Georgia could feel it.
Her limbs, once stubborn and defiant, now floated limp in the cold saltwater. Numbness seeped into her bones, her vision faded, and her trembling fingers finally slipped from the makeshift float that had kept her alive.
'Will you forgive me, brother… if I follow you this soon?'
Her mind whispered weakly in the void. 'I don't think I can keep the promise… to you or to Katie. I want to live, but my body's giving out… I'm so sorry…'
And then... silence.
Her body plunged beneath the surface, sinking into the dark, cold ocean. She didn't scream. There was no strength left for it. Just the slow, suffocating descent as her heartbeat faded into the deep.
'Help me… please… anyone…'
Then—suddenly—something grabbed her hand.
Her panicked thoughts screamed. Was it a sea creature? A current dragging her deeper?
Then an arm, a strong, solid arm, wrapped tightly around her waist, hauling her upward with determined force.
Moments later, her head burst through the surface, gasping, choking, water sputtering from her lips. Cold air slapped her face as someone cursed loud enough to jolt her half-conscious mind.
"Goddammit, wake up! Don't you dare die on me! I swear, if you make me regret jumping from that fucking moving ship—!"
The man's voice was raw, frantic, and desperate.
She could feel herself being dragged through the waves, toward a light she could barely see. Her lashes fluttered, blurred by seawater and tears.
"Are you awake?" the voice came again. He was closer now, his breath warm against her cheek. "Can you hear me?!"
"Y-Yes…" she croaked, her voice hoarse, broken. Her lips were turning blue. Her body trembled like a wet kitten in a storm.
The man's arm tightened around her as he jerked his head toward the ship lights in the distance. "Hold on. My men are coming to retrieve us. Just—hang on a little longer, alright?"
She wanted to nod. She wanted to thank him. But her teeth clattered as she whispered, "S-So cold…"
Then, she remembered her situation and with the last shred of strength she had left, she reached up, gripped the front of his soaked shirt, and gasped out, "Please… I'm begging you… Someone tried to kill me… Don't tell anyone you found me…"
His brows furrowed. His voice dropped an octave. "What…? Were you pushed overboard?"
Georgia barely managed to nod.
But her body had had enough.
Her eyes rolled back, her fingers slipped from his shirt, and her head fell against his shoulder just as she whispered, "Yes…"
Then darkness claimed her once more.
And Captain Nicholas Knight, soaked, shivering, and cursing under his breath, held her tighter, watching the rescue boat race toward them across the waves.
The moment they were hauled onto the rescue boat, Captain Nicholas Knight didn't waste a second. Soaked and breathless, he ripped the radio from the strap of a crew member's immersion suit and pressed the button with shaking fingers.
"Cancel the rescue alert. I repeat—cancel the goddamn alert!" he barked, his voice sharp and commanding over the static.
The crew stared at him, wide-eyed, stunned, confusion written all over their faces. No one dared speak. Not even a breath was heard as they tried to process what their captain had just said.
Seconds later, the chief mate's voice crackled through the radio speaker. "Captain… the port and coast guard have already been notified."
"Shit!" Nick swore under his breath. Then louder, more frantic now: "I don't care, retract it. Say it was a false alarm. Say we mistook a floating mannequin or debris, anything! Just shut it down. Now!"
There was a brief pause before the chief mate responded, tension thick over the line.
"Copy that, Captain. Retracting the man overboard rescue announcement."
Nick exhaled sharply, running a hand through his drenched hair as he cradled the unconscious woman tighter against him.
He didn't have answers yet, but one thing was clear: whoever she was, she wasn't going back until he figured out what kind of hell he'd just pulled out of the ocean. He won't repeat the same mistake.
It was a nightmare all over again for Nick, the same nightmare he had gone through a few years back. But this time, no one died. He was able to save a life.
**********
'So warm…'
Georgia's senses stirred, her body still heavy with exhaustion. Eyes shut, she instinctively burrowed deeper under the thick, cozy blanket, pulling it up to her chin as if anchoring herself to the warmth.
She shifted slightly, then her leg struck something hard.
"Ah!" she flinched, eyes snapping open.
A damp towel slid from her forehead and landed on her neck. Dazed, she sat up slowly, scanning her surroundings.
Wood-paneled walls. Polished brass fixtures. She knew this place… not this room, but this kind of room. She'd spent enough time aboard ships through the family business to know this wasn't just any cabin. This was a high-ranking officer's quarters, spacious, elite, and far above crew level.
And then she saw him.
A man was slouched on the sofa across the room, shirtless, toned chest rising and falling in steady breaths, gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips. He was fast asleep.
Georgia's heart skipped. Her brows furrowed. Then the memories crashed back. Salt water, freezing winds, her body going numb in the ocean… and then being pulled into someone's arms. His arms.
She looked down at herself. Her skin prickled.
She was dressed in an oversized shirt and loose shorts. No bra. No underwear. Her cheeks flamed. Panic surged through her veins as pain screamed from her muscles, her legs, her arms, everything throbbed like she'd been hit by a truck.
Her breath caught.
'Oh God…'
Her eyes widened in pure horror. A jolt of fear shot through her chest like a lightning strike, and before she could stop herself, she screamed.
She doesn't know why she did that, but it felt right at that moment, perhaps born out of confusion, pain, and dread.
The man jolted awake, he shot up instantly, fully alert, his eyes scanning the room like a soldier under attack. "What happened?! What's wrong?!" he barked, looking for the threat.
But there was none.
Only the woman he had saved last night—sitting on the bed, trembling, eyes blazing with fury and fear, glaring at him like he'd just committed the worst crime imaginable.