You sat by the large window in your bedroom watching the rain bounce off the glass panes. The only light illuminating the room were candles that you had the girls from your company put on any flat surface of your bedroom. You wanted them lit like a vigil for your lost lover who had fifteen minutes till his contract would go into effect. Excommunicated for breaking Continental rules, you watched your phone light up with text messages as John wandered the streets of New York. Your stomach in knots as you feared he would inevitably show up asking for help and it wasn’t long before your intuition had been right. Ten minutes later Stephen was knocking on your door: John Wick was downstairs pleading for admittance into your home.
“Regina mea de argint, Baba Yaga trebuie să vorbească cu tine.(My silver queen, Baba Yaga needs to speak with you.)” Stephen, one of your body guards spoke from the doorway. Your heart clenched in your chest as you nodded your head giving permission for him to enter.
Within minutes the door was opened once more, two men leading a wounded and soaking wet John Wick into your room. You didn’t turn around, afraid to look at him directly but you could see his reflection in the window panes. His usually black assassin suit was torn and drenched with blood, his raven hair slicked back from the rain. Cuts and bruises were sprinkled over his face, his jaw clenching as he gripped his shoulder clearly in pain.
“Of all the places you could hide..even seek refuge in, this doesn’t seem like the wisest choice,” you breathed out slowly turning in your chair so you could meet his dark brown eyes. You had to bite your bottom lip to keep it from trembling, your first reaction to seeing your ex lover was to burst into tears, but you had to be strong, you were the head of this family. The Silver Queen of New York and the last thing you needed was to show any kind of weakness to him or your men. The Director put you in charge and you knew they would all report your behavior back to her.
“It’s been a long time,” he began your shoulders immediately tense at the sound of his voice.
“I could snap my fingers and have you shot down right here at my feet, but you took that risk walking in here, why?” You cleared your throat trying to keep your voice steady.
John winced as his hand went to dig something out his pocket, your big blue eyes watching him cautiously, “Because you can’t kill the bearer of you mark, Lo,” John breathed out as he retrieved a small metal medallion that he held in the light for you to see.
You rolled your eyes trying to remain unphased by him, “I said they would shoot you, not kill you.”
“Please, Lo I need your help. I’m seeking safe passage..,”John clenched his jaw limping towards you slowly, his hands in the air so you could see he was unarmed.
“You can’t walk back in here after seven years and expect me to jump at an opportunity to help you, John. You can bat your eye lashes, call me by a pet name, but the fact is you broke the rules, so even if I wanted too,”you leaned back in your chair watching him as he kneeled in front of you, bowing his head in respect. “I can’t.”
“When you needed my help, when no one would, I came through, this is your blood,” he slipped the marker into your lap, his soft hands grazing across your bare thigh lingering for a moment as he closed his eyes getting lost for a moment in the familiarity of you.
You caught his fingers, gripping his hand to stop, “Do you remember what you said to me the last time I saw you?”
John looked up at you, shame and regret washing over his face, his voice a soft whisper, “I told you I loved you...”
“And then after that?” Your voice cracked as you brushed a wet piece of hair from his face.
He sighed leaning into your hand,”That we were going to get each other killed, if someone didn’t leave.” His voice was low deep with regret and sadness.
“And yet here you are bringing death at my feet. I can’t help you John. I can’t risk everything I built when you left,” you replied leaning back in your chair.
“Chloe, please. You’re the only person who could even understand why I am here and what I did. I’m just asking you to try, I need passage out of here, then we will be even,” he pleaded.
You scoffed, “Even? We will never be even, the fact you’re here asking me this is crazy. Did you think you could appeal to what? My humanity? Any lingering feelings I might have had for you over the years? You think I’m going to jeopardize all this to help the Great John Wick? You were out, with Helen, you never should have come back to this.”
“You pushed me into that, she filled the void you left. All of that was your idea, you didn’t want me here after what happened,” he snapped at you.
“We we’re getting in the way of each other’s futures. I wasn’t an orphan like you, I had a responsibility to this house. They were never going to let me go like they did with you.” You yelled at him now feeling your heart pounding in your chest.
“The director let me go because of you and you know that, any reason she could use to separate us,” John stressed sitting back on his heels.
“I don’t remember you fighting it. You walked out that door and I didn’t think you were coming back, especially after I heard you married her,” you were gripping the chair so hard you couldn’t feel your fingers, jealousy apparent in your voice.
