Chapter 5

OWEN

The early afternoon sun dips low, creating a strange orangey glow over the view from my cabin. A view that stretches far and wide, with no one and nothing in the way.

It’s a view I would normally love to bask in, but today I’m on edge. Everything has me all nervous, which might be why my brain sinks back into the past—to a memory I normally try and shove to the back of my brain, but I don’t have the strength for it today. It overcomes me, no matter what.

The day my world erupted into chaos, shifting everything forever more.

The air was thick with tension, the gunfire relentless, the cries of scared men overwhelmed me in the midst of the merciless jaws of an ambush. An ambush we were never supposed to face. We planned this mission well. We worked tirelessly to make it work.

But we failed.

Going back to that moment, I can still almost feel the weight of my gear pressing down on me, the oppressive heat, the acrid smell of smoke flooding my nostrils.

It was the end.

In that moment, I was absolutely convinced that my life was over. There was no way out.

But then my Commanding Officer, Seth Moore, sprung into action in front of me, knocking me off my feet completely. I was annoyed for a moment because I thought it might crush me and be the final nail in my coffin, all because of a mistake.

But Seth didn’t bump into me by accident, he wasn’t trying to hurt me. He saved me.

That man threw himself on me just as the world around us exploded into violence.

I felt the impact, the searing pain, and the desperate gasps for breath as the dust settled around us, and that’s a feeling I can still draw on today, even if I don’t want to.

For a fleeting second, I believed in miracles. I believed that sacrifice meant something, that Seth had saved the both of us and given at least some of our unit another chance. I couldn’t feel more grateful if I tried.

But that gratitude didn’t last long.

Seth really did give up his life for me.

Dead on arrival, they said.

All of them died that day. I was the only man left in my unit alive.

The military discharged me with honors, a label that felt empty, mocking. What honor was there in surviving when the man who saved you was lost to the cruel whims of war? What honor is there in being alive when no one else is?

I can’t ever forget. Not that I would anyway, but my body is covered in scars from that day, which means every time I look at myself, I see him. I see the man who died for me.

This is why sitting still in one place doesn’t work well for me. Because there is way too much time for me to think about these things. To live in the past. I’m no good at living in the past.

The itch to move on from this God damn cabin is almost overwhelming. More than just being stuck in one place with my thoughts, I’m struggling with being stuck here with a woman.

The last time I was stuck in one place with a woman… No. I can not think about that right now.

That’s it, that’s the end of it. I’m done with my thoughts.

I glug back the rest of my coffee and head back inside to Emma. Our eyes lock for a moment, before she gives me the finger.

Lovely.

So fucking childish.

But then she is only twenty five years old. A couple of decades younger than me. Childish behavior should be expected from someone like that.

So why do I want to punish her?

Not punish her like the electrical shocks and the monitor on her ankle, but punish her.

How would she take that? If I threw her over my knee and spanked her, would she fight back? I know I shouldn’t let my mind wander like this, but I can’t seem to help myself. I can’t seem to stop the temptation from overcoming me.

It would be a lot of fun to punish her.

“I’m making some food,” I say instead. “You want some?”

She shrugs, which I now know means yes. Communication is starting to improve.

I need to get in the kitchen, to focus on something else so I don’t succumb to temptation. So I don’t grab this young woman and throw her across my lap. Because the more I think about that idea—of her writhing desperately underneath me as I smack my hand against her plump round ass —the harder it is to handle.

When Emma turns her back on me, I grab my cell phone to see if I’ve had any communication from the outside world yet. Well, mainly just from one person.

Samantha.

My New York contact who divvies out the freelancing jobs to guys like me must know what’s going on here. Even if she doesn’t work with Hudson personally, she must have some idea what is happening. That woman knows everything. Nothing happens in this city without her being aware of it. That’s why I need to speak to her more than ever.

I want her to tell me why Lucchese wants Emma. Something I didn’t think to ask when I took on the job, because why would I care? But now I have to know.

I know she’s the daughter of the Irish Mob Boss, but I don’t think this is strictly because of that. Vinnie might have ties to Ireland, but I can’t imagine they’re this strong.

What does Emma have that he needs?

What has Emma done or seen?

I don’t think she’s about to tell me a damn thing, so I haven’t even bothered asking.

Samantha hasn’t messaged me yet and I don’t want to harass her even more than I already have, so I’m going to have to find some patience somewhere.

