I wasn’t going to argue with Emily’s method of making peace with things, either way.
Sitting on the bed, she grabbed a pen from her bedside table and carefully jotted down a note in fine and precise handwriting. I watched in silence, feeling as if I were intruding on a deeply personal moment. It wasn’t as if I could leave her alone in the room; she might try to make an escape of her own, or even worse, call her guards.
Emily seemed deeply saddened by the fact that she was leaving, but I knew she was happy as well. If I were reading the situation right, it seemed that she had been trying to find her own way out for some time.
I knew how difficult it had to be for the young woman, leaving behind everything she knew for a chance at freedom and a better life. While I wasn’t sure I could provide the freedom, I was certain she’d find a better life in the continental United States, out from under her father’s thumb.
“Do you mind if I read this out loud? I want to be sure it doesn’t sound too callous,” she asked nervously.
I nodded, my heart hurting for her.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, looking over the note as if to confirm it was what she had intended to write. “I just…he’s my dad, and I know he’s done some bad things in his life, but I don’t want to leave him hanging, you know?”
“I understand…well, sort of. My parents and I never got along, exactly. But I can appreciate the sentiment all the same,” I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck.
I knew it was probably the least inspiring pep talk of all time, but she seemed to accept it.
“Well, here goes,” she muttered.
“Dad, I want to start by apologizing. I know I’ve not been the best daughter in the world since Mom died, and I know I probably made you feel lesser more often than I intended. I want you to know that this isn’t because of what you’ve done, but more what I’ve not had a chance to do for myself.
I’m writing this to say goodbye. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I can only come to one conclusion: there’s a bigger and better world out there for me, somewhere. You’ve made a life for yourself, and since I was a kid, you’ve made a wonderful life for me. There have been bumps in the road, I’ll admit, but I never stopped loving or appreciating you. I never will.
Please, don’t come looking for me. I promise you that where I’m going, I will be safe. I’ve learned a lot from you, and I know that I’ll be able to survive, no matter what. I’ll visit when I can, but for now, I just need the time to forge my own path.
Dad, I hope you know that Mom would have wanted me to live my own life, to make my way in the world. You’ve done her memory justice by taking care of me for so long, but now, it’s my turn to take the reins.
I love you dearly, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Moreover, I hope you can respect my decision. Your little girl always, Emily,” she finished, tears streaming down her cheeks by the time she’d gotten to the end.
I hesitated, not quite sure what to say. It was a good note as far as my mission was concerned—it didn’t mention her kidnapping. He would have no reason to believe he was in danger.
Unable to help myself, I held my arms open to the young woman. She pounced on the opportunity, pressing her face against my chest and weeping openly. I stroked a hand through her hair in an effort to soothe her, and slowly but surely, she seemed to calm down. After several moments, she drew away to look up at me.
“You all right, kid?” I asked gently.
She laughed softly, wiping the tears away from her eyes.
“Nervous to start a new chapter. I just hope he doesn’t blame himself,” she said quietly.
I nodded, guiding her into taking calming breaths. After a short time, she was breathing normally, her eyes looking weary.
“We should probably get going. I came in through the window, but I don’t think that will work for getting you out of here. We’re going to go to the side exit on the ground floor, and pray to whatever powers that be that we don’t get caught,” I said, feeling confident in spite of the danger of the situation.
Emily seemed unconcerned, guiding me through the apartment to the door.
“Is there anything else you want to grab?” I asked, giving pause as I touched the doorknob.
She seemed to consider the question, looking back into the apartment with a melancholy smile.
“I think it’s best to start anew. All of this stuff…they’re just things. They can be replaced. I’m ready to make some new memories in a new home,” she said, smiling.
I couldn’t help but match her expression, reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear.
“All right. One new chapter, coming up,” I said firmly.
Without further hesitation, I pushed open the door. Peeking out, I was surprised that there seemed to be no guards on the upper level, but I mused that they must have been enjoying another smoke break.
Holding Emily close to my side, we navigated the stairs carefully, not wanting to get caught in a long elevator ride with one of her guards. She assured me that they would never take the stairs if they could avoid it, and I was inclined to believe her. Strong as they may have looked, the guards all seemed a bit on the hefty side.
We descended in near silence, almost reaching the ground floor when the doorway to the stairwell burst open. Emily gasped in shock, and I immediately recognized the bodyguard named Tito. Thinking quickly, I turned around, pressing Emily to the wall and pressing our lips together.
She went still, not resisting me, but clearly surprised. I reached down to give her round ass a little pinch and she gasped into my mouth, wrapping her arms around me. The bodyguard whistled as he passed, chuckling under his breath as he went upstairs.
“Ah, to be young and in love,” he mused aloud, and I held Emily in place for a moment longer until I was sure the guy was out of earshot.
I drew away, noting the slight flush of her cheeks and the way her lips were parted.
“You act like you’ve never been kissed before,” I teased, trying to break the tension.
