Page 42 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)

Maddie

I sit on the bench of the boat, my hands bound in front of me, trying to keep my breathing steady. I can’t afford to have another panic attack now. We’re on Scott’s boat. That drives the knife deeper. I should feel safe on the Adeline .

Mark has said little since we left the dock, but the tension hangs like a noose in the air.

“You’re as dumb as your brother,” Mark says, his voice slicing through the silence like a knife. He doesn’t even look at me as he stands at the helm. I flinch at the words, each one sharp and calculated to hurt me, but I stay silent. My throat is too tight.

“We were best friends. Do you know all the things I did for him?” I look over at him, but I’m too afraid to say a word.

“At least that was what I thought until he took what was mine.” He straightens. “Do you know why he’s dead?” he presses on, his grip on the wheel tightening.

“He was so arrogant. Pretty boy, he thought he could run all those caves, chasing some grand discovery and outsmarting everyone else. Keeping secrets. I didn’t give a flying fuck about his stupid caves and secrets. Except for one.”

The venom in his tone makes my stomach churn. I find my voice, though it shakes. “Nathan was good. He was brave. He…”

Mark’s bitter laugh cuts me off. “Good? Brave? Don’t kid yourself. He was a fool. Just like you.”

I swallow hard, mustering the courage to meet his stare. His words sting and there’s a deeper personal hatred behind them.

Mark pulls out his phone, his entire demeanor shifting. He dials a number and waits, his hand relaxing on the wheel. He’s very pale, and a thin film of sweat covers his skin.

What’s wrong with him?

When the call connects, he changes into another person. “Hi, baby. I just wanted to tell you goodnight.”

A woman’s voice responds, tinged with concern. “Mark? Is everything all right? What are you doing? Where are you?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” His voice trembles. “It’s just been a long day. I love you. Please tell Natalie I love her too.”

“Mark, you’re frightening me. What’s happening? We can talk about this. It’s not too late. Come home.” He’s staring in the distance, not all here. Her voice is muffled, but familiar.

“Goodbye, love.”

He cuts off the call, ignoring her questions. The tenderness evaporates as he slips back into his cold, detached facade. My heart races.

And then it clicks. That voice, it’s Nathan’s fiancée—the woman I met at the general store. All the pieces fall into place, at least enough to understand why Mark might have killed Nathan and why he’s trying so hard to keep Nathan’s fate hidden. Nathan was in love with Mark’s wife.

My breath catches. I swallow. “My God,” I whisper.

Mark turns to me, his expression darkening. “What am I going to do with you?” he mutters to himself.

The boat slows, the engine shifting to a low idle as we approach the Carter’s Drop descent point. The swirling ocean waters above the blue hole glimmer under the moonlight. I can’t see it, but I know it’s there.

Mark snatches a random dive kit from the locker and tosses it to me. He cuts the bindings on my wrists. “Suit up,” he barks, his tone allowing no room for argument.

My hands tremble as I gaze at the gear, bile creeping up my throat. “Mark, please—”

“Now,” he snaps, his voice as sharp as a whip.

My fingers are clumsy and slow as I fumble with the suit. Every part of me screams to fight, to run, but there’s nowhere to go. The endless ocean is all around us, and Mark is watching my every move.

“Cheer up. You’re going to see your brother today.

” His eyes are dull and emotionless. “A joyful reunion. And you’ll both be right where you belong.

” He suits up. “If they find you, it will look like an accident. Poor Maddie, searching for her brother, she just couldn’t quit.

She wouldn’t listen to all the warnings we kept giving her. ”

His words crash over me like a suffocating wave of dread.

He’s not planning to bring me back. Like he did to Nathan, he’ll leave me down there in the depths of the caves.

I’m going to drown in the blue hole. He’s just keeping me alive long enough to make it look like another dive accident and hide one more murder.

“Scott will come for me. He’ll find you,” I choke out.

He laughs.

“Oh, I have plans for him, too. Poor crazy Scott. That’s what they’ll say after they find out he made all this up after murdering Wes Harrington and killing himself. Nasty love triangle. Seems I have a busy night ahead of me.”

“But you shot Denver,” I snap.

He freezes. Maybe he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.

Then he tightens the straps on his rebreather, not even sparing me another glance.

“You shouldn’t have been digging into things that weren’t yours to find.

Just like Nathan.” He looks to the sky. “I hope you can see this, old friend. And I hope it hurts like hell.”

He’s delusional. And I’m not sure if he really cares if he lives or dies anymore.

Panic claws at my chest, threatening to consume me.

There must be a way out, some way to stall him, to escape.

My mind races, but every thought is drowned out by the sheer terror coursing through me.

I finish suiting up, trying to be as prepared as possible for what awaits me below.

But I don’t have all the gear I’ll need to survive long enough.

Mark yanks me to my feet, his grip iron, as he pulls me toward the edge of the boat. “Let’s go.” His voice is devoid of emotion.

I look down.

The blue hole is waiting for me.

Scott, please find me.