"That's it, my phone is dead," Mel announces after a couple of hours of our aimless sitting. Todd seems to be dozing, head resting on his hand, while I'm nearly sprawled on the bench. Nolan stares back towards the dock. There are yachts there, but none seem to belong to Felix.

"Couldn't he send a helicopter?" I query. From Nolan's annoyed look, I understand that apparently, he could not.

"Look, can I at least have a couple of bucks for a bite? I'm dying here! I earned this money!" I whine. Mel shakes her head but hands over some money. I perk up immediately, leaping to my feet.

"I'll go with you," Nolan declares, standing up as well.

"Don't bother," I retort, observing a sly smile creep onto Mel's face. "I'll just hit the kiosk and be right back."

However, it's apparent that Nolan couldn't care less about my opinion. He stands in front of me, I wave my hand and turn around. If he wants to go, he can go.

"Don't go anywhere, alright?" Nolan says to Todd and Mel, who both nod back.

I only have enough money for a couple of buns with cheese, and I greedily pounce on food. After an entire morning on only water, it's a welcome change. Nolan stands beside me, silent and unmoving. While I didn't plan to share with him, I'm not comfortable eating under his gaze.

"Want some?" I ask, extending a remaining piece toward him.

He shakes his head. "Are you done?"

I stuff the last morsel in my mouth and nod. As we wander back to our spot, we stop by the drinking fountain. Nolan bends and takes a few sips. For a brief moment, I find myself entranced by the way he licks his lips.

I have to continually wrench my focus back to the reality at hand. This is not how I've reacted to Nolan before! Oh, I feel it's not good... What the hell did I do yesterday?..

I try to wash away the feeling with cold water from the fountain when suddenly Nolan grabs my elbow and steers me around the corner of a building, pressing me against the wall. I'm about to protest, but Nolan places his hand over my mouth, his face inches from mine. His gaze bores into me with intensity, effectively silencing any resistance I might have mustered. We stay that way as a few people stroll by, my embarrassment growing by the second. Eventually, he releases me, and we move away from the wall and back to the street.

"What... what was that?" I manage to mumble.

"We need to get out of here," Nolan states firmly, striding toward the park where Todd and Mel stayed.

"Where to? How? Why? And what about the yacht?" I question, trailing behind him.

Nolan turns around and I almost crash into him. His look is deadly serious.

"Listen, let's make a deal," he begins. "I'll tell you everything when I have the opportunity, okay? But I will keep my promise only if you do what I say. You won't ask stupid questions, you won't argue and bicker. Just do as I say. Agreed?"

I remain silent, unsure of how to respond. "How do I know I can trust you?" I manage to voice. Resentment reflected in Nolan's eyes is unmistakable. As if I've offended him in the worst way possible. But you know what? When someone asks you for unquestioning obedience, you immediately start thinking, what did I actually learn about this guy in 2 days? Well, he's wealthy, has a gun, sports an earring, laughs at my jokes... And that's about it. Is this enough for me to entrust my fate to him without a shadow of a doubt? I don't think so.

"Have I ever let you down?" Nolan counters, his lips thinning.

"There hasn't been an opportunity," I say. Nolan lets out a chuckle.

"You know, you're quite the puzzle," Nolan remarks, taking a step back and leaning in. "One moment, you seem like a complete fool, and then you surprise me with moments of depth that make me think there's more to you than meets the eye."

Now I'm officially offended.

"How can you tell whether I'm a fool or clever?" I pout, my eyebrows furrowing.

Nolan responds with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

"What took you so long?!" Mel's voice makes Nolan and me turn around. Behind Mel stands Todd, but unlike our sister's eyes, which throw lightning, his gaze is absolutely calm.

"Went to eat - what else?" I answer. "We wouldn't run away from you."

"I wouldn't put it past you," Mel remarks grimly.

"We're... erm... Change of plans," Nolan announces. "We're leaving."

"What? Did the yacht return?" Mel turns around.

"No."

"So...? Why? Where?" Mel throws a barrage of questions at him.

Nolan hesitates, his expression conflicted. He needed to come up with something along the way, but he didn't. He's been acting weird since the yacht didn't come back for us. He is worried beyond measure as if we are in some kind of danger, but he does not want to tell us the details.

"Felix said that there is a storm on the way to the yacht, we will have to wait too long. He suggested that it's better to head to the nearest city and catch a flight from there," I lie without missing a beat, glancing at Nolan as I do.

"But we're broke," Mel protests, clearly skeptical.

"Felix said he would send us money, so we should head to the bank now," I explain further.

"And how did you manage to reach Felix?" Mel's interrogation continues. Does she suspect something?

"We called from the bar," I reply, locking eyes with her. Her line of questioning seems to taper off.

"Yeah," Nolan finally steps in. "So we wanted to let you know that we'd be back soon. You just wait in the park, OK?"

Mel squints her eyes and frowns, but then shrugs and turns away, heading back to the park along with Todd. As Nolan and I move back toward the city streets, a faint smile is playing on Nolan's lips.

"And just a minute ago you said you didn't trust me," he drawls. I look up at him, feeling my cheeks heat up, so I quickly avert my gaze.

"Next time, think about who you call a fool," I say, fuming.

"Hmm, that's still up for debate. You've proven to be quite the skilled liar. And your idea isn't that bad. We could have called Felix, had him arrange the transfer. The problem is that none of us have any IDs. So getting money isn't possible, let alone boarding a plane."

"Why else do you want from me?" I whirl around to face Nolan, indignation burning in my cheeks. "My sister was about to eat you alive. And I'm not sure why I stopped her. If you're so clever and wanted a better lie, you should've spoken up!"

Nolan takes a step back, defusing the tension a bit. "No... I'm thankful that you covered for me," Nolan replies calmly, but I still shoot him an annoyed glare.

"Why don't you just tell me what the matter is?" I ask. "I told you that I hate all these omissions. They only complicate things. We could all work together, but because of your incomprehensible secrecy, the two of us need to invent something and keep Todd and Mel in the dark."

Nolan sighs. "Maybe you're right... Okay, let's do it your way. I'll call Felix and... Then we'll figure out what to do about your siblings. Sound good?"

I nod in agreement. We head to the same bar we visited yesterday and ask to use the phone. Nolan dials the number, a look of anxiety on his face.

"Felix, is there any way to get us from here faster?" Nolan asks nervously.

My gaze lazily drifts around the bar until it abruptly collides with a guy. I'm certain I've seen him before. This scar on his cheek... He was one of the workers who loaded crates on the yacht last night.

I give Nolan a firm tap on the shoulder. He irritably brushes me off, continuing the conversation with his brother. I press harder, trying to get his attention. He shoots me an annoyed, questioning look, and I point at the departing guy.

"What?" Nolan lowers his hand from his ear.

"That guy was on your yacht yesterday. I bumped into him as I was leaving," I explain hastily.

Nolan narrows his eyes at the guy's retreating figure as he exits the bar.

"Felix, I think they're here. I will contact you when I can. Please, hurry."