She only reddened deeper, and I stared inquisitively at her.
“That was…that is…I never have been kissed before,” she managed.
All at once, I felt simultaneously pleased and guilty. I hadn’t meant to take her first kiss from her, but perhaps down the line we could do a bit more than kissing.
“Oh. Well, come on. We’re almost out of here,” I instructed, eager to leave the situation behind.
She hesitated, pressing her fingertips to her lips and giggling airily.
“So soft,” she whispered, almost too quietly for me to hear.
I felt somewhat smug as I took her by the arm, guiding her the rest of the way out of the building. We slipped outside, fortunate enough to find no guards waiting at the back entrance. Deciding to take the back way to my car, I led her away from the apartment complex, ducking behind some bushes and dashing out of sight as soon as possible.
“That was a close one,” I breathed, releasing her arm.
At that point, it seemed a given that she would just trail behind me. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to go, and I was her ticket out of her gilded cage. She jogged to keep up with me, her cheeks still a pleasant shade of pink as she glanced towards me with a curious expression.
“That was the only diversion you could think of?” she asked innocently, and I barely managed to keep myself from smirking.
“The best one I could put together on short notice,” I replied, guiding her through the back alleyways until we reached my unmarked SUV.
I unlocked it manually, not wanting the horn to alert anyone to our presence. Opening the passenger door, I helped Emily step up into the car. She settled into the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt as I quietly and slowly closed her door.
I swore my heart would burst free from my chest at any given moment. Though Emily was an attractive girl, I’d not expected to get such a rush from feeling her lips against my own. It was enough to kiss
the girl, but to find out that I was her first and only kiss? It lit a fire inside me that I had never felt before, one that I wasn’t quite sure how to cope with.
Deciding to play it cool, I breathed slowly before edging into the driver’s seat. She smiled a radiant smile as I got in the car, and my heart began to hammer away once more. I managed a confident smirk in turn, starting the ignition.
It should have been smooth sailing from there. ‘Should have’ being the operative words.
Chapter 9
Emily
My first kiss turned out to be nothing like I’d expected. Then again, I wasn’t sure if it would count, considering it was under duress.
I touched a finger to my lips, glancing towards Owen as we made our way down the highway. The apartment complex was but a speck on the horizon, and I was struck by the reality of the situation. I had escaped. I was leaving my father’s supervision, pursuing a life of my own. No one could stop me; no one could hope to get in my way.
Owen remained silent in the driver’s seat. He seemed determined to keep his eyes focused on the road as I fidgeted beside him. There was so much I wanted to ask him, so much I wanted to learn about this mysterious mission he’d been sent on.
Perhaps foolishly, I considered him something of a savior. I knew there had to be much more to his presence than just getting me out of my boring old apartment complex.
It occurred to me belatedly that it probably had something to do with my father. Were they planning to try to get information out of me? More importantly, would I provide it? I couldn’t imagine betraying my father in that way, even though this stranger had essentially saved my life.
Perhaps that was an exaggeration, saying he had saved my life. It wasn’t as if I were in any danger. I suppose it was more of a matter of being saved from mediocrity, but that didn’t really seem to fit either. Being the daughter of a wanted criminal was probably one of the more exciting experiences in the world, though there was a price.
“Owen,” I began, focusing my attention on him in an attempt to tame my frenzied thoughts.
He seemed to be ignoring me, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe he hadn’t heard me.
“Owen, what’s this all about?” I tried again, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
He chewed on the inside of his cheek, and it was obvious he wasn’t going to be forthcoming with his answers.
“You should try and get some rest while you can,” he mumbled, reaching out to switch on the radio.
I pouted, resigning myself to fiddling with the knob to change the station. I almost expected to be chastised, but he seemed intent upon playing it cool.
“I’m not tired. Is Owen even your real name?” I continued to press, still not entirely sure how I should feel about the situation. Though the man’s intervention had made my escape all the easier, I still felt strange about being taken from my apartment in the middle of the night. I wondered if I should be afraid, but he did say he was with the government.
Unless that was a lie…
“Are you really with the government? Are you going to take me to some sort of…sex cave and have your wicked way with me?” I demanded, ignoring the excitement that fluttered in my chest at the sheer thought of it.
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, his lips curling up at the corners.
“Seems like you’ve read a lot of romance novels. Just how repressed are you, Emily?” he teased, and I felt my face heat up.
He seemed all too aware of the effect he was having on me, obviously enjoying himself a little too much.
I pouted, crossing my arms and staring out the window. I couldn’t decide if I liked this guy, or if he grated on my nerves.
At the very least, he was handsome. If I had to be kidnapped and possibly taken to a sex cave, I’d rather it be with someone like Owen than…well, I shuddered to think of the possible alternatives.
“You didn’t really give me an answer. Is there a brothel in my future?” I asked, though there was a teasing lilt to my voice this time.
