The Pawn (Shattered Series Book 1) (33 page)

The words were like fire to gasoline.

With an angry thrust, he hurled the log across the space, eyeing the assassin with a vicious look all the while, and fought to contain his rage.

“What the fuck!” Clint yelled in surprise, firing two shots in the direction of the flying log, and then, released a string of violent curses. The assassin’s eyes were strange and wild. “So you want to play it like that, huh, bitch!”

At that point, Javier chose a distraction.

To the assassin’s left, another noise sounded.

Wild and out of control, the assassin fired three more rounds of ammo and ventured in that direction.

Not waiting a second longer, Jarrod charged from the shadows. The tension in the air arched like a well-taut bow, stretching to its very limit. With blinding speed and agility, he rushed at him before taking a daring leap. He grunted hard as they hit the ground, and he heard the criminal’s wild curse as the gun flew from his hand. Reacting on pure instinct, he aimed for the ribs and connected. The adrenaline rushed through him, but still his movements were well-controlled. At some point and time, they’d staggered up from the ground and were now embroiled in a full-on wrestling match.   

They stumbled towards the tree alongside the trail. He winced from the force as he slammed into it, all the while straining against the assassin’s hold. Releasing a violent curse, he head-butted him, and ignoring the pain splitting through his own skull, charged after the staggering criminal. As he plowed into him from behind, they hit the ground again.

But, having gained a second breath, Clint turned fast, sending a crushing blow into his abdomen.

With a dull thud, he met the ground and tasted his own tangy blood. Though darkness masked the jungle, he could still make out a bevy of creeping crawlers on the mossy surface. Breathing fast, embracing the dull pain thudding at his right temple, he struggled to make sense of his bearings. A quick minute later, he was eye level with the criminal’s leather patented boots.

“Get up!” Clint raged, staring down at him. “You want to fight me? Fight me like a man! Or maybe that useless slut, Olivia Lange, already knows that you’ll never be one---”

Giving an enraged cry, Jarrod sprang up, careening into the criminal again, and clenched him in a strong hold. With one fast maneuver, he kneed him in the groin. 

              “Fuck!” Clint yelled, stunned by the blow, doubling over. Sneering, lips curling back, he passed him an upward glare. “Hitting below the belt? That’s low, don’t you think, pretty boy!”

“Don’t you even dare say her name,” he threatened, grasping the man’s face with a crushing grip, and dug his fingers hard into his flesh. As the man grimaced in pain, the satisfaction seared him. “And for every woman that you’ve ever assaulted or hurt---this is payback for your nefarious acts against them.” He pulled the man’s face close to his, and his breath fanned him. “There are only two things that I want you to do---hurt and bleed. You will regret the day that you hurt anyone. Pain---that’s the only thing that you deserve.
I am its deliverer
.”

Giving a hard push, he sent the criminal flying across the dark space. Within seconds, he was upon him, landing a series of blows against the man’s face.

Through guttural gasps and bloody spittle, Clint laughed maniacally. “Go to hell!”

“I’m going to see you there first,” he vowed coldly, embracing the naked fury, closing a firm grip around the man’s neck. “Enjoy the trip.”

In the background, he heard scattered noises, and finally, Javier’s shadow fell over him.

“Trust me. You’d be doing the world a huge favor if you killed the son-of-a-bitch,” Javier muttered, hauling him off the criminal, and as he stood upright, patted his face. “But, we’re not able to take a walk on the wild side of inhumanity.” He aimed the pistol low at Clint. “Get up, you miserable piece of filth. One false move and I’ll send you to your maker in the undergrounds.”

Weak, exhausted, Clint struggled to stand. “I can’t,” the criminal said, breathing hard. “Can’t you see that he’s crazy! He tried to kill me.”

              Javier shrugged nonchalantly. “I still haven’t received one note of apology for saving your ass either. Since you’re so ungrateful, maybe I should reconsider and let him finish the job.”

“No!” Clint said fast, wild-eyed, staring at them from the ground. “The both of you seem like reasonable men. Surely, we can come to some type of agreement.” The man’s body shook with fear. “If Duke Addison learns that I botched this hit, I’m going to wish that I were dead.”

“Do you think that I actually care? Now, get up,” Jarrod snapped, having retrieved pieces of rope that been used to bound them earlier. “Better yet, let me help you.”

