control of the weapon, struggling to get it into position to blow Nick away.
Camille looked wildly around and spotted a Chinese vase full of flowers sitting on the sink counter. Snatching it up by the neck, she brought it down on Zanov’s head. He made a startled sound and went still as flowers and water fell around him.
Nick took the gun and heaved the Russian away. He landed with a thud on the hard floor, cracking his head again.
“Good work.”
She nodded, then said, “He saw you.”
He grimaced. “Unfortunately, staying out of sight only works when I can keep my emotions under control.”
He got to his feet and straightened his clothing.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He looked from her to the man lying on the floor and asked in a hard voice. “Do you want me to kill him?”
The directness of the question shocked her. She kept her gaze on Zanov, wishing he’d gotten killed in the struggle because that would make things easier. But he was only out cold, and even though he’d kidnapped and planned to rape her, she couldn’t order his execution. “I can’t ask you to do that,” she said to Nick.
His voice took on a tone of certainty, as though she’d confirmed something about herself. “I didn’t think so. But we’ve got to make sure he doesn’t send his goons after us.”
Nick looked around the room, walked to the bathrobes hanging on hooks and pulled out the belts, which he used to tie Zanov’s hands and feet. Then he used a small towel for a gag. When he’d secured the man, he searched his pockets and took out his wallet, keys and a small knife.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure he can’t signal for help.” He dragged him to the linen closet, shoved him in and locked the door.
She stared at the closed door. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know. Nobody’s going to interrupt him on his wedding night.” He gave her a direct look. “But getting out of here is going to depend on stealth.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are too many guards for me to shoot our way out. We may have to take care of some without the rest realizing what’s happening.”
All she could answer was, “Okay.”
They both exited the bathroom, and crossed the bedroom. Opening the door a crack, Nick looked out.
“There’s a guy at the end of the hall.”
“You could sneak past him.”
“But you can’t. And where would you be going on your wedding night? To get a glass of milk?”
She made a low sound. “More like an ice pack.”
He swore under his breath, and she turned toward him.
“That invisible thing. If you did it and put your arms around me, would that make me invisible, too?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“Call the guard down here and tell him that Zanov wants to talk to him.”
“On his wedding night? Is that believable?”
“This island is Zanov’s kingdom, and everybody who works here is trained to take Zanov’s word as law.”
She thought about how the staff had acted in the presence of the master.
Nick took a weird-looking handgun from his knapsack.
“What’s that?”
“Tranq gun. It will put him out of commission without making any noise.”
She nodded and opened the door. When she stepped partway into the hallway, the guard’s attention snapped to her.
“Can you come here for a minute,” she called out softly. “Mr. Zanov has a job for you.”
He looked doubtful but came down the hall, his automatic rifle held across his chest. As she stepped aside, he followed her into the bedroom. When he looked around and didn’t see the king, he gave her a questioning look. But before he could do more than that, Nick stepped from behind the door and zapped him with a tranquilizer dart. The guard folded to the floor.
Nick dragged him and his weapon to the other side of the bed where they wouldn’t be visible if someone happened to look into the room.
Nick came quickly back to her. “We’d better get out
Camille looked wildly around and spotted a Chinese vase full of flowers sitting on the sink counter. Snatching it up by the neck, she brought it down on Zanov’s head. He made a startled sound and went still as flowers and water fell around him.
Nick took the gun and heaved the Russian away. He landed with a thud on the hard floor, cracking his head again.
“Good work.”
She nodded, then said, “He saw you.”
He grimaced. “Unfortunately, staying out of sight only works when I can keep my emotions under control.”
He got to his feet and straightened his clothing.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He looked from her to the man lying on the floor and asked in a hard voice. “Do you want me to kill him?”
The directness of the question shocked her. She kept her gaze on Zanov, wishing he’d gotten killed in the struggle because that would make things easier. But he was only out cold, and even though he’d kidnapped and planned to rape her, she couldn’t order his execution. “I can’t ask you to do that,” she said to Nick.
His voice took on a tone of certainty, as though she’d confirmed something about herself. “I didn’t think so. But we’ve got to make sure he doesn’t send his goons after us.”
Nick looked around the room, walked to the bathrobes hanging on hooks and pulled out the belts, which he used to tie Zanov’s hands and feet. Then he used a small towel for a gag. When he’d secured the man, he searched his pockets and took out his wallet, keys and a small knife.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure he can’t signal for help.” He dragged him to the linen closet, shoved him in and locked the door.
She stared at the closed door. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know. Nobody’s going to interrupt him on his wedding night.” He gave her a direct look. “But getting out of here is going to depend on stealth.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are too many guards for me to shoot our way out. We may have to take care of some without the rest realizing what’s happening.”
All she could answer was, “Okay.”
They both exited the bathroom, and crossed the bedroom. Opening the door a crack, Nick looked out.
“There’s a guy at the end of the hall.”
“You could sneak past him.”
“But you can’t. And where would you be going on your wedding night? To get a glass of milk?”
She made a low sound. “More like an ice pack.”
He swore under his breath, and she turned toward him.
“That invisible thing. If you did it and put your arms around me, would that make me invisible, too?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“Call the guard down here and tell him that Zanov wants to talk to him.”
“On his wedding night? Is that believable?”
“This island is Zanov’s kingdom, and everybody who works here is trained to take Zanov’s word as law.”
She thought about how the staff had acted in the presence of the master.
Nick took a weird-looking handgun from his knapsack.
“What’s that?”
“Tranq gun. It will put him out of commission without making any noise.”
She nodded and opened the door. When she stepped partway into the hallway, the guard’s attention snapped to her.
“Can you come here for a minute,” she called out softly. “Mr. Zanov has a job for you.”
He looked doubtful but came down the hall, his automatic rifle held across his chest. As she stepped aside, he followed her into the bedroom. When he looked around and didn’t see the king, he gave her a questioning look. But before he could do more than that, Nick stepped from behind the door and zapped him with a tranquilizer dart. The guard folded to the floor.
Nick dragged him and his weapon to the other side of the bed where they wouldn’t be visible if someone happened to look into the room.
Nick came quickly back to her. “We’d better get out
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