Welcome back guys, I'm finally ready to present the second chapter to you. Ta-dah. It took longer than expected due to essay writing (I am crying inside because of this).

Enjoy


Chapter Two: Relentless

Chloe's POV - Beach

I pull up a little way from the beach, just sitting in my truck. I press my forehead against the glass of the driver's side window, staring out.

I can't believe I'm going to put myself through this again. What is wrong with me?

I run my fingers tiredly through my hair. I could run now, go before I have the chance to fall too deep… but I don't.

It seems I never learn.

Despite knowing that this will probably end terribly, I get out and make my way down to the beach. When I get there, I see a figure standing there gazing out into the distance. The closer I get, the more I can make out. It's the girl from before. Her mid length brown hair swishes in the gentle breeze, something I didn't really see last time because of her hat. She is wearing a pale gray hoodie, blue jeans and black converses. A small bag is slung around her shoulder. She isn't paying attention to her surroundings in her almost trance like state. She doesn't appear to have seen me.

I can't miss this opportunity.

I creep up towards her, making sure I am as quiet as possible, then launch myself at her when I get close enough. She screams and tackles me to the floor with ease, pressing a pen knife to my throat, ready to end whoever snuck up on her. Her blue eyes are steely and threatening.

Whoa. She looks pretty scary… and kind of sexy. I'm digging this whole 'I'm going to kill you' look.

When she sees me, her face softens, the steeliness in her eyes replaced by confusion. I wave and offer a cheeky grin, "Hey babe. Nice to see you too."

The knife at my throat relaxes and is recoiled, "Sorry."

She offers me a hand up, which I take. Once on my feet, I stare at her. She rubs her temples and sighs, "I'm already fucking up."

I come closer to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. This action causes her to look over to me, one eyebrow raised questioningly, "Who says you're fucking up? You're doing fine, more than fine actually."

She gives me a skeptical look, "Really?"

I nod firmly, "Uh-huh."

She sighs in relief, her entire body relaxes as she does so.

She really was nervous, huh? If anything, I'm glad she was on guard. You don't want to be working with someone who reacts too late to things that happen.

"Besides…" I lean in and whisper in her ear, "…no-one as cute as you could ever fuck up."

She turns her head to face me and I offer her a charming smile.

"Well, g-good then," she stutters as an obvious blush begins to creep onto her cheeks, which tries to hide from me by looking away.

Score one for Chloe Price. Good to know my skills of seduction haven't worn off, unlike my fitness. Dude, I really need to get back into shape. Six months of lounging in front of the TV eating junk food was not a good move.

"Anyway, shall we get down to business?"

The girl clears her throat awkwardly, "S-sure."

A bench sits a little way away from where we are standing. It looks like it's about to fall apart any second, then again doesn't everything in Arcadia? We sit down on it, hoping that it holds. Thankfully it does. I take a second to appreciate the view before me. The shimmering waves gently lapping at the shore line, the salty sea air caressing my skin, the gulls squawking overhead…

As much as I want to blow this hellhole, I have to admit it's beautiful here.

Before I get too lost in the scene laid out in front of me, I turn to face the girl. She looks at me curiously, waiting for me to start this 'interview', "So, before we get down to actually doing shit, I have a few questions for you."

The girl nods and smiles, "Shoot."

I can tell she is excited for this. Her entire body is just poised and ready for this. I like enthusiasm.

"First off, I don't think I had the pleasure of knowing your name."

"It's Max Caulfield."

Max, huh?

"Well, Miss Caulfield, you already know who I am, at least my nickname. I'm Price, Chloe Price. I would ask you however not to divulge my true identity to anyone. Not many know," I lean over, covering my hand with my mouth as if I am telling her my deepest darkest secret, "It's top secret."

She smiles gleefully at me, "Thanks for trusting me then."

I place my hands behind my head, sinking further into the bench, "Well, if we are going to work together, we need to trust each other, right?"

She nods in agreement, "Definitely."

Things seem to be going fine so far. At least, I haven't got the whole 'I'll shove a knife in your back while you sleep' vibe yet.

"Ok, next question. How did you get into the business, Max?"

Max's face drops slightly as she looks down to her wrist and plays with the bands on it.

Maybe it's a painful memory. I'd best not push it. We all have our demons.

"You don't have to answer that if it's too personal," I mention, "We all have our secrets we don't want to tell."

She shakes her head, waving away my concern, "No, it's ok. I'm fine," she takes a deep breath, "I haven't been at it that long on a serious scale to be honest. My family hit on some hard times financially when I was about thirteen. We moved from Arcadia to Seattle, my dad thought he could find better paid work."

