Tempting Bounty (Inter-Galactic Bounty Hunter Series Book 2) (7 page)

Chapter 11

Vic wanted nothing more than to go back downstairs and make love to Lexi all morning long. He just couldn’t get enough of her. She surprised him when she offered to feed him in return. He couldn’t believe it. No one had ever been that nice to him before except his family. She was so sweet and generous. He loved that about her.

Things didn’t go exactly how he had planned. He wanted to impress her with making her breakfast but her ex came in and tried to steal the food he had cooked. Now they had unexpected company, which he thought had to be the guys after Stratford. Lexi was in danger and he could do nothing to prevent it.

He stepped onto the deck of the small boat and looked out at the approaching boat. It was raining but he could definitely see a boat in the distance. There was a chance that they had not been spotted yet.

“Is it them?” Dan asked from the doorway to the inner cabin.

“I’m not sure. To be on the safe side we should move the boat.”

“What’s going on?” Lexi came out onto the outside deck in the rain wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

“There’s a boat. We’re not sure who it is, but my guess is that Dan’s buddies found him here.”

“How? Dan is not connected to this boat or the island?”

“The drug dealer Dan worked for probably did his research on you. I know I would. Can you take the boat to the other side of the island?”

“Yes, there’s an alcove that will give good cover and is hard to find unless you know where to look.”

“Good, you and Dan go take the boat.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“I’m staying on the island to keep an eye on these guys. If it proves to be nothing I’ll come get you. If it is them, I will have to handle them until my backup comes.”

“How long before backup arrives?”

“I’m not sure. They had stayed behind and kept watch on the pier for Roland’s men. I’ll call them for an ETA as soon as you and Dan move the boat.”

“I don’t want to leave you by yourself.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her despite the fact that her ex was just a few feet away watching them. “Don’t worry about me. Make sure you keep yourself hidden until I come for you. Do not engage them if you can help it.” He went down below then came back up with the bag that Isaac had given him.

He kissed her one more time then he went to jump down to the pier. He took off the rope that tethered the boat to the pier. He glanced up and watched Lexi pull up the anchor. “Be careful, beautiful. I plan to finish what we started this morning.” He watched as Lexi maneuvered the boat out and then disappeared around the other side of the small island within a few minutes.

He walked down the pier and pulled out his sat phone. He hit the number to his friends. Isaac answered on the second ring.

“What’s up, boss man?”

“We arrived at the island yesterday. I spotted a boat approaching the island. I have maybe two hours or less before they get here.”

“Shit man, we won’t arrive for a few hours. We’ve had some issues with our own boat engines. I’ve had to lend a hand to try to fix it.”

Vic ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’ll try to stall and hold them off as long as I can until you get here. Be prepared for it to be bad when you arrive.”

“Good luck and be careful.”

“You too.” Vic hung up his phone and walked toward the outcrop of large boulders. he climbed up on the highest rock and looked at the vessel that was getting closer and closer. He needed to see what the island had to offer as an obstacle to keep Lexi safe. He hoped Lexi stayed put. He wanted her safe. He knew that Isaac had loaded him up with weapons but he was still only one many against an unknown number of the enemy.

*****

Lexi dropped the anchor as she pulled the boat into the small alcove. The alcove was surrounded on three sides by 20-foot boulders, and there was no inland beach to land on. There was only one way in and out, which was a very narrow pathway.  If someone unfamiliar with the terrain attempted to come through they could easily hit one of the many hidden boulders under the water. It was the perfect hiding spot for the boat. The problem was, Vic wouldn’t be able to get to them easily. He would have to scale the boulders on the land side, dive into the water and swim for the boat. He was pretty much stranded on the other side by himself.

*****

“I can’t believe he just abandoned us like that. What the hell are we supposed to do while stuck on the boat?” Dan complained as Lexi entered the covered deck. He hadn’t bothered to come out in the rain to help her with anything. That was typical of him and one of the many reasons she had divorced his ass.

“You know what, he’s risking his life right now to keep us safe. So unless you want to go out there and take care of these guys who are after you, I would shut the hell up.”

