Page 98 of Sentinel's Kiss

Chapter 23

Josh drove like a maniac down the parkway, pushing his bike to the limit. Weaving around any car that was going too slow, stripe-riding when he couldn’t.

“Sentinel, take it down. You’re going to be a splat on the pavement.” Ryder’s voice was shrill in his earpiece. Ryder panicking? That wasn’t good. He glanced down at the GPS. He and Warden were about to converge on the lake from two different directions.

Hold on, Ashley. I’m coming.

He should have taken Stan out before he went after Lewis. Hell, Sentinel should have killed him with his bare hands at Sarah’s funeral.

His knuckles clenched white on the motorcycle’s handgrips, Sentinel forced himself to go to that place in his head where emotion died. He had a mission, and if he thought about Ashley scared and hurt, he’d be no good to either of them.

“The car’s going in.” Ryder’s voice was now devoid of emotion. “You’ve got ten minutes tops.”

Warden was there first and off his bike, running to the water. He had a halogen light and was scanning the beach with it. As Sentinel screamed in on his motorcycle, in the bobbing light he saw someone swimming to shore and the car sinking, engine first.

Sentinel eased the bike down and rolled it down the beach. Reaching inside for his pistol, he aimed. But his eyes kept dragging to the sinking car. Stan had driven past the parking lot, down the beach, and onto a large wooden dock. He must have hit the water at a great speed because there was no way Sentinel would be able to swim out there in time.

“Fuck,” he snarled. “Take him out,” he ordered Warden and punched his bike, flying down the wooden dock that Stan had driven on with the car.

“You crazy son of a bitch!” Warden shouted.

“Warden, Stan is your priority,” Ryder said in his helmet. She had heard the exchange and was giving Warden his orders. “I have EMTs and divers en route. Take the fucking shot before they get there.”

“Thank you,” Sentinel said as he pulled the bike up as far as he could to give himself loft when he went airborne. At the height of the jump, he pushed off the bike and landed close to the sinking car.

He sank deep. Ashley, hang on. Bobbing up, he tried to open the trunk, now half submerged, but it wouldn’t budge. Taking a deep breath, he went under and pulled the door handle on the driver’s side. When that wouldn’t give, he punched through the window with five quick, hard jabs. Half diving inside the window, he yanked the trunk release with all of his might. It was a fucking effort to get back to the surface for a breath. Kicking up with all his might, he took a deep gulp of air when his face breached the water. Sentinel saw Ashley was already half out of the trunk. Her wrists were bloodied, but her hands were free.

His heavy leathers were dragging him down, so he shrugged out of his jacket. “I’ve got you,” he said, helping her all the way out.

“Josh, Josh,” she sobbed. “We have to get you out of here. I’m not sharing you with the Indian Princess.”

Did Stan drug her? What the hell was she talking about?

“Lake Ronkonkoma.” Her teeth were chattering and her eyes were rolling back in her head. “Cursed. Men drown all the time because she’s looking for someone to keep her company. She’s lonely.” She started to cry. “I don’t want to be like her anymore.”

He treaded water while he pulled out a knife and cut the bindings on her feet. She was going into shock. “You’re going to be all right. Stay with me,” he said.

“You were right. Stan was crazy,” she sobbed. “He killed Sarah. He admitted it. I’m sorry.”

“Not now. You’re safe. I’m not letting anything happen to you.” He dragged her with him through the water back toward the dock. The car was sinking and there was a terrible pull tugging him toward the center of the lake instead of toward shore. If they were in the ocean, he’d have blamed a riptide or a current. There was no excuse for it and he began to believe the rumors about the haunted lake.

“You can have Stan,” he promised aloud. “I know it’s not a good trade, but I love her.”

“Who?” Ashley said.

“You. I love you.”

She hiccupped. “I love you too.”

And just like that, the pulling stopped and Sentinel swam in earnest, carrying Ashley along.

“I can’t move my arms and legs. Why can’t I move them?” Ashley said, panicked.

“Shock. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

The crack of a bullet ripped through the air.

Ashley shrieked. “What was that?”