The Price We Pay

by CzechKris91

Things never went the way he wanted them. Sometimes it worked out, and other times it went horribly wrong. He paid the price when he decided to join his cousin in Liberty City. And now those around him would have to suffer for the choices he made. He only hoped he could keep those close to him safe when Death came to collect.

1. A Dish Served Cold

(A/N) Hey everyone, so this is my first attempt at GTA fanfiction. I typically don't write anything, and I've had this idea float around in my head about having Niko pushed to his limits. I'm not sure it's any surprise – BUT – spoiler alert. There are some spoilers to the end of GTA IV. If you haven't played the game start to finish, or read enough to know what takes place, then don't read much further.

This is most definitely rated MA. Like the video game there is intense violence, blood and gore, nudity, mature humor, strong language, strong sexual content, and the use of drugs and alcohol. This is for mature audiences and you've been warned. Disclaimer- I don't own GTA IV or any of the characters associated with it. Enjoy!

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"You're about to learn a lesson, actions have consequences. You screwed me over, now you're paying for it. Shame that'll be the second last thing that goes into your head. Goodbye." Niko held his combat shotgun tightly and aimed for Dimitri's chest. His finger pressed firmly to the trigger guard, not wanting to end the pathetic excuse for a man just yet. 'Let's just see if he grovels… like the rat he is.'

"You're the one who's going to learn a lesson. People aren't going to be happy if you kill me. Stupid motherfucker." Dimitri stumbled slightly from the wounds he sustained from the grenade blast. Blood started to form small pools from where it ran rivers down his legs and off his shoes; His suit now sporting bright red blotches. The boat rocked as the tide changed outside, causing him more trouble to stay balanced than normal. The pain would be next to nothing if he could just convince Niko to not kill him. Then he could get some much needed medical attention. His eyes hardened and he squared his shoulders. Niko wouldn't kill him, he'd had too many chances before now to finish him. What was one more chance?

Firming his feet and adjusting to the sway of the ship Niko prepared to pull the trigger. To end the man's life who had burned down his cousin's apartment and cab business, betrayed him multiple times, kidnapped Roman, and was now spewing desperate remarks at him. No, there would be no more chances. There would be no second guessing. This was his revenge; this was the start to a new beginning. Niko's eyebrows were drawn down, the crease in his forehead becoming more pronounced, and the sweat and blood splatter began to trickle down the side of his face. Anger burned in his chest and sped up the rapid cadence of his heartbeat. The end was so close; He just needed to pull the trigger. The corner of his mouth twitched up in a slightly mocking smile, "I've never been popular. I don't mean to start now."

Panic flashed across Dimitri's features, the realization setting in that this was it. "Go easy on me! We were friends, remember?" Again the stumbling was a little more pronounced as he desperately tried to back away from death. "Don't do it." His voice was quiet, his mind racing trying to think of a way out of it. He gripped his chest as another painful wave crashed through him.

Rage burned in his stomach as he thought about all he had accomplished and all he still had left to do. All the money he could still get his grubby little hands on. "You're fucking a lot of people over by killing me. It was a long time ago that I pissed you off. Forget about it." His mouth stung with the taste of metal. His chest seized sharply and caused him to cough-wheeze up whatever was blocking his air passage. Lurching slightly with the force of the cough, he managed to right himself and keep his feet underneath him. Blood seeped from between his lips and he roughly wiped it away with the back of his hand. He could see the barrel of the blasted shotgun move every time he got away from the kill shot.

"It was never my idea to set you up. I didn't mean nothing. Please!" His mind was slowly slipping away into madness. 'It can't end like this!' His vision was starting to blur from the blood loss.

Niko was focused. More focused than he had ever been in his whole life. The hollow words that left Dimitri's mouth never registered in his brain. He followed the stumbling movements with his shotgun making sure the first shot would hit Dimitri's heart. A coldness began to sit over his shoulders, and everything seemed to melt away from him. The pain from the few shots that managed to hit his bulletproof vest vanished, the throbbing from the slight headache ceased, and the roar of rushing blood in his ears quieted. There was a weird sense of peace that came before he dealt a killing blow. Like Death himself stood beside him, whispering words of encouragement.

Dimitri's babbling continued, "Think about Pegorino, he's got nothing without this deal. You don't need to do this. Niko, it's not too late, we can work this out!" Dimitri extended his arms trying to show his intentions. Pegorino would surely lose everything if this deal didn't happen, and the last thing he needed was another pissed off wanna-be mob boss after him. Maybe if he could get Niko to think about it, he could get away with his life and escape back to Russia.

Dimitri stumbled backwards one last time, catching himself before he tripped. He felt cold, like the heat of the cargo bay was suddenly sucked out. His fingers felt numb and he could still feel his heart pounding away trying to force blood back into his appendages. Somehow he knew medical attention wouldn't save him. Not this time. Death stood across from him and he beckoned him home. A small smile graced his lips as he accepted his end.

"Hey, come on, we got history." Dimitri wheezed out through bloody lips. His eyes unfocused as he tried to look Niko in the face. To take one last look at his killer before passing on.

'History, yeah, and that's what it will always be. History' Niko slid his finger onto the trigger and pulled. The shotgun kicked back into his shoulder causing him to wince in pain. The slug penetrated Dimitri's chest and a bright vibrant red spray exited his back- staining the dirty metal wall behind. The body fell backwards and thumped to the ground with a sickening whack.

Niko walked cautiously closer to the twitching body and hovered over it, making sure to watch the hands for any sudden movements. He didn't think Dimitri was armed anymore, but one can never be too careful. Keeping his shotgun at the ready he looked over the bloodstained face of his enemy. Faded, clouded, blue eyes looked up at him behind cracked, black rimmed glasses.

Kneeling down to be closer to the dying rat of a man, Niko frowned. "I should have put you out of your misery a long time ago. Goodbye, Dimitri." Standing up slowly, feeling the protest from his tired legs, Niko held the shotgun over Dimitri's face and pulled the trigger one last time, turning to not have to see the face get shredded into an unrecognizable mess. The echo of the gun blast seemed to herald a stillness and quietness to the ship.

