Brian’s POV

The idea to take Emery to our little paradise came to me after the Pagano call. I had been thinking the entire day on how to get Emery to react to me, to actually see me again. Not just the situation but us, the world around her and slowly forget or at least be able to see something different than just the bad that happened to her, and that was when the idea struck me.

What better place could make me forget? What place made me relax after a long hard day? What place was my little shelter?!

The beach bungalow. No one knew about… So now was the day, where I had to tell someone about it. Because I couldn’t and wouldn’t risk taking Emery there and something would happen. I just couldn’t.

So I talked to Jimmy, I told him about my plan and the way he smiled so stupidly he knew about it all along, either knew or guessed it I wasn’t too sure. And he also didn’t question me wanting to take Emery, if think all the guys had figured out my feeling for Emery by now, and I didn’t care.

Maybe Shads would want a talk with me, but honestly, it didn’t matter what he would say. He fucked up first, falling for the elder Pagano girl, I just couldn’t help resisting her sister, I wasn’t really to blame in this. I grinned to myself, already thinking about it… But maybe Shads wouldn’t even question it, not after everything we went through… Either way, I would manage and get the best out of it, and that was me staying by Emery’s side and me and her living the happy ever after.

“There is no ‘what if’ with us Em,” I interrupted. “Look around you! We are in our paradise! You are safe with me and no one is going to take you away from me again. You are the only thing that matters to me,” I vowed. “Nothing is going to change that because you stole my heart the first day that I met you. I love you, Emery Pagano and only you.”
“Y-you do?” Hearing Em utter those words, made my heart ache. I mean, I was such an asshole for not confiding in her earlier. For not telling her those words all along, for trying to push her away, I was a selfish bastard, but I knew better now. She was all I ever needed, and if she needed to hear it all day, every day, I would be happy to comply. I crashed my lips down on her to show her just how real my feelings were, and not just my hunger for her, but my love, my whole heart was engraved with her name on it, it really just belonged to her and not me anymore.

“I love you too,” Em murmured against my lips, and my heart almost stopped for a second. She really said it. She still had feelings for me, she might be disappointed but she still loved me and I couldn’t wait to show her just how much that meant to me.

I didn’t want to push Emery to far, so I slowly eased away. I knew she needed time and I would give her whatever she needed. Jimmy promised me he would be watching out for us all night, he kept the night shift and by tomorrow morning we would go back to the compound, it was dangerous not being in the secured area, I knew that. But seeing Emery look at the beach and then at me with a smile I haven’t seen in quite a while made me realize that this was the right decision.

I probably wouldn’t dare close and eye either, but even if I just would be lying awake beside her all night, holding her to me, would mean more to me than anything else in the world. As long as she was happy and felt secure around me, I would gladly never close an eye again.

We sat on the beach, Em cuddled into me, a blanket firmly draped around us to keep us warm from the fresh breeze of the ocean. Em’s hair was blown in my face every now and then, tickling my nose.
I enjoyed the silence and the closeness to her.

When it was getting dark and the sun had slowly set over the ocean I held out a hand to Emery to bring her back inside. I gave Jimmy a small nod, he always stayed in the shadows, not in sight but never far away. He was on full alert and I had to replay him later for his part on the play today.

I handed Em a long-sleeved shirt from me, so she had something to sleep in. She gave me a small smile, when she turned her back on me and pulled of her top and then slipped into my too big shirt. She looked damn good in my shirts, and even though the sleeves were way too long, and she was looking even smaller in them, I liked the sight before me.

“Do you need anything else?” I asked Emery while she let herself fall down on the bed behind her a small smile on her lips when she turned around and smelled on the pillow “This still smells like your cologne” She said holding the pillow to her chest.

“If you want it, it’s yours” I walk over to her and pull her into me. I leaned down and kissed her lips again. I was happy I was able to, show her my affection now, and that she would melt right into me.

“We have to be back early tomorrow morning, I’m sorry.” I say on a sigh, when both Em and I lay on the bed facing each other.

I let my hand run over her cheek tracing her skin with my calloused finger. “At least we have this one night here… we can come back, right?” Em asked with a wishful tone and I nodded “We can… and we can always find a new place for us… someday, we can plan the future… after everything settles down a little” I say and that was the first time I realized, I was really planning my future.

“You mean, not staying at the compound?” Em frowned a little and I pulled her closer. I turned her around so she would melt into my body and I could lay my arms around her waist, her body pressed to mine in the most perfect way.

