Sinful Suspense Box Set

  The water near me reverberated as if something heavy had landed next to me. As I sank underwater, two hands grabbed hold of my arm and my face was lifted above the water. I gasped for air while trying desperately to avoid sucking in more water. I knew even in the darkness that Nick was the one holding me. While his strength made it easier for him to tread water, it was not an easy task keeping the both of us afloat. The bow of the boat loomed over us like a giant metal sea monster. If the water had been calmer, I would have grabbed Nick and swum away from it as fast as I could. But David was still on board in desperate need of medical attention, and the raging surf made the idea of escape ludicrous.

  Yells and shouts from deck ricocheted off the surrounding black sky. “Over here, Nick,” Boone called down from above. A light swung over the railing of the boat and the rope ladder dropped down.

  Nick pulled me slowly along to the boat. The cold was starting to take its toll, and my chin trembled uncontrollably. My fingers tingled both from cold and from the weight of the soaked ropes around my wrists. Suddenly it seemed that we were moving faster through the water.

  “The rope around my ankles just broke,” Nick said to me over the din of the wind and rain. Within seconds I was clutching the bottom of the rope ladder.

  This time I didn’t wait to be lifted on board. My body shook with cold and my feet and hands were numb, but adrenaline and a good shove from Nick pushed me up the ladder quickly.

  I collapsed into a shivering puddle of sobs on deck. Nick pulled himself up over the railing and Boone shielded the both of us as we regained our composure.

  “Without them there is really no point in asking for a ransom,” Boone yelled to the others.

  “I told you to keep him chained up,” Francesca’s voice cut through the rain and mist like a knife. “He wasn’t supposed to jump in after her.”

  “So now we’re murderers? Nick was right, Frankie. You’re fucking nuts.”

  I squinted past Boone. Francesca stood on deck in an absurdly puffy parka. A hood concealed part of her face, but the vicious sneer that seemed to be a permanent part of her natural expression was still visible.

  Nick stood next to Boone. I wondered just how this would end. Her three armed minion stood at the ready, it seemed, to shoot on command. I was sure that order would come but instead she looked over at the man who seemed to be the leader of the three and nodded at him. Then she turned her glacial glare back to Boone. “Chain him up again. And put the drowned rat back in the hold too.”

  Boone was silent and avoided eye contact as he led us back to our damp prison cell. He ignored Francesca’s orders to chain Nick up and swung the door shut behind us.

  Nick stared at the door for a moment. “I don’t think they were trying to kill you.”

  “No? Because I’m pretty certain that if you hadn’t have jumped in, I’d be floating at the bottom right now.”

  He reached up and tucked the wet hair behind my ear. “I think that was a loyalty test for Boone.” Nick lifted his wet shirt off over his head. “And he just failed it.”

  Nick and I stripped down to our underwear and lay tucked against each other on the canvas listening to the angry weather outside and David’s strained breathing. Being wrapped in his arms soon settled the trembling in my body. Hopelessness seemed to permeate the dark, dank atmosphere of the room. I pressed my face into Nick’s chest and cried.

  Chapter 21

  Loud music woke us from our somber, restless sleep. The lack of movement signaled to us that the storm had passed over. Nick pushed up onto his elbow. “Do you know what that is?”

  “AC/DC, Highway to Hell.” David’s words were a blur, and he sounded drunk with fever.

  “Yeah, that,” Nick said. “But it’s a radio station which means, unless this tugboat has satellite radio, we must be close to Hawaii.”

  I scooted over to the first aid kit and grabbed out some of the gauze. I found a half-filled bottle of water, drenched the gauze, and wrung it out. I crawled over to David. Perspiration dripped down his temples. I placed the cloth over his forehead.

  It took all his effort to open his eyes. They were glassy with fever. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help last night.”

  “You didn’t truly want to steal your brother’s thunder, did you?” I forced a smiled but truthfully I wanted to break into sobs.

  He closed his eyes again. Even his long lashes were clumped with sweat. “You’re right. I forgot that he’s an egomaniac.”

  Nick came and crouched down next to him. “Hold on, David, your egomaniac brother is working on a plan to get us out of this shithole.”

  “It’s about time, Bro, I was starting to lose faith in you.” He coughed and groaned weakly. “This is good for my career. Every doctor should have to suffer being this sick. It helps us know how our patients are feeling. Sometimes you forget that they are people and not just patients.” He sighed. “If I’d known this was going to end so soon, I would have skipped college and med school and moved to Vegas for nonstop parties and girls. God should really let us know ahead of time if things are going to be cut short.”

  “Shut up, David. I’m going to get you to a hospital. Besides, Mom will have my head if I let anything happen to you.” They’d reverted to their usual dry brand of humor, but the strain in Nick’s voice was heartbreakingly evident.

  It always seemed that just as we’d been soothed into a trance by the quiet and the rhythmic motion of the boat, something would happen to jolt us from our thoughts again. The door flew open. The pink sky of dusk filled the view outside. Boone stumbled in and threw a set of keys at Nick. He hovered over us for a moment, his massive chest heaving with breaths and his eyes round and wild. “I’m so sorry, Nick.” With that he raced out.

