It gave way. The rope dislodged, and I quickly unraveled it, pulling it apart and letting the blocks and rope sink away into the clack depths. I kept hold of Will and pulled him to the surface as he kicked.
We broke through the water, sucking in air, and I darted my gaze up, seeing Kai with his hands around Damon’s neck. He pressed him against the edge of the yacht and then pulled his fist back and punched him.
Rika.
“Go over there!” I shouted at Will, gesturing to the speedboat.
“What about my hands?” His body was shaking from the water.
“I have to get to Rika.” And I swam for the yacht again.
But then something crashed into the water on my right, and I looked up to see a rope draping down the side of the boat.
What the…?
Two blocks came spilling over the edge then, sinking into the ocean, and I jerked my head up, seeing Trevor hunched over and heaving. But there was a twisted smile on his face.
“Fuck!” I bellowed. I dived down, shooting my arms out in front of me and pushing the water back, struggling through the icy sea as I fought and kicked.
Rika.
I darted my eyes everywhere, looking for her hands, her white T-shirt, her hair, but…
I swam down, down, down, as fast as I could, looking side to side and not wasting a second.
But as the moments passed, and I didn’t see her, fear thundered in my chest. I was going to lose my fucking mind.
Where the hell was she?
Pressure built in my lungs, and my eyes blurred. I heaved, needing air, and bellowing into the water, I shot back up for the surface and sucked in a hard breath as I came through.
“Rika!” I raged, spinning in a circle to see if she came up. “Rika!”
Nothing.
I shot my head up, seeing Kai hanging over the edge, breathing hard and looking exhausted.
“Kai, get in here!” I yelled. “I can’t find her!”
He looked up, narrowing his eyes in worry. I couldn’t see Damon or Trevor, but I didn’t fucking care anymore. Will was still tied up, and Rika was…
I dived back down, hearing the distant sound of Kai entering the water seconds later, and we descended, pushing through the water and into the black.
So far.
It was so far down.
She was down there already, getting farther and farther away from me, and I would never find her.
Ever.
Please, baby. Where are you?
And then my heart stopped, seeing a flash of white.
Rika was rising faster and faster, her arms pushing her up and her legs kicking, as she came into view, getting closer every second.
Kai and I grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her up. We broke through the surface of the water, and she coughed and gasped, trying to take breaths. I held her up, touching her face.