Praying for Grace (The Grace Series Book 5) by M. Lauryl Lewis Read Free Book Online

edge.
    “How’d you find me?” I asked, breaking the eerie silence.
    “Can we talk about that later?” he asked, somewhat out of breath from rowing.
    The baby fell back to sleep with the rocking motion of the boat on the waves.  I forced myself to not look overboard, as the darkness of the water reminded me that it would be unmercifully cold and deep here. I looked up from the baby to Gus.
    “No,” I said flatly. “You owe me answers.”
    “Darlin’, it’s hard to talk and row.”
    “Then stop rowing.”
    “Can’t,” he huffed. “We have to get back.”
    “Back where?”
    “Let me row,” he said flatly, as if irritated with me.
    “You didn’t just break my heart, Gus. You broke my soul when you left.”
    “We’ll talk about it tonight,” he grumbled.
    “Take me back to the island,” I said without thinking.
    “No fucking way,” he said, almost laughing.
    “If you won’t tell me what’s going on, I want to go back and wait for Boggs.”
    “Are you guys back together?” he asked.
    “We’re friends. You know that.”
    He just looked at me, not saying anything.
    “That hurts, Gus.”
    “What does?”
    “Suggesting I’d get over you that fast. It’s only been a few days, for God’s sake.”
    “You and he and the baby would be a good match.”
    I forced myself to not cry. He had hurt me so badly when he walked away, and he was still hurting me.
    “Where’d you go?” I asked. “When you walked away?”
    “North.”
    “Just… north ? That’s all you have to say, north ?”
    I had raised my voice and Emmett stirred.
    “I walked off to die.”
    “I heard you shoot yourself.”
    “No.”
    “I heard the shot, and then you were gone. I couldn’t feel you anymore.”
    He adjusted in his seat and looked deep in thought. 
    “I got a few blocks away and the next thing I remember was waking up in a rickety bed with people staring at me.”
    “What people?”
    “Good people.”
    “Would you fucking talk to me ?”
    “It’s complicated.”
    “What the hell?” I stared at him angrily for a moment. “I’m sure I can manage to follow along.”
    “I can’t stop rowing, darlin’. If I do, currents will take us too far. I need to focus on getting us to a motorboat where other survivors are waiting. There’s a group of people in an old secret Air Force Base not far from Neah Bay. That’s where we’re headed. Tonight, Zoe, ok? We’ll talk tonight.”
    I sighed, giving in. We continued on in silence, other than the lapping of the oars. Before long, Gus slowed.
    “We’re here,” he said.
    I looked around, seeing only the thick fog. “We’re where?”
    “The boat.”
    “Gus! We’re over here!” I heard a woman’s voice followed by a deep-toned bell clanging.
    “Ahoy!” he yelled back.
    He gave one more strong pull of the oars and soon the small boat came into view. Two men were leaning over the edge, just far enough to grab onto the side of our much smaller raft.
    “Hand me the baby,” said one of the men. He was young and had a British accent. I simply stared at him, and made no effort to move. Handing the baby over to a stranger was just simply not going to happen.
    “It’s ok, Ivar. I’ll get them.”
    “Very well,” said the other man.
    “I’ll go on board first and then you can hand him to me,” offered Gus.
    “No. He doesn’t leave my arms,” I said firmly.
    Gus sighed, clearly annoyed with me. I didn’t care. For the first time, I didn’t trust him.
    A tall blonde woman walked up. “Gus! I’m so glad you’re back!”
    She flashed him a big toothy smile as he transferred from the rowboat to the larger motorboat. He embraced her.
    “I told you I’d come back,” he said.
    I stared at them in disbelief. They looked a bit too familiar with each other.
    “Zoe, this is Gretchen. And Ivar and Fred,” he added, gesturing toward the two men with a tilt of his head.
    I clutched Emmett closer to my chest. I was too pissed off to say anything. Gus finally