Page 82 of Guarding Bristol

The cadre had told them he’d dropped out for personal reasons.TJ had never seen or heard from him again.Until now.

Nico shook his head in disbelief.“Shit, man.I didn’t know.”

“That makes two of us.”

“They told me your name was...”

TJ Barros.“Legally changed it for my cover.”

Nico looked a little pale.He lowered his weapon slightly.

TJ eyed him.“You still gonna shoot me?”

If he didn’t, the cartel would come for them both.

“I—no.Shit.”He dropped his hands, weapon dangling at his side.

“Good.I don’t wanna shoot you either.”How the hell was this going to play out now?Nico couldn’t just let him and Bristol go.He lowered his own weapon, leaving the rest of their predicament for later, his gaze slicing to the covered cabin.“I need to see her.”

“Yeah, of course—” They both turned at the sound of a boat approaching them fast from behind.

The same one that Jon had brought him out here in.It was coming straight at them.

“What are the odds he changed his mind?”Nico said.

TJ tensed.“Zero.”This could not be good.

The boat raced at them, skimming over the rough waves.He desperately wanted to check on Bristol, but he believed Nico that she was okay, and for now she was safer down below with the added protection of the cabin.“Got a rifle?”He crouched down near the stern.

“Yeah.”Nico ducked back inside the hatch.No sooner had his head reappeared a few moments later, shots cracked through the air.A burst of semi-auto fire.

The rounds sliced into a wave less than twenty yards from their stern.TJ ducked down lower, struggling to keep his balance in the rough seas.Even if it managed to fire, his pistol was utterly useless at this range, and the smaller, faster boat was catching up way too fast.He needed to protect Bristol.

He got up and ran for the bow.Nico was kneeling there with his rifle to his shoulder.“Drive,” he shouted at TJ.

TJ barely made it two steps toward the helm when more shots rang out.This time rounds punched into the stern.The sound of the idling engine changed.It sputtered.A big wave hit them on the port bow, spinning them halfway around to face the oncoming boat.

TJ flung out a hand to grab the railing and stop himself from sliding across the water-drenched deck, managed to stop his momentum and stay in the boat.When he flipped over onto his front and looked over the water, he saw with a jolt how close the other boat was.Close enough that he could see the two men standing at the helm.One driving.The other aiming a rifle.

Jon wasn’t one of them.No, it was much, much worse.

“It’s Leandro,” he called out to Nico, who had repositioned himself.

“Yeah.”He had the scope to his eye.Took aim and fired before the other shooter could adjust his aim.Blood spattered the windscreen and one of the men dropped out of sight.The other boat veered sharply left, whoever was shooting at them firing in a wild arc.

TJ heard Nico grunt.Turned to see him slide to the deck, holding his chest.

Fuck.

TJ dove at him, knocked him flat as more rounds punched into the fiberglass hull.Their boat kept turning, then, without warning, another big wave hit them from the other side, pitching them sharply to port.

One moment TJ was pinning Nico to the deck.The next they were both sailing headlong over the edge and into the rough water.

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