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Christ. He dragged his hand over his face. Why did he always end up at odds with this woman?

“Talk to Ackers. I don’t have time for this.

” She flinched, and he could kick himself for being so abrupt.

He squeezed her arm with what he hoped felt like reassurance.

“I’m trying to keep you safe so you’re here when your dad gets back.

If something happened to you, he’d never forgive me. I’d never forgive myself.”

Her lips parted, and he hated himself for noticing the shape of them. The sweet bow of a mouth that was anything but sugar.

“Fine. I’ll talk to Daniel. Go. Bring my dad back home safe.”

Before he could step away, she grabbed his shirt with both hands and reached up on tiptoe. Kissed him. “For luck. Go.”

He froze at the contact and stared into her dark blue eyes for a moment that stretched time. He didn’t know why a simple kiss affected him this way.

“Go.” She urged again.

He forced himself to leave and not look back.

Row was manhandled by the guy with the Napoleon complex and shoved forward forcefully enough that she stumbled several times.

She wanted to execute a roundhouse kick to his face, but if she did, she was pretty sure the big man holding the automatic weapon walking a few steps behind would shoot her on the spot.

The brief satisfaction wouldn’t be worth it. Not when she was fighting for her life.

Kurt would get out. She knew he would. And he’d find her.

Assuming she stayed alive that long—so no getting shot.

He was probably mad with her for not fighting these men, but this lunatic had looked serious about killing him.

The man she loved had survived one bullet this trip.

She doubted he’d be lucky enough to survive a second .

And she wouldn’t allow that. Not if she had the power to prevent it.

Survival at any cost. The rest could come later.

The prick shoved her again and laughed when she bashed her knee on a metal step and cried out in pain.

She couldn’t save herself because her hands were zip-tied behind her back.

Maybe she should go for it. Smash her foot into this motherfucker’s head and hope it knocked him out. Hope the other guy didn’t kill her.

“What does Hurek want with me?”

The bastard cuffed her around the head. She was starting to seriously hate this man.

“ General Hurek will do whatever he wants with you, and you will smile and say thank you, sir.”

Fuck you, more like.

He pushed her up another flight of stairs and along the open corridor to the back of the boat.

She stopped at the edge of the deck and watched a black and white helicopter hover above the large “H” before landing.

What was going on?

Was this a rescue?

Why wasn’t Kurt here?

She looked away as the wind blew her hair every which way. Once the wheels touched the deck, she was marched forward.

Her mouth went dry, and her heart gave a painful trip. They were taking her away. Without Kurt.

She didn’t see Hurek anywhere.

Her feet dragged, and she tried to jerk away from her tormentor.

He grabbed her arms and twisted them painfully high.

She yelped as he pushed her toward the open door.

Inside, Nolan Gilder sat staring at her with avid interest in his eyes—eyes the same unusual color as hers.

Something large and ugly crawled up into her throat and made her want to puke.

No.

Beside him sat another man who wore a tailored suit but looked like a gorilla .

“Get in,” the gorilla ordered.

The man behind her shoved her into the cabin, and she couldn’t stop herself from hitting the floor with her chin.

Bright white light flashed through her brain.

She rolled onto her side and kicked out with the full force of her leg, smashing her foot into that bastard’s face because why not?

She didn’t have a lot to lose. She smiled grimly when cartilage crunched.

Rage contorted the man’s features as he pulled the gun he’d used earlier and pointed it at her. She closed her eyes and braced herself for a bullet ripping through her flesh. The sound of two shots rang out before the door closed, and blessed silence reigned.

She opened her eyes in time to see the gorilla in the black suit put another scary-looking weapon under his jacket. Her mouth went bone dry with a mixture of relief and horror. He’d killed both men who’d escorted her to the helicopter without blinking.

Life meant nothing to these people.

Gilder leaned down and squinted at her with curiosity. “Miss Smith?” He had to yell over the noise of the rotors.

“Yes.”

