“I refuse to be part of your stupid publicity stunt,” Avalyn said. She looked glorious with her dark eyes sparking fire at him, standing tall and unafraid, even as she had her hands bound behind her and … why was there an anchor tied to her ankle? His heart thudded faster and faster. “And if you wanted the woman he loved, you should’ve kidnapped Britney Nolan, not me.”
Bridger couldn’t believe that he was worried about contradicting Avalyn. Ramsey had definitely gone off the deep end. No wonder he’d ground Bridger’s phone to dust.
Ramsey pursed his lips. “The supermodel? Yeah, she would’ve been a lot of fun.” He sidled over to Avalyn and walked a circle around her, his eyes traveling over her body in the fitted clothing.
Bridger’s fists clenched. Could he kill Ramsey before his men filled him full of bullets? Nobody but Bridger could look at Avalyn like that.
“No. I think you’ll be the perfect motivator for our boy here. I’ve watched him. Whenever anyone mentions Avalyn Shaman, he lights up like a Christmas tree.” He sneered. “And I need him to have the proper motivation to make this stunt work. I’ll have so many people following my YouTube Channel, I’ll be more famous than any of the Hawk brothers.” He ran his hand down her cheek.
“Don’t touch her!” Bridger yelled. He started forward again.
A man stepped in his path and pushed his gun into Bridger’s chest. “Where do you want me to shoot him, sir?”
Ramsey smiled. The smile was familiar, but there was something in his eyes Bridger had never seen before. Obviously he didn’t know his friend as well as he thought he did. “We can’t kill him … yet. But a bullet in his arm would slow him down and help me win the competition.” Ramsey walked away from Avalyn and up to Bridger. “And I think you’ll want to win this competition. The winner of each round … gets to spend the night with Avalyn Shaman.”
Bridger froze for a second. His heart thundered in his chest. Was Ramsey serious? What made him think he could use Avalyn like this? The gun jabbed harder into Bridger’s chest, and ice trickled through his veins. It appeared Ramsey was more than serious.
Bridger glared at him. He could beat Ramsey any day, but Ramsey was right that the motivation of protecting Avalyn would make him up his game. He still was having trouble processing that Ramsey would threaten Avalyn like this and tell his man to shoot him. Bridger had no clue what was going on with a man he’d considered a friend, but he couldn’t afford a bullet right now. If Ramsey somehow won … He couldn’t stand to imagine what his former friend would do to Avalyn. Ramsey loved a lot of women, and he didn’t stop at kissing like Bridger did.
“Nobody wins me,” Avalyn snapped at him.
Ramsey arched an eyebrow at her. “You have no control here, Miss Shaman. I suggest you shut that pretty mouth.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Bridger ground out.
Ramsey laughed. “I can see that you two haven’t figured out yet that I’m in charge. I guess the eight automatic weapons pointed at your heart isn’t proof enough. How about the fact that we’re in the middle of the Caribbean Sea with no help in sight and both of your phones have been shattered and sunk in the sea?” He smiled. “But soon enough you’ll feel real fear and you’ll know who’s in charge.”
Bridger had felt more fear since the man had dragged Avalyn out onto the deck than he had his entire life. No death-defying stunt was as terrifying as the woman he loved being in this psycho’s power. The scariest part was that Bridger had no clue what Ramsey’s plan might be.
Ramsey must be bipolar or something to be acting so insane. Bridger prayed the Ramsey he thought he knew would show up, start laughing, and explain he’d just wanted to get their reactions, scare them for a minute. As he looked into Ramsey’s eyes, he had the sinking feeling that his prayers wouldn’t be answered.
* * *
The mercenaries stood quietly next to Avalyn for a few moments. No one said anything to her or tried to touch her again. Two more men walked past them with huge weapons in their hands. They didn’t so much as glance at Avalyn as they walked out the wide glass doors at the rear of the gathering area. Avalyn saw more men out there and could hear voices, but she couldn’t make out the words. One lone man had his back to her, but she could’ve sworn it was Bridger. Oh my, she was grasping at hope right now. Bridger wouldn’t be here with these criminals.
A few seconds later, two of the men grasped her arms and tugged her toward the glass door; the third man picked up the anchor and struggled behind them. The men on the back deck all spun to face her as they exited the cabin, and she gasped. ItwasBridger. Bridger was here! He would protect her. Hope fluttered in her chest, but then it sank. Could Bridger be one of them?
“Ramsey, no!” Bridger yelled, hurrying toward her.
Guns cocked all around him, one man shoving his weapon into Bridger’s chest, stopping him in his tracks.
Avalyn glared at the man she thought she loved. “You’re involved in this?” Fear made her throat dry and scratchy. Bridger wouldn’t let them drown her in the ocean, would he?
Bridger shook his head, holding his hands up. “Ava, I …”
“Ah, this is beautiful.” Another man clapped his hands a few times. “I hoped I would find the woman Bridger Hawk loved desperately, and it appears I’ve chosen correctly.”
Bridger blinked at her, and then his lips turned up in a smirk and he laughed. What was the jerk laughing about? “So, what, this is some fun publicity stunt?” He looked to the man who was clearly in charge. Ramsey. She’d seen him in Bridger’s YouTube videos before; they always bantered and competed. The man reeked of too much sun-tanning and too much money. “We should get a lot of attention and new followers,” Bridger continued. “Maybe even some new sponsors with Avalyn Shaman involved.”
“I refuse to be part of your stupid publicity stunt,” Avalyn said. A publicity stunt sounded better than being drowned, though. Her heart was shredding inside her. Bridger! The man she’d thought she loved would use her for a publicity stunt? “And if you wanted the woman he loved, you should’ve kidnapped Britney Nolan, not me.”
Bridger simply stared at her.
Ramsey’s eyes widened. “The supermodel? Yeah, she would’ve been a lot of fun.” He strolled up to Avalyn and walked a circle around her, his eyes traveling over her body in her T-shirt and yoga pants. The clothes she’d been traveling in. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t some bimbo to eye like a snack. “No. I think you’ll be the perfect motivator for our boy here. I’ve watched him. Whenever anyone mentions Avalyn Shaman, he lights up like a Christmas tree.”
Avalyn’s heart started pounding fast for other reasons. Bridger had made his intentions pretty clear last week, but the thought of him “loving her desperately” made her want to throw herself into his arms. No. He was a playboy jerk, and this just confirmed it. Using her and her name for publicity, putting her in this horrible situation for more followers? What a slime.
Ramsey sneered. “And I need him to have the proper motivation to make this stunt work. I’ll have so many people following my YouTube Channel, I’ll be more famous than any of the Hawk brothers.” He ran his hand down her cheek. Avalyn flinched away from him.