Retreating a few steps away from the dead body, Niko waited for the finality to set in. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, greedily sucking in big gulps of air, expecting some sense of joy or fulfillment to awaken in his soul. When no such reaction occurred, he let out a long suffering sigh, his heart rate slowing with the disappointment of not feeling accomplished. Perhaps he needed to get some fresh air. To let his body heal and to just let go of everything. Loosening his grip on the shotgun he allowed his hands to relax slightly. He glanced down to his worn, dirty hands and sighed again. 'So much blood has been spilled from my hands'

He looked around the cargo hold of the Platypus noticing all the dead bodyguards and toppled over crates. Bullet holes riddled most of them and the ones closest to him held charred marks from the grenades he threw. Maybe not the smartest idea since he was on a ship docked in a harbor. Last thing he needed was to swim his way out of a sinking ship.

Niko started to head toward the exit of the cargo hold and begin his trek up to the deck. He needed off this boat and away from the mangled corpse of Dimitri. The smell of death, sweat, and gunpowder was enough to make his stomach churn violently. Where he once welcomed the smell, it now repulsed him. He could feel the ache in his bones with every step of the stairs on his way up to the top deck. Each step seemed to take forever as he climbed another section of stairs. The ship pitched again and caused him to fumble into the wall, his surefootedness escaping him as he braced against the cool metal wall of the ship. He grunted with the effort to push off the wall, his hand lingering to help provide balance as he made the last march down to the exit. Reaching the large, heavy metal latch, he paused, checking the hallway behind him for approaching enemies. He could smell the salty sea air and it caused a longing to be outside grip his heart. Taking the last few steps he crossed the threshold onto the deck.

"Finally," he whispered to himself as he glanced around the deck. More bodies littered the area, some more expired than others, but all had met their end with his weapons. Reaching down he picked up his trusted tactical assault rifle. He had run out of ammo before he could get the cargo hold bay doors open and had left it by the entrance to the mess hall. Tossing the strap over his shoulder he slid the rifle around so it rested along his back. Out of old habits he checked his jacket pocket and loaded the last few slugs into the shotgun, reloading it to max. Shifting the rifle on his back to lay steady, he readied his shotgun incase more idiots decided to show up now that the boss was dead.

The nighttime air was cool and caressed his face gently as if in greeting. The sky was dark, and not a star was visible amongst the smattering of ominous gray rain clouds. He could almost taste the rain in the air and decided to hurry back to his vehicle. Being careful of the pitching ship, Niko managed to make it back to the boat ramp without incident. His body was screaming at him to rest. His chest, back, arms, and legs were burning with exhaustion and overuse. As silently as he could, he descended the ramp in search of his vehicle.

Eerily empty for such a busy harbor, Niko was thankful no one had called the police over all the gunfire. He was much too tired to outrun the cops at this hour, and really didn't feel like calling Francis. They had definitely fired enough shots to be considered a small war. And whoever was the unlucky soul to board the ship next would be greeted with quite the bloody battlefield. A smirk pulled at his lips at the thought of being the only one to walk away from such a battle. The only victor. But he had planned on it. He was going to make them all suffer for the crimes committed against him and his cousin. His grudge was finally settled.

Squinting he could barely make out his vehicle in the distance in the dimly lit harbor. His comet, well someone's comet, was parked by the large shipping crane. He remembered stealing it in order to approach the docks undetected- or at least inconspicuous, as his own vehicle would be a dead giveaway. The black comet was still running as he had practically jumped out of it when he arrived, not bothering to turn it off. The idiot had left his keys in the car and was the reason why he had chosen to take it in the first place. 'Who leaves their keys in the car? Do they not know where they live?' He would need to dispose of the vehicle tomorrow, for right now all he wanted to do was shower and pass out, and preferably soon.

Popping the trunk open, he clicked the safety on of his shotgun and placed it on the soft felt carpet. Slinging around his rifle from his back, he dislodged the empty magazine and grabbed a loaded one from the trunk and clicked it in. Checking the weapon was loaded and ready, he flipped the safety on and placed it next to the shotgun. Reaching behind him under his jacket he pulled his empty pistol out. Repeating the process, he removed the empty magazine and loaded the remaining magazine in. His movements natural as he had many years of practice loading, unloading, and assembling any weapon. Dropping the pistol into the trunk he unzipped his jacket and took it off. Finding the velcro straps of the bulletproof vest he yanked them loose. Heaving the heavy material over his head he dropped it into the trunk, he'd pull the bullets out later. Grabbing his jacket again he shoved his arms into the sleeves and zipped it up roughly. Holding his 9mm in his right hand he reached up with his left and closed the trunk lid with a soft click.

Checking his surroundings one more time, he walked around the vehicle to the driver side door. He plopped down in the driver's seat and could almost feel the drag of his body as it begged for sleep. Closing the door he sat there for a moment. Closing his eyes he slumped back into the cushions of the seat and let his body relax slightly. It was finished. No more looking over his shoulder for that weasel. No more worrying about Roman getting killed by that maniac, well at least that maniac, there were still plenty of other loan sharks after him. But he could at least mark this off his shortening list of enemies.

"Perhaps I can quit this life and actually live normally. Or as normally as I can in this godforsaken country." He grumbled under his breath. Cracking his eyes open he spotted the air condition controls and turned the heat on. He started to feel a chill settling over him and the last thing he wanted was to catch a cold. The warm air blew across his face and caused a silent sigh to leave him. Placing his pistol down on the passenger seat he fished out his cell phone from his jacket. He knew he'd have to answer to Pegorino eventually. But first he wanted to let Roman know.

Pulling up the number he pressed the call button and lifted the phone to his ear. It rang a couple of times making Niko wonder if he was still awake at this hour. When the call connected he could hear the grumbling hello from his clearly sleeping cousin.

"I killed Dimitri, it's over. He was on the Platypus, the boat I arrived in Liberty City on. So it seems it ends where it began." Niko traced the leather stitching of the steering wheel with his free hand, needing something to occupy his hands with.