Max shifts on the bench into a more comfortable position, "Seattle wasn't much better and it was more expensive. So, we moved back here eventually. I decided that I'd try to help anyway I could. I turned to more…unconventional methods of getting money, namely pick pocketing. I was getting pretty good at it. Anyway, I ended up crossing paths with a gang, apparently I had stolen from their big boss. They almost killed me because of it too. I have some interesting scars from that ordeal."

Scars… we all have them, some physical, some emotional… they never really disappear. They remind us of times we left ourselves too open, too vulnerable. Scars show us we have lived, loved and lost. Without them, we are blank canvasses always waiting for that first tentative brush stroke. If we are too scared to take chances, then when will our lives start? We shall forever remain blank canvasses. Scars make us who we are, make us stronger, make us more.

"Maybe you can show me them," her head snaps towards me, her eyes registering shock as I lean in closer, my breath tickling her ear, "Maybe we can… compare. I may even have some to rival yours... in places."

She audibly swallows, "Uh…"

Her cheeks redden at my insinuations. The laughter I have tried to keep back suddenly erupts. Max tilts her head to one side, a confused expression on her face due to my outburst. I wipe away tears from my eyes, taking deep breaths to steady myself, "Dude, oh man your face is a picture. I'm just fucking with you… unless you are interested."

It never hurts to try. Max is really cute and I haven't got some in forever. Under all that baggy clothing she's wearing I bet she has a great body. You kind of have to in this line of work.

My mind wanders, imagining my hands tracing her exposed skin, her breath warm on my neck, her lips against mine, my eyes roaming over her frame…

Lewd thoughts aside, what I really crave is some emotional connection with someone, even if it's just for a moment.

"M-maybe I am."

Her tentative words bring me out of my thoughts. For a moment I'm not sure I heard her correctly, but from the intensified blush on her cheeks, it's safe to assume that is what she said.

I did not expect that. It would appear this hipster geek isn't as shy as she seems.

She continues more anxiously, "W-where are yours?"

I grin mischievously and wink at her, "You can find out… later, if you want."

She swallows and licks her lips. Something seems to cross her mind at that moment, I see it in her eyes. I can't tell what exactly, but whatever it is causes Max to suddenly shake her head and quickly change the subject, "A-anyway, luckily I was saved. I was going to give it up, but we still needed money. I decided to aim higher. Less risk, more reward."

Everyone assumes that people turn to crime because they are 'evil' or whatever. That's how the movies portray it anyway. Sure, some people may be drawn to the idea of world domination, but for most it's more complex than that. It doesn't make it any less of a crime, but it would be nice for people to try to understand and maybe help before we get into these situations.

Max tilts her head to one side slightly, looking at me curiously, "How about you?"

I guess fair is fair. We do really need to establish trust if this has any chance of working. Without trust, someone will get hurt…or worse killed.

I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the inevitable sense of self-pity I will feel relaying my story. Max sits there patiently, waiting for me to share, "Our stories aren't too dissimilar. My dad died when I was fourteen. Soon after we ran into some serious financial trouble. My mom had to take on extra work to try and pay for everything. She tried so hard, but we were in a lot of debt. I started acting out and became a real handful. She re-married and let's just say step-douche and I don't get along well. I left, I thought I could make it on my own."

I really was stupid.

I still remember the day I left. I didn't even say goodbye. It was two in morning, I was laying on my bed feeling sorry for myself. Then I got the idea in my head that no-one would give a shit if I left, so I just packed a suitcase and went out through my window and that was it.

I sigh at my stupidity and continue, "It turns out that it's more difficult than that. I started shop lifting and stuff. I got cocky and tried to pickpocket this girl in broad daylight, and needless to say, it didn't go all too well. I thought that was it for me."

I can remember it like it was yesterday. She easily caught me and looked amused by my attempt. I was pissed to say the least.

"She told me I had potential and took me on, trained me up and we…" my words get caught in my throat and my eyes sting from holding back tears.

Man, this is harder than I thought.

I swallow, trying to stop the tears in my eyes from falling, "…we started to steal stuff together. It was good, for a while. Then she…disappeared and I was left on my own. That's why I've been out of commission for so long. I've been waiting for her… but she hasn't come back."

I exhale deeply and rub my face with my hands. Something touches my arm. I look up to see Max's anxious blue eyes staring back at me. She rubs my arm gently with her hand, "I'm sorry. That must have been tough."

