Page 109 of Darkwater Lane

I glance down at Sam and remember how recently I’d wondered how far he’d go to protect us. Whether he would kill for us. Whether he already had.

Except now, it’s me in that predicament, facing that question: What am I willing to do for my family?

Can I kill Madison to save Sam?

Absolutely I can.

But will I?

She watches me, and I wonder if she realizes that I’m weighing the value of her life. Wondering if she deserves to live. Maybe killing her would be a good thing—vigilante justice. Ridding the world of a brutal serial killer.

Except that’s not how it works. Whether someone lives or dies shouldn’t be up to me. Melvin thought he had the right to make that choice. Apparently, Madison does too.

None of us has that right.

We all deserve due process. Justice doesn’t exist without it.

I’m not like Melvin. I never will be.

I’ll have to find another way to save Sam.

Thankfully, just then something catches my eye past her shoulder—blue lights flashing in the distance, a police car turning onto the road that circles the lake. Another trails behind it. I nearly go weak with relief. Even if Diakos didn’t get my message about the lake, others would have heard the gunshot and called it in. It won’t be long before they have a police boat in the water.

I grab Sam’s hand with my free one and squeeze.Hold on, I urge him silently. I slide my fingers to his wrist, finding his pulse—still steady and strong. I start to feel hope that this whole ordeal will be over soon.

That doesn’t mean I drop my gun. I shift my finger back to the barrel and keep the muzzle trained on her in case she decides to attack. I wouldn’t put it past her.

“This isn’t going to end well for you, Madison,” I warn her. Now that I know the truth, I plan to make sure she goes down for all those murders, clearing Sam’s name in the process.

She stands with her legs wide, feet braced near the sides of the narrow boat. She begins to shift her weight from side to side, rocking the boat. I drop Sam’s hand and reach for the gunwale to keep my balance.

I try to keep my gun trained on her, but it’s difficult with the boat pitching beneath me. I may only be a yard or two away, but with all this motion it’s not a guaranteed hit.

“You know how easy it would be to flip this thing?” she asks.

“It would be suicide,” I point out. “You’re still tethered to the cement block.”

She grins. “Maybe it would be worth it to take out Sam as well. Would be hard for him to swim given how unconscious he is. You might try to hold him above water, but we all watchedTitanicand know how that ends.”

I grip the side of the boat tighter, trying to counterbalance her movements. It doesn’t do much to stop the rocking. I glance down at Sam. If we tip, I need to be ready to grab for him.

“It would be really great if you could wake up about now,” I murmur to him.

She tilts her head to the side. “You know, I’ve never understood why you’re so loyal to that man.” She gestures toward Sam. “After everything he tried to do to destroy your family. He hunted you and your kids. He lied to you. He was a founding member of the Lost Angels. Yet, somehow, you’re okay with it all.”

“My relationship with Sam is none of your business.” I’m so damn tired of having my life and my choices scrutinized.

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, God a fucking apologist. You’re betterthan that, Gina! You deserve more! I have to be honest with you. You have terrible taste in men.”

I grind my teeth, anger flushing my cheeks. “Why are you doing this, Madison? What do you want?”

She slows her rocking and meets my eyes. “You,” she says simply. “Gina Royal.”

I nearly laugh. Of any answer she could have given, I wasn’t expecting that one. “You want a milquetoast, naïve housewife?”

She rolls her eyes. “It’s just us now, Gina. You don’t have to pretend.”

I shake my head. She’s not making any sense. “Pretend about what?”