"I guess you did what you felt you had to do. No deal, no money, no hot tubs and models. But Dimitri will not bother you again. I will see you at the wedding, yes? Remember to wear a suit."

'Again with the money. Are you not concerned with anything else?' Niko thought bitterly. The least Roman could do was thank him for eliminating someone who was targeting them. "I'll be there Roman, don't worry."

"And bring that new girlfriend of yours- what's her name? The one you told me only thinks of you as a friend. But let's be honest, she wants you. What woman can resist such fine men as ourselves?" Roman's teasing, and slightly mocking tone coming through with his words.

"Kate. And yes she is just a friend, or so she keeps telling me. I will check with her again about coming." Niko rolled his eyes at his cousin's way of matchmaking. He was the absolute worst at it. "I will see you at the wedding in two days, yes?"

"Of course cousin! Redheads are always the feistiest in bed. Better nab that before someone else moves in!" Roman ended the phone call before Niko could answer him. He hated when his cousin talked about the women he found interest in that way. Kate was waiting, and he wouldn't push her if she wasn't ready. But that still didn't help calm his desires either. Dropping the phone in his lap he let out a frustrated sigh, and scrubbed his hands over his face.

Kate. The last person he wanted to think about at a time like this. He had probably just murdered fifty people on a ship with a ton of drugs on board, and if she knew, she'd probably quit talking to him. He assumed she was aware of his line of work, since he was almost always doing something for one of her brothers, but as far as the details went? He couldn't be sure. She was a good person, too good for him. And the fact that she had pestered Patrick into giving him her number frustrated him.

He had been burned by Michelle- sorry Karen- and wasn't really looking for a relationship. Then Kate goes and forces her way into his line of sight, throwing him for a loop with all her talks and wanting to hang out. He hesitated at first. Thinking of it as some kind of farce from Patrick. Wanting to catch him hitting on his sister. But after debating for several days, he gave in to this need to speak to her, the incessant drive to figure out why she wanted him to have her number. It was a complete mystery to him and the only way to solve the riddle was to call her.

Her happy, delighted voice was a balm to his troubled soul, and he couldn't help but smile in her presence. She made him feel needed in a way that no one else did. He could satisfy his lustful desires anywhere in this city, he could go drinking with his friends and cousin, he could go kill people by doing a job for some mob boss, but no one made him feel like he was needed. Wanted sure- by police, by crazed people in his past, by the street hookers who waved to him as he passed by. But she wanted to simply spend time and get to know him- not what he could do for her, but to know what made him tick. And if waiting only kept building up the suspense then it would be worth it.

She was a complete mystery to him. Her giddy personality made him wonder if it was a front at times. Patrick had mentioned in passing about her seeing a brutal fight between her brothers, and her father was no saint to any of them. But she never mentioned it. Maybe he wasn't asking her the right questions. Everyone had a past; Kate's was just out of his reach.

Niko leaned back into the seat again and lamented himself for thinking about the strange woman that kept him on his toes. She had stated multiple times at the conclusion of their so called dates, hangouts to her, that they were just friends. He began to despise that word, the label of friend. Mallorie called it friend-zoned. But he didn't believe that to be true. She wouldn't keep saying yes to his asking for dates if he was truly friend-zoned. Feeling the throbbing of his tired muscles he focused his mind on getting back home, to a nice hot shower and a comfortable bed. Kate could wait till morning.

Thunder clashed overhead and he decided it was probably time to head home before the rain started. Putting the car in gear he slowly pulled away from the docks. His mission was complete for now and he could deal with frustrating women and pushy cousins later. Before he could reach the main gate, his phone started ringing. Looking down at it in his lap he picked it up and saw Phil's number flashing. Feeling uncertain Niko answered the call.

"Hey, it's Phil. I understand why you made the decision you did. For what it's worth, I didn't trust that Dimitri neither."

"Yeah, well, I did what I had to do." Niko wasn't sure where this phone call was going, or how Phil knew of his decision so quickly.

"Anyway, you and me can't talk no more, Jimmy's falling apart. The Pegorino's ain't nothing no more. I'm out man. Goodbye." The call ended abruptly and caused Niko to slow his driving coming to a stop just outside of the gate.

'Jimmy's falling apart?' Niko's stomach churned again, and he didn't like the way that sounded. The man was a lunatic to begin with and how much further he could go wouldn't bode well for anyone. Especially since he just ruined his deal. Niko scoffed at the idea of making a deal with Dimitri, and found he was glad he hadn't. But if Jimmy really was mad and was losing it on everyone, Niko was in trouble. Jimmy would come after him, of that he was sure. He just cost the Pegorino family a quarter of a million dollars. The safe house in Alderney was definitely not safe anymore. And he would not be returning any time soon. Plus the place was a dump. Turning the direction toward one of his safe houses, he started to pick up speed. No one was out driving at this hour and the empty roads were a blessing.

"If he thinks he can come after me, he has another thing coming. There is no way I'm going to let some failed deal be the end of me." Niko whispered in the car, not really paying attention to the street signs as he turned down another long expanse of road before it was covered by the elevated transit line tracks. He had come too far, done too much, to let one more person try and end his life. He was so close to being done, so close to being free- nothing was going to stop that.

'Who knows? Maybe if I tell Kate I'm done with the criminal life she might actually consider a real date.' Now that was a thought. She had said she didn't like what her brothers did. On more than one occasion she asked why he did what he did, and that his answer of money was never a good enough one. But he always hesitated when he thought about telling her about the real reason why. That his past had followed him, more like chased him, to Liberty City and away from some very bad people. Only to wind up back with some very bad people in a new country.

When he pulled up to a stoplight, he noticed he was close to the McReary house. He just needed to turn down the street and he could drive past her place. He glanced down the dark street at the red light, car humming beneath him. He had driven this route more times than he could count. On occasion he would drive by just to make sure everything was all right. At first it was just a precaution. She was innocent in everything, and he had racked up enough enemies that he couldn't be sure she was completely safe. Not to mention enough people disliked her own brothers. But every time he drove by, the place was peaceful, and Patrick's car was sloppily parked in front of the steps to the house on the street.

