“You head for the one on the right. I’m aiming for the left.”
Connor held out his hand. “I don’t agree with your plan, Captain, but I hope you survive it so you can answer to your men.”
“I’m proud to do this with you, Connor. You’re a good man and I hope you survive so you can help me hide.”
She smiled at him and then turned and ran down the metal dock, throwing herself off the edge, spread eagle. She felt the sickening drop in her stomach and the instant panic she always did. The wind roared in her ears and the thumping of her heart pounded against the inside of her chest. She felt as though the water was racing toward her faster than it should be. A second later the feathered apparatus snapped open. The wings expanded and picked up on an updraft that angled her away from the sea below.
She squeezed the hand grips and the wings responded perfectly to her directions. She arced up to the side enough to look over and see that Connor’s wings were working perfectly. She checked for any flaws or equipment failure but didn’t spot any. He swooped up over her and returned the favor.
When he angled off toward one of the ships, she tilted her wings and caught another updraft that carried her to the same level as the Aphrodite’s bridge. With a heavy beat of the wings she jumped forward. She glanced over her shoulder, but the sun reflected off the large glass window, blocking any view of the men inside. She hoped that Miguel understood what she did and wasn’t too angry with her. Once this was all over with, she’d try to explain. For now she had to put any thoughts of the future out of her head. If she worried about that, she’d never be able to concentrate.
The wings beat heavily, and she could feel the cold wind whipping along her cheeks. The goggles she wore helped to protect her eyes. At this speed she wouldn’t be able to see without them. The giant gun on the ship on the left spun and aimed right at her.
A split second before it fired, she angled down toward the water’s surface. The mortar whizzed past her and detonated somewhere behind. She sent up a quick prayer to the gods that Raz thought to stay out of the way for now. They could only fire at one of them, and she preferred keeping their attention aimed on her.
A mist from the water sprayed up at her. The cold droplets felt like they were burning her cheeks. She pulsed the wings a couple times and soared up into the sky. Closer now, she could see the crew scurrying around like evil little ants. Some stood at the railing shooting at her. Stupid, she was nowhere near close enough for them to reach her. All they were doing was wasting bullets.
Another pulse of the wings and she climbed higher, riding a current of air that was headed in the same direction as she was. Locking the wings into position, she coasted and unhooked the grenades on her belt and hooked them to the underside of the wings. She needed to have them close at hand for this to be successful.
She dodged another mortar round, almost touching the ocean as she skimmed the surface, and then turned sharply upward and raced along the side of the ship. The men weren’t expecting her to suddenly appear over the edge, and she used that surprise to her advantage.
Grabbing the grenades, she pulled the pins and threw them at the base of the gun. These weapons had been covered with a thick substance that acted like a type of glue and adhered them to the surface they were thrown at. The grenades landed against various spots and the crew scattered. As Kass crested and angled away, they detonated. Multiple fireballs erupted from the surface and raced for the sky. She was far enough not to worry. Her wings thumped and beat against the currents, taking her out of the dangerous area. She made a wide turn and observed the situation.
A large explosion ripped through the air as the Aphrodite opened fire on the ship to the right. Connor glided toward the surface of Atlantis. The second ship’s gun spun around and aimed for her ship. She thought he’d destroyed it, but obviously he must’ve missed a vital area. Raz would never get the Aphrodite turned around in time to dodge the bullet.
Kass sped toward the second ship, hearing them call out the orders to fire. Panic gripped her throat as she palmed two more grenades. The gun warmed up to fire, and she threw the grenades but knew she was too late. They stuck to the hull, useless to stop them from firing the weapon even if she managed to sink her.
“Fire” was hollered, and the gunman pulled the trigger. There was a moment where nothing happened, and then a mighty explosion ripped through the air.
Kass had a split second to realize that their weapons had backfired when the force of the explosion sent her tumbling through the air. Shards of shrapnel whistled as they hurtled past her. She curled up into a ball to make herself a smaller target, but she still felt a few sharp stings against her leg. The wings managed to right her, but gaping holes rendered them useless. Ripping the emergency release freed her of them and opened the canopy that would slow her descent toward the water. She had some control over her direction and managed to aim for as close to Atlantis as she could get.
She could see Connor trying to get his wings operating, but he must’ve sustained damage as well. It was going to be an icy swim, but she’d two good reasons to make it. She quickly checked the cuts on her leg. The shrapnel had torn her clothes and cut her in a few places, but nothing life threatening. The real threat would be when she hit the water. A small amount of blood would attract sharks from miles away. She could only hope to get out of the water before she became a meal to one.
With the water racing closer she grabbed the harness on her chest and started unhooking it. There was too great a chance she would get tangled in the canopy and drown if she hit the water while wearing it. Aphrodite was firing on the second ship, and she hoped they saw where she dropped.
She took a couple deep breaths and then released the harness. Waving her arms and kicking her feet, she tried to stay upright as she plunged through the air. The water reached up and pulled her out of the air, closing in around her like a freezing fist.
