Here we go.
Welcome to hell's den, where men like Ewan shake hands over deals that destroy lives, all for pleasure.
"Magnificent, isn't it?" Ewan's ugly voice scratches the inside of my head, cutting through the haze. "Five hundred and twenty feet of pure luxury. Seventeen suites, two helicopter pads, a crew of seventy." He leans closer. "The owner had it built specifically for nights like this. Meetings that require discretion."
I offer a tight-lipped smile, not trusting my voice.
"Do you know what I love most about boats, Keira?" He grabs my face and turns me toward him, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Once you're on board, there's nowhere to run."
And there he goes, pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over my head.
What if he's planning on selling me tonight? Or worse…getting rid of me.
Then he laughs, breaking the tension like a snapped thread.
"The investors, I mean. Once we're all on the yacht, they'll have no choice but to listen to my pitch. When I get the North American ones, there is no stopping me…ever." He releases my chin and straightens his jacket.
I force out a laugh. "Clever."
"I've always thought so."
The car rolls to a stop at the end of the dock.
I stare at the yacht, at the red carpet and the golden lights and all the people. It looks like a scene from a movie—the kind where beautiful people drink wine and dance until dawn and nothing bad ever happens.
Which is almost always a lie.
I walk beside him, keeping my spine straight and my smile fixed firmly in place. I'm itching to turn and look for Tristan, but I don't dare. Not right now, with Ewan watching my every move.
The yacht looms above us, all gleaming white and golden light.
A lot of good things are going to happen on this boat tonight.
A lot of bad people are going to disappear.
Including the man whose hand rests on my back.
He has no idea the woman on his arm stopped being his prisoner weeks ago. No idea that his most trusted guard has had his mouth, his hands, his cock inside me more times than I can count. No idea that every night he slept soundly in his bed, I was somewhere in his house, letting another man ruin me in the best possible way.
The father of my son.
Ewan broke me in a lot of ways, and a part of me feels good for playing him.
Some people would call what I did cheating. Those people have never been locked in a cage and told their child would be taken if they didn't listen. They've never been beaten and broken down.
I wish I had done it sooner.
The gangway rises beneath my feet. Somewhere on this floating monument to excess, my salvation is waiting.
I just have to survive a few more hours and believe that this time, the ending is going to be different.
"Welcome aboard, darling. Let's make this a night to remember," Ewan whispers in my ear.
My blood runs cold, but I chalk it up to nerves and keep smiling.
The worst is almost over.
FIFTY-TWO
