Authors Note: [EDITED] my stupid ass decided to initially write this chapter in third person and I honestly have no idea why I did that. I've read over it and I do like it, so I'll keep it, but just note that the rest of the book is written in Faith's POV unless stated otherwise.
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For the first time since Faith Crawford entered the Luciano estate, she was able to step outside on the freshly manicured lawn. Her head tilted backwards as she stood in awe, her attention on the massive double doors that led into the home. She then focused on the driveway in front of her. It was paved in a tan brick design; a large, flowing fountain right in the middle of the circle. Off to the right was another building the size of her own home back in Maryland where five garage doors sat side-by-side, closed.
Commotion; talking, laughing, and hush mumbling was heard around her as she focused in on the people in front of her. Alex and Luis were standing behind one of the two cars that were on and ready for the journey to the airport. They both stood huddled behind a white range rover, the trunk open, as they piled luggage in the back. Faith watched as Will brushed past her without a word, two suitcases in his hand as he dropped them as his friend's feet - waiting for them to load his luggage in as well.
This was all too much. The past 48 hours of her life had been a whirlwind; from being locked up in a basement, to coming up stairs and meeting her kidnappers. It was frustrating; all she truly knew was the simple fact that she was - somehow - involved with the mafia, that two families wanted her, and she was taken by the mysterious, yet, strikingly handsome, Liam Luciano. But why? Why is he protecting me? Was the question that echoed in her mind, repeating itself over, over, and over again.
She raised a hand to her forehead, where a nice sized knot was beginning to form; a knot Liam had caused. The knot was certainly his fault, but Faith knew she had been in the wrong to spit on him. She antagonized him and he retaliated.
Faith nearly jumped as she felt a presence behind her, making her whirl around. The grip she had on her measly suitcase loosened, and the heel of her foot rested on the edge of the steps, causing her to lose balance. Her mouth formed an 'O' as she felt herself flailing her arms. It was happening quick; too quick. But just as fast as she had lost her balance, she felt a grip on her arm, stopping her from falling.
She focused on Liam as he stood there, his hand still wrapped around her arm, stopping her. He looked completely unamused; his facial expressions showing boredom. Liam pulled her back up on her two feet as he pointed to her dropped luggage. "Grab those, Will," He nodded, speaking over her shoulder.
For a split second he glanced back at Faith, only causing her cheeks to flush under his intense stare. His jaw clenched as he turned without a word, jogging down the two steps and onto the pavement. Faith breathed a sigh of relief before whispering, "Thank you," to an unaware Luciano.
Gathering her composure, she turned around. Alex was already in the driver's seat of the Rover, the car geared and ready to go. Luis got her attention, waving slightly. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Crawford! I hope to see you again," He shot a curt, quick nod in her direction before climbing into the passenger seat.
Sighing, Faith landed on the pavement as William gathered her belongings; but instead of putting it in the back with their stuff, he started hauling it in another direction. She frowned, confused as she jogged to keep up with him. "Wait, Will, where are you taking my-" He turned the corner, continuing his strides as Faith stopped dead in her tracks.
A blacked out Audi R8 sat on the driveway, the purr of the engine filling the air around them. Will tossed her luggage in the trunk as Faith slowly rotated around her dream car. The rims were shiny and stylish, a crisp, metallic black color. The body of the black car blended with the black rims and tinted windows, the only ounce of color that Faith noted, were the red brake calipers that had been specially requested by the owner of the car. She looked up at William, who was standing there, a boyish grin on his face.
"What's so funny?"
He chuckled, still smiling. "Everyone always has the same reaction when they see this car." Faith smiled slightly as she looked back at the Audi. Her hand reached out, wanting to touch the car's black paint, but a voice shouted out, stopping her.
"Ah, ah, ahhh-" Liam's voice rang out from behind her, but this time she didn't jump. She turned slightly, retracting her hand from the car. "I just had her washed and shined. Don't touch."
"You all be safe and have fun," Will smiled, nodding towards Faith. He gave Liam a half-hearted hug as he walked over to Faith, extending his hand. She accepted it, unsure as to if they were on a 'hug' basis. Before he pulled away, he whipped out his phone and handed it to her, explaining. "Type in your phone number."