Her voice is soft and tender. It soothes the aching pain I feel in my chest a little. I offer Max a small smile to show her I'm ok. My voice is a little hoarse, "Yeah."

I thought I was over this, but obviously not. I guess I've kind of been running away from this. I didn't want to accept that she's gone and is probably never coming back.

I stand up abruptly, clearing my throat and turn to Max, who is still sat on the bench, "Anyway, we shouldn't dwell on the past. We should be looking forward to our teaming up. I have an idea. In order to celebrate our partnership, allow me to buy you dinner."

Max's eyes sparkle with amusement and she smirks at me, "And what may I ask will this dinner be?"

I guess that's up to you to decide.

I shove my hands in my pockets, "Just a friendly meet up at my place, there is a nice little Chinese takeaway near my place. I would very much like to get to know you better if we are going to be working so… closely. No ulterior motives, unless you want there to be of course."

She laughs, "Well, how can I say no to that offer?"

I grab her hand and pull her along towards my truck, "Great, let's go."


Outside Chloe's Flat

I turn the key in the door and try to push it open. When doesn't budge, I hit it in frustration, "Goddamn door. It keeps doing this," I wiggle the handle a few times, "Fuck this," I take a few steps back and ram into the door. Needless to say, it doesn't move. A dull ache enters my arm, "Ouch," I rub my shoulder and Max giggles, "Yeah, laugh at my pain, why don't you?"

She grins, "Step aside. I got this."

Oh really?

I step aside and pass Max the key. She places it in the lock and I hear a click. She's locked the door.

What is she doing?

She takes the handle and turns it, opening the door. She spins around to face me, a cheeky grin on her face, "You locked it, silly."

Way to make a fool of yourself, Chloe.

I rub the back of my neck, refusing to look Max in the eye, "I knew that."

Max laughs at my pathetic attempt to make an excuse and raises an eyebrow skeptically, "Sure you did."

I clear my throat, trying to compose myself and step inside my place. I turn to Max and spread my arms out, "Welcome to my domain."

I step aside to let her in and close the door behind me. My place is really small. I mean, you can literally piss and make a sandwich at the same time, if you wanted to.

Not that I've tried or anything… ok maybe I have once… or twice.

The wallpaper is yellowing and peeling, the carpet has a lot of unidentifiable stains, something I'd rather keep a mystery to be honest.

The place was going cheap. I think there was a murder or something in the room, or was it a drug deal? I can never remember which… well, whatever. Beggars can't be choosers. Besides, it kind of suits the line of work I'm in, and I pity the fool who comes back here and tries to kill me in my sleep. They wouldn't be the first, and they probably won't be the last. It's on the third floor anyway, so unless someone is a ninja, I think I'm safe. It's not much, but it's somewhere to lay low and sleep.

Beer cans and takeaway containers litter the floor, among some clothes and a graveyard of other various mystery objects. Some of my underwear is atop a precariously placed clothes pile.

Well, I guess she was probably going to see them sooner or later. If I have my way, hopefully sooner.

Max looks around, her mouth slightly open at the sight before her. When she finally composes herself, she places the take away bags on a rare empty space on the floor near the couch. Her eyes scan the area more thoroughly, taking in everything, "Dog, I thought my place was dirty."

I offer her a coy smile, "My place isn't the dirtiest thing about me."

She shakes her head, her face lighting up, "That was so bad."

I shrug as I glance around at the mess that is my place, "It got you smiling didn't it?"

Maybe I should have cleaned up a bit. It's been a while since I've had anyone over.

I grab a few of the fast food containers off of the floor and shove them in one of the many empty bags. I start to see a little bit of the carpet.

I'd kind of forgotten that I had a carpet to be honest.

I clear a space on the couch and sit down, my arms spread out on the top. Max stands there awkwardly, her hand holding her arm.

I grin at her, "Don't be shy. I don't bite… hard," I pat the space beside me, Max finally comes over and sits down. My fingertips gently brush against her shoulder, "Man, I'm hungry like the wolf," I grab the bags from the floor and take out the containers. I pass Max hers, "Here."

She takes the container. I look around and find two mostly clean pieces of cutlery. Well, as clean as you are going to get in this place. I wipe it on my shirt to make sure and give Max the cleaner one. She nods appreciatively, "Thanks."

I almost rip open the container and descend on my food. I hear stifled giggles beside me and look up. Max has her hand over her mouth.

"What?"

Her eyes show her amusement, "I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before. That is a very unique technique for eating you've got there."

