Chapter Four

Izzy twisted around, trying to spot the paper she’d dropped. She planted her feet and leaned away from her captor as she tried to free herself from his hold. “I need my paper,” she cried as the foot traffic pushed it further and further away.

“No mistake. You are the one I’ve been waiting for,” he called out impatiently and glared over his shoulder at her. “The friend of the wolf? Yes?”

At the mention of Ryan, Izzy hesitated. Most humans didn’t know about shifters. It couldn’t be coincidence that he mentioned a wolf. When she’d complained about traveling alone, Ryan had said, “It’s already taken care of.” Is this what he’d meant? Had Ryan arranged for her to have a personal tour guide? Had the guy gotten tired of waiting for her to find him and decided to fetch her?

Using his incredible strength, he yanked on her arm and it was either go with him or fall flat on her face and be dragged. Seeing he wasn’t going to relent, Izzy gave up and followed along, almost jogging to keep up with his rapid pace. The man pushed his way through the crowds, past the many cab drivers looking for fares. When they reached the docks, she’d ask more questions and force him to listen to her.

There must have been some type of festival going on. The streets were packed with people dressed in costumes. It reminded her of Mardi Gras. Music played, and street vendors were everywhere, hawking their goods. Izzy concentrated on keeping her footing and holding her purse tucked close to her side, wary some enterprising pickpocket would relieve her of her cash and credit cards.

The longer she pondered it, the more felt that the man had made a mistake. She’d glanced at her travel itinerary once on the plane. Izzy was almost ninety percent sure that it hadn’t mentioned a boat, but the alcohol she’d consumed had her mind fuzzy, so she wasn’t certain. The name and number of the resort where she was booked had been listed, as well as instructions on what to expect when she landed.

In no time, they reached the busy docks. St. Croix was a popular cruise destination, and the ships were plentiful. He turned in the opposite direction where the smaller commercial boats were docked. They went past several berths before stopping beside a festively decorated, double-decker pontoon boat. The lower level contained bench seats, several of which were filled with passengers—all women.

“Look, mister, I think—” she began.

He handed her suitcase to a man on the boat and glanced at her as if she was an irritation he couldn’t wait to rid himself of. “There’s no time for discussion. We are already late, yes?”

“Give that back!” Izzy reached out to snatch it back, but the man used his body to block her. “Look, buddy. You’ve made a mistake.”

“No mistake. Wolves. Always, they yip, yip, yip like a terrier,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“Hey!” Izzy protested. How dare he compare her to one of those annoying ankle biters. Just because she was demanding answers he didn’t want to slow down long enough to provide.

Losing patience, the man caught her by the waist and lifted her onto the boat. Once on board, he carted her to an open seat and sat her in it. It was the plane all over again. He stood in front of her, his eyes daring her to move as the boat eased away from the dock and rapidly picked up speed. Within seconds, the dock was no longer in view. Damn it!

“You stay put, yes?” the man demanded.

Izzy waved her hand, indicating the water surrounding them. “There’s nowhere to go.”

“Finally, she sees reason,” the man said before walking off.

Izzy glanced around and found the other women watching her as if she were a curiosity. She inclined her head in greeting and turned her face to the sparkling, crystal blue water. Sighing, Izzy realized she now had to wait until they reached their destination. Maybe she’d find someone more agreeable.

She looked for her kidnapper so she could glare at him and show her displeasure, but he must have gone up onto the second level with the boat pilot. She’d confront him later. Izzy wished she would have listened to Ryan and spent the extra money on an international cell phone plan. Instead, in an effort to save money, she’d chosen one of those metro plans offering unlimited text, talk, and data but with a limited service area. When they reached their destination, she’d enable the Wi-Fi, call home, and explain what happened.

As they left the channel and hit open water, excited chatter and laughter rose among the women. It was obvious the ladies knew each other. She felt uncomfortable, separated as she was from the group, and strangely isolated. Izzy thought about introducing herself and making an effort to be friendly, but there was no point. She wouldn’t be around them long.

The truth was, they intimidated her. The women shimmered with energy, a vibrancy that shone like an aura around them. They were beautiful, full of vitality, and had the lean and toned bodies of professional athletes or body builders. As if that wasn’t enough, they exuded sexual confidence and moved with lazy sensuality. With her rumpled attire and wan appearance, Izzy felt like a hag in comparison.

Closing her eyes, she lifted her face into the breeze, thankful that the upper deck and canopy blocked the sun. Though the sea was relatively calm, the rocking motion of the boat soon had her stomach churning and the taste of bile at the back of her throat. Goosebumps popped up on her arms and a chill shook her body, despite the jeans and loose blue t-shirt she wore. She held in a moan and prayed the trip was short.