Jaya was so wrapped up in her current state of nervous tension it took a few minutes for her to notice the look of absurd scepticism written all over Ndari’s face. When she finally did glance over at her friend she couldn’t help laughing out loud. Ndari was sitting primly on the lounge chair next to Jaya, her super wide-brimmed sun hat shading her face but doing nothing to hide the look of utter consternation she was giving her friend.

“What?” Jaya asked, still laughing. “What are you looking at?”

“Are you serious?” Ndari asked haughtily. “Where should I start? Uh, how about with the clothes you chose to go swimming in.” They both glanced down at Jaya’s outfit of black leggings and fitted long-sleeved top. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail. The outfit wasn’t very appropriate for a hot Indonesian morning.

“I said I might go swimming with you, I’m still not sure,” Jaya murmured, defensively.

“Uh huh,” Ndari said, sceptically, then jerked her chin toward the edge of the building where Ivan and Keane stood about ten feet apart. “And what about the deadly duo? Granted the Irishman is usually hanging about, creeping on us, but your stalker over there can normally be found locked up in his office waving the hand of God at this time of day. What gives? Why are they hovering like hawks over a weirdly dressed baby chick?”

Jaya rounded her eyes innocently and shrugged, leaning back on the lounger. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“So you have no idea why everyone is so tense that I’m thinking I’ll probably get my ass shot if I so much as look at you funny.” Ndari crossed her arms over her breasts. She was far more appropriately dressed in a revealing one-piece bathing suit with a sheer wrap that did nothing to hide her incredible curves. Like the princess she was, she completed the outfit with black stilettos.

“No idea,” Jaya assured her and then glanced at the time on her laptop, which was open on the small round table next to her lounger. It was eight minutes to show time. “Do you think you can go inside and find my sunscreen? I think I’m starting to burn.”

“I don’t see how,” Ndari snorted. “You’re covered from neck to toe.”

“My face is burning,” Jaya insisted. “Please go find it. I think I left it under the sink in my washroom.”

Ndari lifted a brow and then took the hat off her own head and plopped it on Jaya’s head. She bent over at the waist and glared at Jaya from the brim. “I’m not going anywhere, girlie. If you’re about to reign chaos again, then you’re doing it with me by your side.” She whispered so no one else could hear.

Jaya blinked back the tears that suddenly prickled in her eyes. She leaned forward and hugged Ndari tight, not caring what Ivan or his men thought. “I promise you, I’ll be fine. But I need you to go inside now. Please do this for me?”

Ndari shifted and looked at Jaya, took in her anxious expression, the plea on her face. Finally she nodded and stood, breaking contact with Jaya. “Alright,” she said, loud enough for some of the men to hear. “I’ll go find the sunscreen and some snacks. Be right back.” There was a tiny hitch in her voice, but otherwise nothing noticeable was off as she took her hat back from Jaya, turned away from where the two women had been sitting and strode toward their private suites.

Jaya sighed in relief when her friend disappeared through the doors. Now if only she could keep everyone else safe. She had no idea what was coming, what kind of assault or extraction plan Father might be setting up. She did know that he wasn’t usually worried about casualties, especially where Ivan Vogel was concerned. His lack of concern toward human life was one of the reasons she’d felt compelled to leave Father when she became old enough, when she was seventeen. Five years in his compound, living his hatred, learning how to survive had given her both a deep sense of gratitude and a desperate need to get out on her own and spread her wings.

Minutes after Ndari disappeared through the condo door, about three minutes after 10am, Jaya finally heard what she’d been expecting. A disturbance. Shouting from the west side of the building made everyone turn. Gunfire shattered the stillness of the morning, making her jump where she sat. She stared hard toward the sound, but of course couldn’t see anything. They were blocked by the residence section of the tower. Her head came up and her gaze clashed with Ivan’s. His speculative look told her he’d also been expecting something like this. He turned and said something sharply to Keane who grabbed a couple of his guys and left.

Jaya stood, but Ivan turned to her swiftly, pointing a finger imperiously. “Get your ass back down,” he snarled. “I don’t want to see your head above the edge of that chair.”

She nodded and hit the patio, curling up against the edge of the lounger. She gripped the metal railing as though her life depended on it. She couldn’t figure out what was going on. She twisted her neck around and stared up, trying to guess where the assault was coming from. She thought they must be coming for her in a helicopter because nothing else made sense. But she hadn’t heard the blades of an approaching aircraft. But how else would men that didn’t belong to Ivan be getting on his roof?

Her thoughts scattered when the lounger next to her was shredded by bullets. She screamed and covered her head with her arms as the shooter hit the patio tiles all around her sending shards of marble and concrete flying in every direction. She felt something slice into the back of her hand, which was covering her face. When the shooting stopped she whipped her head up to see what was happening.

Ivan and his men were standing in positions around the pool, all eyes on her. As soon as the shooting ended, Ivan lunged forward, clearly intent on getting to her. As soon as he took a step forward bullets began hitting the water two feet in front of her, spraying drops several feet into the air and soaking her. It quickly became clear that no one was to approach her.

Jaya shook her hand, hissing in a breath at the pain slicing through her. Blood dripped from the tips of her fingers. She pulled the sleeve of her top down over her hand and swiped at the blood, soaking it up. Ivan caught the action and glared murderously. She could see his thoughts, see his fury over her injury, no matter how minor. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed. His lips thinned and he shook his head, the glint in his eyes dangerous.

Her gaze drifted past his shoulder and landed on something behind him. A man had just climbed over the side of the 50-story building and was standing several feet behind Ivan. Although his face was covered by a helmet she knew exactly who he was. Father had come for her. He looked past Ivan and beckoned to her, signalling that she should walk around the pool toward him.

Jaya stood on shaking limbs and began walking. She glanced sideways at Ivan as she started to pass by him, and though she wasn’t very close, she could still see the fury that ripped across his features. The devastation as he realized he was about to lose her and there was nothing he could do. Apparently the thought broke him. He lunged forward, intent on getting to Jaya before she could get to Father. The rooftop gunman opened fire, shooting so close to Ivan that patio chips were thrown up in his face, cutting him. He was thrown backwards. His men grabbed his arms and yanked him out of the path of the bullets, while two more dropped to their knees and returned fire, aiming for the top of the building.

Jaya screamed and tried to run to Ivan. Father got to her first, wrapping long arms around her waist and pulling her against his solid body. She slammed a fist into his shoulder and tried to see around him to make sure Ivan was okay, but her view was blocked. He yanked her back toward the ledge of the building, ignoring her frantic struggles.

“What are you doing?” she yelled. “Please, just let me go. I don’t want to go.”

He turned to her and without a word slapped her so hard the entire world spun, going black for a few seconds. She felt herself lifted up onto the ledge. With quick, efficient movements she was strapped to his body. She blinked several times, mentally screaming at herself to wake up and fight. She swam her way to the surface, opening her eyes in time to see Ivan back on his feet, a look of horror on his bloody face right before she tipped over the ledge of his high-rise building wrapped in the arms of his enemy.