“Dammit!” Jax swore softly, as he held his cell phone to his ear and paced the meager floor space between his bed and the bathroom of his tiny motel room. It had been just over 24 hours since he’d landed in the Bahamas, but nearly five days since he’d begun his chase of Brenda, and he had yet to catch more than a brief glimpse of her, let alone reach her. And now he felt as if she were slipping further and further away from him with every minute that passed, and he found himself becoming more and more frustrated by the situation.

He had known that Cordoba was headed to the Bahamas from Rio, but he had mistakenly assumed that he’d be landing at the international airport on Nassau. But Cordoba had landed on a private airstrip on his private island, whereas Jax’s plane had had to fly on to Nassau to land. Jax was kicking himself now, since that assumption had cost him valuable time in getting to Brenda. He should have known that a man as rich and as secretive as Cordoba would have a private air strip on his own island, so that he could come and go as he pleased. He wondered now why he hadn’t figured that all along? It was unlike him to not have every angle covered. He was never caught unaware when it came to a business deal. After all, that’s how he stayed ahead of the competition. But he’d messed up but good this time!

He supposed his glaring mistake was due to the unholy combination of too little sleep and food and too much alcohol and anxiety. Jax had always taken good care of himself, making it a practice to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and get a good night’s sleep each night. And he had never been one to drink heavily or handle alcohol well, unlike his brother Jerry, who could drink any man under the table and still have a clear enough head to clean out the man’s pockets afterwards. Jax took only an occasional drink and that was usually either socially or in the evening as a nightcap after a long day. But over the past few days he’d consumed more alcohol than he would normally drink in a month and he’d gotten less sleep than he normally got in a single night. He knew that practice was his undoing and he’d have stop it now if he was to have any hope of even finding Brenda, let alone rescuing her from Cordoba’s clutches.

Rescuing her… His father’s words from the previous night still echoed in his head - “… has it occurred to you that Brenda isn’t in need of rescuing - that she may be with Cordoba because she wants to be with Cordoba?” - and he tried desperately to drive them from his mind as he waited impatiently for his father to return to the phone now, but without another stiff drink to help him forget the sting of those words, it was proving to be a losing battle. Perhaps his father’s findings would help him once again focus on more positive thoughts - like the happiness he’d feel once he had Brenda in his arms again. But as things were going now - or more accurately, not going - he wondered if he’d ever know that happiness again?

Here in the Bahamas Jax had run into nothing but dead ends as he’d tried to locate Cordoba’s island, so he’d turned to his father once again for help. He’d called his dad just moments ago to find out what he’d been able to unearth in his research into private land holdings in the Bahamas, but his dad had put him on hold almost immediately, as he handled an incoming call on another line. Jax knew that Cordoba owned an island here in the Bahamas and he had a vague idea where it was located, but he needed the specifics as to where it was and also the best way to gain access to it without attracting the attention of Cordoba’s private army. But finding that specific island was proving to be easier said than done.

There were over 700 islands in the Bahamian chain - many of which were so remote that they were used as bale drops for drug smugglers, which is what made the area ideal for someone like Cordoba, who wished to lead a very private life hidden among them. And Cordoba had evidently paid the locals well to hide the legal documentation concerning his island home from prying eyes, as Jax had spent several fruitless hours in the local courthouse discreetly researching maps and records, hoping to find something in Cordoba’s name but striking out at every turn. As a last resort, he’d finally called his father to see what he could turn up. Ironically, his father - who was in Alaska, thousands of miles and several time zones removed from the Bahamas - had managed to hit pay dirt. And now Jax was waiting anxiously for that vital information, but his father had yet to return to the phone. And so Jax continued to pace as best he could in the limited space available, as he waited to hear the specifics that his father had promised him.

There was a knock at the door and Jax stopped pacing, looking warily toward the sound. In an effort to go unrecognized, he had purposely avoided any of his usual haunts here on the islands and had even chosen to stay at this little, out-of-the-way motel, rather than at one of the many luxury hotels that covered the larger islands. And he’d even used a nondescript alias - Scott Baker - when checking in here, as well as in his inquiries about Cordoba earlier in the day. And no one - other than his father and his pilot, Chuck Wittier, whom he’d sent back to the States hours ago - even knew he was here, so he hesitated to answer the door, as thoughts of Cordoba’s goons being on the other side of the door, ready to take him out for daring to come for Brenda, momentarily skittered through his head. He quickly shook that off, knowing that there was no way that Cordoba could possibly know that he was even aware that Brenda was alive, let alone that he was here on the islands to rescue her from the man.

There was a second knock, this one louder and more persistent, followed by, “Room service, mon!” in the worst Bahamian accent Jax had ever heard in his life. Overcome then by curiosity, he cautiously opened the door a crack to find his pilot, Chuck Wittier, standing there, grinning at him and carrying a six-pack of bottled water in one hand and a large, white bag in the other, from which were emanating the most tantalizing aromas Jax had smelled in days.

“Chuck?” Jax sputtered, as he quickly scanned the sidewalk area behind Chuck, then pulled him into the room, closing the door behind him. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to head back to the States this morning!” he muttered, waving the index finger of his free hand in Chuck’s face as he continued to hold his cell phone to his ear with his other hand.

“I take my orders from a higher power on this one, pal,” Chuck shrugged, continuing to grin as he looked around the sparse room for a table, then, finding none, set the bag and the water on the tiny dresser by the bed.

“Dad,” Jax sighed, understanding Chuck’s inference immediately.

“Yep!” Chuck nodded, as he gave their surroundings a quick once over, then let out a low whistle. “Sheesh, Jax! When you called this place a dive, you were being generous! I think that this place even gives dives a bad name!” he said, as he peeked into the bathroom, then moved to look out the lone window, which overlooked the parking lot of the local bar next door. “But, given that no one in their right mind would expect to find Jasper Jacks, billionaire jet-setter, staying in a seedy place like this, I guess it serves its purpose - and at least it’s fairly clean,” he added, as he settled gingerly onto the bed, grabbing the carryout bag off the nearby dresser and pulling out several Styrofoam containers and setting them on the bed beside him. “I hope that Creole chicken and rice, with an avocado side salad is okay. ”

Despite the fact that he hadn’t eaten in hours and the smell of the food was making his stomach do back flips in eager anticipation, Jax merely nodded as Chuck opened the containers, revealing their delicious contents; his father had finally come back on the phone and Jax’s hunger for information about Brenda’s whereabouts trumped his hunger for food at the moment. “Dad! What have you got for me?” he asked excitedly.

“Sorry for the delay, son,” John Jacks apologized, “but I had to take that call - in fact, I need to get back to it immediately, but I promise to call you back as soon as I’m finished with it.”

