Nico

Nico knew something was wrong when he couldn't get the motor started on his small boat. He just had the damn thing docked and serviced last week. The chances of it needing maintenance again after just being fixed were slim to none. He had collected his soil samples and was barely going to make it in before the storm hit. When the strange boat showed up, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Nico worried it was too soon to bring Toni back to town. Zac must have heard Toni had taken control of her father's company through the local media. They had been hounding her for weeks now since she had her news conference that she was alive and fighting for control of the company in Zac's absence. Nico wanted to be supportive of her jumping right in and going after what she wanted, but now her life was in danger. Hell, they were both in danger and he was sure that it had just caught up to him.

"You look like you could use some help." The man's smile was forced and didn't touch his eyes.

"I think I've got things under control, but thanks," Nico said. He didn't turn his back on the guy, not wanting to give him a chance of taking him by surprise.

"Well, from the looks of things, it's good timing I was just coming by. This storm's going to be a crazy beast. I think she's gonna blow back at us. Why not let me take you back to shore and then we can send a tow out for your craft?" Nico knew there was no way he was going to get on the guy's boat. He was pretty sure he'd be signing his death sentence if he did.

"I sure am lucky that you were just happening by," Nico said, eyeing the impressive size of the man on the next boat. Zac wasn't taking any chances. He sent someone who not only looked the part but was about the same size as Nico, which wasn't any small feat.

The guy shrugged, going for nonchalant, and pushed his jacket back over his hip holster, letting Nico know he was armed. "I'd really like for you to get into my boat, Mr. Andrews. I'm sure your pretty little woman wants to see you again."

"Fuck," Nico swore. He all but launched himself at the stranger. "What the fuck did you do to her?" he growled.

The asshole dared to laugh, "She's totally safe with Mr. Bierman, but she won't stay that way if you give me any trouble." Nico quickly weighed through his options and saw only one clear-cut one—he had to get to Toni. He wouldn't let Zac hurt her, and if that meant putting himself in harm's way, he'd do that and so much more. Toni was his life, and the thought of Zac laying one finger on her made him half-crazy with rage.

"Fine," he barked, stepping over onto the man's small boat. "But if anything happens to Toni, I'm going to fucking kill you and Zac," he growled. The asshole just chuckled again and pushed him down on a seat. He threw Nico a pair of handcuffs.

"Here, put these on and shut the fuck up," the guy barked. He seemed to be enjoying the whole exchange and Nico fought the urge to take him down. He also knew this creep was the only way he'd find where Zac was holding Toni. Nico would let him believe he had the upper hand. The more confident he was, the more mistakes he would make, and Nico would be waiting to take his chance.

Nico woke up blindfolded with his head throbbing. He wasn't sure what happened, but from the pulsing pain in his left temple, his supposed new friend had knocked him out. So much for his friendly rescue.

"Wakey, wakey," a voice growled, and Nico tried to move his arms to pull off his blindfold he realized he was bound to a chair.

"What the fuck is happening?" Nico growled. He hated feeling helpless and he knew the longer it took for him to find Toni, the more chance he gave Zac to disappear with her. Zac had the money and the power to take Toni and leave the Isle of Palms, and Nico would never see her again.

"Well, lover boy, we had a little pit stop to make before your big reunion with your girl." His blindfold was removed, and he blinked against the dim light in the room to find the guy from the boat standing in front of him.

Nico studied the room and realized they were in his office. Heather was slumped over her desk in the corner and Nico gasped from fear that she was dead.

"What did you do to Heather?" he barked. The man standing in front of him just laughed, as if he found Nico's anger amusing.

"Don't worry, your sweet little assistant is just fine. She's sleeping off the sedative I gave her. She did put up a struggle." The man's mean smile was in place. "I love a woman with a little fire to her," he growled.