“Are you okay?”

She nodded when she wanted to bark out a laugh of incredulity.

He placed a headset over her ears.

“You look a lot like your mother.” Gilder’s voice was clear now, but he didn’t sound pleased.

Rowena kept every word she wanted to say buried deep inside. She was going to have to be smart if she hoped not only to survive, but to get away from this creep and help rescue Kurt.

She once again leaned on the acting she’d done many years ago at university. Made herself the naive ingénue, which hadn’t been that far from the truth back in the day. “You knew my mother?”

Would Hurek have told Gilder he’d admitted to Kurt that they’d gang-raped her mom? She doubted it .

“Help her into her seat, Gerrit.” The billionaire was watching her carefully, a hint of impatience in his tone.

Awkwardly, the other man pulled on her arm to get her upright.

“Undo the girl’s restraints for God’s sake,” Gilder said impatiently. “What do you think she’s going to do? Attack me while you watch?”

Something shifted in the bodyguard’s eyes but was gone in an instant.

He didn’t like being talked down to but did as he was told.

A sleek blade appeared in Gerrit’s hand, and suddenly her arms were free again.

She rubbed her wrists. “Thank you. Thank you for saving me from that horrible man.” She laid it on thick.

Let them think she was an idiot. Let them underestimate her.

Gerrit indicated she sit with a flick of his blade.

“Fasten your seat belt. The ride can be bumpy sometimes.” Gilder oozed hospitality.

Safety first .

She smothered laughter at the incongruity of her current situation. She clipped the belts clumsily together. They were flying quickly away from the ship. Away from Kurt. Her heart ached. “So, did you know my mother?”

Gilder’s amused eyes glittered as they watched her. “Quite well, actually, although we lost touch after she went back to England. I hadn’t realized she’d had a child.”

She watched him go through the motions of feigning emotion. Acting, just like she was.

“She never told me she was pregnant.” He wore her old watch—his old watch, she supposed. He looked at it now. Stroked it with his index finger. “It’s nice to know she kept this. She must have thought of me often before she died. That brings me a great deal of comfort.”

Rowena smiled as if she were in awe of the billionaire tech guru as opposed to wanting to rip out his throat with her teeth.

He was her biological father. She could see it in the eyes, the nose, in the shape and length of his fingers .

The idea that she shared his DNA made her want to spew all over the white interior of this fancy helicopter, but she was playing a dangerous game with high stakes and didn’t think vomit would endear her to anyone.

“I never actually knew my mother. She died when I was an infant. I was raised by her brother, Peter. He mentioned that he met you once, years ago.” She gave a little disparaging laugh, as if she hadn’t loved the man deeply.

“I honestly didn’t believe him, but he was telling the truth, wasn’t he? ”

Gilder’s rubbery lips pulled down. She was grateful she hadn’t inherited those.

“I knew Peter Smith. He didn’t approve of your mother and me…”

He was trying to imply they’d been in a relationship, a romance, but she knew that couldn’t be true. She didn’t believe it. Wouldn’t.

Rowena couldn’t dance around the issue. This had been her quest, her impetus for following Bjorn Anders around Zimbabwe. If she didn’t ask, she’d look like an idiot. “Do you…do you know who my father is?”

He leaned forward and took her hands in his. Looked deep into her eyes, and it was so disconcerting to see the shape and color of hers mirrored in his. He smiled. “Can’t you guess?”

“I don’t want any more guesses,” she spoke more sharply than intended. “I’ve spent a lifetime guessing and searching for my biological father. I need to know if I’ve finally found him.”

“Yes, my dear. Yes. You’ve found him, and I couldn’t be happier.”

God, this was going to kill her. She forced a teary smile and a laugh. “I can’t believe it.”

“ You can’t believe it?” He laughed like a Bond villain. “I’ve spent years trying to have a child, not realizing I already had one.” His eyes shone. “And, I’m hoping with your help, I might be able to have more.”