Chapter One

G et into character, Gina. You’re a fighter, a warrior, and this is your moment to save the world.

God, she loved these scenes. Deeply immersed in the role, her thoughts became the character’s thoughts. She was now Melissa—archaeologist and adventurer, prepared for the battle to come, only needing the director’s cue to spring into fight mode.

Funny how much of the real her was like this character, how closely her own thoughts mirrored those of this feisty adventuress. This was one of the easiest roles she’d ever played.

“And, action!”

She glanced around the stone keep, at the priceless artifacts on the walls. “You know, Rorg, I understand the allure of cashing in on all these treasures. But the difference between you and me is that I have scruples, and you have none. You take from the past and use it for gain in the future. I can appreciate its beauty, its history, but I could never remove anything that doesn’t belong in our time.”

“And that’s why you fail, my dear Melissa,” he said, taking one step closer.

Lost in the fantasy, she backed up against the stone wall, realizing she had only two choices: Die or jump. One misstep and she would be impaled on her opponent’s sword. But she hadn’t come here to lose.

She hated to lose.

The tip of Rorg’s sword was pointed at her heart. It was a life-or-death moment. Hers. The next step would decide. She had only a second to think because the time warp was unstable. If she didn’t kill Rorg soon and get the hell out of there, she’d be forever lost in a century that wasn’t hers.

“Make your choice, bitch. I don’t have all day.”

Her lips curled in a sneer. She refused to show fear to this barbarian, this monster who had killed without remorse. “Gee, and I thought I’d have time to get a manicure first.”

Decision made, she leaped from the stairs and landed with a thud on the cold stone floor, then made a mad dash for the broadsword hanging on the wall. Lifting it off with both hands, she whipped around, swinging just as Rorg caught up with her. He sidestepped her attack, laughing at her.

“If that’s the best you can do, this won’t take long at all.”

“Oh, but I was just warming up.” Arrogant asshole. Keep on thinking I’m just a weak woman and no match for you. Lots of now-dead men thought the same thing.

Her breath blew white smoke in the early dawn, the chill still lingering despite the quickly rising sun. The torches flickered, trembling as she rushed past. She scrunched her shoulders then relaxed them again, hefting the sword up with one hand and leveling it in Rorg’s direction. Excitement drove her. She loved being in battle again. She lived for these moments.

He nodded appreciatively, obviously having assumed she’d never be able to hoist the heavy broadsword with one arm.

“You have strength, I’ll give you that. But it won’t help. You’re an amateur, a little girl playing a game reserved for grown men.”

“If only I had a dollar for every time I heard that one,” she said, grasping the sword with both hands and swinging it in a half-circle toward Rorg’s middle. His sword met hers and the clash of steel against steel reverberated as the time warp sizzled, transporting them back and forth between ancient times and present day, between a fully functional castle and ruins. Momentarily distracted, their swords locked at the hilt, Rorg looked around at the constantly changing landscape. Gina used that moment to backhand him, then kick him in the stomach with the heel of her boot. He grunted and stumbled back, but managed to maintain his balance.

Too bad.

Rage turned his face a mottled red. He roared and dove toward her, his hands pulled in to his chest and his sword pointed dead-on. She stepped back, then lunged forward as he retreated. A game of thrust and parry ensued, a seemingly civilized match of fencing fought with medieval broadswords that had been used by highlanders to forge their freedoms. She fought for freedom, too, to free the past from a devil of the future before it was too late and all their lives were irrevocably altered.

“You won’t win, bitch,” Rorg spat, hatred sharing space with the madness glowing in his dark eyes. “The time portal was my secret, my wealth. Everything would have been mine if you’d just left it alone.” He punctuated his sentences with each slice of his sword. “Why—didn’t—you—die?”

“Because I enjoy tormenting you too much, Rorg,” she replied, leaping from the ground to a long wooden table as he swung repeatedly at her knees. The loud whoosh of steel slicing air was the only sound in the quiet void between past and present.

