"What are you talking about?" Aubrey asked, confused, as she watched Ezra hustling around the cabin, gathering things in his duffle bag. She wrapped her arms around her body. 

Ezra stopped and turned to Aubrey. He could see that she was shivering. His chest hurt when he figured that she was shivering out of fear. "I just got a message from Jearon telling me he'll be here in the morning to pick you up." He turned back around and continued to busy himself by stuffing the bag with clothes. He grabbed another bag from a closet and started shoving her clothes from the box into the bag. 

"I thought that you convinced him to let me stay here?" She shivered even more as she wrapped her arms around herself tighter; she was still holding onto the hoodie. 

Ezra sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I did, but he changed his fucking mind. He doesn't care about the cops. He wants you now. Also, if he has physical proof that you are with him, he could raise the price of your ransom. He could play with your father better if you're with him." He took a breath. "Besides, the police can't do anything to him. He's got them wrapped around his finger."

Aubrey shuttered. "You promised no harm would come to me," her voice was small and low. Almost so intense that he had nearly missed what she had said. Almost. His heart hurt that she knew the danger of her being around Jearon. 

"I know what I promised," Ezra said through clenched teeth. Her eyes widened at his tone. He took a deep breath and controlled his temper. "I'm keeping my promise. I'm taking you to a remote cabin my family used to own. Jearon doesn't know I still have that cabin so he won't look for us there." He thought that if he did find us, it'd take him a long time. Enough time to figure out how to handle this situation better. He turned towards her and gave her a pleading look. "Now, please get ready. Take anything from the pantry and fridge you want and put them in bags for the cabin." Aubrey nodded her head quickly and did what he told her to do.

When her footsteps got quieter, he let out a shaky breath. He was going against everything that was expected from him. He was going against his most extended friendship, his gang – who had been his family for the past decade – and all the morals they had taught him. Good and bad. He was going to be ruining his career in the gang for eternity, all for some girl. In his mind, he didn't want to defy everything he had been taught, but his gut told him to protect her more than himself. He trusted his heart more than his mind. That's what his father had always taught him. 

To Ezra, it seemed like the day had gotten longer as he waited for the sun to fall. He stood by the window watching the sun with his arms crossed. They had finished packing faster than he had thought. He willed it to fall more quickly, but the sun wasn't obeying him. 

"You shouldn't be staring at the sun like that," Aubrey said behind him. He turned around to see her sitting comfortably on the couch, watching the TV. She had the same black hoodie from the box on, skinny jeans, and black tennis shoes. Her red hair was pulled up tight in a ponytail. She was looking straight at him. "It's bad for your eyes."

He slumped over to the couch and started to sit down beside her but stopped. He looked over at her and raised his eyebrow, silently asking permission to sit down. She nodded, and he sat down next to her but left enough space between them where she would be comfortable. He wasn't truly paying attention to what was on the TV; his mind was elsewhere. He knew that Jearon was getting more insane, but he never thought he would try to harm an innocent woman. She was just a pawn in his game, and Ezra wanted to ensure that she wouldn't get hurt. That meant keeping her away from Jearon.

Maybe it was for more selfish reasons than he wanted to admit. Either way, she was safer with him than she was with Jearon. 

"I'm sorry," he finally spoke up. "I'm a little impatient."

"I've been doing some thinking the past couple of days," she said slowly.

He looked over at her and raised his eyebrow. 

She moved on the couch to sit crisscross on the sofa, facing him. "You were telling the truth when you said that you weren't the bad guy." Ezra started to open his mouth when she put her hand up and stopped him. "While I don't fully trust you, I feel comfortable around you. I know you won't hurt me. If you wanted to, you would have by now." She wrapped her arms around herself. He noticed that she habitually did that when nervous or anxious. "I don't want to be anywhere near your boss again." There was a pleading look in her eyes. "Please promise me you won't let him have me."

Ezra leaned forward slightly. "I promise I'm not going to let Jearon get you." He started to reach for her hand but decided against it, deciding to rest it on the back of the couch instead. "I promise I'm going to keep you safe."

