Page 83 of Bound by Desire
I look out at the water and see a couple more bubblesfloatup.
“Nox!” I yell, running into the water before divingunder.
Everything is black. Pitch fucking black. I have to pop back up to get my breath. Fear like no other wraps around my heart, threatening to strangle everything out of me. Threatening to take me under the water withRylie.
No, this isn’thappening.
I move toward the bubbles and go under again, hearing splashes behind me and knowing Nox hasmyback.
I feel around blindly, hoping like hell I can find her. Needing air, though, I pop back up and turn toward Nox, who has a flashlight.Holyshit!
“I can’tfindher!”
Nox splashes in the water. “The car. There’s a fuckin’ car here. Find the metal,” heorders.
I suck in a deep breath, nod, and then we both dive back down. The light glistens through thewater.
I reach out and pray I can feel the metal. Pray it’sthere.
I have no idea how long she’s been under. I have no idea if she’s still alive. But Christ, please letherbe.
She doesn’t know it, but she’s my fuckin’ rock. I can’t do this shit without her. My life won’t be my life withouther.Fuck.
My hand grazes something just as the light hits it. A car. However, I have to pop up and grab air again. Fuck, I’ve come up how many times forair?Shit!
I go straight back down, pulling Nox with me. Metal hits my hand. The frame of a window. Hair.Fuck,hair!
Nox shines the light, and we see Rylie, her beautiful face lifeless.Nothing.
My heart breaks into a thousand pieces as I see her hands are taped. I reach to my boot and grab my knife, cutting her out while Nox holds the light. Then I pull her and find her feet taped,aswell.
With thoughts of hearing Rylie laugh again, I muster all the energy I can and cut her legs from the car, then pull her up as I gasp for breath when we breach thesurface.
With every bit of strength I have, I move her quickly out of the water, Nox rightbehindme.
Not knowing how the hell to do it, I start CPR, breathing into her body and pumping her chest with myhands.
Please be alive. Please be alive. Please bealive.
Tears fall from my eyes as I watch her with each push on her chest. She doesn’t move. She doesn’t react. She doesn’t breathe. Even blowing into her mouth and seeing her chest rise doesnothing.
I can’t stop. Not when I hear the ambulance. Not when they tell me to back away. Not even when Nox grabs me under my arms and pulls me away. I try to fight him, but every bit of my soul is laying on the ground, in the dirt, having taken her lastbreath.
Life is cruel on so many levels. Missed years of my life without my family. Now I’ll miss the rest of it without the womanIlove.
My body gives out as I collapse, all the while watching two EMTs working on pumping life into my woman. Each movement only makes the painworse.
Bikes rumble in the background, but all my attention is on mywoman.
When Rylie gasps, I’m up on my feet, running toward my woman. The EMT tilts her to the side as water gushes from her lips and she gasps forbreaths.
I fall to my knees, staying out of the way but close enough to her, dumbfounded, shock on my face, unable to breathemyself.
“We need to move now!” an EMT says as they load her up. He looks down at me. “Getin.”
I hop up and move, not wanting to waste a singlesecond.
I look at my woman. “Love you, Rylie. Fuckin’loveyou.”
