Title: Devil on the Shoulder

Summary: A month after the events in The Devil We Know, Christine is faced with new puzzles to solve as a mafia don and she will have to go to Las Vegas to find answers. Sequel to The Devil We Know. AU and Erik/Christine.

Disclaimer: Phantom isn't under copyright any more, is it? I don't know. But the book belongs to Leroux and the musical belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber. Regardless, Erik, Christine, Nadir, and Meg aren't my original characters.

Author's Note: Wow, already two reviews and I'm realizing the need to fix a few things. In my defense, I wrote this in a day, had no beta, and just really wanted to get it out there. Plus, I've never stayed in a hotel of that caliber, so now I'm altering the story a little bit to fit the idea of a better room for Christine and her beau. Thanks much, helpful advice is always a life saver.

Chapter One: Potential Energy

The digital clock on the wall read "6:00 PM" as Christine carefully placed two long, white candles in the middle of her dinner table setting. She eyed her finished work for a moment before moving the small, crystal vase holding two red roses further away from the candlesticks.

"Smells like something's burning," Nadir mentioned, entering the kitchen. His eyes never left the folded newspaper in his hands even as he took his pen out from behind his ear and used it to point at the pot that was boiling over on the stove.

Squeaking in surprise, Christine shoved passed him to fumble the pot lid off the bubbling mess. She lost her grip on the lid and it clattered to the counter forgotten.

"Hey, Nadir, don't mess up the table!" Christine threw a glare at her bald, business suit clad bodyguard as she stirred the food. Ignoring her, Nadir sat down in a chair and quickly nudged the beautiful, china plate out of his way, bunching up the burgundy table cloth and knocking the elegant silverware askew.

Once the space in front of him was clear, he set his folded bit of newspaper down on the table and bit on the end of his pen as he examined its contents. Christine exhaled loudly as she turned off the stove and moved the pot over to a silver platter. She dumped the food she had just finished cooking into the serving bowl while Nadir asked, "Twelve letter word for an organelle that serves as a cell's power source! Go!"

Christine carried the covered serving tray to the table and placed it near the vase. "Are you serious?"

"Mitochondria. And yes, he is serious," a familiar, smooth voice interrupted. Erik strode into the kitchen, shrugging out of his black, wool trench coat as he approached them. Draping his coat over the back of his chair, he wrapped his arms around Christine's shoulders from behind and rested his cheek against hers. "I see you had a nice little table setting before Nadir messed everything up."

"I know. I made you dinner. It was a surprise," she muttered, glaring at Nadir. "But Nadir ruined it."

"Don't let me stop you." Nadir stood up and shoved the crossword in his jacket pocket. "I'll be in the guest house if you need anything."

As soon as Nadir left the room, Erik's hands moved from around her shoulders lower until he had both hands on her hips. She squirmed in his grip until they were facing each other, bodies conforming to each others curves. Angling her head back to look into his eyes, Christine smiled up at him. "You seem happy to see me."

He brushed his lips to her chin then to her forehead. His lips hovered over hers separated only by a fraction of an inch. "You have no idea."

Her breath was warm on his lips as she purred, "Show me."

Erik kissed her soundly on the mouth, reveling in her softness, until she finally made a weak moan of protest. He reluctantly let her go and sat in his chair. "Why'd you decide to make dinner?"

"Well, last week you made that wonderful dinner for my birthday," She slid into her seat across the small table from him, leaning over to fiddle with a lighter until the candles were lit. He watched her brief fight with the childproof Bic lighter, an amused smirk on his face. "What was it? Duck?"

"Roasted pheasant in a Whisky sauce, stuffed zucchini, and a simple salad with vinaigrette dressing. Anyone could have done it."

"Don't forget that dessert you lit on fire."

"I told you, banana flambé is supposed to be on fire." He sighed, rubbing at his left temple, the other hidden behind his mask. "In any event, you seemed to enjoy mine after you threw yours in the sink to dose the flame."

