Chapter 34 Gaining Respect
I blinked against the murky water, my arms outstretched, my fingers searching for something—anything—other than mud. My lungs burned as I reached deeper, a sign that my body was already running out of oxygen.
Then, when I thought I couldn’t reach, because I couldn’t see clearly in the dirty water—suddenly, the boy’s hand brushed mine, then slipped away.
’No. Fuck this.’
I pushed forward, ignoring the chill that ran up my spine. I moved my hands around, searching for him. That was when I felt his little hand, then I instantly grabbed him.
I pulled him hard out of the mud that was holding him down, then I kicked my leg against the water, swimming upwards. When my head broke out of the water’s surface, I gasped heavily for air. The water had risen high now, covering my body. The boy coughed and sputtered water from his mouth, his eyes widened in panic.
"It’s okay, I’ve got you," I choked out, pulling him toward the rocky wall. But the current had grown stronger with the rain, tugging me back and pulling my feet from under me.
For a second, I thought we’d both go under again, as I realized this body wasn’t strong enough to resist the current. I was lucky that the body didn’t give up underneath the water.
As my head slipped in and out of the water, strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind me. A growl of disapproval rumbled from Damon’s chest.
He hauled us up with a single pull, dragging both of us out like we weighed nothing. The boy collapsed in the mud, crying, while I slumped beside him, coughing up water, my chest heaving heavily as I let the rain wash away all my fear. The thought of nearly drowning made my whole body tremble.
"What were you thinking?" Damon barked, his voice sharp over the storm. "You could’ve drowned!"
"Then I guess I’d haunt you forever," I rasped back, focusing on nothing more than my breathing.