Page 64 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Seeing Madison’s reaction to the lyrics isexactlywhy I chose this song.

I lower my voice so only she can hear, bringing my lips close to her ear as we sway back and forth as the song starts to close out. “I meant what I said. After all of this, I hope you will consider staying with me. But if there is not a tomorrow for me, fly as far away from all of this as you can. Build the lifeyouwant. Not your family. Not Liam. If you don’t want to become a nurse. Don’t. Do what makesyouhappy, baby. Life is precious. It’s short.”

Her delicate hands grip my shoulder blades as I back her up to the edge of the yacht. Confusion settles into her features at my change in demeanor. I spot Killian standing by the kitchen, Selena isn’t with him.Good. He gives me a subtle nod.

I clasp her face in my hands and kiss her hard. Memorizing her scent, her lips, her heartbeat against mine. “Spread those wings, beautiful and fly.” I push her over the back of the yacht as all hell breaks loose.

Gunshots go off as fireworks paint the night sky. One by one Geraldo’s men drop like the annoying, blood sucking flies they are. Antonio is shuffling the remaining staff and crew to the back of the deck where they can get to safety. In our absence, I had the majority of them get on the boat we use to transport food and goods. If anyone was to ask, they were going to retrieve items for the wedding.

I take down as many fuckers as I can with my hands. Killian’s men have already taken out the majority of them.

My eyes scan the crowd for my uncle. He’s not on the main deck. I jog towards the main cabin, and look for him there, cursing as I come up empty. Anxiety blooms in my chest as I check the bedrooms and come up empty.Again.

Christ, this isn’t good.

I only have a few minutes before we have to abandon this yacht. Ice runs through my veins as I climb to the upper level and not a soul is to be found.

COÑO.

That’s when something, rather,someonecatches my eye on the helipad. I jog the stairs, knowing time is certainly not on our side. With my glock out I step out onto the platform. Geraldo is there with his right hand man Mateo. Mateo has his gun trained on me as Geraldo’s presses into Madison’s skull.

The old man sneers, “I must say, you have a faithfullittle wifehere. The girl came scrambling back looking like a washed up siren.” He shoves Madison forward. “How fortunate I was to find her there in the stairwell.”

“Definitelya sirenwith that mouth on her,” Mateo contributes. I take a few cautious steps towards her.

“Diego,” she cries. “I couldn’t leave you. I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Geraldo raises his gun and pistol whips her. She flops over, her wet white dress clinging to her lifeless body. Blood rushes to my ears, muffling them. All I see is red. Rage boils in my chest as my finger inches closer to the trigger. I raise my gun to kill my fucking uncle when blood splatters my face and sprays Madison’s dress crimson.

No.

Pain ricochetes through my body as I stumble towards her.

No. Not like this.

No.No. No.

That bastard! How could he?I surface from the water, spluttering and treading water. Strong hands grip me by both arms and pull me over the edge of a boat.

“Calm down, lass. I’ve got you.” It takes me a second to recognize Conor’s voice. Instead of the rational thing to do, like catch my breath and relax, knowing I’m safe, I free myself and dive back into the water.

“What in the hell are ya doing, Madison?!” Conor bellows from behind me.

I swim as fast as I can in this damn dress until I reach the ladder on the hydraulic platform at the back of the yacht. Adrenaline courses through me as I arrive at the top, discovering the carnage before me. I don’t recognize any as our own which gives me a brief moment of relief. The deck is a total blood bath, littered in bodies and empty shells. Bending down, I grab a pistol from one of the deceased. An eerie clanking noise fills the space around me as the gun rattles against my wedding ring. Tremor after tremor ripple through my muscles, stiffening my body.

I do a quick scan of the kitchen area, which appears empty. Holding the gun close to my chest, I pad my way up the stairs to the upper deck. As I reach the top step my breath catches in my throat when wrinkled hands grip the back of my neck.

“Drop the gun, now or your head will be blown off,” Geraldo threatens.

I contemplate not listening, then think better of it and do as I’m told. I refuse to go down like this.I’ll find another way.Another set of hands grip the back of my arms. A sweaty man with a missing pinky shoves me up the rest of the steps. I stumble a few times over my soaking dress. The man isn’t having it and lifts me by my elbows, carrying me the rest of the way up. Geraldo and his henchman force me up the next set of stairs to the helipad. This time I collect my dress in a ball at my sides, careful not to trip.

Blood rushes to my ears, making me dizzy.Calm down, Madison. You aren’t of any use if you pass out.Geraldo forces me to my knees, the metal of his gun pressing firmly against my temple.

I take a deep breath in, in an attempt to steady my breathing and try and calm the fuck down.Focus. Look around, what is here for you to use to at least get away? Nothing. There isn’t anything up here. Fuck. Those self defense lessons would have come in handy right about now.

That’s when I seehim. In the stairwell. Those blue eyes swirl with anger and horror at the same time. The deadliest of storms brews behind them as he takes in the visual of me on my knees with his uncle’s gun to my head. His finger twitches around the trigger of his own.

As if enjoying a sport, knowing he may have just won, Geraldo sneers, “I must say, you have a faithfullittle wifehere. The girl came scrambling back, looking like a washed up siren.” My palms smack the teakwood as I’m forced forward by the vile man. “How fortunate I was to find her there in the stairwell,” he drawls.

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