He was just turning to head to class when he heard his name called across the grass. “Hayes, you mother fucker.” It was Trey, and he was angry. Colton rarely heard that tone unless Trey was yelling at them to get their asses around the net and do their jobs. Colton stopped and took a breath before he felt something slam into the back of his head. “You had them all. Every fucking girl on the campus would spread their legs for you and you go after mine?”
Colton fell to his knees as he grasped his throbbing skull in his hand. Ice filled his veins, and he took a deep breath. “What do you mean?”
“She just told me. Amy told me everything. That’s fucked up man…we’re brothers. We’re teammates.” Trey dropped to the ground next to him, and Colton could hear the betrayal in his voice as he winced.
“You cheated on her. You didn’t want her.” Colton told him as something that sounded like crying rose out of Trey’s throat.
“I was an asshole. I lost her because of that, and I hate myself. It was so much better when we weren’t here.” Trey whispered as he sat on the grass and stared forward. “I forgot who she was.”
“I figured out who she was,” Colton admitted as the guys sat there quietly for a moment. “She’s amazing.”
“I’ll let you tell her the rest. All I can say is that the next few months will be interesting.” Trey slowly spoke as if the words pained him. “We’d better keep playing hard. One of us is going to need it.”
They ended the confrontation with a handshake and Trey stalked off down the path towards his apartment as Colton watched. What the hell was he talking about? Colton turned to go to the building that he knew she was a TA in for Advanced English and walked past the room as he peered through the small pane of glass. She was there, working on some papers with her head resting in her hands and her hair in a high ponytail. Amy had been crying, and he fought the urge to barge into the room and demand to know what was going on.
Colton settled for sitting on a bench across from the class to wait. It was Thursday, so campus had been a little less crowded and there were fewer witnesses to the debacle on the grass. That was going to cause some talk, but Colton thought that they might be lucky, and people might not have overheard. It could be hockey. Thursday also meant that this class was longer than it would be had it been one of the other days.
Fifteen minutes felt like hours as he fidgeted in his seat and he soon noticed the door opening and students pouring out into the hall. The crowd thinned, and he waited for her as he stared at the red peeling paint of the heavy wood. He stood as it opened again and Amy walked out with her eyes on the ground as she looked like she was ready to start crying right then and there. “Amy,” Colton spoke as she lifted her head to stare at him. “What’s going on?”
“He found you,” She spoke more than questioned Colton and let out a resigned sigh. “Let’s go to yours. We need to talk alone.”
They walked side by side to the building that housed their dorms, and he stole glances at her along the way. She dressed in some bright leggings and a black tunic that brushed the tops of her thighs with some high boots. Her face was clean of makeup, but she looked beautiful as he stared at her.
Colton could feel the eyes on them as he opened the door and led her to his room at the end of the hallway. He hated rumors but at the moment he was dealing with something bigger than that. Colton closed out the world as he watched her go and sit on the bed as she looked up at him. “Do you hate me?”
“For what?” Colton asked as surprise crossed her face.
She turned her head slowly before she rested her head in her hands. “I…he didn’t tell you. I can’t believe it.” She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes again, filled with tears. “I’m pregnant, Colton. Just a few weeks but I have seen…it. I know it’s there, and I’m appalled at myself. I was never the girl that would have had two possible baby daddies. Never.”
“Two?” Colton asked as his heart started to break apart inside of him.
“I had a plan. I followed Trey here, and I was going to get my degree and live my life. It was so obvious that we might not make it, but I am a smart girl. I have a lot going for me until suddenly I don’t.” Amy spoke as if she was in a daze and he dropped to the floor in front of her. “I was with you both. You were so much more and so much better, but sometimes he’d just get to me and we…” Amy shook her head. “I think that there’s a better chance that it is yours since we did a few times without anything and even Trey wasn’t stupid enough to do that. But still…I don’t know.”
CHAPTER 6
“Amy…I want to be with you through this.” Colton found himself saying as he took her hands and stared into her confused face. “I love you. I denied it even as it was happening to me along the way. I know I did, but I do. I love you.”
“What if this baby isn’t yours?” She asked as tears slid down her cheeks.
“I don’t know. I guess we see, but I want to try with you. I don’t want you going through this alone and I sure as fuck don’t want anybody else. I haven’t for a long time now.”
“I am already a size sixteen. I am going to blow up like a whale.” The tears were falling harder as she sniffled and he slipped his arms over her legs. “I am going to be a bitch and emotional and hate myself for what I did to both of you. I am going to agonize over the next few months until I can see this baby and know…I want it to be yours so bad.” Amy’s voice shook with need, and he pressed his head into her chest and breathed her in.
“I do too. I just know that I want to be with you right here and right now. I can’t think past this moment.” Colton told her as they both moved close together and kissed each other hungrily. “How far along are you?” He kissed her again.
“About eight weeks,” Amy replied against his lips as he cupped her face in his hands.
“I hear that women are horny when they’re pregnant.”
“Fuck, yes.” Amy breathed as he scooted her back onto the bed and carefully pressed her against the pillows. “I have been getting myself off the last few weeks.”
“Jesus,” Colton muttered as he found her lips and slid his hands up her shirt. He knew that they didn’t have to be quiet now. Colton also knew that there would be a lot to clear up in the next few days, but right now he was where he wanted to be as he tasted her sweet kiss again and felt her smooth skin. “I love you.”
“I love you. I have never loved anybody the way that I do you,” Amy whispered as he claimed her lips in a hard kiss.
EPILOGUE
Amy and Colton couldn’t wait for the baby to arrive to know the truth. All three took the steps to set up a paternity test within a couple of months and Colton threw the papers in the air when he saw that it was his baby. He still felt bad for Trey and the fact that he and Amy had betrayed him. That would always bother him, but he and Trey had moved past it and worked together on the ice just fine.
They were both spotlighted by the scouts along with a couple of other guys. Trey went to Washington and Colton was pleased to find out that he would be staying here in town and playing with the team that he had dinner with so long ago. He smiled through the draft as he glanced around at all of the up and coming players, excited about his future and not just this aspect of it.
Amy was home in their condo with her mother as she grew close to her due date with their daughter. She claimed to be fat and ugly, but he had never found her so beautiful in his life than when she was heavy with his baby. He was also protective and spoiled her every chance that he got, and Amy told him that is why she fell more in love with him by the day.
They hadn’t discussed marriage too seriously yet, but Colton knew the day was coming where he would propose. Hell, he might do it in the hospital room.
When he went to meet his new coach and collect his shirt, Colton held it against him and grinned as cheers filled the room. He could feel her in the room with him as he watched the cameras flash and shook hands with the men around him.
The future was going to be amazing.
THE END
IRRESISTIBLE
EMELIA
“See that guy over there?” my friend Tabitha asked as she nudged me in the side.
I looked over at the guy she was not-so-subtly pointing at. “Yeah, I see him. What about him?”
“He hasn't taken his eyes off you since we've walked in,” she said. “He's gorgeous. You should definitely go over there and talk to him.”
I stared over at the handsome stranger Tabby was talking about. He was with a couple of other guys playing pool in the corner. On the surface, he was everything I liked in a man – tall, dark, handsome and dressed incredibly well. He looked like he was fit and took good care of himself.
I could tell that he came from money. Dressed the way he was, his hair neatly styled, and just the way he carried himself made me pretty certain of that. His designer jeans hugged his toned, taut body, clinging deliciously to his ass every time he bent over to take his turn. But it wasn't his body that attracted me the most – though, I certainly wasn't complaining about it.
No, what caught my attention and held it were his deep, blue eyes and chiseled cheekbones. His cheekbones made me think of all the male underwear models on the cover of magazines, and I thought I could absolutely drown in the depths of those beautiful eyes.
The urge to saunter over and strike up a conversation with the handsome stranger was strong. I usually wasn't the shrinking violet type and had never really had much of a problem striking up conversations with strangers before. But as I looked at him, a wave of hesitance and trepidation washed over me and I knew that I couldn't go over there.
“You like him, don't you?” Tabitha cooed, playfully slapping my shoulder. “Seriously, go talk to him, Emlia. From where I stand, you've got nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. I mean, did you see the ass on that man? Wow.”
I looked down my drink and shrugged, the momentary feeling of bravado and the urge to go talk to him passing quickly.
“I can't,” I said. “And you know why.”
“You can't because of Tony? Seriously?” she asked, astonishment in her voice. “Why in the hell would you pass up on that hunk of a man because of Tony?”
“Yeah, because of Tony,” I scoffed. “He's my fiance for Godsake.”
“But he's an asshole. Not to mention the fact that you don't love him, Emlia,” Tabitha said. “That's only a marriage of convenience, or strategy or whatever, and we both know it. So why not let yourself have a little fun on your own time?”
“Because my father would kill me if he found out I'd been unfaithful,” I said.
“Why? Because men get to have all the fun? You know that Tony's already bangin' somebody else – and will be long after you're married. So why shouldn't you get to find yourself a little fun on the side?” Tabitha raised an eyebrow at me. “Go over there and talk to him. You know you want to.”
I did want to. Tabby was right about that. Tony might have been the man I was supposed to marry and love, but honestly, there was just nothing there. Nothing between us. No spark. No chemistry – nothing at all. I wasn't attracted to him in any way, shape, or form. And no matter how many times he'd tried to sleep with me, I always found a way around it. I just couldn't fathom the idea of him putting his hands on me – not without feeling sick to my stomach.
I knew that eventually – most likely on our wedding night – I'd have to give in to him. But for now at least, I was happy keeping my virginity intact.
“It's more than just Tony. I'm not that kind of girl, Tabitha,” I muttered. “You know that.”
“I'm not saying you have to fuck him, geez. But what could a conversation hurt?” she said. “Though if I'm being honest, I most certainly would. I'd be all over that guy like white on rice, baby.”
I laughed, turning my attention back to Tabitha. I couldn't keep staring at the sexy man in the tight jeans. I feared that if did, I might give in and do something stupid. Something I might come to regret later. Like actually talk to him – because where would we go from there? And I couldn't do that. My dad had made it clear that no matter what, I had to behave myself. I had to make this marriage happen. He said it would be the best thing for the family – and I always had to put the family first. At least, in his opinion.
I sighed and took a sip of my drink, trying to wash away the images of the man from my mind. Tabitha though, continued to stare at him without the slightest trace of shame.
“If you like him so much, why don't you talk to him, Tabby? You're a free agent. It's not like you have a boyfriend or anything.”
It was meant to be a joke, but as soon as I said it, I saw the look of hurt in her eyes and instantly regretted saying anything at all.
“Sorry, I didn't – ”
“No, we can't all be as blessed as you, Emilia,” Tabitha said, rolling her eyes, the hurt in her eyes replaced by anger.
