Author's Note: This picks up where The Peril of Proximity left off.
The two days that Alex spent in New York felt like two hours—it wasn't enough time to shower her lover with kisses and promises, and she regretted having to get on a plane later that evening.
"Don't go," Piper pleaded, lifting her head off of Alex's naked chest. "Let this be your first mistake."
"Don't be ridiculous, I…"
The blonde leaned up and kissed her soundly, effectively shutting Alex up.
"Forty-eight hours ago, you said that the only way to exit the cartel was by making small, reconcilable mistakes," she stated, wiping her lover's glistening lower lip. "Wouldn't this be one of those mistakes? You could always take a flight in the morning."
"Have you always been this smart?" Alex asked, kissing her on the cheek. "And persistent?"
"You have no idea." The blonde grinned. (Alex did have an idea and would never underestimate the intelligence and determination of her lover.)
Ultimately, Alex ended up delaying her flight and catching one early the next morning. If anyone asked if she regretted that decision, she'd answer with a resounding, fuck no. How could she regret making her lover cum for the twelfth time in two days?
Her first night in Berlin was unpleasant to say the least. Fahri was uncompromisingly upset with Alex's 24-hour delay, which nearly cost the cartel their most profitable German clients. The brunette got an earful about how she needed to remedy the situation, and she was granted another 24 hours to do so.
Alex almost intentionally blew it—she knew that was a sure way out of the cartel, but she wasn't sure how far Fahri and the leadership might have gone to ensure she was indeed out for good. The one thing she conveniently didn't mention to Piper was that Kubra ordering a hit on her was also an option. She had to be smart about every move she made from here on out, and fucking up the German deal would not be wise at all.
The dark haired woman arranged a night on the town for the Kuster brothers from Berlin; if there was one thing she was great at, it was partying and using wads of cash to seduce clients. She complimented the men throughout dinner, expensing the $3,000 meal, of course, and confirmed that there were two 'for hire' girls who would appeal to the slimy German men. Alex arranged for the girls to show up at the club, where she bought $200 shots of whiskey for the men and their now, dates. She also provided a private space for the brothers to shoot Heroin off of the girls' bodies. Alex wasn't proud of this part of her job, and she didn't have to do this sort of thing often, but when she did, she did it right.
When she collapsed in her hotel bed that night, Alex knew this wasn't the sort of thing that her lover needed to know about her job. In fact, she felt gross and used, something she hadn't felt since before her 21st birthday. What was important in the end was keeping the brothers from Berlin as clients, and saving her own neck in the process.
Six nights in Berlin were followed by five nights in Oslo, and Alex had Fahri back on her side. She'd come through on her promise to keep the Kuster family in their good graces, and her boss rewarded her with a few free days on the company's dime. She wasted no time in contacting Piper.
"God morgen," she said in a Danish accent. "Nogensinde været til Copenhagen?"
"Was that your best attempt at Danish?" Piper questioned with a slight giggle.
"Ikke min bedste forsog, nej," the brunette replied with a grin.
"Then perhaps you should keep working on it." Alex swore she could hear the blonde smirking. "Did you know that speakers of Norwegian generally understand both Danish and Swedish far better than Swedes or Danes understand each other?" Piper asked. "And no, I've never been to Copenhagen."
"It's pretty fucking sexy when you come up with random facts like that." The dark haired woman flopped onto the hotel bed, phone pressed firmly to her ear. "And when you understand Scandinavian languages."
"Yeah?" Piper switched to her best sultry voice. "Wanna know what I'm wearing?"
Alex rubbed her forehead with her thumb and forefinger. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Do baggy khaki pants and an oversized white t-shirt turn you on?"
"Way to kill the mood, babe." She sat up. "Why are you dressed like a prisoner?"
"I'm helping Polly paint the kitchen," she replied in a more normal tone. "I put on some of Pete's old clothes so I wouldn't get paint all over mine."
"That sounds like fun." Alex rolled her eyes.
"It's the least I can do for Polly after she let me stay here for three months," she responded.
"True." The brunette stood and began to get ready for bed. "I hate painting. I mean, loathe it, but if I was in New York, I'd help you."
"That's really sweet, Alex."
"I'm nothing if not sweet," she replied, batting her eyelashes.
"I know you can't see me, but let it be known that I'm rolling my eyes," Piper said.
She removed her blouse. "So can you meet me in Denmark on Thursday?"
"This Thursday? As in three days from now?" Piper asked.
"Yes," the dark haired woman began. "It's rare that I ever have more than a week's notice about when I can take time off."
"I'd like that," the blonde replied. "But let me check with Polly to see if I need to be here."
Alex smirked. "Promise I'll make it worth your while."
Author's Note: Sorry this was such a short chapter. The next one is longer, and the angst is on its way.