Chapter Eleven
I reach the stairs before Jackson does and throw my arm over my nose and mouth to block the smoke pouring from the hatch. It smells like burning paint and plastic. Emmy comes to a screeching halt beside me. All the color has leached from her face.
Jackson bodychecks his sister out of the way. “Emmy, stay away from the smoke. We’ll get Ben. Stay here and help him when he comes up.”
I have no idea what she thinks of this plan; I’m already jumping the last two stairs and splashing into the water. Jackson’s right on my heels. With my first breath, I’m coughing. I crouch down to get below the smoke in order to see my way forward.
The kitchen isn’t the source. It’s coming from a crack in the bathroom door. Black smoke streams out of the opening, and Ben’s screams fill the cabin.
My god. Is he burning alive in there?
“Hold on! We’re coming” I shout.
I fish Ben’s knife from my bathing suit and start sawing at the mesh bag holding the door closed.
The knife cuts the cheap mesh way easier than the sail.
I glance behind me and find Jackson rummaging through cabinets.
With a victory shout, he stands, brandishing a fire extinguisher, and barrels toward me.
Please, let that be one of the things Captain Keith kept up-to-date on this death trap.
I free the handle. Jackson steps up, aiming the nozzle toward the bathroom, and I shove the door open with both hands.
A rush of smoke and heat blooms into the boat cabin.
And something slams into me. Hard.
I fall back into the water, and the knife goes flying.
A blur of white and tan jumps over me, and I spot the source of the smoke right inside the open door.
Three rolls of toilet paper are covered in flames in the basin of the small sink.
The fire licks at the wall behind it. The plastic frame around the mirror sags under the heat.
That fucker set the boat on fire.
Rage wells in me, and I lunge down the aisle after him, wrapping my arm around the first piece of Bennett Mulholland I can get my hands on. Turns out to be a knee. I lock my arms around him and hold on.
“You dick!” I shout.
Ben charges forward, dragging me halfway up the stairs before he pauses to shake me off.
I splash back into the water, and Ben scrambles onto the deck.
I chase after him. Behind me, the whoosh of the fire extinguisher is music to my ears. Jackson has the fire handled. Slimeball Ben is all mine—and I’ll break more than his PlayStation when I get my hands on him.
I race onto the deck and spin in a circle, looking for him. And Emmy.
She’s not at the top of the stairs anymore.
I sprint along the side of the boat. One side of the loose sail has blown up and over what’s left of the mast, creating a partition blocking the front half of the boat from sight.
I trail my hand along the top of the lifelines for balance as I run.
I kick a heap of sail out of the walkway and finally see a flash of blond hair blowing in the wind.
Emmy faces a furious Ben, his back toward the front of the boat.
Emmy’s between us, hands held up in front of her like she’s trying to calm him down. I breathe a sigh of relief when I clock the four feet of space between them.
I come to a stop at Emmy’s side, as she shouts, “I’m trying to see if you’re okay!”
“Of course I’m not fucking okay!” Ben yells back. “You three locked me in a tiny bathroom like some common criminal!”
Emmy glances at me, and everything in her expression says, I told you that was a bad idea.
I wave a hand toward the wisps of smoke still trailing from the hatch. “Did you really set the fucking boat on fire because you didn’t like being stuck in the bathroom?”
Ben glares at me. “You gave me no other choice.”
My mouth falls open, and I snap it shut again. The absolute stupidity of this boy. “You’re out of your damn mind. What if we didn’t let you out? What if Jackson didn’t find the fire extinguisher in time? What if we didn’t have a fire extinguisher at all? We all could have burned to death!”
“Calm down, it was a couple rolls of toilet paper. I knew you wouldn’t leave me in there if you thought I was in danger. Besides, the boat’s half full of water; it’s not like it could have spread very far. It was just a little sink fire.”
“Fire climbs,” Emmy says.
Ben blinks at her and frowns, like he didn’t consider that. “Yeah, well…actions have consequences. Maybe next time you’ll think twice about holding someone hostage.”
I lunge for him, but Emmy wraps her arm around my elbow and holds me back. “Hannah, no. We can’t start this again.”
I ignore her. “Hostage?” I shout. “You killed someone! What else were we supposed to do?”
“I didn’t kill anyone, you fucking liar!” His face turns even more red.
Emmy’s grip tightens on my arm, like she knows I’m this close to beating him to death with my bare hands.