She jumped over and over again, avoiding the blade. Her leg muscles burned, the heavy boots and sword taking their toll. But she refused to give up. She was the world’s only hope. “You won’t win. I won’t let you destroy the people I love.”

Sweat poured from her brow, the leather she wore growing warmer as the sun arched higher. The waves of the portal shimmered like silvery heat on blacktop road. There wasn’t much time and she needed the element of surprise. Crouching as if in defeat, she waited for his at tack. When he drew close enough, she twisted around and swung upward with all her might, slicing his sword arm. His eyes widened and he dropped the weapon. Without sparing a second’s hesitation she went in for the kill, leaping from the table and slamming her boots into his chest.

He went down like a bull elephant, his body hitting the ground with a loud thud and sending up a cloud of dust from the floor. Before he could gather his wits she jammed the blade downward, rendering his fighting arm useless. He screamed in pain and reached for his sleeve, a crimson trail flooding his white shirt. With one booted heel she pinned his throat and pointed the sword at his black heart.

“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate to be called ‘bitch’?” She affected a deep sigh and said, “I’m afraid you’ll have to die for that, Rorg.”

“Cut! Print! That’s a wrap, folks. Great job, Gina, Bob.”

Heaving rapid breaths to fuel her lungs, she was lost in this moment, in the action, the adventure, the pure thrill of besting an opponent. She barely registered the director’s words.

“Gina. Wanna get your foot off my neck?”

She looked down at the strangled voice of her nemesis, remembering that this was a movie scene. Rorg was the character Bob played, not her real opponent. And she was crushing his larynx with her boot.

“Oh. Sorry, Bob.” She blinked and forced reality to once again enter her mind, lifting her foot and holding out her hand. He grinned, grasped her palm, and leapt to his feet.

“You scare me sometimes, Gina,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “I think you enjoy this aspect of your work a little too much. But great job kicking ass.”

“You know me, Bob. I live for the action scenes. And right back at ya on the ass-kicking.”

Bob walked away and Gina rested her hands on her hips, breathing heavily. Exhilarated as always after a battle scene, she fought to keep from jumping up and down like a hyperactive child. The shot had gone better than she expected, the last retake they needed to wrap this picture. Josie, her assistant, hurried over with a bottle of water and a towel. Gina wiped the sweat from her face, dying to take a shower and wash off the thick glop of makeup they’d applied at the ungodly hour of three o’clock this morning.

“David, you need me for anything else?” She loved working for David Beasley. He knew how much she enjoyed doing action films and always called on her for the grueling ones.

“We’re done here, babe,” he shouted across the room. “I’ll call you later for dailies.”

Heaving a sigh and wishing he’d asked for another take, she headed to her trailer, grinning when she found her agent, Dee Hastings, waiting inside. “Hey, Dee! What’s up?”

“My blood pressure,” Dee replied with a grimace, shrugging out of her suit jacket. “It always goes up when I see swords swinging in your direction, or when I have to watch you poised to jump off a cliff, or when three beefy stuntmen are set to beat the shit out of you.”

“Aww, come on, those are the parts I like,” Gina teased, breezing by with a kiss to Dee’s cheek.

“That’s what scares me,” Dee said, following her into the bedroom of the trailer. As Gina peeled off the now-sweaty leather and tossed it on a pile near the door, Dee flopped into a chair and smoothed the fine blond hairs away from her face. “You’re going to give me gray hair. You’re going to make me old before my time. My star, my moneymaker, taking risks like you do. You make me crazy, girl.”

Laughing, Gina slipped on a robe, sat on the bed, and began to loosen the braid holding her hair. “I know what I’m doing, Dee. You know my background. You know what I’m capable of.”

“I also know what you’re worth. What if something happens to you during one of those crazy action scenes?”

“You afraid of losing your fifteen percent?”

Gina looked up at Dee’s silence. Uh-oh. She’d hurt her feelings. She could tell by the furrows on Dee’s forehead. Why did she always do that? Why didn’t she think before she spoke? She’d known Dee for fifteen years. Dammit.

