Hooked (A Romance on the Edge Novel)

by Tiffinie Helmer

  Sonya couldn’t blame Aidan for jumping to that conclusion. It was the direction her thoughts had first traveled. “Aidan didn’t mean anything by it, Peter. He was just following the same line of questions we all have.”

  Peter swung his mad gaze her way. “You think I did this?”

  “No. I know you didn’t. I wish you had left the plug out, because it sure as hell beats the alternative.” Without a doubt, she knew Peter didn’t have a hand in the boat sinking. She wasn’t as sure about the man right in front of her. Hadn’t Aidan warned her that she’d have trouble this summer?

  Peter’s stance relaxed somewhat. He looked at everyone in turn, settling on Garrett. “We need to find this guy.”

  “I plan on it.” Garrett’s statement invited complete confidence that he’d do exactly that.

  “You brought in a fish cop?” Aidan pointed his gaze at Sonya.

  “Trooper.” Garrett’s tone seemed to beg Aidan to say something else derogatory.

  “Aidan,” Sonya interjected before things got any messier, “this isn’t helping.”

  He seemed to get his ire under control. “What can I do to help?”

  “Not much at this point,” Sonya said, “other than keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.”

  “You seem to have a good view of the Savonski’s skiffs from your camp,” Garrett said. “Did you see anything this morning?”

  “No,” Aidan said. “I haven’t seen anything, but then I spent most of the morning catching up on sleep. I’ll keep a watch out now that I know you’ve had trouble.” His gaze landed on her. “You should have come to me first, Sonya.”

  She turned away, uncomfortable with his wounded expression. No matter their history, she didn’t like him hurting.

  “Kids,” Gramps joined the conversation. “The tide’s headed back in. We’d better make for the beach. Peter, let’s get this 4-wheeler moving. I have no plans to get wet.”

  Sonya glanced over her shoulder and gauged the water. It was headed in fast. The tide in Bristol Bay went out in a rush, and returned with a vengeance. One minute you couldn’t see the water, and then it chewed hungrily at your feet.

  “Got it, Gramps.” Peter started the 4-wheeler, but addressed Sonya before he engaged the gear. “Are you going to be okay getting back to camp?”

  Meaning, was she going to be able to get out of the mud? It did warm her heart that her usually infuriating baby brother was concerned over her well-being. “Thanks, Peter. We’ll be right behind you.”

  With a wave, Peter turned the ATV and headed back to camp with Gramps and the outboard engine.

  Sonya tried to lift her feet. Stuck. She glanced behind her to the tide eating up the distance. Don’t panic. Deep breaths. Everything would be fine, she mentally chanted.

  “You really are mud-impaired, aren’t you?” Garrett trudged back to where she wasn’t gaining any ground.

  “Everyone’s got to have one weakness,” she muttered. She should be able to do this, damn it.

  “You have more than one weakness, Sonya,” Garrett murmured, giving her a smile that brought to mind what she’d wanted to do with him earlier. Then he swung her up into his arms. A surprised sound escaped her, followed immediately by a squeal of alarm as Garrett stumbled, the mud grabbing thick at his feet. “Don’t move,” he warned, straining to regain his balance, while at the same time pulling free of the mud.

  She tightened her arms around his neck and held herself very still. “Don’t you dare drop me.”

  “Babe, you go down, I go down.”

  He worked free of the mud, and then fought his way toward the 4-wheeler. Just like any red-blooded woman, she was impressed with the muscle Garrett exhibited as he went all He-Man, carrying her to the safety of her 4-wheeler mount. Sonya tried not to worry about the water coming in like a flood. They needed to move faster, but there was no hurrying through the gelatinous goo. Finally, they reached the 4-wheeler and Garrett set her down on the seat, swiping at his sweaty brow with his arm.

  “Next time, let’s find a more enjoyable strenuous activity to do together.” There was no doubt in her mind to what he was referring to.

  Sonya felt the prick of Aidan’s glare. She glanced over Garrett’s shoulder. Aidan sat like granite astride his ATV. She’d forgotten he was still there. Watching. She flushed hot and then cold.

