Does it hurt?

“I want to be the only thing that keeps you up at night, bella ladra,” he growls. “And if anyone is going to hurt you, it’s going to be me.”

REVIEW

Would I read this book again? Yes No Maybe

Spice Level Legend How spicy is this book?

Tropes	Trigger Warnings
Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, One bed, Dark Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine, Dual POV	Rape, Dub con, Incest, Pedophilia, Torture, Suicide, PTSD, Degradation, Violence, Murder

Spicy Chapters

3, 4, 7, 11, 16, 21, 22, 26, 29, Epilogue

SUMMARY

Sawyer is a girl on the run. Sawyer grew up in what some might think was a perfect family. Happily married parents, her and her twin brother appeared to be well-behaved, happy kids. Except, Sawyer’s twin, Kevin, started sexually assaulting her when they were young. Sawyer told her parents, but they didn’t believe her. Kevin was a great kid - everyone liked him - clearly Sawyer was lying. Their parents ended up dying (it never said from what) and then it was just Sawyer left alone with Kevin. Not only was he still raping her, but he was keeping her isolated from any friends she tried to make. He wanted Sawyer all to himself. You would think that after their parents died Sawyer would be able to get help, right? Well. Kevin became a police officer. Who everyone on, and off, the force loved and respected. Sawyer felt utterly alone.

One day, Kevin comes home, and is trying to force himself on Sawyer, and she had had enough. She had been hiding a knife under her pillow and she stabbed Kevin. Right in the neck. And because he was a police officer, she just started running.

She survived by stealing identities to open credit cards and get a passport. She escaped from the US and went to Australia.

Everything Enzo Vitale has, he has worked hard for. When he was 9, his mom abandoned him on the steps of a church and he never saw her again. The nuns raised him and when he was 18, he left, moved to Australia, and got his college degree. He always had a love of the ocean and of sharks, once he graduated, he got a grant, opened up Vitale Oceanic Research for Selachians and has been running it and studying sharks with his research partner and closest friend, Troy.

Sawyer and Enzo meet at a bar. He is drawn to her because she is beautiful and seems really really sad. He only wanted to cheer her up. He takes her to one of his favorite places, this beautiful waterfall. They end up having sex, they go back to his house, and fuck some more. In the morning, Sawyer wakes up before Enzo and starts snooping. She finds a safe in his office, picks the lock, and finds his Italian equivalent of a social security card. She takes a picture of it with her cell phone, leaves the safe unlocked, and leaves.

Enzo notices the unlocked safe when he wakes up the next morning and wonders what she might have gotten into while he was sleeping. He knows nothing is missing but isn’t sure what she did. He finds out soon enough - she opens a credit card in his name.

He knows about the card but doesn’t close it - just watches it.

Three weeks later, they see each other again. Enzo doesn’t say anything about the identity theft and Sawyer assumes he doesn’t know. He asks her to come out on his boat with him and see some sharks. She agrees. Once out there, he drops anchor and throws some chum overboard to get the shark's attention. Then they start fucking. Whilst doing it, Enzo grabs her by the throat and asks how she can fuck him after she stole from him, then he bites her lip, hard enough to draw blood, and then repeatedly dunks her head underwater. After he finishes, he lets her go, and then they argue about the theft. He accuses her of being a petty criminal who refuses to get a job and she’s like bitch you don’t know me. Then he realizes that there is a bad storm headed right towards them and there is no way they can get back to land.

The storm ends up capsizing the boat. Sawyer comes to first and finds Enzo, she drags him (for 58 minutes and 10 seconds we find out later) to shore. There is only one building on this tiny little island, a creepy lighthouse. And only one other person - the caretaker of the lighthouse, with a wooden leg, Sylvester. Slyvester tells them that there is a supply ship that comes by once a month but it was just there a few days ago so they are stuck until it shows back up. They ask him about radios and he says that the batteries died a week ago and he forgot to get replacements when the ship came by. He tells them they are welcome to stay there, there is one bedroom, with one bed, and they have a bedtime of 9pm. And when he says that, he means he locks their door at 9pm and opens it in the morning.

It's a weird creepy month with ole Slyvester. At night, they hear banging on the walls, ceilings, floors. They hear chains being dragged around. Slyvester tells them that it's just some old ghosts of some prison ship that shipwrecked. A lot of prisoners died in the wreck, a few of them didn’t, but they died soon afterward…by his gun after trying to steal from him.

Enzo does not get along with Slyvester at all. He doesn’t trust him, doesn’t like how chummy he is with Sawyer, doesn’t like anything about him. Feelings are mutual.

Sawyer doesn’t like him either but she is nice to him to keep the peace. Even though he gives her the creeps. She finds a cave on the island and frequently goes there during the day to hide out.

Enzo and Sawyer also don’t get along. He is unnecessarily mean to her. I mean, yes, she stole his identity, but you’re stuck on an island for a month, get over it right now dude. He sees Slyvester touching her shoulder one day, and he tells him to remove his hand and never touch her again. He repeatedly says that he hates her and wants her to suffer only to get protective when Slyvester touches her shoulder and to barely keep his hands off of her himself.

