Chapter 12 #2
They were part of his job, he wanted to save them, but it was because saving was a compulsion he’d never been able to control.
Emma wasn't part of his job, she felt like an important piece of his life, which was crazy given how they’d met, how little time they’d known each other, and the fact that even if she could forgive him and want to see him again, she’d never be able to move on from this ordeal so long as he was part of her life.
Selfish.
That’s what he was when it came to Emma.
Because if he wasn't, he wouldn't even consider remaining in her life once he got her out. He’d make sure she was informed when Azure was destroyed, but never show his face around her again.
Let the people who loved her, who were good for her, be by her side as she started on her journey of healing.
The problem was, he wasn't sure he could do that even knowing it was what was best for her.
Ernie chuckled. “Yeah, she’s a little firecracker, isn’t she?”
“Sure,” he agreed, trying not to grind his teeth.
“Bet you had fun with her last night. Did she come out broken and ready to be a good, obedient little girl? Heard you spent a few hours in there with her with the camera off, bet you had fun playing with the little blonde toy.”
“Actually, you know what, Ernie? I actually did have a great time,” he said honestly.
All he’d done was hold Emma in the bed and rub circles on her back, soothing away the terror he knew she’d felt locked in that box.
She’d eventually fallen asleep, curled up on his chest, and he’d scooped her into his arms and carried her back to her cell along with the blanket and one of the pillows.
She’d earned them. Exhausted as she was, she hadn't woken, and he’d tucked her in, aware that now they were back in camera view, he couldn’t do more than that, he’d reluctantly walked away.
“I bet.” There was jealousy in Ernie’s eyes as he loaded the last tray onto the trolley. “Did you place your bet?”
“Bet?”
“On how long it takes her to crack.”
“Never place bets,” he said with a shrug, although he was aware that a lot of the guys did.
While he was as hands-off as possible with the women, the furthest he ever took anything with them was having them give him a hand job.
As far as he was concerned, it was the least invasive and thus the least traumatic way he could keep his cover.
“She’s got one of the biggest pots we’ve ever had.”
“Not surprised. Like you said, she’s a firecracker.”
“Someone is going to get themselves a great little toy with that one,” Ernie said as he turned to start loading the dishwasher.
There was clear envy in his tone, and knowing what he did about the cook, how he was prone to raping women until they were bleeding and raw, Nathan was infinitely glad that the man didn't have the resources to purchase a woman.
Not that whoever would have bought Emma would have been any better.
Won't happen. You're getting her out of here. As soon as you check in on her and deliver breakfast, you're going to see Falcon to get the drugs. She’ll be out of here and safe and sound with her family by the end of the day.
Knowing that was the only way he’d been able to leave Emma in her cell last night.
Of course, it wouldn't be just as easy as faking her death, and that would be the end of it. Azure knew Emma’s name, her address, phone number, and place of work.
They’d go after her if they got even an inkling that she was still alive, because as far as they were concerned, she belonged to them from the moment she was drugged and abducted.
Which meant that Emma would be going into a Prey safehouse for the foreseeable future.
But at least she’d be safe and able to have some contact with her family.
Picturing Emma safe, fed, clothed, and clean by the end of the day, Nathan was lost in thought and startled when he heard running footsteps behind him.
Spinning around, he wished he had a weapon he could draw, but weapons weren't permitted inside the warehouse. A million thoughts ran through his mind as he tried to figure out if it was possible that someone was onto him, but he couldn’t come up with anything.
Even with Emma and his growing feelings for her, he’d been as careful as possible to be to maintain his cover.
“Nathan, Josh needs help,” Mateo told him as the man stopped before him.
Not bothering to hide his irritation, he waved a hand at the trolley. “I'm in the middle of something.”
“I’ll take the trolley down,” Mateo told him.
“Why can't you just go and help Josh?”
“Because he needs the kind of help you’ll be better at delivering.”
“What does that mean? What kind of trouble has he gone and gotten himself into? If he’s not ready to complete an abduction on his own, then he really shouldn’t be going out unaccompanied.”
“Don’t disagree with you,” Mateo said. “The kid is too careless, too clumsy, too excitable and immature. But he did get sent out on his own again, and now his car has broken down for real. He has the woman drugged and unconscious in the back of his van, he’s freaking out that someone might stop to help him, and he’ll get caught. ”
Nathan chuckled. For some reason, that thought amused him. “Maybe that would help him to grow up.”
Mateo chuckled too. “I'm with you, bro. But if he goes down, then we all go down, because you know Josh isn’t going to be able to keep his mouth shut. If ever there was a weak link, it’s that guy.
He can't call for a tow, and he can't stay where he is.
You're the one with some mechanical knowledge, so we need you to go and help him out.”
As much as he wanted to argue that he’d rather deliver breakfast before he went to bail out Josh, he knew he couldn’t do that.
If Josh got caught, Mateo was right, the guy would be spilling his guts as soon as he was in cuffs and sitting in an interrogation room.
Azure would pack everything and everyone up and move somewhere else before the cops could get this address.
While he didn't particularly care where they were based, it would also mean that the head of Azure would double down on hiding information that could lead to them, making the intel he’d already gathered potentially obsolete.
The last thing he needed was for the last several months to have been for nothing and to have to basically start from scratch.
Sighing, because he knew he wouldn’t get his Emma fix this morning, he raked his fingers through his short, dark hair.
“Yeah, I’ll go bail out the imbecile,” he muttered, wishing there was a way to avoid it but accepting there wasn't. If he kicked up a fuss, then all he’d be doing was showing his hand.
Besides, he’d have to head out later this morning to meet with Falcon anyway, so he’d go find Josh, fix whatever was wrong with his vehicle if he could, and if he couldn’t, at least grab the woman and drop her off there before heading off to pick up the drugs from his boss.
“I’ll text you the address of where he’s broken down,” Mateo called after him as he headed to the garage to grab a vehicle.
This was the last thing he wanted to worry about this morning.
He’d been counting on one last chance to check on Emma before he set his plan in motion to fake her death.
It hadn't been a fully formed plan, but he’d intended to pretend to do a training session with her, then claim it got out of hand and she passed away.
It was tricky, and he knew he could face punishment for killing one of Azure’s products, but he didn't care, he’d take whatever consequences he had to in order to make sure Emma got the hell out of this place.
As he grabbed a set of keys from the selection hanging on hooks by the garage door, Nathan ignored the churning in his gut and steadied his resolve.
This was just a minor bump along the way, it wasn't going to derail his plans, just delay them slightly.
Nothing and no one would stop him from getting his girl home safe by the end of the day.