No talk of what was coming next.

Nothing but comfort traded on the breath of our lips.

It didn’t last. The moment was too perilous, and falling into its trap would only foster a false sense of calm.

“How did we get here?” I searched my memory for a clue but couldn’t find one.

“They took us. Four or five of them, maybe more.”

“Oh my God.” A throb began at my temples and spread to the rest of my skull. With a groan, I tucked my head under his chin, unable to think beyond the pain.

“Are you hurt?”

“My head’s pounding.”

“Probably from the drugs,” he said. “Do you remember anything?”

“No.” My breath shuddered against his neck, and a niggle of a memory flourished in my mind; the hint of soft footsteps, a drift of air as the sheet lifted, the hope that rose in me when the mattress dipped at the edge. “Wait…someone got in bed with me. I thought it was you. Next thing I know, I’m waking up here.”

“They drugged me too.”

Whoever had taken us, and for whatever reasons, I was glad we’d landed in this trunk together. At least we were still together.

“Do you think Zach had something to do with it?” I asked, though the number of men involved in taking us implied otherwise. My brother had always been a loner.

“I don’t know.” He fell quiet, and the length of that pause carried special weight, an air of significance. “They set the island on fire.”

“They what?” Of course, Zach was my first suspect, but something seemed off, especially since Rafe was still alive, trapped in the trunk with me this time, and I couldn’t think of a single reason why my brother would take the time to burn the island. “Who else could’ve done this?”

“Your father, maybe? And I’m not ruling out Zach.”

“But you said there were four or five of them?”

“Yeah.” He tried to hide a groan, and I imagined him biting his lip to silence the sound.

“What is it?” I asked, wishing I could see his face.

“The drugs are still in my fucking system. I’m useless, Alex. They broke in, and I didn’t even realize it. I shouldn’t have let this happen.” He grabbed the base of my neck and tilted my head upwards, and his worried sigh breezed across my lips. “If they hurt you…”

I couldn’t dwell on what they wanted, on how they outnumbered us. I clutched his hair and held him to me, finding sanctuary in his presence even if we were trapped in a trunk together, half dressed, drugged, and possibly facing death.

“At least I’m here with you.”