Jax exploded at that. “Dad, can’t business wait a few more minutes?! You, of all people, know how important finding Brenda is to me!”

“Jax, just hold on,” John replied, his tone soft and soothing, in stark contrast to Jax’s shrill shouting. “This call is about Brenda - or at least a possible way to gain access to the island that Cordoba and this woman that you think is Brenda call home.”

Jax’s heart caught in his throat at that. “What is it?! What have you found?”

“Just possibilities for the moment, son, but I hope to have something definite for you within the hour,” his father replied. “I really have to go now or I could lose even this possibility.” And without waiting for Jax’s reply, John ended the call.

Jax stood there dazed, almost afraid to hope that his long search for Brenda might actually be coming to a successful end.

“So, what did your dad have to say that’s left you and nearly catatonic?” Chuck finally asked, grinning at Jax, who, after nearly a minute, still remained speechless and motionless, frozen in the same spot he’d been in when his father had ended their call.

A slow smile spread over Jax’s face then, as he answered: “He may have located Cordoba’s island and how we can access it without detection.”

“Wow! That is great news!” Chuck grinned, as he jumped off the bed and slapped Jax on the back. “And certainly cause for a celebratory dinner, don’t you think?” he added, as he handed Jax his food, then sat back down on the bed to eat his own meal.

Jax set his food down on the dresser and walked to the window, sighing as he pushed aside the worn curtain to look out into the night sky. “I’m too anxious to eat, Chuck,” he said, as he stared at the starry sky and wished that Brenda could be there in his arms right then to share that moment with him. But then his insecurities struck again as he recalled his father’s words just moments before: “…this woman that you think is Brenda”… “What if this is just another dead end? What if I’m no closer to finding Brenda than I was when we started this wild goose chase back in Paris?” He turned his gaze back to Chuck as he added: “Or what if this woman with Cordoba isn’t Brenda after all?”

Chuck hadn’t bothered to wait for Jax to eat with him and had been eagerly devouring his own dinner while Jax had been staring out the window. He stopped now mid-bite to look up at his boss and long-time friend. “Stop trying to put roadblocks in your own way,” Chuck chided, as he opened one of the bottled waters he’d brought, then took a long swallow before continuing: “What gives here, pal? I’ve never known you to doubt or second-guess yourself the way you have the past few days.”

Jax grabbed a bottle of water from off the dresser and downed it completely, then sat down on the lone wooden chair in the corner by the window. His eyes went back to the heavens again as he tried to explain what he was feeling. “It’s just that I’ve wanted this for so long, Chuck… There hasn’t been a day - or even an hour - that’s gone by since I saw Brenda’s car go off that cliff that I haven’t ached for her and wanted her back with me… But what if this isn’t Brenda? What if it’s just someone who looks a lot like her, and I’ve convinced myself that she is Brenda because I want that more than anything? … What if I’m just chasing an illusion?”

“Well, if your delusional, then so are a lot of other people who’ve seen your picture of Brenda and said that it was the same woman who’s with Cordoba,” Chuck reminded him, as he leaned over and handed Jax his dinner again. “Now, eat so that you have enough strength to get to her tomorrow,” Chuck scolded, grinning as he watched Jax finally eat the first bites of food he’d seen him eat in days.

“That’s assuming that Dad’s information pans out and we find her tomorrow,” Jax replied between eager bites of food. He hadn’t realized how hungry he’d been until he’d taken his first bite. It had been days since he’d put anything this delicious or this filling into his mouth and he couldn’t believe how wonderful it tasted.

“Well, I predict we will find her tomorrow,” Chuck replied, smiling enigmatically now, “whether your Dad comes up with anything or not.”

Jax stopped eating and studied Chuck’s face carefully, for the first time noticing the silly grin that Chuck had worn since he’d arrived. That smile and Chuck’s words now made Jax’s heart leap expectantly. “You’ve found something out, haven’t you, Chuck? That’s why you stayed here after I told you to go home.”

“Actually, I stayed because your father thought you could use my help, and it turns out he was right,” Chuck replied, his grin widening now as he got closer to telling Jax what he’d found for him. “It seems that you spent the day looking in all the wrong places, pal, but not me - I managed to hit the jackpot,” he added, his eyes twinkling.

Jax’s heart caught in his throat. “Where is she, Chuck? What island?” Jax asked anxiously, as he quickly reached for the charts he had of the islands, set to locate any island Chuck named.

“Slow down, Jax,” Chuck admonished. “You’re getting a little ahead of yourself here… I didn’t find out which island she and Cordoba call home, but I did find some people who recognized her picture.”

“And -?” Jax asked expectantly, knowing that Chuck had to have more for him than that.

“I found out that a local woman - Hattie Winston, who’s most likely Cordoba’s cook from the rounds of shops she frequents - makes a trek each Friday morning to the market area down on the waterfront here on Nassau, and it seems that a certain someone, who looks surprisingly like the woman in this picture -” He held up a head shot of Brenda. “- often accompanies her. I figure that even if Brenda isn’t with the woman this week, we simply follow the cook back to Cordoba’s island after she’s finished shopping.”

Jax jumped up immediately and pulled Chuck into a bear hug, spilling Chuck’s dinner all over the two of them in the process. “You found her!” he shouted happily, slapping Chuck on the back.

“Hey! That was my dinner!” Chuck laughed, as he wiped the remnants of his meal off his clothes. “Is this any way to treat the guy who just spent the better part of the day wearing this ugly flowered shirt and risking sun stroke, wandering among the tourists and vendors at the Straw Market and tracking down the likely whereabouts of your fiancée?”

“Chuck, I love you, man!” Jax exclaimed, pulling his friend into another bear hug. “And once we find Brenda tomorrow and we’ve gotten her safely away from Cordoba and his goons and back home in the States, then I promise I’ll buy you a whole closet full of ugly flowered shirts and an entire restaurant to make up for this!” Jax laughed, pulling off his own food-covered shirt and tossing it onto the floor, then eagerly grabbing for the map of Nassau amidst the stack of charts and maps that he had piled on the bed. “Okay, now, the Straw Market is here,” he said, pointing that area out on the map. “Where exactly do they do the shopping each week? What stores do they frequent and is there a certain time they go?” he asked, excitement filling his voice, as he could almost count the minutes until he’d be reunited with Brenda again.

“Hey, slow down here, Jax,” Chuck cautioned, as he headed into the bathroom to wash himself off.

“Slow down?!” Jax was incredulous. “Chuck, we have less than twelve hours to work out a plan to get her safely away from Cordoba and his goons, and you think I’m taking this too fast?! I’ve been chasing after Brenda for days now - years, if you count the time I’ve spent looking for her in my dreams. I’m tired of the chase, and I’m more than ready to finally catch up with her and hold her in my arms again.”

