“I don’t know what’s on them, only that I need to get them to the authorities. Oh, and the bag had passports and money for me.” She sighed heavily. “The papers were in a sealed bag, but I lost it when I crashed next to Zack’s island. The flash drive must’ve had a tracking device on it. Zack hid it on a lady who was taking the ferry to the mainland, and Bello’s men followed it. That’s why we need to get back to Zack’s island and find the packet. Hopefully, it’s right by where I crashed.”
Brooks ran a hand through his hair. He looked from Maddie to Zack, then pursed his lips together. “So, this Bello could still be looking for you on my island once he realizes that you ditched the flash drive? It doesn’t sound like he’ll give up that easily.”
Maddie’s golden skin seemed to blanch. “Yes,” she whispered.
“We need to get moving.” Brooks stood and started calling out names and commands. Zack nodded his agreement as Brooks instructed José to go to the yacht club and make sure the boat was stocked with gas, water, and food. There was no reason to take Zack’s yacht that the pirates could recognize. A few other men were instructed to go scout Cozumel and see if they could find Bello and his men. Maddie gave them as many names and descriptions of the pirates as she could.
Brooks finished his instructions and sat down. “Now, we wait.” He drummed his fingers on the table, ate a few bites, then stood. “I hate waiting.”
Zack couldn’t help the gut-rumbling laughter that came out. Maddie smiled at him. It felt good after all the stress of the past few hours. He was glad they’d come to Brooks. Maddie’s safety was worth the worry over Brooks stealing her.
* * *
Maddie suppressed a laugh at Brooks’ nervous energy as he paced the patio and threw out questions to her. She quickly forgot her mirth as the seriousness of the situation pressed down on her. Thank heavens for Zack and Brooks’ willingness to help. Once again, a man she barely knew was turning his life upside down to protect her.
She blinked back a few tears. She’d never been a crier and was hard pressed to think of times when she’d wanted to sit down and bawl, but this was all pretty overwhelming.
“Did you get enough to eat?” Brooks gestured to her near-empty plate.
“Yes, thank you, it was wonderful.”
“Good, good. Let’s go into my office and plan.” He gestured to the doorway. Zack took Maddie’s hand, and Brooks followed them through the main floor, their feet tapping on the slate flooring.
As they settled into his plush office chairs, Maddie couldn’t help but gush out, “You two are doing so much for me. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“Just don’t cry.” Brooks pulled a face. “We never know how to deal with a crying woman. And give us lots of kisses of gratitude.”
Zack emitted a low growl. His hand tightened over hers. “She’ll be giving me all the kisses of gratitude.”
Maddie quivered at the thought.
“You’re going to be in even more debt to me, then.” Brooks winked at Maddie.
“Me in debt to you or Zack in debt to you?” Maddie asked.
“Zack. If you’re not willing to kiss me, there’s nothing else I want from you.”
Maddie wasn’t sure if she should be offended. “I didn’t say I wasn’t willing to kiss you.”
“Oh?” Brooks’ eyebrows arched up.
Zack wrapped his arm around Maddie and pulled her closer. “Believe me; you don’t want to kiss him.”
Maddie glanced into his dark eyes and gave her best innocent expression. “Why not?”
“Because I’m a much better kisser.” To prove his point, he captured her lips with his own while Brooks hollered in the background. Maddie couldn’t hear a thing Brooks said as Zack’s arms and smell surrounded her, and his kisses took away all the stress and worry of the past day. He finally pulled back, grinning at her.
“Okay, that’s enough of that garbage,” Brooks harrumphed. “Kissing in front of me when I’ve got no woman to give me comfort. Here I am, this perfect specimen, and I’ve been bested by my little bro.”
Maddie laughed and leaned against Zack’s chest. She’d take kissing Zack as payment for their help any day. She didn’t want to kiss Brooks, yet Maddie couldn’t help but like him. He was over the top, but he was genuine. He seemed to want to shock her, but he wasn’t leering at her like Bello and his men did.
“Are you a bodybuilder?” she asked Brooks, referring to his comment of being the perfect specimen.
