Shattered Hearts: A Dark Romance (Bad Blood Book 1) Read online

  And I didn’t want to die.

  Could I find somewhere on the island to hide until the weather calmed down? I wanted to rant and wail at the unfairness of it all. I’d managed to escape, and now the gods were striking me down.

  As though Zeus had heard my thoughts, lightning flashed the sky white, and seconds later, thunder boomed and crashed overhead. I cringed at the noise and wondered if I’d have been safer staying down in my room.

  No, any kind of freedom was better than being under his control.

  “Jolie!”

  I paused, my breath caught. Had I heard him calling my name? No, surely he couldn’t have gotten out of the room already. I’d taken the keycard, and he shouldn’t have been able to call the elevator. Was the wind doing strange things to my hearing? The wind whistled as it tore through the trees, howling around the corners of the building I was trying so hard to put behind me.

  I didn’t want to cry, knowing I couldn’t waste precious breath on gasping in tears, but a painful ball swelled in my chest. It was self-pity, and I fought against the emotion. I needed to stay strong if I was going to survive this.

  My bare feet hit a piece of loose earth, and I skidded across it. I lost my balance and flew backward. My butt hit the ground and my teeth snapped together, catching the edge of my tongue. I tasted blood, the saltiness of it not unlike Hayden’s precum which still coated my palate.

  What would he do to me when he found me? He’d be furious; I knew that much. I’d made him think I liked him, that I wanted him, and then I’d hurt him. It was stupid of him to fall for my little tricks, anyway—typical man, thinking only with his dick. What sane woman would fall for the same guy who had kidnapped her and kept her prisoner? Yet there had been moments when I’d had my lips around him, and his hands in my hair, when I’d debated whether to continue with my plan. A tiny thread of desire at the back of my mind had wanted to continue with what I was doing and see where it ended up. Maybe I could have convinced him to let me out of the room.

  Sometimes the way he looked at me confused me. There were times when the looks were venomous, filled with hatred as though I was the person who’d killed his loved one, and not my father. But other times he was more curious around me—caring even—but always intense. Had I gone about this completely the wrong way? Should I have worked on his kinder side, the side that had cooked me a meal and brought me wine, rather than going on the attack?

  It was too late now.

  I scrambled back to my feet, my fingers digging into the dirt and mulch as I pushed myself back up. Mud wedged solid beneath my short nails, and dampness soaked into the seat of my jeans. The temperature was growing colder, too, and I realized night was approaching. It had been difficult to judge how dark it was because of the thickness of the gray clouds above already blocking out most of the light, but the drop in temperature definitely told me the sun had gone down. I wasn’t sure if I should be grateful for the nighttime or not. It would be colder, but it would also make it harder for Hayden to search for me. Perhaps taking shelter somewhere was my best option, and hopefully by morning the storm would have passed, and I’d be able to try to escape the island.

  I kept going, scrambling through the forest. Sharp stones and twigs dug into the soles of my bare feet with every step, but I did my best to ignore the pain. I made sure I had the ocean on my right and that I was moving on a decline. I figured that would at least make sure I reached the shore at some point. I wasn’t totally sure what I planned on doing when I got there, however. Maybe deep down I hoped I’d spot a boat out to sea, which I could signal to come and rescue me. It was a pipedream, but one I clung to.

  There was still a little light in the sky as I ran. Even though I knew the light would make it easier for Hayden to spot me, I needed it as well. He knew this island like his own home, but it was strange territory for me.

  That definitely gave him an advantage.

  The crash of waves on the shore grew louder. Overhead, more lightning flashed and ran in jagged forks across the sky. Another thunderclap smacked its hands together right above my head, and I ducked, holding my arms over my head as though they could somehow protect me. The thunder faded, and I kept going, though my heart was thrumming so hard I thought it might burst and my limbs felt weak and tremulous.

  Something fat and cold hit me on the back of my neck, followed by a second, and then a third.

