Illusion (Swept Away 1)

“Sorry,” he whispered as he fell back.

I nodded my understanding. I was too scared to talk or even turn to see if he was okay.

“Let us out,” Jakob demanded again, this time less forcefully.

“We sure will.” The man grimaced. “Hey, Billy. Hurry up.”

“I’m coming!” another voice called back to him. “I’m just getting the shots ready.”

“What shots?” I screeched, and attempted to straighten my legs.

“Don’t move, lady.” The man pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. “Make one more move, and you’re dead.”

Jakob spoke up. “Is that really necessary?”

“Is that necessary?” the man echoed mockingly, then laughed evilly. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re enjoying this too much,” Jakob continued, his voice harsh. “Have some humanity. You’ve got a scared woman in front of you.”

“Be quiet.” The man stood there and stared at us for a second before continuing. “When my boss gave me this job, I was delighted. I don’t get enough fun in my life.”

“You’re sick.” Jakob’s arms circled my waist to calm me as we lay there. “You’re very sick.”

“I listen to my boss’s orders. If anyone’s sick, it’s him.” The man shrugged.

I stared at his fingers on the gun. They were short and grubby, and his nails were full of dark grease. I wondered if I should attempt to knock the gun out of his grasp, but I knew it was unlikely that I’d succeed.

“Okay, where are they?” The other man approached the man with the gun. He looked young—younger than I imagined. And he didn’t have on a mask.

I tried to take a mental photograph of his young, handsome face. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed nicely in khaki pants and a white shirt. He looked to be the complete antithesis to the scruffy man in front of us.

“Billy, go put your mask on!” the first guy shouted.

“Oh, yeah.” The other guy looked at me for a second, and I could see fear and concern in his eyes. I had a feeling he knew now that I’d be able to identify him if I ever got the chance.

“What an idiot,” Jakob whispered in my ear, and I nodded in agreement. “Should we try to make a run for it?” His fingers gripped my waist tightly.

His body tensed behind mine, and I knew that he was just as anxious as I was. For some reason, it made me feel more connected to him. He was no longer just the strange man I’d been sharing the back of a car trunk with. He was no longer someone I believed to be involved in the kidnapping. I could tell from the fear in his voice and the slight trembling of his muscular body that this man, this Jakob, was a fellow kidnapping victim. He was someone like me, who was worried for his life. I could hear it in his voice. He was anxious but also angry.

I shook my head slightly, still unable to look at him. My face just wouldn’t turn, even though I was really curious to see what he looked like. “I don’t think we should risk it,” I mumbled under my breath. I was pretty sure he couldn’t hear me, but the talk was for me as much as it was for him.

“What did you say?” The guy in front of me took a step toward me, and pushed the gun closer to my face. My heart stopped. This was it, then. I was going to die.

I shook my head quickly and furiously. “Nothing.” I squeaked out. “I didn’t say anything.”

“That’s what I thought,” he growled, and reached in and grabbed my arm. “Get out.” He pulled me out of the car, and I stumbled to the ground, feeling disoriented.

I thought about making a run for it, but then I remembered Jakob. I didn’t want to leave him by himself. I had to make sure that he was all right as well. I stood there and peered into the trunk. My breath caught as I finally got a glimpse of Jakob in proper light. I swallowed hard and tried not to stare. “You.” I gasped as I stared at him. It was the man who had been sitting at my table at the coffee shop.

He was incredibly handsome. He had a very low crop of dark brown hair, big, serious blue eyes, and a sexy scrawl of stubble around his chin and jawbone. He looked back at me, and I saw his eyes narrow as he took in my appearance. I wanted to smoothe my hair and wipe the grime from my cheeks. I wished I had some lipstick. I felt like an idiot for worrying about what I looked like when I was in such a scary situation. A small, hysterical laugh wanted to burst out of me again, but this time I was able to control it. I wanted to ask him if he recognized me, but I knew this was not the right time.

“Get out.” The man grabbed Jakob and pulled him out. “And don’t try no funny business, or I’ll shoot you.” He pushed Jakob next to me and pointed the gun at both of us. “Hurry up, Billy!” he shouted to his cohort, sounding stressed.

I looked around me then. I had no idea where we were, but I knew we were no longer in New York. At least, not in the city. We appeared to be in an old empty warehouse of some sort.

I looked to my right and tried not to gaze at Jakob. He was taller than he’d seemed in the car. And more muscular. His body looked very fit and very strong. Part of me thought he’d be able to take out the guy in front of us easily, but then I remembered the gun. The gun changed the whole equation.

“What you looking for, lady?” the man hissed.

“Nothing,” I whispered as I stared into his menacing eyes.

“Good.” He seemed to sigh in relief when Billy walked back to us with his mask on. He had rope in his hands—and two needles. I grabbed Jakob’s arm as they approached. I was starting to feel light-headed.