#mob drama

[moviesiveseenandwanttoremember]

Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” September 16, 2011.

[the-andromeda-effect]

25

Chapter 24

Sometimes the worst prisons are in our own minds....

Caliban set his coffee cup down on the nightstand, and picked up his phone.  He had an idea that might help Adira to relax and feel more comfortable.  Scanning his thumb to unlock it, he turned his head to look over at his wife.  His. Wife.  He was coming to like the sound of it, even though right now it was just in his mind, more and more.  “How about we call your family to let them know that you’re really not dead?  I bet they’re devastated at what happened.  Hearing from you might help them feel better.”

Coffee spilled onto the nightstand as Adira’s cup clattered down hard.  Her breath was coming hard and fast, her heart trying to escape her ribcage as she all but launched herself across the bed to grab and throw Caliban’s phone across the room, where it hit the door with a loud thud.  “NO!”  She grabbed his shoulders and looked in his eyes, barely holding onto control of herself.  “NO!  You can’t. They can’t know.  They can’t ever know.  You can’t tell them, ever.  Promise.  Promise you’ll never say a word, not even a hint, especially to my father.  I’m dead.  I have to be dead.  Always dead.  DEAD.  Do you hear me?  Promise me!  Promise me, Caliban!  I’m dead!”  

Adira’s eyes were wild, she was hyperventilating, and tears were streaming down her face. Just the thought of her family, especially her father, finding out that she was alive sent her into the icy grips of terror and panic.  Memories assailed her as she warred with the urge to get up and flee from the room, no thought to where she would go, or what that would accomplish.

Even though they were sitting in the middle of a king size bed, Adira most resembled a frightened animal that had been backed into a corner by a lethal predator.  Why?  That, Caliban did not know, but her grip on his shoulders was so tight that he was quite sure that her short nails were drawing blood.  The woman who had been ready to die rather than go with him in the basement was no in such a frenetic state he wasn’t sure what the best way to handle her was.

In shock, Caliban continued for a moment to simply stare into her eyes, her pupils blown wide in terror as he tried to figure out how to react without making things worse.  This was a reaction that he had not in any way anticipated.  Trying to help her feel more relaxed had backfired in the most spectacular way imaginable.  Day three of a married man, and so far this one was going as sideways as the previous ones, three for three.  At some point they had to start getting better.  He really did want her to calm down, lest one of her guards or Theron decide to sedate him and whisk her off somewhere.

Gently he took hold of her arms finally, his hands running gently over them to try and calm her.  His eyes kept on hers while he breathed deep and calm in hopes she would match him.  “Adira, my love, calm down.  Breathe with me, darling.”  He kept his voice quiet and soft.  He took deep breaths with her to try and help her calm, gently pulling her towards him so he could hold her until she was calm enough for him to find out more.  Thankfully her grip on his shoulders lessened and she started to let him guide her and come out of her blind panic.

Before he could say more, both Lars and Marcin threw open the door to the room and were in the doorway looking confused and concerned.  “Hey, uh, boss, uh, and, uh, Adira.” Lars started, then paused as he looked around the room for whatever threat had caused the commotion they’d heard from below, “we, uh, heard something hit the door, then it sounded like Adira yelling or screaming.  Is, uh, everything okay up here?”  His eyes were studying the scene before him, and he wasn’t sure what was going on, but he could tell Adira was terrified, and Caliban looked utterly confused.  This wasn’t good. What had happened?

“Adira was just about to tell me why we are never going to let her family know she is alive.  Weren’t you, sweetheart?”  Gently Caliban maneuvered her to be sitting next to him with his arm around her, pulling close against him. His free hand took one of hers, the thumb softly caressing the back of her hand.  “I made a bad suggestion, and what you heard was the response.  Unfortunately, I still have quite a bit to learn about my new bride.”  He clarified without taking his eyes off Adira who was trembling and now had a death grip on his hand with both of hers.

All she could do was nod and swallow, clinging to Caliban like he was her tie to life and sanity. “I’m sorry…”  It came out not much louder than a whisper, and Adira felt her husband pull her tighter against him and murmur some kind of reassurance.  All she could really hear though was the rushing of blood in her own ears.  The thought of her father finding out she was alive, and where she was, had so terrified her that she was having trouble calming back down from it.  The feel of Caliban’s lips against her temple caused her eyes to close and a couple of deep breaths to fill her lungs, she could do this. 

