“But the best part is the money.” Allen nodded. “Judson died with forty-two dollars on him. Additional money—with Judson’s blood on it—is also in Hansen’s house.”
Tessa closed her eyes as a wave of desperation moved through her. Her muscles went lax as a wave of exhaustion hit her. They talked tough, but they’d been seen, and disappearing would make them the obvious suspects. Ben wouldn’t buy the trumped-up evidence. No one would. She had to believe, in the end, Hansen would be fine.
But she would still be dead. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“All we need is to create confusion, then we’ll slip away.”
HANSEN OPENED THE car door and ran as soon as Ben’s car stopped in the parking lot. He took off down the dock until he slammed into the locked gate at the end. His gaze went to the empty slip where Judson’s boat once sat.
“The boat is gone.” He repeated the phrase a few times. It ran on a loop in his head.
Ben was out of breath and disheveled by the time he slid to a stop next to Hansen. “Shit.”
“It was in a locked slip.” This shouldn’t have happened. None of it. He came here to get away from the killing. To let Judson move into the future without any fear of being dragged to prison or run over by Hansen’s car.
All those sacrifices meant nothing. His past had thrown Tessa into danger. He’d spent so much of his time with her in this stupid cycle of wanting her and fighting it. He’d worried about being in a relationship and stumbled over the word girlfriend. Now all he wanted to do was hold her and tell her he loved her. Because that’s where he was. Panicked and afraid for her and unable to think because he’d fallen in love with her and put her right in danger’s path.
“They broke the lock.” Ben held the piece hanging off the gate and moved the broken one on the ground around with his foot.
“Now what?”
Chapter 27
Tessa stood near the side of the boat because Allen had yanked her to her feet. He kicked back the last of his drink and shelved the charm. His fingers tightened around her biceps and he held her in a punishing grip. The kind that cracked bones and left bruises.
Kerrie had the harder job. She pulled the senator to his feet. Forced him up when his legs folded underneath him again.
“What’s happening?”
Tessa’s father kept blinking. The blood covered his eye and when he lifted his bound hands to touch it, Kerrie smacked his hands away. Since she held a gun, she got her way.
“You’re about to die.” Kerrie shoved him down on the bench near Tessa.
“I’m a senator.”
The words rolled out of him. Tessa almost laughed at how, right to the end, he held on to his position.
Allen did laugh. “Did you really just do a do-you-know-who-I-am thing? Come on, really?”
“Because we do know. That’s why we contacted you and told you Tessa was here.” Kerrie pulled bullets out of her pocket and loaded the gun. Made them watch as she did it. “We thought you’d drag her away, so we’d have a clear shot at Hansen without interference or an alibi.”
“No one could have predicted the storm,” Allen said.
“Anyone who lives here could.” The second after Tessa made the comment, Allen dug his fingers deeper into her skin.
“Shut up.”
Kerrie’s voice remained light, as if she wasn’t a few minutes away from adding two more murders to her list of accomplishments. “Why would anyone live here?”
What she said no longer mattered, so Tessa didn’t hold back. She’d visually searched the boat, looking for a way out. Thought about how much weight she’d have to put into tripping Allen to make him fall overboard. Tried to calculate how long they could be in the water before it was too late. Even allowed herself to believe, just for a second, that the splashing she heard was about a rescue and not the sound of waves.
She could tread water. That would have to be enough. “You seemed to like Whitaker well enough when you were crying all over Hansen.”
“Don’t kid yourself. I thought about ending this whole thing with Hansen on my arm. Taking care of Judson, then playing the role of the grieving widow, helping Hansen clear his record, then hooking up with him.” Kerrie sounded almost wistful as she laid it all out.
“Rye.” Her father groaned when he tried to move. “I think I know his father.”
Making connections to the end. Tessa supposed it was habit for him. To her it showed that his priorities were so skewed. No pleading for his daughter. No talk of his family.
“That’s not going to help you very much now,” Allen pointed out.