* * * *
“Turn this pile of bolts around!” Miguel hollered as he raced across the bridge. They’d managed to disable the one ship, but the other one was turning its guns toward them. Miguel froze in helpless horror as he tracked her movements the moment the explosion threw her, tumbling in the air. His heart stopped and lodged itself in his throat. It looked like the mighty gun backfired or jammed and exploded. What was left of that ship was quickly taking on water and sinking into the depths.
Kass had great instincts and had gotten herself out of the danger zone. He knew she would have to drop out of the canopy before hitting the water, but watching her flail about as she plummeted downward…He concentrated on leaping down the stairs to the lower level. She was going to be okay. He would accept nothing else. They had tried to hail Atlantis, but there hadn’t been any response as of yet.
He refused to accept the possibility that both his loves would be taken away from him today.
“Get me something to secure myself!” he snapped as soon as he reached the lower crew. “She’s in the water!” He stripped off his coat and quickly buckled a harness around his torso. A crew member stood behind him and he heard multiple snaps and buckles being done up.
“Gabe! Can you hear me?” Miguel shouted over the noise that vibrated around him. He’d kept the intercom on when he ran down here.
“We’re almost to the place where she hit the water.”
Miguel pulled on the restraints as he moved over to the loading ramp. The crew had opened it up and looped the straps through a pulley suspended over the opening. “I’m going out now. Keep us steady.”
He wrapped the thick strap around his leg and then hooked his boot into the stirrup. This would give him a bit more stability if he had to hang to one side for a length of time. The thrusters created hundreds of ripples along the water’s surface, making it difficult to see her. Fear choked his throat when a small flash of light caught the corner of his eye. “There she is.” He stepped off the edge and let the harness take his weight.
He dropped quickly, landing in the wat
er next to her. The icy temperature stole his breath for a second. Kass was gripping a large chunk of wood that must’ve come from one of the ships.
“Mi corazón?”
She pushed the goggles to the top of her head. He must’ve seen the sun reflecting off the brass edging. “I know you’re mad, but can we get somewhere warm before you start lecturing me?” Her voice shook as he wrapped an emergency harness around her thighs and back. The cold was already numbing his fingers and he’d only been in here a few minutes. The wind the ship kicked up added a constant rain of cold water against his skin.
“Hold on to me, mi corazón.” He took her arms and laid them over his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her back.
“I’m not sure I can. This water is really cold. Dropping into it felt like a good idea at the time.”
Miguel had prepared himself for a terrified woman. Hearing her trying to make jokes was an incredible relief. “I’ve got you.” He raised his fist and the two of them lifted out of the water. “Are you hurt?”
“I have a couple cuts on my, leg but I don’t think they’re bad. The salt water made them sting, and I was more concerned about becoming lunch to a hungry shark.”
“They’ll have to look elsewhere.” The icy fear that had encased Miguel’s heart chipped away. Kass was safe and in his arms. They were pulled up into the Aphrodite and the doors closed behind them.
“We’re safe!” he called out so Gabe and Raz would hear him.
“We’re heading to Atlantis. They finally responded and gave clearance,” Raz responded. “It’s safe to land.”
“What took Julien so long to answer?” Kass asked.
“Julien didn’t answer, Captain. Grizz did.”
Kass looked up at Miguel. Fear radiated from her gaze, enough to make his chest ache. “We don’t know for certain anything bad happened. He might be assessing the damages and couldn’t make it to the communications room.” A couple members of the crew were waiting with blankets, and Miguel wrapped one around her shivering form before stripping off his shirt and wrapping himself in one.
“Let’s get you changed into some dry clothes.”
Kass shook her head. “Not until we make sure that Julien is safe.”
Miguel understood her sense of urgency. He wouldn’t have the ability to take a deep breath until he saw those beautiful violet eyes again for himself.
He opened his arms and wrapped his blanket around both of them, cocooning them together. She rested her cold cheek against his chest. His clothes were cold, but he hadn’t been submerged for long. Kass felt like an ice cube and she still shivered violently.
He wasn’t going to have her getting sick. He met the gaze of a crew member, who nodded and headed for the stairs.
“You’re getting dry right now.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her with a look. No matter what she said right now, he wasn’t stopping. He unlaced her shirt and pulled it over her head.
“I stripped my vest off when I hit the water. I couldn’t swim with it on.”
“Good thinking.” He pulled her clothes from her, bending down to undo her boots and pull them from her feet. The wounds on her legs weren’t bad. She’d numerous scratches and a couple deeper cuts but nothing dangerous that needed stitching. The cold water had done wonders for stopping the bleeding, and he figured the salt would’ve cleaned them.
By the time the crew member came back with clothes from Kass’s quarters, she’d lost the blue tinge to her lips. He rubbed her with the blanket and then helped her step into fresh, dry clothes. To her crew’s credit, not one of them looked over as he dressed her. They all moved about, doing their jobs.
He pulled her back into his arms, circling the blanket around them. Her fingers felt like icicles in his back, but her cheek was warmer than it’d been. “You broke your promise, Kass.” He hugged her tighter to him as the memory of her being thrown through the air came to mind.
