Page 71 of Break

I poke at the fish as it starts to fight less where it lays. “Let me weigh it,” he says as he grabs the hook attached to a scale and slips the end into the mouth, quickly reading off the weight. “Nine pounds, fourteen ounces.”

“Damn, Mina. That’s a beautiful bass you got yourself right here,” Max says, smiling proudly.

She hasn’t said anything as she stares down at it, breathing harshly with tears running down her cheeks. We all give her a minute, but my happiness for her turns to worry as her smile fades away. The sides of her lips turn down as she watches it struggle to breathe.

The tears of joy begin to flow faster as her face scrunches up and she tries and fails to hold back a sob that breaks free. Dropping to her knees, her hands hover over it, afraid to touch the twitching body. “It’s… It’s dying right now, isn’t it?” Her choked question comes out filled with pain and sympathy.

My mouth opens and closes, unsure of what to say. Itisdying, but there’s still time to release it. Grabbing her hands, I hold them tightly in mine until her glassy eyes look up at mine; the tears nowhere near stemmed as they continue to fall in rivers down her cheeks. “Oh, sweet, sweet girl. We can release it if you want.”

Nodding her head, she shudders and sobs again before sucking it back in. “Please!It’s suffering.”

Pulling her towards me, she falls into my chest, and I look at my friends as she sobs into my shirt, gripping it tightly in her hands. They are both looking on, tense and unsure if we’ve all fucked up by bringing her out here.We didn’t expect this kind of reaction from her.

Grabbing her face, I hold both of her cheeks and tip her face up to mine. Pressing a kiss to the space between her brows, I rest my forehead against hers and take a deep breath. “We have time to put him back in the water. Let’s take a picture of you holding it and then you can let him go.”

Her lips are trembling as she smiles up at me, happy with the plan. Leaning forward, she presses her lips against mine, salty from her tears. I freeze from the contact, then grip her a bit more tightly, softening mine to kiss her back. It’s not a long kiss, but it’s also not brief.

I feel her pull back, but only so far to leave her lips a hairsbreadth from mine. When she whispers a thank you, I breathe in her air and shudder as I feel a hint of her bottom lip brushing against mine.

Stroking her cheek with my thumb, I grin at her. “You did good, sweetpea.”

This time, her eyes fill with tears for a different reason as she soaks in my praise. She’s fucking proud of herself and it’s incredible to be witness to it. “It’s a big fish, isn’t it?”

Max barks out a laugh, breaking the moment between us, but I think it was good timing. “It’s a fucking monster.”

“Come on. Let’s take a picture and then you can toss it back,” I tell her as I pull her to her feet. Grabbing my phone, I turn on the camera and wait while Ethan picks it up and helps Mina grab hold, pinning it to her chest the way someone would hold a kitten.

I snicker and can’t help but think that only Mina would cuddle a damn fish like it’s the most precious thing in the world, and I fucking love it. Holding up my phone, I wave the guys away from her, then snap a dozen photos as she beams down at it like it’s the greatest thing she’s ever accomplished.

“Ready to toss it?” Ethan asks her, stepping up to her side and gripping her elbow to steady her.

Turning that beaming smile on him, I watch as his eyes crinkle, unable to hold back his own. “So ready.”

He helps her walk to the side of the boat and then holds her steady as she leans forward to drop it back into the water. It hangs around the surface for just a moment before flicking its tail and disappearing from our vision.

Clapping my hands together, I rub them furiously as I look between all three of them. “Well, since we aren’t eating fish, why don’t I take the truck out and grab some steaks or something to cook for dinner tonight?”

Everyone agrees, so we pack everything up and head back to land. Mina is sitting quietly in the boat with her head tilted back and eyes closed, still beaming over her success.

Max leans toward her and bumps her shoulder with his. “What’s going through your pretty head right now?”

She doesn’t open her eyes, but her teeth flash when her smile spreads. “I caught my very first fish, and it was… it waseverything.” Then she releases a loud, satisfied sigh of pleasure.

I bite my tongue to stop from letting her know that I thinkshe’severything. By the looks on my friends’ faces, I know that they’re both thinking the same.

Chapter 32

Procedure

Ethan

“How long has she been in there?” Max asks me as he sits in the empty chair to my right.

Looking up from my phone where I’m playing one of those brain teaser puzzle games, I check the clock hanging on the wall behind the receptionist’s desk. “About forty-five minutes.”

I escorted Mina to her appointment with her divorce lawyer this morning. It’s Mina’s first time meeting with her. Although she was incredibly nervous, I could tell that she was eager to take these steps toward getting her life back.

Max was out in the field to check on a few of our other clients as well as check in with some of the staff who’ve essentially taken over so we can focus on Mina. Max wanted to ride over to the appointment with us but wasn’t able to make it home in time. We’re all on edge while being out in public when Danny is still nowhere to be found.

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