Bargain with the Bandit

[ A/N: Welcome to "Bargain with the Bandit". This is a story about Bandit Keith and one of my original characters, Evelyn Sweet. It is a sequel to my first story in the Millenium Guardians series, "Forever Love". If you want to fully enjoy "Bandit" I would highly reccomend reading "Love" first, as some of the characters are repeated and at times events that happen in the earlier story are alluded to in this one. Other then that, I hope that you enjoy Keith and Evelyn's voyage into mystery, danger and romance. Please leave a review! It means a lot to me. Thanks!! -- Kat ]

Chapter 1

He stood at the edge of the dueling arena, his muscular arms folded across his chest, his dark blue eyes stopping his opponent in his tracks. He flashed the audience a cocky little smile, then picked up his cards with the grace of a true master. He was Bandit Keith, the Intercontinental Champion, and in Eva's opinion, the sexiest man alive. Everything about this meeting, as she had dubbed it, would have been perfect - were she not scheduled to duel his lordship tomorrow.

The little punk at the other end of the room already looked as though he were in trouble, and the pair had yet to make their first move. It was rather comical really. She wouldn't have that problem. She had been following Keith's progress since he had first blazed onto the Duel Monsters scene. Which was a lucky thing, since tomorrow's duel was a life or death match for her - literally.

" C'mon, dweeb. I was good enough to let you have the first move, so make it already. " Keith was saying as she returned her attention to the duel at hand. She doubted he had been that gracious. Manners were not something he was famous for, and she was not the only one who had heard rumors that he had cheated at the tournament at Duelist Kingdom last year. She hoped that was false, but until she could be sure, she wasn't about to give him the benefit of a doubt.

Keith had certainly dubbed the kid right, though. The fool played Keroozies in attack mode and ended his turn. What a dolt. And of course, Keith was now filling the arena with his trademark laughter. The kid standing on the other dueling pod obviously wanted to be let in on the joke, and asked accusingly, " What's so funny? "

" The look on your face. " Keith spat out, as was his usual reply. Without being at all ruffled, he then played Launcher Spider in attack mode, crushing the kid's monster with one shot of its missiles.

" Ah, shit! " The kid said, throwing a Battle Ox out without thinking. This was so simplistic it was almost depressing. Keith was going to demolish this guy within the next five minutes. Some spying opportunity. At this rate, Eva feared she wasn't going to get to see any of his cards at all.

Once again Keith attacked with his Launcher Spider, totaling the Battle Ox and leaving the other duelist with 1000 life. The guy could still turn it around if he used his head. Before she could stop herself, Eva found herself yelling, " Ever heard of magic or trap cards? Hello! "

Several people shushed her, and Keith turned his head in her direction, winking in a way that made her lose all sane thought for a moment. It was clear she had made quiet a stir, much to her embarrassment. But in spite of it all, the amateur standing at the other end of the arena stood still as a statue, as if he had been frozen to the spot. Finally, he laid a card in defense mode and ended his turn.

Keith had a big smirk on his face, and Eva felt knots forming in the pit of her stomach. The man was so lucky it was frightening. Would he have such amazing luck on his side when he dueled her tomorrow? She hoped not, because she really needed the prize money if she wanted to remain healthy. Maybe he could help her. Shaking her head and pinching herself for even thinking such a thing, she returned her focus to the match to find Keith had just played Block Defense.

" Launcher Spider, get rid of that Electric Lizard! " Keith shouted, pointing across the arena the other duelist, " Too bad, dweeb. You lose! "

The other people in the stands roared their approval, but Eva sat in stunned silence. Had that really just happened? How that kid had made it to the finals playing like that was beyond her, and deep in her gut, she swore she could smell a rat. Something was very fishy about that duel, and she was determined to find out what. Something tapped her on the shoulder and when she looked up she was staring into Keith's shade-covered eyes. " Oh, hello. "

When he said nothing, simply continuing to stare down at her, heat began to creep into her neck and make its way into her face. Finally he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. " That is the sound that should come out of your mouth when two people are dueling. Absolute silence. "

" I am sorry. " Eva said, struggling to keep her voice even, " I did get carried away. It will not happen again. "

" Well, now that that's out of the way, " Keith said, tipping her chin up with two of his fingers so that she was forced to look directly at him, " You want to have dinner? "

Without warning he reached up and pulled the shades off, so that they were staring into each other's eyes. For some reason she was unsure of, this made her relax. Tossing the last of the warning bells that were ringing in her head to the wayside she smiled, " Sure. "

Keith took her hand in his and before she had a moment to second guess herself, he was pulling her out of her chair and onto her feet. They walked out of the stadium together and made their way toward his car as the sun set slowly in the distance, spraying the sky with vivid hues of rose, orange and yellow. This was going to be great. She was about to have dinner with her biggest Duel Monsters idol, who just happened to also be the man of her dreams. Had she not been afraid he'd have caught her, she would have tried to pinch herself.

