C7 Emmi: Awkward Moment

I feel awkward, and a new conversation needs to start.

“Why is there a guy strapped up in your room Gunner?” Dante breaks the silence and changes the subject, which I am grateful for. I now let my eyes go to Zane and finally take him in. He isn’t as big as the others, at least in height. Yet his muscles are just as big, if not bigger. His strong jawline is perfect. Yet, he is covered, his shirt buttoned all the way up, almost as if he is hiding something. What though? In those deep brown eyes, though, is pure warmth and love. I look towards Gunner. He is all muscle, big, and his blue eyes are mesmerising yet full of crazy; even I know crazy when I see it. I stay looking at him as I replay Dante back. He is very much like Bear, but with green eyes, his hair long and tied back. They all have tattoos, the same ones, I am guessing that climb up their necks. I can’t be sure as most of Zane’s is hidden. Bear’s eyes are just like Gunners, blue and mesmerising.

“Little lamb?” I turn and look at Bear, who is now standing. Shit, I didn’t even hear anything. “Come on, I’ll show you where you can sleep tonight.” I get up and follow him through the house. Stopping at the door, he opens it and I walk in. My eyes take in the beauty of the room.

“Thanks.” That is all I can say because while I am getting sent here and expected to marry one of these crazy idiots, he left me. He didn’t ship me straight back home, and in a way, this is freedom, even if it still involves me being locked up. It is freedom from my city.

“No problem, little lamb, here's one of my shirts for you to sleep in.” He hands it to me. “I got a message to your brother and mother that I was in your city and bumped into you and we got talking. No one will know you tried to escape,” he explains before walking out.

He didn’t need to do that. He could have told my mother and had her deal with me when I got home. It makes me feel almost like a child. I’m twenty-four. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I am still treated like a child, and I hate it. Walking farther into the room, I see the bathroom. I walk into it and strip, slowly stepping into the shower and letting the water run over me. There is no way out of this. I have no choice but to make this work, to get to know them and just hope I feel something for one of them because if I don’t, they will go for Jamie and him in this city is a disaster waiting to happen.

I know I won’t have freedom. It will be just the same as living in my city. Unless maybe I will? Maybe once I marry one of them, I will get the freedom to move around, even if I have to have a guard at my side? I climb into the bed, and hours seem to disappear as I struggle to fall asleep. I want a drink, but I’m too worried about seeing Gunner. Actually, I’m more worried about running into Dante. But this is soon to be my house, so I need to be willing to walk around.

I climb out of bed and walk out of the room, slowly through to the kitchen. I grab a glass and fill it. Laughing, I pick up the bottle. I may as well take the whole thing with me. I doubt I will fall asleep quickly, and if I drink enough, that will help. I open the door but stop when I hear voices.

“For me? Do you really think that? That having her here is easy for me?” I hear Zane’s words.

“You sure seemed fucking calm.” Dante's harsh voice is still full of anger.

“Because we have no choice but to be. She isn’t my past, and she isn’t yours. To punish her and be cruel because of our fucked-up minds is wrong. She won’t understand or know why,” Zane explains.

“The whole deal should have been thrown out,” Dante says.

“We tried, Dante. Dad tried before he died.” Zane sounds frustrated. “We don’t, then what?” he asks.

“Does it matter? It has nothing to do with us how they run their city, how they treat their family.” Dante is right.

“Come on, Dante, you know full well she wouldn’t be here if her mother-” I move by mistake and the door moves. The talking stops. Shit, and shit. I glance around, and there is no way out, just that way. So, I quickly move across the kitchen and stand there, drinking while cuddling the bottle as if it would somehow save me.

I watch as the door opens, and they both stand looking at me, confused.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Dante looks furious. I move and hold up the glass. Pouring it down my throat, I refill the glass and stand up straight.

“Don’t worry, just getting something to help me sleep.” I push past them both and walk back to the room I’m sleeping in. Sitting on the bed, I fill up the glass and drink. My mind is on everything, on the fact that my mother isn’t refusing and fighting against this. That she seems almost happy to have me come here. On Jamie and how he has acted and pretended like he is someone strong, controlling my life when he isn’t.

After hearing everything, I have probably punched more men than Jamie, and that is crazy considering the fact I hardly had freedom. I feel like I need to stand up and ask why. Ask just what happens in that city. Is this why I’m restricted so much? To keep the truth hidden from me? I knew things were bad. I knew people were scared of us, scared of what my family would do when it came to me. I didn’t ever consider how bad it was, though. The way Ethan acted when everyone thought he had touched me tells me it wasn’t just my family that was the issue, but these Wolversons too. Those from my city knew not to touch me. They knew I was theirs.

They know now that no one dared to touch me and that I’m still a virgin. But I’ll fix that. Even if it takes paying someone, I will fix that. I will get the freedom of choosing who I fuck and lose it to. Though, I don’t know how to.

I want to see Ethan. He was a friend, albeit from a distance. He was the only one to give me any freedom. Sucking up my pride and wiping the tears, I walk out towards the main room. Bear looks up at me as I enter.

“You should be asleep, little lamb.”

I hold in my anger and rage that wants to scream at him over him for calling me ‘little lamb’. “What is happening to Ethan?”

He smiles. “Do you really want to details?”

Do I? I nod and wipe the tears from my eyes.

“Why are you crying, little lamb?” He stands up, looking at me confused.

Does he even need to ask? This whole situation is why I am crying, and I just got Ethan a death sentence. I know I have. I hate myself right now.