“I don’t know. I don’t know much English.” I admit.
The woman smiles at me and pats me on the shoulder. “That’s okay, hun. Is there anybody else we should call?”
I shake my head and shrug my shoulders, and the woman nods. “Okay. Why don’t you wait in the waiting room over there, and the doctor will come talk to you shortly. They’re going to take good care of your boyfriend.”
She nudges me towards a room where other people are sitting and takes off in a different direction. I walk towards it, but James stops me.
“No way, sweetheart. I’m not spending the night in the hospital. We’re heading back to the boat, and you’re going to show us where the treasure is.”
“I don’t know where it is!”
“Well, let’s hope one of your other friends does, then. Come on.” He grabs my arm and ushers me out the way we came. I don’t want to leave Gio, but I want to get back to the others and let them know what’s going on.
I follow James without a fight and hope that Gio will be okay, hope that I’ll be able to come back here.
James takes a small device out of his pocket and taps at it then holds it to his ear and starts talking to Sam, even though I can’t see him anywhere. I gape at him, and he looks at me strangely.
“We’re ready to go. Come pick us up at the emergency entrance. Maritime Hospital.”
We wait by the doors until the device in James’ hand makes a sound. James glances at it then grabs my arm.
Sam is waiting in a smaller vehicle outside, and James opens the door and pushes me into the back seat. It feels soft and squishy like a sea sponge, and I rub my hands over the material. It reminds me of the texture of Gio’s hair when it was shorter.
The upper half of the vehicle is see-through, and my mouth falls open as I watch other vehicles speed by us, bright lights blinding me. I’ve seen images like this in the guys’ minds, but it’s so much more overwhelming in person. We’re moving so fast my stomach rolls, and I grab onto the seat in front of me for stability. Tall building surround us, and lit-up signs, and the vehicle starts and stops for no discernible reason, then turns and zooms forward again.
Sound echoes in the small space, and I realize it’s music. Sam taps his finger on a button in the front, and the music changes. “Achy-Breaky Heart!” I cry out, when the notes remind me of Jude’s song.
Sam laughs and turns the volume up. “You like that country stuff?”
The words aren’t the same, even though the melody is similar, but I focus on the beat, letting it distract me from the terror threatening to overwhelm me.
Soon, the vehicle stops, and James and Sam lead me back onto the boat.
“Keep an eye on her,” James commands.
Sam sits me down and watches me as James pulls the boat away from the dock. I curl up on the bench, holding my knees to my chest.
Sam sits down next to me, too close, and lets his eyes roam up and down my body. “So, Coral, huh? Strange name. Pretty though, like you.” He winks at me and lays a hand on my leg, and I flinch and pull away from him.
I close my eyes, trying to block him out, but I can still feel him staring at me, wanting me. Odd how the same thoughts that please me when my guys think them turn my stomach when these strangers do.
What will happen when we get back to the island? The guys don’t know where to find the treasure. Will James and his crew hurt them when they realize the truth? My mind swims with the possibilities, none of them promising.
The ride back to the island feels even longer with nothing to busy my hands, and plenty of worries to occupy my mind, but eventually I fall asleep. When I wake the sun is rising. My body is stiff and tight, and I stretch, trying to relax the kinks.
James is dropping the skiff. We must be back at the island! He starts to climb down the ladder, and I get up to go with him, but he holds out a hand to stop me.
“You stay here, darling.” I stand at the railing and watch as he motors up to the island again. They guys are standing on the beach, huddled in a circle, and I lift a hand to wave to them, but they don’t wave back, so I’m not sure they can see me. James approaches them, and I hold my breath but nothing bad happens. A few moments later they’re climbing into the small boat and heading our way.
“Coral!” Avery rushes over to me as soon as they board the ship. “Are you okay? We thought we’d never see you again.” He looks me up and down then glances back at the others. I nod and hug him, my shaking body betraying me.
“Don’t trust them,” I whisper. Avery’s eyes go big, and he gives me a half nod to show he understands.
