Page 70 of Shark’s Pride

“One second, buddy.” As I held up a finger for Elijah, I wasted no time in rounding all the way on Abbigail. By the time I had her shoulders in my grip, she was visibly trembling. Her jaw was clenched.

“Bas,” she bit out. “Can’t we just get this over with?”

“Sure,” I answered with smoothness I didn’t feel. Not while confronting her distress so fully now. “We’re going to do just that—Elijah and me.”

She snapped her head up. Her gaze raked my face. “But—”

I stopped her with a couple of fingers across her lips. While Elijah remained quiet, I could practically feel his disgusted groan on the air. The Austen novel move was a shock even for me, but I got over myself fast. The shit gave me an opening to speak, and I took it.

“You’re a formidable woman, Abbigail Gibson. One of the gutsiest and strongest I’ve ever known.” Only my sister had ever heard those words from me before now, but that didn’t need to be shared. “There’s nothing more for you to prove here. Not to yourself, to me, or even to Elijah.”

After a glance at Elijah, who backed up my assurance with a nod, she pinned me again with her wide, gorgeous greens. “M-Maybe it’s a good idea…if I do sit this one out.”

I leaned in and kissed her. What was meant to be an approving peck turned into much more. While we didn’t end up sucking total face, I had no other way of conveying the rush of relief she’d just given me—a surge that served yet more surprise to my psyche. There were words that came with it this time. Pledges I whispered once I walked her back inside, out of Elijah’s earshot.

“This isn’t me tossing you aside, Abbigail. This is me never wanting to hear you scream in fear again.” I tucked my head down, pressing my forehead to hers. “If I did, I’d probably jump in that water and kill whatever’s in there with my bare hands.”

“Bas!” It was half gasp and half laugh. She clamped her fingers to the sides of my face. “For the love of God, don’t you dare go in that water!”

“I’ll stay out of the water if you promise to get your ass upstairs and rest—and trust that I’ll give you every detail of what we find.”

“I promise.”

The soft smile with which she finished that was my last glimpse of heaven—before what I knew was going to be hell.

As I paced back out to the patio, Elijah met my grim stare with a quizzical one of his own. “You want to fill me in on your theory about this?” he pressed. “Because clearly you have one.”

I rubbed at the back of my neck. Turned and walked closer to the water’s edge again. I really didn’t want to say anything else, even to one of my closest friends.

But I did anyway.

“I think Tawny Mansfield’s body is somewhere in here.”

“Fuck.” Elijah grunted. “But yeah…me too.”

“And I don’t think it’s going to be in one piece.”

Or even a number I could count on one hand.

Elijah muttered our favorite profanity again. But this time, there was no “me too” at the end.

“All right, man. Give me the whole damn stadium.”

As soon as he punched the button and flooded the backyard in garish white light, I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds, knowing I had to be ready to confront Tawny’s dead, pale stare—and probably a lot of body parts in the same condition.

When I finally looked, what I got was worse.

Much fucking worse.

Chapter Nine

Abbigail

“Monday morning riff-off! You up for the challenge?” Rio chirped as she pulled down a stack of stainless-steel mixing bowls.

“Hmm.” Twisting my mouth in a thoughtful grimace. How many songs did I know containing the word Monday in the title or lyrics? “What are we playing for?”

Rio waggled her brows. “Winner asks the loser five free questions.” A bigger eyebrow dance from her. “Free,” she repeated. “As in, must be answered.”