  You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

  With the thunder and lightning, I’d known it was going to start raining, but the moment it did so, I also knew I was going to be soaked within minutes. The raindrops felt like someone flicking iced pebbles against my skin, and I let out a whimper and wrapped my arms around my body. I wished I’d thought to bring something else to wear, but all I had were the jeans and tank top I’d run in. I didn’t even have any shoes since Hayden had taken my boots from me when he’d first kidnapped me and had never replaced them. My top quickly soaked through, clinging to my body like a second skin, and the wet jeans slowed my movement. With the rain came the cold, and even though I was hot from running, a chill settled down into my bones. I shivered, feeling as though I was coming down with the flu, while knowing it had more to do with adrenaline, exertion, and being soaking wet and freezing cold than any kind of virus.

  Where was Hayden now? Had he been able to follow my tracks down through the forest? I’d left a trace of where I’d been, skidding along in the mud, leaving trails in the mulch.

  I paused for a moment to catch my breath. I strained my ears, trying to catch any clue that he was following me. I didn’t think I’d heard him call my name since that first time, but now the rain thudded down around me, hitting the ground with audible splatters, and that, combined with the sporadic rolls of thunder and the pounding of my heart, made it hard to hear much of anything else.

  With no other choice, I kept going. Branches whipped in the wind, threatening to smack me in the face, while tree roots seemed to snatch at me out of the undergrowth, attempting to whisk my feet out from under me.

  Finally, I broke through the trees.

  I stopped once more, my eyes widening. I’d been expecting a beach, and I was definitely on a cove, but what I saw now was manmade.

  A wooden jetty stretched out into the ocean, and there, at the end of it, lifting and falling with the waves, was a boat.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “Jolie!”

  I roared her name into the storm, even though the chances of her hearing me were minute.

  The anger I’d experienced upon her stabbing me with the pencil and realizing she’d manipulated me faded with my growing fear for her safety. The storm was getting worse by the second, and I was terrified of what she might do to try to escape me. Had I gone about this the wrong way? If I’d approached things differently, could we have had a more ... amicable kind of relationship?

  But no, I had to remember what she’d done. We hadn’t talked about it yet, but if I got her back, I’d make sure we did. Maybe if she understood a little more, she’d see why it wasn’t only her father I was trying to punish.

  She deserved punishment as well.

  I knew this island better than any other place in the world, and it was easy for me to see which direction she’d run. Small branches were snapped from the sides of tree trunks, long streaks of exposed reddish-brown earth showed me where she’d slid and fallen. The wind made things harder, blowing fallen leaves across her tracks, or tearing off branches of its own, but I was still able to see what direction she’d gone. Then the rain started to fall, soaking through my shirt and quickly dripping from my hair and eyelashes, making it difficult to see.

  “Jolie!” I called again. “This is madness. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

  I had no idea if she could hear me. Did she really think she was going to be able to get off the island in this storm? Even if she had a boat, she’d probably end up capsizing it and drowning.

  The boat. A jolt of certainty ran through me.

/>   If she’d continued down toward this side of the island, she’d reached the jetty I’d built myself. My motorboat was still moored at the end of it, and I remembered thinking earlier about how I should have brought it in to dry dock. I’d been pre-occupied with Jolie at that point, however, just as I was now, so I hadn’t gotten around to doing it. She wouldn’t be stupid or crazy enough to try to use the boat to get out of here, would she? I couldn’t see how she could. She didn’t even have the keys for the engine.

  I reached the bay and drew to a halt.

  The boat was still there, attached to the end of the dock. It looked precarious, however, rocking from one side to the other with every wave. But it would have meant shelter for her, even if she hadn’t been able to get the boat going, and right now I thought she’d do anything to get out of this storm. Rain lashed down and lightning lit up the sky once more, thunder rolling and booming only seconds later. I checked the sand, and sure enough, there were footprints leading toward the jetty. They could only be hers—bare feet, the toe and heel marks already filling with rain water.

