Adrenaline coursed through my veins causing my body to hum in excitement. With my e-reader still connected to the internet, I would be able to contact Kiera and get her to come save me. Hell, I could contact the entire agency to come save me! This was the best thing to happen to me in weeks. Maybe my life.

I’d had my fair share of bad dealings in my life, my current situation definitely being in the top two. But this would be the first time that something graced me with luck in the midst of my darkest hours. I wouldn’t have to sit here wondering if I would ever be able to escape, because now I controlled my own fate.

I went into my system BIOS in order to send an email from my e-reader and quickly composed an email to Kiera. I didn’t know where to start, I wanted to make sure she knew everything. Every last detail.

So I started from the beginning.

My fingers quickly padded across the touch screen, explaining what happened to the woman in the bathroom at the club, how I was caught witnessing what he did, how he kidnapped me, kept me locked in a room, punished me and forced me into slavery. I had to explain what I was doing to survive. The only thing I couldn’t tell her was where I was located. But I gave her what he gave me: an island south of Fiji.

As I wrote down my thoughts and everything I recalled, I found myself admitting my growing admiration towards Julian. He wasn’t all bad. Mostly, yes. But he held some good in him. I could see it. I could sense he’d been hurt before and I didn’t want to hurt him more, but I couldn’t stay here. I needed to go home. Back to my life.

As soon as I had finished the email, I closed the case and curled up on the barren bed, e-reader still clutched in my hands. For the first time as I drifted off to sleep, I felt secure knowing that rescue would soon be on its way. I would have my normal life back.

Dreams of SWAT teams barging through the door, Kiera at the lead, filled my mind all night. Her pure excitement when she found me and how elated I was to be finally free. They handcuffed Julian and brought him to justice, but not before he could leave a tender kiss on my lips. This confused me in my dream state. As much as I wanted my freedom again, I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

I wanted him.

I began to stir as the smell of French toast and sausage filled my nostrils. The sweet aroma of maple syrup brought the two foods together in delightful harmony.

My mouth watered just at the thought of the food gracing my tongue.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes as my sight slowly adjusted to the surroundings. My mind began to recap the dream before my eyes landed on Julian as he sat down a tray of food.

A sweet smile greeted me for a moment before his features morphed into an expression of pure rage.

Before I could blink he was on top of me, knocking the wind out of my lungs and pinning me down underneath him, his full body weight pressing me into the mattress as his hand gripped my throat like a vise. His eyes were deep crimson, just like they were the first night I met him, burning with ravenous rage that sent chills down my spine.

My heart was slamming against my ribs as I desperately clawed at the flesh of his arm.

“Who did you contact?!” he spat, his fangs fully bared as a threat behind his full lips.

I struggled to force the words out as he strangled me. “No one,” I lied.

Don’t think of them, Abby. Don’t think. Don’t think!

“Tell me!” he demanded in a deep, inhuman voice that echoed like demons all around me.

Fear rattled me. I trembled beneath him as his grip tightened. My lungs burned, aching for oxygen. But I couldn’t think of her. I had to fight him off mentally, force my mind to build a steel wall so he would never know. I had to keep her safe.

I would never forgive myself if something happened to Kiera.

My heart stopped.

What have I done!?

His eyes burned into mine with intense fury.

I gasped, trying to take in as much air as my body would allow as he released his grip, letting me go and standing beside the bed, my e-reader clutched in his hands.

“Congratulations, Abigale,” he hissed. “You have just gotten your friend killed.”

With that, he snapped my e-reader in two without the slightest effort, sending shards of glass, plastic, and metal debris darting through the air.

Every inch of me trembled in shock and horror.

“Please!” I begged, crawling to the edge of the bed and grabbing his arm in a desperate attempt to get him to reconsider. “Please, don’t do this! It was me, it was all me, I did this! Please, leave Kiera out of this!”

Hot tears fled down my cheeks as I sobbed trying to make him listen. I didn’t know Julian all that well, hardly at all, in fact, but I knew him enough to know that he was one to keep his word. If I couldn’t get him to change his mind, my best friend would be dead. And it would be all my fault.

“Punish me! Please, I’m begging you! I’ll do anything! Anything! Just please don’t hurt her!”

Julian snatched my wrist into his hand, his grip so tight I thought it would snap my arm in two. “You should have thought of that before you went behind my back.”

Julian hastily left the room, slamming the door behind him and locking the deadbolt.

I stumbled to the door, my legs wobbling beneath me, and banged my fists against the wooden panes. My chest heaved as I sobbed uncontrollably.

“Julian!” I screeched into the thick wooden door, my face pressed into its surface as I found myself crumpling into a heap on the cool floor.

Desperate sobs wracked my body.

“What have I done?”