by Elle James
Tony squeezed the trigger.
The bullet must have hit the machine gun, knocking it sideways as the gunman pulled the trigger. The bullets hit the water several yards to the right of the Lost Cause.
By the time the gunman straightened the weapon, Marcus had pulled ahead, putting a little more distance between them. The bullets from the machine gun fell short of the stern. But that wouldn’t be for long.
Suddenly, two speedboats ripped past the Lost Cause, heading straight for the attack boat.
Tony sat up and watched as the men on the speed boats brought out what appeared to be assault rifles and turned them on the attackers.
The machine gunman redirected his aim at one of the speed boats only to be fired on by men from the other boats. Apparently realizing they were outnumbered, the attack boat driver spun the boat around and raced off in the opposite direction.
The speed boats went after them for several miles, ultimately turning around to follow the Lost Cause into shore.
Marcus pulled the boat alongside the dock, shut down the engine and dropped down from the helm to the deck. “Are you okay?” he asked Tony.
Tony nodded and hurried to open the door to the cabin. “Lily, Robbie, Mari?”
“We’re all okay,” Lily said, holding Robbie against her.
Mari blinked and opened her eyes. “I’m hungry.”
Tony laughed, the adrenaline rush he’d been riding all the way back to shore, starting to fade. He helped Lily to her feet, lifted Robbie into his arms and waited while Lily picked up Mari. They stepped out of the boat onto the dock and waited for the occupants of the speed boats to disembark.
Tony wanted to know who these people were who’d come to their rescue.
Three men climbed out of the speedboats and joined them on the dock. The first one approached Tony. “Are you Antonio Delossantos?”
Tony stepped forward and held out his hand. “I am.”
The tall, muscular man held out his hand. “Hank Patterson. I’m the founder of the Brotherhood Protectors.”
Tony shot a glance toward Marcus. “The outfit Marcus sent for?”
Hank nodded. “We came as soon as I could muster enough men to make a difference. We arrived a couple hours ago.”
“How did you know we would need help or where to find us?” Tony asked.
Marcus held up what appeared to be a metal button. “I gave them my GPS tracking device number before they left Montana. I thought they might want to know where we were since they’d be arriving while we were out to sea.”
“Damned lucky you did.” Tony clapped a hand against Marcus’s shoulder. “Thank you. And thank you for some fancy boating skills.”
Marcus puffed out his chest. “Learned everything I know from my days assigned to SEAL Boat Team 22 out of Stennis, Mississippi. The boats weren’t the same, but the techniques were similar.”
Hank shook hands with Marcus, a grin stretching across his face. “Long time no see, man. I thought you were dead.”
“Not dead, just hidden away in my own little piece of paradise.” He pulled Hank into a hug. “Thanks for coming out to meet our welcoming party.”
“Again, how did you know we’d be in trouble?” Tony asked.
Hank’s smile faded. “When we got to the hotel, the staff was in a panic and all gathered around whatever television they could find.”
“Why?” Tony asked, a sinking feeling hitting him in the gut. His arm tightened around Robbie.
“Some guy escaped from prison in San José.” Hank stared straight into Tony’s eyes. “A drug cartel kingpin by the name of El Patron.”
Tony felt as if he’d been sucker punched in the belly. “When?”
Hank’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Early this morning.”
The nightmare Tony thought he’d put to bed when he’d helped capture El Patron had come back to haunt him.
* * *
Bile rose up Lily’s throat. She swallowed hard to keep from losing her lunch in front of the children. Now was not the time to be weak. Tony needed her to stay strong. Robbie and Mari needed her to protect them from whatever horrors El Patron might have in mind as revenge against Tony for putting him in jail for the past two years.
Lily hugged Mari close. She couldn’t let anything happen to the children. They were innocent and deserved a chance at a long and happy life.
One by one, Hank Patterson introduced this team of former special operations soldiers, sailors and marines, using only their callsigns.
“This is Swede, Navy SEAL,” he said of the tallest man with the light blond hair.
Tony shook hands with the SEAL and thanked him for helping them out of a tight situation.
Hank pointed to a broad-shouldered man with brown hair. “That’s Duke from Delta Force.”
“Taz was an Army Ranger. Chuck and Boomer, Navy SEALs.”
Tony shook hands with all of them and thanked them for coming on such short notice.
“Let’s get back to the hotel,” Marcus said. “I don’t like that you’re out in the open.”
Tony helped Lily load the children into the back of one of the SUVs there to take them back. Marcus climbed in with Hank as his team filled two other SUVs.
Robbie sat silently beside Tony, his hand inside his father’s, his brow wrinkled.
Lily could only imagine what was going on in the child’s mind.
He had to know the people on the other boat had been shooting at them. With the sound of gunfire from the other boat as well as from the boat they were on, it would’ve been hard to keep that knowledge from him. Robbie was a smart little boy. Too bad he had to be exposed to the violence of a drug cartel at such a young age. He hadn’t been old enough to remember much about his mother’s death. Only that she hadn’t come home one day, and then there was a funeral. He was old enough now to have nightmares about this day.
