Sacrifices in Paradise Read online

  To Jenna’s horror, she heard a loud shot ring out and watched as Carter slumped over. Her adrenaline kicked in and she ran across to Patricia Waverly and slammed her body against the other woman. Patricia wasn’t expecting the maneuver and started falling. Without finding anything to grab onto, she fell over the side of the boat into the churning water.

  Jenna didn’t bother trying to help her as she ran across to Carter. It looked as if he had been shot in the side and red stains of blood were soaking his shirt. She ripped off a strip of his shirt and folded it into a makeshift bandage.

  “Carter, can you hear me?” she asked urgently.

  “Yes,” he managed to say through clenched teeth.

  “Hold this piece of shirt against your side while I try to get someone on the radio.”

  After she got him to press the cloth against his wound, she ran to the radio and started pressing the buttons. Jenna picked up the microphone and heard a crackling sound echoing out to her.

  “If anyone is out there, we need your help immediately,” Jenna pleaded frantically. “Carter McPherson has been shot and we need medical attention, he’s losing quite a bit of blood.”

  To Jenna’s surprise, a voice came over the radio. “This is the Coast Guard,” he said, identifying who was receiving her message. “What’s your location?”

  “I’m not sure,” she answered, beginning to feel as if this was a lost cause.

  “Look on the boat’s panel and tell me what the compass reads,” he told her. “This should tell me which way you are heading.”

  “We just left a small island, but I don’t know what the name of it was,” she said. “Hold on a minute. I have a map with a location circled in red.” Jenna carried the map over to the light and read off the name of the island to the man listening on the other end.

  “Cut your engine and wait for us,” he instructed her. “We know where you are located. We’ll send a chopper out to pick up the wounded man and you can travel back with us on the Coast Guard ship.”

  “Thank you,” Jenna answered, reaching for the lever and pulling it all the way down. The boat slowed to barely a crawl, but by keeping the hot wire connection, the lights still shined across the choppy sea. She needed something to guide their rescuers in the dark night.

  She quickly walked over to Carter and kneeled down beside him. He had let the shirt slip, so she placed it back over his wound and pressed it tightly. It wasn’t long before she saw lights fast approaching. Overhead, Jenna heard the whirring sound of the helicopter drawing near. When the Coast Guard reached them, they shined a bright spotlight into the smaller boat.

  The helicopter hovered for several minutes, but eventually, Jenna saw a stretcher attached to a rope being lowered to their boat. When it was stationary, she didn’t know how she was going to lift Carter onto the cot. She didn’t have to worry long as the Coast Guard boat got closer to them and a man jumped across the short space separating the two vessels.

  It wasn’t long before he had placed Carter on the stretcher and strapped him in. Soon, Carter was just a tiny speck as he was hoisted up to the helicopter hovering overhead.

  When the man helped Jenna board the Coast Guard ship, she hurriedly told them what had happened and about the woman that had fallen overboard. Even though she had shot Carter, Jenna felt she should at least have them try to help her.

  “We’ll head in that direction before going back to Miami,” he told her, giving instructions to his crew.

  By the time they reached the island, the group that had arrived earlier was sitting on the sand. There with the men was the woman that had fallen overboard. She had somehow made it back safely.

  When the man on the top deck of the ship pointed a huge gun toward the group, he didn’t have any problems in disarming them. As they were brought aboard, they were taken below and placed in a room with a guard.

  Jenna felt so tired from all that had happened, but she was still concerned for Carter’s safety. “Have you heard anything about Carter?”

  “I’m going to radio in now to see if he’s reached the hospital,” he told her as he lifted the microphone.

  She stood near him so she could hear all of the conversation. Listening to his end, she realized that Carter was now undergoing surgery and that was all the information they could tell him.

  “I suppose you heard.” He glanced down at her.

  “Yes, but how long will it be before we get back to Miami?”

  “In about two hours,” he said. “There’s a cot downstairs that you can rest on and I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

  “That’s very kind of you but I don’t think I can sleep,” she refused his offer.

  “Well, just go down and relax then,” he said. “Follow the steps down and it’s the first door on the right.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured, heading down the stairs. When she reached the lower deck, she opened the first door to the right. There was only a cot and a small sink with a mirror overhead.