“If you don’t want to… we don’t have to… we would have to make a plan and talk this all through with Shads and the guys but… I would do anything for you, princess” I said and kissed her temple. Emery stayed silent for a long moment and I almost thought that she must have fallen asleep.

“I don’t wanna be separated from my sister, Brian” Emery said “I almost lost her… I couldn’t stand being away from her. I would need to be close to her… But I don’t know what her plans are” Emery said on a sigh and I nodded “We will figure it out. All in time…” I hummed another song for her that had sprung from my mind, and soon Em’s breathing was deep and even and she had fallen asleep in my arms, while I had stayed up all night, watching her sleep until the sun go up again.

The next day’s Emery was feeling better and that had a lot to do with her sister too. Jolie was getting back on her feet, getting on Matt’s nerves because she was behaving too reckless for his taste, while the doc had finally cleared her off the too careful behavior. I was glad not being in Matts shoes for once.

I was cuddled up with Emery on the couch watching a show, while Zack and Jimmy were playing around with Jolie in between them. Shads had disappeared right after getting up into his office probably trying to calm the storm that was brewing - with the name Pagano.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Matt appeared suddenly grabbing the remote out of Jimmy’s hand and holding it above his head. “Have you lost your damn minds? Jo is supposed to be recovering, not wresting with you asshats!”

I pushed my face into Em’s hair trying to hide the smile that was on my face, he just couldn’t turn down the boss attitude could he?! “Relax, babe, we were just having a little fun.”

“Yeah, let her live a little bit,” Zack said, earning a nod from Jimmy. “Besides the doc cleared her yesterday to start doing normal activities again.” I was closing my eyes, inhaling Em’s perfume, damn she smelled good today.

“He said start not jump right in with the most reckless thing you could think of,” Matt grumbled, pulling Jo safely into his side and kissing the top of her head. “We need to ease her back in, not ruin her progress.”

“It’s not going to ruin my progress,” Jo countered. “I appreciate you looking out for me but I’m fine. I know my restrictions and I promise I won’t do anything to re-injure myself.” I saw Emery lift her head to give her sister a smile and she opened her mouth for one of her comments which Shads probably wouldn’t want to hear when we were interrupted by Christ.

“Shads, Gates, you’re gonna want to come look at this,” Johnny interrupted, rushing into the room.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Matt snapped as both I and Emery looked up from the couch. What the hell did the small man now want? Normally he wasn’t rushing anywhere like this, did that mean something bad had happened?

“No,” Johnny said, his eyes looking slightly panicked. “You’re gonna want to see this! It’s not good…”

We all quickly followed Christ back into his office to see the large screen TV blasting the news.

“Fuck…” Matt hissed, running his hand over my face as panic set in and I swallowed thickly. This couldn’t be real, this couldn’t be happening, could it?!

I heard Emery’s sharp intake of breath her weight falling back against me and I saw how Jolie lifted her hand in front of her mouth whispering “This is not happening”

On the tv screen was a picture of Emery and a news reporter was just announcing her engagement and then they did a live report where a man stood before at least ten different mics. He looked into the camera and in the corner I saw Pagano himself, sunglasses on flanked by security guards.

“I’m speaking in behalf of Danny Pagano and the entire Pagano family, and we are happy to announce now officially what had been forming already for a long time, the engagement of Mr. McGinnely and Emery Jane Pagano.”
Loud murmurs were going on and different questions were thrown at the man behind the mic but they wouldn’t answer them. “Is it true that the Paganos sisters were kidnapped?”

“Are the girls even back?”
“Where have they been?”
“Is Jolie Pagano also getting engaged? Isnt she the older sister?”

The guy turned back around and a small evil smile came over his face “All your answer will soon be answered. Emery and Jolie Pagano are home soon and they are completely fine. We will do another press information on Jolie Pagano when the time is right, but I can assure you, that will soon follow Thank you” With that he disappeared and I stared at the now shown reporter making up stories, showing pictures of this McGinnely guy and I almost had to throw up.

“What the fuck is this guy thinking?” Shads got his voice back first. “How can he fucking announce something like that, when he doesn’t even know where his girls are?!” Zack asked and I clenched my hands to fist, no one was going to take Emery away from me. I wouldn’t let anyone dare touch her.

“They must be pushing him to finally announce, or the money would be gone. He was probably between a rock and a hard place.” Johnny murmured and I had to get my aggressions out. While Emery was holding the hand of her sister, the girls looking at each other.

