Chapter 39 Into The Jungle

• I woke with a gasp, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. The last vestiges of the dream clung to me, a chilling premonition of darkness and danger despite the way Lachlan had put me to sleep. But now he was gone. I rolled over into his pillow which was cold beneath my cheek, the lingering scent of his cologne a cruel reminder of his absence.
• Panic clawed at the edges of my consciousness. Where was he? What was happening? I vaguely remembering that he'd received a message before he'd carried me to our room, the tension that had radiated from him unmistakable – it all pointed to something sinister, something I couldn’t ignore.
• I scrambled out of the sheets, pulling on shorts and t-shirt, my movements jerky and uncoordinated. The yacht was eerily silent other than the hum of the engines, the gentle rocking motion doing little to soothe my frayed nerves. I stumbled out of the study and into the corridor, my bare feet padding softly against the plush carpet.