I couldn't believe she'd said that. She knew exactly how I felt about being married off to Tony. Knew how I felt about him – or how I didn't feel about him.
“Blessed?” I snapped. “You call being forced into a marriage that I want no part of, with a man I can't be in the same room with without feeling sick to my stomach being 'blessed'?”
“Aww come on, Tony's not so bad,” she said. “He's nice on the eyes – for an older man. And he's loaded.You're not going to want for anything, Emilia. Your every want, whim, and desire is going to be fulfilled. It could be worse.”
Could be worse. I wanted to scream. It didn't seem so bad to her because it wasn't Tabitha being forced to marry a man almost the same age as her father. Maybe some people could happily marry a man they didn't love or care for, maybe some women only wanted financial security and nice things, but I wasn't one of those women.
Growing up, I knew my father would likely have a say in who I married. All family decisions ran through my father – but I'd always assumed he'd want me to be happy. Would let me choose the man I was going to spend my life with. Little did I know, I was not only not going to be able to pick the man I'd marry, but that my marriage would be nothing more than a bargaining chip in one of his goddamn business deals.
My marriage had nothing to do with love and everything to do with uniting two rival families together at last. It was a business transaction contingent on me marrying some man I barely knew and didn't even love.
Tabitha didn't get it. No matter how many times she said she understood how I felt, she never would. It wasn't her fault, but I wished she'd stop trying to make this all seem okay to me. She wasn't involved in this life like I was. She more or less got to stay above the fray while still enjoying some of the perks of membership.
Tabitha was part of our family – distantly – meaning, she had freedoms I'd never get to enjoy. And to her, it was all about the money. All about enjoying the finer things in life. She got to enjoy those things without having to worry about something like being married off to a stranger because my family had all the money and wealth and power.
She thought because I never wanted for anything, my life was ideal, and yet – what I wouldn't give for the freedom to be able to walk over to the blue-eyed stranger and strike up a conversation with him. Like any normal girl would.
Like Tabitha could.
“I'll be right back,” I said, and before Tabitha could insinuate that I was heading over to flirt, I cut her off with a glare and added, “I'm just going to the bathroom, that's all.”
To get to the bathroom though, I'd have to walk back behind the pool tables – which made things a little awkward. Which meand that I'd have to walk by the guy who was staring at me – the guy Tabitha was helpfully suggesting I hook up with.
As I neared the pool tables, I looked back at Tabitha who gave me a thumbs up and a pantomimed the motion for giving a blow job. And even though I tried not to laugh at her – because that would only encourage her – I couldn't help it. She was my best friend after all – for better or worse. I couldn't contain my grin and shook my head as I walked toward the bathroom, making sure to not look at the man as I passed him by. I kept my eyes straight ahead and I walked fast, making it to my destination without so much as a catcall, an offer to buy me a beer, or even a polite hello. Which was a relief – and simultaneously, a bit disappointing.
Stepping inside the restroom, I locked the door behind me and took a deep breath as I leaned against the sink and stared at myself in the mirror. I didn't really need to use the toilet, I just needed to step away from Tabitha and clear my head. I loved my best friend to bits, but this whole thing with Tony was starting to cause a little friction between us that had never existed before. She thought I was lucky as hell to be getting a man as loaded as he was. I disagreed. Vehemently. It was my life and I didn't want this for myself.
But I was being required to take one for the team. Or as my dad always said, I was being required to “do it for the family.”
Reaching into my purse, I pulled out some lipstick and touched up my makeup. Not that I needed to make myself look extra sexy. I was there for a drink with my friend, not to impress anybody – okay, so maybe I liked the attention some guys lavished on me. I could be a little vain, I could admit that. And it felt good, flattering, to have men pay attention to me. I knew it wouldn't go anywhere, but I liked the attention from the guy, shoot me.
Taking another deep breath, I decided to stop staring at my reflection and to get back out to the table with Tabitha and finish my drink. With any luck, I though I could slip out sooner rather than later. Not that I didn't enjoy our little girl's nights out together, but things between us had changed a lot lately and I sometimes had a hard time being around her. Especially when she went on and on about how great my life was. And all things considered, being tied down to a man I didn't love didn't help matters in my own mind either.
Someone banged on the door, startling me and nearly dropped my lipstick.
“Emelia? You still in there? Hurry up, I have to piss,” Tabitha said.
That's my best friend for ya – classy to the last. I dropped my lipstick back into my purse, turned and unlocked the door, switching places with Tabitha. She winked at me as she shut me out, quickly closing and locking the door. And it took me a moment to figure out why she was in such a hurry. Surely, she didn't have to go that badly. But as soon as I turned around to walk back to the table, I found myself face-to-face with the blue-eyed stranger.
“Emilia?” he said, a smile forming on this luscious lips.
He had an accent, but what sort of accent it was didn't register, not at first. British? Scottish? I didn't care because it sounded like pure honey falling from his lips when he spoke – especially when he said my name.
“Emilia,” he repeated. “What a beautiful name.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling the color rise in my cheeks.
He was standing in front of me, making it hard to sneak past. I was desperate to get out of there and be away from him. There was a feeling like static electricity between us and our bodies were so close together in the confined space, I was terrified he was going to hear my heart pounding in my chest.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.
“Uhhh,” I looked around, trying to find any possible route of escape, my body tingling and a fire erupting between my thighs. I had to get out of there. Quickly. “I really can't do this. See, I'm engaged to be married and – ”
“I know that,” he said, taking a long pull from his beer. “I know all about you Emilia Antonelli. All about you. In fact, I think I know more about you than you know about yourself.”
And that was the last thing I remembered before the world went dark.
DEACON
Chloroform. I hated to do that to a fine piece of ass like her, but it had to be done. It was the cleanest, most efficient method I knew to get her out of there. The last thing I could afford was to not chlorofom her and have some huge scene unfold in front of all the witnesses in the bar. I knew that to grab her, we had to act fast, while she was separated from her friend.
Thankfully, the perfect opportunity had finally presented itself.
Because I believed in planning meticulously, we'd already cleared out a path to the car through a back door. Everything was set and Emilia had finally given us the chance to put our plan into motion.
She lay limp in my arms and I needed to get her out of there before anybody became suspicious. A couple of people were nearby, looking at us with curiosity, rather than concern. So, I flashed them my most charming smile and shrugged my shoulders.
“She had too much to drink, I'm afraid. Looks like the party's over early,” I said to the onlookers who laughed and returned to their conversation.
We took Emilia out the back door and loaded her into the van we had waiting. We slid her in and slammed the door. Smooth as butter. Like I said, I planned meticulously and left nothing to chance.
“Damn. Who knew old man Antonelli had a fine ass daughter,” Sean said, climbing into the back of the van with her.
“Don't you fucking lay a hand on her,” I said. “She can't be harmed. Not a hair on her bloody head. That's the deal, alright?”
“Not even a hand, Deacon? Really?” Sean mocked. “Meaning I can't grope her tit or – ”
“Don't be a fuckin' pervert, Sean. She's out cold for fuck's sake. What in the hell is wrong with you?”
“That's about the only way he gets to touch a tit,” Colin said, climbing in and getting behind the wheel.
“Shut your dirty fucking mouth, Colin.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, you two, shut the fuck up,” I snapped. “I almost envy Emilia here. All knocked out like she is, at least she can't hear you bickering like a couple a old women.”
Both men shut their traps without another word from me. Colin gave me an apologetic look and a slight shrug, but I was too busy keeping an eye on Sean in the back to really care. Kidnapping, murder, hell, even burglary – all fine with me. It was part of the job and I was very good at my job. A real professional.
But I drew the line at groping up an innocent girl when she was out cold. It was wrong on so many levels and I wouldn't tolerate that sort of shit. I was guilty of some heinous shit in my day, but I had to draw the line somewhere. That shit was not okay with me.
As I stared back at Sean, who was still practically drooling on the girl, I couldn't help but look down at Emilia. Sean was right about one thing – I had no idea she was as beautiful as she was. Rich, black hair contrasted with her soft, pale skin. She was a tiny little thing with delicate, feminine curves and had some amazingly perky breasts – which she showed off in a tight red dress.
Even from where I was sitting, I could see her ample cleavage and I had to admit, it was hard not to stare. I could see why Sean wanted to cop a feel – they were almost too perfect to be real. But then I looked at that sweet, angelic face and there was no way I was willing to do anything to abuse her – or let anybody else to it either.
Sean decided to speak again – which was probably a bad idea considering what he had to say. “So, why are you so protective of this asshole's daughter, eh? I mean, we're already on the old man's shitlist as it is. Why not scratch and itch and have some fun with her – ”
“Because it's not about her, asshole. My hatred for her father has nothing to do with her,” I roared. “She didn't ask to be born an Antonelli – she's innocent in all of this. And I'm not about to let you do something to her just because no other woman will fuck you. You have money, go to a fucking whore, asshole.”
“If she's innocent in all this,” Sean continued, “then why are we kidnapping her in the first place?”
“She's a bargaining chip,” I said, my patience wearing incredibly thin. “A bargaining chip and that's it. And I'll tell you this, nno harm will come to her while she's in my care. Do you hear me? Do you fucking understand?”
EMILIA
Voices were coming from the other room – or at least, I thought they were. The voices sounded distant at first, but as I started to wake up, I realized that they weren't in another room. They were actually coming from right beside me. Unfamiliar men were talking around me, and as a fear-fueled adrenaline coursed through my body, I tried to sit up and my head started spinning immediately.
“I'm going to get sick,” I said, not realizing I'd said it out loud.
Someone – one of the men from the bar – put a trash can beside the bed. I leaned forward, but didn't throw up. I just sat there for a few moments, trying to recover my senses as I tried to figure out where in the hell I was and who I was with. Bits and fragments of the evening were flashing through my mind, but I felt so fuzzy-brained right then that I was having trouble grabbing one and remembering the details.
One face in my jumble mass of memories stuck out to me though – the blue-eyed stranger from the bar. The one who'd been watching me. The one who'd struck up a conversation with me when Tabitha had kicked me out of the restroom. Slowly, the fragments were beginning to coalesce and it was all coming back to me.
Somehow, the stranger had known my full name. He'd said he knew all about me. But how? I'd never met him before in my life, I was sure of it. At first, I thought he might be British because of is accent. I'd been so freaked out and anxious to get away from him that I hadn't really stopped to analyze his accent. But as I thought about it a little harder, I realized he was Irish.
And once that little nugget of information clicked in my brain, I knew why they had me. Or at least I had a pretty good idea.
“I want to speak with Deacon Murphy,” I said, looking at the men in the room.
The men laughed, obviously amused by my demands.
“Oh you do, do ya?” said one of the men. “And what do ya think ya know about Deacon, love?”
