AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What does it look like.”
“A diving interview? Am I going to be diving soon?” I smiled, unable to contain my happiness.
His stern expression became warmer, and he leaned in as if to kiss me before grazing my cheek with his hand before walking away with the weight and tossing it in the water. “I’ll begin the timer once you’re under.”
I sat down at the edge and kept my eyes on the weight, not wanting to expend any more energy than needed to reach it. Concentrating, keeping my mind off of all my worries, fears, and doubts, clearing my mind until it filled with the sights and sounds of the sea. Gripping the weight, I closed my eyes again, loving the weightlessness of my limbs, the scars, my hair. None of it mattered now. I could see my father smiling at me, and Jaxon cleaned up and doing well. The people I left behind onVanir waving at me telling me goodbye as I sat on the back of the truck heading toward the light.
“You fool!” Thorsten was snarling down on me soaking wet, his white hair clinging to his face framing it perfectly, and the small lines on his handsome face were more pronounced. “What?” I looked around, dumbfounded. My back was against the tiled floor, and my feet dangled into the pool.
“Looks like you’ve beat your own record.” The woman stood. “Twenty-seven minutes. Can you find other experienced divers you trust?”
“I know divers in Vanir would love the challenge of these waters,” I said, coughing afterward and willing my lungs to work again.
“He will map the waters but not be a part of the retrieval team.”
“You should be a little more careful with how you express your feelings for your pet. I personally don’t give a damn. Find your happiness in this miserable realm however you can, but others have a vested interest in setting the rules and enforcing it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Thorsten spat. “When can we have access to your equipment?”
“As soon as you put together a capable team. I’ll not risk being exposed for something that still may not happen. Until then, you will have my protection, of that I promise you, and once you return with a team, you will have access to every resource I can muster for you.” She walked toward a hidden door. “I’ll have my man escort you both to a hidden exit.”
“What was that about? Do I really have a dive job?” I asked, wondering what this meant for us.
“What the hell happened down there? I kept calling you.”
“I don’t know, everything happened so fast.”
He ran the back of his hands along my cheek and lifted my chin into a kiss; it was fierce and burning hot and full of desperation. “I won’t let you go so easily.”
“I’m sorry.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
KAL
We reached the town car, and Thorsten rounded on Gio straight away, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the vehicle with a loud rocking thud. Gio didn’t fight back. He merely held up his hands in the act of surrender. I didn’t understand why he was angry at the other, but I wouldn’t have been sad to watch him get the crap beat out of him.
“You nearly ruined this entire meeting because of your useless skulking about!”
“You never would have volunteered the dwarf and now look at him.” He gestured to me. “I’m sure that deep inside, he’s happier than he’s been since meeting you. He gets to do what he loves and have some freedom from the house. You no longer have to worry about showcasing him at any other event as you can just demote him to your servant.”
“Don’t speak for me,” I said, folding my arms but, the creepy bastard was right. Diving was my life and being in that interview made me feel like I was on solid ground again. I didn’t know what the future held for Thorsten and me, but I could speak with authority about diving.
Thorsten let him go after pushing him against the car again and pointed his finger in his face. “You are my heir, Gio, so I put up with more from you than I would have anyone else, but if you overstep your bounds again, then I will crush my entire house when I leave.”
I followed Thorsten upstairs once we reached the apartments again. I wanted Thorsten to realize that letting me on the dive team was a good idea in a non-threatening way.
He tossed his coat on the soft chair in his room and worked to remove that large decorative bands around his naked arms.
“Thorsten,” I said, entering unhurriedly. “I fucked up tonight, but I am good at what I do, and I love it more than anything else besides my father and you.”
“You already got the job.” He sighed still, not looking at me. “No need to oversell.”
“I suppose you’re right, but maybe I feel like I have to because, for the past month, you’ve had this oppressive control over me. I don’t think you know how that feels, to be stuck inside with a boot against your back.”
“Really?” He turned to face me and sat down on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. “That’s how you feel? Even after you’ve rejected my advances and I’ve given you your space? Have I ever forced myself on you?”
“No, you’ve been very respectful, but you also put a collar around my neck with poison that could kill me at your word. I can’t even see my father and have no way of confirming if he is being cared for. I don’t know what you’re thinking about anything, you remain silent on a potential threat to me, you may leave me alone--”