  I wasn’t going to call her name this time. I didn’t want to give her any clue that I was coming, even though she must have known I’d be out searching for her. Unless she’d convinced herself I was either stuck down in the basement, or else had come to the conclusion that she couldn’t get anywhere anyway, and so would wait until the storm had passed and morning had arrived before I set out searching for her.

  I jogged across the sand to the wooden pier, following her footsteps in the sand. The boat lifted and fell, and I frowned. Getting on board would be dangerous enough. If I slipped while trying to board, I might end up falling between the boat and the pier, and with the size of the waves, I could easily be crushed between the two.

  But Jolie must have managed it, and if she had, then so could I. The rope was still attached to the post at the end of the pier, so she must have figured she’d take shelter in the boat, knowing it would be almost impossible to use it to escape.

  I ran down to the end of the jetty, taking care on the wood, knowing the rain would make it slippery and treacherous. The boat lifted and fell, rocking and rolling from side to side.

  At the back of the boat, I stood, leaning forward slightly, one foot ahead of the other, as though I was about to start a race. I had no choice but to jump, and I would have to time the jump perfectly so the deck was as flat as possible.

  One, two, three...

  I launched forward and hit the deck. Immediately, I started to slide, my feet going out from under me, and I lunged out, grabbing hold of one of the bars that surrounded the rest of the deck to prevent myself being spilled into the water. With a growl, I steadied my balance as the boat lifted and fell. The amount of water already collecting in the bottom of the boat was alarming, and I cursed myself again for not taking it into dry dock.

  The rear of the boat had a covered area before the wheelhouse. I moved beneath it, relieved to be out of the driving rain, if only for a few minutes. I stayed alert, checking for any signs of Jolie hiding. The boat wasn’t huge, but it was big enough to carry at least ten people comfortably. Everything was inbuilt, so there weren’t many places to hide up here. Even so, I checked the wheelhouse, using the walls to keep my balance as the boat rocked wildly.

  She wasn’t here.

  I left the wheel house and took the steps down to the door leading to the living quarters below. There was no way she could get past me now. The bulk of my frame blocked the way, and she’d have to shove me to one side to get by, which I was never going to allow her to do. She had to be hiding in one of the bedrooms or adjoining bathrooms, though there wasn’t exactly much space to hide in.

  “Jolie!” I called out. “Let’s stop this now. You can come back to the house. I won’t tie you up, I promise. Staying out here is only going to get us both killed.”

  The boat continued to roll beneath my feet, and I placed my hands on the walls on either side of me.

  “Come on, Jolie. All is forgiven, okay?” That wasn’t quite true, but I just wanted her to come out. I couldn’t see how I was going to get her off the boat in these conditions if I needed to physically haul her off.

  I pushed open one of the bedroom doors to reveal sleek mahogany paneling and a double bed. There were inbuilt wardrobes, and the bed was inbuilt as well, with storage beneath, so there was no possibility she was hiding there. I hadn’t seen any wet footprints either, or drips on the floor that didn’t belong to me. She must have been soaking wet when she’d boarded, so why wasn’t I seeing any sign of her?

  My stomach rolled, and it had nothing to do with the movement of the boat. Had I missed something?

  “Jolie!” I yelled again, nerves and fresh anger causing me to raise my tone. “Where the fuck are you?”

  She wouldn’t have gone overboard, would she? Trying to swim in this would be suicide.

  Suddenly, I noticed the movement of the boat had changed. Could the storm be subsiding? It didn’t seem as though it was showing any signs of weakening when I’d boarded, and that had only been minutes ago.

  Moving quickly, I checked the second bedroom and the bathroom, but there was no sign of her.

  The roll of the boat threw me to one side, my shoulder slamming against the wall. The waves had gotten more powerful, but the time during the dips had grown longer. What was going on? I needed to get back on deck. Jolie wasn’t down here.

  Staggering against the movement of the boat, I made my way back to the deck. Rain continued to lash down, the low light making it hard to see. I frowned, squinting. Something was very wrong.

