Chapter Twenty-One Addie
I’ve got two things going for me. First, Billy Warrant is a shitty shot. And second, I’m far enough back in the limo that when he fires at me, it’s at a bad angle and he misses. By an indoor mile.
Just when Warrant is about to take another shot at me, I hear someone yell “Freeze!” and my heart leaps.
Cole! My detective found me, no doubt thanks to the GPS tracker.
Warrant slams the back door shut and I hear him get in behind the wheel again. The privacy partition is up, so I can’t see him, but when the limo lurches forward, I know we’re on the run again. Dammit.
Dropping down on the seat, I grab the seatbelt and buckle it fast. I know it’s only a matter of time before Cole stops Warrant. There’s nowhere for him to run. Especially when I look out the back window and see Knox’s flashy Jaguar chasing after us.
Even though they can’t see me through the dark-tinted glass, I see they’re in hot pursuit.
Relief fills me—until I hear a loud pop.
Before I can fully register what happened, everything flips upside down.
A quick glance out the window and I see we’re on the bridge, barreling straight for the edge.
“Shit,” I breathe, clutching at the seat and bracing myself for impact.
Everything seems to happen in slow motion, and I squeal when we hit the barrier. Please let it stop us. Let it hold. Please. There’s a loud crash followed by the strange, terrifying sensation of being airborne.
Stomach in my throat, I think my life flashes before my eyes in one horrific moment.
Memories of my mom fill me, comfort me. I think of my friends, the best team in the entire world.
And finally, my very last thought is of Cole.
I’m so grateful for our time together, even if it was cut far too short.
Because when I think about what could’ve been, I see a beautiful future full of promise and hope.
New beginnings. And so much laughter and love.
The idea that it’s all going to be ripped away, that I’m about to plunge to my death in the damn cold river, doesn’t seem fair or right. Not after getting to know Cole the Man versus Cole the Detective. Not after tasting and talking and loving.
Seconds feel like minutes. Then everything speeds back up to normal again, and I scream, holding onto the seat cushion in a death grip and squeezing my eyes shut as we hit the water.
But it doesn’t feel like water. More like cement, and my body jolts against the seatbelt so hard I’m scared it’s going to cut me in half.
Stunned and hanging upside down with the Phoenix Kiss in my face, I realize I’m still alive.
Maybe a little bruised and battered, but I’m breathing.
The vehicle sinks fast and hits the river bottom with a thud.
Reaching down, I fight with the buckle and manage to free myself after a few minutes of struggling.
Dropping down onto the limo’s ceiling with a grunt, I crawl forward, make my way to the door and tug on the handle. Locked.
“Shit!” There’s nothing but dark water on the other side of the glass and I’m not sure what to do, but I know I need to get out of here. Deciding to try to break it, I slip my heels off and grip one tightly in a fist. Then I slam the pointy end against the glass over and over. But nothing happens.
With a frustrated shriek, I hurl the now broken heel away and focus on the lock.
I’m damn good at picking locks. The problem is, I’m on the inside, so there’s nothing to actually pick.
And even if I do get it open somehow, what if the water pours in so fast that I can’t get out?
Drowning isn’t an option I’m choosing tonight.
Shifting away from the door, I wonder if I can open the privacy partition and escape through the front. But then I’d have to face Warrant. If I’m lucky, he might be unconscious or, for all I know, the bastard might’ve already swum out and is now on dry land.
Deciding to take my chances, I hurry over to the velvet divider and wedge my nails into the crevice, tugging with all my might.
It starts to move, but my elation at hopefully getting out turns to absolute horror when water starts seeping through.
Which means Warrant probably already escaped and left me behind to die.
Or the idiot had the window open. Maybe it even shattered in the crash.
“Warrant!” I call, trying hard to remain calm. No answer. “Billy!”
My heart pounds, panic threatening to consume me, because I don’t want this limo to become my watery tomb.
