He struggled to bring them both back up, kicking his legs until they broke through the surface of the ocean. She coughed out water, her voice raspy as she yelped in pain. He loosened his grip and noticed the wound to her abdomen.
“Shit. Hold on, love.”
He moved in front of her and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck. With her on his back, he swam toward Colton and Skye.
“I love you,” she whispered as her grip on him slid free.
Drake’s heartbeat pounded like a drum in his ears as he reached for her with one arm and the boat with the other. The muscles in his chest screamed in agony as he gripped the edge.
Colton caught his arm. “Bring her closer to the boat. I’ll lift her up.”
He helped Colton with Heather, then attempted to pull himself up. His arms trembled with effort. Before he sank back into the water, Colton gripped his forearms. “On three, mate.”
Drake counted, and he made it into the boat. Drake scrambled to Heather’s side. Blood still oozed from her abdomen, and he had no idea how much blood she’d already lost in the water.
Skye offered some towels from the console. Drake didn’t take them, but instead he shoved a trembling hand into his pocket, feeling for the pouch from the root doctor. “Hang on, angel. Please. I can’t lose you.” She was still, too still, no longer breathing. He bent to kiss her cool lips, his chest clenching tight. “You brought me back into this world. Don’t leave me behind now.”
He fumbled with the drawstring on the root from Miss Bianca. The wax seal snapped and he dug out a piece. Parting her blue-tinted, cracked lips, he placed the root on her tongue as a tear rolled down his cheek. He was too fucking late.
“Please, love, breathe.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I got here as soon as I could. Please don’t leave me, Heather. We’ve got so much living to do.” He stroked her soft cheek, choking on a sob. “I love you.”
Heather coughed, and the remainder of the root slipped from his fingers, landing on the bottom of the boat as he lifted Heather’s torso, his heart leaping out of his damned chest.
Her eyes fluttered open. “I’m not…dying today.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” He clutched her close to his chest as another tear rolled down his cheek. He lifted his head, shouting to Colton, “Heather needs a hospital.”
Colton pointed up at the sky. “Bale’s on his way with a helicopter.”
A motor rumbled in the distance as Drake reached down to scoop up the soggy pouch and tucked it back into his pocket, not ready to let it go yet.
The helicopter came into view and hovered over the boat. Bale lowered a stretcher, and Drake placed Heather inside, fastening the ties around her. Her face and hands were sunburned and already starting to blister, her lips still blue and cracked, but her chest rose and fell in slow breaths. Alive.
That was all that mattered.
Drake kissed her cheek. “I’ll meet you at the hospital, love.”
When he stepped back, the crane on the helicopter lifted Heather toward the aircraft. Once she was inside, the copter shot forward toward Savannah.
Drake sank into a seat, exhausted both mentally and physically. The salt water stung the wound in his hand. He barely registered the pain. Heather was alive. He peered up at Colton. “Can you pilot us back to my dock?”
Colton nodded, concern lining his face. “When are you going to tell me what’s going on? Why hasn’t your hand healed?”
Drake untied the towel, exposing the stab wound in his hand. “Looks like I’m going to grow old with you after all, mate.”
“What?” Colton’s eyes widened. “How? You drank from the cup again when we found it. It couldn’t have worn off.”
“I paid a root doctor for a spell and ended up trading my immortality to Met Agwe for the magic to bring someone back from the dead.” Drake rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand. “I wasn’t going to let Heather walk into Ashley’s house without a backup plan.”
Colton shook his head. “Hefty price to pay.”
“I’d do it all over again. I love that woman. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
Colton glanced at Skye. “I know that feeling.”
Skye tried not to smile, crossing her arms. “Enough romantic gestures. Is there a first aid kit on this boat?”
Drake nodded. “Inside the front console where you found the towels.”
“Good. I’ll get your hand cleaned up.” She bumped her hip against Colton’s as she passed by. “You get us back to the dock so we can meet Heather at the hospital.”
“Aye, captain.” Colton grinned, starting the engine.
Seeing them together, a team, made Drake’s lonely existence pale. Being with Heather had given him a taste of that bond. Until her, he’d been fine on his own, but now…she’d shown him what it was like to have a partner, to know someone would miss him if he were gone.
Skye returned with iodine, gauze pads, and tape. All he wanted was for Colton to get them back to land. He needed to be with Heather, to be sure she was safe.
He took the supplies, glancing up at Skye as he cleaned the wound. “Tell me she’s going to be all right.”
Skye nodded with a knowing smile. “She’s a tough lady.”
“Aye.” He winced as the iodine burned his open skin. “I’ve got to get to her.”
Colton glanced over his shoulder. “What about her sister?”
“She must’ve stabbed Heather. I didn’t see her body in the water.” Drake shrugged. “I guess Davy Jones collected on their bargain.”
“Hope so.” Colton shouted over the wind. “Land
