Page 107 of Duty Unbound

Tommy’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, but his voice remained light. “Hey, are you hungry? I packed some snacks.”

“Tommy.” My voice sharpened. “Pull over. Now.”

He chuckled. “Okay, okay. So demanding. There’s a rest stop right up here.”

Relief hit me until I saw the rest stop was deserted, not another car in sight. Just a small building with restrooms and a couple of picnic tables, dimly lit by a single overhead lamp.

Tommy killed the engine and turned in his seat to beam at me. “Need to stretch your legs?”

I nodded, praying my legs would actually support me. “Yes. And I really need to make a call, Tommy. There’s been some kind of misunderstanding.”

“Sure thing!” He hopped out of the car and came around to my door, opening it with a flourish. “Here, let me help you. You might be a little unsteady.”

He held out his hand, and I took it, not because I wanted to but because my muscles really weren’t working properly. Whatever was happening, he was at least being civil. Once my head wasn’t so foggy, maybe I’d be able to figure out exactly where Tommy and I had had a communication breakdown.

“What’s wrong with me?” I asked as he helped me out of the car. “Why can’t I walk properly?”

“Just the medication.” He said it so casually, as if this was something I should know about. “Don’t worry. It’ll wear off soon.”

Medication? What medication?

I just wanted to go home. Right damn now. “Tommy, I need to call someone. Where’s my phone?”

“Oh, you don’t need that anymore. This is about gettingaway from everything, remember? That’s what you said you wanted.”

This was getting really creepy. I tried to take a few steps. “I just like to have my phone with me, in case there’s an emergency.”

He shook his head. “Being tethered to your phone is bad for you. Let’s just get some fresh air.”

I needed to run. I didn’t know where; I just knew I didn’t want to be here with Tommy. But as I turned, I felt his hand on my arm, then a sharp jab. A needle.

“What—” My vision immediately began to blur. “What did you do?”

“Shh, it’s okay.” His voice came from very far away. “You’ll understand soon.”

As darkness closed in, my gaze fell on the back seat. A single rose petal, deep red against the gray upholstery.

The roses. In my car. I’d sniffed them, then…

Everything went black.

I woke with a gasp, the memory of the needle in my arm still sharp.

This time, the disorientation didn’t last as long. Tommy. The car. The rest stop. The injection. It all flooded back, and with it came fear, cold and clarifying.

I’d been kidnapped. By Tommy Fitzsimmons, of all people.

I was no longer in a car. I was lying on a leather couch in what appeared to be some kind of upscale rustic cabin. Wooden walls, exposed beams overhead. Heavy drapes covered what I assumed were windows, allowing only slivers of light to filter through. The room was dim, lit by a single lamp in the corner that cast long shadows across the floor.

My heart pounded against my ribs. How long had I beenunconscious? Hours? Days? Was anyone looking for me yet? The thought of Ethan sent a wave of longing through me so intense it was almost physical pain. Was he searching for me right now? Did he even know I was missing?

I pushed myself up to sitting. I strained my ears, trying to make sense of the sounds around me. There was an odd, rhythmic noise coming from outside—gentle, consistent, almost like…water lapping against something solid.

I stood carefully, steadying myself against the arm of the couch, fighting against the wave of dizziness that threatened to topple me. The floor beneath me seemed solid enough, not the rocking motion I’d expect if we were on water. Must be some kind of cabin near a lake or something.

There was no sign of Tommy. This was my chance. I needed to get out of here.

The wooden floorboards creaked beneath my feet as I moved toward one of the windows. I pulled back the edge of a heavy drape, revealing darkness outside. No lights, no visible landmarks, just blackness. Not helpful.

---