by Amy Brent
I bit my lip and held back the harsh words I had for my father. I didn't think it was appropriate and tried to rein it in, but Deacon could see that something was bothering me. He stared at me with soulful, inquiring eyes.
“Or am I wrong about that?” he asked.
“I don't know, it's just – I feel like I'm only important to him as a bargaining chip these days. As a piece to be included in some business transaction. And if Tony is dead, I'm no good to him anyway, so maybe he'll find an alternative way to keep the deal on the table.”
“You really think your father cares so little for you?”
I shrugged, looking at the wall instead of Deacon. A complex mix of emotions churned within me. Yes, I thought he loved me. But I also thought he loved the fact that I could enhance his wealth and prestige even more.
“What am I supposed to think, Deacon? I was given away to Tony Bellini like – like some object, some commodity,” I said.
For the first time, my true anger started to come out and a rage that was dark and abiding began to bubble to the surface as I let it all out.
“I'm just not sure I – as a person – really matter to my father,” I went on. “Or to anyone for that matter. Which is honestly, why I'm not in any hurry to go back. You notice that I haven't tried to escape, haven't you? I haven't because I haven't felt that my life is in danger. At least here, I don't have Tony's filthy hands trying to grope me against my will.”
Deacon kissed me, long and hard, taking my breath away once again. When he pulled back, he looked me in the eye and opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. He looked confused, almost surprised by what he was going to say.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he mumbled.
“No, it's not nothing. You wanted to say something. What was it?”
“Just that – well, just that I think you're being too hasty if you think you don't matter to anyone. There are people who care about you, Emmy, believe it or not.”
“Yeah, I mattered to my mother. But she's long dead. Or how about Tabitha – the best friend who's jealous of me for being forced to marry Tony because he's rich? Or the fiance who tells me he can't wait to bend me over and take my virginity from me, whether I like it or not?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. For the first time, I knew that I didn't want to go back. As crazy as it sounded, I wanted to stay there, in that cabin with Deacon forever. But I knew that wasn't possible. He was a mafia leader. He'd eventually have to get back to the city and to his business intrests and let me go. And I was pretty positive he was going to let me go. He certainly wasn't going to hurt me.
But at the same time, I didn't think that Deacon was a saint in all this either. I knew he had plenty of ulterior motives. In his defense though, he'd never pretended to care for me as a person – he'd been up front about his uses for me from the start. At least he'd been honest.
“But while we're on the subject, Deacon, I know better than to think you care about me because to you, I'm just a pawn in your game,” I said. “And as soon as my father gives you what you want, you're going to drop me off and leave me behind. So no, I don't think anyone actually cares about me.”
Deacon reached over and grabbed my face in his hands, forcing me to look up at him. He stared into my eyes as he spoke. “Emmy, you're right and you're also wrong. Maybe, it started out that way. You were a pawn. You were a means to an end for me. But over the time we've spent together and as I've gotten to know you, I – I've come to care about you. It sounds nuts, believe me, I know. And nobody is more surprised to hear those words coming out of my mouth than I am. But it's true. There's just something about you and I've come to care about you – as a person. And if you don't want to go back there, we can find a way to keep you from ever going back to your father again. You hear me? I give you my word.”
“You'd risk your deal – your business – because of me?”
“It's not risking anything, love. I promised your father you'd be free if he gave me what I wanted. You'd be free. You could choose to stay, if you wanted, and I'd make sure he'd never come get you. And I promise you that Tony will never lay his hands on you again, you got that?”
I couldn't believe Deacon freely admitted that he'd developed feelings for me like this. He was wrong when he'd said that nobody was more surprised by his admission than him – I was absolutely floored by it. But since he had – I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that I could be free from the Antonelli family legacy, and that I wouldn't end up like my mother or the endless line of women who happened to be born into the family. That it didn't have to be my life – not if I didn't want it to be.
I wanted to believe that more than anything.
But my father had his ways of getting what he wanted. Always had and I suspected, always would. Even though Deacon had proven himself to be a worthy opponent in their little game, he was still young and had a lot to learn about the life of a true crime family.
And I had to face facts – even if Tony wound up dead, my dad would find me. If not because of the alliance with the Bellini's, then because I was his. His property. His possession. His – thing. And there was no way he'd allow me to be with Deacon, not as long as he was alive.
Still, I wanted to revel in the fantasy a bit longer. Stroking Deacon's cheek, I smiled up at him.
“You'd do that, for me?”
“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd do anything for you, Emmy,” he said, kissing the top of my head gently.
It may have only been a matter of days, but already, there was something more between us. Something I couldn't explain. But something powerful that shook me right down to the very core of my being.
And something my father could never begin to understand.
DEACON
Sleep was hard to come by these days. Not because I was afraid Emelia might sneak out on me – that wasn't something that concerned me one little bit. I knew she didn't want to go. No, what had me feeling a little skittish was what might happen if her father did actually do what I'd demanded – what might happen if he actually killed Tony Bellini.
