by Jenna Gunn
The night is dark as hell and there’s swell in the water, two to three feet. The boat rises and falls over the waves as we leave the marina and move out into the open ocean offshore from Lynn’s Cove. Cold salt spray flies off the bow of the boat and hits our faces as we speed toward the coordinates.
“When we get close, you two duck low. I want fuckhead to think I came alone.”
The coordinates are less than ten minutes from the marina. Far enough at sea that the lights of Lynn’s Cove have become small. My eyes scan the inky horizon for any sign of a boat.
Finally, I catch a glimpse of something. As we draw close, the shape comes into focus. It’s a big cuddy cabin cruiser.
Bryce hands over the helm. He and Ty duck below the center console, the only area to escape view. I slow and aim for the side of the boat, angling our approach in an effort to keep the guys out of view.
The boat is eerily dark. Almost like it’s adrift, unmanned. God. Terrible possibilities run through my mind.
Then I see him standing high on the upper deck, hands on his hips in some weird outfit that makes him look almost like a comic superhero. Dude is fucked up.
I whisper. “He’s up top. I’m going to loosely tie the boat alongside and keep him distracted as I go aboard. I don’t see Mia yet. So she might be below deck. Ty, you take care of Mia. I’ll deal with him.”
I lash the boats together with one rope so Bryce can get away from the boat if he needs to—if he needs to pull someone from the water, or if he needs to get to safety.
When I climb aboard I yell, “Where is Mia?”
Mia yells, “Bishop! Don’t. Don’t come aboard.”
A rush of relief washes over me. She’s alive.
The bastard laughs. “She’s here, don’t worry. I want her to watch our showdown.”
I take the stairs to the main deck two at a time, then do the same to the upper deck. When I get up top, I realize Mia is there too, bound to one of the seats. And he’s got her contorted and tied. One of her hands is bound to her ankle too.
Fucking bastard. My blood almost evaporates my anger flashes so hot. I start yelling. “Let her go, now.”
“Not yet. Once we’re through. She’ll be free as a bird. Don’t you worry. She’ll be happy too because she will be done with you and we can go back to doing what we love together.”
Mia’s voice cracks. “Franco, stop. Please.”
She turns her eyes to me and I know she sees my love. “It’s okay. I’m here. I love you. I got this.”
She shakes her head no, her eyes wide with terror.
When I turn back to Franco, the lunatic, I know what I’m going to do. My plan is clear now. I just need to get in the right position to do it. I need to get him talking and distracted first. “Franco, so you hired the guy to set up the supposed affair? Pretty clever.”
He grins, “I did. And it was clever. Mia needed to be free of you, and I knew it was the cleanest way.”
“But she came back.”
“A shame, but actually I’m thinking this is the best thing of all. To end you this way, to prove I am more of a man.”
“Okay, man. If that’s what you want.” I raise my hands into fight position and start to advance. But my real goal is to get his back to the boat’s port side.
The man’s hands start to move in some kind of weird martial arts looking patterns. For a second it gives me pause because I’ve seen friends get messed up in street fights by the most unassuming unsuspected martial arts masters. Which makes it even more important that I get the upper advantage.
I move to the right, and he shifts to the left in response. Almost there.
Franco is a highly trained athlete. He warrants extreme caution. But I’m just as fit, and just as driven as he is. But I know I’m about to get the upper hand.
That’s right buddy, come on around and I’ll show you who’s the man tonight.
Franco advances a bit, moving across the deck toward me, and I give myself a little more space. I prefer not to get a punch or kick to the temple that might land me flat on my face.
Finally, he’s in the spot I want him. With a sneer, I lunge and plant my shoulder squarely in his chest. He grabs me, but the momentum is too strong. The impact sends us both sailing over the railing, tumbling toward the black water.
