I start a pot of coffee before I look through the cupboards to take stock of what food we have. I’ll have to go to the mainland for the necessities and make a mental list of everything we’ll need.

When the pot is full, I pour myself a cup, and while sipping on the hot liquid, my thoughts turn to Ariana.

Christ, she’s going to be a handful. Not that I can blame her. The chances of her believing anything I say are next to nothing.

I shake my head, not looking forward to when she wakes up.

She’s probably going to scream.

And try to run.

I wasn’t joking when I said I’ll gag her if she screams. I’m only here to make sure she stays alive and couldn’t give a fuck whether she’s comfortable.

I let out a sigh, and finishing my coffee, I rinse the cup out and set it down on the rack to dry.

Christ, Alexei owes me for this.

ARIANA

Coming to, my mind’s a foggy mess. I pry my eyes open, and once they adjust to the light streaming in from the windows, I glance around at the foreign furniture.

Where the hell am I?

Memories of the kidnapping flood back, and my body begins to tremble as fear grips my insides.

I push myself into a sitting position, taking in the elegant dressing table, the closets, the high back chair in the corner, and the big bed I’m on.

Demitri untied me, and I glance over my t-shirt and leggings before looking at my left arm. Noticing the scrapes from the fall have been cleaned, a frown forms on my forehead.

Climbing to my feet, I walk to the window and look out over the pine trees, and in the distance, there’s only water. A lake?

Turning around, I slowly move to the door, and when I try the knob, I’m surprised when it opens.

I peek out into the hallway, and not seeing anyone, I cautiously leave the room. Reaching the stairs, my heart is hammering in my chest. I inch my way down, my eyes taking in the luxurious interior of the house. Everything reeks of money, but it does nothing to keep the fear from licking at my insides.

When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I quickly take in the spacious living room. As my eyes turn to the kitchen, it’s only to find Demitri leaning back against a counter with his arms crossed over his chest. He just watches me.

Demitri Vetrov.

Again the realization shocks me to my core.

My eyes dart around until they land on the front door. Before I can take a step, Demitri says, “You can try to run, but you won’t get anywhere. We’re on an island.”

Another wave of shock crashes over me, and my eyes snap back to him.

“You can’t swim to the mainland either.” He sounds bored, his demeanor casual.