Page 80 of Rescuing Mia

The man makes a beeline for Mia, who has been pushed out of the fray. With a swift motion, he shoves an inflatable life vest over her head, the kind that inflates only when it hits the water.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut.

They’re going to toss her overboard.

In that split second, the world narrows down to a single point of focus.

Mia.

I have to get to her, have to stop them from taking her. My muscles coil, ready to spring into action to close the distance between us before it’s too late.

But the attackers sense my intention, and they redouble theirefforts to keep me engaged, to prevent me from reaching her. I fight against time itself, a desperate race to save the woman I love from a fate I can’t even begin to imagine.

The world slows down, every detail etched in stark clarity. Fear fills Mia’s eyes as the man grabs her, the way her hands claw at the life vest, trying to free herself from its confines. I hear the rapid thud of my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears like a drumbeat of dread.

I lunge forward, my body straining against the hands that hold me back. I’m so close, just a few more steps and I can reach her and pull her back from the brink. The attackers are relentless, their grips like iron. Their blows rain down upon me from every angle.

Mia’s feet leave the ground as the man hoists her up, her body twisting in his grasp. I see her lips form my name, a silent plea for help, for salvation, and then, with a sickening lurch, she disappears over the railing.

Her scream pierces the night air, a sound that will haunt me for the rest of my days. It’s a sound of pure terror, desperation, and helplessness, a sound that tears at my very soul.

I’m frozen, my body unable to move, my mind unable to comprehend the horror of what I’ve just witnessed. The attackers take advantage of my momentary shock, their blows landing with renewed force, driving me back and away from the spot where Mia vanished.

Rage consumes me, a blinding fury that turns my vision red. With a roar, I surge forward, my body fueled by a strength I didn’t know I possessed.

I will find her.

I will save her.

And heaven help anyone who stands in my way.

My vision tunnels as I fight to reach the spot where Mia vanished, but the attackers sense my intention and block my path with renewed ferocity. I’m forced to engage them; every second I waste fighting them is another second Mia spends alone and is vulnerable in the water.

The thought of her drowning, of the ocean claiming her life, islike a knife twisting in my gut. It fuels my rage and my determination as I fight with an animalistic savagery I didn’t know I possessed.

I take my attackers down with brutal efficiency, my mind focused solely on getting to Mia. I don’t feel the blows that land on my body, don’t register the pain that explodes through my muscles.

I take down one attacker, then another, my movements a blur of brutality. Blood splatters on my knuckles and my face, but I hardly notice.

All that matters is getting to Mia, of finding her before it’s too late.

Saving her.

As the last one falls, I race to the railing, my heart pounding in my ears. The deck is slick with blood and sweat, but my feet are sure, propelled by a desperate urgency that consumes me.

I reach the edge, my hands gripping the metal railing so tightly that my knuckles turn white. I look down into the inky blackness of the water below. It’s a dizzying drop, forty feet or more, but there’s no time for hesitation, no room for fear.

Mia is down there, somewhere in that dark abyss, and every second I waste is a second she drifts further away, pulled by the relentless current.

I don’t hesitate.

I don’t stop to think.

I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the salty night air, and then, without a second thought, I vault over the edge ofSerenity’s railing, plunging forty feet into the dark waters below.

For a moment, I’m suspended in midair. The wind rushes past my face, and the stars blur overhead. It’s a strange sensation, almost peaceful, a brief reprieve from the chaos and violence of the night.

But then I’m falling, plummeting toward the water at breakneck speed. The surface rushes up to meet me, and I brace for the impact.