Page 20 of In the Dark

She was losing momentum but not giving in.

I thought I’d rid her of her weapons, but suddenly a sharp stab hit my calf.

It barely punctured my skin, but I gave her credit for having heels with some sort of makeshift retractable knife in the soles.

That was a Katalina Armanelli staple heel. We’d all heard of the bratva queen who would utilize them to kill men who wronged her.

Funny that Jasmina was acting like I’d wronged her when she was now trying to kill me after burning down my building. Technically, my family had rid her of the uncle who was going to pawn her off to some man for money anyway.

She should have been thanking me, not trying to drown me.

Another kick aimed at my manhood. The woman liked my dick, so what the actual fuck?

It was weak at best. I had at least another minute of breath left in me, whereas she should have been trying to swim to the top.

One last claw at my wrist before her eyes fluttered, then I was the one who gave in and yanked her up to the surface.

Did she want to die?

We broke through the water’s surface in a rush, droplets spraying every which way as she gasped for breath. I screamed at her, “Are you trying to kill yourself? Quit fighting.” She was much too small to survive these temperatures when we were so far from shore. Her body wasn’t prepared for the freezing it was about to endure. Her eyes had even widened like she was shocked by the temperature.

I glanced toward the beach, taking in the choppy waves, and my stomach dropped as I saw the distance. Goddamn, the tide was sweeping us out to sea.

All while she still fought me, spitting back, “You have to die.”

“Jesus Christ. Are you that fucking stupid?” I bellowed, shaking her in my grip, starting to feel a panic grow inside me.

“Let go of me and fight, you asshole.” She gasped, literally gasped for air with the weakest strokes against the waves that I’d ever seen.

Her body was giving out on her. Hypothermia would take her before it ever took me. She had no meat on her bones at all and was already shivering.

Still she fought.

Jasmina was the most reckless, idiotic, beautiful creature I’d ever met. I meant what I’d said about not wanting to marry her. We’d both drown in an epic war or fight of some sort before we got down the aisle. This was a perfect example.

The woman would not give up even when it was logical.

And I was willing to take one for the team. My brother knew it. I was dedicated to making sure we maintained as much respect as we could. We’d been afforded a great amount of prestige and power but also responsibility. There was no way I’d hand it over to the Irish, and I knew for a fact if one of those women didn’t marry me, they’d be marrying the Irish to save their asses.

“If I let go of you, you will die, Jasmina,” I told her, because quite frankly, I was sure she would.

Most days I would say that survival was mind over matter, but the waves were rough enough, and even if her mind wasn’t failing her, her body was.

“No.” Her teeth chattered. “I’m going to kill you, and then I’m going to save them.”

“Oh, really?” I let out a loud ha. “My brother would never let you get out of the country with me missing,” I informed her as I almost lazily treaded water with her hair still in my grip.

“Guess we’ll find out,” she practically garbled, her mouth half in the water. She was good at swimming. I’d give her that. I could see that she was strong. But I could tread for hours in water colder than this, and she was tiring fast. Her lips were already turning blue, and the long wool coat she had on was weighing her down. That, along with the fact she’d expended too much energy swiping weapons at me, made me consider how easy it would be to let her sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Granted, I knew I was bleeding heavily. She’d done a damn good job of catching me off guard with that kiss. I’d had her mouth once before and had never forgotten about it.

I’d told myself I’d imagined how good she tasted, but I was wildly incorrect. She still tasted divine. Maybe better now, even. The fact that she’d baited me made the kiss even more deliciously provocative. She’d outwitted me because, damn, I thought she’d wanted me the way I wanted her for a second. I realized, at that moment, I’d feel a bit of a loss after she drowned here today. Quite honestly, I found I loved a challenge, loved the hate I got from her in a way I never got from anyone else.

“We won’t find out, Jas. You’re going to die here in the water, cold and alone.”

“No. You’ll bleed out before that.” Her attempt to kick me was futile again. Did she ever quit?

I knew the answer but still hoped she’d finally concede as death’s grip closed in on her.