“I know he's the head of the Irish mafia,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice even – doing my best to keep it from trembling and letting them know just how scared I was. “I know that he's the one to talk to if I want to make a deal. Not little pissants like you.”
I saw anger color both of their faces, but I tried to remain strong. Tough. Not let them see me tremble and shake. The only language cretins like this knew or responded to were threats and force. If I showed them that I was unafraid of them, I would earn a measure of respect in their eyes. The trouble was, I was downright terrified and felt like I was barely holding that in check.
“And what if Deacon doesn't want to make a deal with ya, love?” the man said, leaning down and getting in my face.
The smell of whisky and stale cigarettes saturated the air between us, causing my stomach to roil once again. I almost wished I had gotten sick in that moment so I could have thrown up on the man. That would have been amusing for me, at least.
“I'm sure he will want to make a deal with my family,” I said, looking the man in the eye. “Or else my father will kill him.”
More laughter from the two other men. They thought it was hilarious – everyone except the blue-eyed man who watched me closely. He kept his distance, standing near the door, saying nothing, and merely watched.
“What are you staring at?” I asked him, putting some real fire into my voice. “Like what you see, huh? Well you better get a good, long look now while your pretty blue eyes are still intact, because if you don't let me out of here, my father – ”
The look on his face sent a chill down my spine. A predatory grin spread across his face as he slowly shook his head. The room grew suddenly quiet, everyone stopped what they were doing as the handsome stranger walked toward me. All eyes shifted to him as the man hunkered down, putting himself at eye-level with me.
“Your father will do what, Emilia?” he asked, his voice calm and quiet. “Go on then, I'd love to hear more about your father's plans for me and my guys.”
“Your guys?” I sputtered.
He nodded slowly, his smile no less unnerving.
“You said you wanted to speak with the boss,” the guy from earlier said. “You're lookin' right at him.”
“You're Deacon Murphy?” I asked.
“One and only, love,” he said.
“Don't call me love.”
“Would you prefer that I called you the soon to be Mrs. Tony Bellini?”
I cringed at the very mention of being called Mrs. Bellini like it was an involuntary reflex. At that point, it probably was. Even in the face of the man who'd just abducted me, I wanted to be as far away from any mention of that man as I could.
“Not yet,” I snapped. “It's just Emilia, thanks. As if you actually care what I'd like to be called.”
Deacon looked amused. “Emilia it is, then,” he said. “And hopefully we can make your stay with us as pleasant as possible. There's no reason for this to be adversarial or unpleasant. But that is all going to depend on what your father – and your fiance – are willing to do. If they play ball with us, it's all good, lo – Emilia. If they don't... ”
He let the sentence trail off, the threat more than implied. A cold finger of fear slid its way down my spine and it took everything in me to suppress the shiver. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing fear in me.
“And what exactly is it that you want them to do for you?” I asked.
Deacon stood, shaking his head. “Oh no, I'm not going to show my hand this early in the game, love,” he said. “You'll just have to wait and see. I've heard you like surprises – well, at least surprises you're not expected to marry – so, I'll just leave you in suspense a wee while longer.”
“Don't call me – ”
One of the other guys reached his hand out to slap me, but Deacon caught it before it landed on my face. With a scowl, he turned and pushed the other man back, hard, throwing him into the wall with so much force, it rattled the pictures hanging on it. I thought the frame might come down, but it somehow stayed on the wall.
Deacon looked at one of the other men – a tall, very large redheaded man – and said, “Don't you fuckin' touch her, you hear me? There better not be a hair out of place or a scratch upon her delicate little body. Not unless I say so – got it?”
The red-haired man scowled and held back, but he didn't speak again. He simply nodded and turned away from Deacon.
“Colin, please restrain her now that she's awake – ”
“Restrain me? What?” I almost shouted. “Are you afraid of a tiny little girl or something? Afraid I might get the drop on your morons here?”
“One thing I've learned is that one can never be too careful, Emmy,” Deacon said.
“Don't call me Emmy either, asshole,” I said.
Only my closest friends and family could get away with calling me that. Though, as I looked at the glint of amusement in his eyes, I had a feeling he used my nickname on purpose. It was to make a point – maybe as a way to prove he knew all about me. I glared at him, hate filling my eyes as we gazed upon each other.
“He can call you whatever the fuck he wants, sweetheart,” the man referred to as Colin said.
“Like hell he can,” I muttered, mostly to myself.
Colin reached for the restraints and started to tie me down while Deacon watched. I saw him flinch as I struggled and fought back against the man trying to tie my hands down. For a big, tough guy, he didn't like to see them getting rough with me, that was for sure. I filed it away in my mind, thinking that maybe it was a chip I could somehow cash in later. It was a weakness in him and I needed to find all of his weaknesses in order to better exploit them and improve my odds of getting out of there whole and intact.
“How long are you going to keep me here?” I asked. “What if I have to go to the bathroom or something?”
“Tell the guards,” Deacon said. “We'll get ya a bedpan.”
“Please, no – ” I begged – being forced to use a bedpan would be the ultimate form of humiliation and degredation.
For the first time, I felt real fear. I was tied down to a bed, surrounded by the enemy – and I had no idea how I was going to get out of there alive. My father would likely be looking for me, sure, but would he find me in time?
“How long do you intend to keep me here?”
“As long as is necessary, I'm afraid,” Deacon said, turning toward the door. “Hopefully your daddy and fiance cooperate quickly. If they do, you can probably be home in time for breakfast tomorrow.”
I had a feeling that whatever he wanted from my father wasn't going to be that easy. Nothing with guys like these ever was. Whatever these guys were after, my family wouldn't hand it over so easily I was afraid.
“And what if they don't cooperate?” I asked, my voice shaking.
He looked at me for a long moment, something inscrutable passing behind his eyes – something that chilled me to the very bone.
“We'll cross that bridge when we get there,” he said.
DEACON
Once she was restrained, I sent the others out of the room. I sat on a chair in the corner and watched her, waited for her to say something. Anything, really. I thought she'd want some answers or have some questions – but she just stared at me with eyes filled with hate. It was just me and her, and for the longest time, she wouldn't even speak to me.
“I know what you want. Or rather, what you don't want,” she said to me after some time of petulant silence. “And I can get it for you. But I need to speak to my father first.”
I tried not to laugh. “Oh, if only it were that easy, Emelia.”
“It can be that easy,” she said, looking over at me, her eyes large and taking up most her face. “Do you think I really want to marry Tony Bellini? Do you think that was my choice? I'd do anything to get out of that engagement. Believe me, we're on the same page here.”
My ears perked up. “Anything, huh? You'd go against your family and work with the enemy? All to avoid marrying a man most women would sell their soul to be with?”
“I don't love him,” she whispered.
“You don't love him?” I scoffed. “Oh that's so incredibly sweet, Emmy. And so incredibly naive.”
“Look, I didn't ask for any of this. I never asked to be auctioned off like a damn prize horse,” she said. “I didn't ask to be born into this family or this life. I just want to be left alone. I just want to do my own thing.”
Her sweetness and naivete were almost too much. It was actually downright adorable. I couldn't help but stare at her and gaze into those doe eyes. But then my eyes began to wander and slowly, deliberately, moved down the length of her torso. While her face made her look much younger than she was, she most definitely had the body of a grown woman. With her perky boobs and those curves in all the right places, there was no mistaking her for anything but a woman. I could see why someone like Bellini would be anxious to wed that gorgeous little piece of tail.
As I let my eyes roam all over her body, I started to think that she was still a virgin. Pure and sweet and ripe for the taking. All of this talk of love and romance made me think she was waiting for The One, that she was saving herself for her Prince Charming. If only such things existed in the real world, then maybe she'd be able to wait for him to ride up on his white horse and sweep her off her feet. But the fact of the matter was that Prince Charming didn't exist, but with her wealthy and powerful family, her life was as close to an actual fairy tale as anything else in this world – and was as close as she was going to get.
“Why would you think I care who you marry?” I asked her, leaning in close.
She flinched away as I moved in probably a little too close. I could feel her breath against my face and caught a faint whiff of her perfume.
“Because once I marry Bellini, the alliance between our two families will have the power to take over the city,” she said. “The whole city. Including Irish territory. Which would be very bad news for you.”
“How do you know all this?”
Perhaps I shouldn't have been, but I was alarmed that she was so well informed. But tried to play it off, not wanting to see that she'd scored a direct hit. She was obviously a smart girl. I'd underestimated her – a mistake I wouldn't make again.
“I am the heir to my family name,” she said quietly. “Do you think I don't listen? That I'm not privvy to certain details and plans?”
Most women in her position wouldn't care about the politics. They cared about the money, the shopping, the nice clothes and raising children that would eventually take over the family name themselves one day. They left the politics up to the men and concentrated on more banal pursuits. At least, in my experience they did.
But clearly not Emelia. Or not completely, at least. Still, she seemed to have an awful lot of naive thoughts running through her head and ddin't understand just how cutthroat this life could be. Especially if she thought we could team up and help one another. That was most definitely not going to happen.
I could think of plenty of things I'd like to do with this little hottie, but working out a deal with her? Not happening. She was right about teaming up being a mutually beneficial proposition, but I wouldn't risk it because there was no way I could trust her.
Sitting back in my chair, I watched her carefully. “Your father and your fiance will be hearing my demands shortly,” I said.
“And you think my father is the kind of man who takes well to demands?” she said.
No, but I'm sure you do, I thought to myself. Imagining that tight little body bent over the bed, her skirt raised and her ass cheeks bared for me, waiting, her tight little opening, glistening and ready...
“When it comes to his precious little girl, one would hope that he will listen to what I have to say,” I said. I pulled out my phone. “Here, why wait? Let's see what your father has to say on the matter, shall we? Now's as good a time to call as any, since he's had a few hours to search for you – a search I can guarantee you was completely fruitless. And I will have to assume that he probably knows you're missing by now. I would hope that Tabitha would have sounded the alarm when she came out of the bathroom to find you gone.”
Emilia scowled at me as I punched in the numbers and called her father. The man on the other end of the phone answered on the first ring, and he knew who I was – though perhaps, not by name just yet. But he seemed to know exactly why I was calling – instantly. Clearly, word had gotten around quite quickly. Which pleased me greatly.
“You son of a bitch, Deacon,” he roared. “What have you done with my daughter?”
“Your daughter is fine. She and I were just having a little fun together – weren't we, Emmy?”
I winked at Emilia and she spat at me. I tamped down the momentary flash of anger and wiped away the saliva that was slowly running down my cheek. The girl was a spitfire, that was for sure.
“Let me talk to her,” he said.
“Patience, mate. You'll get to talk to her soon enough, but not just yet,” I said. “First, you need to hear me out. Because what you do next can have very real, very serious consequences for your beautiful little girl. And I have to say in all honesty, she's even more beautiful than I imagined. All that dark hair and pale skin, and those tits... ” I let out a low whistle of approval. “I'm sure her fiance is dying to get his hands on those perky little things.”
