The Unbreakables (BWHM)

Chapter 26

"Good to see you're still among the living, Antonio," Bella said before swinging her gaze to me. "Follow me, there's a door on the first floor that'll bring us ten feet within the pier."

She then took off down the hall leaving us to follow in her wake. We descended two flight of stairs and ran through a series of rooms until we finally came to an open door that led out to the pier. In the distance I could vaguely make out the sound of a motor boat on the horizon. Thank God Big John was still waiting. As we started to cross the room a huge figure came out of a side door wielding a cast iron pan coming directly for us. Ava?

Not having time I raised my gun to temporarily cripple her and Bella place a hand on my arm. "Please...let me. Been wanting to do this ever since I first stepped foot on this island."

Ava not taking heed continued to advance on us, screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs in Spanish and broken English. "You Puta, I kill you, you whore."

Bella dodged the cast iron pan and smashed a well meant fist into the housekeeper's over bloated face. Ava went down like Foreman, when Ali put it to him. Wasting no more time we stepped over Ava's body and out the door. When we all made it to the pier Antonio turned to me.

"What now?" He asked throwing his hands in the air.

"We jump." I answered while taking off my shoes. Three sets of eye stared at me like I had lost my mind. "We just have to swim out far enough for Big John to pick us up. That's him about two hundred feet out in the motor boat." I explained pointing at the boat on the horizon. That seemed to satisfy Bella and Lola because they immediately started to remove their shoes and items of clothing, but this declaration clearly panicked Antonio.

"What? I'm not jumping into no water and hoping that Big John makes it to me before I drown." Antonio ground out through clenched teeth.

"Antonio, you will be swimming no more than ten to twenty feet before Big John gets to us." I replied, confused by his hesitation.

"I can't Kayla, I just can't. I rather stay here and take my chances on the island." Antonio said slowly backing away from me.

"What are you talking about, there is no chance left for us on this island. You either leave now or die later." I dictated flatly.

At that moment I heard a splash behind me, Bella and Lola had already jumped in and was now swimming toward the boat.

"I can't swim, okay. I jump into that water I'm going to sink like cement and I refuse to die that way, Kayla," Antonio whispered his eyes looking dazed, as if he was lost in a memory.

"Look Antonio, I'm not going to allow you to drown." When he tried to glance away I grabbed his cheeks, forcing him to stare at me.  "Look in my eyes, baby. Trust what I'm saying to you. I didn't save you just to watch you drown during our escape, so take my hand."

I said holding my hand out so he could slip his hand into mine. He stared at me, his eyes full of doubt and just when I thought he was going to refuse again, he locked hands with me. He'd willingly placed his life in my hands. The gravity of that was not lost on me but I had no time to obsess over us. Pulling him along with me we took a running jump off the pier into the sea.

When we hit the water Antonio's hand slipped from mine and for a split second I couldn't find him. In that moment the loss weighed on me, but I couldn't allow myself to lose focus or to give in to a raw emotion I didn't quite understand. I took a deep breath and dove under the water and searched until my lungs burned. When I broke the surface of the ocean for air I could hear the motor boat. Big John was close.

I took another gulp of air and dove deeper. Ten feet away I spotted Antonio. Just as he predicted he was sinking fast without a fight to the first. Refusing to waste any more time I swam over to him. When I made it to him I wrapped my left arm around his upper body and swam for the surface.