I jerked against the grip cruelly shackled around my wrist, but it was like trying to budge concrete.

Panic welled up inside me, and I screamed, knowing it was useless but unable to stop myself.

He ignored me, like I hadn’t made a sound, like I wasn’t fighting for my very life. He yanked me into the water and dread gripped me.

No, no, no…

Why hadn’t I listened to Liam?

Liam…

I screamed again, panic giving me strength. Jerking against the tight grasp wrapped around my wrist, I tried again to twist away.

For a brief second, I thought it might work – the grip on my wrist seemed to loosen.

But then he stopped walking abruptly and spun around to me. I saw him lift his hand, but I couldn’t avoid it – he moved too fast.

My head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, and I tasted blood in my mouth. The taste of it added to my terror, and I jerked again, but my head was spinning. I couldn’t see straight.

I couldn’t–

Something slammed into us, knocking us both down into the surf.

It took me a few seconds to realize it, but I was free.

I crab-walked back away from the man who’d been holding me, my eyes searching the darkness for him.

Two bodies came crashing up out of the water next to me. I screamed again. A split second later, I saw Liam.

My heart lurched, and I shoved upright onto my feet, gasping for air and blinking sea water out of my eyes. The man turned to me, a gun pointing in my direction.

It made a popping sound, and I waited for the pain, but none came. The shot had gone wild.

“Mila, run!” The urgent command from Liam came flying out of the night.

I stared at them, unable to will my legs to do anything, much less run.

Liam broke away from the man who’d been holding him, and I watched as he slammed his fist into the throat of my would-be killer.

The blow barely seemed to faze the other man, who looked like he had six inches and about a hundred pounds on Liam.

I backed out of the water.

My movement caught the eye of the man struggling with Liam, and he turned, rushing for me.

I moved faster, and Liam came at the man from behind, wrapping his arms around the other guy and heaving, twisting. I gaped in shock as Liam threw the man into the water lapping at our feet, then pounced on him.

For a few seconds, Liam had him, shoving his head into the water and clobbering him with brutal jabs from his right hand.

But the guy was able to throw Liam off.

Once more, they rose, facing each other.

I should do something. Run? Get help? I’d already tried screaming, and that wasn’t working.

Helpless, I looked around for a weapon but save for the water and the sand, there wasn’t anything.

Liam feinted left, and the man twitched.

They came together again in a flurry of blows and kicks, their movements so fast, it was like they blurred together.

I saw the blow Liam took to the head – it staggered him and sent him to his knees. My heart leaped up into my throat as my assailant lifted the gun he’d managed to hold on to.

I barely had time to register what was happening as instinct took over. He pointed it at Liam, and I sprang forward, grabbing his arm and yanking.

There was a muffled pop, hardly loud enough for me to hear over the roaring in my ears and the crash of the water around us. I scrambled for control of the gun, although I had no idea what I’d do if I got it.

He threw me off, and the gun swung around my way.

Liam tackled him from behind, and the man went facedown into the water.

My eyes tracked the gun as it went flying, splashing into the wet sand a few feet away.

I rushed for it, closing my hand around the wet, sandy grip as I fell onto my ass and twisted, seeking them out in the darkness.

The gun in my hand was heavy, shockingly so. I lifted it, and it shook wildly in my hands.

But they were in the water still, wrestling and moving so fast, I couldn’t separate one from the other.

What if I shot Liam?

Indecision tore at me, and I lowered the weapon. Water dripped from it. I didn’t even know if the thing would work now – it had gotten wet. Were guns waterproof?

Liam staggered under a blow from a huge right hand, and I cried out.

His head whipped toward me, and in that second, the big guy lunged for Liam, taking him down into the water, his hands wrapped around his neck.

“No!” I screamed. Clutching the gun, I thrashed through the water to where they lay, driven by instinct and fear.

The man didn’t so much as look at me.

I stared at the gun, again scared I’d shoot Liam.

Liam’s head was under the water now. The tide was coming in – the water was up to my knees now. It hadn’t been so deep only moments ago. I couldn’t see any part of Liam now, but I saw the thrashing water.

He was fighting – fighting for me. I could damn well do more than just stand there.

I don’t even remember lifting the gun or bringing it down on the man’s head.

He went stiff.

I hit him again, using all my strength as I swung out this time.

I caught him on the temple.

He swayed, then toppled over.

Liam came up out of the water, choking and gasping, but still fighting.

He saw me standing over them, and his eyes widened. Staggering to his feet, he slid an arm around my waist, urging me out of the water. With his other hand, he took the gun from me.

“It got wet,” I said, my teeth chattering. “Will it work if it’s wet?”

“It’ll work,” he responded, voice chilly. He turned as we walked, and I glanced back, terror lighting inside me once more.

It made me clumsy. Now I understood why heroines were always falling in horror movies. I tripped but righted myself before I went down. Finally, out of the water, I turned toward Liam.

He still had the weapon aimed at my attacker.

The big man was back on his feet and staring at Liam like I didn’t even exist. “You aren’t going to use that on me,” he said, his voice confident.

“Get down on your knees,” Liam said, not bothering to respond to the man’s comment.

I saw murder in Liam’s eyes though, and I knew he would use it.

Heart hammering in my throat, I stared between the two.

The man’s hand twitched, and he lunged.

Liam lowered the weapon a fraction, then there was another one of those muffled pop sounds.

A scream tore the night, furious and filled with pain, and I yelped as the man collapsed into the water. Covering my mouth with my hands, I gaped as he lay on his back, thrashing in the water.

“You mother-fucker! You shot my knee!”

“Hands on your head or the next bullet goes into your skull. And no, I won’t miss,” Liam said calmly. “Make me nervous, and I just might shoot you in the dick before I blow your brains out.”

A split second passed, and I could see the man weighing his options. Then he heaved out a sigh. A second later, he dangled another gun in front of him, holding it between two fingers.

“Throw it away,” Liam ordered.

He threw it, and I jumped as I heard it splash into the watery sand a few feet away.

I went to grab Liam. He let me, holding me with one arm while he kept the gun up and ready.

Over his shoulder, I saw lights. When the lights revealed a rush of bodies, I sagged. “It’s the security guys,” I whispered, dazed.

Still, Liam didn’t lower the weapon, not even once we were surrounded by security guards.

He didn’t lower it until the man on the ground was flipped onto his stomach and had his hands bound behind him. He cursed and screamed the whole way through.

I buried my face against Liam’s chest.

Finally, he slid his other arm around me. I felt the chill of the weapon through my wet dress and shivered.

“Mila,” he whispered.

Closing my eyes, I clung to him even tighter.