“I am back., I’m right here, Lo,” he leaned forward his hands falling over yours caging you into the chair.
“Not for me, you’re back for my help that’s different. What do you want me to do John? The High Table wants your life, what did the Director used to say when we were kids? ‘How can you fight the wind? How can you smash the mountains? How can you bury the ocean? How can you escape from the light? You can go to the dark. But they’re in the dark too,” you cried.
“I need passage to Casablanca,” he reached for your hands again kissing at your fingers, “and I want you to come with me.”
You froze, “To what? Die beside you?”
“No to make it all right, you want the high table gone for what they did to you. I want to fix everything that’s happened,” he reached for your face cupping your chin in his hands as he pushed your wavy blonde hair from your face.
“John don’t,” you trembled holding his wrists.
“Listen to me, coming from someone who could be dead in the next ten minutes, I’ve made mistakes. I’m seeking your help to undo that. I want to make it all right and I need you at my side,” he whispered his face getting closer to you.
“That’s your plan? For us to go against the High Table? You can’t walk back in here and expect me—-“ you were cut off by his lips as he kisses you possessively. His tongue invading your mouth as he pulls you closer to him. He nips at your bottom lip before trailing kisses up your jaw line to your ear lobe which he runs his tongue over making you shudder.
“Mi-e dor de stelele mele, doamna mea de argint (I missed you, my silver lady),” he pulls you into him making you fall out of the chair into his lap, you both crashing on the floor.
“No...” you cry now trying to stand, “is this a game to you?” You snapped at him sitting back onto the floor as he looked at you confused.
“Lo, I still love you, even she knew that ,” he answered.
“You’re going to make me regret this,” You stared into his lust blown but defeated eyes, “I can grant you passage, stay the night and we can get you to Casablanca in the morning. You’ll be safe, I swear as my honor on this house.”
“I don’t want to leave without you,” John replied.
“Stephen,” you yelled standing as you fixed your dress, your body guard coming back into the room. “John has been granted refuge, he can have the blue room. Can you escort him so he can get cleaned up? He’ll need clothes and a gun.”
“My lady,” he began to protest but the glare you gave him shut him up, “yes, right this way Mr.Wick.”
“No one better look at him the wrong way while he is under our protection. Double the security and have men posted at my door. Be seeing, John. The path to paradise begins in Hell,” you bit your bottom lip avoiding his eyes.
John rose from the floor, walking over to you sliding the marker in your hand. He leaned down kissing the side of your head before limping off slowly to get cleaned up.
The second the door clicked you threw the marker across the room, tears spilling down your face as you cried out. Your chest aching from his words. You were about to risk everything to help him and despite sending him away for the moment, that kiss had been souls searing. You knew he loved Helen, you respected that but where did that leave the two of you? You had been far from an angel since he left, there had been others you cared for but none the way you loved him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” The director stormed into your office, a snarl in her face. You knew it wouldn’t be long till she learned of John’s arrival.
“He has my marker, I have to honor it,” you replied ignoring her as you started taking off your jewelry. “Blood oaths are binding no matter the rules, you know that.”
“You bring death to this house! I warned you about the chaos the two of your would cause and you just let him in here without my permission,” she crossed her arms now pouting which only made you glare at her.
“You don’t sit on that throne anymore I do. I don’t need anyone’s permission. You tore us apart so I could lead this house, so no one will harm him while he’s here. If you don’t like it leave,” you snapped at her raising an eyebrow.
“Who do you think you’re talking to Chloe?” She growled at you.
“You’re the director I’m the Queen, leave it alone. In 24 hours he will be gone maybe even dead so you will get your wish,” you responded flatly still standing your ground.
“You need to be careful. You are showing so much weakness for Jardini, which is why you two should be separated.”
“Weakness? So that’s what this is about? How does your two best assassins get weaker when they are together?” You scoffed.
“Love blinds people, doamna mea de argint (my silver lady),” The Director replied quickly.
“Well thank you for another lesson, but I have a job to plan. I already warned Stephen no one better go near him while he’s here under our watch. He wants to go to Casablanca, and he will arrive in the same condition he came in: Alive.” You stared her down with a warning.
“You’re making a mistake, Lo, once he cashes in that ticket he can never return here. Those are the rules, so there won’t be a happy ending for you two.” She shook her head stomping out of the room.
