She lifted the knife, preparing to defend herself, but she was no match for him and he quickly disarmed her, grabbing her wrist, forcing her to drop the knife, then twisting her arm around behind her back and dragging her into his chest.

Dropping his head to her neck, he mumbled, “We’re gonna have lots of fun on this fancy boat and if you treat me right, I’ll make it quick when it’s time to die.”

“You’re too kind,” she said scathingly, bucking against him.

His arms tightened until she couldn’t breathe. “Be a good girl, now.”

She vowed to bite his tongue off if he tried to kiss her.

He didn’t get a chance though.

Suddenly, the guy was jerked away from her and she was flung into the control panel, where her hand hit a lever. The boat moved so unexpectedly it sent her sideways where she toppled to the floor. Through the tangle of her hair, she could see bad guy number three struggling with someone.

Not someone. Volkan!

His arm was wrapped around the other guy’s neck and he was holding a gun. He lifted it, pressing it to the bad guy’s head. He looked at Yasmin and said, “Look away, aşkım.”

She dropped her head to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands tight over her ears. She jumped when the bang reverberated through the cabin.

That was when the tears started falling.

She was safe now. Volkan had come for her, like he said he would.

Later, she’d ream him out for leaving her in the first place, but in that moment, he was her hero.

Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her into his chest and cradled her as she cried out her relief.

Chapter Forty-Five

“Fuck, Yasmin, you’re killing me. I thought I wouldn’t make it in time.” He gripped her face so tight she thought he would crush her. “You are never to be out of my sight again. You understand?”

She nodded, swiping at the tears that were still dripping down her cheeks. “I think I’m good with that.”

He lifted her off the floor and wrapped his arm around her head. “Don’t look.” She did as he said, turning her face into his chest as he led her past the dead bad guy. “We have to get out of here. There’s a storm heading in fast. We need to get to safety.”

“How do we do that when we’re on an island?”

“We’ll go to the house.”

She shook her head. “There’s no house anymore.”

He guided her out onto the deck where the wind had whipped up and the waves were rocking the boat into the dock. “What do you mean?”