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Penthouse Suite | @Charlie

Everything was looking up. Business was booming and there was nothing else to worry about. There was no word of any trouble once Luke got back from Colombia. He felt lighter. A weight was lifted and he was ready for whatever was next. Once he landed, Luke got notice that Jake would be out of the hospital soon and ready to go home. That was good. He would pick him up and make sure everything was okay. Then he would have Matty catch him up while he and Charlie disappeared for awhile. His wife. Charlie Martin. It was all surreal and it happened so fast. He didn’t even wear a ring. Not that he stray. Charlie was his world. He would protect her no matter what or die in the process. She was the only thing he loved more than his work. It took him longer to get home than what he promised Charlie. He didn’t let her know he was stopping to pick up Jake either. He told a few of his boys to meet him there to help. Jake would stay at his place until he was better. It was safer there. And quiet. Everyone knew better than to just walk into Luke’s house. Jake was still pretty out of it when they got to the hospital. At least Luke didn’t have to look at him plugged up to those machines anymore. He would be in a wheelchair for awhile but Luke would accommodate. The boys could work on building more ramps while he was gone. They were in and out of the hospital in no time. Jake was loaded into Luke’s car and the other boys followed in a separate vehicle. Charlie probably wouldn’t be too pleased with a group of boys pulling up to their house just as they were about to leave for vacation. But this was a day in his life. She should have been use to it by now.

Charlie always hated how quickly she felt herself missing Luke. Even when they weren’t together at work during the day, she missed him. Every second they were apart was spent thinking about the next possible time she could see him. Even though they had been together for quite a while now, Charlie didn’t want any space from him. She never imagined that she would. They bickered every once in a while, of course, but it was usually nothing big. They really were a team. A king and queen reaping the benefits from running their kingdom.

She had almost everything prepared when she heard the door open. Then she heard the voices and immediately rolled her eyes. They occasionally had the boys in and out of their house, but for the most part it was her only safe haven. Charlie went downstairs, where she saw a group of boys and Jake in a wheelchair. Even though she was a bit irritated, she couldn’t resist going to Luke to give him a hug and a kiss. Charlie said hello to the boys and took a few moments to talk to Jake before she turned to Luke again. “When did you plan on leaving, again?” A nicer way of asking when the boys were getting the hell out.

When Charlie turned to talk to him, Luke could tell by the look on her face that she was getting annoyed. He pulled her close and kissed her again. If there wasn’t an audience in their living room he would have showed her just how much he missed her. Instead it was a light peck and his hand stayed rested on the small of her back. “As soon as our Jake is moved in.” He smiled but paused before continuing. Luke was in charge of everything. Most of Bristol’s underground. But this house was Charlie’s. And something in the back of his mind was telling him he should have called and asked first. “He’s going to be staying here while he recovers. Safer and that. The lads will be building ramps and shit for the cripple.” Which meant they would be leaving soon but the boys weren’t. Hopefully they knew better than to leave the house a mess by the time Luke and Charlie got back.

“Packing done?” He asked. Luke started to walk toward the back room, motioning for Charlie to follow. Checking on the packing was an excuse. Once he was away from the boys chattering out front, Luke closed the door behind Charlie and kissed her again. This time he nearly pinned her against the wall. He’d been gone for awhile and he wasn’t use to being away from Charlie for this long. Now that they were married he didn’t want to leave her side. “Sorry about the surprise. I got the call on the way home. He’s better off here than with all of the lads yeah. Besides we won’t be using the house for awhile…”

Her eyebrows shot up when she heard the phrase “moved in.” Jake and Luke were always attached at the hip, and she realized that. She didn’t mind Jake. But having a live-in patient wasn’t how she imagined them starting off their married life. She kept her mouth shut and watched as the boys moved things around, following Luke once he gestured for her too. Before she could even get a word out, he was kissing her. She sighed against his lips, but it wasn’t a frustrated one – it was more out of relief than anything. It was like she couldn’t function normally with Luke being so far away, and now that he was back, things felt right again.

“It’s fine,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him even closer to her. He was right. They’d be out of the house for a while, and even if Jake had to stay for a bit when they got back, it wouldn’t be too bad. The place was big, and Jake wasn’t exactly safe on his own. “As long as they don’t turn it into a trap house while we’re gone.” She kissed him again, unable to resist. “Packing’s done,” she confirmed, slipping her hands under the fabric of his shirt so that she could feel the smooth skin of his back. Charlie rested her head on his shoulder. “I missed you,” she said, pressing her lips against his neck.

Luke wrapped his arms around Charlie and held her close. His chin rested on top of her head where he placed a kiss before resting it there again. Her hands were cold against his warm skin. Luke closed his eyes to take it all in for a moment. Charlie was a God send. And for once everything was right and falling back into place. This was the sort of moments he promised Charlie and they were finally here. “We don’t have anything to worry about ever again.” He felt like he’d won a war. It’d been a long fight but now all of their problems were gone. The next step was taking over for his grandfather. Then they would be unstoppable.

He pulled back to get a good look at her. Luke held her face in his hands and searched her eyes. “How are you?” She looked fine. No more bruises. Luke knew she was more than capable of handling herself but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to fix her problems. “Do you need anything before we go?”

We don’t have anything to worry about ever again. It seemed too good to be true, but he said the words with such certainty that she couldn’t help but smile. Whatever problems they were facing now seemed to be irrelevant compared to the shit storm they’d been swept up in for months. There had been no sign of Louie in a long while. Charlie was finally sleeping through the night. She and Luke were both staying true to their promise of knocking the drugs. Things seemed to be going too well. She’d never been happier.

“I’m wonderful,” she answered, looking up at him with a beaming smile. It was an honest answer. Everything with Ana and Mac seemed trivial. Connor was taking care of it. The two girls were of no threat to Charlie and Luke. She placed her hands on the sides of his jaw, bringing his face down to hers for another kiss. “And very in love with you.” Her hand found his and she took a step back. “Nope, I’m all set. Packed and everything.”

Luke grinned. He and Charlie deserved this getaway after everything they’d been through. Especially Charlie. The reason he worked so hard was so she could be at ease. And he would dispose of anyone who tried to ruin that. “Well then Mrs. Martin. It looks like we’re ready to go.” In one swift movement Luke playfully swept her off of her feet. He spun her around before kissing her and placing her back down. Luke was rarely this playful. That was how he knew everything was better now. He wasn’t under any stress and he could easily provide for Charlie.”I’ll get the bags. You head to the car.”

When he walked out into the living room with suitcases in hand. Jake looked at him confused. Luke explained he’d be gone for awhile but he would leave someone else in charge until Jake was feeling up to the task. Someone would be by to check on him and everything else was taken care of.

“Now if you’ll excuse me I have a holiday to go on with my wife.” He winked at his friends an left the house. Luke knew it would probably be a mess when he got back. But if they knew any better it would be cleaner than when he left it. He tossed the bags in the boot of the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Ready?”

There was a lightness to his mannerisms that Charlie had only seen in fleeting moments. It was refreshing. Enough to put a smile on her face. She couldn’t help but laugh when he swung her around, placing one last kiss on his cheek before heading out of thee room as he instructed. She said goodbye to the boys on her way out, instructing them not to fuck up her house too badly while she was gone.

She wasn’t in the car long before Luke got there, but she found herself gazing at her ring with an absent smile on her face while she waited. It was such an odd circumstance, how they ended up together, and most would think she was crazy for going through with a relationship with somebody who once kidnapped her. To Charlie, though, it wasn’t entirely unusual. She’d been put through a lot of shit in her life, and while some might think Luke was insane, he made her happier than anyone ever had.

“Ready,” she answered, reaching over to intertwine her fingers with his. Her thumb rubbed against the back of his hand and she rested her head against the headrest. A slightly pained look came across her face. “This place is going to be turned into a fucking brothel while we’re gone, you know that?”

“Yeah. Christ.” Luke shook his head. Knowing Jake he probably had girls on their way over already. Luke didn’t blame him. He’d been in the hospital for months. He deserved to have some fun. As long as his house was still standing in tip top shape when he got back then no one would lose a limb. Two weeks. It was the longest holiday he’d ever taken that wasn’t work related. Jake didn’t believe would last being away that long. There was always things to do but nothing they couldn’t handle on their own or Luke couldn’t deal with over the phone.

They arrived at the privately owned airport where Luke kept his toys. The car was still running when he hoped out and tossed his keys to the man waiting. Their bags were already being taken out of the boot for them but Luke grabbed them instead. He was the husband. He would be the one holding Charlie’s belongings. Luke paused at the bottom of the stairs so Charlie could board the private jet first. No queues. No security checks. Luke wouldn’t have passed inspection anyway. He stored their luggage and joined Charlie in one of the large plush chairs.

Luke looked up and noticed flight attendants boarding the aircraft. The flight from London to Ibiza was barely three hours and he wanted to be completely alone with his wife for once. He got up and reached inside of his pocket. Luke pulled out cash to pay them right then and there for the flight they wouldn’t be helping on. “Not today, yeah? Take the day off.”

It was odd how Luke had such different personalities depending on the day and the people he was with. To Charlie, he was often nothing but a perfect gentleman, as he was displaying while they got on the flight. She couldn’t look at him without feeling a swell of happiness and admiration. It didn’t matter to her what awful things he had done to other people, or that he had possibly inspired her to do awful things, as well. He was little less than a god in her eyes.

Luke dismissed the stewardess and Charlie made herself comfortable in one of the chairs, taking a moment to admire her current situation. It was like they were living in some sort of movie. She helped herself to a glass of wine and poured one for Luke as well once they were up in the air, and it didn’t take long for her to find herself getting up and moving to share Luke’s chair. She sat herself on his lap and crossed her legs, one of her hands stroking the hair at the nape of his neck while the other still held her glass of wine.

She knew he had to be worried about leaving for so long. “They’ll survive without you, ya know.” Charlie placed a light kiss on his forehead and smiled at him.

Luke nodded but he wasn’t too sure of how true that was. They would survive but what would he have to fix when he got back? He rested his hand on Charlie’s thigh. Then he reached out and took her left hand in his. The ring was just as shiny and new as the day he bought it. “I’ll have to get you a wedding band eventually,” he said intertwining his fingers with hers. “We’re fucking married. That’s fucking insane.”

