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.”