When Nataly stops at a gas station to count a fortune in cash, she’s ambushed by a masked man who thrusts a gun to her neck—not for the money, but for a ride. With her four-year-old sister Nova asleep in the back, Nataly is forced to drive west under the command of her captor, a man who calls her “princess” and “buttercup” with chilling charm. She assumes he’s just another mechanic from the nearby auto shop—until she sees his face.
It’s Brandon Donato, Utah’s most wanted fugitive and leader of the violent Mayhem Six gang, recently escaped from prison. Now, Nataly is trapped in a nightmare: a hostage in her own car, navigating every mile with a gun in her periphery and a man who shifts between menace and warmth. When Nova wakes, Nataly pleads for a lie—he must pretend to be her boyfriend on a family trip to Disneyland. To her shock, Brandon plays the role flawlessly, singing Disney songs with her goth-loving little sister and earning her trust with playful nicknames and Jack Skellington impressions.
But his kindness is a dangerous illusion. When Nataly attempts a desperate escape at a McDonald’s, Brandon catches her instantly, whispering a warning that chills her to the bone. He’s always watching. Always in control. And despite his bloodstained hands and criminal past, Nataly can’t deny the unsettling pull she feels toward him—beauty tangled with brutality. As the highway stretches on, she must decide: is there a way out, or has she already fallen for the one person she should fear most?
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