“Just what, exactly, is this “something” you’re referring to?” John asked, eyeing Lena with a “tell all” expression before walking back to the entry of the apartment to grab the bag containing the clothes he had just washed. He rummaged in the bag for her dress, tossing it back to her; all the while trying to fight his annoyance at her silence as he said “Well…go on.”
Lena looked down at her freshly laundered dress, mulling over what she should tell John in response. She didn’t really want to lie to him; but under the circumstances, she was also hesitant to tell him that not only had she agreed to lead her father’s organization, but she was also very likely going to be involved in an all-out crime war. She knew that it would only convince him further that she should be removed from her current life, by force if necessary; and she didn’t really have the time to deal with him going all “macho-man” on her.
“Look, John; it’s nothing. Just a small kink in the metaphorical hose” She finally replied, trying to fix him with her best look of indifference as she began reaching her hands up to unbutton the shirt he had given her so she could slip back into her dress. Realizing that he didn’t plan on leaving the room any time soon, she arched her eyebrows at him and fixed him with a look that indicated he should give her some privacy while she undressed.
“You’re not getting out of telling me that easily, Lena” John said in response to her look; his voice pitched low as he moved towards her, backing her into the wall by the window. He brought a hand up to fit over her own as it rested on the top button of the shirt; and moved his other hand up to rest on the wall by her head as he continued:
“I need to know everything you’re currently involved in so I can keep you safe.”
Lena mentally shook herself to avoid the temporary daze incited by John’s closeness; giving him an incredulous look before she replied “What do you mean, keep me safe? I’m perfectly safe; John. You’re being paranoid.” She left out the part where she would probably not be so safe anymore once everyone in the mob world knew exactly who she was…he didn’t need that information to further cement his point.
“You can’t be safe from everything, Lena; no matter who your father is” He said, his eyes drilling holes into her own as he maintained his position; caging her between his body and the wall. Years of training and guarding his emotions from the world hid it well; but John was struggling internally as he tried to fight his own reaction at being so close to this woman. He found himself using all the restraint he had to keep his gaze away from what he could see underneath her shirt from his height above her; instead keeping his eyes locked on hers while he warded off his ridiculous male pride at the fact that she was in his shirt, in his apartment, giving her undivided attention to him. The ex-agent blinked once and took a deep breath to steady himself (damn that woman for having the ability to floor him with just a single look from underneath her eyelashes); backing away from Lena so that he could remain focused as he continued to speak.
“Someone or something is a threat to you. I don’t know yet who or what it is; but I’m keeping you with me until we can resolve whatever this is."
“So, what? You’re nominating yourself to be my babysitter? Please, John…” Lena said, rolling her eyes at him even as she attempted to tamp down the sense of loss that swept over her as he separated himself from her. “Think of who my father is. Even he hasn’t been able to shield me from everything. I’ve been in danger before, and I’ve made it out unscathed every single time. I don’t really see what has you so worried.”
“This isn’t just the usual danger because of your father, Lena. This threat is serious” John told her, trying to convey his seriousness through his gaze.
“How can you possibly know that?” She countered, giving him a skeptical look as she resumed unbuttoning her shirt; deciding that she was tired of waiting for him to leave so she could change. “Are you a psychic or something?”
John bit down his original retort; trying his best to remain calm despite how this woman both irritated and enticed him all at the same time. He sat down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in order to avoid watching her undress; knowing full well the temptation that would provide, as he responded.
“I just…I just know, Lena. I can’t disclose everything to you; but what I can tell you is that I received information regarding the current threat against you in the same way as I received your father’s.”
That revelation caused her to stop what she was doing for a minute; her hands releasing their hold on his shirt and allowing it to flop to the floor as she stood there, looking at him in surprise.
“So this is for real, then?” She asked, fighting back the horror that was welling up inside her at his disclosure. She knew all too well the kind of danger her father had been in when John had swooped in to save him; and she also was aware that John wouldn’t bring that moment of her life up if there was no reason for it. At his nod of assent, she grabbed her dress, pulling the garment up over her body in stunned silence; only speaking again to ask John to zip her up.
John did as she asked him, marveling at how trivial and domestic the act seemed….and how, given their current lifestyles; neither one of them was likely to ever be in a “domestic” situation in the near future. As she turned back around to face him, he was floored at how she actually looked as scared as she should be, for once. He brought up a hand to place gently on her shoulder, as he spoke.
“Lena, I know this is a bit much for you to take in. But I swear to you, I will keep you safe. Nothing can touch you as long as you stay where I can keep an eye on you.”
“That’s just it, John…I can’t always be with you. I have responsibilities to…” Lena trailed off, catching herself short before she spilled the beans on her current dilemma. He clearly thought she was scared solely about the threat to her life. And for his own protection, it was probably better that way. She knew John well enough to know that he would never allow her to take over the mob for her father; much less be involved in a war with the other families. Either that, or he would insist on being involved himself; and that thought was too much for her to bear. He would be in danger from not only the other families but her own as well; and she couldn’t allow that to happen. The best thing she could do for him…for the both of them; was to keep him in the dark.
