Page 16 of Bratva Prisoner
She slides into the water with barely a splash, and I hold my breath as she disappears beneath the surface. The pool is deep, probably over her head, but she moves through the water like she was born in it. When she emerges near the center with her hair slicked back and her face tilted toward the sky, she looks like some kind of water goddess sent to torment me.
For several minutes, she swims lazy laps, occasionally floating on her back with her eyes closed. The white lace has become nearly transparent in the water, leaving very little to my imagination. Every stroke reveals new glimpses of skin, new curves that my hands itch to touch.
This is what she should look like all the time—peaceful, safe, free to enjoy simple pleasures without constantly watching for threats. The knowledge that Troy stole this from her, that he reduced her to a frightened woman jumping at shadows, makes anger burn in my veins.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the view when she suddenly dives beneath the surface again.
And doesn’t come back up.
Fifteen seconds pass. Then thirty. Then forty-five.
The reasonable part of my brain knows that some people can hold their breath for impressive lengths of time. But the part that’s been watching her every move for the past hour knows something is wrong.
I count to sixty, then seventy, as I search the pool’s surface from a distance for any sign of movement.
Nothing.
Panic floods my system, washing away every other thought except one: Alyssa is in trouble.
I’m already running toward the pool’s edge when I hit the ninety-second mark.
Chapter 6 - Alyssa
Floating twenty feet underwater in perfect silence might be the closest thing to heaven I’ve ever experienced.
The world above disappears into a shimmering blur while I drift in this liquid sanctuary, and my lungs hold steady as my heartbeat slows to match the peaceful rhythm of the water around me. No Troy, no fear, no constant looking over my shoulder—just blessed quiet and the weightless freedom I’ve craved for weeks.
I close my eyes and let myself sink deeper, counting the seconds the way I used to during my freediving days. Thirty, forty, fifty. My body relaxes muscle by muscle until I’m nothing but consciousness suspended in blue tranquility, just like when I was a little kid in grandma’s pool.
This is what I remember. This is what I’ve been missing.
Suddenly, strong arms wrap around my waist and yank me toward the surface, sending a stream of bubbles in my wake. I break through the water’s surface, gasping and disoriented, blinking away droplets as I come face to face with Maksim’s panicked face.
“What the hell are you doing?” I ask, sputtering up water.
He holds me out at arm’s length as he inspects every inch of my body. “Are you okay? I thought you were drowning.”
“I wasn’t drowning.” I push wet hair back from my face, still trying to figure out what just happened. “I was freediving.”
“Freediving?” He doesn’t release his grip on my waist, instead opting to keep me anchored against him in the shallow water. “You were under for almost two minutes.”
“That’s nothing. My personal record is three minutes and thirty seconds.”
His blue eyes search my face like he’s trying to determine if I’m lying or just insane. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him with a nervous giggle. “I didn’t think anyone was watching.”
“Well, I was watching. I saw you go under and when you didn’t come back up…”
“You jumped in to save me,” I articulate just as I realize it.
“Someone had to.”
I notice for the first time that he’s stripped down to nothing but black boxer briefs. His expensive suit is probably scattered somewhere on the pool deck in his rush to reach me. Water droplets run down the dark hair on his chest, and I catch sight of the tattoos I remember from our night together—detailed designs that wrap around his shoulders and disappear beneath the waterline.
“Where did you learn to hold your breath like that?” he asks, apparently deciding I’m not in immediate danger of drowning.
“College. I took up a lot of outdoor activities after I turned eighteen.” I push into the deep and tread water beside him, hyperaware of how close our bodies are in the confined space. “Swimming, hiking, rock climbing, freediving. Anything that got me away from people and into my own headspace.”
