The impact with Blackwood Lake was like hitting a wall of liquid ice. The freezing water punched the air out of Elena’s lungs, and the weight of her sodden silk gown immediately began to drag her down into the prehistoric chill of the depths. Above her, the surface was a chaotic shimmer of red and blue police lights, distorted and beautiful, like a dream she was drowning in.She clawed at the water, her movements sluggish and panicked. The darkness was absolute. For a terrifying moment, she felt the current pulling her away, the silence of the deep whispering that it would be so easy to just stop fighting.Then, a hand gripped her hair, followed by a strong arm hooking under her chin.Lucas kicked upward with powerful, rhythmic strokes. When they broke the surface, Elena gasped, a ragged, choking sound as she gulped in the night air. The cold was a physical pain, a thousand needles tattooing her skin."The boat! Elena, look at the boat!" Lucas shouted over the roar of the wind an
Last Updated : 2026-01-24 Read more