Faith's eyebrows furrowed as she held the iPhone in her hands. "I don't have my phone-"
"-just type it in," He whined playfully. Will shot a look over at Liam, who smirked as he rested his ass on the back of the car, his arms folded across his chest. They knew what they were doing. Faith didn't notice the exchange of looks as she typed her number in my heart before clicking save. She handed the phone back to Will.
"If you need anything," Will stressed as he slid his phone in his pocket, "call me." Faith nodded as she watched her one and only friend send a curt, professional nod towards Liam, before turning and jogging back to the waiting range rover, and hopping in the back seat.
The next minute and a half was the longest span of time Faith had ever endured. She looked to Liam, watching as his attention was locked on the Range Rover. Pushing himself off the car, he turns to Faith, "We have a long drive in front of us," Liam's raspy voice broke the silence.
Her legs shook as she tried her best to walk over to the passenger side of the car. Liam followed her closely, only making her ten times more nervous. He opened the door for her, causing her to pause. When did he become a gentlemen? The pause Faith took lasted longer than she thought as she glanced up, meeting Liam's eyes. His lips stayed pursed in a straight line, his expression unreadable. Luciano finally spoke up, upon realizing the girl wasn't getting into the car.
"Get in the car, Ms. Crawford." His voice was demanding and deep, but the more he talked, the more Faith hinted at a slight accent.
Faith glanced at the plush, burgundy colored seats, then back at Liam. His gaze was stone cold, causing her to turn away; assessing her options. Getting into a car with Liam Luciano, the man that had hit her twice and the man who hadn't shown an ounce of humanity in the last two days seemed ridiculous. The fighter in her told her to run and never look back. Her body had turn oh-so slightly in the direction of freedom, but as quickly as it did, Liam shifted in his stance, blocking her. A slight smirk crept on his lips.
"I'd advise against that, Ms. Crawford."
She clenched her jaw and looked up at him, curious, "Why?"
Liam's gaze lifted, glancing over Faith's shoulder before he looked back down at her. He licks his lips, "There's a sniper on the roof, simply waiting for me to command him to drop you."
Faith squints in a glare, "You're bluffing."
Luciano steps to the side, opening up a wide path in front of his captive. The muscle in his jaw twitches as he points toward her freedom, "Test me then, Ms. Crawford," He watched, expressionless as Faith steps away from the car, her small steps taking her further away from him. Right before she took off, Liam added, "But just for your information, many have tested me," Faith locks eyes with him, "and they've all failed."
With an exasperated sigh, Faith turns around and climbs into the car, huffing as the car door slams a few seconds later.
She eases the seat-belt across her shoulders and over her waist, securing it. Liam slid into the car moments later. Faith adjusted herself wisely, angling her body in just a way she didn't have to stare at Liam the whole ride. She uses her elbow to prop her head up as she stares out the window, groaning loudly. The car began to move a second later.
"Wake me up when we get there," She sighed, twisting herself in hope of getting more comfortable. "-actually, don't wake me up. Go ahead and kill me while I'm sleep, it won't hurt as much." Her voice held a sarcastic hint to it as she closed her eyes, her breathing steadying.
For the next three minutes, Faith rotated herself in her seat, adjusting the seat-belt so it didn't dig into her shoulder. She couldn't understand why sleep refused to come, but when she opened her eyes, she realized why.
With a hand on the gearshift, Liam was staring at her intently, his lips pursed in a straight line, "Be careful what you wish for, Ms. Crawford."
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Faith Crawford stirred in her seat, stretching despite the tight, enclosed quarters she was in. She yawned, covering her mouth as she woke up. The first thing she saw were cars; and lots of them. Faith squinted, the sun still sensitive to her eyes. "Where are we?"
Liam had tilted his seat back, his hand covering his face as he cat napped. Traffic had stalled their journey about 30 minutes ago, but Faith had been sleep. His eyes shot open as he turned to look at her. "Still Chicago," He mumbled. With a click, he was back to sitting upright in the driver's seat.
Faith watched as Liam ran a hand through his hair, then down the base of his neck. She eyed him carefully, not wanting to get caught - or yelled at - because of it. His hand rubbed against the stubble on his chin, his finger tracing his jawline. His eyes, which were covered by a real pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses remained on the road as the traffic continued to creep.
"Stop staring,"
The order came quick. Faith adverted her gaze quickly, resting it on her hands. Seconds grew into minutes as the car would move, then stop, only to begin moving again. Traffic was frustrating.
