Emery’s POV

“Miss Emery? Miss Emery?”

I felt my body being shaken awake and I jumped to the side, falling off my chair with a loud thump. My heart was racing wildly as I looked up to see my maid, Espinoza, looking down at me with a concerned frown and a letter in her hand. No!

“What is this, Miss?”

“I-I…” I stammered, pulling myself to my feet as quickly as I could. I lunged towards my maid but it was too late, she was already reading my very personal letter to Brian. No! She wasn’t supposed to read that! It was for Brian and his eyes only. Fuck!

Espinoza held her hand out at me as I tried to grab it from her again, her eyes growing wider and wider the more she read. I thought it was going to be our last letter and I laid out my every feeling to him, letting him know just how much I loved him. “It’s not what you think! Just give it back! Please!” I begged, feeling like my whole world was crumbling again. Why couldn’t just one thing go right?!

“Oh Miss Emery…” she breathed, shaking her head at me like I was possessed by the devil himself. The look on her face was mixed with sadness and pity and I let out a sigh, knowing what was about to come next—she was going to tell my father. She always did. “You’re father isn’t going to be very happy about this…”

“Please Espinoza, please… can we just pretend you didn’t find that?” I pleaded, interlacing my fingers and stepping towards her. I was practically begging now as it was the only thing I could do. This maid could either help me or destroy me in an instant.

The last thing I needed was for him to find out that Brian and I were actually in a relationship. He would use that information to torture both of us, and that thought crushed me. My father was a vengeful vial man and I didn’t want to find out what kind of sick and twisted version of torture he had in store for us when he found out the truth.

“I’m sorry Miss Emery,” she said with her thick Spanish accent. “But I cannot keep this from him. You are in love with the enemy,” she hissed at me like I didn’t understand English.

“Espinoza… please, I’m begging you,” my voice was shaking as I followed her to the door. “If he finds out he’ll-he’ll—”

“Its for the best, Miss,” and with that she disappeared out the door. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I pulled at the roots of my long blonde hair as the door shut, leaving me alone in my room, waiting for the inevitable storm that was my father. I didn’t even want to think about what would happen when he knew the truth. I just hoped that Brian would forgive me for whatever punishment my father had in store for him.

With a long sigh, I sat down on my bed, my heart beating wildly in my chest. What the hell was I going to do? I couldn’t lie to my father, not when he had the proof of our words in those notes. He would sure use that information to make me even more miserable than I already was… especially when he found out that I wasn’t pure anymore. Fuck, I was doomed and I was never going to see the man I love again…

Suddenly the door burst open and slammed against my wall, knocking down the only picture of my mother and I that I had left. My father looked back at me with blazing eyes as he slammed the door behind him. I pulled my knees to my chest and looked up at him with a look of hate. He was no father of mine.

“Don’t say a fucking word,” he hissed, pointing a warning finger at me as he squeezed the crumpled notes in his left hand. “You will listen to me and you will listen to me now, Emery. If you think this shit is going to fly with me, you’ve got another thing coming,” he yelled, gesturing it to the notes. “And if I find out any of this shit these bastards said is true or these notes, you will both fucking pay. I’ve got a lot ridding on you and I’ll be damned if you’re going to ruin it!” He looked the most terrifying I had ever seen him, but I didn’t care. I was tired of all this bullshit. I wasn’t some fucking door prize for the person who paid the most.

“And what if it is true?” I shot back, balling my hands in fists and standing up. I was tired of sitting back idly while he destroyed my life. It was time for me to stand up for myself. “What if I am in love with your biggest rival? Then what?!” I yelled, watching my father’s face turn bright red, the vein in his neck throbbing dangerously.