Sometimes he found himself staring at Charlie wondering what his life would be like if she wasn’t there, and vice versa. He wouldn’t be as well tempered. Charlie seemed to settle him. His rash decisions became few and far between. He’d still be on drugs and hurting people just for looking at him wrong. Back then he was young, stupid and impulsive. Luke was still impulsive but he liked to believe he wised up over the years.

He was quiet for a little longer. Luke was exhausted but he was fighting it to spend time with Charlie. He brought her hand to his lips so he could kiss it. Then he studied her profile before asking. “Do you want a family?”

Charlie sipped her wine and stared at him with a content smile on her face. She could spend days doing that. Just looking at him. His comment made her laugh. “It is fucking insane.” Two years ago, she was engaged to Louie. Trapped in a toxic relationship and terrified for her future. But now she was at a set place in her life. Everything seemed too good to be true.

His question visibly took her aback for a second. It was never exactly a conversation she had imagined to have with him. Charlie always assumed he never wanted kids. She didn’t particularly want any, but she never imagined she would be in a place so… stable. Or at least, what was stable for them.

She pursed her lips and frowned slightly. “Do you?” She asked, attempting to avoid the question. Truthfully, the idea of being in charge of somebody’s life terrified her. Charlie could barely take care of herself. How could she take care of somebody else? She breathed a laugh, trying to make light of the situation as she often did. “I’d be a terrible mum.”

He studied her face to get the real answer out of her. Fear. He could understand that. Luke didn’t think he’d ever let anyone get as close to him as Charlie had. She had a hold on him that no one could understand. Even if he did appear to be the powerful one, she was his weakness. He laced their fingers together and kissed her shoulder. In a perfect world he would tell her she wouldn’t make a terrible mum and that they wouldn’t be horrible, forgetful, selfish parents. Luke was all about nurturing even if he had a tough love approach; he knew he wanted kids somewhere down the line.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be married,” he said truthfully. “You got me rethinking a lot of things. Shit I thought I wanted…didn’t want.” Luke hadn’t really answered her question. But only because he was still undecided. He needed someone to pass everything he’d ever worked for along to. He wanted a continuation of his family name and business. But the thought of raising a child in his environment was idiotic. His childhood was far from perfect or normal.

Luke didn’t want Charlie to think he was pressuring her about anything. It was just odd for things to be going his way. It gave him time to think about other things. Situations he couldn’t ever imagine while in the middle of a drug war. “i raised my sister by myself. Now she doesn’t fucking speak to me. Imagine what I’d do to a kid..”

It was obvious how much Luke had changed since being with Charlie, mostly because the boys pointed it out fairly often. Luke was more of a boss now than ever. He wasn’t respected just because he was the toughest one there, but also because he really knew how to get things done. Business seemed to be going better than ever. It was strange for her to think that he would ever put her first over his business. It was something Louie never did and likely never would have done.

Charlie ran her hand through his hair in slow, soothing strokes. He didn’t speak often about his sister, or about any of his family, really. She placed a light kiss on his forehead. “I really have never wanted kids. Something about them… freaks me out. I’m too selfish. I’d end up just like my mum. Maybe worse.” It wasn’t impossible that they’d end up like her parents. Luke would get sick of her and fuck off and then Charlie would be a deadbeat mother spending the remains of Luke’s money on drugs and nannies to pay attention to their child.

Her eyes met his blue ones. “I think you could be a good father. I mean, you practically have dozens of children right now,” she said, referring to the boys. Imagining Luke with a child made her smile, for some reason. “I don’t know. Maybe if we decide the time is right, and you want one… I could warm up to it.”

“I don’t want anything you don’t want. We’re a team.” Luke didn’t want to start anything that would possibly come between him and Charlie. She was the only thing he was deeply concerned about losing. Of course there was his business and his boys. But if anything were to ever happen to Charlie he was sure he would lose his mind. She was the one thing he worried about more than himself or his money. As anxious as he was to be away from his work, Charlie was worth it. Spending time with her made him feel some sort of normality. They were just a married couple. A rich, powerful married couple, but a couple nonetheless.

“Not too fond of pets. Maybe a fish or something but nothing else.”

He grinned up at her and moved his thumb against her skin. The plane ride wasn’t too long but his eyes felt heavy. His exhaustion was catching up to him.Luke leaned back in his seat and stretched his legs out. He let go of Charlie’s hand so he could wrap his arms around her so she didn’t slip out of his lap while he re-positioned himself. His eyes were heavy, closing. The soft roaring of the plane was helping put him to sleep. “It’s going to be pretty late when we land,” he mumbled.

“But I want what you want,” she argued with a smile. Charlie gave him another small peck on the lips. It was sickening how in love with him she was. She would jump off a bridge if he told her to. “We’ll see how it goes, yeah?” Pets were a different story. She wrinkled her nose slightly. “I don’t like fish. Maybe a snake. I’ve always liked snakes.”

Charlie set her wine glass down and rested her head on his shoulder when he adjusted their position. Her arms wrapped around his torso, keeping him close to her. She could tell how exhausted he was. “Good. You can get some sleep then. You deserve it.” She felt her own eyes getting heavy, as well. She never got much sleep when Luke was away.

Luke didn’t know how long he was asleep for. He was jolted awake by the wheels of the plane touching the ground as they came in for a landing. He didnt wake Charlie until they were actually ready to get off of the plane. He kissed the top of her head and started to get up so she would do the same. “We’re here.” As he predicted correctly it was dark outside. The breeze that vlew in once the doors opened smelled of sea water. The island was quiet in the dead of the night, especially among the locals. The house they booked was a large one on a secluded side of the island. They coukd always go into town if they needed anything or wanted to be around people but as far as Luke was concerned all he needed and wanted was Charlie.

He grabbed their bags and placed them in the back of the car that was waiting for them. Instead of just paying off the driver and keeping the car, Luke got in the backseat with Charlie. He was too tired to drive. He just wanted to relax with her in his arms anyway. “Hungry?” He askrd once they pulled off. “I can cook for you.”

There was a nice breeze when they got off the plane, and it woke Charlie up straight away. The place really was paradise. She had been to Ibiza once before, but only for a day. Charlie rested against Luke in the backseat of the car, her hand idly rubbing his thigh as she admired the view of the land. She rolled down the window a bit so she could see better and feel the breeze.

“A little,” she responded before looking up at him. “But you’re tired. I can cook for you,” she insisted. Charlie wasn’t much of a housewife. She was far from domesticated. She didn’t cook often, but she wasn’t terrible at it if she had a recipe to follow. “I need to practice, anyway.” They had a beautiful kitchen at home. She might as well learn to use it.

The house they’d rented was gorgeous. It was far too big for two people. It would be too big for a whole family, really. It was secluded and quiet with an amazing view. Charlie grinned as soon as she saw it, taking Luke’s hand. She had booked one of the first ones she could find, but it was definitely a good pick. “Like it?”

“You’re going to cook for me?” Neither of them were iron chefs vut Luke could only recall Charlie making something once or twice. They always ate out or had someone else prepare something. He didnt care if she didnt cook or clean. If she didnt want to Charlie wouldnt have to lift a finger for the rest of her life. He glanced out the window and saw the house. Then he looked back at Charlie and the smile on her face. If she liked it, he liked it.

“Yeah. Beautiful,” he said looking directly at her. “The house is okay too.” His phone buzzed in his pocket. The conversation he had with Connor while Charlie was asleeo played in gis mind again. She was confronted by the dykes girlftiend. Not news he wanted to hear, especially from someone else. But Charlie was handling it. At least she thought she was handling it.

“Youve got Connor running errands for you?“

“I can try,” she said, laughing a bit. “What are you in the mood for?” Charlie wrapped her arm around his waist, smiling back at him when he complimented her. “Smooth.” She kissed him on the cheek and pulled him towards the house. His phone vibrating wasn’t any surprise, even though they had only been gone a few hours. When he mentioned Connor, though, she bit her tongue. She hadn’t told Luke about what happened with Ana. She didn’t want to when he was busy with more important things. In all the commotion, she’d forgotten about it herself.

“Sort of,” she responded, glancing at his phone. “It’s nothing big.” She took his hand in hers and raised an eyebrow as they walked towards the house. “Is that alright with you?” The question was phrased in a rhetorical manner. Charlie keyed into the house and opened the front door to a huge, open foyer. The kitchen wasn’t far off. It had floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the water. She turned a few lights on and opened the fridge. “Want something to drink?” She was hoping he wouldn’t be angry that she hadn’t mentioned Ana.

Luke looked around the house but he wasn’t really paying attention to it. After awhile every big house on the water looked the same and had the same view. Now he was watching Charlie carefully. He didn’t feel right knowing Charlie had kept something from him. And he didn’t like that Connor knew before he did and tried to use it as some sort of leverage.

She was in the kitchen looking around. Luke stood on the other side of the island that sat placed in the middle of the kitchen. When she opened the fridge and asked if he wanted a drink, Luke answered with something else. “Connor? Out of everyone there?” He leaned forward and placed his palms flat on the granite counter top. “Fucking Connor. He’s stubborn. He’s a pretentious fuck.”

He was proud that Charlie had taken matters into her own hands. Luke wanted her to know how to take care of herself when he wasn’t around. Her going to one of the boys and them holding it over his head never crossed his mind. Usually they knew how to stay in their place.

Charlie turned around looking unamused. Once Luke got something on his mind, however fleeting the thought may be, he wouldn’t quit until he saw it through. It was both one of his most admirable and most annoying qualities. She turned back around and closed the fridge, then opened the door to what appeared to be a tiny pantry full of wine. She took out the first bottle that caught her eye and went about opening it.

“Yes, Connor. Do you have a problem with him?” She asked, popping the cork off the bottle. She started rummaging for wine glasses and pulled out two, even though he had never answered her question. Starting a fight was the last thing she wanted to do. “Yeah, well, he actually respects me. He’s not so…rambunctious.” Charlie finished pouring the wine and then set the bottle down, looking at him from across the island. “I should’ve told you, alright? I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to bother you while you’re away. It’s not a big deal.”

“But it is a fucking deal Charlie.” He was tired and couldn’t muster up the energy to fight. His voice showcased as much. It wasn’t strong and authoritative like it usually was. Luke was just trying to figure out why she felt so safe with going to Connor for help. “You don’t know him. Now he thinks he has something to hold over my head. And you know what I have to do? Put him back in his fucking place.”

