A/N: It will be a long part on Mike's pov, you'll understand why muwhahahahahaha (evil laugh)
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Mike's POV
She must be scared, must be trying to hide her fear, to Lupo doesn't discover out, or she just told him, it's better for her, Lupo is better for her, not me, I'll hurt her, it's waht I do best. Michael Cutter, the heartbreaker. If something happened to Connie... I'll go to Hell and back to save her, I'll face everything and everyone to be close to her.
But is everything under control - I hope - I'll protect her with my life, if something happen to me, I want Connie to know that all I've done was for her. I'm not afraid of dying for her.
I'm lying on bed trying to play Emma's guitar, I can't sleep... I can't stop think about Connie... God, play guitar is so difficult, how Emma does it? I need to admit, Emma is kinda of a wonder woman, she speak eight different language, is kinda of musician and she's a damn beautiful woman... I can say it about her, do I? Anyway I can't sleep, I'm woried about Connie, and there's nothing I can do about it, and then my phone rang, no matter who is, I'm not going to answer it. Oh God damn it! This is not going to stop, a person so pressing like this, just can be Emma. "Hello little present from hell" I said with a pillow on my face
"Mr. Cutter, do you care about Miss Rubirosa?" it was a familiar male voice, but I couldn't know who was
"Who's talking?"
"It doesn't matter, just aswer my question. Do you care about Miss Rubirosa?"
"If something happen to her, I'll hunt you down and kill you like a dog"
"I'll take it like 'yes'. If you care about her, and you do, you'll make sure that Clark Yamin will be free untill thursday. And know you'll do this, because you don't want Miss Rubirosa to get hurt" So this person hung up, i tried to call back, but the number doesn't exist. Course it doesn't, right?
I need to call Connie, I should call her after what I said... Or I didn't said... Oh screw it, Connie's life is more important than my wrong words... is more importatn than my own life.
I took a deep breath and called Connie "What do you want Michael?" Her voice sound angry and sleepy
"Did I wake you?"
"Kinda of, it's a little difucult to get to sleep" Connie confessed "What you want?"
"Somebody called me... Connie, we need to talk"
"Just wait a minute, I need get out of the bedroom to don't wake Lupo" I waited , I could hear her tired breath, I want it to end, Connie sighed and said: "We can talk now"
"I don't know who called me, but I'm pretty damn sure that it was someone who is making this whole thing happen"
"What he dsaid?"
"he said that if Yamin doesn't get free untill thursday... Connie, I'm afraid that something happento you because of this case"
"I'm afraid too, but I know that whatever happen to me... You'll be there to save me"
"I will not let nothing happen to you... I'd come for you, I'd fight for you... I'd give my life for you, Connie... No matter what gets in my way... I'll always protect you... You're my world Connie, a life without you is a world alone... I'll not lose you"
She was in silence for a while, and then I said: "Lupo knows?"
"No" She said gently "Look, Lupo is calling me... Goodnight Mike"
"I love you" I said a few seconds afeter that she hung up. I'll protect her.
It seems like I'm not going to sleep tonight, so the only thing that I have to do is study the case, maybe I can find out some way to save Connie. She didn't said if she is going to leave the case or not. I hope that isn't too late.
I don't know when I fell to sleep, I just woke with my phone's ring, it was Connie so I don't take much time to answered. She was so scared, she said that Lupo had a call out of the city, seems like some clue, she didn't tell me, she only said that an envelope with pictures was left in her apartment some minutes after Lupo went.
I said I'll protect her with my own life, and is that what I'm going to do.
I went to her place faster than I could, I'm sure that some speeding tickets will come in the mail.
When I arrived, I found a scared and shaking Connie, I just sit beside her and embraced her "It's right" She said crying "Your tatoo, you try to protect everyone with your angel's wings" She forced a smile.
"Only the special ones" I whispered kissing her forehead "When Lupo will get back?"
"Tomorrow morning"
"Ooh... Okay... Er... Uuh... I... I don't thing that is safe stay here. You can stay in my place and I take you back at night"
"Okay" She said and I cleaned up a tear drop on her face.
Connie wore her coat and left, I kept her protected in my arms until we arrived in my car. When I got in the car, Connie took my hand and smiled at me "Thank you Mike" she said framing my face in her hands, Connie kissed me so tenderly that it seemed like she whas protecting me, and maybe she was, because I'm so scared as her.
We broke the kiss and looked at each other for a while, our lips were brushing and I could feel her breath breaking against my own "Maybe I'm a nice guy"
"Maybe you're" She smiled
I smiled back before started to drive. No one said a single word about last night call, nothing about she had said that she loves me, we were in silence, afraid that any sound could screw up everything. In my apartment, I did what I could to make her feel safe and sound.
Connie was in the living room while I was making her some tea, my phone rang and I just answered because it was Emma "I can't talk now, Mm. I'm kind of busy" I said bringing a cup to Connie.
"Seems like I'm going to stay here more that I though. Look, I don't want to find out lost underpants when I arrive, or your jackets thrown around my living room, and don't touch my guitar okay?"
"Yeah mom" I said making her laugh "Look, can you call me latter? I really can't talk now"
"Yeah, fine. But if I hear some complaints from neighbors..."
"I know. Bye Emma" Connie stared me when I hung up "What?"
"Why don't you talk about her?"
"Because isn't time to talk about my life"
"And when will be Michael? When you'll let me in?"
"We shouldn't talk about it now"
"You always run from your problems, right?" She yelled as she got up "I want to go home"
"Isn't safe"
"Well, I don't care. I'm going, with or without you" Connie opened the door and left.