*+*+*

Keith could not believe his luck. Not only was he about to discover all of the secrets that lurked in his next rival's deck, but if he played his cards right, he was pretty sure he could convince her to sleep with him. She was definitely the best looking, and also ironically the most talented, female duelist he had ever encountered. He had yet to test her himself, but much like him her reputation proceeded her, and from the duels he had watched her play at the 3rd Annual Intercontinental Championship, she lived up to the rumors in every aspect of her game. That was going to make crushing her tomorrow all the more pleasurable.

What he hoped was not true were the rumors of her being involved with the Black Tigers, a very nasty gang from the New York underworld that Keith could not stand. If she were a member of their society, it would change everything. There were guys from that gang who had forty-fours with his name written on them, and he did not want to meet up with these particular characters while he was still in his prime. Shaking his head he continued to drive to O'Haran's Bar and Grill, stealing a peek at his bright eyed date now and then when he came to a red light.

" Keith, why do you duel? " It was the first time she had spoken since they had left the stadium, and she was already trying to analyze him as a duelist. Strike one, Eva. As much as he hated to deny her anything, that little trick wasn't going to work. " For the money, of course. I duel in lots of tournaments, to the point where I have made it a full time career. "

" I see. " Eva looked rather disappointed, and Keith struggled not to laugh. Had she thought that he might let her win tomorrow? Best to find out, he figured.

" How about you? " He asked, doing his best to sound casual. From the look on her face, he could tell he had hit pay dirt. There was more to Eva then met the eye. But besides the prize money, or wanting the title, what else could she hope to gain from the tournament? She looked almost afraid.

" Normally just for fun. " Eva said, turning toward him and giving him a small smile. It did not reach her eyes, though, and she had said normally. Was she implying that there was something different this time? And if so, why? " For once I actually have to win, which is ridiculous, because for once I'm not sure I can. "

" Well you're modest. That's a welcome change. " Keith said chuckling, " But why do you have to win, Eva? Does it have something to do with you being a member of the Black Tigers? "

This time it was Eva laughing, albeit coldly, " Member of the Black Tigers? Who gave you that lame brained idea? They ought to be shot! Those pricks want my head! "

Keith slammed on the breaks of his car so quickly that the tires squealed, and turned his full attention to her, " Why? "

" It's rather embarrassing and I have no desire to discuss it. " Eva said, a note of finality in her voice. She looked almost pouty, her arms crossed and her eyes staring at him as if trying to relay some unspoken message. " But when I beat you tomorrow, instead of letting you keep your title as I normally would, you'll know why. "

Strike two, Eva. Yet despite his annoyance at her comment, he felt for her. The Black Tigers were not to be messed with, and if they had managed to get some kind of a hold on an innocent like Eva, Keith was not about to let them rip her apart. As he continued to look at her, he noticed that her hands were shaking and he took one of them in both of his, brushing his fingers over it in a soothing pattern, " Don't worry, Eva. I'll help you get out of this mess. "

" You can't! " Eva said, her voice wobbling slightly from unshed tears, " They want you, too. I can't let you endanger yourself for me. I made this mess, I'll deal with it myself. "

Keith pressed down on the gas again and they continued to drive towards the bar, " What happened to get you mixed up with those guys? "

" I had bad credit, and needed money to pay my way to the Duelist Kingdom last year. I had heard rumors that my sister, Angelica, was living there. Things did not turn out as I had expected, but luckily we have been reunited. I got them to loan me the money to get there. "

Keith groaned, and slapped a hand against his forehead, " No offense, but you are even more niave then I had first thought. What would possess you to go to people like the Black Tigers? "

" I really don't know. " Eva said softly, " But now I just want out of all of this, and if I can win tomorrow, I will be. "

" You really think it's that simple, don't you? " The bar was now in sight, its neon blue sign glowing brightly against the black board it was hocked to, " They won't stop after you pay them. "

" You're startin' to scare me, Keith. " Eva said before getting out of the car.

" Good. " Keith said, more to himself then to her. If she wasn't afraid, she ought to be. It would hopefully be what would make her listen to him, and in turn, keep her alive. The more he thought about it, a one night stand might not be what he wanted from her after all.

*+*+*

The steak looked thick and delicious, and was accompanied by a huge baked potato and a lush Caesar salad. As she and Keith began their meal, the smell of the food was enough to drive the tension from her stomach and allow her to enjoy it. He, too, seemed preoccupied with his meal for a time, and they both ate in relative silence. Finally her appetite began to be sated and she slowed down, savoring what remained of her dinner and occasionally sipping from her drink. She also took the opportunity to steal a glance at Keith while she waited for him to reach the same peak of stuffed nirvana.