He stared at Charlie a little bit longer without saying anything. She was good at the staring game. There was no winning that one. He finally backed off and started to walk away. “Fucking hell.” Luke took off his jacket and undid the buttons on his shirt. He walked around until he found the master bedroom, He slammed the door shut behind him out of frustration. He wasn’t mad at Charlie. But Luke didn’t let her know that. Luke didn’t like what ever relationship was blossoming between Connor and his wife. Even if there wasn’t one Connor still felt the need to question Luke’s authority and he couldn’t have that.

Charlie narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what had caused him to change moods so suddenly. It was like Connor’s name on his screen had flipped a switch. His exhaustion only made his temper flare up quicker than normal, which she was accustomed to. When he stormed off she simply rolled her eyes and decided she’d finish her drink before she went up to deal with him. She could judge where he’d ended up by the sound of a door slamming. The glass of wine went down quickly, and she took a few chugs from the bottle before navigating her way to the master bedroom.

She opened the door and saw him standing there, half shirtless and steaming out the ears. As much as she was annoyed by his outburst, he did look irresistible. Charlie folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame, not saying anything for a few long moments. She just stared at him with a faint smirk, which she knew would only make him angrier. Finally, she spoke. “Are you jealous?”

Charlie’s remark made his body tense. Luke’s laugh was stiff. He knew not to take her seriously. She was showing him how stupid he was acting. But he was jealous. Just a little. What could Connor do for her that he couldn’t? Nothing. And he would make sure of it. “Only if you’re fucking him.” He was still looking out of the window. The sea was dark and you could barely see it since there weren’t many lights around.

“You better not be fucking him.” Luke took off his shirt and tossed it to the side. Their bags were still in the foyer. He didn’t sleep in clothes anyway so he wasn’t worried about changing. He sat down on the edge of the bed but still hadn’t made eye contact with Charlie.

He sighed and and buried his head in his hands. They were suppose to be on vacation. He couldn’t stay mad at Charlie if he tried. When he looked up at her a smile came to his face and he looked away. “Fuck off,” he grinned.

The smirk didn’t leave her face, although she did raise a brow when he mentioned her fucking Connor. She was shocked that he would even consider the accusation. Once he finally made eye contact with her, she knew she won. Charlie laughed and strolled over to the bed, swinging a knee over his leg to straddle his lap.

“Aww,” she stuck out her bottom lip in a mock pout, taking Luke’s face in her hands. “Big bad Luke is jealous.” Charlie laughed, pushing him back onto the bed and hovering over him. She kissed him hard on the lips before pulling away slightly to look into his eyes. “You’re fucking crazy if you think I’d even fathom fucking anybody else. Especially Connor. Boring, weird ass Connor.” She ran her hands along his bare chest. looking down at him with a grin on her face. “You’re a goddamn lunatic.”

His hands automatically found their way to her waist. She was taunting him. He loved it and hated it all at the same time. He tilted upward to meet her lips again. His fingers dug into her skin hungrily. Luke moved from her lips to her neck. “You know I’m going to have to make his life a living hell now,” he whispered to her. “That’s your fault.” He pulled at her clothing, annoyed by the fabric nuisance that stood between him and her bare skin. Luke was considering just ripping her clothes off of her.

He kissed along her neck for a little longer, biting whenever he felt the urge. When he got back to her lips he sighed, kissed her again then groaned. “I’m so tired..” That didn’t stop him from rolling her over and kissing her again. “Call me a lunatic again.”

“Oh well,” she responded with a shrug. While she did appreciate Connor’s help, something always made her uneasy about him. The two had something of a friendship going, but Luke was right. Connor was stubborn, and that was dangerous.

She laughed when he flipped her over, kissing him back with a bit more energy than he was returning. “You’re a lunatic,” she repeated. “A crazy bastard. A mad man.” She kissed him between each name she called him, a smile on her face. “You’re fucking insane.” Charlie’s arms rounded his neck and she grinned. She was thinking of ways to rile him up. “I used the knife you gave me,” she told him, her voice a going a bit more quiet and mysterious rather than playful. “You should’ve seen her. Ana. I grabbed her by the hair and put my knife to her throat.” As she told the story, she tugged at the short strands of Luke’s hair and put a hand to his throat for effect. “I think she’s got a scar now.”

Luke caught on to what Charlie was doing quick, and it was working. Feeling her hand pressed against his throat brought a smile to his face. He felt himself tighten against his pants. Even if he didnt have the energy initially now he was too worked up to just sleep it off. “What else? What’d you make them do to her?“

As she talked, Luke pulled at her clothes. In the darkness the ripping sound of fabric tearing was prominent. He’d buy her a whole new wardrobe if he had to. Luke kept kissing her, his hands exploring her body. The thought of it made his eyes shine. Charlie knew how to feed his desires in some of the worst ways possible. He wanted to cut her clothes off of her. He wanted her to do the same to him. Luke was proud Charlie had actually used his gift for her own protection. “Do you have the knife with you?”

“Well, that’s why I was talking to Connor.” She could feel his excitement and it made her grin, getting her more excited, as well. “I didn’t want to just give her more bruises. So I had Connor look into her. Apparently she suffered from some drug addiction, but she kicked it. Real inspiring recovery.” Charlie kissed him again, her hands roaming his body as she spoke. “So I had Connor get ahold of her and pump her full of some drugs. Not sure how she’s holdin’ up right now.”

When he asked for the knife her brow wrinkled, but she nodded. She remembered hearing it clatter to the floor from her pants pocket when she’d gotten on the bed. Charlie squirmed out from under him and found the blade on the floor. She climbed on top of him again and placed it in his hand with a wry smile. “You gonna cut me up?”

“Maybe.” Luke stuck the knife into the fabric of her blouse, enjoying the ripping sound it made. He sliced all the way up to her chest, stopping just before the collar line. He placed the blade between his teeth then tore off the rest of her top with his bare hands. Luke tossed the material behind him, landing it on the floor somewhere in the dark room. He then took the blade in his hand again and slowly ran it up Charlie’s bare torso.

Luke slipped the sharp edge just underneath the middle of her bra and with one quick flip of his wrist the undergarment was in two pieces. He ran the backs of his fingers over the material, starting with a low, dangling end. His hand brushed against Charlie’s body, teasing over her breasts. His thumb teased at her nipples. Luke wished he could see her face better since the moon wasn’t really shining through their window.

All she heard was the tearing of fabric and Luke’s breathing. It was a good thing she wasn’t wearing anything she was too fond of– not that it mattered terribly. She had more clothes than any person should. The cool touch of the blade along her skin was more arousing than it should have been. It was odd that she could trust him so much, even with his unpredictable personality. Shivers ran up and down her spine, and her legs were clenching tighter around him. When she felt his touch, an involuntary moan slipped through her lips.

Charlie found his hand and took the knife from him, leaning forward so that their bare torsos were touching. She kissed him deeply and then pulled away to leave a gap between their faces just small enough for her to slip the knife into. She held the blade in front of her face, finding his blue eyes in the moonlight. She watched him as she let her tongue touch the flat end of the blade, licking it slowly up to the tip. Soon the blade was trailing lightly down his torso and to the waistband of his underwear, which she quickly cut off just as he had done to her clothes. She leaned in close again and nibbled at his ear lobe. “I want you so fucking bad,” she whispered, genuine desire laced in her tone.

“And you always get what you want,” Luke’s words almost came out as a growl. He picked her up so that she was on top, straddling him. Luke had his rare moments where he wanted Charlie to feel what it was like to dominate and he in charge. Even if he wasn’t one to be dominated. He pulled her face down to his, their mouths connecting, open, sharing their breath, but nothing else. He closed his eyes and held her head in his hands tightly. “God I’ve missed you,” he said against her lips. His hand slipped into her panties, the only thing she was still wearing. His hand moved over her mound, a single finger sliding down her slit.

He kissed her neck, sucking on the skin there. Luke slipped a finger inside of Charlie and watched her face as she gasped. He slowly when in and out a few times before introducing another finger. His lips left her neck and moved down to her bare breast. Her nipples were already protruding from his touch. He took her right breast into his mouth and suckled like a newborn baby. His fingers picked up the pace. Luke wanted a reaction out of Charlie. And he wanted to watch her face the entire time.

Everything about his actions drove her crazy. Even the way he breathed at certain times was enough to turn her on more than she already was. His lips on her neck were sending chills up her spine, and she gripped at his shoulders desperately. By the time he slid a finger inside of her she was so worked up that she immediately wanted more, but he gave it to her before she could even ask. She gasped when he started to find a rhythm, her inner thighs shaking with pleasure.

“Oh my God,” she breathed, tangling her fingers into his hair. One of her hands stayed wrapped around his shoulders for support, her manicured nails digging into his pale skin. She felt herself getting close to a climax remarkably fast. “I want you inside me,” she moaned the words, her breathing jagged. “Please,” she practically whined, gasping suddenly when she felt his fingers start to move in a different way. Her grip on him grew tighter as she started to whimper.

Luke watched her face. His eyes lit up along with hers. They barely had time to see each other and now that they were alone he didn’t want to rush anything. This vacation could last as long as they wanted it to. At least that was what he thought now. There was no telling what would happen in the next few days that would send him flying back to Bristol.

“We’ve got all night for that,” he replied with a smile on his face. As much as he wanted to flip her over on her back and push himself inside of her, Luke held back. Instead he twisted his fingers around inside of her pussy just to watch her squirm some more. Charlie was a powerful woman. But in moments like these they were both very vulnerable. He wasn’t afraid of being like that with her. Luke trusted Charlie with every fiber in his being.

“Cum for me first Mrs. Martin.” He kissed down her neck and around her collarbone. He could feel the stinging from her nails digging into him. The closer she got to her orgasm the deeper her nails went. “Almost there.”

She was trying her best to control herself, but it was difficult when they had been apart for so long. Every day without him only made her desire for him grow stronger. The reunions almost made their time apart worth it. When he called her Mrs. Martin, a breathy laugh slipped from her throat and eventually turned into a moan. It was amazing what he could do with just his fingers. Charlie was torn between grinding herself against his hand and squirming away from him because the pleasure was too good.

His lips were on her collarbone. The tension building in her stomach was unmistakable, and when he twisted his fingers he hit just the right spot and she was exploding. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she held him so close she was afraid that she was hurting him, keeping his head buried into her neck. Her lips were pressed against the side of his head, her whimpers fading out into the strands of his hair as her body shuddered. Her lips found his for a desperate kiss, her desperate cries still weening out without her permission. “I love you. I love you.”