  Jenna took a look in the mirror and gazed for a long time at the straggly looking woman staring out at her. Her appearance was the least of her worries right then, though. Her only concern was for Carter. This was the first time in her life that she had put another person’s welfare before her own. She’d discovered she loved Carter with all her heart. When he was shot, her world felt as if it was collapsing around her.

  She didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon a knock sounded on her door. As she opened it, she was greeted with a smile from the man she had talked to earlier on the upper deck. “I wanted to let you know we’ll be docking in ten minutes.”

  “Do you think someone could take me to the hospital?”

  “I’ll make sure I find someone to give you a ride,” he told her as he tipped his hat and started to make his way up the stairs.

  Jenna didn’t waste any time in rinsing off her face in the sink and trying to brush her hair into some kind of order. If she was going to the hospital, she didn’t want to look so disheveled.

  By the time the car she was riding in pulled up to the hospital entrance, Jenna only took seconds to thank the man for taking the time to get her here. She hurried toward the doors and waited until they swung open. As she walked down the hall, she got a few curious stares, but Jenna didn’t care. Her only concern was finding out where they had Carter.

  When she stopped at the front desk and asked about Carter, the nurse on duty led the way down the hallway to a room. Once inside, she saw that Carter was the lone occupant. He had his eyes closed and she didn’t know if he was asleep or still knocked out from the drugs they’d given him during surgery.

  She made her way over to the bed and pulled a chair right next to him. Jenna took Carter’s hand in hers and held it gently. He still wasn’t responding so she thought she’d just sit and wait it out until he awakened.

  “Carter,” she whispered. “You gave me a scare back there. I want you to know how much I love you. What I felt for Brody was only an attraction. I can tell you all this because I know you can’t hear me.”

  “That’s where you are wrong,” he said in a slurred tone. “I heard everything you said.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She had confessed her innermost thoughts to him, not realizing that he was listening to every word. Jenna felt like a fool and started to pull away from him.

  His grip tightened on her hand. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I didn’t think you wanted to be bothered with me now,” she told him. “I’ve just made a complete fool of myself.”

  “No you haven’t,” he said softly. “If you couldn’t tell I loved you, then you’re blind.”

  “You love me!”

  “That’s what I said,” he whispered hoarsely “and don’t try to get away from me again.”

  “You can be assured I won’t,” she promised him. “Have you heard anything about the rest of the people on the yacht?”

  “I asked the helicopter pilot about them and he said
they managed to sail back to Miami, outrunning the storm.”

  “I’m glad to hear everyone is all right,” she murmured. “I have to find Brody and give back his ring.”

  “You’d better,” he told her. “I’m not about to ever let you go.”

  Jenna reached over and kissed his lips.

  The possessive warmth coming from Jenna only made Carter hungry for more. When he tried to move, he groaned loudly. Just then a nurse came into the room.

  “You’re going to have to leave now,” she told Jenna. “He needs his rest.”

  “I’ll be back tomorrow, minus the engagement ring,” she told Carter as she leaned toward him to brush his cheek with her lips.

  “I’ll be here waiting for you,” he told her. “We have a lot of plans to make tomorrow.”

  Jenna walked from the hospital feeling as if she was on a cloud. It wouldn’t take her long to return Brody’s ring and end their engagement. She would have to check in with her parents and let them know she was all right. She also wanted to tell them of her change in plans about Brody.

  Her agenda for the following day was to return to the hospital and make Carter her sole priority. A month ago she was traveling through life without a purpose, but since meeting Carter, everything had changed for her. She was no longer the spoiled brat that had stepped foot on the yacht that sunny day.

  Carter had brought out two traits in her that Jenna didn’t know she possessed. One was determination and the other was a commitment to succeed in life. She felt Carter had taught her what love really meant. They had faced perils on the small island and were now stronger in their love for one another. Jenna felt she had found the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and knew time wouldn’t change her feelings.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Mary Ann is married with two sons and writes erotic romances full time with her sister Suzanne. Suzanne is also married with two daughters and also devotes her time to writing.