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G rayson Montana was good and buzzed. Wasn’t that the goal of spring break? A pretty girl in a bikini passed, and he turned, walking backward as his gaze locked on her cute ass. “That’s what I’m talking about.” He was in South Florida for the sun, the surf, the weed, the beer and the girls. So far, he’d crossed off everything on his list but the girls. That was okay, there was plenty of time for a hook up.

He’d be eighteen in two months, and he meant to go home not a virgin. It was his first time in Fort Lauderdale, and for a pampered boy from South Carolina who’d never been let loose on his own before, he was wide-eyed and lit.

His father—who owned eleven luxury car dealerships throughout the Southeast—had asked what he wanted as a graduation gift. Grayson was sure his dad had been expecting to hear that a Porsche or Dodge Charger muscle car was on his son’s bucket list. Nope. Grayson wanted to go to spring break in Florida. Besides, he already knew he was getting the Charger as a graduation gift.

The reason he’d asked for the trip was simple. His friends were going to Fort Lauderdale for spring break. He turned in a circle. Where were his friends? They’d been with him only minutes ago, but he’d lost sight of them on the crowded beach. “Dudes, where are you?” he yelled.

“What dudes?”

Grayson narrowed his eyes at the guy staring back at him. “My friends. I lost them.”

“Lost mine, too.” The guy gave him a drunken grin as he lifted a red Solo cup. “And they have the beer. Not cool. I’m Cooper.”

“Grayson. I got some weed.”

“Even better.” Cooper glanced around. “Let’s go up there.” He pointed to a nearby parking lot. “More private.”

As they walked across the hot sand, Grayson wondered why he’d shared that he had weed. He didn’t know Cooper, so why should he share? He only had the one joint on him, and he should have saved it for himself, especially if he couldn’t find his friends.

“Where you from?” Cooper asked.

“Myrtle Beach. You?”

“Hotlanta.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Home of the best baseball team in the world. I’m gonna play for the Braves one day.”

Grayson laughed. “Lofty goal there.”

“It’s gonna happen. I’m good. Got a full-ride scholarship to college.”

“That’s impressive. What position?”

“Pitcher. You play sports?”

Grayson couldn’t resist messing with his new friend. “Yeah, I’m my school’s top-ranked badminton player.” He snorted when Cooper sputtered, trying to find something to say.

“Ah, really?” Cooper finally managed.

“No, man. Just messing with you. Track and field’s my thing.”

“Grayson…” Cooper studied him. “What’s your last name?”

“Montana.” Grayson grinned when Cooper’s eyes widened.

“Damn, dude. You set new records in the sprints at Nationals.”

“Yep.” His father was counting on him going to work at the dealerships, someday taking over. Grayson was torn. He didn’t want to disappoint his dad, and he did love cars, but…his secret wish was to become a teacher and coach. He was damn good at track and field events, one of the country’s best. He dreamed of teaching kids how to be as good.

He considered it a blessing that even though his dad would be disappointed if Grayson didn’t go to work at his dealerships, he would still support his son’s decision. His future could wait until he got home, though. For the next three days, he was going to have fun and not think about tomorrow.

Cooper pointed to the far end of the parking lot. “Let’s go over there.”

They stopped behind a pickup truck, and Grayson lit the joint. He took a deep drag and managed not to embarrass himself by coughing. He handed it to Cooper.

“You ever do any hard stuff?”

Grayson shook his head. “Nah, man. I work too hard to keep my body in shape to mess around with stuff like that. Truth, I don’t even smoke weed at home. I gave myself permission to enjoy my week of freedom. Smoke some pot, drink too much beer, meet some hot girls. You?”

“Same. My body’s my temple and all that shit.”

Grayson laughed so hard that he plopped down on the truck’s bumper. Was that even funny? He stared at the half- smoked joint Cooper handed back to him. He was buzzing good now, that was for sure. “I’m thirsty.”

“I’m hungry.” Cooper looked around. “Wonder what’s to eat around here.”

“There’s a taco truck down the street.” Grayson took another drag before passing the joint to Cooper. “I want a beer.” He took the fake ID from his pocket and waved it in front of Cooper. “Let’s find us some beer, then we’ll load up on tacos.” He also needed to find his friends…or not. He was doing fine without them.

“A man with a plan. I like it.”

Cooper handed the joint back, and Grayson pinched off the end, then stuck what was left in his pocket. They were walking toward the street when a white van turned into the lot and came to a stop next to them. Expecting to be asked directions to someplace, Grayson was surprised when the side door slid open and two masked men pointing guns at them appeared.

“Get in,” one of the men commanded.

“No way!” He was faster than most people on earth, and he wasn’t going to stick around for whatever the men had planned for them. “Run,” he shouted at Cooper.

“You take one more step, Mr. Montana, and I’ll shoot you in the back. Then I’ll blow your friend’s brains out.”

Grayson froze. Terror slithered down his spine. They knew his name? He turned, and his stomach lurched at seeing the gun held to Cooper’s head. Fear shimmered in Cooper’s eyes, but he didn’t beg Grayson to stay, even though it was apparent that Grayson was their target. What was going on?

“Get in the fucking van, Mr. Montana,” the man said.

Since the second man had his gun pointed at him, Grayson didn’t feel he had a choice. Both men’s eyes were cold and menacing, and if he tried to run, he didn’t doubt they’d shoot him and then Cooper. He got in the van.

As soon as he was inside, they pulled Cooper in, then slammed the sliding door closed. There weren’t seats in the back, and before Grayson could decide if he should try to fight back, he and Cooper were handcuffed. Knit hats were put on their heads and pulled down over their eyes. Grayson had never been so scared in his life.

“What’s going on? How do you know my name?”

One of the men kicked his hip hard. “Shut up.”

He shut up. Hands patted him down, and they took his phone, wallet and hotel room key. And the joint. He should have smoked the rest of it. He almost laughed at the absurdity of regretting not finishing a joint when he was being kidnapped by men with guns.

“Cooper Devlin, from Atlanta,” one of the men said.

They must be going through Cooper’s wallet.

“You rich, too, boy?”

Rich? Was that what this was, a kidnapping for ransom?

“Hey, I’m talking to you, Devlin.”

“Oomph,” Cooper said, his body jerking against Grayson’s.

Grayson winced. They must have kicked Cooper.

“I’m nobody,” Cooper said.

“We’ll find out how valuable you are soon enough.”

Grayson was beginning to hate that cruel voice. He tried to get a sense of the direction they were going, but the driver was making a lot of turns, and he had no idea how far they’d traveled from the beach.

If this was for ransom, which it sounded like it might be, then that was good, right? They just wanted money and wouldn’t kill him and Cooper. His father could pay whatever they demanded, but could Cooper’s? He wished there was a way to ask his father to save Cooper, too. It wasn’t his new friend’s fault that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person. He wanted to tell Cooper he was sorry, but he didn’t want another kick to his body.

He had no idea how long they’d been driving when the van came to a stop. Rough hands dragged him out and pushed him into a house. The sound of the door ominously closing behind him put the horror movies he and his friends liked to watch in mind. The monsters always won. He prayed that he and Cooper wouldn’t die by a monster’s hand.