Page 109

I kill the motors, the wake still rocking the boats unsteadily, and I grip the captain’s chair with all my strength to keep from falling over. A wave sloshes into the boat, coating my feet.

“Okay,” I cry out, loud enough to be heard over the water. I hold my hands up in surrender. “I’ll tell you. Just put the gun down and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Another wave from the wake smashes into theBetty. Water streams over the sides, and finally Dean moves. Hope bubbles inside me as I keep my eyes on Pierce.

“The drugs are in my office. At the university.” I grasp around for straws, raising my chin, trying to figure out where the hell I would have hidden god only knows how many drugs in my tiny office.

The entire idea is absurd.

“There’s a drink machine outside my office. It hasn’t worked in years. Everything’s inside the vending machine.”

“You’re lying.” Pierce shakes the gun, water licking around his shins.

“No.” Yes. Yep.

Pierce kicks at the water, sending spray up onto Dean. His fingers twitch behind him. “What the fuck is wrong with your?—"

Charlie explodes into action, driving her forehead straight into Pierce’s face. He staggers back, blood leaking from his nose, and my jaw drops. Without missing a beat, Charlie sweeps his legs from under him and he splashes into the water, the gun floating back towards the engines.

“You fucking bi?—”

“Shut up.” Charlie kicks him in the ribs. Water splashing, soaking her shorts. Twice. Three times.

Pierce coughs once, then goes quiet.

Well. He can follow orders.

“Charlie? Are you okay?” I shade my eyes with my hand, in total disbelief.

Charlie kicked his ass. Pierce’s chest and legs, technically, but maybe she did get an ass kick in there.

“We’re sinking, I have a concussion and I’m handcuffed. And our old friend Marine One over here looks worse.” Charlie wades over to where the gun floats, aiming it at Pierce, who sits up, looking, if at all possible, even angrier.

“You wouldn’t know what to do with that gun if it told you,” he says, a snide look on his face. It’s slightly ruined by the blood running down his cheek.

I tilt my head, twisting my lips to the side.

“From what I can see, she looks pretty competent,” I yell at him.

Which is… odd. All of this is odd.

Pierce kicks out a leg, and Charlie fires the gun. Blood blossoms across the surface of the water, coiling crimson against brackish green.

“I warned you,” Charlie tells him with a sweet smile.

“You shot me.” He sounds shocked.

“You’ll live, you asshole. Tell me where the keys to the cuffs are, or I’ll shoot you again.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fine, the hard way, then.” A second shot rings out, more blood clouding the water. Pierce screams, Charlie smiles, and my mouth hangs open as I watch.

“You’re crazy. You’re all crazy,” Pierce whines.

Dean stirs again, coming to. Finally. Finally.

“Keys?”