My father took a menacing step towards me but I held my ground. His eyes narrowed dangerously and his voice was barely above a whisper. “Don’t fucking push me Emery. I swear to fucking god I will—”

“Will what? Make me pay? What more could you possibly do to me? You’ve taken away everyone and everything I’ve ever love. You’ve locked me away from the world and you’re selling my fucking hand in marriage,” I cursed and my father’s eyes grew wide and I laughed cynically. “What more could you possibly do to me? I’m already miserable! If mom were here, she would be absolutely disgusted by what you’re doing to Jo and I! She would have encouraged us to follow our hearts, not be a fucking paycheck—”

I felt a sharp slap across the face and the tears instantly rose in my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. I wouldn’t give my father that satisfaction. “You do not get to talk back to me!” he raged, his chest heaving up and down. “You don’t not get to do whatever you want! You are my daughter and you will obey me,” he reached forward and grabbed my face in his hand, squeezing my cheeks hard as he made me look up at him. “And if you dare step out of line or cause a scene with your new husband or at the wedding, I will make sure you wish you were never born.”

“I already wish that,” I snapped pulling away and rubbing my hand over my sore cheeks.

“Well we shall see how you feel after your beloved Brian witnesses you marry Mr. McGinley and then you and your new husband attend his execution. And trust me, darling daughter, I will make sure that his death is a long and painful one!” He said with a menacing smile that left me stunned. I couldn’t pull a breath into my lungs as he chuckled and said, “So rest up. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow!” With that he let a guard in and disappeared out the door.

“No…” I gasped, shaking my head after finding my breath. I quickly excused myself to the bathroom and sunk down on the cold tiled floor, breaking down completely. He couldn’t do that! He couldn’t make that dream become a reality… he just couldn’t.

I wrapped my arms around my small frame as sobs raked my body, making me feel sick. Oh god, I was going to lose Brian and it was all my fault and he would even know how I truly felt about him. I pinched my eyes shut, as the hot tears fell down my face. I needed to see those eyes, just one more time and let him know everything than how thankful I was for having him in my life. He had changed me, and for the better. I just hated being the reason he would suffer. God…what had I done.

I don’t know how long I lay crying on the bathroom floor before exhaustion took over. I slipped into a state of unconsciousness only to be awoken by a loud thud outside my door and a loud gasp. “What the hell was that?” I muttered, cautiously pushing my shaky body to my feet and walking out of the bathroom.

“Emery!” There he was. The one person I longed to see the most looking back at me across the room. I instantly got lost in those haunting brown eyes. I couldn’t believe it. Brian was actually here?!

“Brian?” I couldn’t help but smile as he quickly crossed the room in three quick strides.

Just as I opened my mouth to ask Brian how he had gotten free, he pulled me forward and forcefully pressed his lips to mine. As soon as we touched a surge of electric hit and I gasped, completely opening myself up to him. Brian kissed me with a passion that I felt all the way to my toes. I closed my eyes, feeling a surge of excitement as his tongue slid into my mouth. I slid my hand up to the back of his neck and began kissing him back, wanting more. Needing more. The man was as bad as a drug. The addicting kind.

The kiss made my heart flutter, almost bringing me to tears. I realized right then and there that I loved him more than anything. I knew right then that I didn’t want to be anywhere else but with Brian and in his arms. Screw my father. Screw the fear of being caught. Screw everything else. Brian and I were all that mattered. After this kiss, I knew that he felt the same way.

Brian slowly set me back down on my feet before he took my face in his hands, laying everything out on the line. “Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked in awe, feeling dizzy from the kiss. Was this really happening right now? Had he come to finally get us both out of this hellhole?!

Matt’s POV

“You almost got me, clever… I give you that.” Pagano said after I was suddenly dragged back to my cell. The guards threw my aching body down on the floor, with a loud grunt. My head was throbbing painfully and I could feel a trickle of blood running down my face. Why had he stopped the beating? “So Emery was the one to your liking, huh? And Mr. Shadows had a thing for my older daughter, am I right?”

I clenched my jaw, narrowing my eyes as I looked up at him. He looked like kid on fucking Christmas right now and that didn’t settle well with me. What the hell was he playing at now?

