AllFreeNovel
Share Us
From his periphery he glimpsed Sierra moving. She pulled his robe from the headboard, slid to the edge of the mattress, and began putting it on slowly, drawing Marlena’s gaze.
Marlena laughed. A light, amused sound. “Do you truly think I’m here alone, John?”
Fuck. He had hoped she was there alone. He had prayed she was.
As Sierra tied the belt of the robe around her waist, another figure moved up the stairs. John wasn’t surprised. He’d be damned if anything could surprise him at this point.
Gerard. He wanted to disbelieve the fact that his former friend was actually there, but he couldn’t quite do it.
“You’re taking too long,” Gerard snapped at Marlena. “I’ve untied the boat and we’re ready to move out. Bring them downstairs. ”
John stared at the other man, gauging the icy, merciless intent in his face, and John knew there was the possibility he and Sierra were really fucked now.
“Why, Gerard?” That part made very little sense.
Gerard glanced back at him coolly. “Who do you think chose you for Marlena to go after? Who do you think is her backer in the organization, John? Her reputation wasn’t the only one damaged here. The only way to fix this is to get rid of you. ” He glanced at Sierra. “And your troublemaking little bitch. ”
Where Marlena had appeared almost playful, Gerard was deadly serious.
“See, none of this makes sense,” John pointed out. “You should have been smart enough to know that even if I had married her, I would have never let her use me. ”
“You would have once she had a child,” Gerard informed him. “As you said, I know you, John. And I know your weaknesses. ”
Yes, he did. John would have protected his child, but never by allowing himself to be manipulated. He would have found a way to resolve any threat. But how the hell was he supposed to resolve this one?
“Let’s go. ” Gerard stepped back and motioned to the stairs. “The security on the controls requires a passcode that my electronics hasn’t cracked yet and I’m growing impatient. You’re going to input the code or Sierra’s going to die right in front of your eyes. ” He smiled. “And I know about the fake codes on these boats, John. Push those numbers in, and you’ll regret it. ”
But Gerard didn’t know about Natches Mackay and his little paranoias. Paranoias that had caused the other man to tinker a bit with the security he’d had installed.
Waiting for Sierra, John kept her close to his side as they moved to the stairs, his hand at her waist tightening, warning her to caution.
Moving to the living area, John walked across the floor to the console that sat off the sitting area with its old-fashioned ship wheel, controls, and monitors.
He placed Sierra in front of him and started praying.
Turning the key, the monitor flashed the demand for the passcode and John punched in the code that would immediately alert the Mackay family that the need for help was now dire. But if they hadn’t arrived yet, there was a chance they were too far away to arrive at all.
It also slowed down the motor, which chugged sluggishly.
“What’s the problem?” Gerard’s voice vibrated with anger now. “Don’t play games with me, John. ”
“It’s not a game, Gerard,” John snapped back. “You should have done your homework. I haven’t had this boat out of the marina but twice this summer for a reason. ”
That reason being that he’d been helping the Mackays on various projects, but no one should know that. And if he knew Gerard, the man hadn’t done his homework. That was normal for him, come to think of it.
Turning the moto
r over again, he played it out as long as possible, pushing buttons, staring at the monitors in confusion. It wasn’t going to last much longer. Where the hell was the cavalry when he needed them?
In front of him, Sierra’s hand covered his as he laid it comfortingly against her hip and moved it lower with a subtle nudge. Then lower.
John barely held back his response to the feel of the gun in the pocket. He hadn’t forgotten about it, it was simply that he normally kept the weapon on the bottom shelf of the bed table.
He hadn’t been able to get to it himself because Marlena had been watching so closely. But John had been shielding Sierra as she moved from the bed and evidently she had managed to slip it from the shelf.
His resourceful little Sierra.
He fiddled with the key, tapped a monitor, pushed his hand into the pocket of Sierra’s robe, and gripped the gun.
