CHAPTER TWELVE

EMMETT

 

“MATTHEW THANK YOU.” Matthew looked at me in the rear-view mirror, his eyes going to Amber, who I pulled tighter into me.

“It’s just a pity about Danny. He was a good kid…” Matthew swallowed “…they shot him without warning.” His eyes moved back to the road. 

“They were part of the Black Bloods. We’ve never had trouble with them. Why now?” I couldn’t understand why a gang who we’ve never crossed paths with would do this.

“I don’t know, but we need to retaliate. They killed Danny. Tried to kill Amber," Matthew looked at Amber again, and I found myself pulling her even closer.

Once we returned to the compound, I carried Amber to my room. She hadn’t stirred at all, so I had Mandy check her over.

“Her heartbeat is regular. She’s just heavily sedated. There isn’t much I can do until she wakes up.” I had sent Matthew to tell everyone what had happened while I stayed with Amber. Mandy brushed Amber’s hair off her forehead. “She doesn't seem like she was harmed. There are no marks on her.”

“We don’t know that. Just because there are no physical marks, does not mean there aren’t any emotional ones,” I responded snappishly before sitting down across from the bed. I knew a person didn’t have to have bruises in order to say that someone had hurt them.

Her eyes widening, Mandy shook her head. “God, you are right. I hope for her sake that there are not any of those either.”

My heart jumped as one of Amber’s fingers moved, then her hand moved. A groan left her mouth.

“Get me water,” I barked at Mandy as I made my way to Amber.

 

AMBER

 

My head pounded. Pins and needles zinged all over my body painfully, and I cried out.

 “Emmett, you need to move so I can check her,” Mandy’s voice spoke. I felt Emmett’s hand slip out of mine and I wanted to scream to have it back there. It took a moment before one of her cool hands touched my neck, her other hand she placed in mine. “Amber, if you can hear me squeeze my hand.”

I did and moaned again. I didn’t want anyone to leave me alone ever again.

 “Good girl. Can you open your eyes?”

I tried a few times, it was hard. It felt as though something was fighting to keep them closed, but finally, with one last effort I did, and Mandy smiled at me. I felt relief at finally being able to see again, no longer trapped in terrifying darkness.

“Can you sit up?” she asked. I opened my mouth. The dryness in my throat hurt, it was as if cotton wool had been stuffed in my mouth.

“Water,” I croaked. Mandy held the glass to my lips and I drank greedily. She left to get me more water and Emmett took her place.

“Did they hurt you?” He didn’t move a muscle or blink as he sat, blank-faced, and waited for me to answer.

His bedside manner could use some work, but deep down I knew him just being here meant that he cared. “No.” 

My answer didn’t seem to satisfy him. “Did they touch you?”

Heat rose in my cheeks when I thought about Simon, and I shivered. “Yes.” 

He still hadn’t moved a muscle. “Tell me.” 

Embarrassment and shame had me looking away from Emmett and when Mandy arrived back I focused on her.  

 “Leave.” I jumped at Emmett’s bark and Mandy stalled.

“What about her water?”

Emmett turned away from me to Mandy. “Leave,” he spoke quieter, but the anger still entered his words. Mandy left and closed the door, Emmett’s focus returned to me. “Tell me,” he said again. 

“No.” I looked away from him, but his hand cupped my cheek making me look at him. His touch was gentle but strong and I had no option but to look at him.

“Please.” That one word, from him, was undoing me. I could feel the whole situation starting to crumble around me. The fear. The humiliation. My eyes burned, and my vision blurred.

“Simon...he…” A tear fell, clearing my vision. I wasn’t sure which was worse, not seeing or seeing Emmett. For the first time, I could read his face, and it scared me. His eyes held a murderous glare, and I was glad Simon was dead because I had no doubt at this moment that Emmett would track him down and kill him.

“…he just touched me, he didn’t...“ I shrugged, mortified and unable to tell him about the tongue. Emmett’s stiff nod told me he understood. He stared at me, the way he often did, the stare I could never hold, and I looked away, until his hand found the back of my neck and he pulled me towards him. My heart pounded. He rested his forehead against mine, still looking at me, I held my breath, my heart pounding.

