Falling in Deep Collection Box Set

by Pauline Creeden

  “Nothing needs to be done. Having her with us will be an asset.” Dylan stood upright.

  “We’ll do whatever we have to, as always.” Rift stood straighter too, rolling his shoulders back as he inhaled.

  “So we just need to finish this Darci woman and it’s over,” Erin said, wringing her red braid over her shoulder. Her arm muscles flexed, showing how ready she was to handle the problem.

  The murderous words tumbled in Marissa’s head, busting through her conscience with little effort. It was essential to their survival, and there was no way she’d dispute that, but there was one element she would dispute. “I need to be the one who does it. Let me finish her.”

  Eight

  Marissa grunted at her foot as she wrapped a piece of sailcloth around its tender sole. Her feet had gotten shredded badly when she’d charged across the meeting cave to Dylan, but the pain hadn’t kicked in until she’d returned to his place and the adrenaline disappeared. After the others released them, he’d escorted her back there then left. Rift wanted to discuss Darci further without Marissa present. She was reluctant to obey, fearful of what else they would do to Dylan, but he assured her no more harm would come to him. Their focus had shifted to the bigger issue.

  A splash made her look toward the entrance. “What did they say?” she asked, dropping her foot and watching him climb out of the water.

  Lines of water streamed down his bare body as he stepped closer to the bed where Marissa sat twisting her fingers on the canvas blanket covering her lap. The confrontation with the others had gotten her too amped to worry about her nakedness, but that embarrassment had rushed back around the same time the pain had.

  He held up a hand that dripped some of the thick green algae clutched inside. “Open your hands,” he said softly.

  She lifted her hands and he let half of the mushy goo fall onto her palms. “Please don’t tell me to eat this,” she said with a wrinkled nose. It didn’t look or smell appealing at all. If this was a meal, she’d much rather skip right to the fish.

  One corner of Dylan’s lips lifted into a sweet grin that begged to be mirrored. “No, not food. Medicine.” He didn’t elaborate, simply bent in front of her, smeared a tiny bit onto the thin scratches on her knees, then picked up one of her feet and unraveled the sailcloth bandage.

  “I’m fine, really.” Her weak lie melted away as Dylan’s hands pressed the algae to her skin, massaging it in. “Ahh,” she sighed to the ceiling after a few blissful moments, fighting the urge to collapse into the bedding behind her.

  “Your feet will adjust pretty quickly.” He scooped the excess algae and grabbed the next foot.

  Marissa looked back down to watch him, appreciating his careful attention. She also noticed how his fingers worked more than the cuts, going beyond the essential, massaging her toes and ankles too. She thought about his words again and replied, “I doubt they’ll adjust quickly enough.” The conversation with Rift had suggested that her death would come sooner rather than later, leaving no time to adjust to anything.

  Dylan’s fingers stopped. He set her foot down and glanced up at her with heavy eyes. “I have a feeling your time here won’t depend on anyone but yourself.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Do you want to stay?”

  “If you’ll have me. Your people, I mean,” she quickly amended.

  “I’ll have you.” His eyes caught hers, trapping them with a fiery stare.

  “They aren’t exactly thrilled you saved me.” Her voice caught in her throat, projecting only a soft whisper.

  “Not sure that matters now.” He broke contact first and touched the algae in her hands. “Would you mind?” His body pivoted, showing her the split skin along his back where Rift had hit him with the rod.

  She sucked a breath through her teeth with a hiss. “Stitches.” The tears were deep enough to warrant them, raw and exposed.

  “Not necessary.” He stood and lay on the bed at her side, folding his arms under his face. “This heals us pretty well.”

  She tucked her leg in, turned her body toward him, and placed her hands on his back, spreading the muddy mixture over his wounds and pressing it in. His body tensed a couple of times, but he made no sounds or complaints. She continued, taking care as he had done to her while her mind drifted back to the others. “Did they tell you their plan for Darci?”

  “Yes.”

  “Am I not allowed to know?”