  Aidan’s dark eyes were fevered with jealousy.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “You’re welcome to stay for dinner, Garrett,” Grams said as she finished filleting a salmon on the bank of the creek below the cabin.

  Sonya stood behind Garrett, and shook her head no, but Grams continued even though Sonya knew she’d seen her. “We’re having teriyaki salmon with rice, and I’ve made a yummy lemon cake for dessert.”

  Gramps and Peter had gone in search of a fifty-gallon drum they could submerge the outboard engine in, hoping to clean out the saltwater. Sonya wished Gramps would just let the engine die.

  “Lemon cake?” Garrett swallowed as though dessert had been awhile.

  “Yes.” Grams nodded with a smile. “Homemade.”

  Garrett groaned. “You don’t play fair. I’ve been living on what amounts to rations since I got here.” He seemed to waver, but then he straightened his shoulders. “Thank you, Mrs. Savonski, but I really need to head back.”

  Sonya breathed a sigh of relief. Another few hours in Garrett’s company and who knew what she’d do. Probably have her way with him. Forget homemade lemon cake, she’d serve herself a slice of Garrett Hunt instead. Then where would she be? Screwed. Not necessarily in a satisfactory way.

  Garrett turned to her, and she jerked her thoughts out of the bedroom. His eyes narrowed as he took in the heat flushing her face. She hoped his cop eyes didn’t read anything into it.

  “I want you to promise to contact me if anything else happens.” His ice-blue stare imprisoned hers.

  She tried to look away. She did not want to make that promise.

  “Sonya.” He sighed as he must have read her intent. “I can’t help, unless you do.”

  Damn, why did he have to look at her like that? Like she meant something to him. He was a fish cop. She was a fisherman. Having casual sex with each other was one thing, but the way she felt, and the way he gazed at her, there wasn’t anything casual happening between them.

  Garrett grasped her hands. “Promise me, Sonya.”

  “Oh, all right. I promise.”

  His lips twitched into a crooked smile. “That wasn’t so hard.”

  She scowled. “The hell it wasn’t.”

  He laughed. The sound did funny things to the rhythm of her heart. Garrett gave her one last look and then said his goodbyes. Sonya watched him climb into his Jeep and drive down the beach.

  Grams came up alongside her and draped an arm over Sonya’s shoulders. “You’re sinking fast, aren’t you?”

  Sonya scoffed. “Grams, he’s a fish cop.”

  She hummed and gave Sonya a knowing smile. “I always did like a man in uniform.”

  As it turned out, so did she.

  Aidan tried to stay away. He really did. He’d been pacing his side of the bluff watching Sonya and that trooper. No matter how he reasoned with himself—using breathing techniques, and visiting his damn screwy happy place—he couldn’t keep away.

  He waited until the fish cop left, and then found Sonya alone on the beach, mending nets. He could hear Nikolai and Peter discussing the best way to tear into the carburetor of the outboard engine, but with the curve of the bluff, he and Sonya might as well have been alone.

  “Why’d you have to bring in a fish cop?” Anger rimmed the edges of his vision, and he couldn’t help his biting tone.

  Sonya swung around, eyes wide in surprise. He’d approached downwind, and she hadn’t heard him. She straightened and gripped the plastic needle she’d been using to patch holes in the net. He knew he was frightening her, a side of him got off on it, the other begged him to rein it in.

/>   “We take care of our own out here, Sonya. Bringing in a trooper will only invite more trouble. The other set netters find out you’re getting cozy with a fish cop, you’ll have a bigger mess than you can clean up.” He took a breath, hoping to calm his temper. “You should have come to me.” That more than anything had his anger at a boiling point. Who was he madder at? Her for not trusting him or himself for ruining that trust?

  “What if one of our own is causing me trouble?” Sonya asked, with a look that accused.

  All the bluster went out of him like a pricked balloon. Of course, she’d think he was the culprit. He’d warned her that her plans would bring trouble. His chosen method of dealing with problems was to fight it out. That was in the past. He would never forget he’d used his fists on her. Seeing things from Sonya’s side, it wasn’t a huge step to believe he’d do something like this.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. How had things between them become so strained? As kids, they’d played together on this very beach. As teenagers, they’d flirted with each other on this beach. Finally, as adults, they’d made love in the tall grass that overlooked this very beach.