“I’m sorry,” he said before closing his eyes, his forehead still resting against mine. After a few seconds, I slowly let out a breath along with some tears and closed my eyes, too. The warmth of Emmett’s breath against my face had my stomach doing funny stuff. It was also a relief to know he wasn’t angry. When I opened my eyes, Emmett looked at me, murder still visible in his eyes as he leaned away, taking my safety net with him. I folded my arms across my chest.

“I need to shower,” I said, and Emmett didn’t speak but left the bed and entered a room off his bedroom. I took a moment to look around me, taking in the sterile yet masculine room. The dark-wooded chest of drawers would have looked antique, except for the metal handles that also decorated the wardrobe and acted as tie-backs for the long, grey curtains. The sound of the shower running had my attention back to the door that Emmett walked through.

“I’ll give you some space,” he said, and a lump formed in my throat. I couldn’t speak so I just nodded, and he left. I tried not to think as I entered the huge en-suite. I didn’t think as I stripped down my clothes and got into Emmett’s shower. I tried not to think as the water washed Simon’s breath and touch off my body. I tried not to think about Matthew’s order. My silent tears shook me as I clung to the tiles to keep myself standing. It had come so close to being so much worse.

I stayed in the shower for a while before I pulled myself together. I needed to tell Emmett about Matthew. Would he believe me? We’d find out soon. I wrapped a towel around me and walked back into the bedroom. Clothes sat in a neat pile on the bed. I hadn’t heard anyone come in. Now I wondered if anyone had heard me cry? But a more disturbing notion formed in my mind, which was that someone had been in the room. I tightened the towel around me, gazing around the room. I shivered and started to get dressed in the jeans and blue jumper. I pulled on the brown ankle boots before towel-drying my hair. I left it down, getting ready to leave just as the door opened. I stood still as Emmett looked at me from head to toe before giving a slight nod. “I sent Mandy in with your clothes.” His way of telling me it wasn’t him.

“Thanks.” I looked away from his uncomfortable stare.

“Emmett, it’s Kirk,” Mandy said urgently, as she came running to the door. She looked panicked, and the noise coming from the downstairs rose. The voices all mingled together, making it impossible to hear what was being said.

“Stay here,” Emmett told me before leaving with Mandy. I counted to twenty and followed. I moved down the stairs slowly and cautiously and watched as Emmett entered a large sitting room. The sound of Emmett walking across the solid oak floor was the only sound. The room was filled with people, most I had seen in passing here, some I had never seen before. The large fireplace dominated the room, the red brick coating one wall. My eyes travelled across to room and to Kirk, who now spoke.

He turned to Emmett, pleading his case. He held a sparkly phone in his hand and raised it so Emmett could see it. “I found this in Matthews’s drawer,” he shook it, his knuckles white. “It’s Mandy’s phone. The night my brother was dying, we rang her but couldn’t get through. He took her phone and hid it.” He pointed at Matthew who didn’t flinch, and my heart started to pound. Maybe Emmett will believe more than one person. I moved closer to the crowd. “He let my brother die, on purpose, Emmett.” Emmett still hadn’t spoken; his silence had Kirk clenching his fists. “Mandy, tell him.”

Mandy looked alarmed at being called out. “Yeah, I lost my phone that night.”

“Could you have left it at the gym?” Emmett questioned calmly.

Kirk threw his hands in the air. “Emmett, you need to listen to me, he’s a snake! He KILLED my brother!” I knew I needed to step in and back Kirk up. Matthew noticed me and his calm wavered, his eyes flickering over to Emmett and then back to me.

“Matthew is a good man, and like a father to me.” Emmett sounded so sure with his words, which I hated to hear.

Kirk moved closer, the hurt on his face at Emmett’s words clearly showing through. “Emmett,” he pleaded, a wave of Emmett’s hand had Kirk falling silent, the fight leaving his eyes as his shoulders slumped. I stopped in my tracks as I saw Emmett’s expression.

