I woke up to the sound of the sea and the feel of a soft, warm blanket.

Please, don’t be a dream.

I slowly opened my eyes, fully prepared to see the familiar suite at the casino where I’d been held captive for longer than I cared to remember. But the moment my gaze landed on the bare, scuffed wooden floors and the light gray walls of a small, unfamiliar room, my shoulders relaxed.

I had no idea where I was or how I’d gotten here, but in that moment, I didn’t care. I was free.

Tears surfaced, and I snuggled deeper into the covers.

I’d tried to escape before, but I’d never made it out of the state of Nevada. My heart raced at the thought of my wild drive across the country, always keeping my eye on the rearview mirror for signs I’d been followed. I’d only stopped a handful of times to grab some gas and coffee, and the whole time, my main goal was to keep going until I hit the ocean.

Hit.

Crap. I groaned as I remembered crashing my car into that tree. I was going to have to do something about that as soon as possible before it got towed off to some car graveyard. Or worse. The glamour could wear off on that license plate, and it could be called in as a stolen car. I really didn’t need that kind of complication right now.

Reluctantly, I climbed out of the comfortable little cocoon I’d built around myself and took a good look around.

Wherever I was, it was definitely not a hotel room. I remembered now that the handsome stranger—Nik—had brought me to some dive bar and apparently treated me to a burger and fries. At least, I didn’t remember paying for it. I must have fallen asleep at some point and been brought to a spare room to sleep.

Or maybe not.

There wasn’t much furniture except the bed and an antique desk and chair. No photographs or decorations on the wall. No rug on the floor. But on top of the desk there were a few items too personal for a spare room.

A set of car keys with a pretty spiral shell for a key fob, a black leather wallet, and a handful of change.

I looked around, making sure no one was watching me, and then took a tiny peak into the wallet. The guy who’d come to my rescue last night stared back at me from the picture on his driver's license.

Nikolas Kosta. Twenty-Six years old. Six feet, two inches tall.

I quickly closed it, feeling a bit guilty for snooping, but at least now I knew whose room I was in. I walked to the one small window of the room and gasped.

I hadn’t expected this tiny, rundown room to have such an amazing view of the ocean. I hadn’t been emotionally prepared for the beauty and expanse of the sea, but it hit me so deeply, it nearly knocked me off my feet. The tears I’d held back earlier came rushing to the surface, and I let them fall as my hand came to my mouth.

It was even more beautiful than I’d imagined.

An indescribable mix of blues and greens stretched out to the horizon, an endless view of breathtaking perfection. The sun was shining overhead, its light reflecting off the surface like glitter.

I couldn’t wait to get down there and put my toes in the sand. How often had I dreamed of this from my prison in a city made of concrete and neon?

I started to reach for my bag so that I could change out of the clothes I’d been wearing for days, but I quickly realized there was no bag. I’d left almost everything I owned back in Vegas, including most of my money.

My purse was sitting on the floor beside the bed, and I snatched it up and dug inside for my wallet. I dumped what little cash I had left onto the bed and counted.

Sixteen dollars and forty-five cents.

A little jolt of panic flashed through me. How was I going to survive on sixteen bucks?

That might be enough to buy food to eat for a few days if I really stretched it, but there was no way I could afford a proper hotel. I couldn’t even afford more gas to get to another town at this point, not that my car was likely to be drivable in its current condition.

Think, Eva. You’re resourceful and strong. You can figure this out.

I glanced at Nik’s wallet on the desk but shook my head. I was a lot of things, but I wasn’t a thief. He’d already gone above and beyond to help me out, so skimming his wallet was not an option.

I dumped the remaining contents of my purse onto the bed and took stock of what I had. If I could sell something, that would at least get me started.

The dagger I’d used to fight my way out of the casino glinted in the sunlight. I picked it up and shoved it back into my purse. I couldn’t sell that. In fact, I needed to get rid of it as soon as possible. Or maybe just hide it in case I needed it later.

This knife was imbued with a special type of magic. Magic capable of killing the kind of monsters who’d held me captive for so long. It had taken me a long time to get my hands on a weapon, but it had been worth the wait.

Hopefully I would never have to see those monsters again, but just in case, I should find a place to keep the dagger safe. I couldn’t risk having some cop find it in my possession, though. That would bring up too many questions.

As soon as I could, I would find a place to settle down and hide out for a few days. I would hide the dagger nearby, where hopefully no one else would find it. Whatever I decided to do with it, selling it was off the table.

My wallet and purse were nothing special. Designer knock-offs that wouldn’t be worth much. I had some credit cards that I couldn’t use, because I couldn’t risk being tracked.

