Page 62 of Up in Smoke
Beneath her in the water, she heard a splash. No, wait, it had to be above her. She was upside down, which meant the cage door was to her left. Erin felt along the metal crisscrosses and pushed open the door. A moment later, she was through it, but her legs had cramped up from being in the fetal position for so long. Dammit. She swam with her arms and twisted her hips, trying desperately to bring life back into her dead limbs. There it was up above. The surface. She could see a glow of headlights, streetlights lining the expressway above. Blood rushed to her feet, making them prickle, but she welcomed the discomfort and began to kick. How long had she been under the water? Her lungs were starting to burn. Jesus, she needed to breathe. Needed Connor.
Almost there. Almost…
Erin broke the surface and sucked in delicious air.
Once her vision came back into focus with the resurgence of oxygen, she expected to see Derek and Connor at the edge of the concrete drop-off, ready to pull her from the water, but she saw no one. Using her kicking feet, she turned in a circle and saw a male head break the surface of the water before it went back down. In the near-darkness, she couldn’t tell who it was. She kicked toward the rock piling at the edge of the water and waited. Above her, she heard tires squeal to a stop and doors slamming.
“Hey!” she screamed when another head came up. She dragged in long pulls of air to compensate for the scream. “I’m here. Over here.”
Derek. It was Derek. He gave her an incredulous look and started to say something, but a second head surfaced a few yards away. Connor.
“The cage isempty.” His voice was so hoarse, her heart splintered. “Why the fuck is it empty? Could there be more than one down there? I don’t…Jesus,she can’tbreathe. I’m going back—”
“Bannon,” Derek shouted. “Turn around. She made it out.”
Connor spun around, hands flying to his drenched head. A choked sound left his mouth when his tortured gaze found her against the rock piling. He swam for her, so fast his muscular arms were a blur of water and flesh. Before she could launch herself halfway across the distance separating them, he was there, pulling her into his arms. “Erin, Erin, Erin,” he chanted into her wet hair. “Oh God. I saw you go under. Isawit and—”
“Your mom,” she interrupted him. “I-is she okay? He told me he had her, that he would kill her. I had to go. I didn’t leave you again. Ihadto go.”
His breath released on a heavy exhale, head dropping into the crook of her neck. “Ah, sweetheart. She’s fine. I could kill him all over again for making you think that.”
Tears fell from her eyes, fusing with the salt water on her cheeks. “I wasn’t scared. I thought of you and I wasn’t scared.”
“Don’t ever look at me like that again, okay?” He shook her. “Like you know it’s over. Please.”
Erin pushed the wet hair off his face and waited until he focused on her. “I already had the cage beat. That’s what I was trying to tell you.” Connor’s harsh exhale warmed her face. “I know you would have gotten me out. I know.” She gave him a cocky wink. “But I have a reputation to uphold.”
His laugh sounded pained. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” She kissed him hard. “I just want to go home.”
“Ah, sweetheart. Me, too.” His expression changed, grew more serious. “I’m sorry. I had to…he’s gone. I know you wanted me to do the right thing, but he’s gone. I—”
“No.” Derek’s voice brought them around. He was halfway up the rock piling, looking down at Connor meaningfully. “You never had a weapon, Bannon. I fired the shots.”
Connor shook his head, a frown marring his brow. “I’ll face the consequences of my own actions. I don’t need you to shield me.”
Derek climbed a few more feet and glanced back over his shoulder. “Who’s going to shield me when they find out where you got the weapon?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “A man died on my watch and I’ll own up to it. Frankly, taking credit for this one won’t keep me awake at night.” Erin watched silent communication pass between the two men. Connor’s expression was a struggle between reluctance and gratefulness. Derek’s was firm. “I’ll see you both at work next week. Don’t be late.”
Erin took Connor’s hand and started to follow the captain, but he pulled her back. “Wait until they cover his body up. I don’t ever want you to look at me…and see that.”
“I couldnever.” She glided back into the water, wrapping her legs around his waist. They both let out a shaky breath when his hands molded to her backside and drew her closer. “I only see one thing when I look at you. I saw it the first day. I see it now. Hope. You made me hope.”
“You don’t have to hope anymore, Erin,” he whispered at her lips. “Hope implies you might not get what you want.” Their tongues mingled in a kiss. “If I’m what you want, hope is futile, because I couldn’t belong to you any more completely than I already do.”
Heart overflowing, she laughed through happy tears. “If that’s a challenge, I accept.”
Epilogue
One month later
Connor bent Erin back over the kitchen counter and swirled his tongue inside the hollow of her neck. She tossed her head on a gasp, pushing her breasts up for his attention. Jesus. What he wouldn’t give to pull the top of her strapless yellow dress down and suck his fill. Of course, hecouldn’t, because they were at a fucking barbecue and one of fifty people could walk into the kitchen at any minute.
“Remind me again why we’re out of bed on a Sunday?”
Erin rubbed the arch of her bare foot over the curve of his calf, giving him no choice but to rock his hips against her. She slipped her foot even higher in response, teasing the back of his thigh. “The captain just closed on this house and we’re christening the backyard with grilled meat and beer.”
“Right.”Fuck, she smelled good. “Not a good enough reason for you to be wearing clothes.”
