Page 58 of Bratva Prince
Without waiting for an answer, she hustled out of the cave, rushing down the mountain.
Holy shit! Were we about to be rescued?
29
Willow
My legs pushed me forward, going as fast as I could down the mountain and toward the beach. Every passing second felt like an eternity, and I panicked that I wouldn’t make it in time for the boat to see us.
The slick hill left me slipping and sliding in every direction, grabbing onto trees for support as I navigated the woods while keeping my eyes on the boat. Halfway down, I lost my footing, my body tumbling down the mountain, hitting various branches and limbs that protruded in every which way. Twigs and rocks stabbed at my shoulders and sides. I slammed against a tree on the way down, and I swear, my body felt like the jet had looked—like it could split in half from the impact.
I’d lost sight of the yacht, and not being near the top of the mountain, I couldn’t see out far enough. My vision was blocked by trees. Using the tree, I pulled myself up, gripping at my ribs. I limped toward the sand that was maybe 50 feet away.
The yacht was shrinking in size, but I couldn’t let it get away. Not when we were this close to being rescued.
I aimed the flare gun high in the air, shooting off the first flare. Red lit up the dreary, overcast sky.
One flare left.
I waited for a moment to see if the boat had any reaction. It was too far away to tell, but I couldn’t risk losing it. I reached for the other flare and noticed it was gone.
Shit!
I jerked the pack off my back and hastily searched the bag, it wasn’t there. Glancing around, I saw it on the ground, just at the edge of the tree line. I sprinted for it, my shoes sinking into the mud when I got close. Slipping out of my shoes, I dove for it and loaded it into the gun, taking a deep breath and shooting it into the sky.
After getting to my feet, I stared out at the boat, holding my breath as I waited for my future to unfold.
This was it. Either they saw it or they didn’t.
One, two, three minutes passed. Nothing. Five minutes. Hell, maybe it was an hour. Logically, it couldn’t have been an hour, but it sure felt like it when my life was hanging in the balance of whether or not this stranger saw the flare.
I wasn’t a religious person, but at that moment, I swore the heavens opened up and God answered my prayers because the boat had turned around and was coming closer to the island.
The breath I’d been holding released, and I felt the heaviest weight lift from my shoulders.
We did it.
We were saved.
Tears pooled at the corners of my eyes, filled with too much joy to put into words. Hopefully, Ivan saw the boat coming and would come down the mountain. I couldn’t chance leaving the shoreline.
A man on a yacht set an anchor, sending out a smaller boat. When I recognized the man on the small boat, I sprinted to the edge of the water.
“Viktor!” I shouted, running into his arms as he pulled me into a tight embrace, lifting me from my feet and twirling me around.
“Oh, my God! Willow, thank god you’re alive.” Tears were streaming down his face and he looked like he hadn’t slept much. His hair was disheveled—which was unlike Viktor—and he had dark bags under his eyes.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re doing here, Vik, but I’ve never been happier to see you!”
We hugged again, refusing to let go of one another.
Ivan appeared a few minutes later, emerging from the trees and limping his way toward the sand.
“Ivan!” I cried out, rushing toward him. I’d forgotten about him for a moment because I was so busy hugging Viktor. He swung an arm around my shoulder and I helped him walk toward the yacht.
“Oh, my God!” Viktor squealed. “Ivan was here with you!” He leaned in closer to me and mumbled, “Girl, now I see why you’ve been on this island for a month. You’ve been getting yourself a piece of that Viking ass.”
My lips curled into a smile, but I neither confirmed nor denied his assumption. I’d leave that to his imagination. At least, until I told him the details myself when we were spilling the tea while drinking some.