“My father knows what life was like for me,” finally she stuttered out then paused, taking several more deep breaths, “I tried to run away once, to go home.  When he found me, he beat me even more than…Mir…Mircea..and drug me back still bleeding.”  Adira’s whole body shook as she started to cry.  Memories assailed her as she began to recount all the times that her father had added onto whatever “punishment” that Mircea had thought she had earned.  Then there were the times that her father felt disrespected and took his anger out on her.  Or the times that he thought he saw her do something that disrespected Mircea, but Mircea wasn’t around or didn’t see, so her father took it out on her.  If it hadn’t been for Caliban’s strong hold on her, the way he would run his hand over her arm or thumb over the back of her hand, and the soft kisses on her temple when she stumbled over words, she wasn’t sure she would have had the strength to keep going.  Knowing he was there supporting her somehow gave her the strength to face the nightmares of her past.

The whole time Adira was talking, the three men said nothing.  Caliban was trying to reassure and comfort her, while also trying to digest everything she was recounting to them.  It was painful to listen to all she had endured, so he could only imagine how hard it was for her to relive.  His mind was having a difficult time comprehending how a parent could inflict such abuse on their child, let alone condone what Mircea had done and add further to it.  He knew she wasn’t lying, but he was still struggling.  The one thing he kept focused on was making sure that she felt supported and cared for.  There was no missing how hard it was for her to talk, and he didn’t mind being her rock to lean on for it.

More than once Lars and Marcin looked at each other as they listened.  Both men had worked for Caliban for some time and had carried out operations for him.  They might have inflicted the type of abuse that Adira was recounting upon men, but never women.  They knew few in their sphere of influence who would, even if the woman had done something to cause them great harm in one way or another.  Even death was brought more swiftly and painlessly to women.  It was the way that things had always been done, so to hear her speak of her father backing Mircea and being just as brutal, it was uncharted territory for both of them.  While Caliban currently just looked stunned, they had a feeling that when he had properly digested all she was saying that he would have much to say on this, and probably some actions that he desired to take.

When she had finished, the three men looked at each other, matching expressions of rage burned in their eyes, but they remained silent.  Caliban was the first one to speak.  His calm voice belied how enraged he was at all he had heard.  Now was not the time for that, that would come later.  “Lars, would you please get Adira some water?  Also, bring me the first aid kit from the supply room off of the kitchen?   I need to rewrap her hand.  Then, if you gentleman will please leave us, I think my wife needs some peace to fully calm back after the upset that I caused her.”

Lars nodded then headed towards the stairs to get what Caliban asked for.  Marcin stepped into the room to grab Caliban’s phone that was on the floor, and place it on the dresser, then mirrored Lars’ movements.  Neither man particularly wanted to remain, they had no idea what to say or how to respond without it being awkward.  Best to leave things to Caliban until it was needed that they do otherwise.

support banner - @cafekitsune

[cljordan-imperium]

14

Chapter 13

“You know we might want to get in there pretty soon, kitten.”  Kase’s voice sounded a little hoarse to his own ears before he chuckled.  He had a pretty good idea that was partly because of the thoughts and emotions he was having at the moment, the ones that had led him to a spur of the moment decision he was hoping she wouldn’t make him regret anytime in the near future.  As much as he wanted to stay in the garage and keep kissing her, or talking about what this meant for the two of them, he knew that they were being waited on.  It was better to end the moment now, than have his partner, or Spencer, interrupting.  Not to mention that there was an eye in a cooler down next to his leg.

“Not that I want to let you go.” He added, one side of his mouth lifting.  Why did his timing have to suck for shit like this?  He could have waited till he took her back to her car after the examination of the eye.  But, as Kase knew all too well, some moments never happen again and he wasn’t wanting to chance this being one of them.

As Serena nodded, she couldn’t take her eyes off of his sparkling crystalline blue ones.  As she felt drawn into him, she wondered if he realized how open his emotions were in that moment.  It was like his feelings were flowing through his expression.  She didn’t regret even a second of what happened, but they both knew that it was going to complicate things for them.  At the moment, she was not really caring about that, but they would have to talk about it eventually.  Now, however, was not the time.