“I have a better idea then to beat you to a bloody pulp, I will even let you out of your cell soon, how does that sound?!” What the fuck was this psycho talking about? I carefully glanced to the side just in time to see Gates spit at him and I mentally cheered. Good.

“You don’t wanna know why? Well, let me tell you this… You my dear guests, will be attending the weddings of my beloved daughters. You think I missed the longing in your voice, you think I missed the aggression, please… This was a nice try, but now.. I’m gonna hurt you worse then you ever imagined. I will let you see how the love of your life will marry another man, and you will never be able to see them again… not ever,” With that he turned and left with all his guards.

As soon as the door shut behind the guards, I sunk down to my knees again. No… I couldn’t watch him marry Jolie off to some rich slob. I would rather die trying to get her out of this hellhole than have someone hold me down and witness that! Fuck! It was my job to protect her from all this, not make it worse.

“We need a plan,” I raged, shaking my head and pulling myself to my feet. “We cant let this fucking happen!” I was pissed and I could feel the anger flooding through my veins. I wanted vengeance and I wanted it now. No one was going to make me watching the one women I had ever loved be handed off to some asshat. No fucking way. I had to get her out of here and away from her sick and twisted father.

I looked over to see Gates clenching his fists and staring off at the stonewall, shock and anger etched all over his features. “We can’t just sit around anymore. This is it! The next time they come down we make our move,” I vowed, earning a nod from Zack. “Gates do you hear me?”

“He cant fucking do that,” Gates hissed shaking his head and staring blankly ahead. He really looked like Pagano’s words had unhinged him and I knew I wasn’t far behind. That shit wasn’t going to happen, not if I could help it. “He can’t just give her away! She’s mine!”

“No fucking way in Hell is that happening,” I nodded my head in agreement. “We will go down swinging. I just hope we can do enough damage to get the girls free,” I sighed, running my hands over my head. I just kept picturing Jolie’s beautiful blue eyes looking back at me and telling me everything was going to be okay. I knew this was a suicide mission, but it was the only thing we had.

“But if the next time they come down to get us is for the wedding, wont the place we swarming with guards?” Zack asked and my eyes snapped over to his cell. “Will we even make it out of here or should we wait to make our move when we get upstairs?”

“You really think they are going to let us go upstairs unrestrained?” Gates scoffed. “If we want to attack, we have to do it down here. Next time they open the cell to give us food, no matter who it is, we jump them. Plain and simple. It’s the only move we can make.”

“Gates is right,” I nodded. “We take the bastards out down here, take their identification cards or whatever that thing is they swipe to get in, and bust the girls out of here. If you find the girls first, just get them out. They are number one priority.” Gates and Zack nodded in agreement as I anxiously began to pace my cell.

Deep down I think we all knew that this plan was basically suicide, but it was the only thing we could do. I just couldn’t sit here and watch as Pagano sold off Jolie to some other man. God that was so fucking sick. What kind of father would do this to his daughters, especially if he knew she happy with another man? I swear, if I ever got the chance, I would personally slit Pagano’s throat. I would enjoy watching him beg and gasp for air as the blood drained out of him. A slow and painful death was exactly what he deserved, especially after all the hell and torment he put his poor girls through. They would have a good life with us, I would make sure of it.

I don’t know how long the three of us paced our cells, tossing around ideas about our escape plan but it seemed like an eternity. It seemed like seconds seemed to slow into hours, making the wait for someone to come down those stairs and open the door agonizing. I just wanted to hold Jolie in my arms one more time… that was all I needed to get me through.

Suddenly we heard the electric cut off, followed by the doors of our cells bursting one. “What the…” I breathed, cautiously looking around at my men. Was this some kind of trap? I looked up at Gates and he just shrugged, moving cautiously out of the cell. “Get ready boys…” I muttered, stepping into the middle of room.

Just then the door burst open and my heart jumped in my chest. Jo! Within a blink of an eye, she ran across the room and dove straight into my arms. “Matt!” she called as I hugged her close, looking for any sign of a threat behind her.