“Okay, stop!” she shouts, “The boat didn’t burn! Ben is out of the bathroom. We’re no worse off than we were twenty minutes ago, right? Maybe Ben can help us get back to shore now?”
It sounds like a desperate plea.
With a final glare, he shifts his attention to Emmy. “As long as I don’t have to go back in the bathroom, I’ll help. Sure.”
“Like we can trust you,” I snap.
“What other choice do you have?”
Oh, I’m going to punch him in the face.
“I knew you’d help us,” Emmy says. “I told them not to lock you in there.”
Okay, now I want to punch them both in the face.
“So much for trusting me,” I say, ripping out of her grip.
Her face falls, but we’re interrupted by Jackson storming around the curtain of sail. Soot coats his face in heavy streaks, and he’s still carrying the fire extinguisher. Fury radiates off him as he closes the distance between us in a few long strides.
He points a finger at Ben. “You!”
I feel a sharp tug on my hair and stumble backward. Pain crackles down my scalp. Ben’s arm folds around my neck, and my back slams into his chest. He brings his other arm up to lock around his wrist and squeezes. My air cuts off completely.
“Back off, Jackson,” he growls.
I scratch at his arm, trying to pry him away from my neck, but he only squeezes tighter.
Emmy’s eyes widen. “Ben! What the fuck? Let her go!”
I want to scream I TOLD YOU SO, but that would require air.
“Not until you call off your guard dog. Drop the fire extinguisher,” Ben says.
My nails dig into his forearm. I scratch at his skin. I try to twist my head to the side. I reach back and claw at something fleshy—maybe his neck?—and still he doesn’t let go.
Jackson’s eyes are locked on mine.
“Put it down!” Ben shouts. “Or she can join Captain Keith at the bottom of the ocean.”
Emmy is frozen in place.
Jackson very deliberately drops the fire extinguisher on the deck. “There. Let her go.”
“Kick it off the boat,” Ben says. “You’re not attacking me with that thing as soon as I let go of her.”
The look Jackson gives him makes me think he doesn’t need the fire extinguisher, but he does as he’s told and kicks the fire extinguisher through the lifelines.
It lands in the ocean with a splash, and Ben’s forearm finally loosens enough for me to take a breath.
I gasp in air and, on the exhale, wheeze, “I hate your guts.”
Ben leans in close to my ear. “I’m not about to be mauled by your overprotective boyfriend because some drunk went overboard and you’re all mad about it. And I’m certainly not going to be a prisoner on the boat I fucking paid for.”
I twist my head to the right, enough to see his face. “Why don’t you use all that family money to hire a good defense lawyer and leave us the hell out of it? And he’s not my boyfriend.”
Ben’s answering laugh is sharp and bitter. “Could have fooled me.”
“Let her go,” Jackson says, taking a step closer.
“Aww,” Ben whispers. “He looks so worried…”
Jackson takes another step. “I’m not fucking around, Ben. If you don’t let her go—”
Emmy smacks her brother in the ribs and steps around him. “Ben, listen. I know you’re freaked out, but we’re on your side. You don’t have to go back in that disgusting bathroom—”
My glare should vaporize her. “The hell he doesn’t!” I shout.
I want to say more. I want to ask what has to happen for her to turn on this boy she’s only known for a few days. Why it’s so easy to have his back at the expense of mine. I don’t get a chance to say any of it though, because Ben tightens his grip on my neck, and I can’t breathe again.
My ears start to ring, and I’m distantly aware of Emmy shouting. Of Jackson stepping closer. Ben squeezes, and black dots dance in my vision. He’s not going to let go until I’m unconscious. Maybe not even then.
My teeth grind together, and I take a quick step to the left. Ben shifts to follow me, but not fast enough. I drop my shoulder and snap my arm back. I hit him square in the nuts.
Ben folds over on himself, dropping me in favor of the family jewels. He makes a sound like a cat coughing up a hairball.
He doesn’t even see it coming.
Jackson takes three long steps and punches him in the face. Ben rocks back and flips off the front of the boat. His yelp of surprise cuts off with a splash.
Emmy gasps, and I follow her to the side.
We stare down at the mass of bubbles below us, waiting for him to resurface.
I’m hit with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
I’m sure there’d be some kind of universal justice in Ben being swept away like Captain Keith, but I don’t have it in me to watch this happen a second time.
Emmy grabs my hand. Our eyes don’t leave the water.