Breathing hard from running, he waved the gun as he spoke. “Then stop running.”
“I—” Her shoes sank into the wet sand as she faced him. When she tried to pull them free, she couldn’t move, and her feet began to disappear into the sucking sands. Realization and horror washed over her.Madre de Dios.In her haste to get away, she’d been too focused on her escape to recognize where she was. And she’d wandered directly into a quicksand pit.
The moment José noticed, his lips twisted into an evil smile. “Looks like you won’t be going anywhere.”
Her absolute worst nightmare was unfolding. She was sinking fast, already up to her calves then knees. She clawed at the sand, but it kept pulling her deeper. Logic eluded her panicked brain, but she dug back through her memories, trying to hear her father’s voice. A voice she missed so very much.
“If you ever get caught in a quicksand pit, don’t panic or struggle. That will make it worse. Remember, your body is far less dense than the sand and water.”
“But I’ll sink and drown!” she’d argued.
“It’s impossible, mija. You might sink up to your waist, but that’s all. Just call for me, and I will always be there to get you out.”
But he wasn’t there. Her handsome, kind, loving father had been blown up into a million pieces, alongside her mother. Then Miguel had been murdered. Now José was threatening to kill Tomás. And Xander was gone too. When would it ever end? Why did the people she loved most end up dying horrible deaths?
“Help me.Please.” Her fingers kept clawing through the wet, shifting sands, trying and failing to find a hold. Instead of aiding her, José watched her sink, looking so satisfied, so damn smug, she wanted to throw her head back and scream. But, no, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Steeling her facial features,locking down her emotions, she swore she’d go out just as bravely as the people she loved had.
The viscous mix climbed past her thighs, dragging her down to its grainy depths. Pulling, pulling, pulling her further. Until it reached her waist. She let out a desperate cry, on the verge of hyperventilating.
And then she stopped moving. Her feet didn’t touch any kind of bottom, but at least she stopped sinking. Suspended, unable to move, she forced herself to breathe and calm down. Maybe she wouldn’t die after all. Maybe she could maneuver onto her back and work her way out. Maybe—
Water flowed past her, splashing her face and arms, then flowed back.Oh, God.Her heart sank. The tide was rolling in, rising fast, and she was trapped, unable to move.
If she didn’t get out soon, she’d drown.
Maybe if she tried a different tactic. If her brother had any bit of his heart left, his humanity, he would grab her hands and pull. “José,PapáandMamáwould want you to help me.”
But he made no move to do any such thing. “I neededyourhelp, Estrella, and you refused. So why would I help you now?”
“That was—” A wave hit her face and she sputtered. “Different! You wanted me to marry a cruel monster who would’ve abused—”
“Shut up,” he hissed. “You had one job, and you failed me. All of my grand plans have come crashing down because of your selfish behavior. You’ve ruined everything! And I will never forgive you.”
The water kept rising at an alarming rate, until it was hitting the side of her face. The sea spray stung her eyes and got into her nose and mouth. “You’re the reason Miguel and our parents are dead!” she fired back. “You destroyed our family! It was your insane desire for money and control and power and—” A wave hit her in the face and she coughed. Pushing wet strands of hairback, she tried to twist free. José wasn’t going to help her. He wasn’t going to do anything except stand there and watch her die. “AndIwill never forgiveyou,” she gritted out.
Essie fought against the pull of the sand, but it was like trying to move a car all on her own. Impossible. The incoming tide washed over her head and she let out a scream of fear and frustration.
At least death would release her from José’s control and manipulation. She would see her parents and Miguel again. If she was destined to die, she could join her loved ones.
Xander would be waiting for her. Once again, he would hold her and kiss her.
With that consoling thought, dying didn’t seem so scary. And as the sea water rushed over her head, so did a strange, enveloping sense of calm and peace.
Waiting for the Motley Crew to pick him up felt like forever. His paranoid mind kept envisioning sharks circling just below the surface, closing in to attack. Staying calm was hard when he imagined something beneath the waves bumped him every other minute. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or was that a fin that just whispered against his hip? Even worse, the fact that Manuel might be hurting Essie was almost more than he could bear. It was the harshest, most unforgiving kind of torture.
And then hereallyfucking felt something move past him. “Fuck!” He hit his comms. “Wherethe fuckare you guys?”
“Now don’t freak out—” Wes began.
“Too late!” Xander yelled. “Something bumped me!”
“We spotted some whitetip reef sharks in the area,” he finished, and Xander’s stomach dropped right out of his ass and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
This was it. After all the hell he’d been through, now he had to deal with Jaws trying to eat him.
“They’re harmless, but pretty curious,” Corey added.
“We see your light,” Brand said, and Xander finally heard the motorboat approaching. Relief poured through him. Waving his flashlight to guide them over to his position, he’d never been so happy to see Chaz and Brand lean over, offer their hands, and then hoist him onto the deck of the small craft.
