by Karen Kirst
“I’ll add ties around their ankles. They won’t be a threat.”
“Fine. Hurry up.”
Sergei motioned with his gun. Julian descended the stairs first. Audrey’s nerves stretched thin as she followed him down into the dim galley area. It was smaller than her apartment kitchen. The ceiling hovered too close to her head. Her breathing became shallow.
Julian turned and shot her a look, but she couldn’t decipher it in the faint light. A single bulb above the stove did little to dispel the shadows.
Both brothers entered the galley. Sasha hung back, his gun trained on them, while Sergei ordered them on the floor and placed zip ties around their ankles. They returned to the deck and slammed the door at the top of the stairs shut. Seconds later, the engine’s rumble shook the floor beneath her.
Her throat began to close up.
Julian rolled onto his side, facing her. “Breathe, Audrey.”
“Is this a bad time to tell you I’m a terrible swimmer?”
He was silent a beat. “On the off chance we wind up in the water, just remember to pedal like you’re on a bicycle. When you get tired, float on your back.”
“With restraints on?”
Maneuvering onto his knees, he used his mouth to pull the ties around his wrists tighter, and then he brought his arms up and down in one fluid motion, snapping the locking mechanism.
“How did you do that?”
“I’ll explain later.”
He flicked on an overhead light and rummaged through the drawers until he located a knife. The yacht’s speed increased, which meant they were leaving civilization behind.
“How long do you think we have?” she asked, watching as he sawed through the tie around his ankles.
“Could be a half hour or more. Depends on how much boat traffic is out tonight. Hold out your wrists.” He made short work of freeing her. When he helped her to stand, she fought the impulse to cling to him, to find solace in his arms. There was no softness in him at the moment. The overhead light cast his features in sharp, statue-like relief. He was in survival mode, as she should be.
“What’s your plan?”
Peering out of the lone, skinny window, he eyed the horizon. “You stay put while I deal with the twins.”
The vessel hit rough water, and the floor dipped and swayed. Audrey clutched the marble counter for balance. His path toward the stairs brought him to where she stood.
Putting a hand on his chest, she peered into his face. “Isn’t there anything I can do to help? Create a distraction?”
Sighing, he gingerly smoothed her hair behind her ear and trailed his fingers to rest against the side of her nape. “You can help by staying out of sight so I won’t worry about you.”
The unexpected caress scattered chill bumps across her shoulders. She realized her error in judgment. Julian wasn’t an emotionless robot. He’d simply mastered the ability to bury his feelings. Did he care about her? Or was this merely a bid for redemption? A chance to assuage misplaced guilt?
“You expect me to do all the worrying, huh?”
“I’ll be back in five minutes.” Placing the knife into her hand, he said, “Lock yourself in the cabin and wait for me.”
She tried to give it back. “You’ll need this.”
Shaking his head, he strode for the stairs. He stopped halfway up. “Audrey, go.”
“Yes, Sergeant.”
Checking her watch, she did as he instructed. But imagining what might be happening above deck was torture. Julian had suffered physical and emotional trauma and was deep in the grief process. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if he got injured while she was cowering in the sleeping quarters.
With a death grip on the knife, she left the minuscule space and climbed the stairs. Audrey eased the door open. The seating area was empty, of course. She hadn’t expected the brothers to be lounging around eating chocolate-covered strawberries. Her stomach rumbled. She’d missed Lincoln and Chasity’s elegant dinner. The couple must be confused and upset over her and Julian’s disappearance.
She offered up a silent request for protection. Moonlight glinted off the water. The glittering shoreline was growing smaller. A fine mist coated her skin as she rounded the corner and navigated the narrow walkway leading to the bridge. The sound of the bow slicing through waves prevented her from hearing what was happening up ahead. She crept closer to the opening in the bulkhead on her right.
When she finally reached the bridge, the sight of Julian facing off against the hulking twins made her gasp.
Blood trickled from a slash on his cheek as he ducked Sergei’s fist and twisted out of Sasha’s reach. Spinning around with the grace of a seasoned martial artist, he landed a kick to Sergei’s ribs. The man doubled over. His brother lunged again for Julian and managed to seize his injured arm. Seeing Julian’s wince, the giant locked on with both hands and squeezed.
Audrey didn’t think about consequences. She charged into the fray, managing to get an arm locked around Sasha’s neck. She tugged with all her might.
“Audrey, no!”
Sasha flung her off with little effort. She glanced off a fixed chair on her way to the floor. Sergei advanced. She scrambled backward.
Too little, too late. He yanked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. A few strides later, she felt herself flying backward. She opened her mouth to scream. Icy black water swallowed her whole. The shock caused her to freeze. She began to sink.
Bicycle. Think bicycle.
Locking onto the memory of Julian’s advice and his utter calm under fire, she tamped down the rising panic and moved her arms and legs in a methodical pattern. Her head broke through the surface, and she gulped in cold air. Scraping the hair out of her eyes, she saw the boat skimming through the waves, leaving her alone in the vast sea.
