Wet (Elemental 1) (25 page)

When he reached the other side he saw no one, at least from
his limited vantage point, and so he quickly pulled himself back together. As
soon as his body was solid, he sprinted toward the docks. His eyes immediately
landed on the familiar redheaded figure of Brooke’s best friend.

Georgia was leaning against the railing beside the steps
that led to the dock, her shoulders shaking. Her back was turned to Blake as he
ran up, but she didn’t startle when he spoke.

“Where’s Brooke?” Blake asked as soon as he was standing
beside Georgia. It was obvious, though her face was aimed away from him, that
she was crying. And any other day he would have taken a moment to ask her
why—though he already suspected he knew the answer—but right now he was more
concerned with why Brooke wasn’t there with her.

Georgia sucked in a ragged breath and turned to face him.

Blake’s eyes widened as he saw the dark bruise already
mostly formed on the side of her face. Someone, or something, had hit her—and
hit her hard. The eye above her bruised cheek was swollen partially shut. “What
happened?” he asked, doing his best to take the edge out of his voice.

Sniffling, and cringing faintly, Georgia held out her
smartphone without making an effort to speak. It didn’t take a genius to figure
out why, what with her already bruising cheek.

Blake took the phone, directing his attention to the
screen, and realized that Georgia had typed out the story. She prefaced it by
admitting that she was unconscious for most of it, having been blindsided by a
man in shadow. But when she’d woken up, and been able to orient herself, she’d
seen a male figure stepping into their rented boat, with Brooke in his arms.
She hadn’t gotten a good look at him, and by the time she’d pushed herself to
her feet the boat was already speeding away, but she was sure she knew who he
was.

… MYSTERY MAN.

Dread settled like a lead weight in Blake’s stomach as he read
the very words he’d been thinking. And knowing he’d been right about the danger
of their trip didn’t make him feel well at all.

Clenching his teeth, Blake handed the phone back to Georgia
and said, “Thank you.” He paused, pulling his own phone from his trunks pocket,
and held it out to her before he added, “I need you to trust me now. Text my
brother, Logan, and tell him that Brooke’s been taken by the Mystery Man and
that I’ve gone to get her back. Tell him to come meet you here. And please,
don’t call the police. There isn’t much they can do right now.”

Georgia had been nodding with each request, up until the
last one. Confusion clouded her good eye, and her question was obvious.

“Logan, or someone he brings with him, can explain
everything,” Blake assured her even as he moved to the steps. “I have to go
before they get farther away.
Please,
trust me.” He didn’t wait for her nod of confirmation before he turned and
began sprinting down the wooden dock. And when he reached the end, he dove
headfirst into the water without hesitation.

The moment Blake touched the water he shot forth in the
direction he’d seen the boat go earlier. In the water, there was nothing that
could touch him; he could swim faster than any speedboat. He knew he could
catch them. He only hoped he wasn’t too late.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Are you awake?”

The voice that called to her was male, but not one she
immediately recognized. Her mind was still too hazy to really process anything.
But she knew, somehow, that she need to be awake, and she willed herself to
open her eyes.

Brooke moaned and moved her arm, but her whole body winced
with the motion, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

“It is a shame,” the voice declared. He reached out and
grasped her upper arm. “You could have lived if you had only had the good sense
to keep your distance from the Hawkes.”

Mystery Man!
The
moment those words slipped across her mind, Brooke was awake, but her body
still screamed at her every breath. She pried her eyes open anyway, finding
herself unpleasantly close to his cold eyes.
Jacob.

“Let … go …” she demanded weakly. Her eyes blinked rapidly
as she forced them to stay open, but the glare she attempted to level at him
was in vain as he tightened his hold and hauled her up from the bench seat. He
held her upright almost entirely, as she was still too groggy to properly get
her feet beneath her.

But the realization that the ground beneath her feet was
wobbling and rolling, as if it weren’t stable at all, had her eyes opening
wide. And she realized that they were in the boat.
No…

“Why,” she gasped, still struggling to regulate her
breathing. Though now she suspected it was more because of the renewed terror
that was squeezing her lungs. “Why did you take me out here?”

“To make a point,” Jacob replied, stepping toward the bench
seat he’d just hauled her off of. “You involved yourself with the first-born,
the water elemental.” He paused and looked back at her, his eyes boring into
hers. “What better way for you to die, then, but by drowning?”

Brooke swallowed heavily as she realized his point.
Disbelief numbed her aching body as she realized she had lost. She was too weak
to fight and beat him. And she was too far from shore to make it back alive.

Another dark smirk curved his lips. “Unless, of course, the
sharks get you first. You are still bleeding, after all.”

Sharks…?
Brooke’s
mind whispered, another wave of fear sweeping over her. She couldn’t decide
which would be worse—death by drowning, or being mauled to death by hungry
sharks.

“I hope you’ve made your peace,” Jacob stated plainly as he
quite suddenly shifted and threw his weight forward, toward the rim of the
boat.

