We shake hands and share a quiet, calm moment as the ship churns closer to land, anchoring safely offshore.
Soon, I throw on a heavy raincoat and a couple of his crew help me into the lifeboat they already have waiting in the water. I power up the engine and plow over lashing waves toward a hazy row of docked fishing boats.
I can抰 guess which one I should aim for梚f it抯 any of them at all. They could easily be in the boathouse or bar or whatever it is I faintly make out in the distance.
Then I see a light moving in the cabin of one of those small boats. It抯 almost like a flashlight or lantern, sputtering into the water as it sways back and forth.
The ship isn抰 docked, I realize, though it抯 barely pulled away from the marina. It looks more like whatever reckless idiot is at the helm is trying to bring it home and failing miserably.
Odds are I know exactly who that idiot is.
Several tense breaths later after climbing over furious waves, I抦 as close as I抦 going to get.
It抯 now or never.
I push the lifeboat right up against the hull of the other vessel and jump.
My hands barely catch the rusted metal edge. I haul myself over the top, landing on the wet, hard deck with a bone-rattling thud!
But the second loud thud exploding in my ears isn抰 me.
I turn and find an axe stuck in the deck just a few inches away from my neck梐nd two big, angry arms fighting to pull it out again.
Troy leers down at me as he growls, 揂sshole, do you always have to be the big goddamned hero? You just can抰 let anything go!?
Anything?
I shudder. It抯 all too easy to hear the word Aster instead.
揃adger bitch isn抰 dead yet, my dude,?he says. He抯 wearing his usual grin梠nly in the wet, cold darkness, it looks downright psychotic. Especially as he tumbles backwards with the axe free.
揟roy, stop. Consider this fair warning. You don抰 have to棓
揑 don抰, do I??he asks absently, looking at the axe in his hands before he slowly raises it above his head. 揑 don抰, but I will. You fucking killed her, Cole. You and your pride and your neverending expectations梐nd now you made me do this again!?
Shit.
I twist out of his way as he charges and sweeps the weapon down again. This time, it bounces off the deck and doesn抰 get stuck before he rocks back.
揧ou ruin everything!?He抯 swinging wildly, blind with rage.
I抦 moving from side to side, dodging the axe each time, grateful I haven抰 skidded onto my ass while I try to keep my footing on this tilting, slick deck.
The whole world keeps shifting around us as the rain picks up again, dumping a bucket of water on our heads every five seconds.
Goddamn.
I抳e got to get that thing away from him. I抳e got to?
Troy stumbles as another sharp wave tips the ship, holding the wooden handle with both hands. He spins, working with the inertia, still swinging as close as he can to my throat.
A second later, I see my chance.
I go in for a low snap kick, trying to stay under the damn axe without the rocking ship tossing me on my back.
I抳e stayed in lean shape, but I抦 not the man I was in my Navy days.
My foot lands square in the center of his chest and he fumbles, but the asshole doesn抰 fall over.
He totters, sways梐nd it抯 all the opening I need.
Another kick, this time to his knees.
He stumbles forward, groaning, and his grip on the axe loosens. When the ship bows again, it falls, sliding just out of his reach and spinning toward me through a couple inches of water.
Doubled over, Troy glares at me, his eyes sharp pinpricks of boiling mercury in the night.
揕ay down, goddamn you,?I snarl, turning the axe around and holding it like a baseball bat. 揧ou don抰 have to be stupid, Troy. Just stay down and tell me where you抳e got her. The police are coming. Turn yourself in.?
For a second, his nostrils flare in the deadly silence. I wonder if he抯 actually considering it.
But the sneer that cuts across his face like lightning reveals his answer.
揂nd what? Let you get away with it? Let you get away with everything??He stands again, his fists flexed into rocks, trembling furiously at his sides. 揊uck that and fuck you, Cole. I gave you all an easy way out梱ou and Destiny and that mouthy badger bitch who never shuts up.?
If he weren抰 planning to crack my skull open, I抎 smile at how he describes her. Because that抯 my Eliza, my love, my everything梐 woman who still wouldn抰 take one speck of his shit, even when he threatened her.
揑 gave it to Aster桰 gave her an out梑ut fuck.?He抯 breathing ragged, entirely consumed with pain and anger. 揥hat is it with you people? Why are you all too stupid to fix your lives??
I have no answer, just my gut dropping.
This isn抰 the time to process his vicious, slurring words.
He looks at me darkly, his mind made up, death flashing in his dark eyes. It抯 not just the lightning overhead.
Snarling, I grab the ax handle, making it an extension of my body as he drags himself up, plants his feet, and charges like a brazen bull.
I hold my breath, counting slowly.
One.
Two.
Three.
Now!
I lurch aside just as he blows past, his fists flying, punching and swearing at the air.
One strong swing is all it takes.
A sickening crack!
The wooden handle connects with the back of his head.
There抯 so much force it vibrates up my arm.
When I regain my balance, I look down. Just in time to see the jackass slumping to the ground, hissing like a deflated balloon into unconsciousness.
Fuck.
Lightning cracks across the sky in a web. The thunder booms so loudly it shakes the entire boat, and then there抯 just this eerie silence, everything falling still except for the drumming rain.
Thud.
I almost miss the sound the first time.
It抯 buried in the rain抯 white noise. But then I hear it again, it抯 rhythmic and not coming from the sky.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Shit. That抯 somewhere on the boat.
I tighten my grip on the axe and start moving toward the cabin, calling, 揈liza! Eliza are you here??
Thud-thud-thud.
The back of the ship.
I move toward the sound as fast as I can through this mess. As soon as I turn the corner, I find several massive fishing chests, the kind that can hold at least a hundred pounds of fresh meat.
Shit.
If he threw my girl in a stinking coffin of a fishing chest, I might just stalk back to his worthless carcass and kill him all over again.
I have no idea which one she抯 in, but I just know.
There aren抰 many other places to hide her on a ship this small.
Thud! The banging sounds more urgently than before.
The center chest.
Using the axe, I position myself carefully.
揈liza, hold still!?I yell.
With a savage swing, I hack through the lock and tear the lid off.
Eliza comes up coughing, sticking her head up into the rain with a deep, gasping breath of relief. She抯 a mess, red-faced and slick with sweat and ocean rain, sobbing so hard she抯 quaking.
I don抰 even hesitate.
I抦 just grateful as hell she抯 alive.
Fucking alive.
Reaching down, I haul her out of the chest, cradling her so close to my chest it hurts. 揙h, shit. Eliza. I抦 sorry. I抦 so goddamned sorry, sweetheart.?
She wraps her arms around my neck weakly, still sobbing and straining for air.
揓ust breathe. Nice and slow,?I urge, kissing the top of her head again and again.
Go ahead. Ask me if I care that she smells like three-day-old octopus moldering in the sun.
She抯 too stunned, too hurt to speak.
She doesn抰 need to.
I cling to her like a second shadow, hot fury and relief storming my blood, running my fingers through her wet mop of hair.
I need her to stay with me.
Almost as much as I need to remind myself that she抯 here, she抯 safe, and it抯 a miracle when she抯 always been too fucking gorgeous and softhearted for this world.