“I understand that, Jax,” Chuck said, as he reemerged from the bathroom, dabbing at the stain on his shirt and pants with a dampened washcloth, “but I think that you need to slow down a bit or you’re going to explode. You’ve been running at full-throttle since you first saw this woman-” He saw Jax’s irritation at that, so he corrected himself immediately: “- I mean, Brenda - days ago in Paris. You’ve hardly eaten or slept since then. You’ve been making due with grabbing a quick bite whenever you think about it and catching a catnap here and there, and you’re dangerously close to your breaking point, pal.”

Chuck walked back through the open bathroom door and tossed the washcloth back onto the sink, then turned back to Jax as he added: “And this may not be my place to say it -and you can tell me to go to hell, if you want - but I think you need to stop and get yourself together. Otherwise, you’re gonna get sloppy and you could end up screwin’ up the one and only chance we may get to whisk Brenda safely away from this Cordoba…”

Chuck knew that he had likely overstepped his bounds here, but this was not like Jax at all. Jax was always in control and thinking three steps ahead, which is why he was so successful in business. But at the moment, Jax was being reckless and needed to be reined in. Jax was thinking with his heart and not with his head - something Chuck understood, given the extraordinary circumstances and all - but if there was ever a time when Jax needed to be logical first and emotional later, this was it. And since there was no one else around to point that out to Jax, he felt it was his responsibility to do so. He felt justified in his position, but he still steeled himself for an angry blast from Jax.

Jax regarded his friend silently for a moment. At first, he was taken aback by Chuck’s candor, and he wanted to tell Chuck to keep his damn opinions to himself. He wanted to tell Chuck that he had no idea what this was like for him - having the only woman he’d ever loved snatched so cruelly from his life; aching for her for two, long years; then, finally catching sight of her, only to have her slip away from him again, and this time on the arm of a very dangerous man - a man so like that lowlife, Sonny Corinthos.

He wanted to tell him all of that, but he couldn’t.

Because Jax knew that Chuck did know what the past two years had been like for him, and Chuck had seen firsthand the torture that the past several days had been for Jax. And he also knew that Chuck was right: he was running on empty now and he was apt to make costly mistakes if he continued as he was. He was so close to getting Brenda back; now was not the time to make a careless mistake that could tip Cordoba to the fact that Jax was hot on Brenda’s trail.

Actually, he appreciated Chuck’s frankness. He was simply providing the reality check that Jerry would be throwing at him now, if Jerry were here with him. So Jax was grateful that Chuck cared enough to stand up in Jerry’s stead because if there was ever a time that Jax needed his big brother it was now. And Chuck, whose similar size and coloring to Jax made him look more like Jax’s brother than Jerry did, was a pretty good substitute for a big brother now.

Jax took a deep breath and sighed heavily before standing to face Chuck, who appeared prepared for anything Jax planned to throw his way. “You’re right,” Jax conceded, as he thrust his right hand out to Chuck. “Thanks for caring enough about Brenda and me to tell me that.”

Chuck grinned as they shook hands, glad that he hadn’t had to punch Jax to get his point across. “Well, your dad told me to help in any way that I could, and I figured you were too caught up in the moment to see the obvious fact that you need to take a little time to refuel, both physically and emotionally.”

“Yeah, I have been running on fumes these past few days, haven’t I?” Jax confessed, running a hand tiredly through his hair, as he glanced at himself in the mirror, involuntarily grimacing at the sight of the haggard face of the unkempt man staring back at him. “And I’ve let myself go a bit, too, haven’t I?” he added, laughing derisively at his own understatement.

“A bit?” Chuck laughed, as he circled his friend, mockingly appraising his appearance. “I’ve seen homeless men who look less scraggly than you - and they smelled better, too!” he added, holding his nose as he backed away from Jax.

Jax held his arms up and sniffed, then laughed, “I guess it’s been awhile since I actually showered, and I am a bit ripe!”

“That you are!” Chuck laughed, then he added: “Why don’t you go take a nice, long, hot shower - assuming this place has the hot water capacity for that - and clear your head of all thoughts except what life will be like for you once you have Brenda back again. And I’ll study this map of the market area and see if I can pinpoint the shops they usually go to, then, when you’re all clean and collected again, you can get me another dinner and we can work out the details of the plan for rescuing Brenda tomorrow.”

Jax smiled as he watched Chuck settle onto the bed to study the map of Nassau. “You’re a good employee and an even better friend, Chuck.”

“Yeah, I am,” Chuck agreed, grinning up at Jax, as he gathered the map into his hands. “You know I’d do anything to help you and your family any way that I can. You’ve all been good to me… Besides, I happen to believe that you and Brenda are meant to be together and I’d hate for you to blow this second chance that fate’s given you with her.”

“Third chance,” Jax corrected him, smiling as he recalled the first two times that fate had intervened to bring them together.

“That’s right,” Chuck nodded, also remembering those times. “Which means you’d better not tempt fate again by blowing this opportunity.”

“I know,” Jax replied quietly, as he headed in to shower, closing the bathroom door behind him. Chuck was right: he couldn’t afford to tempt fate by doing anything that might jeopardize this chance he’d been given to once again be with the only woman he had ever loved. He needed to clear his mind and re-energize his body in order to be able to pull this off. The slightest bit of indecision or hesitation on his part could mean the difference between success and failure, and he was not one who suffered failure easily or often.

And this was the one time in his life that he simply could not and would not fail. Because failure meant he’d lose Brenda again, and he’d already lived like that for two insufferably long and painful years and he wasn’t going through that again. He had found his Brenda again - he was sure of it - and there was nothing and no one who was going to stand in the way of them being together again. And that included himself.

Not this time…

Not like before…

When he’d been the one who’d allowed Veronica Wilding Barrett access to Brenda in the first place…

Allowed? his heart questioned. Since when did you have the power to control who Brenda saw or what she did? She’s an adult and she had the right to see anyone she wanted whenever she wanted. And Veronica Barrett was her mother; they had the right to be together.

But Veronica Barrett was mentally unstable, his head argued. You knew that and you should have demanded to be present at any meeting between them.

Demanded? his heart retorted. Brenda was her own person. No one controlled her. She did what she wanted when she wanted with whomever she wanted…

And there was the rub, wasn’t it? No one had ever controlled Brenda Barrett before - not even Sonny Corinthos, though god knows he had tried hard enough and often enough. She followed her own heart. Yet, here he was, trying to convince himself that Armand Cordoba was holding her against her will, which is why she had never returned to him in Port Charles. So, which was it: Brenda, who was in control of her own life; or Brenda, who was being controlled by this Sonny Corinthos clone?

Or is it simply that this woman isn’t Brenda at all? his father’s voice echoed in his head.

