Page 27

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

Paigelynn

Bullets tear through the air, whistling past the boat.

I duck low, pressing my back against the seat, my heart pounding in my chest. The sound of gunfire is deafening, mixing with the roar of the engine and the crashing waves.

Water sprays over the sides, soaking my face and hair, but I barely notice.

All I can think about is the gun in my hands and the boat chasing us. The boat’s too unsteady for me to even try to aim.

Dominic stands at the front of their speedboat, his rifle steady. He fires again, and the shot rips through the air, splintering the edge of our boat. I flinch, gripping the gun tighter. Sandor is next to him, barking orders, his face hard and focused.

He holds a weapon, but he isn’t aiming it at us yet.

He’s waiting.

Fear twists inside me, sharp and cold. This is it. Their final move. Their last grasp at control. They won’t stop until they have us.

Until we’re dead.

But under the fear, there’s something else. Something hot and burning.

Anger.

They’ve taken so much from me—my family, my freedom, my life. I won’t let them take anything else.

I grip the gun, my knuckles white. My hands are shaking, but I force them to steady. I have to fight. I can’t sit here and let them win.

“Stay down!” Cam shouts, his voice cutting through the chaos. He’s gripping the wheel, his focus locked on the water ahead. I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightens with every shot fired.

“I’m not just staying down!” I shout back, raising the rifle. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s going to burst. My breath comes fast, but I force myself to focus.

I can do this.

I have to do this.

I peek over the edge of the boat, aiming at the figures on the speedboat.

Dominic is shouting, but I can’t make out his words over the engine and the gunfire.

I pull the trigger. The gun jerks in my hands, the kick slamming into my palm, but I hold on.

The shot misses, hitting the water just in front of their boat.

I grit my teeth, adjusting my aim. My hands are shaking again, but I can’t stop now.

I take another shot, and this time it hits the side of their boat.

It’s not enough to stop them, but it’s something.

“Paigelynn, stay low!” Cam shouts again, his voice sharp with worry. “They’re not messing around!”

“I know!” I shout back, my voice trembling. “Neither am I.”

I fire again, the bullet hitting closer this time. Dominic ducks slightly, but he doesn’t stop. He raises his rifle, aiming at us. He shouts something, but the roar of the engine drowns him out.

The fear creeps back in, cold and heavy.

I have to keep going.

I fire again, the recoil slamming into my shoulder, but I don’t stop. I aim for the front of their boat, trying to slow them down. The shot grazes the edge, splintering the wood.

It’s not enough.

They’re still coming.

I shoot one more time and it just clicks.

Sandor steps forward, his weapon in hand. He raises it, but he doesn’t aim it at us. He looks back at Dominic, shouting something I can’t hear. For a moment, they seem to argue. Sandor’s movements are sharp, deliberate, but he doesn’t fire.

He just holds the weapon, his face unreadable.

The boat rocks hard as Cam swerves to avoid another wave. I grab the side, steadying myself, the rifle still clutched in my hands. My breath comes fast, my chest tight, but I don’t let go.

I won’t let go.

A loud, thunderous noise suddenly fills the air. It’s different from the engine, different from the gunfire. It’s louder, deeper, and it seems to come from above, a thousand heartbeats all in sync, a thousand gunshots all at once.

I freeze, my heart skipping a beat, and look up behind the large rock formation we’re zooming past as we get further from shore.

A spotlight cuts through the air, blinding and bright. The light sweeps over the water, landing on Dominic’s boat. The noise grows louder, the sound of blades slicing through the air, the water rippling from manufactured wind.

A helicopter.

My breath catches in my throat as the spotlight shifts again, moving to our boat for a moment before returning to Dominic’s. I squint against the light, my heart racing. They're going to win. The helicopter gives them an advantage.

This is it.

We're done.

I glance at Cam, his face lit by the spotlight. He looks up, his eyes narrowing against the light, and I see the flicker of relief in his expression. “Debbie,” he mutters, almost to himself.

Debbie?

Who is Debbie?

The guards on Dominic’s boat hesitate, their movements slower now. Even Dominic falters, his rifle lowering slightly as he looks up at the helicopter. Sandor stays still, his weapon at his side, face tense.

“Hold on!” Cam shouts, gripping the wheel tighter. The boat surges forward, the engine roaring as we speed away. The waves crash harder, but I barely feel them. My focus is on the helicopter, on the light cutting through everything, and the noise that drowns out everything else.

We’re not alone.

Not anymore.