Page 44 of Drown My Sorrow

“If it’s safe.” Kelly sits up and looks back the way we came. “We need to stop somewhere. It’s going to be too dark soon to be carrying on.”

I paddle faster, eager to be on dry land.

The minute sand is under my feet, I stagger up and slog through the water and collapse on the dry sand. My arms and legs burn, my shoulders ache.

My throat is burning. All this water, and there’s nothing to drink. Whoever told them to come this way lied. I lick my dry lips and fantasize about drinking a bottle of water.

I really hate this island.

Kelly flops down on his back and throws an arm over his eyes.

But Ezy remains where he is in the shallows, staring up at the beach.

I sit up and twist, trying to see through the dull light. It takes me a moment, but then I see the three figures sitting in the dark watching us like they are waiting for us.

No!

I’m too tired.

I can’t.

Those thoughts go through my mind so quickly, and then I just lay back down.

“I can’t, Kelly. I’m done.”

Kelly removes his arm and looks at me. “What?” he twists and gets up on his knees. It takes a moment, but then he throws his head back and howls.

Yeah, so, Kelly Raines is fairly spoiled, and though he does have to work for things, it almost always works out. I can count on one hand the number of times things have gone wrong for him. Today would be especially bitter for him.

Having these three psychos beat us at every turn is probably hurting his ego. Definitely hurting his ego. Ezy’s, too. Me, I’m used to losing, so this isn’t a surprise. I tried, we failed. It is what it is.

I’m not even surprised. I just lay in the sand, watching the sky leach the deep red tinge from it and turn it midnight blue.

“Come on, get up, we have to keep going!” Ezy urges, and, to my surprise, he gets on his board and paddles away.

I sit up, shocked. “Ezy! Come back, it’s night, you have no water to drink, you can’t keep going on!”

“I’m not going back!” he shouts with a note of hysteria.

“Kelly, he can’t go out there!” I say urgently.

Kelly doesn’t say anything, he just slumps with his chin on his chest and shudders.

I jump as I realise the blue-haired heathen has crept up and is standing beside me in his big combat boots. Our eyes meet and collide. There is something so powerful about these alphas, they make me feel like a little kid in need of rescue. I am afraid of them, but I’m more afraid of what I’d become with them.

“Come back!”

Two words.

I feel the command to my soul like an anchor that sinks deep and commands all of my attention.

Fuck, just how strong are these guys?

Ezy howls and rages, but he turns his board around and paddles back to the beach.

Shale turns and walks away with a muttered, “follow me,” that has me up on my feet and stepping after him before I can think.

Keagan brushes his hair out of his face and walks up to Kelly, who narrows his eyes and holds his ground.

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