“Let me go,” I mutter, trying to squirm. But Christ, he’s strong.

“My guard might have had a careless moment,” he murmurs. “I will not.”

“I’m not going to jump from a moving vehicle!” I cry through gritted teeth.

It’s not a bad idea actually.

He doesn’t answer, he just leans back in the seat. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that this is a position lovers would sit in after making love. I jerk my body a few more times in a futile attempt at getting out of the wall of muscle surrounding me, but there’s no point. He’s too strong, too determined, and I’m too exhausted.

I slump, feeling my body go limp. I take a small moment to breathe him in. A man such as Dimitri, no matter how evil, is hard not to admire. He’s pure beauty. His sculpted body, his defined face, that thick, luscious hair. It’s like he was molded to be put on display, so the entire female race could just admire him. Maybe even get a completely implausible idea of what the male race should look like.

No one is ever that perfect.

Except maybe Hendrix; he’s about that perfect. It’s probably why Dimitri hates him.

I feel my eyelids going droopy, but I don’t want to succumb to my exhaustion. If I do, then I’m basically lying here letting Dimitri hold me while I sleep. That’s not my idea of strength. I try to take deep breaths to keep my body full of oxygen, but this doesn’t wake it up. I squirm again, at which Dimitri tightens his hold. Dammit. I raise my head, and look up at him. He glances down at me, his blue eyes really, really making my heart do strange things. They are such a light blue, just like the sky.

“Your mouth is bleeding,” he says simply. Matter-of-factly.

“So is yours. I guess we’ve both had a good night.”

His mouth tics, and for a second, I’m shocked. Was Dimitri about to smile? His face quickly turns back to stone, and he turns his head away, staring out the window. I lower my face again, and I can feel his heart beating against my cheek. I tilt my head, so my ear is pressed right over it. Boom, boom, boom.

I close my eyes, unable to fight it any longer. I feel my body relaxing, and before I can protest any further about my location, I’m asleep.

In his arms.

This is not going well.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jess

He lets me sleep until the next afternoon, and I’m completely grateful for that. Well, I am until I wake and the moment I’m fed—just some fruit and yogurt—he’s got me up and is ordering me to get dressed. We’re going back on the ship.

My heart sinks.

Going back on the ship, for some reason, has me feeling slightly depressed. I don’t want to go on the ship, I don’t want to go on the water. I want to stay on land and I want to stay here for a good long time. I truly don’t understand why I feel like this. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been a prisoner for so long. Not in the literal sense, but in the sense that I’ve never had the chance to be free and just . . . live. Logic, however¸ tells me that at least being on the ship, Hendrix has a better chance of finding me.

And for that reason, I don’t argue.

In fact, I don’t say anything as we move about, eating and dressing. Dimitri is barking orders at Luke and the other guard, and they’re obediently doing as he asks. He must pay them a lot of money. By the time the sun is setting on the second day, we’re in the SUV heading back to the wharf. As we draw closer, I become noticeably agitated. I don’t want to go back on that ship.

“Quit squirming,” Dimitri says.

He’s sitting beside me, holding my one cuffed hand so I can’t jump out. I don’t look at him, I just stare out the window. He wouldn’t understand. He hasn’t been desperately living on a ship for two years, doing everything he can to hide from a life that’s less than desirable.

“I thought you liked ships?”

Asshole.

I don’t answer him again.

When we arrive, and I see his ship, I gasp. Holy shit. I didn’t realize how huge it was. It’s a gorgeous ship—large and a dark pine in color. There are rows and rows of windows in the hull, leading up to a glorious deck, with big white flags and some seriously talented craftsmanship. He must have paid a lot of money to get something the size of this. He tugs me out of the car and I see another four cars come to a stop. And slowly, they all pile out. There’s a good range of men and women. I’m grateful for the women. Well, that is if they’re coming on the ship.

God, I hope they are.

I stare as they begin pulling loads and loads of crates and boxes out of the trailers attached to the vehicles. I gape as I get a glimpse of weapons. Those aren’t just any old weapons, they’re serious destruction tools. My heart begins to pound for Hendrix and Indi. What if Dimitri carries this plan out? What if he actually kills Hendrix?

I feel sick.

I’ve never stopped and thought that he might be smart enough and resourceful enough to take Hendrix down. In his world, Hendrix is the best. He’s deadly, he’s determined, and he’s powerful. In Dimitri’s world, he’s the best. If those worlds collide, who will come out on top? What would happen to Indi if something happened to Hendrix?

I tremble as Dimitri pulls me toward the massive ship. I try to focus on it, or anything for that matter. I don’t want to think about the position I’m left in. I can’t. Because if I think about it, I know I’ll be left with only one awful choice. And the sad thing is, for me, it is an awful choice because I don’t feel like he deserves it. But if it comes down to it, then I’ll do what I have to do.