Twisted Tides (Forged Hearts #2)

Chapter Seventeen

JAMESON

“Just Pretend” by Bad Omens

A s promised, Evie has kept in touch, and when she returns back from her family business she had to attend to, we will finally make plans to meet up.

There isn’t a day that has passed that we haven’t chatted since she asked me to wait for her and I said I would. Sometimes, I send a quick text about what I think about getting for lunch. Sometimes, she texts me with a food recommendation about what I should get for lunch. I like learning about all of her interests. I long for the day that we will get to meet for lunch, and we can order together.

Theo and Eric think I am nuts waiting for a girl for months without physically touching her. I think back to the times that I did and our connection with each other. You can’t fake that type of chemistry; the physical attraction is off the charts. If I had to wait an eternity for this girl, I would. Nothing has felt more right.

Today, she sent something that surprised me. She snapped a picture of two people holding hands. I don’t know who they were because the image was not meant to show their faces but what they represent. It displays their backs, as if she discreetly took a private moment from them from behind and sent it over to me. The text under the caption read: ‘I can’t wait until this is us.’

I stop and look at it, wondering what she is implying. Is it the couple? Us being a couple out in the open for everyone to witness. Is it me holding her hand casually? Or is it something deeper? Whatever her reasons, I will make sure that it becomes a reality. I want to be the person who helps her achieve all her dreams and be the partner she trusts completely. I think we both need that more than anything.

I know the girl has her secrets, and that they had to be the reason why she sought control over everything, especially in the bedroom, which I didn’t mind too much. Despite that, I am bewildered as to why this can’t be us now.

For a brief moment, I wonder if maybe she is secretly married to someone else or in a relationship, stringing me along, but there is nothing that makes me question this chemistry between us.

When I looked into her eyes that she hid behind that mask, as she rode me from above, my hands held back with a tie; I almost felt like I had seen her before. It was powerful, and it was raw. The emotions she carefully hid behind her mask showed me a person who wanted to be held. To be cared for. And most of all, to be free of fear so that we could live out the rest of our lives without this invisible weight she carries.

How we would get to that point, since she wouldn’t let me even touch her, was beyond me, but that night at my house, something changed.

She left her mask, and I thought that that was the last time I would see her again, but she clarified her meaning by saying that she would never hide from me again. That next time it would be without any mask, inside and out.

I find it ironic that she has been gone all this time, and I just have to believe her when she said that it was for work and family business. Besides, tonight I won’t have to wonder anymore because I feel that after we see each other with no sneaking around or wearing masks at clubs, we can finally move on to having a real relationship.

She’s told me different things about herself without fully divulging too much. It’s only a sliver of what I want, and I’m greedy enough to devour it all. Whatever she is, I want to know it.

She wants me to know her real self, no more pretenses or masks to hide behind.

Speaking of masks and covering up faces with costumes, there is a Ghost concert that Eduardo is taking Emma to tonight, and in case he needs me for anything, which I doubt, I plan to be somewhere nearby to get to them.

Emma is obsessed with this band, their lore, and the comradery of their fan base. Thankfully Emma wore and loved the jewelry with the GPS tracker, and SOS button I had made for Eduardo. She wears it religiously, making him and herself feel more secure, knowing he can get to her location should anything happen. Philip and Eli will also be there tonight, so I am confident they have everything planned to optimize Emma’s safety.

Eve and I plan to meet for dinner and drinks. As I arrive at the restaurant and take a seat at one of the high-top tables by the bar. I have a clear view of the entrance and can see anyone approaching from the giant glass windows that span the entirety of the front of the restaurant.

The server takes my drink order, and places a glass of water in Eve’s empty seat. After fifteen minutes, I notice a woman with blonde hair and wearing boots approaching through the doors. I sit up a little straighter in my chair, excited to finally get to see Eve up close after months of torture and only phone sex to occupy my nights. She follows behind a hostess, and when I see her face, I immediately deflate, looking at her brown eyes and round face. Eve has more of a heart-shaped face, and her green eyes are unmistakable.

After another fifteen minutes pass by, I realize she isn’t coming. I flag down the server for the check because I know when I’ve been stood up and I don’t want to embarrass myself anymore by waiting another minute. I pay the bill and feel my phone ding with a text notification, but before I can look at it, my phone begins to ring.

I look at the name and answer the phone call from Eli. “Hey, what’s up?” He sounds anxious on the other end, and I hear footsteps like he is running, and a door slam.

“Jameson, they’ve taken Emma. Eduardo is following her on the GPS tracker.”

I start running to my car.

“Where is she? I’ll meet Eduardo. Wait, I’m calling him now.” I disconnect the call and ring Eduardo. “What’s going on?” I ask directly into the line, needing to know what is happening.

