Page 46 of Two Favors Repaid

Ford handcuffed her left wrist to a handgrip on the kitchen counter.

“Here,” Ford said. “So he can see you when he wakes up again. He’ll like that, don’t you think?”

Emma sighed. She and Rob had known Ford wasn’t on the way to Mexico. They should have been more forceful in communicating this to the FBI. They should have … but there was no point in focusing on would haves or could haves.

Emma blinked through her tears and focused on Rob’s unconscious form. She had to figure a way to get them out of here.

She realized Ford wasn’t with them anymore. She didn’t have to wonder where he was for at that very instant the engine turned on. He’d obviously unplugged them from shore power and wanted to take them out to sea.

Emma felt herself grow faint and realized she was hyperventilating. She knew, obviously, that they were on the water right now, but she’d been able to deal with her fear knowing the boat had been berthed. The thought of going out to sea again made all the memories from a year earlier resurface.

Her psychologist had recommended she find a safe way to get back onto the water again.

I’m sure this isn’t what she had in mind.

Emma issued a noise between a sob and a giggle. The lame joke made her feel slightly better. More in control. She was in control. Rob was here and he was hurt. She had to get them out of here and get him to a hospital, and she couldn’t do that if her panic took over.

Emma looked outside the windows as Ford maneuvered them away from the berth. There went her initial hope that Ford wouldn’t know how to pilot a boat and would crash into one of the neighboring boats.

It was still dark outside, but a faint glow in the sky already looked forward to morning.

Emma tugged at the handcuffs, but the handgrip she’d been fastened to held strong. Perhaps she could break the kitchen cabinet. She looked for something she might be able to use to help her.

She had a few minutes while Ford was distracted driving out of the harbor. Once they were on open sea, he could do anything to them. She held back a whimper.

Stop whimpering.

She pulled until her skin was raw, but the drawers remained just out of reach. She needed to come up with a different idea.

“Rob,” she whispered. “Rob. Please wake up.”

She realized how stupid she sounded. It wasn’t like he was taking a nap. But she didn’t know what else she could do. She placed both her feet against the cabinet and tugged, but the only thing that budged was her wrist—and not in a good way.

Ford’s footsteps back into the galley told her she was too late.

“Are we all behaving down here?” The former doctor sounded almost giddy. “We just left the harbor, so we can start our little pleasure cruise. I love the ocean, you know.”

“Please let us go,” Emma said quickly. “We won’t tell anyone that you’re here, we’ll …” Her voice died off as she realized just how unconvincing she sounded. Ford turned from the stairs and looked at her again.

“Emma, angel, I hope you weren’t planning on pursuing an acting career. If I know anything about you and Mr. Straitlaced Officer here it’s that you’d be on the phone to the FBI the second I turned the jammer off.”

“Please …” she whimpered, tugging on the handcuff again.

“Careful. You’ll break that beautiful skin.”

She shook her head. She wasn’t going to panic. She couldn’t panic.

I’m panicking.

She breathed like she’d been taught in her early therapy sessions. Nice and easy. And again. Then the boat hit a wave, and she blanched.

I’m out on the water again. I can’t be here. I need to be back on land.

“Ah, are you afraid of water, Emma? You must be, after what happened last year. Oh, how I wish we had time to go back to the cliffs. That sweet moment where I tossed you off the edge.”

She clenched her eyes shut, but somehow, suddenly, his cruelty broke through her panic. She gritted her teeth. She wasn’t going to give Ford this power.

“Stop playing mind games with me. What do you want, Ford?” she asked.