Page 74 of Unstable

Turning on a heel, Roman stormed away from the small rental house, raking his hands through his hair. The bitch knew something—she had to. Fury engulfed him, threatening to take over, and he forced himself to think clearly. Aster was here—but why? What would prompt her to come all the way to the beach unless she somehow meant Irina harm?

He stopped in the middle of the road and glanced back at the condo complex, his mind spinning with possibilities. He didn’t know what had been used to knock him out—he hadn’t wasted the time to go searching for the weapon. Regardless, any woman was capable of a well-placed hit to the back of the head. But could she overpower Irina?

He seriously doubted it, especially with the recent self-defense moves they’d been working on. Aster was a small woman, just slightly taller than Irina. There had been obvious signs of struggle, but he couldn’t imagine Irina willingly getting into a vehicle with her. There had to be someone else involved.

He laced his hands together on the top of his head and tipped his face up to the moon, then closed his eyes. The island was closed. Aster was here, which was a good indication that Irina was still here somewhere. But where?

His ears perked up at a soft sound that carried on the light breeze. Little more than a squeak, it jolted him into action. A splash followed, sending chills down his spine. It was louder than the waves crashing gently against the shore and seemed to come from farther out. It also sounded large.

He started walking, unsure exactly of where he was going until he broke through the palm trees and stepped onto the soft sand. There was no light to speak of whatsoever, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. His gaze swept the vista in front of him, and it finally sank in. The pier.

In the moonlight, his eyes picked up a lone figure striding quickly back down the dock in his direction. The memory of the broken light bulbs flashed before his eyes, and he was running before he even thought about what he was doing.

“Rutland!” he screamed over his shoulder. “Get down here!”

The man on the pier snapped his head toward him. In the moonlight, he could only make out the pale white of his face as Roman charged toward him. He broke into a run, and Roman tackled him as soon as he reached the end of the pier. Pinning him to the ground, Roman stared down at him. A cold, calculating look filled the man’s eyes—and Roman knew.

Slamming his fist into the man’s face, he growled at him. “What’d you do to her?”

The man’s face twisted into a sneer as his eyebrow split open and thick, dark blood oozed out. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Roman landed another hard punch to his nose, and blood spurted over his lips and chin. “Where is she?”

He turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood. “ screw you.”

Roman shook him hard, and the back of his head hit the worn wood of the pier with a solid thunk. “I swear to God, if you don’t tell me where she is⁠—”

A slow smile spread over the man’s mouth, exposing his blood-stained teeth, looking nearly black in the darkness. “Bitch is gone.”

The splash Roman had heard suddenly registered, and ice settled in his veins. Smashing his fist into the man’s face one more time, he rolled off him and sprinted to the end of the pier. His lungs heaved from exertion, and he threw himself against the railing, scanning frantically for her.

“Irina!”

A few feet from the piling of the pier, a few bubbles surfaced and rippled across the water. Without thinking, he launched himself up onto the railing and dove into the water. Salt burned his eyes as he twisted his head left and right, looking for her in the dark, murky depths. Suddenly, a flash of white below him drew his attention.

He dove downward, stretching for the tangle of fabric far below him. His lungs began to ache as he cut through the water. Finally, his fingers touched the billowing white fabric that rose around her like a cloud. He grabbed up Irina’s body in his arms and pushed against the sea floor, shooting them toward the surface.

He gasped in a breath as soon as they broke free of the water, but Irina remained limp in his arms. Her head lolled backward, and he noticed the duct tape hanging loosely from a corner of her mouth.

“No!” Using his legs to tread water, he pounded her roughly on the back, hoping it would jolt her lungs into action. “Come on, trouble. Don’t give up on me now.”

Positioning them so her head was above water, he kicked forcefully toward the shore. “Help!”

Several policemen waded into the water and pulled Irina’s lifeless body from his arms. Just a few feet away, he rested on his hands and knees, eyes burning as he watched them perform chest compressions. The sound of running feet approached, and a medic slid into place next to her, taking over. What felt like hours passed as he watched them pump air into her lungs with no reward.

“Come on, baby. Fight for me!” Tears mingled with the water running down his cheeks, and his heart twisted in his chest. The searing pain of the wound on the back of his head was nothing compared to the sight of Irina lying there, pale and still, as if the life had leached from her body.

“Oh, God, please…” His voice cracked on the words. “Please be okay.”

Suddenly, with a horrific gagging sound, Irina spit up a mouthful of water. The medic turned her on her side as she coughed and sputtered, ridding her lungs of the vile fluid.

Spurred by hope, Roman scrambled closer and placed a hand on the medic’s shoulder, his gaze fixed on Irina. The woman studied him for a long moment. She must have read the urgency in his eyes because she settled Irina on her back, then, apparently satisfied that she was well enough for the moment, scooted out of his way.

He practically threw himself over Irina and pulled her against him. She was so weak she couldn’t move or speak, but he didn’t care. He ran his hands over every inch he could touch, from her perfect, gorgeous face, down her back and hips. “Thank God…”

He buried his head against her chest, his lips moving over her cold, wet skin. “You scared the life out of me, sweetheart. I was so worried about you.”

A shiver racked her body, and she coughed several more times. He tipped his head up to look at her, and a pair of bright blue eyes met his. Her hand lifted, curling into the sodden fabric of his shirt and held on for dear life.