On the first floor, there were four major rooms; thebedroom, the foyer that included the kitchen, the great living room, and anoffice. The living room was double the size of the bedroom and had a vaultedA-frame ceiling just like the main front hall. Instead of skylights, it had twolarge walls of tall windows on either end and a massive hearth style fireplacein the middle of the longest wall. A dark comfortable looking sectionalsurrounded the great hearth as well as a few wingback chairs near the tallwindows. The office Zane merely pointed to casually as he whisked her up thestairs in the foyer, claiming they would get to that later. Upstairs were fouridentical bedrooms that were practically empty. Only two of the rooms had beds,beds that looked as if they were actually being used.
Still, with her hand firmly in his, Zane stopped them backat the front door. Letting go of her hand, he opened what looked to be a smallcoat closet and bent down and grabbed something. Turning back, he gently sether boots down in front of her. Everly just stared at the boots letting theimplication set in. These were her boots, the boots she kicked off when shecame home from the bank. They took them as well. Looking back up he gave herthe same indiscernible smile as he waited for her to comply. Slipping on theboots, she couldn’t help but wonder what else did they take.
“Okay sweetheart, now this,” Zane handed her a camel coloredcorduroy jacket with dark purple embroidery.
Her body stiffened. Oh God, was this some other victim’sclothing? Stepping back, Everly gave him a horrified look. Earlier on the tourof the house, Everly saw a backdoor by the kitchen, she could run if…
Zane gave her a level look. “We always hated your thin flanneljacket but could never come up with a valid reason to get you a new one.”Stepping closer he held open the jacket prompting her to put her hands through.Reid’s intense face in the rain that day as he berated her jacket flashedthrough her mind. Her pulse calmed, slightly, as she accepted the jacket.
“Gloves,” he handed her a matching purple pair, these stillhad a tag dangling off. “And a hat.” Instead of handing her the hat, Everlycaught her breath as he stepped closer. The heat rolling off his imposing bodysurrounded her bringing with it a subtle, clean smell of some sort ofaftershave or maybe cologne. Pulling the plum colored hat gently down the crownof her head and over her wild curls Zane stepped back with a satisfied look.
Shouldering on his own coat, he grabbed her hand againbefore walking outside. The grip on her gloved hand was strong as Zane tuggedher down the cabin stairs onto the gravel walkway. “That is the only landentrance and exit to the island.” Pointing down the gravel path to where thelarge black truck was sitting on, towards the large metal gate in the distance.The cabin sat on top of what felt like a small hill, Everly had to squintthrough the dense tree-lined road to catch a glimpse of the gate.
“Island?” She questioned softly, still taking note of theimposing gate as a possible escape route.
“Here, let me show it to you at the best angle.”
Following the narrow footpath around the cabin, Zane guidedher through the thick grove of trees until they stopped at a small clearing.The clearing was more like a steep edge that dropped off into the lapping waterbelow. Dark emerald waters lapped steadily against the rocks below them pushingback and forth until it faded into the light blue waters surrounding them.There was no other land beyond them, just endless rippling water.
“Is this the ocean?” Her voice held a note of fear and awe,all intertwined together.
She had only ever seen the ocean once, back when she was inSavannah on a date with Peter. They walked hand-in-hand that day, looking attidepools and watching the sunset. She could still remember wishing they couldspend every day like that just as she could still remember his beautifuldeceiving smile.
“No, this is a lake,” Zane smiled. “Though it is easy toforget that since it’s pretty big.”
Trying to piece together the little facts she had, the planeride, the drive here and now this, Everly was only coming up with morequestions.
“Where am I?” She asked boldly. They seemed confident enoughin their ability to keep her here, this was her chance to dig for any answersor information that may help her get out.
Turning to face her, Zane gave her a slow-growing smile ashe stared at her with those cunning blue eyes. Was he weighing his options onwhat to tell her?
“You have no idea how much I wanted to show you this,”Everly nearly yelped as she felt herself being tugged forward against his widechest. With her cheek pressed against his shirt, Everly could feel the rumblingwords vibrate through him. “I can barely believe you’re here now.”
No, she wanted to scream. She wasn’t “here now” she wasabducted and held captive by two insane men. But she didn’t, she didn’t sayanything as he continued to rub her back softly forcing her to absorb the heatradiating from his clean smelling shirt in between his unzipped jacket. Shejust stood there stiffly. Eventually, he stepped back, holding her by theshoulders he looked at her, the golden eyebrows furrowed as he wanted to saysomething more. Swiping a hand through his curling gold hair, Zane looked outto the water before turning back to her, the look in his eyes dissipatedreplaced by his usual amused gleam.
“This, sweetheart, is Pitch Island, just like I told youwhen we would chat online. It’s at the US and Canadian border.”
“You mean when you tricked me online,” she clarifiedaccusingly, daring him to say otherwise.
Giving her an unapologetic wink, he grinned, taking her handagain tugging her to follow. Incensed by his callused admission to histreachery, Everly tried to dig in her heels, she refused to go anywhere elsewith him.
Zane stopped ahead of her, his arm still outstretched behindhim holding out hers. Looking over his shoulder, some of his golden hair fellin front of the one eye she could see. “Would you like for me to carry you, mysweet Everly? Because it wouldn’t bother me in the least.”
The excited spark in his eye told her he would do it, too.
Giving into the pull of her hand, she fell back in stepbehind him as he continued the tour. The island was about ten acres covered indense trees, as if a bit of the forest just broke off from the mainland formingthis small chunk of land by itself in the water. There were three largebuildings on the island and one small boathouse. The second mode of entry and exit,Zane commented, to which she committed to memory was the boathouse. Although asshe glanced at the endless water on the horizon, Everly wasn’t so sure escapingby boat was the wisest idea. The waters were cold and fathomless, and Zanementioned that the lake was so big that it even had its own storms over thewater. The road would be her only escape option.
“Next to the greenhouse, is the barn,” stepping over a smallditch they were now on the other side of the cabin. “We use it mainly for ourtrucks and…”
A loud beeping siren blared around them before silencing.
“What was that?” Looking around she couldn’t find where thenoise came from.
“That was the gate alarm,” Zane explained as he escorted herover another small ditch in their path. “Reid is back.”
Back from where? Was there a town or civilization nearby shecould run to for help? So many questions were going through her mind.
Tired of playing along she stopped firmly in her tracks thistime forcing him to turn around and look at her. The smile on his lips faded abit, but didn’t totally disappear as he read her expression, he still held herhand.
