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"I want to go back." Suddenly my legs don't want to work.

Jason laughs. "You're drunk."

"Leave me alone." I stumble past him. He grabs my wrist and pulls me against him. "We can't let your mother down."

"Then go tell her to get down on her knees for you."

Jason's face twists into an ugly scowl and then his hand hits me. I stumble back, feeling the sting on my cheek. "You bastard," I snarl, tears well up in my eyes. Jason's grip on my wrist tightens. His eyes are dark and dangerous.

I struggle to free myself. He lets go. I stumble backwards, my eyes wide open. There is nothing to hold onto for balance. The water rushes toward me, and then, in shock, my body hits the water. At that moment, I remember that I can't swim.

9

BEATRICE

I only havetime to gasp for air, and then my head goes under with the rest of my body. Fear cuts through me and I start to panic. I kick with my arms and legs and manage to get my mouth around the surface. Laughter rings in my ears but fades as I slip back under.

The moment I break the surface again, I scream, "Help me!" I see Jason standing there watching me drown.

This is it. I'm dead. Tears mix with the salty ocean water as I sink. The water feels like a vice around my chest, squeezing out any hope of escape. I flail wildly, desperate for air, but the darkness pulls me deeper into its suffocating embrace.

To my shock, I feel hands wrap around my waist and quickly pull me upward. I gasp for air as my rescuer swims me away from the dock. "Take a deep breath," a man says.

I inhale, and we go underwater as he swims me further away. When we break the surface, I'm so surprised that it's Nico who's saved me that I gasp and spit out a mouthful of water.

"Whisper," Nico tells me. "Sound travels."

"You saved me." I frown. "Again."

"Let's get you back to the boat."

I wrap my arms around him immediately. My legs are too cramped in the stupid dress. "Please don't let go. I can't swim."

"I won't." He glides slowly through the water with me in his arms. I wonder about the people in the club. "Maybe I should go back there."

"Do you want to?" He looks me in the eye and waits, treading water.

I chew my lip. "I should, but no, I don't want to spend another minute there."

"Good." He smiles. "I won't get fresh, but I need to lift your skirt so you can move your legs. It will make swimming easier."

I nod, my grip on his neck tightening. He manages to pull my skirt up around my hips. My cheeks heat in the position I'm now in.

He doesn't comment. "I'm not going to let you go, okay?"

"I believe you."

We turn to the sound of shouting coming from the country club. “That idiot you were with has finally raised the alarm."

There is no more talking as he pulls me toward a boat bobbing in the water. The urgency in his movements is evident as his eyes scan the area for any sign of trouble. I cling to him, grateful for his strength and quick thinking.

"Grab the rope ladder," Nico tells me. "Hey, you idiots, come and help. I've caught a mermaid."

Blushing and starting to feel cold from what I'm sure must be shocked, I look up and see Nico's brothers looking down at us.

A few curses reach my ears, and then Atilio pushes someone out of the way as he leans over the side. "Nico, pass her up here. I'll catch her hands."

"You'll hurt her," Essex says, pushing his oldest brother out of the way. He climbs over the side and takes a few steps down. "Climb up. I'll get you and help you into the boat."

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