He shook his head and sighed as he finally stepped into the shower, turning the water onto the hottest setting possible. Instantly the hot, pulsating water streamed across his tired body, slowly forcing the fatigue and weariness from his pores; he only wished that something could so easily force these lingering doubts from his head.

Now, more than ever, he had to be strong and he had to be focused, otherwise he would never be able to devise a safe and workable plan to rescue Brenda. And the first step in doing that was to remain firm in his belief that this woman was really Brenda and that she was not with Cordoba because she wanted to be with him. Then and only then could he keep his focus sharp and on point: getting to Brenda and getting her safely back to the States without Cordoba being any the wiser.

And if this woman isn’t Brenda? his head repeated.

“She is Brenda… I know it… She has to be…” Jax whispered aloud, closing his eyes as he leaned against the shower wall.

Because what he couldn’t say aloud, but what his heart and his head were both screaming in unison, was that he couldn’t face another day without her…

She stood at the open doors of her private balcony, staring up at the thousands of stars that dotted the night sky. It was another balmy night in a seemingly endless string of balmy nights, and she knew that she should feel happy and fulfilled. After all, she was in paradise, living in the lap of luxury with a man who claimed to love her and who gave her nearly every material thing a woman could possibly want, yet she felt restless and dissatisfied. What is wrong with me? she wondered, as she moved to the edge of the balcony to look down at the lighted pool area and the tropical gardens that surrounded it.

This is all for you, he’d said to her that first day he’d brought her here from the clinic. Everything that you see here is yours… I want you to understand that I’d give you anything the world has to offer if it would make you see how much I love and want you, he had professed that day. You’re mine, and I could easily take you into my arms and into my bed now to show you that very fact, but I’m a patient man… I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to see that for yourself and for you to fall in love with me, he’d added, as he’d chastely kissed her on the forehead, then left her here to ponder his words and to stare at the breathtaking beauty of this view.

She’d been moved by his words then and his generosity since then, but she was no closer now to loving him than she had been that day. Why was that? Had she simply lost her ability to love when she’d lost her memories?

Or is he simply the wrong man? her rebellious heart whispered.

Her heart had been whispering that to her a lot over these past few weeks - ever since she’d begun having those dreams…

She closed her eyes, immersing herself easily in the passionate memories of last night’s dream, as she felt the warm night breeze wash over her, caressing her almost as tenderly as “he” had caressed her in the dream, making her feel the same sensations that “he” had made her feel in the dream. She shuddered as a wave of desire, white-hot in its intensity, suddenly shot through her, making her gasp aloud at the pleasure the mere memory of “him” produced in every nerve ending of her body.

“Are you all right?” came a voice from behind her, making her jump at the unexpected interruption.

She turned to find Armand standing at the balcony doors, looking at her strangely.

“Ummm… I didn’t hear you come in…” she stuttered, embarrassed that he had been witness to her most private reaction to an intimate and equally private dream.

“I knocked…”

“Well, I didn’t hear you!” she shot back, trying to hide her embarrassment with anger, although a part of her was angry with him for his intrusion.

Armand remained silent for several moments, his eyes narrowed as he studied her, trying to understand why she was acting this way. At dinner earlier she’d been downright ecstatic, talking happily about her day spent exploring the island - her first excursion out on her own since coming here. She had even allowed him to touch her and kiss her during the meal, something that she rarely allowed before his promise to give her more freedom. He’d felt then that he’d been right to pull back both the bodyguards and the surveillance of her. But now he wondered if perhaps this was all too much too soon for her. Perhaps she couldn’t handle the freedom.

“You overdid today, didn’t you?” he finally said, as he stepped toward her, gently brushing the back of his hand across her cheek. “You’re flushed and feverish, and I just saw you shudder… You could be coming down with something - I’m calling Dr. Sebastian,” he said, pulling his cell phone from his jacket pocket as he readied to call her doctor immediately.

“No!” Brenda yelled, grabbing for the phone before Armand could complete the call. “I’m not sick and I certainly don’t need to see a doctor! I’m just -” I’m just all hot and bothered, remembering my dream lover, she thought. “ - It’s warm tonight and you startled me when you snuck up on me - both of which account for my flushed skin. As for the shudder, I think your eyes must be playing tricks on you, because I’m just fine…”

He continued to stare warily at her, so she apologized, hoping to appease him that way: “I’m sorry that I snapped at you, Armand, but you startled me. I wasn’t expecting to see you again tonight since we’d already said goodnight downstairs. You said then that you’d be tied up on the phone the rest of the night,” she added, hoping to deflect his attention away from her by drawing it back to him and why he was here in her room in the first place.

“Yes… well, that was actually why I came in to see you,” he answered, once again running his hand across her cheek - not to gauge her temperature this time, but simply to feel the silky softness of her skin against his. He felt her stiffen slightly at his touch, but she did not back away; instead, she allowed him to brush his hand slowly down across her neck and her breasts before settling on her arm. He smiled at that, as he saw it as proof that she was warming to him and would soon be his fiancée in more than name only. Maybe his decision to allow her more freedom was paying off after all.

“I need to take another trip immediately,” he continued, as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, then dropping tiny kisses along her jawline.

She pulled away from him, turning to look him squarely in the eyes. “Another trip?” she asked, her heart in her throat. They’d just returned from a grueling few weeks on the road, where she’d been confined in an endless string of posh hotel suites. He’d finally allowed her a sliver of freedom today here on their island and now she was going to have to go back on the road and into captivity with him again? Please - no! she prayed silently, but aloud she murmured quietly, “When do we leave?” as she averted her eyes so that he couldn’t see the tears that had sprung there.

“I’ll be leaving in just a few hours, Veronica,” he said, tipping her face up to look at her. “But I can’t take you along on this trip - I’ll be tied up in negotiations most of the time, with absolutely no time for more pleasurable distractions,” he said, kissing her softly on the lips.

She was so relieved to hear that she wasn’t going to be forced to join him on this trip that she let his kiss on her lips go without rebuff. “I understand,” she said softly, trying not to appear giddy at his news. “How long will you be gone?” she asked, burying her head against his shoulder to hide any trace of a smile on her face or in her eyes.

“Just a few days - a week at the most, I promise,” he said, relishing the feel of her in his arms. “I’ll miss you, and if there was any way that I could take you with me, I would, but I’ll be busy most of the time and this region of Africa that I’m going to is pretty remote and definitely not safe.”

She felt strangely unsettled by that news. She knew that she didn’t love him, yet knowing that something bad could happen to him while he was gone made her feel anxious. She had made no friends, beyond the household staff here, since leaving the clinic six months ago, and she could remember no one from before the accident. He was the only “family” she had now.

