12 hours later

Jess looked at the darkness surrounding her, an eerie feeling washing over her that someone was watching them from the shadows. A cold breeze had picked up as the rain finally subsided. Pulling the zip of the black, leather jacket Trish had left for her she rubbed her hands up and down her arms in a bid to stop her violent shaking.

The cold oozed through the denim of her skinny jeans, their cuffs rolled up several times to avoid her tripping and standing on the overlong material. Scuffing the toes of the soft leather, ankle boots that donned her feet against the gravel, she waited nervously for Dante to return.

Leaning against the damp, concrete wall at the rear of the museum she chewed on her lower lip as she once again looked out to the shadows of the trees that surrounded them. Her imagination was starting to run wild, her eyes picking up movement where no movement should be. Shivering again as she imagined hundreds of wicked eyes roaming over her body she trailed her eyes away from the darkness and stared at the loose gravel at her feet.

A soft bump to her left caused her to jump, a strangled noise caught in her throat as a hand clamped over her mouth to stop her from screaming.

'Ssshhh' Dante placed a gloved finger against his mouth and hushed her as he leaned in closer. His eyes narrowed slightly as he pushed her up against the wall, 'Jess it's just me.'

Shoving his hand away from her mouth, Jess panted slightly at the sudden intake of air, 'don't do that.' She hissed up to him, bending slightly she leaned her rear against the wall and clasped her hands against her knees as the shock began to wear off.

'What's wrong?' Dante asked, bending slightly so he could catch her eye.

'What's wrong?' Jess gasped her eyes narrowing with anger as she fixed them to his face, 'you just about scared the shit out of me and you're asking me what's wrong?' Straightening so that her back leaned against the wall too she glared at him through the late evening shadow, 'why the hell did you drag me along with you?'

'You said you wanted out, right?' Dante said with a shrug his hands lifting in the air, 'well, you're out.'

Jess's head bobbed slightly as her cheeks turned from pink to red, 'this is not what I had in mind and you know it. I was implying a walk,' stepping away from the wall she waved her hand towards the concrete, 'not robbing a fucking museum.'

'Yeah well, that was before,' Dante said as he leaned closer, 'now you don't leave my side'

'Oh joy' Jess muttered as she pushed herself away from the wall ignoring the smirk that lingered over his face, she rolled her eyes and tucked her freezing hands into her pockets, 'so what's the plan then?'

'Two guards at the front, security station at rear, patrols are every twenty minutes.' Dante stated his face turning serious as he spoke, 'alarm systems wired to exhibits and security cameras scanning hallways at individual corners.'

'So how do we get in?' Jess questioned as she turned her back to him and peeped around the edge of the building. Flashlights beamed from inside the building as guards started their evening rounds, 'it's not like we can just stroll through the front door, right?'

Jess hesitated a moment, waiting for his response only to find silence. Turning back she frowned at him as he stood their scratching the back of his head. Pinning him with a frown she crossed her arms firmly over her chest.

'You planned to walk right in the front door didn't you?' she hissed at him and when he just shrugged in response she growled lowly, 'you're an idiot. You do know if you go in the front you will just trigger the alarms. Do you have a backup plan, like going in through the roof or air vents?'

'You're determined to take all the fun outta this aren't you?' Dante sighed, rolling his head back on his shoulders he stared up the length of the building.

'This is your idea of fun?' Jess gasped, waving her hands around her she motioned to their location, 'which part of this is fun?'

Dante grinned as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes fixed on a point in the distanced, lowering his head he turned his grin towards her. With one long stride he moved in to her and pulled her close. Wrapping an arm tightly around her waist as she gasped as her fingers dug into his shoulders, he leaned his head close and whispered.

'This part'

It was if the world moved from beneath her feet, the solidness of the ground rushing away from her as air replaced it. Wind whipped at the braid that dangled over her shoulder, the thick rope of hair banging against her cheek with their speed. There was a soft bump as his feet connected to the wall, sending them higher than she could ever dream a leap could take her. Air rushed out of her lungs as she stared wide-eyed to the trees over his shoulder. They seemed to becoming shorter with every passing second. A small 'eep' sound left her mouth, as she tucked her head into the side of his throat and tightened her choke-hold around his neck. There was another soft bump, but she couldn't tell if he had sent them higher or if the sensation had stopped. It was like a high-speed elevator ride that sent the bottom of her insides almost rushing up to her throat.

Dante landed with ease on the roof. The structure was slanted but not enough that he would easily slide from the slates. Looking around him he glanced at his surroundings. The roof was void of life, the only objects visible were the high glass-domed windows and two large air vents beside, oh good a door. The door sat in a concrete block, the access leading to the upper levels of the building and hopefully the guards didn't have it alarmed too.

