Page 30 of Stone Deep
The wave sets were coming in faster, harder and colder as the water below the surface pushed in the oppositedirection. Holding Bradley, with his thrashing arms and legs, above the surface took all my strength, a strength that was also being drained by the strong, ice cold current.
I wrapped my arm around his chest and started swimming side stroke toward the shore, but every foot in the right direction was followed by six inches back toward the open sea.
“Hold your breath. Here’s another wave.” I gripped him tightly as the water rolled over us, taking us a few feet closer to shore. Before I could keep going in the right direction, the riptide pulled us back again.
I needed to go across the waves instead of with them. It would make the path to shore that much longer, but there was no other way to get in.
“Another wave,” I warned. This time the water polo expert freaked, and for some stupid ass reason, he threw his head back. His skull nailed me hard on the cheek, sending a jolt of pain through my head.
“Fuck, dude, you’ve got to relax. If you knock me out, then we’re both going under.”
I finally made some progress as I swam across and inched closer to the shore. The women had moved along the sand to meet us. For a few seconds, my feet touched solid sea bottom, and I pushed forward. The shore was getting closer.
Without warning, a sizable wave smacked us from behind, and we both rolled under like clothes in a washer. I kept a grip on his arm. As we surfaced, his free elbow shot back and landed directly on my stab wound. This time the acute pain knocked the breath from me.
I had a hard time holding onto my sharp-elbowed victim as I tried to catch my wind. The waves pushed against us and then dragged us back.
In my haze, I glanced toward the beach. Britton’s face was pale with worry as she walked a few feet into the water. I sucked in a long, unsteady breath. The pain in my side radiated through my entire body.
The water pulled back, and I felt the sandy ocean floor beneath my feet. I grabbed Bradley’s arm and pulled him through the water. Britton sensed that I was in some trouble and waded out to meet us. She helped Bradley stumble to dry land.
I pressed my arm against my side to staunch the pain, but it felt as if I’d been stabbed all over again.
Britton waded back into the water. “What happened?”
I shook my head, which was spinning like a fucking top. “It’s fine. His elbow just landed on my wound like a dart on a bullseye. I’ll be fine after I puke.” I spun back around to face the water. Throwing up didn’t lessen the pain, but I definitely felt better.
Rita was knelt down next to Bradley, who looked gray with fatigue as he struggled to catch his breath.
“Thank you,” he said weakly.
“No problem. We’re heading up. You guys all right from here?” I asked.
“Yes.” Rita was still weepy. “You’re wonderful. Thank you for saving him.” She noticed for the first time that I was holding my side. “Oh my gosh, did you get hurt?”
“Nope, just an old wound. Take care.”
Britton picked up my shirt, took hold of my hand anddraped my arm over her shoulder. “You can lean on me.”
We walked back toward the steps. The pain was slowly subsiding from sharp stabs to a thunderous throb that pulsed across my stomach.
“Maybe we should get you to a doctor,” Britton suggested.
“Nah, I think Bradley just awakened some of those damn nerve endings. He must have been one hell of a water polo player with those elbows. I think, with a little nursing, I’ll feel a lot better. As long as you’re the nurse. You didn’t happen to bring one of those hot little nurse dresses the chicks always wear on Halloween? That would really speed up the healing process.”
“I can check in my duffle, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t pack one.” We neared the steps. Our shoes were still at the bottom.
“Think I’m going to have to sit for this.” With a grunt of a pain, I plunked my ass down on the bottom step to pull on my shoes. Bending forward was pure agony.
Britton knelt down. “Let me help.” She wiped her hands over my feet to get off the sand.
“Hmm, I could get used to this.”
She shook her head. “You’re something else. You just dove into a strong riptide to save a complete stranger, a stranger, who despite hiswater polo skillsnearly took you along with him to his watery grave, and you’re flirting like a madman with a raging erection.”
I smiled down at her as she struggled to get my shoe on. “First of all, madman with a raging erection is how I get up in the morning and how I go to sleep in the evening, sonothing new there. And if you didn’t make such a darn cute shoe fitter, I wouldn’t have made the comment in the first place.”
I held my breath and leaned forward to help her jam on my stubborn shoes. It took a few seconds of cursing through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw for the waves of pain to settle.
