Chapter 3 Emmi - Freedom

I have my knife; my hand feels down my leg to where the leather pouch holds it. If that is his plan, I will fight. I hear the car stop, someone opening and closing the doors. I hear the boot open and try to stay still.

"For Bear, got an extra shipment in." I hear Ethan's words, my body radiating with worry as I feel the car jolt slightly when the boot slams shut. The car begins moving again, and for the first time in nearly two minutes, I suck in a breath. He can't be kidnapping me. If he was, why take me over to the city? Five minutes later, the car stops, and I hear him walking around. The boot opens, and the bag unzips, and I look around.

Shit, now I am freaking out. I'm out of the city, which feels amazing, but one word and I won't be able to keep going with my plan to escape.

"Right, bars are two minutes down the road. What's your pick? Gambling, dancing, drinking, bar fights?" He chuckles slightly at his suggestions.

"Gambling. May as well try to win that 10k back, hadn't I?" If I do, then it helps. I brought out 5k but I had nowhere in my city to go gamble and try to double it. I follow him through the city. Walking into a bar, I feel my body tense. This is nothing like my city.

"Stand your ground, little Princess. These fuckers don't care and will fuck you up. Not many women dare step foot in here. This city is like this south side of yours, the side you can't enter, only worse."

I laugh at his words. He just saw me take on three guys in Dean's. These guys are nothing. Yet everyone is looking at me like I'm fresh meat. Some I recognise from my city, but they simply turn their heads. Others, however, are clearly wondering who I am.

I walk to a table and sit down, Ethan handing me a drink as I sit playing. An hour passes, and luck isn't on my side, so time to get dirty. I lean over, ensuring my breasts pop out the top of my dress.

"Ethan, do you play poker?" I lick my lips, watching as the guys stare at me.

"Yeah, why?" He leans against the wall swirling his glass before lifting it to his lips.

"Do you play as good as you fuck? I might need to tag you in if you do." I watch as he chokes on his drink, the gasps from around the table loud.

"You fucked her?" I turn and look at someone. I recognise him from the city.

"No, God no! She is fucking about, tell him, tell him you're fucking about, Princess." He looks at me, worried. Hell, sneaking me over the border, that's fine. Letting those people from our city see me here, is also fine. But them thinking he fucked me, that has him worried.

"Only in my mind Ethan, don't worry." I smile and watch as he relaxes a bit, his glare burning through me. I finish my drink and keep playing, slowly feeling myself relaxing. I am losing too fucking much, but this feels amazing! I can't find many people in the city to let me gamble. They're too scared. Standing on the chair, I dance. Ethan shakes his head.

"Get down, Princess. You'll draw too much fucking attention." His hand grips my arm, and I pull my way out of his grip before pushing him away. The feel of a hand stroking along my leg makes me turn. My eyes follow the hand from my leg to the guy sitting next to me. Winking, he smirks as his hand moves to grip my ass. If only he was someone I would be willing to fuck, even I'm not that desperate yet.

I smile down at him, lifting my foot before stamping down on his cock, his ear-piercing cry causing everyone to look. Turning to Ethan, I smile. Why can't I always have this freedom? My body is thrown against the wall, the guy raising his fist.

"Mich! Where the fuck is he?"

I watch as the guy releases me and steps back. Ethan pulls me back and pushes me down onto a chair. I try to stand up, but he stops me.

"Stay the fuck down! It's Bear." His eyes stay fixed forward. The whole place has gone quiet. Why? Who the hell is Bear? I go to move but his hand pushes me down again and my anger grows. "Wolverson, Little Princess, while he won't know it's you if this all goes to plan, he will want me fucking dead."

I don't reply. I stay hidden behind Ethan, sitting on the chair. My eyes peer around him, falling on the guy. I watch as he walks through looking for this Mich guy. He is amazing, I can't stop looking at his body. He's wearing jeans and a leather jacket, the jacket open and showing his tattoos. Who the hell doesn't wear a top? I watch as he comes to stand next to someone who is sitting at a table. This must be Mich.