Nico fought against his bindings, hoping he'd work them loose. He hated how his and Toni's problems were now affecting his friends. He wondered why Heather was back at the office. When he left her this morning, she was heading home sick from a fever. Nico thought Jace would see her safely home. The asshole standing in front of him was right about one thing, Heather was a fighter, and she was going to give him shit about the trouble he caused her.

"If you hurt her—" He paused, knowing he was in no position to make any threats.

"You'll what?" the man challenged. He walked over to the corner of the room to where Heather's body lay slumped over her desk and ran his dirty hand down her back. Nico noticed her breathing pick up and realized she might be waking up. He hoped Heather would come out of it soon, she was his only chance.

"Why don't we talk about the plan here?" Nico growled. He wanted to get the guy's attention back onto him and off Heather.

"Well," the man said, crossing the room to stand in front of Nico again, "the plan is that you sign these papers, and then I'll let you and your pretty assistant go." He held up what looked like a contract in his hands and Nico was afraid to ask his next question.

"What exactly are those?" he asked, already knowing the answer. James had tried to pay Nico off, even sending him contracts to sign, for him and his research team to cease and desist after a pre-disclosed amount was deposited into their research fund. Nico, of course, never took James up on his offer. It was crazy to think that the whole time James Bernston was trying to pay him off and run him out of town, Nico was living with his daughter and didn't even know it.

"That kind of information is above my pay grade," the guy barked. "I was told that you either sign these, or I get to find inventive ways to persuade you. I'm guessing that you wouldn't want any harm to come to your assistant—Heather, was it?" The man looked over to where he left Heather, only to find an empty seat.

"Yeah, she's awake, asshole," Nico barked. "I was just keeping you busy while my crafty assistant found the gun you left lying on the counter by the door." Nico made a tisking sound and shook his head.

"Hands in the air, asshole," Heather growled. Nico couldn't hide his triumphant smile. She was a handful. Heather shoved the barrel of the gun into the guy's back, driving home her point. "Get on your knees, hands laced behind your head, and don't fucking move," she barked.

Nico laughed. "Wow, Heather. This is a whole new side to you I've never seen before," he teased.

She shrugged and used the handcuffs she found on the guy's belt to cuff him. "I watch a lot of cop shows in my spare time," she said. "I seem to have a lot of that lately—spare time." Nico knew she was still sore at Jace, and he made a mental note to question his friend about that later. Right now, he needed to get free from his bindings and find his girl.

"Cut me loose, Heather," Nico growled. He needed to persuade their guest to tell him where Toni was being held, otherwise it would take him too long to search the island. His gut sank at the thought of Zac taking her off the Isle of Palms. Nico might never find her then.

Heather found his fishing knife to cut him loose and he took the gun from her shaking hands. "It's all right, Heather," he soothed. "I've got it now." She nodded and took a step back from him to find his chair. She seemed a little groggy from the sedative she was given, and he knew she probably still wasn't feeling well.

"Sorry, boss," she mumbled. "I got into a fight with Jace and walked back here from the beach. I fell asleep at my desk, and I woke up to find this asshole standing over me." She motioned to their assailant and shrugged as if the whole thing wasn't a big deal.

"You weren't supposed to be here," he barked at her. "You put yourself in danger over a little argument with Jace? You were supposed to be at home, in bed with a fever, Heather." Nico could feel his anger boiling up, but he needed to remember they had bigger problems right now—namely finding Toni.

"Call the police," Nico ordered. He hated to ask her for anything, but he knew it was only a matter of time before Zac figured out Nico got the upper hand, and his plan wasn't going quite as he hoped. He didn't want Zac to panic and do something stupid; Nico would never forgive himself if that happened.

He knew his window was closing fast before the police would show up and drag off his only link to Toni. "Where is she?" Nico growled. The idiot had the nerve to just smile up at him as if he didn't give a shit about Nico's anger or desperation to find Toni.

