Corrupt

Fuck!

I couldn’t let him go. Please.

Not again.

Squeezing the rope between my chilled fingers, I worked and pried, tearing my skin until…

It gave way. The rope dislodged, and I quickly unraveled it, pulling it apart and letting the blocks and rope sink away into the clack depths. I kept hold of Will and pulled him to the surface as he kicked.

We broke through the water, sucking in air, and I darted my gaze up, seeing Kai with his hands around Damon’s neck. He pressed him against the edge of the yacht and then pulled his fist back and punched him.

Rika.

“Go over there!” I shouted at Will, gesturing to the speedboat.

“What about my hands?” His body was shaking from the water.

“I have to get to Rika.” And I swam for the yacht again.

But then something crashed into the water on my right, and I looked up to see a rope draping down the side of the boat.

What the…?

Two blocks came spilling over the edge then, sinking into the ocean, and I jerked my head up, seeing Trevor hunched over and heaving. But there was a twisted smile on his face.

“Fuck!” I bellowed. I dived down, shooting my arms out in front of me and pushing the water back, struggling through the icy sea as I fought and kicked.

Rika.

I darted my eyes everywhere, looking for her hands, her white T-shirt, her hair, but…

I swam down, down, down, as fast as I could, looking side to side and not wasting a second.

But as the moments passed, and I didn’t see her, fear thundered in my chest. I was going to lose my fucking mind.

Where the hell was she?

Pressure built in my lungs, and my eyes blurred. I heaved, needing air, and bellowing into the water, I shot back up for the surface and sucked in a hard breath as I came through.

“Rika!” I raged, spinning in a circle to see if she came up. “Rika!”

Nothing.

I shot my head up, seeing Kai hanging over the edge, breathing hard and looking exhausted.

“Kai, get in here!” I yelled. “I can’t find her!”

He looked up, narrowing his eyes in worry. I couldn’t see Damon or Trevor, but I didn’t fucking care anymore. Will was still tied up, and Rika was…

I dived back down, hearing the distant sound of Kai entering the water seconds later, and we descended, pushing through the water and into the black.

So far.

It was so far down.

She was down there already, getting farther and farther away from me, and I would never find her.

Ever.

Please, baby. Where are you?

And then my heart stopped, seeing a flash of white.

Rika was rising faster and faster, her arms pushing her up and her legs kicking, as she came into view, getting closer every second.

Kai and I grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her up. We broke through the surface of the water, and she coughed and gasped, trying to take breaths. I held her up, touching her face.

“Rika,” I breathed out, my heart aching like I had a knife lodged in it. “Are you okay? How did…?” I trailed off, feeling my stomach coil at how close I’d come to losing her.

She nodded and started to shake, her face cracking as he started to cry. “He hit me after you shot him,” she choked out. “It knocked me out long enough for him to tie me up. By the time I came to, he was forcing me over the edge.”

I pulled her along, swimming back to the yacht. We climbed up onto the deck, Kai holding her as I pulled her up.

“How did you get free?” I asked.

“The shard.” She opened her fist, shivering. “I took it after you tossed it on the bed.”

I pulled her into me, wrapping my arms around her and squeezed her so hard, my body shook.

“Where’s Damon?” I asked Kai, seeing him pull Will up and untie his hands.

But it was Will who answered. “He took off in Pithom’s speed boat while you guys were under.”

I just closed my eyes and squeezed Rika in my arms.

Kai and Will climbed the steps to the main level, and I pulled her along. She needed a hot shower, a warm bed, and me.

We walked across the deck, and I spotted Trevor laying at the edge of the pool, bleeding and struggling to get up.

He could barely lift his head.

I didn’t know how many shots he’d caught out of the three I’d fired, but the blood spilled over the deck and he was breathing heavily.

“Michael,” he said, sounding out of breath as he held his hand against the wound on his chest. “Take the boat into port. I’m bleeding.”

Kai and Will stood near, watching him, while I held Rika in my arms, anger and hatred boiling inside of me.

None of us made a move to help.

He’d nearly killed her. Tried to kill Will, Kai, and threatened to kill me.

“Michael,” he pleaded. “I’m your brother.”

I stood there, not seeing a brother. I saw blocks go over the edge. I saw Rika dumped like she was garbage and Will sent to the bottom like he was nothing.

I could’ve lost them. I could’ve lost her.

Forever.

Where was my brother then?

Something fell behind my eyes, and I didn’t blink. I may not have been able to choose between the lives of Rika and my friends, but I had no trouble choosing between them and my brother.

Raising my foot, I planted my shoe on his shoulder and shoved.

He grunted and grappled for my leg, fear rounding his eyes before he rolled and fell into the pool, his arms flailing as he sunk lower and lower. He tried to struggle. Tried to grab at the water like it was a wall he could climb.

But only his eyes broke the surface as he drifted to the bottom, peering up at us and seeing his hope only feet away, not coming for him.