“Jameson,” Eduardo answers out of breath, “where are you? Someone has Emma, I just know it.”

I had pulled up the app Eduardo insisted I have on my phone in case something like this happened—a double safety feature should this actually happen and Emma was taken. I look at the address. “I am at the restaurant down the street. I’m leaving now. I’m on my way.” I thought he was being overprotective and utterly ridiculous when he insisted I have it just in case, and now I realize that he was so right about all of this.

He responds quickly. “I see her in this warehouse not far from here. Do you see her, too?”

The star-shaped icon on screen continues to move. Just when I think it couldn’t get worse, we all get the SOS alert from the location where Emma has now stopped moving on the map.

Eduardo verbalizes my concerns.“Oh, shit. Emma is in trouble.”

I just hope we are not too late. I speed to the location where the SOS came from.

Arriving at the warehouse where the tracking icon had stopped and hasn’t moved since, we scan the area. Nothing looks out of the ordinary and the warehouse is dark. As I run across the street to regroup with Eduardo and Eli, Eduardo has a few of his men around the perimeter that are ready to intervene if necessary.

As Eli, Eduardo, and I go to enter the building, trying to be as discreet as possible. Eduardo pulls his gun, as does Eli, they give me one should the situation arise and I need it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

The door is open as we step into the almost pitch black room. However, I catch sight of golden hair and see the moment Eduardo recognizes his whole world is tied to a supporting column in the middle of the room.

A light shines, and I see Cherry; her face is messed up. Eduardo is standing here, assessing Emma for injuries, but there don’t appear to be any. However, Cherry’s eyes are bruised over, and it seems her nose may be broken. From the looks that Cherry is giving Emma, I believe that Emma acted in self-defense, and I have never been more glad to see her okay than at this moment.

Emma’s eyes look over to us and then lock on Eduardo’s.

Julian steps in from the corner with his gun pointed at us. “Drop your weapons and kick them forward.”

We all lower our guns and drop them, doing as he says. Just as Cherry puts a knife to Emma’s neck, and I place my arm out to stop Eduardo from charging over there to rip that bitch a new one, but now between that and Julian having our firearms, there is not much we can do.

Julian steps in front of Emma, blocking his view. “Don’t even look at her. She’s mine and for my eyes only. You remember that.”

Eduardo clenches his jaw, and I swear I hear his molars crack. The murderous look in his eyes would have lesser men recoiling.

I notice Cherry’s head snapping up and staring at Julian in disbelief. “What do you mean she's yours?” she spits spitefully. The feral, unhinged look in her eyes is scary even for us to witness, and I see Emma cringe inwardly. Cherry snaps her sights on Emma. She is defenseless as Cherry lunges for her.

She screams out, “I’ll fucking kill that bitch! She can’t have you, either! I did everything for you, Julian!” She goes to attack Emma, and I see Emma brace for it, but Julian intercepts her and pushes Cherry onto the floor.

“No one else hurts Emma. She is only mine to hurt.” The spit flies from his mouth, and he is indeed the monster Emma thought he was.

Cherry lies on the floor and attempts to get up. We watch, frozen in our spot. Julian walks over to her, and instead of helping her up, he points his gun at her.

“I can see you are going to be a problem. I was hoping we could have some fun together, but I don’t think it will work out anymore, Cherry.” With that, he lifts his gun and shoots her twice in the chest.

She lands backward as red appears on the ground, pouring from her chest wounds, making the red of her shirt even darker. She places a hand on her chest as blood comes out of her mouth in a cough that sprays blood all over the floor. Julian lifts his gun once more and shoots her in the head. Three bullets, and Cherry is gone.

Emma stares at her dead body. Cherry’s eyes are fixed, locked on something she no longer sees. I know that she is gone. Emma shoots her gaze to Julian, who has already lost interest in Cherry—if she ever held any interest to that man.

He walks over to Emma, and Eduardo is trying so hard to restrain himself from lunging forward. Julian stands by her side. “I think this has gone on long enough, Emma, don’t you? Why don’t you tell Eduardo who you really love?” He looks over at Emma expectantly. Eduardo attempts to lunge forward, and Julian watches as I hold him back.

He lifts his gun at Emma. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Eduardo.” He tsks. “If you claim to love her as much as you say, it would be in your best interest not to move any closer.” He moves closer to us and kicks our weapons out of the way.

I look over at Eduardo and Eli. We all have the same pained expression of anger and sadness in our eyes.

“Say it, Emma!” he screams at her, and she looks him in the eyes, not backing down.

“I’ll never say that to you, Julian,” she says low enough, but we all hear it. It has its desired cruising effects on Julian.

His eyes narrow, and then he lifts his gun to her. Emma locks her eyes with Eduardo and mouths, ‘I love you always.’