"And why should I tell you? I'm already going to jail, and we both know my employer has ties far and wide. I'm no safer in jail than on the streets if I tell you where to find your girl." He looked Nico up and down as if sizing him up and he couldn't help but stand a little taller. Nico knew he was a big guy. Heck, Toni was always telling him that he didn't fit the mold of a scientist, but he would just take her words as praise and move on. Now, with the way this goon was looking him over as if he was suddenly intimidated by him, Nico found a whole new angle to work. He punched the guy in the jaw, eliciting a groan from him. His hand hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but he wouldn't let on about that.

"You want to keep this up until the cops get here, or do you want to save us both some time and effort?" Nico questioned. Heather watched from the corner of the room, fear clouded her eyes and Nico hated she had to see him this way.

"Heather, go out to the beach and find Jace and Oliver. I don't want you here for this next part. It might get a little messy." Heather gasped and shook her head. "Go," he barked. Heather jumped and yelped, and Nico hated himself for making her feel that way. She was one of his closest friends, almost like a sister to him, and the way she was looking at him made his gut hurt. But he couldn't show her any gentleness, needing to keep up the fa?ade of being a badass, rather than an easy-going scientist. Nico watched Heather round the corner and waited to hear the screen door slam shut before he pushed up his sleeves and plastered the meanest face he could muster into place.

"Let's get started. I'm hoping the local authorities hit a little traffic, giving us some extra time together. I think you and I will find we have a lot to discuss." Nico cringed when he thought about how badly his knuckles were going to hurt in the morning, but right now he needed to get answers.

He pulled the guy up from his chair, so he was almost eye level with him, and landed another punch on his jaw. He threw two more consecutive punches, landing in about the same place, and stopped when he heard the guy's jaw crack. If Nico had to guess, he had just broken the idiot's jaw. He took a step back, letting the pain of a broken jaw sink in.

"I'd love not to make you too ugly for your mugshot," Nico growled. "How about we revisit the whole you just tell me where my woman is, thing?" The guy didn't smile at him this time. Nico was pretty sure that would be impossible, given the state of his broken bones. He groaned and Nico let him slump back down into his chair.

"You let me go. Don't press charges, and I'll tell you." He spat blood onto the floor and Nico wanted to hit him again. He knew he was taking a chance, trusting someone who kidnapped him at gunpoint, but he also knew he had no better options.

"Fine," he growled. "I'll let you go just as soon as you tell me where Zac is holding my fiancée." Nico wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not. He wanted to get the information and then hand the asshole over to the authorities, letting him go didn't seem like a viable option.

The guy shook his head as if disgusted by the whole situation. "I have no reason to trust you, but I've got nothing to lose," he spat. "She's being held at Bierman's childhood beach cottage. It's about a mile and a half from here, just off Sand Dune Lane. It's the only house still left out there, you won't be able to miss it, right on the beach." Nico could tell it took all the guy's effort to talk, given the way his speech was slurred, and his jaw didn't seem to function properly.

Nico took off for the back door, knowing that his ATV would get him down the beach, without the trouble of traffic. It might also give him the element of surprise, showing up by beach access, rather than driving up the road. If Zac was smart, and he was proving to be, he would be watching for Nico. He needed every element of surprise he could think of if he was going to get to Toni before it was too late.

"Hey, what about me?" the guy whined from the front office. Nico almost found it funny that the poor sap trusted him.

"I'm sure you'll get lucky, and someone will be passing by soon. Maybe you can hitch a ride in their boat," Nico yelled back. He left the house to a chorus of curses and sirens from the authorities getting closer to his house.

Nico turned the corner to find Jace holding Heather against his body, whispering to her. The sight of them had him pull up short of jumping on his ATV and heading up the beach to Toni.

"The cops are almost here. He's holding her out at the Sand Dunes, at the old cottage on the beach," Nico shouted over his shoulder. "Have them meet me there," he said to Jace. His friend nodded to him and released Heather. Jace took her hand and led her up the back steps and disappeared into his house. He breathed a sigh of relief that Heather was safe, it could have all gone so differently. He just hoped he would be that lucky with Toni because losing her wasn't an option.