Disclaimer : Twilight are not mine.

A/N : Hello again everyone! And Happy New Year! Here is another updates. A very short chapter unlike the previous one. Hope you guys okay with it. I didn't have much to say this time, haha, bcoz I'll be leaving for a business trip (again) for two weeks next week (haven't finish my packing yet). And many, many, many thanks to my beta, Jake's Pup, for spending time within his busy schedule to beta read my work. Other beta would've given up on me, or scream at me for my rubbish grammar, so thanks for putting up with me.

And thanks for all your wonderful reviews, follows & favorites. Now, some reviews replies:

girl black20 : Yeah… that scene gave me some hard bumps to write it. I did tons of changes in the beginning of the Dark Paradise. And to think, I almost describe what Emmett's gun looks like. Haha, that would be boring, no doubt.

SereneCalamity : Haha, did you finally guess who is my Jacob? Please tell me, you're not still searching who is the guy, because it will be so hard to find! Lol. And thank you, I appreciate it, because I do feel a bit nervous that people might not like the story because it doesn't have a lot of smut in it.

jessa76 : When I read your comments, one thing that had popped into my head, great minds think alike. Hahaha. But hopefully you'll wait, it might be an interesting ride ;)

Tigers257 : Oh, he did. And fell in love hard, he is. But Jacob still have a lot of insecurities and issues that he needs to face, before he can really admit his feelings to Emmett.

By the way, I've got a poll running on my profile right now. The question is "Who should say 'I love you' first in Bloodstream? Emmett or Jacob". So go to my poll and start vote now!

I've got a new character introduced in this chapter. His name is Phoenix, I did mentioned him briefly last chapter,if you still remember. So how Phoenix looks like? Go search Tyler Hoechlin. Yeah, the Teen Wolf guy. I know you know him.

Anyway, enjoy!

Warnings : Implied violence and crimes. And Emmett's blue eyes and smiles.

You're in love with something bigger than love

You believe in something stronger than trust

Wanderlust

Wanderlust

~ Wanderlust by The Weekend Ft. Pharrell

.

Chapter 6 : Wanderlust

/

My alarm went off at four in the morning, and I grumbled to myself as I slid across the bed to get my ringing phone. I tapped on my phone to turn off the alarm and laid back on the bed, glaring sleepily at the ceiling.

Why did Emmett pick the early flight?

I'm not a morning person though I love mornings. I'm a nocturnal person, and it's just natural to get used to my job's working hours after a few years in the business.

After a huff and some mental preparation, I threw the blanket and moved towards the bathroom on my toes against the icy floor.

By five, I had my suitcase in the trunk of a cab, ready to go to LAX.

It was peaceful during these hours, as life slowly woke up from its slumber around me, even though it never really goes to sleep. The blurry eyed people taking those critical first sips of their morning coffee and the night owl just returning home from wild night.

I arrived at the airport by 6 am, somehow taking longer than I expected. I paid the cabbie before heading into the departure terminal with my things. I'm not very good manoeuvring inside a large place, airports included, which is the reason why I don't like spending time outside my apartment except when I'm with clients.

My eyes immediately scanned my surroundings for signboards to guide me. Emmett said he would meet me at the closest Starbucks, before security and near the entrance. I found the Starbucks signboard and moved to wheel my luggage further into the airport until I saw a familiar green logo, and looked around for a tall man in a suit.

Instead, I saw Emmett in a pair of dark jeans and a white t-shirt, covered with a navy blue knit jacket, sipping from a large white cup.

Emmett smiled as our eyes met, and I went over, feeling more and more overwhelmed as the distance closed.

I noticed the tan of Emmett's skin, contrasting beautifully against the soft fabric of his outfit. He was so incredibly casual, despite the Rolex still on his wrist. He stole my breath away, in a different way from when he was wearing his suits.

"Good morning," Emmett greeted me in a low, soft voice, a smile on his lips and his blue eyes warmer than a summer sky. He looked as tired as I felt, but he was still incredibly handsome.

And then I felt the sudden urge to touch him, to reach out and bury myself in Emmett, to wrap my arms around him and seek the fleeting safety I had experienced in the middle of our previous night together.

But I didn't. Instead I muttered a 'hi' in return, feeling my face flush.

"Ready?" Emmett asked, his voice as soft as his eyes. He stood up and looked down at me.

"Yeah." I murmured, swallowing any doubt, fear or longing.

/

We went through the security and I watched Emmett as he grabbed a plastic bin to place his things in, glancing at him often throughout the security checks, just to see his expression. He was calm, looking just as tired as everyone around us with a sleepy gaze and a small frown. I wondered which one of us is the better actor, a lying whore with one of his clients or a mafia boss surrounded by security in an international airport. Emmett just smiled politely and wished everyone he talked with good morning.

I felt a surge of admiration for him. With all the power and money he had, he didn't act as if all those people were in any way inferior. Emmett was something I have never seen before, so different from all the men with money that I had met.