"Since you went through all that trouble to let me try all your favorite foods, I thought I'd do the same!" Christine removed the cover from the tray, presenting him with dinner.

Erik sat forward in his chair to examine the dish. His eyebrow hitched up on his forehead as he glanced from the food to Christine. "Is that?"

"Macaroni and cheese!" She grinned as she scooped out some food onto her plate. "One of my favorites, actually. I made this for myself a lot growing up. You know, when Dad was too busy to remember to bring home dinner."

Erik's eyes flicked to the counter near the stove and he saw the evidence. A box of Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. He returned her proud grin with a feeble smile of his own, taking the serving spoon she offered. She watched him take a few spoonfuls of the noodles. He speared a forkful of the food and quickly popped it into his mouth, chewing experimentally. After he swallowed, he ventured, "You put hotdogs in it?"

"It's good, huh!" Happily, she started eating some from her own plate. A few minutes into the meal, a loud rendition of "Sexy Back" filled the room, almost making Erik choke on a mouthful of food. Christine sent him an apologetic look as she answered her cell phone, turning away from the table. "Nadir, what are you doing? You're only in the guest house, why bother calling?"

"Sorry. I've just heard from the head of our Nevada branch again and we've got some bad news."

"Gary Clays called again?" Christine asked, standing from her chair and walking to the counter. "He's been contacting us a lot lately."

"Yeah, now we know why." Nadir replied. "Hit a bit of a snag with the casino Las Vegas."

"How big of a snag?" Christine demanded, her hand gripping the counter edge to brace herself.

"Someone pulled a heist on our casino. They made off with over $20 million of the company's money. Gary's pretty sure it was an inside job, but the perpetrator might be working with another of the local bosses too."

"Mafia bosses in Las Vegas?" Christine mused. A loud smash caught her by surprise and she whirled around to find Erik kneeling over his broken plate on the ground. He seemed to be fumbling with picking up the shattered pieces. Worried, she waved him away from the mess. "Nadir, just come back to the house. We'll discuss this in person."

Hanging up the cell phone, she crouched down beside him. He was still picking up the bits of china absentmindedly. She laid a hand on his forearm, forcing his attention away from the broken plate. He had a preoccupied, distant look in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He stared at her as if he was looking straight passed her for a moment before stood up. "Did something happen in Las Vegas?"

"It looks like it," Christine sighed, retrieving a broom from the cleaning closet. When she reentered the kitchen, she found Erik examining a particularly large sliver of china glass, turning it over in his hands. A splotch of red smeared across the perfect white as he gripped it tightly with his fingers.

She slapped the shard out of his hand and rushed to turn on the sink. Stripping the glove from his injured hand, she forced him to hold his hand under the faucet. "Make sure you clean and bandage that cut. I'll handle the glass."

Nadir came into the kitchen just as Christine finished sweeping up the mess into the dustpan. He eyed her as she dumped it into the garbage. "Did you break something?"

"Don't worry about it," Erik said, wrapping his hand with a clean dishtowel before shutting off the faucet. He jerked his head toward the table. "Sit. Tell me what you know."

"Us," Christine corrected him instantly and he glanced at her in confusion. "You mean he has to tell us what he knows. This is about my company, you realize."

"Alright, alright!" Nadir dropped into the chair that used to belong to Christine, then noticed the plate of Macaroni and Cheese mostly untouched in front of him. Without asking, he happily scooped up a forkful and ate it. "Oo, hotdogs! Nice touch, Boss."

Christine rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. "So, how do we handle this situation in Vegas?"

"Well, you should probably visit in person to help in the interrogation process. Stealing from a major company like Daae Enterprises takes a lot of planning and connections. Someone's bound to slip up. We'll need a show of power, let the Vegas bosses know that we're not the gang to fuck with," Nadir scraped the last bite of food from the plate and shoved it into his mouth.

Erik spoke in a serious tone, gesturing with his uninjured hand. "I agree, it will take a show of strength to ensure the other bosses had nothing to do with the heist, but parading around our twenty year old-"

"Twenty ONE year old," Christine interrupted.

