I woke up on top of the bed sheets in a recovery position and an arm wrapped around my waist.

A bedside lamp was on and after blinking a few times, I turned my head to find Ranger sleeping next to me and remembered why I had passed out.

I looked out the window to see it was pitch black outside. I must have been unconscious for some time.

There was no way I was going to survive on the third day on an island with 4 whackos…It was really hard to think of Ranger as a whacko…

Focus, Stephanie, focus! Sensible Stephanie echoed in my head. You need to get away. If Ranger has no problems with cutting out a human stomach, hell knows what his plans are for the rest of the week!

It was true.

I had to escape.

I wasn't the best swimmer so I knew escaping the island was going to take a while. But I at least had to get out of the villa…and over the pointy fence….

Or I could hide…

I decided to keep my options open.

I listened to Ranger's breathing; it was slow and steady. He must have been in a deep sleep.

I carefully held his wrist and lifted his arm off of me before slipping off the bed and gently placing it down.

I took a good look at his sleeping form.

He only wore a pair of black sweat pants as his hair lay against the pillow in wild strands. He looked just like the Ranger I knew during the nights we had spent together. If I ever woke up before he did, I was always happy to watch his peaceful face that was free from his natural glare or poker face.

But now, I couldn't look at him the same way.

I couldn't even be near him…

I tore my eyes away from him and tiptoed to the door.

Slowly, inch by inch, I turned the door knob so as not to make a sound whilst glancing back at the bed.

I opened the door wide enough for me to slip through and quietly snuck into the hall way; straining my ears for any sign of the others.

There was faint murmur of voices.

Still tip toeing, I crept down the hall and the voices became loud enough for me to recognise Cortez and Ezio.

I came to a section where the corridors crossed. A light spilled from the crack of the door behind a corner where I was standing from the room they were talking in.

"-so sorry to break this to you, Cortez, but I know longer find you pretty!" I heard Ezio's banter followed by roars of laughter.

"What a shame." Cortez said cynically. "I don't know about you, but I think it's a relief that Nigel decided to bring Stephanie…even if we can't touch her."

My legs locked and my escape plans were abandoned when I heard him say my name. That was not good…

"Maybe if we're on our best behaviour, Nigel will let us steal a few kisses from her." There was a grin in Ezio's voice.

"Just kisses?"

"Baby steps, Cortez. Baby steps."

Cortez chuckled. "True. Remind me to behave myself in the future."

"I don't know, hermano….You actually managed to steal one off her…"

"Only because I was pissed, Ezio! Besides, I think I redeemed myself when I stopped Chapman from gutting her."

"Yeah, I think so too. How did you find out in time to stop him anyway? Me, Pedro and Nigel only found out when we heard her scream. "

I never thought about that…How did he know?

"All down to luck and good timing I suppose. I was coming down the hall close to where it happened when I heard them talking outside. I recognised Chapman reciting his plan to gut us and…well, you know the rest."

"Ha ha! It would have been even better if Nigel let us watch him cut out his stomach but oh bien…There is no crime if there are no witnesses."

Cortez scoffed. "Crime? Like anyone would think to come to the island to discover the murder scene. By the way, did Nigel say it was okay to go back down in to the basement?"

"Yeah and he said he didn't need anyone to find Chapman's remains…the rest of them anyway, but he told me his body parts had turned to mush! It must have helped when we beat him to a pulp."

They laughed again as I resisted the urge to gag.

"A disgusting yet thrilling image…Say, how do you think Chapman got to the island in the first place if he was broke?"

There was a pause.

"…When was our last shipment?" Ezio asked.

"About the same time when we got the clothes for Stephanie and Nigel, I think. Why?"

"All I can think of is that Chapman stowed away on the cargo-boats. Remember that crazy bitch who nearly castrated Pedro?"

"Ha! How could I forget?!" Cortez said sobering himself. "That reminds me. We need to open the crate that came this morning. It'll be our supply of Marijuana and ecstasy."

"Brillante! Also, the weapons from Asia should arrive tomorrow. Think of the fun we'll have testing them out!"

"Why don't we test them out on Chapman's stomach?!"

They both roared with laughter again while I struggled to fight down the vomit that gagged in my throat.

I didn't even think about finding illegal goods.

Cortez and Ezio's conversation became distant when a list of terrible ideas went through my head.

Did Ranger really bring me with him to entertain them? Did he really mean what he meant by when he said that he didn't share or was that just a way to earn him my trust and then let them use me later on?

What if they decided to drug me so they could have their fun or threaten to test out their new shipment of weapons on me?

I remembered reading the list of offences on the plane coming here. There was murder...rape…torture…trafficking…

Maybe Ranger didn't ask me to come over to help out with a mission. Maybe he tricked me into coming here. Maybe his plans for me were worse than for his own entertainment…

He did tell me once we were on the plane there was no going back…

I felt tears pool in my eyes as I fought back the sob that lodged in my throat. If my theory was true then no wonder the Rangemen back home were so down. No wonder Ranger gave me next to nothing on the information about the mission…No wonder he told me to pack one racy outfit…

But maybe my little story I told Ezio in the kitchen would distract them and give me some time. I could survive until…

A hand clamped over my mouth and an arm wrapped around my chest.

My cry of surprised was barely a muffle as I struggled against my captor who dragged me back down the hall.

I felt his breath against my ear. "Sssssh, be quiet."

It was Ranger.

My heart rattled and pulsed thundered as he drew me back to our room. He opened the door and threw me inside, making me stumble to the floor.

Again, cliché!

He towered over me with a dark glare before grabbing my wrist and yanked me to my feet. He tugged me forward so our faces were inches apart.

"What were you doing loitering in the hall?!"He growled. "Have you forgotten what I told you after Monaldo got pissed?!"

His eyes had turned black and paralysed me with terror. I couldn't blink or tear away from his compelling hold.

My mouth hung open but only quick short gasps of air made no room for words.

I started to shudder.

Ranger wrenched me closer, holding my wrist up high and nearly dislocating my arm. "What were you doing?!"

I stayed silent as fresh tears brimmed in my eyes.

His grip tightened. "Answer me!"

I winced and the tears fell. "…You're hurting me."

The softening of his glare took me by surprise. He let go of my wrist before holding me close to him, shaking his head. "Don't disappear like that. I thought one of the bastards stole you from me." He held me by the shoulders at arm's length. "Sometimes a warning isn't enough."

I swallowed and blinked back the unshed tears. Ranger let go of me and went into the bathroom to comeback with the shirt he lent me to sleep in hanging over his forearm.

My frozen state must have told him I wasn't going to budge as he unzipped and pulled down my jeans before removing my shirt until I was standing in my underwear.

He moved to stand behind me and I felt his fingers slide against the back of my ribcage to unhook my bra. His breath ghosted against my skin as he slid the straps down my shoulders and ripped the whole garment off me.

If I was anywhere but here right now and not so rigid, I would have liked it.

"Babe," Ranger said softly. "You're so tense."

Is it any friggin' wonder?!

My eyes closed and sigh escaped my lips when I felt his hands kneed my shoulder muscles before making their way up to my neck.

After a few minutes, his hands slid down my back and he pulled his shirt over my head. Ranger placed his arm around me to guide me to the bed where he pulled back the covers and laid me down before climbing in himself whilst turning off the lamp.

He pulled me to him again and held me in a honeymoon's embrace, making it impossible for me to escape.