Aubrey held his stare for a few moments before nodding, satisfied with his promise. She turned back towards the TV and leaned back on the couch. Ezra copied her movement and continued to stare at the figures on the TV. He was going to protect her with everything in his power. He was going to get her back home. Ezra had to find a way to get her home, but he would do it. He was hoping that her father would give Jearon the money he wanted before everything turned to shit. 

When he looked out the window a while later, he was surprised to find it dark. He didn't feel like they were sitting on the couch for that long. While Aubrey got the groceries, he sprung off the couch and gathered up the duffle bags. Before climbing into the driver's seat, he put everything in the trunk and backseat. Aubrey got into the passenger seat. He could feel her eyes on him while he drove down the driveway. 

They had been driving for about thirty minutes before Ezra noticed Aubrey's head nodding off. "You can sleep if you want." He thought of her silence, saying thank you as she sunk lower in the seat and fell asleep against the window. It was going to be a long ride.

-------

Three hours later, Ezra pulled up to the single-story, lonely cabin. It was small and used initially for his father's hunting cabin when he was still alive. Ezra had always loved hunting with his father, so he could come to this cabin. He loved the forest. He felt more comfortable around the trees. He felt tense and tight in the city, but he was able to push that feeling down. 

Ezra left the driver's seat and walked to the passenger side. He opened the door and cradled a sleeping Aubrey in his arms. He didn't want to wake her up. He walked up the stairs of the porch and into the cabin. Turning on a light, he looked around at the familiar sight. Coming here made him miss his parents even more. He ignored them every day, but there were times like this when the feeling was more robust. 

Everything was the way it was the last time he was here. A single bed was on the opposite wall, while a bathroom led to the right. A small TV sat in front of the bed. A tiny fridge and a few cabinets lined the wall on the left. It wasn't fancy, but to Ezra, it felt like home.

He placed Aubrey on the bed and walked away to get his sleeping bag. Once he had it rolled out and started to climb into it, he heard rustling from the bed.

"Ezra?" he heard Aubrey's tired voice panic a little.

He stood up and walked over to the side of the bed. "It's all right. I'm still here."

"Where are you sleeping?"

Ezra pointed over to the door. "I'm sleeping over by the door. It's locked, but I want to be the first thing anyone meets."

Aubrey started to sit up as her eyes opened even more comprehensively. "You mean someone could come in?" She wrapped her arms around her body. 

Ezra bit his lip as he realized his mistake of making her fear even more significant. "N-No. No one is coming in. I won't let them come anywhere near you." He turned to walk away when he heard Aubrey's small voice calling out to him. He turned to her.

She was sitting up and still looked nervous. Her eyes pleaded with him. "Will you stay with me?" she asked him. 

Ezra smiled. "I'll be in the same room. Not too far away, princess."

"No," she paused. "I mean next to me." She reached out her hand and placed it on the space beside her. 

Ezra's smile faded just a bit as he realized what she meant. He nodded slowly and came to the side of the bed. She moved over just enough so he could get in. He slowly got under the covers and laid on his back, careful not to touch her. He placed his hands on his stomach and waited for her to fall asleep. He planned to stay until she was fast asleep to move and return to his sleeping bag. 

Ezra's eyes widened as he felt Aubrey roll over and place her head on his chest. He hesitated before wrapping his arm around her protectively and pulling her closer.

"Thank you, Ezra," Aubrey whispered. "You aren't a bad guy." She nuzzled into him, and he felt her body relax against him. 

Ezra smiled at the ceiling. The butterflies in his stomach would not stop fluttering. He felt like he was acting like a girl. This is not how a highly respected gang member would feel, but he did. He looked down at Aubrey and sighed. She was beautiful. He tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and repeatedly vowed not to let any harm come to her. If someone did touch her, he would not hesitate to kill them. Closing his eyes, he knew for the first time in three days that he would get a good night's sleep.