“I don’t want you to either, but I think you’re right.”  Finally Serena answered, her voice soft as the butterflies in her stomach took flight again.  “There’ll be time later, Karsten.  All the time we want.”  That both excited her and scared her.  How did she end up in this situation again?  Abandoned by Rob, only to now be torn between Keegan and Karsten.

Giving him one last, quick and soft kiss, her hands slid down his back as she pulled away.  She was dreading going into the morgue, and dealing with things; but it could only be put off for so long. The faster she got to work with the examination of the eye, the faster that they would be done and able to focus on other things. Now it was time to get to work.

“Look alive!  Boss lady and your partner incoming!”  Spencer called out with a laugh as he spun his chair away from the monitor, then stood to start to get everything organized for the examination of the eye.  Things would have to be done with meticulous attention to detail and documentation. Everything would have to be recorded via video, audio, and written records, backups of backups made. No detail of the exam would be too small to be recorded in the record.  For the next few days, Spencer and Serena would be a team working in tandem to accomplish only one goal: to ascertain as much information from that one small eye as they could.  Technically there had been no breach in protocol, and as long as no one ever looked at that security tape, there would be no questions regarding the chain of custody and transportation of the eye.  Even then, the eye was never really out of sight or reach of the ME and the lead detective, even if they were paying absolutely no attention to it for a few minutes.  Spencer was certainly not going to be the one to make mention of it.  Sometimes you just knew to employ discretion.

“I will avoid embarrassing your boss, but I’m going to bust Kase’s balls over that one.”  Declan pointed at the screen where he could see Kase and Rena heading in.  There was no way he could pass that up.

“Just don’t cause a fight in the morgue and I honestly don’t give a shit.  He needs to have them busted for taking so long.”  Spencer chuckled then grew serious.  “Time to look like we’ve been doing something other than standing and watching what they were doing.”  He gave a brief chuckle then hit the button that started the video and audio recording in the room for evidentiary purposes, “beginning recording of examination of the human eye and attached partial ocular nerve that was delivered to the offices of the Cook County Assistant District Attorney Colin Masterson’s office….”  Spencer went on to record all the pertinent case information and details as he laid out the surgical instruments that Serena would need to perform the post mortem on the eye.  There was a great deal of procedural information that had to be recorded in just the right order and with just the right verbiage that Spencer could almost do it from memory except for the parts that changed.

When he heard the click of Serena unlocking the door to her private suite where the eye autopsy was to take place, he made a note of the time to the second, and paused the recording so that any chit chat wasn’t about to become public record. 

support banner - @cafekitsune

[bendingthelaws]

12

The last time we saw Karsten & Serena

The drive to the morgue is over, now what...

There was a slightly awkward silence for the last few blocks to the morgue.  Karsten was kicking himself for being too forward, or at least he felt he had been.  He knew she had been hanging out with Keegan at Kelleher’s, and he couldn’t pretend he didn’t know how his friend felt about the woman.  Keegan knew how he felt too, and it hadn’t stopped him from trying to have a relationship with her.  Regardless, Karsten wasn’t about to say or do anything more that would make her uncomfortable. Finally they pulled into the underground parking at the morgue.  Parking between two of the removal vans, he turned the engine off.  “Hold on, I’ll come around and help you out with that.”  He gave Serena a smile before unlocking the truck and hopping out of his side.  As if the morning hadn’t started bad enough, he’d just made it suck more and be uncomfortable at the same time.  Way to go Karsten!

Opening her door, he offered to take the cooler again.  “Here, we’ll do it reverse.  What do you say?”

The look in Karsten’s eyes when he’d said he wouldn’t hurt her had stopped Serena’s heart.  He meant it, but not just as a friend.  Not that she’d been oblivious to how he’d felt before, but it had been so clear that she couldn’t ignore it.  Just like she couldn’t ignore how Keegan felt either.   She was so messed up in the head and heart, there was a part of her that wanted both of them.

The silence had killed her those last few blocks, so when they pulled in, she’d been relieved that it would be over.  She just hadn’t known what to say, and she was sure that Karsten probably thought that she was blowing him off.  It was all such a mess, and it was all her fault.  It just made her hate Rob more for what he’d done, his deception, and his sudden disappearance.

