He cut me off. “Did you know that this island has a habit of disappearing?”

  “What?”

  “Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. I can’t explain it. The first two or three times I took the helicopter out looking for you, this island wasn’t visible. The last time, it was. I knew you were on it somewhere.”

  “How?” I was stupefied. When I heard the helicopter that morning, I’d wondered if someone was looking for me. Even so, there were no physical signs of my presence here. Were there?

  “I saw the orange lifeboat in the center of the beach. I knew it was from the yacht that sank. I also knew that someone would’ve had to pull it that far up into the center of the beach. You thought you’d need it again, and you didn’t want the tide to wash it back out to sea. Am I right?”

  I could only nod my head. The giant lump in my throat was back. I’d screwed both of us—Micah and me—by trying to be practical. Dolph never would’ve found me if not for the lifeboat, a bright orange beacon screaming ‘Gianna landed here’ in the middle of an expanse of white sand.

  “So how did you survive the wreck?” I asked.

  “Same way you did. Lifeboat. I floated around for a day or two. Another yacht found me and took me back to Tiago. This island isn’t that far away from Tiago, you know.”

  No, I didn’t know. But I knew the rest of the story.

  “Finding me alive is pretty convenient for you and Calvin, isn’t it?” I said. “Now Calvin can prove he didn’t kill me, and he can force me to sign over the island. It’ll be legal this time. Then you can take me to Saudi Arabia and sell me into slavery like you originally planned. Bet that makes you proud.”

  “Smart as well as sexy. No Saudi Arabia for you though. You belong to me now, lover. Calvin added you into the big check he wrote me. We’ll be leaving for Tiago in the morning. As soon as Calvin can prove you’re alive and have you sign new documents, you and I will be leaving on a little honeymoon. Permanently.”

  I slumped against the palm I was tied to like a popped balloon.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I knew when I didn’t come back Micah would look for me. The thought filled me with terror. I prayed we could be off the island before Micah found us, but a part of me knew better. I was his Gee. He would find me.

  The sun started to set. Dolph had brought some food from the yacht with him. He untied my hands and gave me something to eat. I was so heartsick, I don’t even remember what it was. He re-tied me to the tree as soon as I was done.

  I’d thought about running during the brief time that I was free, but I knew I couldn’t outrun Dolph. He’d catch me for sure, and I didn’t want that bastard to touch me. He’d told me, in explicit detail, what he was going to do to me once he had me on the yacht. I would’ve gladly cut my own throat if I would’ve had a knife.

  There was no silver lining in this situation, but I tried to find one anyway. It kept me from going insane. I was grateful I’d found real love. It was something I could hold onto to forever. I just didn’t understand why it had to be taken away from me like this.

  I made up my mind right there that no matter where he took me, I was never going to stop trying to find a way to get back to Micah’s Island.

  A spray of sand hit me in the side of the head just as I heard Dolph yell “What the fuck!” I looked up, and my heart stopped.

  Micah.

  He was standing about eight feet away from us, glowering at Dolph like a storm cloud, holding the sharpened spear he’d made for fishing in a tight fist.

  Dolph had taken the holster off and laid it down in the sand. He was crouched down like a crab, looking up as though Bigfoot had just stepped out of the trees and stood in front of him.

  And, in fact, he had.

  It took just a fraction of a second for Dolph to spin on his hands and knees, pop open the holster, and withdraw the pistol. As soon as I saw him move, I started screaming at Micah.

  “NO, Micah! NO! NO! Run, goddamn you! MICAH! NO! NO!”

  Dolph pulled the pistol up in front of him, took aim, and pulled the trigger just as Micah dodged to the side and disappeared back into the forest. I melted into the sand, one giant pee puddle of terror.

  Dolph got to his feet. I could see he was shaking. He looked down at me with wide eyes.

  “What the fuck was that?”

  What should I tell him? I just stared up at him and blinked. Could I play dumb? I’d been pretty good at it when dealing with Calvin.