"Fine. Parading around our twenty one year old mafia lady would hardly strike fear into their hearts." Erik said then took a deep breath. He reached out to take Christine's hands from across the table, his hurt palm still wrapped in the washcloth. "Let me go by myself. My reputation as the Phantom will be more than enough to deal with this situation."

"He just wants to go play Poker." Nadir said, pushing the empty plate away from him. "Erik's a notorious gambling man. Everyone knows it."

"What?" Christine stared at Erik, who glared at Nadir angrily.

"Never mind that," Erik said. "I'll be there on business only. Anything else would be secondary to my mission."

Taking a moment to consider, Christine ran through his proposal. If what Nadir said was true, Erik might be distracted by all the opportunities to gamble in Vegas. However, she knew more certainly that he would never get sidetracked from an assignment she had given him. Finally, she let go of his hands and patted the table decisively. "I've never been to Las Vegas, and as I own a casino in that city, I think it's only right that I go and greet the neighbors. Did my father ever do that, Nadir?"

"Gustav knew each of the Vegas bosses, Christine." Nadir replied. "In fact, he was actually friends with one of them. The Mafioso over there are pretty laid back. How couldn't they be? They pretty much own the city. Haven't you ever heard that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought that was just a marketing slogan."

Nadir grinned as he said, "It's a guarantee, especially with mafia-related business."

"Fine, so you're going." Erik muttered, clearing the dishes from the table and depositing them in the sink. "But I'm going with you. I can still help lend some power to your cause."

"But who's going to watch over things here while I'm gone?" Christine asked, looking at Nadir.

"Don't look at me. I'm your bodyguard, wherever you go, I follow." He said as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the chair.

"There haven't been any major problems for over a month. Carlotta's playing nice and you have Firmin eating out of your hand. And you can stay on top of the company through conference calls and your laptop." Erik offered, unbuttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt and rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. "If you're serious, we can leave as soon as tomorrow."

The next morning, Christine was rushing around the house trying to pack her suitcase from memory. As she hurried downstairs to retrieve a load of clean clothes from the dryer, the doorbell rang. She bellowed from the laundry room, "NADIR, GET THE DOOR!"

However, a few second later, the doorbell rang again. She grabbed the full laundry basket and stomped to the front door irritated. "Where the hell is he? Crappy bodyguard-"

One glance out the peephole showed a familiar looking woman with long, blonde hair tied up in a pony tail. Christine set the basket on the tiled floor and threw open the door. "Meg! What're you doing here?"

Meg stood just outside the doorway, arms wrapped around herself almost protectively, shoulders hunched as if from fatigue. Her eyes had tired rings around them and she stared at the ground preoccupied with her thoughts. Christine leaned forward and waved her hand back and forth in front of Meg's face. "Hello?"

"Hey, Christine," Meg smiled weakly. "I tried calling, but your cell phone went straight to voicemail, so I figured I'd just stop in. Can you talk?"

"Actually, I'm kinda busy." Christine picked up the laundry basket from the floor and propped one side against her hip. "I really have to finish packing."

"Packing? Why? You going somewhere?" Meg asked, uncrossing her arms and standing up straight, expecting the worst.

"Yes, Erik, Nadir and I are going to Las Vegas. Apparently there was a major theft at my casino on the strip." She said, then grinned secretively, "Plus, I've never been. So I figure, clear up this little problem and then maybe catch a showing of the Thunder From Down Under while Erik's back is turned."

"Wow, I'm not sure what to say," Meg frowned deeply as she stepped back. "You were just going to leave without telling me anything. A month ago, you went to kill Madeleine and then conveniently forgot to call me to tell me you were alive afterward. For a whole week, I thought you guys were dead! I went into mourning and everything. And do you remember what I said when I found out you were fine and had just neglected to inform me about it?"

Christine fought to maintain her composure despite her friend's quickly dwindling temper. Meg smiled sweetly as she entered and shut the door behind herself. "If I recall, I told you if you ever disappeared again without so much as a word of warning, I would find you and break both your pretty, little legs. Now, you weren't about to skip town and disregard our friendly arrangement, were you?"

