Page 35 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)

Scott

“Scott—I can’t breathe.”

Maddie squirms as I tease her. Bringing her just to that point, then stopping. I’ve learned her body well over the past few weeks, and now she’s at my mercy. I laugh when she bats her little fists on my chest. I’m not going to let her have her way that easily.

“That’s it.” Frustrated, she wiggles out from underneath me and pushes me down, getting on top.

Not that I mind one bit. She smiles and starts to move.

I gaze at her beautiful body. The way her firm breasts bounce and her long hair cascades over her shoulder.

Beautiful. Touching her breasts first, I squeeze, feeling a jolt of pleasure when she yelps and tightens around me.

I move one of my hands over her stomach and pause.

Then a thought, an emotion so intense. I freeze.

“What is it?” she asks breathlessly. I press my hand to her stomach more firmly and make eye contact, begging her to see me.

Surprise flashes across her face. Then I see a longing that matches my own.

Pulling myself up, I kiss her there once, then circle my arms around her and kiss her mouth. I hold her as tight as I can.

After, as we lay side by side, she takes my hand and puts it back on her stomach.

“That’s what I want too, Scott.”

“Scott… Scott!” I’m jolted out of my daydream by Liam, who stands next to me.

His brows pull together in concern. “What’s on your mind, man?”

“Nothing.”

He stares at me, then smiles. “My advice. Don’t wait.” He walks back to the locker and unloads the equipment.

I shouldn’t let my thoughts wander on the job, but Maddie’s always on my mind.

Maddie and Ding are staying at my house, but I haven’t officially asked her to move in yet.

I think of the small satin box hidden in my dresser.

And last night when she put my hand on her stomach. It changed everything. Why wait?

I look up at the sky. Bright and sunny a few minutes ago, it’s now overcast with dark, angry clouds. A shiver runs up my spine.

But it’s not bad enough to call the dive. Jamie and I suit up and get ready to descend.

My dive lamp cuts through the murk, illuminating the jagged limestone wall.

Behind me, Jamie reels out some replacement line, his movements smooth and practiced.

The line between us reminds me of where we are.

My mind wonders to Maddie again. There’s a desperate tug at my thoughts today, like I need to be near her.

Margaret’s voice crackles through my comms. “Any progress down there?”

“Not yet,” I reply, scanning the uneven walls, ignoring Jamie’s stare. “We’re finishing cavern inspection. Then we’ll head back.”

A cut line near a tunnel entrance catches my eye.

Looking closer, I bend down and pick it up.

It’s not a line. What is this? Hair. How did hair get down here?

The only others authorized to dive into Carter’s Drop are Wes’s crew and the Coast Guard.

Wes was scheduled to dive earlier today.

It’s hard to distinguish the color of the hair, but it’s a few inches long. None of the guys have long hair.

Liam’s voice slices through the silence, sharp and urgent. “Scott. You need to get to the surface now, man. We’ve got an emergency.”

My pulse spikes. I signal Jamie to come over, and my voice comes out steady despite the fear building inside me. “What’s going on, Liam?”

“Just get back up here,” he says, his voice tense. “It’s bad. You need to hurry.”

I don’t ask any more questions, signaling Jamie to ascend. I follow him.

When I surface, I take a deep breath. The sun, which has reemerged from the clouds, blinds me. Hauling myself onto the deck of Adeline , I spot Liam pacing with a radio clenched in his hand. Jamie’s already onboard, talking to Margaret.

“Shit.” Liam’s dark skin washes out. “Is she… is she going to make it?”

“What the fuck is going on?” I demand. The urgency in his voice has set every nerve in my body on edge.

Liam turns to face me, his expression solemn, his eyes wide with dread. He takes a breath and hurries toward me. “The Coast Guard just sent out a relay. Two divers got in trouble a couple of hours ago. They’re asking for a temporary pause on dives today in case they need to investigate the Drop.”

My stomach turns to liquid, and my limbs go weak. I can’t breathe.

“Who?” But I already know. Jamie and Margaret have gathered around me, and they are preparing to hold me down.

Liam hesitates for a beat, then spits it out. “It’s Wes and Maddie.”

