I scrambled to the edge, my eyes scanning the water behind us, half expecting another gunshot to shatter the moment. But there was nothing. Just the ripples where the men had been, fading into the murky current.

''No, we're good,'' JJ called, straightening up, though his hand still gripped the machete tightly. His shirt clung to his chest, soaked from the river.

Neville let out a shaky breath, his hands still gripping the wheel like a lifeline. ''You owe me an anchor,'' he muttered, shooting JJ a pointed look.

JJ didn't miss a beat, the corner of his mouth twitching upward into one of his signature smirks. ''You're welcome,'' he shot back.

I sank down onto one of the seats, trying to steady my breathing. My ankle throbbed where the man had grabbed it, and I rubbed it absentmindedly. 

''You okay?'' John B asked, crouching next to me. 

''Yeah,'' I replied. ''I'm fine. Just a little shaken.''

''You kicked him pretty good,'' JJ added, glancing over his shoulder with an approving grin. ''That was some solid instinct, Mavie.''

I managed a small laugh, though my hands still trembled. ''Yeah, well, maybe next time I'll look before I kick.''

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