“Let me talk to my daughter, asshole,” he said, his voice low and fierce.
“Only if you ask nicely,” I taunted.
“How do I know she's not dead already?” he asked me. “I refuse to say anymore or even deal with you until I have proof that she's alive and unharmed.”
I rolled my eyes – her father was not a fun man to play with. He didn't enjoy the game like I did. Of course, knowing I had his little girl probably wasn't the best way to start off a fun and frivolous conversation. But, whatever.
“Fine, talk to your darling Emmy,” I said.
I held the phone out toward Emelia, putting it on speaker and said, “Talk to daddy, honey.”
“Emelia, are you okay?” I heard him say on the other end of the line.
“I'm fine, daddy,” she said, her voice low – almost too low. I feared he might not be able to hear here from there, so I moved closer.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“No, I'm not hurt. Not at all, I'm fine,” she said, tear welling up in her eyes.
She held them back though. No screaming, no crying, no begging for her father to find her. This girl wasn't like most others. She was tough and wasn't going to give me the satisfaction. I had to admire that. Her eyes widened slightly though, when I took the gun out of the holster beneath my jacket – just the sort of reaction I'd been hoping for.
“Stay strong, Emelia,” he said quietly. “We'll get you back.”
I turned off the speaker and put the phone back to my ear. “Only if you do as I say, Antonelli. Remember that. I have your daughter, and if you ever want to see her again – in one piece – you will do exactly as I say.”
“I will fucking kill you for this,” he growled. “Mark my words, I'm going to make you suffer. You're going to wish you were dead long before I'm through with you.”
“Let's not waste time with petty, idle threats you can't back up. Not without endangering the well being of your gorgeous little girl here,” I said, smirking to myself “So, let's cut the bullshit, mate. Are you ready to make a deal? Or should I start sending you beautiful little Emmy one piece at a time? Though, I gotta tell you, it would be such a waste of such an amazing piece of tail.”
“Show some fucking respect, you son of a bitch,” he growled. “That's my daughter you're talking about. Now, what in the hell do you want from me?”
“Oh, I think you already know what I want, Antonelli.”
“I can't break the deal with Bellini. You know that,” he said. “That's something I simply can't do. The deal has already been made and what's done is done.”
“Oh is it? That's really too bad then. Because if that's the case, might as well put this gun in my hand to good use right now,” I replied. “No need to keep Emmy around if there's nothing you can do to better her circumstances.”
“Bellini won't back down,” Antonelli said, almost pleading. “His family has put everything into this deal, and they won't back out of it so easily. Not even for Emelia.”
“Well then, I guess you better say goodbye to your darling daughter,” I said, cocking my gun and hoping he'd hear it through the phone. “Because her brains are about to be splattered all over the wall – ”
“No, wait, please,” Antonelli said. “I'm begging you. Just don't.”
Emelia didn't say anything. She looked at me with her doe eyes, as if she knew I wouldn't pull the trigger. It was as if she was daring me to do it. Daring me to blow her pretty little brains out. Something in her eyes was calling my bluff – and she was right. But I couldn't let her – or her father – know that I wouldn't. A bluff was only good so long as the people you were bluffing believed you were capable of anything – no matter how monstrous.
“Oh, so maybe there is something you can do after all?” I asked.
“Let's talk about this, Deacon,” he said. “I'm willing to make a deal with you. We'll figure something out. Just don't hurt my daughter.”
“You want a deal with me, Antonelli? Kill Tony Bellini and deliver his head to me in a box in exchange for your daughter's life and well being. Then we'll have a deal.”
I hung up the phone and looked over at Emelia. Smiling, I said, “Well, looks like you may not have to marry Tony after all. You're welcome, Emmy. See? I'm not such a bad guy after all, am I?”
EMELIA
I didn't know why or how, but I knew Deacon wasn't going to hurt me. I knew he wasn't going to pull that trigger. Somehow – call it a sixth sense, woman's intuituion, or whatever you like – but I knew that it was all for show. He was bluffing my father, sure, but I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he wasn't really going to kill me.
“Granted, I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if he was gone forever, but killing Tony is going to start a war between the families,” I said softly. “It's one thing to break up our engagement – but to actually kill a member of the Bellini family is an act of war. And it's one they won't overlook easily, Deacon. A lot of people are going to die if that happens.”
Deacon smirked as he leaned back in his chair, staring at me with those blue eyes of his. I felt myself drawn into those eyes every damn time he looked at me, and I couldn't look away. Even after all this shit he was putting me through, I couldn't bring myself to not meet his gaze. It was heady. Intoxicating. Compelling. And I hated myself for feeling so drawn into them.
“Oh cheer up, buttercup. Don't look so sad and scandalized. If you think about it, I'm doing you a huge favor and you know it. You didn't want to marry him, and now you won't have to. I don't want the families uniting and they won't be able to. I'd call this a win-win for both of us.”
I swallowed the lump growing in my throat before I spoke. “Yes, but I didn't want anyone to be killed just to get me out of a goddamned wedding. Jesus, Deacon, I don't want to marry the man, but I also don't want him dead. And the backlash – you don't think it'll blow back on your guys too?”
He shrugged. “Chaos is good for business,” he said. “Not that I need to explain myself to you, Emmy, but the Irish will come out ahead with this, mark my words. Like a phoenix from the ashes, we'll rise bigger, stronger, and fiercer than before. Besides, how can I be sure all ties between the Bellini's and Antonelli's are broken without at least one dead body between 'em? That sort of blood feud can stretch on for generations. It's in my best interest to keep both families at each other's throats for the foreseeable future.”
He was enjoying this. He was actually enjoying this sick little game he'd devised. I'd overheard people talking about Deacon Murphy before – they all talked about how he was cunning, smart and extremely dangerous. They spoke in hushed tones, like he was going to materialize out of thin air right there behind them. When people spoke of Deacon, it was with an air of respect – and fear.
I knew he was a force to be reckoned one, knew he was someone to fear. But even as I sat in front of him, restrained and completely under his control, I found that I actually didn't fear him. Instead, I felt myself drawn to him in ways that didn't make sense. Maybe it was because of how I'd grown up and the fact that I'd been around dangerous men my entire life, but his ruthlessness turned me on. I was horrified and appalled to admit that to myself, but – there it was. Out in the open. And I had no idea what to do with the horrible conflicting emotions roiling around inside of me.
“You're smart, Deacon,” I said. “I have to give you that. Smarter than my father, maybe. But he's not going to kill Bellini. He will come for me first, and kill you in the process. This little game you're running is doomed to fail because he's been in the game a lot longer and knows the rules better than you do.”
“And what if he does?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, this is what we do, isn't it? We win some and we lose some. But I'll tell you something, love – we never get ahead in this game if we're not willing to put our very lives on the line. The stakes have got to be high to make victory worth claiming. And personally, I can't think of any stakes higher than one's own life. This is why I do what I do, Emelia. This is why I'm the leader of this organization. Because I'm not afraid of your father or the Bellinis. And I'm not afraid of war. Hell, I'm not even afraid of death.”
“Not afraid of death?” I asked, shaking my head. “You're crazy.”
“Maybe,” he said, giving me a small shrug. “I'm not denying that. But I think to be a good leader in this life, you have to be a little crazy to do the things we do.”
Even though I knew I shouldn't let it happen, I felt a smile forming on my lips. I couldn't stop it from spreading across my face and there was something in me that was mortified that I couldn't stifle the soft laugh escaping my throat at the ridiculousness of all this – of me being here strapped down to a bed, his prisoner. The ridiculousness of Deacon and me talking, and about me caring whether or not this man – my family's sworn enemy – would live or die. Because he was too beautiful to die. Too young and beautiful and smart. It would be an absolute waste.
But if he were killed in this war he was dying to start, it would also be of his own doing. And there was nothing I could do to stop that.
“You almost look sad, Emmy,” he said, sounding surprised.
“Maybe I am,” I said. “Because I think all life is sacred – including yours. Even Tony's. I may not like him – or you – but that doesn't mean I want to see either of you wind up with two in the back of the head.”
“I love how I came before Tony,” he said with a wink. “I think I might be growing on ya. Another lassie done in by the Irish charm.”
Maybe a little – but I sure as hell wasn't going to encourage him by admitting that.
Deacon walked over to me and stood over the bed, towring over me. He stared down at me lying helpless in the bed before him. My breath caught in my throat and my heart started to race as I feared what he might do to me. Not because I thought he would hurt me. No, I was still convinced he wouldn't actually do anything to hurt me. But I was becoming even more fearful of him because I worried that if he touched me or kissed me or tried to have his way with me, I'd end up going along with it willingly.
And I knew how fucked up that was.
But instead of doing any of that, he surprised me by reaching the restraints that held me to the bed. He untied and then removed them altogether. First my right, then my left. Rubbing my wrists – which were nearly raw thanks to the restraints being way too tight – I looked up at him, confused.
“But why?” I asked.
“Honestly? Because I hate seeing you like that,” he said. “You're much too beautiful to be tied to a bed like some hostage in a trailer park or something.”
“But I am a hostage,” I said.
“Yes, but you don't have to be treated like one,” I said. “Not if I can help it – and not if you can help yourself. Just promise me, Emmy, that you won't do anything stupid? Because I can't promise your safety if you do anything stupid. And I don't want to have to tie you back down here. You deserve to be treated with a little more dignity than that.”
I nodded, biting my lip as I stared up into his dreamy face. I wanted to slap myself for getting lost in his eyes, for even having these hot little fantasy flashes about him in my mind. He was still holding me hostage – but there was something about him that drew me in and held me there.
But, this was the big, bad, scary man I'd heard stories about. That I'd been taught to hate and fear. But as I looked at him and saw something that looked like compassion in his eyes, I found all of those terrible stories I'd heard about him hard to believe. I was finding it hard to believe I had any reason to fear him at all.
But what I did fear was the need and desire growing inside of me. As I looked up at him, a powerful sense of lust and want gnawed at me from the inside. Never before had I stared at a man so breathtakingly beautiful – and so profoundly dangerous at the same time. I'd never come across a man like Deacon who made my heart race. It was so wrong, which was why I pushed those feelings back and tried to focus all of my attention on the situation at hand and the impact his demands would have upon my family moving forward.
“So what's next?” I asked, looking up into his eyes. “What's your play here?”
“It's not my play to make. The ball is inyour father's court. For now, we wait it out,” he said, sitting back down in his chair across the room from the bed.
“And you're going to personally stay here with me? Why not have one of the others guard me since you're the big boss?”
