THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

men everywhere. If they’d found her at Zane’s apartment, wouldn’t they know about the boat? If so, why hadn’t they searched it?
    Nothing had been disturbed. The only alteration was the elusive canvas curtain now surrounding the cockpit.
    Where would Zane hide the coins if he’d left them here?
    She didn’t think he’d found them until yesterday morning when he came by to check on the boat without her. They could be here or in his truck. Or in his airplane.
    But when she’d nailed him about the boat, he hadn’t denied it.
    She was wasting time wondering. She’d search the boat and pray for a miracle.
    Shoving aside the cushions covering the bed in the cabin, she began methodically going through compartments that stored life jackets and stopped again to scan outside for anyone within close proximity. She went back to hunting through watertight bags and tackle boxes she found, almost forgetting to keep watch.
    The next time Angel stuck her head out of the cabin, a black Land Rover swung inside the marina and parked across the lot near the entrance. She squinted to see if they were just going to observe or come to the boat.
    CK climbed out of the sport utility. Oh God, the monster who’d abducted her.
    She ducked into the cabin and yanked drawers open until she found the ignition keys, then jumped up on deck. Her heart climbed into her throat when another Land Rover drove up to the first one and Mason emerged.
    Her hand shook violently. She stabbed the first key at the ignition, hitting all around the hole until it went in. She got the second one in place and realized she had to untie ropes then flip on the battery and pump the do-ma-hickey down in the deck to prime something.
    Mason was talking to CK who pointed toward the boat a couple of times, then CK started striding toward her dock.
    She tucked down close to the deck, crab-walking across the weathered teak. At each cleat above her head, she reached up and unwound the ropes, jerking them loose and letting them fall to the water. Thank goodness they were all looped in simple S formations.
    Down on the boat deck, she twisted a pitted chrome catch to open a section of the floor covering the engines. When the latch flipped up, she pushed the covering aside, shoved her hand in until she found the rubber balls and squeezed hard several times.
    She stayed hunched over and scuttled through the curtains to the cockpit, jumped up and pulled the control handles to the middle like Zane had. When she glanced over her shoulder to check on CK, he was nearing the beginning of the dock to Zane’s boat.
    Angel twisted both keys at once. The motors turned over and over, but neither cranked. She glanced back up the dock.
    The demon of her future nightmares hesitated then stuck his head forward and started running like he’d just realized she was on the boat.
    Somewhere behind him another man shouted something she couldn’t make out.
    Twisting the keys again, she begged the churning motors to start. One caught. She kept turning the other one. It caught. She pulled hard on the gears, throwing the boat in reverse, ramming the dock.
    Bad idea, bad idea .
    She reached over and shoved the gears ahead.
    The boat lurched to one side, slamming into the walkway next to her, bouncing hard enough to toss her sideways. Motors whined in protest when the boat hung up on the right side of the slip.
    She clawed her way up and watched in horror as the monster closed in to fifteen feet away.
     
    Chapter 56
     
    Zane spun into the marina parking lot past two black sport utilities with gold triangle logos. A man with blonde hair was climbing into one, but Zane couldn’t spend the time to investigate. He’d skidded to a stop near his dock just as he caught sight of the giant who had kidnapped Angel stepping onto the wooden planks.
    Jumping from his truck, Zane raced after the kidnapper.
    The hulking beast hesitated briefly then started running.
    Angel had to be on his boat.
    “ Hey!”  Zane bellowed as he charged ahead with his weapon drawn, glad to see most of the slips empty with boats out for the holiday after the front had passed.
    The giant didn’t slow his pace.
    Zane’s gaze shot past him to the stern of his boat that hit the dock, rattling the pilings. “Stop or I’ll shoot,” he yelled.
    A man came out of the cabin of a boat way down the dock, shouted something then disappeared into his boat.
    Never missing a step, the big man threw his arm behind him and fired wildly