“Alrighty, boys… and lady.” James winks at me. “We’ll get you all back to shore to check on your sick friend, but first we’ve got some business to attend to.”
Suddenly, Sam pulls a small, dark object out of the back of his shorts and holds it to my head, wrapping his arms around me. I don’t know what it is, but his tight grip and the sounds that Jude, Liam, and Avery make tell me I’m in danger. Hot blood rushes through my veins, adrenaline riding on the currents, making my body vibrate with anxiety. I try to wiggle out of his grasp, but his hold is too tight.
“Now, we know that you all found some treasure. Your sick friend was kind enough to give us what you had in exchange for a ride to shore. But your ride is gonna cost you a little more. Take us to where you found the gold if you ever want to see land again.”
The guys glance at each other, and I can feel the tension rise up in them like a giant wave. Liam takes a small step forward, and Sam tightens his grip on me. His mouth is near my face, blowing hot, smelly breath against my cheek.
Liam holds up his hands. “Listen, we’d be happy to take you to the treasure if we knew where it was, but we lost all our charts when our boat sank.”
James slams a hand down on the deck railing, huffing, his scraggly beard wagging. “Nonsense! You didn’t come out here just hoping to run across a treasure. You knew where the wreck was when you set out. Now one of you needs to tell us where it’s at.”
I can see Liam’s mind working like crazy, trying to figure out what to do. The guys never found the wreck they had been looking for originally, and they don’t know how to get to the wreck where I found the gold. They certainly can’t explain how I found it. If they lead the other men astray, they’re only going to make the situation worse. The silence stretches as Liam contemplates a solution.
When James starts to fume, Liam blurts out a suggestion. “Look, Gio was the captain. He was in charge of navigation, but let me look at your charts, okay? Maybe I can figure it out.”
“Fine.” James waves him towards the wheelhouse. When James and Liam start moving, Liam gives Jude and Avery a look, and suddenly they fly into motion, simultaneously attacking the man closest to each of them.
Jude moves toward me and Sam, and Avery heads for Roy. Liam turns and throws a punch at James, catching him by surprise. James doubles over for a moment but then roars back up, intent on pummeling Liam.
Avery and Roy are locked in a fight hold, their muscular arms straining as they grip each other. Roy’s body is larger and stronger, but Avery is young and fit, and he slips out of Roy’s grasp. The two tussle back and forth, neither one of them gaining.
Meanwhile, Sam loosens his grip on me and swings the gun towards Jude as Jude rushes towards him, his normally happy, smiling face fierce with rage as he barges towards Sam.
Jude hollers at me. “Coral, get out of here! Jump in the water!”
What?! I can’t abandon them! They’re too equally matched to James’ crew, and they need an advantage. But what can I do? I’m too weak to fight any of them. Maybe I can distract them. Is that why Jude told me to jump in the water?
I watch in slow motion, horrified, as the weapon in Sam’s hand sweeps a path towards Jude, but Jude keeps barreling towards him, mindless of the danger. It reminds me of how he looked when I sang, and suddenly I know what to do.
I open my mouth and let the notes fly out — n
o particular tune, just a random melody, but I sing as loud as I can. At first, the sound startles them, and a few heads turn my way.
The sound quickly billows around them like octopus ink, blinding and stunning everyone. Suddenly, all six of the men are motionless, mindless, waiting for me to make the next move.
My pulse pounds and my body shakes as I reach for the weapon, but Sam doesn’t even flinch when I take it from him. This is working! I quickly shove it in Jude’s pocket, my hands shaking at the weight of it. Then I grab some rope that’s lying in a pile on the deck.
Still singing as forcefully as I can, I head down into the cabin. All the guys follow me, their faces blank, their minds empty.
My fingers quiver, my heart races, and my voice wavers, but I keep singing as I tie up Sam, James, and Roy. I secure their hands behind their backs then wrap the rope around their ankles before tying it to the railing, suddenly grateful that Gio taught me how to tie knots.
