“Because they went fucking skinny dipping in the middle of the day, and I don’t have a shot, that’s why!” Not like it was his fault. “The waves keep moving them. If I fire and miss, they’ll know I’m here.”
“Company is coming. You have five minutes to get this done and get out of there!”
“Yeah, well…don’t know that they will be finished in five minutes.” Because he had a pretty good idea of what else they might be doing in the waves…
Jinx…lucky bastard.
He was even gonna get to leave this world with a bang.
“Take the fucking shot!”
The line went dead.
Someone needed to calm the hell down…
He pulled in a breath. Kept his attention focused through his scope. The couple appeared to be coming closer to shore. Good. As soon as they cleared those deeper waves, he’d have them…
***
He was swimming them toward shore. Jinx had pulled out of Ali, slid her panties back into place, but he’d kept his fierce hold on her waist. Now he was taking her back.
“I don’t want to go back.” The words slipped from her. One of her arms was around his neck, and her grip tightened, just for a moment.
“Sweets?”
She liked that silly endearment. Did Jinx even realize he used it with her? Probably not. But she’d always liked it. A little more personal than sweetheart, it made her think that…maybe, he used it just for her. Maybe it wasn’t the same expression he used with every other woman he’d slept with.
Her arm tightened even more.
“Choking me a little,” Jinx growled.
Her bad. Do not think about those other women.
“Better.” His voice was clearer, and he’d also stopped heading for shore. “Why are you afraid?”
And that was it. He’d just figured out exactly what was happening. Ali was afraid. Afraid to slip out of the water and return to the real world. She’d been running when she first jumped into the waves…
He ran after me. He came after me. Made love to me like the past didn’t matter.
Perhaps it wouldn’t.
Unfortunately, she feared it would.
“You wanted to be a hero. That’s how you wound up on the team.” Her legs slid from his hips. She pushed from him and swam a few feet—feet that took her away from the shore. Back into the deeper water. Colder water brushed her calves, always a sign that she’d gone deeper. “I just wanted to stay out of jail.”
He circled toward her. Closed in like…like a shark.
At the thought, she automatically glanced down. All around.
No sharks. She hadn’t even thought about them a few moments before. A shark could have swum right by her when she’d been climaxing with Jinx, and she would never have known.
“What did you do?” Jinx asked her.
Ali bit her lower lip. He was still naked. She was clad in soaking-wet underwear and could swear that she still felt him inside her. When she’d jumped into the water, she hadn’t been thinking much beyond that moment. She’d been hurting, crying, and escape had been on her mind.
Now, swimming in the water, her body still aching from him, Ali felt vulnerable. She hated that feeling. She liked to be strong and in control, but for the past few months, her control had been chipped away. Her stalker had seen to that as he made her feel more and more alone. Targeted.
Hunted.
“Ali?” Jinx swam closer. “Tell me what happened back then. If you think I’m going to judge you, you’re dead wrong.” He stared straight into her eyes. “You are dead—”
Something whizzed right by his face and hit the waves. A splash immediately had water hitting her. Ali blinked and tried to figure out what had just happened. Had a fish jumped out of the water? Had—
Another whiz. A sound like a bee buzzing right past her. Another splash as something hit the water, hard.
“Gunshot,” Jinx snarled.
Her gaze flew to his face.
“Coming from back on the beach!”
Her frantic stare darted to the beach. She saw no one. She saw—
A glint in the distance. A glint that was coming from the other massive house much farther down the beach. From the top of that house, on the small balcony on the third floor.
“Dive, Ali!” Jinx blasted. “Dive and swim! Head east. Now, baby, now!” He pushed her into the waves.
She sank into that water and as she surged east, she saw a bullet go past her head.
***
“Shit.”
They’d disappeared under the surface of the water. Had the last shot hit his target? He couldn’t tell, not for certain. Dammit. This was so fucked up! He hadn’t wanted to take the damn shots, but the boss had given him the order. He was being paid far too richly to ignore a direct order.
He kept his eyes locked on the waves. If he’d hit his target, he should see blood in the water. A body would rise.
If he hadn’t hit his target, sooner or later, they’d have to come up for air. And when they came up, he’d be ready. He’d take another shot. He’d finish the job.
He’d get his money and get the hell out of town.
Come on. Come on. Rise up and just take a breath…
Chapter Fifteen
Ali felt like her lungs were about to burst. She’d swam for as long as she could. She and Jinx had gone a good distance down from their original location. Had they gone far enough? Were they safe?
I can’t believe someone was shooting at us!
And, if she’d been right about that gleam she’d caught, it hadn’t been just any shooter taking aim. From a perch that high…
Sniper.
A sniper shooting at her made zero sense. None of this nightmare made sense.
She had to take a breath. Ali kicked up—
Jinx grabbed her ankle and hauled her back. Fear twisted inside of her, and she whirled her body so she could face him.
He shook his head.
Bubbles trickled out of her mouth. She couldn’t stay down longer. Jinx might have done training with a SEAL team—specifically, with War’s SEAL team—but she hadn’t. She couldn’t hold her breath this long! Her lungs burned, and she could feel dizziness pulsing through her head.
Jinx pointed to himself. Then he pointed up.
What?
He kicked up.
She understood.
He wants to go first. If the shooter is up there, Jinx thinks the guy will shoot at him first.
Jinx was making himself a target.
She grabbed his damn body and hauled him back down. He frowned at her. Hell, at this rate, they’d both drown before the shooter ever had a chance to fire again.
***
They hadn’t come to the surface yet. His back wasn’t just sweating. His temples were sweating. His chin. He could feel the beads of sweat preparing to drip, drip…
Was it possible that last shot had somehow taken them both out? Sure, he was good, but…not that good. Or was he?
No blood in the water.
He’d thought he saw a dark shadow moving moments before, but it had turned out to be a big ray, not his prey.
“Come on, come on,” he muttered.
“What the hell are you doing?” The voice was sharp, angry, and coming from right behind him.
He spun around, instinctively bringing the weapon with him.