I don’t believe Coral would intentionally leave us, but as hard as that is to imagine, it’s the less-painful option. The truth is, we’re most likely searching for a dead body now. But on the off chance that Coral is still alive out there somewhere, hurt or trapped, I have to keep looking for her. I won’t be able to live with myself if something happens to her and I find out I could’ve prevented it.
“As the captain of this ship, I’m responsible for my crew, and Coral is part of the team. If anything happens to one of you, I’m the one to blame. Do what you want, Liam, but I can’t give up on her yet.”
Liam swallows hard and nods, reaching for his own dive gear. The others have joined us on the deck, and they silently slip on their tanks, as well.
“Let’s switch it up from last time. I’ll take this quadrant. Liam, you take the one next to me, then Jude, then Avery.” I divide up the area around the boat with my hands, indicating where each of us should swim.
One by one, we drop into the water and head out into our sections, scanning back and forth in widening lines as we get farther from the boat. My flashlight cuts through the dark water, illuminating the murkiness around me. Even the strongest lights can only shine so far, though, and every direction I turn is nothing but endless ocean. I could spend the rest of my life searching these waters and still only cover a tiny section.
The underwater world is quiet, peaceful, the water dulling my senses, but all that does is let me worry without distractions. Every once in a while, my flashlight will reveal a fish or a drifting piece of seaweed, but otherwise, I feel totally alone. I know Coral is used to this realm; to her this is home, not a menacing, foreign world. I can’t help but smile as I remember watching her frolic in the water when she first dived in. It was obvious she was thrilled to be back in the sea. But the thought of her out here all by herself, unprotected, possibly trapped or injured, has my chest aching with every breath.
What happened to her? After she played a bit, she started swimming straight and steady in a southeasterly direction, but then she stopped suddenly. When she started swimming again, it was the other way, and fast as a torpedo. I tried to keep up with her, but she made several direction changes before she swam out of range of her tracking device then disappeared completely.
I should’ve known something was wrong right then. I should’ve realized her behavior was abnormal. To be honest, it looked as if she was trying to lose us, but I couldn’t bring myself to suspect that, so I tried to blow it off as nothing. She was probably just chasing a fish she wanted and forgot to stay in range. Now I wonder if she was the one being chased. Was there a predator after her? I can’t stomach the thought of her being attacked, so I try to force the thought from my mind, but once it’s planted there, it’s all I can think about — Coral’s body bloody and torn to shreds.
I blink rapidly as hot tears sting my eyes before mingling with the salt water. When was the last time I cried? When my parents died? I let them flow freely since the ocean washes them away and no one is here to see. It’s a much-needed relief for the emotions I’ve been trying to suppress.
I told Liam she was my responsibility. It’s a good excuse, but I know there’s much more to it than that. The truth is, I love her, and I can’t stand the thought of losing her. When did I fall for her?
Was it the day she helped convince my sister to give me a chance, even though Bella was rude and spiteful to her? My heart swelled to twice its size that day at Coral’s selflessness. Maybe it was the day she said she wanted more from me than just a protector, her eyes brimming with hope and desire. No, if I’m being honest with myself, my love for her first planted itself in my heart the day I met her, when I saw her lying in the sand, weak and injured, after rescuing me and my crew. That tiny, little mermaid saved us, and she stuck by our sides ever since, saving us again and again. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.
I double my efforts, swimming harder and faster, trying to cover more ground, straining my eyes to see into the water around me. I swim till my arms and legs start cramping and my muscles scream at me to stop. But no matter hard I push myself, I still can’t find her.
An hour later, my tank is almost empty, and my body is exhausted from hours and hours of fighting the waves. I have no choice but to head back to the boat. The others are already there, waiting for me.
“We’ll look again in the morning, Gio. We won’t stop till we find her.” Avery takes my tank from me and puts a hand on my shoulder.
I push past him before he notices the redness in my eyes and dump my gear then head to my bedroom where I resist the urge to sob. I can’t stop the tears from falling, though. I let them soak my pillow as I fall asleep.
