Brian’s POV

“This is honestly perfect,” Em said, a smile playing around her beautiful lips “I just don’t want to go home.”

“Lucky for you we still have some time,” I lifted her chin, to make her look into my eyes. “Plus I’ve still got one more thing planned for the evening…well maybe two.”

“Or even three?” Em teased, making me chuckle. I fucking adored this playfulness side on her, probably as much as every other side on this woman. “But really, this is the best present I’ve ever gotten,” Em breathed and her eyes turned back to look at the waves on the ocean.

“You are something else, Em,” I smirked, god why was giving me this such a fuzzy feeling. I spun her around in my lap again so that we were facing each other. I had to say something, I had planned to say it too. All these feelings, I tried to sort them through… Fuck I still had no idea where this was leading us, but I just knew, I couldn’t let her get away from me. I couldn’t lose her…

“Em,” I breathed, my fingers running over her face as I stared into her eyes. The words were on the tips of my tongue, I never said those words before, at least never said and meant them, but this… here between us, that was different than anything I had ever experienced.

“You are more than I ever bargained for,” I said, smiling down at her, her face still in my hands. I pressed my mouth to hers again, because I just couldn’t get enough and thank the lord, that Matt and Jo had run off to somewhere, they had been arguing the whole morning already, I was glad they were taking their problems elsewhere.

“Em… I’ve never done this before but I think I’m—” I had finally found the courage to say it, I would finally admit, what she meant to me, and what I wanted from her. That I wouldn’t fucking let her go.

When suddenly my phone sounded in my pocket, stopping me from saying the rest of the sentence, “Fuck,” I hissed pulling it out. “I have to take this… it’s the guys,” I said, pulling away from Em, but not before placing a kiss on her lips.

“And don’t you go anywhere,” I growled in her ear, nibbling at her earlobe. “I’ll be right back.”

I cursed and walked a small distance to take the call from Jimmy “Gates?” His voice sounded and I groaned “What is it, Rev? I was kinda… in a situation” I closed my eyes, I hated the timing of these motherfuckers.

“Well, you have a situation now, Shads has Pagano on his phone, we just saw the incoming call on the monitor, go over to him and if you need anything, let us know.” With that Jimmy hung up and I frowned, what the hell? Why was Pagano calling Shads now?! Did he know something, he couldn’t, right?!

I pushed my phone back into my pocket and found Shads near the parking lot on his phone “What took you so long?!” He mouthed, when he put Pagano on speaker and I shrugged. What was it his business, we were here for some good time, he couldn’t get all bossy on me now.

“As I said, Shadows, this is no fucking game, and you can’t keep playing me. I want information, you said you were the ones to give me leads on my girls, so give me what you have.” Pagano almost yelled and I rolled my eyes, on the tip of my tongue I wanted to tell him what a disgusting fucker he was, and that I would lovingly slit his throat, before handing back his daughters-

“I told you that I would call you, when we have secure information. I didn’t call you, did I? You called me, meaning, you were to fucking impatience to wait” Matt snapped back and I saw the vein in his neck pulsating, oh uh, Matt wasn’t in a good mood and the call from Pagano was something that wasn’t sitting well with him.

I turned around and saw Em and Jolie laughing while splashing water at each other, a small smile crept over my lips but fell away as soon as Pagano spoke again “I don’t fucking care. You told me, you would get them back. Now, tell me what you have! You gotta have something, Shadows, or our deal will fucking-”

“Calm the fuck down, Danny. We are doing what we can, we have a found a lead, but it is not authorized information just yet. We need a little more time to check the latest footage we got, we heard some rumors about the abductors of your girls, but-”

“Rumors?! Are you fucking kidding me?! I heard rumors myself, more than I can count.” He sighed loudly “I need those girls back” He growled and I balled my hands to fists, he wanted them back, but not because he loved his girls, but because he had plans for them.

“We know that, and we will find them. You got my word” Shads said and his eyes met mine “And why do I have doubts believing your word is much worth, Shadows?” Danny’s voice sounded almost like he was smirking.

“Well, that’s all you got, Danny, right?” Shads shot back and this time Danny began laughing loudly “Tell you what, if you get the girls back till this Saturday and your information really is worth anything, like your word I will grand you some extra territory and I will double up the cash” Danny plots and I widen my eyes, what the hell was this about?

“How come the generosity?” Shads narrowed his eyes, we both knew something was behind all this.

