Page 119 of Ruthless Game

When I wrenched my eyes open, Jeffrey was hanging Emma over the ledge, her head dangling over the roaring, ripping waves. Jack was only a few feet behind them.

“Emma!” I tried to move, to get to her, to save the love of my goddamn life from falling into the gorge when she wouldn’t be able to use her legs and arms to swim⁠—

As I tried to rise to my feet and fell over, I watched helplessly as Emma fell over the side and took Jeffrey with her. And when I roared my fear and fury, the sound was lost in the angrier waves.

Somehow, I was stumbling to my feet, shoving Isaac off me as he tried to stop me, and running to the ledge. I got there just in time to see Emma’s head disappear under the water.

No.

No.

Fuck that.

Our story wasn’t ending that way.

And—even though I still couldn’t swim for shit, even though I was no match against those roiling waters, even though I knew that I was going to drown, to die in there, and this time, there wouldn’t be a second chance for me, I ripped off my shoes and jeans, not wanting any extra weight to drag me down before I could get to her.

“Lawson, don’t be a fucking idiot, you’ll die in there!” Isaac yelled.

“I’m calling for help. We need a plan. Lawson, don’t—” Jack broke off, or maybe I just couldn’t hear him.

Because I’d already jumped.

I hit the water. Really, the water hit me, almost knocking me out with the impact, worse than any time I’d been hit with a puck or shoved into the boards. For a moment, I froze, not moving, the past more solid then the present.

Ice cold water.

Slipping under.

Silent screams.

And then, nothing.

I dragged myself back to the present, helped along by the loud crash of water over rock. It swept me downstream, dunking me under, again and again, as I forced myself back up, remembering everything Emma had taught me.

Breathe.

Blow bubbles.

Don’t panic.

All you have to do is move your body and you’ll stay above the water, okay?

You’re floating! Max, you’re floating!

Max!

“Max!”

This time, her cry wasn’t a memory, but real. She was a few feet ahead of me, clinging to a rock with her fingers, but she was slipping, the weight around her feet pulling her down.

I fought my way through the water toward her, losing energy and breath as I went, the cold lashing out at me. Still, I lashed back. The water had taken so much from me.

It wouldn’t take her.

As I reached her, Jeffrey surfaced, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and dragging her back down. They both disappeared below the white, frothing surface.

No.