Chapter 90: Desperate Passion below Deck

Miraculously, we clear the cove, leaving our pursuers behind in a hail of ricochets. Ramirez's boat plunges into open water. My entire body shakes with the adrenaline comedown.Below deck, Elena drags me into a cramped sleeping berth, tears shimmering. "I can't keep doing this," she whispers, voice raw. "All this death… I'm so scared."I cradle her, brushing hair from her damp cheeks. Our lips meet, first in a tender embrace, then growing in urgency. The small berth smells of old salt and metal, but we barely notice. She tugs at my shirt, needing the comfort of skin-on-skin. We lose ourselves in a trembling, cathartic union—every thrust a vow we cling to, an anchor amid the chaos.