One night, they are all drinking, pretending Slyvester isn’t there, Enzo tells them about his mother leaving him, and Sawyer talks about her brother raping her. Finally knowing Sawyer’s story, seems to make Enzo realize that he really does care about her, because he wants to find her brother and kill him. He tells her that he wants her brother to come find her, because he wants to end his life for touching what’s Enzos. He says he won’t allow Kevin to hurt Sawyer anymore. Only person will hurt her - and that’s Enzo.

The next day, Slyvester tells Enzo his story. He was married once, with two kids. His oldest daughter, Trinity, wanted to leave the island when she was sixteen. When they refused to leave, she hung herself. His wife and other daughter left two days later. Then the lighthouse shut down and he's been alone ever since.

Sawyer and Enzo spend the next few days using their words to hurt each other. Enzo will ask her to stay with him, then tell her he hates her. Sawyer will beg him to fuck her, then tell him she would never stay with him. It’s all very frustrating.

Sawyer has been searching for the door to take them up to the beacon. She thinks that the radio up there does work and she is determined to find it.

One night, Sawyer and Slyvester are watching TV. She is trying to be nice to him so that he trusts her and leaves them alone to search for the door. He puts his hand on her knee, and she moves her knee. He asks her to stay there with him. She says wow thanks, but no. He tells her that he’ll tell the authorities where she is, he doesn’t know what she’s done but he assumes something illegal and he’ll rat her out if she doesn’t agree to stay. She gets, rightfully, pissed. And then he backhands her across the face. He grabs his shotgun and heads for the stairs, knowing Enzo heard the commotion and will come down and check. He points the gun at Enzo and tells him to get back into the room. Slyvester then tells Sawyer to go into his room and she’s like fuck that. He backs Enzo in their room, and Sawyer takes off running (she’s got two good legs so she has an advantage) towards the cave. Slyvester opens the door to Enzo’s room (I think he wants to lock Enzo in the cellar) and leads him down the stairs. But Enzo has two good legs too so it manages to get down first, and take Slyvester by surprise and wrestle the gun away. Enzo then locks Slyvester into the cellar and takes off to find Sawyer. He gets really pissed off when he sees her swollen lip and eye from Slyvester’s backhand. Sawyer asks to spend the night in the cave, she doesn’t want to go back to the house.

The next morning, Enzo goes back to the house first, and discovers that Slyvester is gone. When they both go back to the house, they decide to barricade themselves in the house. Sawyer is worried they are just locking him in there with them but Enzo said they will have an escape route.

Few days later, they are still searching for the beacon door and are still locked in the lighthouse. One night, they hear someone moving downstairs and when they go inspect, they notice that one of the bookcases is slightly moved and there is light behind it. They found the door. They go up and there’s a girl up there. With her mouth sewn shut. It’s one of Slyvester’s daughters. They ask if she is Trinity. No. Kacey? Yes. Then they ask if her mom got off the island, and she shakes her head No.

They can’t tell if she is going to help them or hurt them. Enzo keeps his gun on her while Sawyer goes over to the radio and starts asking for help on every station. Enzo hears something downstairs, he goes down, and leaves Kacey with Sawyer.

Sawyer hears two shots go off and a whole bunch of commotion. Kacey’s demeanor changes and Sawyer realizes she is not on their side. Sawyer runs down the stairs and Slyvester is sitting on the couch, with the shotgun, and a beer, looking completely relaxed.

He tells Sawyer that Kacey is excited to keep her, she was wanting a new friend. Sawyer kicks him in the balls and runs off to the kitchen and grabs a knife. Slyvester comes in and Sawyer stabs him in the stomach, he punches her in the face and knocks her out.

Enzo wakes up in the cellar, which he realizes is full of old bones, like a graveyard. He hears Slyvester telling Kacey that Sawyer will adjust and they’ll all be happy. Then he tells her he’ll have to punish her for helping them find the radio, and proceeds to just slap the shit out of her for a while. Enzo decides he has to get creative and manages to set a small fire around the cellar door. When Slyvester notices and goes to start stomping the fire out, Enzo bum rushes the door, and knocks Slyvester out, takes the gun, and goes to find Sawyer. Who is tied up in Slyvester’s bedroom. When they go back downstairs there’s a fight. Slyvester going for Enzo, Sawyer prying him off of him, then Kacey attacks Enzo, Slyvester gets the gun again, and goes to shoot Enzo, but Kacey jumps in front of it. Enzo finally manages to end Slyvester’s life, and he makes sure it hurts.

Then they hear the radio going off upstairs, someone responding to their call for help.

Enzo and Sawyer come up with a plan. Since Sawyer is wanted, they concoct this story. Enzo went out on the boat alone, shipwrecked on this island, discovered that Slyvester was keeping his daughters hostage, and in self defense, Enzo killed him. Sawyer will become Trinity and will tell the police that a girl named Sawyer was one of Slyvester’s many victims.

When the rescue boat shows up, and they finally make it back to Australia, the police believe Sawyer, and feel awful for her. They are a little suspicious of Enzo. But after a few months, and lots of follow up interviews, they are both in the clear. The police tell Sawyer that the government wants to help her set up a new life, and help her change her name. She tells them she wants to honor the girl, Sawyer, who was her friend before her dad killed her. Enzo says … I know what your last name should be.

She changes her name to Sawyer Vitale. Even though they aren’t married...yet…they elope about a year -ish later.