There I was, afraid of actually getting what I'd fought for – and all because of this girl. This girl who at first was nothing but a piece on the gameboard for me to move around as I saw fit. But there she was – already becoming something more to me. I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, not entirely sure how I'd gotten myself into this mess.
Emelia looked so peaceful curled up in the blanket, snoring softly, her naked body partially exposed. She stopped sleeping in clothes once we'd fucked for the first time, and I had to say, it was something I could most definitely get used to.
Yes, I could get used to her being around. And that was hard. I promised her I'd do everything in my power to keep her free from her father, and I'd meant every word of that. But once she was free, she was going to have to decided whether or not she really wanted to be with me. Or was it all about being free of everybody – including me – once and for all?
I couldn't keep her prisoner forever, I knew that. And I hated to admit it, but I was starting to fall for her. Her sweet, gentle fierceness. She wasn't like other women I'd met – especially those who'd come from the Italian crime families. She was fierce, tough, and intelligent as hell. But she also had an innocence about her that I absolutely adored. It was hard to find any woman – especially in my world – who still believed in things like true love and whatnot. And while I'd initially found it all pretty lame and naive, I couldn't deny that it was growing on me.
Or rather, she was growing on me.
My phone rang, which snapped me out of my thoughts and made me jump. Emelia's eyes opened, sleepily, and looked over at me.
“Go back to sleep, love,” I said. “It's just Colin.”
I slipped out of bed and padded downstairs so that Emelia could sleep a while longer, and answered the phone.
“Yes?” I growled. “It better be important.”
/> “Oh, it's important alright,” Colin said. “Just wanted to let you know that we've made a deal with Antonelli.”
“I know that,” I said. “You were just working out the details last we talked.”
“No, I mean we've made a deal with Antonelli. As in Sean and I. Another deal entirely. Would you like to hear the details of our deal?”
“What do you mean another deal?” I snapped. “Stop playing fucking games, Colin. You have no right – ”
“Well, you see here, brother – some of us aren't too happy with your leadership lately. Or your obsession with this stupid fucking girl,” Colin said, “And we believe, Sean and I, that we can run things better. Especially with Antonelli's help. He's a shrewd, smart man, that one.”
“Why you fucking – ”
My mind was racing as I tried to calculate all the damage Colin could do. He was my right-hand man, the one I trusted more than anyone else. He knew more than anyone else – knew where the proverbial bodies were buried – and to have him running his mouth to Antonelli was a bad, bad thng. It would only be a matter of time before they were on our doorstep.
“You see, Antonelli had a counteroffer for us when I called,” Colin went on. “And since you've been too busy spending time with that slut, we decided to take him up on it. Your head – or your other body parts – delivered to him.”
“And what are you getting in return, huh?”
“Control over the fucking Brotherhood, man,” Colin sounded on the verge of laughter. “Don't you see? You're out. I'm in.”
“Do the others know about this? Besides, your idiot brother, that is?”
“Not yet, but they will soon, Deacon,” Colin said. “But for now, I really must be going. Sleep well.”
The line went dead in my hand and my blood was boiling as I paced the room. I needed to think. Needed to plan. But first things first – we had to get out of there, and fast.
“Emmy,” I called to her, “We should probably be going, love.”
“Why?” she muttered from the loft. “Has my father found us?”
“No, but there's a host of other shit headed our way,” I said.
Emelia came down the stairs in nothing but my t-shirt, her hair all over the place. Never before had she looked more beautiful to me. I couldn't believe that I was falling so hard for this woman – and that was trouble. Especially now. Things were going to be complicated on their own when I went to war with Colin – and I would be going to war with him. But not only did I have Antonelli on my ass, now I had some of my own brothers on it as well.
And I had no idea who I could trust in all of this.
“Do we even have a car?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Yes, we do actually,” I said.
No one, not even Colin knew about it. But yes, we had a car, hidden in a garage off the property. See, he'd thought we were stranded out there when he'd driven off. But I was a prudent and cautious man. It was how I'd risen to the position I was in. So, Colin may have thought he'd left us without a ride, but he didn't realize that I would never allow myself to be stranded anywhere.
“Have all your things?” I asked.
“What things?” she said. “I literally only have the clothes I wore when you scooped me up and nothing else.”
I tossed her a pair of pajama bottoms – and of course they were much too large on her. She pulled the drawstring as tight as they would go, but she still had to hold them up on her tiny little frame. Still, it would work well enough for the moment – we'd worry about getting her something proper to wear later. In that moment, we had to get moving quickly.
“Come on,” I said, motioning for her to follow me out.
It was hard to believe that just days before, I'd been worried she might try to escape. Now, I let her walk freely, trusting she'd follow me. I glanced back, just to make sure there was no doubt in her eyes, and there wasn't. Only fear.
“If not my dad, then what?” she asked. “What's going on, Deacon?”
“I'll explain on the road,” I said.