Only once I’m sure they can’t escape do I finally let my song die. The men rouse back to life as the notes dissipate, blinking their eyes and shaking their heads, and my body trembles as the adrenaline flows out of me. I drop to the bunk, exhausted, and Jude, Liam, and Avery rush to my side.
Chapter 23
“Holy shit, what just happened?!” Jude’s voice carries loudly over all the others. James and his crew are yelling and yanking on the ropes, and Liam and Avery are staring at me in shock.
“Did you do this, Princess?”
I nod my head and give a small, proud smile.
“How… what…” He stumbles over the words, rubbing his eyes as he tries to make sense of what he remembers versus what he sees.
Avery grabs me and squeezes till I yelp, then pulls back sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But that was freakin’ amazing, Coral!”
Liam just shakes his head in disbelief and stares at me with wonder in his eyes.
“Can we go see Gio now?” I croak out a whisper, too fatigued to speak. The adrenaline rush has dissipated, and I feel weak and exhausted, even though I just slept.
“Liam, please tell us you know how to navigate.” Jude says.
“I’ll do my best to figure it out.”
Liam double checks my knots to make sure they’re secure, and Jude and Avery stay down in the cabin, keeping an eye on our captives, while Liam heads to the wheelhouse. I follow him, not wanting to give James and his men the opportunity to stare at me. Their thoughts are offensive enough.
Liam scans the electronics in the wheelhouse and consults the charts, and soon he thinks he knows how to get us back to port. I stand by his side and stare out at the ocean as we travel, the sun crossing the sky.
The sea stretches endlessly behind and before us, and I marvel at how the land touches the sea, yet the two worlds are completely separate. Is it really possible for someone who’s lived their whole life in the sea to start a new life on the land?
The island was like an intermediate realm straddling the two worlds, but I have a feeling the world the guys come from will be much different. Can I really survive there? I know I can’t do it without their help, but will they forget about me once their lives return to normal?
I play back Gio’s promise to take care of me over and over again, trying to keep the words alive, but I don’t even know what will become of Gio. How serious is his sickness? I don’t know if he’ll be able to take care of himself, let alone me. And what about the others? If I stay with Gio will I ever see them again? I can’t stand the thought of losing them.
“Coral, you’re so quiet. Is everything okay?” Liam’s words rouse me from my worries.
“I’m scared, Liam.” I admit, my voice barely a whisper.
His eyes soften, and he turns to me and wraps me in his arms, pressing my head to his chest. “It’s going to be okay, Princess. You’ll see. I promise.”
When the land finally comes into view, I gasp and stare at the sight of the coastline. The sun is setting, and the sky is vivid with bright colors — pinks, purples, yellows, and oranges. It forms a beautiful backdrop to the fleet of boats docked around the inlet, their masts piercing the sky at different heights. Birds float through the air, diving and squawking.
“It’s so beautiful!” I exclaim, and Liam smiles at me.
I expect Liam to pull the boat up to where the others are, but instead, he stops quite a ways away. “I’m going to go get Jude and Avery,” he says then heads down into the cabin. The three guys come up a few moments later, Jude carrying the duffel bag.
“We can’t afford any questions from the police or the Coast Guard right now with Coral here, so we need to take the skiff into port and get her out of here. I’m going to go see if I can borrow someone’s phone to arrange a ride for us. Stay here, and I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Liam says.
The others nod in agreement and help Liam crank down the dinghy. I perch on the bench, and Avery sits down next to me and rubs my back as we wait anxiously for Liam to return. My heart pounds like the surf, and sweat beads on my forehead. Jude paces and keeps looking at the cabin where James and his crew are making a racket like he’s expecting them to burst out of the door any moment.
Finally, we hear the sound of the boat motoring back towards us, and we rush to the ladder. “All right, guys, a cab is on the way. Let’s go check on Gio,” Liam says.
Tiny bubbles float up from my belly and lodge in my throat at his words, and my hands shake as I climb down the ladder into the small boat. Liam grabs my waist and steadies me as I step into the boat, and I quickly sit down on one of the benches, clutching it with sweaty hands.
