Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

through in his tone. “Thought you could get away from me again, did ya?”
    “W-what do you mean, a-again?” Sonya chattered. Was the man off his meds? She twisted to see Earl while Garrett did his best to keep her behind him. His motions were lethargic, and Sonya knew he wouldn’t last long. Then his head fell against her shoulder, and his body started to sink. Sonya grabbed him around his trunk.
    Enough of this bullshit.
    They needed to get out of the water now. They were no better than sitting ducks.
    Earl let out another cackle. “Think the Mystic caught fire by accident? I rigged the electrical harness.”
    “You b-bastard.” Sonya shook with cold, and anger, and an overwhelming need to wrap her fingers around Earl’s neck and squeeze until he flopped like a dead fish in her hands.
    “I warned you, Kyra. You never did listen. Guess you’ll listen now—” he interrupted himself with a laugh, “—guess you won’t, since you’ll be dead.” His gaze shifted to include Garrett. “Along with your stud.” He raised the gun he held in his hand. “That is if the man lives long enough to die.”
    “Dad! That isn’t Kyra. It’s Sonya ,” Aidan said, stressing her name.
    “I know she’s Sonya. What? You think I’m nuts?”
    Well, yeah.
    “Then why are you calling her Kyra?”
    Yeah,why?
    “Why would I call her Kyra? Kyra’s dead.” Then he laughed, the evil sound echoing across the water.
    “Dad—”
    “When I was your age, Junior, I’d never let a woman get away with making a fool out me like Sonya has you. Fucking a fish cop right under your nose and you just sat back and let her get away with it.”
    “You’re making a mistake. Sonya and I aren’t in love—”
    “What? You going to tell me you don’t love her? That her banging this asswipe doesn’t twist your insides? I’m doing you a favor, boy.”
    “I don’t want any favors. Let me handle her on my own.”
    “Like you’ve handled her so far? She’s made a fool of you, just like her mother did me. I didn’t let that bitch get away with it, and I’m not going to let this one either.” He turned back to Sonya, his face deformed into a painful, cruel mask. “Why did you have to come back, Kyra?”
    “ Sonya , you psychotic bastard!” she yelled at him. If he was going to kill her, he’d sure as hell better get her name right.
    “Whatever.” Earl shrugged and raised the gun.
    “Earl,” Garrett said, raising his head, his voice raspy as though pain had him tight in its grip. “I’ve already radioed the Calypso . Your only choice is to listen to your son.”
    “Yeah,” Earl scoffed. “Like that will ever happen. The boy’s an idiot.”
    “Put the gun down, Dad,” Aidan pleaded. “You don’t want to do this.”
    “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” Earl lowered the gun and swung around to face Aidan, who’d snuck steadily closer in his skiff. Earl smirked when he saw the gun Aidan carried.
    “Come on, Dad. Lana made those brownies you like. The ones with the toffee bits crumbled on top. Let’s head back to camp where we can have some and figure this all out.”
    “Why? I’ve got it figured out.” Then, quick as a snake, Earl coiled back to Sonya and Garrett and aimed.
    A gun fired…and Earl fell to his knees.
    He dropped his pistol, his hand covering his chest where blood bubbled out like black crude oil. His wide-eyed expression sought out Aidan’s. “Well, I’ll be damned. Who knew you had the balls, son?” A proud smile tilted the side of his mouth, and then he pitched forward into the bottom of the skiff.

C HAPTER T HIRTY- S EVEN
    “Dad!” Aidan yelled, his skiff smacking into Earl’s. “ Oh God, oh God, oh God .” Aidan grabbed the rail of the skiff, roped the two boats together and jumped into his father’s boat.
    Aidan’s tortured sob clutched at Sonya’s heart. From where she treaded water, she couldn’t see if Earl was all right, but she didn’t think so.
    Aidan had always been a crack shot.
    Both Sonya and Garrett had jerked when the gunshot rang out, expecting to be shot themselves.
    Where the hell were those troopers Garrett had radioed for?
    Then she heard another outboard and prayed help was on the way. They needed to get out of this water, which didn’t seem as cold as before.
    “Sonya!” Peter hollered, his voice anxious. She turned to see Wes and Peter pulling up in the skiff. “Are you okay?”
    “Y-yes, but Garrett isn’t.”
    Wes maneuvered as