Page 115 of Storm and Tempest

She’d been out there, exposed to the elements for that long. No food and limited water to drink.

He’d nearly strangled Buzard with his bare hands, but that would have taken a few moments he hadn’t been willing to sacrifice.

Bear glanced down at the screen in his hands, then yelled, “Keep it straight! We should be seeing it in a second.”

Jax’s eyes burned until he had to blink from staring so hard at the horizon, trying to find the spot indicated on Bear’s GPS. Transmitted to him by Maizie.

He hadn’t been surprised she wanted to know if he forgave her. Their relationship might be vulnerable for many years to come as they navigated resolving conflict, but he wasn’t worried that they’d figure it out. First lesson: trust. Which didn’t surprise him given that’s what he had been learning from the Lord.

He spotted it and pointed. “There!”

The buoy was tiny. He gripped the steering handle and kept the military-style inflatable gliding across the water, jumping waves.

Apparently, the whole helicopter-on-approach thing had been a ruse, since they’d known it would be shot down. It had been unmanned and controlled remotely.

Bear and his friends had then approached the platform using underwater single-person submarines, retired equipment they’d bought from the US Navy. They’d come up underneath it in diving masks and snuck on board from there, quickly subduing the skeleton staff remaining.

There was a sense of satisfaction in saving Kenna using aDominatusboat.

Jax prayed for Bruce as he approached the buoy. That the guy would recover quickly. Jax thanked God that they’d found him before Buzard and his men did their sick surgery. Taking what Bruce had never agreed to give.

Then he prayed for Amara, wherever she was—whatever she was doing. Hopefully, she’d be able to aid them in convincing their enemy that the platform had remained inDominatus’hands after MSI took control of it.

Because once he had Kenna back, he wasn’t going to be thinking of anything else.

Eventually she’d want to spend time with her mother. Jax would deal when the time came, but he wasn’t sure he would ever fully trust Amara.

“Okay, slow it down,” Bear ordered.

Jax didn’t want to, but he followed Bear’s advice and came up to the buoy without jostling it, scanning the surface for her. The buoy had a platform chained to the back. Jax circled the boat slowly around the bobbing flotation blinking with a yellow light on it. Transmitting data back to the platform.

“Kenna!”

She lay facing away from him, curled up on the flat boards undulating with the surface of the water.

Bear grabbed the handle and took control of the boat. “Go. I’ve got this.”

Jax scrambled over to her, ignoring the heavy feeling in his shoulder. So far, he hadn’t felt the effect of the drugs wearing off. In fact, he felt pretty good. Which was a serious problem considering Buzard had dosed him with…whatever that had been. So soon after surgery, he should still be laid up. He certainly shouldn’t feel as if he was back to full strength and using his arm.

He steadied his weight on the platform, barely six by six if that. A prison cell with no walls, floating out here in the middle of the freezing ocean. He would’ve been terrified left out here all alone, wondering at any minute if he was going to be eaten by an Orca.

“Kenna.” He rolled her to her back, wondering for a split second that his hopes would be dashed and it wasn’t going to be her.

She flopped to her back, her face pale. Lips chapped. Her skin sunk into her eyes and cheekbones. Her skin cold.

Tears rolled down his face. “Kenna.”

He had to do it.Just do it.Jax pressed two fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse.

Bear called over, “Is she alive?”

The question thrummed through him, a hollow echo of defeat that resonated in his bones. And then he felt it. “Faint. It’s there, but it’s faint.” He glanced at Bear. “She’s alive, but she needs medical attention.Now.”

“I see them!” Bear lifted a hand and pointed at the sky. The call he’d made as soon as they found the location and were able to ask for help.

A coast guard helicopter—with an orange nose, and orange striped with white down the body—approached them, still a minute or so away.

Jax leaned over his wife, protecting her even though he was freezing and soaked by the spray of the sea. “Kenna.” He touched her face. “Don’t let go. Hang on. You’re almost home.”