Silence welcomed them both once more as neither knew what to say. Clearing her throat after another 15 minutes of silence, Faith spoke up. The traffic had begun to clear as the road opened up, allowing for their journey to continue. "Would you like to play twenty questions?" Faith was about to slide back in her seat and shut up when an answer didn't come immediately, almost as if Liam had to analyze his response first.
He rotated his hands on the steering wheel, his head tilting; yet, he never glanced at Faith. "I've never played twenty questions." His answer came as a surprise; who had never played twenty questions before?
"I'll teach you," Faith shifted in her seat, finally feeling as though they were getting somewhere. "So, basically, there's two ways you can play. I can think of an object and ask you twenty questions, and then you have to guess it. Or I simply ask you twenty questions so we can get to know each other."
Liam nodded in response.
"Well? Which one do you want to play?" Faith questioned. Luciano's answer came as a simple shrug. "Well... let's get to know each other first."
"Fine," was all Liam said.
He wasn't much of a talker, which Faith had deduced through careful analyzing. "Um," Faith bit her lip as she turned, checking out her surroundings in hope of a question. She didn't want to ask anything that would upset him, considering he was behind the wheel . . .
"What's your favorite color?"
Liam shrugged.
"What's your favorite movie?"
"I don't watch movies."
"What's your favorite type of food?"
"I eat to survive."
Faith mentally face palmed as she turned, glaring at Liam obviously. "This isn't working out like I thought it would." She sighed, frustrated as she turned, resting her head against the window.
Liam smirked a tad as he merged lanes, flooring the gas pedal. The engine roared to life as the car jolted forward, picking up speed. The sound of the engine was the only sound the two heard for a while, before Liam did something Faith had never expected; he spoke first.
"When's your birthday?" His eyes stayed glued to the road as Faith picked up her head, giving him a surprised look. She stumbled on a answer, but only because she hadn't expected the question. Sitting up in her seat, she ran a hand through her hair, answering.
"November; my birthday is in November." She bit back her tongue as the date nearly slipped past her lips. She wasn't going to give him all the information he wanted. Faith glanced at him quickly, watching as his jaw tensed, then relaxed.
Faith Crawford had learned at an early age of 'tells'. Before lying, some people rubbed their nose or played with their ears. When nervous, some people crack their knuckles or shifted the weight on their feet repeatedly. So was this, the tensing and relaxing of his jaw, Liam's tell? But his tell for what? Lying? Was he getting angry?
"-January," Liam's words nudged Faith out of her thoughts. "My birthday is in January."
Faith nodded, glancing at Liam one last time before turning his eyes to the road. Luciano shifted in his seat, sighing. "So where are we going?" Liam's eyebrows furrowed for a second as he licked his lips, a reply on the tip of his tongue.
"Michigan," He answered; At the exact moment, the sign that said, "Welcome to Michigan" flew past them. Faith grew quiet, her hands clutched together as she grew nervous.
Liam shot a look over at his passenger; her complexion had gone from a shade of tan, to nearly ghostly white. He cleared his throat. "The Chicago airport wouldn't hold my private plane; I'm still working out the details, so I drive up to the Michigan airport."
"Why wouldn't they hold it?"
"They want like...so many millions of dollars to take care of it, to clean it and hire a new pilot each time. I don't have time for that."
Faith frowned, "But you have money coming out of your-"
"-Does that mean I can't budget?" Luciano jerked his head in her direction, a frown crawling on his lips and his eyebrows lowering. Faith noticed his eye squinting, his jaw clenching. His tone of voice went from calm and conversational like, to defensive. The question came out rhetorical as Faith lowered herself in the seat.
Silence filled the car once more as time flew by; minutes turned to hours as Liam finally merged the car, taking the correct exit, which eventually led into the airport.
Instead of following the flow of traffic, Liam turned left; a large, stainless steel gate blocking their path. Two security guards stood on either side of the car as the Audi came to a stop, Liam cracked the window.
"Sir, no one is allowed-" The officer approached the car, speaking through the crack in the window. The cop on the other side of the car, closest to Faith, had a hand on his gun.
Liam rolled the window down a little more as he fumbled through his wallet, before pulling out his license. He handed the cop his I.D., waiting.
