Page 98 of Raul
But now Erica felt the cold water slapping her in the face, tugging at her clothes, trying to pull her under. Something brushed her leg. She shrieked, taking in a mouthful of water. Her throat closed up, and she thrashed in the waves.
“Erica! Erica!” Raul’s shout broke through her terror. She turned to see the inflatable headed toward her. “We’re coming.”
“No!” she croaked. She coughed before she managed to shout, “Get the dragon!”
The inflatable didn’t change course, coming up beside her, the rubber sides looking insurmountable from her vantage point in the water. And then Raul was there, leaning over with both hands held out. “Erica! Take my hands!”
She kicked hard and grabbed his wrists, knowing that was a stronger hold. His fingers closed around her like steel bands, and then she seemed to fly out of the water, his strength making her feel as though she weighed nothing. She slid over the rounded rubber side and landed on the bottom, even as she felt the boat surge forward.
Thank God they were going after the dragon!
Raul knelt beside her, pulling her into his arms and cradling her against his chest. “Are you all right? You scared the hell out of me. What were you thinking?”
She was thinking that the dragon would die out in the middle of the ocean with that stupid harness on.
In that instant, she understood why her father had made the choice he did, why he went back for the sailors who would die if he stayed safely on the boat. Because he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he hadn’t tried to save them.
That’s why she had jumped into the dark, treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean with only a life jacket she didn’t plan to use herself. Stupid, maybe, but she had to do it.
Her father hadn’t chosen to abandon her. He had done what he was trained to do, what he felt his duty was. The insight flashed through her mind and burrowed into her heart. All the corrosive anger drained away in one flooding moment, leaving her almost light-headed.
“I was thinking about the dragon,” she said into his shirt. “I didn’t want her to die.” And she didn’t want to disappoint Raul.
His grip tightened. “They’re good swimmers. And you are far more important than a dragon.”
“I knew you would pick me up.” She nestled against his warmth as a shiver racked her. Now that they were moving fast, the air was cooling her already chilled skin.
“Madre de Dios!You’re freezing,” Raul said, letting go of her to strip off his tuxedo jacket and wrap it around her. His face was tight with worry.
She gripped the lapels, the satin lining still warm from his body. “Could you put your arms around me again? You’re warmer than the jacket.”
“Por supuesto!Of course!” He wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him, turning his back to the wind to make a shelter of his body.
The way he curled his body around her made her feel so protected, so cared for, that silent tears ran down her cheeks. She shouldn’t need this. She was a strong, independent woman. But right now, it felt so good.
“Señor!I see the dragon!” Dario yelled, and the boat changed direction, bouncing across the waves.
“Yes!” she whispered as a tension she hadn’t known she was carrying released its grip so she melted even more into Raul’s embrace. His body heat began to warm her, and suddenly she felt the sting of where the dragon’s claws had slashed at her rib cage. The cold water must have numbed the wounds before. She pulled a little away from Raul to look down at her side and saw dark splotches of blood on his white shirt.
“Ay, carajo,”she muttered.
“What is it,mi corazón?” Raul asked, his voice soft.
If only he wouldn’t keep using such endearments. They were worse than the dragon’s claws.
“Nothing. I’ve gotten your shirt dirty,” she said, knowing he would overreact to her injuries.
“It’s just water,” he said, but he glanced down and swore. “That isn’t water. Are you bleeding?”
“It’s nothing. The dragon just swiped me with her claws. It didn’t even hurt until now,” she said, ignoring the sharp throb of the slashes.
“Pascal, is there a first aid kit on this boat?” Raul shouted. “Where are you hurt,mi amor?” He carefully eased her out of his arms.
She winced as she saw the size of the stain on his shirt, not because it was her blood, but because the fine shirt was ruined. “My right side.”
They both looked down. Her dress was in ribbons on that side, the strands stuck to her skin by the same stain that soiled Raul’s shirt. Five parallel dark lines showed against her skin.
“Hostia!Dario!” Raul shouted. “Forget the dragon. Take us directly toward the Guardia Maritima cutter. Erica requires immediate medical attention.”
