I've been playing with this storyline for quite some time now but never knew how to get it out with it making sense. I had wanted to make this a multi chapter, with a build up to this moment but nothing was coming so I decided just play it out as a oneshot. That's not to say that I couldn't now turn this into a multi chapter, but as of right now it's just a simple oneshot. I hope you all like it! If you're a fan of Troy, please don't bite my head off, I know I portrayed him in a pretty bad light here, but every story needs a villan and Troy just happens to be mine. Also, the title of this story puts me off, but I haven't been able to think of anything better. If you can come up with something then by all means, let me know and I'll change the name because right now I am not happy with it. Alright, enough of me talking, on with the show!
It was supposed to be a good day. It had started out that way at least. Today was her four month anniversary with V3 and while Dani had told Connor it wasn't all that big of a deal, to him it was cause for celebration. Dani knew what he was doing though, rumors were still swarming in the media about the FBI raid, and that was well over a month ago. Connor was still a nervous wreck about it and he wanted to give everyone a reason to cut loose and relax. Dani's 'anniversary' was the perfect excuse. She didn't mind really, she wasn't one to turn down a good party, especially if it made her co workers a bit more relaxed. Paloma had sent a garment bag over to her house a few hours ago. While it was her anniversary, she'd only stopped into the office for a few hours in the morning; she didn't have any clients scheduled for the day so she'd spent it at home going over case files. Paloma had helped her pick out an outfit and promised that as soon as she could get the people from the fashion department upstairs to hand it over, she'd have it sent to her house.
Dani stood in front of the mirror now, checking herself over. The dress was sapphire blue and fitted to her curves. It stopped just above her knee and showed off, what Dani deemed, a tasteful amount of cleavage. She slipped on a pair of black high heels and pinned her curls off to the side in a low ponytail. She smiled at herself in the mirror, she looked good.
It was almost six thirty by the time Dani made her way downstairs. Connor had promised a car would pick her up around then. The party was due to start around eight but with traffic it would take some time to get into the city.
She didn't know who was supposed to pick her up; somewhere in the back of her mind a small voice hoped it'd be Nico. She wasn't quite sure if they were on even footing yet, after six months of radio silence and then about a month of him being kind of a prick once she'd been hired at V3. He had been nicer to her recently though. He was there for her when everything went down with Carl, and that meant a lot to her. Plus if she was honest she was a little nervous about tonight, she wasn't exactly in the mood to be the center of attention, and Nico always put her at ease.
At six thirty on the dot a knock came at her door. She walked over and opened it, having fully convinced herself that tall, dark and scary would be on the other side.
"Troy?" This wasn't what she'd expected.
"Doctor." Dani looked him over quickly, he seemed a bit off.
"You're my ride I suppose?" His eyes darted nervously back to the car. Something was definitely wrong. Troy might be an ass sometimes but he was always well put together, right now he wasn't. He was sweating a bit, his eyes looked bloodshot and his clothes were wrinkled.
"Yes, if you're ready." Dani nodded and started out the door. He moved in front of her, making his way to the car. With his back turned Dani slipped her cell phone from her purse and brought up Nico's number. She wouldn't call him yet, just in case she was being paranoid, but she'd be ready just in case.
She slipped into the car and tucked the phone underneath her leg so Troy wouldn't see it, but it would still be in reach if she needed it. He started the engine and sped out of her driveway. She was quiet for a while, watching his driving and the turns he took. She knew how to get to V3, and she knew the exact moment when he turned the wrong way.
"I think you might have missed our turn off." She tried to sound nonchalant about it, trying not to give herself away. She slid the phone out from under her leg and turned it on, her finger hovering over the call button.
"We're not going to V3 tonight Doctor." Troy said.
"What, did they move the party and not tell me? That's so like Connor." She kept her voice light, waiting for him to say what she needed him to.
"No, the party's still going on, you just won't be there."
That was all she needed. She pressed call and then turned the volume down; if Nico made any noise she didn't want to risk Troy hearing it.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
Nico was heading to his office when he noticed his phone start to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and read Dani's name as it flashed across the screen. He smiled to himself and pressed send, holding the phone to his ear.
"Dani, I hope you didn't call about a wardrobe crisis, I think you're assistant would be better at handling that." He was trying to be funny, but Dani didn't answer him.
"Dani?" Suddenly he heard her voice but she wasn't talking to him.
"Where are you taking me Troy?" She heard him say.
"I need some answers from you Doctor Santino and you're going to give them to me." Fear iced his veins, how could he have not seen this coming? He had to figure out where they were headed, and fast. He needed to make a call, but he didn't want to hang up on Dani. He looked around and spotted Paloma walking towards him.
