Page 51 of His Captive
I swallow hard. I’m not eager to go back into the water, but we came all this way. I’d hate to ruin the entire excursion because I fell off the boat.
“I still want to do it,” I mutter.
I expect more anger from Massimo, but his expression softens, and he wraps me up in a tight embrace.
“You scared me to death,bambina,” he murmurs. “I thought I lost you.”
“No, you’re still stuck with me,” I sigh, leaning against his chest.
I’m trembling from a mixture of adrenaline and fear. This will be my last excursion. I nearly got robbed and kidnapped yesterday and nearly got eaten by a shark today. But I didn’t. Because Massimo will jump into shark-infested waters to save my life.
How is anyone going to compare to that? They can’t. I’ll never meet anyone like Massimo again. Never feel the things I’m feeling. I’m so directionless I fell off the boat. The only time I don’t feel directionless is when I’m in his arms. Like now. I’d go into the water without the cage, if it meant I got to stay in his arms the entire time.
I feel an ache in my chest when Massimo finally lets go. Our eyes meet and his gaze looks less frigid than normal. More like the ocean I just got rescued from than a cold tundra the sun never illuminates.
“Alright, you two,” Captain Reynolds says, motioning toward the cage. “Put on your gear so we can do this before the sharks finish all the bait.”
We have wetsuits to put on, flippers for our feet, and oxygen tanks so we can stay under the water. Massimo helps me suit up and I watch while he does the same.
The cage is big enough to hold at least a dozen people and the bars are close enough together to ensure the sharks can’t get to us. Massimo tests the sturdiness before he reaches out and helps me inside. He joins me and slams the door closed, making sure it is secure.
“Ready?” Captain Reynolds asks, walking over to the panel that operates the crane.
“Yep,” Massimo confirms, glancing at me. “If you’ve had enough and you want to go up, just point at the surface.”
“Got it.” I nod and swallow hard, then put the breathing apparatus in my mouth.
The cage begins to lower and my pulse races. Sarah always says she doesn’t like the ocean because she has thalassophobia, but I’ve never feared the water. Until now. Sinking into the watery depths is terrifying, but not nearly as terrifying as the sharks I see circling below us.
I clench my hands into fists and try to breathe normally so I don’t get too much oxygen from the tank. The cage comes to a grinding halt, and we’re suspended in the water. I can see the sunlight above us, but it’s still rather dark in the water. The sharks are more concerned about the bait than our arrival. I guess we don’t look very appetizing in the cage.
Massimo points out a few sharks and I watch them feed. It’s a disgusting sight, but mesmerizing in a way. One shark finally notices us and moves closer to the cage. I keep a distance, but Massimo approaches it, standing only a few feet from the behemoth that could rip us in half as easily as I could rip apart a piece of paper.
This isn’t an excursion I would have planned myself, but there’s something captivating about watching sharks in their natural habitat. The one near Massimo bumps into the cage and it rocks, but since I’m floating, it doesn’t frighten me as much as it should.
After about ten minutes underwater, the sharks have finished most of the bait. Some are still circling and watching us, but several have moved on. Massimo tugs on a chain and a few seconds later, the cage begins to rise toward the surface. I move closer to Massimo so I can hold onto him when we emerge from the water.
“You got to see a lot of them today!” Captain Reynolds calls out, stopping the crane and unlocking the door.
Massimo helps me out of the cage and removes my mask. I take a few breaths before trying to speak.
“That was a lot more fun than I expected,” I admit.
“Good,” Massimo smiles. “Just don’t try to swim with them without a cage to protect you in the future.”
“I’m staying far away from the edge of the boat,” I laugh, finally able to make light of the terrifying situation.
Massimo and Captain Reynolds talk for several minutes, but I’m too preoccupied with removing my wetsuit to listen. I wait until they finish, then watch as Massimo strips to his swimsuit. He helps Captain Reynolds put all the equipment away before walking over to me.
“Think you can manage to get back to the yacht without taking a swim?” Massimo jokes. “You’ll have to be the near the edge ofbothboats for a couple of minutes.”
“I’ll let you go first this time,” I say, glancing toward the mini-yacht with some apprehension in my eyes.
Massimo nods, leads me over, and scales the ladder. He effortlessly steps over to the yacht and motions for me. My hands tremble a little, but I manage to get down without falling. Massimo’s strong hands pull me the rest of the way and I lean against him once he puts me back on my feet.
“Let’s find a nice spot between here and the marina so we can have lunch,” Massimo says. “Then I’ll give you a tour of the reefs on the way back.”
“No more swimming, right?” I ask.