He chuckled throatily, but didn’t even glance in my direction. It was like riding with a statue! I wasn’t used to being ignored, and I was sure I didn’t like the feeling.
“Come on. You can’t just ignore me the whole time,” I whined.
He sighed, switching the radio station while keeping one hand on the steering wheel.
“I was listening to that,” I huffed.
“No you weren’t. It was in Spanish,” he muttered, calling my bluff.
I frowned, crossing my arms petulantly.
“I might speak Spanish. You don’t know me all that well,” I argued, mostly just eager to keep the conversation going.
If he realized what I was doing, he seemed content enough to let me have my fun. He rolled his eyes, turning the radio up as some punk rock song blasted through the speakers.
“It’s not in your records. I would know. Listen to some teen angst anthems and enjoy your new streak of rebellion,” he said dismissively.
I frowned, though I couldn’t deny the song was catchy. It wasn’t as if I’d ever had the opportunity to enjoy a proper rebellious phase. 21 years old seemed a bit old for that, but you had to take the hand life dealt you.
“What would you know about being rebellious? You work for the government. That’s not very punk rock of you,” I said with a smirk.
That seemed to get to him, and he glared at me for a moment before turning his attention back to the road.
“Joining the military was my rebellious streak. My Dad wasn’t happy,” he huffed, turning the radio up.
I parted my lips to speak, but he kept increasing the volume until I was entirely drowned out. Taking the hint to be quiet, I settled unhappily in my seat and stared out the window. I could feel him glancing at me from time to time and made a point to sigh dramatically every time.
Several sighs later, he reached out to turn the radio down.
“Are you going to do that for the whole ride?” he inquired plaintively.
“Yes. You don’t want to talk to me, so I have to entertain myself somehow,” I said coolly.
“That’s not very punk rock of you,” he muttered, almost too quietly for me to hear him. He glanced towards me with a slight quirk of his lips as I began to giggle. “Well, it’s not,” he continued, reaching out to give my shoulder a slight shove.
I buried my face in my hands and tried to stifle my laughter, but it seemed to be a lost cause.
“You wouldn’t know punk rock if it bit you on the ass,” I teased.
Owen smirked to himself, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
“Are you offering?” he asked slyly.
I felt my face grow red, heat blooming in my cheeks. He chuckled at my obvious inexperience, but I was certain I could outdo him in this little battle of wits.
“Maybe. Depends on how nice you are to me. I can show you what rebellion really is.”
He laughed, a loud and uproarious sound that seemed to have no shame. I didn’t think what I’d said was all that funny, but he seemed to think it was the most hilarious thing he’d ever heard. I scowled at him, and he peeked at me before laughing even harder.
“You’d never even been kissed before tonight. Big words, don’t you think?” he teased.
My eyes widened, and I sputtered incoherently for a moment before turning up the radio volume to drown him out. He laughed loud enough to hear over the volume, but I found that I rather liked his laughter. I kept that thought to myself, however, as the radio blasted through the car and we made our way to some unknown destination.
Unknown to me, at least.
I found myself watching his expression as he drove the streets that seemed all too familiar to him even though I was certain he hadn’t been there before. I suppose if you drove one highway, you’ve driven them all. Still, I felt a certain tingle between my thighs every time he glanced over at me, his eyes alight with mirth. I liked the fact that I could be the source of that amusement, even if it wa
s at my expense.
“You stole my first kiss, you know. I don’t know if it should count, considering,” I said, with no small amount of sass in my tone.
He frowned, pulling the car to the side of the road, much to my surprise. He came to a sudden stop, turning to face me head on.
“What, would you rather have a more romantic scenario?” he inquired huskily.
I stammered, feeling my cheeks grow warm.
“On a back street, alone, with only the stars and the moon to watch? Is that what you’d like, Miss Madden?” he continued to press, and I found my lips parting of their own accord.
“Something like that. I don’t suppose you’d be able to provide such a specific service? After all, it wouldn’t do well for your superiors to find out,” I purred.
He hesitated, looking as if he were considering my words. He leaned in slightly, and I made to close the distance between us.
Disappointingly, he simply kissed me on the cheek before pulling back out onto the road. I stared at him, mouth agape, as we continued down the highway. He paid me little mind, or at least pretended to.
“Oh, well, I’ll be sure to let any future suitors know about your requirements, just to avoid any missteps. I wouldn’t want your second kiss to be anything less than perfect,” he said calmly.
I gritted my teeth, internally cursing him while pleading for him to make some kind of move. I returned to my sulky staring out the window, crossing my arms and exhaling a dramatic sigh.
“Be sure that you do. I’d hate to lead a poor boy astray,” I drawled.
God, what had I gotten myself into?
I couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter 10
Emily
As we got closer to our destination—or what I could only assume was our destination—Owen seemed to retract further into his shell. As difficult as he was to get along with, I found myself attracted to the mysterious man. When he was in a good mood, he was a riot to be around. When he retreated into his mind, however, it was another story altogether.
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