***LONDON’S POV***
It is just after two a. m. And I have had the most heartwarming sex experience with Zane. We fucked in literally every space in his office. When he had dug his fingers on my ass and squeezed, the shameful moan I had released is still engraved in my head.
Thinking about it makes me sigh. Zane is so hot.
We slept about an hour ago, thus, Zane would still be asleep. I look at him one last time, making sure his breathing is even before I make my way out of the room.
I am wearing a black pair of shorts and a hoodie. Well, I borrowed one from Zane’s collection. They are warm and cozy. Slipping my legs into flip-flops, I rush upstairs and to the room where I had left the burner phone.
After dinner, I had made sure to allow the kitchen door open, I had distracted Zane from double checking the door for security with the numerous kisses I had peppered his face with.
It worked because now, I have a gust of wind blowing on my face and I feel… Peace?
I don’t know, I can’t explain this emotion I feel right now, but it is a rough mixture between fear and happiness. I am going to see Micah.
This would be the first time I would see him in several years. Anticipation makes me to hurry my steps as I take the East side of the area, going directly to the place where Micah had said I would meet him.
The overhead of trees is vast, but I keep going, when I cross a small brick bridge, it leads me to the lake I had been directed to.
Looking down at the burner phone, I wonder where Micah would pop out from.
I walk farther into the words when I feel a hand snap around my mouth, stifling my cries of resistance. The intruder flips me around and I see him.
Micah.
My brother.
He has this weary look as if he hasn’t slept for days, and I confirm it with the stubble on his face. I wonder when last he even shaved.
“Micah! OMG! I missed you so much,” I cried out in his arms as I jumped into his arms, hugging so tight that I don’t want to let go.
Micah holds me just rightly, my legs swirl around his waist, I hold him there as he swirls me gently.
“How is my favorite baby sister doing?” he asks and I nod eagerly, tears still splashing my eyes.
“Fine,” I cry out.
“Hush, honey, stop crying now,” he says.
I slid down from Micah’s body and holding my hands, he pulls me farther into the woods, taking me to a secluded place. From here, I can see the stream of water flow steadily, it is great, I love it.
Also, the house is not on portrait here, thus, I might not know Zane is out and looking for me until he calls out on me.
With how we left things, I wonder if he would be able to think about coming out here into the woods. He might think I can away to the city. Wrong guess though.
“I am fine, Micah. Now, tell me everything, don’t hide anything from me. Zane kidnapped me from New York and brought me to Lake Side City. It sucks,” I blurt out.
It doesn’t really though, no, but still, I want my brother to reassure me about something, what, I don’t fucking know.
“I stole from him, London. That is why. Zane threatened to kill me that night, if I hadn’t used your name as leverage for myself, I would have been dead by now,” he mutters.
I know Zane is the kind of man who gets his hands dirty in his mafia business, I know he kills people, but the sole thought of it being Micah has shivers running down my spine.
“Oh, Micah. I am so sorry I put you into this deep shit,” I cry out as I hug his neck one more time.
My limb arms swirl around his massive neck and the power he exerts is so much, I love it.
“Calm down, baby sister, I am looking for a way to pay Zane back, and then, I have to take a claim over you. I’m sorry I had to look for the money that way, but you had sounded in pain when had asked for the money. I wanted to make you happy,” Micah explains.
I remain frozen on my spot, a shock almost killing me by all the millions of thoughts running through my head.
I have a special relationship with this man, Micah makes me know my worth, he doesn’t let me take the bare minimum from a man and I swear, if he knows I had actually lied to him about the loan, Micah would want to know about Oliver and every fucking detail he can squeeze out from me.
He would board a plane next to go and break Oliver’s bones.
Merely thinking of it now makes me tremble. Oliver is a dick, a low-life son of a bitch.
“London,” I shiver when I hear Micah call me out.
“Yes, Micah?” I reply, acting like I hadn’t been in my head moments ago.
His eyes roam over my face as if judging if I am right or not. When he seems to have found the reply he is looking for, he nods his head gently, while repeating what he had said.
“Do you still want to leave with me after I rescue you from Zane?” Micah asks.
Rescue me? Am I some sort of prisoner here with Zane? Yes. I know the reply is yes, but the number of orgasms I have taken out of the short time I have been here says something utterly different.
“How much time have you got left before you take me away from Zane?” I question.
I need to know this so that I live my own romantic moment with Zane. I know I can’t change the fact that I am Zane’s property for now, but if Micah can’t raise that money, then I know the other option that we’ve got, the fact that he has to elope with me.