“Yeah, looks like our little assassin friend needs assistance,” Javier cracked, holding the gun steady. “I know that you’re only happy to oblige.”

              Uncaring of the man’s grunts of pain and discomfort, Jarrod hauled him to his feet and then lassoed the binds around his wrist. “Any sign of Tomas?” he probed, passing Javier a fast look.

              “Dead,” Javier replied, shaking his head. “Found his body about 10 minutes up the trail with a bullet hole centered straight between the eyes.”

              “Well, well, it seems like your days as a free man are soon to be over,” he said, gripping the man’s shackled wrist before pushing him forward. “The feds will be interested in knowing about your murderous misdeeds, here and abroad. Hell, I doubt you’ll even make bail.”

             The man’s words were frantic. “If I go back to the States, I’m as good as any dead man,” Clint muttered uneasily, peering at him over his shoulder. “Duke Addison leaves no room for mistakes.”
       “Well, you’ve made plenty of them tonight. And your biggest one yet will be mentioning anything about Olivia,” he warned coldly. “If there’s anything that’ll become an automatic death sentence, it’s that, and it’ll be at my hands. Make no mistake about that.” He forced himself to calm. “Since you’re all about making deals, it might be in your interest to cut one with the feds. Tell everything that you know about Duke Addison and his organization, and it might change your sentence from a lethal injection to life without parole. It’s your call.”

        A desperate Clint nodded. “If I’m going to rat on Duke Addison, I’m going to need round the clock protection.

        “Save your demands for the feds,” he warned again, pushing the criminal forward as he led the way along and path, and Javier followed behind them. “If you want live long enough to see them, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut from this point on.”

         To no surprise, the assassin fell silent.

          But, the war raging within him, Jarrod thought, staring straight ahead.

         
There’d never be any peace offering
.

Chapter 17

              At approximately 12:47 am, she was awakened by Luna’s heartbroken sobs and accusations.  “What were you thinking? How could you even put all that we have a risk? Not only were your actions crazy, but they were stupid as well! You never think first---you just do!”

              Wide-eyed and alert at once, Olivia shoved the feather blanket off, only to find a battered and bruised Javier trying to console a weeping Luna who resisted his efforts. So embroiled they were in the argument, they didn’t even realize that they held a quiet, captive audience.

           Standing up, she took a wild glance around.

           Only the three of them occupied the living area.

           The fear leapt in her chest.

              “Where’s Jarrod?” she asked abruptly, unable to hide the frantic note in her voice. “Why isn’t he here?”

              Startled, they both jumped around to face her.

            “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Please tell me that he’s okay.”

              In the semi-darkness, Javier flushed with guilt before clearing his throat uncomfortably. Even the dark shadows couldn’t mask the cuts and tears on his face. “Jarrod’s not here, right now. He said that he didn’t want you to worry and that he’s fine---”

              “Please,” she whispered, biting her trembling lips. “I can’t take it with anyone else lying to me.”

              “No, I want to talk to Olivia alone,” Luna said firmly, staying him with her hand, and passed her husband an angry stare. “Go lie down and get some rest. We’ll talk later.”

              The quietness in the room was unnerving as Javier made his departure, and finally, she and Luna were left alone.

              “Olivia,” Luna sighed, grasping her hands as she stopped before her. “There’s something that I have to tell you---”

              The long hours of worrying of his whereabouts finally won out. “I-is Jarrod okay?” she asked, and her naked sob broke free. “Has he been hurt? Please---Luna tell me.”

              Luna led her to the sofa, and they both sank down together.

              “Please tell me that he’s okay,” she pleaded, turning towards her on the sofa. She clasped her shaky hands together in an effort to control their trembling. “I knew that something was wrong. I could feel it.”

              “Olivia, listen. Calm down. While he’s not at his best, from my understanding, Jarrod is okay,” Luna hedged, choosing her words carefully. “He’s not here now because he didn’t want to upset you---”

              “He didn’t want to upset me!” she exclaimed incredulously, unable to control the anger flowing through her now. “He disappears for an entire day with hardly a word, and he doesn’t want to upset me! Well, it’s a little late for that.”

              “Olivia, they were taken by two men, beaten, and tied. They had to fight for their very lives.” Luna dissolved into tears. “They’re both lucky to be alive.”

