Deceit and Love

"Where is Ronnie?" she spoke despite her trembling lips.

"Give me the fucking drive first bitch." He growled. She didn't flinch at his tone. The hell she was backing down. All her madness was for a reason and she wasn't going to give up until she had what she wanted.

"Hand me Ronnie back and drive is all yours."He tried to reach her back pack. She struggled to keep it with her but Jack was double her size and her condition was less than able to fight him back. She let go of it. "You'll never find it." she challenged him. Jack grabbed her hairs and pulled back.

"Do you even have it or are you just playing with me, you slut!" Elle wanted to groan in pain but she resisted. She wasn't giving him any satisfaction of inflicting pain on her.

"All I want is Ronnie and you'll have your fucking hard drive. Ever heard of give and take?" she said acidly.

"Fine! Get in the car." When Jack couldn't find anything worth his interest in her bag, he pushed her into the SUV that waited at the end of the dockyard.

The car took them to the airport and drove straight in to the runway where a private jet was waiting. Jack gestured her to get in and then moments later they were on the way to New York. She let her head rest on the back of the seat and then let all the events replay in her mind that had happened in the past three and a half days.

Ronnie, her ten year old baby brother was gone missing from school. She had been going crazy about finding him. They both had lived such a secluded life that no one would want to hurt them. The sudden missing of Ronnie was totally out of question for her because she hadn't known where to search for him or who to suspect. Shortly afterwards, she had received a call that asked her to meet at a deserted building if she wanted news about her brother. When she had gone there, a man was waiting for her through video link. Jack had handed her a ticket of her name for The Royal Cruise. There had been a couple of other men who appeared like gangsters to her. The ticket said that the cruise was leaving from New York to Bahamas Island the next day. He showed her a picture of a small device and was told to get it for him if she wanted her brother back. She called it his bluff and was turning back when she had heard Ronnie's scream through the connected video link. The guy in the video was hitting her baby brother. She had begged him to stop and agreed to do whatever they wanted her to do. The video guy told her to get the device by the second night and then leave the cruise near Orlando bay before the cruise anchored as it was supposed to. Once done, she would get Ronnie back. She had readily agreed and next day she was on The Royal Cruise. She was determined about doing anything, good or bad, for her brother's life until the night she had met the charming and handsome beyond words, Augustus. She was taken by him in the first sight. His smile, his eyes, his lips and the words that came out of them - she was all lost in them and when he had kissed her with those lips that yelled perfection - nothing had mattered. She had forgotten about everything that why she was there on that cruise or her brother being abducted. No thought stood in between. But all too soon she had come back to her senses when the rain had started. She remembered her motives. She knew she couldn't build any kind of communication with any of the passenger that might lead to suspicion on her when she would depart discreetly. But he had met her again the next day. It had taken all her inner force to drive him away.

Later in the evening when she was looking around to find the control rooms where the device would be, she had ended up at Augustus's private deck where he was lost in playing his guitar. She was taken aback by the tune of it. It was sad, it was desolate, but it was beautiful. It touched her heart - the tune and the man, both. She had built such immense desire for that man and couldn't resist him anymore so she had given into his invitation for dinner. The more she knew him, the more she began fancying him. But the thousand watts current ran through her when she got to know that he was Augustus Knight - the Augustus Knight, owner of The Royal Cruise. Her heart had gone down to her ankles. This man, whom she was building crush on, was the man who was going to hate her after what she would do later that night. She had wanted to leave his side and remain impassive and guard her feelings, but he was irresistible. When he had taken care of her after the pool incident, she knew she had given him a piece of her heart despite knowing that he would want nothing from her once he knew who she was and why she was in his ship. She wanted to savor what little time she had with him. So she had asked him to make love to her. Now that she thought, it was the biggest mistake of her life because Augustus Knight had ruined him for every other man on the planet. She couldn't be with anyone else and not think of him. Once he had drifted into deep sleep, she had slipped out of his bed and had fished out his security ID card from the chest and had changed into his shirt as last memoir of their evening and had sneaked out. Leaving the man of her future dreams behind. She had betrayed him. She knew he would not trust any other girl again and whenever he would have to take that leap of faith, he would think of her and bitter memories would revive for him. She would be a sour almond for him forever. Despite how good and how beautiful she felt in his arms, she knew she wasn't going to get anything from this man. He was too good for her.

