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I ’m on a fucking suicide mission.

Driving blind across the Bay in a borrowed boat is just the tip. A mantra races through my head as I zip through a hazardous deluge of wind, rain, and fog.

Find Everly.

Kill Leonard Vincent

Don’t die.

By the time I snapped out of my jealous spiral and realized Jasper Cross was goading me into following them, I was almost too late. The bane of my existence—The fucking Timekeeper, himself—is here.

“ Come on …” I grit my teeth, pushing the boat faster.

When I arrived, the show was underway. Unsure of Vincent’s plan, I had to clear the building of bystanders before more innocents suffered. As I realized Everly was not in the crowd, I caught a glimpse of one of Vincent’s men pulling away from the marina. That’s when I was intercepted by another man.

By the time I dispatched him, the boat was gone.

Now I’m searching for a mid-sized yacht with a head start.

There was no time to call for backup; I had to grab a boat and go. If I let them get much farther ahead, I’ll never find them.

She’s with him. He’s taken her.

I can feel it.

After a few minutes of searching the marina, I found a small center-console whose owner thought stashing a key in a hidden compartment was safe. Fortunately, I know enough to fake my way around a boat, and September Dawn is easy to handle. Fast, too.

Now, to make up for lost time.

It helps that there’s only one direction they’d be going. It would be ideal if Everly had her phone, but with no way to track her, I’ll have to settle for the next best thing. Luckily, Dawn has radar. I hit a button and turn it on, watching dots of different shapes and sizes light the screen, and head for the monster looming dead ahead: The Golden Gate Bridge.

Beyond it, an even bigger monster.

The Pacific Ocean.

When the building was evacuated, Vincent knew I was on his tail. Taking Everly is his insurance policy. My options are limited if he keeps her close.

She’s become my weakness.

Vincent isn’t stupid, so he’ll use whatever tools he can get. First, he used her as a distraction—and now, she’s bait.

Time to turn the tables in my favor.

This is one mission I can’t fail.

I made a promise.

This bastard is mine.

The currents beneath the bridge can be deadly to a smaller boat, but the tide is slack right now, so I have a chance. Carefully, I navigate beneath the steel giant and through the Golden Gate Strait. Above, its glut of passengers travel at a snail’s pace, oblivious.

The Pacific stretches out endlessly on the other side. Vincent’s cruiser can’t be far ahead, and I’m still faster. Be good to me, Dawn.

A horn sounds.

I glance at the radar; there’s a boat ahead. A shot of adrenaline to my system.

My fingers clench around the steering wheel, relaxing when a yacht four times bigger than the one I’m searching for comes into view.

The gravity of my task looms like the bridge behind me.

I’m searching for a needle in a fucking ocean.

The rain comes down harder, pooling on deck. The waves become choppier. Despite the weather shift, there are a few vessels around me. Nothing of the right size showing on radar yet, so I push farther. Faster.

I don’t get a promising lead until?—

There.

Another dot, the right size and shape, a short distance ahead.

It’s them. I know it.

I kick the boat into gear, gaining on them.

Murder curdles in my veins as I get closer. My intuition blares alarm bells. I can feel him there.

I feel her.

A boat comes into view.

With the weather conditions, it’s nearly impossible to see the driver at the helm, but I’m sure he can hear me approaching. I pull closer, right up to the side.

The cruiser is eerily quiet, as though there’s no one on board at all.

I don’t believe that for a second, but I take advantage, tying my boat to a hook and securing us together. Then I?—

Crack.

A gunshot flies blindly in my direction, lodging in a non-vital part of Dawn’s hull.

The first guy disarmed me on shore. I need that gun.

Catching hold of the ladder, I climb up the side. My feet have barely landed on deck when a vaguely familiar face appears inches from mine.

A punch hits me square in the mouth.

Oof.

Teeth clatter and lips tingle. A coppery tang fills my mouth, my vision blurring from the impact.

“I’ve been dying to do that.” The man I beat the shit out of outside the club sneers, then hurls himself at me.

Motherfucker. “Knew I should have killed you.” I dodge just in time, letting his momentum carry him into the rail.

The boat rocks.

We grapple for control, both dodging as many punches as we land.

The wind whistles around us, subsiding just long enough that I hear a different noise:

A scream.

Everly.

But there’s no time for distractions. “You were following her.” I land a blow to the side of his head.

“It was never about her.” A hand grips my neck, holding me back. “She was just a bonus. Got me hard every time I looked at her.”

My laugh is dripping with venom. “You’re a fucking dead man.”

“Not if I kill you first.” The man points his gun. “Then I’m going to fuck your little bitch right here on the deck.”

Sheer determination tips the odds in my favor, and before he can aim, I grab his arm and push up. He might want me dead, but I have more to lose.

I have everything to lose.

The gun goes off, whizzing harmlessly into the air.

