to nothing. In my world, my entire existence, there is only Danny.
But I’m abruptly yanked from my comforting place when Brad roars, “No!” Everything returns—sound and sight. It’s chaos, men running and shouting around me. Confused, I look toward the container.
The Russian has a gun pointing at Danny’s back.
“Danny,” I scream, and he frowns, turning away from me.
“Goodbye, Black.” The air is pierced by the sound of a gunshot, and Danny’s body catapults back, landing with a thud on the gravel.
“Fuck!” Brad grabs me as more men appear from every direction, all brandishing guns. He fires round after round as I struggle with him.
“No,” I yell, breaking free and running toward Danny. I can’t feel my legs. Can’t feel my heart pounding, though I’m sure it is. “Danny.” I fall to my knees by his side, my palms instinctively resting on his chest. “Oh God. Oh God, please, no.”
“I’m fine,” he wheezes, his face screwed up. “I’m fine.”
“Rose.” I’m ambushed from the side by Brad, who hauls me to my feet.
“He’s been shot!”
Ringo appears, taking Danny’s arm and dragging him up. “Come on, you stupid fuck.”
I watch as Danny struggles, his legs unstable, his face an unbearable picture of pain. “Fuck,” he chokes, just as Ringo aims and fires at a man running toward us.
“The boat,” he yells, dragging Danny toward the shore. “Get on the fucking boat.”
I’m pulled along by Brad, as he and Ringo fire shot after shot, holding back the men coming at us. But the sounds are dull, my eyes nailed to the back of Danny, watching as he stumbles along with Ringo’s help. “Rose, down!” Brad yells, shoving me to the ground. I land with a crash, my head hitting a nearby rock. Pain sears through me, and I cry out, immediately feeling hot blood trickling down my face. Disorientated, I look up, blinking, the gunfire still constant. I see Danny look back. I see him find me on the ground. I see him fight his way out of Ringo’s hold and run back to me. He claims me and yanks me to my feet like I’m weightless, taking my hand.
“I need you to run, Rose.”
His words, the sound of his voice, the feel of him holding my hand. I find life again, and I run, flinching with every shot that’s fired around us. We hit the water, wading through, and Danny swoops in and lifts me. I practically fall into the boat as Ringo starts the engine, still firing as he does, his attention split between the men shooting at us and getting the boat moving. The engine roars as I scramble to the side, reaching over for Danny to help him up. But he turns away, catching a gun that Brad throws him and starts to wade back toward the shore.
What is he doing?
“Come on!” Ringo bellows.
“Danny!” I scream, watching, my fear multiplying, as he joins Brad, both of them up to their waists in the sea, firing non-stop. I watch as man after man drop like flies on the beach, the air pierced by the sounds of gunshots and shouts, the dusky sky lit up.
Brad turns and starts back toward the boat, and my heart kicks when I see Danny following. I mentally will them to hurry, their progress hindered by the water around them. Come on. Come on. Come on.
Brad reaches the side of the boat first and starts to pull himself up with Ringo’s help. “Get Danny,” he orders, his words labored. “Just get him in the fucking boat.”
Ringo diverts his attention to Danny swimming toward us, leaning over the side, as Brad drops into the boat and reloads his gun. I watch as Danny gets closer and closer, it seeming to take forever, and when he’s only a few meters away, Brad starts firing again. “Hurry the fuck up, Danny,” he yells.
I lean over the boat too, and Danny locks eyes with me. He smiles. The sick fuck smiles as he reaches for Ringo’s hand. I can only shake my head at him, caught between despair and fury. I’m going to kill him. For being so reckless and stupid, I’m going to kill him. The light in his eyes is blinding, and my panic starts to ebb, his fingers brushing Ringo’s.
“Go!” Ringo yells, and Brad takes up position at the back of the boat by the engine, just as Ringo seizes Danny’s hand and yanks him up on a grunt.
I jump as the boat lurches forward. Danny’s eyes widen.