by Amy Brent
“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, wh
ich 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.
