The thing is, I had lied about being a light sleeper. Emily didn’t seem concerned with trying to call my bluff, and I waited until her breathing had reached an even tempo for some time before allowing myself to drift off.

I didn’t expect to wake until early the next morning, at which point I would prepare a quick breakfast for the two of us before driving Emily to the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. I had gone to sleep with a faint sense of melancholy, regretting that I hadn’t been able to oblige her birthday wish.

Finding myself being drawn from my peaceful rest, I blinked my eyes open. I wasn’t sure what woke me, as the sun was still absent from the sky and everything seemed to be as I’d left it. I sat up for a moment, stretching my arms out over my head as I yawned. I glanced towards the bed where Emily was sleeping peacefully.

Where she was supposed to be sleeping, anyway.

The realization that she was not in bed was a startling one, and I felt as if the breath had been knocked clean out of my lungs.

She had to be in the bathroom. That had to be it. It was the only rational conclusion.

Making an attempt to calm myself down, I got to my feet all the same, intent upon giving the young woman a piece of my mind. If she’d needed to leave the room, she should have woken me up.

I could only assume that the lack of her comforting presence had been what caused me to stir, but I wondered how long it had taken me to notice that something was off. It couldn’t have been that long, especially if she was still in the bathroom.

Please, God, let her be in the bathroom.

“Emily,” I called out, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I strode out of the bedroom.

The silence that answered me was a foreboding one, but I wouldn’t let myself start freaking out yet. That is, I didn’t plan to, until I saw the bathroom door wide open, and no one inside.

Even more terrifying than her absence from the place I’d expected to find her was the window. It had been jimmied open, and the cool night air flowed freely into the safe house.

“Emily!” I yelled, lurching towards the window and looking out.

Had she been taken? It was unlikely, but the idea that she would sneak away from me was almost too ridiculous to comprehend—did she know what kind of danger she was in?

I shouted out the window once more, jolting upright and banging my head against the window as someone in turn shouted for me to pipe down. I scowled, but didn’t bother biting out an answer.

I had a captive to find, and Los Angeles was a big city. There was no telling where she had gone or what had happened to her. I had no idea how long she had even been gone. I had fallen asleep hours ago.

Rushing through the apartment, I checked every room twice to make absolute sure that she wasn’t anywhere in the safe house. I swore loudly, hearing a thump from the ceiling and another muffled cry for me to shut up. As much as I wanted to give this guy a piece of my mind, I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I rummaged through my suitcase, grabbing my knife before running out the door. I slammed it shut behind me, feeling a slight tingle of vindication when angry shouting followed me out the second story window. The guy could suck it. I had to find Emily, or die trying.

As angry as I was about her jeopardizing my mission, I was actually more worried than anything. Emily was the most sheltered person I’d ever met; I’d seen twelve-year-olds with more street smarts.

There was no telling what she might get wrapped up in, wandering the streets. We were on a busy strip, and not in the best part of town. She could be lying dead in an alleyway somewhere already.

Forcibly dismissing the thought as it entered my brain, I kept a firm hand on my knife, just in case. I tried to think where on earth my pretty little captive could have gone, wondering if she had perhaps gone somewhere to call her father. I didn’t give the thought much merit, but maybe she had decided she liked her original cage far more than the one I’d trapped her inside of.

If I had just listened to her little request, if I had just gone out for one drink, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. That had to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

That was when it hit me. Emily wasn’t vindictive enough to abandon me altogether, and truth be told, I had my suspicions that she planned to come back before I even noticed her absence. She wasn’t going back to her father. She was just entertaining her rebellious streak; I was sure of it.

Jesus, she was in for an earful when I caught up with her. It was just a matter of finding her among the numerous bars on the strip. God forbid she had actually ventured beyond this small area. I might never find her.

More importantly, she might never find her way back to me.

My little prisoner may have snuck out successfully, but I was determined to find her. As much as I tried to tell myself that this was all for the sake of the mission, that I only cared about turning her in for a big reward, that wasn’t the only thing on my mind. If she was just a prize, it would have made no difference if I couldn’t find her. I wouldn’t be reprimanded that harshly, I was sure.

