Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath

At that moment,

Something strange and unfamiliar surged deep inside Hull's chest.

Especially in his heart-it felt like a giant invisible hand had reached inside and squeezed it tight.

He forced himself to steady his breathing. "Where are you?"

"Out at sea," Susanna's voice trembled on the other end. "The boat's tiny. I feel like it could tip over any second. Oh God, what if I get eaten by sharks?"

Right now, Susanna was clinging to her cell phone, looking around at nothing but endless, choppy water. The salty tang of the ocean filled her nose, and there was not a single sign of land in sight.

The little rowboat rocked and bobbed with every swell. It felt like it could flip over at any second.

Her heart sank even further.

Sure, she could swim-but staring out at the endless Atlantic was a whole other level of terrifying.

Hull was already striding out the front door of the Quinn family's estate.

He jumped into his SUV, trying to sound calm. "You'll be fine. Don't panic, okay?"

He grabbed his laptop from the backseat and opened it, fingers flying.

"But I am panicking!" Susanna choked out.

All that bravado she'd mustered back at Hull's side-saying she'd go back to Black Gate to help her mom-felt like it belonged to another person. Alone in the middle of the ocean on a tiny boat, her courage had deserted her.

No people. No help. Nothing but her and this lonely little skiff.

She finally understood what it meant to scream for help and have no one answer.

Hull's voice

kind of training was

seen her. I woke up and I was

fall asleep in their own bed and wake

Just water-nothing but water.

on the boat without even

No luck.

at the screen. Her heart

was truly

barely managed to turn her phone back on to call Hull-he hadn't picked up. She'd

chance to explain where she was before her

his teeth as he realized her location wasn't showing up, and her battery was

Susanna. I'll find you.

what if a shark gets me before

thing on the line now was her ragged

Hull frowned. "What's wrong?"

God... it's huge... What is

at the enormous silhouette gliding toward her

shouted, hearing the panic in

slipped from her trembling

time, the screen went

the creature approaching her. She could only see its back,

two SUVS parked side

came in short gasps. "Mom... what

A shark? A whale?

to end up as fish food

but