• Lido di Ostia Beach, Rome •It wasn't a simple detour. The armed and masked men drove them farther from the airport until she saw the beach.  She didn't need to use Google Maps to confirm they were driving into Ostia, a beautiful beach town near the city.She'd seen the road signs and some photos online the other night while she was Googling tourist spots here in Italy and near Rome.  Too bad she didn't have her phone right now. She would do much more than look at photos if only she kept her cellphone in her coat pocket.  As in call the cops, an ambulance, or someone nearby who could get them out of here, and let them know she and her ex got kidnapped by armed men who might just be drug dealers and mobsters...Darn it.  Her purse and luggage.  It all got left behind.  Her handbag was in the passenger seat of the rental car. 

•Being treated like a helpless hostage in a foreign country was starting to trick her brain into thinking the experience wasn't so bad.  The supposed mastermind of it all wasn't so bad, either.Maybe it was just Stockholm syndrome kicking in.  Maybe not.  Too early to tell.  Maybe she was just overwhelmed with relief that she was still breathing on her own, with her body parts still intact and not chopped into ugly, unrecognizable pieces. Her hands were cuffed and her mouth was duct-taped shut to keep her from screaming for help, but at least the guy wasn't physically torturing her or giving her a deadly beating.Plus, he didn't blindfold her this time.  Was it a sign that he trusted her to some degree?  It seemed so. "Don't run off."With her lips shut tight by thick, sticky stape, Veronica could only give him a slight nod in reply.&nb

•Maybe?  Just "maybe"?Was he actually planning to hurt her and Théo if he didn't get what he wanted?  Did he tell his men to beat up Théo if he didn't talk?Veronica tried to ignore the twinge of panic creeping into her chest again, making her wary of the guy's next move. Rafa just left the room.  He told her to stay in bed but didn't tell her where he was going.  What was he up to?  Was he going to talk to Théo now?  Torture him till he got the answers he needed?With bated breath, she followed suit and kept her steps as quiet as possible.  The hallway remained dim, and the house was still quiet.  The entire house seemed to be dim.  No lights left on.  No sunlight passing through the windows because of the drawn blinds.Where the heck did they all go?Wherever Rafa was going, she was pretty sure he wa

Minutes earlier •   1. Agree to the guy's deal. 2. Help convince Théo to talk. 3. Beg for their freedom and convince Rafa that she wouldn't talk to the cops. 4. Get Théo to the ER before she buys the plane tickets. 5. Go see Kyle in the hospital. It sounded like a doable plan.  Highly risky, but still doable.  Their ticket out of here required her to be smart.  Act fast but smart.  To think on her feet but also to quickly recall what were at stake.  If it meant she had to play mind games with their captor, then she would do what it takes to get her and Théo out of this country alive. She had already agreed to Raffaele's proposition.  He said he wanted her to help him convince Théo that he had to talk and give him the answers he needed.  She didn't know jack

•The earsplitting noises of actual gunshots destroying the front of the house left her feeling like the entire two-storey home was going to cave in on them.Her heart almost jumped into her throat when one of Rafa's guys took a bullet to his chest and ended up bleeding on the kitchen floor. Darn it!  It meant the armed criminals outside were making their way to the left side of the house, where she and Rafa stood by while he waited for their ride."Call an ambulance! Just call the cops!" she pleaded while Rafa gripped her by the arm to keep her behind him, seemingly shielding her again from incoming gunfire.  Veronica glanced to the injured guy being towed away from the windows by another masked man."The driver's gonna get us out of here. We'll run past the yard through that small gate, then get in the backseat." Rafa pointed to the edge of the tall, all-white