When he moved, still holding her arm, he threw Brooke
sharply to the side. She wasn’t expecting the move; wobbly as she was on her
feet at that moment, she toppled into the ledge and rolled right over. As soon
as the rest of her body was over, he released her arm, letting her free-fall.

Brooke cried out as she flew forward, colliding roughly
with the hard edge of the boat, before her momentum carried her the rest of the
way over. Her mouth was still open, not quite screaming, when she crashed into
the water.

The waves, and her terrible angle, slammed her solidly
against the side of the boat even as she choked and gasped, trying to spit out
the water she’d swallowed. But when her head collided with the boat a second
time, everything went dark.

****

Blake could feel the boat now, resting in the water just
ahead of him. And as soon as he registered that realization, he could see it,
too. But almost immediately the boat turned back on, as if the Mystery Man knew
he was there.

Blake paused in the water, preparing to stall the boat—he
couldn’t simply flip it if Brooke was on board—when he registered a sight that
made his blood run cold.

Brooke was sinking, her body limp and her mouth partially
open, several feet beneath the boat. And a slim trail of blood was floating up,
off her arm.

He didn’t need to think about his decision as he swam
quickly forward again. At that point, he didn’t particularly care if the
boat—and its driver—got away. Brooke’s life was more important.

Blake was beneath her in an instant, one strong arm curving
around her and halting her descent. Simultaneously, he stopped the flow of the
water from continuing to fill her lungs and, with a little focus, he carefully
pulled out the water she’d already swallowed. Before she could choke and gasp
for air she wouldn’t find, he leaned forward and covered her lips solidly with
his.

When she gasped, as he’d known she would, he breathed air
into her, holding her lips firmly over his. He was suddenly glad he’d taken a
deep breath before he’d hit the water.

Brooke, undoubtedly confused and aching, struggled when she
realized someone was holding her. But then she seemed to realize what was
happening—or at least who was holding her—and she relaxed into his touch.

Blake pulled away when she stopped fighting him, placing a
finger over her lips to remind her to keep her mouth closed. She had barely
nodded when he shifted his focus back to their surroundings. A single kick of
his feet sent them rocketing up, and within seconds, they were above the
surface once more.

Immediately, Brooke opened her mouth and sucked in ragged,
gasping breaths.

“Where…?” she gasped, looking around.

“
Shh
,” Blake said gently. “Just
breathe. We’ll be fine.” Even as he spoke, he felt the water behind and beneath
them slide over something large and moving in, but he bit back the curse. He
didn’t want to worry her over something he could handle.

Brooke let her head land in the crook of his neck as she
focused on her breathing. But as she lowered her head, she must have seen
something move in the water behind them. Her voice weak, but no longer choked,
she said, “Blake!”

“
It’s
fine,” Blake said calmly. He
easily redirected the water around them to swirl in a tight, controlled
whirlpool, effectively shielding them from the first lunge of the approaching
shark. As the hungry beast recoiled, preparing for a second attempt, Blake shot
the swirling water toward it, forcing it back.

“How’s your breathing?” he asked gently.

“Better,” Brooke admitted.

Before she could ask any questions, and before the shark
came in for a third strike, Blake said, “Keep your head on my shoulder, okay?
And hold on to me if you can.”

Brooke nodded and shifted, pulling her injured arm from the
water and wrapping it around his shoulders as best she could.

Blake smiled faintly and angled their bodies forward
without submerging them entirely. And then they were off, speeding toward
shore.

He knew it was entirely possible that they would catch up
with their enemy, but he wasn’t concerned. Now that he knew Brooke wasn’t on
board, he wouldn’t feel any qualms about sinking the boat with the Mystery Man
in it.

His priority, however, was getting Brooke safely on dry
land. And he really hoped Georgia had done as he’d asked and called his
brother.

As they glided through the water, Blake kept his eyes
peeled for their enemy, but even as they began approaching the dock, he saw no
sign of the boat.
He must have docked
somewhere else,
Blake realized. It wasn’t overly surprising. Their enemies
had been incredibly careful so far, and logically it would be too risky to
return with the stolen rental boat and without the kidnapped woman.

His suspicions were confirmed when they got a little closer
to the dock. One rental boat was still missing, just as there had been when
he’d leapt off that very dock a short while before.

Blake automatically slowed their pace when they were close
enough, moving one arm and kicking his feet a bit more than necessary, as if he
were swimming normally. He didn’t want to assume there wouldn’t be a few too
many witnesses.

Brooke lifted her head a bit when she realized they’d
slowed down, but she kept her arm tightly around his shoulders. “Are we back?”
she asked, her voice still softer than usual. She was still hurting.

“Just about,” Blake assured her quietly. He relaxed when
the only figures to run up to the end of the dock were Nate, Logan, and
Christopher. Their speed increased marginally, quickly closing the gap between
them and the dock, and Blake said, “Take Brooke.”

Nate knelt down and held out his arms. “I’ve got her,” he
promised even as the air around them swirled and began gently curling around
Brooke.

“It’s okay,” Blake said, aiming a reassuring smile to her.
“He won’t drop you.”