As they entered the hotel, they found the staff clustered in groups, whispering quietly, their brows furrowed, worry apparent in their voices and expressions.
Tony handed Mari to Lily. “Please, take them up to our room.”
Lily wanted to protest but knew he was right. Robbie saw too much.
As she took Robbie’s hand in hers, she heard Tony saying, “We need to send our guests home.” He started toward the registration desk.
Marcus stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Look, we don’t know if El Patron will come here. He might want to stay out of jail rather than risk you putting him back behind bars.”
Tony snorted. “El Patron will come for me. Of that, I’m certain.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “How soon is the only question. And he won’t stop at hurting me. The man will be out for revenge.” He met Marcus’s gaze and lowered his voice so that Robbie couldn’t overhear him. Tony clenched his fists. “We need to get my family on the next plane out of San Jose.”
Lily’s breath caught in her throat. Leave Costa Rica? She didn’t want to go. Not if Tony wasn’t with them. Again, she knew she didn’t have a choice. She had to do what was best for the children. If taking them back to Texas was the answer, so be it. She hurried Robbie and Mari toward the elevator and whisked them up to the room where she had them bathe and dress for dinner. Then she left the television on, playing a cartoon movie while she ducked into the bathroom, showered quickly and dressed in a long white dress that fit her body to perfection. With the door open to the bedroom, she dried her hair, applied a mascara to her eyelashes and dabbed on a soft pink lipstick. Satisfied with how she looked, she moved the children to the living room and read books with them, waiting for their father to arrive and take them to dinner.
Robbie sat next to her, pressed up against her side. Quieter than she’d ever known him. After she’d finished one short book, he looked up at her and asked, “Why did the men on the other boot shoot at us?”
Lily’s heart squeezed hard in her chest. She wished Tony was there to answer his son’s questions. She couldn’t be sure of what he’d want her to
say. All she could do was be truthful. “They were bad people.”
“Will they try to kill my papi?” he asked.
“Oh, Robbie,” she hugged him to her. “Your father is a smart man. He will be okay.”
“I love Papi,” Mari said.
Lily’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s right, Mari. You love your Papi.”
“I love him, too,” Robbie said, his voice higher than usual due to strain. “I don’t want him to go away like my mama did.”
“He’s not leaving you or Mari,” Lily said. She prayed she was right. Robbie and Mari needed their father. He was all they had.
* * *
“El Patron killed my wife. He’s not above murdering children,” Tony said to Marcus. “We have to get Robbie, Mari and Lily on the next plane back to the States.”
Hank arrived with his team in the lobby in time to catch Tony’s last words. “I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but have you looked at the weather lately? If you try to fly your family out now, your kids will be no safer on an airplane headed for the States than staying here. You know that hurricane that was off the coast of the Baja peninsula? Well, it’s moving inland and is creating a massive low-pressure system they expect to stretch across all of Mexico and up into Texas. We dodged it on our way down. By now, it’ll be wreaking havoc with the airways. Airports in Houston and Dallas were expected to shut down by tonight.”
Tony shook his head. “Hank, you don’t understand. El Patron will come after my children to get to me.”
Hank shook his head. “There’s no way you’ll get them out tonight. It takes three hours to get to the airport. By the time you arrive, the flights to the US will be cancelled until that storm moves on.”
Tony slammed his fist into his palm. “It’s not safe here. And my being at the hotel puts everyone here at risk.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Hank said. “We’ll provide perimeter security and keep you and your guests secure.”
Tony raked a hand through his hair, wanting to argue, but he knew Hank was right. “Thanks.”
“I’ll fill in on either the day or night shift,” Marcus said. “I cancelled my boat tours for tomorrow. However, I need to go over the boat and make sure none of the bullet holes will sink it before I take it out again.”
“Whatever it takes to fix it, send me the bill,” Tony said. “And again, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Hey, you helped me when I was at the lowest point in my life. The least I can do is help you and those kids.” Marcus clapped a hand against his shoulder. “That’s what friends do.”
Chapter 9
Lily must have fallen asleep. She jerked awake when the door to the room opened and Tony walked in.
His face was grim, and his eyes hollow. He appeared as if he’d aged ten years in the past few hours.
Lily untangled herself from Robbie and Mari. Both had fallen asleep while she’d read to them, tired from their eventful day fishing, snorkeling, and then dodging bullets.
When she straightened, she went to Tony, wrapping her arms around his waist. “It’s going to be all right,” she whispered.
“How can it be?” he said. “You’re in danger. Robbie and Mari are in danger. I’ve brought you all into this, and now I might lose you.” He buried his face in her hair and held her close.
Lily stood steady, giving him as much strength as she could. The man had lost so much and feared losing the rest of what meant the most to him. His children.
Tony raised his head, captured her cheeks between his palms and turned her face up to his. “I’m sorry I brought you into this.”
She shook her head. “I’m not. I’m glad I’m here to help you keep Robbie and Mari safe.”
He stared down into her eyes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
She smiled. “You had the good sense to hire me as your au pair.”
“You’re fired,” he said.
“What?” Lily frowned. “Why?”
“I have a rule I can’t break. I don’t get involved with my employees.” He lowered his mouth to within a hair’s breadth of hers. “If you work for me, I can’t kiss you.”