The sound of the back, sliding glass door shutting broke Christine's concentration and she glanced over her shoulder as Erik strode in, followed slowly by Nadir. Erik glanced at Meg, shook his head as if to clear it, and then went upstairs. Nadir plopped down on the couch in the living room adjacent to the entryway. "Hey, girls! What're you talking about? Christine, don't you have to finish packing? Erik said you're trying to take your whole closet with you."

"I don't want to get stuck without the appropriate outfit, that's all," Christine replied, sitting down on the loveseat and placing the basket of clothes at her feet. Meg remained standing a few feet away, an upset look on her face. "Oh, come on, Meg. I would have called you from the plane."

Meg didn't reply, merely crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air, refusing to look at her. Christine glanced at Nadir with wide, pleading eyes and he immediately announced, "You know what would be fun? If you came with us."

Caught by surprise, Meg gave him a look of disbelief. "What good would that serve? You're going on business, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-" Christine started.

"Besides, you already have one kept man. What could you possibly need with a prostitute?" she asked then jolted forward when Erik brushed by her as she stood in the doorway.

He sat down next to Christine on the loveseat as he muttered, "I'm not a kept man. I'm her personal hitman."

"Well, you have certainly hit that-" Nadir started before Erik cut him off.

"Stop. It's that kind of talk that gets toes shot off." Erik stated and Nadir's mouth closed abruptly. "You like your toes, right?"

Christine gripped the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. "Meg, I'd love for you to come as a friend. Keep me from going insane around these two."

Meg watched her for a few seconds before smiling. "What the hell. I was just thinking I needed to get away from this town for a while. Vegas it is."

"We're leaving this afternoon. Nadir called to have my private jet ready for departure at 5:30. We'll all drive together to the runway." Christine began folding her laundry. "Erik says Vegas is amazing at night and I want to see it for the first time at its best."

"Is that it? That's it, isn't it!" Christine demanded, pressing her hands flat against the thick plastic windows of the jet.

Thousands of feet below them, obscured by thin, gray clouds, was an endless sea of darkness. An abyss, indistinguishable between sky and land. A yawning pit of nothing… and then stars. Countless stars of electric light cut out from the black. A reverse sky, man-made and beautiful, a bit of heaven stolen and dropped into the desert.

"Las Vegas," Erik whispered into her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder, "a city created solely through the sweat and ingenuity of mankind. In the center of a desert, a biome hostile to human life, this large plot of land lured men with sweet promises."

He brushed her stray curls back, caressing her face softly as his quiet voice sent chills down her spine. " 'Shape me, hone me,' it said. 'Use me to do your wonders. You and I, we are potential and pure energy. We are limitless in possibility.'"

He dropped his hand and sat back in his seat, the sudden void where his warmth had been felt unnatural to Christine. She tore her gaze away from the rapidly approaching cityscape to glance at him. Erik was once again opening the paperback book he had been reading for the whole flight. He spoke without looking at her. "The result is the twisted miracle city you see below. It is sustained by the will and technology of humans, without which the desert would reclaim it. Domesticated land. Brilliant."

Christine turned her attention back out the window just in time to see their aircraft touch down on the tar runway. A flash of energy raced through her as the huge, neon colored casinos loomed into view beyond the airport buildings. It was like Erik said: there was possibility here and vast potential. It made her giddy from the overwhelming sense of it.

They disembarked from the jet and were met by a man in an electric go cart. The man in the suit inclined his head to her and she walked over. "Would you take our luggage to the Daae hotel, please? Leave it for pick-up under the name Christine Daae."

She slipped a few bills into the porter's hand and he nodded, handing her a key. "Thank you, Miss. Your limo is waiting at the front of the airport. I was told to give you these."

"My LIMO?" Christine gawked at his words, holding her hand out dumbly. The man handed her two keycards attached to necklaces and an old fashioned, regular key along with a slip of paper bearing their room assignments.

