Page 108 of Duty Unbound

I moved quickly to the door, testing the handle. It turned easily in my hand, not locked. That was promising. Maybe I could just walk out, find help. Even if we were somewhere remote, I could run, hide until daylight, then find my way to civilization.

My heart raced as I eased the door open a crack, peering outside. Before I could make sense of what I was seeing, the door was pushed open wider from the outside.

Tommy stepped inside, carrying a tray with what looked like food and drinks—they were wrapped. He’d bought them somewhere nearby. That was the first good news I’d gotten.

His face lit up when he saw me standing there.

“You’re awake! Perfect timing. I got us some dinner.” He brushed past me, setting the tray on the small table. “How are you feeling? Better? The fresh air here is amazing, isn’t it?”

I took several steps back, putting distance between us.

“Tommy, where are we?” I kept my voice steady, deliberately softening my tone into something unthreatening. I needed to keep him calm and as pliable as possible.

“My family’s boathouse,” he said proudly, as if this should impress me. “At a marina just off the New Orleans coast. Beautiful, isn’t it? Well, you can’t really see it in the dark, but in the morning…” He trailed off, smiling to himself.

New Orleans.Oh my God. We were hundreds of miles from where anyone would be looking for me. I fought to keep the panic from showing on my face.

“I don’t understand.” I kept my voice gentle, nonconfrontational. Years of soothing Nova’s tantrums had taught me how to handle volatile personalities. “Why am I here? Why did you bring me here?”

His smile faltered slightly as he arranged plates on the table. “You said you needed a break. I’m giving you one.”

“Tommy, while I appreciate you thinking of me, this isn’t what I meant.” I tried to infuse my voice with friendly confusion rather than accusation. One wrong move and who knew what he’d do. “I need to go home now.”

“Home?” He shook his head, disappointment clouding his features. “But this is just the beginning, Mel. I have so much more planned for you. Forus.”

Ice slid down my spine at his words. More planned?

“Planned for us? What does that mean?” I kept my voice curious, interested, though every instinct screamed at me to run.

“You’ll see.” His eyes gleamed with excitement. “It’s going to be everything you’ve ever wanted. Everything you’ve dreamed about.”

I took another step back, calculating the distance to the door again. If I moved quickly enough… But then what? Where would I go in a strange marina in the middle of the night? And ifhe caught me trying to escape, would that finally trigger the violence that seemed to simmer beneath his friendly façade?

“Tommy, I think there’s been a serious misunderstanding.” I softened my voice further, adding a hint of apology. “I never asked for any of this.”

“But you did!” He moved toward me, gesturing enthusiastically. “That night in New Orleans, outside the club. You said you wished you could sail away from everything. That’s what I’m giving you, Mel. Freedom. From Nova, from the tour, from all of it.”

I stared at him, finally understanding. He’d fixated on a throwaway comment I’d made during a moment of frustration. A casual remark I’d completely forgotten making. How many other innocent comments had he collected, twisted into this bizarre fantasy?

“Tommy, I was speaking metaphorically.” I tried to sound gentle but clear. “I didn’t mean I literally wanted to?—”

“It’s perfect for you,” he interrupted, his voice rising with excitement. “When we went on our date, you said the thing you liked most about your job was traveling. I can give you that. And you won’t have to work for Nova anymore. I know you hate it.”

I needed to stay calm, to reason with him. The wrong response could push him over whatever edge he was teetering on.

I edged closer to the door, calculating my chances of making it outside before he could stop me. “Tommy, this isn’t what I want. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. But I need to go home. If you’ll just let me use a phone, I’ll get someone to come pick me up. We can forget this ever happened.”

His smile disappeared completely. “Who would you call? That security guy? Ethan?”

“Please,” I tried again, injecting warmth into my voice though it felt like speaking through broken glass, “this is just amisunderstanding. I appreciate that you were trying to do something nice, but this isn’t what I want.”

“You just need time,” he said, nodding to himself. “I understand. It’s a big change. But soon, you’ll see I’m right.”

How much time did I have? How long had I already been gone? Were Ethan and the Citadel guys looking for me? How would they even know where to start?

“No.” I abandoned gentleness for clarity, my voice hardening since being polite was getting me nowhere. “This isn’t a misunderstanding, Tommy, not anymore since I’ve told you I don’t want to be here. This is kidnapping. What are you going to do, keep me here forever? I’ll scream my head off the first chance I get.”

His face crumpled, hurt replacing the enthusiasm. “Why would you say that? After everything I’ve done for you?”

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