A nagging feeling started to pull at his heart. One that usually lead to more gunfights than he could count. 'The street is too dark. Where are the streetlights? They should be on at this hour.' As if his thoughts confirmed his feeling, he felt his heartbeat pick up. 'It's just the streetlights, nothing is wrong…' But how many times had his thoughts been right lately? Before every job he could almost sense the danger that lay ahead. And it always gave him this forewarning before being shot at. This wasn't something he could ignore, no matter how much his body protested the delay of getting home.

Turning his headlights off and having only the running lights on, he turned down Savannah Avenue. The street was completely dark. No one's house lights were on, not that anyone should be awake at two in the morning, but it didn't sit right with him. This street always had porch lights on, and the streetlights attached to the transit rail line were always on. He could feel an itch forming between his shoulder blades and it put his mind on edge. He never spoke of the McReary family to Jimmy, namely Kate, but maybe he knew something, something that would be very dangerous in the wrong hands. Something that would hurt Niko much deeper than burning down his cousin's apartment, or empty threats of having him killed.

He slowed the car down to a crawl. Not wanting to rev the engine in case someone was looking out for him. He coasted down the quiet street, silently counting the number of houses till he got to Maureen's house, the matriarch of the McReary family. He reached over and gripped his pistol needing to be ready in case something was truly wrong and brought it up to rest against the steering wheel. His eyes scanned the houses as he crawled by looking for shadows of moving people. Glancing ahead of his car he could see light shining from one of the houses in the row of brownstones. His stomach dropped when he realized the only house with lights on was the McReary home. Even the stop light at the corner of their street was out, not blinking like the power had gone out, but just out.

'This isn't right. Where is Patrick's car?' He pushed on the brake slowly and caused the car to slow its approach to the house. Niko clicked the lights completely off on the vehicle and made sure the inside ones wouldn't come on when he opened a door. Turning the key in the ignition off, he left the car in neutral, and made sure to stop just before their house. Making sure to stay in the shadows and out of sight from the windows of the house, he brought the car to a complete stop. Pulling the emergency brake he made sure the car wouldn't move. Breathing out slowly he focused on the house, everything just seemed so out of place it was making him feel uneasy.

The house's porch lights were on, and from what he could tell so was every single light in the house. The curtains were drawn on the front lower windows, but he could still see light pouring out through the cracks in the drapes. Carefully he turned the brightness down on his phone and started to type out a text to Patrick.

"You at your mom's Packie? – Niko" The message dinged when it went through, and he sat waiting for the reply. He clicked the silence button on his phone and made sure the vibrate function was on. When the response wasn't immediate, he decided he would just have to check the house out on his own. Pulling the trunk release handle, the trunk popped open rather loudly causing Niko to pause and look back at the house for any movement. Shifting his hand to the door handle, he gently lifted it to open the door. The door creaked with the motion and Niko pushed it open. Ducking out of the car he crouched low and walked to the trunk. He didn't shut the door, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. Reaching the front of the comet he lifted the trunk only far enough to grab the assault rifle before pushing it back down to close. The audible click made him flinch as it echoed down the street. Lowering himself to below the car profile he checked how much ammo he had. His pistol only had one magazine and it wasn't full. His assault rifle on the other hand had a full magazine. Sliding the strap over his shoulder for the rifle he made sure it was secure before tucking his pistol into the back of his pants. He only had a couple of bullets and would use it as a last resort. Leaning up he glanced at the house again before moving quietly toward the light, rifle at the ready.

The street was too quiet; there was no noise of other cars driving on nearby streets, no TVs audible from the surrounding houses. It spooked Niko slightly at how eerie it all was. Reaching the steps of the house he looked up at the front door. What he saw only confirmed his fears. The door appeared to have been kicked in before roughly being shoved shut. 'I'll have to go around back if I want to surprise anyone inside.'

Niko could feel the anger starting to boil in his blood. What if something had happened to Kate? Shaking his head, he took off for the edge of the building to be able to get into the backyard. Moving the rifle around to his back he leapt up to grab the edge of the brick fence. Pulling himself up and over, Niko landed with a soft thud. His knees protesting the abuse. He needed rest, and needed it soon, or he would be of no help to anyone. The back of the house was lit up as well and caused him to pause on the edge of the light. His eyes scanned the back door for signs of forced entry. Not seeing any gave him a small sense of hope, that maybe it was only one attacker, and Packie had been home and taken care of the problem. But then why was this house the only one lit up? And why would he leave his sister and mother after a break in?

'Too many questions, just need to get in and make sure.' Climbing onto the back porch, Niko approached silently and in a crouched position. Moving the rifle to his side he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out his picklock kit. Raising himself only enough to be able to look in through the glass of the kitchen window, he scanned for anyone. Counting to five and not seeing anyone he set to work on unlocking the door and getting inside. They could forgive him later for 'breaking in'.

The quiet click of the lock opening caused a small smile to tug at his lips. Shoving the lock picking tools back into his jacket pocket, he readied his rifle and reached for the door handle. Turning as slowly and softly as he could he pulled the door handle toward him. The door opened soundlessly, making Niko thank whoever had recently oiled the hinges. Opening the door only wide enough to see inside, Niko scanned the kitchen for any signs of a struggle. Open empty beer bottles sat on the kitchen table and dirty plates were stacked up next to the sink. He could slightly smell the aroma of their dinner and felt his own hunger grip his ribs.

Entering on silent feet Niko raised his rifle and started to sweep the room. Opening the pantry he checked for intruders. No one was hiding there and he noticed the knife set on the counter. The large chef knife was missing. 'Odd…'Their mother was usually picky about everything being in its place. He looked around and didn't see it laying anywhere. Reaching for the second largest knife, he pulled it from the block and twirled it between his fingers. Perhaps a silent kill was in order?

