With This Kiss (Windswept Bay Book 3) (3 page)

Gage’s heart pounded and everything seemed to go into slow motion as he pulled his focus off the gun and looked at his brother. His mind whirled through possibilities of what his next move should be. Boardrooms and negotiations had been his life, and now his mind reacted, searching as BJ slammed him with a glare.

“I tried to get you to leave. What’s wrong with you, man? You’ve got a bride waiting on you and you’re here to ask me questions? There are no questions that important. Not for a fishing boat.”

The gun swung toward BJ and the gunman growled, “Move it. Now. I don’t have time to stand around here while you two argue. Especially now that I’ve fired my gun.”

BJ stiffened. “You keep waving that thing around like that and I’m going to get mad.” There was a steel edge to his voice. “Waving it at me is one thing. But now, you’re threatening my guest.”

The gunman let out a string of curses and stepped further into the sunlight. “Just drive the boat or I
will
shoot the groom and toss him overboard for fish food.”

BJ slid his icy blue gaze to Gage then back to the gunman. “Well you see, there’s a problem. If it was just me, I could have done as you asked as soon as I got my spark plug changed. But now, I feel obligated to get the groom to the church on time.”

Gage decided in that moment that his brother was either drunk or not the smartest cookie on the block. Or cut from the same cloth as their dad, a man who’d never backed down from a fight—his fights had just been done in the boardroom.

Or he was bluffing—that too was a trait of their dad’s. Gage knew how to bluff. Knew how to play his hand in the boardroom like the best poker players Vegas had to offer. But he wanted to make it out of this situation alive. He wanted to marry Shar and start their future together. He wanted to tell BJ he was his brother. They needed to bid their time not push buttons.

“I’m already late for the wedding. What are you hiding from?” he asked the gunman.

Sweat beaded on the man’s forehead. “None of your business.” He stepped forward and pointed the gun at BJ. “I’m giving you one more warning. Move.”

“Why are you doing this?” Gage asked.

“It’s none of your business. All you two need to know is that I need this boat moving. And I need it moving now.”

“Like I said, no can do, buddy. Gage has a bride waiting on him.” There was a warning in BJ’s eyes and Gage caught it. This was not going to go well. His instincts were telling him to play along with the gunman and make it out of the situation alive.

But as he saw the gunman’s finger twitch his gut told him now was the time to act.

Shar’s beautiful ferocious expression flashed before him. The expression she wore when she was fighting to save a sea turtle’s life. He had to get to the beach.

When the gunman glared at BJ, taking the bait his brother was tossing at him, Gage reacted, deciding this was his best shot. He kicked upward hard, his foot hit the gunman’s wrist and then Gage charged.

BJ reacted too. They both rammed the assailant together, slamming him up against the boat cabin. Gage grabbed for the gun hand just as the gun fired.

Shar had just grabbed for the zipper of her wedding dress when the door opened and Cam and her dad rushed into the room.

Sam Sinclair’s serious gaze found Shar. “Sharleen, honey—”

Cam looked impatiently from their dad back at her.

“What’s happened?” Her fingers shook on the zipper and let go.

Cam strode across the room and took her arm. “You need to come with me.”

Her knees nearly buckled but Cam’s hand tightened on her arms to steady her. “Hang in there, sis.”

“What’s going on?”

“The robber of the convenience store robbery took two hostages at the boat dock and one has been shot. Levi called. It’s Gage.”

Like melting butter Shar wilted, but her dad wrapped his arm around her waist and he and Cam gave her support.

“He’s alive, honey,” her dad said, sounding like he was calling to her from a long way off.

“He’s alive,” Cam repeated. “We need to get you there.”

Shar was already moving. She needed to get to Gage.

Chapter Three

All of her brothers were waiting in the hallway as Shar rushed from the resort suite with Cam and her dad. A wave of love flowed through her at the concern for her and their show of support as they all fell into line behind her with her sisters and her mother. Strength surged from the shocked depths of her soul and filled her.

She blinked back tears as she clutched the skirt of her wedding dress into her fists and got it out of her way as she hurried to the double doors that Jake held opened for her. Once in the courtyard she ran.

“Where’s your car?” she asked, looking over at Cam who was running with her.

He took the lead. “Follow me. We’re supposed to meet the ambulance at the hospital.”

People were stopping what they were doing and watching as the entire wedding entourage raced through the resort and to the parking lot. Cam raced to the driver’s side of his truck and her dad who’d been right with them yanked open the passenger door and helped her hop in. He hopped into the back seat and Cam was tearing out of the parking lot instantly.

“Buckle up,” Cam demanded, glancing her way and then refocusing on the road ahead.

She grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it tight as he flew out onto the main drag and burned rubber as the truck fishtailed into traffic. She didn’t have to tell him to hurry.

“How bad is he?” she managed, barely noticing the way they were weaving through traffic.

“Levi just said I need to get you there as fast as possible. That’s all I know. So hang on tight.”

She did and prayed Gage was doing the same.

BJ paced outside the hospital and let the events on his boat replay in his mind.

He had felt the groom slump to the ground the instant the gunshot sounded. He’d struggled with the shooter and managed to knock the gun from his hand and then he’d gotten him with a strong uppercut and knocked his lights out. Immediately BJ had rushed back to the groom, he was slumped over and blood was pooling around him.

BJ didn’t have time to feel anything as he turned the man over. He was bleeding from his side. BJ spotted the rag he’d dropped earlier and grabbed it and pressed it to the wound.

“Hold on, man. I hear cops near. Help is on the way.”

Gage’s eyes opened, blue eyes that looked somehow familiar to BJ. “Shar,” Gage grunted. “Tell her…I love her.”