              “No,” she sobbed openly, holding her clasped hands against her mouth. “How could this have happened?”

              This time, Luna’s look was evasive. “I-I don’t have all the details, and I think that you should talk to Jarrod when you see him.”

              She stood up fast. “I want to see him now. Where is he?”

              “Olivia, listen,” Luna soothed. “Jarrod wants to be alone. He thought that it’d be best that you and Meghan stay here for the week, at least until he recuperates somewhat. He doesn’t want Meghan to see him like this.”

              She firmed her lips. “I can understand him not wanting Meghan to see him all hurt and banged up. But, that doesn’t give him the right to shut me out,” she said, looking her straight in the eyes, and blinked at the tears. “Luna, please. I need to be with him, and I know that Javier told you of his whereabouts.”

              “Olivia,” Luna sighed, looking to the ceiling. “I want to do right by the both of you. I don’t want to see either one of you get hurt.”

              “The only thing that’s hurting me is not being able to be a part of his life,” she asserted, grabbing Luna’s hand. “If you were in my position, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to be with the man that you loved?”

              As Luna looked at her, she knew that she’d driven her point home. “Jarrod went to retrieve things from the cabin where you all were staying and he plans to see Father Santos before he leaves the island. After that, he’s returning to Laramie Rock.”

              She gave the woman’s hand a squeeze. “Thank you. Believe me. I don’t want to put you in a bad position, but I need to get to the boat before he leaves.” Grabbing Luna’s hand, she looked at her with tear-filled eyes. “Earlier, you asked me not to give up on Jarrod. Well, I’m not, and I’m fighting with everything to love him.”

              Luna hesitated, but then acquiesced with a fast nod. “I’ll take you to the port. But, let me talk to Javier first. He won’t agree with my actions, but he’s already in enough hot water with me already. After that, I’ll bring the car around,” she said. “Give me five minutes.”

              She stood in silence as Luna disappeared.

              With all hope, time would be on her side.

***

        Relentlessly and recklessly, the storm raged, and it’d grown more turbulent since he’d departed from the mainland. Along with the high winds, a streak of lightning lit up the heavens, and deep thunder followed as the storm clouds raced along the firmament.

        Sending an anxious glance to the monitors for the umpteenth time, Jarrod struggled to see past the drenching sheets of heavy rain and ignored the wetness as it beat against his face and yellow slicker that he wore.

        A gale of high wind rushed through and pushed against the yacht. As the motor yacht bore the strong current, he gunned the engine down. “Damn it, come on!” he cursed, throttling the thrust. In these last minutes, locating an exact point was proving to be difficult. As the motor yacht tilted and rocked against the crashing waves, he gunned the engine down further, struggling to stay on course.

        Though dawn had yet to break, the dark clouds made the firmament resemble night.

        Once again, he struggled to see through the driving rain, and as he did, dread filled him. Just ahead, several kilometers away, the bevy of heavy storm clouds tumbled over before meshing into a single streamlined unit and the drenching rain revealed itself as a thick gray sheen. Without a doubt, he was heading directly into the eye of the storm.

        “Fuck!” he muttered, flipping the additional switches fast, quickly deciding to alter the course. The engine sputtered in protest, but finally readjusted itself against the strong currents and crashing waves. In response, the bow reared upward at a dangerous angle and he fought to stay upright on the slippery floor. To his relief, the motor yacht fell on its new course again, leveling itself back out on the crashing waves.

        But, still, the storm was closing in.

        The wind was stronger and its deafening roar was about the only thing that was audible at the----

        “Jarrod! I’m here to help! What do you need me to do?”

        “What the hell?” he whispered in stunned disbelief, freezing on the spot. No, it couldn’t be her! He’d left her safely at Javier’s. He shook his head to clear it. “I have to be fucking hallucinating----”

        “Jarrod, the storm’s getting worse! We need to do something!”

        Starting in surprise again, he whirled around.

        His mouth dropped open in bewilderment.

        A few feet away, Olivia stood, and the hard winds whipped against her. His only other yellow rain slicker dwarfed her small body, and her face was barely visible. With wide eyes, she stared back at him.

        She looked ridiculous, adorable, cute, lovable, and sweet----

        What the hell am I thinking, he raged, his mind snapping back to the present.

