Claiming Cinderella: A Dirty Billionaire Fairy Tale

by Amy Brent

  I was going to kill Colin for his betrayal. There was no question about that. But I was going to make him suffer for a while first. It was the fuel that kept my fire burning. I was going to get out of this mess and make Colin pay for it.

  We roared down the highway and when we passed a turnoff, I thought I saw the moonlight glint off the hood of a car. I wasn't sure though and thought my paranoia might be kicking into overdrive. But then I saw the headlights turn onto the road behind me.

  “Fuck,” I muttered.

  Emelia turned and looked out the back window and then back to me. “Is that them?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, probably. Either that or it's a cop and we're in a speed trap,” I said. “And for the first time in my life, I hope it's a cop.”

  My phone rang on the seat beside me – which told me, it probably wasn't a cop behind me. Glancing at the display, I saw that the call was from Colin. I connected the call and put it on speaker.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “Where ya headed, mate?” Colin asked, amusement in his tone.

  “Budapest,” I said. “Care to meet me there?”

  “Tempting,” Colin said. “But I have some business to attend to here.”

  “Pity,” I replied. “I'd love nothing more than to shoot you in the face and dump your body into the Danube, you treacherous son of a bitch.”

  “Oh, c'mon now, Deacon,” he said. “After all we've been through together and that's the way you're gonna be?”

  “Funny how that works,” I said. “You stab me in the back and I want to kill you. Coincidence?”

  Colin laughed. “Are you there, lassie?” he asked. “Emelia Antonelli, I assume you're there.”

  She looked over at me and then looked at the phone as if it were a coiled snake ready to strike. I shrugged, letting her know it was okay to answer if she wanted – or not.

  “What do you want?” she hissed.

  “Well, to be quite frank with you, love, a couple hours alone with you would be nice,” he said.

  “Fuck off,” she snapped.

  “Oh, you've got quite the mouth on you, don't ya, love?” Colin laughed. “Don't worry though, I've got somethin' for that too. Anyway, your daddy is looking forward to having you back home. Of course, before we hand you over to your daddy, I'm gonna have some fun with ya first. And I gotta tell ya, love, I'm really looking forward to that.”

  “Yeah, over my dead body,” I snapped.

  “That's kind of the plan, mate,” Colin said.

  “I assume that's you behind us?” I asked.

  The headlights on the car behind is flashed on and off, giving me my answer. “Yeah, knowing you like I do, I assumed you had an exit plan, mate,” he said. “So I sent a couple of my boys to the cabin and figured I'd watch the road myself. And like a gift from God himself, you drove right by us.”

  “So, what's your plan here, Colin?” I asked.

  “Well, we're going to run you off the road to start,” he said. “Put two in your head and leave you on the side of the road. And then, I may take the lassie to a nice hotel – or I may just bend her over the hood of the car and make her look at your body while I fuck her. Haven't quite decided on that part yet.”

  “Yeah, well good luck with that,” I said.

  “Oh, I think Lady Luck is on my side this time,” he replied. “Has to be with the way everything fell into place. Wouldn't you agree?”

  “Yeah, I guess we'll see about that,” I said.

  I disconnected the call and dropped the phone onto the seat next to me. Emelia's eyes were wide and I could see the fear in her face.

  “Don't worry, love,” I said. “I'll get us through this. I promise you.”

  It was a stupid thing to say. There was no way I could guarantee that I'd get us through this. But I knew she needed something in that moment – needed some reassurance that everything was going to be okay. And if I could allay her fears for only a few minutes, I was happy to lie through my teeth.

  On the road behind me, Colin's car started to pick up speed and close the distance between us. It wasn't long before they were right on my back bumper. The one thing I had going for me though, was that this car was made from good old fashioned American steel. Colin was fond of driving cars that were fast, but would disintegrate in an accident. I knew he couldn't afford to bump me too much – not if he wanted to keep his car intact and on the road.

  It was a small advantage, but an advantage nonetheless.

