I sleep like I’m dead that night. All of my muscles are sore and I swear I can still taste saltwater, even hours later, even after a shower, even after tasting Kaylee’s skin.

Nothing feels better than fucking after a near-death experience. Well, maybe fucking a woman I’m absolutely crazy about. I realize it when I shower after we sleep together, rubbing the salt and sand from my chest. I’m thinking about her constantly because I’m crazy for her. I’ve never felt this way before, never met a woman worth really diving deep into before, but Kaylee is something else. She’s special.

I knew it the night we first met, but it’s only become more and more clear as time’s passed. She’s strong, smart, intense, beautiful. She’s everything I’ve always wanted in someone, and it just so happens that we’ve been thrown into this insane situation together.

I don’t know how to tell her. I want her to know how I feel but I’m afraid she’s not ready for that. We need to survive, get past all this bullshit… and then what? I just don’t know.

No time to think about it though. I sleep like a log and wake up around ten the next morning, every inch of my body sore.

“Oh, shit,” I say, getting out of bed. Kaylee peeks out at me from under the covers.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel like I got hit by a truck.” I laugh a little, stretching my arms. “I guess I don’t use any of those muscles that often.”

She shifts and groans. “I feel the same way, except I was hit by a speeding freight train.”

I laugh and bend over her, kissing her softly on the lips. Maybe I don’t need to tell her how I feel. Maybe it’s already obvious.

I take a quick shower before dressing. She’s sitting up in bed, staring at the TV blankly.

“I’m still so tired,” she whispers. “Like, seriously, that took so much out of me.”

“I know,” I say. “I want to come back to bed, but I have to make a call first.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Hunter?”

I nod. “We have the drugs. Time to see if he’ll bite.”

“What do you think?”

“Hard to say with him. Now that we know his father’s dying, and that’s why he’s pulling all this… well, maybe I can use that.”

“Let me come with you,” she says.

I shake my head. “Too dangerous. If I’m not back in an hour, run, go somewhere cold. Go up north or something.”

“Why somewhere cold?”

I head over to the door and look back at her. “Hunter hates the cold.” I grin, open the door, and head out.

There aren’t many payphones left in this town. I could go back to the one near the old motel but that’d be too dangerous. I’m sure they’re watching it. Instead, I head right into the downtown area. There’s a payphone down this little side alley, across from a hippie smoke shop.

I drop in some coins, dial Hunter’s number, and wait. It rings and rings and rings, but nobody picks up. I hang up, collect my change, and try again.

I try for a half hour. I’m starting to think I have the wrong number, that my memory is failing me, when the line suddenly goes live.

“Hello?” I ask.

There’s breathing at the other end, but nothing else.

“Hello? Anyone there?”

More breathing. More silence.

“I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

Breathing, silence.

“It’s about the drugs. And your father. I know what’s going on, Hunter.” I’m getting frustrated, pissed off. I don’t know what game he’s playing. Maybe he picked up by mistake and I’m hearing the inside of his pants.

“Fuck this,” I say. “I’ll just come kill you, you bastard.”

As I go to hang up, I hear laughter. I put the phone back to my ear and Hunter’s cracking up.

“Oh, calm down,” he says to me through convulsive laughing. “I was just messing with you.”

“This isn’t a joke.” I’m speaking through a clenched jaw, anger boiling inside of me. I know this is what he does, all the little games he plays, but I hate him for it. I really, really do.

“What do you know about my father?” he asks, finally calming down.

“I know he’s dying, and I know you’re set to take over the family. But you’re afraid of what I know. Isn’t that why you’re out to kill me?”

He laughs again, but this time it’s dry and humorless. “Bravo, took you long enough. Yes, Daddy is on his deathbed, his mortal coil shall be shed most imminently, and I am in line to take over. But if he got whisper of some of my past dalliances, well…” He trails off.

“Why do you think I’d tell anyone? Why do you think I’d care?”

“I don’t,” he says, sounding almost surprised. “I’m sure you’ve kept your mouth shut and I feel confident you always will.”

“So why kill me?”

“Because you’re a loose end, Julian. Even if you never speak, the fact that there’s a chance is something I can’t handle.”

“You’re going to kill me on the off chance that I ruin this for you.” I shake my head but I know all this already. I know he’s a psychopath and he doesn’t feel like normal humans, but it still shocks me all the same.

“That’s right,” he says, sounding chipper. “By the way, you mentioned drugs.”

That snaps me out of my shock. “I’m sure you heard already.”

“I heard you were digging around my beach and were probably dead. I guess some of my guards are going to get punished.”

“We dug up some drugs your former business associate Leo stashed on your property the night he came to meet me.”

“And you want to offer them to me in exchange for… what, your life?”

“Not mine,” I say. “Just hers.”

He hesitates a second, clearly surprised. This is the reason I didn’t want to bring Kaylee along with me. This is the reason I had to do this alone, because she’d never let me go through with this deal. I know she’d stop me, speak up, do something to ruin it, and I can’t have that.

He won’t let me go, not for all the drugs in the world. But he might let her go, and I’m willing to make that happen.

“Interesting,” Hunter finally says. “But what about you, my dear young pal? I can’t exactly let you walk away from any such exchange.”

“You can have me, too.”

He laughs, genuinely amused this time. “You’re sacrificing yourself?”

“No,” I say. “I’m hoping you’ll just lock me up in a cage until your dad dies.”

“Huh. That’s not a bad idea, actually. Hadn’t thought of that.”

“Keep me locked up so I can’t talk. Then when he passes, you can let me out, and it won’t matter what I say.”

“Tempting,” he answers slowly. “No blood means no mess to clean up. I have been getting some rather annoyed calls from the police chief lately. Still…” He trails off, clearly in thought.

My heart’s beating fast. I don’t know if he’ll take this deal, and I don’t know if he’ll let me live. Either way, I know this is Kaylee’s best chance.

“Okay,” he says finally. “I’ll do it. You give me the drugs and hand over yourself, and I’ll let the girl walk.”

“How do I know you’ll follow through?”

He sounds almost insulted. “Julian, my dear, sweet Julian, when have I ever broken a promise?”

I grunt a little. “Fine. When and where do we meet?”

“Tonight. On the beach, near the dunes. Right off Sixty-Fifth Street.”

“Fine,” I say. I’m okay with that spot, since it’s neutral territory, although nowhere is safe.

“Midnight then. Come with the drugs and the girl. Oh, Julian, I’m so excited to see you!”

“You too, Hunter.” I hang up the phone, heart racing like mad.

So that’s how it’s going to be. I give him the drugs and let him take me and he’ll let Kaylee live. I believe him, I think he’ll really follow through. He doesn’t need her, after all, I’m the one he wants.

But the idea of walking right into Hunter’s hands terrifies me beyond belief. I know I’m doing a good thing, but I might die. I just have to be okay with that. I saved Kaylee once, got her off drugs, and now I’ll save her one last time. It’s the best thing I can think of, the best way I can imagine telling her how I feel.