Abducted. Samantha Keith

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СКАЧАТЬ breaths were the only sound that penetrated her consciousness, drowning out the fear and panic that echoed through her ears like white noise.

      It was freezing cold. She sucked in her breath. Her body resisted the frigid temperature. His feet thundered through the wet sand behind her. She trudged deeper. He was close. His gaze burned through the back of her head like the laser of a sniper.

      The water reached her upper thighs and she dove under. The icy cold waves washed over her head. Her vision blurred. She kicked downward with all her might, trying to disappear in the shroud of the water. The water was deeper now and getting colder. She kicked harder. Her lungs tightened. Her bound hands made it impossible to paddle or swim. All she could do was kick. The duct tape dug into her wrists. Without the use of her hands, she was a sitting duck if she surfaced.

      Her chest ached, and threatened to explode. She needed air. She surged to the surface and gulped in air greedily as she came up. A wave of salty water smashed into her. The salt burned her eyes, and whipped her hair in front of her face like a wet mop. She could hear his splashes behind her. Oh God, he was close!

      She forced herself to take in another gulp of air, and went under again. He was going to catch her. Her heart beat violently. She kicked and wiggled her body, every inch putting more distance between her and the madman.

      Her lungs and chest screamed. Her arms and legs burned with exhaustion and prickled with the cold. She needed air again, but she needed to get farther. A little more …

      A big, strong hand grabbed her calf and yanked her backward. The pinch of his hand made her gasp. Salt water poured into her mouth and nose as another wave hit. She stomped her feet back against him, kicking him anywhere she could reach. She might as well have been kicking a wall, for all the good it did. He had her harnessed. One arm locked around her waist, his other snagged her hair and yanked her head out of the water.

      Her body betrayed her. Grateful for the breath of air, she sucked in frantically, only to have water sputter out simultaneously.

      “Are you crazy?” he bellowed at her as he treaded water, holding her weight as well as his.

      “Let me go!” she screamed. It came out in a croak. He turned them both around and paddled back in the direction of the shore. Reality hit her like a lightning bolt: She’d been caught. She splashed wildly.

      “Hold still, dammit! You’ll drown us both!” he snarled as he readjusted his arm across her chest; his palm now gripped the underside of her ribs. She tossed herself back against him and slammed the back of her head into his. The blow made her ears ring and stars flash in front of her eyes.

      “Goddammit! This is your last warning. Hold still or I’ll knock you out!” His threat didn’t affect her. Once they reached land, she was a goner. She took a brief moment to take in another breath before she went for what could be her last shot.

      Ducking her head down, she bit as hard as she could on his forearm. The tinny taste of blood touched her tongue. He thrashed his arm, releasing his hold. She shot her legs back and kicked herself away. Before she could kick again and swim, his hand sank into her hair and snapped her back painfully. A sharp blow to her head caused her muscles to go lax. Her eyes rolled back. She swallowed up the dark, inky waves.

      Chapter 5

      Jesus Christ, the woman was insane. His insides twisted with guilt as his palm slammed into her head, snapping it sharply to the side.

      He’d had to knock her out to keep her from drowning them both. Before he could pull her limp body to his, a large wave hit him in the face and forced him under. He lost his hold on her. Water rushed into his mouth. His eyes screamed as he forced them open.

      No!

      He willed away all discomfort and dove under the waves. His arms stretched out painfully as he searched the inky darkness for any part of her he could grab. Dammit, he should have tied her feet too. He never should have let this happen. His lungs protested and demanded air. But if his lungs hurt, Lana’s were filling with water. He dove deeper and searched. His eyes strained to see beyond the black that surrounded him.

      He’d lost her.

      His chest tightened. His heart rate skidded to a stop. His nose burned as water forced its way in.

      What have I done?

      From the moment he’d taken this job, he’d only wanted to protect her, and he was doing a real shitty job. Something brushed him—a light, feathery feeling across his hand. Knowing it could be seaweed, he reached and snagged a handful…her hair. Relief spread through his ice-cold veins. He pulled her close, clutched her to his chest, and kicked as if his legs were on fire. They propelled to the surface. He gasped, his lungs hungrily sucking in air as he paddled. She remained motionless, her body weightless in his arms as he kept them both above the rough waves.

      Half-carrying, half-dragging her, he got her to the shore. Her body was heavy and limp. He collapsed on the sand beside her, examining her. Her lips were soft and parted, unbreathing. He tilted her head back gently, swept the hair away from her face, and began mouth-to-mouth.

      Her lips were salty and wet as his sealed over hers. He breathed into her mouth a couple of times and pulled away. Her face showed no sign of response. Goddammit. He began chest compressions. Her body jerked with the force of his pumps. Her pale, oval face was slack and expressionless. His heart clutched as he continued to work on her.

      Nothing.

      His stomach turned to lead.

      Please don’t let her die.

      He was on autopilot, his brain focused on the task. He couldn’t give up. She had to live. His flesh burned beneath his cool skin. Despite the cold water and chilled air, sweat mixed with water on his forehead.

      He counted the next thirty compressions, then pinched her nose and molded his mouth over hers again.

      One breath…two…

      Her body gave a responsive jerk, and water rushed out of her mouth. His shoulders sagged. His eyes closed. Hope soared through him, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. He rolled her to her side as she fought a coughing fit. She desperately gasped for air at the same time that her body rejected the water.

      “Shh…it’s okay, relax. Try to breathe.” He placed his palm on her cold, thin back to calm her. Sharp gasps seized her, and her whole body shook. He closed his eyes on a sigh.

      He stared at the soft lines of her profile. The moonlight touched her face, and even now, he could see how pretty she was. Soft, fine-boned… She brought the back of her hand up to her lips as she struggled on a ragged breath… His fingers tingled with the need to touch her cheek. He curled his fingers in the sand, resisting the urge.

      After a couple of minutes, the gasps subsided, and she took slow, shallow breaths.

      He wasn’t an expert, but she had swallowed a lot of seawater that she needed to get out.

      “Do you know how to make yourself throw up?” he asked. He gently grasped her shoulders and helped her to a sitting position. Big, dumbfounded blue eyes landed on his face.

      “What?” Her brow furrowed at him. Her voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper.

      “You’ve swallowed a lot of seawater, and it could make you sick. I’m СКАЧАТЬ