  “Sonya, I would never intentionally cause you, or your family, harm.” She looked away from him, and the pain in his chest seemed to stop his heart.

  “Part of me really wants to believe that, Aidan.” She flicked the end of the mending needle, and then faced him again, her gaze full of resolve. “The other part of me remembers what you are capable of when you’re angry.”

  He reached out and took the needle from her fingers and lay it on the net mending frame. Then he held her hand in his, lightly tracing her trim nails. “What will it take to make you forget?”

  Her sad, solemn eyes met his. “I don’t know.”

  When Garrett had boarded the Calypso the night before, he’d filled Judd and Skip in on the incidents that the Savonskis were dealing with. Other than notifying the rest of the troopers to keep theirs ears and eyes out, there wasn’t much they could do. The whole situation stunk. Not having a lead or a suspect to question made him feel like a fish caught in a net. It didn’t help matters that his gut was telling him Sonya’s problems had only begun.

  “Want a Coke?” Judd asked, joining Garrett at the rail.

  Skip was captaining the boat, and listening for any interesting chatter on the VHF, while he and Judd were stationed on deck with binoculars, keeping an eye out for anyone violating the drift opening.

  “Yeah, thanks.” Garrett took the soda Judd offered, flipped the top, and drank deep. He’d prefer a thermos of coffee. He was chilled to the bone and needed to work up some steam.

  The day was overcast. The constant rain had dropped the temperature into the thirties. Any lower and it would snow.

  He’d forgotten how cold a South Naknek summer could be. Fog played on the river, making their job even harder. The AWT planes and helicopters were grounded due to the weather, which left the remaining troopers on the water and shore to police the area. Garrett knew the fishermen were taking advantage of the situation. It was a perfect day to catch fish, by legal means or not.

  “Sonya’s got under your skin, hasn’t she?” Judd casually sipped his Coke while his question hammered into Garrett’s consciousness. “Women have a sneaky way about them. Before we know it we’re smitten.”

  Was he smitten? Of course, he was. Sonya consumed his thoughts, his dreams, hell even his job was being taken over by her. Here he was, scouting for violators and hoping he’d catch sight of the Double Dippin’. She wouldn’t be happy if he “happened” to stop by.

  Probably try and fillet him like a fish with her tongue, which actually wasn’t that bad an image. He shook his head clear of the picture as Judd rambled on.

  “Take Davida for instance,” Judd continued as though not needing confirmation over Garrett’s state of smittenness. “That woman likes to torment me.”

  Garrett felt a bit tormented himself. Sonya was like an itch he couldn’t reach. It was refreshing to concentrate on another man’s woman issues. “Torments you? Do I want to know how?”

  “Nothing like that, unfortunately. I went to see her yesterday when you were off with the Savonskis, and she barely gave me the time of day.” Judd drained his Coke and then crushed the can into a flat disk.

  “Maybe she was busy.”

  “Too busy for me?” Judd scoffed. “She couldn’t get enough of me the last time we were together.”

  “Maybe that was enough for her.” Garrett laughed at the incredulous look Judd sent his way. “Or maybe not.”

  “Definitely not.” He huffed. “You’ve always had a way with women. Heard your code name in the Navy was Orca. You didn’t earn that name from the way you handle a gun. I’ve seen you shoot, so I assume it’s the killer way you have with the ladies.”

  Garrett slid him a glance. Where had Judd picked up that tidbit of information? He’d been nicknamed Orca for the silent way he killed with his hands, not for his way with women. And he sure as hell could shoot a gun. It just wasn’t his weapon of choice.

  “Women are just as much a mystery to me as they are to the next man.” Garrett finished his Coke and showed Judd that he could crush the can with his bare hands too.

  “Well, crap, Hunt. I had high hopes that you’d lead me down the right road. Skip told me to bring her chocolates.”

  Garrett nodded. “Sounds good. I don’t know of a woman who doesn’t like chocolates.”

  “Davida runs the only store this side of Naknek that sells chocolates. I can’t go in there, buy them from her, and then give them to her. How pathetic is that?”