The words punch the air from my lungs. “What?” I step closer, my voice hoarse. “Is she alive?” My head spins as I brace myself for my world to shatter.

“They were diving in the caverns and had to ascend quickly because of some kind of emergency,” Liam explains, his voice strained.

“Wes made the call for Maddie. She was in respiratory distress and lost consciousness. He performed rescue measures. I’m sorry.

It doesn’t sound good. The Coast Guard already took them to the hospital. They don’t know her condition.”

“God, no.” I collapse to my knees, my hands the only things keeping me from completely falling against the deck.

Margaret rushes forward to help me catch my fall and wraps her arms around me.

Jamie and Liam are silent as they jump into action to get us back to the shore.

Margaret squeezes my shoulder, trying in vain to reassure me.

“We’ll get to her as quickly as we can. We have to believe she’s going to be okay.”

I can’t respond. I just sit and stare at the horizon. Then, I put my head in my hands and weep. I don’t care who sees me. Instead of the usual prayer I say when we dock, I pray Maddie will be spared. Please, just let her live.

And then the bargaining begins. I’ll do anything. Make any promise to anyone. Give up everything I have.

All the same—just like I bargained for Adeline.

The hospital’s fluorescent lights are too bright, buzzing overhead as I push through the doors to Maddie’s wing of the hospital. Wes called me on the way in and assured me she was alive, but I had to see it for myself. The sharp scent of antiseptic floods my senses—I feel numb.

I find Hannah sitting near the reception desk, her eyes swollen with tears and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She’s staring straight ahead, slouched in her chair. I approach her. She glances up and straightens, her expression a mixture of relief and worry.

“Room?”

“Two-oh-four,” she answers quickly. “She’s stable. It was touch and go at first, but she’s going to be okay.” I let out an audible gasp.

“Scott, Maddie didn’t—”

I give her a terse nod and continue down the hallway, my boots thudding against the tile floor. Each step is heavier than the last. The knot in my chest tightens as I imagine what I might find when I open the door.

When I push it open, the sight of Maddie stops me in my tracks.

She’s pale against the white hospital sheets, her damp hair clinging to her forehead.

She’s been wearing an oxygen mask, which has since been removed.

They’re treating her for mild decompression sickness.

She’s small and fragile, nothing like the woman in my bed just this morning, full of determination and fire.

Her eyes flutter open and her lips curve into a weak smile.

“Hello,” she rasps, her voice barely audible.

I stay by the door for a moment, taking her in and reassuring myself she’s alive. It should be enough. But the anger and fear swirling inside me won’t settle down. I step closer, my voice tight and controlled. “You’re okay.” I’m reassuring myself rather than her.

She nods weakly. “I’m fine. Just… shaken up. I—”

“What happened?” My words are clipped as I interrupt her. My tone is harsher than I mean it to be.

Her gaze drops, guilt flickering across her face. “My hair… got caught,” she explains, trembling. “I panicked. Wes helped me. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. On the boat, I couldn’t breathe.”

My heart clenches. I want to wrap her in my arms and comfort her, but the anger is too fierce. I don’t trust myself.

“You could’ve died,” I choke out, the words snapping out before I stop them—the thought of losing her, burying her, crashes over me hard and fast.

“I know,” she whimpers, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry… Please forgive me.”

The weight of her apology settles over us, heavy and suffocating. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. She’s weak. I don’t want to beat her down any further. “You’re alive. That’s what matters right now. Get some rest. You’ll need it.”

Her fingers twitch like she wants to reach for me but, she doesn’t. Clutching the sheet, she opens her mouth to say more. Her eyes stare into mine, pleading.

I cut her off. “Take care of yourself. Focus on that. We’ll talk more about this later.”

Before the storm inside me spills over, I turn and leave the room, ignoring her tiny voice call for me to stay and resisting the urge to turn back.

The late afternoon air is stale as I step outside the hospital and make my way through the parking lot.

I lean against the hood of my truck, replaying the last few minutes.

Her pale face and the guilt in her eyes.

She lied to me. What has she done to us?

She could have died. The thought of her dying today twists something primal inside me.

I close my eyes, exhaling slowly. What do I do now?

