Illusion (Swept Away #1)(11)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“No idea.”

“Do you remember me?” I asked inquisitively.

“Remember you?” He sounded confused.

“From the coffee shop?” I continued. “We were sitting at the same table and I dropped my bag.” I wanted to tell him that I’d been a bitch only because I’d been in the middle of a deadline, but kept my mouth shut.

“Oh, yeah. You’re the girl that thought someone was watching you.” He spoke slowly. “I guess you were right.”

“I guess so.” I sighed. “Though, that wouldn’t explain why you are here as well.”

“A man came up to me when you left the coffee shop.” His voice was stiff. “He asked me what we’d been talking about and how I knew you.”

“He did?” I gasped.

“I told him to mind his own business.” He sounded irritated. “Perhaps that wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I should have told him I had no idea who you were. Maybe I’d be at work now instead of tied up with you.”

“I’d much rather be in my small apartment with the window fan that barely works than tied up here with you,” I retorted, feeling irrationally hurt by his words.

“Aren’t you a pleasant one to be around.” Jakob’s tone was smooth behind me, and I was irritated that I had allowed him to make me lose my cool already.

“I’m just saying how I feel,” I retorted again, and we were both silent. I wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he rattled me. Especially now that I had seen him properly. I swallowed hard as I thought about the salty taste of his skin against my tongue. He’d tasted good, but he looked even better. His eyes had been so vividly blue and discerning. We’d made eye contact for only a few seconds, but I’d felt like he was looking into my soul. Something about him had me off-kilter. I knew it was because I was attracted to him, but I wanted to ignore the fact that my body already had designs on him.

“I know.” His back stiffened against mine. “Let’s try not to take this out on each other. We’re going to have to work together to get out of this mess.”

“How long do you think we’ve been here?” I felt a drop of sweat running down my face, tickling my cheek, and I tried to ignore it.

“I’m not sure.” He sighed. “I just woke up a few minutes ago myself.”

“I can’t believe they injected us.” My voice rose in panic. “I didn’t expect this.” I looked around at the desolate beach and shuddered. I hadn’t expected this at all.

“I didn’t have any expectations when I realized I’d been kidnapped.” His voice was dry.

“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” I whispered. “Do you think those two men are still here?”

“I don’t know.” He sighed again. “I don’t remember much after they injected us.”

“What are we going to do?” I deliberately kept my tone calm. “And where do you think we are?”

“I have no idea where we are,” he replied. “I smell the ocean though. We have sand beneath us and I’m hearing the sound of trees in the wind.”

“Yeah, I can see the ocean.” I shook my head in an attempt to shake off the drops from my face. “I don’t know what ocean though.” I sighed as I stared at the large expanse of water in front of me. “Or what beach we’re on. For some reason I don’t think we’re in South Beach.” I attempted a joke and heard Jakob chuckle.

“I guess all the spring-breakers decided to leave when they saw us,” he responded, and I smiled. At least he had a sense of humor. That was something. I shifted on the ground and tried to move forward, but I didn’t get far. I’d almost forgotten that we were still tied together.

“The sand feels harder than I remember it feeling when I’ve gone sunbathing.” I spoke again as I wiggled my ass, trying to get more comfortable.

“Yeah, this isn’t the most comfortable position I’ve ever been in.” He sighed. “Maybe we should try to stand up and figure out a way to get out of these ropes.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” I agreed and then froze. “Hold on.” I gasped as I saw something white out of the corner of my eye. “I think someone left us a note.” I moved my head as far right as I could, but I still couldn’t read it. There was a small white shell holding the piece of paper down, and it was obstructing my view of the words.

“What does it say?”

“We need to shift slightly so I can read it.” I tried to shuffle in the sand, but my body and his together were too heavy for me move. “Please try to move with me.”

“Okay.”

“Okay. One, two, three—move right!” I shouted out, and we scooted our butts to the right about an inch, bumping back against each other as we moved. I twisted my head as far right as I could and still couldn’t read it. “One more time!” I called out again, and we moved together in sync.

“I need to try to brush the shell off of the paper.” I spoke determinedly. “Try to relax your body as I attempt to move forward and shift it, okay?”

“Okay,” he answered quickly, and I leaned forward, moving my arms to the right, attempting to shift the shell.

A part of me was pleased that we seemed to be working so well together. I almost yelled out loud in happiness as the shell rolled off the paper, but then I read the note. I read it silently at first and then aloud, my ears alert to hear how he responded.

“ ‘Without the truth, there is no answer,’ ” I said softly.

“That’s it?” He sounded as perplexed as I felt.

“No.” My voice was low. “There’s another line.”

“What does it say?”

“ ‘In pain, there is darkness. In light, there is nothing.’ ”

The words seemed to carry in the wind, and we sat there in silence. I watched as the wind picked up the piece of paper and carried it down the shore. I closed my eyes as I thought about what the third line had said—the line I had been too scared to read aloud. My body felt tense, and I no longer trusted Jakob as much as I had earlier. The line flashed again in my mind. Your bodies are now one, but not as united as they will be by the time I’m done.

“I don’t really know what that means. What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” I chewed on my lower lip. “I can’t figure it out. Obviously, it’s some sort of clue, but I have no idea what it means. Maybe something will happen in the dark?” Maybe Jakob was going to try to do something to me? I tried not to panic.