Tucking the knife against his rifle, to where it ran the length of the barrel, he held both it and the gun as he approached the living room from the back. Following the wall, he kept his blind spots to a minimum. The fireplace was still going, and it looked like someone had left it to burn out for the night. Only the embers were glowing. The lamps in the corners were on and the overhead fan was also on. Sweeping the room, he cleared it before moving toward the dining room and stairs. He strained his ears trying to pick up light snoring or talking, but the silence that greeted him was unnerving. The dining room was just as empty as the rest of the downstairs level.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and made him startle slightly. He didn't have time to answer; he needed to finish checking the place. Steading his suddenly uneven breathing he began his ascent up the stairs. Making sure to place his foot on each stair, checking the step before applying his weight for noise, the process was tedious and painfully slow. His eyes were trained on the landing and his rifle was steady, as he kept moving up the stairs. He couldn't hear anything, and it worried him more than anything. If someone had broken in, shouldn't there be yelling? A sound of a scuffle?

Reaching the landing he paused listening for anything that sounded off, but the only thing he could hear was silence and he found himself wishing for anything other than the quietness that greeted him. There was a door close to the landing and he figured he would start there and work his way through all the rooms. Keeping his eyes on the brightly lit hallway he moved to the closest door and reached for the handle. Shifting to where he could shoot should someone jump him from inside, he lightly pushed the door open. What he wasn't prepared for was the sight before him.

Lying on the queen-sized bed was Maureen. Her head fell limp over the foot of the bed and her eyes stared blankly back at him. A bullet hole marred her forehead between her eyebrows. Niko felt his blood run cold and he quickly made his way over to the edge of the bed. Disbelief warred inside of him. His rifle fell limp to his side, the knife embedding into the carpet at his feet when his fingers lost their grip. His hands shook as he reached out to touch her shoulder. Blood had pooled down the comforter and stained the carpet at the foot of the bed. Bile rose up in his throat at seeing the poor old women meet her end this way. Her nightgown showed slash marks across her chest and stomach, blood had seeped through the cuts and turned the crisp white cotton red.

Nikos throat tightened and he had to fight back tears. This woman didn't deserve the end she got. She hadn't gone after anyone and from his understanding hadn't participated in anything her boys had partaken in. She had been tortured before getting a bullet to the head. The ring on her finger was missing, and he noticed that the jewelry box was open and empty on the dresser across from the bed. The lamp was knocked over and was titled toward the window. The chair in the corner was also turned over. Touching his fingertips to the back of her hand, he felt the slight warmth of her skin. 'Too warm, must have just happened, or at least an hour or so ago… even the blood is slowly coming to a stop.' Niko looked her over once more before tearing his eyes away. He had seen so many dead bodies in his life. Men, women, children, friends, and comrades. But those you were close to never got easier to see dead. He swallowed the bile that had forced its way up his throat as he couldn't wrap his mind around her death.

A sudden chilling thought crossed his mind. 'If she is dead- no!' His eyes widened in fear as he turned toward the door of the bedroom. Scooping up the knife he started a mad dash for the doorway. Screw stealth. He couldn't waste any more time to make sure Kate was okay. His fear was pounding through his body and a cold rage was brewing in his stomach. No one would live if a hair on her head was damaged. Reaching the door, he paused and tried to steady his shaking hands. He would be no good in a fight if he couldn't stay somewhat calm. Moving forward down the hall he could tell which door was hers as the light was on and there were moving shadows he could see in the space between the door and the floor. Creeping toward the door he froze when he saw the handle start to turn, and ducked into the closest room, hiding behind the open door.

"Would you hurry it up, I want my turn dickhead!" an unrecognizable man's voice carried down the hall when the person exited the bedroom. Footfalls approached Niko's hiding spot and he glanced around noticing he was probably in the only bathroom upstairs. Shifting his rifle quickly to his back and away from his arms, he readied the knife. He would slice the man's throat and kill him as quietly as possible. He was ready, no one was going to be leaving this place tonight that wasn't him or Kate. The steps got closer and Niko smirked at the idiot's timing and luck. He would be able to separate the enemies and kill them without the other knowing.

"Fucking asshole gets all the fun, can't keep waiting like that when I got to piss," the man grumbled as he entered the bathroom and clicked the lights on. The man was dirty, and his clothes looked ragged. 'Definitely not someone of importance or with organized crime.' The man was dead he just didn't know it yet. The man reached for the edge of the door to slam it shut with one hand and started to fiddle with his belt buckle with the other. Niko acted quickly, and with precision, lashing out and grabbing the unsuspecting person's head by placing his hand over his mouth and jabbing the knife deep into his neck when he jerked the head sideways. Clenching on his mouth to keep any sounds from escaping, he removed the knife and jabbed it back in, repeating the process several times. Blood droplets flew everywhere when the knife exited and entered the man's throat and soft tissue of his shoulder. A slight gurgling sound emitted from the persons throat and Niko knew he was starting to drown in blood. Slashing the knife one last time across the throat, deep enough to ensure death would be quick, Niko lowered the body to the ground, not caring of the life that left the dark eyes.

Being careful to not make too much noise Niko searched the man's pockets for anything useful. What he wasn't expecting to find was a picture of Kate, Maureen, and Patrick. The pictures were creased and looked like they had been folded and opened several times. Dropping the pictures to the ground next to the lifeless body he continued his search of the man's pockets. He pulled out a cell phone and dropped it next to the photos. Then he found a couple of condoms, still attached to one another in their wrappers, and Niko swore under his breath. Things were adding up quickly and it wasn't sitting well with him. The words the man had grumbled coming into the bathroom started to make glaring sense.

"Ебать нет (Yebat' net)" Niko swore again as he stabbed the knife into the back of the dead person. Wishing he had castrated the bastard instead and watched the life slowly leave his face. He stood up quickly and grabbed his rifle. Whoever was in Kate's room was done for. Stepping over the body Niko walked back into the hall. He wanted to kill the person all over again and felt such a rush of awareness moving down the hall. He could live with a few more deaths on his conscience. He could make out whimpering coming from the slightly opened bedroom door. Slowing his steps as he neared, he tried to discern how many people were in the room.

