DEACON
I'd checked out of the hotel room shortly after Emelia had been taken and was driving back to Chicago as fast as I could. I wasn't sure where Emelia was being held – not with any certainty – but I had a fairly good idea. I figured that either her father or my Brothers had her. And when I found out who it was and where they were keeping her, I was going to get her back and them make them pay once I found them.
I was going to hurt them like they'd never been hurt before. And I was going to enjoy every last second of hearing them scream.
As I drove down the lonely roads of Illinois, my phone rang. I picked it up, not recognizing the number. Ordinarily, I wouldn't answer an unknown number, but something in my gut was telling me to answer.
“Hello,” I said.
“Deacon?” It was Emelia. “It's me.”
“Oh thank God,” I said. “I've been so goddamn worried about you. Where are you? Who has you? Are you okay?”
“I'm fine,” she said, whispering. “It's my father, Deacon. He thinks he rescued me from you – ”
She cut herself off and I heard what sounded her putting her hand over the phone. There were muffled voices in the background – she was talking to someone, but I couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying.
“No, I'm fine. Really, I am,” she said to the other person. “I don't need anything, but thank you Esme. May I please have a little privacy? I'm on the phone. Yes, thank you.”
“Sorry,” she whispered. “The maid. Where was I?”
At least it sounded like she was safe and wasn't being held hostage. That was a good thing.
“You're safe then, Emelia?” I asked.
“I am,” she said. “At least for the moment. I don't know what's going to happen when my father brings Tony around.”
For a moment, I feared that maybe this was goodbye. I thought that perhaps now that she was back at home, was safe and happy, that what we had between us was going to evaporate. That it had all been an illusion – or at least something that was temporary and easily cast aside. My heart ached at the mere thought of it, but if that was what she truly wanted – I would have no choice but to honor her wishes.
“Please come get me, Deacon,” she said, her voice choked with tears. “I'm begging you. I can't be here anymore. I only want to be with you.”
“Everything is okay, right?” I asked. “You're not being hurt or anything like that?”
“Of course everything is okay. And no, I'm not being hurt. Everything is back to normal around here. The status quo has been restored,” I said. “My dad doesn't even suspect that there's anything between us. And he doesn't know about the baby. Not yet. And he won't until I'm far, far away from this house. I can't stay here. I won't. I miss you, Deacon.”
“I miss you too, Emelia.”
“So that means you'll come get me? And we can run away together like we talked about? We can go somewhere far away?” she laughed, but I could also tell she'd been crying.
“Of course, love,” I said softly. “In fact, I'm already on the road.”
“Good,” she said. “Because I love you, Deacon. And I want to be with you. Need to be with you.”
“I love you too, Emmy.”
There were more voices in the background. “I have to go, Deacon,” she said quickly. “But you have my number, so call me when you're close and I'll figure something out. But be careful. My father is looking for you. He said he's going to do terrible things to you, so please, please be careful.”
She hung up and the phone went dead before I could say anything else. Hearing her begging me to come save her nearly brought tears to my eyes – and I wasn't the type of man who cried very easily. In fact, I couldn't recall the last time I cried. But this girl, she did something to me that I couldn't explain. She had a way of getting into my head and twisting my thoughts and emotions all around. I couldn't think straight when I was near her and my head always seemed to be in the clouds.
Emelia was special. She was unlike anybody I'd ever known before and she really seemed to fill holes within me that I never knew existed before she fell into my life. And I knew I'd never be the same again because of her. I had to get her back.
And there I was, heading back into town with both my Brothers and the Italian mafia on my ass, looking to kill me. If I were smart, I would have been running far away, not running toward the danger. If I were smart, I would have been putting as many miles between me and Chicago as humanly possible and would never set foot on those streets again.
But my Emmy wanted me to come get her – and how could I say no to that?
I couldn't. Which was why I was willingly walking back into the lion's den.