Yes, I was apprehensive about spending so much time with Deacon. I thought it was a bad, terrible idea considering how incredibly attractive I found him. But at the same time, I was scared of the other guys. While I knew for a fact that Deacon would never do anything to hurt me, I wasn't so sure about his guys.
“Because I don't trust anyone else,” he said, looking me up and down, “In their minds, you're a fine piece of meat and they're starving. The temptation would be too great to do something – regrettable – if I left you alone with them. I'm not going to take that chance with you.”
“Oh what? So you're not tempted?” I asked, batting my lashes as I spoke.
“What warm-blooded man wouldn't be?” he said, licking his lips. “But I can control my impulses. That's another reason why I'm the big boss.”
Part of me wasn't so sure I wanted him to control his impulses – and I knew which part of me was hoping for that. But I scolded myself for even having those kinds of thoughts. He was my kidnapper. He was determined to start a war that was going to kill a lot of people – including people I knew and cared about. There was no way in hell I should be having warm, fuzzy feelings for that man. And I sure as hell shouldn't be secretly hoping that he'd just take me right then and right there.
There was a knock on the door, followed by a voice a moment later. “Deacon, we need to move. Now. Antonelli's men were spotted nearby. I don't know how, but somehow they found us.”
“Move?” I asked.
Without a word, Deacon took my arm and yanked me off the bed and onto my feet before I could get an answer. He didn't have a chance to restrain me, but the grip of his hand on my arm was enough to stop me from fighting too much. He was a strong, powerful man and he pulled me out of the room and into a hallway. We quickly walked down the corridor, his men – all of the brandishing automatic weapons – surrounding us.
“What the fuck happened, Colin?” he asked, glaring at the man next to us.
“I dunno. I think maybe he traced your call,” Colin said.
“Fuck. I knew he kept me on the line too long. Rookie fucking mistake. I know better than that.”
Deacon pulled out his cell phone and dropped it into the trash can as we walked out a back door. There were cars waiting in a parking lot and Deacon pushed me into the backseat of one of them – a black SUV. He climbed in beside me and slammed the door as Colin got in the front and we took off, the tires on the vehicles chirping on the pavement.
Throughout this whole ordea., I could have fought and tried to get free. I could have caused a scene that maybe delayed Deacon long enough that my father's men may have found us. But I hadn't. It surprised me that I'd gone along with Deacon without any resistance whatsoever. I was even more surprised to realize that it hadn't even occurred to me to resist.
Maybe I was in shock over everything that was happening. Maybe it was fear, since I was surrounded by Deacon's men – all of whom were armed to the teeth. I didn't know why, but I didn't struggle against Deacon's grip on my arm in the least. I'd stayed right by Deacon's side the entire time.
What did that all mean?
EMELIA
I don't know where we were, but I knew we were somewhere outside of the city. Judging by the desolation around us, we were far away from civilization altogether. It looked like we were hidden away in the depths of a forest, of some kind. The cars all pulled up to a little log cabin set out in the middle of nowhere.
It was the perfect hiding spot and I had to wonder why they hadn't brought me there in the first place. Or maybe when the war between my family and Tony's family broke out, Deacon had planned to bring me out there all along and the presence of my father's men on their tail had only accelerated that plan.
“Make yourself at home, Emmy. You and I will be staying here for a few days,” Deacon said, walking me inside the cabin and flipping on a light. “Hope you like camping. It's a bit rustic, but it'll keep us warm and dry.”
The cabin was small, but a lot nicer inside than I'd expected it to be. It was definitely rustic and not one of those million dollar luxurious cabins, but it wasn't a dump, either. There was a small living area, an even smaller kitchen area and a loft upstairs with a large bed. All of the windows were barred, however, and there was only one exit that I could see – the front door. Which was large and sturdy with multiple locks attached to it.
Deacon saw me eyeing the exit and grinned.
“You're not getting out of here, Emelia. Don't even think about it,” he said, smirking as he spoke. “And even if you did somehow manage to escape, there's nothing around us for miles and miles. You'd just wind up lost and alone in the woods until you died of hypothermia.”
“I know,” I said softly. “I'm not stupid.”
I noticed that it was just Deacon, myself and Colin at the cabin. The others had all scattered and were nowhere to be seen. Deacon looked at me and grinned, as if he was reading my thoughts.
“I figured if we all went in different directions, your father's men wouldn't know who to follow,” he said. “Your father is a little more resourceful than I'd given him credit for, so I had to throw him off the trail. Not that I needed to worry too much though, this place is my most secret hideout.”
“Oh? Is this were you bring all your whores?” I taunted.
Colin snickered, but then stopped suddenly when Deacon glared at him.
“Only the prettiest ones, like you,” he said, winking at me.
“I'm not your – ”
“I get it, Emelia. You're not going to roll over and take it. Fine, I get it. But I'm getting really tired of your posturing. It's getting old.” Deacon rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Colin. “You still here?”
Colin looked confused “Where else am I supposed to go?”
“For fuck's sake, Colin, I don't know. Maybe back into Chicago and keep an eye on things for me back there.”
“But you're going to stay out here? Alone?”
Deacon let out a long, irritated sounding sigh and shook his head. Judging by the way he clenched his fists at his side, I was sure he might punch Colin's lights out. But he took a deep breath and managed to hold it together – but probably just barely. He looked so ready to explode, I honestly wan't sure how he'd kept it in check.
“I'm the only one I trust to watch over her and make sure she's not hurt, deflowered, or some shit when we give her back to her daddy dearest.” he growled.
Deacon rubbed his temples, cursing under his breath before continuing, in a calmer voice. “Listen, Colin, I need you on the ground in the city. I need you to be my eyes and ears. You're the only one I trust for the job.”
“You don't need backup?” Colin asked, cutting a glance at me and raising an eyebrow.
“What? Against her? Please – ” Deacon huffed. “Now go on and get back to the city before you piss me off, mate.”
Colin cast one last look at me – as if he was warning me with his eyes – before turning and walking out the door, leaving me alone with Deacon. I stared at my captor, watching him carefully as he listened to Colin's car as it pulled away from the cabin and headed back down the long, dirt road that would take him to the highway.
“Tell me something, Deacon – why do you really want to be alone with me?” I stared at him with wide-eyes, batting my eyelashes. “Something on your mind?”
Yes, I knew he was attracted to me and that by flirting with him, I was playing a dangerous game – a game I couldn't afford to lose. And maybe I shouldn't have toyed with him the way I did, but I couldn't help myself.
“I told you why,” he grumbled, letting go of my arm. “Now sit.”
“Are we really going to spend our days sitting and staring at each other?” I asked, a hint of flirtatiousness in my voice.
“Well, is there something you'd rather be doing, princess?” He was flirting right back.
“You know,” I said, taking a seat and crossing my legs slowly and very deliberately, “For a kidnapper, you're not really so bad.”
Deacon sat across from me in the chair, leaning forward and staring into my eyes – if he'd even noticed the way I'd crossed my legs, he gave no sign of it.
“Well, I don't hurt innocent women and I won't let anybody in my employ hurt them either,” he said flatly. “It goes against everything I stand for.”
Raising an eyebrow, I laughed. “And you think I'm innocent, do you?”
“Far more innocent and naive than you even realize, love,” he said. “It's absolutely adorable though. But, by all means, keep playing the sexy, young vixen card. I'm enjoying the show and it passes the time.”
EMELIA
Days had gone by, and except for Colin and Deacon communicating with one another, there wasn't an overabundance of conversation in that cabin. There was some, but he spent more time in a sullen silence than engaged with me. Even more disconcerting to me, there was no news from my father yet. At least, none that Deacon shared with me.
Except for the fact that I was being held against my will, staying at the cabin wasn't half-bad actually. In a weird way, it almost felt like a vacation – at least, if you forgot about being restrained at night and the lack of any sharp objects within my reach. He was so untrusting of that that even silverware was kept locked up and inventoried harder than a bank vault.
But I had to admit, all things considered, it wasn't half bad. When we did talk, the flirting with Deacon continued and even grew a little heated at times. Sometimes I think out of boredom, we were just trying to press each other's buttons, see how far the other would take it. I knew Deacon would fuck me in a heartbeat if I offered myself up though – he was just that kind of man.
But he was testing me, and he seemed to be enjoying the little game of chicken we were playing. How far would the sweet, innocent, Emelia Antonelli go?
The problem with this little game though, was that I wasn't sure how far I would actually go. The closer he got to kissing me, for instance, the more I found myself yearning for him to do it. He was a powerfully attractive and seductive man and something in me longed for him.
I knew that this was getting dangerous and because of that, I was really hoping Colin could work something out with my father sooner rather than later. But the other part of me hoped I would have more time with Deacon in the cabin. Because the truth of the matter – as terrible as it was to think it – was that Deacon Murphy was probably my ideal man, in most every single way. Ideal, except for the fact that he was technically the enemy. Though, I was so caught up in him that the enemy part didn't even really register on my heart or in my head.
“Do you think my father will do it?” I asked him. “Do what you asked him to do?”
“Do you want him to?” Deacon asked me, staring straight at me with a serious look on his face. “So that you no longer have to marry Tony?”
I looked down at my hands, which were clasped in my lap, but I couldn't find the words. No, I didn't want someone to die because of me. But truth be told, Tony wasn't a good man and I didn't like him – let alone love him. And that was something I never saw changing.
I really didn't want to be married to him, to sleep with him every single night, to have his children. I didn't want anything to do with him. Even if in the end, I was forced to marry him, I couldn't imagine that I'd saved my virginity all these years just to be given away to a man as part of a goddamn business deal.
“I want to get out of the marriage, yes. But I don't want anyone to die because of it,” I said softly. “I don't want him killed, I just don't want to marry him.”
The tears welled up in my eyes as I remembered the nights we'd already spent together – the way his filthy hands tried to pull off my clothing, his terrible smelling breath, the leathery feel of his skin. I remembered his utter insistence that I fuck him even I told him many, many times that I was saving myself for our wedding night. He tried, hard, to convince me otherwise, but I'd always managed to push him off me. But once we were married, I'd have no excuses. I'd have to give myself to him whether I liked it or not. The mere thought of it sent waves of revulsion through me.
I looked back up at Deacon who was watching me closely, but not saying a word. If I expected him to comfort me, I was out of luck. He didn't seem to be the warm, comforting, warm and fuzzy type. At least, not to me.
Wiping my eyes on my sleeve, I asked, “Mind if I lie down for a bit?”
“We just woke up about an hour ago,” he said.
“Not like there's much else to do in this god forsaken place,” I muttered.
“I can think of a few things,” he said with a smile.
And as I looked at his glittering eyes and that roguish smile, it hit me – this was my chance to make my own choices. This was my chance to not let my father – or Tony – decide what I could do and who I could be with. Even if Deacon's plans failed and I had no choice but to marry Tony, at least I had this one moment to take control of myself and make my own choices for a change. At least I had the opportunity to give myself to someone because I wanted to – not because I was being required to as the terms of some business obligation.