"You like that don't you bitch?" A gruff voice muttered before more muffled whimpers floated to Niko's ears. The man's voice chuckled darkly before he could hear a slap, a louder muffled scream sounded. Niko briefly saw red and almost rushed in. But he needed to assess the situation and not put Kate in any more danger. He couldn't hear any others in the room, but her whimpers were slowly killing him. She sounded so scared and hurt. Steadying his hold on the rifle he placed his hand on the door and began to inch it open.

"Don't worry little whore I'll have you primed and ready, just don't you worry." The man's voice sounded slightly slurred and foreign, not quite Russian, but somewhere close. Niko couldn't stand to listen to his taunting anymore. Shoving the door open Niko swept the room with his eyes checking for anyone else that could get a jump on him. Swinging his gaze back to the bed he felt his insides knot up. Kate was on the bed, her arms held above her head, the metal of handcuffs glinted in the light of the knocked over lamp, the man's rough large hand was braced against her upper arm squeezing down on it beside her head. Her startled eyes turned his direction and the pitiful, helpless, look of fear she sent his way almost broke his resolve. She had a rag of some sort shoved in her mouth, and from closer inspection it looked like a ripped off piece of her pajama shirt. Her shirt was ripped open and her bare chest was exposed and brightly red from what he assumed was the slap he heard moments ago. Following her body down the length of the bed he saw how her shorts we shoved dangerously low on her hips and how the man's other hand gripped them.

The rifle snapped to aim at the man's head as what was happening in front of him came into focus. "The fuck are you doing to my girlfriend?!" Niko growled, his anger all-encompassing.

The man looked at him with such contempt, it made Niko's hatred reach a boiling point. "What? Can't share? And by the way she squirms you haven't even had a go yet." A sneer crossed his features and made him look sinister. "Her skin is so soft, and she fights back so hard. I don't think you've been fucking her. Especially since I'm going to break her." He tried to pull her shorts away from her body to slide his hand further down, causing her to squirm underneath him and scream at the intruding fingers.

Niko couldn't look away from the man's face, he was trying to steady his aim through his shaking hands, and her broken screams were making it hard to focus. Niko felt dizzy with all the emotions swirling around inside him, and he fought the urge to throw up. 'Just shoot the fucker and be done'

Seeing how his actions weren't fazing the man with the rifle pointed at him, he roughly jerked the woman up against his body. He grabbed the back of her head and threaded his fingers through the mass of thick reddish brown hair, twisting her head to where it looked toward the man just inside the doorway. He was slouched over her prone body, his legs bent and resting on his knees over her thighs. The movement caused a few tears to tumble over her cheeks. Her hands dropped instinctively across her breasts trying to cover her body from view, even with the handcuffs on she managed to get her arms to cover most of herself. The man's other hand removed from her shorts and reached toward her face roughly grabbing her cheeks and squeezing a couple of times before lightly slapping her.

Niko followed his movements and almost took a shot before her head got too close to his chest. He couldn't risk it with her so close to the vile man. His eyes briefly dropped down to meet hers, to communicate that everything was going to be okay, and he felt himself freeze for the second time that early morning. The man's pants were undone, and it clear of what was about to happen. If Niko had never felt such a refined hatred before, he felt it now.

"She may not have put out for you, but I'm sure she has a very talented mouth. Have you felt the warmth and wetness of her tongue?" He let out a cackle through a lewd smirk toward the clearly Slavic looking man standing there staring at him holding a rifle.

Kate struggled against his hold and tried to move her face away from the man's crotch. Her eyes closed tightly, and she tried desperately to pull away from him. The man slapped her one last time before forcefully twisting her around to face Niko more fully, his hand trying to grope her breast behind her arms. "Come on, whadda say? Can't we share? I'll let you take the backdoor!"

Something inside Niko snapped, and was surprised no one else heard it. He was so completely enraged that the last few words barely registered to him. His shaking had stilled with the need to see this man's head to snap back with the force of a bullet from his rifle. He took aim and prayed the jackass wouldn't move too much. He needed to kill him and swiftly, she had suffered too much, and it needed to end.

"Fuck you, you piece of shit!"

Between one breath and the next he pulled the trigger rapidly in succession. The bullets flew toward the man's head and chest, impacting with trained accuracy. The ugly man's head snapped back with the impact of the first bullet and caused his grip to loosen immediately on Kate. The second bullet slammed into his chest and forced his body to slump back toward the wall the bed was rested against, his body shifting off of her legs. The blood spray from the wounds painted her cream colored walls bright red, and a few of the droplets sprayed onto her face. The noise of the gun caused Kate to shriek around the piece of pajama shirt and she attempted to move out from under the dead person's legs.

Niko felt his whole body give one great big shudder as he watched the man fall backwards toward the wall. If there was one kill he wished he could do over and over, it would be this one. Kate's suppressed sobs caught his attention and he immediately went into action. The strap of the rifle lifted up over his head in one motion, his finger clicking the safety on, and he dropped the rifle to the ground with a loud clatter. He took three steps toward the bed and reached out to grab her shoulders. Hesitating only a moment before gently laying his palms on her shoulders.

Kate's eyes were glued shut and she had buried her face into her handcuffed hands. Her body shook with the sobs and the tears ran like rivers down her face. Her skin was littered with slowly forming bruises and vibrant red lines. Her hair was a wild mess of curls and tangles and was barely held back with the hair tie.

"Kate. Katie. It's me, Niko." He spoke softly and tried to not jar her too much. He was unsure of the extent of her injuries and didn't want to cause her any more pain. She didn't seem to hear him as she continued to cry and press her face further into her bound hands. As carefully as he could he sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She immediately buried her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder and gripped the front of his jacket tightly. He could feel how her whole body kept shaking with every broken cry that tried to make it past her gagged mouth.

Shifting her just enough to move a hand to her face, he attempted to remove the crumpled piece of cloth from her mouth. As if she could sense what he was doing she released his jacket and pulled the cloth from her mouth. He glanced down at her face when she started to remove it and had to force himself to not shake with anger. He could see red marks on her cheeks and chin from where she had been gripped too tightly. Her hands lightly chucked the offending torn clothing toward the dead body and returned their tight hold of Niko's jacket, her face returning to the safety of Niko's body.