“You will not leave me… I won’t let anyone take you from me. And you will not have to marry this guy. You don’t have to worry, babe.” I said and I guess it was the first time I said something like this before all the guys together and I dared them to say something against it.

I met Matt’s eyes over the girls head and a small smirk came over his lips and then he nodded at me in approval “None of you will have to do anything you don’t want to. We will keep you safe. I’m sorry to say this so bluntly, but your father is fucked up, and I won’t let either of you in his presences again, he won’t get a chance to sell either of you off. I promise you this” Matt said looking from one girl to the other.

“How can he do that… how can… I never” Jolie looked completely lost and Emery nodded “He lost his mind… his money is worth more than we are… if mom would-” A sob escaped Emery and I pulled her into my arms.

“You are safe. Your father doesn’t know you are here. No one knows… We will do everything to keep it this way. We are one, remember?” I said and kissed Emery’s lips, tasting her salty tears that had slipped down her cheek.

“I’m not giving up on us, ever. You heard me?!”

Jo’s POV

I knew our father was a sick and twisted man most of the time, that he was this out of his mind I hadn’t known, or well probably I had but I didn’t want to see it, didn’t want to acknowledge it to be honest. I wanted my dad to be normal, but he never was normal, and this was just the topping on it.

He really was planning on selling Emery and me out. He was selling us for the highest bidder, he was giving his daughter to some men, who had enough money, not caring if they were brutal, or the age of our father himself, he just saw the money and fame.

“Jo?” Matt’s voice sounded and I looked up from the book I had been reading “Yeah?” I asked, the newsflash had been about 5 days ago, since then new rumors were coming up almost every day. About Emery being seen, a reportage about McGinnely the guy who bought my sister, even though it was all fake, they made it seem like Em and he were long-lasting lover, though I had never seen that guy before.

“I’m done in the office you want to watch some movie?” Matt had stuck his head into our room and nodded “Sure, why not” I slowly got up from the bed and Matt lifted me up in his arms as soon as he reached me.

“Hey, what are you doing!” I giggled “I don’t want you to overdo it” He would always say this, no matter how little I had done all day, he would try and talk me into doing everthing calmer and that he would manage all this for me, even walking.

“Don’t pamper me this much, boss man. I will get fat and then I never want to walk again, if you keep this up” I said with a smile, kissing Matt’s neck, he let out a little groan and was turning on the step “Maybe we should instead go back to bed and-”

“JO? Come over, the movie is about to begin!” Emery yelled and I chuckled “Set me down, Matt. I can walk, and you wanted to watch the movie, right?!”

Matt groaned loudly but with a smile “Damn me and my stupid ideas…” He carried me over to the couch and let me fall next to my sister who was cuddled into Gates side.

“Good job you finally admitted” I said to Brian who lifted his head to look at me for a moment “Thanks, took me long enough, right?” He smirked and I nodded, my sister looking between us with a small frown.

“Popcorn anyone?” Matt called from the kitchen and I nodded “Yes please! And a coke!”
“Beer” “Chips” Em and Brian yelled and Matt grumble under his breath “Give them the little finger and they take the whole hand…” I chuckled at his fake annoyance and gave him an extra-long kiss when he settled down beside me.

We watched a movie together and I looked every now and then up to see my sister smiling and her kissing Brian or the other way around. I was happy that Emery was slowly getting back to her old self and I had to give Brian or Gates, or whatever you may call him a big credit for it.

He had pulled her out of the dark hole, he was the reason she was coming back to her smiling and happy personality and I was glad. Sure, it would still take a great amount of time and maybe even some professional help to get to back where you were before, but this were the first baby steps and it felt good.

I elbowed Matt into the side and grunted, frowning and looking at me. “What?!” He asked and I titled my head to the side, to motion over to the couple sitting beside us. Matt looked at Brian and my sister, a small smirk forming on his face, and then he clapped Brian on the back, interrupted the staring moment between the two.

“Hey Gates, when was the time you wanted to tell us this officially? Weren’t you one of the extremely pissed friend of mine when I announced that Jo and I-”

“Announced? You mean you announced that? You must have a memory loss because that wasn’t how-” Brian started to rant and the two guys leaning even more over me an Emery to get into each others face, even though it was clear that this was just playing.

“Fine, but that doesn’t mean, you should follow my bad example, okay?” Matt grumbled and I chuckled, patting his arm.