I had this one moment to just be myself and carve a little slice of happiness out of this world and my life for my own.
“Well then – maybe you'd care to join me upstairs?” I asked, my voice was barely more than a whisper as I stared across at Deacon.
He raised an eyebrow and and looked at me for a long moment before laughing almost hysterically.
“Damn. That was a good one, love,” he said. “You almost had me. I almost believed ya for a second, until I remembered what a good lil girl you are.”
Standing up, I walked over to where Deacon was sitting in the chair, staring at me with those deep, blue eyes of his. Never taking my eyes off of him, I straddled him in the chair, sitting down in his lap, one leg on each side of him. I felt his erection pressing into my warm, suddenly very wet center – I knew he wanted it. And judging by the fire burning between my thighs, so did I.
His laugh was a little nervous and he was looking anywhere but into my eyes. I could tell that he was trying so hard to be on his best behavior because he wasn't like the other men in the Irish mob I'd encountered – he had morals and values. And his values told him that taking advantage of girls like me – in the position he had me in – was wrong.
But what if I wanted him to take advantage of me? Was it wrong in that case? Would that go against his morals and values? Would it go against mine? I didn't know. About the only thing I was sure of, was that I was tired of other people controlling my life.
“Maybe I'm tired of being such a good girl, Deacon,” I said, softly pressing my lips to his.
He didn't pull away, but he didn't kiss me back either. I pushed my long hair over my shoulder and lowered myself so I could run the tip of my tongue along his neck, taking in his musky, manly scent. Savoring it. He smelled so good, I didn't know why I'd never noticed it before, but his scent did wonders to my libido. It made the fire in me burn even brighter, almost involuntarily making me grind myself into him.
Deacon let out a muffled groan as I sucked and kissed his neck, but he didn't join in the fun. He was trying to be good, to not give into me. I could tell by how hard his cock was that he wanted to – he really wanted to. But he was trying to restrain his carnal urges. It looked like I was going to have to do more convincing.
Pulling back, I gave him my best, most sultry bedroom eyes.
“Please Deacon? Please let me have this?” I said. “Let me have you? If only this once?”
“Not that I don't appreciate the offer love, but what exactly are you hoping to get out of fucking me?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded. “I'd appreciate it.”
“I want to take back my body,” I said. “So if I have to marry that creep, at least I know I don't go him pure. That I kept something for myself. He doesn't deserve that, Deacon.”
“And I do?”
I shrugged. “If I'm being honest, I find you incredibly attractive at least. Him? Not in the least. I'll have to fake it with him and hope I don't throw up when he touches me. At least with you – well, I might have a chance at enjoying it. And I think I deserve that.”
Deacon smiled. “Oh, you'll enjoy it alright. I guarantee it.”
“Does this mean – ”
But before I could finish my question though, Deacon kissed me – hard – shoving his tongue into my mouth and literally taking my breath away. His hands were suddenly on my waist, pulling me down onto his stiff cock. His fingers dug into my flesh, pulling me down harder and even through my clothes, and I felt just how hard he was for me.
So hard and so large that I had to admit – it scared me a bit. Given that it was my first time, I was afraid that I would do something wrong or not be very good. Especially with a man like Deacon who had so much experience with sex under his belt. As I ground myself against him and he kissed me, a million questions swirled through my mind. Would I actually be able to take all of him into me? Would it hurt? Would he be gentle with me, I wondered?
With my heart racing and adrenaline surging through my body, I knew that I was about to find out. Reaching down, I fumbled with Deacon's pants, trying to unzip them while also straddling him – a feat I found more difficult than I'd first though.
“The movies make this look so much easier,” I said, color rushing to my cheeks.
Deacon stood, picking me up, and carried me over to the couch. My legs were wrapped around his body and when he laid me down, he came down with me.
“Here, let me take care of the hard stuff,” he said, removing my pants with one hand – to my ever-lasting amazement.
He moved down lower on my body, and I stared down at him, confused as to what he was doing at first, but when his mouth found my clit, it all made perfect sense. My body arched upward toward him as I gasped in surprise.
“Figured you'd need to be warmed up a bit, love,” he said.
Deacon went to town on my pussy, sucking and licking and doing all kinds of crazy things that drove me absolutely wild. I never knew a man could enjoy this so much – and surely, I'd never enjoyed myself so much – but I could tell that Deacon was having fun with it, taking his time and looking up at me with those icy blue eyes of his while he pleasured me.
“Deacon, oh God, Deacon,” I muttered, tossing my head from side-to-side.
There was a sensation low in my body, a tightness in the muscles of my vagina, as the swelling of pleasure started building up inside of me. It felt like I might explode, and I had to wonder if this is what it felt like to orgasm with a man. I'd pleasured myself in the past, sure, but this was different. This was – magical. And as that sensation built, I could tell that it was going to be far more powerful than any orgasm I'd ever given myself.
And as I reached the peak, Deacon grabbed onto my ass and lifted me closer to him, fucking me with his tongue as the spasms took control of my body as well as my mind. My entire body exploded in pleasure, wave after wave of electrical impulses sending me thrashing wildly on the couch, only held in place by Deacon's strong hands.
I was gasping and my body already felt a little wrung out, but Deacon wasn't done with me yet. Staring up at me with his face slick with my juices, he removed his pants.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
“Yes, Deacon, yes,” I said, writhing on the couch, needing to feel him inside of me.
My first time shouldn't be with some old family friend. And it shouldn't be the consummation of a goddamn business deal. My first time should be with someone I was attracted to. Somebody I wanted. And regardless of how fucked up the situation was and why I was there in the first place, I found that I was deeply attracted to Deacon.
“I'm positive, Deacon!” I almost shouted. “I need you inside of me.”
Deacon lowered himself on top of me and I could feel his dick pressing directly against my opening. Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced for the pain they always told you about the first time you had sex, but he hesitated and didn't enter me. I opened my eyes, not understanding what was happening and why he wasn't inside of me yet.
I stared into those baby blue eyes and he smiled at me – actually smiled! And then he kissed me softly. Like he knew that this would be unpleasant for me, and he was going slow to minimize any pain. My kidnapper taking the time to consider my feelings? That shocked the hell out of me – and whether he'd intended to or not, told me a lot about the character of this man.
I'd used dildos before, so it wasn't like nothing had ever entered my body before The only difference was that I'd never put anything inside of me that was this large or this real before. As the tip of his cock pressed against my opening, I gasped. And when he slowly stretched me open as he slid into my, I groaned and bit my bottom lip hard. My eyes opened wide as he entered me, inch by glorious inch. There was a momentary flash of pain, but then a tsunami of pleasure that followed.
Judging by the look on his face, I could tell he wanted to thrust inside me, wanted to fuck me hard. But he moved slowly, deliberately taking his time, savoring the sensation of my tight pussy closing in around his cock.
Because of the wetness from both my natural juices and from his mouth, it hurt far less than I had expected it to. There was some pain, yes, but it was a good type of pain. Pleasure mixed with pain – which only heightened the sensations and made them all the more potent. I held onto Deacon and gasped as he entered me, finally filling me up completely.
Eyes wide, I stared up at him, shocked at the feeling of it all. I'd never had been filled up so completely, not like this. No toy had ever come close. And the warmth of his body, the warmth of his cock deep inside of me – it was all so surreal.
Slowly, Deacon started moving back and forth, in and out of me. Fucking me. He looked at me and I could see the concern in his eyes – he was worried about hurting me. I smiled at him and moaned as he kept moving in and out. This was it. I was having sex. I was giving myself to a man and it wasn't Tony.
Just knowing that made me feel so happy. So – victorious. In control. It was an empowering feeling that I relished every bit as much as the feeling of having Deacon's cock inside of me.
“Fuck, you're tight,” he said through gritted teeth, his eyes shut tightly.
“Never been with a virgin before?” I asked.
“Not that I'm aware of,” he said, his voice more gravely than normal. “But damn, you feel amazing.”
And he felt amazing too. Once the initial pain wore off, the pleasure hit me with the force of a sledgehammer. Deacon was able to speed up, moving in and out of me with such ease, building a rhythm that worked for us. Our bodies were moving in unison – I rose up to meet each of his thrusts, burying him deeper inside of me. This was all so new. So raw. So magical. And yet, with Deacon, it felt so normal. So natural. So – perfect.
And when that familiar tingling started low in my belly, that heat rising up from below, I knew I wasn't going to last very much longer. He'd brought me to that brink again with such ease that I felt like I was still trying to catch my breath from the last orgasm he'd given me.
“I'm going to come, Deacon,” I cried out, digging my nailes into his back and writhing underneath him.
How he managed to keep himself inside of me while I squirmed so much, I had no clue. But he somehow managed to continue thrusting in and out of me, keeping a rhythm that was driving me absolutely crazy.
His breathing was growing more and more ragged though, and I sensed he was also close. As I came, my pussy clenched tighter around him and he let out a groan from deep within his chest, burying himself into me even deeper than before. I could feel him throbbing inside of me as he shuddered above me, his eyes shut tight as he filled me with his seed.
The warmth from his cum caused me to come again, and this time, I couldn't hold back the screams. I let it out, calling his name over and over again as together, we came.
EMELIA
Deacon and I spent a few more days in that cabin, and after we'd found a way to occupy ourselves, I really didn't care if we ever went back to the city. I knew it was wrong. I shouldn't be sleeping with the enemy. And I knew that I should go back to my family, but my father was the one who'd used me as property – essentially trading me as part of a business deal.
At least with Deacon, I knew what he was about. He'd been straight forward with me from the start. No, he wasn't a good guy, but he also treated me better than any man I'd ever met. He was considerate and in his way, kind. And that surprised me. It surprised me quite a lot, actually. Deacon never stopped surprising me.
“So have you heard from my father recently?” I asked him, staring over at him beside me in bed.
“Colin said they were talking yesterday,” he replied. “Said they were making plans for the deed to be done.”
“You mean Tony's murder?” I asked, cringing as I said it.
“Yes, if that's what you prefer to call it, then yes. Tony's murder.”
“And you honestly think my father is going to go through with this?” I asked. “That he's not going to weasel his way out of it somehow?”
Deacon shrugged and rolled over, pulling me closer. Neither one of us were wearing much clothing and I reveled in the sensation of his warm skin pressed to mine.
“You're his precious daughter. He'd do anything for you.”
I bit my lip and held back the harsh words I had for my father. I didn't think it was appropriate and tried to rein it in, but Deacon could see that something was bothering me. He stared at me with soulful, inquiring eyes.
“Or am I wrong about that?” he asked.