"Paloma, I need to borrow you're cell phone." She smiled up at him, and then gave him a confused look.
"Something wrong with yours?" She asked. He could lie and say it wasn't working or he could just tell her the truth.
"Troy kidnapped Dani, she called me but I need another phone to trace her call." He watched the color drain from her face.
"What?" Her voice was quiet.
"Cell phone Paloma." She shook her head and handed him her cell phone.
"I can't believe this." She whispered. Nico watched her closely as he dialed. He knew Paloma had been working closer with Troy lately; he also knew Troy and suddenly become very aware of where Dani was at all times. It was obvious that Paloma had given Troy some kind of information, weather she did so willingly or not he didn't care, he could see the guilt written on her face.
"She'll be alright Paloma." He said, putting the cell phone to his ear as the call connected.
"Xeno, I need you to do me a favor, you still have Dr. Santinos' cell phone number, great, I need a trace, that's fine, call me back as soon as you can." He hung up and handed the phone back to Paloma.
"You're sure she'll be alright?" She asked.
"You know Dani, if she doesn't kick his ass before I get there, I'll take care of it." Paloma offered a weak smile and nodded, her eyes met his and her smile widened.
"You really do love her don't you?" She took him by surprise with that; he didn't think he was that transparent about his feelings toward Dani. Although maybe it was obvious to everyone, well, everyone but Dani. He cleared his thoughts; he didn't have time to think about it right now.
"I need you to help me out okay?" Paloma nodded.
"Connor is throwing Dani a party here in about an hour. I don't know how long this is going to take; I need you to stall until I get things figured out, alright?"
"Absolutely."
"I'll let you know when she's safe." She nodded and watched him make his way down the stairs and out of the building.
He listened to Dani continue to talk to Troy as he made his way to his car. He'd gotten a clear read off Troy the second he met him. Troy was a hair trigger, if he was mad, he blew up at you. No careful planning, no using his words, just pure anger. In other words, he wasn't someone you wanted to purposely piss off. Dani was smart; he hoped she'd realize that too. He started the engine and then realized if he wanted Xeno to call him back, he'd have to hang up on Dani. He'd given Paloma her cell phone back; she'd need it if he needed to get in touch with her again.
He listened carefully, the phone was quiet. He could hear the sounds of Troy driving but Dani hadn't said anything in about a minute.
"Dani, I'll be there as soon as I can." He said quietly. He knew she probably couldn't hear him. Wherever her cell phone was it was concealed somewhere, no way she had it up to her ear, Troy would have tossed it out the window if he saw it. It took him a few seconds to press the 'end call' button. Not a minute after he did Xeno called him, they'd gotten the trace, and he could take Nico right to her.
"Lead the way Xeno." He put the car in drive and took off.
When Troy finally stopped the house they were outside of was old and empty. She kicked off her shoes in the backseat. When he got out of the car she scrambled to find some place to put her cell phone, no way was she going in that house without a way to call Nico or the cops. The dress had no pockets and was too tight for her to hid it anywhere below her waist, he'd see it for sure. At the last second she tucked it inside her bra, not knowing how else to hide it, she just hoped he wouldn't notice. Troy grabbed hold of her wrist and hauled her out of the car. It worried her a little that he wasn't even trying to conceal where they were. Either he was that sure of himself that he didn't think he'd get caught, or he didn't intend for her to live long enough to tell anyone where they'd been. She tried not to think about that last one, Troy might be a lot of things but she didn't think he was a killer.
He took her in through the front door and pushed her into a metal folding chair in the middle of what used to be a living room. She watched him grab four pieces of rope and tie her arms and legs to the chair. She knew she should have tried to run, or fight back but she wasn't exactly strong, Troy would over power her in a second, she had no doubt about that. She'd also seen the glint of a metal gun in his waistband and while she didn't think he was a killer, there was no way she was going to tempt it. So instead she sat still and let him tie her tight to the chair, her skin chafing and her heart pounding.
"I don't know what you think you're going to get out of me." She said honestly.
"You're gonna tell me who's been stealing from me."
"From you? It's not your company Troy, it's Connors, and somehow I don't think he's approved this method of questioning."
"Connor's to scared to do anything about it, he's more worried about his image than this company surviving, I am doing what's best here!" He shouted at her.
"I am not telling you anything." She kept her voice even.
"You're gonna tell me who came to you about the FBI raid. I know someone told you they were responsible."