"Oh!" The guards eyebrows rose in shock as he scanned Luciano's ID. "-Mr. Luciano, I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you."
"Its fine," Liam snatched his ID back, tossing it beside him as he began rolling up the window. The first guard alerted the gate keeper as the gate started screeching, opening far enough for the car to drive through.
Liam came to a stop only a few hundred feet away from the biggest airplane Faith Crawford had ever laid eyes on. Steps descended down the entrance of the plane; waiting for them. Luciano turned to Faith now, licking his lips.
"Here-" Liam reached into the backseat, digging for a dark grey hoodie. He tosses it in Faith's lap, a curious look crossing her face.
"Wh-" Her question was answered before it was even asked; but not by Liam. A swarm of people hounded the car, cameras flashing and people chattering loudly. Faith jumped, leaning away from the car door in fear. One name was being repeated on everyone's lips; Liam.
Luciano sighed as he took off his seatbelt, adjusting his suit in the process. "That's the press." Faith Crawford frowned again, hundreds of questions on her mind.
"Why? I thought you were with the mafia! The mafia doesn't have . . . coverage like this."
Liam smirked softly, "Put the hoodie on-" He reached into the pocket of the back seat, pulling around another pair of matching black ray bans. "-and put these on."
Faith obeyed as she slid the oversized hoodie over her thin frame. The hoodie smelt of Luciano's cologne as she inhaled deeply. It smelt good. Tucking her red hair behind her ear, Faith slipped the pair of ray bans over the brim of her nose and nodded. "Ready."
Liam Luciano exited the car, immediately swarmed by reporters. Lights flashed and people shouted, cramming, all of them hoping to have their questions answered by the infamous billionaire. Faith kept her head down as she made it to Liam's side, clutching his arm.
The only word to describe the scene was chaotic. Microphones and phone recorders were shoved in their faces as cameras flashed repeatedly, leaving her nearly blind.
"Liam!"
"Liam!"
Luciano kept his head up, walking towards the entrance of his plane. His normal bodyguard was nowhere to be found, making the trip harder than normal. He held a fake smile for the tabloids as he gripped Faith's waist, keeping her close. She hadn't tried to run away, and he wasn't planning on allowing it to happen.
"Liam! Who's the girl?"
"Liam! Do you plan on opening more buildings in the United States, or even overseas?"
"Liam! Your company has been doing so well-"
They finally broke free of the wrath of reporters as Faith jogged into the plane, Liam right behind her. The door closed behind them almost immediately as Faith stopped, taking in her surroundings.
The furniture in the plane looked plush; the color theme tan, an oak colored brown, and white. A leather sofa sat off to the right, wrapping around the inner wall of the plane. A large, oak coffee table sat in the middle. Off to the side was a table; where sparkling, white glasses sat. A glass of red wine sat in a clear, crystal bowl, covered with ice. Beside the table, sat a small, half-sized refrigerator, which held other drink options and food.
The door to the plane opened once more as a salt and pepper haired man entered. He handed Liam his luggage, along with Faith's bag as he nodded. Liam and the man shook hands as he turned to Faith. "The name's Donald Weatherspoon," He smiled, extending his hand. Donald and Faith exchanged a formal handshake. "I'll be your pilot this trip. I've worked with Liam before."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Weatherspoon."
"The plane has all the perks, trust me. Enjoy your flight." He nodded before turning, walking behind a door, into the cockpit, completely disappearing from sight. The door shut for the last and final time as he walked away.
Luciano stood against the wall, nodding towards the interior of the plane. "Get comfortable," He turned, ready to walk down a hallway when Faith stopped him.
"Whoaaa, slow down there buddy," She slid the hoodie off her hand, the ray bans following. "What was that out there? You work for the mafia; I thought that was a little more . . . secretive."
"It is," Liam laughed darkly, running a hand through his hair.
"Then why were there nearly 100 reporters out there screaming your name and snapping pictures?"
Liam turned around, his arms folded across his chest. "Have you heard of Tanner Inc.?"
"Tanner, Tanner, Tanner," Faith closed her eyes, repeating the name over and over, raking her brain for any sort of recollection. "Yes, I have actually," She nodded, "They're the company behind those Tanner Heights hotels and apartments, correct?"
Liam nodded.
"What about them?"
"I own them," and with that, Liam turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing behind a bedroom door.
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Authors Note: [edited]