For days, we troll the waters around the island, searching for Coral. We even explore the island itself, in case she managed to wash up ashore. But there’s no sign of her. Finally, on the fourth day, I make myself say the words out loud that everyone is thinking.
We’re sitting at the table, forcing ourselves to eat even though none of us has any appetite, only because we know we need the strength to keep diving.
“It’s time, guys. We’ve done all we can. We have to face the facts, Coral’s not coming back. We can’t keep searching the same patch of water over and over again, hoping she’ll turn up. We all have things we need to do back home. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.” The dose of reality is just as much for me as it is for them.
My words are met with silent acceptance. One by one, the guys head for their berths, each stopping to stare at the ocean for a minute, casting prayers out into the water, maybe, or just saying their goodbyes.
I notice a ship a ways out from us, just a few small lights off in the distance. It’s another sign that it’s time to move on. I go to bed, but I lay there for hours, unable to fall asleep, knowing in the morning I have to say my own goodbye. Eventually, I head back up to the deck and stretch out on a bench, hoping maybe I’ll hear Coral splashing in the water, calling for me to help her.
In the morning, the sun has barely peeked over the horizon when strange sounds wake me. I growl in irritation.
My eyes pop open, and I leap from my makeshift bed as footsteps pound on the deck beside me. I stare in shock at three faces I never thought I’d see again — Captain James Hendricks and his crew mates, Sam and Roy.
“What the hell are you doing on my boat?” I bellow, glancing back and forth between the three of them. I tense when I see their guns.
“Treasure hunting, same as you, but we got our sights on something better than gold.” James quirks one bushy, gray eyebrow in a menacing smile. He moves towards the cabin, eyes on the door, while Sam and Roy take up positions on opposite sides of the deck, their weapons trained on me.
“Yeah, where’s your top-secret, special treasure hunter?” Roy leers at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I try to stall them as my eyes flick around the deck, looking for some kind of weapon. I have a couple knives in the bench opposite me and a gun in the wheelhouse, but nothing within reach.
“We don’t have time to waste playing games with you, Gio. Now, tell us where the mermaid is, and nobody has to get hurt.” James waves his gun at me, emphasizing my obvious lack of defense.
My eyes bulge at his casual use of the word. How does he know? Coral never showed her tail, even when she mesmerized them with her song. I force out a laugh.
“Mermaid? It’s kind of early to be drinking, isn’t it? How much have you had?”
Sam sneers and stalks closer, holding his gun sideways like a punk on a TV show. “Don’t play stupid. We know all about your mythical, little friend and her special talents. She’s quite something, isn’t she? It wasn’t nothing to catch her, finding her cornered in the shipwreck like that. And sending her out to find treasure is like telling a dog to fetch. All it took was a couple days with no food and water and a few threats, and she was willing to do whatever we wanted.”
“You had Coral?” I gawk in disbelief
.
“Yeah, and we’d still have her if it wasn’t for that other merman sneaking up out of nowhere.”
Relief floods my veins, and my heart beats normally for the first time in days, even held at gunpoint by three rogue pirates. If Coral was captured, that means she wasn’t injured or attacked by a predator like I feared. She might still be alive. Suddenly, his second statement hits me.
“There was a merman?”
Roy rolls his eyes at me. “Don’t play dumb, Gio, you look stupid enough as it is. I’m sure she came running back to you and told you all this as soon as she swam off.”
The pain hits me then as the realization sinks in. Coral escaped with the help of a merman, but she didn’t come back here. Coral left us on purpose. I stagger under the weight of it, my second-worst fear confirmed.
No, I can’t accept that. Coral wouldn’t do that. She left that world behind when she decided to come with us. And she was happy with us. She wouldn’t have left us without telling us. I have to believe that. I scramble for an explanation that will help me make sense of it.