Brooke slowly nodded and released his shoulders. Almost
immediately, she was pulled up in a controlled vortex, before the air began
carrying her towards the trio on the dock.

The swirling air gently lowered Brooke into Logan’s arms,
and it wasn’t until she was settled that she gasped, “Georgia! Where’s
Georgia?”

“She’s fine,” Christopher assured her quickly as he and
Nate helped pull Blake out of the water. “Dean and Angela are with her. Angela
just finished healing her.”

As Blake pushed to his feet, he asked, “You got Ange out of
class already?”

“Of course we did,” Christopher replied. “It’s a legitimate
family emergency, after all.”

Logan stepped up to Blake, and Blake scooped Brooke back
into his arms carefully.

“Come on,” Christopher said, gesturing toward the beach.
“Angela’s waiting to heal Brooke.” He paused, his concerned gaze sweeping over
his eldest son, and he asked, “Are you hurt?”

Blake shook his head as the group began walking back down
the dock. “No, I’m fine. But Brooke definitely needs healing.”

“Brooke can still hear you,” Brooke said quietly, the humor
she’d probably intended falling flat.

“Good,” Blake said, smiling down at her faintly. After a
minute, as they neared the steps, he asked, “Did you see where the boat went?”

“It drove past the dock,” Logan declared.

“I thought about flying after it,” Nate added, an
uncharacteristic weight to his words, “but it was too risky. And we didn’t know
where you and Brooke were.”

“Blake! Brooke!” Angela exclaimed from where she knelt on
the sand beside Georgia. Georgia was resting, her body fully engulfed in the
deep, rejuvenating slumber that accompanied Angela’s healing.

Dean was in the process of rolling out another beach towel,
on Angela’s other side, but he paused to look up and ascertain that his brother
was all right.

When Dean stepped back, Blake moved and knelt beside the
towel, helping Brooke to stretch out. “Just relax,” Blake instructed softly.
Once she was supported by the sand beneath the towel, he reached up and
carefully, lightly, brushed back a strand of wet hair from her forehead.

Brooke offered him a weak smile, before her gaze shifted to
look around at the gathered family. Her attention was pulled away from them,
though, as Angela knelt on her other side.

“You’ll feel better when you wake up,” Angela promised as
she reached out and covered Brooke’s forehead with one hand. Her other hand
hovered, not quite touching, over Brooke’s injured forearm.

As the familiar golden glow formed over Angela’s hands—and
the associated areas of Brooke’s body—Brooke returned her gaze to Blake and
whispered, “Thank you.”

Blake’s smile was tight, and he swallowed heavily before he
managed, “You’re welcome. Now rest.”

No one said anything until Brooke’s eyes had drifted shut
and her breathing had evened out. The golden glow of Angela’s power was
surrounding her entire body now, faintly pulsating as the younger girl
concentrated on the task at hand.

Blake dragged in a deep breath and lifted his eyes from
Brooke’s face until they settled on Angela’s. “Angie,” he called softly. His
sister lifted her gaze from her patient in silent curiosity, and he said,
“Thank you.”

Angela smiled reassuringly. “She’s family, right?” She said
nothing more as her eyes returned to Brooke.

A hand landed on Blake’s shoulder and Blake turned, seeing
that the hand belonged to his father. Taking the hint, Blake leaned back and
pushed to his feet before stepping slightly away and turning to face his
family.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Christopher asked quietly.

Blake nodded. “I am. I just wish I’d been able to stop the
bastard while I’d been out there.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Logan said. “You did what you had
to, and you kept Brooke alive.”

“Yeah,” Nate added. “We all know those jerks will show up
again—and when they do, we’ll give ‘
em
hell for
this.”

Blake took a deep breath and nodded again. “I know,” he
said. Something occurred to him then, and as his gaze flicked over to the
seemingly closed rental shop, he asked, “What happened to the employees?”

Dean laughed even as Christopher grinned and offered a
shrug, saying, “I might have mentioned that the girls’ boat had been stolen,
and I’d seen it take off toward that boat dock a few miles south of here. Then
I offered to pay for the rest of the boats for the day so that the shop
wouldn’t be out any money, and when he ran off to catch up with the stolen
boat, he never looked over, so he didn’t see Angela or Georgia.”

“And he just believed you?” Blake asked, arching one
eyebrow curiously. He certainly didn’t think
he
would have believed that story.

“Turns out our old man’s a pretty convincing liar,” Dean
explained with a grin.

With a mock-lecturing voice, Christopher replied, “Which is
entirely acceptable and forgivable, provided I only use that talent when it’s
necessary. Situations like this, for instance.”

“I don’t know why I ever thought you weren’t cool,” Dean
joked.

“You were a teenager,” Christopher said calmly. “It happens
to the best of us.”

Short, strained laughter followed the declaration, and the
group fell silent again.

It was Nate who eventually spoke up, his eyes having
strayed over to Georgia’s still-sleeping form. “So … we’re going to have to
tell her everything, aren’t we?”