Bulletproof Bride

“You could have died during that gutsy stunt,” he drawled.

“Rats.” She wrapped her arms around herself and scowled at him to disguise her apprehension. He’d told her to stay put. Would he punish her for trying to flee? “You locked me in there with giant killer rats.”

His lips twitched. “I didn’t know about the mutant rats. Sorry.” He thrust her clothes at her. “Get dressed.”

She snatched the bundle from him, and Gabe turned to give her some privacy, chuckling to himself. He wouldn’t have missed that for a million bucks. Dressed in purple skivvies, with a halo of chestnut curls rioting over her shoulders, clutching the drainpipe for dear life and humming “Be My Teddy Bear” at the top of her lungs, Kitten should have looked ridiculous.

But she hadn’t. She’d looked sexy as hell. Desire snaked through him, heating his blood. He wanted to run his fingers through her thick, shiny curls. Kiss those luscious pink lips. Cup her generous breasts in his palms—

Whoa! Where did that come from? She’s your prisoner, Colton, and under your protection. You might have taken her hostage, but that’s all you’re taking.

“I’m dressed.” Her indignant voice broke into his thoughts, again only a slight tremor revealing her distress. In spite of the fact that she had to be terrified, she was a pretty cool customer. Not to mention her ingenious jail break. If he’d arrived two minutes later, she’d be nothing but a memory. His admiration grew, encompassing not only her physical attributes, but her mental ones as well. He must be losing his mind.

With confusion throbbing in his temples, he gripped her arm. “Come on, Houdini.” He hustled her down the alley to a gray Jag and helped her inside before climbing in himself.

“You changed vehicles.”

The engine roared to life and Gabe maneuvered out of the alley. “Very observant. Yes, this is a Jaguar XK8, and you’ll never find a sweeter ride. Except…” He grinned at her. “One other.” She scowled at him again and Gabe chuckled. Damn, she was cute when she scrunched up her nose like that. He fished a bottle of motion sickness pills out of his pocket and tossed the vial to her. “Take a couple of these. I don’t have any more ski masks, and we’re in for a long drive. There’s soda in the cooler behind your seat and some sandwiches if you’re hungry.”

“Look, you seem reasonably intelligent.” She’d regained control over her voice, but a lingering edge of apprehension clouded her lovely eyes. “Be sensible and let me go. You can move faster, and the police won’t hunt you as intensely without a hostage.”

“What’s your name?”

She eyed him warily. “Tessa.”

Gabe shifted gears and the car roared past an oil truck. “For your own protection, I can’t turn you loose. Unfortunately, you’ve stumbled into a bad situation, which I can’t explain.” He wished he could. But if he could find out how much she knew and still keep her in the dark, he might be able to safely release her. For her sake, he hoped so. The scum he’d just thwarted with his rip-off played for keeps, and they’d already left too many bodies in their wake. Whether either of them liked it or not, Gabe had been thrust into the role of guardian angel. He covered her hand with his. “I’m Gabriel. Call me Gabe.”

She slapped his hand away. “Keep your hands to yourself. So, who are you, really? Bank robbers are edgy and taciturn, they don’t make jokes. They don’t take hostages on the spur of the moment unless they’re trapped. And they’re certainly not considerate of their captives. You’re having way too much fun.” Her remarkable eyes narrowed. “I suspect you’ve got an agenda. The misplaced payroll checks in the bags you asked about, maybe?”

He bit back a grin. The lady was way too smart for her own good. His impulsive decision to grab her had netted him a lot more than he’d bargained for. “Relax. You’re safe with me. But the less you know, the better.”

“Let me guess. You could tell me, but then you’d have to kill me.” She glanced out the window, her conflicted body language telling him she wanted to believe him, but didn’t quite dare. “Where are we going?”

“A place where I can protect you until I sort this mess out.”

“And how long will that be?”

“Ah, yes. You mentioned an important appointment?”

“I’m getting married in two weeks and I have a million details and an overbearing future mother-in-law to deal with.”

“Why do you want to do an idiotic thing like get married?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“A rolling stone gathers no chains.” Gabe shuddered. “I can’t imagine anything worse. Except being locked in prison.”

“Try being kidnapped, taken on a roller-coaster car ride by a lunatic and jailed with giant rats. Not to mention having your promotion blown to kingdom come.” She frowned. “You are disturbed. But I suppose your attitude shouldn’t be surprising for someone who robs banks for enjoyment.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “You’ve got a point. Now swallow a couple of those pills. I don’t want to have to run the inside of the Jag through a car wash, it’s a loaner.”

“Or stolen. A thrill a minute.”

“Why, Tessa, I’m hurt.” Gabe fluttered one hand over his heart. “You have such a low opinion of me.”

“If the ski mask fits…”

He grinned. “Hand me a couple sandwiches, would you? I’m starving.”

Tessa woke disoriented on a double bed in a paneled room. She remembered trees streaming past the car window and then fading to a blur. The pills must have knocked her out, a normal side effect. But everything was swaying, not a normal side effect. She blinked, but the room continued to roll. High-pitched squawking scraped across her eardrums. The rhythmic slap of water caught her attention, and terror clawed up her spine.

She tore open the door and raced upstairs, then skidded to a horrified stop. Endless blue-green waves crashed across the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. A scream ripped out of her and she collapsed, shaking. Her chest heaved in labored breaths.

Pounding footsteps vibrated the boards, and then Gabe’s strong hands gripped her shoulders. “Tessa, what’s the matter?”

She tried to speak, but couldn’t. Head spinning, her vision darkened. Her lungs convulsed and her heart galloped.

“Listen to me,” Gabe’s deep voice commanded. “You’re hyperventilating. Take slow breaths, in through your nose and out your mouth.” He pulled her into his embrace and his warm hand rubbed her back. “Easy does it. Slow your breaths down, honey.”

She obeyed, and as her breathing slowed, her vision cleared.

“That’s it.” His arms tightened. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”

Trembling violently, she clung to him. “Off the ocean,” she gasped. “Get me away from the ocean—off this boat.”

“What the—? This is my yacht, Serendipity, and she’s entirely seaworthy. Nothing’s going to happen to you here.”

Tessa burst into tears, involuntarily digging her nails through the nubby white cotton of his sweater, into his arms. “I want off,” she begged. “Now!”

“All right.” He stroked her hair. “Let go of me so I can get the launch.”

She managed to unclamp her fingers, and he rose. Arms wrapped around herself, she huddled on the deck, trapped in the nightmare that had haunted her since age six. She squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to breathe.

“Hang tight, sweetheart.” His footsteps faded. Thumps, a metallic clang and a dull bang sounded. Minutes later, he returned. “I take it you don’t swim.”

She shuddered.

“Yeah, big surprise. Put this on.” He helped her into a neon orange lifejacket. “All set, let’s go.”

“Aren’t you going to wear one?” she gasped.

“I’m more at home in the water than in my own bedroom.” He chuckled. “And I’ve got the big ol’ frog’s feet to prove it.”

With his hands supporting her, she pushed upright on wobbly legs. He urged her toward the rail. She caught sight of the dark, churning water and jerked to a stop, digging in her heels.

“Tessa,” Gabe spoke with quiet patience. “The only way to get to dry land is to climb into the launch.”

“I can’t.” Caught between two agonizing, impossible choices and crazed with terror, she whimpered. “Hit me.”