Just this morning, I was planning to get on my fucking knees and ask her to marry me.

I’m a fool. Letting her go is the logical thing to do.

I can’t trust her. She’s been sneaking behind my back, trusting that asshole with her life while she makes love to me every night.

I can do the math. I know she did this because I told her no and the fucker said yes.

How could she do that? She’s not the woman I thought she was. I slam my fists down on the hood.

“Damn it!” I let all my anger out on the truck. Before I smash the windows, I get in and start the engine instead.

My boots slam against the weathered planks of the dock. I focus on the man leaning against a piling near his sleek boat. He’s been waiting for me. His arms crossed, his face as infuriating as ever, although he’s not smiling.

I stop a few feet from him, keeping my voice low. “We need to talk.”

Wes pushes off the piling and steps closer. “I figured after you called.” He gestures toward his boat, his tone cautious. “How about we take this onboard? Grab a beer, talk it out like we’re civilized men?”

I don’t move. “This isn’t a friendly chat, Harrington.”

He straightens. “All right. Let’s have it.”

I step closer, inches from his face. “You had no business taking Maddie into the caverns. You know the risks, and you took her anyway. Now she’s hurt. That’s on you.”

His face sinks, but he recovers quickly, crossing his arms. “She came to me. She wants to learn. And guess what? She’s damn good at it. She deserves the respect of letting her make her own choices and know the truth about Nathan’s work. And you made it clear to her you weren’t going to help her.”

“I wasn’t going to risk her life,” I snap, my voice rising enough to draw a few glances from dockhands. Let them look. I don’t give a fuck. “You think dragging her into that hole makes you a hero?” I scoff. “It makes you a reckless asshole who doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself.”

His green eyes flash with anger and defiance. “And you think coddling her is any better? She’s not a porcelain doll. She’s capable, and she made a choice. You’re pissed because you can’t control her.”

My fists clench at my sides, heat rising in my chest. The urge to punch in his face is intense.

“This isn’t about control. It’s about responsibility.

You’re supposed to know better, Wes. You’ve been down there enough times to know how quickly it can all go to hell.

And you let her go. You fucking took her there.

” I move in closer to his face, hoping he feels my spit. “You arrogant piece of shit.”

Wes’s voice becomes lower but charged. He leans in. “You’re right. I do know better. That’s why I stayed with her every step of the way and made sure she didn’t get lost, or worse. I never left her. I was there for her when things got complicated.” His eyes narrow. “Were you?”

His words cut deeper than I want to admit, but I’m not about to let him off the hook.

“Don’t you dare lecture me.” I ball my fists.

“Until you hold the woman you love in your arms and watch her die, you don’t get to do that.

” I’m trembling, a hair’s breadth from killing him. He has the decency to look ashamed.

A gentle lapping of water against the dock and the faint cry of a gull overhead are the only sounds as we stand there.

Wes exhales. “Scott, look. I’m sorry. You care about her, probably more than you’re willing to admit.

And for what it’s worth, we shouldn’t have kept you in the dark.

You’re right about that. I am an asshole.

But she’s not going to stop. She’ll see this through, no matter what you or I tell her.

If that means diving headfirst into hell, she’ll do it. With or without us.”

The truth of his words settles uneasily in my chest. Maddie’s stubborn determination mirrors her brothers in ways that terrify me. “So, what?” My voice is quieter now, but no less pained. “You think letting her risk her life is the best way to help her?”

“I think being there to catch her when she falls is better than leaving her to fail alone.”

I glance past him toward the horizon, where the sun gives way to dusk. The fiery colors are fading fast into muted blues and grays. “She’s not just a project to you, is she?”

Wes’s posture shifts, his usual confidence replaced by vulnerability. “No,” he admits. “She’s not. But I’m not the one she wants. That’s you.”

His eyes stare through me, waiting, daring me to argue. But I can’t. Instead, I meet his gaze.

“If anything like this happens again, and you’re a part of it… you’re dead.”

“Noted.”

I turn on my heel, the planks creaking underfoot as I walk back toward my truck. I’m going to go home and have a whiskey. I’ll try to drown my dreams about our future and instead focus on my job and how I can keep her safe at a distance. There’s no going back.