Though I wanted to ignore the truth of the matter, there was no turning my back on my feelings. I was falling for Emily Madden, and not the fantasy version I had imagined before meeting her.

I had fallen for her flaws, her little melodramatic theatrics, her innocence…I had fallen for those beautiful brown eyes, that soft brown hair. I had become smitten with every single facet of her being, and I didn’t want things to end. Not yet, not like that.

As much as I should have been bothered by the revelation, I suppose it was made easier by the fact that it wasn’t news to me at all. Deep down, I’d felt something for Emily all the while. I knew it, and I was sure she had been just as aware. It hurt that she would betray me by running away like this, but it was something I could move past, as long as I could find her.

I wasn’t fooling myself into thinking things could ever really work out between us. I knew that, as soon as the time came, I would be saying my final farewell to her. I couldn’t forget the mission. I couldn’t betray my life’s work.

Shaking off the thoughts, I scanned the crowd outside the most popular bar on the strip. If she had decided to mingle with any of the civilians walking the streets that night, there was no doubt that she would have quickly chosen the place as her destination.

I was losing hope quickly, but as I cast a final glance over the crowd, I spotted a familiar glimmer of gold. She was still wearing that goddam gaudy necklace. God forgive me for the verbal lashing I was about to give her.

Before I could close the distance between us, I noticed two particularly sleazy-looking guys approaching Emily. I had no doubt that it was her they were going for; she stuck out like a sore thumb if you knew what you were looking for. These guys, I was sure, were looking for an easy target.

I strode in their direction, spotting the look of trepidation that Emily turned towards the nearest of the men as he reached a hand out to touch her arm. Her expression morphed to one of terror, and I could only guess what the guy was saying to her.

Forcing my way through the crowd, I came to a stop in front of Emily and the two sketchy guys. I brandished my knife confidently and almost casually, smiling wickedly as the men caught sight of me. Emily followed their gaze, looking torn between relief and an even deeper fear. No, not fear—she looked guilty. She had to have known that she’d hurt me.

“Emily, baby, are you making some friends?” I asked cordially, stepping towards her and drawing her into my arms.

I wrapped her in a warm embrace, ghosting my lips to her ear.

“Play along. I mean it,” I whispered before kissing her on the cheek.

“Baby, I’m so happy to see you!” she cried out, and I had no doubt that it was the absolute truth.

It played into the plan well enough, and I scrutinized the men as they looked between Emily and me. The man who’d touched her arm smiled awkwardly, exposing a gold tooth.

“Oh, we were just offering to show her around. You her, uh, boyfriend?” he stammered, taking a step back as I fixed him with a glare.

“As a matter of fact, I am. It’s very kind of you to offer your…services, but I can assure you, they’re not needed,” I said coldly.

“What did he say to you?” I asked, whispering the question into Emily’s ear.

“He said…he said he would show me a good time. Whether I liked it or not,” Emily managed through her ragged breathing, pressing into my arms.

The thinly-veiled meaning in the man’s words was quite obvious, and it looked as if he was all too ready to flee the scene. His eyes were fixed on my knife, and he took a hesitant step back before meeting my gaze.

“Did you say that to my girlfriend?” I asked, barely contained rage bubbling under the surface.

He stuttered for a moment before turning his back on me and bolting away. His friend followed quickly behind him, and I released Emily, ready to chase them down. She kept a hand on my arm, though, causing me to pause.

“Can we just go back to the safe…the safety of our apartment?” she implored, her voice strained.

I noticed the near slip, and it only served to remind me just how much had been put at stake for this little act of defiance. Fortunately for her, the tears in her eyes made it impossible to remain angry.

“Let’s go, baby,” I murmured, the pet name slipping out even though there was really no need to carry on the facade.

Emily didn’t ask about it, scarcely seeming to notice. We walked back in silence, her hand gripped in my own.