Page 20 of Chasing Hope

‘Spoken like a true investigator,’ Ethan chuckled. Hope smiled and relaxed in his arms. ‘Haste makes waste, Hope. These things take time. You need to be patient. We’ll run background checks on all of them and wait to see what we find,’ Ethan suggested. Hope nodded, complying to his decision.

The sudden calm encompassing them surprised him. It hadn’t registered that the activities in the docks had quietened down. The only sounds surrounding them were that of the rustling shores and the whistling winds.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ The moment Hope leapt to her feet, one of Himesh’s men doing his customary rounds caught sight of her. He signalled to two other men and they charged in their direction. ‘Shit, they’ve spotted me.’ Paralysed with fear, Hope grabbed Ethan’s arm.

‘Why the hell are you jinxed with timing? Better hope this third time breaks the curse.’ A surge of panic shocked Ethan’s scenes. His only thought was that no harm could come to Hope. In one swift motion, Ethan yanked up his scarf, grasped the side bar and sprang down. ‘Jump,’ he coaxed, spreading out his arms. Like angry bulls, the men charged towards them. Terror overtook her face and she stood motionless. ‘Hope! They have their fucking guns out. Jump!’ At Ethan’s loud command, Hope tipped forward. Ethan caught her and dropped her feet to the ground. ‘Run!’

‘God, you’re so bossy,’ Hope said. The corners of her mouth turned up.

‘Trust me, You won’t find the situation so funny once bullets start flying past you.’

Hope opened her mouth but before she passed a sarcastic remark, Ethan wrapped his hand around her wrist and sprinted towards safety. He left Hope with no option but to follow his lead. Making quick headway, they writhed their way through parked storage trucks. Hope’s pulse hammered and Ethan tightened his grip. The shouts grew closer. Dread pooled in his stomach. He knew he couldn’t outrun them. They would have spread around by now in a strategy to surround them. The moonlight guided him and Ethan traced its path to the shores. He skidded to a halt; Hope screeched and slammed into him. Ethan tugged her hand and crept behind a docked fisherman’s boat.

‘Oww,’ Hope groaned, rubbing her nose. ‘You moron, warn me next time—’

Ethan slapped his palm over her mouth and plastered his body to hers. Water soaked their shoes as soft waves sailed to the shore. Ethan slammed his eyes shut as the boat rocked and their bodies swayed in an erotic rhythm. He bit down on a moan as Hope bucked her hips. Suspecting an opportunity, his hard-on made its presence felt. The fucker had no sense of timing. Ethan growled and hit his forehead to the boat.

‘Can you see them?’ Hope froze in his arms as one of the men’s thunderous voices surrounded them.

‘You, look around the tanker. And you go search behind the boats.’ Ethan's body went taut as he overheard another man bark instructions. With that Ethan gathered that there were a total of three men. It was only a matter of time before they caught them. Ethan’s mind raced at the speed of lightning.

‘Stay put.’ Hope’s eyes flashed at his order. ‘I swear, don’t test me.’ The fire in her eyes burned bright, but she reluctantly nodded. Ethan slouched and ambled to the edge of the boat. His breath scurried up his throat. One of the men was at arm’s length. Having the element of surprise, Ethan swooped in with a rear naked choke, grabbing him around the neck. He clasped his palms, tightened his grip and pushed his elbow against the man’s back. Holding command over his posture and balance, Ethan pulled the man back and down, dragging him behind the boat.

‘Quick, gag him,’ Ethan barked orders, pinning him to the ground. Hope sprang from her position and spun around in circles. She snatched a piece of rag hanging from the boat and tied it around the man’s mouth while Ethan cable tied his wrist to the pole. ‘The only reason they aren’t firing at us is ‘cause they don’t want to alarm the guards on patrol.’ Sweat dripped out of every pore in his body. His heart hammered against his chest walls.

‘Hey, watch out.’ Ethan’s head snapped back and he saw the fist flying to his face a second too late. The solid punch landed on his jaw. Ethan grunted and lurched to his feet. Pain radiated along his jaw but he did not pause to reflect on it. Growling, the scum threw another strike that connected with Ethan’s shoulder.

‘Son of a bitch.’ Ignoring the excruciating spasm, Ethan wrenched off the scarf to suck in a few quick breaths. The scarf was killing him. In an attempt to deflect him, Ethan thrust his foot forward and his attacker jumped back. Throwing some heat, Ethan smashed his fist to the motherfucker’s cheek and another hook collided with his jaw. Moaning in agony, the attacker’s bulk swayed and he fell forward, smashing his head to the pole.

‘Oh my God. That was crazy. What a killer move. It's like I’m in a James Bond movie. Phew! The way you socked him and then knocked him out cold. That was just something else. It was epic!’ Hope bounded from one foot to another flapping her arms about and hilariously enacting Ethan’s moves. Ethan captured his smile. Releasing he had his scarf back on, he let out a full-blown grin. Her flattery did great things to his ego.

