Stolen Hope (Dragonfly Creek #1)

Prologue

Hope

I only have forty-five minutes at the most, so I have to move fast, and Bellamy is in a mood. I’ve thought about this day so many times, worked through the choreography of fleeing obsessively in my head.

But there are too many cameras around the property to practice any of it for real.

So I have to hope that my math is perfect. That when Derek notices that I’m putting Bellamy in the car, he’s far enough away that he can’t get back to us.

And hope that he doesn’t notice anything odd before that.

If I’m lucky, I’ll get a bit of a buffer in the critical minutes when I put her in a few extra layers of clothing, then yank on a pair of shorts and my favourite linen skirt over my own leggings. I can’t risk packing a bag, but maybe he won’t notice if we’re a little padded as we head out the door.

If he does manage to intervene before I get to the ferry, I’ll pretend that I was going to the store, and I’ll have to pray that he’s merciful when he drags us back here.

But I don’t have faith in that working out.

The aching bruise on my side is the only reminder I need that it has to be right now.

And if I get us off this island, I’m never looking back.

“We’re going to the store, Bella,” I manage to say evenly. “Do you want to bring one of your stuffies?”