“It shook him up when you weren’t breathing,” he said. “He brought me the knife to cut you free and helped me pull you back to the yacht. He had a paramedic there to help. I think this truly is about publicity and a fun time for him, plus he would love to best me.” He shuddered just thinking about that, imagining if Ramsey won. Avalyn would be in Ramsey’s arms instead of his.
He forced himself to release her and stand, extending his hand. “Let’s eat dinner and let them get good and high—Ramsey drinks or drugs out most nights. Then we’ll sneak out of here and find a way off this ship.” The lack of women on this ship disturbed him. Ramsey loved women, and he loved partying. Who would he party with? His bodyguards? Something was really off, and Bridger had no clue how to get to the bottom of it.
Avalyn took Bridger’s hand and let him lead her to the table and the cart full of food. He uncovered the trays, and the scents of steak and freshly made bread floated out. His stomach rumbled. So weird he could be hungry in the midst of all of this, but he hadn’t eaten since this morning in Cancun. This day felt like it had stretched forever, and he didn’t like the thought of facing tomorrow and Ramsey’s next challenge. They had to get out of here.
“How are we going to do that?” Avalyn asked, taking the plate he offered and filling it with some salad and steak carbonara.
“The helicopter we came in on is still here, and if I can’t find keys or hot-wire it, there will be rescue boats or sometimes even a speedboat on a yacht this size. The rescue boats would be equipped with emergency sensors. See? Lots of options.” He gave her a brave smile but wasn’t feeling as hopeful as he tried to pretend. Ramsey might be a cocky druggie, but he was also a brilliant and successful businessman. The chances of him leaving Bridger an opportunity to escape were one in a million.
ChapterTen
Avalyn tried to act normal—well, as normal as a person could act knowing they’d most likely die in the morning—as she and Bridger ate dinner and then waited for the yacht to settle down. They talked about their families and all of his new sisters-in-law and which projects her charity Health for All was working on.
She told him a story about a darling little girl who had been scratching Avalyn’s back with a pen during a long church meeting in Cebu, Philippines. Neither of them had realized the pen had been clicked on, and Avalyn’s white shirt was covered with blue pen marks. The girl had looked up at her when her mom scolded her and asked hopefully, “Miss Shaman, do you have another shirt?” Avalyn laughed again as she told the story, though it still tore at her that having another nice shirt for church was a novel thing for the child.
She enjoyed talking to Bridger, but there was an underlying strain with the fear of what may come, the gratitude that they’d survived this day, and the desire to come out and ask him if Ramsey was right and she was the love of Bridger’s life. He looked at her like he cared deeply for her, but Bridger Hawk wasn’t capable of a lasting relationship and Avalyn couldn’t settle for a shallow hookup. She loved him far too much and would never recover.
It had been dark for a couple of hours, and the only sounds were the water lapping against the side of the boat. As they’d eaten dinner, the yacht had started moving, which terrified Avalyn even more. They were on their way to the spot for the next extreme event that could result in her death, or her being left alone with Ramsey for the night. She wasn’t sure which was worse. She’d rather join the angels in heaven than be defiled by the likes of Ramsey. He was truly a twisted and evil person.
Bridger inclined his head toward the door, and her stomach clenched. This was it. If the good Lord above was watching over them, they’d find a way to escape, but the thought of creeping around the quiet yacht looking for that out and praying they didn’t run into Ramsey or one of his gun-toting lackeys didn’t seem very likely. She just wanted to get back to the children and off this insane yacht. She loved the little ones, and every time they gave her a smile or clasped her hand, it made the long hours she put in to bring them clean water, food, and healthcare all worth it.
Bridger took her hand and they crept toward the door. He paused and listened, then unclicked the lock, pushed the handle, and pushed the door open.
Two men stood at the door, aiming their scary-looking guns in Bridger and Avalyn’s faces. The taller one smiled. “We were placing bets on how long until you tried to escape.” He tilted his head to the other guy. “You owe me a hundred bucks.”
The other guy chuckled, but his grip on the gun stayed steady. “Double or nothing? You know he’s gonna try again.”
Bridger nodded to them. “Put your guns down and I’ll bet you a thousand bucks I can kick both your butts.”
Avalyn clutched his hand tighter. She hated violence, but at the moment she would’ve loved to watch Bridger knock them both out.
The tall guy’s eyebrows drew together. “That sounds really appealing, but Ramsey pays us far more than that.”
“I’m worth a lot more than Ramsey,” Bridger said, as confident as ever. “You help us escape and I’ll give you any dollar figure you ask for.”
Yes! Avalyn hadn’t thought of that. Maybe these hired mercenaries could be bought.
The men exchanged a look as if they were considering it. Finally, the taller one spoke again. “As appealing as that sounds, and as big of a fan of yours as I am, there’s no way to escape. Ramsey made it pretty clear. The helicopter’s buttoned up tight, as is the speedboat, and the lifeboats have been disabled. He knows you too well, sir.”
Bridger studied him. “So you want to help us?”
No one spoke.
“What’s your name?” Bridger asked.
“You can call me Klein.”
“Please help us, Klein. You saw what happened today. Ramsey’s gone crazy. He might kill Avalyn tomorrow. She spends her life helping children throughout the world. You can help save her.”
The other guy focused on Klein.
Klein’s eyes flickered to Avalyn, and she felt hope for the first time today. Just as quickly, the man’s jaw tightened and he pushed the gun up against Bridger’s shoulder. “You will find that every guard here is committed to Ramsey and cannot be bought or reasoned with.”
Just like that, Avalyn’s stomach dropped. She swayed and leaned against Bridger. He stood tall and strong like their one hope of escape hadn’t just been terminated.
“Our instructions are to maim you, sir, not kill you,” Klein continued. “If you force me to do that, who’s going to rescue Miss Shaman tomorrow?” His eyes filled with a darkness that terrified Avalyn. “You’re his friend. You know what Ramsey is capable of with women.”
“Was his friend,” Bridger muttered.