Charlie had to take a few more seconds to calm herself before she pushed him back onto the bed. She was already straddling him, which made things easy. Charlie ran her hands down his sculpted torso, loving the way his body reacted to her touch. She was just about to put him inside of her when she paused, looking down at him with a smile. Rather than her previous plan, she slid off of him and her mouth made a downward journey until her lips were hovering just above his direction. Charlie took his length in her hand and slowly ran her tongue from the base to the tip, her eyes on his the entire time. She finally took him into her mouth, using one of her hands to help work him while the other rested on his hip.

Luke cranked his neck forward to watch Charlie in action. He felt her lips on him before he could properly see her. He groaned, then again. His cock was already standing at attention from the possibility of fucking but if Charlie kept this up he wouldn’t make it that far. Another groan. Luke was content, watching her head bob up and down in his lap. He smiled approvingly and bit his lip at the sight. He felt his cock get even harder in the heat of Charlie’s mouth. She pulled him deeper, squeezing the base of his shaft even as the head of his cock pressed against the back of her throat. Luke’s legs tensed, and involuntarily he pushed my cock deeper, eager for more. Charlie resumed bobbing up and down. Luke was impressed and turned on by how giving she was being. There was no protest when his hand, tangled in her hair pushed her head down further. His cock was sliding in and out of her throat, and wet slurping sounds filled the room. Luke felt the pressure building and moaned.

“I’m gonna cum soon babe,” his words were thick and masked with his heavy breathing, his breath was growing ragged now. His body tensed, and he reached down, urgently grabbing a handful Charlie’s brown hair.

Charlie moaned with his cock in her mouth, getting more and more aroused as he moaned. She always found something extremely erotic in giving knob jobs, even if most didn’t like it. She loved being able to focus all of her attention on Luke and please him. Charlie could feel his hand gripping the back of her hair, tightening as time went on. It made her moan again, motivating her to pick up her speed even more. She was taking him in deep, occasionally having to stop for a breath or pull back when she felt herself choking. Her hand was twisting at the base of his cock, moving up and down in perfect synchronization.

“I want you to,” She took a breath long enough to get the words out, her lips moving against the head of his member while she spoke. Her hand continued pumping him quickly while her mouth was absent. “I wanna taste it.” Her voice was pleading, just as eager for his release as she had been for his own. Her lips found his length again and she picked up with the same speed she was going before, not complaining in the slightest when he continued to push her head down.

Charlie’s teasing dirty talk was just enough to push him over the edge. She moaned when he tightened his grip and held her head in place as he thrust into her mouth. Luke was in awe. The tension building in his abdomen was almost painful. It’d been awhile since they’d been together. Luke was a bad man when it came to a lot of things but he was faithful to Charlie. He didn’t sleep around or bother with another girl’s attention. Watching her work made the sensation worse. Luke got to the point where he couldn’t hold back anymore. He came hard, and she eagerly continued to suck as he filled her mouth. After a moment he had to let go of her hair because the sensation was overwhelming. She took the hint and stopped moving, letting the final waves of his orgasm crest, his cock throbbing against her tongue. Charlie allowed him to finish, then began slowly moving her tongue again. That provoked a few aftershocks as she slowly slid him out of her mouth.“That was brilliant,” he said rolling her over on her back. “But how am I suppose to have sex with my wife now when I’m dead tired?”

Charlie couldn’t wipe the grin from her face when she laid down next to him. It was immensely satisfying to know that she could make him feel so good. Both of them had a fairly high sex drive which was only one benefit of their relationship. Charlie turned on her side so that she could intertwine her legs with his, her hand resting on his abdomen.

“You can take a breather,” she laughed, looking up at him from where her head rested on his shoulder. She craned her neck to give him a kiss. “We do have all day every day to fuck each other’s brains out. But…” She lifted herself up and straddled him again, a playful glint in her eye. “I do think we need to christen the house on our first night…even if I have to do all the work,” she teased, leaning in to bite his lip. Charlie moved her lips to his jaw, kissing along the sharp line before she moved to bite and suck at his neck. Her nipples were hard against his chest. She hadn’t seen him in a while and she couldn’t hold back her eagerness.

“I don’t take breaks,” Luke said placing his hands on her hips. The wrestling match wasn’t over. He flipped Charlie on her stomach and kissed the back of her neck. Luke took a handful of her hair but didn’t pull too hard. He kissed across her shoulder blades and leaned into her. He dragged her to her feet and kissed her hard before spinning her around, back to him, and pushing her forward on the bed so that she landed on all fours. She raised her ass up and looked back at him over her shoulder, mussed hair falling across her face, hungry with lust. It was like a dance they did and Charlie already knew his choreography. They were a perfect match in every sense of the word.

With his cock in hand Luke ran the head against her slit. He pushed hard into her and felt her tight flesh give way. The noise Charlie made caused him to swell inside of her. She was his, already, and he began to use her body with abandon. Looking down at her, his hands on the swell of her hips as he slammed into her from behind, her head down, forehead pressed into the bed as she moaned and babbled incoherently. She was his, but he was hers too. Wrapped up in a desire to consume her, to drive so impossibly hard into her so as to consume her. Luke fell forward, still moving his hips, cock buried inside her, but now the length of his body pressed against her back. His face fell into her fragrant hair and his lips at her ear.

Charlie wasn’t prepared when he flipped her onto her stomach, eliciting a squeal of laughter from her that quickly transitioned into a moan when he pulled her hair. “Mmm, there’s my lunatic,” she purred with a laugh, shortly silenced by his lips on hers. Before she could be consumed by the kiss he was turning her around again so that she fell onto her hands and knees.

Every time they went more than a few days without sex, she was shocked by his length when he entered her. This time was no different. A pleasured cry fell from her lips when he thrust into her, her core erupting in a burning feeling of satisfaction. He gave her no time to adjust. The force and depth at which he was entering her left her overwhelmed, gasping for breath. Her hands gripped the soft sheets so tightly that her knuckles hurt, half of her open mouth pressed into the mattress. She couldn’t even collect her thoughts enough to slur out a curse word. A string of high moans were spilling out of her without her consent, her eyes shut tightly as he pounded into her over and over again.

She felt the weight of his torso against her back and his hot breath on her ear. “Oh, babe– fuck, Luke.” His name came out as a desperate groan as she was finally able to form words. Charlie brushed a section of matted hair away from her mouth so that she could turn her head to the side, connecting their lips in a messy kiss. “Fuck– fuck, it’s too good,” she said with a slight laugh. She was going to come too soon. Charlie moved her hips forward to get him out of her and then grabbed his shoulder, pushing him roughly onto his back. She wasted no time in climbing on top of him, taking his cock in her hand and guiding it back inside of her. She bit her lip against another moan as she took in his full length swiftly, her nails digging into his stomach as she did so. After giving herself a second to catch her breath, Charlie took hold of his wrists and pinned them above his head when she started to ride him, moving her hips as rapidly as she could against his. Her grip on his wrists tightened until they were her own homemade iron cuffs, even though her dainty hands probably wouldn’t do much damage against him no matter how hard she squeezed. It was always a domination game between them.

Charlie taking over was a turn on for him. As much as he loved being in charge, he enjoyed it more when Charlie showed her dominance. He allowed her to pin his wrists back. Luke didn’t struggle against her hold. He couldn’t even concentrate on anything else besides his need to release. Instead, he rose up on one elbow and leaned over to take her nearest breast in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the already hardened nipple. At the same time, Luke reached over with his free hand to her other breast, cupping it and pinching the nipple between thumb and forefinger. Her breathing became heavier and she began moaning with pleasure.

Luke felt her body begin to tense up as she neared her climax. He wasn’t too far behind but he wanted her to enjoy hers first. She clamped her legs together, holding him imprisoned.Now it definitely wouldn’t take long…She was tight and he couldn’t hold on for much longer. Luke began thrusting his hips up to meet every stroke she made on his cock. When he hit the point of no return, he grasped her hips in both his hands and lunged upward, trying to bury all of himself deep inside of her. Wave after wave he grunted and thrusted. He kept going until he was drained, stress free. Now he was exhausted. He pulled Charlie down to the side of him. They laid back in each others arms until they both fell asleep.

It was almost dawn when Luke woke hours later. During their slumber they had separated, Charlie now laid on her back, one arm on her pillow, curled above her head, the other with her hand wrapped around her slim waist. Luke gazed at her in the half light, his prick began to stir with his desires for her. She had given him so much satisfaction and he wanted to treat her like the queen she was. Moving slowly so as not to awaken her, Luke got to the foot of the bed and, gently prying her legs apart. He kissed his way up the inside of her thighs until he reached her pussy. In her sleep, she stirred a little as he licked his way up her lips before reaching her clit. As his tongue touched her she shivered and he smiled to himself.

Charlie fell into a deep sleep immediately, as she almost always did when she was sleeping beside Luke. It probably helped that she came so hard it spent everything left she had in her. But she woke suddenly, and what she immediately noticed was that her arms were empty. She normally fell asleep clinging to Luke like a monkey in a tree, but they’d drifted. Not more than a second later, she felt a tingle of pleasure shoot up her body. Her eyes flew open, a gasp inflating her chest as she felt it again.

She looked down and saw the form of Luke’s body underneath the thin sheet. Before she could lift it up to look at him, his tongue began to move at a quicker pace and she was frozen with pleasure. She immediately felt herself getting more aroused as the grogginess and confusion of sleep left her. A soft moan came out with her breath, her throat still a bit raspy. Her eyes fluttered closed again and a contented smile lifted her lips. Charlie slipped a hand under the sheets to stroke his hair while he worked, occasionally pulling at the strands on accident when he flicked his tongue just right. He knew exactly how to work her. She was gripping the sheets with one hand and trying not to grip his hair too hard with the other. It wasn’t long before her hips were lifting upwards, begging for more friction.

Luke alternated between long slow sucking and quick licking on Charlie who sighed and writhed on the bed. As she began to started to wake up from her slumber, he held her waist in place so she couldn’t roll away from him. Luke slowly slid his hands up Charlie’s sides and grasped her breasts as her back arch and she let out a long moan.

He slid his finger in and out of her tight pussy and rubbed her clit in circles with his thumb. Charlie moaned again and arched her back. He licked her pussy lips with wide, flat strokes and then plunged his tongue deep inside of her. He moved his tongue in slow circles and slowly pushed the tip of his tongue into her, but only just enough to make her shiver.