“Fuck Jo.. What is going on?!” I breathed into her floral smelling hair once I realized she was alone. I held her firmly against my body, afraid that she would get ripped away from me if I let her go. God, I was never going to let her go again.

“We don’t have much time… here…” Jo urged, looking up at me with a smile as she tried to pull away. “You need to let go, babe” I signed and set her back down on her feet, not liking the sudden feeling of loneliness that accompanied it.

“We need to hurry, I don’t know how long he will stay down… we only have 20 minutes left. Here take your clothes off and put this on, then I need to mask your bruises. You need to stand tall, put the cap into your face, but don’t let anyone think you are hiding something.” Jo explained extremely fast and I just blinked at her, trying to comprehend what she just said.

“This is your only chance to escape,” she added and finally everything started to fall into place. We were getting out of here and she had a plan. Well I’ll be damned. I knew there was a reason I loved her so much. She fit perfectly into our little dysfunctional family. Damn, I was never going to let her go again.

“Where is Emery? Is she waiting somewhere?!” Gates asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly started to pull on the uniform Jo gave me as she moved around applying making up to mask our cuts and bruises. She had thought of everything and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her work.

“She is still in her room… She doesn’t know any of this, we need to get her… when we are out of the lower floors.” I could hear the sadness in Jo’s voice as she talked about her sister but I knew Gates wouldn’t let us leave without her. Everything would come together in the next twenty minutes. It had to.

“How did you manage all this? And how are we supposed to get out of the house?” I asked, pulling her back into my embrace. I couldn’t get enough of her and I could think of a few things I’d like to do to her as a ‘thank you’ when we got back to our compound. I just had to make sure we all got out of here alive.

“I had some help… I will tell you all the details later… At 1 am Johnny is able to hack into the system to open the back door and gates as well as shut down cameras there, we need to time it just right, it’s shift change now and not that many guards will be around, while they might mistake you for some of their own accompanying me here in the house,” Jo explained quietly as we jogged up the stairs to the main level of the house. Everything was oddly quiet up here and that sent an uneasy feeling over me. Were we being watching?

When we reached the corner, I peaked around to make sure no one was waiting around the bend. We were so close to freedom right now that I didn’t want to risk losing it. I would do whatever it took to get Jo and my men out of here alive, even if it meant taking a bullet. I had done it before and I would do it again for the ones that I loved.

“Where is Emery? I'll go get her,” Gates asked, his eyes looking around wildly. I could tell he was on edge and anxious to get Emery back but he had to be careful. One wrong move and we were all screwed.

Jolie shook her head and let out a light sigh. “You can’t just walk up there and knock on her door, she is guarded. One inside, one outside… Our father found your notes, she is under strict watch…” Jo explained and Gates narrowed his eyes. Oh here he goes…

“I don’t give a fucking damn. I will barge in there and get her fucking out! Now!” He started and I quickly covered his mouth with my hand. Dude calm down before you get us caught!

“Shut it, Gates,” I hissed, before letting him go. “You go upstairs, act like Jolie told you, Zack will accompany you till the first floor, watching out. Take out the guard as silently as possible, so he isn’t able to send and alarm to anyone, got me?!”

“I’m not fucking stupid.” Gates turned around, but Jo grabbed his arm.

“It’s the second door to the right. Thank you and be careful. We only have 10 minutes to be out of the back entrance and at the side gate. Hurry and get my sister!” With that Brian and Zack moved across the floor, looking with their heads up high. I just hoped Gates didn’t do anything stupid. The last thing we needed was for Pagano to catch him with is daughter.

Once we were alone, Jo turned to look at me with a nervous smile on her face. “Now it’s our turn to get out here without getting caught,” she said, her eyes swimming with a look of love. God I fucking missed her. “Take my arm and walk tall, like you are escorting me somewhere. If anyone stops us or asks say, ‘I am taking Miss Jolie to the garden as requested by Pagano.’ Got it?”

