Free Navy SEAL Survival by Elle James

we get back.”
    Sawyer nodded. “You got it, Duff.” He turned and headed toward the dive boat, followed by Montana and Quentin.
    â€œWhen we get back—”
    â€œI know. I owe you an explanation. It’ll have to wait until we’re on land.” Natalia kicked her feet, aiming for the boat.
    Duff fluttered his fins, sending him cleaving through the water, catching up to her quickly. While she climbed out of the water, he held her fins. She reached for them and took his, too.
    Once on the boat, Duff helped Natalia out of her apparatus and set it aside. He wanted to get to the bottom of whatever craziness she had in mind.
    The ride back stretched for what seemed like an hour when in fact it was fewer than thirty minutes. The passengers compared experiences of what they’d seen or encountered on the reef tour. All except Natalia.
    She stood alone at the rear of the boat, staring back at where they’d been retrieved. She’d slipped a cotton sundress over her swimsuit, but the breeze from the moving craft plastered it against her curves, outlining her incredible form beneath. Her brows pinched in the middle, a faraway, melancholy look made her appear even more distant. She ignored the lively chatter of the other divers, her back to them, cut off from the normal excitement of having been on some of the most incredible reefs off the coast of Mexico.
    After a few minutes the rest of the passengers grew quiet, their sunburned faces staring out over the water.
    No matter how hard Duff tried, he couldn’t make sense of Natalia’s desire to be captured by a stranger and her refusal to bring the attack to the attention of the crew.
    Duff paced the length of the boat until they pulled up to the dock and off-loaded passengers. He refused to let Natalia get away without cluing him in on her unbelievable statement.
    * * *
    N ATALIE SPENT THE remainder of the excursion staring out at the ocean, wondering if what had almost happened to her was the exact scenario Melody had been subjected to. If so, she would have been just as helpless to free herself from her captor. Thirty feet beneath the surface, without air, she would have been forced to rely on her captor’s regulator until they surfaced. But where?
    Her gaze took in the shoreline, memorizing every detail she could. As soon as she could, she’d rent a boat and return. Perhaps she’d find the spot the attackers had been waiting. Maybe finding the location would shed light on who they were and ultimately lead her to her sister.
    One thing the attack had proved was that her gut had been right. Melody was alive. She hadn’t been swept away by a current and lost at sea. Someone had taken her, most likely from the same location.
    As soon as the boat docked, Natalie was the first passenger off. She hurried down the wooden boardwalk, searching for a boat to rent. Where the excursion boats were moored, the vessels were large, designed to take numerous passengers to parasail, fish or dive. Farther along the marina area, Natalie spotted individual boats, smaller than the rest. She turned to the left and headed for them.
    â€œHey.” A hand clamped on her arm. “Not so fast.”
    She stared down at the hand on her arm and then up into Duff’s face. “Let go of me.”
    His three friends stood behind him, all muscular, some tattooed, each ready to champion their friend’s cause.
    Duff’s jaw tightened. “You owe us an explanation.”
    â€œI told you. I didn’t want your help.”
    â€œWoman, you’re not making sense.” Duff gripped both of her arms, frowning down at her, his brow furrowed. “A man tries to abduct you and, when I try to help, you tell me to butt out. I don’t get it. Why would you want to be abducted?”
    She glanced around, noting one of the deckhands from their dive boat holding a cell phone to his ear, staring at her.
    Natalie grabbed Duff’s arm and