by Paige Tyler
Her smile faltered as she realized that she and Dalton had never gotten a chance to talk about the kind of relationship she wanted him to have with his daughter, how they felt about each other, how Kimber had fallen for him all over again. It hurt that he wouldn’t know how much she loved him. Had always loved him.
But at least Emma would have him in her life now. That was important, especially if Kimber didn’t make it home.
She was blinking back tears when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see Li Jun coming onto the deck, a large handgun in one hand. Kimber’s heart pounded at the cold look in his eyes. This was it. The man had come up here to kill her.
She eyed the railing, calculating how many steps it would take to get to it. If she darted now—before they expected it— would she make it?
Dennis must have figured out what Li Jun intended as well because he took a step forward, holding up his hand. “This isn’t necessary. We can hold onto her until we reach Mexico. We’ll be long gone before she can tell anyone.”
Li Jun didn’t comment. Didn’t even blink an eye. He simply lifted the handgun and shot Dennis three times in the chest.
Kimber was so shocked that she didn’t even scream, not even as Dennis slumped to the deck without uttering a sound.
Finally snapping out of it, she ran forward and dropped down beside Dennis, praying he was okay, but knowing he wasn’t. Her fears were confirmed when she rolled him onto his back. Dennis was dead.
She looked around, hoping a nearby boat might have heard the gunshots. But there wasn’t another craft within a quarter mile of them. No one had heard anything.
Kimber turned Jasper’s way to see him running toward the stern of the ship. He disappeared around a corner just as Li Jun fired several shots at him. She had no idea where her former boss thought he was going. It was a big yacht, but not that big. Apparently, Li Jun thought the same thing since he ignored Jasper and turned to her, the gun coming back up.
Kimber jumped to her feet, ready to throw herself overboard, but before she could, there was a crashing sound. A split second later, the yacht shuddered and bucked. She fell, hitting the deck hard.
Gunshots sounded from somewhere on the stern of the yacht just as a long speedboat pulled up beside them. Li Jun threw himself sideways as a spray of bullets ripped apart the railing. He barely hit the ground before more gunfire echoed from the direction of the wheelhouse. It took Kimber a moment to realize what was happening, but then she realized that the Asian and the captain were fighting.
The yacht suddenly sped up, swerving back and forth in the water. If Kimber hadn’t already been lying on the deck, she would have gotten thrown there. She pushed herself up on her hands, trying to see what the hell was going on. She only got a glimpse of the person driving the speedboat as it zipped past, but it was enough for her to recognize Holden.
Kimber’s pulse spiked again, not in fear this time, but relief. If Holden was there, then so was Dalton.
That was when it hit her. Holden had slammed the speedboat into the side of the yacht so Dalton could jump aboard. He’d come to rescue her!
Li Jun was so focused on Holden and the speedboat he didn’t see Kimber scramble to her feet and race towards the stern. She was going to find Dalton and get the hell off this boat!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
KIMBER RAN AS fast as she could, but it was difficult with the yacht twisting and churning through the water like it was out of control. That could only mean the captain was no longer steering. That couldn’t be good. She kept going anyway, sure that Li Jun would be coming after her any second, but it was all she could do to keep from getting tossed overboard.
She’d almost reached the stern when someone burst out one of the doors and right into her, almost knocking her over the railing. He got his feet back under him faster than she did, grabbing her arm before she could get away. Kimber tried to get out of his grasp, but it was no good. The Asian was too strong.
Then in a single breath, Dalton was there, racing down the stairs from the wheelhouse deck at full speed and slamming into the man, forcing him away from her. There was a thud as they hit the deck, followed by a gunshot. Kimber screamed, sure Dalton had gotten shot. But then there was a flurry of movement as Dalton and the man punched and kicked at each other, both fighting for an advantage.
As fast as it started, it was over. Dalton caught the Asian man in the knee with his booted foot. There was a crack, followed by a shout of pain. Then Dalton shot the man twice in the chest. The whole thing happened so fast, Kimber could barely comprehend what she’d seen. That didn’t stop her from running to Dalton and throwing herself into his arms.
But instead of hugging her like she expected him to do, he grabbed her and dragged her into the stairwell alcove just as bullets thumped into the deck where they’d been standing. She didn’t even have time to thank him before Dalton urged her up the steps. Before they even reached the top, he gave her a shove that sent her flying. She hit the deck just in time to see him lunging at Li Jun. Crap, she hadn’t even realized the man had been on their heels.
Dalton and Li Jun crashed to the deck below, rolling out of sight.
Kimber started to run back downstairs, refusing to let Dalton fight alone, but then something ahead of the yacht caught her attention, freezing her in place.
Directly in their path, a few hundred feet away, was a huge tower of jagged rock, with several smaller pillars to either side. She’d seen them hundreds of times as she’d driven north to the Golden Gate Bridge and always thought they were so spectacular. Now that the yacht was heading straight for them, they looked menacing. They were going to crash into the rocky shore at full speed.
Knowing they only had seconds to get off the boat, Kimber raced down the steps.