When the hold on the back of his head grew tighter Luke buried his face between her thick thighs and pulled her clit into his mouth and pulsed it slowly between his lips, gathering speed until she was whining with her orgasm and her hips began to jerk.

Since she’d just woken up, she wasn’t entirely in touch with all of her senses yet– so, the ones she was aware of were being completely overwhelmed. Luke’s hands began to wander and his tongue felt like complete magic. His hands on her hips were keeping her anchored to the bed, otherwise she would have squirmed too far one way or another.

The frequency and volume of her moans were increasing quickly as she was seized by pleasure. Her grip on his hair was growing too tight as he buried himself between her thighs, so she switched to gripping the sheets again. It wasn’t long before she was biting her lip against a full-on scream, managing to at least keep herself to loud moans. As her orgasm overtook her Charlie’s back arched so much she nearly brought herself into a sitting position, her thighs clenching tightly around Luke’s head. A long string of whimpers and curse words fell from her mouth as she rode out the intensity of it, eventually letting her head fall back against the pillow.

Charlie reached down and grabbed Luke’s face gently, pulling him up until they were face to face. She wrapped his legs around him, a sated smile on her face. “Good morning,” she said with a small laugh, pressing her lips against his. She could taste herself on his skin. She hummed a soft, contented moan. “How do you make me feel so good?”

“With my tongue,” he joked, knowing she meant something much deeper than morning sex. Luke wasn’t one to get too sentimental often. He was still the man in the relationship and acted accordingly. Although he was never cold to Charlie. He owed her his life and vice versa. They were much more than just some power couple. Luke firmly believed they could rule the world if they wanted to.

He continued to kiss her and move stray hairs from her face. To him, Charlie was the epitome of perfection. Which was why he was overbearing when it came to other people interacting with her. For a second Luke thought back to their brief argument from last night over Connor. He wasn’t jealous of Connor. He just didn’t trust him. The boy was manipulative in ways that were too late to tell until after everything happened. That was why Luke kept him around.

“How else am I going to keep you around?” He smirked.

Luke reached over to grab is phone out of his pants pocket on the floor. Dozens of missed messages highlight his screen. He would ignore them for a little longer as long as none of them were urgent.

“What do you want for breakfast? I can order something.”

It was impossible to erase the smile from her face as he kissed her and caressed her hair. Charlie never imagined that she would be this happy again, let alone happy in a relationship. It was such a change for her to be treated as an equal. An asset, even. Luke valued her. Maybe their love was a bit fucked up in ways they didn’t address, but it was deep and it was real. She took his face in her hands and kissed him back gently, her entire body tingling. Not just from the orgasm, although that was a big part of it.

She laughed at his question. “True. You’ve gotta keep me here somehow. Let’s hope your johnny doesn’t go limp too early.” Charlie winked, kissing him again. When he took his phone out, Charlie grabbed it from him and replaced it with her own hand, lacing her fingers through his. The screen was lit up with dozens of messages. “Tell them if they can leave you alone for an entire day, I’ll show them my tits.”

Charlie sat up and straddled him, leaning into his chest and resting her head on his shoulder. “Hmm…” It had been a while since they’d eaten. “I would say you, but I’m too fucking hungry. Maybe for dessert.” She laughed and placed a kiss against the hot skin of his neck. “I want waffles. With whipped cream.”

Luke knew he needed to check his messages. Completely shutting off wasn’t something he knew how to do. Charlie was a great distraction. Her body was warm against his. Her lips were soft and her voice was memorizing. “You’ve got to let me have my phone if I’m going to order waffles.” Luke wasn’t much of a cook. He knew how to. He just saw the task as tedious. In the time it would take him to get everything ready and make the meal he could have eaten two meals without lifting a finger.

He ran his fingers down her spine. If he knew how to truly relax, Luke would have no problem staying in bed with his wife all day. But that wasn’t the way his mind operate. He needed updates on his business to make sure everyone was doing what they were suppose to be doing while he was gone.

“I check a few messages yeah, then order breakfast–and I’m yours for the rest of the day.”

Charlie sat up so that she could look at him, narrowing her eyes as if she was really thinking it over. Staying away from work for a week, or even a full day, was impossible for Luke. She knew that, and it would be stupid of her to expect anything else. She didn’t mind it entirely. His dedication to work was one of the things she admired about him. Sometimes she just wished he didn’t have to work so hard.

“Fine,” she said, finally placing the phone back into his hand. “Only because I want breakfast.”

She rolled off of him and laid next to his side instead, still letting her head rest on his shoulder. The floor to ceiling windows on the other side of the room looked over the water. It was a beautiful view. The last time she’d been in Ibiza, Charlie had been too coked up to appreciate any of it. Not that she would turn down the offer this time around, but she knew that she couldn’t even bring it up. She and Luke had both been clean for a while. It would be stupid to fuck it up, no matter how much she wanted it. To distract herself, Charlie started running her hand up and down Luke’s leg while he checked his phone, eventually just resting her hand on the bulge in his boxers. She looked up at him with an innocent smile.

Luke took his time scrolling through his messages. They were mostly reminders of what he needed to do when he got back and easy questions that didn’t need to be answered right away. He could feel Charlie’s thin fingers sliding up and down his leg before resting on a place that caused him to look away from his phone and at her and smiled. Luke tossed his phone to the slide and flipped Charlie over so that she was on her back; his smirk never leaving his face. He positioned himself between her legs, her body melted with the soft, fluffy duvet. Luke leaned over and began kissing her deep and hard. She was right. This was suppose to be them relaxing.

They could stay in bed all day if they wanted. Even though that was something Luke didn’t know how to do. But Charlie was a good distraction. She knew how to play him. She knew how to make it seem like she was the only thing in the world. He wrapped her legs around his waist, ready to start another round until the light from his phone caught his attention and it began to vibrate.

As his phone buzzed, he ignored the first few rings until it stopped. The caller called back a second, then third time and Luke broke away from Charlie to see who it was. “I need to grab this babe–” Luke got up from the bed and answered the call. “What the fuck do you want? Somebody better be dead,” he started as he walked out of the room.

A victorious grin took over her features when Luke flipped her over. Her arms rounded his neck immediately, pulling him closer to her. She returned the kiss just as deeply, clenching her thighs around his waist. His phone started to vibrate and she tightened her grip on him as a warning to stay there. She was shocked that he let it go to voicemail without argument. The second time, though, she wasn’t so lucky. Charlie groaned when he detached himself from her, letting her head fall back against the pillow.

When he left the room, Charlie reached over to the side table to check her own phone. It was rarely as busy as Luke’s. She didn’t have many people to talk to, after all. The message she did see shocked her: Liv. She debated not responding, but once she did, the girl quickly got on Charlie’s nerves and she couldn’t help but feed into it. Luke’s phone call was taking a while, as they often did, and as the conversation played out Charlie felt herself getting uneasy. Texting Connor was likely a bad idea, but she still did it.

By the time Luke reentered the room, Charlie’s entire mood had changed. The look she gave him told him as much. Before she opened her mouth, she took a second to think– for once. She was the only one who could ever stand up to Luke, but what if Liv was right? She’d hit a nerve in Charlie. That fear she had of being unwanted. It was boiling in the pit of her stomach. But she wasn’t the same scared girl she was before. She couldn’t be. Luke loved her, and she believed that he wouldn’t hurt her, even if she did get on his nerves. Charlie tossed her phone onto the bed and looked up at him. “Why am I hearing that Connor is so beaten up that he can’t even piss on his own?”

Luke grinned at Charlie’s words. It was obvious she didn’t find the situation as humorous as he did. “I didn’t touch him.” It was the truth. Luke hadn’t laid a hand on Connor. But he knew what was waiting for him when he left the warehouse that day. Luke had set him up.He wanted to show him he wasn’t as invincible as he thought he was. The smile on his face soon faded when his eyes met Charlie’s again and he looked over at her phone on the bed. “How do you know what happened to Huxley?” He asked with his arms crossed. It wasn’t all fun and games with him anymore. Especially after the argument they had the night before.

His jealousy was no secret. Luke had beaten guys up for less in the past. Whether it was just a look in his direction or uttering his girl’s name. Connor hadn’t received the worst of it.

He was fuming. Every muscle in his body tightened. His anger began to rise inside of him, starting at his fingertips. Luke lunged forward to grab Charlie’s phone. He held it in his phone deciding if he wanted to look at whatever was on it or just crush it. Instead he waited. He wanted to give Charlie a second to talk even if he didn’t want to hear what she had to say.

The fury radiating off of him was palpable. She didn’t really expect anything less. He grabbed her phone but she didn’t protest. She didn’t have anything to hide, although he seemed to think he did. It wasn’t anything uncommon for Luke to assume the worst and blow things out of proportion. “I texted him about something else and it happened to come up,” she responded. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were shooting daggers to match his furious stare.

“I don’t care why you don’t like him, Luke. If you start ordering the boys to gang up against each other, that’s gonna start a divide. I understand teaching him a lesson, but you didn’t have to put him in the fucking hospital.” Charlie was still in her underwear from the night before. She got out of bed and picked her shirt up off of the floor, slipping it over her head. Rather than sitting back down, she remained standing and mimicked his posture by crossing her arms.

“What are you doing texting him in the first place? You two mates or something?” Luke smiled in a way that dared her to say something he wouldn’t agree with. He didn’t stop and think about the fact that she had a point. Getting the boys to beat up on one another wasn’t a good move. He should have handled it himself. But with his temper he was liable to kill someone if he thought that just for a second they wanted Charlie.

Besides it was just the boys rough housing: no weapons. Luke had been jumped before, shot and stabbed and he wasn’t complaining about having to spend a few days in the hospital. If they had used weapons he didn’t order it. But they didn’t kill the bloke. At least he had that going for him.

Luke needed to go for a walk before he did something he would regret. He threw Charlie’s phone across the room and grabbed his pants off of the floor. “Call your fucking boyfriend and have him send you breakfast.”

“Matty’s fucking slag of a girlfriend texted me complaining about him so I told him to cut the shit and focus on work. Is that good enough for you?” It was a long story to explain, probably. How Charlie had Liv’s number in the first place. But Luke seemed hellbent on the idea that Charlie texted Connor for her own enjoyment. It was true she didn’t mind the boy’s company. He was more civilized than most of the boys and he could hold a decent conversation. He was a gentleman. But he couldn’t hold a candle to Luke and she didn’t understand why he couldn’t see that.

