Undercover Operation by Maggie K. Black

Author:Maggie K. Black
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-06-21T22:03:20+00:00

EIGHT

Something white-hot and protective burned through Asher’s veins, as he saw Peyton bravely battling for her life against her attacker.

Get away from her!

The words welled up inside him far more powerfully than anything his voice would’ve been able to shout. He sped through the water, pushing and pulling as hard as he could with every stroke. Peyton wrenched free from the masked man and tried to swim for the surface. Peyton’s attacker grabbed her by the ankle. She thrashed wildly.

But now Asher had reached them. He grabbed the guy by his oxygen tank and yanked him back. Peyton wriggled her leg free and swam toward the boat. The masked man wrestled out of Asher’s grasp and spun back. He swung the knife at Asher with a sudden burst of ferocity and Asher caught sight of the jagged lines of a tattoo on his wrist. Being underwater made it almost feel as if everything was happening in slow motion and distorted the scene before Asher’s eyes. And yet there was no mistaking the man’s intentions as he tried to stab at him again and again—wild, vicious and uncontrollable swings as Asher struggled to block the blows.

Asher took a breath and choked. His air supply had been cut off. Water trickled in through his regulator mouthpiece. How? They’d checked the equipment carefully. Had his attacker brought a weapon sharp enough to pierce his air hose?

Either way, Asher had lost his ability to breathe. Panic filled his chest. If he didn’t get air soon Asher was going to drown. Desperately he tried to swim toward the sun streaming down from above. But his attacker loomed over him and wouldn’t let him go.

Asher’s lungs burned. He fought the urge to inhale, knowing that if he let water pour into his lungs it could be his death. Bright dots started to fill his eyes.

Then he saw a flurry of orange streaming down from above him, catching the trickling beams of sunlight like underwater fire. It was Peyton. Some of her hair had slipped free from a large hole in the back of her hood and was now fanning out around her. She swam for their attacker.

No. He wouldn’t let her risk her life. He couldn’t let her die. Not for him.

He watched as she grabbed the attacker from behind, wrapped her arms around his neck and yanked the regulator from his mouth. The man shook Peyton off of him and swam for his watercraft.

Peyton grabbed Asher’s hand and started swimming, half guiding and half pulling him after her, and aiming for the surface on the other side of The Mixed Blessing from where their attacker had gone. But it was too late. Asher had gone too long without oxygen. His limbs were heavy and sluggish. He could feel his mind beginning to go dark. His hand slipped from her grasp. Asher’s eyes closed.

He was going to drown.

Then he felt Peyton grip the front of his suit. Hard rubber pressed up against his mouth.

“Asher!” Peyton’s distorted voice shouted at him through the water.

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