I make a move that whips us around, so his back is to the rail. Locking an iron grip around his wrist, I shove the gun into his chest. With his other hand still locked around my throat, cutting off my air, I squeeze his fingers and fire.

Shock registers on his face, quickly draining into something else.

His hand loosens, the weight of his body tipping him overboard. But the gun?—

Shit.

I grab at his clothes. Try to pull him back.

Not fast enough. The gun goes with him.

Goddammit.

Panting, I stare at the spot where the body sank beneath the waves, taking with it the weapon I need. Then?—

A sound behind me. Movement.

Another scream.

“ Isaac !”

A door swings open.

Then another voice registers. Chillingly calm.

“Hello, Mr. Porter.”

It’s the voice that’s haunted every moment of my life for over a year. The man who ripped my sister from this earth.

The rain comes down harder.

It’s time to end this motherfucking bastard.

Slowly, I turn.

There he is, a multicolored nightmare in a soaking wet suit. Despite my soaring blood pressure, I take a slow breath, assessing the situation.

One of his hands is latched tight to Everly’s upper arm, the other holding the folded end of a broken umbrella. Its splintered handle jabs into her throat.

The real danger is the low railing he’s got her shoved up against. One wrong move, and she’ll end up as dead as the man who just went overboard.

“We thought you’d never arrive.” Vincent’s voice drips with the same malice as his fake smile. “Right, gorgeous? Your boyfriend is impressive.”

Kill him, kill him, kill him. The mantra sings through my blood.

“Sorry I’m late.” I address the man who’s signed his death warrant a hundred times over. “Your guys did their best, but they kinda suck at their jobs. You should fire them.”

His lips flatten into a line, eyes narrowing.

I bare my teeth in a vicious smile as I gesture at the ocean behind me. “Oh, wait… I already took care of that.”

“Indeed, you have.” Barely controlled rage simmers beneath his casual facade. “Unfortunately for you, I still have the upper hand.”

Everly winces when he yanks her to him, the umbrella jabbing into her skin.

I allow myself a split second to evaluate her. Makeup runs down her face, matted hair plastered against her skin like the sheer dress she’s wearing. Water drips off the hem onto her high heels.

She’s in one piece, but her movements are sluggish, like she’s only half awake.

Drugged.

Without taking the time to blink, my mind runs through scenarios. Weighing my options. Vincent is calculating, but I’ve goaded him enough to see his control snap in the past.

This time, I need to do it while making sure Everly stays alive.

He shoves her even tighter to the railing, proving his point.

Keep him talking.

My eyes dart between the two of them, unable to leave her for long. “You okay, Bee?”

“Aw, you two are adorable .” His tone is ripe with condescension. “Meant for each other, even. You have me to thank for that.”

“Yeah,” I deadpan. “Thanks.”

“Now you get to die together.” He chuckles. “You’ll have me to thank for that, too. You’re welcome.” His mocking singsong makes me want to turn him inside out.

I make a show of looking him up and down.

“Ah. What are you killing me with, exactly?” I raise my eyebrows at the umbrella. Surely, he doesn’t think that toy is enough to do me in.

“Oh…well, my sharp wit, of course.” He twirls the umbrella in the air, swinging it back to threaten Everly without missing a beat. “Just kidding, I predict you’ll be jumping right over that railing and taking care of it all by yourself. The sharks will help. You’re nice and meaty; they’ll love you.” He licks his lips and makes a disgusting slurping sound.

I glance at Everly, making eye contact, checking in. She appears docile, but I know that’s how she survived two years in his facility of horrors, all while never giving up. And now, I see the way her eyes flare, caught between determination and panic.

Are you planning something, Bee?

My attention swings back to him before he becomes suspicious. “And why would I do that?”

This guy is out of his fucking mind.

“Because you’re a hero . And I bet you’re arrogant enough to think you’ll be able to swim to shore. Also, if you don’t, she goes overboard.”

“And I’m supposed to believe you won’t throw her over anyway, because…”

“I’ve reconsidered; perhaps she’s too pretty to die. Not unless she has to. And that depends on you, my friend.”

I dart a glance to either side, looking for a weapon.

Keep talking, asshole.

Everly straightens. I watch some of the clarity come back into her face. If I can keep Vincent’s attention on me, she may have a chance to make a move. Get away.

I need to get her over here on my side, where she’s safer.

Come on, push him away. Come to me.

With nothing to hold over my head, he’d be finished.

Remembering how angry the bastard gets when I’m unimpressed, I shrug, forcing a show of nonchalance. “I guess we’re at a dead end, then.”

“Mmm, the proverbial impasse, indeed. But see, my wager is that you’re a better man than I am. You won’t let her die.”

My stomach curdles. Doubt creeps in.

“I’m not a better man.” The words stick in my throat. “I’m just a man. And you are completely devoid of humanity.”