“Don’t.” Charlie grabbed his arm, stopping him from getting dressed. She knew it was a risky move to be grabbing him when he was in this state. The shattered phone across the room didn’t faze her. “Do you realize how fucking stupid you’re being?” Her eyes were drilling holes into him. She could feel his body shaking with anger. It made her realize suddenly how small she was in comparison. How easily he could just snap her in half and be done with her. The sinister smile he’d given her was still frozen in her mind, but for some reason she still felt the need to push him. It was what she always did. She prodded until she regretted it. “What’s your problem? Is your ego really that fragile? You think I would’ve married you if I didn’t want to be with you? You think I’d go through all this shit with you and then just fuck around?”

Charlie was brave for reaching out and touching Luke. And he found himself surprised he hadn’t gone with his first instinct to grab her wrist and twist it. Instead he just looked at her, and she was staring right back at him. Luke could see it in her eyes that she’d met his match. Charlie was just as stubborn and strong willed. He could have kissed her if he weren’t so angry. “My ego? Are you fucking kidding me Charlie?” This time he did nudge her off and continue getting dressed. “Did you forget you were on your way to marrying someone else when you started fucking me?”

The room went silent after he spoke. Luke knew the kind of relationship Charlie had with Louie.It was destructive. Not that they were any better off but at least there was his own sick version of love there.

The look in his eyes told her she was lucky that she wasn’t in a great deal of pain. If she were anyone else in the world, it was likely that he would have broken the hand she’d just laid on him. He nudged her off, but that was it. She was about to open her mouth to say something else, but his response shut her up immediately. Luke knew better than to bring Louie up anymore. Especially to use it against her.

Charlie’s jaw clenched tightly, her breathing beginning to hitch. She hated that even though she was glaring at him, she could feel tears prick the corners of her eyes. She hated that even mentioning Louie still had so much power over her. Charlie had grown a lot, she was stronger and healthier both mentally and physically because of Luke. But any memory of those miserable years could still send her back to feeling helpless– coming from Luke, especially. The fact that Luke would even compare that relationship to theirs made her sick. “Fuck you.” She spat the words at him. A moment later she grabbed his shirt from the bed and threw it at him, along with his wallet. She grabbed his phone off the nightstand and shoved it against his chest. “Leave. Just fucking leave then.” She was speaking harshly, but she was still trying to hide how much his comment had upset her. Without another word she grabbed her pack of cigarettes and went out to the balcony, slamming the door so hard behind her that the windows shook.

Luke knew he’d gone too far as soon as he said it. But a part of him wanted to hurt Charlie but he couldn’t bring himself to do it physically. He was upset. Too upset to follow her out into the balcony and apologize. Why couldn’t she see it from his perspective. He was the boss of a big business. He couldn’t have his boys laughing at him behind his back because Connor was fucking his wife.

He was dressed but he didn’t leave the room. Luke sat on the edge of the bed and looked toward the balcony door. He could make out her silhouette smoking, her back to him. Apologizing wasn’t something he did. Luke didn’t think he was wrong, not about the Connor situation. But he shouldn’t have brought up Louie knowing how long it took Charlie to be okay once they started living together.

Luke waited a little longer before opening her suit are and taking the first cardigan he could find out of it. He opened the balcony door and handed it to Charlie.

“Get inside before you freeze to death. “

Charlie was resting her hips against the balcony, trying to admire the view and enjoy her cigarette. It wasn’t working well. More than anything, she was attempting to get rid of the nasty feeling crawling on her skin that the mentioning of Louie always brought up. The tears had gone away, thankfully, but she was still angry. Frustrated was a better word. She was trying not to dwell on it because that would only make her more upset.

When she heard the door open, Charlie wrapped her arms tighter around herself. She looked over her shoulder at the cardigan he was handing her, but she didn’t move to take it even though she was obviously freezing. This was Luke’s version of an apology, but she didn’t want to take it. She wanted to hear a real one this time. Charlie looked forward again, tossing her cigarette over the balcony when she’d finished. “I told you to fuck off.” She didn’t want to keep fighting, but she was feeling too stubborn. The mention of Louie left her feeling vulnerable, which was why she was attempting to stand up for herself, even if she was shivering in the process.

Luke stayed in the doorway holding his arm out for Charlie to take the sweater. It was obvious she was cold, but even more obvious that she was ignoring him. “If you don’t put it on then I will,” he said with his head tilted to see her face. Luke wasn’t the best at apologies. He was never one to say sorry for anything. That was something Charlie was slowly teaching him, but he was taking a little longer to grasp the concept of admitting when you were wrong. He’d always had the world handed to him, there was no need for apologies.

“I’m fucking serious Charlie, I’ll wear it.”

He held it out further in her direction for her to take. When she didn’t budge Luke shrugged his shoulders and opened the door up wide enough so Charlie could see him putting on her cardigan. The material immediately started to stretch as soon as he placed one arm in. By the time he got the other arm in, the back was making ripping noises. He stepped out onto the deck and stood on the opposite side. “That’s better. Warm.” He looked out over yard. No one was around for miles, just the way he liked it. When he couldn’t take the silence anymore, Luke spoke up. “I’m a dick.”

Charlie was still being stubborn. She glanced at him when she heard him coming closer, watching him struggle to put the small piece of fabric on. She actually had to purse her lips in an attempt to keep herself from cracking a smile. By the time he got it all the way on, it looked like it was about to rip in half. She just stared at him, still not moving her body at all. Only looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

When he spoke, the whole thing seemed even more silly because of his outfit. Charlie finally turned her head to the side to look at him full on. Even him acknowledging his outburst without an outright apology was something new. Normally he’d just try to woo her until she gave in. “Yeah, you are,” she agreed, her eyes sweeping his frame. “And you look bloody ridiculous.” She brushed her hair out of her face, staying silent for a few moments as she tried to collect her thoughts. “Do you think about that a lot? What happened with Louie?” She finally met his eyes. If she looked at his torso she wouldn’t be able to take him seriously. “You think I’m just gonna hop onto the next man that comes along and gives me a compliment?” Her words weren’t harsh anymore, or even accusatory. If anything, she hated how weak her voice sounded. She wouldn’t blame him. Everyone thought she was a slag. When she’d been with Louie, she slept around far too much. But that was different. That was an attempt at an escape. She didn’t want to escape from Luke.

“Do you think about that a lot? What happened with Louie? Luke could care less about Louie. He never liked the guy and wasn’t worried about him getting his hands on Charlie ever again. But he’d be lying if he said he never thought about her just up and leaving him one day. He was helping her become a strong woman and he loved every second of it. But it was hard to balance, Charlie being strong but too independent from him. With his parents walking away from him at such a young age, and past relationships ending abruptly. Luke had an problem with control and loneliness. He needed to be in control. He needed people to need him. That was why he couldn’t just walk out when Charlie said to leave. Deep down Luke was terrified she wouldn’t be there when he came back.

“No,” he said without elaborating. His body was tense. His mind was going back to fucked up situations he probably should’ve gotten therapy for. “But people leave. Eventually. You’ll leave, eventually– and I’ll be beside my fucking self if that happens.”

Charlie knew she was supposed to be staying strong. He was a dick and he overreacted to things that he shouldn’t even be blinking an eye at. But any time she saw his face soften in the slightest, any time she saw just a hint of sadness, his happiness became her first priority. It was probably why a lot of their arguments went unsolved. But she could tell when he was being honest. When he was thinking. And the look in his eyes was enough to make her melt– not in a good way, but in a way that made her want to throw herself at him and never let him go.

She recalled what he’d told her about his life. Things he’d never told anyone. About his parents, mostly. Her mindset changed completely when he spoke. Everyone thought Luke was a psychopath. And maybe he did have those tendencies, but he was damaged. Badly so. And Charlie was always so blinded with trying to fix the damaged people that she’d hurt herself in the process without realizing it. His hunger for power and violence was as much a coping mechanism for him as taking a bubble bath might be for an average person.

“Hey.” Charlie finally turned towards him, taking his hands in hers. “I’m not leaving.” Even if it might have sounded like a good idea when she was livid a few minutes ago, she knew with a calm mind that she truthfully couldn’t walk away from him. She let go of one of his hands to hold up her left one, showing him the ring on her finger. “I’m your wife. Even when you’re a dick, it’s my job to be here. It’s not even a job– I want to be here. I never want to be anywhere without you, alright?” She placed her cold hands on either side of his face, looking into his eyes intently. “You’re going to have to put up with me until the day I fucking die. I swear.” She cracked a smile, rubbing her thumb against the sharp bone of his cheek. “I love you.”

Luke nodded his head and looked away. He hated being vulnerable even if it was with Charlie. It made him feel weak. When she came closer he wrapped his arms around her and heard the cardigan completely rip. He smiled and kissed her lips. "I’ll buy you a new one.“

Even though they were fighting a lot, the time it took for them to make up was getting shorter and shorter. Luke normally wasn’t one to give in. But he wouldn’t risk losing Charlie.

“Let’s get inside. It’s freezing. “

He opened the door and led Charlie inside. Luke made a quick call to order breakfast which would be enough food he peeled off the ripped clothing and tossed it to the side. He was freezing so he knew Charlie had to be cold. He wrapped a blanket around her and picked her up playfully leading her into the front room, where the fire place was.

Luke’s behavior was enough of an apology for her, so she followed him inside. Mostly because she couldn’t feel her hands or feet. It wasn’t quite as cold as Bristol, but considering she was only in her pajamas, she didn’t have much warmth offered to her. She looked at her phone that was shattered on the ground. At least she didn’t need it as much as Luke needed his. Charlie didn’t have many contacts, and those she did have would likely just be a bother or cause more issues between them.

The blanket around her shoulders offered her immediate warmth, as did Luke’s body heat when he lifted her up. Charlie laughed, letting her head rest against his shoulder until she was plopped down on the couch like a child. She opened up the blanket for Luke, cuddling up next to him to try and regain some of her body heat. Their fights typically ended quickly like this, mostly because they both had high tempers that lead to over exaggeration and unnecessary dramatics. It wasn’t long before their food arrived and Charlie re-situated herself so that her arms were out of the blanket, pulling Luke down to sit next to her again.

Their conversation from the plane came to mind again. When Luke asked her about children. “I think if we ever have kids…” she started, taking some of the whipped cream off of her waffle and licking it from her finger. “They might have to get pretty accustomed to yelling.”