She pulled away from him slightly, frowning as she looked into his eyes. “You’ll be careful - right? I mean, you won’t take any unnecessary chances, will you?” she asked, genuinely concerned for his safety. Despite the fact that she had no romantic feelings for Armand Cordoba, she still felt a measure of gratitude to him for all that he’d done for her since the accident, and she hated that he would be going somewhere dangerous. He was the only person she had left in her life; if she lost him she’d truly be all alone.

“I promise to be careful,” he replied, his smile growing as he saw the genuine concern for his safety in her eyes; he saw this as proof that she was finally falling in love with him. “Besides, I’ll have Andrew with me, as well as several others from the security team… And I want you to be careful also while I’m gone,” he admonished her. “In fact, it might be good if you stayed here on the immediate grounds while I’m gone, instead of venturing out to explore the rest of the island or going to Nassau with Hattie tomorrow.”

She pulled away from him completely at that and her face fell at the realization that she was back to being a prisoner once again, whether he was here or not. “Armand, you promised…”

“I know, but I’d feel better if you stayed around here while I’m gone, for your own safety. Besides, you obviously overdid today - you were shaking and flushed when I walked in on you just moments ago,” he pointed out, reaching out to run the back of his hand slowly across her cheek again. God, her skin is so soft, he thought. He loved touching her any chance he could.

She hated that he was fondling her again, but she ignored it, as she saw that as the least of her problems now. He was about to take away what meager freedoms he’d finally allowed her and she wasn’t about to let that happen without a good fight.

“I’m fine,” she argued defiantly, moving back slightly so that he could no longer touch her, “and I’ll continue to be fine as long as you keep your promise and let me move around freely, like a normal person.”

He cocked his head and looked at her thoughtfully then. “Have I stifled you so much that you don’t feel normal?”

She nearly laughed out loud at that, as she suddenly realized that she really had no idea what “normal” was. She couldn’t remember life any way but this, and this was really no life at all. “You tell me, Armand… Is it normal for someone to have another person looking over her shoulder constantly, as I have since the accident? Is it normal for a person to be constantly surrounded by armed bodyguards who are trained to shoot first and then ask questions later at the slightest sound or movement? If that’s normal, then, by all means, I feel normal! But I don’t think that’s how the rest of the world really lives,” she added, turning and gesturing out toward the sea and beyond.

“I’m not concerned about the rest of the world - just about you, Veronica,” Armand replied, turning her back to face him again. “You’re my world, Veronica,” he said, pulling her tightly into his arms and nuzzling the top of her head, “and I will do whatever I have to do to protect you and to keep you safe, which is why I have Kirby and Andrew and the others to watch over you when I can’t be with you.”

“Protect me?!” she exploded, pulling out of his arms and backing away from him slightly. “Armand, I’m not some fragile child who needs constant babysitting! I’m an adult - and a fairly strong one, at that! I managed to fight my way back from an accident that should have killed me. The doctors warned you that I might never come out of that coma, let alone walk and talk normally again, but I proved them wrong and I did it through sheer strength and determination -”

“And with the help of the many specialists and aides who were at your side constantly,” Armand reminded her.

“True, I didn’t do it alone,” she conceded. “But I did do it! And I haven’t really needed a nurse or an aide in months - I’m stronger than you think I am, Armand. I don’t need any monitoring, let alone the constant monitoring you seem to think I need! Let me be an adult and look out for myself. Let me come and go as I please, like the rest of the world,” she pleaded, tears stinging her eyes.

He pulled her back into his arms once again, sighing heavily. “Veronica, we’ve been over this before - Let’s put aside the issue of your health for the moment and deal with the reality of our everyday situation. We live in a world apart from others. My particular business is extremely lucrative, but it’s also extremely dangerous. I want my people around you all the time for your protection, not because I feel the need to monitor your every move…

“And then there is the issue of your health and strength. You said yourself that you barely survived the accident, and the healing process has been a long and slow and painful one for you. I know that you’re getting stronger every day, but I think that you don’t always know when enough is enough as far as your daily activities are concerned. Take today, for instance… Instead of taking a short, leisurely stroll around the grounds, you insisted on trekking down to the shoreline and spending hours there. Despite your protests to the contrary, I really think you overdid today, which is why I think you need to have someone with you to help you realize when you’ve done enough.”

“Armand, I told you that I’m fine - and I am!” she repeated angrily, tearing herself out of his arms and moving back toward the railing of the balcony. “I didn’t overdo today, no matter what you think! In fact, if anything, today is the best that I’ve felt since the accident… I’ve had less pain than I’ve had in weeks - in fact, I only needed two pain pills today; usually I need four or five just to get me through the day. I think that being able to be out on my own - without you or a nurse or a bodyguard to watch over my every move and monitor my every thought - was the best therapy I could possibly have… And without all those pills, the fog in my head seemed to clear, and I-”

She stopped suddenly, as she realized that she was about to blurt out that she thought she was having some actual memories from before the accident. But something inside her told her that it would be unwise to share that particular knowledge with Armand now.

Armand regarded her carefully. “And you what -?” he asked, his interest piqued at what she had been about to say and why she had suddenly felt the need to censor herself. Was she hiding something from him? Possibly the return of her memories of her life before the accident - her life without him?

“- And I feel more human when I don’t take so many pills,” she covered quickly, hoping that he would believe her and not press further. She needed to keep these memory flashes - if that’s what they really were - to herself until she actually saw the face of the man in her dreams. If she was having actual memories and the man in her dreams did turn out to be Armand, then she would share this with him. But if the man in her dreams was not Armand, as she truly suspected… Well, then, she would know that Armand had been lying to her all this time and she would do what she had to do to get away from him. But first, she needed to recoup what little freedom he’d allowed her recently and she could only do that by pouring on the charm and distracting him from her earlier gaffe.

“I didn’t overdo today and I won’t while you’re gone either - I promise,” she continued, her voice suddenly soft and sensual, as she moved into his arms and snuggled her face against his chest, purposely pressing her body intimately against his. She heard him moan with pleasure and felt his arousal at her movements. She was playing with fire here; she knew that. But she needed to distract him enough that he wouldn’t pursue what she had been about to say - that she thought she was remembering things.

And she had indeed distracted him, but now this situation could go one of two ways: He could be so overwhelmed by her “spontaneous” show of affection for him that he would relent and allow her the freedom he’d promised, in the hope that she would continue to show her affection for him at a later time; or he could force her now to complete what she appeared to be starting here, which meant sleeping with the man tonight. She hoped that his tight schedule now with this sudden trip would prevent the latter. As much as she knew that Armand was eager to get her into his bed, she also knew him well enough to bet that he would want to make their first time making love since the accident to be romantic and memorable. At least, she prayed that was the case…

Armand shuddered at the feel of her body pressed so intimately against his - and by her own initiative, no less. He’d prayed for the day when she’d simply reach out to caress his face without prodding or hold his hand without coercion, but he’d only dared to dream that she would willingly hold him like this. It was like a miracle to him. After months of distance and often downright hostility toward him, she was finally beginning to respond to him, and he knew that it had to be because he’d begun to loosen the reins on her to allow her freedom and privacy. And she couldn’t possibly be remembering her past; otherwise she wouldn’t feel this sense of connection and affection that she obviously felt for him now.