His chuckle is flat. Humorless. “No matter, I still have something you want.” He changes his hold on Everly, entwining his hand roughly in her hair while driving her to her knees. “And you don’t have a weapon.” Depravity sparks in his malicious glare. He grins wide, showing perfect white teeth. “Do you, Mr. Porter?”

From her knees on the deck, Everly begins to laugh. It’s a maniacal, “I’m about to die and don’t give a fuck anymore” kind of laugh.

Vincent looks down at her, almost like he’s seeing her for the first time.

“Like you said…” Everly leans into the umbrella, ignoring the blood sliding down her neck. Fast as lightning, she reaches around his waist and yanks. “Anything can be a weapon if you’re creative.”

Her arm swings like a pitcher on the most important throw of the game, and I don’t know what’s flying at me until I’ve caught it.

And when I see what’s glinting in my hand…

His prized possession. A show of power.

You brilliant woman.

She took a chance, and I won’t let her down.

I won’t let Sara down, either.

Not this time.

“Oh, look.” I raise the hourglass in the air. The sand pools at the bottom, completely drained. The smile I give him is vicious. “Your time is up.”

A gust of wind hits the boat. Waves splash.

We rock.

A feral sound comes from Vincent’s chest. His head lowers, eyes narrowing into a death glare.

Like the day he shattered the hourglass in my cell, I watch his temper rise to the surface until it snaps.

He shoves Everly roughly. She falls over onto the deck.

Come at me, motherfucker.

I have a promise to keep.

A roar leaves him as fury wins over logic, and he charges me like a bull, holding the umbrella like a rapier in front of him.

“ DIE ,” he screams, completely unhinged.

Adrenaline hits; everything slows. My view zooms out, catching every detail.

Everly on her hands and knees, determined tears mixing with rain.

Leonard Vincent’s twisted expression, his face crimson with rage.

Rainwater splashes under his shoes as he runs at me.

So close.

Madness swirls with the evil in his mismatched eyes.

NOW.

A heartbeat before he connects, I bring my arm straight down, smashing the hourglass against the railing, then swing upward in a single move.

Vincent’s body slams into mine.

His scream stops abruptly.

Searing pain registers.

The splintered umbrella handle protrudes from my shoulder. I grit my teeth against the agonized sound it pulls from me.

Inches away, Vincent’s eyes widen. His mouth opens soundlessly.

Wrapping my arm around his back, I yank him into me.

Push harder. Twist.

Jagged glass opens his jugular vein.

Blood coats my hand, pumping faster with every waning heartbeat. His gaze locks with mine, both coal and colorless, and he sees.

He knows.

My eyes burn with saltwater and blood spatter, but I keep them open.

I’m going to watch the life drain out of you, motherfucker.

Vincent’s lungs empty in a whoosh, eyes fluttering, rolling backward.

With a new surge of strength, I pull upward, dragging the glass through the artery. Slicing it wide open.

He’s just a man, after all.

“That’s for all of us , ” I whisper against his cheek.

His godforsaken blood is my reward, and I will fucking bathe in it.

His body slumps.

Dead weight.

Dead.

All the strength leaves me. I exhale. Numbness creeps over my body. We collapse on the deck.

Then there’s pain…

Relief.

My eyes close. And there’s nothing.

Fucking

sweet

nothing.

It’s finished.

The energy drains out of me. I could die here. Just like this.

Maybe I will.

I did it. I’m done.

It’s quiet. So quiet.

Over.

“Isaac.”

There are hands on my face. My body.

Soft, warm hands. They won’t let me drift. Won’t let me go.

I’m done. Let me go.

“Isaac,” she says. “I’m here, Isaac. Stay with me. Come back.”

My lungs fill with air. There’s life in it. The voice is a siren’s song. I feel?—

Her.

She shakes me.

My eyes open.

Everly’s face hovers above me. Frantic. Crying. “I’m here,” she sobs. “Isaac. I’m here. It’s over. Stay with me. Please ?—”

“Fuck.” I rise on my elbows, wincing, groaning. Pushing the corpse off me.

Everly’s palms run over my body, gently moving around my still-impaled shoulder.

She’s here. We’re here.

We’re okay.

Her hands move back to my face, pulling me toward her. She rests her forehead against mine, then kisses my bleeding mouth.

I feel everything.

“You’re okay,” she rasps. “You’re okay.”

“We’re okay.” My voice sounds far away.

We hold on to each other in the rain, in the carnage—a pool of watery blood spreading around us.

It’s over.

But there’s something else here. Someone. No more than a whisper. A presence.

Everly lifts her face to the mist.

She feels it, too.

We’re not alone.

In the fog, in the rain, in the blood of our enemy running in watery rivulets down my skin…

Somehow, I know?—

Sara is watching.