Page 160 of Lush

But then?—

Conrad shoved me back, his eyes flashing with fury.

That was all the distraction Reese needed.

He slammed his knee into Conrad’s side. Conrad grunted, his grip loosening just enough, and Reese punched him in the throat.

Conrad choked, stumbling back, grasping at his neck.

The boat jerked again, and this time, it felt like it might just capsize.

But no matter how bad it got, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

But then my eyes locked on to the distant shoreline—and my stomach dropped like a stone.

The lighthouse. Its beam cut through the darkness, rotating like a warning, illuminating the jagged rocks below.

We were heading straight for them.

Reese didn’t hesitate. He shoved him off. And Conrad went staggering back into the rail. For a moment, he teetered.

The rocks rose up out of the water, sharp and unforgiving, just beyond the light’s reach. We were going to crash—I could feel it.

“Reese!” I screamed, my voice breaking through the chaos.

“Laurene!” Reese turned to see the imminent crash. He let go of Conrad, and started to run to me.

And then—bang.

The boat crashed into the jagged rocks, the impact shattering the night air with a deafening crack. I heard the wood splintering, breaking apart under the force. The boat jerked violently, and for a moment, everything was disoriented, as if the world itself was tilting upside down.

I heard a scream—Nina? I didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Everything was spinning.

The last thing I saw was Conrad’s wide, shocked eyes before he went overboard.

A splash.

A crunch.

Then silence.

And Conrad was gone.

CHAPTER 32

Laurene

“Nina,what the hell are you doing?”

She held the gun steady, her eyes icy. “Be quiet and do what I tell you.”

I swallowed, my voice shaky, but I pushed through. “What do you want from me?”

“What do I want?” She stepped forward, the barrel of the gun still locked on me, and she laughed.“Everything.”

I backed up, not taking my eyes off her.

“Move again, and I’ll shoot,” she warned.

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