Zack and Brooks exchanged a look, and Brooks laughed. “She likes my physique more than yours, little bro,” Brooks insisted.
“No, actually, I like Zack’s better. Yours is too … much.” Everything about Brooks was too much, but he was growing on her. She liked laughing, and he definitely made her laugh, but Zack was more attractive and intriguing to her.
Zack released one arm from her waist and flexed. “Move aside. She likes me better.”
“I should hope so. She is your woman.”
“I wish,” Zack said.
Maddie’s gaze widened. She wasn’t even close to being Zack’s woman. Besides the few kisses they’d shared, they had no kind of relationship. She hardly knew him, and after they made it to America, she probably wouldn’t see him again. The thought saddened her.
Brooks’ phone rang. He listened for a second, gave a few more commands, and hung up. “Let’s go. They’re ready for us.”
They hurried out the front doors and loaded into a black Hummer. A driver dropped them off at the same yacht club where Zack’s boat was moored. Maddie was edgy, searching everywhere for signs of Bello or his men. If they’d returned from following the ferry and that poor woman who had the flash drive in her bag, they could be anywhere, and she thought the place to house yachts would be their first stop.
A young man escorted them up a ramp and onto a beautiful yacht. It was larger than Zack’s, but not as big as her father’s. Brooks thanked all his men, palmed them each some money, and rushed them off the boat. Maddie was semi-surprised that he didn’t keep some of them around to serve him. He seemed to like people serving him.
He settled into the captain’s chair, and Maddie and Zack sat down on a cushioned bench next to him. Maddie searched the boat docks behind them, but no one was running after them in pursuit. As Brooks maneuvered the boat out into the ocean and increased the speed, she finally felt her shoulders lower and her hands unclench. Bello hadn’t found her.
“Just the three of us?” she asked.
“Yes. Zack can spell off piloting with me and cooking us food.” Brooks winked at her.
“I can also drive,” she offered.
“You don’t drive a yacht like this, love; you pilot it.”
Maddie nodded. Her father had probably told her that.
“No cooking for you?” Brooks laughed.
“I make a mean Ramen noodle.”
“That’s why you like him, because he can cook?” Brooks gestured to Zack. “I can order people to cook delicacies that make Zack’s meals look like dog food.”
Zack glanced at her. Maddie smiled shyly at him, not sure how to tell Brooks Zack’s cooking ability was not why she was drawn to him. “This is a beautiful boat.”
“You like my little Ferretti, eh? It’s not as fast as Zack’s Butterfly, but every bit as luxurious, and I’ve done a few modifications to up the speed.”
Maddie had been around boys who bragged about how fast their car could go or how big their truck tires were, but she was completely out of her element with these two men, who had to be millionaires, or maybe even billionaires, with no one but themselves to spend it on. Zack was quite different from Brooks, though. He didn’t brag. He was simply himself, and that was more than enough.
Zack squeezed her arm. “Do you want to go lie down for a little while and take a nap? It’ll take us about four hours to get back home, and then almost twenty-four hours to get to Key West.”
Maddie swallowed, her heart thumping faster. Was Zack
suggesting she lie down by herself or with him? Rather than try to clarify, she said, “I’m okay. You can go rest if you want.”
He shook his head, his eyes cutting to his friend. “I’m not leaving you alone with him.”
“He doesn’t want to risk me stealing you away with all this charm.” Brooks gestured to himself and winked.
“Lucky for Zack, I find you hilarious but not one bit charming.”
Zack was the one laughing now as Brooks feigned a pain in his chest. “That was vicious. If I’m not impressive to you, I will just stop talking and become a chauffeur.”
“I don’t think you could stop talking,” Maddie challenged with a raised eyebrow.
Zack squeezed her arm. “No way he could. Can you imagine Brooks taking a vow of silence?”
“I could,” Brooks insisted.
“Ha. You’ve already failed.” The small island of Cozumel fell behind them with no sign of any yachts following. Maddie relaxed even further, feeling light and happy and safe with Zack and Brooks.
