Page 30 of Fighting for Ella

Enough that if they were surrounded, he might not be able to protect Ella.

Shoving away those fears for the moment he stopped when he spotted something that looked like it could be a body.

While he wasn’t yet allowing himself to consider the possibility that Ella could have drowned, if she had her body would still float to the surface. The river was wide, and he was too far away from the body to see if it was a man or a woman, but he wasn’t going to risk not checking it out because there was a fifty-fifty chance that if it was a person that it was Ella.

Wading into the cold water, Miguel had never been more thankful in his life that he’d decided to become a SEAL. In high school, he’d warred with himself about whether he wanted to be a SEAL like his big brother or try for Delta Force. In the end, following in the footsteps of the brother he adored had won out.

Because of that decision, the water had become like a second home to him.

The fast-moving current was no match for his skills, and he made quick work of closing the distance between him and the body shape he’d seen. The closer he got, the more he realized it was indeed a person, and from the way they were thrashing about they were alive.

They were also too small to be the guard.

“Ella,” he called out.

Struggling in the water, she managed to turn until she was looking at him. “Miguel!” she said with a sob, and he could hear the stark relief in her voice.

“Hold on,” he urged as he quickened his strokes to get to her faster.

“I … I can't … I'm not … I can swim but … never in a river … not even the ocean … always in a pool,” Ella babbled as her clumsy movements barely kept her afloat.

“I'm almost to you,” he assured her, trying to shove as much confidence into his tone as he could manage so he could soothe her.

She was drowning, just because her head was currently above the water didn't change that fact, and drowning people panicked. Totally understandable, but the calmer he could keep her the better chance she’d have of keeping her head up until he got to her.

Ella let out a startled squawk and then she was gone.

Disappeared beneath the surface.

Unsure whether her own fear had taken her under, if a predator had latched onto her, or if the guard she had attacked had gotten a hold of her, Miguel didn't hesitate to draw his weapon.

Whatever it was it wasn’t going to take Ella from him.

Diving under the water, he aimed right for the spot Ella had gone under and swam with everything he had to give.

When his hand connected with something, he grabbed onto it. It was too dark down there to see anything, but from the way it grabbed onto him, he assumed it was Ella. Pulling her up to the surface with him, he held onto her with one hand while searching her body for whatever had almost stolen her from him.

It wasn’t a predator.

Wasn’t the guard.

The offender was nothing more than a branch that had bumped into her leg and gotten caught up in her too-long pants.

“Calm down, honey,” he soothed as she scrambled to wrap her body around his. As much as he liked the feel of her in his arms, he needed those arms and his legs to swim them back out of the water.

“I thought I was going to drown,” she whimpered, pressing closer, her movements growing sluggish.

Concerned about her growing lack of strength, Miguel disentangled her arms from around his neck and eased her onto her back. Then he wrapped one arm around her chest, and allowed the current to do half the work as he angled himself for the bank and swam them back to land.

It didn't take long, and as soon as his feet hit the ground, he swung her up into his arms and quickly got them out of the water. Finding a fairly clear patch of grass, he quickly laid Ella out and began to run his hands up and down her body.

From the small gasps as he went, he knew she had to be covered in bumps and bruises, but other than the small flinches, she didn't scream or try to pull away from him, so he determined there were likely no broken bones. Wishing he had more gear on him so he could properly check her out, his fingers cradled her head as he ran his thumbs over her face checking for injuries that could account for her sudden lack of energy.

There was a bump on her forehead, and she winced as his thumbs brushed over it.

“Miguel?” she asked, voice slurring, “I … I think I'm going to pass out.”

No sooner had she said the words than she did just that.

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