She shoved past him to go look for the flare gun. She needed to make sure that Dan didn’t waste their last signal. This one wasn’t just a flare, it was a micro satellite launcher that would stay up in orbit around the island and send an electronic beacon to the nearest marine authority so that they could be located.

She pulled out the flare gun and pulled out the double cartridge. Dan had used all but one flare when he started the fire near the pier, but the satellite beacons were still in place, two of them. She tucked the flare gun in her back pocket for later.

“Are you going to signal for help?” Dan asked, watching her.

“No, I don’t want to waste the satellite beacons or the last flare. We may have to leave the island and if the beacons are above the island the authorities won’t be able to find us.”

“Why don’t we leave? You and I can take the boat to safety. I can take off and you can notify the authorities about Roland’s men.”

She glared at him. “I’m not leaving Vic to have to deal with these assholes on his own. If you want to leave, make a swim for it. The nearest land is about one hundred and fifty miles in that direction.”

“Why are you being such a bitch?”

“Oh, I don’t know, my crazy ex-husband came to me and got me involved with something shady, killers are after us, and you want to desert a man who is risking his life to keep your worthless hide alive!”

“Hey, why do you care so much about the bounty hunter? You fucked him. Big deal. That doesn’t tie you to him. We have a history together — we were married for years and you should be feeling more loyalty to me not him!”

“Maybe I would feel loyalty to you if you hadn’t cheated on me for years and took most of my money!”

Dan snorted. “Do you think things will be any better with this lower-than-scum bounty hunter? He’s going to use you for your body and your money.”

“It won’t be the first time a guy has done that. I don’t think Vic is like that, though. If he was out for himself, he could have thrown you overboard and let these killers have you. He didn’t do that.”

“No, he wants the money he will get for bringing me in. He doesn’t get paid if I get dead. Don’t make him out to be some kind of hero. You’ll just get your heart broken.”

“Again, my body, my soul, and my heart no longer concern you. I’m a big girl and can handle it.” She was being a little too strong in her response. The truth was that she was feeling a lot more for Vic than she was prepared for. She was afraid that when he left to take Dan in for lock up, he would be leaving her with only half a heart. She cleared her throat as she went back out into the rain. She needed her space and she knew Dan would not follow her out there.

*****

Vic looked over the crop of rocks he was hiding behind. He watched as four men walked up the pier. He recognized one of the men as the one who attacked and cut Lexi. He had escaped from the window. Vic growled low. He would make that man pay for hurting Lexi. The other goons were big, but nothing that he and his friends couldn’t handle. He just needed to stall to give Isaac and Blade time to arrive. He reached for his phone in his back pocket and texted Isaac.

What’s your ETA?

Had to fix motor to run faster. ETA 30 mins or less.

Thirty more minutes before help arrived. He grabbed his bag of goodies that Isaac had packed for him. He had laid some booby traps so that he could track where they were on the island. Now he needed to make his way down where Lexi and Dan were hiding. There was no way around it — he was going to have to scale up the back side of the rock wall, which was really steep. Them he was going to have to climb down on the other side until he was at a point where he could jump. Then he would have to swim the rest of the way.

Good thing he rock climbed in his free time and was in shape. He easily pulled himself up. After ten feet, then fifteen, twenty, and finally twenty-five feet, he reached the top. He looked back and saw how steep it was. He didn’t think any of the men after Dan would be able to climb this easily if they were only human.

Boom
! A loud explosion toward the west end of the island where the huts were located went off. He smiled. “Take that assholes!” He had set several detonators up along the island so that he could track where the guys were.

He looked down at the small boat in the alcove below. It was definitely well hidden, but it was also trapped with only one way in and out. There was no way to climb down on the water side of the boulders. He would have to jump down into the water and swim for the boat. It would probably be a three-to-five minute swim. Nothing he couldn’t handle. The guys after them would have to do the same. Maybe he should have Lexi leave. He didn’t want these guys to get their hands on her again. Just the idea of that had him seeing red and wanting to tear something up. She had somehow become vitally important to Vic.