But just as we should impact, I’m jerked to a stop. We swing wildly along the side of the boat. Franco caught the railing with one hand. Both of us are dangling from the one place where his iron fisted strength is wrapped around that metal bar. I twist and try to get free, but he has his muscular legs wrapped tightly around my torso.
I start punching at his thighs, landing one fist after another. He swings me with superhuman strength and nearly pulls us both back up to the railing. There’s no way I’m letting him get his other hand on the rail. I reach for his face, his neck. Finally, my hand finds its purchase.
“See how long you can hold on without any air, you son of a bitch.” With all the force in my fingers, I squeeze his throat. He gags and tries to shake me free. Whipping his head back and forth as I hold on with the force of a vice.
He reaches for the railing with his other hand, but when he can’t reach, he punches me in the face. But he’s losing this battle fast. I feel his body revolting, contracting, desperate for air.
Franco suddenly loosens his legs from around me and I begin to slip, but I don’t let go of his throat. I’m determined to get him off the boat. I wrap my free arm around his waist and press both of my feet into the side of the boat.
His face is turning colors, and he’s gasping for air as I arch my body hard, using all the force of my legs to pry us free. Suddenly we tumble backwards into the cold Pacific Ocean.
Here’s where I’m most at home.
Franco might be a strong swimmer, I don’t know, but this is my life—this is my world.
He’s disoriented when he surfaces, his head whips back and forth as he blinks water from his eyes. He glances frantically at the boat.
It’s obvious he’s uncomfortable in the water.
“I’m coming after your ass if you swim toward the boat.”
I swim around him. It’s only a matter of time before he wears out.
Within a minute he starts to sink lower in the water. It’s the clothes he has on—they’re not helping. It won’t take long for him to get hypothermic, too.
My wetsuit saves me from the cold and helps me move more efficiently. I laugh. “Surprised you, fucker. Didn’t see this coming, did you?”
Swirling his hands around wildly, he treads water. His purple shirt floating around him in the water like a weird dead jellyfish. The swell pushes and pulls on him. I swim between him and the boat, forcing him to move away. He has to move out farther if he wants to stay out of my reach.
His movements are starting to get slower. I see it in his eyes the second he decides he’s going to try to take me on. It’s now or never. He’s running out of energy and the cold is taking effect. He coughs, then screams a battle cry as he thrashes toward me.
I duck under the water and watch his legs windmilling below the surface. Gliding through the water, I easily escape his attempts to find me. I come up behind him and wrap my thick arm around his neck.
You’re mine now.
Franco claws at my arm. His once strong hands are now barely able to grab onto me. He tries feebly to reach me, but there’s no way his arms will reach.
With a hard shove, I force him below the surface. I squeeze hard on his neck and press him down, taking us both below the dark water. He thrashes wildly for a few seconds.
I could finish him now. It would be so easy.
But I’m not going to.
Franco’s going to go to jail for this.
He’s coughing and sputtering when I pull him up. He starts yelling at me in Italian. “Shut up!” I shout right in his ear.
The stream of yelling continues, so I dunk him again. When I let him up this time, he’s so busy coughing, he can�
�t scream.
I start dragging him backward through the water. All of the fight is going out of him.
A spotlight slashes across the night. Bryce’s voice is on the PA of the rescue boat, “Coming alongside now.”
He pulls the boat near, but the ocean is rough. The waves toss and throw me about, dunking us under the water several times. I hear the engines go into idle, and I know Bryce is moving to the rear platform to help me get Franco onboard.
Suddenly Franco starts fighting against me. He found a second wind.
He starts kicking at me and gets a solid grip on my arm. Bastard was waiting on me to take him to the boat. Only he’s got another think coming.
I’m nowhere near tired. And I’m nowhere near done with him. His ass is going on that boat and going straight to the county jail. And Bryce is ready and willing to help.
I tighten my choke hold on Franco and haul him toward the platform at the back of the boat. I’m wrestling him into position so I can shove his ass onto the deck when I see the flash of a fist moving through my periphery. Bryce’s knuckles make solid contact with Franco’s face. The blow stuns him, his body goes limp. And before I can blink, Bryce has punched him again.