“Mummy and Daddy like to argue,” he added to her statement. Even though Luke had a plate of his own in his lap he dipped his finger in Charlie’s whipped cream with a grin. “It’s because we’re so damn good at making up.” He was glad Charlie hadn’t mocked him for bringing up the possibility of kids. Luke was in no place to be the world’s greatest father but he could be a dad nonetheless. He would be there; a sense of security. It wasn’t like they were going to pick up a kid tomorrow.

“They’d have to get use to traveling too. And having a million fucking uncles.”

The last part was a joke, only if Charlie didn’t agree with it. Luke wasn’t too willing to give up running his business to raise a family. It was their livelihood. But still showed how selfish he really was.

“What about names? One for a boy and one for a girl.”

“That’s true,” she commented with a wry grin when he mentioned how good they were at making up. “Which reminds me, you owe me some makeup sex.” She moved forward and licked the whipped cream off of his finger before he could do it himself, playfully biting him when she’d finished.

“A million uncles might not be a bad thing. But the boys will never be allowed to babysit for more than five minutes at a time.” If she was being sensible, she would bring up the fact that it wouldn’t be a good idea to run a mass drug trade while they were nurturing a tiny person and attempting to make them into a good person. Unfortunately, that wasn’t where Charlie’s priorities were– or Luke’s most likely, which was why children would be a disaster. Unfortunately again, if the two of them decided it’d be a good idea on a whim, they’d likely go with it. Both of them had an issue with instant gratification, though Charlie was probably the worse of the two.

Names. Charlie had never put much thought into children’s names, because she’d never imagined wanting them. Luke made her think differently, though. If he told her to have ten children, she would probably agree to just because she was so blindly in love. “Hmm,” she started, stroking his hair. “I’ve never thought much about it. I like unusual names, though. Something foreign. If we had a kid in France, we could name it something French. If we had a kid here, we could name it something Spanish. Yeah?” She laughed, taking a bite of her waffle. “You got any specific ideas?”

“Junior,” Luke chuckled. He shrugged his shoulders to show he was kidding but continued on anyway. “Charlotte Jr. Luke Jr....who fucking knows.” They weren’t ready for kids. And they didn’t need a third party to tell them that. But Luke enjoyed entertaining the idea of having some sort of whole piece that was half him and half Charlie. For now, building a business together would have to suffice.

“We should get dressed and go head out. This fucking honeymoon is going to fly by. Soon we’ll be back in shitty Bristol with a bunch of sweaty knob heads.” Luke loved his job and even missed it when he was away. But learning to relax would be good for him. And who would be better to teach him than Charlie.

“Let's go.”

#we can end this soon

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

The honeymoon had been more stressful than pleasurable. By Luke’s own fault, he was now distracted from working. He hadn’t confronted Connor about what may or may not have been going on. Luke wanted to take some time to calm down first. He was liable to walk into Connor’s place with a gun and end it without a word. That was the mood he’d been in for weeks. And having to work with the guy wasn’t making it any better. But Luke was being cordial, meaning Connor was still alive…for now. But just seeing his name pop up on his phone made him think of Charlie, and his blood began to boil.

“Oi, you lot. Come with me,” he said talking to a couple of the boys hanging around the warehouse. If this Serene bird worked clubs and pubs she wouldn’t be too hard find. It was already later in the day, the nightlife would be starting to come alive soon. Luke wasn’t too bothered by some broad playing dealer, but it gave him something to do and someone to mess with.

Serene had been playing it cool since her encounter with Connor. But she still had business to do a drugs to flip. Serene had called Tony as soon as she got home that night and cried with him. It had been so long since they had talked so closely and openly. She didn’t know what to do other then to cry, her whole life had gone to shit and she had no clue. Tony had told her that he was coming in with the next shipment and that he was gonna make sure she was safe.

Serene was lounging back in some shit club talking with some college kids. She was trying to convince some kid to buy crap MDMA off of her for knocked up prices and it was working. She had paid off the people who owned the club as thusly could do het business at least a bit more freely. Serene carefully swapped a small bag for some cash before standing up to walk to the bar.

Luke’s phone vibrated with a picture from Connor. A few of the boys looking over his shoulder made comments about how pretty she was and if they’d be recruiting her. “In your fucking dreams boys,” he laughed. The last thing he needed was more estrogen running around his warehouses. It took a few clubs and a bar before finding her at a run down place. Luke wouldn’t have pegged a place like this to be for big time business. It just showed how much of a rookie this girl was. He motioned for the boys to spread out but stay close. Luke wanted to play around for a little bit first.

He walked over and motioned for the bloke sitting on the stool next to her to get up and move. There wasn’t any argument with one of his boys standing right behind them and another one down the door. Plus Luke looked like money and for most, if they didn’t know his face they definitely knew his name.

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

Serene quietly sipped her drink when she felt the other sit next to her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to keep herself composed enough to talk to him. She looked at him briefly studying the contours and curves of his face trying to figure out what secrets it held. Serene finished off her cocktail before reaching her hand out to Luke, she had to be brave in this moment and planned to show how strong she was. She held her long graceful hand out to him the black bruise taking up most of the back of it.

“You must be Luke. I’m serene ” She spoke confidently even though she was completely terrified of what might happen to her.

She already knew who he was. Smart girl. Or the opposite since she was still selling out in the open in his presence. Luke didn’t shake her hand. Instead he nodded and continued to drink. One of his workers, Henry sitting next to him looked a little too eager to be out and about sitting next to a pretty girl. He was young and new. Luke made a note to keep an eye on him. “You know who I am. But I know nothing about you. Seems a bit unfair. ” His calm demeanor was more cold than anything. Despite having the looks of a lady killer, Luke gave off the vibe of the devil. He wasn’t a very warm person even when he tried to be. He was constantly thinking ahead so that he was never caught off guard.

Serene retracted her hand and ordered another drink before turning to look at the man more full on. She looked at the worker who seemed very keen on looking at her before focussing her attention on Luke. Serene wasn’t gonna back down to the man next to her and didn’t plan on giving up her business to him. “I have a feeling that your friend told you lots of things about me. What’s his name Cooper or Cody. Something like that” Serene carefully shipped her drink and waited for the other to respond to her.

Luke smiled to himself. She had an attitude on her. Sometimes it was refreshing and sometimes it was exhausting. He wasn’t able to tell yet. “No one forgets the name of the person that bruises them like that,” he spoke nonchalantly.

It wasn’t until his drink was done did he turn to face Serene full on. Luke gave her an obvious look up and down, sizing her up for several reasons and just to make her uncomfortable. He pulled her wooden stool closer to his. There was no such thing as person space when Luke was on the prowl. He smiled at the girl for the first time since sitting down. “So what are you selling?” He asked the question with a tilt of his head

Serene didn’t smile at the boy when he smiled instead she kept her face pressed in a cold stare. She carefully flexed her calf muscle on her right leg to make sure that the knife stuck in her boot was still there. “He’s just some lap dog. Why would I care ?” She said the words wrapping around her tongue as she spoke. Her eyes widened when she felt her stool get pulled towards Luke but she said nothing in reply. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the man. “Well I sell lots a things.” Serene spoke softly and plainly she wanted to see how the man would react to her, really serene was testing him.

“Yeah, ” he chuckled. “You look like you sell a few things.” He could feel the eyes in the bar watching them. It was a run down place he wouldn’t step in usually, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. He always dressed as if he had somewhere important to go, and like a true gentleman he always removed his jacket to avoid blood stains.

“Can I be upfront with you. Just for a minute,” he asked leaning in, his voice just above a whisper. “I’m not known for playing nice or fair around here. But you’re new so I’m going to gone easy on you. You’re a young girl. You shouldn’t be in all of this.” His tone was condescending. He was enjoying this encounter. He even played with the thought of keeping this girl around just so Charlie could mess with her.

“Sell to me,” he grinned. “I want to hear your pitch.”

Serene leaned back in her stool and faked a look of shock. “Are you calling me a whore? You’d be lucky if I was. ” She hinted before moving close to him again. Serene looked to poised a nice to be working the job she was.

Serene listened to what he said carefully taking in each word. “I’m not young. Hell I’m probably older then you” It was true serene looked young but she was well into her 20s about to turn 25. Serene decided she was gonna work her magic on this guy in a way she knew best. Serene stood up and extended her hand to the man. “I will. Just not with your guys looking at me like I’m a bleeding steak” Serene eyed the guys behind him , she was dead serious as she spoke to Luke.

This time Luke took the girl’s hand just to humor her. From the looks of it she wanted to lead him somewhere private and he would oblige for now. His boys still eyed him as they two began to walk away. Luke wasn’t much for the cat and mouse game, he usually got bored after a few tries and ended up going in for the kill anyways.

“If you’re planning on cutting my throat you better be quick about it,” he warned. He wondered if the girl had some fight in her. Not much physically from the looks of it. But the ones with the sweet faces were always the ones to look out for.

“So lets hear it…sell me like your life depends on it. Siri.”

Serene led the two of them back to where she was selling the college kids. She quietly waved her hand as them and they scattered around the club. “If I wanted to stab you I would have already done it” Serene said honestly as she sat down in one of the oversized leather chairs. She leaned back trying to make herself look as calm as possible.

“The names Serene you can at least pretend you know it. And I’m not going to sell you drugs because you’ve already got drugs. But I can offer you a deal. ” Serene watched him as she spoke looking for the slight changes in his face and eyes. She was good at watching people and really was trying to figure him out. “My supplier wants to expand his business out here. He’s already arranged deals in Birmingham and Manchester which will be closed after I deliver there shipments. So what I’m saying is I can offer you a way into these cities and would happily beat Tony to them. ” Serene really meant what she said, she had all intentions to scam Tony out of his deals and hopefully make it in good with this guy. “I’ll happily give you my connections if you give me a job. And I get to throw around that connor kid a little”

“You want to work for me?” Luke wasn’t sure if he was buying it. He wasn’t too keen to trust people so willing to turn on their old bosses. He didn’t need entry to any cities when his family owned countries. Luke not expanding was his own doing. It was his way of settling down into the married life, trying not to be too busy.

“Why should I trust you if you’re ready to jump ship? Maybe this is some sort of cycle for you. I don’t take too kindly to anyone I can’t trust.”

Luke wasn’t hiring. That was plain and simple. He wasn’t in a position where he needed more muscle or pushers. But there was one thing he was willing to do. And this girl would have a spot but it wouldn’t be on the front line. “You should meet my life,” he said with a smirk. “She’d love you.”

