Page 83 of Resisted

We followed them to a location where Rig clearly knew who he was dealing with. They talked for a few moments before we were handed over wetsuits. I leaned over to Boyce. “If this was a man’s mission, why did they have a woman’s wetsuit ready?”

He shrugged without answering, but I swore I saw that stupid lip on Roth tilt a little. Maybe it was an illusion. Maybe I wanted so badly to get some sort of reaction out of this man that I imagined he might possibly have a hint of a smile, but otherwise, I would go through the rest of my life thinking that he was, in fact, a robot.

“There’s a room behind that curtain,” someone said, and without missing a beat, Boyce grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the long blue divider with Vincent at my back. He pulled me inside of the room, and before the curtain was even fully closed, he had already begun to strip out of his clothes. I stared, harder than I should have, but how the hell could I not? I knew the situation. I know the circumstances were dire, but damnit, Boyce looked fucking delicious and my eyes didn’t dare to blink for fear I would miss a second of it.

“You can drool when we’re all home, baby. We’re on a time crunch.” The wash of Vincent’s breath teased my ear and shook me out of my stupor.

Right. A time crunch. I swallowed down my lust, trying to remind myself that though Boyce was a delicious treat, he was a treat that needed snacking on later. I wondered if these men would let me group snack? A throat cleared, and I blinked again. Focus, Bella.

Looking away from the boys, I peeled off my pants and shirt, leaving myself in a tank top and a pair of tiny, skin tight shorts Vincent thrust at me while mumbling that I wouldn’t be able to change as easily in front of everyone when we got to the island. Change? We had to change again? I hated that this was all this information they knew without Roth even saying a word, while I was left in the dark, confused over the circumstances and wondering what the hell came next.

Everyone met at the two boats docked on the shore outside. All the teams were ready before I even got my wetsuit on. I was going to slow them down. I fucking knew it. What was I thinking? I wasn’t. That was the problem, and I knew if Silas were here, he would be the one to voice it. But he wasn’t. I needed to suck up my discomfort because none of this was about me. It was about him. Rescuing him. Bringing him home. Claiming my mate.

I took the salty air into my lungs one last time before I stepped over the dock’s edge onto the boat, ready to save what was mine.

Chapter 35

VINCENT

I fucking hatedthat Bella was here. My stomach was in knots, and I was so damn nauseous with the thought that something, anything, might happen to her and I would lose a mate. Again. The fact that the fates had gifted me a second mate was a damn miracle, and I knew without any doubt that this was the last chance. There would be no third mate for us. We couldn’t fuck this up, not again. I could only hope and pray that the fates were on my side this round.

The boat jolted to a stop all too soon. Fuck, I wanted to beg her to stay on the boat, to stay where I knew she would be safe, but it would be no use. Bella was as stubborn as Silas, and no one could budge either of them when their mind was made up. Just one glance at her and the stubborn set of her jaw told me I stood no chance in winning an argument.

Didn’t mean I wouldn’t try though. “Bella, you can stay on the boat if—”

“No,” she said, shutting me down before I could finish my sentence. “I can do this, Vincent.”

“I never thought for a single second that you couldn’t, baby.” My eyes flitted to the looming island. It wasn’t completely dark, though through the fog, it was a challenge to see. It had some lights faintly visible, but nothing to tell us where they were or how we could find them, nothing to direct us to what needed to be done. “I just want you safe.”

“I trust you will keep me safe.” She bit her lip. “I know you will.”

Like I kept her mother safe? I wished I had as much confidence in myself as she had in me right this moment, but I couldn’t make promises I knew from past experiences that I might not be able to keep. “I’ll try my hardest.”

The soft sound of a body slipping into the water caught my attention, and the knot in my core tightened more. This was happening. There was no turning back. I turned around, grabbing one of the waterproof duffle bags and strapping it over my chest. The weight was heavy against my body, but it had nothing to do with the weapons inside the bag and everything to do with what the weapons represented.

Failure.

Success.

Life.

Death.

Love.

Loss.

The lines were all blurred, but I knew which side I wanted to come out on. I swallowed hard, my heart pumping so fast, I could hear the literal beat in my ears. I turned back to Bella. “I’ll go in first, then help you down. Swim straight to the shore, Bella. If you can’t make it, let us know, someone will help.”

“I’ll make it,” she said confidently, and I wished I had just an ounce of the confidence she had, but I was weak when it came to her.

Still, I refused to show it. “I know you will, baby. I never doubted you for a second.”

I pulled my body straight, using the side of the boat to steady myself before I slipped near soundlessly into the ocean. There was always a moment of panic when your body is engulfed in the complete darkness of a large body of water. The panic clawed at you, urging you to fight, even if there was absolutely nothing around you to fight against. It tricked your mind into thinking that the monsters of the night are under you, ready to grab your body and pull you down to your death.

I reached up for her. “When you first get into the water, don’t panic. Nothing will hurt you with us around.”

It was a promise that meant more than I realized when the words left my mouth, but I meant it all the same. As long as I breathed, absolutely nothing would hurt her. I wouldn’t allow it. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice in my life. Once was already enough, and I’d barely lived through it.

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