Okay, Addie, think. Forcing myself to focus, I decide since Warrant isn’t responding, he’s either incapacitated or gone.
Either way, he’s probably not going to shoot me if I pry this partition open more.
The bigger problem is the water which will rush inside.
I’m going to need to pull in a deep breath and hold it for as long as possible, then swim into the front and out through whatever opening is letting all the water in.
Hopefully it’s big enough for an easy escape.
Because I also have no clue how far below the surface I am.
Knowing it’s my only option, I psych myself up and pull as hard as I can since we’re upside down. The partition slides up, inch by slow inch, and dirty river water pours into the back like a waterfall.
It comes in much faster than I expect, and way stronger than I’m prepared to handle.
I manage to catch a glimpse of Warrant—unmoving and floating—before I get caught in the flow and swept toward the back of the limo.
No, no, no! Fighting against the rush of water, I kick hard and try to half-swim, half-crawl back to the front, grasping onto anything I can in the unfamiliar terrain of an upside-down vehicle.
But the pull of the cold water is no joke, and I expend far too much energy fighting against the current.
The limousine is filling up so fast it’s terrifying.
I tilt my chin up, breathing in and out, making my way forward.
My forehead scrapes against the limo’s floor-turned-ceiling, and I don’t have much air left.
In moments, the entire vehicle will be flooded.
Gasping, dragging myself over to the open partition, I suck in one final, deep breath and send up a prayer as the water fully engulfs me.
Grabbing onto the divider, I pull myself into the front.
Kicking, I swim forward and bump my head hard.
Ow! Maybe against the steering wheel? I don’t know, but it’s pitch black and now I’m discombobulated.
My other hand brushes Warrant’s body and I recoil. I don’t want to end up like him.
I’m not dying today! I refuse to give up!
The stubborn words fill my head, but the truth is I can only hold my breath for so long.
Plus I still have to swim all the way to the surface.
I’m guessing maybe ten or fifteen feet? It’s a good thing it rained a lot recently.
If it were summer, this area of the river might only be a couple of feet deep.
Instead of the half of a fighting chance I’ve been given, I might’ve died on impact.
Trying to orient myself, my opposite hand brushes against the driver’s side door and I remember everything is upside down.
Pawing for the door handle, I yank it, but it’s stuck.
Reaching down, I can feel the window is open, but not enough for me to swim out.
My fingers fumble to find the button to lower the window, but it doesn’t work.
Of course, it doesn’t. The water probably shorted out the electrical system.
I’m trapped. Alarm and terror flood my brain, followed closely by despair when my lungs start burning.
I’m going to die down here with this stupid Phoenix Kiss around my neck.
Cold, scared and full of regret. With a heavy heart, I release the last few bubbles of air in my lungs.
And I think of Cole. God, I’m going to miss him.
His amazing autumn eyes. That permanently rumpled suit.
The way he smells like Christmas. And most of all, how secure I feel when he holds me close and tells me everything is going to be okay.
If only I could kiss him one… last… time…
My eyes slip closed, darkness consumes me, and I pray this will all be over quickly.
Floating in the darkness, I’m vaguely aware of movement.
Before I can fully comprehend what’s happening, someone drags out of the car—right through the broken windshield.
I was so focused on the door, I didn’t realize the windshield had cracked.
A large arm wraps around me, and then strong strokes and kicks propel us straight to the surface.
The moment my head pops up through the water, I gulp in a huge lungful of air, then start choking because I swallowed some of the dirty river water on the swim up from the bottom.
“Addie! Jesus, baby, breathe.” It’s Cole, holding me up, wiping away the long, wet strands of hair plastered to my face.
“I got her!” he yells, then starts swimming to the river’s edge.
Once we reach it, he drags me up onto the muddy banks and starts checking me over.
Knox appears, hovering over us, looking insanely concerned.
Blinking the water from my eyes, and probably some tears, I look up at Cole’s blurry face and I have never been so grateful to be alive. “Cole,” I finally manage to gasp.