  “Pretty pathetic.” So was this conversation. Whatever happened to men being men? Men did not “talk.” Girls talked. “Try flowers.”

  “Where am I going to get flowers? Do you see a florist anywhere? I’d have to have them flown in from Anchorage, and the State doesn’t pay me that well.”

  Garrett rolled his eyes. “Judd, look around.” He gestured to the surrounding shore, not that they could see it with the draping fog everywhere. “Go and pick her wildflowers.”

  “Hey.” Judd’s whole demeanor brightened. “Now that is a damn good idea. Thanks, Orca.”

  Garrett grabbed Judd’s arm as he lifted his binoculars. “Only SEALs get to call me that.” He met Judd’s surprised gaze. “Got it?”

  “Man, you guys are a breed apart.”

  Garrett released his hold on Judd, knowing he’d received the message loud and clear. “Damn right.”

  “Yo!” Skip hollered through the window of the cabin. “A call just came over the radio. The Double Dippin’ took gunfire, and her captain’s been taken to the Infirmary.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  What had Judd said about SEALs being a tough breed? Knowing that Sonya was hurt had Garrett quaking like an old woman. His pulse pounded until he felt like his heart would beat him to death. He’d had buddies shot down beside him, held one in his arms as he took his last breath, believing his own death would be next, and yet he hadn’t been as afraid as he was right now.

  Skip had powered the Calypso to the cannery and tied up next to the Double Dippin’. The side window of Sonya’s drift boat was blown free. Jagged pieces of glass still stuck in the edges of the broken frame. Blood trailed down the steps from the pilot house, over the rail, and up the ladder to the dock of the cannery.

  “Skip, don’t let anyone besides us board that boat.” Garrett clenched his jaw.

  “You can count on it.”

  He reached for the ladder. Blood was spattered on each rung. His own raced with dread as he climbed. Judd followed him. They didn’t speak as they gained the dock and jumped into the Jeep. He gunned the engine and made for the village, which began on the back side of the cannery.

  The commercial area of South Naknek was about a city block long, with the outlying areas dotted with small houses for the hundred or so residents. It was definitely a place you wouldn’t get lost in. Main Street consisted of a restaurant/bar, t
he Pitt, an old Russian Orthodox Church, fire station, school, library, and Community Center. All were within shouting distance of each other.

  Tires skidded on the dirt road as Garrett brought the Jeep to a rocking stop. He jumped out of the vehicle and hauled open the door to the Community Center, which housed the offices for the village officials, their one village public safety officer—or VPSO— and the Infirmary. If Sonya was seriously hurt they’d need to call in a helicopter. Then he remembered the fog. No flying meant the village doctor was their only option. How trained would the guy be? What if Sonya was hurt worse than the doc could handle?

  Don’t borrow trouble.

  He grabbed the door to the Infirmary and yanked it open. In the waiting room sat Wes, Peter, and Nikolai, their faces drawn and pale.

  “Where is she?” he asked, their solemn expressions making him that more afraid.

  Nikolai pointed to the closed door opposite the bench the three of them occupied.

  “Damn it to hell, Wanda, that hurts!” Sonya hollered from the behind the barrier.

  Garrett nearly dropped to his knees in relief. If she had the energy to yell, she had to be all right. “How’s she doing?” he asked Nikolai.

  A bit of a twinkle entered Nikolai’s worried eyes. “Swearing up a storm. It’s a good thing my Maggie May isn’t here listening to that potty mouth.”

  Garrett took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Judd entered the room, having caught up with him. Garrett made the introductions and then got down to business. “Tell me what happened.”

  “We were pulling in our net when the window to the pilot house exploded,” Nikolai began, worrying the rim of his hat in his hands. “It sounded like a gunshot.”

  “Was Sonya hit?” There’d be a bullet to recover if she was. And, by God, he’d find the gun that matched it.

  “Not by a bullet,” Nikolai answered, “but she was cut up bad by flying glass.”

  “There was blood everywhere,” Peter said in a hushed voice. The kid looked shell-shocked.

  Nikolai patted Peter’s back. “She’s going to be okay, Peter.” By the sounds coming from the exam room, Sonya was holding her own. “That’s one tough sister you got.”