Page 10 of Depths of Desire
Every instinct in my body screams run. So, I do. I spin away from the railing, my heart slamming against my ribs, and bolt back toward the containers. I wedge myself between two rows and press my back against the cold metal, my breath ragged.
Jumping onto some damn chain? He’s out of his freaking mind. And I’m not swimming, either. I creep to the edge, peering around the corner. The men on deck are still arguing, their faces drawn tight with tension.
A hand clamps over my mouth. I try to scream, to fight, but I’m yanked backward, my body slamming into something solid.
"Sunshine," Nico murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. "Did you really think I was going to leave you behind?"
My entire body locks up. "But I?—"
"I don’t care." His grip tightens, his voice edged with amusement and irritation. "You’re coming with me."
I glare at him, my body rigid with defiance.
He clamps his hand over my mouth again. "I don’t want to hear it. You do this, or I’ll make sure those men know you’re here."
I narrow my eyes. He would.
I grit my teeth. "Fine." The word is bitter, sharp.
We weave through the containers again, shadows stretching long around us. Then we’re back inside. Another maze of hallways whizzes by as Nico leads us deeper into the ship. By the time we stop, my legs are shaking, adrenaline burning through me like fire.
“Why are we here?” I gasp, trying to suck in as much oxygen as possible.
Nico grips the handle. "This is a door. It’s closer to the waterline. You won’t have far to fall before you hit the water. When I open it, an alarm is going to go off."
My stomach drops. "And then?"
"And then we jump. No matter how high this is, we’re landing in the water. Then we swim. Fast."
A loud boom shakes the ship.
"What the hell?" I whisper, my chest tightening.
Another boom. The ship groans, metal straining under the force of something I don’t understand.
Nico mutters a curse and yanks the door open. The ship lurches violently. It tilts left. I have no idea if that’s port or starboard. I should know these things, but my brain can’t process anything except the overwhelming certainty that this is bad.
"Okay, we have to go. Now."
"But—"
"This ship is going down. When I tell you to jump, you jump."
"You know what? I’m really not great with heights, and I think?—"
Nico doesn’t give me a choice.
His fingers tighten around my wrist.
One step. Two.
And then he shoves me out the door.
The wind screams past me.
Cold, dark water rushes up to meet me.
I hit the surface hard, the impact robbing me of air.
