falling in love with a gang leader

chapter 59

brennen: "are you sure? because looking like that," he paused, his eyes scanning my body as he walks closer and closer towards me, "you look as if you're trying to win the game..." he took one last step in front of me, my chest against his.
emma: "what game?" i murmured, my voice breathy and shaky. wow, he's close.
brennen: "you tell me," he whispered, leaning closely to my ear, "but i'm willing to play if you'll let me." i shivered in response, letting the chills down my spine zip and sting through my veins. my stomach whirled in anxiousness and emotion, unsure of what to feel right now. game? i'm not playing a game. i mean, i have an objective and that's to get my mind off of colby, but who knows if that'll work?
emma: "we should go. you're going to be late." i whispered, turning my face towards his, coming in direct contact with the side of his neck. i heard his deep chuckle before i felt his hand brush my side slightly, allowing another shiver to escape my body. he leaned away from me and walked towards the drinks sitting on the island in the kitchen and i took a deep breath to relish in what just happened. i glanced at the crystal clear rocks glasses, watching as brennen sipped on the last bit of what looked like scotch in his glass before he set it down gently and smiled at me. i took a moment to take in his outfit of choice: a sleek white dress shirt slightly open at the collar that was tucked snug into his tight black dress pants which were paired with a sleek silver plated Louis Vuitton belt. the cuffs of his shirt sleeves were pulled a little less than halfway up his forearms with cuff links that, from back here, look like gold lions... almost like he's a billionaire or something. i mean, he's also a widely known mafia leader... how else would he have money? which makes me wonder who he really is, because colby isn't bathing in money like brennen is and he practically owns his clique. brennen's home doesn't show money, but not only does the way he act show it, but his outfits flaunt money like a carrot dangling on a string in front of a bunny who hasn't eaten in months.
brennen: "shall we?" he asked politely, walking towards me and ushering me out with him by my side. walking next to him, we step outside and i noticed a sudden feeling of weight being lifted off of my shoulders. the evening air was light and breezy, a cold chilling wind blowing the baby hairs of mine all over the place. there was a beautiful sunset of orange, pink, purple and blue... the clouds gathered in bunches like ants in a nest. i took a deep breath and smiled, enjoying what i can feel outside before i'm locked up for the rest of what feels like eternity. seriously, he doesn't let me live my own fucking life and it shows. i feel like complete shit about myself now, when i was finally getting more confident. now, i have to start all over, but that's okay. as long as my friends are safe and out of harm's way, i can manage. approaching brennen's sleek, glossy black Range Rover, he opened the back left door for me and i slid in next to bradley, laughing a little at the way he was eyeing me. his car is like those high-class HD action movies where they take a hostage into the very expensive, classy, luxurious, but all the more mysterious, black Range Rover that they bought with the drug cartel money their grand-pappy gave them as a heritage gift.
bradley: "hey, hottie. need a ride?" he laughed, grabbing my purse so i could get in without my dress showing things that are covered for a reason.
emma: "shut up, bradley." i laughed, shaking my head. brennen shut the door and hopped in the driver's seat, glancing at me through the rear view mirror. i smiled shyly and looked out the darkly tinted windows and watched the trees fly by as we hit the highway blazing 95 miles an hour.

coming to a stop in a parking lot full of luxurious cars that i couldn't afford even if i put aside a lifetime's worth of money to save up, bradley, kian and jc all exited the vehicle, kian and bradley sliding out through the opposite side. i thought he had a meeting?
brennen: "everything okay? you look confused..." brennen startled me by opening my door and eyeing me warily.
emma: "uh, yeah... but i thought you had a meeting? where are we?" i asked, confused.
he chuckled, "this is one of my clubs, the one i was referring to earlier. the meeting is held in my VIP area in which you will get to see once the meeting is done." he grabbed my hand and helped me out, closing the car door behind me. i straightened out the clothes that were glued to my body and put the purse i was currently using on my shoulder and walked next to brennen as we headed inside the multiple story building that he apparently owns.
emma: "what exactly do you discuss at these meetings, anyways?" i asked, looking up at brennen as his hand brushes mine. emma, keep you're cool.
brennen: "we can discuss details another time, but to cure your curiosity," he paused, "we mostly go over cash supplementation and if anyone is trying to take overruling statements on our behalf. if we don't find the center of the nest if and when those situations show, we get screwed over. it doesn't sound like much, but when you have other cliques, such as colby's, on your ass about every little thing you do, it makes the job difficult. so, really, we do what we're told by the big man, no ifs, ands or buts." he shrugged. wait...
emma: "so... if he asks you to ship someone off to Puerto Rico for thousands of dollars that you get to keep, you'd do it? you know, for your "cash supplementation"?" i sassed, remembering what he had said to me the first time he kidnapped me. locking me in an underground bunker wasn't cool and it definitely is no way to greet someone who has done nothing, not a damn thing, to you. he all of a sudden stopped in his tracks and turned to me, pulling me towards him with force that caught me way off guard. my wrists were held tight in his palms like he didn't want me to run off. he knows...
brennen: "i don't ship people out of the country, emma. that's ridiculous."
emma: "then why'd you bring it up when we first met, huh? when you tied me to a chair in your bunker with your brother, threatening to sell me to some old hag? i would ask about your bother and where he's been, but i could care less. i can barely take one Taylor, let alone two," i paused, watching as is eyes went wide, "you didn't have a reason at all to kidnap me, but you did anyways. and for your information, all of this touchy-feely stuff between you and i, all of the flirting and the nice behavior... i didn't start to question it until you mentioned the cash supplementation. i admit, i fell for it, but i can't help but wonder... you're doing this to ship me off to some random hippie who paid you to have me all to himself, aren't you? is that what this is about?" i continued, my voice a little more raised than normal. i just don't know what to think anymore. i can't believe i hadn't noticed this before. i was so caught up in his eyes of entrancement that i wasn't seeing the bigger picture. unless i really am getting it twisted and... no! emma, he tried to sell you!
brennen: "emma, no. that's not at all what this is about. at another time, i'll explain why i brought you to the bunker, but not right now. it's not a good time." he released one of my wrists and started forward, stopping when i wasn't walking next to him.
emma: "this isn't just about colby, is it? does this have to do with—" i asked after a beat, seeing as his back was now facing me. he had cut me short by slamming me forcefully against the trunk door of his Range Rover, my back stiff against the car and my front flush against his own. he had my hands laced with his above my head and his face was less than a centimeter away from my own. oh, holy fuck.
brennen: "for the last time, emma, i would never "ship you" to someone. i wouldn't ever want that for you. and as far as kidnapping you went, i did it for myself so that i knew what i was getting myself into when i offered you the deal to stay with me. i can see it in your eyes that you think i'm playing you, that you think i'm flirting with you for shits and giggles to get you to stay with me. no. you're wrong. yes, you staying with me was planned. but everything that led afterwards, the flirting, the compliments, me fucking you brainless when you willingly allowed it, that wasn't planned. i would never jerk you around like a dog on a leash, emma. that's not who i am and that's not how you should be treated. if i were just using you, i wouldn't have let you walk out the first time you turned me down in my bedroom... i would've forced you into it if i was taking advantage of you. but i wasn't and i never will. you stayed and so did i. so before you say that i meant nothing of how i've been acting towards and around you... don't. because i meant every second of every moment we've had together. including this one." his voice was throaty and raspy, speaking quietly but softly to the rhythm of his now heavy breath. his eyes were wide and sincere, something i had never seen in him before. i was speechless... breathless, even. in this very moment, i wanted nothing more than to have his lips on mine. his face was hard as stone, but his tone and his eyes were soft and not angry.