5. EMMA
Chapter five
EMMA
W aking up in Ace's penthouse this morning and not having enough time to go home and prepare for the meeting, I head to the little boutique two doors down from the hotel to get a change of clothes.
Grabbing a cup of coffee on my way, I slowly sip the hot liquid, each sip waking me up more and more, but with that, comes all the shit that happened last night.
My grandfather warned me this would happen, and Ace is right.
If it's not him, it will be someone else but I promised I wouldn't marry unless for love, an unheard of thing amongst the mafia except Pop.
He loved my grandmother, I was young when she passed, about the same time my mother did, so it's been hard being the only female in this world strangling me and no one to turn to.
Luca is not a man I want to marry or be around.
He does scare me, and I don't say that often.
He is worse than the Devil, and he doesn't marry brides, he marries slaves.
Women he turns into his personal slaves and treated as such.
There is no elegant Queen life for them, it's shackles and dirt floors until he requires their service.
A shiver runs down my spine thinking of the cruelty in this man, and it puts everything into reality for me. I really don't think I can run and hide from him; he will catch me. Which leaves me to think about Ace and the marriage arrangement Ryan and my father threw at me yesterday.
Why does life have to be so complicated for women sometimes?
I walk into the boutique, waving to the store attendant, and I proceed to look through their business attire.
I'm a regular here and I prefer to be left alone unless I ask, so the attendant doesn't bother coming over to make a fuss over me.
Grabbing a few outfits from the rack, I head to the changing room.
Changing into each outfit, my mind can't help but slip to the conversation Ace and I had.
I see his point, if I marry my husband will have a claim to my empire, which will threaten Ace.
The way he cared for me, bringing me back to his place after I passed out, maybe from staring into the eyes of the Heathens driver as he laid dead on the ground in front of me, or maybe from the excruciating pain in my stomach from his kick.
Then the kiss, to shut me up of course, I was going a little crazy on him.
Taking a deep breath, I look at myself in the mirror, deciding on the right outfit to tell everyone that I will do this, but I need to talk to Ace first, needing to know one thing.
Running my hands down the delicate fabric, glancing at myself again before ripping the tag off, walking to the register.
I lay the tag on the counter and shoot the attendant a wink, and head out the door, she'll put it on my account.
Walking down the hallway to Ace's office, I see Caz walking out of his office before, stopping when he sees me.
“Is he in there?” I ask.
“Yes, but he-” I push past Caz, and let myself into Ace's office. My eyes land on him, noticing he is on the phone, I take a seat, crossing my legs as a smirk plays on his face, watching my every move.
I don't know what is drawing me to him, I don't want these feelings that are erupting inside me. His gentle, but firmness with me, his honesty, at least I hope he has shown me that. It’s all getting to me. I don't want a Mafia marriage, but I know, the only way I'm going to live is if I marry Ace.
He ends his call and that smirk that was playing is now formed on his face as he raises a brow. “New outfit?”
My bottom lip rolls between my teeth as my eyes trail down my body, then snapping back up. “Yes, you like it?”
“I do.” He stands from his chair, rounding his desk before he sits on the corner of it beside me. His long legs stretch out next to mine.
“Why did you barge in here, what's wrong?” He asks with his gentle tone.
“I need to say something.”
“Okay. ”
“First, I don't really think I need to say this, you've proven this already. But don't fucking hit me, you do, I will ensure you die a painful death.”
His brow raises as his lips go into a straight line.
“Got it, but Emma, I would never hit you, or hurt you.”
“Somehow, I know that.” I swallow hard, preparing myself to tell him my big dark secret.
“You know the requirement for the marriage to be verified, I assume?”
A deep chuckle rumbles from his chest as he nods, a playful smirk twisting on his lips.
“I'm a virgin, Ace.” His eyes widen, swallowing hard as that smirk falls.
He holds his gaze on me, his eyes burning straight through me, burning my insides.
I've left this big bad man speechless. But what he doesn't know is I may be a virgin, but I have a dark side to me, learning ways without fucking, knowing if caught loosing my V card. I could be killed.