“One more accusation like that, Kirk...” The sentence hung in the air. Would he kill him? I shivered and, when I looked up, Matthew stared at me, satisfaction clear in his eyes. BASTARD. He knew that he had won. Emmett didn’t trust one of his men, what hope did I have that he would trust me?

As Kirk passed me with fury radiating from him, I wanted to reach out and stop him, but nothing was getting in his way. 

“I told you to wait upstairs.” Emmett’s sharp words pissed me off with everyone watching us. But, as I looked at Emmett’s furious face, I didn’t exactly know what Emmett was capable of, so I left the room and climbed the stairs, looking like a good little girl in front of the crowd. When the chat started up again and I was forgotten, I turned around and left the house. I glanced at the sitting room door. No one noticed me; all eyes were still on Emmett as he spoke of betrayals, family, and loyalty. I must have circled the premises three times before I found Kirk in a small orchard his back against a tree, the phone in his hand.

“Are you okay?” I spoke softly. He didn’t even flinch at my voice, just stared blankly.

“Not now, Amber.” He sounded exhausted.

“I believe you,” I told him, and he finally looked up at me with suspicion in his eyes.

“Did he send you out?” He stood now, all six foot of him. I wanted to step back, but I didn’t want to show fear.

“No. I don’t trust Matthew either.” I was being careful with my words. Would I end up dead if I told the truth? Was Kirk someone I could help and trust?

Right now, he just looked at me with distrust. “We all know you're sleeping with him.” 

I laughed with a vicious bite to my tone. “Wow, you don’t know shit. But I’m so not sleeping with Emmett. That thought is kind of disturbing.”  

He studied me suspiciously, but then Kirk relaxed, and he smiled slightly. “So why do you believe me?” he asked, sitting back down. 

I joined him, sitting cross-legged on the ground. “Because I know your brother hadn’t just ripped his stitches, someone had stabbed him again. It was made to look like his stitches were torn.” I barely had it out of my mouth before Kirk pulled me off the ground roughly and started dragging me towards the house. I panicked. I didn’t want to face Emmett. “What are you doing?” I pulled his hand that gripped my arm like a vice, not making any impact.

“You will tell Emmett what you just told me.” 

My panic went into full-fledged mode and I dug my feet into the ground. “No! Let me go, Kirk.” 

He didn’t let me go but stopped dragging me. “He’ll kill me. I mean nothing to him; I beg you don’t do this.” Kirk studied me for a moment again. I don’t know what he saw but he let me go roughly. My balance was thrown off and I landed heavily on the ground. My backside throbbed, along with my arm. Kirk stood over me, fighting an internal battle, his eyes blazing. As I continued to stare up at him, helplessly, I realized my mistake. Telling him the truth hadn't achieved anything. If anything, I had just made them worse.

He bent over me, finger pointed. “If I find out Emmett was part of this, I will kill him, too.” His finger shook as he spoke. Threating Emmett to me was pointless. I didn’t like him threatening Emmett either, but I kept that all to myself. I was sitting on the ground defenseless, alone, and frightened.

Something moved behind Kirk, getting my attention. Emmett. I quickly got up, grabbing at Kirk’s pointed finger, trying to hide him from Emmett. He looked at me and his eyes flared, but then his confusion faded when he heard the approaching footsteps. 

“I fell, Kirk was helping me,” I quickly said once I stood. I let go of Kirk's hand and forced a grateful smile that neither man returned. Kirk stormed off, and I watched him go until he exited the gate safely. Emmett hadn’t spoken yet, but once the gate closed, he was there taking up all the space I had. There was no escape for me.

“I told you to stay upstairs.” I looked up at him and quickly looked away. I wanted to punch him, or scream at him, or both.

“I want to leave,” I finally said without looking at him.

“Look at what happened the last time you did.” Emmett spoke softly, and I shivered before wrapping my arms around myself. The words cut me; I would never forget what happened.

“Come inside, you’re cold.” Emmett didn’t move, he knew I wasn’t cold or going inside. I knew he was just trying to buy time so he could talk me out of my decision.

“I want to go home.” God, I sounded so pitiful, but the word home formed a lump in my throat. I wasn’t sure if it was because it wasn’t the truth. I wanted my home when it was simple, now I really had no home. Emmett stared at me, and I wondered if the man I was looking back at was as cruel as the ones who had taken me. You didn’t become a boss by being nice.

