House of Leights (Secret Keepers #3)(75)

When I finally got to my feet, I was surprised to see I was on the edge of the main tourist beach here, hidden behind some rocks. Thank you, God. I knew exactly how to get to Xander’s from here. Despite my injuries, I managed to stay on my feet as I stumbled around to the main beach.

Half a dozen families were playing and sunbaking, and when I came into sight I heard shouting. An older man rushed up to me. “Are you okay? Were you caught in a rip?”

He went with the most logical explanation, but still sounded confused. Mostly because I was wearing jeans and a shirt, not a swimsuit.

“You should sit down,” he advised, as I wobbled on my feet. “I’m an EMT, and I can tell you need to be seen by a medical professional. If you wait here, I’ll get the local one for you.”

I nodded, because I wanted him to leave me alone. I wasn’t that far from the private beach of Xander’s. I just needed to keep going. I pretended to sit, and the nice man ran up the beach, heading toward the lifeguard station. Meanwhile, I picked up the pace and started to stumble-run across the sand. Eyes followed me, but I ignored them, and eventually I moved beyond that main break.

I had no idea how I managed to stay upright until I made it back to Xander’s place, but I somehow found the strength. I collapsed near the pool area and Tommy found me quite fast.

“What happened?” he asked, when he dragged me up to the pool house. “Where are the others?”

“Laous,” I murmured. “Girl. Almost drowned.”

That was the last of my words before I leaned over and vomited everywhere on the pristine white tiled floors. Tommy, to his credit, didn’t freak out. He just lifted me from the mess, placed me on another long lounger, and ran a cool washcloth over my face.

He disappeared for a few minutes, reappearing with a phone in his hand.

“They’re on their way back, and I’ve called in backup in case Gonzo retaliates.”

“Are you human?” I asked, unsure if he was or not. He held himself like military, but there was also something other about him.

Tommy regarded me, wiping the cloth across my face and down over my neck. “I am human. I’ve known the Royales for a long time. Since I was a young boy. We lost touch when I joined the Air Force, but once I was done with my tours I retired, and Tristall, the overlord, offered me a position heading up his defense contracts here in Hawaii. I had nothing else to occupy my life, so over I came.”

“And you stay with Xander when he’s here?”

He nodded. “Yes, I look after Xander when he visits. Which has been a lot in the last year or so, but before that was very rare.” He held out a cup to me. I almost dove on the glass of water. I greedily gulped it down, water spilling all over me. When the glass was empty, Tommy handed it off to one of the men nearby.

I hadn’t noticed, but we were surrounded by armed men and women. At least a dozen or more were spanning out from the perimeter. One of them spoke into an earpiece; I heard them say “They’re here,” and I almost panicked until I felt the familiar flip of my stomach and twang of the bond at my center.

Chase stormed through and it almost looked as if dark clouds followed him. The trees that lined the pool area moved, crowding closer, as if offering their support. I was up and in his arms in a heartbeat, his face carved into lines of absolute fury, his skin swirling with gold, lighting the dark tone. I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what would help. Chase was so beyond human right then, almost god-like, and it was making me unsure.

He turned, holding me close, and strode toward the house. We passed Emma and Lexen – she gave me a wave, her face blotchy like she’d been crying. Inside, cool air washed over us.

Chase seemed to know where he was going, climbing up a set of stairs and entering a nearby bedroom. He didn’t stop there, though, moving us into the bathroom, where he placed me gently on the bench near the sink. Then, with a ragged breath, he took a step back.

His eyes, when I finally met them, were the sea during a storm, dark green and gray, swirling and churning, jaw so rigid I could have probably cut myself on the edges if I touched them. Before I could say a word, he reached out and hit the lever to turn the water on in the sink, letting it run while he grabbed a fluffy white towel, which had been neatly folded in an open set of shelves.

He tested the water a few times, finally soaking one side of the towel in it, before reaching out and rubbing the warm end across my skin. He did this over and over, rinsing off the blood. It felt so good, and at the same time so painful, and I could see Chase cataloguing each wound as he came across it. This was making him even angrier, and I was starting to hate the silence between us.

“I’m okay,” I finally said, stupidly.

His hand stilled, the one that had been washing sand off my arm. Straightening, he dropped the towel, brushing some of my hair back, pushing it behind my ear. “What happened?” His voice was hoarse. “I need to know everything.”

My head was finally clear now. I had no trouble telling him as quickly as possible everything that had happened, finishing up with the girl in the water. I gasped then when I remembered something. With frantic movements, I scrambled to feel around my neck. In my dazed state, I’d completely forgotten that I got the stone from Laous.

As my fingers brushed across the metal I actually smiled, lifting it over my head. The stone that had been lodged between my breasts sprang free. Chase shot his attention to it.