Tessa made one more grab for time. “But Hansen wasn’t interested in you. You made him wary.”
Instead of flailing or striking out, Kerrie just smiled. It was as if there was nothing inside of her. “I could have made him feel good, but we ran out of time.”
Allen glanced over the side of the boat. “We’re out far enough.”
“What’s the plan? Throw us overboard and leave?”
“Shoot you first and weigh you down, but yes.”
Allen grabbed the gun before his sister finished the sentence and fired off a quick shot. The bullet slammed into the senator’s arm and he yelled as he grabbed for the wound. Blood seeped through his fingers.
Allen kicked out, putting all his weight behind it as he shoved the senator into the water.
“We need the weights!”
Tessa heard Kerrie’s yell and watched her father fall. He didn’t put out his arms or try to brace himself. Without thinking, she jumped after him. Her body plunged into the icy water. It enveloped her, dragging her under. She tried to move her arms but the binding around her wrists held. Kicking failed until she wiggled her hips in a modified mermaid kick.
Water splashed around her and she heard yelling. Allen’s voice floated above her, then a beam of light skimmed along the water. She ducked under right before it hit her. Held her eyes open against the crush of waves. Frantically searched for her father.
The harder she shifted and kicked, the deeper she plunged. She struggled to reach the surface. She could see the darkness of the water give way to the darkness of the sky. She strained, trying to break through the surface and grab a breath.
Almost there, something closed over her ankle. She screamed underwater, losing the last of her breath. The tugging and pulling had her free-falling into the freezing blackness. Then something covered her mouth and air filled her lungs. She opened her eyes again, no longer desperate to send a private thought to Hansen before she died.
There he was. His face swimming in front of her. She almost cried out. He held a mask to her face and pointed in the direction he wanted her to go. The directions refused to register in her head.
When her head broke the water and the cold smack of air hit her face, it revived her. They bobbed up and down on the waves near the back of the boat, opposite of where she’d gone in the water. She looked at Hansen and tears formed through all the wetness splashing around her.
He leaned in and kissed her on the side of her head. It was the sweetest touch, but it didn’t last. He pointed to her father, who was out cold and drifting in the water with a preserver keeping him upright. Ben was there, cutting the ties binding her legs and arms. When she broke free she reached for Hansen but he put a finger over his mouth.
“Save your father.” The command was little more than breath. Barely a whisper.
Then he disappeared.
IT KILLED HANSEN to swim away from her. Seeing her dive into the water. Watching her body disappear under the waves. He died a thousand times. Made promises to the universe and swore he wouldn’t let anything drive them apart. He’d sacrificed so much for so many and now it was her turn. Whatever she wanted, he’d give it to her.
He had to survive the next ten minutes first.
Back on the boat Allen yelled. Their plans had unraveled when Tessa jumped over the side of the boat. He could hear the rising panic. Listened for
the footsteps. Heard the crashing of a glass or bottle.
He and Ben had taken the boat out as far as they reasonably could without giving away their location, hoping the sound of the waves would cover their entry. They swam the rest of the way.
“She went under. We’re fine.”
Kerrie’s voice. Nowhere near as calm and inviting as usual. The tension hummed in her tone. She was trying to placate Allen. Hansen wanted them to turn on each other but he didn’t have the time to wait. He needed to get Tessa out of the water and the senator to a doctor. They were so far from being safe.
Terror had gripped him from the time they left the marina on the small inflatable until now. His mind kept flipping to Allen and his anger. He imagined being too late. The whole time Ben ran over a plan. Repeated it.
Hansen had left the small oxygen tank and the senator with Tessa. Now he had to move.
A few strokes and he reached the back of the boat. He could hear Kerrie and Allen talking inside the cabin. They looked at a map and in the middle of their conversation Kerrie shoved him. No question she’d married a violent man. With the murders they’d tallied, Hansen couldn’t help but think she was just as violent and dangerous now.