We walked into the woods, and it was a trek to get to my hidden vehicle. Poor Emelia was shivering from the cold, but it wasn't like I had a coat to give her. I quickened our pace, just to reach the warmth of the vehicle a little faster. And once we finally got to the garage, I opened the lock and we stepped inside to find my dad's old Impala. Nothing fancy, but it would get us the hell out of there and it was a trusty old brute. I'd been sure to keep it properly maintained in the event she was needed. And right then, she was needed.
Emelia climbed into the passenger seat on her own, there was no forcing her. It all seemed so surreal to think that I'd kidnapped her, forced her to come with me, and yet, there she was coming willingly. I didn't even know how all of it had happened, but somehow, she trusted me. Or at least, she trusted me more than she trusted sticking around to see what kind of trouble was coming for us.
Once in the car, we drove out the back of the garage and down a dirt road that was hardly ever used anymore. I drove with the headlights off though, just in case. Colin might not be far and better not to alert him of our hasty exit with bright lights – even though I doubted he knew about the road we were on in the first place. Still, I was a cautious man.
Had Colin known everything and had it all figured out – like he thought he did – there'd have been no escaping in time, I was sure of it. But his betrayal was one reason I found it so very hard to trust anyone, even my best friend, and had to make secret contingency plans for myself. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles white, and Emelia just sat beside me, quietly waiting for me to fill her in on everything going on.
“It's Colin,” I said finally. “He's gone rogue.”
I sighed and knew I had to give her the option. If she wanted to be released, to go back to her father, she could. I had bigger shit to deal with in that moment – bigger problems than this deal with the Italians. I needed to get control of my own men and my own organization back. Oh yeah, and I needed to put two into the back of Colin's head for his betrayal.
“So, what does that mean?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Which means, I can drop you off somewhere, if you'd like. And you'd be free to go,” I said.
“Go? Go where? Back to my father?” she said.
I nodded, staring straight ahead as I turned onto the paved road that led us away from the cabin. I let out a small sigh of relief – there was no sign of Colin. Not yet, anyway. Either he was at the cabin already or he was further away than I thought. Either way, I was glad to be gone.
“I don't want that, Deacon,” she said quietly. “You promised me I wouldn't have to – ”
“Shhh,” I said, calming her down. “I didn't say you had to be, but I'm giving you a way out. I felt like you deserved to have a choice in all of this. Things are about to get ugly, Emmy, and I hate for you to be in the middle of it.”
“Too late,” she said. “I already am, whether I like it or not. And I'm not going home now. Not to my father, and most certainly not to Tony.”
“You could go anywhere, you know that?” I said. “Anywhere you'd like. No one said you had to go home and you certainly don't have to go with me if you dont' want to. What I'm trying to say is that you're free, love.”
She was quiet for a few moments and I thought she might take me up on the offer. Yes, part of me hurt just thinking about it. Despite my best efforts, I'd already grown rather attached to this beautiful, young woman – even though I knew it was the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.
“No,” she said after a few moments. “I don't think so. I'm going to stay with you, if that's okay with you?”
As much as I loved that idea – I was also terrified by it. I wanted to believe I could protect her. Keep her safe. But the truth of the matter was, when the bullets started flying – and they would eventually – nobody was ever truly safe. I knew that it was going to gut me if anything happened to her.
Still, she was f
ree to make her own choices and if she chose to stay with me, so be it.
“Whatever you like, Emmy. Like I said, you're free now. You're no longer my prisoner. So any choice you make is yours – good or bad.”
“I'm your partner,” she said with a smile. “Your partner in crime.”
DEACON
“Partner in crime, huh?” I asked.
Emelia looked at me from the passenger seat, a broad grin on her face, looking quite pleased with herself.
“Partner in crime,” she confirmed.
I gave her a grin as the Impala roared down the darkened highway. I had no plan and was just winging in it – which made me nervous. I was a man who needed a plan. It's not that I wasn't quick on my feet – had to be in my line of business – but I was always at my best when I was able to plan something out. Especially, when it was something important.
And I couldn't think of anything more important than keeping me and Emelia alive.
“Do you have a plan?” Emelia asked.
I turned and gave her a wink. “A secret one,” I replied. “Don't you worry about a thing, love.”
Her laugh was soft and rueful. “So, there's no plan.”
I smirked. “There's no plan,” I said. “At least, not yet.”
“Well, that's not all very comforting at all.”
The road was dark and I kept checking behind me for headlights, but still saw nothing. It wouldn't be too long before we hit a major highway and could lose ourselves in the crush of people in the city. I ordinarily wasn't a big fan of crowds, but this time, it might just save our lives.
“Right now, my plan is to get us as far away from that cabin – and Colin – as humanly possible,” I said. “We're gonna lay low for a little bit so I can sort all of this out and figure out what our plan of attack is going to be.”
“Seems like a good place to start,” she said.
“As good as any at this point, love,” I said.
My mind was spinning with everything going on. I couldn't believe that Colin had betrayed me. We'd come up together. Had been through a lot of shit together. I'd always considered him my best friend. Closer than a brother. And knowing that for a chance at the big chair, he'd betrayed me, filled me with a deep, dark rage.