“Oh.” She rested her hands on his chest. “And you want to…kiss me?”
“More than I want to take my next breath. You’re fired,” he repeated.
“Good. Because I don’t get involved with my clients, and I want so very much to kiss you. And now that I no longer work for you…” She leaned up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
As if he’d been released from restraints, Tony crushed her to him, his lips moving over hers like a starving man searching for sustenance.
Lily opened to him, thrusting her tongue out to meet his in a long, sensuous caress. She pressed her body to his, wanting to be closer, frustrated by the clothing keeping their skin from touching.
When Tony pushed back, Lily dragged in deep, steadying breaths.
“I reek of fish, and you smell like a rose garden.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Let me shower and change, and we can go down to dinner.”
“Okay,” Lily said, her head still spinning from the incredible kiss that had completely rocked her world. She didn’t want him to leave her standing there. Not when there were more kisses to be had. Then she remembered the children were in the same room with them.
She spun, expecting to see them staring wide-eyed up at her, demanding to know what she was doing with their father.
Lily let out a relieved sigh when she realized they were still sound asleep. She hadn’t been sure how she would have explained why their au pair was no longer their au pair, and why she’d been kissing their father. The kiss was such a new development, even Lily wasn’t sure what to think of it.
Had he kissed her because she was there and could give comfort? Would he regret it later when he wasn’t so distressed?
Lily would never regret it. Even if it was the only kiss she ever received from him. Deep down, she’d wanted it to happen, even when she hadn’t known she’d wanted it. The man turned her inside out, exposing emotions she’d never felt for another man. Could he be the one she’d waited her entire life to find?
And if he was her one and only, would he consider her for a second chance at finding love?
Lily didn’t know how to compete with his first wife. The woman was dead and enshrined as a saint in Tony’s mind. How could any woman measure up to that?
Slow down, girl. Lily had to coach herself to breathe. Tony had only kissed her. He hadn’t mentioned anything beyond that. Lily’s mind had shot ahead as if they were destined to end up in love, married and raising Robbie and Mari, together, as a family.
You got far too much sun, she told herself. It must have fried her brain and made her see things that weren’t there. He’d only kissed her, nothing more.
Lily left the living area and hurried to the other bathroom where she pressed a cool cloth to her heated cheeks. Perhaps she was running a fever. That would explain why she was hallucinating and dreaming of things that couldn’t possibly happen between a rich hotelier and a kindergarten teacher from a small town in Texas.
She touched her fingers to her swollen lips, still feeling the electric tingles he’d inspired that had shot throughout her body and low in her belly.
Lily moaned softly and pressed a hand to her flat stomach. She wanted so much more than just a kiss.
“Auntie Lily?” Robbie called out.
Lily dropped the cloth on the counter and hurried out to the living room where Robbie was waking up. Mari yawned and rubbed her fists against her eyes. “I’m hungry,” she said as she opened her eyes.
“I’m hungry, too,” Tony said from the doorway to his bedroom
He’d showered, shaved and dressed in dark trousers and a crisp white shirt. His hair was combed neatly back on his head, and he looked so handsome Lily thought she might cry.
Never had she been so taken with a man as she was with Tony.
&
nbsp; He held out his hand for Robbie and another for Lily.
Lily laid her hand in his palm, and he curled his fingers around hers.
Mari slid off the sofa and reached for Lily’s other hand.
They left the room as a united front and descended to the restaurant.
Robbie was quiet throughout the meal, but Mari, who’d missed the action and danger of gunfire, chattered on in a mix of Spanish and English about the big fish she’d caught. “Do we get to eat the big fish?” she asked.
“Mr. Marcus is having the fish prepared. We can have some of it for dinner tomorrow night,” Tony said.
Mari clapped her hands and bounced in her booster seat. “I want snapper,” she sang.
Lily smiled. “I think your daughter likes fishing.”
“What did you like best, Robbie,” Tony asked. “Fishing or snorkeling?”
Robbie’s eyes grew round and filled with tears. “I hate both. And I hate riding in boats.” He pushed back from the table and ran out of the restaurant.
“I’ll go to him.” Lily rose.
Tony put a hand on her arm, already out of his own chair. “No, I’ll talk to him.”
“He’s afraid,” Lily said. “Of losing you.”
Mari’s eyes pooled with tears. “Robbie’s sad. I’m sad, too.” She burst into tears.
“Go on. We’ll be up in the room.” Lily lifted Mari and hugged her in her arms. “Come on, mi amor. Let’s go to bed.”
“I don’t want to go…to…bed,” she cried, between sobs. “I want Robbie.”
“He’ll be up in a minute. Let’s go brush our teeth, and we can read a book while we wait for him.”
Mari rubbed her eyes and sniffled. “Can we read the book about the lost lamb?”
“Yes, of course.” Lily carried Mari up to the room, changed her into her pajamas, washed her face and hands and had her brush her teeth. Still, Robbie and Tony hadn’t come back to the room.
Settling Mari into her bed, Lily kicked off her heels, sat on the bed beside Mari and drew her feet up under her as she read to the little girl.