“What, didn’t think I had this under control?”
“Figured you might want a hand.”
“Thanks, man.”
I pivot the mumbling Franco around. Bryce grabs his arm and yanks him onto the back platform deck of the boat. I climb onto the deck, wrenching Franco’s arm behind him as I go.
“Go,” shouts Bryce. “I’ve got him, you get back on the boat.”
I dive off the platform and sprint swim toward the bigger vessel. Water’s flying off of me as I run up the steps. When I get to the top, I fall to my knees with relief. Ty has Mia in his arms, hugging her tightly against him. The zip ties that bound her lay scattered on the deck near a knife. Ty’s eyes meet mine over her head and he nods. “She’s fine.”
“Thank god. Thank you, God. Thank you, Mother Ocean. Thank you, angels above. Whoever you are. Thank you.”
Mia hears me. Her arms fall from Ty and she runs across the deck. She launches herself into my arms.
“Bishop, oh my god. I was afraid you drowned.”
“I’m hard to drown. Everything is fine.”
I don’t know who’s shaking more, me or her. Her sobs wrack her body and I just hold her tight against me.
“Is Franco—“
“Alive. On the boat. Tied up like a pork tenderloin by now if I know Bryce.”
She sags against me. I pull her down into my lap and just hold her. “I love you, Mia” I rasp. “It’s over. It’s all over.”
She winds her arms around me. Presses kisses to my salt water soaked face and hair. “Thank you for coming for me.”
“I’ll always come for you, Mia. Always.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
One Month Later
Bishop drops a key into my hand as I lick my ice cream cone.
‘What’s this?”
“A surprise.”
I flip the key over and over on the picnic table outside Beach Vibes Cafe. It’s a plain key. Kind of chunky. “I’m clueless.”
He laughs. “Good.” He stands up and holds out a hand for me. “Come on.”
I thread my fingers between his and follow him to the Fiat. We’re on a “date,” so it’s just me and him this afternoon.
The warm sunny air streams into the car and I’m happy as a June bug. And that’s without the surprise key. But I’ll admit I’m intrigued.
Bishop cruises along the beach road, past the pier, then turns up toward the hills. After a few minutes, he turns into a street that’s lined with small warehouse businesses.
“Where in the world are we going?”
He grins. “You’ll see.”
We come to a stop in front of a garage door with the number 146 above it. He looks over with a devilish gleam in his eye. “What are you waiting for, let’s go.”
I’m out and skipping to the door a second later.
“Got the key?”
“I do.”
“Go ahead then.”
I push the key into the lock and twist. The lock clicks easily open. We walk into the dark space. Bishop flips on the lights to reveal a small reception area. “Keep going.”
I giggle, “Alright.” When I push through the second door, I gasp. “What is this place?”
“A gym.”
“No kidding. It’s amazing.” I spin around looking at all the acrobatics equipment. Trapeze, trampolines, bars, ropes, silks.
“It’s pretty nice, I have to say myself.”
“I didn’t know they had something like this in town.”
He smiles. “They didn’t.”
“Can I train here?”
“All you want. It’s yours.”
I search his face, trying to understand what he’s saying. “Yours?”
He nods his head, “Yours, as in belongs to Mia Archer, Acrobat Coach.”
I squeal and leap onto him. “Oh, my god. Mine?”
He plants a kiss on my lips. “Yes, I’m yours and it’s yours too.”
I drop off of him and run through the gym. I bounce onto the big trampoline, flying high into the air as I flip. “I’m the happiest girl in the world. I’m going to teach acrobatics! This is incredible.”
He watches me, his eyes bright with happiness. “Come back down here.”
I hop off the trampoline and dance my way across the floor to him. “You have some explaining to do. How did you do this?”
“Sold the Woody.”
My mouth drops open. “No! You did not.”
