Page 86 of Reclaimed By My Ex’s Bratva Brother

Water crashed down on me. The wave shoved me under. I thrashed back to the surface, barely keeping my nose above water.

The crazy bitch had jumped in after me. I had no idea what she was playing at, but I didn't have the strength to figure it out.

I kept slapping at the water, kept screaming for help.

Brinny stroked through the water. Fast. Clean cuts with her arms, no panic. Then she stopped. Let herself sink. When she surfaced again, she started screaming.

"Help!" Her voice pitched with panic.

I screamed too. Called for help.

The wind tore our voices to shreds. The last red at the horizon was being swallowed by black. Once the sun went down completely, the ocean would all be one color. From the yacht, we'd just be two dark spots nobody would notice.

"Here!" I threw my arm over my head, waved with everything I had. My arm started shaking almost immediately.

Finally, someone leaned over the stern. A woman stared at us for a few seconds. Her face went pale. She pointed at the water and shouted. More people crowded to the rail. Someone threw a life ring. Others ran toward the cabin.

The ring hit the water, then the waves pushed it away. My stomach went cold. My teeth were already chattering.

Then the crowd on deck suddenly parted. Varlam charged to the rail, shoulders tight, steel-gray eyes scanning the water.

"Varlam!" I shouted, relief flooding through me.

His gaze swung toward us.

"Brin!" The calm was gone. One hand already braced on the rail.

Hope hit so fast my nose stung, my eyes burned.

He saw me. He'd come for me. That thought kept my arms from giving out. Someone tried to stop him. He didn't even turn. Vaulted the rail. Dropped into the water. The splash forced my eyes shut. When I opened them, he was already swimming toward me.

My lungs found air again just knowing that.

"I'm here!" I raised my arm as high as I could.

A wave slammed into me. Pushed me under. I fought back to the surface. Varlam was close now, his eyes full of a fear I'd never seen before.

I reached out. He lifted his arm. Our fingertips were maybe a foot apart.

The knot in my chest finally started to loosen. Then he swam past me. The current from his powerful strokes hit my face. My outstretched hand caught nothing but cold water.

"Brin!" He didn't stop. Didn't even look at me.

He kept swimming. Toward Brinny.

My ears rang. The ocean seemed to pull back.

Brin.

Briony. Brinny. The syllables were so close. I'd known her name all along, but I'd never put them together.

The hope that had been holding me up turned into a blade, sliding slowly under my ribs.

I tried to tell myself he just didn't see clearly. But he'd swum right past me. Close enough I'd seen the water on his eyelashes. He'd seen me. He'd just chosen not to stop.

The air squeezed out of my lungs.

No. I couldn't sink here.