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Shadows played across the scratches on his face, turning his expression murderous. Absolute terror seized her heart. Lifting her other foot, she aimed for his face and kicked with every ounce of strength she could summon.
A sickening crunch of cartilage imprinted on her memory. The man gasped and then collapsed to the ground face first. The abrupt freedom took Halli by surprise. Until it registered the body in front of her lay completely still.
Unnaturally still.
Oh my God, he’s dead!
She shot back a few more feet, her stomach churning. Her eyes had adjusted to the night and the man’s outline in the grass seemed to loom higher and higher in her terrified conscious.
“Halli!”
Trent’s voice jerked her attention from the lifeless body, snapping her out of her shock. He ran across the murky yard toward her. She pushed to her feet, but stumbled a few steps before gaining her footing.
Follow the plan.
Determination carried her to the boat house and slammed her into the door. Locked. She beat on the wood with rising hysteria. She’d just killed a man. Surreal had become a nightmare.
A hand on her shoulder startled a scream, but she cut it off abruptly when she saw Trent.
“You okay?” he asked.
Leaning against the door, she shook her head back and forth in despair. “I think I just killed someone.”
“Yeah? Well, I know I did. You still got the camera?”
What? He knew he did? My God, it just got worse and wo—
His hands gripped her shoulders. “Halli—please tell me you still have the camera.”
The panic in his voice cut through her dazed thoughts. “Yes, yes, I have the camera.”
“Thank God. Now move it so I can get this door open.”
“It’s locked—”
He shoved her aside and stepped back. Lifting one foot, he delivered a massive kick to the door, bare foot flat against the wood. The sound of splintering wood reached her ears as the door flew inward and slammed against the inside wall. For a moment, Halli would’ve sworn Shain West stood before her. A lump formed in her throat and she wished with all her heart it was a movie and not real.
I killed someone!
“Grab the key, I’ll unlatch the front doors.”
Trent disappeared inside. Halli glanced toward the villa, reaching a shaky hand inside to feel for the light switch. He’d said the boat key hung right next to it. Her hand slipped down, and when she jerked it back up, light flooded the boat house and spilled into the yard beyond.
“No lights, dammit!”
With a gasp, Halli flipped the switch, plunging them back into darkness. In those few seconds, though, she’d spotted someone bent over the man she’d kicked, helping him to his feet. Duly motivated, she grabbed the key and spun for the boat. Irrational relief combined with fear to send her heart into her throat.
“My guy’s not dead! But there’s another one helping him!”
Hands outstretched, she felt her way to the boat. In the middle of unwinding the stern’s mooring rope from its post, she heard the clunk of wood on wood, and a splash from the water’s end of the boat house. As she fumbled her way to the bow, she ran into Trent in the dark. He sucked in a breath but steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Start the boat,” he bit out. “When I say go, push her full throttle.”
“What are you—”
But he was gone again, headed for the busted door. Halli took care of the remaining rope, held her camera against her chest with the fisted key, and leapt onto the boat. Noises behind her sounded just like what had echoed in her ear when their first attacker had fired his gun at Trent. Squinting in the shadowy darkness, she saw Tre
nt’s outline crouched by the door, arm extended. Another click-pop coincided with a slight upward jerk of his hand and arm.
