Their Virgin Princess (Masters of Ménage #4)(45)

Yes. She wanted to live.

She wanted a chance to be like the woman she'd once been, a little bold, mostly unafraid. She couldn't go back in time, but she could move forward. In some ways, she'd never really left the dank, filthy cell of her captivity. Piper had been right.

It was time to shed the pathetic Alea who had hidden in her room, burying her head in the sand and building walls around herself to keep out everyone who tried to help her. She needed the Alea she'd been before, the one who strove to be the best, studied the hardest, helped those around her. That Alea had been in a coma, but it was time for her to wake the fuck up. She might not deserve a shot at happiness, but she wanted one.

"I'm not moving, Coop." She wouldn't leave any one of them to die the way she'd left that girl. Gritting her teeth, she shoved the image away. "So you better set us down easy."

"Damn it, Lea. One of these days-soon-I'm going to spank your ass bright red." Cooper pulled the yoke and the nose came up again.

The plane shuddered. She braced herself. He would let the tail touch to slow them down. That's what she would do in his place. They wanted the plane to float for as long as possible.

Time seemed to speed up as the island loomed closer and closer. Distance and time meshed together in a horrifying carnival ride. The sound of the plane screamed against her ears, blocking out the rest of the world. The skyline tilted, a brief flash of greens and browns. Then she was thrown back. Alea's head slammed against the headrest as the plane went almost vertical. It stood there for one terrifying moment and then belly flopped, striking the water with bone-jarring force.



       
         
       
        

"Let's move, Princess." Cooper had hit his head at some point. A thin trickle of blood streamed down his face, but he moved with surety, unbuckling his belt, then her own. "We'll have to swim for it."

Yes, but they were alive.

She nodded and jumped up. The plane was bobbing in the waves, white foam cresting up the window.

"You're hurt." As soon as they reached land, she needed to dress and clean that wound, stop the bleeding. Infection was their enemy, so she had to prevent it. She had antibiotic ointment in her first aid kit.

"Coop? You two okay?" Dane staggered to the doorway, his big body taking up all the space. Alea wanted nothing more than to throw herself into those strong arms and hold him, but they had to hit the water and swim for land.

"We're good, but we won't float forever. If we're getting stuff off this plane, we need to do it now. Come on, Lea. We've got to move." Cooper turned her, pressing her toward Dane.

She nearly tripped over the body of the pilot. She forced her gaze away from the dead man and allowed Dane to pull her into the cabin. The door was open, and Landon was already in the water, surrounded by pieces of luggage and bags he'd tied together forming a long train of survival gear.

"It's a good five hundred yards to the beach," Lan shouted up. "I swam out a little. There's a beast of an undertow."

She wasn't the greatest swimmer in the world and she was still hazier than she'd like. Dane had one of the cushions in his hand and he'd used some rope to tie it around her, placing the cushion on her back. "Swim as long as you can. When you get tired, flip over on your back and I'll drag you in. Just keep your head up and lose the shoes, baby. There's no need for Prada here."

Alea slipped out of the shoes, her hands shaking despite the heat she felt shimmering outside. Dane dove into the water, then she stepped forward. Landon was starting for shore, dragging the train of luggage behind him. It looked like he'd tied the rope around his waist. His body moved swiftly despite the undertow, showing no signs that the added weight held him back at all.

Dane surfaced, slicking his hair back and holding a hand up for her to join him. Despite the horrors of the last few minutes, he paused to encourage her. "Come on in. The water's warm."

The water was also a clear, crystal blue. As she stood in the doorway, she could see down into the water, despite its depth. A coral reef lurked below. She couldn't tell how far down it was, but it was farther than Dane's kicking feet. That had to be good enough.

"Go on, Lea," Cooper said. "The water is about to start coming in the door. Once that happens, the plane will sink fast. Go!" 

Alea sucked in a deep breath and jumped. In seconds, warm water surrounded her. Almost immediately she felt the floatation device around her waist yank her to the surface as surely as Dane's hands. He helped her right her body and pushed the wet hair from her face.