“I don’t know, London, but keeping you closer to Zane is a no for me in my books. We need to run. I mean it. Go really far,” he states.
I know whatever this conversation is running up to wouldn’t be good at all, I feel cold tracing up and down my spine, it makes me want to go bunkers.
“How far are we talking about?” I ask toeing the line.
Micah’s wild eyes fly to mine, he holds my gaze for a hot minute before he replies to me.
“Where did you say you were living in New York, London?” Micah asks and I gasp.
I knew so damn bloody well this conversation was going to blow up in my face and it was going to fucking be about me. Oh yes, it had to be.
“I didn’t tell you before. Now, we can’t back to where I lived in New York, never,” I insisted, my voice growing louder with fear.
Just suggesting it was bringing back memories of the past, of things that caused me pain.
The number of times Oliver had hurt me, the times when he had gotten physically abusive with me. I hate him.
“Hey, London, calm down, are you alright? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Micah asks his voice strained with concern.
I know I have to reply to him, it is then I realize that I had been panicking. I feel my breathing at a steady pace, I don’t want Micah to get worried about me.
“I am fine, Micah. I just need some air,” I say.
I remove the hoodie from my body, staying only with my bikini top. I didn’t have plans on swimming, but I hadn’t stopped for once, thinking how great the water might feel at these odd hours of the morning.
When I catch the disgust on Micah’s face, I can help but laugh out loud.
“You didn’t have to take your hoodie off in front of me, London,” he cries out having a small meltdown.
I chuckle. Micah has always been like that, fussing over me for the least feminine thing I do. Maybe it is because he hasn’t gotten a grip yet on how to understand women, or it is just me he is struggling to deal with.
“Sorry, Micah,” I say chuckling.
I don’t make it to the lake though, I sit there on a flat rock, waiting for our conversation to drift by to safe quarters. Talking about New York and moving into my apartment was such a crazy idea. Mad and shitty all the same.
“Tell me, London, anything happened in New York you think I should know? Honestly, don’t lie to me, we’ve shared deeper secrets,” he reminds me.
Of course, we have, if not, I wouldn’t even be here, standing before him. Micah had let me know about his work, he had briefed me about the dangers of it as well.
“Just know my apartment isn’t a safe bet in that crazy city, Micah. And I wouldn’t feel the least secure there. I would greatly appreciate it if we didn’t speak about it as well,” I say, making sure my eyes are on Micah’s face.
I need him to know I am serious. Dead drop serious. He sighs, his chest breaking with all that air he had pent up inside of him.
“Fine, London, as you wish. Zane gave me ten thousand dollars to find out who hurt you in New York. I still haven’t made that research because I know you would provide me with the answers when I told you the truth first. Maybe we could use that money to elope,” he suggest, bringing the cleanest of ideas, letting me on on them.
“Oh, Micah, I can’t believe that Zane asked that of you. Now, I am not willing you speak, but the idea of running away is clear to me. I will do so,” I say.
I know this is all a lie, well, a half lie because as much as I want Micah to rescue me, the idea of leaving Zane makes me sick.
I am in love with him.
Again, the truth hits me like a moving truck, it feels like I will pass out if I don’t give a break to my intrusive thoughts.
“We will have another meeting, London. It might be the last before we leave, I don’t want Zane growing frustrated and laying that anger on you. I don’t want to lose you, London, you are precious to me,” my brother says.
Micah isn’t the kind of boy who has a strong forte on speeches, thus, I believe every word he tells me, it just warms my heart.
“Oh, Micah, thank you,” I grit out softly.
I know a lot of things are going through my mind, well quite a lot of it though, it makes me want to shout, but I dare not.
“You are welcome. Now, would you have a swim before returning home? I don’t want Zane getting worried about you,” Micah speaks out, his voice filled with concern.
Everyone working for Zane has this fear of him, I don’t. Maybe it is because I grew so overconfident over the short time I have been with him. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know anything about it.
“That is true. I would rather head back. When is the next meeting, Micah? Also, I hope we maintain this spot, it is cozy, I like it,” I confess.
He chimes out roughly but says what he thinks I want to hear.
“In two days time, London. Same time. I will arrange a means to help you escape then,”
I know nothing about this plan would go easy. Hugging him one last time, I slip up my hoodie, wave him goodbye, and head towards the house.
My hands are crossed all the way home, hoping that Zane isn’t awake.