the brunt as he remained wrapped around her. The wind flew out of her lungs, constricting her entire torso. Wet sand sprayed in every direction. They bounced once and then smashed down again, burrowing into the sand.
Promise panted out air, gasping to breathe.
Water crashed over them, nearly reaching her face. She struggled to her hands and knees on his limp body. “Ivar,” she croaked, shaking violently.
He lay prone on the ground. No way had he survived. She rolled to the side and partially stood, grabbing his T-shirt at the shoulders. When the water rolled in again, she used its momentum to pull him farther up the beach and out of the spray. Then she dropped to her knees next to him, listening for breathing.
The rain pounded down, while the surf sprayed all over. Even the wind blew sand wildly around. She spit out sandy hair and tried to see. Was he breathing? She’d have to perform CPR. She flattened her hand on his chest, and it rose against her. How was he breathing? A rattle caught her attention.
She shoved his shirt up and gingerly felt along his very ripped abdomen to his rib cage. His skin was smooth over wildly powerful muscles—harder than steel. Actual, real steel. How was that possible? He had to have a broken rib or several, but she couldn’t feel any damage. Not one. She looked frantically around. If a rib was broken, it would puncture his lung, if it hadn’t already done so. Where could she get help? Leaving him defenseless against the elements on the beach was a horrible idea, but running for the trail a mile away was her only chance to help him.
Her hands shook, and she sucked in several deep breaths to stay calm. His life depended on it.
He coughed and jerked conscious, immediately leaping to his feet, already crouching into a fighting stance.
She dropped to her butt, her eyes widening to see better in the storm. How was he moving? Who was this guy? He should be dead. She trembled and tried to crab-walk away from him.
He looked around, shook his head, and then spotted her.
She stilled, her gaze trapped.
His blue eyes lasered through the darkness of the storm, his long body one hard outline against the cliffs. Blood flowed down his face from a deep gash near his eye, and his left arm hung at an odd angle. The same arm he’d injured the other day. She’d forgotten his forearm had appeared broken when he’d run away after the car accident.
“How are you even standing?” she asked, trying to make sense of the situation. He should be in unbearable pain or even shock. She glanced up the cliffside, which disappeared into the storm. The calculations didn’t make sense. Their weight, their rate of speed, the angle of impact, and the solidness of the sand. They should both be dead—he especially. There was a slight chance she could be alive, but she should have several broken bones and most likely internal injuries. Right now, she just had a headache.
He spun around, obviously seeking a threat that wasn’t there. The only dangerous thing in sight was him. The man was a lunatic. One who was somehow standing while spectacularly injured.
“What are you on?” she yelled through the twisting wind and sand. While she was unfamiliar with pharmacology, there had to be some drug that was keeping him on his feet. “You’re probably bleeding out internally.” She stood up, fighting the wind. Sand stuck to her lips, and she wiped it away.
He reached for her hand. “We have to run.”
From what? The disastrous storm? She thought about fighting him, but his grip remained strong, and remaining on the beach with the increasing storm was insane. The man had mental problems, and right now, she couldn’t be any more vulnerable. So following his lead to the trail and up to safety was the only smart thing to do.
Then she’d run away from him.
She kept her head down to protect her eyes from the slashing sand and followed him, oddly grateful he kept her hand. How he found his way in the darkness and through the storm, she had no idea. His training as a soldier must’ve been impressive.
Her bare feet sank into wet sand, and she struggled to stay upright. Darkness and sand and water surrounded them, but adrenaline kept her moving, even though her heart rate accelerated until her lungs fought her.
She shivered and tried to walk faster, needing to keep her