"You don't know that, and even if someone did come to me, I wouldn't tell you, I have a responsibility to my patients, I won't rat them out." Troy was fuming, his breathing was uneven, he squeezed his eyes shut tight and pulled the gun from his belt.
"Tell me, now." She watched him carefully, his hand shook slightly.
"You're not gonna kill me Troy." She could say it with confidence. He wouldn't kill her.
"Don't be so quick to judge." He said, stepping closer to her.
"Why is this so important to you?" She asked.
"Connor gave me everything; I won't see someone take it all away, now tell me, who it is!" He raised his voice again.
"I won't tell you that." He brought the handle of the gun down hard against her left temple and then she only saw black.
Nico pulled up to the house Xeno directed him too. He asked him to call a few of his friends on the force and keep them on standby just in case. Nico would go in alone; he didn't want half the NYPD and a SWAT team pulling up outside and spooking Troy even more. No it would make more sense if he went in first and got Dani out, and then the police could do what they wanted with Troy.
The house was abandoned and run down; a black four door was parked in the driveway. He walked around the front of the building, he could hear voices inside but the shades were drawn and curtains were closed so he couldn't see inside. He crept around back and found a rear entrance; this would be the best way in. Far enough from the front room where Troy was, that he'd still have the element of surprise. The door was old and rusted and Nico knew it would squeak if he opened it to far or to fast so he pushed it open slowly, just enough so he could slip in. He left it cracked open, if he and Dani needed a quick escape route he wanted all of his options open, for all he knew Troy had barricaded the front door.
He found himself in a kitchen with two hallways branching off from it, one to either side of him. He made his way down the one to the right first. He drew his gun slowly, he didn't like it, but he wasn't taking any chances. The first hallway led to the front room, He saw Dani, and he tried to take in as much of her condition as he could from where he hid around the corner. She was wearing a tight blue dress but it was still in good shape, Nico let out a silent sigh of relief, the last thing Troy needed was to add a sexual assault to all this.
Her hands and feet were tied to a chair with rope, her wrists were red and chafing badly, she needed to stop squirming. She was barefoot, which was good, if they needed to make a quick exit there was no way she would have been able to run in those stilts she always wore. She was blinking, her expression was dazed, and she had a cut and a bump on her left temple that was swelling. Troy had hit her; he saw red for a second, and then told himself to calm down. He chanced a look into the rest of the room. He was on the wrong end. He could get to Dani from here but Troy would see him, he needed to get behind Troy, the element of surprise was all he had here.
He re traced his steps back to the kitchen and took the second hallway. This one led to a bedroom which had a door that opened up into the other side of the living room. The door had been pulled off its hinges so he had to be careful to stay hidden for as long as possible. He took in the rest of the scene in front of him. Troy wanted information, and while he wouldn't kill Dani for it, it looked like he wouldn't have any problem making her suffer. The gun was tucked back at his waist which Nico was grateful for, but he wasn't taking any chances. He moved close enough to the door that he could see Dani clearly; he needed to let her know he was here. She had to work with him if there were going to get out of here. He kept his eyes on her and waited until she caught his gaze. Her eyes widened and for a second she looked like she was going to say something but then she thought better of it. He raised a finger to his lips, letting her know to stay quiet. She gave him a small nod and turned her focus back to Troy.
He moved so fast that Dani barely believed what she was seeing. He crept up behind Troy, wrapped an arm around his throat and got in a solid blow to what she assumed was some kind of secrete Navy SEAL pressure point that only he would know of. Troy collapsed instantly, he was still breathing, just passed out. Nico stepped around him and made his way quickly to her.
"You alright?" He asked as he untied her feet and then reached around her to free her hands.
"I guess." She said quietly. She closed her eyes, he was so close she could feel the heat coming off his body, she breathed in his scent and it calmed her. She opened her eyes when he pulled back.
"He won't be out long, he'll be coming to any second, we gotta go, can you run?" She took his hand and held on tight. He pulled her up from the chair and caught her when the dizziness hit her.
"My head." She lifted her hand to her temple and it came away bloody, her eyes widened and her skin lost its color.
"You're okay Dani, it's just a cut." She heard Troy groaning on the floor.
"We have to go, come on." She staggered a few feet and then stopped. He looked back at her, worried; Troy must have hit her harder than he thought. Speaking of, he was coming around on the floor.
"You need to get out, Dani, go."
"I am not leaving you." She protested.
"Dani."
"Where am I supposed to go?"
"Wait outside, call the police, just go, I'll be fine." She held his gaze for a few seconds and then nodded.
"Promise me."
"Dani." He glance back at Troy, he'd be fully awake in seconds.
"Promise me."