I nodded and took ahold of her forearm and guided her slowly down the long corridor. I knew from our previous visits to the mansion that the exit was all the way at the end of the long hallway. We just had to hold it together and pray that no one saw us moving from point A to point B.

With each step we took, I could feel my heart thundering in my chest. I knew that if anything went wrong that this would be the last time that I ever saw or touched Jolie, but I didn’t want to think about it. I wanted to get us out and clear.

“So Christ turns the alarms off at one?” I whispered, looking around on full alert. We had one gun between us and I wasn’t if it was even loaded or how many bullets it had. I just hoped I didn’t have to use it.

“That’s what I was told.” Jo looked up at me with her stunning blue eyes and I instantly felt a wave of calm wash over me. She amazed me ever single day and I knew right then and there that I would never let her go again. I was head-over-heels for that girl. “We have about three minutes, so slow your pace. We got this, Big Guy…We are almost home free…”

I nodded as we approached the end of the corridor that intersected with a large staircase. “Shit…” I hissed, pulling Jo over toward the corner as the sound of footsteps echoed in the grand marble foyer. I had to hide her because there were no excuses now. If we were caught by the exit, we were done.

As we kneeled down in the corner by the stairs, I pulled out my gun, aiming toward the incoming target. I didn’t want to take any chances here, not when we were all so close to getting out. The footsteps grew closer and closer and I felt Jolie’s grip tighten on my arm as she hid behind me. She was just as scared as I was and as much as I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, I couldn’t. I honestly didn’t know if we were going to make it out of here, but I would die making sure she got out of this house and that was a fact. Jo would not suffer at the hand of her father ever again.

Within seconds a man in a guard’s uniform appeared at the stairs and I held my breath, my eyes traveling up to the man’s face. “Fucking hell…” I sighed when I realized it was Zacky returning from escorting Gates to the second floor. “You about gave me a heart attack, Vee,” I hissed, standing up and moving over to him. “Did Gates make it to Emery’s room?”

“As far as I know. I left him at the door after we took out the guard outside. He said he would be down soon. It’s about time, right?” Zack asked and we both looked at Jo for answers. She nodded and as if on cue we heard the lock click open from the doors. That little shit was actually on time for the first time in his life. I would have to thank him for that later.

“Let’s go,” I ordered, grabbing Jo’s hand and rushing out the grand double doors with Zack hot on our heels. We didn’t stop until we were outside rounding the corner, and climbing into the black van waiting behind the bushes.

“Fuck you guys are sight for sore eyes,” Jimmy sighed out in relief as soon as we opened the door. I quickly helped Jolie inside only to see Dan sitting in the passenger seat next to Rev. Thank fucking god we had good men to rely on. “You have any problems?” Dan asked.

“No, not at all,” she gushed, flinging herself into my arms and I happy welcomed her with open arms. “You’re plan worked perfectly, Dan. Thank you!” She said before her lips crashed into mine. I eagerly accepted her kiss, my heart soring with delight as our lips moved together for the first time in days. I fucking missed this, especially since the girl was like a fucking drug. I couldn’t get enough of her and I knew I never would. She would be mine forever.

“Thanks man,” I whispered over Jo’s shoulder to Rev and Dan as soon as we broke our kiss, still holding her tight on my lap. “I fucking owe you guys one.”

“Yeah, you do,” Dan chuckled just as Jimmy looked down at his watch and then squinted through the darkness.

“Where the fuck are Gates and Em? Christ just said he lost control of the system and the alarm sounded inside,” he said and I swallowed thickly. Shit, this wasn’t good.

“He said they would be right behind me,” Zacky leaned forward, with a look of panic on his face. “You don’t think something happened do you?”

“I don’t know but we’ve got company!”

Notes

Another new chapter for our lovely readers! We really hope you are enjoying the story! Let us know what you think! Will they get to escape?! Will they leave without Brian and Emery?!