“Look, you’re right. Coral is a mermaid, and she’s been helping us find the treasure. But she’s not here. We don’t know where she’s at. She’s been missing for days. When did you last see her? Where were you?”
Sam frowns at me, debating whether to believe me or not. The way James and Roy are leering at me, I’m guessing they don’t. “She got free yesterday morning, about a mile east of here.”
His words stab me again. She would’ve seen our boat from a mile out if she’d surfaced. If she wanted to find us, that’s the first thing she would’ve done.
“Enough talking! Sam, watch Gio while Roy and I go search the cabins.” James waves his gun arm towards the door.
Sam takes a step closer, his gun trained on me, as his partners slip through the cabin door. Of the three, Sam is the youngest and most likely the strongest, which is probably why James had him cover me, but he’s still no match for me.
Anger boils up in me, an acceptable substitute for the rejection and despair I’m trying my best to deny. They won’t find Coral, and who knows what they’ll do when they realize she’s not here. But even if they leave peacefully, they’ve still proven themselves to be corrupt and ruthless, heartless mercenaries who deserve to die.
I fly at Sam, not caring that I’m armed with only my fists and a fathomless rage. He’s not expecting my attack which gives me the tiniest edge. I’m on him before he has a chance to pull the trigger, hurtling us both to the ground.
The gun falls from his hand and clatters to the deck, but I don’t care about it. Aiming a gun at his face won’t do anything to ease the fury pulsing through my body. Instead, I pummel his head and neck with my fists, feeling a release with each blow.
His body is pinned under mine, but his hand flails freely, scrabbling on the deck as he searches for the gun. When he gets close to it, I grab it by the muzzle and raise it up. I only pause for a second before I slam down my hand, pounding the gun against his skull. He howls in pain, and I match his volume with my own growl as I club him again. Bone crunches under the blow, and blood sprays me. When his eyes roll back in his head and his body goes slack, I flip the gun around till my finger is on the trigger. I shove the muzzle up to his head, my hand shaking.
My body still heaves with adrenaline, but my rage simmers down some as I stare at him and contemplate, breathing heavily. He’s no longer a threat. If I put a bullet in his head, the others will instantly know that the game has changed. I’ll lose the element of surprise.
Instead, I jump to my feet and grab a rope then hogtie him to the railing. Once he’s immobilized, I slip through the door to the cabin with the gun at the ready, intent on disarming the other two.
I expect to see one of them in the hallway, keeping watch, and sure enough, Roy is standing with his back to me. He starts to turn, but I shove the gun against the back of his head and slap a hand over his mouth before he even sees who it is.
He makes a startled noise, but not loud enough for the others to hear him, so I clamp my hand harder against his face. I put my lips to his ear and whisper, my breath hot against his skin. “One sound, and I put a bullet in your brain, understand? I want you to hold your gun up where I can see it.”
Roy raises his shaky right hand. I grab the gun and quickly shove it into his back. “Walk forward,” I say, nudging him with the muzzle.
He takes a few steps down the hallway, his eyes flicking back and forth from room to room.
I take a quick peek in the first cabin, but as I suspected, it’s already been cleared. The second one is empty, too. Down the hall I tread, stepping as light as my lumbering hulk of a body can, the guns braced against Roy’s fleshy back. I can’t hear my footsteps over my pounding heart and ragged breathing. My hands twitch, eager to pull the trigger. I have to stop myself from instantly reacting when I see movement in front of me.
It’s Liam, coming out of his cabin several rooms ahead of me. His eyes widen, and he flinches, but thankfully he keeps his mouth shut. I motion him towards me with a nod of my head. I turn Roy into the cabin next to me and hand Liam one of the guns.
“Sam is tied up on deck. Watch Roy so I can search for James,” I whisper.
Liam nods and maneuvers Roy so he can guard him and watch the hall at the same time. Roy is a lot bigger than Liam, but a gun has a way of leveling the playing field. I have no idea if Liam has ever used a weapon before, but he’s smart enough to figure it out, so I’m not worried about him.