“That wasn’t a fair contest. I will start my vow of silence … now!” Brooks focused on steering the yacht and wouldn’t look at the two of them.
“Oh, this is going to be nice,” Zack said. He leaned against the cushions and closed his eyes. “I’ll just take a nap and enjoy the quiet.”
“No.” Maddie inclined close to his side and put her feet up. Her eyes felt heavy too. “We have to tempt him into talking.”
Brooks shook his head. His mouth was set in a tight line.
“Not sure if I want to do that.” Zack leaned close to her and his lips brushed along her forehead.
Maddie shivered from his touch. She inched a bit closer. Zack lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. She leaned into him and glanced up at his handsome face. “You can tell me all about him while he takes his vow of silence. Why does he live in Cozumel when he’s obviously American? How did he become so full of himself?”
Brooks smirked but didn’t take the bait.
“Oh, the first one’s easy,” Zack said. “He hides away in Cozumel because he was sick of being rejected by all the women in California.”
“I have never been rejected by a woman,” Brooks spit out.
They both started laughing.
Brooks smiled and shook his head. “So I’m not very good at silence, and besides Maddie here, I am rarely rejected by women.”
“Rarely?” Zack shook his head. “I think we define that word differently, my friend.”
Maddie listened to them tease each other. Feeling content and safe in Zack’s arms, she let her eyes drift closed a few times. What seemed like minutes later, Zack sat up and it startled her. He held on to her and helped her stand. Her legs felt a little wobbly.
“Good thing that I’m here, or you two would’ve just slept the trip away and ended up who knows where?” Brooks teased from the captain’s chair.
“Where are we?” Maddie asked, stifling a yawn. The ocean was dark around them. How long had she slept?
“Home.” Zack squeezed her waist, then released her and pointed out the front windows.
The lights of his island glowed like a welcoming beacon. Maddie’s heart leapt at the thought of home, a home with Zack. No, that was crazy. Her next thought was fear. “What if Bello left some men here?”
Zack actually laughed like he didn’t have a fear in the world and pointed at Brooks. “That’s why we brought him along.”
Zack took the wheel from Brooks, who rushed down below. He returned several minutes later with a large rifle thing and a pistol and strapping a knife onto his leg. Maddie instinctively backed away.
“He tells the story of how we met wrong,” Zack said. “He saved me single-handedly. He’s an expert in hand-to-hand combat, but he’s not bad with a semi-automatic either.”
“Or a pistol, knife, sniper’s rifle, and I’ve been known to hold my own with sabers as well.” Brooks flashed her his now-familiar overconfident smile.
Maddie was glad Brooks was on their side. “Who trained you in all of that?”
“That is a story for late at night when I’m feeling nostalgic, stupid, and someone’s slipped something in my drink.” He shot a glance at Zack.
Zack held up his hands. “Wasn’t me.”
Maddie found herself laughing at the two of them, despite the pressure of fear that Bello or his men might’ve stayed here or come back. If she had a brother, she imagined he would’ve been similar to Brooks, and she would’ve loved him. She glanced at Zack. No brotherly feelings for that man; she was all tied up in too much tingle and heat to want to be any blood relation.
Zack guided the boat into his harbor, and Brooks jumped off and secured the lines. “You two sleepyheads stay here and smooch a little more. I’ll be back when I have the all-clear.”
“What if you don’t come back?” Maddie couldn’t help but say it, the words almost choking her with concern for him and for them if they didn’t have Brooks protecting them.
“Then you sail your butts out of here, go get my men, and come back with an army.” He grinned. “Don’t worry, little one. I’ll come back.” He jogged down the dock, stopping to tap in a code on the door Maddie and Zack had used to escape. Had that only been this morning? It felt like a lifetime.
Maddie glanced at Zack. He turned off the motor, which had cooled down, and got off to check the lines. He came back a few seconds later, took one look at her face, and opened his arms. She fell against him. “I feel like we should go with him,” she said.
“I know, but I’ve learned to trust him.” He chuckled. “I made the mistake of trailing him once and almost cost us both our lives. You know what he told me?”
She shook her head against his solid chest.
