AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Marco, you can barely move. You’re not taking me to a restaurant. You’ve a gunshot wound you need to recover from.”
“I will take you out tonight and I will propose to you.”
“Sure you will. You can’t even get out of bed without falling over.”
“Let’s make a bet. If I can get you out for a meal tonight and I propose to you, will you accept?”
“Like that’s ever going to happen.”
“So you accept the bet?”
“Fine, yeah, whatever. You make it out to that helicopter of yours and take me somewhere expensive, and I’ll say yes when you get the ring out.”
“Good.”
“But it’s not going to happen.”
“We’ll see. Now get out. I need to make a reservation.”
“You are infuriating. Do you know that?”
“So are you.” He’s smiling as he says it. His face is warmer. There are crinkles around his eyes and he looks almost human. The smile fades a second later, like he’s afraid he got caught doing something he shouldn’t.
I walk out of the room, feeling a strange flutter in my stomach. Alessandro is there, talking to the doctor. They both turn to face me. “Tell me he isn’t fit to leave bed yet,” I say.
The doctor shrugs. “He’s a stubborn guy. If he wants to get up, he will. Why?”
“He says he’s going to take me for a meal tonight. Says he’s going to propose to me.”
“Nothing like a surprise,” Alessandro says.
“I can’t marry him, can I? Tell me I’m an idiot for even entertaining the idea.”
“Maybe you should give him a chance.”
“A chance?”
“He’s clearly got feelings for you. He’s been nicer to you than I’ve ever seen him be toward anyone ever, including his own family.”
I groan out loud. “I’m going to go for a walk.”
It’s how I’ve kept myself occupied most of the week. He’s been out cold. I’ve sat by his side most of the time, but he’s not stirred much other than to mutter sounds that might be words or might be gibberish.
I don’t know why I’m so worried about him making it out of this alive. I shouldn’t care. He kidnapped me, basically. He was keeping me prisoner at that house in the country.
I’ve gone from bad to worse in terms of my location. From the house in the country, I could maybe have made it to the nearest town under my own steam. From an island? I need a pilot or a captain. There’s a sailboat down on the dock, speedboat next to it. Then there’s the helicopter on the landing pad next to the house. Other than that, the only way back to civilization is to swim.
I’m stuck here until someone takes me back. I can’t sail. I definitely can’t fly a helicopter. Why did I even come? Why didn’t I run when I had the chance?
I’ve walked around the island several times. It’s about a half mile wide and about two miles long. Most of it is covered in trees apart from the cleared section here. The house faces out to the ocean. The mainland is on the far side, somewhere out of sight. From here there is only the sun sparkling on the water and a whole lot of nothing else.
It’s beautiful, but scary at the same time. Like him.
I walk along the rabbit trail by the cliff tops, looking out at the water. What will I say if he proposes?
I could say no. I could continue to refuse. Then what will happen?
I know in my heart that I’ll end up back on the mainland. My father will find me, force me into marriage to a Mexican drug cartel. That’s not what I had planned for my life.