I slip down the hall, stopping before each room and peeking around the doorframe, thankful that the rooms are small enough to clear with one glance. I’m happy with my progress until Jude swings open his door right as I walk by. I guess I can’t blame him for yelping at the sight of me scowling with rage, especially since I’m clutching a gun in my hand and pointing it at him. Unfortunately, his voice sets off a domino effect, and everything goes into fast forward.
James steps out of a doorway, gun first, and sees me and Jude. The bastard doesn’t think twice before he fires a shot at me, taking this up a notch. I dive into the room, shoving Jude back in as well, as the bullet hits the wall behind me with a thwack. Liam glances out into the hall at the noise, distracted just long enough for Roy to fling himself around and attack him.
I don’t have time to worry about Liam, though. He’s going to have to take care of himself. I know James will be heading this way, unless he’s a coward who decided to hide instead, but I doubt that.
I’m hyped up on adrenaline and a desire to blow someone’s head off, so I take a risk and jump out of the room firing, hoping to hit him or at least give myself the advantage. I miss James, but Avery chooses that moment to come out into the hall. My bullet slams into his shoulder, sending the pretty boy tumbling in a spray of blond hair and spurting blood. Shit!
James takes advantage of my shock and fires towards me again, just barely missing me this time, so I shoot back. My aim is better than his was. The old man drops instantly when the bullet slams into his chest. Blood starts pooling around him, and I’m pretty sure he’s dead. The realization that I just killed a man slams into me almost as hard as a bullet, but I can’t stop to deal with it yet. The fight’s not over.
I whirl around and see Roy and Liam tussling behind me. It doesn’t take long before Roy yanks the gun from Liam. But before he has a chance to shoot, Jude hurls himself down the hall towards him like a goddamned kamikaze. He’s fast, but not as fast as a bullet, so before Roy can swing his gun towards Jude, I aim a bullet at Roy’s head and pull the trigger. Roy slumps to the ground, dead on impact, my second kill in less than a minute.
Chapter 3
Coral
I wake up groggy and disoriented, strong arms holding me to a firm chest. Gio!
Excitement rolls through me, and I force my heavy eyelids open, but the sight before me makes no sense. I blink, trying to clear my vision, and lift a limp hand to rub my eyes. Suddenly, my memory comes rushi
ng back.
I’m not with Gio. I’m with Llyr, a merman I’ve just met, in a shoal I’ve never even heard of, let alone visited. The shoal where my mother lives. Or, at least, I think that’s who it is.
“Coral, are you okay? We were just talking, and you passed out.”
I nod my head and try to sit up, pressing my hand against his bare chest. He’s kneeling on the deck, cradling me in his arms, his handsome face soft with concern.
“I’m sorry, it was just… a shock.”
“What was?” He pinches his eyebrows.
I stare into his bright, blue eyes, seeing nothing but sympathy and altruism, and I can’t think of a reason not to tell him. “That woman you mentioned — Pearl? I think she might be my mother.”
Llyr’s eyes widen with a million unanswered questions.
“My mother ran away to the land, and I haven’t seen her since. Her name is Pearl.”
Llyr nods, his eyes still wide. “Do you want to go meet her?”
My first instinct is to say yes; I’ve dreamed of meeting my mother since I was old enough to realize she was missing. But my heart starts racing and tremors shake my body at the thought of it.
She didn’t love me enough to fight for me when I was a baby, and she’s made no effort to be part of my life since then. How will she act if I confront her? I was rejected by her once. Could I stand it if she did it again? What do I even want from her?
I don’t realize I’m shaking until Llyr soothes a hand down my face and murmurs into my hair. “Shh, shh. It’s okay, Coral. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
I suck in rattly breaths, my chest heaving as I try to calm myself.
“I take it you two don’t have a great relationship?” He quirks his lip in a small smile.
“We don’t have any relationship. She left me and never looked back,” I mutter and dip my head.
The Mermaid's Return_A Reverse Harem Romance Page 2
