She hadn’t wanted to give Mummert the satisfaction of seeing her break down. But the injustice was too great. The heartbreak of an innocent child’s impending death shattered her.
Giving Nicolas a final look, she turned her back to them and faced the sea. She thought of Madrid, and another layer of grief fell over her. She loved him with all her heart. He was the kind of man she would have been able to spend the rest of her life with. Why hadn’t she recognized that when she’d been with him?
Terror stole through her when she looked down at the black, churning water. Her entire body shook violently when she stepped toward the edge of the platform.
“I love you, Madrid,” she whispered. “Always.”
Closing her eyes, she stepped closer to the edge of the platform. Behind her she heard Mummert shout something, but Jess’s heart was pounding too hard for her to hear. She visualized herself jumping, her body slamming into the cold water, the black abyss sucking her down.
Her foot reached the edge of the platform. Terror raged like a wild beast inside her. A scream waited to burst from her throat. Oh, dear God, help me.
The platform jolted violently beneath her feet, throwing her off balance. She dropped to her knees as a bullet whizzed over her head. She heard shouts from the ship and looked over her shoulder to see one of the huge lifeboats plummet into the crowd of men. The uninjured men scattered, and Jess caught a glimpse of Chin Lee grabbing Nicolas. When a second lifeboat plunged into the water, Jess looked up to see a huge plume of fire and smoke billow from the aft stack.
“The engine room!” someone yelled.
Out of the chaos, a black-clad figure swung down from one of the lifeboat pulleys. Hope burst inside Jess when she realized it was Madrid.
She screamed his name on the wind. In her peripheral vision she saw him gather Nicolas into his arms. With Chin Lee behind him, he hit the platform at a sprint.
His eyes met Jess’s. “Jump!” he shouted. “Jump!”
He didn’t give her a chance to hesitate. Snagging her hand in his, he hauled her over the side of the platform. Time stood still as they free-fell. Vaguely she was aware of shots being fired behind them.
Then the water rushed up and slammed into her like a solid block of ice. The cold snatched the breath from her lungs, and the water enveloped her like icy hands, shook her, tumbled her.
But Madrid never let go of her hand. His warmth was like a lifeline, the only thing that separated life from death. She kicked, hoping the buoyancy of her body would float her to the top quickly.
An instant later Jess broke the surface. Next to her she saw the white oval of Madrid’s face. He was holding Nicolas. The little boy was crying and struggling, but he was alive. It was the most beautiful sight Jess had ever seen.
“Get in the lifeboat!” Madrid shouted.
Treading water, Jess looked around, spotted the small craft twenty feet away. Another layer of relief swept through her when she spotted Chin Lee already hanging on to the side.
Jess didn’t know how she made it to the boat. Using the last of her strength, she clung to the side. Then strong arms were pulling her on board. She looked up to see Madrid’s eyes on hers.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
“You came for us,” she choked out as he pulled her into his arms.
Vaguely she was aware of a chopper hovering over-head. A spotlight sweeping down. Cold wind and spray lashed them. But it was the strength and warmth emanating from Madrid’s body into hers that she felt all the way to her heart.
“How did you manage?” she asked, referring to the rescue.
Madrid smiled down at her. “I had a little bit of help.”
“Vanderpol?”
He nodded. “Looks like the agency came through, too.”
The realization of just how close she and Nicolas had come to dying shook her all over again. “My God, they were going to—”
“It’s okay,” he said. “They didn’t.”
Shaking the horrible thoughts from her mind, she looked around. “Where’s Nicolas?”
Madrid motioned to where Chin Lee and the boy huddled beneath a blanket. “He’s going to be okay.”
Jess blinked back tears. “You saved our lives,” she whispered.
“I had my own selfish reasons.”
She choked out a laugh. “I’m glad.”
He pulled her closer. “I’m never going to let you go. Think you can live with that?”
“I can’t live without it.” She smiled. “I can’t live without you.”
“Can I get that in writing?”
“I have a better idea,” she said, and pulled his mouth down to hers.
Epilogue
One month later
The small chapel was packed. Madrid paced the marble hall outside the rectory and tried hard not to be nervous. He found it ironic that he’d faced down some of the most dangerous criminals the underworld could produce. But here he was about to marry the woman he loved and he’d suddenly been attacked by a bad case of nerves.
“Well, you’re a hell of a sight to behold.”
He looked up at the sound of Sean Cutter’s voice. His superior wore a black tuxedo and looked every bit as uncomfortable as Madrid felt.