Erik slipped his arm around her waist, gently steering her away from the other man who was beginning to stare at her amazed expression a little too closely. "Now, now. Let's go, we don't want to keep the chauffeur waiting."

"I don't mind it," Nadir said, watching as the men worked quickly to unload their bags from the carrier space under the plane. "He gets paid for it, anyway. No need to hurry."

"I do. I want to lie down for a while before we hit the town," Meg grumbled, running a hand through her tousled hair.

The limousine was the definition of needless extravagance, all shiny black paint and flashy chrome detail, with room for over eight people. As she neared, Christine saw the driver lean resting against the side of the absurdly long car stand up straight and open the back door for her. "Miss Daae. Welcome to Las Vegas."

Christine almost ran toward the car in her enthusiasm to be the first one in. Erik quickly intercepted her before she could jump into it. "Now, wait a minute. Safety first. Nadir, check the limo."

Christine stood with her hands on her hips next to Meg, who impatiently tapped her foot on her ground while Erik stood in front of them. Nadir climbed into the limo cabin and efficiently examined it for any signs of tampering. After a minute, his bald head emerged out the door and he held up a large bottle, so cold beads of condensations formed on its surface. "We got champagne, Boss!"

That was the last straw. Christine sidestepped Erik to dive into the limo next to Nadir. The seat bounced slightly on impact and she grabbed the champagne from him before scurrying to the seat opposite from Nadir's. "This is way cool! I didn't think people actually got this kind of service."

Erik slid into place on her side of the limo, his voice calm as he pried the bottle from her hands and placed it back into the ice bucket on the wall of the car. "Well, you are the owner of the most profitable hotel and casino on the Strip. If you didn't get the perks, no one would."

Across the car, Nadir had put his headphones in and Meg kept herself occupied with constantly checking her cell phone for new messages.

Their chauffer weaved skillfully through the crowded streets of Las Vegas while Christine gazed in wonder as they passed giant structures mimicking architecture from around the world. A thrill went through her as she tried to absorb all the light and energy at once, all the images flooding her mind with strange beauty.

Warm skin found her hand as she gripped the leather seat next to her. Fingers intertwined with hers and she glanced over just in time to see Erik's glittering, dark eyes hooded with a look of desire and something else. An ancient, unyielding emotion. She had assumed she knew it, but seeing it so open on his face made her heart stutter with panic.

He had taken his glove off his unmarred hand in order to feel her skin on his. Raising their intertwined hands up to his lips, he kissed her knuckles with infinite tenderness. Her mind buzzed hotly when his tongue darted out to taste a hint of her flesh. The tickling sensation brought a blush to her face, an undeniable force dragged forward. She gravitated to him. Closer to his lips.

"We're here!" Nadir announced followed by the double slam of two car doors being shut. Christine jumped back in her seat, knocking her head against the window. Hissing in pain, she clutched her scalp as Erik nearer, fretting over her. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Where'd you impact-"

She waved her hand dismissively and accidentally sent his mask flying across the car as her fingers connected with his face. He covered his exposed, disfigured skin as if his life depended on it, hunching over to keep himself hidden. Christine hurried to find the fallen mask, hunting under the seats as far as her arm could reach. She handed it to him and then escaped from the car before she could do any more damage.

Meg grinned lopsided at her as Christine straightened and shut the car door. Looping an arm through hers, Meg led them inside. Two employees in uniform were waiting for her at the front door, one woman in a navy suit and a young man. The woman held her hand out to shake Christine's hand. "Hello, you must be Miss Daae. We've been expecting you. If you would follow me?"

Christine stood in place as the other began following the hotel manager away from the front entrance. When the woman realized she wasn't behind her, she stopped. "Miss Daae? Is anything the matter?"

Pointing toward the front door, she asked, "Um, isn't this the entrance?"

A meaningful smile crossed the woman's face as she and her assistant shared a look. "Not for you."