  Fooling Dolph wasn’t quite so easy. He dropped to his knees in front of me with a vicious look on his face. Gripping a fistful of my hair, he yanked my head back so hard I swear I heard my vertebrae grind together.

  “Who the fuck was that? You called him by name, you treacherous bitch! Who is he?”

  I took a deep breath. “His name is Micah. He was already on the island when I got here. I think he’s been here a long time.”

  He let me go and stood up, looking off in the direction Micah had disappeared. “The son-of-a-bitch is naked.”

  “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

  He turned around and backhanded me across the face so hard my eyes watered. I glared up at him. Dolph had just moved himself to Number One on the ‘List of People I am Going to Kill’.

  “You’re fucking him, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t you dare say it like that! Like it’s…like it’s wrong and disgusting! It’s not like that with us!” I was so pissed I was barely able to talk.

  He knelt down in front of me, a look of sheer astonishment on his face.

  “You love him, don’t you?”

  “Fuck you!”

  He cuffed me across the other cheek, though not as hard. I really needed to learn to keep my mouth shut.

  “Change of plans, lover. We’re staying here until I kill that son-of-a-bitch.”

  My heart did a complete 180 and dive-bombed into my stomach.

  “Dolph…no! Please…no!”

  He wasn’t listening to me. He was checking the bullets in the clip, making sure he had enough to do the job.

  He looked at me and smiled a carnivorous smile that chilled me to the bone.

  “How do you feel about being bait, Gianna?”

  I didn’t really feel very fucking good about it at all.

  ~***~

  Micah tried several more times to rescue me before the sun went down. I wanted him to stop. My heart couldn’t take anymore.

  It didn’t take him long to figure out that the gun was a great big NO. Dolph managed to get a shot or two off at him every time, but Micah was quick on his feet. He’d dodge and weave, then disappear back into the jungle. I could see he was getting frustrated.

  I could only imagine what he must be thinking. Someone had taken his Gee, and he wanted her back.

  Gee wanted to get back to him too, but with her hands tied behind the palm tree, she wasn’t going anywhere. I pulled and tugged at the nylon cords that bound my wrists, but they weren’t budging.

  Dolph was Mr. Cocky when it was daylight, but he got spooked after it got dark. I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t want him to hit me again.

  Micah had been quite persistent in his efforts to retrieve me from Dolph. In fact, he’d managed to intimidate the hell out of Dolph with his sheer physical, naked presence and a handmade fishing spear.

  “Goddammit, I should have taken you to the yacht when I had the chance,” he spat. He was crouched down beside me. I could hear him fiddling around with the pistol.

  “He’s never going to give up. He’s going to keep trying until he gets me back. He loves me.”

  Dolph delivered a brutal kick to my thigh with a booted foot. The boots were fisherman’s wading boots; they had metal studs in the soles. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

  “Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch! I need to figure things out, and I don’t need you flapping your pie hole!”

  My body had taken just about all the abuse it could handle for the day. I shut up.

  Hours passed, and nothing happened. Dolph sat down in the sand, the pistol in his lap. Eventually, he slumped over. I could hear his breathing even out, finally becoming slow and deep. He’d gone to sleep.

  There was no sleep for me though. Not with my shoulders stretched to the breaking point. I had no feeling in my arms or hands.

  Scratch that. I did have feeling in my hands. Micah was behind the tree, quietly, deftly cutting the rope that bound my wrists!

  My wrists were free. Blood surged into my tortured fingers. I choked back a sob of relief.

  I spared a glance at the dark mound curled up beside me. Dolph was still asleep. I rolled slowly to the side, intending to get to my hands and knees and crawl behind the tree. Micah, my impatient, impetuous, adorable man, reached around the trunk, snagged me around the waist, and pulled me back to him.

  Micah covered my face with kisses, but I fended him off. We had to get the hell away from Dolph, and we had to do it fast.

  With a finger to my lips, I shushed him. I took him by the hand and dragged him off into the dark.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dolph Theobald was an asshole, but he wasn’t stupid.

  My plan was to have him chase us all over the island shooting at us until he ran out of bullets. Then we were going to jump him and kill him. Somehow. After all, there were two of us.

