Damsel In Distress

Orion~

A pain almost like that of an oncoming migraine wakes me in the middle of the night. I don’t usually suffer in this way, don’t usually care if I do, but for some reason I can’t ignore it.

What is going on… did Emma poison me tonight?

No, I’d sooner be nauseous than suffer a headache if she did, and I’m not stupid enough to let her sneak anything in here that could hurt me. The thought makes me laugh as I even swapped the phone she thought she could hide in her bag while she slept on the way over, so it’s not like there’s anything I should fear from her if that’s her ace card.

My gut seems to think otherwise, though, like I should go to her.

If something is wrong it would explain why she was so nice tonight, and here I was thinking she was finally coming around to me. I told her about my father for fuck’s sake!

Deciding that I can’t sit here and let myself overthink much longer, I drag myself up and make my way to the bedroom to demand that she open up. The door’s unlocked but it refuses to budge meaning that she must have barred it.

There’s nothing ever simple with this one, is there?

“EMMA, LET ME IN,” I yell, wanting to make sure that she can’t sleep through my words and I’m sure she’d be just as pissed with me than if I asked nicely.

No answer, though to be honest, even if nothing was wrong I wouldn’t expect one. So, taking a step back, I breathe deeply and charge forward bracing my shoulder against the door and feel it fall from the brackets. Did she honestly think a chair could keep me out?

This isn’t my first rodeo.

Turning to say exactly that to her, I find the bed empty. Not only empty but the sheets have been pulled off and it’s bare down to the mattress. What the fuck is going on?

“DONOVAN!” I yell through the walls knowing he sleeps not far from my room and I demand that he gets here now. Emma is missing and I’m in no state to find her as this headache only seems to grow the longer he takes.

What if it was someone else? Someone else and they’ve taken her to try and send a message to me? My stomach drops at the thought, not helping the pain and I feel the color drain from my face. She’s been here a day and I’ve already let her go, what sort of a man am I?

I feel the breeze on my face and turn towards the window. The curtains were closed but behind it, the window stands wide open and I now see what has happened to the bed.

Emma escaped through the window.

That clever little minx. It’s better than having her taken I suppose, anything is better than Emma getting hurt but does she honestly think that she can get away scot-free?

I was clear about the price she’d have to pay if she broke the deal, I mean there are countless witnesses holding me to my word. So to save her from herself, I have no choice but to go and get her back.

Rather than waiting the five seconds it takes to use the door, I leap from the window and run as fast as I can towards the forest, thankful that the mansion isn’t as tall as it is wide.

How did she manage to get past my security? Surely they’d have realized that a woman was passing by earlier, right? In fact, when did she notice where the guards were anyway? I’ve only taken her out here once and told her nothing.

It seems as though I’ve been underestimating this little fiancée of mine, and in running all she’s managed to do is showing me more and more how well we are suited for one another.

Emma might disagree, but I’m a patient man.

And speaking of Emma, the closer I get to the electric fence, the more I swear that I can recognize her sweet and flowery perfume. If this is her, it surprises me not to find her further afield and I wonder for a second if she could have been coming back? Thinking better of it?

It’s no use guessing though, I need to find her first and then I can ask.

It’s not long before I see a patch of sand that has been dug recently to allow a slim figure to slide under our defenses, this only causes me to curse out loud, knowing that this will have been her. Who built this thing over ground like this anyway? It’s a miracle we’ve not been breached sooner.

I start making a list of every member of staff I want fired after this, with a gun preferably if not from their job, as I’m forced to dig like a dog.

Eventually, I can work my shoulders under the metal, holding my breath to avoid a shock in the process. When I stand I’m out of breath, covered in dirt, and out for blood.

But every ounce of violence leaves my body in place of dread when I see my girl not far from me on the floor. There are burns on her face in the shape of the wires of the fence and my stomach drops with knowing what must have happened.

She’s been electrocuted by my own damn security that she’s already outsmarted. I don’t understand how, but it doesn’t matter—all that does is that this isn’t the end.

“DONOVAN!” I call, knowing that he has to be on my tail by now, and he answers not too far away.

It's not my finest moment to spend the next few seconds threatening everything he loves if he isn't here in the next five minutes with some help. But I do it, and I'd do it again if it means he'll be here.

I don't care if he's my second or not, she's my partner and I can't lose her. Not when I've just found her.