Page 81 of Defending What's Mine

“Spin up helo intercept. Two fast boats shadowing. No engagement. I want eyes on that vessel in the next hour.”

Dean relays the orders. I watch the satellite track blinking across the ocean. One tiny green dot. That’s her.

That’s Charlotte.

“She’s alive,” I say aloud. “She’s on that boat.”

Dean doesn’t argue. He knows I’m right.

“Get me tactical options,” I continue. “If we need to board in open water, I want assets ready.”

Dean nods, already coordinating.

I pull out my phone again. The words catch in my throat. I send the message anyway—Hold on, sweetheart. I’m almost there.

The night hums around us as screens flicker, radios crackle, and teams mobilize. But beneath all of it, only one truth matters. I will find her.

No matter how far they run. No matter how deep they hide.

I won’t stop. I can’t.

Not until Charlotte is back in my arms. Safe, alive, and free.

39

Charlotte

I don’t know how long it’s been since we left the dock. Time moves strangely on the water — no streets to mark our path, no familiar skyline to orient me. Only the steady thrum of the yacht’s engines beneath my feet and the deep, endless roll of the sea.

At first, I thought they might turn back. That maybe this was just a scare tactic. But hour after hour, the land has vanished. There’s no turning back now.

We’re out on open water.

And every mile farther we go, the harder it will be for Asher to find us.

The thought claws at my chest. I wrap my arms tighter around my legs where I sit huddled on a small bunk, pressed into the corner of this narrow cabin. The wood-paneled walls close in around me. The air smells faintly of diesel, varnish, and stale sweat.

Beside me, Melanie curls under a thin blanket, her face pale, her eyes haunted. We haven’t spoken much. There’s nothing left to say.

Every time I start to speak, my throat closes. What words can comfort her now?What words can comfort me?

I stare at the bolted door. It’s not locked anymore. They don’t need to lock it. We have nowhere to go. Even if we escaped the room, the deck is surrounded by water in every direction. The men aboard watch us constantly when the door is open.

No zip ties. No bindings. Freedom in name only.

Melanie shifts restlessly, drawing in a sharp breath. I reach out instinctively, my fingers brushing her trembling arm.

“I can’t stop shaking,” she whispers hoarsely.

I squeeze her gently. “I know. Me too.”

Her wide, tear-rimmed eyes meet mine. “Charlotte, I... I can’t believe I led us into this. I trusted him. God, I’m so stupid.”

“Don’t say that,” I murmur. I’ve said it before, but I’ll keep saying it. Because she needs to hear it.

“But it’s true.” Her voice breaks. “If I hadn’t... none of this would have happened. You’d be safe. You’d be with Asher right now.”

The mention of his name sends a painful jolt through me. I close my eyes briefly, drawing in a shaky breath. I can picture him so clearly. I close my eyes, picturing him. Strong, determined, probably pacing in front of a bank of monitors somewhere, eyes sharp with fury and desperation.

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