They were quickly ushered up to their suite to be greeted by the butler. They stepped into a foyer with doors leading off to different parts of the suite. The main room was decorated in the Turkish style with a large seating area and huge windows with a gorgeous view of the Bosphorus.
She peeked into the door leading to the bathroom. It was covered floor to ceiling in marble tile. A huge mirror almost covered one wall, a round jacuzzi tub and a walk in rain fall shower on another. On the remaining wall was a huge picture window with a view of the peninsula.
She heard Red dismiss the butler as she pushed the door open to the master bedroom. It was magnificent, in the center of the room was a sleigh style double bed facing another huge picture window, the old city and a tower, clearly visible.
She turned when she heard Red walk into the room, turning to tell him how wonderful she thought it was. She never got the chance, as he spun her around and had her against the wall before she could utter a single sound.
Red looked at her a moment, hungrily taking in her lovely shocked features before he pressed himself into her. "I believe you started something and I think you need to finish it," he growled out before he bent to kiss her.
Liz felt fire suddenly light up and lick at her body. There was no where to hide, all she could do was hang on and trust him to keep her from burning up. She lifted her leg and he grabbed on to it and adjusted himself right where she needed him the most, roughly rocking against her.
He broke the kiss suddenly and looked at her flushed features, her eyes were dazed and full of desire. He needed to slow down or this would be over before it started. He grabbed her other leg and lifted it up to come around him then he walked them over to the bed and gently laid her on it.
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A few hours later they laid entwined in a tangle of sheets and each others limbs. Liz snuggled closer to Red's side and he tightened his arm around her. She tilted her head to look up at him and traced his jaw with her fingertip. "I thought we were going to take this slowly?"
"Mmmhm." Was the only response he could muster just then. Who knew he would be capable of going three times in such a short period of time, he hadn't done that since he was a young man.
She loved seeing him like this. He was totally relaxed, there was no worry creasing his brow and no tension coiling making his body rigid. She realized she was starving, they hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was nearing one in the morning now. She giggled, remembering the nicknames he had cheekily suggested before. "Hey, stallion."
He turned to look down at her then and waggled his eyebrows at her. "You were doubtful weren't you my little honeysuckle." he turned towards her and started to kiss her neck.
She tried to push him off her playfully. "I'm famished, I need to eat and build up some strength or I'm going to be totally useless."
He peppered her neck and collarbone with a few more kisses before rolling away and getting up. "Okay, fine, never let it be said that I don't take proper care of you."
While they dressed Red suddenly had the urge to get out for a while. "Let's go out to eat, I want to show you the city at night."
"It's one in the morning." Of course He could probably have a restaurant opened because he once saved someone from certain death or some other equally exaggerated story.
"Under the Galata Bridge are restaurants and cafe's, most of which are open through the night." She looked skeptical and he could just imagine what she was thinking.
He held up his hand like he was about to swear in at court. "I promise that I have not threatened or killed anyone to keep these places open."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. He was so adorable, it was killing her. "Let's go, they better have something substantial to offer, I'm starving."
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The next morning they made love and ate breakfast in bed and made love again. Red wanted to show her some of the sights and promised to teach her a bit about life on the run, so they got ready and headed out just before lunch time.
They took the train to a lovely peaceful seaside neighborhood with children playing in the streets. "Where are we?"
"The modern name is Mustafapasa, though just about everyone in Istanbul refers to it by the Byzantine name of Samatya, it means sandy place." He put his hand in hers and continued walking down the street. "There is an annual Lüfer Bayrami, or Bluefish holiday, held here each year. It's all about preventing the extinction of the local lüfer fish.
He was extremely knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects. She wondered if he was genuinely interested or if he learned them just to show off. "I thought you were going to teach me about how to survive in this life not tell me stories."
His stopped walking then and turned to look at her. "I am sweetheart, pay attention. This is half of what you need to know."
He kissed the frown on her brow. "To make it in my world, you need to learn the local customs, eat what they eat, and so on." He waved his free hand in an all encompassing motion. "To hide in plain sight, you must immerse yourself in the culture of the local people, wherever that may be."
Liz understood now why he was a human encyclopedia, she would have to really step up her game. "Oh, got it. Learn it, live it."
He smiled proudly at her, she would catch on quickly. "Exactly. Now there is a lovely little restaurant just a few doors down, that serves the most divine dishes you will ever taste."
When they reached the place Red told her about, he held the door for Liz and she preceded him into the shop. It was small but cozy and only a few customers. A large Armenian woman that looked to be in her late seventies, looked up when they entered and gasped. "Im sireli tghan!"