She was definitely warming toward him and he sensed that he could probably get her into his bed tonight without any problem. But physical intimacy was not all that he wanted from her, so he would wait. He was a patient man. Vincent had taught him long ago that patience paid off in the end, and he wanted the ultimate payoff at the end of this very long wait: her undying love and devotion. And the only way he could get that was to allow her more of what she wanted, which was more independence. He had promised her that, and he couldn’t renege on that now; not if he ever wanted her to love and want him the way that he loved and wanted her.

And, oh, how he wanted her! He wanted to take her to his room now and make love to her for days; each leisurely exploring the other’s body with their hands and their mouths until they were drunk with pleasure. He wanted to tell her that she was the only person he would ever love, and he wanted her to tell him the same thing in return. He wanted that, but he knew that was too much to hope for now. But soon… soon she would love him… And once she loved him - truly loved him - then that was when they would finally make love. Because he had known for some time that it would never be enough for him to simply have her body. He wanted to own her heart and her soul as well. He wanted for her to love him with the depth and the intensity that she had once loved Jasper Jacks, and he knew that she was nowhere near that point now. But she would be one day soon…

She was already beginning to warm to him, but he wanted so much more - He wanted her undying love and devotion to him and him alone. She was headed that way now; if he went back on his word now, he’d undo all the progress between them up to this point. He had to at least allow her what little independence he had already granted her. That seemed a small concession to make if it meant that she would truly be his in every way. And that was the direction she was heading.

Besides, she was safe as long as she stayed here on the island. His security was so tight here that he knew when a boat or a plane came within a half-mile of the island. And his people scrambled immediately to intercept anyone who tried to actually land without permission, so there was little danger that anyone - either his enemies or her friends - could ever get to her even if she were alone anywhere on the island, even on the Peterson estate on the other side of the island.

One of the provisions of the Petersons staying on the island had been that he be informed of anyone coming or going from the island. And at the moment they were in the South of France and the only one left on the estate was their German groundskeeper, and he was a recluse who spoke to no one but the Petersons, rarely went anywhere, and had never had any visitors in the years he had worked for the Petersons. So there was little chance that anyone would recognize or bother her even if she accidentally wandered to that side of the island. That meant that there really was no reason he couldn’t continue to allow her to keep her freedom to wander the island unguarded and at her own discretion.

But leaving the island in his absence was another matter altogether, and he knew that restriction would upset her and possibly slow down or stop completely her blossoming feelings for him. He needed to handle this carefully.

Armand remained quiet for quite some time, and his continued silence worried her. She had expected that he would react immediately to her apparent warming toward him. Of course his body had responded immediately to her body pressed against his, but she had expected a positive verbal response of some sort as well. Did this mean that he was so overwhelmed by the fact that she had initiated this intimate physical contact that his brain was no longer functioning and he would go immediately to what she feared most: taking her straight to his bed? God, she hoped not! How would she talk her way out of that one? Yet, if she hesitated in the least, he might suspect that she was beginning to have memories of another man - if, indeed, those were true memories she was having and not merely fanciful dreams or wishful thinking. She wished Armand would say something - anything - so she knew what was going on in that head of his.

He felt her stiffen slightly in his arms, and he realized that his continued silence was upsetting her. He needed to say something to calm her anxiety.

He kissed her gently on the top of the head. “This feels so good, Veronica, on so many levels,” he began, as he tightened his hold on her, then sighed contentedly. “I have waited so long for you to respond to me like this - to have you worry about my safety and to cling to me like this. And I would give anything to be able to show you in every way the depth of my love for you tonight, but I can’t. I have to leave in less than two hours, which leaves us no time for romance. Besides, I want the first time that we make love to be special and memorable for both of us, not just a way for each of us to release the pent-up sexual attraction we have for one another. So, tonight won’t be the night for us, my love…”

She felt relief surge through her body and she tried to suppress the self-satisfied smile that crept onto her face. She was glad that she still had her face pressed against his chest, otherwise he would know that, despite her teasing actions toward him, she had no desire to go to bed with him tonight or any other night. She knew that she could never let her body go somewhere that her heart didn’t feel she belonged, and, at the moment, she felt in her heart that she and Armand did not belong together. She knew that she didn’t love him in that way, and she doubted that he really loved her either. In fact, she was so sure of his lack of deep feelings for her that what he said next caught her completely by surprise.

“Besides, when we make love for the first time,” he said, lifting her face up so that he could look into her eyes, “I want you to be as in love with me as I am with you, and I know that your heart is nowhere near ready to make that commitment to me right now… But you will, one day soon,” he added, as he leaned down and kissed her lips passionately.

Armand was so intent on kissing her that he missed the look of total confusion on her face at his words.

After several long moments, he finally broke their kiss. “I love you so much, Veronica,” he said, gazing down at her tenderly, “and I want nothing more in this world than to keep you safe. I nearly lost you once; I would rather die than lose you again, which is why I have wanted someone with you to keep you safe from any harm, whether from an intruder or by your own initiative from doing too much too soon.”

He saw her move to protest again, so he gently put a finger to her lips. “Shhh… just let me finish before you say anything,” he offered, and she nodded quietly. “I did promise you would have more freedom here on the island, and I won’t renege on that promise simply because I have to be away…”

“Thank you!” she shouted happily. “And what about my trip to Nassau with Hattie tomorrow?” she pressed, hoping that in his present state of mind that he couldn’t deny her anything. She flashed him her most beguiling smile. “Please? … You know how I love to watch Hattie hunt for the freshest food, then dicker ruthlessly on the price once she’s found it. The woman’s a shark. I don’t think she’s ever been bested in any deal… I think even you could learn a thing or two about negotiating a deal from that woman,” she added, her sentences rushed together, as she’d said everything in a single breath.

How did she say all that without taking a breath? he wondered, as he smiled down at her, completely captivated by her childlike excitement. This was a side of her that he had never seen, but it was charming and delightful. If he weren’t already head over heels in love with her before, looking at her and listening to her now would have certainly clinched it for him. She was so happy that she was nearly glowing. How could he possibly do or say anything that might dampen that happiness?

He couldn’t…

“It looks like you already have learned a thing or two from her,” he chuckled, as he gently tweaked the tip of her nose with his fingers. “Okay -” he agreed, which brought another squeal of delight from her. “ - But only on the condition that Kirby accompany you.”

