Page 44 of Innocent Target

“Because I’m ready to promise you the value of your boat when it was shiny new if you’ll allow me to burn it down.” It was difficult to determine if the silence on the deck was due to surprise or an impending mutiny. “What I mean is, what happens if there’s a fire on a boat?”

Ray crossed his arms. “I get pissed?”

Miles ignored the captain to answer James. “The marina closes immediately, no boats in or out, the police and fire department are called, and they’re the only ones allowed to leave the dock.”

And Mercy pitched in. “And the bonus is it turns the place into a complete circus, allowing a dinghy to remain undetected.”

“Are you suffering from a heat stroke, son? Are you really asking me to burn my precious boat?”

“I’m not suggesting it lightly, but the men waiting for us onshore are the most dangerous kind. It’s a gamble, but I promise to get you a brand-new boat. And if my agency doesn’t want to contribute, I’ll sell everything I have to replace it. You have my word, Ray.”

Bethany came to his side, putting a hand on his arm. “You can’t sacrifice everything you’ve built for me, James.”

With a smile, he kissed his pale sister’s brow. “You’re family. You’re more important. It’s not a sacrifice.”

Bethany wrapped her arms around his waist, offering him a tight hug, and the sight must have melted Ray’s heart.

“I’m a complete fool, but I’ll go pull the dinghy out.”

Miles went after him to help while Mercy shook her head in dismay before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “I never thought the idea of blowing up a boat would be such a turn-on. Gimme your phone. I’m going to call Nick to tell him your crazy plan. As for Shane and Emme, I’m leaving that call to you. I don’t want to be close by when you tell them the amount of money you’ve promised Ray. In fact, I’ll be far, far away, my love.”

Even if the odds were in their favor, James was surprised to see his plan work so perfectly. Once they all had their life vests on and were in the dinghy, they put some much distance between them and Ray’s pride and joy before Mercy demonstrated another talent: bomb making. Not only did the vessel catch fire but it shattered with a resounding boom. The explosion was big enough to be easily seen from the shore.

It took more time than expected to reach the beach with the dinghy, but as he’d hoped, they remained undetected with Nick waiting for them by the inlet. It took some convincing to get Ray to accept he was being sent to a safe house for the time being, but when James asked him to remain close to his sister, to keep an eye on her, it was clear that he’d played his cards well.

King and Mason had come to take Beth, Miles, and Ray to an undisclosed area, and from the look on their faces, they were prepared for the worst.

Even though James asked Nick to go with them, adding another layer of safety for his sister, the man shook his head, telling them he preferred to watch their backs.

It hurt James’s soul to have Bethany torn from his protection once more, but there wasn’t another choice. The next step was going after Hull to save Abbie, and he wanted Beth as far away as possible for that part.

Nick drove for the better part of the evening, until tired to the bone and weary, but happy they hadn’t been followed, he stopped at a small motel. Once inside, Mercy made a beeline for the shower, as Nick fell on one of the double beds after bringing in bags with a change of clothes and extra weapons. James went outside to raid the vending machines, as their last meal had been breakfast, and they were all flagging from lack of energy.

When he returned, Nick appeared to be snoozing, sprawled out across the bed. Mercy came out of the bathroom, one towel wrapped around her head, another around her body, before grabbing her clothes and returning to the bathroom to dress. If not for the other man in the room, James would have loved to unwrap her like a present on Christmas morning, but he had to rein in his lust for the moment. There would be time for frolicking in the sea with his siren once his family was whole and safe.

He dumped the snacks on the bed, waking Nick up with a jolt, who snatched a few chocolate bars. “Food!”

Mercy laughed as she grabbed a bag of chips. “I feel sixteen again, although I was never in a motel room with two guys at the same time.”

Nick choked on his bar, and James emitted a low growl, a warning to Mercy that with little sleep, his patience might not last long.

Not a bit threatened, she laughed. “Easy boys. It was a joke. As you’ve seemingly lost your sense of humor, what’s our next step? And has anyone contacted Shane? He’s probably waiting for an update from us.”

James sat beside Mercy, a piece of chocolate in his hand. “Abbie is our main goal, but if Imari hasn’t called us yet, that means that she’s still searching for her. Therefore, we’re stuck.”

They ate in silence for a moment, clearly hoping for the sugar to kick in.

“I don’t think we need to find Abbie.”

James shook his head. Fatigue must be messing with his hearing. “What?”

Nick finished his bite, wiping his fingers on his pants. “What I mean is, Hull probably hid Abbie somewhere even the internet doesn’t reach. I think we need to pull another thread. One close to Hull’s heart.”

James stopped fidgeting, Mercy leaning forward. “We’ve had no luck in finding Hull. He’s always on the move, him and his MC.”

“Agreed, but there’s one person who isn’t mobile.”

Mercy gasped. “Of course! Hull’s mom! She’s obviously at a hospital, awaiting a transplant. Which means that he’s not as mobile as he normally is.”