Chapter 290.

Music Recommendation: Legendary Lovers by Katy Perry.

.....

The sea was nothing like she had imagined.

It was not the beautiful, endless thing she had admired from a beach.

It was heavy, and violent.

It closed over her head with a force that stole the air from her lungs and sent her spinning away from the light.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell which direction was up.

Her body moved without her permission.

She kicked.

Something brushed her leg.

Panic tore through her. She kicked harder, her arms flailing as she tried to find the surface.

Then a hand closed around her wrist.

Christian.

She knew him before she could see him.

His grip was firm, and he pulled her towards the light.

They broke the surface together.

Kylie gasped.

The air burned her lungs.

Christian’s arm came around her, keeping her head above the water as the boat rose and fell beside them.

"Blue!"

She coughed. "I’m here!"

"Look at me!"

She turned towards him.

His hair was soaked, with his shirt clinging to his chest, and his eyes were fixed on her face with an intensity that made her heart ache.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, coughing again. "I don’t think so."

He scanned her quickly. "Can you move?"

"Yes."

"Good. Hold on to me."

One of his men leaned over the side of the boat. "Sir! Give me your hand!"

Christian pushed Kylie towards him. "Take her first!"

The man reached down.

Kylie grabbed his wrist, and he pulled her towards the side of the boat while another man caught her under the arm.

She was lifted out of the water and hauled over the edge.

She landed awkwardly on the floor, coughing and gasping, her soaked clothes sticking to her skin.

"Miss Benneth, are you—"

Christian’s head appeared over the side. "Get her away from the edge!"

Two men helped Kylie crawl towards the centre of the boat.

Then Christian was hauled aboard.

He landed on one knee, immediately turned towards her and reached for her.

"Blue?"

"I’m here," she managed.

He pulled her against him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The boat rocked violently as the engine roared to life.

One of Christian’s men hurried towards the controls. "We need to move!"

"Do it!" Christian barked.

The man pushed the throttle forward.

The boat lurched away from the ship.

Kylie grabbed Christian’s arm.

Behind them, the vessel loomed over the water, its lights cutting through the darkness.

Men were running along the deck.

Some were shouting. Others were pointing towards the boat.

A gunshot cracked through the night.

Christian ducked instinctively, covering Kylie with his body.

Another shot followed.

Then another.

His men returned fire from the boat, forcing the men above to take cover.

"Keep your heads down!" someone shouted.

Christian pulled Kylie closer. "Are you all right?"

She nodded against his chest.

He pressed his mouth to her wet hair. "You’re good, okay?"

She nodded softly.

The boat surged forward.

For a few seconds, they seemed to be getting away. Then Christian felt Kylie stiffen in his arms.

He looked down.

"Blue?"

She had stopped moving.

Her fingers were gripping his shirt, but the strength was leaving them.

He frowned. "What’s wrong?"

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Christian pulled back to look at her face. And he saw the blood.

For a moment, his mind refused to understand what his eyes were showing him.

A dark stain was spreading across Kylie’s clothes. Too much red. Too quickly.

It was coming from her side, just beneath her ribs.

Christian stared at it. Then at her. Then back at the blood.

"No."

The word came out so quietly that she barely heard it.

He moved his hand towards the wound.

Kylie flinched. A small, frightened sound escaped her.

Christian went completely still.

"Baby?"

She looked at him.

Her eyes were wide, and confused. She glanced down, following his gaze, and saw the blood.

For a moment, she seemed unable to understand it either.

Then her face changed.

"Christian?"

His breath stopped. "No, no, no."

He pressed his hand against the wound.

Kylie gasped.

He immediately loosened the pressure, horror flooding his face when he realised he’d hurt her.

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry, baby." His voice broke. "Let me see. Let me see."

He tried to move her hand away from her side, but she caught his wrist.

"Christian—"

"Don’t move."

She stared at him. "I’m okay."

He shook his head. "No."

"I’m—"

"No!"

The shout tore out of him.

Kylie flinched.

Christian looked as if he’d been struck. He cupped her face with his free hand, forcing himself to lower his voice.

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Kylie. Just stay with me."

He looked over his shoulder. "MEDIC!"

One of his men was already moving towards them.

"Sir?"

"She’s been shot!"

The man dropped beside them. "Where?"

"Her side. She’s bleeding. Do something!"

"Let me see."

Christian shifted just enough for the man to examine the wound, but he refused to release Kylie.

The medic pressed a clean dressing against her side.

Kylie cried out.

Christian’s entire body jerked. "Easy! Easy, baby!"

She grabbed his shirt. "It hurts."

"I know."

"It hurts, Christian."

"I know, baby. I know."

His voice was shaking so badly that he barely recognised it.

He knew how to function when someone was hurt. He knew what to do. But this was Kylie.

She was bleeding in his arms. And he couldn’t make it stop.

"Get the medical kit!" he shouted. "Now!"

"It’s coming, sir!"

"Then bring it faster!"