“I think you know better than that, Gina. I care about you.”

Shit. That caring thing, that need for people to want to get close to her. “I’m sorry, Dee. Of course you do. I don’t know why I said that.”

“It’s okay. You’ve had a long day.”

Crisis resolved. Gina resumed unbraiding her hair, grateful she didn’t need to do more groveling than necessary. She had to be careful what she said around Dee. Some people were so sensitive. Especially Dee, who’d taken it upon herself to act as Gina’s mother figure. Whatever. She didn’t need a mother, hadn’t needed one since her own disappeared. Since she was eight years old she’d done just fine without one.

She shook her hair out and grabbed a brush to begin the untangling. Lord, she needed a shower. And a really big breakfast.

“You have to realize you are the number one female action movie star right now,” Dee continued. “And there are plenty of stuntwomen out there who can do the risky stuff so you don’t have to.”

Gina paused and laid the brush in her lap, blinking innocently. “Then what would be the fun of doing movies, Dee?”

Dee rolled her eyes. “You could make a fortune doing a love story, you know. With your face, that mouth, that body…God, the roles I could get for you.”

Gina scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue. “Blech. I don’t do romance.”

“Don’t I know it. The tabloids keep printing rumors that you’re gay.”

Gina snorted. “Like I care what they print.”

“You could try dating once in a while. Or, God forbid, you could have an actual relationship.”

Gina’s eyes widened. “Now you are scaring me, Dee. I’d rather kick a guy’s ass than kiss it, thanks.” Men were so…complicated, so difficult to figure out. No, she didn’t have time for those kinds of problems. As arm candy, fine. The occasional sex release? Definitely. As permanent relationships or, heaven forbid, husbands? Forget it. She’d rather lose a limb.

“It wouldn’t hurt you to let someone get close,” Dee grumbled.

Yeah. Because that had worked so well for her in the past. “I like my life the way it is. It works fine for me.”

Dee looked like she wanted to argue the point further, but at Gina’s warning glance, she shrugged and said, “Fine. And speaking of asses to kick, that’s why I’m here. I have an offer for you. A reality show.”

Gina scooted back against the headboard. “Are you insane? First off, I never do television. Second, I need a vacation. I’ve done back-to-back pictures over the past two years. I need a break.”

Dee tilted her head and offered a secretive smile. “That’s what I thought you’d say. And typically I wouldn’t have even brought it up. But this is right up your alley. Tropical island, lots of weaponry. It’s called Surviving Demon Island. Contestants try to ‘kill’ demons hiding on an island. Last one standing without being taken out by a demon wins. And not only do the winners get money, but there’s also a contribution for charity, for that new worldwide relief fund for children.”

“I like that charity. They’ve been doing great things. Okay, so you’ve sparked my interest. Who’s doing it?”

“Some new start-up production company. Checked them out and they sound good.”

Despite her utter exhaustion at the breakneck pace she’d led the past couple years, the thought of getting away from it all on a tropical island and playing with weapons at the same time held quite an appeal. She wasn’t the type to sit back and sip mai tais on a beach. Vacation to her was a trek through the jungle or scaling a mountain or soaring down rapids. God forbid she should have some actual downtime. She liked to stay busy, and something like this might be fun. “Who else is going to be there?”

Dee reached into her briefcase and pulled out a manila envelope, drawing out papers. Scanning the top sheet, she said, “Actually, it looks like you’re the Hollywood draw, but they’ve invited people with backgrounds in martial arts, weaponry, and extreme sports.”

“No other Hollywood types? Really? Oh, hell. I thought you meant a bunch of spoiled actors who’d cry if they broke a nail or a sweat.” She grabbed the sheet from Dee and scanned it, then handed it back to Dee. “Sounds like a blast. Sign me up.”

Arching a brow, Dee said, “I thought you said you wanted a vacation.”

Pointing to the contract, Gina said, “That is my vacation!”

