Washed Away by Carol Marinelli Page A

water in his nostrils, choking him as he attempted to breathe, struggling to stay above the churning black water. His legs felt like lead. Every breath hurt now, and his pulse pounded in his ears as he fought his way to the vehicle. Relief clutched him when he saw the Jeep bobbing on the surface of the roiling river, but the back of the vehicle was dipping dangerously. Water gushing in through a broken rear window would soon drag the Jeep and its passengers under.
    The rope tightened around Noah’s waist as he drew close, pulling him back as he inched forward. The voice of reason could go talk to someone who was listening. Noah yanked at the knot, discarding his lifeline with barely a thought. He swam the last couple of yards with renewed energy. Feeling the solid metal of the hood on his cold fingers, Noah took a moment to regroup. He squinted his eyes against the rain and the waves to see who was in the car. Noah almost released his grip as the shock of recognition hit.
    Chocolate Girl.
    She was unconscious, those delicious velvet eyes closed now, blissfully oblivious to the danger that surrounded her. The water gushing in at an alarming rate was already up to her waist. He had to get her out, and fast! He pounded on the windshield with his shoulders until it finally gave way. His hands cleared away the splintered glass until he could reach in. A furious bundle of black fur bit through his sleeve as he grappled with the seat belt and somehow managed to drag the limp, rag-doll body up onto the hood. He held her tight as he rolled them both sideways, knowing they had to get away from the vehicle before it sank beneath the surface, taking them both down with it.
    Keeping her head above the water wasn’t an option when seconds mattered. Taking a huge gulp of rain-lashed air, Noah wrapped an arm around her and lunged into the water in a less-than-graceful dive, propelling them forward with his strong legs, calling on energy reserves that long ago should have been depleted. Only when they were marginally safer, away from the vacuum that had tugged possessively at them as the Jeep sank to the murky depths, did he rise to the surface. Pulling her up beside him, he gulped at the delicious air and snagged a piece of driftwood, blessedly allowing it to take some of their weight so he could assess how she was doing.
    Fear churned in him as he eyed her darkening lips and blank eyes. His legs furiously cycled below the water’s surface just to keep them afloat, even with the driftwood. Placing his mouth over her slack blue lips, he pinched her nostrils shut and exhaled his own life force into her, once, twice, three times. Kicking free of the driftwood, he cupped her chin in his hand and propelled them both toward the riverbank.
    The sweet feel of the muddied riverbank beneath his feet went unacknowledged. Instead, he rolled her onto her back, ripping at the navy jacket with numb fingers, watching for the rise and fall of her chest as his fingers deftly palpated her neck. The flickering pulse was still there, and arching her head backward, he pinched her nostrils and breathed into her again. When a violent coughing spasm engulfed her body, he rolled her onto her side and watched as her darkening lips turned pale. The cough turned to gulping breaths until finally she was breathing on her own.
    Only then did Noah collapse beside her. He closed his eyes for a moment, coughing the filthy water out of his bursting lungs. But they weren’t out of danger yet. The river was dangerously high now, and at any moment would overflow its banks, trapping them.
    “Hey!” If he’d had the energy, he would have reached a hand out to pat the black sodden bundle that hauled its way out of the murky waters and up the riverbank, stopping only for one quick shake before running over and nudging a black nose at its precious mistress, willing her to wake up. “She’ll be okay.” Dragging himself up to his knees, Noah went to comfort the animal, but it