The medic worked quickly, applying pressure to the wound while another man retrieved supplies.

Christian could barely see past the blood.

He stared at Kylie’s face. "Look at me."

Her eyes moved towards him.

"That’s it. Keep looking at me."

She tried to smile. It was small and weak. "You’re shouting."

He let out a broken breath. "I’m sorry."

He tried to speak, but the sound caught in his throat and came out as something painfully close to a sob.

Her lips moved. "Still your favourite person?"

He bent over her. "Yes," he whispered. "You are. You are, baby."

The medic looked up.

"Sir, I need room."

Christian barely heard him.

"Christian," Kylie whispered.

He turned back to her immediately. "I’m here."

"I’m cold."

His face crumpled.

He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, careful not to disturb the dressing.

"I know, Blue. I’ve got you."

She shivered.

He drew her closer, supporting her head against his chest while the boat raced across the dark water.

"Can you hear me?"

She nodded.

"Good. Keep listening to my voice."

He brushed the wet hair away from her forehead.

"We’re going to get you to a hospital. You’re going to have the best doctors in the country looking at you, and then you’re going to spend the next six months complaining about how much I fuss over you."

She blinked slowly. "Six months?"

"At least."

"That’s a long time."

"I’m planning for a long life with you, Blue. Six months is nothing."

Her eyes filled with tears.

He kissed her forehead.

"You hear me? You have so much left to do. You haven’t even taken me to that place you wanted to show me. You haven’t made me try whatever terrible food you insist is better than mine. You haven’t finished telling me all the things you hate about me."

She swallowed. "That’s going to take years."

"Exactly."

Her eyes drifted shut.

Christian froze. "Blue?"

She didn’t respond.

His heart seemed to stop. "Hey! Blue! Kylie!" He touched her cheek. "Open your eyes."

Her eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t look at him.

"No." His voice cracked. "No, sweetheart. Open your eyes."

The medic adjusted the dressing.

"She needs to stay awake if she can. Keep talking to her."

Christian stared at him. A single tear left his eye. "If she can?" His voice shook.

The medic met his eyes. "Sir, I need you to keep her responsive while we control the bleeding."

Christian turned back to Kylie. "Baby, look at me."

Her eyes opened a little.

"There you are." He kissed her cheek. "There you are. Stay with me."

She tried to focus on his face.

He could see the effort it took.

He wanted to scream.

He wanted to turn around and go back to the ship, to find the man who had fired the shot and tear the world apart until he found a way to undo what had happened.

Instead, he held Kylie. She needed him. She was frightened. He couldn’t afford to let her see how terrified he was.

But his hands were shaking.

He couldn’t stop them. "Keep your eyes open, Blue."

She blinked.

"Please."

He couldn’t buy another minute. He couldn’t threaten death into leaving her alone. All he could do was hold her and beg.

"Please, baby. Please, keep your eyes open."

She looked at him again.

Her gaze was unfocused, but it found his face.

He pressed his forehead against hers. "That’s it. That’s my girl."

She tried to lift her hand. It trembled halfway between them.

Christian caught it immediately, bringing it to his mouth. "Don’t move. You don’t have to do anything."

She shook her head faintly. "Want to..."

Her voice was barely audible. "What, Belle?"

She swallowed. "Want to touch you."

His breath caught. "Okay. Of course."

He guided her hand towards his face.

Her fingertips brushed his cheek.

She touched him as if she were trying to reassure herself that he was real, that he was there, that he hadn’t disappeared when she needed him most.

Christian turned his face into her palm.

His eyes burned. "I’m here."

She moved her thumb weakly across his cheek.

He held her hand against his skin, terrified that if he let go, even for a second, she would slip somewhere he couldn’t follow.

"I’m right here, Blue."

Her gaze wandered over his face.

She lingered on his eyes, his nose, and his mouth. Then she reached his dimples.

Even now, with blood staining her clothes and the sea stretching endlessly around them, the faintest trace of a smile appeared on her lips.

"Your..."

Christian bent closer. "My what?"

"Annoying..." She swallowed. "Dimples."

His face twisted. A broken laugh escaped him, tangled with a sob. "Yeah, baby. My annoying dimples."

She touched one with her thumb. "Always showing off."

"I’ll stop."

She shook her head, barely moving. "No."

He pressed her hand against his cheek. "Okay. I won’t."

Her eyes glistened. "Christian?"

"I’m listening."

She took a shallow breath. "I love you."

Everything inside him went silent.

For one impossible moment, the boat, the men, the engine and the sea seemed to disappear.

There was only Kylie.

Her trembling fingers against his face. Her eyes struggling to remain open.

Her voice, soft and fragile, giving him the words he had always wanted to hear and never wanted to hear like this.

He stared at her. Then he bent over her, pressing his forehead to hers as tears slipped down his face.

"I love you too, Blue." His voice broke. "I love you so much."

He kissed her trembling hand and held it against his cheek. "Now keep your eyes open, sweetheart. Please. Please, stay with me."