I flip her off. She smiles and opens her container. She places her fork in it and bring the food to her mouth, slowly chewing it. She really is the opposite to me eating habits wise. My eyes linger on her for a moment. She still manages to get some on her face, despite her caution.

I grin at her smugly, placing my empty container in the plastic bag I'm using for trash, "Well, I'm not the one with noodles all over my face."

She seems taken aback by this, "What?"

Max reaches up to go rub her mouth, but I grab her hand and stop her. She gives me a questioning look.

"Hold still."

She doesn't move. I lean over and lick the stray noodle off her face. While I'm at it, I give her cheek a playful nip. I sit back in the couch, satisfied that I've made myself clear enough. Max's eyebrows are raised, her mouth open in shock, a slight blush has formed on her cheeks.

"See I told you I didn't bite hard."

I wink at her and she looks away to hide her embarrassment, "Th-thanks."

The Price charm appears to be working nicely.

She clears her throat, "So, what is our first step?"

I lean back in the couch, my hands on my stomach, "I've had my eye on this jewelry shop for quite some time. It's nothing too big, so the security shouldn't be as dense, but it does have some hella neat stuff there."

Max continues to chew thoughtfully, "Sounds good. When do we start?"

I waggle my finger at her and tap her on the nose. She recoils a bit in shock at the sudden contact.

Oh man, she is so fucking cute.

"All in good time, my dear Max. Let's just enjoy the down time. You can never have enough of it."

I watch Max out of the corner of my eye as she eats. She is very deliberate with every move she makes. She glances at me, pausing mid bite. The food on her fork threatens to fall off into her lap, but she realizes at the last minute and shoves the fork in her mouth, making me laugh.

She finishes chewing, "Are you staring at me while I eat?"

I grin at her, "Maybe… I can't help it. I was dazed by the beautiful goddess beside me. It took my breath away."

She laughs, "Dog, that was so cheesy, even by my standards, and I have pretty high standards in the cheesy department," she looks away slightly and mumbles, "Maybe you're not so bad yourself."

Is that so?

I take her chin with my hand and tip her head back up so she is looking at me, "I shall take a compliment from a pretty lady."

She shakes her head, smiling, "You really are persistent, huh?"

Her words make me pause.

Does she mean that in a good way, or a bad way? I don't want to be someone who relentlessly hits on people and makes them feel uncomfortable. I'd better check.

I take my hand away and adopt a serious expression, "Is that a problem? I can stop if you want. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Max looks at me and rubs her neck, "I… I didn't mean I wanted you to stop. It's just, I'm not used to this kind of thing."

I let out a breath I wasn't even sure I was holding in.

That's a relief.

I smirk, "Well, you had better get used to it, because I am relentless."

She smiles, "I'd gathered that."

She puts her fork down on a table beside the couch. She reaches for the plastic trash bag with her foot and puts the now empty container in it. Once she has done this, she leans back and yawns, her hand covering her mouth.

"Too much excitement for one day?"

She rubs her eyes, "Mmmm."

She is struggling to stay awake, a battle she is losing. I point over to my bed with my thumb, "You can stay here if you like. You can take my bed, I'll have the c-"

Before I have the chance to finish, I feel something resting on my shoulder. I look down and see Max leaning her head against me. She sighs contently, her eyes closed, "I don't want to move. It's comfortable here."

It looks like I'm in this for the long haul.

I scan the floor and see a blanket.

Don't want her getting cold or anything.

I gently reach over Max and grab the blanket from the floor.

This is one of those times I'm glad I don't put things away.

I reposition myself and Max so we are laying down on the couch. I pull the blanket over us. As I do this, she snuggles into me, gripping onto my t-shirt. She shifts a bit, then is still. I get a closer look at her face now. Her nose is covered in small freckles, something I hadn't noticed before. There are also dark circles under her eyes.

She doesn't look like she's been sleeping well, if the dark circles under her eyes are anything to judge by. Something I am all too familiar with.

Her breathing is steady, she lightly snores and mumbles in her sleep. I absentmindedly move a stray strand of hair from her face.

It's been a while since I slept with someone. I had forgotten how much I missed it. Rachel was always so cuddly. She would wrap her arms and legs around me and refuse to let go. Often, when she wanted me to pay attention to her, she would hug my leg and not let go. One time, we walked out of the flat like it, me dragging her along the floor. She got some major carpet burn. Oh, man did we get some funny looks from the neighbors.

I sigh and feel my eyes close.

Rachel… where are you?


I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now it's off to bed for me. It's like 2am in the morning where I am and I am so tired. Stay safe out there and see you next time.