Page 146 of Sinners Reunion

“Stop!” Blayne yells through the bullhorn.

Before I can raise my hand to instruct Bennett to obey, he’s already pulled the oars from the water. What a shame that I can’t take credit for how well-minded these lads turned out.

We’re close enough that I can see something tied to Ice Pick’s leg. He’s standing on the small floating square of boards that’s barely big enough to hold all three of them, and a rope attaches something I can’t see to his left foot. I’m concerned until I see something attached to Blayne’s foot as well. That shitbag is too much of a coward to kill himself, so perhaps it’s just to ensure Ice Pick doesn’t run off.

I’m only glad to see Josie now seated on the edge instead of standing. She can balance better on her ass than those clumsy legs of hers. Those beautiful, clumsy legs. It’s a small blessing to find nothing tied to them, but then, he wouldn’t need to.

“I have to save her,” I say.

Aven nods, and Bennett cracks his knuckles.

“He took her from the house,” Jim says through the radio. “Can you hear me?”

I roll my eyes and pull the walkie from my pocket. “Yes. Eyes on. Hold your position. Quiet on comms until I break radio silence.”

This is not official lingo. This is television-special-forces talk that he’ll actually respond to. And he does. The radio goes quiet, and I’m left to kick myself.

She’d have been better off with Frankie in the woods, but how was I to know? I thought she’d be safer in the house. I wrongfully assumed Blayne was somewhere in the forest with a gun of some kind, as he seems the sort. Josie warned me that stereotypes were harmful, and how right she was.

Tired of waiting for his direction, I cup my hands around my mouth. “What do you want out of this, Blayne?”

He raises the bullhorn. “Row to that other dock. Leave King there, then return to shore. Don’t try anything dumb, either.” He raises his other hand, waving something in the air that I’ll assume is a handgun.

I’m too far off to know for sure but close enough to refuse that gamble.

Bennett starts rowing toward another floating dock that sits between Blayne’s hostage situation and shore. The one benefit is knowing that the lake isn’t terribly deep here. I’d bet he doesn’t realize that. He probably thinks he found somewhere nice and impossible. Joke’s on him. It’s maybe twenty feet at most through this section.

I can dive that in one breath. For Josie, I’ll prove it.

An eternity later, the boat bumps against the dock that is to be my stop. A second bullhorn waits on the platform. I hop off the seat without a word and hand the radio to Aven, and the lads carry on toward shore. They’ve a long way to go—possibly a bit further than it is from me to the trio on the other platform.

He really thought this out. He made sure no one could help me save her.

No matter. I don’t need anyone’s help.

“Oh, look,” Blayne says through the megaphone. “The gang’s all here.”

I turn back and look toward the shore. Bennett still rows in the water, but Jim appears through the wood line on land, followed by most of the others. Even Chef Maurice stands among them, though I don’t see Grim or Rosie.

“How touching,” Blayne says through the speaker. “They all turned out to see Daddy Dearest die for the woman he loves.”

Unable to stop myself, I glance back to see if anyone caught that. I’m relieved when I see Bennett still rowing toward land, and Aven’s axe is still firmly in his lap. If I’d asked him for it, he’d have given it to me, but it’s too meaningful. I couldn’t lose it in the lake, and I surely would have. At the first opportunity, I’d have chucked it at Blayne’s head.

We never should have kept his damn secret another day, consequences be damned.

I pick up the bullhorn at my feet. “No one has to die today, Blayne. Just let her go.”

“Aw, you don’t care about your friend?” He pouts at Ice Pick. “He’s got a ten-pound anchor strapped to his ankle right now. He might be able to swim for a few minutes, get a few good breaths, but that’ll drag him down, boss. Way down.”

My hands clench into fists at my sides. A breeze rocks the dock, but my stance remains stable. Realizing what I’m about to be up against, I pull off my black t-shirt and toss it into the water. Then I hold the bullhorn to my lips.

“I value my friend’s life. I’d prefer you not push him into the water, but if you must, I’ll bring him out again.”

Blayne smirks and holds the button down. “But what about your girlfriend? She doesn’t have anything tied to her leg, but she can’t swim. She’ll go down even faster than the tubby idiot. Decisions, decisions.”

He’s correct. I can’t get to both of them at the same time. But Blayne underestimates Ice Pick’s buoyancy.

“You don’t seem fazed, Carter.”