 

A few weeks later, Gina peered out the porthole of the ship, bound for some undisclosed island where filming of the reality show would take place. The producers had shrouded everything under a veil of secrecy, requiring her to sign a confidentiality agreement. She couldn’t bring anyone with her or tell a soul where she was headed. No cell phones and no contact with the outside world. As far as Gina knew the press wasn’t aware of what was going on or where, and she hadn’t seen anyone other than the production company’s limo driver who picked her up at the airport and the lone crewman who’d escorted her on-board the ship. As soon as she arrived she’d been taken to a rather plain cabin and told to wait there until she was summoned.

All very dramatic, but then what did she expect? So typical for the industry. But her career fed her love of action and adventure and her chance to escape reality and become someone else. If she didn’t have her career, life would be dull, dull, dull.

She took the opportunity to shower away the grunge from the long flight and change into a sundress, grateful not to have a makeup, hair, and clothing assistant trailing behind her. Staring into the mirror, she applied minimal makeup and brushed her hair until the sable strands shimmered, braiding and securing it with a single band at the bottom. Then she slipped on a pair of flat sandals and checked her reflection, hoping she projected a casual image, like an average person on vacation. She didn’t want to look Hollywood, nor did she want to tip her hand and show up in full battle gear. Best to remain neutral until she had a chance to assess the competition.

Competition. Her blood damn near sizzled in her veins in anticipation of what was to come.

Finally satisfied, she pronounced herself ready, figuring if they were going to do actual filming today they would have given her a makeup and hair schedule. Or if she was really lucky and this was like some of the other reality shows, there’d be no beautifying of the contestants, which she’d much prefer over the glamour.

The funny thing was, she was actually nervous. Put her in a room with her peers, and she was fine. But these people were different. They weren’t actors or anyone else from the film industry. They were unknowns. Regular people. People who enjoyed the same things she did. Sports, weaponry, danger, and excitement. She couldn’t wait to meet them. But she was still anxious as hell about it.

She turned at a knock on the door, opening it to the tall, thin crewman who’d escorted her there earlier. He stared at her with a bland expression on his gaunt face.

“Morning, miss. They’ve asked for everyone to come up on deck now.”

Gina nodded and followed him up the stairs and onto the top deck. A group of about twenty people had already assembled at the other end of the wide stern, so she headed in their direction. Heads turned as she approached. She was used to being stared at, but their looks were more of curiosity rather than of fans who’d caught a glimpse of their favorite star. They were all probably wondering what an actress was doing on this adventure. Maybe they thought she was there to pull in ratings and nothing more. Most people didn’t bother to look beyond the surface of her press bio.

Good. Let them wonder. Wouldn’t be the first time people misjudged her.

An older gentleman approached her. Rather distinguished looking, he carried himself with an air of confidence. His thick, wavy, almost white hair was swept back off his well tanned face, his dark, penetrating eyes were almost black, and his gentle smile put her immediately at ease. “Gina, I’m Louis, your host.”

Noting the slight British accent, she shook his hand, recognizing his name from the public relations packet. “Good morning, Louis. Thank you for inviting me.”

“We’re delighted you agreed to participate. Let me introduce you to a few of the others.”

He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and walked her over to a small group gathered near a table of coffee and breakfast foods. “Everyone, I’m sure Gina Bliss from Los Angeles needs no introduction, as her films are known worldwide. Gina, these are some of your competitors. Olivia is from San Francisco, Ryder hails from Texas, Jake is from New York, Shay is from Georgia, and Trace is our Australian. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to get to know everyone more thoroughly on the two-day sail to the island. For starters, help yourself to something to eat and drink.”

Gina smiled and greeted the group. There were others, too, so many names she knew she’d never remember them all. As Louis walked away, her gaze caught a man who stood back from the crowd. Someone Louis hadn’t introduced her to.

Dressed in a black sleeveless shirt, black fatigue pants, and lace-up military-style boots, he leaned against the railing and surveyed the group, a lazy, bored expression on his face. A gray wisp of smoke from a fat cigar trailed circles into the pristine air above his dark head.