I averted my gaze as my bin came rolling out of the x-ray machine. A heavy feeling settled inside me, the same feeling I had when I left the hotel after Emmett the other day. I glanced back at the queue and saw a tall, tanned and muscular man staring at us. His black hair was short and slightly spiked, and he was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt combo with jacket like Emmett. I stared back into those dark eyes. My brows furrowed a little when the man didn't look away from us until he grabbed a bin.

Emmett pulled at my elbow and I swallowed down the paranoia feelings that has been creeping up my spine.

Once we were through, Emmett led the way through the gates, as I glanced back again to see the man still staring, almost watching.

An annoying bit of anxiousness settled in the pit of my stomach. I tried not to think about it, instead watching the muscles of Emmett's back shift under his knit jacket, or the way it gently stretched over the flexed arm as he carried his hand luggage.

I glanced into the reflection of the glass to my right, and saw the man following us from a distance. He was carrying only a backpack with him, his brow heavy from the furrowed look. I pressed my lips together as I took a few more steps to catch up with Emmett.

We were being followed.

As the gates became further and further from one another, I got more and more confused as we passed each and every single one of them. I was about to ask Emmett which gate we were supposed to go in when Emmett led me through a heavy black door and we stepped right outside into the sunshine.

The air was dewy and cool, nipping at my skin gently, I bunched my shoulders up to my ears looked on as Emmett led me towards a sleek white jet just a mere six hundred feet away.

Of course. A mafia boss doesn't fly in coach.

I felt a little stupid thinking that we might be flying in coach and blamed it on my sleepiness.
And then the heavy door shut behind us, and I whipped my head to look back.

It was the same man, again.

"Uh, Emmett…"

Emmett looked back to me, then at the man, his eyes squinted from the rising sun. He said nothing as the man walked closer to us, and I took a step back, instinctively moving closer to Emmett.

The two men nodded at each other as I looked at both of them.

"Avete preso il bastardo?" Emmett asked in Italian.

"No."

Emmett clenched his jaw, clearly upset over something.

"Grazie, Phoenix." He said as he gave a tight lip smile.

"Piccola cosa, capo. Come si chiama?" The man nodded and looked back to me.

"Jacob." Emmett replied as I glanced between them, confused.

"Who's he?" I asked Emmett, flicking my eyes back to the other man.

"Caporegime." Emmett hummed, a small smile on his mouth as he looked down at me, his eyes as warm as honey with his affection, "A 'lieutenant'. He works for me. He made sure no one followed us out here."

I murmured a little 'oh' under my breath, flicking my gaze back to the man.

He wasn't as tall as Emmett, but he was a little taller than me. His muscles were impressive, but more on the athletic side compared to Emmett who was crazily well built like a Greek god. Although his eyes were hard, I felt comforted by his presence. His intent sat well in my guts.

I reached my hand out to him, "Jake. Call me Jake, please. Emmett refuses to".

At that, Emmett chuckled besides me.

The man's accent wasn't as thick as I had expected, "Phoenix. Pleasure to meet you, Jake."

His smile was small, but shocking. He was such a scary looking man. Tough.

"Likewise," I breathed, my hand falling back to my side. I watched Phoenix as he passed around us to get to the jet. We both turned to watch Phoenix walking up the steps into the jet.

Emmett nudged me gently then, smirked and nodded towards the jet, "Ready?"

Emmett looked at me, as I continued to stare at the jet, finally glancing over when Emmett chuckled, "Come on, sweetheart"

Again, I felt another surge of admiration for the eccentric mafia boss.

/

It was just like in the movies. Plush seats, hardwood floors, champagne before noon, a nice book in my hand…

I was in heaven with a handsome mafia boss by my side.

"More champagne?" Emmett asked, catching sight of my empty glass in my hand.

"Hm?" I hummed, lifting my head but not taking my eyes of the printed pages.

Emmett chuckled and leaned in closer, enough for me to catch that familiar cologne. His voice was deep and rumbling as he murmured, "Champagne, Jacob."

I handed him my glass, "Thank you."

It was refilled half way and I took another sip as Emmett put the bottle back into the bucket next to him.

We fell into easy silence once more as I took sips from my bubbly beverage every now and then. I ignored the Italians next to me, trying to focus on the book as Emmett talked to Phoenix, who was seated across him. It was just the three of us on the board aside from the pilot and his co-pilot.

One hour into the flight and everything was going smoothly except that I have lost interest to keep reading and closed my book. I glanced over at Phoenix, who was reading or watching something on his phone with headphones in his ears.

Then I looked at Emmett, who was reading a newspaper and he looked up and noticed me watching him.

"You okay?" He asked with a soft smile, placing his newspaper on the table.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded. "How long is the flight gonna take?"

"About 5 hours." Emmett replied. "Have you ever been on a long flight before?"

"I've been to New York before." I answered.

"With a client?" Emmett eyebrows raised.

I nodded.

Emmett nodded, resting his chin on his elbow, leaning on the armrest. While leaning, he stared at me, as always, and I wasn't sure if I should go back to reading or not.

"Are you excited?"

I licked my lips and nodded after a moment.

"You hesitated."

I pursed my lips together, "Well, yes, I'm excited. But I'm also nervous."

