He reached down further, but couldn’t find anyone else to grab hold of. He swam to the top, praying the entire time. As he made it to the surface he heard another body hit the water, but he didn’t care, he was blinking as fast as he could to clear his eyes, and then he heard her cough and he knew.
He started to cough too, as he kicked towards the boat. He kept them close to the water’s surface. Were they still fighting onboard? He didn’t want a bullet to hit her. He wrapped his arm around the ladder and worked to untie the sodden sweater and bra off her arms. She was still a coughing mess when she hugged him. She couldn’t say anything, she just coughed, but he understood her anyway.
“Seth, give her to me.”
He looked up and Max was three rungs above them on the ladder. “It’s safe to come back aboard.” Seth pushed Annie gently upwards into Max’s waiting arms. He looked over his shoulder and saw red again, but it was Brice’s hair as he came up for air. He gulped, and then went under again. Seth watched him repeat the process five more times before two life rings were thrown to them from above. He looked up. It was members of the coast guard.
Seth watched as a man in a wetsuit went into the murky ocean depths to look for Portia. He climbed up the ladder, Brice behind him.
****
“Where’s Portia? Where’s my baby?” Tomas sobbed uncontrollably. Two DEA agents were restraining him at the rail since he already attempted to jump.
Labado lay splayed on the deck, an ugly dark stain of life’s blood covered his groin. As Leslie Gordon tried to stem the flood, Nate couldn’t hide his pleasure. It happened so fast, Nate saw the opportunity and took it, with his one shot to the groin he ensured the motherfucker would never touch another woman. Watching as he stood over the duo like a sentinel, Seth picked up on Nate’s satisfaction as he watched Labado take his final breaths. He must have felt Seth’s eyes on him, because he looked up, and they nodded in perfect accord.
Sierra took Annie below deck for dry clothes. He’d wanted her to stay there, but instead she was in his arms. Who was he kidding, this is really where he wanted her.
A scream pierced the air, and Seth looked and saw Portia’s body as it was pulled over the side of the boat, Tomas’s screams rending the night air. As soon as she had tried to kill Annie, she signed her death warrant as far as Seth was concerned.
Vargas Jr., Vargas Sr., and Soto were sitting against the side of the boat, with their hands handcuffed behind them.
Labado must have died, because Leslie was attempting to stand.
“Stay there,” Nate said.
“You can’t leave me like this. I have to change, I can’t stand the stench.”
Nate nudged her with his oversized foot. “Lady, I couldn’t stand your stink before Magda spewed on you. I love the idea of you staying covered in puke for the next fifty years.”
Isaacson walked over to Seth. “We finally pinpointed the leaks in your office, and arrested them.”
He knew he should care, and maybe he would later. Right now he only cared about Annie. He was going to have flashbacks of her going over the side of the boat forever. She would be lucky to ever leave his side again.
“Seth, even getting rid of the leaks, you might want to think about laying low for the next year or so. Even from prison, Vargas and Soto have reach, leaving the country might not hurt.”
Annie gripped him even tighter.
“Lee, all I care about right now is getting off this boat and on a plane to LA.” As if by magic, Max was suddenly by his side.
“We need to get to the airport, Seth. The plane is ready.” Lee looked at Max in confusion.
“Who are you?”
“Nobody you need to know.” Behind Max were Brice and Sierra.
“Where’s Nate?” Annie asked.
“He’s taking care of the trash,” Sierra said. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-One
If it weren’t for the fact Annie was trembling so hard and needed him so desperately, Seth didn’t know if he could have stayed upright. Brice was in front of him, holding the glass door of the Newport Beach apartment complex lobby. Sierra darted ahead and pressed the button for the elevator. They only needed to go up to the eleventh floor, surely it would be faster to take the stairs than this interminable waiting?
Finally the elevator stopped and Annie darted off like a shot down the hall.
“Annie, wait, we need to make sure it’s safe.” He was talking to the wind. He saw his grandmother stepping out of the apartment into the hallway holding his daughter. He was beside Annie in an instant, looking down at the most beautiful being he had ever seen in his life.
Shilah carefully transferred Nell into Annie’s arms.
“I have you, baby girl. Mommy has you.” Over and over again. It was a long litany of reassurances. Annie crooned and cajoled. Letting Nell know her mother was with her and she could come back. Seth had been prepared for the heartbreak, but it wasn’t there. There was nothing but joy on Annie’s face at being able to hold her little girl. She rocked her daughter as she walked through the door into the apartment, down the hallway and the nursery. She turned and sat in the oversized chair, and then grinned at Seth. He bottlenecked everyone at the door of the nursery.
“Come sit beside me, and hold your daughter.” His feet wouldn’t move. .
“Go sit beside Annie.” His grandmother said at the same time she shoved him towards his family, her face wet with tears.
“Grandmother,” he began.
“Go,” she commanded.
He looked at the people crowded behind the older woman. She glared at the throng and shooed them back. Seth made his way towards Nell and Annie and heard the door shut behind him.