Looking down at Karsten after he’d opened her door, she handed the cooler over, and started to get out.  This is when their height difference became apparent and slightly humorous.  “Good lord, Karsten, I feel like I’m going to have to jump down.  You need a step or something for those of us with short legs.”  She looked over at him and laughed as she tried to figure out the best way to do this without falling.  The last thing she needed was to jump down and end up falling, possibly hurting herself. That would really make the morning complete.

“Hold on, doc.”  He laughed and had her turn sideways as he slid the cooler into the floorboard of the passenger seat.  “It’s not that high, Rena.  You’re just not used to it, yet.”  The last word was a wish of his, but he kept his tone light so it didn’t seem like he was hitting on her again.  “Here, I’ll help you down.”  He reached up and put a hand on each side of her waist, picking her up out of the truck and taking a step back before setting her down on the ground.  “See, not that bad.” He gave her a wink and a smirk, but how close they were wasn’t lost on him. 

For a moment it was hard for him to breathe, their bodies brushing seeming to send an electric charge over him. Looking down into her dark eyes that seemed to pull him in had him transfixed.  His mouth seemed overly dry, his lungs tight, and he wasn’t sure if he could have pulled away if he wanted to.  She certainly had some effect on him, and he wondered if he even had a drop of that kind of effect on her.

A soft blush rising to her cheeks as she could feel the weight of his gaze, Serena gave a soft laugh. “I should have known that I could count on my favorite detective to help me out of a jam.”  She didn’t move back from him, though.  Their sudden closeness like this was acutely noticed by her, and she too was struggling by the feelings it was evoking in her.  Feelings that she had been fighting and trying to find places for. In her chest, her heart was thudding and she had butterflies.  Since Rob had left, she’d avoided being close to either of the two men that she knew there were mutual attractions building between.  Even at Kelleher’s she kept space between her and Keegan.  At the moment she didn’t want that space with Karsten, just the opposite.   As she looked up at him, her teeth caught the corner of her lower lip while she tried to figure out if they were thinking the same thing and what that meant.

Well, now wasn’t this something?  Maybe that silence hadn’t been as awkward as he thought it had been.  He found his arms going around her waist, and he smirked down at her.  His fingers played with the fabric of her shirt, waiting to find out if she was going to push him away or welcome his touch.

When he spoke, his voice had lowered some, taking on a slightly husky tone as well. "Favorite detective, huh? You know, I like the sound of that!" Damn he couldn't keep the grin off of his face if he tried.  He thought he’d completely blown it by touching her face like that in the truck; but she wasn’t pulling back and he wasn’t being hit, so there was hope he wasn’t misreading things now.

Serena could feel the heat of his touch through the thin fabric of her dress shirt and it caused her skin to pebble and ache for that fabric to be gone.  As close as they were, she wanted to be closer.  Where had these thoughts and desires come from?  She wasn’t quite sure, nor was she sure when they had started, but she was tired of closing herself off to try to keep from being hurt again like Rob had done.  Karsten wasn’t Rob, and he wouldn’t be like him either.

Moving slightly closer, her hands landing on those slim hips of his, her eyes raising up to meet those intense blue ones of his, one brow slightly raised. "Do you now? I thought you knew." Tease was laced through her voice, but there was a slight nervousness as well.  He had to know about Keegan, the two men were practically best friends after all.  Yet here they were.  There could be no way he could miss the attraction she felt to him, it was written all over her face.  She just hoped he couldn’t tell how tight her chest was and the amount of butterflies she was feeling.

A soft chuckle came from him at her tease.  Damn, she was relaxing and that smile of hers could stop his heart.  When had he become such a sap?  "After your last experience with cops, gorgeous, I wasn't sure you'd want to be this close to any of us." He pulled her in closer.  All she had to do was tell him to stop and he would, but he was hoping she wouldn’t.  "I had my suspicions,” he winked at her with a grin.  The way she was looking up at him was making him a little sure of himself, “but it's always good to know for sure."  One of his hands rose to gently caress her face, his expression softening.