“He said—” Zack mimicked Brooks’ lilting tones: “‘You are a runner and a cook. When I need either of those things, I will invite you along. Don’t bug me when I’m fighting. I fight alone.’” He laughed softly. “He really will be okay. He’s a one-man ninja team with lots of weapons.”
Time ticked by slowly as Zack watched the dock, and Maddie listened intently for any kind of disturbance. She had no clue how much later Brooks appeared out of the dark at the other end of the dock. He jogged toward them, grinning. “Nobody home to greet me. What a bummer.”
Maddie sighed. Thank heavens. They waited while Brooks grabbed a few things, then walked up the steps and entered the house through the back patio. It felt so good to be here.
Brooks thumped Zack on the back. “Now, you slept the evening away while I got us here safe. I’m going to set up the command center and alarms. You take first watch, and I’ll try to sleep.” He glanced at his watch. “Wake me up at three a.m., and then you can get a few hours in before we find this packet and set sail again.”
Zack nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
“What’s the command center?” Maddie asked.
Brooks’ eyes lit up. “Only the greatest room ever built into a house.”
“The man who built this house was a bit paranoid,” Zack added.
“Paranoid!” Brooks interrupted. “Smart, my friend. Brilliant. A visionary! Don’t disgrace his ingenuity by undermining it. You can never be too cautious.”
Zack inclined his head to Brooks and pumped his eyebrows at his friend. “The man who built this house was a visionary. He installed cameras and sensors all around the island with a room for monitoring them. If everything is turned on, we’ll have an alert every time a dolphin surfaces or a larger-than-normal wave breaks. It’s more than a little annoying. I never turn it on unless Brooks is here.”
“It’s a beautiful thing.” Brooks sighed, a grin on his face.
Maddie laughed, but was reassured that they would know if the pirates were coming. “What should I do to help?”
Brooks’ eyes travelled over her. “You could come snuggle me to help me sleep …”
“Brooks,” Zack warned.
Maddie shook her head. “In your unfulfilled fan
tasies.”
Brooks chuckled. “Ah, no. I was afraid that would be your answer. You can keep my boy company or get some more sleep yourself. Au revoir.”
He carried his weapons and bag off down the hallway.
Zack rolled his eyes. “I used to apologize for him, but we’ve been friends too long. I hope he doesn’t offend you.”
“No. Feels like an annoying older brother.”
Zack smiled. “Good. Do you want to go rest?”
“I don’t think I could sleep after that nap. I’ll sit up with you.”
Zack fidgeted with his hands for a minute. The air hung with an awkwardness that hadn’t been between them since they’d met. They had hours to kill until daylight, when they could look for the package, and Maddie didn’t know what they’d do with all that time. She wouldn’t mind snuggling like they’d done on Brooks’ boat and talking the hours away, but Zack seemed uncomfortable. Had she been acting too familiar with him, and now he wanted to slow things down? He’d told her that he didn’t like women coming on to him. She hated the thought of reversing the level of intimacy they’d found in the past day, but she didn’t want to make Zack feel pressured to hold her or assume they had a relationship when they didn’t.
He gestured toward the couches. “Sit, please. Or you’re welcome to use the room you had last night if you want to sleep or shower, or whatever.” He looked away. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
Maddie watched him go, then went to her suite and used the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and tried to improve her appearance a little bit. What she wouldn’t give for some lipstick.
She wandered back into the living room, but Zack wasn’t there yet. Taking her time, she looked at the pictures on the shelves. She’d guess his mom, sister, brother-in-law, and niece were in most of them. His mom was a stately blonde, maybe of Scandinavian descent. His sister was a beautiful version of Zack with lots of black curly hair and a refined, gorgeous face. Her husband was tall and redheaded, a great contrast to Zack and the sister’s milk-chocolate skin. The niece was absolutely adorable. Tons of dark hair curled around her pixie face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and intelligence in every picture with her parents. Those same eyes seemed wizened and sad in more recent pictures. How did a child deal with losing both parents? Maddie had just lost one parent, who she’d never been close to, and it still felt a little tender.
Caribbean Rescue (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 8