"Let's get you off this bed, okay?" Niko spoke softly again, being sure to sound more confident than he truly felt, "Do you think you can stand?" He felt her small nod against his neck. Lifting himself off the edge of the bed he slid his arm to her back and as carefully as he could he slid his other arm under her legs. Moving as slowly as possible he scooted her closer to the edge before hauling her up to his torso. Her grip shifted only enough on his jacket to allow him to move more freely. Her face never leaving its buried spot of the crook of his neck.

He felt his world crumble with the way her body went limp in his grasp. The sobs had quieted, but the tears continued to soak the collar of his shirt and jacket. He lifted her off the bed and made sure she was tucked securely to him before taking a few steps away. "I'm going to set you down now, will you be able to support your weight?" Again the small nod was felt against his neck. Lowering himself just a bit he let her legs slide off his arm. He caught her waist, his hand coming into contact with the baby soft skin of her stomach. He felt the flinch of her body as soon as his fingers brushed against the curve of her petite waist. He wouldn't let go until he was sure she could stand on her own, even though he felt like he had burned her with the touch.

Her feet found purchase on the rug that covered the wooden floors of her bedroom. Her body shook with the effort of using her legs. They tingled with the rush of blood again. The man's knees had been cutting off the circulation to her legs. She was shorter than Niko. Not quite a head shorter but she found that she could tuck herself under his chin. Not caring what he thought or how he felt, she crumbled into his body. Her hands found his jacket again and grabbed hold. Her face turned toward the door and she nuzzled into the odd worn out fabric of the jacket he wore.

Instinctively Niko wrapped his arms around her body pulling her closer, making sure his hands stayed on the tattered remains of her button down short sleeved pajama shirt. If she wanted the comfort he could provide, he would give it gladly. Her small delicate hands would surely make tears in the worn down leather of his jacket but he couldn't seem to care. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and let out a shaky breath. For the first time since entering the house he felt like he could take a full breath. Her body quivered in his embrace and he wasn't sure if it was from crying, the pain she was in, or the coldness of the house.

Tilting her away from the security of his chest he heard her let out a small whimper. His face fell and he gave her a sad knowing smile. He removed his hands from her back and unzipped his old leather jacket. Her arms were still pinned to her chest and her hands formed small fists. She looked terrified for a moment as she started up into his eyes. Letting the jacket slide off his shoulders, he pulled his arms free from the sleeves and pulled it off of him. Taking hold of the collar he flipped it so he could bring it around her shoulders. Delicately he placed the jacket over her and pulled it closed around her. Removing the sight of her bare flesh from him.

He smoothed his hands over the shoulders of his jacket that rested on her smaller frame and looked back into her eyes. She looked back at him and for a moment couldn't decipher what was going through his head. Another couple of tears cascaded down her swollen and bruised cheeks. Lifting one of his hands he caught her tears with his knuckle, being gentle as to not anger the forming bruise.

"Would you like me to see if I can find the key for the handcuffs?"

She was so mesmerized by his uncanny ability to be so gentle with her that she didn't hear the question. The continuous stroking of his knuckle on her cheeks was heavenly to her, and she closed her eyes on a silent sigh. Her fingers gripped the zippered edge of his jacket and pulled the heavy material closer to her.

Niko sighed and looked away from her to the corpse slumped over against the wall on her bed. The key was probably in one of his pockets or in the mess of bedding that lay crumpled across the queen sized bed. Letting his knuckle catch one more tear he let his hand drop away and started to move around her toward the bed. Her bound hands reached out and gripped the closest one of Niko's hands. He stilled his movements and looked back down to her, before dropping his gaze to how her hands held his. Her eyes were pleading with him not to move away. She didn't want him to be out of her sight.

Lifting their joined hands, he placed a kiss to the palm of one of her hands, "I know those handcuffs can't be comfortable, I can see how raw they have made your wrists. Let me find the key and free them for you, yes?" His fingers from his other hand trailed small circles on one of her wrists and she shivered at the contact.

'Since when has be ever been so gentle?' Her eyes scanned his face before she nodded. Not wanting to see the one who had touched her inappropriately she turned back toward the opposite wall. She didn't think she'd be able to not throw up if she had to look at him one more time.

Niko took one last glance at the back of her head before moving on toward the bed. Kneeling on the bed, he began to crawl over to where the body laid halfway propped up against the wall. He hated even having to be close to this man, but it was for Kate, and he would willingly do whatever it took to make her safe and comfortable again. Searching the pockets of the jacket first he pulled out a faded leather wallet. Nothing but a few dollars of cash and the same three pictures that the other man had was in the there. Tossing it to the bed he continued to search the inside jacket pocket. He found condoms in one pocket, a small pocketknife in another, and a USB drive. Pocketing the USB drive into his jeans, he reached down to search the pockets of the dead man's jeans. His fingers brushed against a cool metal object. Pulling it out of his pocket he saw the small metal handcuff key.

Sliding off the bed, he returned to Kate's side. He moved around to face her and held the key out for her to see. A small twitch of her lips caused his own smile to appear. She removed her hands from inside the jacket and rested them on one of his. Turning her hands to locate the keyhole, he got a closer look at the damage done to her wrists. Angry red welts circled her wrists, which showed signs of her trying to pull her hands out of them. He could see the faint purple splotches forming underneath the red lines. 'These will definitely hurt in the morning…'

Locating the keyhole of the left wrist, he made quick work of releasing the cuff, before repeating the process for the right one. The cuffs fell to the ground with a loud clang. Niko dropped the key beside them not caring to touch them ever again. He cupped her hands and lightly traced the marks left by the metal handcuffs. Again she shivered at the touch. Feeling like he was hurting her, he let her hands go and watched as they disappeared into the folds of his jacket.

She couldn't quite understand where this side of Niko was coming from. Sure he was nice, friendly, and polite around her, but she never really had the chance to be in his personal space. Sometimes it felt like he avoided it. She didn't want to initiate physical contact before now because she had her own doubts about getting close to the mysterious immigrant with the shady past. She had slipped up once and kissed him on the cheek. The rest of that day she had spent it in her room not wanting anyone to see the furious blush that wouldn't leave her face. But now, standing in her torn pajamas, wrapped in his jacket, after he had saved her life, she didn't want to be anywhere but in his arms.