“Come sit here.” Annie patted the seat next to her, but he had different plans. He plucked her up and settled both of them on his lap, right where they belonged.
Nell wore a soft lavender T-Shirt, diaper and little lavender booties. He was fascinated by her little hands. His thumb was bigger than her entire hand. He couldn’t stop touching and stroking. Annie showed him what normally made Nell giggle, and where she liked to be tickled.
“Right here, and if you blow a raspberry right here…” Annie pointed to a spot under the baby’s arm. “She shrieks with laughter.”
“She has your birthmark.”
Seth stroked the subtle brown mark to the left of her belly button. “I wish I could see her eyes.”
“You will soon. Can’t you feel her energy?” It’s picked up a lot from when we first sat down. You need to guide her home and she’ll be with us.” Seth gave Annie a considering look.
“It’s not a found thing, it’s a momma thing. We know our children. She’s coming back to us.” Annie rolled her eyes, and then put his hands over Nell’s head and heart.
“Just relax. I know you’ve been worried you can’t do this. But you already have been. You’ve been succeeding since yesterday in Miami. Now go wake your daughter.”
He liked how Annie had positioned him, it kept his arms around her, and their daughter. He rested his lips against Annie’s temple, and felt the rapid pace of Nell’s baby heart. Annie swayed just a little, same way as when she first started holding Nell. Something to offer security and comfort. It helped him as well. Finally Annie slowed, and he felt her fall asleep. He caught her up in another set of arms, careful not to wake her in either reality.
He walked for a long time until he could see the glow in the distance. Closer and closer, until he found Nell in a much, much smaller sphere, hovering just over a small bed of flowers. She was sleeping, but this time she didn’t look content. It looked like she was beginning to have a nightmare. He watched as her little body began to turn and squirm. Her face scrunched up. She kicked out, and her mouth opened. Seth assumed she let out a cry, but he couldn’t hear anything.
“Seth, let me down. Now Seth. Now.”
He settled Annie onto the ground beside him, and she knelt next to the bubble. Once again, like she had
the last time, she worked with nails and teeth, trying to get into the bubble. Her frantic efforts seemed to upset Nell more. Again and again, the little girl opened her mouth and let out silent scream after silent scream.
“Enough.” Nell’s eyes popped wide open with shock, she saw her mother and him for the first time. Annie collapsed over the sphere, looking at her daughter.
Seth realized Nell must have heard him. They were making progress. It was wonderful seeing her beautiful green eyes again.
“Nell, who is that?” He pointed at Annie. Nell’s mouth moved, and she clearly said Mama. He pointed at himself. She clearly said Dada.
“Do you want to come out and play with Mama and Dada?” Tear stained eyes shimmered up at him, in a face far too solemn for such a small child. She nodded.
“Then all you have to do, is point your finger. Can you point your finger?” He showed her. She pointed her tiny little baby finger.
“Now, I need you to pop the bubble. We’ll do it at the same time okay? You do it from the inside, and I’ll do it from the outside, okay?” She nodded.
“One,” he started to push his finger towards the bubble, and she started moving hers to the same spot.
“Two,” he got closer, and so did she.
“Three.” He touched his side, and she pushed through from her side and the bubble burst open, and he caught her before she fell into the bed of flowers.
“I’ve got you sweetheart.”
****
Seth’s lips were on her temple, and then she turned her head and tilted so she could get a real kiss. She would only have a quick moment, and she needed this kiss. His tongue swept along her bottom lip, seeking entry, the slow glide made her toes curl and her tummy clench with need. She slowly parted, wanting the seduction to continue, and he didn’t disappoint. Back and forth he sipped and wooed.
“Mama.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Dada.”
Laughter started.
“Kissing.”
“Mommy missed you, my baby girl.”
“It’s so very good to meet you, my daughter.” Two identical faces stared at one another.
“Hungy.”
Epilogue
“Dinner’s ready, agapi mou. Did you wear sunscreen at the dig?” Seth frowned at Annie, she looked a little sunburned.
“Mommy’s in trouble.”
“Watch it, Nelly.” His daughter immediately frowned at him.
“Mama touble.”
“Watch it, Jeffy.”
“Nell, he doesn’t have to watch it, he’s only one year old, and he learned it from you. Got it?”
“Vai.” He gave his eldest a considering look and decided she wasn’t being a smartass, she was just agreeing with him in Greek.
“The food looks amazing.” His pregnant wife looked amazing.
“Well I might have cooked, but Nell did most of the translating at the market. I’m still learning the language.” He dipped some bread in oil and fed it to Annie, watching her bite and swallow was arousing, despite the fact there was a three year old and a one and a half year old at the kitchen table.
“And another one on the way, don’t forget.” He looked over at his daughter and felt his cheeks burning. At least she didn’t understand what he meant by arousal. It was no fair Annie had some kind of natural barriers, she said it was a “mom” thing.
“Nell, it’s not nice to read minds at the dinner table. If you do it again, you’ll have to go to your room,” Annie’s voice was firm. But the wench had taken off one of her sandals and slid her foot up his calf.