  He didn’t chase us though. He didn’t have to.

  That fucker took up residence with his 9 mm pistol right next to the only source of fresh water on the island.

  I wanted to cry. In fact, I did, but I took care not to let Micah see me.

  Micah held me against him while I mentally went over the options. There weren’t any. We’d both dehydrate quickly in this heat if we didn’t have fresh water available to us.

  Dolph had been paid to find me and deliver me to Calvin. I was more valuable alive than dead. Not so for my poor Micah.

  I knew what I had to do. I wanted to rage and scream and fight and shake my fist at the sky at the injustice of it all, but I had no choice. I had to give myself up to Dolph, but only if he agreed not to hurt Micah. Otherwise, I’d disappear into the island and allow myself to die beside the man I loved. Calvin and Dolph could just go fuck themselves.

  I made love to Micah all night that night. I didn’t let him rest for a minute, rousing him with my hands and mouth, insisting that he stay hard for me. I really think I wore him out instead of the other way around.

  God, I wanted to remember. My life was going to be over as soon as I got into the skiff with that bastard, and I wanted to hold on to Micah as long as I could. I wanted to keep him in my heart and my memories and never, ever lose him. I would always belong to him, and he to me, even if we couldn’t be together.

  I left him while it was still dark, sleeping in the foliage, hidden from view. I didn’t even kiss his head. I didn’t want to wake him.

  I walked to the falls and stood on the other side of the pool. Dolph was awake, reclining against the edge of the rocks. I could see the glowing end of the cigarette he held in his fingers.

  “Dolph.” I sounded lost, hopeless. I hated myself for what I was about to do.

  “Gianna.”

  “I’ll give myself up to you, but only if you promise not to hurt Micah. We need to leave now.”

  “We can’t leave now, lover. It’s dark.”

  “Then as soon as we possibly can. He won’t stop trying to get me back.”

  “What if I refuse?”

  “You won’t.”

  “You sound so sure.”

  “If you refuse, I’ll turn around right now and go back to him. You can sit here by the only fresh water on the island and rot. We’ll die together, Micah and I. You won’t come after me because Micah scares you. You’ll have my dead body, but you’ll have to explain to Calvin why he has to go to jail for my death. I’m covered with bruises from you, and it will be clear to everyone that I didn’t drown. Calvin won’t take the rap himself. He’ll turn on you. You’ll go to jail too.”

  He chuckled in the dark, a very evil sound. “You’ve really given this some thought, haven’t you? Does he mean that much to you?”

  “Yes. He does.”

  The moon outlined him in shadow. He got up, threw the cigarette he’d been smoking down in the sand, and turned toward me.

  “I give you my word I won’t hurt him. On your knees with your hands behind you, Gianna.”

  I dropped to my knees, wishing I had a sword I could fall on instead.

  ~***~

  Dolph tied me securely, then wrapped the rope around his wrist and pulled me over next to him. He slept spooned tightly against my back, in case Micah tried to snatch me back.

  The forced intimacy made me physically ill, but I managed to fall asleep. I was just so emotionally exhausted I couldn’t do anything else.

  When I woke up, the sun was high in the sky. I freaked out. We needed to be off the island before Micah woke up!

  Dolph had one foot up on the rocks around the pool, sharpening a knife against them.

  “Why didn’t you wake me up? We need to leave now! You said we’d leave as soon as we possibly could!”

  He snickered, evil incarnate. “No. You said that.” He didn’t appear to be in any hurry to get things moving.

  I struggled to sit up, a fairly impossible task with your hands tied behind you.

  “C’mon, let’s go! You promised!”

  He turned to me, those black snake eyes full of mirth. “What did I promise, lover?”

  Goosebumps the size of Mount Everest rose up all over me. “You lied to me.”

  “I didn’t lie to you. I told you I wouldn’t hurt him. I didn’t say I wouldn’t kill him.”

  “Goddamn you, you fucking piece of shit!” I threw the verbal book at him. I had nothing to lose now.

  He smacked me again. Hard.

