Chapter 19

Nina flew out of the water like some kind of actor from The Matrix, her hands in claw-like position, her legs spread wide apart to help her land on the cavern’s ledge.

Water sprayed everywhere, blinding Esther for a moment before she stood her ground and did what Tucker taught her—she rolled with the force of the water until she was just behind Jessica’s shoulder.

And as she swam up behind her, she balled her fist, looking directly into Tucker’s eyes, filled with surprise, and let ’er rip, hurling a ball of water.

Which didn’t go quite as planned—or at all, really. It ended up swiping Jessica’s shoulder like a water balloon—which, in hindsight, wasn’t terribly effective.

“Little Fish, look out!” Nina screamed, diving into the water again as Jessica swung toward her and pulled off a shot.

But Nina knocked Esther out of the way, the bullet missing her by mere inches. As they dropped to the bottom of the cavern, deep into its beautifully blue depths, Esther righted herself and headed straight back upward toward the shadow that was Jessica’s gorgeous fin.

She propelled toward her at an alarming speed, almost losing control as she rammed into Jessica’s tail, using her own to swat at her.

And that swat was weak and slow, but it gave her enough time to see Nina get hold of Jessica’s wrist and make her drop the gun. As they fought and fell to the depths of the lake, Esther raced upward, hoping to free Tucker and Chester.

Just as her head popped above the surface, and the cavern became clear, in all its sleek rock and warm pools, she remembered another mermaid superpower, and she prayed it would work—because bubbles could be like bullets, right?

As she focused on the chains that bound the men, she gathered water in her mouth, and rolled her tongue around, spitting it at the chains on Tucker’s wrist.

“Esther, no!” he bellowed, ducking his head and wincing.

But there was a ping of satisfaction, and as she watched the water bounce off the rock, making part of it crumble, she at least knew she was on the right track. So, she did it again in an awkward spray, managing to nail the chain securing Tucker’s right arm.

“Well done, Newb!” he yelled to her with a proud smile as he began to pull at the chains holding him.

“Get Chester!” she cried, before diving back downward to find Nina.

“Esther, no! Wait for me!” he shouted.

But Jessica had Nina, and after all the vampire had done for her, after all the coddling and soothing in her own crass way, Esther wasn’t going to let anything happen to her without putting up a fight.

Zooming downward, she looked left and right, but couldn’t see them anywhere—and then she spotted a length of Nina’s hair, twirling in the blue water behind one of the ice-cream-colored castles.

Without thought, she went for it, racing toward Nina and coming around the corner of the fake castle at breakneck speed.

Unfortunately, maybe because she was nowhere near the master of deceit Tucker’s sister was, she slammed right into Jessica, who had Nina wrapped up in her tail, squeezing until Nina’s eyes bulged. Jessica laughed at Esther as Nina struggled.

Even knowing she couldn’t drown, or maybe couldn’t even die, that didn’t stop Esther. This woman had killed her uncle. Her only relation left in the world. Had tried to kill her uncle’s lover.

She had to go.

She didn’t think about what she did next, she didn’t consider the fact that she’d failed miserably just moments ago in her attempt—she just did it. Esther balled her fist, swung her arm wide, and just let go.

The result was a thunderous wave—one so powerful, it didn’t just knock Nina from Jessica’s deadly grip, it knocked over everything in its path, shooting them all forward, leaving Esther tumbling helplessly until she hit the bottom of the lake floor.

One wouldn’t think they could crash to the depths with such force; it was, after all, just water. But somehow, she’d managed to whip up a mother of a doozy, because she fell to the bottom like a sack of rocks, smashing her back against a boulder and cutting the backside of her tail.

With a groan, Esther Williams Sanchez forgot how to be a mermaid for a moment, and when she opened her mouth to cry out her anguish, she let the water in. As it seeped into her lungs, the weight of it in her chest made her eyes roll to the back of her head.

Blood twisted and twirled upward in tendrils of crimson as her eyes began to bulge and her arms grew weak.

“Esther!” Tucker yelled in her head. “Jesus Christ, Esther!”

She heard him scream her name, felt his hands grip her, heard water rush past her until she almost passed out.

And then blessed air—cold, crisp air. She sucked it into her lungs, spitting out the water packed in her chest with a garbled hack.

“Esther!” Marty screamed, running into the water to help. She caught a glimpse of Darnell right behind Marty, splashing into the water to grab her from Tucker.

“Take her!” Tucker ordered. “I have to get Nina!” He dove back in without looking back, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes as he went.

“Jesus!” Marty yelped. “She’s bleeding! Help me get her out!”

But Esther struggled against Marty and Darnell, trying to sit up and reposition herself to dive back in—one thing and one thing only on her mind.

Kill the bitch.

