Accidental Shield (Marriage Mistake #6)(80)

“Bastard,” Flint snarls.

“Obviously, I didn’t believe one word of it, and I told him so. But he was angry, almost panicked, said I shouldn’t be there, that I was going to ruin everything.” Needing a second, I pause, sucking in slow, deep breaths.

“Then what happened?” Flint asked.

“He grabbed Savanny and marched away, threw him in a little closet. When I went to get him, Ray pushed me in the closet, too, and locked the door. He told me to shut up if I wanted to live.”

I have to pause, taking in the fury on Flint’s face. The man looks like he’d tear the whole world limb from limb if anyone dared hurt me.

“Go on,” he orders.

“I fought back but stopped yelling when I heard the other voices. I wanted to hear what they were saying, but it was muffled. I only caught bits and pieces. Something about the boxes. Then Ray grew quiet. They started asking him questions about some kind of charges they’d found. I think they meant a bomb. They were convinced Ray put it there. He swore he hadn’t, he’d never do anything to hurt their business, and then the closet door was ripped open. They found me.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. Men I’d never seen before. Two of them, quiet and angry and rough-looking. They said they were going to kill me in front of Ray. One of them held a gun to my head. Ray kept saying I didn’t know anything. I said the same. I truly thought they’d pull the trigger on us both. But eventually, they dragged me up on deck, released the dinghy, and threw me in with Savanny. I started the engine, figured I’d go get help or something, I really don’t know what I was thinking; I wanted to get away ASAP, and just as I thrust the throttle forward...I heard something else land in the boat. I turned and just knew it was the bomb. I didn’t have much time, so I grabbed Savanny and dove straight into the water.”

Flint keeps watching me through the conversation, his eyes wide, bleeding concern.

Shrugging, I add, “That’s the last thing I remember before waking up here, not knowing anything.”

“Shit. These men, would you recognize them if you saw them again?”

“Yes.” An idea needles me. “Actually, I think I can even draw them...”

“Let’s go downstairs and have some coffee,” he says, tossing aside the sheet.

I crawl to the edge of the bed, halfway forgetting what I’ve suffered. I have to bite my lips together at the sight of his long, lithe, muscular body. Corded muscle ripples around the black boxer briefs he has on, all tanned skin and ink and scars stretched over a body meant to turn every woman on the planet into a hot mess.

He looks at me, holding out his hand. “You sure you’re okay? It’s a hell of a lot to process, I’m sure.”

“We’re cool!” I sputter, grabbing his hand and climbing off the bed.

Sweet Jesus. If only hashing bitter memories and bad guys were my only worries. Then I wouldn’t have to work to unglue my eyes from Hercules.

We hurry downstairs. I find a pencil and some paper while he brews coffee.

By the time I’m done and look up, I’m disappointed. At some point while I was busy drawing, Flint went to his room to put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

Bummer.

“I sent Cash a text. He’s on his way,” he tells me, taking a long pull off his second mug of coffee.

I push the notebook across the counter. “Okay. I’ll get dressed, too.”

Flint and Cash are outside when I come downstairs wearing a clean new dress, and there’s a third man with them. He’s tall, black, and grins with a carefree joy that lights up the room. Not what I’d expect from such a mountain of a man, but it makes me smile back and feel awfully glad he’s on our team.

Flint introduces him as Davis and tells me he’s the one who was driving the Jeep yesterday. He also says Davis just confirmed the men I drew were the same goons in the SUV. They were also in the white van at the coffee shop, shadowing Ray.

I don’t remember a white van, but don’t ask because Cash wants me to describe the bomb they’d tossed in the boat with me.

I try, but I end up drawing it instead since that’s easier.

One good look and Davis says it had to be a marine explosive charge, something underwater demo teams routinely use for sabotage. Usually remotely controlled.

Flint and Cash agree. The trio go back and forth, talking and brainstorming like they’re planning the defense of the whole island.

I feel oddly left out.

But I shouldn’t.

This is all about me, but ironically I don’t know the first thing about saving my skin. I barely managed to spare my own cat from being turned into meowy confetti. If we’d jumped off that skiff a second later, I’d be bite-sized shark snacks along with poor Savanny.

I try to listen while they talk about marine explosives, how they’re used to sink ships, and where they need to hunt down more info. They touch on crime groups, rivals, piracy, guns, drugs, and other nefarious things.

It concerns me deeply, but I can’t focus, can’t pay attention.

It’s like I’ve reached my limit for bad news and I just don’t want any more.

God. What if I’m more like my mother than I thought? Living behind the curtains. Head in the sand.

Is that why it took so long to get my memory back?