Chapter 38

THIRTY-EIGHT

Phoenix

I breathed a sigh of relief as Old Bess came back into view, our footsteps quick on the old stone harbour side.

We'd stocked up on plenty of food, both of us weighed down with the stuffed bags. The water containers should have been topped up while we were away too. All set to hit the seas.

‘Almost there,' I said, encouraging Laura who still looked as pale as a sheet. She'd barely spoken a word since we pulled into the town.

Anger bubbled up in my stomach, with every fearful glance she gave. Massimo had become a monster who haunted her dreams, the one place I couldn't protect her. An insidious vampire leeching away our chance at happiness.

It was no good, I wouldn't spend our lives fleeing and hiding. Massimo was on borrowed time. I'd find a way to get to him, and indulge myself in seeing him pay for hurting my girl.

I climbed the ladder up onto the deck one handed, my other arm straining with the weight of the bags. Plopping them down on the deck, I reached over to take Laura's bags before offering her a hand onto the boat.

Her face visibly relaxed the moment she set foot aboard. Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her to me for a quick kiss, my body still filling with wonder at the graze of her tongue against mine.

‘I can put the shopping away while you get us back out on the water,' she said, her brow creasing as she glanced back to shore.

‘By nightfall we'll be back at the island, docked next to the shore. Muffin will be delighted to see you.'

A smile lifted her lips, erasing the worry line on her forehead. I'd burn the whole damn world to keep that smile on her beautiful face.

After lifting the bags into the kitchen area for her, I headed back out onto deck to ready Old Bess for the trip.

I hummed to myself out of habit while I worked, scanning the dark clouds gathering over the horizon.

My stomach lurched when A blood-curdling scream came from the cabin. I dropped the rope I had in my hands and ran toward the door, panic scorching me.

All hell broke loose in the kitchen, two dark, hooded figures attacked Laura, who slashed at them with a large kitchen knife. She was backed into a corner and there was no doubt they'd overwhelm her in seconds.

Wrestling a fire extinguisher from the wall beside the kitchen, I picked it up, slamming it against one of the intruders' temples. He fell down like a sack of shit, but I wasn't quick enough.

The other held Laura with the knife to her throat, his arm wrapped around her to hold her still.

We both froze, her eyes wild and filled with terror, my heart thundering as I looked for a way to get to her.

‘I don't need her alive,' the man said, his accent thick and rough. ‘Take one step and I'll slice right through her neck.'

Fuck.

A thousand thoughts dashed against my mind, too much risk. I had to hold onto the thought that while Massimo would want me dead, he'd probably prefer Laura alive.

The man at my feet was out of it, still against the floor.

I dropped the extinguisher and held up my hands. The man I'd knocked out had a gun. And it was pretty close to my right foot. Grabbing it wasn't an option, the moment I moved, the knife wielding guy would stab Laura.

‘Alright, I surrender,' I said, keeping my hands above my head. I stepped back against the wall, pressing my foot down on top of the dropped gun and sliding it backwards.

‘Mickey?' The guy said, trying to peer around the kitchen cabinets without losing his hold on Laura. ‘You okay?'

Mickey didn't answer.

The man moved with Laura, keeping the knife digging into her neck.

Shit, if he came too close he'd see the gun beneath my boot. Laura's eyes met mine and I flicked them quickly to the floor and back up. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. The man was close enough to see his friend, but hadn't rounded the kitchen counter yet. When he used his toe to nudge his co-intruder, I mouthed, distract him, to Laura.

‘Oh my god,' she cried out, turning in her captor's grip and threading her arms around his waist. ‘I thought no one would ever come to save me!'

She burst into the most pitiful tears, and the man froze, looking unsure on what to make of this new development, the knife still pressed against the side of Laura's neck.

‘He took me! I've been waiting for someone to come rescue me. Did the police send you?' She sobbed against the hooded face.

The moment he glanced at her, I used my foot to slide the gun up the wall and into my hand, not waiting for a moment before aiming and blowing a shot through the fuckers brain.

A red rain splattered Laura, who let out a scream as the body fell away from her, the knife clattering against the floor.

‘You could have shot me,' she gasped.

I shrugged, moving over beside the man with half a skull. ‘I'd never hurt you. Well, only when you beg for it.'

‘Oh my god,' she murmured, ‘I think he got brains on me. What will we do with the other one?'

‘Help me get him tied to the chair. When he comes back round we'll see what information we can get out of him before sending them both down as chum.' I hauled the unconscious man upright and pulled him toward a seat.

‘Massimo knows where we are, doesn't he?' Laura said, her voice small and tight. ‘He's not going to stop sending them.'

‘He'll stop,' I said, pulling tightly on the ropes I bound the unconscious man with. A puddle of blood pooled beneath his friend, spreading over my floor. I couldn't even throw him over the edge until we'd got well out to sea.

‘How do you know?'

‘Because I'm going to kill him.'