Page 38 of Possess Me

The voice inside my head was suddenly different, one from years before. Momentarily lost, it took Fallon’s hard push to bring me back to the present.

The surf was rising, water splashed across our legs and coming dangerously close to covering the creature.

I had to rip a portion of the rope but finally managed to create a hole big enough that Fallon was able to slip her arms inside. With tremendous gentleness, she pulled the remainder of the net free, gathering the animal into her arms.

She couldn’t care less she was getting wet, doing everything to shield the baby.

“She’s shivering. Come on, baby. We’ll get you out of here.”

Fuck. When she peered up at me with imploring eyes, I immediately began to unbutton my shirt.

At that point, a collective cheer floated down to us, bystanders clapping our success. I yanked the shirt from my body, immediately wrapping the material around the mound of matted fur. “We need to get out of here. We don’t have much time before high tide. Let me take her.”

“No! I’ve got her.” Just then, the animal lifted her face, peering at me in the same way Fallon had done before.

Well, fuck me. There was no chance I wasn’t saving the dog or the woman.

No one would call me a hero, but I’d be damned if I was going to allow either one to continue hurting.

She managed to get to her feet, holding the ball of fur so tightly I was surprised the pup could breathe. Yet I sensed the animal felt safe, her exhaustion finally allowing her to keep from flailing. With a determined look on her face, Fallon moved toward the rocks, ignoring the almost brutal splash from waves as the water pummeled the rocky shore.

I moved in behind her, pressing both my hands against sharp edges as I protected her body with mine. Together, we climbed the rocky crevice, taking our time. Thank God the dog was satisfied with nuzzling against her neck.

When she almost slipped, the crowd above gasped. I glanced up, noticing there were at least two hotel workers waiting at the top of the path.

Fallon slipped again, her foot completely missing one rock. This time, her body was pitched against me and I teetered on the rock where I was standing, certain the three of us would crash against the rocks below. Somehow, I managed to grab the edge of another, my clasp a death grip.

“Oh!” Her scream grabbed at the man inside and I threw my arm around her, preventing her from slipping away. “Oh, God.” She wrapped one arm around my neck, taking gasping breaths.

For a minute, we hung precariously. I took a deep breath, finally throwing my other hand against the rock, managing to tighten my grasp. Fuck me.

“Oh…” she moaned. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. We’re almost there. Don’t look down. Keep going.”

“I’m terrified of heights.” Her teeth were chattering.

Now wasn’t the perfect time to remember that. “You got this and I’ve got you.”

“O-kay.” She pulled herself up, even managing to press a kiss on the dog’s head. I realized as we neared the top, even with all the time spent in the gym, I was getting too old for Indiana Jones-style adventures.

As soon as we were within a foot of the top, the employees reached out. As expected, she wasn’t releasing the dog to anyone. The men grabbed her arms, pulling her free.

I took a quick look down to the rocks. Another three minutes and we couldn’t have saved the dog. Shit. This wasn’t what I had planned for today.

Hands reached out to me, but I pushed myself up, hoisting my body over the final edge.

The moment she was safely topside, another cheer erupted, this time even louder than before. I took a final step, hoisting myself up and immediately bending over, pressing my hands on my trousers so I could catch my breath.

A towel was thrown in my direction, but I immediately wrapped it around her shoulders.

“How is she?” I noticed both Fallon and a few of the guests were staring at my back. Reaching behind, I realized my shirt had bunched up and behind my weapon. While neither she nor anyone else made mention of it, I’d caught the quick look of fear in her eyes.

She’d pegged me a bad guy. She was right, but not necessarily for the reasons she believed.

“I don’t know. Her fur is matted. She’s so skinny. Does anyone recognize this baby?” She asked the question loudly.

One of the employees shook his head. “A stray.”