“Shhh, don’t talk. Just catch your breath.” He gathers me closer, leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Christ, Addie. I thought I’d lost you. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I won’t,” I assure him. My fingers are numb from the cold, and I lay a hand over the necklace. “I didn’t let them take it.”
“You’re crazy, Addie,” he murmurs, but he’s smiling.
“Crazy for my detective,” I whisper, then pull him down for a kiss. As our lips brush, the sound of sirens fill the air. Flashing lights on an ambulance and police cars appear, lighting up the night, and the vehicles roll up beside the river.
Cole helps me to my feet and guides me over to the ambulance, where a paramedic checks me over. Even though I insist I’m fine, Cole orders me to sit and let the rescue worker do his job.
“Warrant?” he asks in a low voice, sliding his jacket around my shoulders.
“Dead. I’m guessing he hit his head and drowned.” The realization that it could’ve just as easily been me sets off a series of shivers, and I pull his jacket tighter.
“He shot Nyx?”
I nod, remembering the loud pop of the gun firing and being trapped in the back of the limo.
Things might’ve gone off the rails, but I stayed true to my word. I helped prevent the theft, and now it’s Cole’s turn to keep his promise. I touch the priceless piece of jewelry, wanting it off, and even more, wanting this night to end. “Help me take it off.”
Cole’s gaze drops to the necklace, and the strangest look passes over his face.
I turn, and he unclasps it. Wrapping my arms around myself, burrowing into his jacket, I turn back around.
He swallows hard then locks eyes with me.
A muscle jerks in his cheek. “Addison Mae Mills,” he says, voice flat, “you’re under arrest for the theft of the Phoenix Kiss. ”
For a second, I think he’s joking. I’m about to laugh, but there’s no trace of humor in his voice. No follow-up smirk, or even an “I got you that time” wink. And his hazel eyes look… resigned, sad. But I can’t wrap my head around his words. They don’t make sense.
Unless he lied to me. Unless he used me, and this entire arrangement was a farce. My heart rebels at the idea, but my mind knows it must be true because he’s pulling out his handcuffs and continuing to read me my Miranda Rights.
I realize my jaw is hanging open, and I snap it shut, along with shutting down my emotions.
Everything within me grows cold, and when he lifts the cuffs, I do what I said I would if he ever cuffed me a third time.
I punch him in his stupid face. He doesn’t even try to turn away or block the hit.
Just takes the right hook to his cheek. Probably because he knows he deserves it.
“You unimaginable bastard,” I hiss, unable to miss the hurt that flashes in his eyes.
“I need to take you in,” he says. Then, lowering his voice, he adds, “I need you to trust me.”
“Trust you?” I scoff. “Never again.”
“What the hell, Vaughn?” Knox demands, stalking over.
“He just arrested me,” I say stiffly, then glare at the man I thought I was falling in love with. God, how could I have been such a fool?
“It’s the only way,” Cole says.
“Asshole,” Knox growls, then turns to me, expression softening. “I’ll be right behind you, Addie. Don’t worry, I’m calling the others and we’ll get you out of there as soon as possible.”
Wet, cold and completely numb from Cole’s betrayal, I merely nod, watching as Knox hurries back to his Jaguar up on the bridge.
I feel like the world’s biggest idiot. My name was at the top of Detective Vaughn’s neat and tidy list, and despite what he said, I never should have believed him. I was always his number one target.
Looking up at him, realizing how easily he played me, leaves my stomach churning. I’m angry at him, but I’m also furious at myself for falling for his treachery.
“We have to go,” he says, wisely pocketing the cuffs.
Standing there, dripping water and defeated beyond measure, I fight back tears. “Guess you got your girl,” I say, voice wooden, striving so hard to sound unfazed.
He hesitates. “Did I?” he asks, his gaze searching mine. For what, though, I have no idea.
All I know is Cole freaking Vaughn just shattered my heart.