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Knix pulled away, but before he could answer, the Bowrider's engine revved and Marv pulled up alongside the burning yacht. Bellamy reached over the side and hauled me up and away fromKnix.
"Are you okay?" Bellamy checked me over, shifting my hair to the side and touching every available surface of my skin. When he determined that I was actually alive and well, Bellamy squeezed me close. It made the fabric of my wetsuit feel impossibly tighter. I gasped. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me,Sweetheart."
Marv rushed around the driver's console and dove for me. Pulling me away from Bellamy, Marv did the same once-over before he slammed his lips on mine—taking my mouth in a fiery kiss. It was over almost as quickly as it started, and he gripped me in shaking hands. "Don't ever fucking do that to me again, Harlow." His eyes leveled on me. "Never again," he repeated. I found myself nodding and then pressing a quick kiss back to his lips again to reassurehim.
From there, Marv passed me to Texas, who squeezed me tight for the longest time. He didn't say anything, which was strange for him. Texas always had something to say. Something stupid, something witty, something ridiculous—he had the words. But at that moment, he didn't. Instead, he held me against him. I touched my nose to the column of his neck and I returned his hug, inhaling his vanilla scent. Even when the boat dipped as Knix climbed aboard, Texas held on—a fine tremble in his entirebody.
"I'm okay," I whispered in hisear.
In response, Texas' arms tightened around me. When he finally released me, he took my hand and sat as close as he possibly could. Across the way, Grayson sat next to a wide-eyed Erika, who stared at me. She flicked her gaze between me and Texas before her eyes traveled to Knix, Marv, and Bellamy. I noticed her handcuffs were gone, and as the Bowrider’s driver, Marv, kicked the engine up another notch and we began to speed away from the inferno of The Hold, I noticed that her nails bit into the cushions under her the way mine had. I was safe now. My hand was in Texas' hand and that was all the anchor I needed in thatmoment.
"Hey!" Grayson called over the wind. "Look!"
Marv slowed as black plumes of smoke lifted into the sky. Several of the security guys that Knix and Grayson had taken out had woken up and were leaping from the yacht to get away from the fire. Above, a chopper lowered down and dropped ropes for them to climbaboard.
"They're getting away!" Iyelled.
Texas shook his head. "It's Iris," he said. "I called them." The sounds of more engines speeding close in the distance had Grayson, Erika, and I twisting our heads. Two speedboats raced past. "They'll survive. Though if they can't handle prison, they may wish theyhadn't."
"They're going to jail?" Erika asked shakily. Hope flared in hereyes.
Knix stood and moved to the center of our Bowrider as we all watched the scene. "Yes, they are," hesaid.
Surprisingly, it was Erika who responded. "Good," shesaid.
My head tilted towards her as the saltwater and wind bit at my skin. I shivered in my wetsuit and Texas let me scoot closer, drawing his body heat into me. Marv pressed the gas again and we sped away, leaving Iris and other authorities to finish theirjob.
Or so Ithought...
Officers raced down the docks—heading straight towards us as Marv pulled up. Knix leaped from the boat to the boards, quickly tying us into place before he began helping us unload. Moving in front, Knix and Bellamy met the officershalfway.
"What's going to happen?" Erika whispered to me as we stood next to Texas while Marv and Grayson finished docking and tucking everything else neatlyaway.
I shook my head. "I don'tknow."
"You may need to make a statement," Texas answered, looking down at the both of us. His eyes moved over Erika. "Can you handlethat?"
Erika bit her lip and nodded, her eyes sharpening. "Yeah," she said. "If it'll put them all away for a long time, I can tell the fuckingworld."
Reaching over, I let my free hand touch hers. She turned and grasped it without looking up. When Marv and Grayson finished, they jumped on the docks and waited with us while Knix and Bellamy spoke with the police. Soon enough, I figured they would want to speak with all of us. Then it was back to the realworld.
I looked down at Erika, then back up at Texas. No matter what, I knew the guys and I had changed our relationship forever. There was no goingback.