“Saturday is… the ball in honor to my girl’s birthdays. We are making this every year, on the same weekend in September. I want my girls back by then, if your information was a false lead, I want you here still on Saturday, doing surveillance during the event and you will have a meeting with me, about what you found out till then.” He stopped and we heard some drinking sound then he continued “So either you bring me my girls on Saturday and up your income, or you will be working as my watch dogs, because since we had this deal up, I didn’t see much help from you guys, and that will change, now!” Pagano hung up and I kicked the trash can next to us.

“That stupid fuck, you know what this fucking event is, right?!” I looked at Matt who nodded “The selling of the girls for the highest fucking bidder” Matt replied his voice dark and deep, almost more a whisper, but a deadly one.

“We will make sure that-” Matt stopped and looked around “Where are the girls?” His eyes scanned the area and I turned around.

“They are probably in the small makeshift tent, I told Em to stay put” I replied “What are we supposed to do on this fucking ball, we ain’t gonna hand over the girl’s, Shads. Should we make it our mission and finish off-” I started again but Matt cut me off.
“I don’t see any shadows there. Are you sure, they are there?” Matt asked and started to jog towards it, I fell in step beside him and nodded “Yeah, I had just seen them on the beach when the call began, they have to be-” I trailed off finding our beach set up empty.

“What the fuck?” Matt growled “JO! JOLIE!” He yelled and I looked wildly around “This couldn’t be- They wouldn’t-” I turned around and around, searching the beach, maybe they made a small walk, they were rebellious like that, right?

I jogged down to the shore, no one, no fucking one! “EM! Come the fuck out, this shit is not funny!” I yelled and saw Matt running back to the parking lot, the car, right, maybe they- but he came back shaking his head.

“Princess! This shit is over, come back or we gonna head back right away!” I yelled even louder, but no answer.

“I’ll head to the left, you to the right, if you meet someone; ask if he saw the girls. We have to fucking find them” Matt commanded, grabbing his phone “If you got nothing, contact Jimmy. I’ll let Johnny search for any sign’s.” Matt said and took a step away, then turned around.

“They wouldn’t have run off, do you think?” Matt’s voice sounded uncertain and his eyes pleaded me to deny him, I had never seen him like this before and it made me speechless for a second.

I shook my head “I don’t think… why would they… I mean, Em and I we were… She was having fun” I corrected myself before giving away too much.

“But Jo and I, she was… we were arguing… I mean- But she wouldn’t do that, she said… I didn’t mean-” He shook his head and took off in a run, I didn’t know what to make of his words, but I knew for sure that Emery wouldn’t have gone willingly, not after the last days we shared.

I don’t know how long I ran, but there was no person around, just as we wanted it, no lonesome soul I could ask about the girls.

When I headed back I grabbed my phone but saw Shads was already talking to Johnny. “What do you mean, you didn’t see? You were fucking supposed to watch! THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME! I DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT! REWIND AND CALL ME IMMEDIATELY!” Shads hung up and looked at me but I shook my head.

“Nothing” I voiced and he let his head hung “I can’t believe it… They ran off? I thought she loved me…” Matt said and then bends down and picked something up.

“Wait… this is her shoe” He held the flipflop in his hand and I frowned “She wouldn’t be running of with just one” I pointed out and followed the footprints, they were hardly to notice in the sand, but some looked bigger than others.

“This is Em’s sunglasses” I lifted up the broken pieces and looked further ahead, more footprints, and then only two pairs, but bigger one’s “They got kidnapped” Matt and I said in unison.

I thought Matt would ran us into the next tree with the way he was driving, we had packed up only the stuff we needed not to be noticed and then ran to the car and called up the guys immediately, Johnny was working still on the rewinding and Jimmy was already on his way with Zack driving around territory, trying to find any clue.

I couldn’t believe someone was able to take Em and Jolie from us, we were responsible for them, Emery was mine. No one was supposed to get close to her, to touch her or take her away from me, how could I have let this happen?!

I was in the middle of telling her that I loved her. And now… she was gone?!
“I don’t fucking care! Cross territory! FUCKING FIND THEM!” Matt barked into the speaker and I pulled my phone out.

“JB? MB? We need you, come to the compound as soon as you can, we have a situation” I spoke my voice was lacking any emotion, because she was gone. All emotion had left me, beside anger, hurt and guilt. SO much guilt…

We arrived at the compound, the car was not even shut off completely when I was out and Matt hot on my heels. We stormed into Johnny’s office and he looked white as chalk.

“What?!” Matt grabbed Johnny’s collar and lifted him to his eyelevel, his feet tangling in the air.

“Shads, I-I” Johnny stuttered and Matt’s arms were flexing, his eyes so dark, if I wouldn’t know better Matt was about to kill one of our friends.
I grabbed a hold of his arms and pulled, he wouldn’t budge at first but finally gave in, settling Johnny back on his feet with a loud huff.

