Protecting Melissa (Holiday Cove 4)

When I approached the slip, I noted there was a boat docked directly beside it that hadn’t been there when we’d come to port. Normally, I would have chalked it up to a new group of tourists, but there was something about it and the close proximity when there were so many other slips available that unnerved me. I moved silently in the shadows and rounded the boat, scanning the deck for any occupants.

Seeing no one aboard, I shook my head at my own paranoia and told myself to get it in check. I rounded the front of the strange boat on my way to Matt’s and stopped in my tracks as two voices drifted down from above.

“She’s here, all right?”

“How do you know, though? We can’t afford to bungle this,” the second man, with a slight British accent questioned. He sounded nervous.

“We won’t, but you need to follow the plan. Think of all the shit you’ll buy with the payday. Shit, O’Keefe will probably double it since we’re so damned efficient.”

O’Keefe. I knew there was something weird about that boat.

Damn it. How had they found us? We used cash for everything. Melissa’s cell phone and tablet were hundreds of miles away. We’d left the country for fuck’s sake! How was he tracking her?

I couldn’t figure it out. There wasn’t time. The goons on the boat knew Melissa was nearby. Did they know the boat beside them was her temporary home? I sent out a silent thanks that she was actually tucked away in the hotel.

“You’re going with Marcus,” the leader said, interrupting my thoughts. “We’re going to scan this whole fuckin’ beach if that’s what it takes.”

I breathed a silent sigh of relief. They didn’t know about the hotel.

Yet…

I had to get back.

“What about the kid?”

The question made my blood run cold and froze me in place, one toe out of the shadows. Jackson.

“O’Keefe will have us killed if he’s hurt. And you’ll also kiss the payday goodbye if he sees the mom going down. So, grab her, unharmed, then get her away from the kid and take care of business.”

Shit. If Henry ever had the misfortune of the two of us meeting—he wouldn’t walk away.

I’d take my time, tearing him to pieces, and then I’d put his ass so far underground that he’d never be found. He’d be worm food. Just as he deserved.

The voice faded and I couldn’t hear any more details. I took my chance and shot out of the shadows and ran back to the hotel as fast as my legs could carry me. I had to get Melissa and Jackson and get the hell out before they found us.

I burst into the hotel room, locked the door, and hurried to pack up my bag before going into Melissa’s room. Most everything I had was already in my duffel bag that I’d brought ashore with me. I changed into a pair of black pants, a long black shirt, and tucked a 9mm in the back of my waistband, flipping the shirt over it to not draw attention.

I slung the bag over my shoulder and crept into Melissa and Jackson’s shared room. In the soft shadows, I could see her lying on her side, cradling her son. I cringed, hating that I’d have to stir them both. However, at my approach, she whipped around. I nearly fell back, surprised that she’d somehow heard me and was so alert.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” she hissed.

“We have to go. O’Keefe’s—” I paused to peek over her shoulder at Jackson. He was out. “O’Keefe’s men are here. I overheard them talking on the dock. They have a boat and they know you’re here.”

Her eyes went wide, ablaze with terror in the dim lighting from the window. “What? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know, Melissa. I’m sorry. We have to get out, back to the boat, and get away from here before they realize we’ve gone.”

“Shit.” She pressed her eyes closed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “We did everything you said…”

I nodded though she couldn’t see me. “I know. Come on, help me pack and then I’ll carry Jackson. You’re going to have to wake him though and tell him he has to stay quiet.”

Melissa’s eyes popped open and she nodded. A second later, she slipped from under the covers and my eyes raked up her long, slender legs as they stuck out from under a long t-shirt.

Holy shit.

It was neither the time, nor the place, but damn it if I didn’t feel my cock stir at the sight of her. Apparently raging horniness could override terror. The adrenaline just rolled from one emotion to the other. Creating a…tense…situation.

“I’ll get Jackson’s stuff,” she said, tiptoeing across the room. “You have a light or something?”

I clicked on the bedside lamp. “What can I pack for you?”