Page 74 of Freeing Lark

“Lark!” Cormac’s gaze found her. “Stay down!”

“I’m trying!” She kicked the flashlight again, sending it toward him. It struck his boot. He glanced down. Then at her. A tiny nod. Cormac grabbed it. The man in black charged. Cormac swung. The flashlight connected with his forearm. He screamed and dropped his weapon.

Lark’s heart soared. They had a chance. Then Gun Guy raised his weapon. Lark saw it before Cormac did. “Cormac!” He turned. The shot cracked. Cormac jerked.

For one horrible second, he remained standing. Then he stumbled backward. His heel hit the muddy bank. He lost his balance. And disappeared over the edge, tumbling into the water.

Lark screamed. “Cormac!” He hit the water with a splash. The current caught him instantly. It dragged him away from the island with terrifying speed. “No!”

The men were shouting. Someone grabbed for Lark. She kicked him. Then she did the stupidest thing she’d ever done in her life.

She jumped.

Her hands were still tied. The river swallowed her. Cold water slammed into her body. She kicked desperately, fighting against the current. Her tied hands were useless. She couldn’t reach Cormac. Couldn’t steer. Couldn’t even properly swim. It felt like she was kicking like mad and not going anywhere.

But she could see him. A dark shape being carried farther downstream. “Cormac!”

She kicked harder. Her lungs burned. Her hands twisted against the zip ties. She pulled. Nothing. One would think with all the blood from her wrists and the water, she’d be able to slip free. But no.

She tugged with all her might, a primal roar tearing through her. Pain shot through her wrists. She pulled harder. Something gave. The zip tie snapped.

Lark nearly sobbed with relief. Her hands flew apart. She stroked through the water with everything she had. Cormac disappeared behind a branch. Then emerged again.

He was floating face up. Not moving. Lark’s heart nearly stopped. “No, no, no...”

She swam harder. The current fought her every inch of the way. Branches slammed into her shoulders. Something struck her thigh, she ignored it. A piece of debris clipped her arm. She barely noticed. She had one goal. Cormac.

She reached for him and missed. The current dragged him another few feet. Lark lunged again. Her fingers caught his shirt. She grabbed a fistful of wet fabric. “Got you.”

She wrapped an arm around him. He was dead weight. His soaked clothes dragged at her. As did her own. The river pulled them both downstream.

Lark kicked. Her muscles screamed, but she kicked harder. Cormac’s head lolled against her shoulder. “Come on.” She could barely breathe. “Don’t you dare do this to me.”

The shore seemed impossibly far away. She swam anyway. Every stroke took everything she had. Her arms trembled. Her legs felt like lead. Water filled her mouth. She coughed and kept going.

Finally, her fingers scraped against something solid. The riverbank. Lark grabbed a root. For a moment she could do nothing but cling to it. Then she pulled, flexing her bicep to drag them in. With a desperate effort, she hauled herself and Cormac onto the muddy shore.

She collapsed beside him. For several seconds, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Then she remembered. “Cormac?”

She rolled toward him. His eyes were closed. His face was pale beneath his wet beard. “No.”

She crawled closer. Her hands shook as she pressed them against him. “Come on.”

Then she saw it. Blood. Dark red spreading through his soaked shirt on his shoulder. Her stomach dropped. “Oh, God.”

Lark pressed her hands against the wound. “No. No, no, no.” Her voice broke. “You’re not doing this.”

Rain hammered the river behind them. Thunder shook the sky. Lark bent over him, tears mixing with rainwater on her face. “You came for me,” she whispered. “So you don’t get to leave me now.”

Her hands pressed harder against the blood. “Please, Cormac.”

She looked desperately toward the river. There was no one. No help. Just the storm. And the man she had somehow come to love lying motionless beneath her hands.

CHAPTER 23

Lark wasn’t sure where she found the strength. Maybe adrenaline had taken over. Maybe terror was stronger than exhaustion. Whatever it was, she refused to let the river take Cormac back.