Page 66 of Sail Away
“It’s simple. You and Darcie are going to have a little accident when you go down to get the drugs that you had to hide out here. And, Reid, well… he saw you leave together and was just so out of sorts, he just had to go take that leap off Deception Pass, after all.”
“You’re not going to get away with this,” Reid said.
“Oh. Yes, I am.” Preston smiled like a teenage boy who just stole second base.
“I’m curious.” Darcie tilted her head at Jim. “How the hell did you and Preston hook up and why? I don’t get this partnership.”
“It’s not a partnership,” Jim said. “Never was. I wish I had never met the fucker.”
“Feeling is kind of mutual. And perhaps if you had just done as you were told, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Preston rested the gun on his thigh and gripped the console with his free hand as the boat bounced up and down with the waves. “You see, Jim was just supposed to fuck Darcie so when we got on this stupid charter, Reid here would get all jealous and get himself in a drunken stupor. But you had to go and get yourself a little pussy on the side.”
“You fucking asshole.” Reid launched himself across the boat, shoving Jim to the side.
Preston reached in front of Jim and grabbed Darcie by the hair, yanking her to his chest and shoving the gun against her temple. Preston smiled. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“You are a fucking piece of work,” Darcie mumbled. “If you think I’m going to let you toss me overboard to drown, you’ve got another thing coming. I refuse to die that way.”
“You refuse.” Preston cocked his head. “That’s funny. As if you have a choice.”
“I’m not going to let you make it look like I died in some random scuba accident while digging up drugs with that asshole.” She struggled, her hands still bound together at her wrists. “No. You want me dead, then shoot me.” She lifted her arms and elbowed him in the gut.
He groaned but didn’t budge.
Reid inched closer. He glanced between Jim and Darcie. He didn’t trust Jim as far as he could spit, but if what Jim said was true, then he could use Jim’s help to get out of this fucking mess. He shifted his gaze to the throttle, then the wheel, hoping Jim wasn’t a complete and utter moron.
“Don’t tempt me, you fucking bitch.” Preston held the gun steady. “Fuck that. I know how to keep you in line. I’ll shoot your boyfriend.” He changed his aim, pointing the weapon dead center at Reid’s chest.
The sound of a deep horn echoed in the dark night. The boat pitched to the right as it rolled over a massive wake wave. Preston grabbed the center console with his free hand.
“Hang on to something.” He turned the steering wheel hard to the port side and gunned the engine.
Reid cocked his fist and launched toward Preston. “I hope you fucking rot in hell.”
Bang!
Darcie screamed as she fell to the fiberglass floor.
“Fuck.” Reid grabbed the right side of his chest. His body flew backward from the velocity of the bullet tearing through his skin and muscles.
Darcie screamed. “Are you okay? Did he shoot you?”
“I’m fine,” Reid said, lying through his teeth.
The boat pitched starboard. Preston slammed into the side of the boat. The gun dislodged from his grip and skidded across the bottom of the hull.
Reid struggled through the pain as he crawled across the floor toward the weapon.
Jim kicked at Preston while he maneuvered the boat port and then starboard, zigzagging, heading toward shore.
Darcie struggled to break free of her restraints.
All Reid had to do was get the gun and get the fucking upper hand so they could take this fucker down once and for all.
“Next bullet is going in your heart,” Preston said.
“I don’t think so.” Just as Reid’s fingers touched the gun, the boat rolled to the starboard side, pushing the weapon closer to Preston.
Reid let out a long breath as he stared down the wrong end of a handgun. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