The moment she’d managed to struggle upright was the moment Jessica popped up out of the water, holding what appeared to be a passed-out Tucker by his hair. Hovering almost above the lake, she stretched her arms out, and just like her not so Fish Daddy, she did the whirling dervish thing—and in seconds, everything and everyone in her path was hit by a wall of water.

Darnell lost his grip on Esther, and Marty flew back against the shoreline, whizzing behind them with a sound she heard rumbling in her ears.

“Esther! No!” Darnell shouted, his hoarse voice just barely heard over the roar of the water. “Duck, Esther, duuuck!”

Nah. She was tired of ducking. There would be no more ducking for Esther Williams Sanchez. This fucknuttery would stop now, because the guy she was really heating up to was dangling lifelessly in the air, and her uncle was dead.

All because of greed.

This one’s for you, Grandpa, she thought before the wave came at her with the force of a tornado. Balling her fists—both her fists, Esther responded with some primal instinct.

She’d never be able to explain how she knew to do it just the way she did—or even how she’d managed to summon the power to do so while she bled and her body ached with agonizing stings to all her muscles. She couldn’t even explain how she knew if she didn’t do something at that very moment, Tucker would die either way. If Jessica slammed him down against the water, she’d crush him, and Esther wasn’t going to let that happen.

But by God, this woman had killed her uncle to climb some damn corporate ladder, and with that angry thought behind her next move, she let her hands go. Just threw them out into the cold night air, aiming directly for Jessica.

The thunderous whoosh emitting from her hands took her by surprise. The power with which she threw her hands rolled like a bowling ball, gaining speed, roaring, rolling, screaming through the air and hitting Jessica square in the face. Her hands let go of Tucker, and as he fell to the water, Jessica crumpled, deflating much like a balloon, her body flailing as she hit the water with a loud splash.

Esther ducked under the madness she’d created, back into the water to race toward Tucker.

“Go left, Little Fish!” She heard Nina yell from somewhere far off, just as she reached Tucker and threw herself under his falling body.

There was a brief flash of Nina’s face, her hair plastered to her head, moments before she rushed up underneath both of them and lobbed them at the shore in a rush of water, where they landed side by side, sprawled out on the grass beside—of all surprises—Chester, who Darnell knelt to help up.

Reaching out, she felt for Tucker’s hand, prayed he’d grasp hers.

And when his fingers wrapped around her hand, she whispered, “Thank God.”

Instantly, he popped up, his handsome profile filled with worry as he turned to her and cupped her cheek. “Are you okay? Jesus, Esther! You scared the hell out of me. Don’t do that ever again. Please don’t do that ever again.”

She chuckled. Weakly, because, you know…bleeding. “Unskilled my eye,” she teased as his lips grazed hers, and even in her sorry state, she was instantly warmed by his mouth on hers.

“And I liked your shoes, you heathen!” Marty yelled, making Esther pop up next to Tucker to find the werewolf had Jessica by the tail, dragging her toward the picnic table and slamming her face down on the ground.

“Marty!” she heard Wanda call. “Put her down!”

Oh, Wanda was going to get it from Nina for leaving the car. But as she came into view, Esther saw she had towels in one hand, and her other arm looped through someone else’s.

Getty Pearson’s.

As their tails melted and their limbs returned, Wanda threw towels at them while a sopping-wet Marty and Darnell kept an eye on Jessica. Nina rushed to the shore, ready to do more battle, but Getty held up his hand.

“Please,” he said to Nina, his eyes sharp and clear. “Accept my apologies for my horrid behavior the other night.”

Nina didn’t say a word, but she nodded her head before she knelt to wrap Esther in towels, pinching her cheek. “Way to fucking do some damage, Little Fish,” she praised, knocking Esther in the shoulder.

Shivering, Esther could only smile, because Getty Pearson terrified her—far more than Nina ever could.

But Getty held out his hand to her, his eyes almost kind. “Esther? May I help you?”

Eyeing his broad hand, she hesitantly placed hers in his palm and allowed him to help her up.

“You’re bleeding, honey!” Wanda gasped, kneeling to inspect her wound, but Esther shooed her away.

“I’m okay, Wanda. It’s nothing a bandage won’t cure.”

Getty shook his head, his white hair, shorter in her human form, bouncing under the moonlight. “Esther, I don’t know where to begin. I—”

But Esther shook her head, ignoring the sting of her wound. “It’s fine, Mr. Pearson. None of this is your fault…but none of it is Tucker’s, either. I hope you know that, and you’ll do your best to make it right.”

Then Getty looked to Tucker, his eyes now full of sorrow. “I don’t know the details yet. I only know I was wrong, and forever I’ll regret the actions I took, son.” Getty held out his hand, extending the olive branch.

