“I knew you’d like it.” He smiled. “And I’m glad you didn’t use it on me this time.”
With danger averted and their argument done, Gabby turned to Markus and he to her. He leaned in, about to kiss her, when Phil groaned from the other side of the deck.
“I suppose we better untie Phil and let the hostages out first,” Markus said.
“Also, the boat’s on fire,” Gabby pointed out. It was starting to smell like a gunpowdery bonfire.
After Markus found a fire extinguisher and put out the developing blaze, he checked G’s pulse. “He’s alive!” Markus said, already putting pressure on the shoulder wound.
Gabby had been sure he was dead. Sheridan said one person was going to die this week, and she’d just heard Jasmine shoot G. Mean girls were the worst. You wanted their approval and love so much that, by the time you realized it wasn’t worth it, they’d killed a journalist and tried to pin it on the president of the UnitedStates. Gabby had to hand it to Jasmine. That was ballsy. If only she’d done actual work instead of figuring out loopholes, she would have been a superstar.
“Do we have any gauze?” Markus looked up from the wound.
Gabby looked around and said, “How about tulle?” Before he could answer, she cut a section from under her skirt and handed it over. Then she ripped the cups out of her bra to pack the wound. They always fell out in the wash anyway. Bra pads were becoming the loose socks of the 2020s.
“He’s gonna be fine,” Markus said.
“That’s good because he’s your best friend lately. It’d be a shame to lose him.”
While Markus tended to his friend, Gabby untied Phil, who had suffered just enough of an injury to feel like he’d done something. And really, he had. Phil had served a valuable role analyzing the finances and using his endless font of movie quotes to unlock the mystery.
Speaking of exes, a cigarette boat appeared on the horizon, going about one hundred miles per hour. Bow up and its engine roaring like a jet, the boat was coming in likeMiami Vice.
Gabby’s thoughts turned to pirates or maybe drug dealers.
Markus glanced at his watch. “Valentina’s late.”
No, she was right on time. If she’d arrived any earlier, Gabby and Markus wouldn’t have had time to clean up their own mess and prove their worth.
Gabby sat back in awe of the woman’s style. Even if Jasmine had managed to escape, Valentina probably would have caught her. She was only a few minutes behind.
“I don’t know, Markus. Our exes really showed up for us today.”
Valentina cruised in, barely losing speed, whipped the boataround, and docked alongside theG-Spotlike she was a professional boat racer, if that was a thing.
“I love her,” Gabby said.
Markus laughed. “Let’s just hope she doesn’t fire us.”
“She’s not going to. We saved the day. Plus, CYA. And that means covering our asses too, so she can claim this win along with us.”
Valentina climbed up the ladder that Jasmine had lowered for herself and came aboard looking like one of Charlie’s Angels.
“Thought I’d drop by and see how things were going,” she said, looking around and nodding at the two subdued suspects. “Looks like you have things handled.”
“We do. No casualties, and you’re here for the glory part of the mission. It’s time to free the hostages.”
While Valentina surveyed the scene, Gabby pointed to her train. “Would you help me with this, Markus?” She was going to trip if she had to run around in a damn wedding dress. “Lana showed me how, but I can’t do it on my own.”
“I’m going to DIY it,” Markus said. He wadded up a bunch of fabric and zip-tied it like he was making an arrest. He eyeballed his work skeptically. “Don’t tell Lana I did this.”
“She’s going to see it in two seconds,” Gabby reminded him. “But you can remind her that you just saved her life.”
“No, we saved her life.”
As Jasmine had advertised, the hostages were enjoying a delicious dinner in aLifestyles of the Rich and Famousdining room with chandeliers, and Persian carpets, and tables appropriate for royals. It was all smooth jazz and oysters, zero awareness of danger.
“So what’s going on, you’re not getting married anymore?” Justin asked. “Jasmine made some sort of announcement about you calling it off before we started dinner.”