“I always intended to sell it. And building the gym for you is the perfect way to spend the money.”
“I love you, Bishop Archer.”
He leans down and brushes his lips across mine. “Now for surprise two.”
“No,” I laugh. “You don’t ever have to surprise me again. This takes the cake.”
He raises his brows, wiggles them. “Are you sure?”
I laugh, “Well, if you’ve already gotten it, I guess.”
Suddenly he drops down on one knee. I’m stunned into silence. In his hand is a beautiful diamond solitaire. “Mia Cataldi Archer, will you be my wife, again?”
I throw my head back and yell into the high ceiling, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
He catches my hand and pulls it to his lips. He kisses along the back of my knuckles. “You just made me the happiest man in the world twice.” He slides the beautiful bright, clear diamond on my finger. It’s perfect. Brilliant red and orange sparks shoot from it catching the light. I’m instantly enamored.
He rises up to his full height, wraps his arms tight around my body, draws me to him. I know what’s coming next and I can’t wait to have the taste of him in my mouth.
He dips me over his arm as he thoroughly owns my mouth with his. It’s amazing. Just like the first time he kissed me. Just like every time he kisses me.
I slide my hands beneath the hem of his t-shirt. “Hey.”
He nips at my lip, “Hey what?”
“Ever made love on a trampoline?”
He laughs, roars. “Nope, but I have a feeling I’m about to.”
“Lock the door?”
“Yes, ma’am. You better be naked by the time I’m back.”
“Don’t you worry about that.”
And I keep my promise. I’m naked, bouncing on the trampoline when he returns.
He sheds his clothes in an instant and walks onto the mat of the trampoline with me. His weight stops the bounce, as he moves toward me. “I love being married to an acrobat.”
“We’re not married yet.” I joke.
“Soon,” he says as he winds his hand into my hair. “In the meantime, I love being engaged to an acrobat.”
“And I love being engaged to a lifeguard.”
He pulls me down onto the canvas of the trampoline. Kisses me hard as he hovers over me. Then he kisses me f
rom head to toe in the most glorious torture ever. Every place his mouth touches sizzles and zings. I’m vibrating with need by the time his mouth finds my clit. I want him to lap and suck there so badly I’m ready to beg for it.
He grabs both of my thighs hard with his big rough hands and flips me over until I’m astride his face.
He sucks hard on my clit as I angle myself just perfectly against him. My head falls back, “Oh god, I love this position.” I close my eyes and enjoy the hot, wet glide of his tongue against me.
He devours me as I bounce gently against him. The trampoline providing just the right amount of rise and fall to the ride.
I love it. And love my crazy, up for anything lover.
“I’m going to come.”
He goes at me harder and soon Bishop has my legs shaking more and more with every lap and swirl and suck. His mouth is soooooo good.
Then he slides his fingers between me and his face, circles my folds before he plunges them into me. I’m suddenly white hot. A burst of light and pleasure.
A shudder races through me. I explode hard. A cry comes from my throat.
Unable to control myself, I tip forward until I’m flat on the mat. He’s on me a second later. Those big hands that I love of his flipping me onto my back. “Enough playing around….”
“If that was playing around, I’m in trouble.”
“You better hold on, babe,” He spreads me wide. His mouth finds mine. And when I expect him to slam into me, he doesn’t. He slides into my folds nice and slow, inch by inch. And it’s perfect.
“I love you.” He says as he reaches my deepest places. “I want to plant my seed here again, and watch it grow.”
“I want that too.”
His deep blue eyes fill with the biggest emotion I’ve ever seen in them. He brushes his lips over mine again, then he starts to move. Really move. He figures out the perfect rhythm of the trampoline. I cling to him and he drives into me. Every cell in my body merges and blends with his. One spirit. One heart.
I glide my hands over his strong body. Savoring every flex and curl of the muscle as he pours his heart and body into satisfying us.
I love him.
More every day.