Prologue
Jane Laurier slouchedin her chair, barely glancing down at the paper placed on her desk. The teacher paused as though he wanted to say something, then shook his head and moved on. She plastered a bored expression on her face and glanced down at the glaring red “F” and the note “Did not follow directions.” She pushed down the bitter frustration. It sucked when you tried and were still found lacking. Lazy. Unmotivated. Troubled. She’d heard it all and sometimes it was easier to live up to her reputation than to try and fail. Easier than admitting that she’d read the assignment instructions over and over, but it still didn’t make sense. Easier than telling her mother and stepfather Jim for the thousandth time that her mind wouldn’t stay still long enough for her to focus on one thing. Maybe shewasjust making excuses. The bell rang and students shot out of their seats, metal scraping tile as their chairs were abruptly pushed back.
“Jane, please stay after class. We need to discuss your assignment.” Even the gentle, somewhat elderly English teacher was running out of patience. Everyone did eventually.
She felt the other students pause before the whispers began.
All eyes on her.
Everyone waiting to see what she’d do.
Pins and needles tingled over her scalp and a flush of embarrassment hit her cheeks. She gave an uninterested shrug that had the flannel button-up slipping off one shoulder. She didn’t bother to readjust it. Jane crumpled the paper in one hand, then walked across the room.
“Maybe some other time.” She tossed the balled-up assignment into the trash before exiting the room to the hoots and hollers of her classmates. Jane didn’t need school. She had her friends. Her looks. She heard her name being called through the echoing shouts in the narrow corridor and glanced over her shoulder to see her friend Sara pushing through the crowd. Sara’s blonde hair waved around her shoulders, only a shade or so lighter than her gold eyes.
“Ricky texted,” Sara said, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward. Her friend’s familiar scent, jasmine masking the lingering smoke from the joint they’d shared while walking to school, rose up to meet her as Sara leaned in close, tilting the screen toward her.
Ricky:I got that fire
Jane exchanged a grin with her friend. “Then let’s get the fuck out of here.” They still had two more periods left of the school day, but Ricky was fun, and he got them high. Sneaking out one of the side doors closest to the tree line, they crouched down and ran for the cover of evergreens. It wasn’t the first time they’d skipped out on school. Teachers realized they were missing, but not until it was too late. A twig snapped beneath her Jordans, startling her. She couldn’t deny being a bit reckless gave her a thrill, but she’d also be in deep shit if she got caught.
After a few minutes tromping through the forest, they came to the main road. This was the riskiest part. Jim could drive right by in his cruiser and spot them. Once they were tucked beneath the bridge on the embankments though, no one would be able to see them unless they were followed down the steep hill. Exchanging a silent glance, the girls sprinted to the bridge. They skidded to a stop once they reached the hill, gravel kicking out from under their feet. Single file, they crawled down into the wedge where concrete intersected with the earth.
“I was worried you got busted.” Ricky rolled his thumb over the lighter, the yellow flicker illuminating his smile. He lit the bowl, inhaling deeply and holding the smoke in his lungs as he handed it to Sara. Time seemed to slow, and she wasn’t sure how long they’d been passing the weed around, shooting the shit, when a stream of light intruded on their hiding space. All three of them gasped and scrambled backward.
“Police. Come out with your hands up.”
“Holy fuck.” Ricky grabbed his backpack and crawled to the other side of the bridge. She and Sara scrambled behind him. Something caught her ankle, and she fell face down in the dirt, knocking the wind out of her. When she glanced up, all she could see was Sara’s shoes disappearing up the hill. They’d left her. Rough hands flipped her over onto her back.
She gulped hard at the face looming above her. “What do you know. My patrolman’s stepdaughter.”
Her heart was racing as she stared up at the face of the police chief. Several seconds passed, as though he was pondering what to do with her. Making out his facial expressions wasn’t easy in the shadowy space beneath the bridge. Not that she could move closer to the light with him straddling her. She wasn’t sure what to do, but the sheer panic of being caught had anxiety tightening in her chest. Shit. She was cooked. To say Jim and Mom were going to be pissed was a huge understatement.
The chief let out a chuff of breath. “Tell you what…” He smiled at her, and for some reason, her stomach soured. “I won’t tell him.”
“You won’t?” she said on a shaky breath, coming up on her elbows.
He stared at her for a moment, eyes lingering on her body. “As long as you don’t.”
Chapter One
Jane gasped andchoked, disoriented by her surroundings. She was floating. No, not exactly. Strong arms banded around her, but instead of being afraid the only emotion she could muster was relief. Distant shouting and the ripple of water parted the remaining fog in her brain. The past few hours came back with glaring clarity. She’d been taken hostage with some of the children she’d been treating in their village. They’d been tied up and taken on a boat against their will. The men were going to hurt one of the little girls, so she’d baited them. Death was a better option than witnessing a child be violated like she had once been.
She’d killed one man, hopefully two, before jumping overboard. She was a strong swimmer, and if she made it to shore, surely she could find someone to help. The captors fired shots into the water and her lungs had burned as she tried to stay below the surface. When she didn’t think she could stand another second without oxygen, she was moving, propelled downward by something strong. Something gentle. Instinctively she knew it was a man and despite her distrust of others, she didn’t fight. The moment his arms came around her, every cell in her body sagged with relief. Maybe it was the loss of oxygen or the trauma of being held against her will, but somehow, she imagined he was more of a guardian angel than one of the sinister men on the boat.
The pressure in her lungs was too great. She only had seconds before her body would instinctively gulp for air, and she’d drown. The man suddenly pulled her up against him andpressed something to her mouth. She couldn’t see anything in the murky water. Had to put her full trust in the person beside her. She held her nose and breathed against the hard plastic. Oxygen filled her lungs. Then they were moving again.
Large, firm hands gripped her bare skin, easily cutting through the dark water. Letting this person lead her where he wanted might be a mistake, but he’d already offered her his oxygen and that took trust on his part, too. And then his body had jerked, and instinctively she knew her rescuer was in pain. That didn’t stop him from continuing to silently slice through the water with her in his arms. The color of the river became lighter as they rose to the surface.
“Breathe, love.” The whisper was harsh and demanding, and she immediately sucked air into her oxygen-starved body. She blinked rapidly, trying to make out their surroundings. Something floated in front of them. She could barely make out the small inflatable boat concealed by darkness and tree cover.
“Take her.” The man’s hands tightened around her waist, and she was thrust upward with profound strength. Hands gripped her arms and pulled her over a smooth, rounded hull and into the boat. Sudden panic shot through her. The stranger who’d saved her was hurt. “Help him. Please.” Her voice seemed distant. Nearly wild in its urgency, but the men on the boat immediately jumped into action at her request. Her lungs seized and a cough rattled through her chest.
“Are you hit?” The voice was directed at her rescuer as he was lifted out of the water and placed beside her.
“Leg.” Her guardian’s voice was labored. “It’s fine. Give me some space, yeah?” Suddenly, she was breathless. Must be choking, because she couldn’t catch her breath. The man’s face was right next to hers, and even though she couldn’t make out his features, having him close made some of the tightness in her chest ease. Rough palms framed her face. She hated beingtouched, but for some reason having this man’s hands pressing against her only seemed to ground her.
“You’re safe. Breathe with me.” Her guardian continued to cradle her face. She could feel his ragged breaths heat her cheeks and nose, and she tried to time her breaths with his. “There you go. That’s it,” he coaxed. There was a tenderness to his voice that made tears spring to her eyes.