“I had to do something, Miguel. I knew Connor and I could get past their defenses.”
“You put your life in danger without thinking of what it would do to Julien and I.”
Kass looked up at him. “No, you were both on my mind constantly. There was no time to talk.”
“There was time, Kass. You should’ve said something to me.”
“I’m the captain of this ship, Miguel. I don’t have to ask permission.”
He could see her temper starting to rise. She didn’t understand what she meant to Julien and himself. Until she did, he suspected that this would be a repeated argument. “It has nothing to do with permission and everything to do with respecting the people whose hearts you hold.”
When she opened her mouth, this time he bent and kissed her. He demanded that she bend to him, and Kass stayed rigid for a moment and then sank into his embrace. He poured every bit of fear and desperation into that kiss. He’d come so close to losing her.
The ship shuddered and then landed with a jolt as they touched down on one of Atlantis’s landing pads. “This discussion isn’t over, Kass.” He grabbed her hand and led the way down to the ramp. Kass held onto her blanket as she and Miguel headed off the ship and to the port entrance.
Grizz met them at the entrance to the ship. “Atlantis has sustained minimal damage that we can tell so far. The stabilizers aren’t working, so we’re floating with the current for now. I don’t think that’s a bad thing as our position has been compromised and we need to move.”
“Why are you telling me this, Grizz?” Miguel’s stomach cramped up, and Kass gripped his hand tighter.
“Where’s Julien?” she asked.
“There was a saboteur on board.” Grizz glanced at Kass. “He said he was part of your crew, so I let him go when I caught him snooping around.”
To his credit Grizz didn’t look as though he blamed Kass for that, but he looked sick with guilt when he admitted to letting the man go. “He’d planned to disable Atlantis’s defense system, and he did a good job, too.”
“Grizz, where’s Julien?”
“Walter Miller made it into his office and shot him.”
Chapter Eleven
“And you accuse me of taking chances?” Kass held up the silver tea tray. A small-caliber bullet was lodged into the base of it. “How did he not know you had this under your vest?”
She and Miguel both had rushed to Julien’s side only to find him up and about and not close to death like they both had initially feared. Had they listened to Grizz’s entire story they might have known sooner, but fear had them running for the upper levels before he’d finished telling them what happened. They found him in the office writing behind his desk.
“His attention was distracted as the explosions went off. I shoved it under my vest and my cravat covered the top. He was so sure of himself after he shot me that he didn’t bother to check and make certain I was dead.”
She glanced over at where a carpet used to lie on the floor in front of the desk as Julien spoke. “I returned the favor and he collapsed on the carpet after I shot him in the head. The tea that spilled all over it would’ve stained it, so wrapping Walter’s body in it seemed fitting.”
“What kind of damages are we looking at?”
“Thankfully, nothing too horrendous. I had men inspecting the lower hull when you arrived. There looks to be a couple stressed joints from the explosions, and I’m having them repaired. Submerging as soon as possible seemed to be the logical course of action given the circumstances.”
He was right. Staying underwater lowered the chances of any other ships finding them. “I contacted the Apollo and thanked them for their support but told them it was unnecessary. I know that Yzabeau is anxious to be at Viktoria’s side when she gives birth. I didn’t want her to miss an important moment like that.”
Kass nodded. “Yzzi is very protective of her sister, and being married to Liam and Tristan hasn’t diminished that at all.”
Miguel came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a
gentle kiss against her shoulder. “Family is important.”
Julien stepped in front of her, cupping her jaw with one of his hands. “Keeping promises is important.” A shiver of awareness scuttled over her skin. Julien’s violet eyes looked like shards of a precious gem. “I’m as much to blame as well.” His fingers pressed against her lips when she started to ask him what was going on. “I made a promise to care for you, protect you, and see that all your needs are taken care of.”
Kass vividly remembered him pledging those words to her when they were handfasted. She’d been overwhelmed by his presence and the way he swept her away from a living hell and brought her to a place where she’d truly felt safe. “You did all that.”
“Not entirely. I hid a very intrinsic part of my personality from you.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Kass knew where this was headed and didn’t want any part of it. Her heart started racing and her mouth dried out. She tried to move, but Miguel tightened his grip.
“That’s fine, because I don’t plan on talking too much.” Julien dipped his head and kissed her. She expected anger and brutality, but his lips brushed against hers as soft as a feather. He flicked at her lips with his tongue, but she kept them pressed together. Her traitorous body responded to being trapped between two men.
Julien lifted her damn hair up and expertly pinned it on the top of her head. “That’s better, thank you.” Miguel’s words brushed along the back of her neck as he kissed the sensitive skin usually covered by hair.
“Miguel has needs as well, and I promise to take care of him, too.”
“And I’ll take care of both of you.” Miguel nipped the back of her neck, making her jump. Her pussy creamed as he licked the sting away. She needed to get away from them. It was too much for her to take in.
“I can’t be what you need,” Kass blurted out. Her chest felt so tight she was afraid she couldn’t take a deep breath. “I saw you. I can’t do that.”
Davies, Corinne - Steam-Driven Seduction [Steampunked Lust 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14