Chapter 29 – Lee #2
Violet twisted from beneath me, peeking over the edge of the hull, the flare gun gripped tightly in both hands. “He’s too close to Anya. My aim isn’t good enough to be sure I won’t hit her.”
“It’s not worth the risk.” I applied pressure to her shoulder, trying to pull her back down to safety and grounding myself because, at least for now, she was whole. Here.
“If he hits the gas tank, will we blow up?” Violet asked.
I gritted my teeth. “Unlikely but not impossible. We might have to swim for it.”
Violet moaned softly. “I don’t think swimming is going to make us less of a target.”
“It will if I keep his attention fixed on our boat.” And I would. For as long as it took.
“No,” Violet fixed me with a sharp look, “I can’t let you do that. Remember – explosions possible?”
“But not likely. I’ll get us as close as I can. Be ready to bail.” At least she’d have a shot at safety.
“I won’t leave you.”
I pressed a quick, adrenaline-fueled kiss to her mouth. “You will. Someone still has to save Anya.”
And I had to save her.
“That’s dirty pool, Murphy.”
I shrugged, forcing a charming grin. “That’s the only kind I play, Cupcake.” I pressed another quick kiss across her lips. “Just promise me, whatever happens, you live. If we have to let Anya go, memorize the tail number on the plane and hide. We can let the authorities handle it.”
Violet snorted. “Because we’ve done such a good job of letting them handle it already?” Her chin firmed, her expression mulish. “I’m not losing either of you.”
“Baby, I love you. Hold that thought.” I pressed another kiss to her mouth, lingering this time.
Memorizing the shape and feel of her lips against mine.
The words tasted like forever and saltwater.
I didn’t care that the timing was wrong.
If this was it for me, I’d say it as many times as I could.
“Get ready to swim,” I said, adjusting our heading.
I peeked over the hull. Thankfully, Owen had shifted his attention to their plane, more focused on escaping than at taking potshots at us. I had to get the Last Chapter on course before he could shift their position and trajectory.
Playing chicken with a float plane wasn’t in my plans for tonight.
I thought Vi and I would be wrapped up in bed by now, not wrapped up in crime fighting.
At least it’d make for a good story later.
I didn’t think my accountant would even give me grief if I wrote the fuel off as book research.
Getting involved in an honest-to-God chase scene with criminals seemed like as legit a reason as any.
Unfortunately, staying in front of their plane meant I couldn’t land and let Vi out safely.
“Honey, I’m sorry. You’re gonna have to wade the rest of the way.
Stick to the starboard side. The bottom’s mostly tumbled rock on that side, slick but not razor-sharp.
Watch your balance and you’ll be out of Owen’s sightline that way.
Come up on the far side of the plane. The Underwoods don’t appear to be armed. ”
“Don’t worry, Murphy. I got this. According to Gran, I’m a bonafide dragon.”
She slipped over the bulwark and into the frigid ocean. Her rough inhale as she found her footing made me hold my breath. She bobbled, and my heart climbed in my throat, but she recovered, gliding forward. Every muscle was tight, ready to dive for her if she went under.
Waves slapped against the jagged rocks in the cove. At least we were in water only hip-high for her, but it still had to be bone-chillingly cold. Her dress floated out behind her, a trail of luminescent ink in the moonlight.
Her soft “fuck-fuck-fuck” through chattering teeth sent a fresh wave of frustration rippling down my arms. My fingers clenched around the wheel, turning white.
Ending this quickly was our best bet for getting her warm and safe.
That required focus. One wrong move and we’d be nothing but debris floating in the dark.
I locked on Owen’s plane. Just our luck that Anya had dated a competent criminal.
Why couldn’t he be the kind of villain who couldn’t drive a stick, let alone fly a plane?
The Last Chapter seemed tiny compared to the plane as we floated closer.
Owen picked us up in his landing lights.
The cockpit light illuminated his pissed-off expression before I floated into the blind spot near his pontoons.
It would be easy for him to pop out with his gun and take shots at me.
At this distance, he’d pierce the boat. Which could mean blowback he wasn’t ready for.
I didn’t want to find out how many bullets it took to explode a fishing boat.
This close to his plane, I doubted he wanted to find out either.
We were piles of flammable shit atop a body of water.
That math wouldn’t work out for either of us, leaving me with the only advantage I had: a big floating object to block his escape route.
If he couldn’t navigate the plane around me to pick up speed for takeoff, they were going nowhere.
I could only hope he’d do the sane thing, abandon their original plan, and leave Anya to escape into the trees. His odds of evading the authorities were much better on his own.
The cockpit door swung open. So much for sanity. Owen’s dark figure appeared, silhouetted against the moon overhead.
“Move!” his voice boomed over the water. “Two minutes and I open fire. Get your fucking boat out of my way.”
A spotlight struck Owen, pinning him in its glare. Chaz and Megan used the distraction to slip into the trees, gone in a blink.
“This is the Coast Guard. Put down your weapon.”
The command echoed across the water, the Coast Guard boat’s capabilities far beyond those of a private vessel.
I held my breath, waiting to see if Owen would comply.
Shooting me wasn’t out of the question, but it’d be an irrational act of frustrated rage.
Firing on me in full view of the Coast Guard wouldn’t leave him much plausible deniability when he got caught.
He dropped the weapon, extending his hands over his head.
I held my position, scanning the shore for Violet. My eyes ached from straining to track every shadow, every ripple of movement in the moonlight. The Coast Guard could have Owen. Until I saw Vi – alive, safe – none of it mattered.
There.
Dark hair plastered to her cheeks, flare gun still clutched in one hand like she meant to go down swinging, she crouched with Anya. Relief hit so hard, my knees went weak.