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

hell kind of

seen her. I woke up and I was already

asleep in their own bed and wake up

Just water-nothing but water.

jaw tightened as he realized Susanna must have been dumped on the boat without even knowing it.

No luck.

phone and glanced at the screen. Her heart plummeted. "My battery's dying. What do

was

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

chance to explain where she

realized her location wasn't showing up, and her

Susanna. I'll find

if a shark gets me before you do...?"

line

Hull frowned. "What's wrong?"

God... it's huge...

gliding toward her boat. Her pupils shrank in

shouted, hearing the panic in her

went limp. Her phone slipped from her trembling fingers and

the same time, the screen

the creature approaching her. She could only

big as two

short gasps. "Mom... what is

A shark? A whale?

she really going to end

but the