“Lost in space there, Ace?” I tease.
He shakes his head. “Not at all.”
A playful grin starts to crack from the corner of his lips between Caz steps in, breaking our attention. “Your father and Charles just arrived, Sir.”
Ace never leaves my gaze, but he acknowledges his words before Caz exits the office, leaving us to our deep gaze.
“So if I agree to this, you have to promise not to cage me, Ace.”
“I'll make you a promise. I won't cage you Emma, but as your husband, as your King, I will cage you if you are in danger and you won't stay put.” He reaches out, grabbing my hand, pulling me up from my seat, barely moving his body, only using the strength of his arm as he snakes it around my waist, pulling me into him.
He stares into my eyes as my hand slides across his chest, a smirk forming from the corner of his mouth.
“And about the other thing. I promise, baby, I will not disappoint, but I will be gentle.”
I lean in and whisper in his ear. “ I don't need gentle, baby. I may be a virgin, but I like a little pain with my pleasure.”
A primal growl rockets from his throat, his hand sliding lower on my back, his words coming in a pained whisper. “How so?”
A knock at the door causes me to plant a soft kiss to his neck, then lean back, looking him in the eye. “I guess we'll find out, now won't we?”
Ace's brow cocks, staring at me with a hungry gaze as I step back from him, and the door opens. Biting the tip of my tongue with my smile, holding my gaze before I turn towards the door as my father and Ryan emerge.
If I have to marry this man, I should at least have fun right?
“Good Morning Mr. Collins, Father.” I smile with my words. The standard requirement, kiss to the cheek for Ryan, then moving onto my father, but when I go to pull away from my father, his hand wraps around my wrist, gripping hard, stopping me. “Where were you last night?”
I hesitate and his grip gets even tighter. “I was out.”
“Do not fucking lie to me Emma. Where were you?” My father's grip gets even tighter, afraid to say where I was; I don't know what he knows about last night, does he know what Ace and I did, we didn't talk about that yet.
“Do we have a problem?” Ace steps up behind me at his full height and he is no little man, standing at 6 '4, he's got a few inches on my father, causing him to loosen his hold on my wrist, before ripping my arm away.
“I’m just asking my daughter where she was last night, none of your concern Ace.”
“Actually it is, she was with me. ”
My eyes widen as my father stares down at me with a dangerous stare, taking "she was with me" the wrong way, but I say nothing, letting Ace show me how he's going to protect me like he says.
“Now, if you'll sit down, I think we have a few things to talk about.” Ace gestures to the chair beside us to my father, then places a hand on the small of my back, guiding me to the couch. I sit down and cross my legs, leaning back, watching him walk to his desk.
Ace is as calm as a kitten when he starts to discuss the casino's and his changes, which I'm all for. And then it's time to let the cat out of the bag.
“Has there been any more discussion about our meeting yesterday?” Ryans asks. Ace looks over to me with a raised brow, my father glaring at me, his lip curling into a snarl.
Yesterday my father wanted this to happen, even saying he would force me, but today, he acts as if this isn't what he wants, and the darkness in his eyes, confuses the fuck out of me to be honest.
But I hold my head up, and accept my fate. “Yes we have. We will proceed.”
Ace smiles up at me, while Ryan nods with a smile on his face, and then there's my father, showing no emotion, no sign if he's happy about this, just a blank dark face.
“Glad to hear it. I'll get things in motion.” Ryan states.
I cock a brow. “Not trying to be rude, but do I get any say in anything?”
Ryan's lips part to speak but my father beats him to it. “No, everything will be arranged, you just need to show up.”
My eyes snap over to Ace. I don't even get a say in anything, decorations, when, nothing?
“What do you want, Emma?” Ace asks me and I tell him. “I want a fucking say in my own wedding, even if it's not real.”
“Done.”
Ryan and my father both snap their heads, looking at Ace as he stares me in the eye with a smirk.
“She will have the wedding we arrange for her, end of story.” What is wrong with my father? He's been worse over that last few months with me, and now it's a fucking nightmare.
Ryan speaks up. “You can have the wedding you want, Emma, but it must be done in one week.”