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I shuddered just hearing the warning sound in his voice. “Who really sent you?” Had my father really cared?

Kage snorted. “A buddy of mine who knows your father well. Your godfather, Gray Jenkins?”

“What?” My godfather. I hadn’t even heard his name mentioned in years. That made absolutely no sense to me.

“The less you know, the better right now. And I suggest you remain quiet and out of sight. Fuck. Hold on.”

He swerved around a corner, the sharp move pitching me forward and against Tank. My cry was followed by a slight growl.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? You don’t like dogs?”

“Not particularly.”

“That dog saved your life. Without him, finding you would have taken time we didn’t have. You’re lucky we found you when we did.” His implications hit me hard.

A flood of thoughts and images rushed into my mind, a ragged sob rushing from my chest. I fisted my mouth, fighting tears. “They were… Going to… Auction me off. Tomorrow.”

Kage said nothing as he took another sharp curve, this time the tires squealing. “If they’d been successful, there would have been no way to find you.”

The heaviness of what he was telling me made me feel gutted inside. Tank moved closer, resting his head on my leg. I tensed once again and Tank’s tail thumped several times.

Pop! Pop!

“Goddamn it,” Kage hissed.

I slid further into the seat, gasping for air that didn’t seem to fill my lungs. “We’re going to die. Aren’t we?”

He threw his head over his shoulder just as the early morning sun pulsed through the windows. While I could only see a portion of his face, I was struck by how insanely handsome he was. Sharp features. An aristocratic nose. A high forehead. Hair that I wanted to run my fingers through. I could easily tell he was built of sculpted muscles, a huge man since he filled the front seat.

Just like the hero in my dream, only this man was even more handsome. Drool worthy.

However, I wasn’t certain if that made me feel any safer or not. For all I knew, this could be a ploy.

Oh, God, Juliette. Why would he use a dog?

To disarm me.

Then why are you being shot at?

He cursed as he glanced from the rearview mirror to both side mirrors and grabbed a phone from the dashboard.

While he was making a call, I allowed myself another look outside, noticing a sign for the airport. Maybe we’d make it. Hold on. He could be taking me anywhere, a hired gun someone sent to steal me away for another auction. No. That didn’t make any sense.

Ugh. At this point nothing did.

“Yeah, what’s the status?” Kage growled to the person on the other end. When he slammed his hand on the steering wheel, it was obvious the answer wasn’t good. “Yeah. Get the fuck out while you can.”

What? He was sending the plane away. No. No!

“I’ll find another way. Just go. Now!” Kage tossed the phone and his eyes appeared in the rearview mirror all over again. “Change of plans.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we’re not leaving the island. Yet.” Every word out of his mouth had a heavy emphasis, the tone brusque.

“So what now? Bermuda has hundreds of small islands, but even combined, the area’s not large.”

“Now, we lay low for a few days until I can develop an alternative. Let me worry about that.”