She saw him looking at her, waiting for her to continue; so she back-tracked from her original statement, saying:
“I can’t just stay cooped up here, John. I have my own life too; a job... and I couldn’t expect you to drop what you’re doing for me either.” She moved around him as she spoke, picking up her phone from where she had tossed it on the bed and trying to avoid looking him in the eye as she redirected the conversation, saying:
“So, how about that ride home? A friend of mine wanted date advice that can’t wait…that’s the “something” from earlier.”
John eyed her skeptically, suspecting that he wasn’t getting the entire truth; a fact that was confirmed by her staunch effort at avoiding his gaze. Perhaps the only reason he let it go and decided to actually give in to her request was the knowledge that he had the means for following her wherever she went; and taking action if necessary. He caught her momentary look of surprise at his quick assent as he nodded and went for the keys in his pocket; and made a mental note to keep a close eye on her as much as possible no matter what other numbers the Machine gave him in the meantime. Something else was going on with her; and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Lena followed John out to his car in silence, a bit shocked at how quickly he had agreed to take her home. She felt terrible for lying to him, of course; but she couldn’t deny that she felt better knowing he wouldn’t be getting caught up in her problems. Whatever the cause of it, she had a mysterious desire to keep him safe from the part of her life that involved the mob; no matter what the cost. That desire was magnified ten-fold now that her father was in prison; as she doubted his mysterious leanings toward the man in the suit would be enough to prevent Scarface and the others from disposing of “the outsider” in whatever way they deemed fit. She refused to let that happen; even if it meant forcing him out of her life permanently.
As the two of them made their way toward John’s car, the ex-agent found himself unable to help feeling a bit bothered at Lena’s sudden turn into silence. He couldn’t tell if it stemmed from an attempt to be secretive, or the beginnings of shock; but he kept finding his eyes traveling from their constant perusal of the environment back to her face as they walked, to reassure himself that she was alright, at least for now. In one of his frequent scans of their surroundings, he briefly took notice of the woman standing on the corner of the street opposite them, watching them intently. He shifted his position a bit, casually covering Lena from view as his hand went reflexively to his gun. Seeing that the woman had disappeared by the time his gaze returned to her location, he relaxed a little; letting Lena into the car and stepping around to enter the driver’s seat and start the ignition.
Making a mental note to compare this woman’s appearance with that of the woman from the bar’s security cam the previous evening; he revved the car’s engine, earning a small smile from Lena before heading off in the direction of her home.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“I still don’t see why you have to change your clothes to give your friend boy advice” John said in a slightly raised voice so that it would carry through the closed bathroom door to Lena. They had arrived at her home; or loft more like, about twenty minutes ago, and John had been forced to remain seated obediently in the living room while Lena fussed over what outfit she should wear.
“I wouldn’t expect you to, John. You aren’t a girl, after all; unless you’ve been really careful about hiding something” She replied, teasing him. He found himself laughing at that; something that he hadn’t done, at least not in earnest, in a very long time.
Lena finally exited the bathroom, clad in simple faded blue jeans that rested low on her hips; and a frilly white blouse that barely reached the upper hem of the jeans. The small area of exposed skin between shirt and jeans nearly made John forget why he was there; and he averted his eyes carefully so as to avoid letting his unusual reaction get the better of him and cause him to do something they would both regret.
As she moved into the room proper, Lena threw a curious look in John’s direction, unsure of how to interpret his sudden avoidance of her gaze; before moving to the large window by the television to investigate the sudden noise coming from outside. She cursed under her breath as she realized it was Scarface and another one of her father’s men; likely coming to pick her up and take her to HQ themselves, given her delay. She hadn’t meant to let it take so long; but she hadn’t been quite sure how to get rid of John without making him suspicious…
Turning back from the window to face him, she said “You’ve got to leave. Now.”
John looked up at her then; startled at the seriousness in her expression, and moved to the window to see what had caused her such irritation. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he saw Scarface and some other thug ascending the steps to her building; and he turned around, about to protest against leaving. She cut him off, however, saying:
“Seriously, John; go! They won’t be as lenient with you as my father was.” She moved over to stand beside him; placing a hand on his forearm and squeezing urgently as she spoke. “Just go. I promise; I’ll be fine.”
The look on his face as he stood there; torn between staying with her to protect her and leaving to prevent the unavoidable questions that would come up as a result of her father’s men discovering them together nearly broke Lena’s heart. She smiled at John as best she could; hoping beyond hope that he would be convinced she was going to be alright, as she began nudging him slowly towards the door. He turned back at the doorway, all the concern he had for her showing on his face before he said:
“You call if you need anything, understood?”
“Of course, John, just go!” She hissed, shoving him out of her loft and practically shooing him down the hallway. She could hear the footsteps of the two mobsters coming her way; and she wanted John completely out of sight before they arrived. He gave her one last look before disappearing down a hallway that connected with her own; and she retreated back into her own apartment to await the arrival of her new guests.
Attempting to arrange her face into a neutral mask, she turned around to face the doorway as Scarface and his companion entered.
“Geez, what took ya so long, Lena? You didn’t have to dress up just for my sake.”
She rolled her eyes at her father’s right hand man; giving him her best glare before moving past him into the hallway as she spoke.
“We don’t have time for your games, Scarface. Let’s just get this over with.”
Scarface stood there in shock for a moment; before rallying and following Lena outdoors and into his car, the other mobster close behind them. The three of them were all so wrapped up in their own internal thoughts about the situation at hand that no one noticed the dark black car pull out behind them and follow them towards their new destination.
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