Donovans 01 - Amber Beach

she’s teasing me. I wouldn’t touch the bitch with a stick.”
    Jake let out a hidden breath. Apparently Kyle had gotten to the bottom line without losing his head. That was one of the things Jake really liked about Kyle; when his crotch wasn’t involved, he was smart. Of course, the same thing could be said for other men—like J. Jacob Mallory, for one.
    From the corner of his eye, Jake watched Marju’s approach. She chose a position midway between himself and Kyle. It meant she had to pretty well turn her back on Honor, but that didn’t seem to worry Marju nearly as much as keeping the men quite literally under her gun.
    “I am ready, Petyr,” she called.
    Slowly Resnikov lowered the rifle. He knew his time of greatest danger would be while he came down the hill, when he couldn’t keep the rifle trained on everyone in sight.
    Jake knew it, too. He wished he could call out to Honor to stay quiet for just a bit longer, just one more minute, just until Resnikov was too busy keeping his balance on the steep slope to worry about anything else. But saying anything would just call attention to Honor.
    That was the last thing Jake wanted to do. So he sat quietly while sweat gathered beneath his dive suit and ran coldly down his body.
    Rifle in one hand, balancing himself with the other, Resnikov began climbing down the slope. Jake watched with an intensity that was tangible. Normally the Russian was as coordinated as a gymnast, but he had been lying up in the cold rocks long enough for muscles to stiffen. On the third step his foot slipped. Instantly he caught himself and glared at the people below.
    No one had moved.
    With more care for the loose rocks, Resnikov started down again.
    Jake measured the distances and angles and didn’t like any of them. Marju might have been stupid to trust Resnikov—or vice versa—but she wasn’t giving away much on tactics. Short of rolling down the hill like an avalanche, Resnikov wouldn’t get in her way.
    The Russian’s foot slipped, skidded, slipped again. He took a fast step, then another, but it was too late. His balance was gone. With a curse he windmilled to the ground.
    Honor yanked her fishing rod out of the holder and sent the lure flying with every ounce of her strength. Eight ounces of lead and a treble hook thudded into the back of Marju’s head. She staggered, crying out in pain and surprise.
    Jake came off the ground like an explosion. He knocked Marju senseless with a swift chopping motion of his hand, grabbed her pistol, and spun toward Resnikov.
    Kyle was on top of the Russian.
    “Get out of the way!” Jake yelled, sighting over the barrel of the machine pistol. “I’ve got Marju’s gun.”
    There was a turmoil of knees and elbows. Then Kyle rolled aside and pushed himself to his feet. Resnikov made whistling noises but didn’t move otherwise.
    “Don’t worry about him,” Kyle said hoarsely. “All he cares about is dragging air.”
    Jake took in a little air himself, then let it out.
    “Kyle!” Honor called. “Are you all right?”
    “Tired. Thirsty. Disgusted. Surprised. When did you learn how to cast?”
    “Jake taught me.”
    Kyle looked at the man who was shoving Marju’s pistol into his dive belt. “You got her to handle a rod? You must be some kind of, uh, teacher.” The tone of his voice said that Kyle had noticed every time Resnikov called Honor Jake’s lover.
    “Maybe she’s a hell of a student,” Jake said.
    He went to Resnikov and looked at him skeptically. Without warning the side of Jake’s hand shot out and connected with the Russian’s head. He made a stifled sound and went limp.
    “Tie them up with fishing line before they come to,” Jake said, turning toward the boat. “I’ve got a call to make.”
    “Ellen?” Honor asked.
    “Yeah. Don’t worry. I’ll drive a hard bargain. By the time I’m done, your brother will be a bloody hero.”
    “What about Marju and Pete?” Honor asked. “What will happen to them?”
    “Who?” Jake said sardonically.
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “I’ll let Ellen explain it to you. She’s good at making people believe that what happened didn’t happen at all.”

24
    “I STILL THINK you should have gone to the hospital,” Honor said, frowning down at Kyle. “You leaned on Archer all the way home from the clinic.”
    Kyle smiled up at her from the comfort of his own bed. “The view is better here and it’s going to be a gorgeous sunset,” he said, waving