In a split second, his instincts kicked him and he pounced. Astonished, Hope whirled around and accidentally planted a full-on punch at her attacker's trachea, instantly knocking him out. Right there, their third and final attacker went down. Dumbfounded, Hope took a hasty step back and stumbled into Ethan’s arms.

‘Are you hurt?’ Ethan asked, holding her securely in his arms. Hope trembled and her eyes lit up in fright.

‘Oh my God. I didn’t even sense him behind me. He appeared out of nowhere. Is he… dead?’ Her voice pitched up in shock. Cautious, Ethan, tucked her behind him and got down on one knee. He placed two fingers on the still body’s neck to check for a pulse. Ethan’s back stiffened as he met Hope’s haunted gaze.

‘I’m afraid he’s no more.’

Chapter Twelve

A wave of nausea rushed up her throat as Hope stared wide-eyed at the motionless body lying not too far from her feet. The colour drained from her face, leaving it whiter than a cloud on a bright summer day. It looked like every last drop of blood from her body was sucked out with a straw. She clutched her stomach, heaving in disbelief. Her mind slipped into a state of emotional stupor.

‘I… I… killed another human being.’ The revelation of the tragedy rocked her to the core. Losing all focus, her body tilted sideways.

‘Holy shit.’ “Masked Man” sprang to his feet and grasped her arms, saving her face from slamming on the bow of the boat. His arm wound around her waist and he carried her to the back, away from the hardcore criminals. He released his hold and the soles of her shoes sunk into the soft moist sand. “Masked Man’s” tone held a note of panic. ‘Hope, I’m sorry. I’m messing with you. You just did a solid number on him. He should come around soon enough.’ Hope’s breath got trapped in her throat and her eyes remained unfocused. ‘Fuck, you give me so much grief. I just thought… I’m sorry. Breathe please… I’m afraid you’re going to pass out.’ He ripped off his scarf but her surroundings were too dark to discern his features. His voice echoed in her ears but Hope couldn’t seem to gather the words. In the distance, a shrill whistle from the coast guard startled her, jolting her senses back to life. Her heart resumed its beating and her breath hobbled back into her lungs. ‘You okay? I—’

Like shooting an arrow in the dark, Hope swung, and her palm met its mark. The skin on his cheek burned and she snatched away her hand.

‘You may be a cold-blooded murderer. I’m not.’ The silence between them stretched long and hard. The chilly sea breeze trailed its icy fingers along her flesh. Hope closed her eyes trying to regain her composure.

‘I deserved that. It was evil of me to make a joke of the matter. Sorry doesn’t even cut it. Not nearly,’ he said, his voice remorseful. He leaned into her and the heat from his body encompassed her, threatening to burn her like a log of wood in a blazing hearth. ‘Contrary to what you think of me, I’ve never taken someone's life.’ His tone was tense. ‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come close to doing it once or twice. If you'd seen the ugliness I’ve seen over the years, you’d commend me on my restraint.’ He let out a humourless laugh. ‘But this is not something you are used to seeing and I should have been more sensitive towards your feelings. As for me, I'm immune. Nothing surprises me anymore. To me it is yet another night and one more fucking criminal. You were right in calling me cold-blooded. I’m just another callous bastard.’

An air of profound melancholy surrounded them. A tight fist clenched around her heart. Hope couldn’t even fathom how tragic it might be for someone to lead a life where night after night you are confronted with endless grief and troubles. More than anything, Hope wished she could see his face. Her earnest gaze searched for his expression in the dark. Her heart skipped a beat and somehow she knew their eyes had met. His quick indrawn breath indicated he sensed it too. His woody scent evoked thoughts of lush green rainforests. There was no rational explanation for the intense need that coursed through her to provide him with even a shamble of solace. Hope exhaled a shuddery breath and this time she touched his face gently. He sighed and his lips pressed to the inside of her wrist.

‘You shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone. How can a man who has selflessly saved countless lives of strangers be soulless?’ Hope ran her fingers over his face, learning his features. Her thumb trailed his square jaw and full, smooth lips.

‘Hope…’ her name sailed past his lips. The callus on his palms grazed the softness of her skin. He inhaled audibly as the balmy scent of the night winds floated towards them. Pressure rolled off his broad shoulders and he bent his head to hers. After only a moment’s hesitation, he wrapped both his arms around her, securing her in his embrace. Stars were shining bright above them while the sea breezes whispered around them. Hope closed his eyes and let the moment wash over her. “Masked Man’s” chest rose and fell with even breaths. Hope continued to address him as ‘Masked Man’ because she still didn’t know his name. Maybe she’d try switching to an affectionate “MM” and see if he noticed…

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