Page 49

“ T ODAY’S THE DAY!!!!!!” I bleated the second my eyes opened.

I launched myself out of bed, and Jake groaned next to me, burying his head in our pillows as I ran through the shack, beaming so big I could have drowned a man in the depths of my dimples.

“The sun is shining! The tank is cleaaaaannnnn!”

I sang as I dug through the cupboards for a frying pan, just as Makoa walked in with Kai and Turtle on his heels.

Jet faked a gasp. “GAH! The tank is clean!”

Turtle and I cracked up at Jet finishing my Finding Nemo reference while Kai and Riddick groaned.

Riddick was just coming out of our room in his boxers. He ran a hand down his face as if my antics were giving him a big Finn-shaped headache.

“Are you always this annoying?” Kai grumbled, helping himself to a seat at the table as I enthusiastically cracked some eggs into a mixing bowl.

“Yes,” Riddick answered for me as he flopped down on the couch in the living room.

“Finn’s an acquired taste,” Turtle winked at Kai.

“And if you don’t like me, you should acquire some taste!” I chimed.

“HA!” Turtle and Makoa both laughed along with me while Kai and Riddick rolled their eyes at how cheesy I was being.

I couldn’t help it.

My entire body was vibrating with excitement. I was short of breath, and my mind was racing. All I could do was think about what the world would look like beneath my feet as I surfed an eighty-foot Leviathan.

“I would ask if you’re ready, surf star, but that feels like a stupid question,” Jet said, sitting down next to Kai while Turtle came to help me with breakfast.

“I feel like I was born ready!” I beamed, and Jet smiled back, though there was a bit of concern in his warm brown eyes.

“No doubt,” he said softly. I glanced over to find him, Jake, and Kai all staring at me with varying levels of worry on their faces.

I’d gotten to know Kai a little bit over the last few weeks while surfing with Jet.

He really was a decent dude; he was just several shades grumpier than even Riddick had been when I’d first met him.

I had a feeling it had to do with the fact that he’d been the one to push everyone to surf the day Jake had drowned.

I imagined the guilt Kai felt was enormous. To make up for it, he felt especially responsible for making sure Leviathans didn’t take any more lives. So, much like Jake, Kai’s grumpiness came from a good place.

He was worried about me.

The fact that he’d rented a Jet Ski so he could save my crazy ass if I wiped out was proof enough of that.

He knew he couldn’t stop me from doing it, so he was going to try to keep me safe while I went against everyone’s advice and did it anyway .

I was grateful.

But I was also so excited that I felt like I might explode. So, I ignored the giant elephant in the room and whipped out a spatula.

“How does everyone like their eggs?”

Makoa had been right. Conditions were fucking perfect.

The sun was out, so it was even warmer than normal, and after watching the waves for a solid twenty minutes, they seemed to be as reliable and steady as I could hope for on a beach like Leviathans.

“Alright. I’m going in,” I finally announced, and Turtle grinned, slapping me on the back enthusiastically.

“Hell ya! You got this, Finn Man!” he cheered, and I smiled at him.

“Thanks, Turtle, catch you on the flip!” I winked and made my way toward the water.

Kai was already dragging the Jet Ski in, and Makoa and Jake followed me into the shallows.

My board was freshly waxed because, of course, Riddick had made sure to take care of that the night before.

When he’d finished waxing my board, he’d crawled into bed and spent the entire night worshipping me. He took his time, bringing me to orgasm over and over, all while telling me how proud he was of me… How he believed in me and how much he knew I was going to crush it today.

I shivered as I remembered how many times he’d made me come.

Did you know if you make a dude come enough times in a row, their balls literally start to hurt? I was almost worried I wouldn’t get to sleep ‘cause Jake had sucked and fucked me so dry I was in literal pain.

Happily, that’s what sleep aids are for, and I was feeling well rested, sated, and ready to fuck up some watery hell demons.

I paddled out, Makoa on my left with his sunshine yellow shortboard and Jake on my right with the teal board he’d been riding the day he died. I was the bright pink filling in this surf legend sandwich, and I’d never felt more supported in my life.

Once the three of us were out far enough that we could easily paddle in, I sat up on my board and took in my surroundings. The peaks were always unpredictable here, but right now, they were more stable than I’d seen them in a while.

Kai was bobbing on the Jet Ski a few hundred feet away, watching us like a hawk. Back on the beach, I noticed Turtle had been joined by a few more people. They were far enough away that I couldn’t make them all out.

“Did someone tell the Finnatics about today?” I asked Jet, shocked that anyone would let it slip.

Jet shot me a strange look and nodded.

“Yeah, I did. Figured you could use a bit of extra support.”

“But… what about not sensationalizing this beach?” I asked, totally surprised.

He shrugged, running his hand through his wet, dark hair.

“What you’re doing here… as much as it scares me shitless…

Well, I think it’s worth something. You worked hard for this day, Finn.

You deserve to be recognized for everything you’ve done to get here.

When you conquer this beach, you deserve credit.

Just… promise me you’re going to show these people that you’re the stuff legends are made of and survive this. ”

I swallowed, my throat suddenly feeling tight.

“I am going to survive this,” I vowed, my voice coming out raspy.

Makoa met my gaze head-on, and he smiled, nodding.

“Yeah. You fucking are. Now, get out there and shred one of these beasts to pieces. Prove to everyone that you’re Finn Summers, the Leviathan Tamer.”

I glanced over at Riddick and found him watching me with a determined look on his face. He gave me one slow nod.

“He’s right, shark bait. If anyone can do this, it’s you. ”

My eyes welled with tears, and for a moment, I wished I was alone with him so I could kiss him before I paddled out.

I cleared my throat and directed my question at Jet, but made sure Jake would know I was talking to him.

“You’re gonna be watching?”

I didn’t even hear Makoa’s response as Jake reached out and brushed his fingers across my chin, his thumb grazing my bottom lip tenderly.

“I’m always watching you, baby,” he murmured, and I nodded before setting my sights on the horizon and paddling out to face the monsters that had killed the man I loved.