They ridged a hill and the ocean spread out before them. The ute was parked on the beach, the dinghy on the sand and Amy and Taylor fought over the boat’s engine. Taylor hit Amy and she sprawled back over the sand.
Brandon growled.
“You take my lead when we stop,” Dot told him. “If you attack him, I will arrest you both.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She knew the man better than he did. He’d follow her lead unless Amy was in real danger. Then all bets were off.
Taylor spotted the car and grabbed something from the dinghy. Then he hauled Amy to her feet and held her in front of him like a shield.
The sun glinted off the item Taylor held.
Brandon’s blood ran cold. He was holding a knife to Amy’s throat.
Chapter 16
Amy had been more pissed off than scared right up to the moment when Taylor pressed a razor-sharp filleting knife against her throat. Then terror flooded out every other emotion. She froze, her body tense as Taylor gasped, “Do exactly what I say.”
“Yes,” she murmured.
A blue sedan bumped its way towards them but it was too far away for her to recognise the occupants. It had to be the cavalry, but the pressure of the knife across her windpipe took all her focus. One jerk from Taylor and she was dead. She didn’t even dare speak in case she moved the wrong way.
“Convince them to let me go,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to get in my dinghy and leave, got it?”
“Yes.” Perhaps he hadn’t considered they’d have planes in the air looking for him the moment he left, but she wouldn’t point it out to him. She realised he was desperate when she’d come to in the front seat of his ute. After her mind cleared, she’d tried to talk sense into him, but he hadn’t listened. All he repeated was he wasn’t going to gaol.
She should have run away while she’d had the chance, but she hadn’t really considered herself in danger. This was Taylor. Her aim had been to prevent him from escaping and she’d tried to stop him from unhooking the dinghy from the roof, but he was well practised and she’d barely got in the way.
The car pulled up before the track became beach sand and Dot and Brandon climbed out. Definitely the cavalry. Brandon’s expression was like a snake about to strike. Mean, focused and angry. Her heart leapt and chills went down her arms, even though the expression wasn’t for her.
Taylor wasn’t getting away.
She just hoped he didn’t hurt her in his desperation.
Dot had a word to Brandon and he nodded once, his gaze not leaving Amy’s. Then Dot strolled across the sand. “Going fishing?”
Taylor loosened the knife on Amy’s neck. “Something like that. You going to let me go?”
“Let you go?” She sounded intrigued by the idea.
“Yeah. I’ll take my dinghy and disappear.”
Brandon shifted where he stood.
“Tell Brandon to go back to the car,” Taylor said.
Amy almost laughed. No way was he leaving.
“Brandon, go back to the car,” Dot said.
“No.”
Amy didn’t dare speak as Taylor tightened his hold on her again, the sharp point of the knife pressing into her skin. She felt a warm drip of blood run down her neck.
“Taylor, the knife!” Dot pointed.
Taylor swore and adjusted his hold, moving the knife hard against her back instead. “Sorry,” he murmured. To Dot he yelled, “I mean it! Let me go.”
Dot held up her hands. “All right, I’ll let you go. Do you want me to push the dinghy into the water for you? Connect the engine?”