He pushed up, balancing his stomach on the edge of the boat. Tried not to make a sound as he lifted one leg, then the other to the deck. Just as he got to his knees, Allen turned. His eyes widened and he started shouting and running toward Hansen.
“The gun!”
Hansen didn’t know where it was and didn’t care. He jumped to his feet and barreled toward Allen. Took them both airborne as they smashed into the hard bench lining the sundeck. Hansen fought for his footing, but his shoes slipped on the boat’s surface. He came up swinging, nailed Allen right under the chin.
The skirmish had them rolling on the floor as Kerrie ran out to them. She held the gun and yelled for them to stop but the battle frenzy held them. Hansen punched and kicked, twisted around, making it hard for her to get a shot off.
The bang echoed through the quiet night. Hansen waited to feel a sharp pain through his side or back, but nothing came.
Allen went limp under him. Not sure if the move was a ploy, Hansen held on to him. He felt the slick wetness on his arm. Warm and new. He looked down and saw the blood. The instant he dropped Allen and jumped to his feet, something hard stuck against his back. He didn’t have to turn around to know it was Kerrie and the gun.
“You’re next.”
He glanced over his shoulder and saw the panic in her eyes. “Lower the gun.”
“Check on him.”
Nodding, Hansen went down to his knees. The shot had clipped Allen’s side but he was conscious. He gripped the wound and curled into a ball. Swore as he shifted around, likely trying to block the pain.
“You did this.” Kerrie’s voice was flat. Lifeless.
She held the gun out. Aimed it at Hansen’s head. Opened her mouth to say something, then Ben was on her. Knocked her to the ground with a knee in her back and held her arms.
He didn’t ask questions. He worked, then stood up, pulling her next to him and cuffing her to a railing. He pointed at the bench. “Sit.”
Tessa.
Hansen went to the end of the deck. “Tessa!”
He called twice but didn’t hear anything. Waves kicked up around them, tossing the boat, but still nothing. Ben was on the radio, notifying the coast guard of their position. Mentioning the senator’s condition.
Hansen needed her. He put one foot in the water and prepared to jump in.
“Stop.” Tessa threw the tank on the deck and it landed with a clank. “Help.”
She sounded exhausted and her head barely stayed above the waterline. Ben joined him in dragging the senator’s still form out of the water and pulling Tessa up with him.
Hansen didn’t wait. As soon as her feet hit the deck, he wrapped her in a hug and kissed her hair. He mumbled words he hoped were comforting. He had no idea what he said.
A few seconds later, she dropped to the deck to check her father. Hansen stood in the middle of the chaos of bodies and blood as Ben went back to the radio. He still held Kerrie’s gun and didn’t look like he intended to give it up any time soon.
The quiet had settled in. Hansen closed his eyes for a second and breathed in the cool night air. Soaked in the calm in the middle of the wild frenzy. He smiled when he heard the senator cough. Any sign of life worked for him right now. He stepped over the senator’s prone body and crouched down across from Tessa.
Her hair hung down and her clothes stuck to her. He could see the blue tint to her lips and the way she kept shivering. He turned to get a blanket when suddenly an arm wrapped around his neck. Allen grabbed him and pulled him back, taking them both crashing to the deck.
Blood stained his shirt, but his eyes looked dazed. He mumbled something about Judson and tightened his hold. That was enough to get Hansen moving. He kicked out and he heard Ben shout. He waited for the gunfire, but it never came.
He heard a scream of pain and Allen’s grip fell away. When Hansen looked up, Tessa stood there with the oxygen tank dangling from her fingers. She’d slammed it against Allen’s elbow. Ben skidded to a stop.
“Enough!” She shouted the word and dropped the tank.
Hansen couldn’t wait to get her home.
IT TOOK THREE more hours, rounds of questioning, and all sorts of coddling from the ambulance crew until they left the marina. Attacking a senator carried a high penalty. The coast guard, the navy, and a whole bunch of people who looked like they should be in uniform but were wearing street clothes showed up. There was talk of a special ferry landing and a ship sat close to shore.
