Free Riptide (Limitless Book 1) by Kinsey Corwin Page B

but Hunter was right, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she shut her dad out of her life. Especially while they waited for news from the doctor. She was pissed, but she couldn’t walk out on him like her mother had.
    Her dad watched her through the camera. “Don’t look at me like that. There’s nothing wrong other than your sudden need to butt heads with me on this. For men like Hunter and I, regret is the one thing that can destroy us.”
    “Do you have regrets, Dad?”
    “More and more every day. Look, princess, if he doesn’t see his dream through, it will eat at him, and in the end, he will blame you.”
    “Why are you doing this?”
    “Because it’s the only way I can secure this company and your financial future.”
    “I don’t give a shit about money.”
    “You will when I’m gone and that time is coming sooner than either of us would like.” He sighed. “Look, just come home.”
    “In a few days.” She knew she would have to go home to see her dad. To be there for him. He only had her. But right now, her head was a mess. She couldn’t think straight and she needed to know what in the hell she was doing with Hunter. Yes, they said they loved each other, but was this thing with them permanent? Her dad would never approve. She could only stand her ground for so long with him. Sooner or later, she would have to decide if she could willingly give up everything for a man who totally gets her and rocks her world. Could she walk out on her dad, the only family she had?
    The only place she’d ever been able to find and make peace with her churning emotions was the ocean. It was where she needed to be to sort through the tangled emotions. She grabbed her board and hit the waves. Both Hunter’s and her father’s voices rang through her head, chastising her for surfing alone. Her dad told her that one day, something would happen and he would get notified that his daughter was lost to him. It was why he always had Aaron on standby when she was in Hawaii. This time, though, she was fairly certain it was just her and the ocean.
    She dropped in on the face of the wave and found her rhythm quickly. Once she located the sweet spot, she dropped back into the tube. This was what it was all about. Being one with the ocean. She could see the shadows of figures swimming behind the wave. The pod of dolphins playfully jumped through the waves and she laughed. So focused on the playfulness of the animals in front of her, she failed to bail out of the wave on time and lost her footing on her board. She wiped out and her leash got caught up on the reef. She couldn’t keep her head above water long enough to catch air. The waves just pounded her back under. She struggled and felt herself losing the battle. One last push for air. Her energy faded. Faster than she’d ever felt exhaustion take hold of her before. Slowly, her strength leaving her, the fight in her almost gone, but she wasn’t going to go down like this. She pushed up toward the surface again, and was sucked back down by the churning water. Disoriented, she fought to find the way up and lost consciousness as her head connected with the reef.
    ***
    “A ngel, open your eyes.”
    No response. Hunter checked her pulse, could see the rise and fall of her chest. When he saw her go in and she didn’t come up right away, he didn’t hesitate to fight the waves to get to her. Now he hoped he’d been fast enough for her to be safe. He got her to shore and called an ambulance. Then he made the call he hoped he’d never have to make.
    The phone rang once and Nash answered. “What do you want, Hunter? I have nothing more to say to you right now.”
    “Phoenix is on her way to the hospital. You need to get back here as soon as possible.”
    “What happened? If you hurt her, so help me god—”
    “No disrespect, Mr. Nash, but shut the fuck up, and for once in your life, listen.” Hunter took a deep breath. “She wiped out on the reef. I pulled her