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“You know I’ve always been able to read you, baby. How much do you remember?” he questioned. She knew he was trying to gauge what to do with her. Admitting that she remembered him forcing her onto his boat at gunpoint might not give her too much bargaining power. But she also knew she needed the rest of the blanks filled in and he was the only man who could do that for her.
She defiantly lifted her chin, as if daring him to deny what he did. “I know you had me meet you, not the other way around,” she spat. “I know that when I told you I wouldn’t be going anywhere with you, even after you begged me to give you a second chance, you forced me to board your boat. How could you do that to me, Zac? We’ve been friends since we were kids and you held me at gunpoint?” Toni saw a flash of remorse cross his features and for a split second, she could see the young boy she used to know. Suddenly, it all became clear—they were at his parents’ childhood home. Zac’s family didn’t start out wealthy, as hers did. His father had to work and scrape to make it to the same status level as her father and that point was always a contentious one between their two families. Toni never cared what social status Zac came from, he was her friend, and she missed his friendship.
“We’re in your old bedroom, aren’t we?” Toni asked. She already knew his answer before he even gave it. She could read him the same way he read her. “Please, Zac, don’t do this. Remember all the fun we used to have around here? My father didn’t understand our friendship, but I always knew you were a good person.” Toni watched Zac pace again, like a feral animal trapped, trying to figure out its next move.
“No,” he growled. “I won’t let you trick me like that, Toni. You always thought you were better than I was. You are your father’s daughter, always looking down your nose at me, treating me as if I were just one of your servants. Well, I’m not—I never was and I never will be. I have it all now.” He held his arms wide as if trying to prove his point. “I live in your old house, I run your father’s company—I have it all. The only missing piece is you, Antoinette,” he whispered.
“Zac, no,” she sobbed. “You have to believe I never felt that way about you. You were one of my closest friends,” she admitted.
“Right,” he hissed. “But you didn’t love me. At least that was what you said the night I forced you onto my sailboat. You weren’t in love with me.” Toni shook her head, trying to deny his words, but they were true. Even if she didn’t remember saying them to him, it didn’t mean that wasn’t a possibility.
“I wouldn’t marry you, not unless I was in love with you, Zac. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us,” she whispered.
“I didn’t give a fuck about fair, Toni. I was in love with you, and I told you it didn’t matter if you didn’t feel the same way. We were friends, you should have helped me for that reason alone, but you were a selfish bitch,” he spat. Toni gasped as if he had slapped her face. She wished she could hide, but she wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. She could see it in Zac’s eyes, he wasn’t going to lose again, and letting her go would be a failure to him. Toni was just going to have to find another way to get away from Zac and find Nico, she was afraid her life depended on it.
Nico
Nico knew something was wrong when he couldn’t get the motor started on his small boat. He just had the damn thing docked and serviced last week. The chances of it needing maintenance again after just being fixed were slim to none. He had collected his soil samples and was barely going to make it in before the storm hit. When the strange boat showed up, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Nico worried it was too soon to bring Toni back to town. Zac must have heard Toni had taken control of her father’s company through the local media. They had been hounding her for weeks now since she had her news conference that she was alive and fighting for control of the company in Zac’s absence. Nico wanted to be supportive of her jumping right in and going after what she wanted, but now her life was in danger. Hell, they were both in danger and he was sure that it had just caught up to him.
“You look like you could use some help.” The man’s smile was forced and didn’t touch his eyes.
“I think I’ve got things under control, but thanks,” Nico said. He didn’t turn his back on the guy, not wanting to give him a chance of taking him by surprise.
“Well, from the looks of things, it’s good timing I was just coming by. This storm’s going to be a crazy beast. I think she’s gonna blow back at us. Why not let me take you back to shore and then we can send a tow out for your craft?” Nico knew there was no way he was going to get on the guy’s boat. He was pretty sure he’d be signing his death sentence if he did.
“I sure am lucky that you were just happening by,” Nico said, eyeing the impressive size of the man on the next boat. Zac wasn’t taking any chances. He sent someone who not only looked the part but was about the same size as Nico, which wasn’t any small feat.
The guy shrugged, going for nonchalant, and pushed his jacket back over his hip holster, letting Nico know he was armed. “I’d really like for you to get into my boat, Mr. Andrews. I’m sure your pretty little woman wants to see you again.”
“Fuck,” Nico swore. He all but launched himself at the stranger. “What the fuck did you do to her?” he growled.
The asshole dared to laugh, “She’s totally safe with Mr. Bierman, but she won’t stay that way if you give me any trouble.” Nico quickly weighed through his options and saw only one clear-cut one—he had to get to Toni. He wouldn’t let Zac hurt her, and if that meant putting himself in harm’s way, he’d do that and so much more. Toni was his life, and the thought of Zac laying one finger on her made him half-crazy with rage.
“Fine,” he barked, stepping over onto the man’s small boat. “But if anything happens to Toni, I’m going to fucking kill you and Zac,” he growled. The asshole just chuckled again and pushed him down on a seat. He threw Nico a pair of handcuffs.
“Here, put these on and shut the fuck up,” the guy barked. He seemed to be enjoying the whole exchange and Nico fought the urge to take him down. He also knew this creep was the only way he’d find where Zac was holding Toni. Nico would let him believe he had the upper hand. The more confident he was, the more mistakes he would make, and Nico would be waiting to take his chance.
Nico woke up blindfolded with his head throbbing. He wasn’t sure what happened, but from the pulsing pain in his left temple, his supposed new friend had knocked him out. So much for his friendly rescue.
“Wakey, wakey,” a voice growled, and Nico tried to move his arms to pull off his blindfold he realized he was bound to a chair.
“What the fuck is happening?” Nico growled. He hated feeling helpless and he knew the longer it took for him to find Toni, the more chance he gave Zac to disappear with her. Zac had the money and the power to take Toni and leave the Isle of Palms, and Nico would never see her again.
“Well, lover boy, we had a little pit stop to make before your big reunion with your girl.” His blindfold was removed, and he blinked against the dim light in the room to find the guy from the boat standing in front of him.
Nico studied the room and realized they were in his office. Heather was slumped over her desk in the corner and Nico gasped from fear that she was dead.
“What did you do to Heather?” he barked. The man standing in front of him just laughed, as if he found Nico’s anger amusing.
“Don’t worry, your sweet little assistant is just fine. She’s sleeping off the sedative I gave her. She did put up a struggle.” The man’s mean smile was in place. “I love a woman with a little fire to her,” he growled.
Nico fought against his bindings, hoping he’d work them loose. He hated how his and Toni’s problems were now affecting his friends. He wondered why Heather was back at the office. When he left her this morning, she was heading home sick from a fever. Nico thought Jace would see her safely home. The asshole standing in front of him was right about one thing, Heather was a fighter, and she was going to give him shit about the trouble he caused her.
“If you hurt her—” He paused, knowing he was in no position to make any threats.
“You’ll what?” the man challenged. He walked over to the corner of the room to where Heather’s body lay slumped over her desk and ran his dirty hand down her back. Nico noticed her breathing pick up and realized she might be waking up. He hoped Heather would come out of it soon, she was his only chance.
