AN: Italics=thoughts or flashbacks
Chapter 1
Detroit, Michigan
Present
Puck squeezed the trigger and watched as the man in front of him fell lifeless to the ground. He grit his teeth at the sting of conscious that overwhelmed him every time. That saying, by men in this 'business,' that the more they killed, the easier it became, yeah, Puck disagreed.
He felt the warm drops of blood on his face and watched as a dark pool began to spread on the pavement of the alley behind the small grease pit of an Italian restaurant that saw more than its fair share of violence.
"Here," Dave Karofsky said, tossing a small towel to him. Puck caught it and wiped the blood from his face then cleaned his pistol and silencer before placing the weapon back in his shoulder holster.
He hadn't realized he was holding his breath when he felt Karofsky's meaty hand clap him on the back. The hand was swollen and still covered in blood from the earlier interrogation. Karofsky had used his more persuasive nature for that part.
"It's good to have ya back, Puckerman."
Puck finally looked away from the body and nodded as he moved to grab the suit jacket he had thrown atop a cardboard box, then left the body of the drug dealer amidst the trash that he was.
They entered the too-familiar Hummel mansion that he hadn't seen in months. They called it a mansion when it was more of a converted hotel with all the elegance of a 5 star lobby. He walked through the metal detector, taking his gun when it was handed back to him.
A black man sitting at a rounded desk near the elevator peered over his laptop.
"Hey, Puck's back!"
Puck leaned on the desk, shaking the man's hand. "Azimio."
"How was, what was it LA?"
"Miami."
Azimio shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "LA, Miami, who cares? You're back!"
"Where's Finn?"
"Out with the latest dish," another man with dark rimmed glasses and wearing suspenders answered, walking up behind Azimio.
Puck arched an eyebrow. "Figures."
"Yeah, what did you expect him to change?" Azimio laughed. "Though I'm sure you weren't much better with all them hot Latinas in Miami."
Puck smirked, he didn't need to confirm or deny, the answer was obvious.
"He's been with this one for a while now. Since you left, Puck."
That was a change. "Really?"
He turned at the sound of Karofsky stepping into the room, bringing with him two large cups of coffee. The large Polish man handed one to Puck.
"Where's ours, Karofsky?" The suspender-clad man called out.
"Fuck you, Abrams," Dave boomed out. "You didn't do shit all day. Me and Puck had real work to do tonight, not just spyin' on the boss and his broad."
Abrams rolled his eyes. "You should come see her, Puck."
Puck shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. He was in no hurry to see another one of Finn's bimbos, looking for a job in one of the many clubs the Hummel Foundation owned, or looking to get into a powerful man's pants for the pay day. Sure he usually sampled several of the bimbos himself, but he was usually walking out the door, buckling his pants before the night was over.
"I'll see her soon enough."
The next morning Puck headed back to the mansion for a general meeting, supposedly welcoming him back after a 6-month absence, taking care of Hummel Foundation 'business' in Miami.
He watched the usual goons he hadn't missed banter about nothing from his corner of the office. Finn was sitting at his desk, having a discussion with some remote underling in hushed tones over the phone. The call waiting button began to beep but he ignored it.
The office was a large room on the seventh floor of the mansion. You stepped off the elevator onto a long hallway with marble flooring, two double doors at the end of it with armed security guards.
Irritated by the beeping sound of the call waiting, Puck leaned back against the wall, ducking his head and crossing his arms, impatient for the meeting to begin. The sudden sound of heels tapping doggedly on the marble floor outside the room caught his ear above the noise of the gathering.
She burst into the room and Puck took a deep breath. Her long black hair flew wildly behind her as she moved. Puck stood up from his relaxed position against the wall; he was surprised, she was different from all the other girls Finn had had in the past.
A deadly chorus of clicks rose above the faint hum of conversation as several large men dressed in tailored suits suddenly came to attention at her surprise entrance. Their guns were drawn and pointed at her, but she paid them no mind.
"Rachel," Finn said, rising from behind his desk.
She had been crying, he observed. Her eyes were slightly puffy and red, and her complexion was pale. He flinched and tried to steel himself for what he knew was coming.
"Tell me they're lying, please, Finn."
Her dark brown eyes were wide and glassy. Finn motioned towards the other men in the room. The guns were put away.
Finn took a deep breath and met her eyes. "I can't lie to you anymore, Rachel."
The sound of her hand hitting his cheek echoed throughout the room.