“I can live with that,” she smiled, shrugging her shoulders in mock resignation, which brought a chuckle from Armand.

God, she’s adorable, he smiled, as he felt her once again step forward and wrap her arms around him. He closed his eyes and sighed, wishing that he could truly capitalize on this magic moment by sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her to his bed now. His body truly ached for her, but as much as his body ached to join completely with hers, his heart ached more for her love. That was within his grasp now, he could feel it, but only if he proceeded carefully from this point on. But he was definitely on the right path. He’d been right to allow her more independence, just as he was right now to wait until she truly loved him before they actually made love. That way she’ll be truly mine - body and soul, he thought happily.

Or will she? his traitorous heart argued. After all, she was never really yours to begin with. Her heart belonged to another man when you found her, and if she were in her right mind now she would realize it was still his and she’d move heaven and earth to be with him again.

There’s nothing wrong with her mind, his head argued; it’s her memory that’s gone.

Exactly, his heart agreed - and when her memory returns, her mind and her heart will lead her straight back to the man she truly loves…

The man she truly loves… Jasper Jacks… His heart hardened at the thought of the man…

A few years ago Jasper Jacks had been merely a man who, along with his brother, had bested him in a deal that he should never have made in the first place. Even a few months ago, he was simply a man from whom he planned to extort a small fortune for the return of his supposedly dead fiancée. But now he was the man who could very well take away the only true happiness that Armand had ever known in his life, and Armand was not about to let that happen.

But still, he wasn’t really worried. After all, there was no indication that Veronica was remembering anything whatsoever of her life as Brenda Barrett-Jacks, and the doctors had confided in him that it was unlikely that she would ever remember anything from that time. Her memories, like the public’s perception of Brenda Barrett-Jacks, were long dead and buried. The only memories she had now were those of Veronica Devereaux, and, from this point on, he planned to help make those new and happy memories more than enough to carry her through the rest of her life. He’d fill any possible void she might occasionally feel and make her believe that what they were beginning now together is what they had had always had together in the past. He’d fill her heart and her mind so full of happy memories of their time together that there would be no possible room for any memories of the woman she’d once been or the life she’d once lived or the man she’d once loved.

He felt her pull out of the embrace and he reluctantly let her go, despite a sudden, underlying fear that none of this was real and that when she backed away from him, they would be back where they had been just days before: she, sullen and withdrawn; and he, angry and frustrated by her distance and her disdain for him. But when he opened his eyes, he found her back at the railing, staring happily back at the stars, a contented smile on her face. It wasn’t a dream; this is real, he thought happily, smiling at her apparent contentment.

“You know,” she began, as her eyes slowly drifted from the heavens above to the sea below, “I have looked at this same view hundreds of times since you brought me here after the accident, but I don’t think I ever realized how beautiful it was until just now.” She turned around to face him. “And do you know why that is?” she asked, cocking her head to the side and gazing at him thoughtfully.

“No, why?” he asked, smiling as he realized that this was the first time in all the months since she’d regained consciousness that she had offered to share her thoughts or feelings with him.

“It’s because I’m beginning to feel comfortable here, like it’s really my home.”

“It is your home, Veronica - it always has been.”

“No, it was always your home, Armand. But it always felt like my prison -” she replied, quickly adding: “- until now… until right this minute… And I think it was because I never truly felt welcome here until now.”

“Not welcome?” he asked incredulously. “How could you not feel welcome when I opened my home to you - built my life around you - gave you everything money could buy! And there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t tell you how much I love you.”

“All of that’s true…” she conceded, nodding her head slowly in agreement. “… You’ve given me lots of ‘things’ and you tell me almost constantly that you love me, but your words and gestures always felt empty. I’ve never truly believed any of it until tonight…”

She stepped away from the railing and back toward him, reaching out and taking his hands in hers. She laughed softly as she looked down at their joined hands. “You know, up until just moments ago, even this small touch between us felt foreign and forced, but now it feels like the most natural thing in the world,” she said, smiling up at him sweetly. He reached to pull her back into his arms once again, but she pulled back away from him, quickly adding: “Please let me finish what I need to say.”

“Go ahead… I’m your captive audience,” he smiled down at her, his earlier resolve to wait to make love to her quickly dissolving. He’d simply fly out in the morning, he decided. The Angolan rebels could wait another few hours for the anti-aircraft missiles and the grenade launchers they so desperately wanted and needed. His needs and wants definitely trumped theirs at this moment. But her next comments quickly doused his passionate plans for the night…

“I want to thank you for not pressuring me to sleep with you tonight,” she said quietly. “You’re right: I’m not in love with you - at least, I don’t think I am… But I feel something more for you now - at this moment - than I have since I woke up after the accident.”

But you don’t love him; you’ve never loved him and you never will, her petulant heart challenged. He’s not the man in your dreams - or in your past.

“The fact that you are willing to wait for me to love you in return is what told me that you really do love me - that these aren’t simply words any more…” she added quickly, trying hard not to say aloud what her heart was whispering to her.

This man may love you, but he doesn’t love you the way *he* loves you, her heart steadfastly insisted. You were *his* whole life, and *he* was yours. Don’t give in and don’t give up… *He’s* out there…somewhere… Her heart began to race wildly at that thought.

She closed her eyes and sighed, the fingers of her right hand automatically moving to caress the treasured ring on her left hand. That simple movement immediately calmed her rapidly beating heart.

Armand was disappointed, though not surprised by her admission. Even though he knew that waiting to make love was the right thing to do, he’d still hoped that she would at least tell him that she wanted him now, but that was not the case. But that would not have marred his good mood in the least if she weren’t now fingering the pink sapphire ring that Jacks had given her.

That damn ring! The only thing linking the woman she was now to the woman she had been in the past was that ring on her finger, which she seemed to treasure more than anything Armand had given her. He hated that ring almost as much as he hated the man who had put that ring on her finger. And he knew that if anything could possibly trigger her memory of her life before, it would be that ring, and he couldn’t let that happen. Which meant that he had to replace that ring with one of his own as soon as possible.

Actually, her amazing change of heart toward him tonight coincided perfectly with his plans to replace the ring. In fact, this trip tonight was the first step in securing her a new ring - a diamond this time. The mercenaries he was meeting tomorrow night were using diamonds rather than money to pay for the weapons he was furnishing them. And he planned to take the most perfect of those diamonds and have it cut and set into the most exquisite engagement ring ever made and then he planned to give it to her the first time they made love. Before he’d come in to talk to her tonight, he figured it would be weeks, possibly months, before he’d have that chance. But after tonight, it looked like it wouldn’t be long at all before he was sliding her current ring off and slipping his own ring on in its place.