Other than a couple pairs of fresh underwear and an extra tank top, I had nothing.

I collapsed onto the bed. What was I going to do?

I’d spent so much time dreaming of my escape and planning every detail of what I would do once I got free of Dominic’s henchmen, but I’d never once thought about what I would do when I actually got to the coast.

Maybe, somewhere deep inside, I’d never really believed it would happen.

And how long did I have before he found me again?

That thought got me back up and moving. There was no doubt he would be looking for me already. The other times I’d escaped, he’d found me quickly and punished me harshly, but this time, I wasn’t sure I’d survive whatever punishment he would exact on me.

He might not kill me. He needed me too much. But whatever he would do after seeing the destruction I’d left back in Vegas—twelve of his men dead—would kill whatever was left of my soul and my hope. Of that, I had no doubt.

So, I needed a plan. I needed to figure out a way to get my car fixed and make some quick cash here in this town, and then I would keep moving. If I moved from small town to small town, never staying in one place very long, it would be difficult for him to find me.

I hoped.

I took another glance out the window, wishing I could enjoy the view for a little while longer, but then I reluctantly headed for the door.

Before I could open it, though, someone else did.

Nik, the stranger from last night, knocked once and then stepped inside. His eyes widened, and he stepped backward.

“You’re awake,” he said. He held a couple of coffee cups and a brown paper bag in his hands. “I brought breakfast, but I was afraid I’d need to wake you up. You were so exhausted last night, I thought you might sleep the day away.”

“What time is it?” I asked.

“After ten,” he said. “How are you feeling? I hope the bed was okay.”

My cheeks warmed, and I stepped out of the way so he could come inside. It was his room, after all. And I’d been sleeping in his bed. Snuggling with his blankets.

“It was perfect,” I said. “Thank you for letting me crash at your place. I’m guessing I passed out cold after I ate?”

“Like the dead,” he said with a laugh. He handed me a cup of coffee. “I wasn’t sure how you like it, so I just had them put a little cream and sugar in it. Hope that’s okay.”

Wow, so he was gorgeous and sweet. Where had he been hiding all my life? Were all the men around here nice like this? I’d heard of southern charm before, but I figured it was just an expression.

“It’s great,” I said. “But I still owe you for the burger last night, and I’m afraid I’m running a bit low on cash at the moment.”

He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I do a lot of extra work around here to help out, so Drifter feeds me for free. Besides, he doesn’t get a lot of customers who aren’t seventy-year-old fisherman out here, so he was glad to have the company last night.”

I smiled and took a sip of my coffee. It was pure heaven.

“Oh my gosh, this is amazing,” I said. I lifted the cup to see where he’d gotten it.

Urban Grind was embossed on the side of the cup.

“The coffee is from the best local shop in town, and I grabbed a few pastries from Ida’s bakery, too,” he said. “I got an assortment. Want to head downstairs and grab a bite before we go deal with the car?”

I studied him, open-mouthed in surprise. And a bit suspicious.

No one was this nice. At least not where I came from. So, what did he want from me? While I appreciated his kindness, I didn’t want to end up owing some stranger more than I bargained for. I was done with guys like that.

“What?” he asked, tilting his head and furrowing his brow. “Something wrong?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t even sure how to deal with this. I didn’t want to come off like a complete jerk here, but I also wanted to be clear that I was not the kind of girl who jumped into bed with a guy just because he bought her coffee.

“Look, I appreciate your help, but maybe it would be better if you let me pay for the breakfast,” I said. “And I am fully capable of dealing with the car myself. I don’t plan on sticking around for long, so I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

His lips curled up in a smile. “You’re not used to people being nice to you, are you?”

I crossed my arms. “Is that what you’re doing? Just being nice?”

“That’s what I would call it, yes,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “But if you don’t want my help, I’ll gladly take that coffee back.”

“I didn’t say that.” I pulled the coffee cup out of his reach. It was too delicious to give up, and I really needed it right now if I was going to make it through this day.

“Then come downstairs and have some breakfast,” he said. “I promise I don’t have the wrong idea, and after this, if you want me to leave you alone, I will.”

I considered his proposal. It was harmless enough, and maybe he was being honest, but I didn’t have a lot of experience with nice, honest guys. I was hungry, though, and I was broke. Besides, if he was going to try anything, he’d had every opportunity last night when I was sleeping.

I took a deep breath. Trust was not something I was used to, but I said I wanted a new life, right? New life, new choices.

“Lead the way,” I said, and followed him down the steps to the bar.