"I don't paint everyone with the brush of one who hurt me, Karsten." Her head tipped back a little more to look up at him.  Not wanting to be in Mulligan’s didn’t equate to not wanting to be around Karsten.  She wasn’t sure he would understand.  "I do know a good man when I see one."  There could be no missing her meaning of those words, her expression and tone made it clear.  He was a good man, a good cop, and one she’d realized she had feelings for in recent times when they’d worked together on the Rakeovich case and trial prep.

"You know flattery will get you everywhere with me, doc." He grinned slowly, lowering his head, bringing his forehead near hers as he looked in her eyes.  "As will that smile of yours." His hand started to barely caress the skin along her jaw and then neck.  The feel of her skin under his rough fingertips was something he could get used to, and wanted to.  "Absolutely everywhere." His lips met hers softly, slowly, deepening as his fingers found the back of her neck to pull her into the kiss.  He’d waited for this, and if it was the only one he ever got, he’d make it one to remember.

The second their lips met there was a strong spark between them, one that Sereba hadn't seen coming but wasn’t going to fight. As the kiss deepened and their tongues danced together, her hands found his back to pull herself to him. She’d deal with whatever there was between her and Keegan later, she wasn’t going to dull this moment at all.   Serena’s focus was only on the handsome detective that had her in his arms at the moment.  His kiss was doing a good job of removing all other thoughts from her mind. As she kissed him back as passionately as he was kissing her, her hands found their way under his jacket and up the back of his shirt.  There was something about the way that his muscles reacted to her touch that had her pressing fully against him and melting more into their kiss.

Hot damn! She was kissing him back, and fuck did she do it well. There was no missing now that she was as attracted to him as he was to her.  He’d meant what he said in the truck, he’d never hurt her.  Karsten wanted her, but he wanted her happy more. It wasn’t just lust, he genuinely cared about her, and he had a feeling she knew it.  Watching what Rob did to her had gutted him.  Those sparkling eyes had dulled, her smile never reaching her eyes - not till she’d looked at him right before their kiss. He’d never let it be dulled again.  

In the past he'd been respectful that she was with a brother in blue, but when that had ended he'd seen an opening. He’d been patient and supportive, tried to be a good friend to her, but he’d also hoped she’d see him more than just a coworker and friend.  Now it was clear she had, he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that.

When their lips finally parted, Serena found herself a little breathless. Eyes rising to meet his, she spoke slowly with a breathy voice "is that why you were wanting to help me out of the truck, detective?" Tease and temptation danced in her words and eyes.  Her head slightly spun and she knew that she was in trouble.  It would be too easy to fall for Karsten, and she was still kind of scared of falling for anyone.

His thumb grazed her jaw, "no, but I’ll help you out of the truck, your car, hell even your office chair if I get more of those.”  Karsten’s hand came up to caress the side of her face again.  Rob was a fool, but he wasn’t.  As much as he wanted to take her out, make her his, and be only hers, he wasn’t going to rush a damn thing.  Some things were worth waiting for, she was one of them.  “No pressure though, doc.  I can be a patient man when it comes to waiting for something I want, and I want this.” His forehead rested against hers, she had no clue how bad he wanted this.

"Who says you have to wait?" Mischief swirled in her eyes as she brought her lips to his this time. Her hands ran up his back, bunching the fabric of his shirt under her fingertips as they pressed harder against his back. Again she melted against him, losing herself in his arms and his kiss.  Never had she felt anything but safe with Karsten, and that was very true now only it was her heart she was trusting him with as much as her life.  

He was a goner, a flat out goner for this woman, and he didn't give a fuck about it.  He knew how his friend felt, and it would have to be dealt with eventually.  Right now was not that time.  Karsten had never hid how he felt towards Serena from Keegan, and it hadn’t stopped his friend from making his own moves from what Karsten had heard.   Keegan might think he had a lock on the gorgeous doc, but it clearly wasn't the case. Karsten was going to make sure it never was.

[bendingthelaws]

Colin Masterson has never backed down from a fight, but then the fight has never put another life in danger like it has now. What started as a case to bring down the head of an organized crime organization is now turning into one to save the life of his intern. An intern, that is receiving back in pieces, literally. With his friends, and eventually his brother who is at odds with, involved in the case as well, it will end up with them all bending the law until it almost breaks.