Dalton and Li Jun were rolling around on the deck, locked in battle, both of them fighting for their lives. Each had a hand around the other’s gun, desperate to keep their opponent’s weapon pointed anywhere but at them. And there was no way to help without getting in the way.
“Dalton, we’re about to crash into shore!” she shouted.
While Dalton might be physically stronger, Li Jun was incredibly fast, and his fist caught Dalton in the jaw and chest in rapid succession. Dalton ignored the blows, but she knew they had to hurt. He was already bleeding from cuts across his brow and cheek, and she knew that even a single hit in a sensitive area like the throat could incapacitate him.
Somehow, Dalton got to his feet before that happened. Unfortunately, the fight only got more intense as he and Li Jun interspersed punches with kicks. Kimber moved toward them, determined to help, but unable to ignore the presence of the rocky shoreline getting closer and closer with every passing second.
Suddenly, a gun bounced across the deck toward her. She immediately lunged for it, getting her hands around the grip. Spinning around, she aimed at Li Jun. Or tried to, at least. Dalton and Li Jun were moving too fast for her to have much chance of hitting him. Pulse racing, she moved the barrel of the weapon slightly to the side and pulled the trigger, praying she didn’t hit Dalton.
Li Jun flinched as the bullet struck the wall inches from his head. Dalton pounced on the opportunity, breaking away long enough to lean back and deliver a solid kick to the center of Li Jun’s chest. The man flew backward through the glass door into the interior of the yacht and hitting the deck hard.
Kimber expected Dalton to follow, but instead, he grabbed her hand and sprinted toward the boat’s railing, taking them both over the side before she even realized what he was doing.
She barely remembered to hold her breath as they plunged into the cold water and sunk deep, the yacht’s huge turbine blades churning up the depths around them as it passed. Dalton’s grip on her hand broke and she immediately panicked, terrified she was going to lose him. She was still sinking when she felt, more than heard, a boom above her.
She kicked her legs, spinning around, and saw a flash of light on the surface of th
e water as the yacht crashed into the shore. The explosion felt like a punch in the chest through the water and what little air she had in her lungs whooshed out. She swallowed water and immediately started to choke.
She flailed wildly, trying to swim up to the surface, but the current was too strong. She was going to drown.
Suddenly, Dalton’s strong arm was around her waist and he was dragging her upward. Kimber sucked in a grateful breath as they broke the surface. It felt so good to be able to breathe again.
Still sheltered in Dalton’s arms as pieces of debris from the yacht littered the water all around them, she pushed her long, wet hair out of her face and looked toward the shore. What was left of the boat was shoved up on the rocky shore, burning even as it slowly sunk into the water. Crap, another five seconds and she and Dalton would be dead like everyone else on there.
“Are you okay?” Dalton asked urgently, spinning her around and trying to keep her head above the water while at the same time checking her for injuries.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him hard. She almost drowned both of them, but she didn’t care. She and Dalton were together. That was all that mattered.
He returned her kiss just as fiercely, keeping them both afloat simply by kicking his powerful legs. When he pulled away a little while later, it was to regard her with concern. “When I saw Cole’s yacht leaving the dock with you standing on deck, I thought I was too late. Even after Holden and I grabbed that speedboat and came after you, I was sure I’d missed the chance to save the woman I love.”
Dalton said something else, but she missed what it was because she was focused on that one word. The only word she cared about hearing.
“You love me?”
Kimber wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. She was so happy right then, she thought she might explode.
He grinned, tugging her closer. “Hell, yes, I love you. With all my heart and soul. I always have. I admit, it took me a little while to figure it out because I can be kind of slow, but I finally realized the only time I’m truly happy is when I’m with you and Emma. I wanted to tell you the other day, but I was scared that if I did, you’d run away again.”
“I’m never running anywhere again unless it’s with you,” she promised, kissing him again, more gently this time. “I love you and that means my place is with you.”
“Even though I’m a SEAL and even though I live in San Diego?”
The words were tentative, as if he was worried she was going to change her mind.
All it took was one look at Jasper Cole’s boat, and she knew she sure as hell wasn’t going back to work at JASCO. Even if she could have, it wouldn’t matter. Her future was with Dalton, wherever that might be.
“I know you’re a SEAL and I’d never want to change that.” Her heart squeezed in her chest at how much she loved him. “If being with you means moving to San Diego, that’s exactly where Emma and I want to be. I don’t care where we live as long as we’re together.”
She moved to kiss him, but he pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her. “I’m not merely asking you to come to San Diego and move in with me. I want more than that. I want us to be a family…forever.”
Her pulse skipped a beat. “You mean…?”
He nodded. “Yes. I’m asking you to marry me, Kimber. I’d drop to one knee right now if I could, but I can’t. Not without drowning. I’m serious. Will you marry me?”
Tears ran down her face, mixing with the saltwater still dripping from her soaking wet hair as she nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I should have married you five years ago instead of running away. I’m ready to do it now and start making up for lost time.”
Dalton kissed her again, his tongue slipping into her mouth as he fitted her even more snuggly against him. Kimber couldn’t believe he could hold her like that and still keep the two of them afloat, but she sure as hell wasn’t complaining. After five years, they were finally going to be together.
