“All right, Tree,” she said, scooting down into the covers. “What’s the big, cheesy smile about?”
“Oh, that’s all your fault.” I smoothed the blankets up to her chin and then sat on the bed’s side by her shoulder.
Rio gazed up at me with her big brown eyes. In the dim light, her pupils were overtaking her irises, making her look even more like a porcelain doll than usual. So exquisite. So breathtaking. So mine. I couldn’t fight the conclusions anymore. I didn’t even want to.
“My fault?” Her smile broadened too. “How so?”
“It’s so good to hear you giggle. Not just laugh, Rio, but no shit”—I shook my head while grinning again—“giggle. Music to my ears.”
Her grin faded a little, but not in the way that usually made my gut clench. Just the opposite. Despite her sudden seriousness, my senses were lighter.
“Music,” she repeated, as if I’d just spouted a whole poem for her. “Really?”
“Really,” I affirmed, gliding a soft touch between her chin and the blanket. The strange scuffling across the boat had my protective instincts—and the need to show them—cranking to new highs. “Baby, your happiness is more important—”
But I never had a chance to finish the thought.
Our cabin’s door banged open like a shotgun opened fire on the thing from the other side.
The panel flew so wildly, one of the hinges tore from the short screws holding it in place, causing it to hang askew and grind to a halt in the carpet.
“Fuck!” I barked. At the same time, Rio let out a frightened shriek. Instinctively, I shielded her with my body, pressing her back against the bed’s headboard. If someone wanted to harm my woman, they would have to go through me first.
“Twombley! Grant Twombley!”
But it wasn’t her they were after.
As an unfamiliar, smarmy-looking man bellowed it again, I gulped against equal parts relief and dread. The stranger shoved past our usual porter and strode to the room’s center. Three additional men pushed their way through the small doorway, all as equally dirty, determined, and demanding as the first guy.
“It’s okay, baby,” I said to Rio over my shoulder. “Ssshhh. It’s okay.”
I thrust my hand back toward her. Instantly, she took the offering. Her fingers were icicles. A bass drum pulsed at her wrist.
“Get on your fucking feet, douchebag,” the greaseball barked. As he did, I noticed that one of our intruders was actually the crew member who’d shown these idiots to our cabin. He whimpered in the corner like a little rabbit circled by a pack of coyotes.
Well, shit.
If he was our only chance of escape, we were in deep trouble.
I rose with slow care, holding my hands in front of my midsection, palms open and not threatening. “Listen, buddy. I think there’s been some sort of misunderstanding. I don’t know who you are, but I’m sure whatever—”
“Shut the fuck up!” the first asshole swore, spit flying from his sweaty lips. “Now, nice and easy,” he said, waving the barrel of his gun around as though it were a theater usher’s flashlight. “Over here.”
As I complied, I noticed all four of these idiots were gun-slinging, and I wasn’t talking about a Daisy Red Ryder that would only be putting my eye out.
“Easy,” I told them, battling to keep my face and voice completely neutral. “Easy now, boys. If it’s money you’re after, I can get whatever amount you—”
Again, I didn’t get to finish my thought. The tallest bully cracked me in the back of the head with the butt of his weapon. The giant ape snarled when his assault didn’t take me to the ground, but the dumbass didn’t consider physics. My height advantage meant he would’ve had to hit me at either a sharper angle or with much more force to do the level of damage he hoped for. It would stand to reason that he wasn’t a criminal by night and a nuclear engineer by day, however. Yeah, I figured that out even with the fucking headache I was going to have.
Damn it. Now I was really pissed.
With my anger lending a strange jolt of bravery, I turned around to size the guy up. It was likely a stupid move, but I compounded it by decking him square in the face. As he folded to his knees, his comrades swore. Their profanities were drowned as Rio let out another shriek from where she was balled up on the bed.
Quickly, I steadied my assailant’s head between my palms. At the same time, I kneed him in the face. Satisfying, bone-crunching sounds pinged around the small room as blood spurted from the bastard’s nostrils. A sanguine spray redecorated the cabin’s light-colored carpet before he fell to the ground and rolled into the fetal position.
“Asshole,” I muttered and turned to the leader of the pack. “Stop fucking around. What do you want? You know my name. Obviously you came here with something specific in mind.”
The guy forced a laugh. As if he came straight from central casting, he was missing a couple of crucially located teeth. “Well, shit,” he drawled. “They did say you were a no-nonsense kind of guy.”
“Really? And who are they?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he hedged. “Really doesn’t matter.”
At once, I was brutally tempted to sprawl him to the floor, as well. But I held back, boring grooves into my palms with my fingernails. Taking him down wouldn’t be wise. My every instinct was telling me so.
“Again, what do you want?” I demanded. “Money? A favor from someone I know? Although if you staged this whole thing”—I waved my arm around—“attacking a private boat out in the middle of open water, someone with pretty deep pockets must be bankrolling you.”
“Again, doesn’t matter.”
Fucking God, I was really tired of this guy’s grandstanding. I re-entertained the idea of flattening him. Judging by the looks of the two other thugs, I could probably take them out myself, as well. It would be tough if they ganged up on me, but if I could tangle with one at a time, I stood a pretty good chance of them all staying unconscious for a bit. At least long enough for Rio to get out of this cabin alive.
“Last time, asshole. What. Do. You. Want?” I taunted.
The nasty guy gave a careless shrug. “You, of course.”
Chapter Twelve
Rio
In a flash, I was on my feet and ready to stand guard in front of Grant. The man I needed like air. The man who picked me up and dusted me off—time and time again. I’d be damned if I’d sit by and have another man I loved ripped from my life.
Hell no.
I’d fight tooth and nail to keep him safe and have no regrets about doing it, regardless of how I had to do it.
Because that’s what he would do for me.
That’s what he had done for me.
“Fuck you, scumbag!” I surged forward even more, shouting it at the creepy guy who appeared to be the leader of this pile of trash that had commandeered our room. My bravado was fueled by an intense fear that threatened to take over my whole mind. If Grant were to leave with these men? I’d lose him forever. The chances of seeing him alive again weren’t good.
No. They were straight up shitty.