Turning his head he puffed out the side of his mouth as a strand of chestnut hair tickled the side of his face. She was wrapped around him. Her arms in a vice-like grip around his neck; her body was so close that there wasn't a gap of air between them. One leg was wrapped around his thigh, her other wrapped around his hip like she was clinging to him for dear life. He smiled to himself, reluctant to tell her that he had landed as the warmth of her small body seeped into him; instead he tightened his hold on her back and with his other hand cupped her head further into his neck until all he could feel was her breath against his skin.

It was awkward to walk with her wrapped around him like that, but with a small staggering gait he moved off the slanted roof until is feet met the flatness of the small roof access. Only then did he attempt to remove her form his body. Moving his head so his cheek rested against the coldness of her own did he whisper in her ear, 'You can let go'

Not that he really wanted her too, but the fact that he was enjoying this far more than he thought he would and that they still had a mission to finish urged him to let her go.

'I hate you' her voice was soft and muted against his neck and as the words formed over her mouth the softness of her lips brushed against his skin. Holding in the moan that he wanted to escape his lips at the gentle caress he willed himself to not react.

Slowly Jess opened her eyes. She felt stunned at the new surroundings. The view of the trees was gone, replaced by large bulking vents and concrete. Her body was frozen too, her limbs solid like a statues as she the sudden sensation of flying still encompassed her. Lifting her head slightly she turned her head to glimpse at the edge of the building.

'Where are we?' she muttered

'You said roof, right? So we're on the roof.' His heated breath bounced across the side of her face, its deep tone dripping sweetly into her ear. Then the numbness evaporated from her body.

Gulping slightly, she allowed her senses to feel each contour and slope of his muscled limps as the realisation of her position brought her crashing back to reality. The only problem she was facing was the fact that even though the feeling in her limps had return, the will to let go hadn't.

'Jess?' again his voice oozed into her, the action causing her eyes to drop to half-mast.

'I think I need a minute' she whispered, mostly to herself but as the words left her mouth she cringed into his shoulder, 'eh,' jess paused, thinking of words that might get her out of this embarrassing situation, 'I'm afraid of heights?' no she wasn't, but if it explained why she was wrapped around him like a lifejacket and he bought it she would pretend to be from that day forward.

'Was that a fact or a question?' his mouth brushed the lobe of her ear.

Damn, Jess thought to herself, damn, damn, damn. Using all the inner strength that she had, Jess eased her legs from around his waist and thigh. Expecting to find the ground beneath her, she clung to his neck as her legs dangled in thin air. The grip around her waist tighten slightly keeping her weight from hanging fully around his neck. Stretching her toes downwards in another attempt to reach the ground she found her feet swaying, only to bounce off what felt like his shins.

'Um' Jess sounded out, her arms aching with their clamp-like actions, 'could you bend down?'

A puff of air blew at the loose strands of hair behind her ear as he laughed under his breath before she found herself being pulled closer to his chest. He arched her back slightly as he bent forward causing her head to dip backwards and his face to come into the line of her vision.

Jess couldn't help herself, the colour of his eyes drawing her in. He was so close to her that she could almost see herself reflected in his irises. It might have only been a second, but it felt like the world around her had stopped. He was so close that the tips of his hair trickled against her forehead, and if she moved just the tiniest fraction the tip of her nose would touch his. He didn't move, his gaze lingering on her and if he had moved in to close the small space of their mouths, Jess didn't think she would have resisted. But the ground tapped against her toes and the firm grip of his hands against her back slipped to her hips as he straightened to steady her. The aching from her upper arms increased as they slid from his neck to his shoulders and finally down the curve of his arms as her body righted itself.

The inhale and exhale of her breathing had become stunted and choppy as his face pulled away, followed by his body. The heat disappeared instantly leaving a cool tingling along the length of her where he had been pressed close.

'You okay now?' he asked, his voice almost lost in the th-thump of her heartbeat.

'Uh-ha' was all she could mutter in response as his eyes still held her captive.

'Good, come on' His hands disappeared from her hips, the sensation of his touch abruptly leaving her body as he turned his back on her.

Jess stood there, all movement lost as she watched him walk away from her towards the door.

Get a grip Jess; she said to herself internally, what are you doing? The man has kept you hostage for almost a week now and what, now you want to kiss him?

Touching the tips of her shaking hands to her lips she frowned as the voice in her head continued, don't let yourself get attached, remember he's only helping you because you're a means to an end, you're nothing but a hindrance to him.

There was a sound of metal scraping against metal of in the distance that brought her out of her own thoughts. The large sword that he carried was in his hands, held at an angle as he pushed it in between the hinges of the door. Jess watched the way his muscles strained underneath the expanse of red over his shoulders. His face was focused completely on what he was doing, as he tucked the sword once against over his back and knelt to pull the door outwards. Sticking his fingers into the small gap, he arm gave a jerk as he pulled a thin red wire out. Rising to his feet he did the same at the top and with one yank pulled the door completely free. Leaning it against the side of the concrete setting he turned around and raised his hand out towards her.

'Come on, let's go find your way home.' He called across to her.

Damn, that was the only word that floated through Jess's head.