Shrugging, Christine fell into step between Erik and Meg, her hand fishing in her pocket for the keycards. Toward the side of the hotel, a simple door led into a hallway. The hall was lined with impressive paintings and murals, the red carpet extending until it reached the only other doors in the hall: an elevator. The woman motioned Christine closer and gestured to the panel on the wall beside the elevator doors. "Your V.I.P. keycards and penthouse key grants you access to this elevator."

Christine noticed a small keyhole in the metal panel and put her key in, turning it. The double doors slid open with a well-oiled snick. The interior of the elevator was huge, plenty of room for all six of them. The concierge stood in front of them in the elevator, facing the doors as she spoke. "Your friends will be on the level below you in V.I.P. rooms T5 and T6."

"What about us?"

"You're in the penthouse apartment at the very top." The woman replied as she watched the level number rise. "Don't loose that key, only it and the master key will get you onto the penthouse floor. All others must use the intercom in the elevator and you will need to ring them in."

The elevator stopped on the second to last floor and Meg hastily exited followed by Nadir. Christine handed them their keycards and the concierge held the doors open with a hand. "If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to call the front desk. Your luggage will be brought to your rooms immediately."

Meg was already halfway down the hall when the woman finished speaking and Nadir rolled his eyes at her haste to get to her room. He gave a little salute and started away himself. "Later, Boss. You know where to find me."

When they reached their floor and Christine walked slowly out of the elevator into a large, open room. It was set up more like a luxurious condo than her idea of a hotel room. The large room the elevator deposited them in was a sort of living room with a giant Plasma Screen TV on the wall and a plush couch with two recliners on either side facing it. One wall across from the elevator was completely made of glass, looking out onto the busy city below. The ceiling sprawled up high above their heads and the carpet below their feet was a dark brown color and extremely soft.

Three rooms split off from the central living area, a bedroom that was just as big as the living room, a sinfully large bathroom with a Jacuzzi and a giant bathtub, and what appeared to be a kitchen area divided into dining section and cooking section. Christine wandered forward and opened the large refrigerator next to the stove to find it fully stocked with numerous foods.

The concierge's lilting voice snapped her from her daze. "Miss Daae, is everything in order?"

Christine reentered the living room area with a huge smile on her face. "Yes, it's perfect! Thank you."

The woman inclined her head. "I apologize for the delay with the luggage. It should be here within half an hour. I will bring it up myself along with a complimentary bottle of wine. Would you prefer white or red?"

"White." Christine stated happily just as Erik said, "Red."

The woman didn't seem phased at all and merely smiled. "Two bottles then, on ice, and frosted glasses."

Erik leaned against the wall as the woman walked back into the elevator and disappeared behind the sliding double doors. "Your hotel is certainly posh enough, Christine."

"Yeah it is! It's amazing! Who wouldn't want to stay here?" Christine kicked off her shoes and walked around with the room barefoot to appreciate the texture of the carpet. "I'm gonna check out the bedroom."

She rushed into the large bedroom, spotted the king-sized bed against the wall and immediately dove onto it. The bed swayed with her landing and she exclaimed joyfully, "It's a water bed!"

"After all that you've seen, did you expect any less?" He sat down on the edge as he removed his shoes, sending ripples of movement through the bed. Christine laughed as the water mattress rolled beneath her. When his shoes were off, he laid flat on his stomach propping his elbows on either side of her so he could gaze down at her. "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

She hooked her arms around his shoulders, stretching under him. "I am. This city is… it's the most incredible place I've ever seen."

"I'm glad you like it." He leaned his head to the side as she reached up to remove his mask, granting her access to his weakness as she revealed his full face. Here, alone with her, he needed no false strength. "If you want, we can go down to the casino after the luggage arrives."

Her lips curled in a devious smile as she peered up at him through long eyelashes. "But what will we do until it gets here?"

His hand brushed passed the bottom of her shirt, tracing circles on her skin with his long fingers, leaving a trail of goosebumps where he touched. His heated gaze dropped to her lips as he said in a silky voice, "Let's continue from where we left off, shall we?"