[moviesiveseenandwanttoremember]

Elaine May's "Mikey and Nicky" December 21, 1976.

[the-andromeda-effect]

16

Even trying to leaving can go smoothly...

The SUV was loaded, Lars was behind the wheel, and Marcin was waiting in the hall.  Now all that remained was for Caliban to wake up Adira and go downstairs.  Then they would be off to get away from the estate, the violence, and the memories of the whole area for a while.  The fresh air and the cabin would do them both some good.  Theron was set up to handle all matters from the city while Caliban would be working remotely as needed.

Thanks to the sedative provided by the medic, Adira had slept soundly.  Caliban had checked on her repeatedly while packing, and also talking to Theron regarding arrangements, just to make sure she was still doing okay.  Her complete stillness bothered him, but he couldn’t put a finger on exactly why.  He knew with all that had happened since the previous morning that she had to be exhausted on top of the injury and medication, yet it still gnawed on him that she made no movement or sound for hours. His only hope was that the rest would help to calm her nerves and help her healing.  What she had gone through, he couldn’t even imagine.

Once more Caliban perched on the edge of the couch next to Adira, this time to wake her at least enough to get her down to the SUV, so that they could leave for the cabin.  Gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder to rouse her and jostled her gently.  Unfortunately due to the sedative and the trauma of the preceding thirty-six hours, Adira’s vision was hazy when waking up, and she was disoriented.  Caliban’s face was too blurry to see clearly, his voice distorted when he said her name, and her memory of recent events a bit disjointed; so, her brain told her she was back in Mircea’s mansion.  Thankfully, Caliban was clear headed which kept him from getting punched hard in the jaw, having seen the unfocused eyes of Adira, and the look of terror on her face before she started to swing at him.

“Adira…ADIRA!!”  Still holding her wrist of the arm she swung at him with, Caliban pinned her other arm to her side by leaning against her as she struggled against him and cried out.  He was trying to keep from getting hit, while simultaneously keeping from hurting her, as she reacted in a blind panic.  She had already been through enough, he did not want to cause her more pain or upset. The fact she had woken up in such a state already had him concerned.

Thrashing against him, Adira screamed for him to let her go and Mircea’s name more than once.  It had Marcin coming in with his gun drawn, unsure of what could be happening in the room; although once he saw the situation, he relaxed.  Adira cried, pleaded and begged to be let go, her voice breaking and tears streaming down her face as she begged not to be hurt or killed.  Her eyes might be open, but Caliban, and even Marcin, were quite convinced that she was not really awake, but instead caught in a nightmare that she wasn’t waking up from for some reason.

“Shhh…shhh…you’re safe.  Wake up.  It’s me, it’s Caliban.  You’re safe, sweetheart.”  He kept his voice calm by some feat of will, as he continued to try to carefully restrain her.   Finally she started to still and ceased fighting against him.  “There we go, that’s my girl.  Breathe deep.  Calm down, you’re fine.”  He let out a heavy sigh as her eyes seemed to finally focus and then confusion was awash over her face, her eyes darting back and forth between Caliban’s face and Marcin.

As Adira became fully coherent and focused, she also became afraid in a different way than she had been when she had thought she was once again in Mircea’s grasp, and about to face more pain at his hand.   Looking up into Caliban’s face with him holding her arm, she was more concerned how bad she had just fucked up.  Her breathing was still rapid, and she was having trouble coming up with words.  She could hear Marcin saying something to Caliban but was still so confused that she wasn’t making sense of it.

“I’m not sure if it was the medication or a nightmare, but she’s fine.  I think when I woke her up she was already having a bad dream, it was just confusion.”  Caliban answered Marcin’s inquiry as to what had caused her reaction.  It pleased him that the guard was concerned, even though it was clear that not only was Adira not in any danger, but that she was being taken care of.  “I think I have learned a lesson about waking her up.”  A wry chuckle left him as he turned his attention once more to her, letting go of her wrist now as he pulled her up to sitting and into his arms.  “Are you more calm now, sweetheart?”

Adira nodded, not taking her eyes off of his face as her head came to rest on his shoulder.  He looked calm, he sounded calm, he had let her wrist go, but she was still afraid she had seriously misstepped.  “I’m sorry.  Wha..what…whatever I..I did.. I..” her eyes closed as she took a deep breath to calm herself.  “I was confused when I woke up,” she finally finished, her eyes still closed to help with her nerves.

