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“What are you doing?” Finn slammed a hand on the trunk, which had only missed him by a hair’s width.
“Cora’s in trouble,” Liam yelled, not bothering to roll down the window. “Get in or get out of my way before I roll right over you.”
Finn rushed to the passenger side and was still pulling his leg in when Liam peeled out of the parking lot and sped toward the freeway.
“Tell me,” Finn said grimly.
Liam wove through traffic like the devil himself was after them. He tossed his phone at Finn. “Read it. I’m heading south, but you’ll need to give me directions.”
Finn read Cora’s frantic text message and swore under his breath. Then he pulled his own phone out and said, “I have the address in my contacts. Magnus hosted a company party there last year.” He punched the location into his phone and gave rapid directions.
When Liam made it to the freeway entrance, he stomped on the gas and bypassed two cars in front of them by driving on the shoulder. One of the drivers honked and flipped him off, but he barely noticed. Not wasting a moment, Liam made high-speed lane changes on the freeway just like he’d learned in the driving class. Within moments he’d maneuvered successfully past three other cars, and they were speeding down the freeway headed south.
The next ten minutes felt like an eternity. Liam’s hands ached from their tight grip on the steering wheel. Cora needed him, and he’d ignored her text! Guilt stabbed at him as his mind spun up all the dangerous situations she could be in right now. He tried to tell himself he knew Magnus, and as conniving as the man was, he’d never hurt Cora. But deep down Liam couldn’t be certain.
Finn called 911 and explained what they knew. Liam concentrated on weaving through traffic at breakneck speeds, pushing the car as far and fast as he could. Never once did Finn complain. They were both hell-bent on getting to Cora as fast as possible, and once again, Liam found himself and Finn on the same side. He was glad of it.
The GPS on Finn’s phone announced the upcoming exit just as he pointed and said, “There. Take the hard right at the bottom.”
Liam took the off-ramp without slowing down. He saw the turn, shifted gears and flew around the corner. The wheels screeched, skipping across the asphalt, but he kept his gaze on the winding road ahead until the car gained traction again.
“Jesus.” Finn had a white-knuckled grip on the roof handle, his other hand braced against the dashboard. “Where’d you learn to drive like this?”
Liam gritted his teeth. “You don’t want to know.”
“There it is.” Finn pointed to a narrow trail through the trees. “His house is just down that road.”
They came out of the woods so fast, Liam had to slam on the brakes or risk crashing into the house itself. The tires skidded across the driveway, sending gravel flying in all directions. A flock of birds in the nearby trees took to the sky in startled protest.
“Cora,” Finn choked out, his horrified gaze on the waterfront.
Liam whipped his head toward the lake. His heart slammed into his throat. He threw the car into Park, jumped out and started running.
Cora sprinted to the end of the dock and attacked the rope tethering the boat. The twilight sky cast a cold, eerie glow over the lake, but she was grateful it wasn’t too dark to see. She unwound the rope with shaking hands. Every second counted.
He was getting closer. She could hear his stilted footsteps on the wooden planks as he lumbered toward her, swearing hoarsely. But she refused to look up from her task.
Almost there.The rope came loose, and she jumped to her feet. The small boat bobbed in the water. She yanked the rope to bring it closer.
“You’re going—” Magnus rasped, coughed “—to be sorry for that.”
Not in a million years, buddy.She lifted her leg to swing into the boat, but Magnus’s steely arm snaked around her throat, yanking her back against his chest.
Cora’s reflexes kicked in. She couldn’t allow him to get her in a headlock. If he cut off the blood circulation to her brain, no amount of martial arts training would help her. She twisted her hips, then used the momentum to slam her elbow into his stomach. He let out a guttural curse and loosened his hold for a split second.
Wasting no time, she spun to face him, striking upward with the heel of her palm. It met his nose with a loudcrack.
Magnus roared, one hand flying to his now-bloody nose. He fisted his other hand in her shirt and shook her so hard, her teeth clacked together. Cora lifted her foot and slammed her heel onto his instep.
He let out another painful grunt. She shoved him. He coiled, and before she could react, he backhanded her across the face.
Pain blossomed on her eye and cheekbone. She staggered backward, jerking on Magnus’s sleeve for balance.
He stumbled into her, and then they were falling.
Icy water closed over Cora’s head. Magnus landed on top of her, his weight pushing her under until she saw nothing but murky darkness. She shoved at him, trying to break free, but his fist was tangled in her hair. She yanked at his fingers, but his grip was too tight. Panic seized her.I’m no murderer, Cora.Had he lied?
Magnus suddenly let go and kicked toward the surface. She tried to follow, but his heel lashed out, connecting with her temple.