They were still making out when Kimber heard the distinct drone of a boat engine. She tried ignoring it, but it only got louder. Reluctantly pulling away from Dalton, she looked over to see Holden grinning down at them from a speedboat.
“You guys want a lift or should I give you some privacy and head for the nearest dock without you?” he asked.
Dalton gave her a look that suggested he’d much prefer to stay right where they were. Kimber wouldn’t have minded that, but she could already hear the sounds of sirens coming from the shoreline. The next few hours were going to be insane as they tried to explain all this to the cops, not to mention the CIA.
“I guess we’d better go,” she said reluctantly. “The sooner we answer the authorities’ questions, the sooner we can get home and start planning our new life together.”
That brought a smile to Dalton’s face and after another quick kiss, he helped her into the speedboat. Then he was beside her, wrapping her in his strong arms and reminding her just how happy she was.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KIMBER SMILED AS Emma and Erika, the daughter of one of Dalton’s SEAL teammates, played together on the floor under the new kitchen table with their collection of Monster High dolls. Even though Erika was a few years older than Emma, they got along well, something Kimber was extremely grateful for. It had definitely made the move down to San Diego much easier for her daughter to handle. Not that Emma had made much of a fuss about moving. She’d been understandably bummed to leave her grandma and grandpa, but the idea of living with her father and exploring a whole new city full of zoos and aquariums had been more than enough to cheer her up.
“We should have had this party outside,” Dalton said as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her back against him. “Our daughter has to play under the kitchen table to keep from being stepped on, and we don’t have nearly enough chairs.”
Kimber laughed and rested her arms on his, intertwining her fingers with his as she tilted her head to look back at him. “Our daughter is playing under the table because that’s what little kids do. And we couldn’t have the party outside because it’s a housewarming. That means you need to have it indoors. Besides, everyone is having a good time, even if they have to sit on the floor. So, stop worry about everything and be glad we didn’t try to do this in your old apartment or your teammates would be sitting in each other’s laps.”
Dalton chuckled. “True that.”
When she and Emma had first moved down there three weeks ago, the plan had been for them to move into Dalton’s place, but it had quickly become apparent his small one-bedroom apartment wasn’t going to work. While Emma was giddy at the idea of sleeping on the couch in the living room in front of the huge TV and game console, it hadn’t been practical. Emma needed her own bedroom, preferably one that wasn’t ten feet away from her mom and dad’s. Kimber and Dalton had five years of wasted time to make up for. It was hard being quiet all the time.
Dalton had waxed poetically about losing his bachelor pad, but in the end, he’d fallen in love with their new three-bedroom house in the Azalea-Hollywood Park area as much as she had. She liked the extra bedroom and the nearby elementary school. He liked the big backyard and the awesome playground a block away. It met all their needs and was close to Coronado and the tech firm Kimber would be starting work at in another week. They couldn’t have asked for a more perfect place for them to start their new lives.
She and Dalton were still standing to one side of the living room when Holden came over.
“Did you hear anything from the Feds up in San Francisco yet?” he asked. “I saw a news exposé about JASCO last night that implied Jasper Cole might not have died in that crash. Is that possible?”
Dalton shrugged, his mouth tightening. “They never found Cole’s body, so anything is possible. Then again, there are a lot of people from that yacht who are unaccounted for, including Li Jun Huang, two of his troops, and the captain. The feds and the local police think currents washed their bodi
es out of the bay and into the ocean, but that’s just a guess.”
Kimber shuddered at the thought of the man who’d tried to kill her still out there somewhere. It was Dalton’s theory that if Jasper was still alive, he had no interest in her any longer. She’d simply been a means to an end for him. Dalton was probably right, but that didn’t stop her from having nightmares anyway.
“What’s going to happen to JASCO?” Holden asked. “Any chance it’s going to stay in business?”
“I doubt it,” she said. “Jasper did a number on the company’s finances long before the Chinese figured out what he was doing. There were problems with 401k contributions, design patents sold to multiple buyers, equipment never paid for—the list of problems is endless. I can’t imagine anyone bothering to keep JASCO going when it would be easier to hire the people who worked there and start over.”
They were still talking about her coworkers at JASCO when Felicia Bradford came by with an excited look on her face. The fiancée of one of Dalton’s teammates, as well as a fantastic wedding planner, Felicia was quickly becoming her new best friend in San Diego, mostly because they were spending so much time together planning her own nuptials to Dalton.
“Two words,” Felicia said, holding her hands up in the universal sign for wait for it. “Napa Valley.”
Kimber exchanged looks with Dalton before turning back to her friend. “You found a place in Napa where we can hold the wedding on short notice?”
Kimber knew it was crazy trying to pull off a wedding in the middle of a move to a new city and a new home, all while getting Emma settled in a new school and her situated in a new job, but she and Dalton didn’t want to wait. They’d wasted five years and they didn’t want to waste another minute if they could help it.
But even though she wanted the wedding to happen ASAP, Kimber still wanted a standard fairytale wedding with a beautiful church, an outdoor reception, and a perfect honeymoon.