        They were in the middle of the storm of the century, and measuring her adorability factor certainly wasn’t on the roster! Not to mention the fact that he was pissed off that she was placing herself in danger!

         “Jarrod!” Olivia yelled, rushing forward after the yacht leveled out on the waves. As she joined him at the helm, she was breathless. “Tell me what to do! I can help you!”

        “Damn it, Olivia! What the hell are you doing here? Fuck!” he yelled over the high winds, pounding a hard fist against the steering wheel. “Get down below!”

        “No! I’m not leaving you!” she screamed in return. “We’re going to figure this thing out together!”

        The bow reared upward again.

        On instinct, he grappled her with his left arm, pulling her in front of him, shielding her from the strong gust of wind. “Stay in front of me! Hang on tight!” Jarrod shouted above the howling winds.

        To his relief, she acquiesced with a fast nod, doing what she was told.

        As best as he could, he formed a cocoon around her, all the while attempting to keep the motor yacht on course. The rain lessened somewhat, enabling him to find an exact point of location. But, as he looked to his right, his heart sank again.

        The storm was heading straight towards them.

        Riding it out was the only option….

        “We’re dropping anchor!” he shouted at her ear, over the winds. “Hold onto the wheel! Keep it steady! Can you do that?”

        “Yes!” she nodded, turning towards him slightly. “Be careful!”

        “I’m going to check on the rode! I’ll be right back!”

        With a fast nod, ignoring his dread of leaving her alone, he left the bridge. The floor was slick, and a few times, he almost lost his balance. But, within moments, he reached the rode, and after making the necessary adjustments, he moved back toward the helm.

        When he reached her, he sensed her relief. “I’m back!” he yelled, cocooning his body around hers again. “I need you to listen, okay?”

        Leaning into him, she nodded.

        “After we ease up on the throttle, we’re going to head this baby up into the current!”

        And they did just that.

        Rushing back to the rode, he ensured that they were holding. “Back it up some! Slow and steady!” he shouted to her, watching the rope and chain as they set, and finally made sure to cleat securely. Within seconds, he joined her again, working to drop the anchor fast against the rising high winds.

        Once the anchor was dropped securely, he hugged her close to him before rushing across the slippery deck floor. The skies were like night now as the storm barreled in. Moving fast, they took the steps. Just as they reached bottom deck, the heavens opened up, and the slickers provided little protection against the driving rain and forceful winds. Working against the elements of nature, he wrenched the door open before pushing her inside. As they entered the safety of the salon, he sighed in relief, realizing that the situation could’ve taken a far worse turn. After forcing the door shut, he turned to face her.

        Cursing under his breath, he yanked the rain slicker over his head, and surprisingly, it’d shielded the white t-shirt and khakis from most of the moisture. The water pooled at his booted feet in puddles, but not even the wet moisture was enough to cool his ire and hot temper. “You better have an explanation for this!” he shouted, hurling the slicker to the floor angrily, and in two clean swipes, he’d stooped over and removed the camouflage rain boots. After throwing them towards the entrance, he faced her again with an irate expression. “What are you trying to do, get yourself killed? Don’t you ever place yourself in that type of danger again so willingly, do you understand me?”

        “You stubborn fool, I did it for you! And I wasn’t about to let you face it alone! It was dangerous out there, and you needed my help,” she muttered, fuming with her own anger. “And stop yelling at me!”

        She whipped the oversized slicker over her head, and with the same vigor as his, threw it on the floor. Muttering under her breath, she removed the wet sneakers before kicking them towards the sofa, and out of her way. At some point, earlier, he mused, flicking his eyes over her, she’d managed to change into a white tank top and denim shorts. Falling freely to her shoulders, her long dark brown tresses curled from the moisture. No makeup covered her flawless features, not even lip gloss, and her natural beauty easily shone through.

        Damn, she’d never been sexier---

        Frowning, he forced his mind back to the present.

        “How in the hell did you get here in the first place?” he demanded, scowling in disbelief. “I told Javier to keep my whereabouts a secret. I see that he didn’t.” The irritation played on his face as he shook his head. “Naturally, he blabbed to Luna because he can never keep his damn mouth shut when it comes to her. Son-of-a-bitch! I told him that I needed some time---”