Chapter 2
Nico approached the door to his apartment slowly, carefully as he noticed it was slightly ajar. While his building was one of the most secure in the city, he knew from experience, from doing what he did best, that stranger things could happen, and that someone disabling his security and breaking into his home was a very distinct possibility. Of course, so was the idea of his door being accidentally left open by his elderly neighbour was as tasked with feeding his cat. He prepared himself for either possibility. Holding his gun ready in one hand, he pushed the door completely open with the other. Seeing nothing he entered the foyer of his home. Lighting it up with the small torch he had as a key ring, he saw Dani's handbag leaning on the leg of his table. He relaxed, tucked the weapon back into the rear waistband of his jeans and walked into the lounge room. The beam of his torch fell onto her shoes, next to his rug. He smiled as he remembered how Dani had looked lying on the rug, the light from the open fire playing on her naked flesh, her smile one of promise and her eyes looking up at him, the colour of melted chocolate. He turned from the rug and made his way through the kitchen and up the stairs.
As he walked into his bedroom he saw her curled on the top of his bed, her arms entangled in his robe. He smiled, his eyes glistening with unfallen tears as he approached her. It was hard enough to be away from her for one day, he thought, but he had let her think he has left her, that he had cut her off, for nearly four weeks. It was nearly four weeks ago that he had last held her, kissed her, talked to her. It had nearly killed him. He could only imagine how it had affected her. He remembered the anger, the slap and the immense relief in her eyes when she first saw him after his last disappearance. It had been different then. The circumstances surrounding their separation had not been the most amicable. He had waited for her, but she hadn't waited for him. And despite all that, the angst, the disappointment, the unorthodox way they had been thrown back together, she had been happy to see him. He silently thanked Connor McLaine every day for forcing him to make that phone call. He had not wanted to. He had been adamant. The wound was still raw. But McLaine had been just as stubborn, insisting that V3 was the best, its clients the most sought after in their chosen fields and as such, they…no he needed the best people fixer in the industry. He wanted Doctor Danielle Santino, and as Nico was on his payroll, he was bound to do his bidding. It was one of the times he both loathed and admired just how persuasive McLaine really was. So he had called Doctor Santino. It wasn't long before they had settled into the comfortable working relationship they had had before he had left. It was even sooner than that that she had forced herself into his life again, despite his best efforts to keep her safely away from his heart. For whose safety he refused to consider. It was then that she had made him promise not to ever leave her like that again. And he had broken his promise.
Only when he was next to her, did his expression change to that of immense despair, as he saw her tear-stained cheeks, and her brow creased in sorrow. He heard her murmuring his name, and his chest hurt. It became increasingly difficult for him to swallow, to breathe. He leaned down and gently caressed her face. 'It won't be long now. I promise.' He whispered against her ear. He felt her move slightly, and he backed away until he was certain she was still asleep. 'Tomorrow' he said to her sleeping form before turning and walking from the room. It took all of his strength to leave her again.
2
