Stefan walked to the window and stared out at the beautiful day. Some distance away, he could see the spray of mighty waves breaking against the sharp black rocks that guarded the east side of the island. The sound of the breaking surf barely reached his ears, muted by the thick bulletproof glass of the window.
He heard the bathroom door open, and turned to see a stormy-eyed Marcelle. His heart sank. No!
“Where am I?” she asked, her voice dangerously low.
“On La Montagne, the headquarters of Omega,” he answered, keeping his voice even.
Her eyes widened, but she recovered herself. “On your island?”
“Yes.”
“But how did I get here?”
He considered lying, and trying to play on the confusion the drug would have caused. Good sense prevailed, and he decided to play it straight. “I brought you here last night.”
“I don’t remember... You never asked...” Realization dawned in her eyes, and instantly gave way to anger. “How dare you?” she spat. “I didn’t ask to come here. You kidnapped me!”
He raised his hands in a placatory gesture. “Marcelle, wait...”
“No,” she interrupted, “I won’t wait. I want to go home. You take me back this instant!”
“Could you just listen...”
“I won’t listen to you! Wasn’t it enough to rape me, to betray my trust? Now you’ve turned me into your prisoner. I gave you another chance, Stefan, and you blew it!”
The mercenary’s eyes went ice-cold, and Marcelle knew she had gone too far. She backed up against the rough wall, wishing she were clad in more than just skimpy pajamas.
He stepped closer and gripped her upper arms with hard hands. “I didn’t betray your trust,” he said, his voice barely under control. “I’m saving your life, whether you like it or not. You’re trying to destroy yourself, and you expect me to stand by and watch? You might as well accept that you’ll be staying here until I’m satisfied with your health.”
Fire rose in Marcelle’s eyes, displacing the fear. “You have no right to keep me here. This is against the law!”
Stefan spoke in measured tones, trying to contain his anger. “My word is the only law on this island, Marcelle. If you hope to ever leave here, you’ll cooperate.”
“I hate you!” she screamed, trying to get free from his grip. “Let me go, you...you bastard!”
Inwardly he flinched, but didn’t show his pain. “Hate me if you want, I can take it.” He pulled her closer and imprisoned her in his embrace.
Her anger gave way to helpless sobs. “I want to go home,” she cried. “I can’t stay here.”