marshall said, his voice haunted. “I’ve never felt more helpless in my life.”
“Sometimes the best thing you can do is wait for the right opening,” Mustang said.
“Which I did,” Kenna interjected.
“Mind giving her hand back?” Aleck couldn’t help asking as he stared at Baker, who still had Kenna’s hand in his.
Baker’s lips
twitched, but he nodded and took a step back.
“So, you’re the infamous Baker,” Kenna said.
“That’s me,” he said.
Kenna opened her mouth to say something else, but there was a commotion outside the curtain.
Everyone turned as Elodie and Lexie rushed into the room, followed by the nurse who’d just stitched up Aleck’s leg.
The nurse sighed. “You all have two minutes to say what you have to say, then you’re out of here. And I’m only allowing that much because I heard about what happened tonight, and I know how harrowing it must have been. Your friends aren’t being held overnight, so you can fawn over them soon. Somewhere else. Not in my emergency room.”
Aleck nodded at the woman gratefully, even as Elodie and Lexie went straight to Kenna and pulled her into a three-way embrace.
Baker moved closer. “I’m gonna figure out who was helping him,” he said in a low tone. “No one fucks with the SEALs.”
“First on the list is his son, Luke,” Jag muttered.
“Already on my radar,” Baker said.
Aleck glanced at the older man. “I want in,” he said simply.
Baker shrugged noncommittally.
Aleck frowned. He knew Baker had a code. He didn’t mind stepping outside the bounds of the law, and he liked working alone.
“She’s mine. My responsibility,” Aleck argued quietly, glad that Kenna was busy with her friends instead of paying attention to him and Baker. He was well aware that the rest of his team was listening. They all had a stake in this, especially Jag. He hadn’t said much, but the fact that Shawn was Carly’s ex was likely eating at him.
Baker didn’t seem fazed by Aleck’s declaration. He merely shrugged again. “She’s all of ours,” he said. Then he nodded at Aleck and the rest of the team before heading out of the room without another word.
“Darn it, I wanted to talk to Baker,” Elodie protested. “He always slips away before I can have an actual conversation with him.”
“Well, it’ll have to wait for another day,” Mustang told her.
“Shoot,” Elodie pouted.