The next morning, Hayden untied me, I got dressed, and neither of us mentioned what had happened.

“We’re making good time,” he told me. “We should reach the marina before nightfall.”

“Which marina?”

“Fort McArmitage. They know we’re coming, and I have a car waiting for us.”

“And where do we go after that?” I was afraid I already knew the answer to that, but I had to ask.

He glanced over at me. “Atlanta.”

I swallowed. My home city where I’d grown up, and the place my father’s prison was located.

“Don’t cause me any trouble, Jolie,” he warned. “I mean it. Let’s just make this final part run smoothly, okay?”

This wasn’t the final part, though. That wouldn’t happen until we knew my father had broken out of jail and was coming to find me.

“Okay,” I agreed, even though I didn’t mean it. In the next few hours, we’d be back on the mainland, and there would be other people around. Other people meant help, and getting help would mean this whole nightmare was coming to an end.

I didn’t plan on giving Hayden any idea that I planned to try to escape, however. The more complicit he thought I was, the more he’d relax around me and let down his guard. I told myself that was what last night had been about. I’d been trying to let him think I wanted him. It hadn’t been because I actually had wanted him.

We’d had sex, and then he’d picked up the pillow and placed it beneath my head and covered me with the blanket to keep off any chill. Just like with the ginger and hot water he’d made me, he showed me these moments of kindness, but he’d already fucked things up by tying me to the furniture.

But he was right not to trust me. I did plan on making my escape if I could.

Hayden and I had grown strangely relaxed in each other’s company. We ate our meals together, and I played some more cards and watched another pod of dolphins play alongside the boat. The day was bright and warm again, though it wasn’t as hot as it had been on the island. I had no idea how many miles we’d traveled, but I could already tell the difference in climate.

Around mid-afternoon, the dark line of the coast appeared on the port side of the boat. As we got closer, the coast grew more defined, and nerves churned in my stomach. I wasn’t sure how I felt about seeing my homeland again. I’d stayed well away from Georgia for some years now, but the place might also bring my freedom.

Freedom.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, either.

Another couple of hours passed, the sun growing lower in the sky, and Hayden steered the boat closer to the coastline. Ahead was an estuary which led toward the mouth of a river.

“We need to go up the river, and the marina where we’ll dock is a little farther upstream,” he told me.

I settled into the seat beside him at the helm and tried to calm my racing heart.

Hayden skillfully navigated the boat down the river. I spotted more boats, and my stomach flipped with nervous excitement. Where there were boats, there would be more people.

We turned into a natural bay that was full of docks, and more vessels were tied up at most of them.

We were here.

Hayden drove the boat toward one of the empty, numbered jetties. Just before we reached it, he turned off the engine and we coasted the rest of the way in. The boat bumped against the side before coming to a halt. Hayden threw a rope over the pole at the end of the jetty and jumped onto the dock, before tying the boat up. Then he put a hand out to me. I took it, and he helped me step off the boat and onto the dock.

I turned to take in our location. The only thing on my mind was making my escape, and immediately, my gaze sought anything or anyone who might be able to help me.

Hayden pressed up close behind me and wrapped both his arms around my waist. He leaned in and pressed his cheeks against mine, his stubble grazing my skin. “Remember that we’re a loving couple. Don’t try anything, because you won’t like the result.”

I stiffened in his arms.

“Now smile and wave.”

Someone was coming down the jetty to meet us.

“Mr. Vale,” the older man said as he approached. “What a pleasure it is to have you with us today.”

Hayden’s arm around my waist tightened. “Thank you. Beautiful marina.”

“Oh, we try. You know how long you’ll be staying yet?”

“Not yet. Just charge my card by the day, if that works for you.”

“No need for that. We’ll work you up a bill once you’re set to leave.”

“Great, thanks.”

My heart was pounding, but I held my tongue. This place felt too precarious to try to escape. Too much water around for someone to end up pushed into and drowned. And this old, overweight man didn’t look as though he’d be much help against someone like Hayden. I’d get one chance at this, and I didn’t want to blow it.

“Your car is waiting outside our offices,” the man said. “Someone from the rental company delivered it this morning. I have the keys right here.” He fished them out of his pocket and handed them to Hayden.

“That’s perfect, thanks.”

I gave the man a tight smile. His gaze darted between us, perhaps picking up on some level that something wasn’t quite right. I still had the shadow of bruises beneath my eyes from where I’d banged my nose a few days earlier, and my hair covered the mark across my forehead. I wasn’t sure this man would say something even if he saw it. Money had a great way of making people turn a blind eye.