"About?" Emmett raised his eyebrows.

"A lot of things…" I whispered, setting my champagne aside, "I'm traveling with you, why shouldn't I be nervous?"

Emmett laughed dryly, "Me?" He asked, his warmth gone.

"A mafia boss has enemies, doesn't he?"

"I do."

"Enemies that have weapons. Weapons that can kill." I said slowly like I was explaining something to a six year old kid.

Emmett raised a brow, "So do I."

His words chilling me a little, "Yes. I remember it well." I stared at him.

His face dropped as the last word left my mouth. I felt a flash of vindictiveness at what had happened that day, of how scared he had made me. But I soon regretted the words I said, because I knew it wasn't his intention to scare me like that. He was a mafia boss, having a gun was inevitable. It was stupid to question that. Like asking a cowboy why they wear a hat and cowboy boots.

I flicked my eyes out to the window, watching the clouds fly by as the sky steadily turned blue.

My question came quietly, barely a whisper as I looked to the window, "Have you killed before?"

Emmett's jaw clenched and he looked away, an instant 'yes' in my mind.

Truthfully, I wasn't surprised. I saw the gun, I knew it was not an accessory. It was a tool.
But the look he had on his face now, puzzled me. Like how he looked when he told me he was a mafia boss the other night. Like he just had a confession.

"Is that why you have Phoenix? So that you don't have to?"

Emmett cleared his throat and looked down at my shoes, "He's here to keep you safe."

My heart skipped a beat, "And you?" I whispered.

"I can take care of myself. Phoenix will stay at the hotel with you when I'm not. I trust him the most out of all my men."

Our eyes met, and I licked my lips, biting back a smile when Emmett's eyes stared at them, "Why?" I glanced over at Phoenix still scrolling on his phone.

"He took a bullet for me, once." Emmett took his glass and sipped from it, "His selflessness has earned him my respect and complete trust. When you're working for a mafia boss, those are the two single things that keep you alive."

Respect and trust. I thought of them as poison. For years, I had never been respected before, and my job as a whore, made me untrustworthy. And so I lied, I cheated, I deceived people, I created an illusion of perfection in retaliation. And that was what my walls were for. I was living behind my walls, survived because of it, until one day, this man in front of me broke them down. I hated Emmett, hated him for what he didn't even realized did.

I raised my eyebrows at him, "So you do?"

"What?"

"You do trust me? Because I'm still alive now last time I checked. Even when I was about to pull the trigger on you." It came out just like that and I regretted it immediately.

Emmett stared me down with that soft smile and knowing eyes for a long moment. I was about to tell him that I couldn't because I'll be losing a client, when he said "I do trust you, sweetheart. More than you think."

I blinked my eyes, "Really? You don't think that I could be a spy, an undercover agent or something?"

Emmett laughed, his eyes crinkled beautifully, "No. They will never be as beautiful as you."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Charming. Flattery will get you anywhere." I muttered and Emmett burst out laughing, his smile carefree.

My heart fluttered in my chest and I looked away.

Stupidly handsome, charming, incorrigible flirty old man.

I hated him.

/

Miami was bright and shining in my eyes when we land, blinding me with the thoughts of glitz and glamor as Emmett took my hand to help me down from the jet. A real gentleman, who even lighted my cigarette for me, cupping his hand against the flame so the wind from the ocean wouldn't blow it out. I watched him the entire time, hollowing my cheeks for show as I took the first drag, and Emmett stared at me hungrily. With a surge of confidence, I gave Emmett a playful wink before taking my luggage and beginning to wheel it towards the airport, blowing out poisonous smoke from my mouth.

I couldn't forget the reason why I was here in the first place. Keep Emmett happy, in any way possible.

Emmett led us through the airport with Phoenix following close behind. I glanced back to him from time to time, catching his eye before something took the man's attention again. He looked young, maybe a few years older than me.

We made it safely back to a sleek black Bentley, where Emmett opened the back door for me and looked around before following in behind me. Phoenix sat up front with the driver, and the second we left the airport, I looked out to the tinted window.

"First time?" Emmett asked softly, and I nodded my head.

My curiosity strongly pushed me to explore the city. To sample everything. To see everything.

I smiled at Emmett, "Where are we staying?" I asked after a long stretch of silence, watching him as the Italian was typing away at his phone.

"The Setai," Emmett hummed, his accent making the word sound silly, "I booked the 'Ocean Suite'. Hope you'll like the view of the South Beach waterfront."

I smirked to myself, so very pleased at Emmett thoughtfulness. Warmth spread in my lower belly and expanded throughout my body.

"Can't wait…" I whispered against the glass as the city passed by in front of me.

It was going to be an interesting five days.

/

TBC

Translation:

Avete preso il bastardo? – Did you catch the bastard?

Grazie, Phoenix. – Thanks, Phoenix.

Piccola cosa, capo. Come si chiama – Small thing, boss. What's his name?

A/N : Don't forget to vote on the poll guys. Thanks!

Next, ready your seats, guys. It's going to get wild.

Reviews, follows, favourites!