Accessing the control room and its systems was way too easier for her because of Augustus's codes. She had tried to push the guilt aside and focused on her brother's life. It was her luck that when she had met Augustus earlier that day, she had seen the device in the other guy's hand. So she knew where it was and how it appeared. Once she had dislodged the drive out of the system, she had discarded all her belongings and had just a few things packed in her backpack which included Augustus's shirt. And then she had ejected out of the cruise into the Pacific coast and swam away. Away from the man whose eyes gave shivers down her spine, away from the man who had made her feel beautiful - someone worth having around. She had betrayed him. She had broken the trust she had seen in his eyes. Elle didn't stop the stray tear that escaped her eyes as she saw Orlando getting smaller and smaller from the jet's window.

Chapter Seven

She had slept all flight. When Jack woke her up, they had already landed on New York airport. Another black tinted SUV was waiting for them as they stepped down from the jet. They drove out of New York. The driver had taken Interstate 95, she noticed. "Where are you taking me?" she panicked. "Why are we leaving New York? Where is Ronnie? Take me to him." She asked Jack who didn't bothered answering her. After forty minutes drive, they stopped at a building. Jack took her inside.

"I see you have made it back, sweetheart. Now I hope you have what I want." A voice echoed the room as she entered. The endearment brought back Augustus's memories and she tried to suppress them down. She needed all her strength at the moment and no distraction could be risked. She looked up to see a man sitting on the chair in the middle with two well built black men holding AK-47s. Elle looked at the man on the seat. His face was bent between his hands as if lighting cigarette. When he looked up to her, she flinched back in surprise. His face, it was so familiar yet so alien. His eyes were gray, his skin tone was Caucasian and his features were just like - just like Augustus. The only visible difference was that Augustus had brown hairs and this man was bald. And the other thing was the outlook. Augustus spoke of sophistication and this man advocated wildness and naivety.

"Who are you?" she asked. "That should be none of your concerns. Tell me you have what I want." He snarled at her getting up from his chair. Elle stepped back. Everything about him was fierce and repulsing. His features were so much like Augustus but he, as a person, was nothing like him. Could it be possible they were related? He was coming to her. She retreated further until she collided with Jack who pushed her forward.

"There is no need to make this ugly. I don't want to hurt you. Give me what I want and I'll leave you to it." he said in a controlled voice.

"Bring Ronnie first." She stammered.

"Give me the codec drive." He grabbed her by hair, his face losing the composure and wildness took over. Elle cried in pain but he didn't loosen it. He was unaffected by all whines and resistances. "Search her." He barked at Jack. Jack started looking into her small backpack but she knew he wouldn't find it anywhere. She knew Jack knew too because he had checked it before as well. Maybe he was just humoring his asshole of a boss. She had the drive hidden well. Once all her belongings were spilled out, Jack approached her and his hands began wandering on her body. Lingering on her breasts. Patting them. She tried to move away but the bald guy didn't let her. Jack's hand wandered down to her groin and he pressed his hand down.

"Mother fucker! Get your hands off me!" She cried in rage and kicked Jack in balls. He backed away. The other man, the head, tightened his gripped. His hands were like a steel veice.

"Where the fuck is it?" he slapped her hard across her cheek making her head sway down but he jerked it back up and gave her another hard slap. She could feel blood on her tongue.

"Where is Ronnie?" She wasn't going to back down. Stubbornness took over her. If they wanted their device, they have to give her brother back. She had lost Augustus in this whole process. She wasn't going to let go of anything else to them. Surely not her brother. The man this time hit her abdomen. When she bent down in pain, he jerked his knee up, hitting her nose. "Ah!" she groaned in pain.

"Where is the device?" he yelled and pushed her back making her fall on the ground. She curled in to a small ball. Her face was all tears and blood and every part of her body ached but she still managed to choke out the words, "Give me Ronnie first." This time the man gave her a swift kick on her chest making her slide back a good few feet. More tears followed. But she wasn't giving up. "Kill me and you'll never find it." she tried to sit up. She saw the man approaching her. She braced herself for another hit but instead the man bent down to her and grabbed her jaw. She winced in pain as his fingers clawed in her skin. She thought her jaw would crush into pieces if he didn't loosened his grip soon.