The poor guy is clearly shaking. He knows this is the end of his life. The way everyone acted when Bear called out says everyone feared him.

"Ethan, what is happening?" I stare at him, but he simply shakes his head back at me. Why the fuck is no one moving or talking? Bear takes off his jacket, handing it to the guy next to him.

"I got a call. Can you guess who?" He leans down over the guy who's still sitting. Clearly, Mich has no idea - he shakes his head.

"You're playing dumb? The Queen of fucking Solace City." My body freezes. Mum? I stare at Bear. Why the hell had my mum contacted them? I don't recognise this Mich guy at all. I pull on Ethan's shirt and he looks at me.

"He's from the south side Princess, he is banned to that side only and this city." Well, now I know why I don't recognise him.

"When?" Bear leans closer. "When were you planning to do this secret mission, Mich? To take her and use her to get cash? To hide her in my fucking city!"

I stay sitting, even more shocked. He was going to take my mum? Why?

"I didn't do it! I walked into that fucking bar and heard how she beat the shit out of three bikers, and I left! I didn't even fucking touch her," Mich finally says. He means me. He was going to fucking take me? I feel the rage build inside me. I move to stand, but Ethan pushes me back down.

"Don't. Fucking. Move!" He glares at me. "Watch, little Princess, because soon, this is your life," he snarls; my eyes go back to Bear as he stays leaning over this Mich guy. Right now, I want Bear to beat the fuck out of him.

"Everyone in this city knows the arrangement. Everyone knows that she is not just another woman, another way to gain money or a quick fuck! She is soon to be ours, and I guess Mich, you just made us aware we didn't make it clear enough. So now, I will." That is why Ethan was so scared when I made it out like we fucked. I watch as Bear's fists swing down and hit the guy repeatedly. What the hell am I watching?

Sure, I fight, but this? This is beating the guy to death. I never even meant to stab Jacob in the eye. It freaked me the hell out. I close my eyes, shaking my head as I can still hear his fists hitting Mich, the sound of his bones cracking making me feel sick. His screams subside. My eyes open when the noise finally stops.

He is still alive. I feel my body relax. I watch as Bear pulls a chair up, places two glasses on the table and fills them.

Sitting, he drinks his. It is as if he didn't just beat a guy or that the guy's blood isn't covering his chest and hands! His eyes stay on Mich, although Mich can't precisely see much right now. His face is swollen, eyes closed, but his hand grasps the glass as he tries pouring the drink into his mouth, but even I can tell his jaw is broken. I stay watching as Bear leans over, whispering something to him. I look up at Ethan, his eyes peering down at me.

"Get ready, little Princess." He's almost laughing. Ready for what? I turn back around just in time to see the knife swing down over Mich's hand. A scream escapes my mouth before I quickly cover it with my hand.

"Shit," Ethan mumbles as Bear turns to look at us, my body still hidden behind him. He walks towards us, and Ethan starts to move back, getting further and further away. Is he really fucking leaving me with this psycho?

"Who are you?" Bear stands there, looking at me. Shit. That's why he's running. I open my mouth, but words fail to escape. Who the fuck am I? Come on, Emmi, name, think of a fucking name. I scream as his hand wraps around my neck, and he pulls me up. "Who the fuck are you? Because I haven't seen you before."

I glance towards where Ethan was, unable to see him. I feel Bear move, my eyes going back to him as he pulls the necklace, the locket in his hand as he opens it. My hand goes to grab it and stop him, but it's too late. His eyes stare at it for a moment, then come back to my eyes.

"Little lamb came to visit early." He smiles slightly, his finger stroking along my neck, and his head turns. "Get Ethan. You know where to take him."

"No! It was me. I threatened to kill him. I swear he had no choice." I don't want Ethan in shit when he tried helping me. He was the only one to help. I know, though, my words are useless. Totally fucking useless because this Bear guy seems to think I am already his when I am no one's but my own.