Page 45 of Weston

Before she could react, the pirate hauled her up and her fight or flight instinct kicked in hard. Like Wes, Ellie was a fighter. Without regard to the potential consequences, she kicked up with all her might. Her foot connected with the man’s groin and he released her with a pained howl.

Spinning, she took off, yelling a warning to her research crew. Halfway across the deck, a fist caught her ponytail and she screamed. There were too many pirates. Doing her best to control her rising fear, Ellie turned and shoved the man. The move dislodged his grip on her hair, but he made another wild grab for her and caught her necklace. It ripped from her neck, but Ellie didn’t pause. She dodged around him.

“Grab her!”

Someone snagged her around the waist and Ellie started to fight back, thrashing, kicking and punching like a crazy person. She felt the pirate rip her wedding rings off and then he shoved her so hard, she went flying forward. Unable to stop her momentum, she crashed into the boat’s railing and flipped right over the edge. Her world capsized and she cried out when her head slammed into the side of the boat.

Ellie’s eyes popped open. The terrifying moment the pirates had attacked her research vessel had come back in vivid detail. But she couldn’t dwell on the new breakthrough. Time was slipping away quickly and, if she had to guess, she had less than an hour before the water reached a dangerous, life-threatening level. Plus, what little light remained was dwindling fast.

Oh, God.She didn’t want to drown there, in the dark and alone. Even though she didn’t know what had happened after Wes fell overboard, she had to believe he was okay, that his team had come to the rescue. As strange as it sounded, she still felt him. It’s as though her heart and soul knew he was alive and desperate to find her.

She and Wes had found their way back to each other and, even though she couldn’t remember their previous life together, she believed with all of her heart that she’d married a wonderful man. She may not have memories from before, but she knew who he was now and loved everything she’d discovered about him. During the limited time they’d spent together, she’d caught glimpses of his soul. And it was a thing of beauty.

Every time he looked at her, touched her or spoke to her, she felt his love on a deep, soul-stirring level. He’d told her he loved her, had always loved her since their first date so manyyears ago. Her heart squeezed with emotion. She was just getting to know him all over again. She couldn’t lose him.

And if she died, Wes would be more devastated than before. Because this time, he’d find her lifeless body floating in the seawater and there would be no denying the truth. It would kill him.

Renewed with the will to survive, to fight and beat the ever-rising sea, Ellie let out a roar and began working on the ropes again. Pulling, twisting her raw wrists, yanking hard. Doing anything and everything in her power to break their hold so she could escape her impending death.

“You can do this,” she told herself. “You can, you can, you can.” She wasn’t sure how long she kept the chant up, but when she finally stopped, the tide had risen to her chest, her wrists were bleeding, the rope was still unyielding and her energy and strength were failing rapidly.

Stifling a sob, she fought frantically to free herself, but the reality of the situation became clear. She wouldn’t be able to get herself untied without help. There wasn’t enough time, she realized, a wave lapping against her collarbone.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she pictured Wes, so big and strong, always smiling at her, and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.I think I love you, too. From the moment we first smiled at each other. I’m so sorry, Wes. So sorry to do this to you all over again.

Chapter Eighteen

The moment the trunk was on the boat’s deck, Chaz wasted no time getting to work with a small, hand-held torch and removed the lock. Brand and Jayson carefully lifted the lid to reveal exactly what they expected to find—a large nuclear warhead. Brand quickly snapped several pictures.

“Do your thing, Hawke,” Brand invited as he and Jayson stepped back, providing Xander with plenty of room to work.

“Thanks a lot, Ward,” Xander replied in a droll voice. Pulling in a deep breath, he dropped down to his knees and began to examine the outer shell of the weapon, running his long fingers along the warhead’s seam, soft and light, as though he were caressing a lover.

“The CIA taught you how to dismantle a nuclear bomb?” Lex asked doubtfully.

“Among other things,” Xander murmured, pulling a switchblade out of his pocket and flicking it open. With a steady hand, he slid the blade’s tip into the warhead’s casing. “I also knew a girl who was into this sort of thing.”

“Bombs?” Jayson asked, confused.

“No. Knife play.”

“Jesus Christ, Hawke. Just don’t blow us up, okay?”

“Not planning on it, Ward.” Once he found the points he was searching for, he applied pressure with the knife, and pushed. The case opened and he lifted it up to expose a bowling ball-sized pit of plutonium. “There she is.”

“Shit,” Brand swore. He took a couple of quick photos with his phone then nodded to Xander.

No one dared to move or breathe as Xander carefully reached inside, grasped the radioactive trigger and gingerly lifted it out. With mindful precision, he slowly lowered it into the velvet-lined box on the deck beside him. Then he closed the lid and locked it.

“Easy peasy.” Xander smirked up at them.

“Anyone else stain their briefs?” Lex asked, and deep, wary chuckles filled the air.

“Yeah, not gonna lie,” Chaz said. “There might be some Hershey bars in my shorts.”

“Good job, Hawke,” Brand said, slapping the man’s shoulder. “Glad your kink helped get the job done.”

“Herkink,” he clarified. “Not gonna pretend I didn’t enjoy it, though.”

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