Page 27 of Captured

He left. He simply left me standing in the middle of his office as if dismissing me.

My thoughts drifted to the beautiful flowers that he’d made me leave in the car. If I knew him, he was taking his Ferrari tonight, not the town car he had us driven around in as if we were some kind of celebrities. We weren’t. He was just a thug in expensive clothing.

His business was far more important than spending time with his own daughter. But in truth, I was grateful he was gone.

I took a deep breath, fisting my hands. After that, I did something that shocked the hell out of me. I stormed toward his bar, grabbing the same bottle of scotch, unscrewing the top then wrapping my lips around the rim. As I sucked down a good amount, I thought about how much money I was costing him.

I hoped it was in the hundreds of dollars. The fucking asshole deserved it. I continued chugging until I felt a presence in front of me. Suddenly, a hand was wrapped around the bottle and I allowed Jessup to take it from me. Only then did I realize how much I loathed the taste of the nasty liquor.

“For what it’s worth, you did great tonight,” Jessup said in his usual deep voice. In his arms was the bouquet of white roses.

“Not good enough for my father.” I took them from him, bringing the bunch to just under my nose. As I took a deep whiff, I sensed he was watching me closely. Maybe he was jealous. Maybe I could have a little affair with him. Wouldn’t that get under my father’s skin?

“Your father is an asshole.” His growl brought me back to reality.

I was shocked Jessup of all my father’s men would say anything against his longtime employer. That had never happened before. I threw him a look, bursting into laughter. “Yes, he is. Isn’t he?” I fingered the velvety petals, allowing myself to wonder once again what my stalker looked like.

Was he as handsome as I expected?

Was he debonair, wearing the most expensive clothes or did he dress in tight jeans and tee shirts?

Did he crave talking with me and touching me as much as I’d found myself doing with him?

Maybe I was being a silly little girl. There was no such thing as a real life fairy tale or prince ready to sweep me off my feet. There were only nightmares and monsters.

He smiled, which was also rare. If you looked up the definition of brooding in the dictionary, you’d find his picture front and center. After screwing on the top of the liquor bottle, he placed it back in the exact position my father had left it in.

Jessup was well aware of my father’s anal tendencies, the man knowing instantly when something was out of place.

“The flowers were a lovely gesture,” he said quietly.

“Unlike the ones my father threw in my face. I hate that man. I fucking hate him. He wishes I was never born.”

“Don’t say that.”

I glared at him. “Why? You and I both know it’s true. He’s a monster, Jessup. The lives he takes, the companies he destroys. The men he orders murdered. My mother was the only thing to bring out any humanity in him. But not long enough to change him.” As soon as I made the statement, I sensed Jessup wanted to say something to me. But he also knew his place. He couldn’t talk business, or my father would cut off his ear or worse.

“I’m sorry about how your father treated you. He was just… He’s had a lot on his mind.”

He’d become the master of hiding behind the necessity of survival. If only I could learn the same thing. I had to keep thinking about my future. I was getting out of my father’s clutches once and for all. Only if I could manage to play the game a little longer.

I looked into Jessup’s eyes. “He’s a dangerous man who enjoys destroying people for a living, feeding off their misfortune and gloating about it. Why do you think he’s such a wealthy man, Jessup? And don’t look shocked. I’m not as naïve as everyone obviously thinks I am. I know people disappear around him. His enemies. Hell, he doesn’t have any friends because no one could stand him.” I noticed a slight hint of amusement in the man’s eyes. I never talked that way about such a powerful man with his soldiers.

Christ. Like the man was preparing for war.

He snorted then covered his mouth. “He’s not all bad, Emily.”

“Really? I think he’s much worse.”

I could tell he knew he’d crossed some line, looking away while wearing a sheepish look on his face. Just like the one I’d caught my father wearing. I knew that would never happen again.

“Why don’t you go to bed? You’ve earned a good night’s rest.”

His suggestion was heartfelt, but the truth was, I needed to release some tension. “I think I’m going to play for a little while.”

The way he looked at me conveyed sadness, not for himself but for the woman he was in charge of protecting. I hadn’t broached the subject as to whether one or both of my bodyguards were headed with me to New York. It hadn’t dawned on me until now.

“Just remember how brilliant you are, Em. Please?” He reached out as if to touch my hair then fisted his hand, turning his head immediately. “Your mother would have been so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

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