“B-but,” the chatty man stuttered, “earlier you told us we could leave and—”
“Sorry,gavone,” Bran told him. “That ship sailed. And then it sank. Now, on your knees.”
They hesitated and Mason rolled his eyes. He contemplated swinging his M4 like a baseball bat at the backs of their knees. The longer they fought against the inevitable, the longer he had to wait to send up that flare.
And the longer Alex is alone out there.
He hadn’t stopped thinking about her—worrying about her—since the moment he’d chucked himself overboard the catamaran. Then again, she’d pretty much been a plague on his brain since she exploded onto Wayfarer Island like the pint-sized bombshell she was.
Bran proved he was suffering a similar fate—having a woman on the brain—when, instead of insisting the masked assholes do as he told them, he yelled over his shoulder, “Maddy? Y’okay in there?”
For a couple of seconds no sound emerged from the gunpowder magazine house. Then Maddy poked her head around the corner. She held a piece of driftwood aloft like a baseball bat.
“Bran?” She scooted out from behind the building, glanced at the unarmed men, and swallowed. “Can I go find the girls?”
Her firm chin and straight back were a testament to her mettle, but Mason heard the tremor in her voice. And even under the dim light of the moon, he could see that her complexion was so pale she looked like she’d been to the blood drive but hadn’t been given the requisite post-donation cookie and juice.
He wondered if he’d ever met a woman as dauntless and determined as Maddy Powers.
Alex, a voice whispered inside his head. Ya-huh. Sure. Alex was what you would call dauntless and determined…if you were prone to understatement.
And fuckin’ hell! Wereallhis thoughts going to lead back to her tonight?
“Wait ’til we—” Bran began, and the masked men took advantage of his distraction.
“Run!” Southern Boy shouted, taking off like a shot toward the fort’s arched entryway. His cohort bolted after him.
Mason swung his weapon in their direction and took aim. But he didn’t pull the trigger. Once again he drew the line at shooting unarmed men in the back.
“Let ’em go,” Bran said.
Mason didn’t take his eyes off the targets as his breathing slowed right along with his heart rate. His finger twitched on the trigger. “I could wing them. Or take out a knee.” Apparently, he was having a knee fixation tonight.Odd.
“No need,” Bran said as the duo zigzagged their way across the parade grounds.
“But what if they’re going to the ranger’s station to—” Maddy started, only to be cut off by Bran.
“They’re dumb, but they’re not that dumb,” he said. “They’re outnumbered and weaponless.” He nodded to the SCAR-L rifles lying in the dirt. “Dollars to doughnuts they’re making a beeline straight to their boat. But don’t worry, even then they won’t get far.”
“What do you mean?” Maddy asked, skirting the body of Bad Knee to come stand beside Bran.
When she reached for his hand, Mason saw Bran stiffen. But that only lasted a split second. Then it was like something inside Bran broke loose and he curled his fingers through Maddy’s, dragging her close to his side. The look on Maddy’s face when she glanced at Bran was one Mason recognized. Longing and hero-worship and…something more.
It was the something more that worried him.
Bran didn’t believe in happily-ever-afters. Which meant at some point in the near future, that bouquet of heart-shaped balloons flying above Maddy’s head would inevitably meet the sharp pins of Bran’s unshakeable resolve.
This’ll get ugly, Mason thought as he lowered his weapon and swung the strap of his rifle over his shoulder. The metal of the weapon was cool where it rested against his bare back, the weight comforting.
“While I was in the surf, watching and waiting to see what the masked assholes were getting up to,” Bran said, “Mason snuck aboard their fishing boat to disable their radio and satellite phone. Rule number one for any successful battle is knock out the enemy’s communications. While he was there, he cut a hole in their fuel line. Rule number two for any successful battle is to block any avenue of escape. They’ll make itmaybea mile or two before they run outta gas. You didn’treallythink I was serious when I told them they could leave the island no questions asked, did you?”
“Well…I…” Maddy blinked. “I reckon I did.”
“Much to learn you still have,” Bran said, doing a pretty spot-on impression of Yoda.
A smile more radiant than the lighthouse’s glow spread across Maddy’s face.
Going to get so fuckin’ ugly, Mason thought again. Aloud he asked, “So what now?”