He pointed to the monitor coughing “I’m almost there… I’m sorry. I just looked a second away, everything was clear and-”
“I don’t want to hear fucking excuses!” Matt growled staring at the monitor.

“What if Pagano set this up, what if he got wind that we were on the beach, called us for distraction and some of his guys took the girls… what if-” I stopped when Johnny pushed play and we saw Jolie and Em from far away.

I swallowed thickly seeing Emery there, and knowing now something happened to her was turning my stomach around.

Both girls turned around and Matt slammed his fist onto the table, a loud crack sounded.

“VIPERS!” He hissed and we saw how the guys pushed something at the girls, the footage didn’t get us the whole image, but we saw two men and our girls. Jolie had tried to kick of her shoe and I saw how one guy was trying to manhandle Emery, I almost lost it right then and there, the need to kill so strong in me.

Then they were out of sight Matt turned, left the room just as Jimmy and Zack came running in “Shads, we-” But he ignored them, slammed the door shut behind him.
“Shads? I thought you- Anyways, we were at every border of our territory, we searched everything, no sign of the girls” Zack said but Matt was long gone, the door to his office slammed next, or was it the wall and his fist, I didn’t know, but I could understand.

“What the fuck happened? You saw anything?” Jimmy asked staring at the monitor and Johnny rewind.

“The fucking gold vipers! How did they know we had the Pagano girls?” Zack frowned “They couldn’t… I can’t believe it… What will they do? Hand them back right away to Pagano? Sell us out to him?!” He frowned and I took the knife from my boot, letting the sharp edge run over my hand, the blood poured from a fresh cut where I had dug in too deep, the twinge of pain soothing my soul, but not enough, I dug a little deeper, about to close my fist around the knife to sooth more when Jimmy knocked the knife from my grip.

“What the fuck!?” I got right into his face, maybe a good old fist fight would help me with the hurt. “Dude, fuck off. I know what you are doing, but this doesn’t help us. What is Shads doing anyway?! We need to find a fucking way to the Vipers… We need to know where they took the girls…”

I breathed deeply in and out and tried to calm down, the blood still dripping from my hand. “Let me-” Jimmy lifted my hand but I pulled away and shoved him off me. I escaped them and went to Shads, I slammed the door open, finding Matt in the middle of arming himself up.

He stood in the midst of his weapon arsenal, all kinds of guns, knives and army essentials lying and hanging before him. He had at least three guns tucked in his pants and pockets. “I’ll get them back… I need her, I don’t care” Matt’s voice was gravelly and I nodded “I’m with you.”

“Shads, we can’t just go knocking on door heavily armed, you gotta know that-” Zack’s voice sounded from the entrance, and both Jimmy and Johnny stood beside him.

“Oh I will make you see! I will find Jolie and bring her back, if just one of these guys will harm a hair on her head, I will fucking kill them all” Matt’s eyes looked wild “We need information first. The Berry’s just arrived, we will let them have their way and try to gather some information, when we know where the girls are, we are all in and help you get them back, but right now… we have nothing, you gotta see, that we need to do some-” Zack stopped when Matt slammed his closet door closed and turned around.

“We don’t have fucking time to wait! What if they… We don’t know what they are doing with them! I don’t stand to wait! I need to do something! I need to go find them! I can’t just sit here and fucking wait… I can’t!” I nodded, I couldn’t either.

“If you go out there now, like this, the Vipers will know what you are up to, it will only end worse, Shads, believe me. Stay put, we will make a plan and get the girls back, nothing will happen to them” Zack said, though the words about nothing will happen to them almost stuck in his throat. We all knew it was a lie, we all knew the Viper’s too well for this.

Matt closed his eyes, I saw his jaw muscles flexing and his balled fists. “Get out. Now… GET OUT!” He yelled we scrambled from the room. I went back to Johnny, watching the footage over and over, but it only got worse, seeing Em’s happy face and then the terror in her eyes, and I… I was not there to help her.

Jo’s POV

The days after my birthday and till Emery’s birthday went by fast. I thought after my party and the way Matt and I were, we would be back together like before. That he understood my anger about the things he said and him not accepting.

Problem was, he didn’t. He was still letting the boss man hang out and wanted me to accept it, without a fight. He did make an attempt to apologize, but saying in the same sentence, that he was responsible for me, and that I had to accept that.