"I promise, now please." She darted out the back door and onto the street. She ducked behind Nico's car, pulled her phone out and called the cops.
She heard nothing coming from the house for minutes on end and that worried her more than anything. Faintly she heard sirens in the distance; she just hoped they'd get here quick. The sirens got louder and still no one left the house. As the first police car pulled around the corner she started up the drive for the door, she had to know what was going on. She barely made it to the door before she heard a gunshot go off. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide. Still no one left the house. Five police cars had pulled up now, a few officers were trying to move her back but she wouldn't budge, not until someone came out of that house. Finally the door opened and Nico stepped outside. The police swarmed inside and Dani rushed up to him, throwing the past six months out the door and wrapping her arms around him tight.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I am fine Dani."
"You're not shot?" She pulled back and looked at him.
"No, I grazed his arm, he'll be fine." He glanced back at the door, and the officers leading Troy out of the house.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, gazing down into her eyes. She couldn't answer, she just shook her head. She wasn't a particularly needy person, she could hold her own but she needed to break now, just a little, so she let Nico wrap her tight in his arms and she played the damsel in distress to his knight in shining armor, if only for a few minutes.
"Let's get you home okay." He whispered in her ear. She nodded and followed him to his car.
She was silent on the drive home, staring numbly out the window until they reached her house and Nico cut the engine.
"Alright?" He reached across and let his hand rest on her shoulder. "You should get that cut cleaned up." He said, she shook her head, the adrenalin had faded and she was exhausted and in shock. He sighed and stepped out of the car, walked around to her side and helped her out.
"Come on, I'll help you." She stepped out of the car and let out a sad laugh at the height difference between them.
"I left my shoes in his car." She said quietly. He turned and looked down at her; he was a good head taller than her without the added height from her heels.
"We'll get um back." She shook her head.
"Don't bother, I don't want them anymore." She said, walking ahead of him. He followed her into the house and up the stairs to the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. She stood still for a few seconds trying to decide what she wanted to do.
"Give me a second." She said quietly. She grabbed a change of clothes and closed the bathroom door. He heard the shower running so he settled himself into a chair by her bed and called Paloma. He let her know Dani was alright but that they wouldn't be making it to any party tonight. Paloma told him that was fine Connor canceled the party anyway, to busy handling more press after Troy's little outburst. Nico promised he'd have Dani call her when she could and then hung up. He heard the shower turn off and it was quiet for a few minutes before the door opened and Dani stepped out. Her hair was damp and curling around her face and her eyes looked a bit hallow.
"Alright." He followed her into the bathroom. Under the bright lights the cut didn't look as bad as he thought, the bruise was going to hurt for a while and he told her so. He cleaned the cut and bandaged it then looked down at her.
"Dani." She shook her head and he watched the tears well up in her eyes. She was in shock; he knew firsthand what that looked like.
"Come on, you need sleep." He walked with her back into the bedroom; she sat on the edge of the bed, a few tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Dani you can talk to me, what do you need?" He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.
She was terrified to say what she really wanted to but she knew it was the only way she was going to feel safe tonight.
"Will you stay here with me?" Her voice cracked but she looked up at him.
"You're sure?" She nodded.
"You'll keep me safe." He wasn't sure his heart had ever hurt as much as it did when she said that.
"Of course I will Dani, I always will." She wrapped her arms around him and he held her close. He kissed her hair and her forehead; he wondered what was wrong with him, where all this courage and openness had come from.
"I'll stay here with you." He said. She nodded and pulled the covers back on the bed; she crawled over to her side and wrapped herself in the blankets. Nico kicked off his shoes and draped his jacket over the chair he'd sat in minutes ago, and then slid in next to her. She flicked the lights off and curled up next to him. She seemed at ease, he was nervous, which wasn't something he felt often.
"Nico?" He heard her whisper.
"Yeah." He looked down at her, she was curled up close to his side, and he could see the fresh tears on her face. He sighed, she just wanted someone to keep her safe tonight, he was reading too much into it. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.
"I promise I am not normally this clingy." He laughed and shook his head; only Dani could make jokes at a time like this.
"It's alright, I don't mind." She looked up at him again, her eyes clearer this time.
"You saved my life." He nodded.
"I'd do it again." He wasn't sure where that admission came from, but it was true. She reached a hand up to touch his face; he closed his eyes and held her hand there. He didn't expect anything more, certainly not for her to kiss him, but he felt her lips push gently against his and he let his hand weave its way into her hair, holding her close.
"Thank you." She said when she pulled away to breath. He shook his head and leaned in to kiss her again.
"No, thank you."