Page 119 of Risky Passion

His return grip was weak at first, but then it tightened to rock hard. It was more than just a grip, it was a lifeline and a silent plea to get him the fuck out of there.

“I’ve got you,” I yelled over a crashing wave. “I’ve got you, Blade. Just hang on. Help’s almost here.”

Beside him, Viper’s head lolled, and his lips parted as though he wanted to speak. But no words came out, just a faint rasp that barely rose above the sound of the waves. He looked worse than Blade. His facewas as pale as death, his breaths shallow, and his red, glassy eyes were unfocused.

The water climbed higher, washing over their mouths. Their cracked, bleeding lips trembled as they struggled to keep their faces above the rising tide.

“Don’t you dare give up!” I shouted. “You hear me? You’re not going out like this. Just hold on!”

Blade’s grip on my hand didn’t loosen, but his fingers trembled like sheer exhaustion was pouring out of him. Viper’s gaze shifted toward me before his eyes fluttered shut.

“Viper, stay with me, buddy! Open your eyes! Look at me!”

Onyx barked somewhere in the distance, sharp and insistent as if telling me she was still going. I squeezed Blade’s hand tighter as the weight of my uselessness crushed me. I couldn’t do anything but watch them.

Watch them drown.

Above me, the wreckage groaned again as the beams shifted dangerously, threatening to collapse under their own weight. Dust and debris rained down in choking clouds, but I didn’t flinch. I wasn’t leaving these men. Not now. Not ever.

“Hang on,” I muttered, trying to work out how long Onyx would take.

Blade’s bloodshot eyes flicked toward me, and his trembling grip weakened.

Fucking hell. He wouldn’t hang on for much longer.

Viper’s head lolled with the swell, and his spluttering breaths were shallow and uneven.

“Don’t you dare give up!” I bellowed, the words coming out harsh, angry. “I’m not leaving you here. You hear me? You’re going to make it.”

The wreckage groaned again, louder this time, and a fresh spray of dust rained down. I ducked, shielding my face, but I didn’t move from my spot.

“Just a little longer,” I whispered, gripping Blade’s fingers tighter. My knuckles were white, my fingers numb, but I held on like all our lives dependedon it.

I adjusted my position, and jagged metal scraped against my side as I tried to wedge myself closer into the gap.

“Help is coming!” I yelled. The words felt hollow with the water rising around them, but I had to believe they heard me, that my assurance mattered. “Just hold on!”

The water sloshed higher, spilling over their ears.

“Listen to me!” I cried, locking eyes with Blade. “You survived this long. You can survive a few more minutes. Help is almost here!”

Blade blinked slowly, painfully.

“Can he hear me?”

The faintest ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his cracked lips. It was weak and fleeting, but it was there.

Above me, the wreckage released a deep, bone-shaking groan that sent a cascade of dust and debris raining down on my head, and I shielded my face with my free arm.

Fucking hell. You hang on, you bitch!

Panic seared the edges of my mind.

Blade’s grip faltered and his fingers slipped below the floorboards.

“No!” I shouted into the gap between the boards, poking my fingers down to him. “Don’t you dare give up!”

Bubbles burst from Viper’s mouth as his head bobbed weakly in the rising water.

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