Innocent Target Read online

  Mercy turned to give them some privacy and picked up her phone to let Nick and the team know they’d found Beth, and she was safe. A simple thumbs-up emoji from Nick told her he’d keep watch on the dock.

  Facing the man, she introduced herself. “Mercy Broussard. It’s nice to meet you…?”

  The handsome black man cast a glance at Beth to reassure himself she was safe before he gave her his hand. “Miles Anders. I run the charters.”

  “You’ve known Beth long?” Mercy watched as he kept casting her longing looks, obviously fighting his protective instincts. She’d bet her life this man was ex-forces, probably special ops if she had her guess.

  “Long enough to know she’s a good person who doesn’t deserve the shit she’s had to deal with.”

  “On that we agree.”

  Her interrogation was halted as James and Beth moved to them, his arm around her shoulders. Beth offered her a shaky smile in greeting, but she left her brother’s hold as she slid into Miles’s arms. The move told Mercy more about their relationship than words ever would. James frowned, but she took his hand, and he turned his attention from his sister to her.

  “This is Miles,” Mercy said pointedly, giving James a warning look not to go all protective big brother given the circumstances.

  He got the hint and held his hand out to Miles. “James. It’s good to meet you. Thank you for keeping Beth safe.”

  Miles shook his hand, and Mercy saw the relief wash over Beth’s gaunt face. “My pleasure. Beth is very special to me.”

  “Where is Abbie? Is she safe?”

  The question almost gutted Mercy, and she felt James stiffen beside her. “I’m so sorry, Beth.”

  Beth seemed to crumble at his words, and Miles caught her as her knees gave way. James fell to his knees in front of his sister and took her hand as Miles supported her. Mercy crouched beside James.

  “Beth, we’ll get her back, I promise. Mercy almost died protecting her, but Scorpion has her, and from what we know, he won’t harm her. My people are working to find her as we speak to find her, and I won’t stop until you’re both safe and reunited.”

  Tears filled Beth’s wide eyes before they came to her. “You almost died?”

  Mercy shrugged. “James is exaggerating.”

  “No, I don’t think he is. I see the woman you are, and I know you would’ve done everything to protect my Abbie.” Her voice broke on her daughter’s name as Miles helped her to her feet.

  “Let’s get you back to shore and somewhere safe, and we can make a plan.”

  Beth shook her head as she began to move back. “No, I’m staying with Miles. You can’t protect me onshore. You don’t know what they’re like. They have people everywhere.”

  “We know, and Miles can come with us if he wants to,” Mercy reassured the terrified woman.

  Beth looked from her to James and back again before she nodded.

  Mercy helped her back on to the yacht they’d used as James spoke with Miles. She couldn’t hear what was said, but it seemed amicable enough. Miles then talked to the other crew members and the guests before hopping on board the yacht and moving to sit beside Beth, his arm going around James’s sister. When they were settled, Ray turned the charter around and headed back to shore.

  James went below deck, and she hesitated about whether she should give him some space but decided she needed to make sure he was okay for herself as much as him. She found him sitting on the bed in a cabin, his head in his hands, looking broken.

  Mercy’s heart broke for the strong man who loved so hard and took the weight of that responsibility on his broad shoulders.

  Mercy moved to stand between his feet, her hands raking through his hair as his arms came around her and he hugged her belly. “This isn’t your fault.”

  He looked up, and she saw the anguish in his liquid eyes. “She trusted me to keep Abbie safe.”

  “You did everything you could. Do you blame me for what happened?”

  He shook his head, vehemently. “Never. You nearly died trying to keep Abbie safe.”

  “And do you think I could’ve done anything differently?”

  He dropped his hands and sighed in frustration. “No, of course not.”

  “Then stop blaming yourself and get your ass out there and talk to Beth. We need all the information we can on the Henchmen.”

  James’s lips twitched. “Always busting my chops, woman.”

  Mercy cupped his face in her hands. “Yes, you needed a kick up the butt.”

  “I love you, Merc.”

  “I love you too, you stubborn man.”

  A cough from the doorway had them both looking that way to see Beth watching them with a soft look in her eyes.

  “Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt, but I thought we could talk.”

  “Not interrupting anything. I was just adjusting your brother’s expectations of himself.”

  Beth moved into the room and sat beside him, leaning into his shoulder. “Yeah, he’s a pain in the butt.”

  “What did you want to talk about, brat?”

  “I have a diary, well, more of a book really, with a list of who the Henchmen are in bed with. Their associates.”

  Mercy perked up, her adrenaline spiking with interest at this information. “Should we wait until we can share with the whole team?”

  “Makes sense, but where’s the book?”

  “Miles has it in his apartment, here in Daytona.”

  “Who is Miles to you, Beth?”

  Beth looked at the hands in her lap as she picked at a cuticle on her finger. “He was a friend who helped me, and then he became more.”

  “You trust him?”

  Beth nodded. “With my life. He loves me, James. Really loves me, not like Scorpion loved me like a toy or a thing he owned until I was no longer useful, but like you love Mercy.”

  Mercy felt her heart thud in her chest to hear it from someone else. It made everything more real somehow as a lock clicked into place, securing how she felt about him too.

  “Why did you leave Abbie with me?”

  “I was certain you’d do everything you could to keep her safe.”

  “I failed.”