“There is no need to apologize.  Marcin, please get her some water.  Let Lars know we’ll be a couple of more minutes.”  Caliban didn’t take his eyes off of her face, reaching up to softly stroke across her forehead and then down her cheek.  “You’re fine, Adira.  You have had two days that were traumatic and upsetting, plus the medication dulling your senses.  I am not upset.” He could feel a slight tremble in her and knew that she was afraid, most likely of his reaction.  That bothered him.  Yes, he was a violent man, but he would never be towards her.  He already knew this to be a fact and he would have to remember to be patient until she knew she was always safe with him; and remember that at times she would react from her past, not their present.  After all, they had only known one another since the previous morning when he had quite literally shown up to kill her.  He could hardly blame her for having some fear of him.

“Thank you.”  Adira’s eyes opened to meet his, now a small smile forming on her lips as she fought the remnants of her fear.  His calm voice and soft touch were doing more to calm her than his words.  That he had sent Marcin to get water for her also meant something to her too.  He was making sure she was taken care of without having to leave her alone, and for that she was grateful.  

“No, there's nothing I've done that requires any kind of thank you.” Caliban looked at his wife again, and ran his fingers across the side of her face, his thumb brushing over that bruise that still angered him even though he's been looking at it for the past thirty-six hours. “Adira,” he started, “just remember you are always safe with me.  We are going to figure out what happened with Kondrat, and make sure it never happens again.  But for now, we are going to have our vacation and relax.  Once you've had a little something to drink and your mind is clear,  we can look at getting ready to go. The car is all loaded, and all the arrangements have been made.” His arm tightened around her and his other hand came to cradle her head gently to his shoulder.  He was worried about her.  

 It was only a few minutes later that Marcin returned with the water for her to drink, and also with Lars following him. “Hey boss, we thought we'd just come up and wait and make sure everything was okay.”  Marcin told him as he handed Adira the water bottle with the cap loosened for her.  He was worried about her, just like Caliban and now Lars as well.  Now he understood what Lars had told him earlier about her blind fear of her ex-husband. “You doing better, ma'am?”

 “Yes,” she replied, “I'm sorry for any upset. I was confused when I woke up.” Adira's eyes darted quickly between Caliban and Marcin. A soft blush roast her cheeks as her eyes dropped, her hand reaching over and taking Caliban’s free one in her own. His thumb swept the back of hers softly as his fingers wrapped to hold her hand softly,  and then he gave it a light squeeze. It was helping to calm her to be held so gently by him, each moment that they sat there adding to the calm that she was feeling. Never in her marriage with Mircea had there been a time like this, even in the beginning.  He had never been one for quiet, calm, soft..anything.  A few sips of water here, a few reassuring looks and touches, and occasionally some words from both Marcin and Lars, helped her to feel better. 

Finally, when Adira felt that she had recovered her senses enough to be able to walk down to the car under her own power; so, Caliban decided that they should leave. Lars led the way, with Caliban following after  Adira, and finally Marcin bringing up the rear.  He was also to let Pietre and Svarog know that they were leaving, and that the house would be empty until they returned. 

Earlier in the evening, while Caliban had still been packing, Theron had left to return to his own estate.  The following day, he, Pietre, and Svarog would get together again, and begin to try to discern who it was that had betrayed Caliban and led to Kondrat dragging Adira across the yard. In truth, Marcin, Lars, and Caliban would all have liked to have helped in that endeavor. However, it was clear that getting Adira away from the estate was the best for everyone. She needed calm, quiet, tranquility, and also to get to know Caliban better. If they were to be a team and work together, everything had to settle into its place, and that meant getting to know one another without there being constant upset and possible violence. 

If Caliban had discovered who it was while he was still there, there was no doubt that violence would erupted the mansion once more, which would only set her back with her settling in. That was not something that Caliban wanted, instead he did want to get to know the woman that he was now married to, at least on paper. He had found himself drawn to her with a possessive and protective nature since their first encounter in that basement, and he could not put his finger on why.  He didn’t like unanswered questions.  Another question he wanted to figure out the answer to was whether she was clinging to him because she saw him as a savior, or if she too had felt something the night before in the library when everything had seemed so relaxed. 