  “It’s not like that, really. They want to be certain that you aren’t covering for her, that you won’t try to save her when the time comes.”

  “There’s no chance of that,” Marissa said, her entire body flashing with anger at the thought.

  “I know that, but they don’t. They want to ensure you can be trusted, so I agreed to terms on your behalf.”

  Marissa worked the remaining algae into the cuts then continued to move her fingers across his back, massaging the surrounding area. “And what terms were they?”

  His muscles relaxed beneath her fingertips, surrendering under her touch. “They’ve gathered more of us and have already started rotations to scout for her.”

  “Aren’t they afraid of being spotted by other humans?”

  “We know when there are people in the water, or above. Our senses don’t let us down, except when we are decidedly stubborn and aren’t paying attention.” He let out a soft laugh. “The telepathy thing also helps us communicate. It has a decent range.”

  “Say they find her. Then what?”

  “If she’s as determined as you say, we’ll find her soon. What happens next is up to you.”

  “I want to be there.”

  “You’ll be there no matter what. It’s a way for them to know whether you are being honest or not.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?” Dylan asked, turning his head first, then shifting his body onto his side to face her.

  Marissa folded her hands into her lap. “Sure. They want to be certain I’m not a threat.”

  “Rift agreed to let you handle her, but he’ll stay close. It won’t be as easy as you think. When you see her, you might decide you can’t take her life. And that’s okay. Humanity isn’t easily discarded, even when it means protecting a new life.”

  “Maybe so, but when it means avenging my family …” Marissa clenched her fists and looked up toward the ceiling. “The decision isn’t a difficult one at all. My father was once my world. My mother was too, but my father and I were one in the same. We both loved the ocean, loved artifacts, and loved when those things collided. That was his life and I was raised in it, engulfed without regret. He taught me the importance of life, family, and passion. Above all, he taught me integrity and honor. That’s why there won’t be a problem. I let him go. I abandoned him like so many others, but I never should have. I was his family.” She lifted a hand to her chest, covering her heart. “I should have known there was something behind it all. He risked everything to find you again, and if he’d had the chance to talk to you, he probably would have wanted to stay.”

  “It’s a good thing he didn’t.”

  Marissa scrunched her brows with a silent question.

  “I had kept your father and what had happened at the carrier a secret for a while, but the others caught on eventually. This lone diver kept showing up, searching for something. I finally told them the truth and was punished for my negligence. Your father didn’t quit, and the others noticed he wasn’t giving up like I’d hoped he would. We weren’t sure if he’d told anyone, or where he might have placed the stone, but it was getting to be too much to ignore. If he kept coming, he would surely attract attention one way or another.” Dylan glanced down, averting his eyes. “I told you that I couldn’t save him when he died, but I didn’t tell you the whole truth, the main reason why. I was supposed to kill him that day. He had saved my life at the carrier, but he was my mistake, and I was expected to correct it. I’ve broken a lot of rules down here, challenging boundaries and proce
dures, but my hesitation with your father is the main reason I was pushed here, away from everyone else. Most would rather not associate with me.”

  Marissa felt the familiar sting behind her eyelids as they pooled with tears. They were tears for her father, but also for Dylan. She heard the pain in his words. She couldn’t bring herself to speak, so she grabbed his hand instead.

  He kept his eyes down, looking at Marissa’s hand on his. “I sat there for the longest time, watching him, fighting my conscience, my humanity. Rift and some of the others were close by so I knew it was unavoidable. We heard a boat then watched another diver drop in. At first we thought he had told someone, but it became obvious that he hadn’t.” His hand squeezed hers. “I’m sorry.”

  “No,” Marissa said. “It’s not—”

  “But it is,” he interrupted. “It is my fault. All of this is. If I hadn’t been so selfish, your father would still be alive, you would still be alive, and you wouldn’t have to worry about taking someone’s life.”

