Chapter 4 No One’s Coming, No One’s Safe
If rescue teams actually came to Shadow Island, it wouldn’t be used as a dumping ground for prisoners.
The island was far from any shipping lanes or mainland coastlines. The magnetic field here was unstable—geomagnetic storms struck often. Without a clear distress signal, no rescue team would risk coming to a place like this.
But that wasn’t even the main issue.
The truth was, that yacht explosion wasn’t some ordinary accident.
Lily continued explaining, “There were about five minutes between the fire and the explosion. The control room would’ve had time to send out a distress signal. According to the map, we were no more than 3,000 kilometers from shore. A plane could’ve arrived in 24 hours. A rescue ship, in about a week.”
Once again, I said, “Give it up. No one’s coming.”
Lily was smart—she didn’t argue. But her eyes were still full of doubt.
I broke it down for her. “Your cruise didn’t go down by accident. First of all, no cruise liner should ever come near Shadow Island. The magnetic interference, unpredictable currents, and hidden reefs make it a no-go zone for navigation. Second, look around. There’s barely any wreckage on the beach. That explosion was too powerful to be caused by fuel alone. Someone planted a bomb. Third, this place is Shadow Island—a dumping ground for prisoners. News about this place is deliberately suppressed. No one’s coming to rescue you.”
Lily went pale, her whole body tensing as she instinctively clung to my side.
As we walked, her chest kept brushing against my arm—soft, firm.
We moved deeper inland and stopped talking about the island.
But truthfully, the most terrifying thing about Shadow Island wasn’t the isolation.
It was the other prisoners.
I had no idea how many survivors were still out there.
But anyone who managed to survive here wasn’t going to be easy to deal with.
Those women who washed up here? They were like lambs dropped into a den of wolves.
Death might actually be the most merciful thing waiting for them.
I kept that thought to myself—no point scaring Lily into wetting herself.
We reached the edge of the forest. I stopped.
“All right. You’ve had your coconut. That’s enough. Don’t follow me anymore. Go find somewhere safe to rest. If you don’t, you might freeze to death tonight.”
Lily shook her head. “No. I’m not leaving you. Not unless a rescue team shows up.”
I sneered. “Why are you following me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll cut you into pieces and eat you?”
She flinched and backed away a couple of steps.
“Useless,” I muttered. “Get lost. I don’t need a burden like you dragging me down.”
“I can be useful!” Lily said quickly. “When you’re sleeping, I can keep watch so you can actually rest. When you’re feeling lonely, I can talk to you—keep your spirits up. And I can help you get back at Elsa! I’ll make her suffer more than death!”
Revenge on Elsa?
Now that got my attention.
Lily continued, “Those other women? They’re useless. All they do is yap. They don’t know how to survive on an island, and they’ll never work together.”
“Letting Elsa die of hunger or thirst would be too easy.”
She smiled and grabbed my hand. “If you take care of me, Elsa will lose her mind.”
I immediately understood what Lily was playing at.
In our mercenary and bounty hunter circles, there’s an old saying. You can get rich, but don’t let someone else get rich off your work.
Mercenaries have fought each other over bounties.
And women? Their jealousy and hatred may not spill blood—but it cuts far deeper.
Lily leaned into me, her voice soft. “Maybe the rescue team really isn’t coming. A weak woman like me… surviving alone out here is impossible. But you, alone, on this island? The loneliness will eat you alive. One day, you won’t even have anyone to talk to. You’ll lose your mind.”
Her cheeks flushed as she pressed against my shoulder. “Please… take me with you. I can’t make it on my own. Just think of me as your companion—your pet. I’m way better than a pet. I can talk to you… and I can sleep with you.”
I looked at Lily—her beautiful face, her body.
After a moment of hesitation, I finally nodded.
“I’m going to find more food,” I told her. “You go back to the coconut trees and gather as many big leaves as you can. We’ll need them when we rest tonight. It’ll be dark in two hours. Don’t go far. We’ll meet back here before sundown.”
Lily nodded and ran off to gather leaves.
I went to search for food again.
I didn’t have any tools—just my hands. So I had to gather anything remotely edible by foraging.
Lily had wanted more coconuts, but I refused.
“No. We’re saving them.”
She looked surprised. “Why?”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
