“Come on,” I urged, pulling her through the salon again, toward the sliding glass doors and the stern.
But as soon as we stepped on deck, I spotted Kai on the ground, and I straightened, bracing myself. He was breathing heavily with blood coming out of his nose and mouth. Damon stood over him, glaring at me, and I shot my eyes to the speedboat behind him.
It was empty. Where the fuck was Will?
I inched out into the still air, pushing Rika behind me. Shit.
Kai and Rika were hurt, Will was missing, and I had no idea how the hell was going to get us out of this.
Then I saw Trevor. He stood next to the side of the yacht, with amusement in his eyes as he stared at me.
He crooked a finger, urging us over.
Rika tried to inch around me, but I tightened my grip on her arm, keeping her there. Leveling my gaze on my brother, I stepped over to the side and peered over.
“Will.” I lost my breath.
He was in the water, his head barely staying above the surface. I spotted a line of rope coming out of the water near him and followed it as it trailed up the side of the boat, over the edge, and onto the deck. The end was tethered to two cinderblocks at Trevor’s feet, and there were also two more sets of blocks with ropes secured to them.
Jesus.
“He’s got my hands tied behind my back, man!” Will shouted.
Which meant he couldn’t untie the other end of the rope, most likely secured around one of his feet or both.
Will bounced in the water, trying to stay afloat with his legs, but he was struggling.
I lurched for Trevor.
But he pulled his hand out, holding up a pistol, and I stopped, glaring at him.
“What the fuck?” I yelled.
“Did you know that the average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 10,955 feet?” he asked calmly, ignoring my anger. “It’s dark. Cold. And when something goes down there, it’s not coming back up.”
And then he glanced at Will in the water before turning his eyes back on me. “You would never find him.”
I shot my gaze to Kai. He rested on his hands and knees, trying to stable himself, and I could see blood streaming down the side of his face.
“Are you okay? I rushed out.
“I’m fine,” he bit out, but I could tell he was shaky.
“I should’ve done her before you got here,” Trevor went on, gesturing to Rika behind me. “But really, what fun is it if you can’t watch, right?”
“What the fuck are you doing, Trevor?” I asked as I slowly reached behind me and tapping my back, signaling to Rika.
She slid her hand up the inside of my shirt and pulled the gun out, slipping it into my hand behind my thigh.
“I don’t know,” Trevor answered, fake confusion on his face. “But I’m certainly enjoying myself.”
What the hell was the matter with him? He hated me. I knew that. But Will? Kai? Rika? He couldn’t get away with this. Had he lost his fucking mind?
“Go ahead,” he challenged, pointing the gun at me. “Rush me. You’d take a bullet, but you’d still take me down.”
I shook my head and turned my eyes on Damon. “Don’t do this,” I implored. “Will and Kai have never hurt you. Rika’s never hurt you.”
“But hurting them will hurt you,” Damon retorted, planting his foot on Kai’s back and shoving his back to the ground.
Kai grunted, squeezing his eyes shut. From the way he grabbed his side I could guess he had a few broken ribs.
“You’ve never suffered,” Damon snarled. “You’ve never had to lose, and this will change your life forever. You should never have chosen her over us.”
“You’re a fucking coward!” Kai shouted at him.
Damon just scowled at him and then looked up at me again, an ocean separating us. I didn’t even recognize him anymore.
“Tell me you’ll let her go,” he demanded. “Tell me everything can go back to the way it was in high school.”
I steeled my spine, squeezing Rika’s arm behind me.
“She has no place with us, and you give her too much power over you,” he continued. “Tell me she’s nothing. Tell me you’d choose us over her. Or better yet…” He paused, a glint in his eyes. “Tell me you’d trade Rika for Will and Kai.”
My throat tightened, and my heart hammered in my chest.
“Choose,” Trevor pressed. “Rika can take Will’s place, and the four of you can be like none of this ever happened.”
I heard her breathing behind me, shallow and fast, and I knew she was scared.
I could feel her everywhere. On my skin, in my chest, in my hands…
The sweetness of her lips as she panted against my mouth in the steam room….
I love you, Michael.
“Will and Kai will be fine,” Damon assured. “But you have to sacrifice her.”
Sacrifice her. I can’t…
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
She was everywhere. Always everywhere. Years and years, and there was no shaking her. Every time I closed my eyes she was there.
It feels like you.
Sixteen and looking at me like I was God.
You’re in everything.
The moment I knew that heart of hers was mine, and I couldn’t wait to be inside of her.