AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When they resurfaced, the hill was far behind them, to the point she could barely make out the car. Treading water with one hand, she wiped at her eyes. “Now what?”
Forrest grinned and kissed her. Twice. And then twice more, letting her go only when their kissing caused them both to sink beneath the water.
Popping up beside her, he shook the water out of his hair. “Well, doll, we have two choices.”
She wiped her eyes with one hand while treading water with the other. “And they are?”
“Swim to the shore and follow the road back to the resort, or swim from island to island, which is less than half the distance of walking.”
“Considering I’ve lost my shoes, I vote for swimming,” she said.
“Then swimming it is.”
Though their efforts were much more lax than when they’d first hit the water, as time went on, the islands seemed to get farther away rather than closer. Twyla couldn’t combat the way her movements grew sluggish. She relished each short break Forrest offered when they stumbled onto the smaller islands. He asked if she needed to rest longer at each stop, but she refused. Her mind was reliving the car chase and she feared Nasty Nick showing up at the resort with his machine gun.
“No, I can make it,” she kept saying.
However, when they were almost at the big island, pain gripped her right leg. For a millisecond she thought Ludwig had caught up with them and grabbed hold of her. She screamed and momentarily dropped beneath the surface. Forrest instantly had her head above water again, and flipped her onto her back. By then, the pain had left her with no control over her leg.
“Cramps?” Forrest asked.
She could barely nod. The constant, fiery pain threatened her ability to breathe.
“Relax as much as you can,” Forrest said. “I’ve got you.”
Holding onto the thick forearm he wrapped around her, she tried to let her body go limp, so it wouldn’t take too much of his energy to tug her to shore. He was swimming backward, with one arm. Keeping his head close to hers, he kept whispering that they were getting closer to the island.
When he stopped and lifted her into his arms, Twyla couldn’t even wrap her arms around his neck. Everything about her felt heavy and useless. Even lifting her head was impossible.
“You’re going to be fine, honey,” Forrest said as he maneuvered her head to rest on his shoulder. “I promise, you’ll be fine.”
Her eyes didn’t want to stay open. It was as if she was slipping away. To someplace where there were no fears, no worries, just wonderful peacefulness. As her thoughts faded, she whispered what was in her heart. “I love you, Forrest. I’ve always loved you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Forrest removed his shirt and spread it out before shifting Twyla from his lap onto the sandy ground. Positioning her head on his shirt, he examined every inch of her body. A bit frantically the first time, slower the next. So many bullets had been fired, one could easily have hit her. He found nothing. No torn flesh, scrapes or scratches. Not a single blemish marred her delicate skin. He was thankful, so very thankful, but his heart had twisted into a hard knot and tightened again when he felt for the pulse in her neck. It was so weak he barely detected it.
Fury, intense and hot, rose up inside him. This was exactly what he’d known would happen. Deep down he’d known she’d be hurt, just like everyone else who ever became involved with his family. Even locked behind bars, Galen’s actions were still hurting people. It was inevitable. Forrest had wanted to stop it for years, but he hadn’t been able to, and now his greatest fear had come to be. Because of him, Twyla was hurt.
Forrest growled and cursed and then laid a hand on her chest to assure there was a slow rise and fall. The faint movement gave him hope. It was up to him to make sure the hurting was over. As soon as he got Twyla to safety, he’d get those printing plates back and see that neither Galen nor Ludwig ever saw the light of day again.
Ironically, he could see the resort, but unless someone was looking directly at this particular spot, no one could see him, or Twyla. The sun was still out, but evening was settling in, and the air was getting cooler with each second.
He could make the swim, although it would be the longest one of the journey, and his main concern was that if he left the island, Twyla might wake up and try swimming the distance, too. Checking her pulse one last time, he scanned the woods behind him. He’d carried Twyla across the island, to this side, where they used to play, because this was, at least he hoped, where he’d find what he needed and where they’d be seen.
It had been a very long time, but he was certain he knew where things were, as long as no one had disturbed them over the years.