* * *
Julian prided himself on his ability to maintain control, no matter the situation. It’s what he’d been trained to do. Forget emotion and focus on the task at hand. Fear, disgust, worry—they weakened him. He’d heeded his instructors and mentors and learned to sift through his experiences after the fact. Postsituational purging, they had called it.
Audrey was the wild card. The unknown variable that obliterated objective, logical thought.
The instant Sergei had put his hands on her, a switch flipped inside him. Rage channeling through his veins, Julian struck Sasha’s windpipe at the precise angle to induce unconsciousness. He didn’t wait to see him hit the deck. Spinning, he met Sergei’s advance head-on, grabbing the man’s collar and pulling him close before he slammed his upper body into the glass windshield. Another perfectly aimed jab rendered him useless.
Julian jumped to the controls, located the throttle and slowed the engine. Guiding the vessel in a sharp U-turn, he began the painstaking search.
Audrey needs You, God. Protect her. Please.
Lead me to her.
This self-appointed mission was no longer about duty or gratitude. He genuinely liked Audrey Harris. Somehow, she’d breached the cloud of self-pity and sorrow he’d used to insulate himself. She’d made him care again.
His gaze swept the inky sea before him. Despite the warm days they’d enjoyed this month, the water would be cold enough to induce hypothermia. And by her own account, she wasn’t the best swimmer. If she gave in to panic...
Fingers tightening on the wheel, he leaned closer to the windshield, as if the extra inches would make it possible for him to locate her. Minutes passed. There was no sign of her. Despair flung him back to the accident site. He’d dragged his teammates out of the helo, away from the smoke and fire. He’d performed CPR. Fashioned tourniquets. He’d done everything humanly possible to save them.
“Don’t let her die, God.” The plea ripped from his lips.
Audrey was young and vibrant, a shining light of compassion in a hurting w
orld. She was beautiful and brave.
Killing the engine, he dashed outside and called her name. He went to the stern and did the same. Then to the starboard side.
Above the slapping of water against the boat’s hull, he heard it. Her voice. Faint but strong.
“Audrey!”
Far from the craft, beyond the circle of light generated by the spotlight, he spotted something pale and gleaming. Her sweater.
Diving in, he propelled himself through the water to where she floated on her back.
“Julian.” Her colorless lips trembled in a failed attempt at a smile. Letting her legs lower in the water, she moved into an upright position. “Thank God you found me.”
“I wouldn’t have abandoned you.” His voice sounded strange to his own ears. He curled his arm around her, taking her weight and giving her a chance to rest. “Relax, okay. Let me guide you.”
Sighing, she nodded, her trusting gaze gulping in the sight of him. He had to resist the urge to caress her cheek and crush her to him. Now wasn’t the time to celebrate. They weren’t out of danger yet.
Julian helped her onto the boat. Audrey snuck her arms around his waist and burrowed against his chest. He didn’t immediately react. Then, silencing the warnings in his head, he held her. They were both dripping wet and shivering, but this wasn’t about seeking physical warmth. This was solace. Gratitude. Relief. This was friendship. Trust. A bond forged through trials.
As he gently rubbed her back and found his way to her silken nape, she lifted her cheek from his chest and gazed up at him with unconcealed longing. An answering call was born inside.
This could not become more than friendship. Anything romantic with Audrey would not be casual. He sensed it in his bones.
So he swallowed the disappointment threatening to choke him and, placing his hands on her shoulders, gently set her away.
“I have to deal with the twins.”
She bit her lip. Her hair was plastered to her head and her elegant clothes had a ragged appearance. Her lashes swept down, concealing her thoughts from him. She folded her arms over her middle and nodded. “What then?”
“We get to shore and connect with the authorities.”
“And then it’s over?”
“I wish I could tell you what you want to hear.”
They were being pursued by a crime boss with widespread connections. Gerald had hospital employees on his payroll. Fire-department personnel, too. He wasn’t about to let them go free, not when they could pinpoint his base of operations and bear witness to his illegal activities.
“I’m not after platitudes,” she stated. “I want the truth.”
“It’s not over. Not by a long shot.”
ELEVEN
She was miserable.
Audrey huddled beneath the rough blanket Julian had scrounged from a storage compartment and tried to avoid staring at his profile. Seated on the thin carpet, her back wedged into the corner, she couldn’t see the ocean or the night sky from her vantage point. What else of interest was there besides her rescuer?
He stood proud and stoic at the helm, seemingly oblivious to her presence. He’d retreated physically and emotionally—which meant he’d read something in her eyes that had either scared or disgusted him.
Audrey scooped the wet hair off her shoulders and twisted it into a rope. Her damp clothes clung to her skin, and her stomach, though queasy, wasn’t happy about not being fed for half the day. A long shower, change of clothes and hot meal were probably hours away. Julian had used the radio to contact the authorities. They’d instructed them where to dock and had promised to have a patrol car waiting. The identical goons were bound with duct tape and locked below deck.
Julian looked as handsome as ever, despite the fresh bruises, the scrape on his cheek and a tear in the shoulder of his dress shirt. He’d shucked his suit coat somewhere, probably for more ease of movement.
