Page 66 of Shark’s Pride

Her horrified scream cut me off.

Panic stabbed me into a sprint. I’d never heard such a terrible burst from her before. I’d turn over millions to never hear it again.

Thankfully, I reached her side in seconds—

Just in time to catch her limp—and unconscious—form.

“Fuck!”

Whatever she’d glimpsed in those ten tentative seconds…had literally stolen her senses.

I repeated the oath while readjusting my stance to accommodate her weight. Thank God the woman hardly seemed heavier than Vela, though sheer puzzlement still had me a little dazed. What had rendered Abbi limper than the towels that overflowed from the patio hamper? For that matter, why the insane pile of linen in the first place? No way had Tawny—or anyone else around here—thrown a raging pool party tonight, but my house staff wouldn’t have left this many wet towels out to gather mildew for days either.

What the hell happened here?

And why did my skin crawl with the surety that the answer was in the pool—which had already given up a clue so vile, it made Abbigail pass out?

Mysteries were piling up higher than that mountain of towels.

But I had one priority. The woman I cradled in my arms.

I searched frantically for a place to lay her. The chaise longues in front of the pergola were my closest option. I bent over and placed her on the reclined seat and slid onto the cushion too.

“Abbigail!” I shouted. No response. Even in the amber glow of the pergola’s lights, I could see how she’d lost all her normal color. “Abbi! Abbi, damn it.” I lightly tapped her cheek with my palm. Two beats passed. Four more. At last, she started rousing. “Baby? Come on, babe. That’s a good girl. Open your eyes.”

I kept my face in line with hers. I didn’t waver the angle until she focused steadily on my face. “Oh, thank God.” I didn’t pay homage to the big guy often, but this time he deserved the gratitude.

“Bas? Wh-What…” She tried to sit up but fell back to the cushion immediately. “Whoa. No bueno, señor,” she moaned wearily.

I laughed. Not hard and not for long, but her adorable declaration had me grinning like a full loon. I broadened the smirk as she squinted, looked around the backyard, and asked, “Wh-What happened?”

“I’m not really sure. We walked back here to talk to Tawny, and we heard a strange noise. You thought it might be coming from the pool, and then—”

“Oh, God.” Her shriek wasn’t as loud as the first one but ear-poppingly close. “Oh God, Bas!” She clutched my arm and sprung upright, sitting up fully. “I—I remember now. Ohhh, Gooodddd!”

“Abbigail.” I punctuated it with a grunt as she drove her face into the center of my sternum. “Ssshhh, sweet girl. It’s all right…it is, I promise.”

“The…the smell,” she sobbed. “And all that—that stuff…floating around…in the w-w-water…” She gripped me tighter. Her body convulsed as if she fought nauseated heaves. “What was it?”

“Abbi—”

“Did you see it? Is it—was it—human?” She yanked back. Buried her face in her hands. Started slowly rocking herself in place.

“I didn’t see anything.” My reply was as stiff but quiet, attempting to calm her. “I got to you just before you face-planted on the concrete and then brought you over here.”

“Oh shit,” she blurted back. “Ohhh, holy shit—then you probably should call the police.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s definitely something in the pool.” She raised her head, revealing a look of fear and concern. “Something awful, Bas.”

I twisted in place, following the line of her sight. But from here, only the curved stone coping of the pool was visible. “More awful than the dead shark on the deck?”

“Just call the police, okay?” She gripped my arm, frantically shaking her head from left to right. “Don’t go back over there. Please!”

“Abbigail.” I chuckled along with the chastisement, mostly to ease my own nerves. I gently pried her fingers from my arm. “You’ve got to let me look, sweetheart. I have to have something to explain when I call the police.” Though I still didn’t know if that was the right action here. But the excuse gave me leverage to loosen her hold, at least.

As soon as she allowed me to stand, I cautiously re-approached the pool. I registered that the humming din had settled a little. Not that the same was happening for my nerves, however.