He was gorgeous. Not that Gina usually noticed that kind of thing. She was surrounded by men more beautiful than she on a daily basis. But this guy had a rugged, ugly beauty. Manly. A stubble of beard covered his square jaw and his nose looked a bit crooked. His eyes were a stormy gray, his brows a little too thick. If she had to cast him in a role in a movie he’d probably be the bad guy.

She always loved the bad guys.

It was his lack of absolute perfection that made him look so damn…perfect. Maybe she’d been surrounded by the pretty boys too long and craved a real man for a change.

“Hot, isn’t he?”

Gina turned to the petite blonde who had moved next to her, her face all big blue eyes, full lips, and white teeth. When she spoke, it was pure southern accent.

“I’m Shay,” the woman said, sliding her hand into Gina’s.

Gina shook Shay’s hand. “Great to meet you. And yes, he is.” She turned away from Mr. Dark and Gorgeous and focused on Shay so she wouldn’t look like she was obviously drooling over the man. “So who is he?”

Shay shrugged. “Don’t know. He’s been watching all of us but hasn’t come by and introduced himself yet.”

“Interesting.”

“Very,” another female voice said. A beautiful woman with golden eyes and raven hair spoke to them in a quiet, gravelly voice. “I’m Olivia.”

Gina grinned. “Nice to meet you, Olivia. So, not much has changed in the world of women over the centuries, has it?”

“Hell, no,” Shay said. “This ship is filled with some seriously good-looking men. We can’t help it if we look.”

“I’m just sizing up the competition,” Olivia said with a shrug.

“Uh-huh,” Gina replied with a smirk. She suddenly felt like a teenager ogling the cute boys at the school dance. Of course when she was a teenager she hadn’t gone to the school dances, so she’d never had a chance to check out the boys. When other girls were busy primping for proms, she was already in front of the camera, her acting career taking off.

Never too late to make up for lost time, right? She slanted a glance at the man in black, then mentally cursed when his lips curled in a slight smile. He’d caught her looking.

She had the ridiculous urge to smooth back her hair, stick out her chest, and lick her lips. How old was she, any way? Thirteen? Instead, she tried to affect a casual, non committal pose.

Honestly. She wasn’t here to hunt down a guy. She was after a prize.

First place.

And that was all she was here for.

But then the man in black pushed off the railing and started toward them with all the predatory grace of a tiger on the prowl. Her heart lodged in her throat and her pulse kicked up a few more notches.

What was wrong with her, anyway?

“He’s coming over here, and he’s looking right at you,” Shay said.

“He is not,” she whispered.

“Shay’s right,” Olivia said. “He’s zeroed in on you like radar, Gina.”

Gina looked at Shay and Olivia and shook her head, suddenly speechless.

He chewed on the cigar like he had some kind of oral fixation. She would not keep looking at his mouth, even if he did have lips too full for a man. Lips made to do wicked things to a woman’s body. Soft lips, despite the scratchy stubble surrounding them.

Shit.

“Let me introduce you to Derek Marks,” Louis said, coming up behind them. “Derek works for me. He’ll be helping me run the competition.”

“Mornin’, ladies,” Derek said, pulling the cigar out of his mouth. “I’ll be training you, running the competition, and making sure you follow the rules. Think of the island as boot camp and I’m your drill sergeant. I’ll watch you sunrise to sundown, teach you how to defeat the demons, make sure you’re in prime physical shape for battle, and kick your butts every time you fall. But the rewards if you succeed will be great. In short, I’ll be both your heaven and your hell.”

When his gaze shot to her, Gina felt a spark of heat sizzle from her belly and straight south. An achy, uncomfortable feeling of awareness.

A girly, feminine feeling.

And she didn’t like it one damn bit.

Derek tilted his head and studied the dark-haired beauty, dying to tell her exactly how much fun he had in store for her—for all of them. But Lou would kick his ass if he revealed too much too soon.

