Page 45 of High Stakes

The door behind us opens and heels click across the floor. Leave it to the Irish to wear designer shoes so everyone knows he’s coming. I want to turn my head, but my muscles are too weak. I’m barely able to lift my head. My eyes widen when Emelia walks around the desk and stands behind the desk chair, draping her arms across the top.

I inhale sharply as I take her in, my eyes sliding over her entire body, checking for signs of bruising or any damage to her beautiful skin. She stares at us, her green eyes glittering with danger. My heart expands in my chest and my lungs feel like they can’t inflate properly. I don’t understand what’s going on.

I look over at Declan and Silas, who are both equally confused. “What’s going on here, Em?” Declan finally manages to get out. I watch his chest as he inhales and exhales rapidly, his body still trying to compensate for our recent hypoxic venture.

Hector looks down at Emelia, who sighs loudly. Tobias chuckles and moves to the other side of the desk, pulling the chair out from under Emelia’s arms. I think he’s about to sit, but then he turns the chair and holds it out for Emelia.

Her delicate frame drops into the cushion. Both men flank her as they all stare at us, and I feel like the bottom has just been kicked out of the roller coaster we’re strapped in. My eyes movefrom one face to another, trying to process what is happening. I look over and Silas is regarding her incredulously while Declan has a dark look in his eyes. His mouth is set in a hard line, and his fists are clenched against the arms of the chair he’s restrained in.

I look back over at the trio behind the desk and find Hector grinning at me, his eyes once again sparkling with humor. My mind is still trying to settle on the fact that Emelia apparently kidnapped herself, and I can’t decide if I’m in awe of the genius move or just incredibly pissed off.

Emelia leans forward, resting her elbows on the desk, and steeples her fingers together in front of her face. A move I’ve seen Tobias do on several occasions and it makes me wonder who got it from who. A slow smile spreads across her face as she tilts her chin up defiantly as she regards the three of us, bound and helpless before her. Then her voice echoes through the room and I’m taken back to that very first night we found her in the alley, covered in blood and darkness.

“Hello, boys.”

21

HECTOR

When Emelia sits down in her chair, I have the distinct pleasure of watching every ounce of color drain from their faces. Each man has several reactions before they school their features, taking on emotionless expressions.

Silas is confused, then hurt, and then angry. I see every emotion as it flashes in his eyes. He has every right to be, she almost blew him to smithereens. I feel sorry for them as they wrestle with their internal turmoil. I honestly can’t imagine what it must be like to feel so betrayed by someone that you care so much about. I hope that Emelia can make this right for them, and they understand her intentions and motives.

Hayden is less obvious, but I still see the snippets as they play across his face. He’s also angry, then contemplative, and then his eyes soften and I know that he’s too far in his obsession with her to ever hold anything against her. She’s the light in his dark world, and I don’t blame him one bit. She’s my light as well.

Declan doesn’t bother to hide his anger as he glares across the room. “I knew you were nothing but bad news. You nearly got us all killed. You practically did kill Silas!” He bellows and the veins running along his neck bulge in his rage. He jerksviolently and tries to free his arms. “Was this just a means to an end?” His words are biting, but I know there’s hurt behind them. I can see it in his eyes, if only for a moment, before they harden in rage.

Emelia leans back in the chair and waits for him to calm down. For all her psychotic tendencies, the woman has the patience of a saint. “As you might have guessed by now, Em is not short for Emerson,” she starts off slow, and I can see the wheels turning in her mind, trying to find the right words. “What I’m about to tell you is the truth. You can take it for what it is, or not.”

“I don’t want to hear anything else that comes out of your mouth,” Declan spits vehemently and narrows his eyes. “You’re nothing but a snake.”

Hayden shifts in his seat, leaning forward as much as the ropes allow him, and turns his back to Declan. “Can you see it, Dec?”

Declan glances over at Hayden for a brief moment before looking back at us. “See what, Hayden?”

“The knife in my back. Surely you see it sticking out? It’s wedged right between my ribs and into my atrium.”

“No, but if I find it I’ll be sure to use it to return the favor,” Declan mutters through clenched teeth.

I roll my eyes at their dramatics. “This is why we had to tie you to the fucking chairs. We knew you wouldn’t listen otherwise.”

Emelia stands and walks around to lean against the front of the desk. “The night of the fire that took my parents,” she begins and her voice is distant, like she’s already lost in the memory, “I lost a piece of myself when that structure collapsed. It was like a part of my heart was broken off and my soul was smashed into tiny pieces and scattered in the wind. Something inside me just…broke… or ceased to exist. I made a vow that night that I woulddo everything I could to avenge the people we lost, even if it took breaking myself.”

“Where do the Irish come into play? Clearly, Mr. O’Leary knows who you really are? What game are you playing?” Silas asks, and narrows his eyes in her direction.

“Samuel’s son was in the hotel that night,” I respond before Emelia can speak. “She managed to pull him from the wreckage, but he died a few days later from internal bleeding. Emelia couldn’t let it go, and wanted to find who did it, but didn’t have the means to do so. Nor would Diego let her. So she met up with Samuel to convince him to let her use his resources.”

“Who the fuck is Diego?” Declan nearly shouts. His body is vibrating with rage.

“Diego,” Tobias interjects calmly, “was my cousin. He was the head of this empire and spearheaded the entire operation. When he died of colon cancer, the mantle passed to me, but I wanted no part of this.” He gestures to the room. “I was security for Diego, so I remained security for Emelia. The title Em originally stood for Emerson, but it died with Diego. She is now the embodiment of Em.” He points at Emelia with a fond look.

Emelia looks over her shoulder and smiles warmly at Tobias. Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears at the mention of Diego. “He was my godfather. He taught me everything I know. When he died, I doubled down on my efforts to find the people responsible for the fissures in my soul. I found the three of you, and passed your information on to Samuel, who then developed the plan. I had nothing to do with the way things were carried out.”

“They kidnapped you,” Hayden says cooly. “We watched it happen.”

I bristle at the memory of those rogue agents. “Everyone has a few bad seeds. Those men were dealt with for deviating from the plan. I’m not sure who they were actually working for.”

“An inside man on an already inside job,” Hayden muses quietly. His fingers flex and I imagine that he’s trying to subconsciously run them through his thick, dark hair.

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