  Marissa stared at him, waiting to catch his eye. When he finally glanced up at her, she saw his sincerity. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry my family was cursed with the inability to let go of curiosity,” she said with a smile, skimming her fingers along his jaw, needing more of a connection. “But mostly, I’m sorry that you’ve witnessed so much death and were left to deal with it alone. I’m sure that wasn’t easy.”

  He shook his head. “Being alone wasn’t all bad. It helped me adapt to this life, this environment.”

  “What about whoever saved you? Did they help you, teach you?”

  “At first, yes. Rift was the one who saved me. A few northerners had recently died so they’d planned to save a human. I was chosen from the boat accident.”

  “How did it happen?” Marissa prompted, wanting to know more about both of his lives.

  Dylan inhaled deeply. As he exhaled, Marissa could practically see the sorrow roll off his body. “My friends and I had been drinking all day. We boated all along the coast, hopping from sandbar parties to waterfront bars. There was this girl my friend Tim was into. And when there’s a girl and that many people, there’s usually another guy interested.”

  “Ah.” Marissa nodded.

  “The other guy took a cheap shot at Tim on shore then pulled anchor and took off with some friends. We chased them with our boat like drunk idiots. High speeds, miles out. We danced a bit, toying with each other, hitting wakes and grabbing air. After hitting a pretty big wave, we clipped them and flipped. Rift said the other boat was gone when he arrived.”

  “The other boat left?” Marissa whispered as her heart pounded hard inside her chest.

  “Great end to an epic spring break story, huh?” Dylan raised an eyebrow, still staring at their entwined hands.

  Moving the conversation away from death, she asked, “Where did you go to college?”

  “FSU Tallahassee, majored in computer science.” He shook his head. “Because it seemed like the most logical thing to do.”

  “Were you from that area?”

  “Yeah, raised down the road in Marianna.”

  “Family?”

  “Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a bratty younger sister named Brittany. The whole thing.”

  “I’m sure they miss you.” Marissa traced circles on his hand with her thumb, wanting to express her sympathy with more than words.

  “I miss them too.” He bit his lips together with a soft nod then stretched his neck and looked up toward the ceiling. “I miss a lot of things.”

  “Like?”

  “Beer, of course.” He let out a breathy laugh. “But really, I miss the everyday stuff the most. Driving a car, using a phone, watching TV. It’s just different here.”

  “And what things do you like about here?” Marissa pulled her other leg in to adjust her position but kept hold of his hand, enjoying the comfort of it too much to let go.

  “Hmm.” He smiled widely and closed his eyes for a lengthy blink. “Whales and dolphins come into our area. Swimming with them is pretty amazing. Whale sharks, too. There are a lot of cool things here. The stones, the caves. I’m kind of excited to show you this one spot, south of here. When the sun disappears for the day, just before dark, the shadows and light remind me of an actual sunset. That’s another combo I miss: the sun and air. Closing your eyes when a cool breeze cuts through the warm rays on your skin. That simple feeling, I definitely miss it. We don’t even need the sun here. The green stars give us everything we need: warmth, light, air. I still dream about it, though.”

  Marissa smiled at him, watching and listening intently, feeling all his emotions. “Thank you for sharing all of that.”

  His lips tugged far up, pushing his cheeks high under his eyes. “What about you, Marissa? I know a bit about your father by what he kept in his wallet. He was a marine archaeologist, right? Also a certified PADI master diver and instructor, a frequent flier and coffee drinker, library reader, and licensed boater and fisherman.”

  “That sums him up pretty perfectly.”

  He laughed and gave her hand a little shake. “What about you?”

  “Got my master’s from UT Austin, did some internships, landed an assistant curator spot at a science and history museum outside of Dallas. And that pretty much sums me up.” She smiled weakly, reflecting on her old life. She was proud of what she’d accomplished, and usually never regretted anything, but now the million chances she’d passed on were bombarding her. What if? She shook her head. There were things she would do differently, but there was no sense dwelling. She would just make sure to live this new life to the fullest … however long it would last.

  “And your family?”