“Soon Amber,” he sounded apologetic–slightly. I didn't fight back. I wanted to feel the safety that he had given me only a few hours ago. Now it was gone because I had thought he was safe. I thought he would protect me against Matthew, but that was a dangerous and stupid thought.

 

EMMETT

“Liam’s body is ready, sir, and Joe is waiting for you,” Michael spoke from the doorway of the library. I faced the wall of books, searching the spines for answers that they didn’t have. The feeling I was having was one I didn’t want. I felt conflicted. After convincing Amber to come inside, I had left her in the care of Mandy. Something in her eyes earlier told me she didn’t trust me anymore, that she was afraid of me. That was a first. I liked her because she didn’t fear me, she insulted me, stood up to me, but now she feared me. Why? My answer was Matthew. He was in so deep he couldn’t see how sloppy he had become. I couldn’t call him out yet. The timing was everything, and I couldn’t let any of them know that I knew, as that would endanger everyone here. God ,what a mess this had all become.

“Thank you, Michael,” I turned as Michael left, and Amber surprised me by bursting into the room, her green eyes blazing. I held still and just watched her, how she played with her thumb ring as she strode angrily towards me.

“You’re going to Russia?” Her chest rose and fell fast, each rise capturing my attention. Her fingers clicked angrily in my face. “Hello,” she said, while her hand fell to her hip, her earlier fear removed, it had been replaced with panic.

“Yes, Amber I am. You will be perfectly safe here.”

She huffed while shaking her head. “Yeah, right.” She walked away but I couldn’t let her go. She froze when my fingers circled her wrist. The drum of her heart skyrocketed under my fingers as she first looked at my hand and then my face.  

“You don’t think my men can protect you?”

She wanted to tell me something; the struggle was visible. I knew exactly what she wanted to tell me, but once again I could see the distrust in her eyes. It nearly killed me. “I don't know. Can they?”

“They can. Michael, my personal bodyguard, will be with you while I’m gone.” I trusted him with my life, so I would trust him with Amber’s, but she didn’t look so sure. Her skin felt soft, and I found my thumb stroking small circles that caused the drum of her heart to beat faster. It was a pleasing reaction to my touch.

“No harm will come to you, Amber, as long as you stay within these walls.”

Her eyes darted from my fingers to my face; it was amusing to see her getting flustered.  “I need to ring Grace.” I let her wrist go. The change in subject startled me. My sister wasn’t a topic I was comfortable with.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because she’s probably in a state wondering what happened to me."

“I can assure you she’s not. I spoke to Grace explaining you were with me and your phone was broken but that you would call her soon."

“And she believed that?” She sounded so doubtful, and she was right.

“No, she didn’t.”

“That’s my girl,” Amber sounded proud, and I found myself smiling at the love she had for my sister. Her reaction to my smile was a quick intake of breath and she looked away, focusing on the room, yet glancing back at me every so often. I stopped smiling, not sure if her reaction was good or bad.

“So, what did you tell her?” Amber seemed more put together when she spoke.

“Sir," I looked up impatiently at Michael, who held up an apologetic hand.

“Coming now, Michael,” I told him before answering Amber. “I told her I was covering for you, that you got arrested again and I was doing everything to get you out.”

Her mouth opened slightly. “And she believed you?”

“Yes, Amber she did.” I hid the smile that wanted to reappear at her outraged face that soon turned into a shrug.

“Fair is fair,” she said. I didn’t understand that statement, but I could only assume she meant okay.

“I better go,” I said and the panic that I had seen earlier returned.

“If you need me, Michael can reach me,” I told her, and she looked slightly relieved. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to. She didn’t answer me, only turned away, but not before I saw the tears in her eyes. Something tugged in my chest.

“Amber.” She looked at me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. I just knew I needed to say something, but nothing came, instead I found her face in my hands, her green eyes sparkling up at me. She was holding her breath, in fear or anticipation, I wasn’t sure. I brushed a kiss across her forehead before letting her go and leaving the room.