With a deep sigh, I carry on cooking, trying my hardest to focus on the task at hand. Not the easiest thing to do when I have everything swirling through my brain all at once.

Even less so when Emma pushes passed me, pointedly so, and she reaches up to one of the top cupboards for… well, I don’t know what, and I don’t give a shit. All I can see is her blouse riding high, exposing way too much of her skin.

She grunts because she’s unable to grab hold of the bottled water I can now see her trying to curl her fingers around.

“Here, let me help… oof.”

She slams her elbow into my stomach, knocking me back.

“I don’t need your help,” she spits out through gritted teeth. “You’ve done enough.”

This should probably piss me off, but it brings a cheeky smile to my lips. Seeing her defiance, even if she knows that she’s in danger right now, is amusing as all hell.

I can’t believe she’s still got a mouth on her, even with that monitor around her ankle.

She is sassy, a true mob boss’s daughter.

Eventually her fingers manage to knock the bottle enough for it to tumble off the shelf. It clatters on the counter top before rolling onto the floor.

I’m obsessed with the view of her ass as she bends double to pick it up. Holy shit, she is curvy in all the right places and hot as all hell.

Too young, obviously, and my kidnap victim so I shouldn’t have my hungry eyes on her, but I can’t drag my gaze off her.

There is something utterly addictive about this gorgeous woman.

“What?” she snaps as she spins around. But I still don’t take my eyes off her while she twists off the bottle top and takes a swig.

I can almost watch the liquid slide down her throat.

The next sip she takes over fills her mouth and a little bit drips down her chin. Then splashes onto her chest.

I don’t know if she’s doing this to tease me, but I’m rock hard.

“I told you…” she says with a smirk. “I don’t need any help. I can do everything myself.”

“Good to know.”

She’s still wound up, I can feel it. So irritated, she isn’t going anywhere.

Good.

Being this close to her, especially when she’s in this mood, is undeniably fun.

“What are you cooking?”

“Poison.” I shoot her a side eyed look, with a playful smirk.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t have much choice here, do I?” Her pout is annoyingly adorable. “Since I’m stuck in this hell hole with you, with no way out because you’ve electrified the place, if I don’t eat, I’ll starve.”

I can’t resist laughing. I toss my head back and bellow out the unexpected mirth. “Well, I did tell you that was an option.” She tuts under her breath.

Or maybe not under her breath. I think she wants me to hear her.

She’s asking to be punished right now. It’s almost like she can see what’s rolling through my head and she wants it bad.

How the fuck am I supposed to control myself around her when she’s teasing me like this?

I really need Samantha to message me, to let me know what the hell is going on before I do something stupid.

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” Her eyes flash with defiance.

“Old man.”

Old man?

Now that inflames me. It ignites a feeling in me that I’m not expecting. Before I even know what I’m doing, I have her cornered by the kitchen counter and my hips are pressed into hers.

Bad idea.

The sizzling tension is absolutely unbearable.

I’ve felt this before, on a lesser level, when we were in the clinic. But she didn’t know who I was then, and I wasn’t at my best.

Now, we see one another on a very different level.

My pulse pounds a lot faster as I slowly drag my eyes up her body, drinking in every inch of her. We’re in the danger zone here, pushing the boundaries that shouldn’t be touched, and I can’t pull back however hard I try.

The world seems to slow down around us as my eyes lock into hers.

Everything else fades away into nothingness. It’s just me and her, with the world spinning around us, insane emotions ricocheting through my body.

This is why I shouldn’t be left on my own with a woman.

It always leads to trouble.

“I don’t take kindly to disrespect,” I murmur in a gravelly tone of voice, leaning in so close so she can feel my breath tickling all over her. Much as I know this is trouble, I still need to see her reaction to me. “Any more of that and you will be punished.”

I can almost see the shudder tearing down her spine.

Now I’m the one with the shit eating grin on my face. But at least I’m just toying with the woman I’ve kidnapped. If it were Hudson, he would have done something terrible to her by now, I just know it.

And that’s why I took her.

To protect her from him. From everyone.

“Punished?” She cocks her head to one side. “What do you mean by that?”

I run my finger down her cheek, watching the fire dancing in her gaze. I could easily throw some petrol on that fire, to make it burn brighter.

Or I could splash ice cold water on her instead.

“You don’t want to find out, Emma.”

She stiffens her spine, determination flowing through her. “Maybe I do.”