  “I took care of my mom for two years, until she passed last month. I was back here to clean their house out and put it on the market. That’s when I found the stone. They were the only family I had.” Her thoughts drifted for a few moments, recalling the sequence leading her to the boat, to Darci.

  “Hey.” Dylan sat up and wrapped both of his hands around hers. “I know you’re worried. I can see it. I can feel it, too. Because I saved you, we have this connection. You might feel different things—”

  “I have,” Marissa replied. “When they found us in the water, I could feel how worried you were, your nerves, your anxiety. I could feel it all inside, as if the feelings were my own.”

  “It’s stronger in the water. Everything is. All our senses.”

  “Telepathy?”

  “That’s only in water, and when your mind adjusts, it’ll be with everyone. You won’t need physical contact and you’ll be able to control what you share.” Dylan paused and gave her a curious look. “You won’t feel linked to the others like you will me, though. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah,” Marissa whispered, still overwhelmed with the complexities of this new life.

  Dylan cast his eyes down and smoothed his fingers along her hand. “I just want you to know that this connection … it doesn’t mean that there’s any obligation to be close to me. We wouldn’t even need to be around each other. It’s not like that.”

  “Will I not be allowed around you after? Will you still be an outcast? Will I be one?”

  “If we find Darci and get the stone, I don’t think the others will worry so much about us.”

  “You seriously think they’ll let me live?”

  “They aren’t as willing to kill one of their own. They really don’t like killing humans either, but circumstances that are vital to our survival are obviously different. You’re one of us now. I told you, all they want to do is make sure you’re with us.”

  “I’m with you.” Marissa couldn’t help but get lost in those words. Her eyes flickered from Dylan’s eyes to the curve of his lips. She didn’t want to think anymore. She didn’t want to doubt herself, or worry. This was her new life and there was no way she’d waste any of it.

  She lifted her hand and cupped his jaw, skimming her fingers lightly against his skin and watching his
eyes close at her touch. His lips parted as if he was about to speak, but no words came. She ran her thumb over his bottom lip, wanting much more.

  “This isn’t something you need to do.” His eyes opened, staring at her, dark and burning in a way that made her whole body tremble.

  She raked her teeth over her bottom lip as her gaze shifted again, down his neck, down his chest. “You heard my thoughts in the water … I know I don’t need to. I want to.”

  His hand found her waist with a firm grip. “If I had been touching you when I first saw your body, you would have known I was thinking the exact same thing.” His words were rough, full of desire. “I wasn’t sure I could even be around you—”

  Marissa leaned in, capturing his lips with hers, no longer able to hold back. A blissful wave surged through her, igniting a wildfire within. After a stunned moment, his mouth opened urgently, tangling with her, accepting her need and showing her his own. Her nerves and senses blazed, feeling every bit of their connection. Touch, taste, smell, sight, sound—she wanted it all.

  One hand cupped her face and the other slid up her back, untying her swim top, exposing the rest of her to him. His lips kissed down her neck as his hand explored her breasts. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes to the ceiling, sighing from the pleasure of his touch. When she opened them back up, she watched the wisps of light swirl inside the green stones, burning white hot like her body.

  Dylan’s lips collided with hers again and pushed closer, guiding her back onto the bed. He pulled away, leaving her breathing heavily as his hungry gaze traveled down her body. His hand was quick to follow the same path, moving down her stomach, between her thighs. She let them fall open at his touch, let him take control. His fingers covered her sensitive skin, circling, massaging as he watched her body rock with need in response.

  When his body shifted on top of her and he pushed himself deep inside, his lips found hers, swallowing her pleasured cries. There was no use for words. She didn’t need reassurance of her beauty or promises of love and fidelity. She could feel it all in the way his arms held her, sense it from every touch of his tongue, kiss of his lips, thrust of his hips. His body called for her, honoring her, cherishing her. She gave it all back to him, telling him in the same way, showing him how much she cared for him, how grateful she was, not only for giving her new life, but also for his honesty, protection, and adoration.