Natalie abruptly dropped the conch shell and swam swiftly toward the man. His body was surrounded by a cloud of blood, staining the surrounding seawater a startling
red.
A chill of fear ran down her spine, a lingering shadow from the shark that had just appeared.
The man''s back was to her, making it impossible for Natalie to identify him.
The scent of his blood would attract any sharks in the area.
Without a moment''s hesitation, she grabbed the man''s slowly sinking arm. She didn''t have time to see who it was; her only thought was to get them out of danger immediately.
Summoning all her strength, she dragged him upward, fighting her way to the surface.
Breaking the surface, Natalie yelled, "Susan! Quick, help me!"
Did she hear that right? Not helping with a fish, but helping a person.
Susan reeled in her fishing rod. She clearly wasn''t cut out for fishing; she''d just hooked something so big it nearly dragged her into the sea before the line snapped, allowing her to escape.
Annoyed and done with fishing for the day, she heard Natalie''s cry for help.
She tossed her rod aside and saw Natalie desperately swimming toward the shore, dragging a man with her.
Susan stared, stunned. You could just find people in the middle of the ocean?
Then she spotted the shark fin not far off, and her eyes widened in terror.
She rushed into the water to help, even though she wasn''t a strong swimmer. Luckily, the water near the shore was shallow.
But Natalie, with her surprising strength, had already made it to the beach.
Susan ran over, and together they dragged Jared out of the water.
Just as the shark reached the shallows.
Natalie''s heart leaped into her throat-that was too close forfort.
Susan clutched her chest in relief as the shark, having lost its prey, turned and swam away.
"Holy crap, Natalie,” Susan breathed. "This is way too dangerous. Let''s nevere back here again."
Looking down, she saw the man lying on the sand was Jared. She froze again. "Why is it Jared? What is that bastard doing here?"
Natalie also recognized him and was baffled. In this life, she had saved Jared. What kind of fate was this?
He was supposed to have been found by fishermen three days from now, his lower back smashed against a reef, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
Even as a paraplegic, Jared had continued to dote on Joanna.
She frowned, noticing his thigh was bleeding from what looked like a puncture wound.
She could still picture the shreds of flesh floating in the water. The pain must have been excruciating.
Natalie took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut, a painful memory surfacing. In her past life just because she yed the piano better thart Joanna, that son of a bitch, while lying paralyzed in bed, had ordered kidnappers to break her fingers.
Her eyes snapped open. She would still save him. It was a healer''s duty, not because it was Jared.
Natalie had a first-aid kit on the
speedboat for emergencies. Sheet
swam out to the boat, polled he lithe body aboard with ease and returned with the medical kit.
She cut away Jared''s pants with a pair of shears. Looking at the gaping wound in his thigh, she couldn''t deny asic sense of satisfaction She She knew that kind of pain all too well.
After applying antiseptic and wrapping the wound with gauze, she began CPR.
Herpressions were rough and forceful. After a few minutes, Jared coughed up several mouthfuls of water and began to stir.
Watching Natalie''s almost vengeful actions, Susan grew concerned. “Natalie, maybe
be a little gentler? You''re going to break his ribs."
Natalie shot her a cold nce. "Feeling sorry for him?"
Susan felt the full force of her death re.
She shook her head. "No, of course not. I don''t feel sorry for him at all."
But Natalie''s hatred was palpable.
Then again, Susan thought, now that Natalie could see the whole picture, these bastards truly were despicable.