  “No, he has inside help. He has cops, FBI, judges, and rich, powerful people on his payroll. It was wrong of me to disappear and leave you with no information, but I was so confused and scared I didn’t know what to do.”

  “Yeah, we’re finding that out.”

  “Miles tried to convince me to come home, and we were going to call when we hit land.”

  “It was clever to stay out on the water,” Mercy offered, and Beth gave her a smile of thanks. “Do you know about the organ sales?” Mercy asked gently.

  Beth gave a sharp dip of her head. “Yes, I was going to become the next victim, although not for profit this time.”

  “Oh?”

  “Scorpion’s mother has a bad heart. He’s a pig, but he’s also a momma’s boy. Everyone thinks his father ran the MC, but that’s bullshit, his mother is the true power behind it all and Scorpion is just the face. She has the same heart condition that killed her daughter, and yours truly is a match.”

  “Did they test you?”

  “It came out when I was pregnant with Abbie. I was six months pregnant when I heard Scorpion talking with Rao, his brother-in-law. He said I was a match and would provide a heart as soon as I delivered, and his child had been given a clean bill of health.”

  “So Abbie doesn’t have it?”

  “No, thank god, she was clear. I had her tested after I had her at the hospital.”

  “Wow, so it’s not for money, you’re a live donor.”

  Beth pursed her lips. “Apparently so.”

  “We won’t let that happen, Beth.” Mercy gripped her hand as Miles popped his head in the now crowded room.

  His eyes moved to Beth in question. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes, just catching up on what happened.”

  Mercy’s phone rang, and
she saw it was Nick. “Yep?”

  Mercy’s back snapped straight as she listened, and James stood, his body going on alert as did Miles and Beth.

  “Yeah, stay safe, and we’ll contact you.”

  She hung up and looked at James. “The Henchmen are at the marina.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  James ran up to the helm, with Mercy on his heels to warn Ray of the impending danger waiting for them at the marina. Bethany and Miles quickly followed him.

  “Ray, we have a problem.”

  The older man lost his smile at the words. “What’s going on.”

  “We can’t head to the marina. You know the guys we’re trying to avoid? They’re waiting for us.”

  Ray gaped. “We’re about thirty minutes from shore. Where do you want me to go?”

  “Kill the engines, it will give us time to come up with a plan.”

  Ray shut everything off until they were drifting. There were a few boats in the distance, and the Daytona Beach’s coastline started to show over the horizon.

  Bethany gripped Miles’s hand, trembling. “They’re never going to let me go, ever.”

  Miles kissed her brow. “Easy, Beth. Maybe I can call my captain and get him to pick us up.”

  James dismissed the idea. “I’m pretty sure they’re looking at all the boats coming in. It would put your crew and all the passengers in too much danger. We need to avoid casualties at all cost. Ray, what other options do we have?”

  “With what’s left in the tank, we could attempt to reach Ponce Inlet, but depending on the wind and tide, we may run out of fuel at the wrong time.”

  Miles winced. “I’d try to avoid running out of fuel. If those criminals have fingers in every pie, there’s a chance they know people around here, including those in charge of the marina or towboats. I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t looking for Ray’s vessel in other marinas, including Ponce Inlet.”

  James looked around. “And with the size of the hull, we can’t dock anywhere else. And I’d rather not involve anybody else.”

  Ray lit up. “I have a dinghy! It would be a tight fit, but the four of you will fit. The water is calm which plays to your advantage.”

  Mercy touched Ray’s shoulder. “No way, Ray. If you return to Daytona without us, they’ll know something is up, and we don’t know how they’ll react. If we use your dinghy, you’re coming with us.”

  The captain smiled. “I can’t let the boat drift like that. Other boats will alert the marina, and they’ll send the police to check it out. If you wanted to stay under the radar, it would be an epic fail.”

  It was clear that the Henchmen would need that too, and an idea came to him. “And if we do the exact opposite? Bring so much attention to us that it distracts the Henchmen and allows us to pass by undetected?”

  Mercy arched an eyebrow. “Why do I think that I’m gonna love and hate this idea of yours?”

  This lovely lady of his knew him too well, and he winked at her before turning to Ray. “How much is your boat worth, Ray?”

  The captain blinked, and James was sure he wouldn’t appreciate where he was going.

  “Why do you want to know, son?”

  “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.”
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  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.”

  James felt like smiling. “Hull isn’t the kind of man to let members of his pack out of his sight, which means that if we find his mother, we’re close to Abbie’s location.”

  Nick reached for more chocolate. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rao remaining nearby too. We find the mother, and we can take care of momma’s boy and his little FBI friend, once and for all.”

  Mercy reached for James’s hand. “I think we need our hacker’s help one more time. The three of us are exhausted, and we need to recharge.”

  Bringing her fingers to his lips, James agreed. “Let’s make one last call back to base. If we’re lucky, the team will have our backs, and after some shuteye, they’ll give us the target on a platter.”

  Nick rubbed his hands while Mercy put her head on his shoulder. “Soon you’ll have Abbie back and we’ll be able to put this nightmare behind us for good.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The call they’d been waiting for came in at four-thirty in the morning. Mercy felt her heart race at the sudden noise in the silent room, her body waking faster than her brain as she snatched her phone off the nightstand. “Talk to me.”