Page 64 of Nowhere to Hide

Atear slipped down her temple as her lids lowered, as she went back under.

Hell.

“C’mon, Cil.”

Her hand dropped away from me.

Was she okay? Just back to sleep?

I flipped the sheets away and checked her wound. The bandage was intact with just a little curling at the edges from the shower and her thrashing. I knelt on the bed, gathering her against me on her good side.

She rolled into me, her cheek going straight to my chest.

To the scars that never quite healed.

The tightness and phantom pain made me still. But her fingers clutched at my neck, at my side as she burrowed into me. Into my warmth. Her skin was cool.She’d swapped the dress for a tank that was stretched and tissue thin.

I averted my eyes andbit back a groan as I settled against the headboard.

Her whimpers subsided and herbreath evened as her arm wound around me. She shifted until she half covered me.

My muscles locked and I slowly blew out a breath until I could relax. I hadn’t touched anyone in so damn long. I closed my eyes and her coconut scent rolled over me. My fingers sifted through the choppy strands of silk. They’d hacked away at her hair either from the docks or the hospital, I wasn’t quite sure. But it was so damn soft and made me want to tangle deeper.

Not for you.

Never for you.

But then she lifted her face to look at me. Her eyes still not quite aware before her sooty lashes fluttered closed and she buried her face in my neck.

I sat up like that for a damn long time.

The lulling lap of waters against the hull pulled me under.

Into the blood and the bone.

Her pinned down.

Milligan bleeding out.

Both of them, side by side. Milligan’s pleading eyes stared up at me. “Where were you?”

“I’m sorry, Mills. I’m sorry.” My voice was little more than gravel. “I couldn’t get there fast enough.”

Milligan’s storm gray eyes went hard as flint. “She needed me. You understand now, don’t you?”

I shook my head.

Milligan looked at Priscilla, the gash in his neck flooding with blood. “She needs you. You’ll understand.”

Then suddenly I was too far away. I tried to get to both of them, but my boat kept slipping farther and farther away from the docks. The mist rolled over the water to obscure their bodies.

Her screams echoing off the water.

I had to get to them both.

How was I supposed to save them?

I woke with a start, my heart thundering in my ears.