While their marriage was fake at the moment, there was already a hint of something that could develop.  Caliban could not deny that she was a beautiful and intelligent woman, and from all he had heard of her, he would find her personality just as charming as he had the night before.  Theron too had been taken by her, not an easy feat, so there was that fact that he needed to keep in mind.  His best friend was a good judge of character, so it seemed to confirm his own thoughts on the woman.  He would rush nothing with her, assume little, but that did not mean he was not intrigued to see how things would develop over the coming days.

[bendingthelaws]

8

Abby had just come up behind Dimitri as he and Colt were discussing her pay.  She really had thought Colt had docked her, but he’d never said he would except when he had every right to.  She would have never complained if he had, and she now hoped that her mentioning it wasn’t going to be a problem with Colt and Dimitri.  They were like a little family in the office, even if the two men barked at each other a lot.  Professional hazard from working with lawyers from what she’d ascertained.  

“I, uh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to cause a problem.”  She stood slightly behind Dimitri since he was still blocking the door into Colt’s office.

Dimitri’s teeth ground, the glare he was shooting at Colt was murderous, and he wanted to beat some sense into Colt; but the fact the babe was in the office would keep Dimitri from it.  In his old life, he wouldn’t have given two shits, but he’d left that life behind..mostly.  

He trusted few, even fewer trusted him, and he damned well liked it that way.  For those who he did trust and have his loyalty, he would rip the city apart for them.  He had the connections still to do it, and those who hired Colt often knew that.  It’s why they’d never had a problem with any clients; they knew better than to fuck with him.

If Dimitri ever figured out how to kill someone without touching them, Colt was sure that he would be the first victim.  “You didn’t cause any problems, sweetheart.  It’s just a discussion.”  He looked over at Dimitri with a “happy now” look and gestured for him to get out of the doorway.  They really needed to have this discussion because he needed both their help with what was going on.

After they’d both made it into the room, Colt leaned against the front of his desk, his hands grabbing the front edge on either side of his thighs.  “My brother called earlier.”  He caught  Dimitri’s eye roll and glared.  “We knew he was getting ready to indict Constantin Rakeovich.  We’re still his attorney of record.  Just after the intent to indict was filed, one of Colin’s interns disappeared.”  Now he had Dimitri’s attention and Abby paled.

“Sweetheart, sit down, you look a little pale.”  Colin motioned to the chairs in front of him or the couch off to the side, then waited for her to sit.  “A few days ago they received a,” he considered how to phrase this.  So far he’d been sucking at doing that well.  “An indication that she was not being treated well.”  He looked at Dimitri, it was clear that the Russian understood the meaning.  “Another was received two days ago.  This morning a package was sitting on his desk.  It contained a human eye.”  

Abby couldn’t contain it, she gasped and started to shake.  One of their clients was doing this?  Her stomach rolled and she felt light headed.  She wasn’t sure whether she was going to pass out or throw up, or both.  Constantin Rakeovich had been in their office.  He’d leaned up against her side board and talked to her.  He was charming and friendly.  Now she knew he had cut out some poor woman’s eye.  Her chest felt tight and she couldn’t think straight, panic was setting in. 

One look at Abby and he knew that she should not have been part of this conversation.  What the fuck had Colt been thinking including her.  His starched white shirt had more color than Abby did at the moment.  Colt was lucky he was out of arm’s reach.

“Darling, look at me.”  Dimitri gently took Abby’s face in his hands as he knelt down in front of her.  The girl was more like a little sister to him than an assistant and he was worried about her.  “Abby.”  He was fighting to keep his voice calm.  Thankfully her name got her attention. 

“You’re safe and we’re going to keep you that way.  Understand?”  Her head shook in his hands.  “Good, now you’re going to lie down on Colt’s couch till you have more color in your face.”  Again she nodded. 

Letting go of her head, Dimitri helped her to lay down and draping his suit jacket over her, before he stood up and walked over to Colt.  His voice dropped and his expression became hard.  “You ever pull that shit in front of her again, I will hurt you in ways you cannot imagine, Masterson.  Learn some damned tact and manners.  You seem to have forgotten both of those lately.”