I'm not going to be responsable by her death. With no hesitation, I went after her, she was almost in the elevator "Look, there is time for everything, and now isn't time for your tantrum. Please, listen to me when I tell you to stay in my apartment"
"I'm not going to stay here, Michael!" She yelled
"Look, my neighbors are looking at us" I whispered smiling at my neighbors at their doors.
It was hard, but I could convince Connie to go back to my apartment "I don't want you to get hurt, so stay here and don't ask about Emma"
"I just have one question. Is she with you in these pictures?" Connie asked looking at a picture that we took in our travel to a little french village in the last 4th july
"Yeah" I said smiling, God we were so drunk that day "You must be wondering if there is something between us, and no... She is... My best friend"
"Your word is all that I have, so I'll trust you"
"Thank you"
I don't think this is making us closer, this whole thing is making us apart. Must have something that I can do about it.
We didn't talk, at lunch, Connie barely touch her food. This is making me worried, she seems weak, I told her I was ready to talk about Emma, Connie said she didn't want to listen to me and she just was there to her own security.
Like I said, I took her home. I guided her to her apartment and I was leaving when she took my hand and said: "You told me you'll protect me. So why are you leaving me here alone?" I smiled and kissed her. I can't be angry with her "I think I'm ready to listen asbout Emma"
"Oh, it's a long and said story about my life..."
"Sorry" she said when her phone rang "It's Lupo, I need to answer it. Hello... I'm fine... Oh really? Okay... I love you too, goodnight"
She said she loves him? Oh great "You didn't tell him? Connie, you should told him"
"Don't start Michael. You know I can't tell him"
"Oh, really? Why not?"
"Well, because... Because I..."
"You don't have a good reason. Look Connie, I want to protect you all the time, but I can't do this alone, you need to tell it to someone. If you don't tell him, I'll"
"You don't respect choices, don't you?"
"When they are wrong, I need..."
"Oh thanks for trust me" She said as she went to her bedroom "You can go now"
"I said I would take care of you, but don't worried, I'll not be here anymore when you wake up"
I'm feeling bad for her, it isn't her fault, I just wish things were not so difficult, but it seems like the things are too complicated to make it right. I can't make it work.
Connie didn't left her room, I don't know her apartment, I don't know nothing here but the living room. I asked for italian food and let it in her bedroom door, she didn't eat again, and this worries me.
She lives in a small and nicely furnished apartment, is bigger than my old apartment and more furnished too. I miss my old apartment sometimes. But Emma needed a fixed address and she didn't want to pay for something she would just stay for some months before travel again, then I accepted be her roommate.
I was almost sleeping when my phone rang, I think Emma is in love with me. "Hi Emma" I said sleeping
"Did I wake you?"
"What happened? It's Connie right?"
"Yeah, she's in danger and she doesn't want to tell to Lupo"
"Don't be the hero. Remember I need you"
"I will not leave you alone Mm... You're my family. What you were going to say when called me this morning?"
"Oh, this... I was promoted to editor in chief"
"That's awesome. So are you coming back? Will you have your own office?"
"Gee... You're so hasty. I'll have my own office, and I'll be back in a week"
"We are going to celebrate?"
"Yeah. You, me... Lupo and Connie"
"You're so unfunny"
"Come on, you love me"
"Yeah, I love you Emma. You're my life"
"I love make you admit it"
"Because you hate me"
"You're right. I hate you so much that I let you live in my apartment"
"Our apartment, I pay part of that" Silence, that's all we had, and then, laughs. I need to stop, whant Connie will think? "Okay, Emma waht are you going bring to me? Please, don't bring a stupid t-shirt"
"I'll buy you a book"
"No, the last book you bought was in 'brazilian'"
"Portuguese"
"Whatever, I don't speak that language"
"Oh, come on Mickey. It was a great book"
"I didn't read, I couldn't. You're going to bring me wine and candies"
"Michael Cutter! Are you trying to seduce me?"
"You would love it, don't you?" I laugh
"No, arrogants and jerks psycho guys are not type"
"So why did you date Luke Davis?"
"Oh, please mIckey..."
"I know, I know. Emma, I need take care of Connie, so..."
"Ooh, that's all right"
"Bye Emma"
"And Mike..."
"What?"
"Be carefull, I've lost so many things in my life, I don't want to lose you too"
"You're not going to lose me, I'll be okay"
"Good night... I think"
"It's night over here... buona notte?"
"Yeah. It's midnight. Bye Mike"
Emma isn't the smart person in the world to talk about time zone, even traveling a lot, I think it's funny, she hates because of it, and this is what makes our half relationship last almost thirty years.
Connie stayed in her bedroom all night, for a moment I thought she would escaped while I was distracted, so I went to her room, and there she was, my sleeping beauty, it seems like nothing is happening, her face reflects calm and quiet while the world around her fall apart, I wanted to stay here forever, just watching her sleep, but I can't, she wouldn't like to see me here.
I couldn't sleep, it was like something bad would happen to Connie if I fell to sleep. I'm getting paranoid. I said to Connie that I would leave in the morning, and I did, but I was so worried that I asked to the porter to take care of here until Lupo arrives, I said she was cold and that's why I had spent the night with her. I don't know if he believed me.
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Connie's POV
It wasn't a good night, I'm said about Mike, I'm going to tell everything to Lupo, even the part about the game. I give up.
I woke when someone touch my back, I though it was Lupo saying he just arrive or Mike saying that he was going. It doesn't matter, I was wrong, there were four men and him, he was smiling "Hello Connie" he said.
"What...?" I couldn't finish, one of the men used a Taser on me, and then everything was black. I fainted.
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A/N: This was the chap 9. Don't kill me, I have a daughter... No, I don't, but don't kill me, please.