The others climb in, and Liam maneuvers us away from the ship and heads for the dock.
“Hallelujah, we made it! Civilization!” Jude yelps when we near the dock, and Jude and Avery jump out, chattering, energized with excitement.
Jude wraps a rope around a hook then holds out a hand to me. Liam stands behind me with his hands out to catch me if I slip, and I take Jude’s hand and let him pull me out of the skiff.
When everyone is out, Jude starts to pull me down the dock, but I stop and turn around, staring at the sea. The water is dark, opaque in the sun’s shadow, and it’s hard to imagine there’s a whole other world that lies beneath the surface, but it pulls at me. Memories flash through my mind, pictures of the ones I love, the ones I’ve left behind, and I whisper goodbye to them as I stare at the tiny ripples, the only indication that there’s life beneath the surface.
Avery comes up beside me and takes my other hand, and Liam touches my back. “Are you sure you want to come with us, Coral?” Liam asks.
His voice draws my attention away from the sea, and I turn to look at him. All three of them surround me, their kind, loving faces promising me a better life, and I nod my head.
To Be Continued in…
After escaping the curse that bound all mermaids to the sea and meeting four, sexy, potential human mates, Coral longs to explore their world and live as a human.
But even though the guys have agreed to share her affections, it’s not easy to keep four very different men happy, and Coral is frightened and overwhelmed by the complexities of life on land.
When Coral’s secret is discovered, she’s torn from the men she loves and thrown into captivity. But when an unexpected rescuer reveals an intriguing world she never knew existed, she’ll once again have to choose between the land and the sea.
GET YOUR COPY NOW
1
“She’ll stay with me.” Liam stares down the others with an intense glare, his green eyes flashing.
“Like hell she will! The last time she spent the night alone with you, you punched her V card.” Jude puffs up his chest and barrels over to Liam, emphasizing his extra height and weight.
My belly clenches, and I hold my breath. Liam’s nose is still swollen from the last time they got in a fight over me.
Liam’s voice stays calm despite Jude’s posturing. “Do you even have a place to stay, Jude? Your r
oommates probably rented your room to someone else when you disappeared.”
Jude deflates some, but he doesn’t back off. “I guess you don’t have to worry about that since your mommy and daddy pay for your swanky apartment.”
Avery winces. “Are you sure they didn’t let it go, Liam? We’ve been gone for months. Most people probably think we’re dead.”
“I’m sure. But even if they did, I can just take her to their house; there’s plenty of room.” Liam’s tone is dismissive, and Jude and Avery both sneer at him.
“And how are you going to explain her to your parents?” Jude puts his hands on his hips and smirks.
I glance at Gio to see his reaction. Normally, he’d be taking the lead, settling the fight between them, but instead he’s just lying there with a pained look on his face. With pale, clammy skin, dark shadows under his eyes, a tube running into his arm, and blankets pulled up to his armpits, he’s practically unrecognizable. I can’t stand the thought of leaving him alone like this.
“I want to stay here tonight. Gio needs me, and I want to be with him,” I blurt out, taking Gio’s limp hand in mine. The corner of his lips lift in the slightest smile, and he squeezes my fingers. The others swivel their heads to look at us, their fight forgotten, overridden by my concern for Gio.
“One family member can stay the night.” A soft, round woman with skin darker than I’ve ever seen before and curly, black hair enters the room, tapping on something flat and glossy cradled in her arm. Everything here is smooth and shiny like that, so different from the island and the sea.
My heart plummets in disappointment. I’m not family, I’m not Gio’s mate, I’m not even human. When the woman glances curiously at the four of us hovered around Gio and raises an eyebrow, I feel exposed, like she knows all this with one look.
“My girlfriend, Coral, is the closest thing I have to family. I want her to stay with me.” Gio’s voice sounds as weak as he looks, but it makes him seem desperate and needy. Can she deny him? I know I couldn’t. We both turn to the woman with pleading looks on our faces.
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