Page 138 of Delicious Surrender

He nodded, his face giving nothing away. She hoped he bought it.

Dimitri nodded at his two goons, and they dragged him to his feet. “This is where she wants to be. And if you try to stop us, she will suffer my wrath every day until you desist. My people can take out everyone you care about, one by one.”

Gage stared at Dimitri and spoke, his voice low and gritty. “She has made her decision. You can have her.” Brynne heard the words and went numb.

“I’m glad you can see reason. She will live in the lap ofluxury, provided she behaves.” He yanked the leash to make his point. “My pilot will return you to the island now.”

Brynne watched helplessly as the two men dragged Gage forward. She saw he was limping as they made their way through the wide glass doors to the main deck.

A siren pierced the night, making her flinch hard against Dimitri’s leg. A voice rang out on a loudspeaker. “Stop where you are. This is Interpol. We have a warrant to search your vessel!”

Dimitri moved quickly, grabbing a gun from one of the men holding Gage. He dragged Brynne to her feet and backed away, shouting at the crewman. She saw two men scurry to the helipad and start unlocking the steel tie-downs that held the aircraft to the deck.

Gage seized the moment. He elbowed the other guard and wrapped his cuffed wrists around his neck until he finally dropped his firearm to clutch at the metal crushing his throat. Brynne heard Dimitri cock the gun and point it at the two men. She had to do something.

Hysteria fueled the rush of adrenaline. She threw her weight against him and clawed at his face as the gun went off. Blood burst from the guard’s neck and he and Gage fell backward onto the deck. Her scream echoed in her own ears as she watched a growing pool of red beneath them.

She had failed. Her legs gave way, but Dimitri yanked her roughly back against him. One huge hand was at her throat, squeezing as he spat into her ear, “You did this. You killed him.” She closed her eyes, all the fight draining out of her body.

He started toward the helicopter when two officers in riotgear appeared on the deck with their weapons drawn. Dimitri pulled her in front of him and pointed the gun at her head.

“Everybody back off, or I will kill her.”

The Interpol agent spoke. “We have you surrounded, Ivanov. Give yourself up.”

Everyone turned to the sound of a steel latch releasing and watched the crewman leap over the side. Dimitri laughed maniacally when he heard the splash. “He’s fired.”

The rotors began turning over their heads, sending her heartbeat into overdrive. He pressed the gun to her temple and continued dragging her with him.

They were backed up against the cockpit door. She knew he would have to lower the gun or loosen his grip to open the door latch. If she could get free, the officers would have a clear shot. When he shifted her body to cover him, she made her move.

33

Surrender

Gage came to, pain hammering in his temples. He could hardly breathe with the dead weight on top of him. The last thing he remembered were Brynne’s eyes, huge in her ashen face, staring at him, lying to him. His left shoulder hurt like a motherfucker. Some of the blood on the deck belonged to him, but he had to find a way to reach the gun. If it was the last thing he did, he would stop Dimitri from getting on that helicopter with her.

One officer spoke. “We have taken down your crew, Ivanov. If you try to board the chopper, our sniper will take the pilot out.”

“Will you take that chance when I can end her life with one bullet?”

They had their weapons trained on him but had no clear shot.

Gage was a few inches from the gun when he saw something raw and resigned in Brynne’s eyes, right before she sank her teeth into Ivanov’s arm.

Seconds ticked by in slow motion.

The pain faded into the background, and he felt like his blood was injected with nitrous. He shoved the dead man’s body off and reached for the gun.

Dimitri screamed in pain, rage clouding his features. When he flung Brynne away from him and raised his gun, Gage took the shot. Dimitri fell to his knees but fired a shot before another bullet took him down.

Gage watched in horror as Brynne launched herself over the railing.

The officers moved forward to subdue Dimitri and get the pilot out of the helicopter. Gage dragged himself up unsteadily. He had to get to Brynne. Cold water shock could kill even the strongest swimmer in minutes.

“Gage! Stop!” John rushed up behind him, pulling him back from the railing. “The Coastguard will go after Brynne. You can’t help her like this.”

“You don’t understand. She could drown in seconds.”