"I told my dad he was crazy. I believed in you, Finn…" Tears that she had held back until now spilled onto her cheeks.
Finn sat back down in silence. His heart was breaking but he refused to let it show. This was it, it was all ending. Every moment he was with her he wished he could be the man she saw in him. But his life was crime, adopted into 'the family,' and he had a duty to his step-father. She deserved so much better than this, but he was selfish, always had been and he had held her to him for as long as he could. He met her gaze, not moving or speaking, but letting his love shine for a moment, hoping that it would convey everything he couldn't say out loud.
She looked away.
"Do you know what trouble I've caused? They're investigating my dad – saying he has ties with the mob because of me. I said horrible things to him…I loved you, Finn," she said softly.
Loved. Past tense.
He closed his eyes and looked down at his clasped hands on the desk.
"Puck," he said in a commanding voice to his most trusted associate. "Get her out of here."
"Yes, sir," Puck replied and led her out of the room. She didn't resist; her eyes on the floor as they walked towards the elevator.
Puck held the door open and helped her into the back seat of the slick black Chrysler – just one of many that belonged to the Hummel Foundation.
"I can't go back to my house," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm sure your dad'll give you another chance," the words had left his mouth before he could stop them. What is he doing?
Her eyes darted up, meeting his in the rearview mirror. They were such a unique shade of hazel/green. She had seen them before…a memory surfaced in her mind.
She walked beside a young man with a mowhawk, their hands occasionally bumping until he sighed and grabbed her hand, holding it in his own as she smiled up at him.
He turned hazel/green eyes to her, "So why, then, didn't you turn me in?"
"Because everyone deserves a second chance."
Rachel shook her head, trying to forget. "You don't know what I said to my father."
Puck saw her staring at him in the rearview mirror and felt his pulse quicken under her scrutiny. It's been ten years…
He grit his teeth and averted his gaze. "I can imagine. He loves you though." Words uttered ten years ago rang in his ears like it was yesterday.
"I love my daughter…"
Silence weighed between them for a long moment. Puck stopped at a red light then heard her voice again. "May I come sit up there with you?"
He raised an eyebrow at her request but didn't protest when she got out and slipped into the passenger's seat.
Puck drove on towards the Governor's mansion. They rode in silence for most of the way, until he glanced over at her and saw that she was crying.
Her shoulder's shook as she tried to conceal her face behind her long dark hair. Sighing inwardly, he turned into a parking lot and switched off the car. He put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, unable to hide the pain she was feeling, then buried her face into his chest, sobbing.
He held her as she cried, his calloused hands slipping though her silky hair. He felt his insides twist into familiar knots at the sensation of having her in his arms.
What the fuck am I gonna do? He asked himself. Comforting Berry's daughter isn't part of the damn job description.
Puck looked down at the girl in his arms. He's not this guy. He doesn't do this with girls.
He always was helpless against her though.
"Fuck," Puck said under his breath. He knew he was in trouble. He knew he was already falling for the Governor's daughter all over again but he was determined to stop it this time. He had to. Otherwise they'd both end up dead.
"Sure took your time, Puck," Finn commented as Puck walked into his office later that night.
"She didn't want to go home. Then she was crying, what the hell was I supposed to do? Dump her ass at a bus stop?" Puck glared at his boss.
Finn raised both eyebrows at his friend and wondered about his actions. Since when does Puck care about anyone else's feelings?
"Where did you take her?"
"Home. She finally came around."
"Did she…say anything?"
Puck rolled his eyes, "Dude, forget her, you'll get another chick in here by tomorrow, tonight even."
"Answer the question."
"No," Puck said tersely. "Just that she was worried about her father."
Finn nodded and dismissed him; his other associates had left hours ago. He sat back in his leather chair and idly tapped his fingers on his desk. Slowly, deliberately, he opened his top desk drawer and pulled out the picture he kept of her. He looked at the woman in the photograph; her hair spilled down her shoulders, her tan complexion shining in the sun. She smiled for the camera, blinding and beautiful.
A single tear escaped his lashes as he rubbed a hand down his face roughly before the picture frame hit the wall, shattering into a million pieces.
Puck opened the door, gun drawn, eyes alert, darting around the room. "The fuck was that?"
"Get out."
Puck stiffened, taking in the photograph on the floor, covered in glass shards. He nodded and closed the door behind him.
He couldn't help but smirk as he tucked his gun back into its holster and made his way down the long hallway towards the elevator. Finn was always handed everything, money, power, the girl. Now, finally, things were being taken away.
