Page 160 of Possession

One boat speeds past us toward the fishing boat that has now completely turned around. The other slows as a voice comes over the speakers. “Turn off the engine. We’re taking control of your vessel.”

Brax reaches around me to switch a few knobs and levers. The rumble of the smooth engine that saved us comes to a halt.

I exhale, allowing all the tension in my body to dissipate completely… maybe for the first time since we got back from New York. I sink into Brax and never want to let him go.

He pushes me away just far enough to claim my face for a bruising kiss.

I’m not the only one with pent up anxiety.

When his tongue plunges into my mouth, the world melts away. Adrenaline laced with lust is an intoxicating cocktail. But when you throw in a shot of freedom, life feels new and fresh. Like it’s turned on an axis in a matter of one life-or-death boat chase.

“Special Agent Braxton Cruz?”

Brax presses his lips to mine firmly before pulling away just enough to tip his forehead to mine. He looks straight into my eyes when he answers, “That’s me.”

“The CIA is looking for you.”

I turn to the five men staring us down. They tied their boat to ours and four of them board.

Brax finally tears himself from me and holds his hands out. “There are empty guns here in the helm and more that are loaded in the bag. She held them off. I think I took down two in the chase before they gave up and turned back.”

When Brax turns, my heart clenches. “You’re bleeding!”

His white polo is stained red at the shoulder. He’s been shot. I hadn’t noticed with all that was going on. The love of my life doesn’t move, and the officers don’t seem to be worried about the blood. Two of them head below deck and the other two stay with us.

I try to go to him, but one of the men holds me off and speaks to Brax. “You know I’ve got to frisk you. It’s procedure. I’ve got two federal agencies on my ass who are anxious to get you back, so let’s get this done.”

Brax gives him a chin lift and ignores his bloody shoulder. He turns a one-eighty as they make sure he’s unarmed. Another officer holding a long gun looks me up and down, and mutters, “I’m pretty sure she’s good. There’s nowhere for her to hide anything in that … get up.”

I ignore him and finally get to Brax. I peel up his blood-soaked sleeve and look up at him. “You were shot.”

He looks down at his shoulder. “I was grazed. Trust me, I’ve been shot before. I know the difference.”

I try to breathe a sigh of relief but can’t. I ignore the Coast Guard and Brax’s bloody graze that would have me in fits at any other time. Now that we’re out of Marino territory for good, I ask what I haven’t had the time to focus on, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about him every second since I heard Spencer on the phone.

“Brax, what’s going to happen to Rocco?”

37

DÉJÀ-FUCKING-VU

Brax

“Déjà-fucking-vu,” Carson booms when he enters the room.

Landyn is tucked under one arm glued to my side as an ER doctor stitches up my other shoulder.

I press my lips to Landyn’s forehead before looking up to the CIA officer. “It was a graze.”

“It takes a lucky fucker to know one. And you, my friend, should run straight to Vegas. I heard the whole thing. There were more bullets flying out there than monkeys in a Broadway musical. I’m afraid the sea life population took a hit during that chase.”

I look up at Carson. “It wasn’t as bad as the church on our wedding day.”

“Did you tell your bride that when we met I was in your exact position getting stitched up in the middle of maple syrup country from my own graze?”

“Really?” Landyn asks.

I try not to roll my eyes. “If I remember correctly, they had to cut your pants off and you were the only man in the room in his underwear. I’ve at least kept my dignity.”

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