He knew if he tried to get her to leave without him that she would probably refuse. She was just so stubborn. She would never leave him behind. She was loyal, even to that asshole of an ex-husband. She kept on workers at the club that she could have just fired when she bought the place. Instead, she gave them jobs and helped them save and invest. She cared about people without expecting anything in return.

Vic wasn’t sure that they were a perfect fit. What did he have to offer her? He did co-own his business and had some money saved and a place of his own. However, he worked horrific hours, was a grouch most of the time, and, according to some of his female employees, he looked like most of the perps that they hunted.

Lexi was beautiful, sexy, smart, and owned her own business. Her business was here. Everything she had was here on this planet, while his entire life involved another planet far away. How could a long-distance relationship like that work for either of them? How could he ask her to give up everything she had to move to his world? Would he be willing to give up his business and life to come here?

He walked on the top of the boulders and moved downward. He noted that he could jump from the lowest point, then swim toward the boat. It was time to get Lexi out of there.
Boom!
He felt the ground beneath him shake as another detonator went off. This one was much closer. He turned to face the alcove. The water was a little rough but he had no choice. He leaped off the boulder.

*****

“Did you hear that?” Dan asked, coming out into the rain.

“Yeah, that’s a second explosion and it sounded closer. I hope Vic's okay.”

“Is that him?” Dan asked, pointing to the top of a tall boulder.

“Yeah, but what’s he doing?” She gasped as she watched Vic jump from the boulder and drop until he hit the water like a missile. “Oh shit!”

Chapter 12

Lexi started the engines and maneuvered the boat closer to where Vic dropped into the water. Damn, he had hit the water hard. What kind of swimmer was he? She was filled with fear that something could happen to him. He could hit an underwater boulder, he could drown, and he could....

“Hey! I think that’s him over there,” Dan interrupted, pointed to a bobbing figure.

She moved a little closer, then shut off the engines and dropped anchor. If she got too close he could be sucked into the propeller. “Throw him the lifeline float!” she yelled at Dan.

Dan grumbled about having to be treated like a child but he grabbed the lifeline float and threw it out toward Vic.

“Grab it, Vic!” Lexi called out. She watched him swim with strong, sure strokes towards the lifeline. He was a great swimmer, but the waves in the alcove were really rough. Each little wave broke over his head. She wouldn’t have had the energy to swim as far as he had. She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally reached the lifeline.

“Pull him in, Dan!” She rushed over to lower the back descent ladder. As soon as he was close enough she waded down, reached for his hand, and helped pull him up. “Are you okay? We heard two explosions.”

Dan jumped in to question him too. “How many did you take out?”

Vic was breathing heavy. “Not enough. We need to get out of here.”

“It’s too late to leave now.” Dan said ,pointing to the entrance of the alcove. The boat they saw earlier was making its way into the alcove, blocking the only way out.

They were trapped. “Fuck.”

*****

“Go below, Lexi.”

“Hell no! I’m staying right here.”

“Damn stubborn woman!” He turned to Dan. “Is she always like this?”

“Try being married to her.” Dan half-laughed, trying to ease the tension. “What do we do?”

“My backup is close. I just don’t know how close. I’m out of detonators but I have a spare gun. Can either of you shoot?”

“Hell no,” Dan took a step back, holding up his hands.

“Dan’s scared of guns. He shot his own foot on accident once trying to show off at a party and ended up in the emergency room. I can shoot, though. I used to go to the firing range once a week with a guy I used to date. He worked for the authority.”

Vic reached inside the waterproof backpack he had and pulled out a handgun. “Are you sure?”

Lexi growled at him and reached for the gun. She checked the aiming grid and the cartridge. “Ready to go.”

He didn’t like it, but he didn’t have any choices but to have her help him stall. “Okay, go find a place on the upper level that will keep you hidden, but where you might have a good place to get your shots off. Keep the engines running. As soon as you spot an opportunity to move around them, take it and get us out of the alcove. Whatever happens, don’t come down and don’t let anyone get up that ladder.”