“You tell her yourself, bud. I’m telling you, hold on.”

That had happened moments before police had swarmed his boat. The first man who moved on board wore a tux too. Same color as the groom's.

He took charge directing his men as he dropped to his knee. “Gage,” he said as the uniformed cops quickly carted off the thug and paramedics’ moved in to take over caring for Gage.

BJ moved back and let them in. The tuxedo wearing head cop looked gravely concerned and it didn’t take a large IQ to figure out there was a connection.

“Gage, come on open your eyes,” the cop said, his voice gruff. “You hang in there or my sister will personally kill me. Gage,” he snapped when there was no response. The paramedics were taking his blood pressure as one had taken over applying pressure. The cop didn’t let go of his hand. “I said hang in there, Gage. You have a wedding to get to so suck it up and hold on.”

Gage opened one eye and BJ could have sworn the man’s lip twitched, hooking into a slight smile on one side. “I hear.” He worked hard but finally managed the last word. “you.”

BJ found a smile too as he watched the groom and knew he was thinking about his bride, who sounded like a fireball.

“I’ve got to let the paramedics take care of you. I’m here though and Shar will be at the hospital. She’s on her way.”

BJ hadn’t been the one to bring the guy onto his boat and he’d done everything he could to get the man to leave but he’d persisted. BJ had been rude, downright hostile and still the man had remained. And blasted all, but he was certain that Gage had realized danger was on the other side of that cabin door and yet he’d stepped toward it rather than retreat like BJ had tried to make him do. Even knowing he’d done everything he could to warn off the groom, BJ felt guilt weigh over him like a mudslide.

The tux clad cop had stood then, and his brows were etched together over penetrating eyes as he studied BJ. “Come with me. I have questions.”

They moved out onto the dock so the emergency team could extract the groom and get him to the hospital.

“First who are you and what happened? Why was he on your boat when he should have been at his wedding?”

“BJ McCall.” BJ rammed a hand though his hair. “And I have no idea why he was on my boat.”

“What happened with the gunman? Why was he on your boat and what connection do you have to him?”

“No connection. I was working on an engine problem, changing out spark plugs trying to figure out why it was behaving badly when the thug rushed into the cabin waving his gun around and told me to take him down the coast. I was not happy about the interruption or about being hijacked. I tried to get the gun then but we were interrupted by your friend.”

“It doesn’t make sense.” He watched with concern as they carried Gage from the boat on a stretcher. “Are you hurt?”

“No, he got a gun butt to my temple right before Gage interrupted us. But I’m fine.”

“You’re coming to the hospital with me. You can be checked out while I’m tending to my sister. I have more questions for you.”

BJ didn’t fight it. He’d learned the best way to handle situations like this was to cooperate. Besides that he couldn't shake the fact that he wanted to know how Gage came out.

And what had been so important that Gage would risk being late to his wedding? It didn’t make sense.

Especially when that groom had known he was running late.

Chapter Four

Shar was waiting when they wheeled Gage through the emergency doors at the hospital. She rushed to the gurney and covered his hand with hers as she hurried with them down the hall.

He was pale, so pale. His eyes were closed. IV’s were hooked up to him and he had an oxygen tube at his nose. Tears formed in Shar’s eyes but she didn’t have time to cry. She could tell that Gage was not in a good way. “Gage,” she said past the knot of tears. “Gage, you hold on. Do not leave me. Can you hear me? Fight, baby, fight.”

To her surprise his hand tightened in hers and though he didn’t open his eyes she saw him nod. Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell on their hands. And then his eyes opened and locked onto hers for one brief moment and Shar saw her life flash before her eyes.

“Fight,” she urged, then brushed her lips to his. She prayed that with this kiss she could show her love and she prayed this wasn’t the last kiss they shared. “I love you, Gage Lancaster. And you will marry me.”

His hand squeezed hers and then went limp.

A nurse gently pulled her away. “You can’t go with him,” she said. “Let them do their job.”

“I love you,” Shar called again as she relinquished her hold on his hand. And as he disappeared into the room they closed the door and her heart went with him.

Shar was still standing there when her dad put his arm around her. “Come on, sweetheart. You come sit down before you fall down.”

Shar couldn’t move. She stared at the door. The blasted door. But her father’s firm arm tightened around her.

“Come now, over here.” He urged her to a seat where she could still see the door. Everything in the room seemed muted as if she were sitting alone at the end of a tunnel.

Cam came and knelt down in front of her. “How are you holding up? Was he able to speak to you before they got him back there?”

“He squeezed my hand. But he opened his eyes.” She forced a small smile. “He’s fighting.”

“You fight too. Be strong, like you always are.”

She stared at him. They all always told her how strong she was. Superwoman was her nickname. She felt weaker than a kitten right now.

“Shar,” he shook her knees. “Focus. Do you hear what I’m telling you? He needs you strong.”

She’d always been independent. Had always had an I-can-do-it-attitude. Had always felt she didn’t need a partner in life as long as she had her family and her friends…and she knew in her heart of hearts that she could make it through whatever life threw at her. But Gage had come into her life and she wanted him now. She didn’t want to think about life without him. They were just getting started. Today was supposed to be the happiest day so far in her life. Instead, she was here in a waiting room and Gage was in the next room fighting for his life.

She sat a little straighter. “I’m okay, Cam. Just numb at the moment.”

There was a commotion at the entrance and as if in slow motion she looked that way and saw the rest of her family hurrying inside. She looked from them to Cam and her dad.

“I can do this.” Her voice was stronger. “He needs me strong. He’s going to pull though.”