Page 52 of Island Whispers

“I’ve got your phone,” she wheezed behind him. “Take him down.” Her hands slipped away and he battled the surge of panic. What if she wasn’t okay at all?

The best way to make sure was to finish this. Right now.

“Hide,” he ordered.

Trusting her to do that, he rushed at Spratt, driving him away from Nina. The man kept swinging, the knife blade flashing wildly under the streetlights. Boone got nicked a time or two as he methodically closed in. Block, uppercut, evade. Duck, slide, kick.

Spratt screamed as Boone’s kick crushed his knee. He went down in a heap, spewing curses and vowing retaliation, waving the knife in wild arcs to keep Boone off him.

But Boone wasn’t scared of Spratt or his weapon. He dodged, and seeing the opening, used the man’s momentum to turn him face down on the pavement. He held him down, slamming his arm over and over until the knife dropped.

He yanked Spratt’s arms behind his back and held them tightly, scanning the area for anything that would keep him secure.

On the street, car tires squealed and doors slammed.

“Nina!”

Her brother had arrived. Great.

“Back here!” Boone shouted. “Jess?”

“I’m here.” She skidded to a stop, taking in the scene. “You need cuffs?”

He nodded as Nash blew past him to get to Nina. Jess helped him secure Spratt. The man was making vile threats against all of them now. “Where are the cops?”

As if the mere mention summoned them, sirens and flashing lights appeared, both in front and behind the club. Boone was grateful for the help and for a moment to look back to check on Nina.

Her brother was fussing over her and Boone didn’t want to get in the middle of that.

“Cameras out here,” Boone said. He couldn’t quite catch his breath. “Should be enough to confirm our story.”

Jess glanced at the devices. “Cops should’ve spotted him. The APB covers the entire city.”

“Not everyone can be as good as the Guardian Agency,” he replied. “They’re here now.” He was suddenly bone tired and more than ready to be done with Spratt.

“I’m gonna just…” He sat down as the building wavered in front of his vision.

“Boone!” Hearing Nina, he smiled. Or tried to. She was a little fuzzy around the edges. He blinked hard, wanting to bring her into focus. She was so pretty, even when she looked worried and mad, like she did now. “You okay?”

She pressed her hands to his face. “Boone. Listen to me.”

He tried. Really, really tried to listen. But several voices seemed to draw a net over him and he couldn’t make sense of the words. Nina was there, her scent familiar, the silk of her hair on his cheek. Nina was all that mattered, even as he slipped under a wave of black.

Chapter 14

Nina had clutched Boone’s hand and stroked the hair back from his face, all the way to the hospital. The paramedics had tried to leave her behind, to insist that she follow in her own car, but she refused. Boone had been unconscious and bleeding badly. It looked so awful. She’d been so afraid if she let go, he wouldn’t come back to her.

She’d sobbed when they separated her, rushing him back into emergency surgery.

Staff had directed her to a waiting room and never in her life had she felt so alone, even after Jess and Nash showed up. The police took her statement as well as evidence from under her fingernails.

Everyone wanted her to get checked out, to clean up her scrapes and bruises, but she was fine. Physically, at least. Her heart was caught in a vise, hammering against the fear that Boone was gone.

Her parents had shown up with clean clothes. Her mother fussed and pestered until Nina gave in, taking a break from the waiting room to clean up and have a cup of soup.

Molly and Lila joined the vigil and they were all together when the surgeon finally came out. He had warm eyes and dark skin and a calm presence that gave her confidence. He explained the nature of Boone’s injuries, warning her those injuries were severe but no longer life threatening. Boone would need a few days of bed rest in the hospital, but he would recover with time.

Nina thanked him, then turned and sobbed on Lila’s shoulder as the relief set in.

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