“Heaven and hell, huh?” Gina replied. “I think we can handle it.”

“You have no idea,” Derek said, grudgingly impressed with the proud upward tilt of her chin. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she fed off the challenge.

He liked a woman with some spunk, one who was unafraid to take a risk. Admittedly, when Lou told him Gina Bliss was one of the competitors, his first thought was smoke and mirrors—Hollywood style. All fluff and no action. Lou assured him he was wrong about her.

Maybe he was, and then again maybe he wasn’t. Time would tell. One thing was certain, though. Just looking at her made his dick hard. Even flanked by two gorgeous women, she stood out like a sparkling diamond in the middle of a sea of coal. He’d thought the movie posters and big screen were makeup and airbrushing.

He was wrong. In person, devoid of makeup and glamour, she still took his breath away. Her eyes were an unusual turquoise blue, her lashes naturally black and long enough to almost touch her brows. The bridge of her nose was sprinkled with freckles, something the camera didn’t show, but gave her a regular-girl look he found way too damn appealing.

Her body was a tight little package of curves, from her generous breasts to her narrow waist and full hips to her long legs and shapely calves. Her body was damn near perfect. Wisps of warm sable hair had escaped her braid and blew in the gentle breeze, sweeping against her face. She ignored them. He wanted to grab the tendrils and see if they felt as soft as they looked.

“So, is this part of the game? Trying to scare the little women into quitting before the first day?” she challenged.

Her smoky voice drifted over him like a teasing caress, making him think of tangled sheets, sweaty bodies, and sex. And it had been too damn long since he’d thought about a woman that way. For far too many months his days and nights had been spent in other pursuits. He was long overdue for some action and his sex drive had just sat up and taken notice of one very prime, very attractive female.

“I’m not trying to scare anyone, darlin’. I’m just telling it like it is. It has nothing to do with your sex. The men will hear the same thing from me, so don’t get your gender in a twist.”

“What Derek lacks in social refinement he more than makes up for in battle skills,” Lou said, shooting him a warning glance.

Derek shrugged. “Hey, I’m not here to make friends. This isn’t a popularity contest and it isn’t politics. It’s survival. It’s li—”

“Right,” Lou interrupted. “It’s a reality show where survival means winning.”

Shit. He’d almost said life and death. Lou’s timely interruption reminded him it wasn’t yet time for revelations. Those would come soon enough.

“If you’ll excuse us?” Lou said, motioning Derek away from the others.

Derek followed him down the stairs and into Lou’s office.

“You’ve really got to be more careful,” Lou said as soon as he shut the door.

“Sorry.” Derek sat at the table and stabbed out his cigar. “Damn hard not to sit them all down and spell it out for them.”

Lou took a seat across from him and folded his hands in front of him. “We’ve been over this. We have to take it slow. Let them get a feel for the setup, for each other, first. Let them hunt. See what they’ve got.”

“From the looks of them, not much.”

“I could have said much the same about you when you first arrived,” Lou reminded him, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms.

Derek laughed. “Okay, point taken. But I’m a fast learner and I had a good reason for hunting.”

“So will they, once they’re told.”

“I don’t know, Lou. I’m worried. We have a lot of ground to cover in a very short period of time. And while these new folks are all competent and athletic on paper, I’m not sure they can handle it.”

“They can handle it. I know they can. Are they as good as you and the others at this moment? Of course not. Will they be at some point? Yes, I think they will. More importantly, we need them. You know as well as I do how much. And those who can’t make it will be gone, without ever knowing why they were really brought here. The rest will find out the truth soon enough.”

Lou was right. Didn’t mean he enjoyed bringing them on or playing this moronic game, but then again he wasn’t in charge here. Lou was.

And if this is how Lou wanted to test them, if this was how he put them through their paces, then this is the way they’d do it.

Better than tossing them out there in a trial by fire. Now that was reality.

People died doing it that way. Maybe Lou’s way was better. It might keep some of them alive longer.

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