  “Go ahead and hurt me, you fucker! Beat me to death! I don’t care anymore! Take me back to Tiago as one giant bruise and see what the cops have to say about that! Don’t think I’m not going to tell them what a miserable bastard you are!”

  He picked me up by my shoulders and threw me against the rocks by the pool. I’m sure they bit into my bound hands and back, but I was too pissed off to feel them.

  “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, Gianna. I’m going to fuck you right here on the rocks. I’m going to show him in the clearest possible way that you belong to me. He’s going to watch as I take you like the slut you are.” He ripped the sarong off of me and threw it into the sand.

  I tried to roll away, but he grabbed me by the throat and forced me back against the rocks. I couldn’t do a freaking thing to stop him.

  He unzipped his jeans, fished around for a second, then popped an already hard penis out into the open. Pushing my legs open with his knees, he settled himself between my thighs. I felt bile rise up in my throat.

  “Do you see me here, you naked bastard!” he called loudly. “I’m about to fuck her! She’s mine now! How does that make you feel?”

  Dolph bent over and tried to kiss me, but I turned my head away. He shook me violently. “Look at me, cunt!”

  I wouldn’t do it. I was done trying to appease him. “Fuck off, asshole!” I choked.

  He reached down between his legs and grasped his penis. He moved it against me, searching...I closed my eyes and tried to die.

  Dolph’s weight was suddenly off of me. I heard a clean snapping sound, like a branch breaking. Bewildered, I opened my eyes and looked up.

  Micah stood over me with one arm around Dolph’s waist, the other around his neck. Dolph looked...funny. His eyes were open wide, staring at me, but they were glassy. I got the feeling he didn’t see me at all.

  I shook my head. Once again my brain would not process what was right in front of my eyeballs.

  Dolph and Micah were pressed chest to chest, yet Dolph was looking at me. His head was...backward. I blinked.

  Micah had broken his neck.

  Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Micah took his arm away from Dolph’s waist and let him go. He toppled slowly, like the drunks I used to see who stayed too late and drank too much at the tiki bar on Tiago. His mouth was moving as he fell, but I’m pretty sure he was dead before he hit the ground.

  And I couldn’t have been happier.

  Micah pulled me off the rocks and cut my wrists loose with Dolph’s knife. He reverently picked up my torn sarong and tried to wrap it around me, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

  I could see things moving across his face and in his eyes. He didn’t have the words, but he understood what Dolph had been about to do to me. He pulled me into his arms and rocked me back and forth, sobbing hard. I’d never heard him cry before.

  He was saying something against my shoulder but I couldn’t understand him. I tried to hear, but it made no sense. I pulled him back a bit and looked into his eyes.

  “What are you saying?”

  “Luff. Luff Gee. Luff Gee. Luff.”

  I cried right with him.

  He loved me.

  Chapter Fifteen

  We dragged Dolph’s body out into the ocean and weighted it down with rocks from around the pool. I didn’t want that asshole anywhere on the island, even if he were dead.

  I had Micah throw Dolph’s pistol as far as he could into the ocean. We didn’t need things like that here.

  The yacht anchored off the island concerned me. I didn’t know if they had ‘little black boxes’ like airplanes, or if there was any way to track them once they were out on the ocean. We sure didn’t need a boatload of people showing up here, trying to find out what had happened to Dolph. I just wanted it gone.

  I debated sinking it, but didn’t know if we could do it easily. I debated setting it on fire, but I didn’t want to cause Micah any trauma. I really wasn’t sure how we were going to get rid of it.

  I got tired of looking at it out there, a reminder of what we’d almost lost. One day I loaded Micah into the skiff, and we motored out to the yacht. I was not happy about being on open water again, but we clearly had to do something.

  I climbed aboard and stripped it of anything of value. I even took the fire extinguisher. I found food, propane grill lighters (Yes, I took them. Just in case.), toothbrushes and toothpaste, medical supplies, MAXIPADS (Thank you!), toilet paper, and other goodies. Micah watched me throw things down into the skiff with questions in his eyes. I’d have to explain later.

 

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