“On it!” She turned to leave but stopped abruptly to turn back toward Vic. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard. “Stay safe, babe.” Then she released him and headed for the ladder leading to the top deck. Vic watched her go, feeling worried.

“I’ll go below and stay out of the way,” Dan said.

“No, you don’t. You get the best job ever. You’re bait. You’re going to stand right here out in the open. I need you as a distraction.”

“Dude, they want to kill me.”

“Actually, I think they will try to take you in alive so that they can question you first. Roland will want to tie up any loose strings.” Vic grabbed Dan by the shoulder and turned him to face the approaching boat.

“If you give me over to them, they’ll still kill you and Lexi. They can’t afford to leave witnesses,” Dan warned him.

“I know. I don’t plan to give them the chance. You’ll go back to lock up and serve your time but you don’t deserve to die. I’ll do everything I can to keep you alive.”

“Are you sure your friends are really coming? What if they decide it’s too dangerous and bail on you?”

Vic gave him a smirk. “For one, I’m their boss. I pay their paychecks. They wouldn’t have a paycheck for long if they leave me. Secondly, I’m their friend. You may not understand that concept because you don’t have any real friends, but my friends wouldn’t abandon me when things get rough.” Vic meant it, too. He hadn’t thought about it, but he did have good friends, even if he didn’t have many. He didn’t let many people into his personal life, but the ones that he did allow in were there for him during the good and the bad times. Plus, he knew his cousin Jagger would seek vengeance if anything ever happened to Vic. They were more like brothers than cousins. No his friends were definitely coming, he just had to bide his time until they arrived.

*****

He reached for his gun and held it behind his back. The other boat approached and he noticed two men plus the boat captain. He only recognized the guy who had hurt Lexi. He was obviously in charge of the men as he spoke first and stared at Stratford.

“Nice to see you again, Dan.”

“Ted, can’t say the same.” Dan rolled his shoulders.

Ted looked at Vic. “You’ve done quite a bit of damage to my men, bounty hunter. I lost two of them with your little booby traps. I’m not happy about that.”

“I’m sure you’ll get over it.”

“Look, bounty hunter, hand over Danny boy and his pretty little wife and I’ll let you leave here alive.”

“Lexi has nothing to do with this,” Dan said. “I’m the one you want. Leave her alone.”

Ted rubbed the scar on his face. “Lexi and I have unfinished business. Also, Mr. Roland has developed a curiosity for the woman. Where is she by the way? Downstairs?” He glanced around the boat, trying to spot her. “Lexie girl, come out, come out wherever you are!” he called.

“Give it up Teddy. You won’t get your hands on her a second time. You might as well turn around and go back to your boss and let him know that you failed,” Vic warned him.

Ted snorted. “Mr. Roland doesn’t accept failures. I’m not about to disappoint him.” He turned to his two men. “Take out the bounty hunter first, bring Dan and his bitch wife on board, and then sink the boat.”

“Yes, sir.”

Vic shoved Dan toward the upper deck where Lexi was hiding. “Go up there. Don’t let them get their hands on Lexi.”

Vic pulled his gun out and started shooting at the two men trying to board the boat. They returned fire. Vic jumped and rolled to a position a few feet away. He got one of the guys in the side and made him drop his weapon. Both men managed to get on board. They rushed Vic, making it hard for him to fire off another shot.

Vic smiled at the humans who were no match for a full Decaros. His horns extended as his anger increased. He caught the punch of one with his hand and twisted the man’s arm until he heard a snap. The man howled in pain and fell to his knees.

The other man rushed at Vic, holding a knife in the air. A shot rang out and the man dropped the weapon. Vic looked behind him to find it was Lexi who had shot the man’s hand. She was a good shot and she looked sexy with that gun in her hand.

“Good shot, babe!” He winked at her before punching each of the men and knocking them down. He looked up at Ted, who was now on the boat a few feet away and was pointing a gun at him.

“Guess your luck is out, bounty hunter.”

Something shiny about twenty feet behind Ted caught Vic’s attention. “Actually, it’s your time that’s up, asshole.” Vic nodded in that direction. Ted turned around and froze.

“Shit.”