Page 47 of Delta
The darkness in his eyes has ebbed, and for that same moment, I forget why we’re out here, wading into the surf. Behind me, there’s commotion, running and yelling, but in front of me is the man I’ve loved all my life.
A man who risked his life to come for me.
Chapter 13
Dylan
As adrenaline pumps through my veins, it’s all I can do to remain focused. Because right now, in this moment, Emma is all I can see. On the beach behind us, there are at least a dozen armed men swarming the crowds, searching for her. We’re far enough out and cloaked by bright sunlight that they’d have to strain to see us…but it would only take one moment, and they’d be on us.
With her life in the balance, I shove all of the darkness down and fight against the fire spreading through my veins because her hand is in mine. Fire that threatens to consume us both if I let it.
Another few paces, and then we’ll be there.
Waves crash into us, but I maintain my stance as I slowly back farther into the water. We can’t look like we’re in a hurry, or that will set them on us sooner rather than later. Stay calm. One step after the other, I guide Emma past the breaking of the waves until we’re out far enough that I can tell she’s barely standing.
A woman on the beach screams as she’s ripped up from where she was lounging on a beach chair. One of the armed guards who’d been following Emma flips her around to face him, then shoves her to the ground when he sees she’s not Emma.
“I need you to slowly begin to lower into the water, okay?”
“I can’t swim,” she says again. Her face is pale, and I imagine her eyes are wide with terror behind the dark sunglasses still covering them.
“I know you can’t, but I can, okay? I won’t let you drown, Emma.”
She hesitates just a moment but then begins to lower herself farther into the water, until only her head is sticking above the surface, the hat covering her sheen of blonde hair. I shrink down too, slowly taking steps back. Until—my foot brushes against something hard.
Yes. Finally.
“I’m going to go under, and I need you to stay right here for just a minute, okay?”
“You said you wouldn’t let me go,” she says frantically. Her breathing is rapid, her body trembling.
“I won’t let you go. But I need to get something.”
More yelling on the beach.
They’re getting more frantic.
Won’t be long before they turn their attention to us.
“We have to hurry,” I urge.
She closes her eyes and nods. “Lord, please be with us. Please be with us,” she begins to pray.
I take a breath and drop down below the surface. With one hand on hers, I use my other to raise the long knife I drove into the sandy ground earlier today. Attached to it is a bag with our rescue. As soon as I have them in hand, I break the surface and take her hand to place it on my shoulder. Nausea churns in my stomach in response to the contact, but I beat it down.
I’m with Emma. This is Emma. We’re in an ocean, not a prison cell.
“Hold on here, okay?”
“Okay.” She grips me. I struggle against my own demons that are trying to claw to the surface because right now, Emma’s life is all that matters. Not mine. Not my pain or the panic trying to shove out all rationality.
Just her.
Please don’t let me lose myself.
I take the long knife I’d used to hold the bag in place and slide it back into the leather holster at my back. Then I reach into the bag and withdraw a pair of goggles, quickly sliding them over my head. I don’t pull them down over my eyes and nose just yet though. They’ll dull my vision above the water, and I need to be able to keep track of the men currently searching shops along the shoreline.
Reaching forward, I remove the sunglasses from her face. Her pupils are so dilated that I can barely see the blue of her eyes.