  I looked in the rearview and saw flashes of light – Colin had his hand out and was shooting at the car. As if to underscore the point, the sound of something hitting the steel of the trunk sounded.

  “Keep your head down,” I said. “Duck low in the seat. In fact, get down onto the floorboard.”

  Emelia looked over at me, her eyes wide and fearful, but her jaw set, a look of determination in her eyes. She wasn't going to let her fears run roughshod over her.

  “Do you have a gun?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “A gun,” she snapped. “Do you have one?”

  I looked at her, my expression one of disbelief. “Glove box.”

  She opened the glove box and took out the 9mm I kept stored there. She checked the clip, chambered a round and disengaged the safety. Clearly, there was more to this girl than met the eye. A lot more.

  Rolling down the window, she turned around awkwardly in her seat so that she could get her arm out and pointed in the right direction. When she'd accomplished the feat, she squeezed off a round. The car behind me swerved wildly on the road and fell back a bit. But then I saw the muzzle flashes and heard bullets whining as they grazed the steel of the car.

  “Get your ass back in here, Emelia,” I snapped. “You're going to get yourself shot.”

  She ignored me and squeezed off another couple of rounds, making Colin's car swerve and fall back a little bit more. I had to admit, Emelia was doing a nice job of keeping them at bay. But then I hit a pothole in the road which bounced the car violently. Emelia screamed as her arm hit the top of the door panel and the gun went sailing off into the night.

  “Shit!” she screamed.

  She sat back in her seat, a look of pure frustration on her face. Behind us, Colin must have seen what happened, because his car sped up and hovered just inches off my bumper. He moved to the left, trying to get around me, so I cut the wheel and stayed in front of him. He moved to the right and I cut the wheel to the right, keeping him behind me.

  But he was diving a smaller, faster car – and he was a pretty damn good driver. So when he moved left again and I moved to block, he cut quickly to the other side and got on my right. I wasn't going to be able to keep him behind me.

  “Get down,” I snarled. “Keep your head down.”

  Emelia did as she was told, practically laying down with her head in my lap. In any other circumstance, I might take advantage of that – but not when the stakes were life and death. I knew I had to do something. If I let them pull up alongside me, they'd simply shoot through the window and kill me.

  The engine on the Impala roared, echoing into the night, while the high pitched whine of the asian car he was driving tried to compete. While my Impala made a better sound, his car was moving quicker and his driver's side window was almost to the passenger side window. If I didn't do something then and there, I was going to get my ass shot.

  So I did the only thing I could – I cut the wheel to the right.

  The sound of my car running into theirs was horrendous. It was as if somebody wearing a steel boot stepped on a plastic cup. The crunching and creaking of the impact drowned out the sound of the engines for a moment.

  The wheel shuddered in my hand and the Impala was groaning loud, but the plan worked. I watched as Colin's car slid off the road, saw the shower of sparks and flames when it hit a tree. At the speed they were going, I wasn't sure that they could have survived the crash. Maybe the did and maybe they didn't. I wasn't going to stick around to find out. The o
nly thing that mattered in that moment was that Emelia and I were free.

  Emeilia sat up and tried to look in her side view mirror, hoping to see some of the carnage. But it was to dark and we'd put too much distance between us anyway. All that I knew was that – at least for the moment – we were entirely free.

  I punched the accelerator and shot off into the night, looking for a place to lay low for a few days.

  EMELIA

  “I think I'm going to be sick,” I said, slinking down low in my seat.

  I hadn't felt well for days, but the adrenaline rush of having to run from Colin had allowed me to forget about my sick stomach long enough to do what had to be done. But now that we were safe, that greasy feeling in the pit of my stomach returned and I felt like I was going to throw up all over again.

  “Can we stop somewhere, please?” I asked, wondering if I was going to make it until we stopped.

  “Sure thing, Emmy,” he said, looking over at me with a worried look on his face. “You okay?”

