A Duel with Death Read online

  “Not like this. I can’t lose her like this.”

  The duel with Death over. The match wouldn’t be won by the cruel keeper.

  “What do you want from me in exchange for her?”

  Between bouts of insanity, speaking to an unknown entity, he continued with CPR. Finally, she sputtered and gagged on the gush of water from her chest and stomach. He turned her on her side to help the fluid drain.

  Carmen’s eyes fluttered open, widened when she saw his face, and crashed shut again.

  Hope roared back so quickly, only to be dashed away. “Hold on, sweetheart,” Johnny said. “We have so much more ahead of us. I love you.”

  She opened her eyes again and screamed. “Johnny!”

  “I’m here. Shhh! I’m here.”

  “Oh. Hurts. My throat. Chest.”

  “I can imagine. Just hold steady.”

  In the distance, a man jogged toward them. Johnny waved his arms. “Over here!”

  From the moment she’d gone under until right then had felt like a lifetime, or several, but in reality couldn’t have been more than five minutes.

  “Do you need help?” the jogger asked.

  “Please call 9-1-1 and tell them we had a drowning.”

  A limp hand grasped his arm. “No,” Carmen croaked out. “I’m okay.”

  “Fuck that. You were dead. You’re going to the hospital.”

  Minutes clocked by until a siren announced the ambulance’s arrival. The stress of the event hit Johnny and he shook with adrenaline. He held Carmen’s hand, vowing not to let her go. That bastard, Death, was a sneaky one, but he’d have to wait a hell of a long time before he got her.

  The Good Samaritan jogger pointed at Johnny’s foot. “Dude, you’d better get that looked at, too. Nasty gash there.”

  He’d forgotten about stepping on something sharp. Even though sand clung to his foot, blood flowed from the deep wound. He wrapped a towel around it to staunch the flow.

  Paramedics assessed Carmen, strapped her to a board, and carried her to the ambulance. Johnny limped alongside.

  “We don’t usually allow others in the back of the ambulance, despite what you see on television, but it looks like you need some care, too,” one paramedic said. “Hop in, and we’ll take a look at your foot.”

  Johnny tried not to imagine what Carmen would have looked like if he hadn’t revived her. As if she’d tapped into his thoughts, she opened her eyes and smiled.

  “Thank you for saving me.”

  “Not necessary. Just don’t do anything like that again, got it? I don’t want to lose you.”

  “I promise.” She grazed his cheek with her fingertips, before dropping her hand to hold his. “Your father sends his love.”

  She closed her eyes again and his heart stilled. Had he heard her correctly? But if his dad had visited him, maybe he’d also come to Carmen’s rescue. Johnny would have to ask her later.

  “Get some rest. I have a feeling you’re not going to want to stay in the hospital any longer than needed.”

  “I think I’m falling in love with you,” she said. “That needs saying.”

  The ambulance bounced along the access road, and Johnny leaned his head against the wall. While a knot of fear had overtaken his stomach, he still felt at peace, confident he and Carmen had to strength to fight and overcome anything thrown their way.

  “And I’m saying I can’t wait to show you how much I love you.”

  ~A Letter From the Author ~

  What do you believe? Research shows that people who are married tend to live longer than those who are not. Is it because of the power of love?

  “I love your ‘With Death’ series,” someone told me recently. When I started with A Date with Death, the idea for a few more 1Night Stand tales with related themes existed. A series surrounding death? Why not?

  Each one of these tales pairs two unlikely couples in circumstances a bit out of their control. They’ve come to Madame Evangeline for a pairing of a weekend of love, but nothing more.

  When love strikes, you can’t really control it. It’s not something to plan. It happens, taking the individual by storm – sometimes against the best intentions.

  I stumbled upon the 1Night Stand series first as a reader, and fell in love. Life keeps me busy, and I don’t always have the time to read massive novels. These petite decadent morsels provide a satisfying read.

  May A Duel with Death – and its complex layers – touch your heart. Johnny’s been a special character, and he deserved his own shot at happiness.

  You can visit Louisa at:

  http://www.louisabacio.com

  A Date with Death

  Death sucks. It’s boring, and there’s no chance of getting laid. Stuck in the waiting room of Heaven, Maise fantasizes about all the pleasures of the flesh she didn’t get to experience. When she discovers a business card for the dating service, 1Night Stand, she wonders if there’s still a chance.

  Reece normally wouldn’t consider being set up, but after his brother buys him a certificate, he feels obligated. A romantic night on the Southern California coast, with the full-of-life Maise leaves him wanting more.

  Will a 1Night Stand be enough to overcome death?

  A Dance with Death

  A clash between the classic and modern. A battle between life and death.

  After recovering from an injury, unsure of her future in the world of dance, ballerina Isabella treats herself to a dating service–some frolicking between the sheets before she decides what to do with the rest of her life.

  A successful music video choreographer, Raul is constantly surrounded by gorgeous dancers. But his life lacks a vitality and depth he needs to fuel his creative passion. He turns to a 1Night Stand to discover inspiration.

  When an accident threatens to cancel the evening of romance, the twosome needs to learn to dance to a new beat. Can a one-night dance with death be enough to change fate?