“But, Mama.”
“Eat your dinner. I thought you were working on building better barriers.”
Her foot was sliding higher, he was never going to make it through dinner. Max better get here soon to teach him how to do this damn barrier thing.
“Uncle Max is coming?”
“Screw it!” Seth stood, he picked up Jeff and put him, some cheerios, and a bottle into the playpen in the living room. Then he handed the TV remote to Nell.
“Watch the kids TV station. No reading minds for the next half hour. Then we’ll take you out for ice cream.”
He lifted Annie into his arms and took her down the hall.
The End
Thank you for purchasing an e-copy of this book. I hope you enjoyed it.
You now have the opportunity to win a pair of diamond earrings, and all you have to do to enter is take the Forsaken Trivia Quiz at the link provided below.
Good Luck!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7HZ82ZV
Biography
Caitlyn O’Leary was raised in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. She has always been an avid reader. Her earliest creative writing endeavors consisted of “ghost writing” exercises where she pretended to be her younger brothers and sister when she did their homework assignments.
Years in corporate America honed her ability to manipulate words by day and at night she read everything she could get her hands on, including many steamy romances.
Now happily married to her long, tall Texan and living in Southern California, Caitlyn has finally found the time to write erotic happily ever afters. She enjoys swimming, traveling, babysitting for her nieces and nephews, spending time with friends and family, and doing lots of “research” with her husband for upcoming novels.
Keep up with Caitlyn O’Leary:
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nuhvey2
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CaitlynOLearyNA
Pinterest: http://tinyurl.com/q36uohc
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/nqy66h7
Website: http://www.caitlynoleary.com
Email: [email protected]
Books by Caitlyn O’Leary
The Found Series
Revealed, Book One
Forsaken, Book Two
Healed, Book Three (Coming Soon)
Fate Harbor Series Published by Siren/Bookstrand
Trusting Chance, Book One
Protecting Olivia, Book Two
Claiming Kara, Book Three
Isabella’s Submission, Book Four
Cherishing Brianna, Book Five
Excerpt from Healed, The Found, Book Three
By Caitlyn O’Leary
Chapter One
“What the hell do you mean she’s gone?” Nate pressed Kota against the wall of the parking garage at the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.
“She booked three flights this morning. I was here confirming what Sierra found out.”
“Which is?”
“Sarah hopped flight 760 to Atlanta at six am.”
“Did you confirm it?”
“I got two valid I.D.’s confirming what we saw on the video.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you need to go that far? Call her family, they have to know where she is in Atlanta.”
“That’s the problem. She didn’t get off the plane in Atlanta.”
“Fine, she got off at the layover.”
“It was a direct flight.”
“Sierra must have fucked up. She had to be on the video getting off the plane.”
“We had Cyrus look at the video too.” Nate’s arm tightened against Kota’s throat.
“Cut a brother some slack,” Kota gasped. Nate looked at his friend, whose normally bronze skin was turning a lovely shade of purple. Releasing him, Kota slumped against the wall.
“Fuck. Would you please quit with the crazy?”
He’d like to, he’d really like to, but where the hell was Sarah? “I’m going to Atlanta.” He grabbed his duffle, and turned towards the terminal.
“I’m telling you, she wasn’t on the plane.”
“And I’m telling you, you’re all forgetting Occam’s razor. You’re looking for a complicated answer to a simple problem. She disguised herself while on the plane and you missed her when she deplaned.”
“Fuck you, Nathan Goodman, we looked, even her brother Cyrus looked.” Ko
ta no longer looked injured, just pissed.
“She’s one of the found. She has special abilities. You forget they are beginning to take on one another’s abilities. Seth can blend into any situation. She disguised herself and blended in with the other passengers. It’s simple. She’s in Atlanta. Those fuckers at Rixitron are still gunning for her, and she’s out of her mind for leaving the safety of the apartments. I’m going to set her ass straight.”
Nate’s eye twitched and his palm itched as he strode through the same doors he just exited. He booked a flight taking off in less than two hours. He was surprised Kota hadn’t followed him, his naval buddy usually stuck with him when he went on one of his wild rides.
Just as he passed through security, his phone rang.
“Nate. I agree with you. She’s in Atlanta.” A little bit of the tension left his shoulders when he heard his commander’s voice. He worked with Noah Kukailimoku in the Navy for over six years. He trusted him like no one else.
“Finally, someone with some sense. Why didn’t you say so sooner?” There was a long pause.
“We were at the hospital, Kali was having Braxton Hicks labor pains.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry.” Why the hell wasn’t Sarah by Kali’s side? Sarah was a doctor and a healer. She should be with Kali if she was going into labor. None of this made any sense whatsoever. When he said as much, he was surprised by Noah’s reaction.
“Sarah’s already been through this false labor with us three times. What’s more her specialty is pediatrics.”
“All the more reason for her to be there, you’re having children.” Nate emphasized the last word, since his friends were having twins.
Forsaken (The Found Book 2) Page 21