Why had she collapsed in his arms? Why couldn’t she have simply offered him a handshake or hearty pat on the back as a way to express her thanks?
Audrey tried to tell herself it had been a natural reaction to stress, that she would’ve reached out to whoever was nearby and sympathetic. She couldn’t quite believe it. Despite her reservations about romance and her reluctance to open herself up again, she’d developed an attachment to Julian Tan. Admiration had transformed into something more meaningful.
Thankfully, she wasn’t in too deep. She wasn’t ready. When she did make the conscious choice to love someone again, it wouldn’t be a man who courted danger on and off the job. A combat-ready marine as her significant other? Not going to happen. Watching Seth suffer and ultimately succumb to illness had deadened part of her heart. While no one was immune to disease, she intended to play it as safe as possible. Audrey pictured herself with a steadfast, nice but unadventurous guy with a nonhazardous career. Her dad approved of the plan.
“We’re almost there.” Julian’s voice snapped her out of her ruminations. “The police will want to hear our accounts of what’s happened. It probably won’t be a brief process.”
She let her hair fall into place, stood and folded the blanket. The salty breeze whistling through the bridge raised goose bumps across her skin. Joining him at the controls, she rested against a chair. They were close enough to shore that she could see inside the few waterfront homes with lights still on. It was approaching 2:00 a.m.
“I won’t mind being surrounded by law enforcement,” she said. “At least we’ll be safe.”
Julian didn’t reply. His sideways glance quickly took her measure. Before she could ask what was on his mind, he pointed to the restaurant dock ahead.
“They’re waiting on us.”
A pair of patrol cars, parked nose-to-nose, were visible in the otherwise deserted parking lot.
“I don’t see the Coast Guard.”
He shrugged. “Must’ve beat them here.”
When he’d carefully maneuvered the vessel into a slip and secured it with thick ropes, he took her hand and assisted her onto the dock.
“You need to go to the hospital and get your arm examined,” she told him.
“It’s fine.”
The officers—one redheaded and freckled and the other shorter than Audrey—strode down the slanted walkway to meet them.
“Julian Tan?” The redheaded officer spoke first.
“Yes, sir.”
His watery blue eyes pinned Audrey. “And you are?”
“Audrey Harris. I don’t have identification. My things are at the house where I was abducted. The owner, Dr. Lincoln Fitzgerald, will confirm our identities.”
“Mine was confiscated, as well,” Julian said. “The men who forced us onto the boat are locked in the cabin.”
The short, balding officer boarded the boat. “They aren’t armed, I’m assuming, since you were able to restrain them.”
“No, sir. I placed their weapons in the bridge.” He detailed where the officer could locate them.
The officer opened the cabin door and, gun in his grip, descended the stairs.
“Do either of you need immediate medical assistance?”
They turned back to the redhead, whose tone conveyed concern.
“Sergeant Tan recently had surgery,” Audrey said. “He needs to be seen.”
She prayed he wouldn’t get an infection or require a third surgery.
“It can wait until we’ve given our statements.”
He nodded. “Good. Why don’t you wait by the cruisers while I have a word with Officer Dunn?”
They proceeded up the walkway and onto the restaurant’s generous deck. Her stomach rumbled. “I wish they were open for business,” she said, passing darkened plate-glass windows.
“I haven’t eaten here before, but my buddy brings his wife here every weekend.” His head dipped. “I mean he used to.
Before...”
Audrey longed to take his hand. But after his reaction to her show of affection, she resisted.
“You’ll have to give it a try sometime,” she said lightly, hoping he didn’t think she was insinuating anything.
At the patrol cars, they waited in tense silence for the officer to return. After what seemed to her like a very long time, he rounded the corner alone.
“Dunn is going to remain here until transport arrives. I’ll take you down to the station.” Opening the rear door, he said, “I’m Officer Craddock, by the way.”
Audrey slid in first. Julian settled in next, leaving plenty of space between them. She stared out her window, determined not to be bothered. If she got the chance, she’d inform him that he wasn’t her type and that he had nothing to be worried about.
When they were speeding along the street, Craddock said, “You’ll be happy I cleaned out my cruiser yesterday. It can get nasty really quick.”
“I’ve never ridden in a police car,” she said to fill the silence.
Beside her, Julian was lost in thought. Or was he taking in details? Hard to tell.
The heater’s comforting warmth, combined with the smooth ride down the rural road, made Audrey drowsy. Unable to hold her head up any longer, she closed her eyes and rested against the seat. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Julian’s hand closed over hers and squeezed three times. The gesture startled her at first. It was a throwback to her childhood—her mom and dad’s way to say “I love you” without speaking a word.
Of course, he wasn’t trying to communicate such a thing. She lifted her head to look over at him. His quick, furtive look gave her little to go on.
“What’s wrong?”
Releasing her, he shifted forward in the seat, massaged his forehead and groaned. “I’m going be sick.”
Instantly concerned, she placed her hand lightly on his back. “Are you experiencing any other symptoms besides nausea?”
“My head’s killing me. I need fresh air.”