Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
I finally burst from the woods, nearly spraining my ankle on the sandy beach area. Jack is carrying Zella toward a dock where a boat is tied.
No.
If he gets her in that boat and manages to untie it, they’ll be down the river before I can stop them.
“Stop!” I bellow when I reach the dock.
He spins around, fury twisting his features. “You fucking slippery bitch!”
“Let her go, asshole.” I bend to pick up a fist sized rock. “Now.”
“What are you going to do? Hit me with your little rock?” he sneers. “Sorry, little girl, but that’s not happening.”
“Give me Zella,” I demand. “She belongs with her real father. I won’t let you take her. Soon, they’ll find us. You won’t succeed.”
His eyes narrow when I take a step forward. “She’s mine.”
“No, she’s Terrence’s. And Lacey’s. You’re just a monster who steals from good people. You stole Lacey’s happiness and her life. I’ll be damned if you steal her daughter too.”
“I’m not giving her up. That motherfucker will never have her,” he growls. “Never.”
“Too late. Hear the sirens? They’ll be here soon. You’re trapped, Jack.” I take another step forward. “You’ll go to prison for a very long time.”
He grits his teeth. “If I can’t have her, he sure as fuck can’t.”
With those words, he tosses Zella into the river without warning. I heave the rock at him, taking sick satisfaction when it smacks him right in the forehead. As I sprint past him, I shove him. He crashes into the boat. I reach the end of the dock, searching for her.
Oh my God.
She’s gone.
She’s gone.
“Zella!” I yell. “Zella!”
An arm. I see an arm. I dive into the water toward where I saw it last flailing. The current is strong here since it’s deeper here than where the beach areas are and where a lot of boats dock. I know I only have a few moments before I lose her.
I can’t lose her.
I can’t.
My eyes burn as I keep them open beneath the dark, murky water, searching for her. The current pushes me, so I swim with it, knowing wherever it takes her, it’ll take me. I just have to get there faster.
I surface, sucking in a deep breath of air, before dipping down again swimming hard. I’m thankful for having pushed myself so hard in basketball as it’s giving me the strength and endurance to swim like her life depends on it.
Because it does.
I have to find her.
The water is rushing so fast, I almost fly right past where she’s tangled in some limbs. I manage to snag her shirt, yanking her with me as I pass. She breaks loose from the limbs and I curl an arm around her as I break the surface again. I spit out water and choke as I try to keep her head above the surface. Her eyes are closed and her mouth hangs open.
Oh my God.
She’s not breathing.
“Zella,” I sob. “Stay with me.”
Desperately, I kick against the current, swimming with one arm toward the shore. I nearly lose her from my grip when a log smacks into me. We go under the surface, but when my foot touches sand, I use it for leverage, pushing off it toward the shore. My feet have found solid ground.
Thank God.
“Zella,” I scream. “Zella! Wake up. We’re safe.”
She’s unmoving as I drag her to the bank of the river, barely pulling us from the water before I’m lying her down, trying to remember how to do CPR.
I made fun of Hollis so many times when he was training to be an EMT. He had a dummy he practiced on. Now, I’m thankful he practiced in front of me. I remember some of what he was learning.
The chest compressions feel like I’m going to hurt her, but I remember how hard Hollis had to press on the dummy. I count as I compress and then I break to blow breath into her. Everything is a blur as I run through the cycles of what I remember, hoping like hell I’m doing it right.
“Come on, baby girl,” I plead as I do more compressions. “I need you to breathe.”
Tears blur my vision, but I quickly blink them back. Zella needs me strong. I’m her knight. The knight always saves the princes. Always.
I blow air into her lungs once more and then I’m back to the compressions. Time feels stalled. Frozen. I’m locked in the most horrific moment of my life, trapped and unable to move forward.
I crave for one sound.
Her breathing.
I’ll live with the maddening sounds that plague me if I can just have that one.
“Please!” I cry out. “Please!”
Hitting her chest far too hard, I’m shocked when she sputters. Quickly, I turn her head to the side, just as river water comes rushing out. She chokes and then a sob pierces the air.