7
When Neve woke up again it was dark outside and she was lying in shattered glass, still in the hallway. She frowned and felt the dried blood on her head crack. She sat up as slowly as she could before resting her back against the wall. The few deep breaths she took, told her that her sides were bruised up not broken. Neve slowly made her way up onto her feet, hearing the crunching of the glass beneath her shoes. She looked into the hallway mirror and saw the damage to her face.
Brandt was going to kill her
An angry bruise had begun to dance around her left eye, red angry mark against her cheek and her bottom lip had spilt
She was a mess.
Neve shuffled back into the bedroom and the ensuite. The best place for her was the shower and she was going to be there until she felt at least a little better.
She made her way back to Soho and prepared herself for the onslaught that was about to happen. Neve had done everything he had told her not to do. This wasn't going to be pretty. He was going to be worried and scared but it was going to come out as anger but that was okay as long as she could sit down as he yelled at her.
#
Brandt heard heels clinking on the steps outside the door and it took all his willpower not to launch into a tirade. She had him terrified for hours, not answering his calls, no word at all and now she shows up like nothing was wrong. Like they didn't have a job to do. Like her ex-partner wasn't the bad guy.
Neve opened the door and stood before them beautiful and broken. Jeans and a white sweater never looked so good and somehow that made him more livid than he had been, if that was even possible.
"Is there something wrong with your phone?"
"Sorry William. They are kind of difficult to pick up when you're knocked out"
Ethan walked over and gently took her face in his hands, surveying the damage
"What happened?"
"I went to my flat to get some of my things and a Russian amazon ,on a motorcycle made her way into my home and she sure knew me. She was not a fan, clearly"
Suddenly they heard the siding door on to the balcony slam shut. Neve closed her eyes and shook her head.
"He's just worried"
"I know" she whispered
"What did this women look like?"
"Blonde. Legs up to her armpits and the complete opposite of me"
"Would you recognize her if you saw her again?"
Neve heard Benji furiously type of the keyboard before turning her screen around. Showing her a photograph of Niccolo and a blonde in the town of Suifenhe. Neve sighed and frowned
"That's her. Who is she?"
"We'll find out" Beniji told her confidently before she looked on to the balcony.
Neve wandered to the door and even though she wasn't sure she could handle this right now. She knew that it would only be worse if she left them in this state.
#
She closed the door behind herself and met him on the other side of the balcony. Neve didn't say anything at first, just leaning up against the railing. Needing to keep herself up but not wanting him to know it. He didn't look at her. He couldn't look at her.
"Give me your hand" she said softly
"What?"
Brandt frowned at her, before giving in and placing his hand in hers. She placed it gently on her chest, above her heart.
"See? Still beating. I'm okay"
"You might want to say that to your reflection"
"I'll heal"
"I don't just say things to hear myself talk"
"I know that, but I didn't know she was going to walk in and want a smack down. I don't even know who she is. That's my home. My life"
"Angel, Your life is a lie. I know that's hard to get your head around but it is" He cupped her face gently, tilting her head up "He was a lie. Your home, your relationship. You have to realize that before you get yourself killed"
"I know"
"Stop scaring me" he told her as his thumb brushed the corner of her mouth
"I'm not meaning too. I'm sorry"
"Don't be sorry just listen to me"
He tried to capture her dark hair that was flying into her face in the looked at the damage on her face. She wore bruises well but that didn't mean that he had to like that they were on her.
Her hands wrapped around his wrists and softly said his name. Suddenly the space between then was charged again, like it was that morning. He decided to be selfish so she couldn't back out again. He kissed her like he wanted to that morning. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing until one of her arms wrapped around her waist.
They had no idea that they were being watched, photographed and reported on.
#
Niccolo sat in his apartment on the South Bank looking through the photographs streaming through. It wasn't only what was happening but the marks on her. The way she leant against the railing. She was in pain and it was the betrayal, not by Neve but Gennadi that burnt him.
They had worked by each other's side for many years and although he knew she had some affections for him. Niccolo never knew she would go that far.
Neve was off limits – everybody that worked for him knew that. Neve was to stay out of that part of his life. The dangers and connections he had. Niccolo needed her safe but Gennadi had gone so far over that line, there was no going back. No way for her to crawl her way back, which was a shame. Genn used to be one of his most trusted allies. One of his most trusted allies that was currently sitting in a ball on his sofa awaiting her fate.
"See what you have done. She ran right into his arms because she's scared. You've made her do that"
"I'm not making her do anything. Nic, do you really think you can win her over to our side? Is that the big plan?" she chuckled "She works with the American government. She is a part of the problem"
"And what if now that she has seen you, she finds out about your other job? What if she finds out about him?"
"What if she does? After what he did to her. She's not going to want to be anywhere near him"
"You don't know her. You think you do but you know nothing. She will be a bull with a red flag now. Neve will use anything she can and you know he'll want to see her"
"Vincent, won't say anything"
"You think his loyalty lies with you just because you lay with him. Don't be foolish. All that they have been through. All that they have put each other through and she still has his respect. Neve earnt it. He will tell her everything just to gain her trust again. You need to grow up"
"Do you think her loyalty is with you anymore? Not now, Niccolo. I think it's pretty clear who she has chosen. She is working against you. She is working with them to take you down"
"I can get her back. She'll see sense"
"Who's naïve now?"
"You know if it wasn't for all our years together you would be at the bottom of the River Lea right now. Your years only get you so far, Gen. I will fetch you back from where I found you or I will do much worse if you don't smarten up. Understood"
"Whatever you say, Niccolo"
She stood up from the sofa and walked past him before he grabbed her wrist sharply and pulled her back. It had been a long time since he looked at her, the way he was right now. Gennadi had been longing for that look and longing to do what he wanted to do right now.
"Gen, don't touch her again"
He brushed her cheek gently and even though she knew this was a little bit of revenge for what Neve had been doing on the balcony. Gennadi didn't care. She had been his long before he even knew of Neve. She had been in love with him that long. She was going to steal this moment while it was on offer.
