Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

I run with everything inside me. It’s not until I get outside that I realize Dominic and Tristan are following me. We rush across the terrace and down the beach to the cave. The rowboat is indeed gone. It confirms that part of the puzzle. She took it.

We jump into the speedboat, and I shove the keys in the ignition. Once we pull out, I instantly see how turbulent the sea is. I usually take the rowboat out on calmer waters to fish. I would never venture out to these types of waters in that boat, not with the sea wild like it is.

Tristan grabs a pair of binoculars while Dominic starts looking around at the ropes and other things I have stashed under the dashboard.

“Can you see her?” I ask Tristan.

“No,” he answers.

I’m trying to calculate the timing. Priscilla said she was seen twenty minutes ago on the beach. So, maybe she’s been out here for at least thirty minutes, give or take. My guess is as good as shit, though, because it doesn’t count for

anything.

I don’t know how long she’s been out here. I don’t know if I’m too late. If she’s thirty minutes ahead of us, then she’s far away. I speed faster and faster.

“Massimo!” Tristan cries. “Over there. Look!” he points, and I see. I see the boat rocking on the water.

“There’s another boat coming,” Dominic states. He points further out to speedboat heading toward Emelia. There’s no mistake it’s going for her. It’s going to crash into her.

I accelerate and get the boat going as fast as I can. When we get closer, I see her crying inside the rowboat. She doesn’t appear to have any oars. I’m not surprised. The boat rocks violently on the waves, and water splashes inside.

Dominic starts waving a flag to the other boat to warn them of a hazard ahead so they can turn, but they keep coming. They keep coming fast, and they’re heading straight for her.

They get close, then a fucking bullet whizzes by my ear.

“Holy fuck!” I shout.

“Fucking hell, this is some kind of plan,” Tristan cries, grabbing his gun. As the boat gets closer, as do we, I see the guy who’s shooting at us. He’s a bulky-looking Russian guy. Who I see next, though, emerging from the cockpit with a shotgun has my blood turning hot and cold at the same time. It’s Vlad!

“Oh my God,” Tristan gasps and starts shooting back.

Emelia screams. She’s in the middle of this and could get caught in the crossfire.

Vlad’s boat gets closer to her. He has men readying themselves to get her. Tristan manages to shoot two of them, and they fall into the water. Vlad dodges the bullets but goes to the side to get her while two men cover him by shooting back at us.

I don’t want him to touch her. I don’t even want him to look at her. The panic has stalled my mind. My brain can’t function right now to process what this means. I just know that if he gets her, she’s dead. I just know.

When a twenty-foot wave bounds down on her and the boat flips over, I die a thousand deaths.

“Fuck, Massimo, get her! We’ll handle them and cover you!” Dominic shouts.

I kick off my shoes and jump into the water. As I dive in, all I hear around me is bullets flying and the water slapping against my body.

I push, swimming forward like I have lightning attached to my feet, my arms forward, slicing through the water.

I catch a glimpse of dark brown velvet hair and speed that way. She’s right at the bottom amongst jagged rock trying to push up, but she can’t. I could breathe fire when I see her foot is clamped between the rocks and she can’t get out.

I swim to her. She’s doing the worst thing she could do by screaming. As the water fills up her lungs, she reaches out to me.

I head for the rocks and try to free her foot, but she’s clamped in like a fucking vice. She must have pushed the rocks out of place. Her feet are so small that it slipped right in. I kick at the rocks but stop when her body stills. Swimming back up to her, I see her eyes go wide as I grab her and shake my head. All she does is stare at me. Her eyes remind me of that deathly terrified look I saw on my mother’s face. Her lips move. I make out an M. Then she stops.

No.

I can’t let this happen.

Even if I have to break her foot, I will do this.

I push back down, feeling lightheaded because I should have already come back up for air and haven’t.