"You want that rat's piece of shit your brother?" he asked and she just nodded. He pushed back her head, letting go of her jaw. "Bring him here." She heard him yell.

Five minutes later she saw Jack dragging Ronnie to the room.

"Ronnie!" she cried at the sight of her baby brother who was only half conscious.

"Elle?" His voice undid her and she tried to reach for him but the head guy stood in front of her, catching her by the neck.

"First things first, baby. Give me the fucking drive." She looked up at him.

There was ugliness on his face that made her want to spit on him. She shrugged out of his hold and walked pass through him. Bending down to where her things were scattered, she picked up her left sneaker and used a pocket knife to detach the soul of the shoe. Moments later she had the thumb sized chip like hard drive. The bald-Augustus-like guy eyed it hungrily and tried to snatch it away from her. But she backed away immediately. He grinned at her when she glared at him and then signaled to Jack. Jack brought Ronnie forward. She reached out for her brother from one hand and handed over the device from the other. Soon the chip was taken and she folded Ronnie in her arms and broke into tears.

"Such love." She heard the bald guy saying before he turned to one of his body guard and had the drive connected to the system. She tried to leave but Jack stopped their way. "Wait until the chip is approved." She protested but all she got was deaf ears."It's approved. We have all the data." The guard said and the bald guy clapped in triumph. "Now I'll tell you baby brother how it is when you fall from the sky all the way down to where you belong." He said and then gave out a big laugh. Elle stared in shock. He was Augustus's brother and wanted to destroy him. The image of Augustus came to her mind when he was showing her around the cruise. That ship had meant so much to him. Now it was all on edge of detriment - that too by the hands of his own brother. And it was not just the ship, it was Augustus's dreams, his struggle, his passion - everything. What hurt her most was her own part in it. She was as much responsible of whatever happened to him. It may not have been intended but it didn't make the guilt less.

Jack loaded them in the SUV and after an hour and quarter long drive; they were dropped at their house in New Jersey.

"Are you okay?" she dusted off Ronnie's shirt and asked. He just nodded. He was looking at her face. She didn't know how bad her face was but what she knew was that she ached all over. Every inch of her body pained. Her leg limped and she could feel her swollen lips. Her head had a bump, she could tell and her knees scratched. She was a complete mess, inside out. It wasn't just her body, it was her heart that was bruised too. "Let's go inside." She took his hand and moved slowly towards the door. The only relieving thing was that Ronnie was safe by her side. She dug the extra key to the door out of the cactus pot. When she reached the door, her eyes went wide at the dead bolt hanging broken on the door. Someone had broken into her house.

Crap keeps happening. She thought and then picked the crowbar from the corner. All she wanted was to be inside her home with her brother safe and then fall on ground and let everything flow out in tears. Never in life she wanted to cry so much as she wanted to do so now. And for that she could fight anything for it right now. "Stay behind me." She said to Ronnie and then pushed the door open. No bullets, no big scary men were there to welcome her. She took cautious steps in. Both of her hands were gripped tightly on the bar. As she entered the living room, the sight that greeted her was one she had never imagined to witness. Augustus Knight was standing in the middle of her living room.

Chapter Eight

The sight of him sent currents to her veins. His expression was deadly grave. He scared her but not in the way the bald guy had. She knew in her heart that Augustus would never hurt her despite what she had done to him. He just stood there and gazed at her. The anticipation was killing her. His silence was killing her. His expression was giving nothing away. It was flat. Not a frown or anything. Not a hint of anger present. Nothing could be drawn that what was going inside him. She wanted him to yell at her, accuse her, confront her about her doings but all he did was stare at her with his face taut and stone cold.

"You take me by surprise every time, Elle." Augustus's voice was hard and cold. The crowbar fell off from her hand and hit the ground with a thud making her jump.

"Augustus ..." she began to speak when Ronnie cut her off in between.