  “I'm fine. Just something I ate isn't agreeing with me, I think,” I croaked. “I think the adrenaline rush from that chase is making my stomach churn.”

  Deacon nodded and started to slow the car down. “So where did you learn to shoot like that?”

  I shrugged. “You grow up in this life, you learn a lot of useful skills. I didn't actually think I'd ever use some of them though.”

  “I suppose so,” he said with a laugh.

  He pulled into the nearest gas station and I jumped out of the car and ran inside. After throwing up in the bathroom – which already appeared to be covered in vomit – I looked through the feminine hygiene section. Grabbing what I needed, I walked up to the counter, making sure Deacon wasn't around or watching me from the car or something. I saw him outside, standing at the car and watching the entrance, but he couldn't see me – or what I was buying – most likely.

  I checked out, asked for a bag and rushed back out to the car.

  “Feeling better, I hope?”

  “Yeah, a lot, thanks. Getting that out of my system helped.” I said, climbing in the front seat of the car.

  Deacon got in the other side and started the engine with a roar. We drove off, looking for the nearest hotel in this podunk little town.

  “I need to ditch the car,” he said. “Find another mode of transportation for us. Just in case.”

  I nodded. He was probably right. If Colin had surived the crash, he'd be looking for the Impala.

  “But first, let's find somewhere to lie low,” he said. “Get some rest and we can deal with all this shit tomorrow, what do ya say?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Deacon looked over at me, worried again. “You sure you're okay, love?”

  “Yeah, just tired. Everything that's happened lately has me feeling a bit wrung out,” I said, closing my eyes and listening to the hum of the road beneath our tires. “Sleep sounds really nice.”

  Deacon pulled into a hotel parking lot a few minutes later. It was a pretty gross and shabby place – looking like the sort of place that rented rooms by the hour. It was most definitely not the nicer hotels I was used to, but it would do. Deacon pulled around back so that the car not visible from the highway.

  He paid with a fake name and ID. No questions asked – not surprising in a place like that. We got our room key and walked to our room, mostly in silence. Deacon was on edge, his head turning this way and that as he looked for any potential threats. I glanced around too, but didn't see anything. Then again, I wasn't as well trained and might miss something that Deacon could see.

  But we made it to our room without incident, thankfully. I wan't sure I could have handled a shootout right there in the parking lot. And as soon as we were alone in the room, with the door closed and locked, I felt my entire body relax and I fell into Deacon's arms.

  And to my surprise, he held me close. He stroked my hair and gently kissed the top of my head. This man, who only weeks before had kidnapped me, was now holding me close and hugging me. Comforting me. I looked up into those blue eyes and smiled, just happy to be alive – and to be with him.

  He kissed me, and unlike before, there was more to it than simply raw, unadulterated lust. This time, I could tell that for him, it wasn't just about sex. It was a sweet kiss. A gentle kiss. The sort of kiss you give to somebody you truly care for – not one you just want to screw. It was a kiss that sent a shockwave through my entire body and caused butterflies to start battering the inside of my tummy.

  I kissed him back, eager to return his emotions and things got heated quickly – because how could they not in that situation? This man was still insanely gorgeous to me and everything about him was sexy. Though there was more emotion behind our kissing than before, that didn't mean I wasn't still feeling powerful waves of lust for this man.

  “I can't believe I'm saying this,” Deacon said as he stared into my eyes. “But I think I'm falling in love with you, Emelia.”

  My heart fluttered inside of my chest and I felt such a torrent of emotion that I felt like I could cry. And in that moment – such a sweet, tender, even romantic moment – the rush of happiness I felt pushed away all the scary memories that had been etched into my mind earlier in the day.

  “Really?” I choked. “I mean, I think I'm falling in love with you too, but it just doesn't seem possible, given the circumstances and all. It just seems – crazy.”

  “It's crazy, but it's true,” he said, pushing a strand of hair from my face so he could see me better. “I'm as surprised as you are, but you're one hell of a girl, Emmy.”

