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“Breathe, damn you! You can’t leave me now.” He heard the raw terror in his voice. He hadn’t let himself be afraid for a very long time. Not since he was that defenseless, young boy.

“Dare? Do you copy?”

Rynan’s voice. Dare looked up, frowning. Had he imagined it? Then he realized it was coming from his earpiece.

“Rynan!”

“Where are you?” his brother asked.

“I’m in a golden dome on some outcropping. Olok abandoned us in a small sub.”

“Yeah, our sub was rigged to lose power, but I managed to get it moving again. We should be able to limp to your location. Our submersible isn’t going to last much longer.”

“Ry, our sub was damaged and filling with water. We had to swim. Dakota…she’s not breathing.”

He heard Rynan curse. “Okay, we’ve picked up the signal of your small sub. Justyn’s bringing us to you. For now, I’ll talk you through the resuscitation.”

“I’ve attached the shock pads, but they aren’t working.”

“Stay calm. She’s tough, you’ll get her through.”

Her skin was so pale, her eyelashes dark against her cheeks. Dare followed Rynan’s solid, calm instructions. Everything became a monotonous series of pumping her chest and breathing through her cold lips.

Dare didn’t let himself think. He just kept going, and soon, he lost track of time.

The next thing he knew, his brothers were kneeling beside him.

Ry grabbed Dare’s wrists. “Dare. You can stop now.”

“No, she’s not breathing yet.”

“She’s gone, Dare.”

Dare sat back, shock hitting him like a tsunami. She couldn’t be gone. He reached down and touched her cold cheek, her wet hair, running it through his hands. “I’m in love with her.”

He was desolate inside.

This felt worse than anything he’d faced in his life. He’d face that basement of horror and pain again, a hundred times over, if she’d just breathe.

He heard his brothers cursing, felt them each grip his shoulders. They’d always been there for him, and he’d vowed to always be there for them—a bond forged in blood and darkness.

And he would be there for his woman as well.

“No!” He wasn’t giving up on her. Dakota never gave up.

He pressed his hands to her chest and pumped. He leaned down and breathed into her mouth. This time he was harder, more determined.

He was never going to give up. He could hear his brothers murmuring to each other, concerned. But Dare just looked at Dakota’s face, ignored their voices, and kept going.

Suddenly, her eyes opened. She heaved in a wild breath, then coughed, water spurting out of her.

Elation filled him. He leaned down, pulling her into his arms. He held her as she coughed the ocean water from her lungs.

“Dare?” Her voice was husky.

“I’m here. I’ve got you.”

He realized his cheeks were wet. Tears. He hadn’t cried since he was a small boy. He hadn’t even cried in that basement.