He insisted his life was too dangerous for a woman in it, which led to another argument about me being here at all, if it was too dangerous and he had to get out of his ways too much with me being by his side. It went on and on, I think we both went too far and were too pedantic about small things, just because the air was heated between us anyway.

We slept in his bed together each night, he was holding me, and every evening he told me he loved me and would just be so on edge because he was afraid he would lose me. I melted a little every time, but the next morning something else happened and it went all down the drain again… I guess we both had to let go a little, it would just take some time.

When the day of Em’s birthday arrived and Matt surprised me with taking both of us to the beach I could almost forget all the talks and all the arguments we had. He took a risk to spend a day with me in the outside world, while he knew it could be dangerous.

My heart swelled and I had to smile, he knew how much this meant to me and I knew even if we had a little bumpy road ahead of us, we would manage. Because I loved Matt and I couldn’t picture my life without him anymore, and well… the make- up sex or heated angry sex with him was just amazing.
“I told you, Jo this is just to make sure you are safe,” Matt huffed, pulling me toward the other side of the car, and putting the wig more firmly over my head. “Will you please just listen for a minute? I’m not fucking taking control! It’s just a precaution based on our fucking research.”

I was wearing the shirt he gave me and the fucking wig, I had agreed to his terms, but he didn’t have to overdo it. I mean we were at the beach, I at least wanted to enjoy the sun and water a little… but the way Matt was behaving that would be a tough act to follow. I guess I should go and talk to him.

Matt took my arm in a firm grip and guided me away from Brian and Emery to have a private moment, he began to run his hands over my wig and then pulling the sweater more firmly around me, making sure everything was covered and I rolled my eyes.

“Matt, stop it. It is okay” I grabbed his hands and he looked at me “You took care of everything, right? Can we now enjoy our time here, please” I asked giving him a small smile but instead of reacting to me, he looked over my head and around us, searching the area.

“You should go wait in the car a little longer, so I can check the area again.” He mused and I pulled my hands from his, making him snap his head back to me “What?” He looked surprised, while I crossed my arms over my chest, Matt eye’s went down to my breasts then back up to my face.

“Why do you look so angry?” He sighed and I turned around without another word, wanting to find Em and Brian, because I couldn’t stand Matt’s behavior anymore.

His hand grabbed me and spun me around, I almost tumbled against Matt. “Jolie, this is no fun, I am making sure you are safe and that-”

“You are right, Matt. This is no fun. And wasn’t this supposed to be fun? Wasn’t this supposed to be a nice timeout from all the work and stress and our fights? Because right now, I can imagine myself also at home, watching TV on the couch with Zack or Jimmy and have more fun than this here” I motioned between him and me and Matt’s eyes widened.

He opened his mouth to reply, but then it snapped shut, the muscle in his jaw working, while he was biting his teeth together so hard. I knew that expression by now.

I sighed and took a step closer, letting my hand run over his cheek, giving him a sympathy look “I love that you planned all this, and I know it’s dangerous for us. But please, lay off a little. We were supposed to be a couple today and have fun…” I looked at him with hope and Matt shoulders slumped down, his head hanging low. “I know that, babe. But I need to make sure everything is safe until I can really let you out. You have to promise me always to be in my sight. I need you to wear the wig and clothes”

“I agreed to it, and now… please let us enjoy this” I pecked his lips and thought I managed that pretty good. I was giving in to his rules and he would have to give me some trust and lay off, it could work.

I was just a few feet away when Matt caught up to me again “I thought about it, wait in the car till I get you. I want to check the area again. Come on” Matt grabbed my elbow from behind and dragged me behind him towards the parking lot.

I tried to get off his hold and now all my reasoning and my patience had flown out the window, he didn’t take a step towards me, this was ridiculous, Brian was already at the beach set up with Emery, why couldn’t we?!

“Stop it, Matt! You doubled checked everything. Brian is here as well, and they already enjoy their time. Why can’t you?” I demanded and Matt looked at me like I was an idiot “Because I am responsible. I am the boss, now do as I say, Jo. This is important-”

“I’m warning you Matt, I was trying to make amends with you. But if you don’t stop your fucking attitude and begin to be my boyfriend again, I don’t know if this will work out between us. I don’t need another father who commands me around, okay?! I get it’s dangerous, I get you are used to getting it your way, but guess what, now you have to take me into the picture as well, you don’t just command, you talk to me, and if you can’t take a step towards me, maybe this-” He narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step towards me.“Don’t you dare compare me to your fucked up father. I only want you to be safe, that’s the only reason I am doing all this. Now don’t turn this around and make me the bad guy. You are the one not understanding how dangerous all this is. Into how much trouble I could get because I am here with you, because I love you. Don’t think I haven’t thought about letting you go, just to make it safer for you, but I can’t because I love you and need you too much! And if I need to double and triple check everything, I will do that, because I am in charge here!” He yelled the last part at me but I didn’t back down.