  Nick lunged at the door but it swung shut with a solid thud. He pressed his forehead against it and stared down at the ground. “Sonavabitch.”

  Gunshots rang out and it felt as if my heart had jumped into my throat. A horrible, long stream of shots followed and then silence.

  Nick turned around. His eyes were closed as he leaned against the door and slid down to his bottom. He rested his arms across the tops of his knees and dropped his head. “Damnit, Boone, you fool,” he said quietly.

  “Do you think—” It hadn’t occurred to me at first why the shots had been fired.

  “That stupid bastard. I could have helped him.”

  I lifted the keys Boone had thrown at us. There was a Swiss army knife hanging from the ring next to the keys. I started sawing at the ropes on my feet. Nick stood and sat down next to me. He grabbed the small blade and made quick work of my ropes. Then he handed the keys to me. It took me several tries to find the one that matched his handcuffs. They dropped off with a clang, and we spent a moment relishing the feel of freedom. David hardly stirred as we cut the ropes from his hands and feet.

  “Jayden, when we here footsteps, you crouch down in that far corner, understand? They still have us outnumbered and definitely outgunned.” Nick lifted the small blade in front of his face. “I think I could do plenty of damage with this little toothpick. Just stay out of the way.”

  I nodded. Obviously things were coming to a head, and I was more nervous about the possibility of this all ending than I had been when we were first kidnapped. While I felt incredibly secure with Nick at the helm of our escape, there was no real way of knowing how this would turn out. The captors definitely had the advantage.

  The wait seemed interminably long. My clothes felt stiff and damp as I slid my shorts and t-shirt back on. My sandals had been stretched by the salt water, and I had to shuffle to keep them on my feet. My stomach burned with hunger as I crouched next to David and pressed the compress against his head. It was the one small thing I could do to keep him a bit more comfortable. But he looked worse with each passing moment, and he was no longer talking. Ni
ck’s rage intensified as he watched his brother’s life drift away. I almost pitied the next person to walk through that door. Secretly, I hoped it would be Francesca.

  A key jangled in the door, and Nick motioned for me to duck in the corner. The man who had first held a gun to my head stepped inside. With lightning fast movements Nick snatched the man’s gun from his hand and hit his scalp with the butt of his weapon. Blood spurted from the man’s head and he dropped to the floor in a heap. After my near death experience the night before, I had somehow managed to harden or even detach myself from the reality of what was unfolding. A second man stepped in and stared open-mouthed at his fallen comrade. Nick was able to grab him before the shock of it wore off. He yanked the guy in front of him like a shield and held the gun to his head as he dragged him out of the cargo hold.

  I could still see Nick’s large figure in front of the door when I heard him shouting to the third man. “I will blow his head off right now if you don’t drop your gun.”

  Silence followed and it seemed the third man was weighing his options, his partner or his weapon. He chose the latter. Gunfire split the air and I crouched down in a ball and covered my ears. An eerie silence followed and I lifted my head and looked outside, terrified of what I might see.

  Nick stood fifteen feet from the open door. He tossed aside his limp human shield, and I caught a glimpse of the other man lying in a pool of blood on deck. I crawled over to David to make sure he’d not been hit by any stray bullets. He was safe, but the pallor of his face and lips made me bite back a cry.

  The motor of the small boat fired up below. My gaze shot toward the doorway. Nick’s massive physique filled the opening. “Francesca’s leaving. She won’t get far.” Nick glanced around at the damage he’d wrought but he did not look proud or pleased. It was a look of pain.

  “Are they dead?” I asked hesitantly.

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but they will be if we don’t get them help soon.

  I steeled myself against the grizzly scene and walked to Nick. Boone was lying bloodied and motionless next to the rusted lobster traps.

  Nick shook his head. “Stupid, stupid Boone.”

  I reached for Nick’s hand but he pulled me into his arms and held me until I was sure he would squeeze the breath out of me. A small noise came from David’s direction and Nick released me.

  “Go back inside and tell David what’s happened. I don’t know how much he’ll hear but tell him to hang on. Help is on the way. I’m going to check pockets for keys to this boat.”

  I knelt over David. His breathing was shallow and the skin on his chest was a blotchy red. I pressed my hand to his cheek and his lashes fluttered for a second. “Hey, your bother saved the day. The ordeal is over. We’re getting you help right away. Hang on.”

  There was no response at first but I was certain I saw his mouth quiver. Then his lips opened. They were dry and chapped. “He’s such an attention hog,” he said on a frail wisp of breath.

  Moments later, Nick returned. “How is he?”

  I looked back at Nick over my shoulder. “He’s weak but alive. Did you find the keys?”

  “No, Frankie must have had them, but I reached the coast guard on the two way radio. They’re on their way. Apparently they were already on alert. They already knew about the kidnapping. My mom’s in Oahu.”

  “That was fast,” I said.

  “Private jet.”

  “I guess those can really come in handy.”

  Nick walked over and looked down at David. “I let them know that David needed emergency care. I hope they hurry. I also told them to be on the lookout for a woman with a snarling frown who looks dressed for a New York runway.”