“Well, what do you want me to say? I fell in love with this lovely creature, and yes I know what you want to say, Syn Gates… yadayada, but it happened, and I can’t help it. She is the woman for me.” Brian hugged my sister closer to him and kissed her temple, Emery’s cheek blushing and I leaned over giving Brian a small kiss on the cheek “Well done… finally.”

Then I hugged Emery and told them “I’m happy for you. You look good together” Emery smiled and she looked at Matt and me “Well, you do too… Kind off” She stuck her tongue out to Matt who rolled his eyes, they probably won’t get best friends so soon, but at least they weren’t fighting anymore.

The next two days almost were normal, only change was that Matt wasn’t that much in his office anymore, and the guys were more at home in general. I knew Matt planned on giving this up, up for me, but I also knew he wasn’t the guy who easily let this huge territory and empire almost that he built up slip past his fingers, would he begin to regret it at some point?

And how would he deal with my father? I knew they were internally still debating about faking Emery and my death, but whenever the topic in one of our group meetings, where Emery and I were now a constant member too, Brian and Matt looked extremely unpleasant at the thought of seeing me and Emery back in the condition they had found us, and honestly I wasn’t feeling too well about it either, but if this would help to get a distance to our father and get him off Matt and the guys track, well hell… then we should really think about it.

“You want to get up already?” Matt growled when I slowly moved off the bed. I thought he was still sleeping, we had been almost up all night, since the doc had finally cleared me off the careful behavior, Matt and I took a good use of it.

“Well, I’m hungry…” I smiled when I met his sleepy eyes. He was blinking a couple of times and held his arms out to me “Come back… just a moment longer” I sighed and I mean how could I resist this man really?

I let myself fall back onto the bed and Matt claimed my body right away, he pushed my sleeping shirt up and lifted himself over me. “You are so beautiful” He whispered and began kissing my stomach, every little and every bigger scar. “So mine..” He murmured and moved higher.

His tongue teased my nipples until he sucked one into his mouth completely. He looked at me and I saw pure lust and hunger in his eyes. Just this made me wet and I couldn’t wait till he would enter me again and send me over the edge.
“Hmmm… you taste so good” Matt moved higher and higher, sucking on my skin and then licking, I moved underneath him, it was almost too much to bear.

His lips met mine, and I grabbed his neck, pulling him even closer to me. Demanding even more of him. “I need you!” I groaned into his mouth, when his hand began to travel from my breath down, my stomach, always careful not to hurt me.

“More!!” I moaned when his hand finally found my crotch and rest there “Move, babe.. please” I begged and Matt’s lips formed a smile against mine. “I love it when you are so out of your mind.”

His finger began to play, but not nearly enough “Please… what more can I do then beg?” I moaned out and lifted my body off to give him better access. “Matt…” I groaned almost in pain.

“Ssshhhh, I’ll make you come. Don’t you worry, my love” He moved his hands away, almost making me want to curse him, but then he lifted himself up and positioned himself between my legs.

I gave him more space and then finally he pushed himself in slowly and carefully at first and we both moaned. This was the feeling I graved, feeling us together, that we were one.

I grabbed Matt’s ass cheek and dug my nails in “More! I need more!” I demanded, we did the sweet and slow yesterday, now I needed the rougher part.

“I’m not going to hurt you, love” Matt shook his head, but I saw the sweat building on his forehead from trying to hold back. “I’m fine, remember. We are fine, please I want it!” I told him and Matt began moving faster but not nearly as fast and hard as I needed.

“Matt! Please! Don’t hold back!” I told him and finally he let go, he began to slam in and out of me and soon sending me over the edge with a loud scream, and Matt didn’t need long to follow.

“Shit shit shit, Jo.. babe, did I hurt you?” He was out of breathe but already searching my body for injuries and I touched his face, let my thumb run over his cheek while I was trying to come down from my high and catch my breathe.

“I’m fine… hey, look at me” I lifted his face so he would meet my eyes. “I am fine. I loved it. I love you” I smiled and Matt sighed out in relief and then fell down beside me.

“I love you too. I just… I wouldn’t get through hurting or losing you again. It would freaking kill me and… I just… I just couldn’t.” Matt shook his head and I lifted myself up lying down with my head on his chest.

“I’m here and I am not leaving you again, ever. I promise”

Notes

Sooo here is another update for you guys!
We are slowly picking up our pace again :P So stay tuned for moreeeee :)
And of course, leave us some comments !!