Page 97 of Stolen Princess

“I’m all of those things, and you can hate me. I won’t stop you or try to change your mind. But I’m not leaving you out here alone with no protection.”

She pats her bag. “I have a gun.”

“That you barely know how to shoot.”

She flips me off, and damn her, it somehow makes my lips twitch despite everything. She’s so fucking cute, even when she’s furious.

Before she can fight with me more, the first of the lanterns takes flight. She drops to the bench seat, and her chin tilts to the heavens. A gasp flees her lips, and she covers them with her hand as her large silver eyes sparkle and grow round and wide. One by one, the sky fills with light, casting the world in a stunning yellow glow.

I’m so locked on her that I don’t see it until it’s too late. Until the first swoosh from a silencer pops the air and a sharp pain slices my right arm. I glance down and see blood seeping into my shirt. It’s a flesh wound, but I hear another hiss and dive for Desta, who is curiously looking back toward the dock.

I fall on her, covering her with my body. We slam into the back of the canoe, and she bumps her head.

I cup it with my hand. “Shit. Are you okay?”

“What’s happening?” she shrieks, her features wrought with panic.

“Sven.” It has to be. I don’t see her mother coming out here and shooting like this. She’s an in the shadows type of predator.

“Oh my god! You’re bleeding.”

“It’s not bad.”

More gunshots sound, and now people are screaming. The bullet hits the side of our boat, and I have to get her out of here.

“Get to shore. Stay low. I’ll find you.”

With that, I roll her under me, keeping my back to the dock as a shield for her, and toss her in the water.

She goes in with a splash, but two things happen at once. The first is I’m shot in the back, left shoulder. The second is that I remember that Desta doesn’t know how to swim. Pain and panic surge through me. I search the water for her, but she doesn’t come up. The water is dark, and as the lanterns rise higher, it grows even darker.

A cold, sickly sweat breaks out across my forehead. Warm blood coats my back and front, the bullet having gone straight through me. Still, I toss myself overboard, plunging into the frigid, murky water. Immediately, I submerge, which only terrified me more.

She can’t swim. And I pushed her right in.

I’m barely able to move my left arm, so I focus on swimming with my right as I drive through the water.

I can’t see anything. I kick and push my way, reaching out and searching for her. The lake is deeper than I thought it would be, and each second I can’t find her feels like an eternity. My lungs twist with pressure from the lack of air, but if she’s not getting any, neither am I.

Where the hell is she? What if I never find her? What if she dies and it’s my fault?

Please, princess. Where are you? Give me something.

My heart starts to give out, my lungs along with it, when my fingertips brush what feels like hair. I grasp it and haul it into me, yanking her body along with it. My arm wraps around her waist, and I use the bottom of the lake to slingshot up and break through the surface. We gasp for air, both of us choking. Water shoots from her mouth as she coughs and sputters.

Thank god. Holy fuck, thank god. I almost lost her.

“Are you okay? I’ve got you. I’m so sorry!” I grab her and hold her tighter than I should. “I forgot you couldn’t swim.”

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

I’m not okay. I can tell that much, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Another bullet comes dangerously close to hitting us, slicing into the water and creating a small splash that kicks up into my face.

I have to get her out of here.

“Hold onto me. Don’t let go and stay down.”

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, and I tense with pain, nausea and dizziness rising from within me, but I press on. The shore is up ahead, but we never reach it.