Tessa had blocked out all of it. Everything except the man underneath her.
They’d gotten as far as the lodge. Their clothes came off the second they closed the door to the room Sylvia gave them. A hot shower came next and now the bed.
Tessa had demanded they skip the foreplay and move right to the main event, just for tonight. That was twenty minutes ago. Now she straddled his hips, riding up and down on his length. Loving the feel of him deep inside her.
Bruised and a little battered, he sat up in a pile of pillows with her curled around him. The thrusts moved through every inch of her. She came up off the mattress, then sank back down on him again.
She slapped a hand against the wall for better leverage. Hovered over him and lost her breath when he lifted his head to lick his tongue over her nipple.
Her body both begged for more and ached for rest. Making love with him gave her a burst of renewed energy, but her muscles started to shake. Her body, wet and sensitive and clinging to him inside and out, cried out for mercy.
Through it all he hadn’t said a word. None of his usual dirty talk. No begging. He let her set the pace and arched into her with every plunge.
She tried to focus on his beautiful face. On the relief that flooded through her when he popped up in the water. But the waves of pleasure shook through her now. She tipped her head back and let her hair fall over her. Dug her fingernails into his chest.
When the orgasm hit her, it stole the last of her breath and all of her energy. Her body pulsed and she squirmed on top of him to find the position she liked best for the end.
“Damn, woman.” He grabbed her hips and guided her up and down when she lost the ability to move and the orgasm started to ease.
Boneless and satisfied, she slid down until she lay on top of him. The move earned her a gasp, then he enjoyed his turn. By the time they finished, he lay sprawled with his arms out to the side on the mattress. She covered him, unable to shift to the bed next to him.
“That was almost worth drowning.” His bare chest muffled her words, but she got them out.
“No.”
She didn’t have the strength to fight him and her eyes wanted to close. Right before she gave in to sleep, she lifted up so he could pull out of her. She thought about snuggling against his side but went right back to sleeping on t
op of him.
“I almost lost you.” He whispered the thought into the dark room.
She said the only thing she could. “Never.”
Chapter 28
Two days later the senator stood at the private airfield with a crowd of handlers and assistants hovering nearby. He’d been checked out and approved for travel by Lela and two military doctors. His arm was in a sling and he’d forsaken his usual tie in favor of an open-collared button-down dress shirt.
Tessa pretended that was progress.
Hansen had asked her this morning why she dove in after her father. He’d been watching and lost it when she went in. She understood the confusion. It wasn’t as if Charles Michaelson had ever done anything for her other than donate sperm. For him, fatherhood ended there. That would never change. But neither would she. She would never be the person to watch someone disappear under the water and not make a move. That explanation Hansen understood.
He stood with her now in front of the senator. They were far enough away that the distance and the roar of the plane’s engines blocked anyone but them from hearing what they said.
“I came here to insist you come back with me.” But this time there was no harsh demand in the senator’s voice.
She thought she’d comment anyway. “No.”
“I meant originally. Not now.” He ran his fingers over the edge of the sling. “An argument could be made that you don’t owe me anything after saving my life.”
Hansen shook his head. “Yes, that is the argument.”
Tessa realized that was as close as she’d likely ever get to a thank-you. She’d saved his life and in return he no longer threatened her. Or he’d at least taken a short break from the practice.
“I was thinking of retiring from the pressure. Maybe leave the Senate and try lobbying.”
Not what she expected him to say. She figured he’d die in his office chair, still casting a vote for something that pissed her off.
“Is that a better career?” Hansen asked.
Tessa didn’t really care what he did or how he earned his money. They would never agree on politics or most other things. But she did still have one bright line he could not cross. “You either have to admit you had a mistress and kid you didn’t want back then or pretend you have a mistress now. But if you use my name or my photo, I will spill the truth and you will not like the way I frame it.”
Her Other Secret Page 26