“I don't know, it's just – I feel like I'm only important to him as a bargaining chip these days. As a piece to be included in some business transaction. And if Tony is dead, I'm no good to him anyway, so maybe he'll find an alternative way to keep the deal on the table.”
“You really think your father cares so little for you?”
I shrugged, looking at the wall instead of Deacon. A complex mix of emotions churned within me. Yes, I thought he loved me. But I also thought he loved the fact that I could enhance his wealth and prestige even more.
“What am I supposed to think, Deacon? I was given away to Tony Bellini like – like some object, some commodity,” I said.
For the first time, my true anger started to come out and a rage that was dark and abiding began to bubble to the surface as I let it all out.
“I'm just not sure I – as a person – really matter to my father,” I went on. “Or to anyone for that matter. Which is honestly, why I'm not in any hurry to go back. You notice that I haven't tried to escape, haven't you? I haven't because I haven't felt that my life is in danger. At least here, I don't have Tony's filthy hands trying to grope me against my will.”
Deacon kissed me, long and hard, taking my breath away once again. When he pulled back, he looked me in the eye and opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. He looked confused, almost surprised by what he was going to say.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he mumbled.
“No, it's not nothing. You wanted to say something. What was it?”
“Just that – well, just that I think you're being too hasty if you think you don't matter to anyone. There are people who care about you, Emmy, believe it or not.”
“Yeah, I mattered to my mother. But she's long dead. Or how about Tabitha – the best friend who's jealous of me for being forced to marry Tony because he's rich? Or the fiance who tells me he can't wait to bend me over and take my virginity from me, whether I like it or not?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. For the first time, I knew that I didn't want to go back. As crazy as it sounded, I wanted to stay there, in that cabin with Deacon forever. But I knew that wasn't possible. He was a mafia leader. He'd eventually have to get back to the city and to his business intrests and let me go. And I was pretty positive he was going to let me go. He certainly wasn't going to hurt me.
But at the same time, I didn't think that Deacon was a saint in all this either. I knew he had plenty of ulterior motives. In his defense though, he'd never pretended to care for me as a person – he'd been up front about his uses for me from the start. At least he'd been honest.
“But while we're on the subject, Deacon, I know better than to think you care about me because to you, I'm just a pawn in your game,” I said. “And as soon as my father gives you what you want, you're going to drop me off and leave me behind. So no, I don't think anyone actually cares about me.”
Deacon reached over and grabbed my face in his hands, forcing me to look up at him. He stared into my eyes as he spoke. “Emmy, you're right and you're also wrong. Maybe, it started out that way. You were a pawn. You were a means to an end for me. But over the time we've spent together and as I've gotten to know you, I – I've come to care about you. It sounds nuts, believe me, I know. And nobody is more surprised to hear those words coming out of my mouth than I am. But it's true. There's just something about you and I've come to care about you – as a person. And if you don't want to go back there, we can find a way to keep you from ever going back to your father again. You hear me? I give you my word.”
“You'd risk your deal – your business – because of me?”
“It's not risking anything, love. I promised your father you'd be free if he gave me what I wanted. You'd be free. You could choose to stay, if you wanted, and I'd make sure he'd never come get you. And I promise you that Tony will never lay his hands on you again, you got that?”
I couldn't believe Deacon freely admitted that he'd developed feelings for me like this. He was wrong when he'd said that nobody was more surprised by his admission than him – I was absolutely floored by it. But since he had – I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that I could be free from the Antonelli family legacy, and that I wouldn't end up like my mother or the endless line of women who happened to be born into the family. That it didn't have to be my life – not if I didn't want it to be.
I wanted to believe that more than anything.
But my father had his ways of getting what he wanted. Always had and I suspected, always would. Even though Deacon had proven himself to be a worthy opponent in their little game, he was still young and had a lot to learn about the life of a true crime family.
And I had to face facts – even if Tony wound up dead, my dad would find me. If not because of the alliance with the Bellini's, then because I was his. His property. His possession. His – thing. And there was no way he'd allow me to be with Deacon, not as long as he was alive.
Still, I wanted to revel in the fantasy a bit longer. Stroking Deacon's cheek, I smiled up at him.
“You'd do that, for me?”
“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd do anything for you, Emmy,” he said, kissing the top of my head gently.
It may have only been a matter of days, but already, there was something more between us. Something I couldn't explain. But something powerful that shook me right down to the very core of my being.
And something my father could never begin to understand.
DEACON
Sleep was hard to come by these days. Not because I was afraid Emelia might sneak out on me – that wasn't something that concerned me one little bit. I knew she didn't want to go. No, what had me feeling a little skittish was what might happen if her father did actually do what I'd demanded – what might happen if he actually killed Tony Bellini.
There I was, afraid of actually getting what I'd fought for – and all because of this girl. This girl who at first was nothing but a piece on the gameboard for me to move around as I saw fit. But there she was – already becoming something more to me. I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, not entirely sure how I'd gotten myself into this mess.
Emelia looked so peaceful curled up in the blanket, snoring softly, her naked body partially exposed. She stopped sleeping in clothes once we'd fucked for the first time, and I had to say, it was something I could most definitely get used to.
Yes, I could get used to her being around. And that was hard. I promised her I'd do everything in my power to keep her free from her father, and I'd meant every word of that. But once she was free, she was going to have to decided whether or not she really wanted to be with me. Or was it all about being free of everybody – including me – once and for all?
I couldn't keep her prisoner forever, I knew that. And I hated to admit it, but I was starting to fall for her. Her sweet, gentle fierceness. She wasn't like other women I'd met – especially those who'd come from the Italian crime families. She was fierce, tough, and intelligent as hell. But she also had an innocence about her that I absolutely adored. It was hard to find any woman – especially in my world – who still believed in things like true love and whatnot. And while I'd initially found it all pretty lame and naive, I couldn't deny that it was growing on me.
Or rather, she was growing on me.
My phone rang, which snapped me out of my thoughts and made me jump. Emelia's eyes opened, sleepily, and looked over at me.
“Go back to sleep, love,” I said. “It's just Colin.”
I slipped out of bed and padded downstairs so that Emelia could sleep a while longer, and answered the phone.
“Yes?” I growled. “It better be important.”
“Oh, it's important alright,” Colin said. “Just wanted to let you know that we've made a deal with Antonelli.”
“I know that,” I said. “You were just working out the details last we talked.”
“No, I mean we've made a deal with Antonelli. As in Sean and I. Another deal entirely. Would you like to hear the details of our deal?”
“What do you mean another deal?” I snapped. “Stop playing fucking games, Colin. You have no right – ”
“Well, you see here, brother – some of us aren't too happy with your leadership lately. Or your obsession with this stupid fucking girl,” Colin said, “And we believe, Sean and I, that we can run things better. Especially with Antonelli's help. He's a shrewd, smart man, that one.”
“Why you fucking – ”
My mind was racing as I tried to calculate all the damage Colin could do. He was my right-hand man, the one I trusted more than anyone else. He knew more than anyone else – knew where the proverbial bodies were buried – and to have him running his mouth to Antonelli was a bad, bad thng. It would only be a matter of time before they were on our doorstep.
“You see, Antonelli had a counteroffer for us when I called,” Colin went on. “And since you've been too busy spending time with that slut, we decided to take him up on it. Your head – or your other body parts – delivered to him.”
“And what are you getting in return, huh?”
“Control over the fucking Brotherhood, man,” Colin sounded on the verge of laughter. “Don't you see? You're out. I'm in.”
“Do the others know about this? Besides, your idiot brother, that is?”
“Not yet, but they will soon, Deacon,” Colin said. “But for now, I really must be going. Sleep well.”
The line went dead in my hand and my blood was boiling as I paced the room. I needed to think. Needed to plan. But first things first – we had to get out of there, and fast.
“Emmy,” I called to her, “We should probably be going, love.”
“Why?” she muttered from the loft. “Has my father found us?”
“No, but there's a host of other shit headed our way,” I said.
Emelia came down the stairs in nothing but my t-shirt, her hair all over the place. Never before had she looked more beautiful to me. I couldn't believe that I was falling so hard for this woman – and that was trouble. Especially now. Things were going to be complicated on their own when I went to war with Colin – and I would be going to war with him. But not only did I have Antonelli on my ass, now I had some of my own brothers on it as well.
And I had no idea who I could trust in all of this.
“Do we even have a car?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Yes, we do actually,” I said.
No one, not even Colin knew about it. But yes, we had a car, hidden in a garage off the property. See, he'd thought we were stranded out there when he'd driven off. But I was a prudent and cautious man. It was how I'd risen to the position I was in. So, Colin may have thought he'd left us without a ride, but he didn't realize that I would never allow myself to be stranded anywhere.
“Have all your things?” I asked.
“What things?” she said. “I literally only have the clothes I wore when you scooped me up and nothing else.”
I tossed her a pair of pajama bottoms – and of course they were much too large on her. She pulled the drawstring as tight as they would go, but she still had to hold them up on her tiny little frame. Still, it would work well enough for the moment – we'd worry about getting her something proper to wear later. In that moment, we had to get moving quickly.
“Come on,” I said, motioning for her to follow me out.
It was hard to believe that just days before, I'd been worried she might try to escape. Now, I let her walk freely, trusting she'd follow me. I glanced back, just to make sure there was no doubt in her eyes, and there wasn't. Only fear.
“If not my dad, then what?” she asked. “What's going on, Deacon?”
“I'll explain on the road,” I said.
We walked into the woods, and it was a trek to get to my hidden vehicle. Poor Emelia was shivering from the cold, but it wasn't like I had a coat to give her. I quickened our pace, just to reach the warmth of the vehicle a little faster. And once we finally got to the garage, I opened the lock and we stepped inside to find my dad's old Impala. Nothing fancy, but it would get us the hell out of there and it was a trusty old brute. I'd been sure to keep it properly maintained in the event she was needed. And right then, she was needed.
Emelia climbed into the passenger seat on her own, there was no forcing her. It all seemed so surreal to think that I'd kidnapped her, forced her to come with me, and yet, there she was coming willingly. I didn't even know how all of it had happened, but somehow, she trusted me. Or at least, she trusted me more than she trusted sticking around to see what kind of trouble was coming for us.
Once in the car, we drove out the back of the garage and down a dirt road that was hardly ever used anymore. I drove with the headlights off though, just in case. Colin might not be far and better not to alert him of our hasty exit with bright lights – even though I doubted he knew about the road we were on in the first place. Still, I was a cautious man.
Had Colin known everything and had it all figured out – like he thought he did – there'd have been no escaping in time, I was sure of it. But his betrayal was one reason I found it so very hard to trust anyone, even my best friend, and had to make secret contingency plans for myself. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles white, and Emelia just sat beside me, quietly waiting for me to fill her in on everything going on.