  I could feel the color rushing to my cheeks, and I remembered what I had grabbed at the gas station earlier in the day. I hadn't had a chance to use it yet, but now, given everything we'd just confessed to each other, it seemed as good a time as any to talk about it.

  “Good, I'm glad to hear you say that, Deacon,” I said, looking down at his shirt instead of his face.

  I focused on the buttons, fidgeting with them out of nervousness – I had no idea how he was going to react to what I was about to say. And not knowing made my insides churn.

  “I'm glad you care for me, Deacon, because I think I might be pregnant.”

  EMELIA

  “I love you, Emelia,” he whispered into my ear, nipping at it playfully.

  We were curled up on the bed of some random hotel in the middle of nowhere – a dumpy little dive, truth be told – but it was just him and me. And honestly, I was the happiest I'd ever been. Pressed up against his warm, firm body, all I wanted was to be with him.

  Deacon Murphy was the man of my dreams, and no matter where we ended up, I knew we'd be happy as long as we were together. I never imagined that things could be this way with him. But I was thankful for it.

  “I love you too,” I said, staring up into his deep, blue eyes and feeling my heart skip a beat. “So very much.”

  “I still can't believe I met a woman who has the power to turn me to mush the way you do,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “And of all the women in this world I could have fallen for, I still can't believe I fell for you – the daughter of my sworn enemy. Who'd have ever thought that?”

  “Tell me about it,” I said, laughing. “You weren't exactly at the top of my list either.”

  Deacon looked into my eyes and lowered his face, pressing his soft lips to mine. Our kisses grew more urgent and intense as his hands moved up the length of my body, cupping my breasts and drawing a throaty groan from me.

  Deacon pulled me to him, pressing his body into mine, and I felt his erection through his boxer shorts. It was still early in the morning, the sun had just come out, but Deacon's cock was already awake and standing at attention. It seemed like the perfect way to start a day to me.

  Reaching down, I gripped the erection straining against the fabric of his boxers, stroking it, as I stared into his eyes. I'd never grow tired of that. I gave this man my virginity, I had his child growing inside of me, and if I h
ad my way, he was the only man I'd ever be with.

  Deacon removed my nightgown, slipping it over my head and kissing me as he tossed it to the floor on the side of the bed. I gasped when his mouth latched onto my nipple and he sucked on it. He nipped at it, teasing me with the tip of his tongue, as he stared up at me with such need in those pretty eyes of his.

  “Yes, yes,” I said, arching my body toward him.

  Each time he licked or sucked on my nipple, it was like having an electrical current surge through my body. The feeling of his mouth on my breasts was intense and it drove me absolutely wild. I removed his boxers, tossing them in the general direction he'd thrown my nightgown and slid my hand over the flesh of his stiff cock, gripping it tightly in my hands. Stroking him from base to tip, I smiled, loving listening to the sounds he made as I proceeded to jack him off.

  “Suck me,” he begged. “Please. I need to feel your mouth on my cock.”

  Having had such little experience giving oral sex to a man, I was a little nervous – but at the same time, I also loved feeling him between my lips. I loved listening to his moans and groans as I licked and sucked on him.

  Pushing Deacon down onto his back, I moved down the length of his body, running my tits over his cock. I let his dick sit between them as I rubbed it up and down, licking just the tip of him as I stared into his eyes. His fingertips dug into the flesh of my shoulders and he groaned as I continued to tease him with the tip of my tongue.

  “You are so fucking beautiful,” he gasped. “Do you know that?”

  “I'm just glad you think so,” I said, moving lower and gripping him in my hand.

  I took the head of his cock between my lips as I stroked the base, never breaking eye contact with him as I did it. His hand ran along the back of my head as I teased and taunted him with my lips and tongue, taking just a little bit of him into my mouth at a time. Instead of taking him into my mouth completely, like I knew he wanted me to, I licked him up and down and all around the tip, just savoring the experience and the way he looked down at me. Relishing that look of pure desire and need in his eyes.