" You don't drink very often, do you? " He asked, a hint of laughter in his tone, as he looked at her barely touched glass of wine.

" Not really. " Eva said. And especially not when out with a man as sexy as you, she added silently to herself. Only a foot would make a mistake like that. He was called the Bandit for a reason, and if it was from snatching people's hearts Eva was determined not to become his next victim via intoxication. " It's good wine, but with a match tomorrow I've got to be careful. "

" You need to loosen up, and that wine would help you along nicely in that direction. You are way too tense, Eva. " She had to hand it to him, the man had guts. Most people she had met through the years she had been separated from Angel would not have dreamed of making such a blunt statement.

" I bet you'd find that pretty funny. " She challenged, wondering if she could trick him into giving away his intentions. Did he think he could make her incapable of competing? At the thought of that she gave an involuntary shudder. He'd practically be sentencing her to death.

" You can let your guard down, baby. I promise I won't bite. " The gall of the man, he was laughing at her. He probably didn't believe a word she was saying. And what was with this baby bullshit? Eva wanted to scream, but held onto her dignity since she was in the middle of a crowded bar. The bandit was gonna get a bullet shot up his ass if he kept this up, because she refused to be double-crossed.

" If there's one thing I've learned over the course of my life, it's that the only person I can count on is me. " Eva said. Keith looked as if he was ready to start pulling hair out of his head, but she ignored his obvious agitation and kept going anyway, " Anyone else I have ever left with any job of importance does one of two things: fucks it up or stabs me in the back. Thanks, but no thanks. "

Without waiting for a reply, Eva got up and headed for the bathroom, leaving a speechless Keith sitting at the table. That had gone over just peachy. People kept staring at her as she progressed from one end of the room to the other, but she was not heading this way because she needed to powder her nose. She had seen a man she wished she'd never met, and she knew he was stalking her.

Squaring her shoulders she continued to walk, her every thought on appearing as normal as possible. The trick was going to be getting this bastard to follow her at her choosing, rather then against it. Then she could set a trap and send the Black Tigers a message of her own: back off. As she turned the corner that lead to the bathrooms, though, a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind and a hand reached up to cover her mouth. Why hadn't she thought that they might have been planning a trap for her?

The thug dragged her out through the back doors and away to the right of the building, where an alley just happened to be conveniently available for such a disaster. Eva almost had to laugh at that. It was like something out of a cheap movie. Would Batman come to save her, she thought sarcastically as the first thug she had noticed came to join his buddy. She didn't know much about the movies, but she knew lots about real life. The answer was definitely no.

" Evelyn Sweet, we meet at last. " The first man said, his voice laced with contempt. As he moved closer she could smell alcohol and the after-scent of a cheap bong on his breath, which mixed sickeningly with the smell of his perverted arousal. Eva wished she had not had such a big dinner as the need to gag overwhelmed her. " Now I'm going to ask you once, nicely. Where is the money? "

" As I have told every one of you that has asked, I will have it tomorrow when I win the Intercontinental Championship. " Eva said, unable to keep from breaking the words down into little pieces, which revealed how stupid she assumed her questioner was.

" Well I think I'll take an installment in the form of something else tonight. " The man said, reaching forward and squeezing one of her breasts hard. Anger leapt to life in the depths of Eva's eyes and she stared at her captor as if he gaze alone could render him helpless. The man seemed to find this funny. " They told me you would make a great Black Tiger if looks could kill. Seems they were right. "

" Go to hell. " Eva said, her mind racing to find a solution. The problem was, there wasn't one. Why had she left Keith inside the Bar? Surely they wouldn't have tried this with him there.

Then a miracle happened. " Let her go, cutie-pie, or I'll put a bullet through your head. "

The man facing her turned around, leaving enough room for her to see Keith standing at the other end of the alley with a gun loaded and ready. He didn't look like he'd have any qualms if he actually had to use it, either. To her horror, her attacker drew his own gun. This wasn't going to be like any duel she'd ever seen before, and before it had even started she knew damn well she preferred those done with cards any day. Then there was a cold sounding CLICK-CLICK BOOM! Both of the guns went off, sending sharp-pointed silvery bullets into the cool night air. Eva shut her eyes and prayed.

[ End Notes: Will Eva and Keith survive? Who were those thugs that tried to shoot them? Is Eva telling Keith everything? Will Keith be able to duel her now that he knows her situation? Will the Black Tigers catch up with him as easily as they did with her? Where are Angel and Seto, anyway? Read on and find out... ]