"Who is he?" He peeked from her behind. She had completely forgotten about him. His voice seemed to break the contact between her and Augustus. He too looked down at him and his frowned deepened. "Didn't know you had a team of midgets. Was he too onboard with you?" His voice was accusing.

"Augustus..." she began to speak again but then stopped. No words came. There was no excuse, no explanations for what she had done and there were definitely no words for her to say. Augustus stayed silent and waited for her to speak. "I..." she tried once more but her voice faltered.

"I am standing here waiting to know why the fuck was I made a fool out of that one person whom I put my trust on? I want to know that when I thought I had finally known you, I found out that you had skipped off my cruise with my hard drive, using my card and my identity while I slept after making the most passionate love of my entire life. So yes, you should better stop mumbling and start speaking, Elle!" he said in a low voice. His volume might have been down but she knew better.

"She did it to save me." Both of them looked at Ronnie who spoke. He stepped forward. "She didn't want to do it but they threatened to kill me so she agreed." The little boy said.

Augustus raised his brow and then asked her, "Care to elaborate?"Elle swallowed and then looked up at him. She couldn't put off the truth away from him. So she began from the start when Ronnie had gone missing to the point where she had left the cruise.

"What I did to you was wrong, but I had no choice. I am not sorry because my only intent was to save my brother's life." She concluded.

Augustus didn't take his eyes off her. His face said nothing so she had no idea if he had bought her story or not. What would she do if he didn't believe her? Would he hurt her? And Ronnie? "You had planned it all along to play with me? Was it all part of your game to use me as a bait?" Of all the things he asked her this? "You used me as a gateway to get that chip?"

"No, I never thought of getting engaged with anyone. Certainly not you, the owner himself." She said; her head bowed a little in shame.

"But when you got to know who I was, you did play with me nicely too." Tears welled up in her eyes. His words were hurting her but he wasn't to be blamed for it. He had every right to say all those things to her. "Tell me Elle, you planned it all along to seduce me and then skip off using my fucking card to get that damned drive?" He came to her and she reflexively covered her already bruised face with her arms. Augustus stopped right there and his voice faltered. When she lowered her arm, she saw him looking at her in disbelief. "You really think I would hit you? What kind of a person you think I am, Elle?" he asked her. Then he looked down at the frightened Ronnie and back to her. "All you had to do was tell me the truth. You could have come to me anytime you wanted to." He said to her. Coldness was leaving his voice. Elle looked up at him in hope.

"Would have you believed me?" she asked.

"I would have and I would have helped you." He brought his hand up and caressed the bruise on her cheek. She winced in pain and he immediately removed it. She could see anger in his eyes. "Tell me what happened next?" he asked her. She continued telling him from where she had left. When she told him about the encounter with the man who had her sent to cruise and his resemblance to Augustus, his shoulders stiffen.

She repeated his words to him, "Now I'll tell you baby brother how it is when you fall from the sky all the way down to where you belong."

Augustus fall a few steps back. His eyes widened in surprise. "Brent did all this." He didn't ask, just said in a flat voice.

"Augustus" she tried to reach for him but was distracted by the loud screech of a car and then footsteps entering. Moments later Jack was dragged into her house by three men. She recognized one of them from the cruise. He was the one whom Augustus had given the chip earlier the other day. Jack's face was half bruised and he was groaning in pain. Elle hurriedly pushed Ronnie back and stood in front of him protectively. Augustus had overcome from the shock and he stepped forward and then looked down at her. His face was blank. There was nothing that gave away about his inner feelings. But his eyes were soft to her which gave her a little relief. She wasn't sure if she could live knowing that this man was hurt because of her and held a grudge against her. "Did he hit you?" he asked her. Elle looked at Jack and then back to Augustus shaking her head. "Step back, both of you." he said to her tentatively and then she saw him turn and give Jack a hit so hard that made him fall on ground and blood spilling from his mouth. The other two men picked him up straight and then Augustus hit him again. "Where is he?"Augustus asked. His voice wasn't showing off his temper or anything. It was just plain emotionless voice. He hit Jack twice again until he started speaking. He told that Brent was going to Seattle that evening where he was meeting some Russian delegate who was paying him huge for the codec of The Royal Cruise.