“If I could just get you to come into the office and fill out some paperwork.”

“Of course.”

We left the boat and followed the man up the jetty and into the dockyard. Ahead of us was a group of single story buildings, and parked outside of the buildings were several cars. Immediately, I knew which one was Hayden’s—an expensive looking, shiny black SUV sitting among all the older, beaten up trucks.

We followed the man inside the office, and he went behind the desk to pull the paperwork together. Hayden and I stood side by side, waiting for him to finish.

Hayden shot me a look to tell me to stay quiet.

Panic rose inside me. What if this was my last chance to try to get help? He’d put me inside that SUV—complete with blackout windows to hide me inside—and then drive to my old house. There he could tie me up or lock me away, or do whatever the hell he was planning, and I’d be no better than if I was still beneath the house on the island.

In fact, I’d be in an even worse position because my father would be on his way.

It was getting dark again, and most of the boating people had already finished for the day and were on their way home. If there were more people around, I could just run and assume that Hayden would be outnumbered, but I didn’t know what this other man could do against him.

“There you go,” said the older man, pushing a handful of sheets of A4 paper toward Hayden.

Hayden picked a pen out of the pot and leaned over to sign the paperwork.

My heart thrummed, my breathing shallow. It was as though I could see time running out through an hourglass, and I snatched glances between the office door and Hayden’s back.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a young man in his early twenties pushed through. He had a rag in one hand and was wiping something like oil off his other hand, his head down so he didn’t notice us at first. He was well-built, at least six feet, and from the way he was dressed, I guessed he worked on the boats, so I hoped he’d be as physically strong as he looked.

This was my chance.

I threw myself toward the new arrival. “Please, help me! He’s kidnapped me! He’s been holding me hostage.”

I’d been expecting the man to grab me and maybe pull me behind him, or challenge Hayden, but instead he stared over my shoulder, his eyes wide.

“Please!” I begged again. “You need to help me.”

He didn’t even respond, just continued to stare. My skin prickled with fear and my stomach dropped, and I slowly turned back toward Hayden.

Hayden stood upright now, his face a mask of fury. In his hand was a gun which was pointed directly at the older man’s head.

“That was very stupid, Jolie,” he snarled. “If anyone tries anything else, this guy’s brains are going to end up splattered all over the desk. Got it?”

My eyes filled with tears, my nostrils flaring, and I managed to nod. I’d had no idea Hayden was armed. I’d never intended to get anyone else hurt, and the idea of another person ending up dead because of me was sickening.

He motioned with the barrel of the gun toward the younger man. “Get over here, and your boss gets to keep the top of his head.”

The man scurried over to join them, sending nervous glances my way.

“Turn out your pockets,” Hayden instructed. “Leave any cell phones here.”

They both dug into their pockets, and two cell phones were thrown onto the desk.

“What are you going to do with us?” asked the older man, his voice quavering.

“Is that a supply closet?” Hayden nodded toward an adjoining door.

“Yeah.”

“You got the key?”

He scrabbled around on the desk. “Uh, yeah. It’s here somewhere.” He swiped it off a hook. “Here.”

He threw the key to Hayden, who snatched it out of the air with his left hand. “Now get in there,” Hayden instructed both men.

“I’m really sorry,” the younger man said to me, locking my gaze with his. He was apologizing for not being able to help me.

“No, I’m sorry,” I replied, feeling horrible for getting him in this situation in the first place. I knew how to handle Hayden. I should never have gotten anyone else involved.

“Shut up and get inside,” Hayden interrupted.

Both men hurried into the store cupboard, most likely happy to have a wooden door between them and the gun. Hayden slammed it shut behind them and used the key to lock it. I stood, trembling, as he turned to me, his expression thunderous.

“What the fuck are you playing at?”

“I’m sorry.” My voice was a squeak.

“That’s not fucking good enough. You said you’d help me. I promised you I’d let you go once it was done, and that still isn’t good enough for you. Now you’ve forced me to do this.”

He waved the gun, and I flinched.

He saw my reaction and shook his head. “Jesus fucking Christ. Get outside and get in the car. Don’t do anything that’s going to make me want to shoot you.”

How could I explain it to him? How could I tell him that part of me wanting to get away wasn’t just to save me?

I’d wanted to save him, too.