Tucker’s jaw clenched, his profile tight and angry, his wide chest puffing outward.

Oh, no, no, no. No posturing today. She drove a finger into his ribs. “Don’t be a jerk. I think it’s pretty obvious, your sister did a number on everyone. Your father’s no different. Now make nice.”

Tucker took his hand, holding on to it for a brief but substantial moment before he let go. “We need to talk, Father,” he said, low and husky.

“Indeed, son. We do. For now, I have more pressing matters. Shall we meet tomorrow sometime? Maybe for breakfast? I know your mother would be delighted.”

Tucker finally smiled at his father, and nodded. “Sure, Dad. Text me and I’ll be there.”

Getty smiled back, the first smile Esther had seen from him, and it was remarkably like Tucker’s. “And now, those pressing matters,” he said, moving off in the direction of Jessica, who Marty and Darnell still had a firm grip on.

She lay limp as someone else entered the scene and carried her off toward the exit to the lake, with Getty behind them, his face grim, leaving everyone cold and wet and in total silence.

Chester was the first to speak, his chattering teeth clacking together. “Tuck. I swear, I didn’t know. I’ll speak to council. I’ll confess that I showed her some stuff. I’m sorry, but I’ll take my punishment as council sees fit. And I’ll tell them what happened tonight.”

But Tucker shook his head. “It’s okay, Chester. I guess she was just the last person I suspected. I never…” His voice drifted off, and then he squared his shoulders and slapped his friend on the back. “Go home, Chester. All will be well. Get a good night’s sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.”

Chester took his leave quietly, likely lost in his thoughts about the night’s events.

And then Nina narrowed her gaze at Wanda. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the GD car?”

“Well, if I’d done that, Getty never would have known what was going on down here. I had to do something. Also, you wouldn’t have fresh towels. So there.” She stuck her tongue out at Nina, who hissed at her before Wanda wrapped Esther in a floral-scented hug, kissing the top of her head. “You’re a badass, young lady. So badass, I think we should call you Hurricane or some such superhero name.”

Marty hugged both Esther and Wanda before she let them go and said, “Well, fish folk, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hit the road and go back to the cottage. I have it on good authority Arch has, in his waiting-to-see-if-they-lived-this-time baking frenzy, made cake. Double fudge, chocolate-something infused with the petals of some rare flower from somewhere, and I think a win for the good guys deserves cake, don’t you?” She secured the towel now wrapped around her head with a smile

“Aw, fuck you and your cake, Marty,” Nina groused, scooping up towels. “You know I can’t fekkin’ eat cake. Shit, I miss cake.”

“You don’t even know cake from a damn hole in your head, vampire,” Marty teased. “You lived on Ring Dings and chicken wings for more than half your life. Now c’mon. I want a do-over. Race ya to the car!” Marty yelled, taking off.

As Nina tore after her, Darnell plopped a kiss on Esther’s cheek and patted Tucker on the back before he offered his arm to Wanda. “May I have this dance?” he asked on his bubbling chuckle.

Wanda sighed, blowing a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “I thought you’d never ask,” she teased, patting his arm as they made their way toward the exit, leaving Esther and Tucker alone.

He looked down at her and smiled his delicious smile. “That was really quite something, mermaid. The two-handed tidal wave. Well played—well played.”

She smiled back at him. “I don’t know where that came from. Panic, fear, I just saw you dangling there and it freaked me out so much, I reacted.”

Pulling her closer by the towel wrapped around her shoulders, he winked. “I think that means you like me, Esther Williams Sanchez.”

Her heart beat hard against her ribs, and the heat in her belly lurched and churned as they pressed against one another. “As merman go, I just think you’re okay.”

Without warning, he scooped her up, pressing his lips to hers, taking control of her mouth and making her forget her wound and her hesitations and pretty much everything else.

When he pulled away, he asked with a teasing grin. “Still just okay?”

“You know what we’re doing here, don’t you?” she asked, breathless and hopeful—so hopeful.

“Hysterically bonding, right?”

“Yes. That’s what we’re doing,” she replied, but she wasn’t so sure that was true anymore.

“Then I have a proposition for you. Wanna hear it?”

“Go.”

“What say we go hysterically bond on a real-live date?”

“Like for food or something?”

“Don’t push your luck. I save my food dates for the women who like me-like me, not just think I’m okay. Maybe some coffee? Or a drink?”

“Do mermen drink?”

“Like fish,” he said, unable to hold back his laughter as his belly rippled with it against hers.

Esther looked up at him and smiled. “Then I say we go hysterically bond, Big Fish,” she answered, the edges of her heart melting with more of that hope.

And then she pressed her lips to his and sighed, after which, hand in hand, they went off to hysterically bond.

Together.