  A flash of lighting lit up the world around me.

  “Fucking bitch!”

  The boat was no longer attached to the dock. No, I wasn’t even near the dock any longer, but farther out to sea. That was why the waves had felt different. I was on deeper water now.

  “Fuck!”

  Another flash of lightning lit up the shore, and there, standing at the start of the jetty, was Jolie, watching me as I drifted farther out to sea. I didn’t even have the goddamned keys, so I couldn’t start the boat and try to steer it back to shore. I wasn’t about to call the Coast Guard either, knowing I would be questioned about how I’d gotten myself into this situation in the first place. Had that been her plan—that I’d be forced to call for help and then she would be rescued? Or did she simply hope the boat would capsize and I’d drown out here?

  That fucking bitch.

  Yet I couldn’t help the inkling of pride that seeped through to my soul. She must have hidden somewhere in the rain, waited until I’d boarded, and then untied the boat from the jetty. She’d literally left me up shit creek without a paddle, and yet a part of me couldn’t help but be impressed.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  I exhaled a sigh of relief when the ocean pulled the boat out instead of pushing it in toward shore as I had feared it might. If the boat crashed upon the small cove, it might cause some damage, but it would mean Hayden could easily disembark and come after me.

  We stood staring at each other through the rain and lightning as the distance grew between us. I was lucky he hadn’t thought to pick up his keys before coming after me, or he could have driven the boat right back to shore, but I assumed from the way he just stood there, watching the shore grow farther and farther away, that he had no way of powering up the engine.

  I’d hidden on the other side of the jetty, knowing he was coming after me, and waited until he was on the boat and then run forward and untied it from the dock. I’d tried to give the big boat a shove in the right direction, but my puny strength had no effect on the vessel. Luckily, Mother Nature decided to give me a hand—us girls needed to stick together—and helped to do what I couldn’t, and the storm had pulled the boat away from shore.

  There was no point in me standing here. Rain drummed on my head and shoulders, and I didn’t think I could possibly get any wetter. I needed to get back to the house and try to find a phone or a computer
to use to contact someone back home. I hoped Loretta was still sick and wouldn’t cause me any problems, but I’d deal with her if she did.

  It was harder work climbing up through the island than it had been skidding my way down. The ground was saturated now, making it even more slippery than it had been before, and the rain wasn’t letting up any. I had to half close my eyes to see where I was going, swiping the water away from my face wherever I had a free hand. I used tree fronds to haul myself up the hill, back through the forest toward the house. I could barely believe I was going back, but without Hayden there, it was the safest place I could be in the situation.

  My whole body shook violently. I was cold down to the bone, and my fingers and toes ached from the chill. I could barely bend my fingers, and they were red and swollen. I thought that if I had to stay out in this weather, I probably wouldn’t make it through the night. Hypothermia would set in, and I’d think I was nice and warm and settle down for a sleep I’d most likely never wake up from. I couldn’t allow that to happen.

  No, I kept fighting, pushing myself through the trees and bushes, heading, I prayed, toward the house. The wind was at my back now, pushing me forward, though it lashed my soaking wet hair around my face, making it even harder to see. My breath tore in and out of my lungs, though I could barely hear it over the roar of the storm. The wind tearing through the branches above me, the rain, and the intermittent thunder made it impossible to hear anything else. My mind played tricks on me, making me think Hayden had somehow caught up with me and was about to grab me from behind, and I kept whipping back around, expecting him to be there and each time finding nothing but more palm trees behind me.

  It felt like I’d been running all night, but finally the forest opened onto the cliffside where Hayden’s house was located. I’d managed to find my way back almost perfectly, breaking through the trees to find myself back at the pool area which I’d first run from. Rhythmical banging caught my attention, and I saw the rear door of the property had been left open and was now swinging and slamming in the wind. I took that as a good sign that Loretta was still incapacitated. If she’d been well enough to do anything, she’d have come down to shut the door by now. The banging must have been driving her insane.