That would take care of the possibility of any memories connected to that ring or the man who gave it to her resurfacing any time in the future. And it would certainly take away the one last reminder for him also that she had ever loved another man before him.

But she doesn’t love you, his traitorous heart once again challenged. She may never love you, even if she never remembers Jacks.

She will, his head replied confidently; there’s never been a woman before her that you couldn’t melt with your charm, and now even she is finally beginning to respond. It’s only a matter of time now - and a very short time at that…

He looked down to see her stifling a yawn. “I was right - you did overdo today,” Armand scolded, reaching out to cradle her face in his hands.

“No, it’s just very late,” she replied, pointing to his watch, which read 11:45 p.m.

“So it is,” he sighed, pulling her back to him and kissing her softly, then cradling her tightly in his arms. “Then you’d better be going to bed and I’d better be getting ready to leave - although, I’d prefer that we were both going to bed together.” He felt her body tense at that. “Don’t worry… I know that you aren’t ready for that yet. And even if you were ready, we couldn’t. I told the pilot to be ready to take off at 1:00 a.m., and I still have several things to do before then.”

He bent down to kiss her again. “I have to be going now,” he whispered, as he reluctantly released her from his arms, then walked to the open French doors that led to back into her suite. He hesitated there, turning to look at her one last time before he left. “Things are finally changing between us now - getting better,” he smiled. “And when I get back I promise that they will continue to get better and better. I will make you happier than any man ever has in your life - I promise.”

She smiled and nodded in return as he finally turned and walked through her bedroom and out into the hall, closing the door behind him. It was only after the door was closed and she heard the echo of his footsteps down the hall and safely away from her room that the frozen smile finally left her face.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself against the balcony railing as she thought back over what she had just done. It had taken every ounce of strength she had to act so loving with him and to allow him to kiss and fondle her in return, and she knew all too well what he thought and expected of her now. The mere thought of that sent a shudder of dread through her body. She had just played an extremely dangerous game with an extremely dangerous man, and she hoped now that she would never have to make good on the promise that her words and actions had just implied. But she couldn’t worry about that now.

Right now she just had to concentrate on the opportunity that had just dropped into her lap. Armand was leaving for several days, and for the first time since she had been released from the clinic, she would be away from him for longer than a few hours. This was her chance to do a little investigating about her real past, not the past that Armand insisted they’d had together. Of course, she would still have Kirby to contend with, but she would think of a way to get away from him. She had to, otherwise she would be forced to spend the rest of her life tied to Armand, a man she knew in her heart that she had never loved, nor could ever love.

She’d been having those dreams more frequently now, and with each successive dream her doubts about her past with Armand had grown. But tonight, without even realizing it, Armand had erased all doubt from her mind about their past together - they had none.

I want the first time that we make love to be special and memorable for both of us, he’d said; not the first time we make love again, but the first time we make love… The first time… Whatever else Armand was to her, she was certain now that he was not the man who had been haunting her dreams and awakening her heart - the man she knew now she had loved in the past. The man whose mere dream touch sent shivers of delight through every cell of her body and made her heart soar to the very heavens above… The man she hoped and prayed was still out there somewhere, waiting for her…

But how to find him?

Despite dreaming of him night after night for weeks now, she had yet to see his face or even hear his voice. In her dreams no words were ever spoken between them, but the love they felt for one another was nevertheless unmistakable. He not only thrilled her body, but he completed her soul, as well, and she felt totally at peace with him in her dream world - a feeling she had yet to experience with Armand in this reality. She knew now that she couldn’t continue living this lie with Armand, whether or not she ever remembered her dream lover or anything of her former life.

Which meant she had to find a way to escape from this island and from him - and fast. This unexpected trip of his could not have come at a better time for her. And since this trip was not planned and Armand had mentioned that he would be tied up in negotiations most of the time, he would likely not have a lot of free time in which to call Kirby for an update on her. And he said the area was remote, which likely meant that communication would be by satellite phone only, so that would limit his phoning opportunities also. That likely meant that incoming calls to him would also be limited and difficult to receive, even important ones - like one telling him that she had disappeared.

Disappear… Armand had said he’d be gone a few days - a week at the most. That meant that tomorrow’s shopping trip to Nassau with Hattie was the only time she would be allowed off the island, making it the best chance she’d likely have to escape Armand Cordoba and this plastic bubble of lies he’d built around her.

And where will you go? a small voice inside her queried. You have no money of your own, no memories of living anywhere but here and the clinic, no knowledge that you really even are Veronica Devereaux, as Armand claims.

That was all true. She had no idea who she really was or where she would go or even how she would escape tomorrow; she only knew that she had to at least try to get away.

And if you fail…? that same voice wondered.

If she failed? Well… she simply couldn’t fail. In fact, she’d rather die trying to escape than fail and live. Because if she failed to make it away from Armand and his people she knew the consequences for her would be far worse than any death. Armand would make her life - or what life he would allow her to lead after that - a living hell, with him gleefully claiming what he felt had been rightfully his all along - her body and her soul.

“I’ll never allow that!” she defiantly declared, as she headed to her bathroom to wash his scent from her body for what she knew would be the very last time. She was escaping tomorrow or she’d die trying. Either way, he was never touching her again!

The tinkling of ice and a soft snoring from the back of the cabin were the only sounds permeating the Lear’s otherwise quiet cabin, as Armand shifted restlessly in his seat, gently shaking his half-empty glass of bourbon. He watched in bored fascination as the amber liquid lapped like miniature waves over the last remaining slivers of ice. The steady drone of the jet’s engines had lured Andrew and the rest of Armand’s security detail to sleep long ago, and even the steward had finally settled into his seat thirty minutes ago, after serving Armand his drink. Only Armand and the pilots remained awake now.

It was nearly 3:30 a.m. and Armand knew that he should be sleeping, too, since he had a very long day ahead of him. He still had several hours of travel by armored vehicle over very rough terrain once they landed, then negotiations beginning immediately upon arrival at the Angolan’s secluded base camp, but his mind would not surrender to the sleep that his body so desperately craved. Instead, his head and his heart were still racing with excitement at what had transpired between Veronica and him earlier in her suite.

His patience and recent leniency with her had finally paid off. She was beginning to show him the love and the respect he’d wanted from her all along. She was acting in reality like the fantasy he had always imagined. And best of all, she had no memories of who she really was or the man whom she had once loved; she would likely never remember that.

He smiled, relaxing then as the last of his worries about someday losing her to her past quickly dissolved, like the disappearing ice in his drink. When he returned from this trip, they’d finally make love. And when they did, he’d replace Jacks’s ring with his ring, and all that remained of Brenda Barrett-Jacks’s former life would finally be laid to rest once and for all. At last she would be completely his. He finally drifted off to sleep, certain that nothing and no one could stop that now.