“It's Colin,” I said finally. “He's gone rogue.”
I sighed and knew I had to give her the option. If she wanted to be released, to go back to her father, she could. I had bigger shit to deal with in that moment – bigger problems than this deal with the Italians. I needed to get control of my own men and my own organization back. Oh yeah, and I needed to put two into the back of Colin's head for his betrayal.
“So, what does that mean?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Which means, I can drop you off somewhere, if you'd like. And you'd be free to go,” I said.
“Go? Go where? Back to my father?” she said.
I nodded, staring straight ahead as I turned onto the paved road that led us away from the cabin. I let out a small sigh of relief – there was no sign of Colin. Not yet, anyway. Either he was at the cabin already or he was further away than I thought. Either way, I was glad to be gone.
“I don't want that, Deacon,” she said quietly. “You promised me I wouldn't have to – ”
“Shhh,” I said, calming her down. “I didn't say you had to be, but I'm giving you a way out. I felt like you deserved to have a choice in all of this. Things are about to get ugly, Emmy, and I hate for you to be in the middle of it.”
“Too late,” she said. “I already am, whether I like it or not. And I'm not going home now. Not to my father, and most certainly not to Tony.”
“You could go anywhere, you know that?” I said. “Anywhere you'd like. No one said you had to go home and you certainly don't have to go with me if you dont' want to. What I'm trying to say is that you're free, love.”
She was quiet for a few moments and I thought she might take me up on the offer. Yes, part of me hurt just thinking about it. Despite my best efforts, I'd already grown rather attached to this beautiful, young woman – even though I knew it was the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.
“No,” she said after a few moments. “I don't think so. I'm going to stay with you, if that's okay with you?”
As much as I loved that idea – I was also terrified by it. I wanted to believe I could protect her. Keep her safe. But the truth of the matter was, when the bullets started flying – and they would eventually – nobody was ever truly safe. I knew that it was going to gut me if anything happened to her.
Still, she was free to make her own choices and if she chose to stay with me, so be it.
“Whatever you like, Emmy. Like I said, you're free now. You're no longer my prisoner. So any choice you make is yours – good or bad.”
“I'm your partner,” she said with a smile. “Your partner in crime.”
DEACON
“Partner in crime, huh?” I asked.
Emelia looked at me from the passenger seat, a broad grin on her face, looking quite pleased with herself.
“Partner in crime,” she confirmed.
I gave her a grin as the Impala roared down the darkened highway. I had no plan and was just winging in it – which made me nervous. I was a man who needed a plan. It's not that I wasn't quick on my feet – had to be in my line of business – but I was always at my best when I was able to plan something out. Especially, when it was something important.
And I couldn't think of anything more important than keeping me and Emelia alive.
“Do you have a plan?” Emelia asked.
I turned and gave her a wink. “A secret one,” I replied. “Don't you worry about a thing, love.”
Her laugh was soft and rueful. “So, there's no plan.”
I smirked. “There's no plan,” I said. “At least, not yet.”
“Well, that's not all very comforting at all.”
The road was dark and I kept checking behind me for headlights, but still saw nothing. It wouldn't be too long before we hit a major highway and could lose ourselves in the crush of people in the city. I ordinarily wasn't a big fan of crowds, but this time, it might just save our lives.
“Right now, my plan is to get us as far away from that cabin – and Colin – as humanly possible,” I said. “We're gonna lay low for a little bit so I can sort all of this out and figure out what our plan of attack is going to be.”
“Seems like a good place to start,” she said.
“As good as any at this point, love,” I said.
My mind was spinning with everything going on. I couldn't believe that Colin had betrayed me. We'd come up together. Had been through a lot of shit together. I'd always considered him my best friend. Closer than a brother. And knowing that for a chance at the big chair, he'd betrayed me, filled me with a deep, dark rage.
I was going to kill Colin for his betrayal. There was no question about that. But I was going to make him suffer for a while first. It was the fuel that kept my fire burning. I was going to get out of this mess and make Colin pay for it.
We roared down the highway and when we passed a turnoff, I thought I saw the moonlight glint off the hood of a car. I wasn't sure though and thought my paranoia might be kicking into overdrive. But then I saw the headlights turn onto the road behind me.
“Fuck,” I muttered.
Emelia turned and looked out the back window and then back to me. “Is that them?”
I nodded. “Yeah, probably. Either that or it's a cop and we're in a speed trap,” I said. “And for the first time in my life, I hope it's a cop.”
My phone rang on the seat beside me – which told me, it probably wasn't a cop behind me. Glancing at the display, I saw that the call was from Colin. I connected the call and put it on speaker.
“What?” I demanded.
“Where ya headed, mate?” Colin asked, amusement in his tone.
“Budapest,” I said. “Care to meet me there?”
“Tempting,” Colin said. “But I have some business to attend to here.”
“Pity,” I replied. “I'd love nothing more than to shoot you in the face and dump your body into the Danube, you treacherous son of a bitch.”
“Oh, c'mon now, Deacon,” he said. “After all we've been through together and that's the way you're gonna be?”
“Funny how that works,” I said. “You stab me in the back and I want to kill you. Coincidence?”
Colin laughed. “Are you there, lassie?” he asked. “Emelia Antonelli, I assume you're there.”
She looked over at me and then looked at the phone as if it were a coiled snake ready to strike. I shrugged, letting her know it was okay to answer if she wanted – or not.
“What do you want?” she hissed.
“Well, to be quite frank with you, love, a couple hours alone with you would be nice,” he said.
“Fuck off,” she snapped.
“Oh, you've got quite the mouth on you, don't ya, love?” Colin laughed. “Don't worry though, I've got somethin' for that too. Anyway, your daddy is looking forward to having you back home. Of course, before we hand you over to your daddy, I'm gonna have some fun with ya first. And I gotta tell ya, love, I'm really looking forward to that.”
“Yeah, over my dead body,” I snapped.
“That's kind of the plan, mate,” Colin said.
“I assume that's you behind us?” I asked.
The headlights on the car behind is flashed on and off, giving me my answer. “Yeah, knowing you like I do, I assumed you had an exit plan, mate,” he said. “So I sent a couple of my boys to the cabin and figured I'd watch the road myself. And like a gift from God himself, you drove right by us.”
“So, what's your plan here, Colin?” I asked.
“Well, we're going to run you off the road to start,” he said. “Put two in your head and leave you on the side of the road. And then, I may take the lassie to a nice hotel – or I may just bend her over the hood of the car and make her look at your body while I fuck her. Haven't quite decided on that part yet.”
“Yeah, well good luck with that,” I said.
“Oh, I think Lady Luck is on my side this time,” he replied. “Has to be with the way everything fell into place. Wouldn't you agree?”
“Yeah, I guess we'll see about that,” I said.
I disconnected the call and dropped the phone onto the seat next to me. Emelia's eyes were wide and I could see the fear in her face.
“Don't worry, love,” I said. “I'll get us through this. I promise you.”
It was a stupid thing to say. There was no way I could guarantee that I'd get us through this. But I knew she needed something in that moment – needed some reassurance that everything was going to be okay. And if I could allay her fears for only a few minutes, I was happy to lie through my teeth.
On the road behind me, Colin's car started to pick up speed and close the distance between us. It wasn't long before they were right on my back bumper. The one thing I had going for me though, was that this car was made from good old fashioned American steel. Colin was fond of driving cars that were fast, but would disintegrate in an accident. I knew he couldn't afford to bump me too much – not if he wanted to keep his car intact and on the road.
It was a small advantage, but an advantage nonetheless.
I looked in the rearview and saw flashes of light – Colin had his hand out and was shooting at the car. As if to underscore the point, the sound of something hitting the steel of the trunk sounded.
“Keep your head down,” I said. “Duck low in the seat. In fact, get down onto the floorboard.”
Emelia looked over at me, her eyes wide and fearful, but her jaw set, a look of determination in her eyes. She wasn't going to let her fears run roughshod over her.
“Do you have a gun?” she asked.
“What?”
“A gun,” she snapped. “Do you have one?”
I looked at her, my expression one of disbelief. “Glove box.”
She opened the glove box and took out the 9mm I kept stored there. She checked the clip, chambered a round and disengaged the safety. Clearly, there was more to this girl than met the eye. A lot more.
Rolling down the window, she turned around awkwardly in her seat so that she could get her arm out and pointed in the right direction. When she'd accomplished the feat, she squeezed off a round. The car behind me swerved wildly on the road and fell back a bit. But then I saw the muzzle flashes and heard bullets whining as they grazed the steel of the car.
“Get your ass back in here, Emelia,” I snapped. “You're going to get yourself shot.”
She ignored me and squeezed off another couple of rounds, making Colin's car swerve and fall back a little bit more. I had to admit, Emelia was doing a nice job of keeping them at bay. But then I hit a pothole in the road which bounced the car violently. Emelia screamed as her arm hit the top of the door panel and the gun went sailing off into the night.
“Shit!” she screamed.
She sat back in her seat, a look of pure frustration on her face. Behind us, Colin must have seen what happened, because his car sped up and hovered just inches off my bumper. He moved to the left, trying to get around me, so I cut the wheel and stayed in front of him. He moved to the right and I cut the wheel to the right, keeping him behind me.
But he was diving a smaller, faster car – and he was a pretty damn good driver. So when he moved left again and I moved to block, he cut quickly to the other side and got on my right. I wasn't going to be able to keep him behind me.
“Get down,” I snarled. “Keep your head down.”
Emelia did as she was told, practically laying down with her head in my lap. In any other circumstance, I might take advantage of that – but not when the stakes were life and death. I knew I had to do something. If I let them pull up alongside me, they'd simply shoot through the window and kill me.
The engine on the Impala roared, echoing into the night, while the high pitched whine of the asian car he was driving tried to compete. While my Impala made a better sound, his car was moving quicker and his driver's side window was almost to the passenger side window. If I didn't do something then and there, I was going to get my ass shot.
So I did the only thing I could – I cut the wheel to the right.
The sound of my car running into theirs was horrendous. It was as if somebody wearing a steel boot stepped on a plastic cup. The crunching and creaking of the impact drowned out the sound of the engines for a moment.
The wheel shuddered in my hand and the Impala was groaning loud, but the plan worked. I watched as Colin's car slid off the road, saw the shower of sparks and flames when it hit a tree. At the speed they were going, I wasn't sure that they could have survived the crash. Maybe the did and maybe they didn't. I wasn't going to stick around to find out. The only thing that mattered in that moment was that Emelia and I were free.
Emeilia sat up and tried to look in her side view mirror, hoping to see some of the carnage. But it was to dark and we'd put too much distance between us anyway. All that I knew was that – at least for the moment – we were entirely free.
I punched the accelerator and shot off into the night, looking for a place to lay low for a few days.