Chapter 6 - THE WATER AND THE FIRE
“Mommy!”
The scream came from the dock outside the burning boathouse.
Elena’s eyes widened in sheer terror. “Sofia.”
Adriana looked out the small, smoke-stained window. Through the raging flames, she could see Marco dragging the little girl by her hair toward his waiting speedboat.
“He found her,” Adriana breathed.
“Take Luca!” Elena yelled, shoving Adriana toward the floor hatch. “Get him in the water. Swim to the reeds.”
“Elena, wait—”
But Elena was already moving. She didn't go for the hatch. She grabbed the fallen Glock from the floor, kicked open the flaming side door, and charged out into the storm.
Adriana gritted her teeth. She grabbed Luca by the collar of his tuxedo, hoisted him up, and threw them both down into the freezing black water beneath the floorboards.
The cold was a massive shock to her system. The heavy wedding dress immediately tried to drag her under, acting like an anchor.
Adriana fought. She kicked furiously, pulling Luca’s head above the surface.
Above them, the boathouse structure groaned and began to collapse, raining burning embers down onto the water. Adriana dragged Luca through the wooden pilings, swimming toward the tall reeds near the shore.
She hauled him onto the muddy bank, gasping for air. Luca groaned, his eyes fluttering open.
“Adriana…” he choked, spitting up water.
“Stay down,” she ordered.
She peered through the reeds.
On the dock, the rain was coming down in sheets. Elena stood twenty feet away from Marco. She had the gun raised, aimed right at his chest.
“Let my daughter go, Marco,” Elena screamed over the thunder.
Marco held Sofia in front of him like a shield. He had a gun pressed to the child’s head.
“Put it down, Elena,” Marco shouted. “Or I paint the dock with her.”
Elena’s hands shook. She was bleeding, burned, and exhausted.
From the reeds, Adriana knew she had to do something. She couldn't let Elena lose her child. She couldn't let Marco win.
Adriana looked around. She saw the heavy iron fire poker she had brought with her in the water.
She grabbed it.
She crept through the shallow water, moving silently behind the dock. The thunder masked the sound of her splashing.
Marco was entirely focused on Elena. “You ruined everything twelve years ago, you bitch! You corrupted my brother. You broke my father’s mind. Drop the gun!”
Elena slowly lowered the weapon. She fell to her knees. “Take me. Just let her go.”
Marco smiled. “I’ll take both of you.”
He raised his gun to shoot Elena.
Adriana vaulted onto the wooden dock behind him. With every ounce of strength she had left, she swung the heavy iron poker like a baseball bat.
It connected with the back of Marco’s knees with a sickening crack.
Marco screamed, his legs buckling backward. He dropped Sofia and fired wildly into the air as he collapsed to the wooden planks.
“Sofia, run!” Adriana screamed.
The little girl scrambled away, running straight into her mother’s arms.
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Marco thrashed on the ground, raising his gun to shoot Adriana.
But before he could pull the trigger, three red laser dots appeared on his chest.