His words were bitter sweet, he loved me, he did, but he wasn’t used to having someone to worry about, beside his men, just how could I make him trust me and see I was worth stepping beside his normal routine, every now and then?!

“God Matt! You don’t get it, do you?! Go do your job, I’ll find Brian and Emery, if you have some time later maybe you can join us… or not” With that I turned and stomped off hearing Matt calling my name, but then his phone rang and he cursed “Don’t move. I’ll be right there”

I spend some time with Emery while Matt and Brian were on the phone and I enjoyed the little time out from Matt and the arguing, maybe I was overreacting. I sighed and thought that when he came back I would tell him, that we should enjoy the time we had here and not fight then kiss him and maybe play a little dirty in the water to make it up to him.

“Well hello ladies. It’s so nice of you to join our party,” a man I never saw before said. I turned around, trying to see if Matt and Brian had seen him, but couldn’t make out the guys.

I opened my mouth to call for Matt, but I felt so dizzy suddenly, my eyes were so heavy all of a sudden, that my last thought was to leave something behind so Matt knew, we didn’t ran off. A little hint for them to know and follow us…


My head hurt and my eyes just didn’t want to open, they were still so heavy and I had a disgusting taste in my mouth and nose. I wanted to rub my eyes, but my hands wouldn’t cooperate.

I blinked my eyes slowly open and the bright neon light from the lamp above me was almost blinding me. I tried for my hands again, realizing they were bound together in front of me. Panic began to rise and I looked around frantically, realizing I was sitting on an old mattress in a basement room.

When I turned my head completely I saw Emery, a couple of feet beside me on the end of the mattress, her eyes still closed.

“Em?” I whispered “Emery!” I whispered a little louder when the door opposite of the room was thrown open and three men approached. “Look who finally is awake. I thought we might have taken a too high dose, I mean, you girls have not much meat on their bones.”

“I like them that way” One of the guys sneered and looked between me and Em back and forth, she slowly rose her head and her eyes widened until they found me. I tried to mouth her I’m okay but we were cut off.

“I know, you do, Joey. If this wasn’t our lucky day, huh?” The man in the middle stepped forward motioning around with his arms “This is all we could offer you, I bet at the Avenged compound you are used to more luxury, but you better get used to getting shit from now on.”
He chuckled and bent down looking into my eyes “So whose girl is this, what you think Barry?” He looked at the other guy who eyed me up, I pulled my knees up to hide more of my body.

I wondered what had happened, and who these guys were, I heard Matt talking about the Gold Vipers or something before, weren’t they making deals with them?!
But this had nothing to do with us, right?

I mean… after everything, this hadn’t been a set-up, right? More panic ran through me at the thought that maybe this was just one big game, but I shook my head quickly, trying to forget the thought, it couldn’t be. Matt loved me, he got shot for me, he would never trade me-

But wasn’t that the entire deal all about and why they kidnapped me and Emery in the first place? I swallowed thickly and closed my eyes, a tear escaping my eye, until a palm connected to my cheek.

“I am talking to you, bitch!” The guy before me shouted, my cheek burned from the slap and Emery was cursing him, while I tried to keep the sobs inside.

“Who is your Avenged guy? Gates?” He repeated and I shook my head, I wouldn’t give him anything.

Wait a second, they thought we were belonging to Matt and Brian, they didn’t know who we really were, did they?!

I looked over to Emery, who shrank back against the basement wall, the guy in front of her, was slowly running his hands up her bare legs and licking his lips. I swallowed thickly, oh god, what would they be doing to us?

“You don’t wanna talk, huh? Maybe I should leave you alone with Joey here for tonight, he hadn’t had a woman in months, I bet he can go all night long” He grinned showing us his missing front teeth when a shudder ran over me at the mere thought.

“Please… don’t” I whispered and saw Emery trying to kick the guy off her “Oh I like a little fight, just keep going, the more you fight, the more I will want you” The Joey guy groaned leaning into Emery, until the guy in charge snapped his fingers.

“Enough for now, go get back to work. Make sure no one followed us. Let the ladies have some privacy and think about what will happen to them… because I bet, the Avenged guys don’t even want you back, after we are through with you” With that the three guys left, and the door slammed shut, the lock turned and Em and I sat on the dirty mattress alone and helpless.

Notes

Oh shit!

Now it's ur turn, let us know what u think! :)