Serene looked at him head on not a single drop of fear in her eyes as she watched. “I’m sick of Tony. I’ve been under his thumb to long and I’m ready to move on” she spoke softly and carefully to the man as if to emphasize the seriousness in her words. Serene really did plan on cutting Tony out of her life she didn’t need anything from him any more. “Because I would have jumped town or tried to have you kill if I intended to pull one over on you. You can trust me, I wouldn’t have stayed in town if you couldn’t” serene was happy that she played it off cool with Luke, maybe she was a little unhinged but she always had been and always would be. “She sounds lovely. I hope I can meet her” she said before carefully flexing her calf to check that her knife was still there. “I can promise I’m loyal to boot. A little off but I’m loyal.”

Luke didn’t trust her and he wasn’t going to hide the fact. He watched her in amusement. She was so sure of herself. But still an amateur nonetheless. She talked too much and too freely. She was too willing to jump from project to project. His boys were in this game for life. Everyone associated with him was in this with him for the rest of their lives. He would make sure of that. The only way out was a slow death. There were no other options.

“Fortunately for you I’m not the one you need to convince. Unfortunately for you...Charlie is. We’re a partnership. I could easily hand you a job and slap you around until I decide you’re loyal enough. But that would be too easy...”

He smiled and leaned toward Serene. “So. You promise to keep that knife of yours where it is,” his gaze dropped to her leg and he smiled. “And I’ll pass on your information to the missus. She’ll get in contact with you.”

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

“You must be Luke. I’m serene ” She spoke confidently even though she was completely terrified of what might happen to her.

“Sell to me,” he grinned. “I want to hear your pitch.”

“So lets hear it…sell me like your life depends on it. Siri.”

“Why should I trust you if you’re ready to jump ship? Maybe this is some sort of cycle for you. I don’t take too kindly to anyone I can’t trust.”

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

“You must be Luke. I’m serene ” She spoke confidently even though she was completely terrified of what might happen to her.

“Sell to me,” he grinned. “I want to hear your pitch.”

“So lets hear it...sell me like your life depends on it. Siri.”

Penthouse Suite | @Charlie

She knew he had to be worried about leaving for so long. “They’ll survive without you, ya know.” Charlie placed a light kiss on his forehead and smiled at him.

“Not too fond of pets. Maybe a fish or something but nothing else.”

“Youve got Connor running errands for you?“

“How else am I going to keep you around?” He smirked.

Luke reached over to grab is phone out of his pants pocket on the floor. Dozens of missed messages highlight his screen. He would ignore them for a little longer as long as none of them were urgent.

“What do you want for breakfast? I can order something.”

“I check a few messages yeah, then order breakfast–and I’m yours for the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” she said, finally placing the phone back into his hand. “Only because I want breakfast.”

His jealousy was no secret. Luke had beaten guys up for less in the past. Whether it was just a look in his direction or uttering his girl’s name. Connor hadn’t received the worst of it.

Luke waited a little longer before opening her suit are and taking the first cardigan he could find out of it. He opened the balcony door and handed it to Charlie.

“Get inside before you freeze to death. “

“I’m fucking serious Charlie, I’ll wear it.”

Even though they were fighting a lot, the time it took for them to make up was getting shorter and shorter. Luke normally wasn’t one to give in. But he wouldn’t risk losing Charlie.

“Let’s get inside. It’s freezing. "

“They’d have to get use to traveling too. And having a million fucking uncles.”

“What about names? One for a boy and one for a girl.”

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

“You must be Luke. I’m serene ” She spoke confidently even though she was completely terrified of what might happen to her.

"Yeah, " he chuckled. "You look like you sell a few things." He could feel the eyes in the bar watching them. It was a run down place he wouldn't step in usually, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. He always dressed as if he had somewhere important to go, and like a true gentleman he always removed his jacket to avoid blood stains.

"Can I be upfront with you. Just for a minute," he asked leaning in, his voice just above a whisper. "I'm not known for playing nice or fair around here. But you're new so I'm going to gone easy on you. You're a young girl. You shouldn't be in all of this." His tone was condescending. He was enjoying this encounter. He even played with the thought of keeping this girl around just so Charlie could mess with her.

"Sell to me," he grinned. "I want to hear your pitch."

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

“You must be Luke. I’m serene ” She spoke confidently even though she was completely terrified of what might happen to her.

Luke smiled to himself. She had an attitude on her. Sometimes it was refreshing and sometimes it was exhausting. He wasn't able to tell yet. "No one forgets the name of the person that bruises them like that," he spoke nonchalantly.

It wasn't until his drink was done did he turn to face Serene full on. Luke gave her an obvious look up and down, sizing her up for several reasons and just to make her uncomfortable. He pulled her wooden stool closer to his. There was no such thing as person space when Luke was on the prowl. He smiled at the girl for the first time since sitting down. "So what are you selling?" He asked the question with a tilt of his head

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

“You must be Luke. I’m serene ” She spoke confidently even though she was completely terrified of what might happen to her.

She already knew who he was. Smart girl. Or the opposite since she was still selling out in the open in his presence. Luke didn't shake her hand. Instead he nodded and continued to drink. One of his workers, Henry sitting next to him looked a little too eager to be out and about sitting next to a pretty girl. He was young and new. Luke made a note to keep an eye on him. "You know who I am. But I know nothing about you. Seems a bit unfair. " His calm demeanor was more cold than anything. Despite having the looks of a lady killer, Luke gave off the vibe of the devil. He wasn't a very warm person even when he tried to be. He was constantly thinking ahead so that he was never caught off guard.

Text @ Luke

Connor: Took a walk in park. Came across a dealer I didn't recognize as ours as she had tits.

Connor: I might have pressured her for information as to who she worked for and her supplied.

Luke: So? Who's the small town asshole trying to step on my business?

Luke: Who does she work for?

Connor: Bitch's name is Serene. Piece of work. [phone number] Claims she works for herself. Gets product from the states.

Connor: Some wanker named Tony McNamara out of NY. I told her you wouldn't be thrilled. She didn't give a shit. Even after I sprained a few bones and tendons in her hand.

Luke: Where does she sell?

Connor: She was at the park when she propositioned me. But from her manner of dress, thinking clubs. Says she's been doing it for 5 years here in Bristol.

Connor: Don't we have guys looking out for things like this?

Luke: Sounds like a rich bitch wanting to upset mummy and daddy.

Luke: I'll go with a couple of guys to make sure this isn't anything bigger than one person trying to have some fun

Connor: Glad I could help.

Luke: There's a run in a few days and I want you there. I'll send you the address later.

Luke: Send me a picture of the girl.

Connor: Absolutely. I've dropped some of my hours at the coroner's. So whatever you need, I am at your disposal.

Connor: [picture] Can't miss the eyes.

-read-

#text

Penthouse Suite | @Charlie

She knew he had to be worried about leaving for so long. “They’ll survive without you, ya know.” Charlie placed a light kiss on his forehead and smiled at him.

“Not too fond of pets. Maybe a fish or something but nothing else.”

“Youve got Connor running errands for you?“

“How else am I going to keep you around?” He smirked.

Luke reached over to grab is phone out of his pants pocket on the floor. Dozens of missed messages highlight his screen. He would ignore them for a little longer as long as none of them were urgent.

“What do you want for breakfast? I can order something.”

“I check a few messages yeah, then order breakfast–and I’m yours for the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” she said, finally placing the phone back into his hand. “Only because I want breakfast.”

His jealousy was no secret. Luke had beaten guys up for less in the past. Whether it was just a look in his direction or uttering his girl’s name. Connor hadn’t received the worst of it.

Luke waited a little longer before opening her suit are and taking the first cardigan he could find out of it. He opened the balcony door and handed it to Charlie.

“Get inside before you freeze to death. “

“I’m fucking serious Charlie, I’ll wear it.”

Even though they were fighting a lot, the time it took for them to make up was getting shorter and shorter. Luke normally wasn't one to give in. But he wouldn't risk losing Charlie.

"Let's get inside. It's freezing. "

Penthouse Suite | @Charlie

She knew he had to be worried about leaving for so long. “They’ll survive without you, ya know.” Charlie placed a light kiss on his forehead and smiled at him.

“Not too fond of pets. Maybe a fish or something but nothing else.”

“Youve got Connor running errands for you?“

“How else am I going to keep you around?” He smirked.

Luke reached over to grab is phone out of his pants pocket on the floor. Dozens of missed messages highlight his screen. He would ignore them for a little longer as long as none of them were urgent.

“What do you want for breakfast? I can order something.”

“I check a few messages yeah, then order breakfast–and I’m yours for the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” she said, finally placing the phone back into his hand. “Only because I want breakfast.”

His jealousy was no secret. Luke had beaten guys up for less in the past. Whether it was just a look in his direction or uttering his girl’s name. Connor hadn’t received the worst of it.

Luke waited a little longer before opening her suit are and taking the first cardigan he could find out of it. He opened the balcony door and handed it to Charlie.

“Get inside before you freeze to death. “

“I’m fucking serious Charlie, I’ll wear it.”

“No,” he said without elaborating. His body was tense. His mind was going back to fucked up situations he probably should’ve gotten therapy for. “But people leave. Eventually. You’ll leave, eventually-- and I’ll be beside my fucking self if that happens.”

No Deal | cyanidedaydreamandfireflies

“Whiskey. Straight,” he said to the bartender. He sipped from his drink, ignoring the girl next to him until they made eye contact. Even then he looked at her then looked away.

Penthouse Suite | @Charlie

She knew he had to be worried about leaving for so long. “They’ll survive without you, ya know.” Charlie placed a light kiss on his forehead and smiled at him.

“Not too fond of pets. Maybe a fish or something but nothing else.”

“Youve got Connor running errands for you?“

“How else am I going to keep you around?” He smirked.

Luke reached over to grab is phone out of his pants pocket on the floor. Dozens of missed messages highlight his screen. He would ignore them for a little longer as long as none of them were urgent.

“What do you want for breakfast? I can order something.”

“I check a few messages yeah, then order breakfast–and I’m yours for the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” she said, finally placing the phone back into his hand. “Only because I want breakfast.”

His jealousy was no secret. Luke had beaten guys up for less in the past. Whether it was just a look in his direction or uttering his girl’s name. Connor hadn’t received the worst of it.

Luke waited a little longer before opening her suit are and taking the first cardigan he could find out of it. He opened the balcony door and handed it to Charlie.

“Get inside before you freeze to death. “