She rounded the corner and enveloped Red in a hug. "Where have you been, it has been at least four years since you have come by to see us." She looked beside him to give Liz a once over. "Ov e ayd kiny?"
He chuckled and brought his hand around Liz's waist and brought her to his side. "This is my wife Rebecca." He gestured toward the older woman. "Bekki, this is Hasmik."
Liz smiled at the woman and extended her hand towards her. Hasmik looked at her hand for a second before slapping it away and pulling Liz into a tight hug. "You belong to our boy, that makes you family."
Hasmik motioned for them to follow her. Liz looked back at Red in bemusement, he laughed and placed his hand at her back to keep her moving and leaned towards her to whisper, "I've known them for seventeen years or so, she and her husband are childless and sort of adopted me."
Hasmik led them past the kitchens and up a set of stairs into a beautifully rustic apartment. An older gentlemen sat in a recliner chair facing a window smoking a pipe. "Tavik, come over here and see who has come to visit, and he brings a wife."
Tavik, stood with some difficulty and Red met him there to give him a friendly hug. "Tavik, please let me introduce you to my lovely wife Rebecca."
Liz came to stand next to them and and Tavik motioned her in for a quick hug. He smelled of the apple and cherry wood tobacco he had been smoking.
Hasmik started setting the table with enough food to feed an army. "You always seem to know when the food is being served jans." She waved to everyone to sit at the table.
She had set out barbecued meats, roasted and pickled veggies, a round of homemade cheese that looked delicious and some meat and herb mixture rolled inside grape leaves and some flat bread.
They sat around talking for a couple of hours with Tavik and Hasmik sharing stories of Red and his visits. He seemed relaxed and at ease with them, she realized he trusted them, he didn't have to pretend to be someone else.
It really gave Liz insight into the character of this man, not what he was forced to become in his role as The Concierge of Crime, but the man underneath it all. No matter the atrocities he committed in his criminal life, he seemed able to keep a part of his humanity intact. Having little places like this must help with that.
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The next day they woke early, Red had a meeting with a client and they were going to see the Grand Bazaar.
Things were progressing nicely between the two of them. They talked long into the night and were getting to know each other. Red was surprisingly open with her regarding his family, though she didn't press too much as she could see it caused him pain.
Just as they were about to leave the suite, the burner phone Red was carrying for emergencies rang. He answered and then, after a moment, mouthed "Dembe," so she would know who he was speaking to. He listened for a moment more and then said goodbye, ending the call.
His brow was furrowed and his lips pursed when he spoke to her. "We will need to leave tomorrow or the day after at the latest. It seems Sterling has learned our whereabouts from Gwilym."
That was not good, she was worried now. "How did Gwilym know where we went"
He lip twitched up at the corner in agitation. "The tail number on my jet, I haven't used that particular jet in a while so I wasn't worried, though it seems I should have been."
He had said they were safe here and the government would not turn them over but he still seemed concerned. "I thought the president would help you?"
He made sure to clear his face of any worry to reassure her. He was fairly certain things would work out, but he planned for all eventualities. "He will, and this is where his help will come into play. I'll make a call and set an appointment with him for this evening to work everything out."
Liz knew he was still concerned, he was just trying to hide it. He had been doing this for a long time though, she just needed to keep trusting him to see to their safety.
There would be a time that he would trust her enough to plan these things out with her, but this was still new for them both. They just needed time.
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As soon as they walked through the entrance Liz was in awe, there were so many different shops crammed one right next to the other. "Wow, I can see why they call it the Grand Bazaar."
He was enjoying Lizzie's wonder at seeing this for the first time. He sometimes forgot to stop and really look at things anymore, he felt jaded. "This is the only place we will be seeing today, and we won't even be able to see it all. It is made up of over sixty streets and alleyways and over four thousand shops, stalls and cafes."
She looked askance at him, unsure if he really meant to stay and shop with her the entire day. "I can stay and shop while you go meet your contact."
He shook his head at her, there is no way he was going to leave her here alone while he went to the meeting. "It's not safe sweetheart."
"I can take care of myself, you don't have to be with me every second." At his sullen expression she was quick to add. "Not that I won't enjoy spending all this time with you, but I can't believe you would want to spend the entire day shopping."
"I am aware of how capable you are, my dear, but I won't be able to properly concentrate on the meeting if my mind keeps wandering to you and what you are doing." He took her by the hand and led her to the first shop.
She knew it was useless to argue with him when he looked so determined. "Fine, but no complaining and I don't have any money on me, so you are buying."
He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss, he loved getting his way. "Yes, my dear."