  I smiled. “I believe her fashion sense is going to take a hit with those unflattering prison stripes. I hope they’re orange, super wide, and very horizontal.”

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, we had David and the injured kidnappers on the coast guard boat receiving what little first aide they could provide. David’s vitals weren’t great but with any luck he’d be in a hospital bed soon. Our captors were even worse off.

  Nick and I stood on deck. They threw foil blankets over our shoulders and gave us stale cheese sandwiches that tasted like a five star dinner. We stood at the bow and watched as the crowded Oahu marina came into view. The water was a turquoise blue and the breeze was balmy and fragrant and we were all alive.

  Nick put his arm around my shoulders and held me close. “I’m sorry you had to go through all this, Jayden. I guess it’s not exactly what you signed on for when you took the job.”

  “Hey, in this competitive world, job experience is everything.”

  One of the coast guard crew came up behind us. “Mr. Regent, I thought you’d like to know that they have arrested the woman. At first we thought you were kidding about the runway model clothing. I guess she put up quite a fight.” The man stopped and he seemed to be assessing Nick. “What has us really perplexed though, is how the armed kidnappers ended up near death and you two don’t have a scratch on you.”

  Nick shrugged as if anyone could have gotten out of the predicament the way he had. “I guess luck was just on our side.”

  The man smiled and nodded. “You should think about joining the SEALS. They can use men like you.”

  “Yeah, I might think about that,” Nick answered and there was definitely disappointment behind his words. The man walked away. “I only wish I’d been able to fulfill my dream of throwing Francesca to the sharks. You live with your decisions but I doubt I’ll ever live down the regret of dating that woman.”

  “The sharks would have been too quick. I think years in jail is a more fitting punishment,” I said. “She’ll have to grow old without Botox or hair dye.”

  Nick reached over and pulled me against him, and I stayed happily in his arms until we reached the dock . . . and my mom.

  Chapter 22

  My mom outpaced my sister and Rita by a hundred yards in her designer running shoes. She was an arm’s length away before my second foot had come off the boat. She was crying hysterically. Rita and Tricia were gasping for breath by the time they reached me. We glommed onto each other and disintegrated into a blob of blubbering hugs and cries.

  Once we’d collected ourselves, Mom stepped back and looked me over. “You’re so skinny. We need to get you some good, calorie-rich food right away.”

  “I’m not opposed to French fries and a chocolate shake,” I said. I glanced around at the puffy, red eyes and swollen pink noses. “How did you all get here so fast?”

  Mom waved her manicured nails over her shoulder. “Cindy brought us in her plane,” she said casually as if she was constantly flitting about the country on private jets.

  I took hold of Rita’s hands. “I’m surprised the agency let you take time off.”

  “They didn’t,” she said. “I quit a week ago. If I had to take one more order from Darren, I was going to throw him instead of his phone down the elevator shaft. I guess I’ll be looking for a job. I think I’ll check out the classifieds for a girl Friday position.”

  “I don’t know, Rita. It’s a pretty demanding job.” We hugged again. “Man, do I have stuff to tell you.”

  Mom’s husband, Michael, was standing talking with a small, attractive woman with a diamond watch and earrings to match. “I take it that is Cindy Hampton talking to Michael at the end of the dock?”

  “Yes,” Mom said, “delightful woman.” We watched her climb into the back of the ambulance. Nick walked toward us. We’d both been in captivity for several days, and aside from our rather unpleasant dip in the ocean, neither of us had groomed or showered. I looked like a shrunken, saltwater-soaked troll and Nick looked ruggedly handsome as if he’d just come off a National Geographic shoot.

  Rita and Tricia gasped au
dibly.

  Rita unobtrusively grabbed hold of my arm. “Holy crap, is that him?”

  “Yep, that’s him.”

  “I second that holy crap,” Tricia muttered. “I thought men like that only existed in our dreams.”

  I smiled over at my mom. She was caught in a Nick trance as well. He stopped in front of us and the three normally loquacious women were speechless.

  Mom finally found her tongue. She stepped forward and put out her hand. “You must be Nick. Thank you so much for getting my daughter back to me safely. I’ll be forever grateful. How’s your brother?”

  “They are taking him to the hospital right now.” He looked down at me. “They want us to go as well so the doctors can check us out. Then I imagine the police will want a full report.”

  I kissed them all. “I’ll see you at the hospital.” Tears threatened again. “I missed you all so much.”

  ***

  I sat on the edge of the paper-lined table in my lovely paper gown waiting for my release papers from the doctor, but the next person to walk into the small room was Pierre. I could feel my face light up when I saw him with his sweetly worried expression.

  “J.J. thank God, you’re all right.” He gave me an awkward hug around the paper hospital gown.

  “It is so good to see you, Pierre. I’m fine. Just a little dehydration and chafing around my wrists and ankles.” I held up my hands. He grabbed them and kissed them. “When did you get here? Did Taylor come too?”

  “Of course. He’s in with Nick. We’ve just arrived.”

  He held my hand and I placed my free hand over the back of his. “Rumor has it that you got the ball rolling on finding us. Nick said you called the embassy right away.”