Once her arms were in the sleeves of his jacket, Niko reached down and pulled the zipper up, making sure it closed close to the base of her neck. He knew she was modest, and he had probably seen more of her skin than she ever would have allowed him to see before. Her bare legs still caught his attention where they emerged from the bottom of his jacket. Even her legs had bruises forming on them. He frowned at the sight of them. It seemed not a single inch of her was spared from the asshole he had killed.

"Niko, I…" Kate's voice was hoarse, and she cleared her throat to try to speak more clearly. Tears welled once more in her eyes and she couldn't help it. The sight of him before her made her lose what sanity she had. She thought for sure tonight she was going to be forced into an act she wanted no part of and then killed. The men had taunted her of the things they wanted to do. And it made her sick to her stomach. She had heard a gunshot before they came barreling into her room and she could only assume her mother was dead. And once the touching, groping, and slapping had started she resigned herself to dying this night.

But Niko had shoved the door open and had come to save her. He had appeared in her line of sight and she felt relief at seeing him holding a gun. Every second he didn't pull the trigger felt like a lifetime to her and once he had, it was like the world had stopped spinning. And he had been so gentle with her. Fresh tears began to tumble down her cheeks again and she hiccupped with the force of her sob.

"Hey, hey, I'm right here. No one is going to touch you." Niko pulled her back into his chest and wrapped his arms around her once more. She held tight to him, her own arms finally being free were able to wrap around his waist, and she held on hard. Her face pressed into the center of his chest against his shirt and the tears left wet spots behind. Neither seemed to mind.

"I promise you, no one will ever be able to touch you if you don't want them to." Niko's voice was steady, and it calmed her frayed nerves. She turned her head and placed her ear over his heart. She could hear and feel the strong beat of his heart and it left her wanting to stay put and listen to it for the rest of her life.

He felt her shift and the way her hands had splayed across his back gave him goosebumps. It had been a long time since someone had held onto him with such desperation. He berated himself for taking so long to enter the house. He kept replaying what was happening to her and he should have been there sooner. To spare her the suffering. Now she would be scarred of what took place this early morning.

A vibrate shook the jacket and caused both of them to jump. Pulling away slightly he slid his hand down to the outer pocket of his jacket and pulled his phone out. He had three text messages and one missed call. Clicking on the messages he noticed all of them were from Patrick. He shifted his gaze back to her before opening the first one.

'Niko man! Course I'm not there! I'm out here prowling the club, care to join? – Packie' It must have been the message he felt when he was downstairs.

'Dude some crazy fucker just tried to stab me, he's dead, but I ain't ever been attacked like that! – Packie'

'Okay something is up, no one is answering their phones at the house, I'm going to Ma's. Meet me there. – Packie'

Then there was a call almost immediately after the last text was sent. Patrick must have figured out something was up, especially if he was attacked in the middle of a club. The buzz they just felt must have been the missed call reminder. Depending on what club he was at, he should've been home by now. Kate was staring at him over the phone and he shook his head.

"I texted your brother when I drove down the street, something didn't feel right to me, so I asked him where he was. When I didn't get a response immediately, I decided I would just check things out on my own." His voice trailed off, not sure how to tell her he was glad he did.

"Thank you." Kate whispered, "Is he coming here?"

"According to his last text yes." He locked his phone and put it in the back pocket of his pants, "Do you want to go downstairs? We can wait for him there and figure out what to do. Do you want me to call Francis? We should probably have someone remove the bodies." She paled at the mention of bodies and he could have slapped himself for being so blunt. She wasn't as accustomed to death and violence as he was.

"Ye-yeah, is there anyone down there?" Her voice broke and she shook slightly at the thought of leaving the safety of Niko's arms.

"No, I checked the first floor thoroughly before coming upstairs, but I will make sure no one gets to you if there is someone else."

"There was a second man..."

"I killed him in the bathroom down the hall."

"Good." Was the only reply that left her lips. Her legs shook at having stood for so long and she wasn't sure how she would be able to make it down the stairs. She was glad that the men were dead, she was never one to condone violence, but she wanted them to pay.

Her answer shocked him slightly, even though it really shouldn't. He wanted to kill them all over again for laying their hands on what he considered his. His. Not that she considered herself his, but he hoped that one day she would want something more than just going to the pool hall and throwing darts. Now he wasn't certain if she would ever want to be close with him. Though with how close she held on to him now, maybe there would be a day.

"Do you need me to carry you? You're shaking pretty bad." He could feel the tremors that shook her body and didn't want her to hurt herself trying to go down the stairs. He could almost see the relief that crossed her features before it was hidden once more behind the pale and scared looking girl.

"If you wouldn't mind, I don't trust myself to move."

Niko nodded before moving around her to pick up his rifle. Lifting the strap up and over his head, he slung the rifle to his back and adjusted it to be more comfortable. Feeling for his pistol he doubled checked it was there. Looking around her room he noticed the way things were thrown around and it appeared she had put up quite the struggle. He could see the slight shimmer of the rings and necklaces that belonged to her mother on the floor by the dresser. 'This was either a poorly planned robbery, or one fucked up murder attempt.'

Coming back to her side he held his arms out for her. Without hesitation she moved silently into them and waited for him to lift her up. "Be careful of the strap, the safety is on, so it shouldn't go off, just so you are aware." She nodded her understanding and he bent to scoop her up bridal style. Her arms settled around his neck, and the tips of her fingers on one of her hands brushed the skin at the base of his skull. She must not have noticed because she started a slight rhythm of stroking her fingers up into the short hair on the back of his head and back down to his neck.

A tightness settled in his chest and he forced himself to focus on anything other than her soft fingers and the feel of her bare legs resting in his arm. Her head landed on his chest again and she closed her eyes letting out a slow shaky breath. He could do this. He could get them both down the stairs to the living room and have her on the couch in no time. Adjusting her one last time, he made slow progress back into the hall.

"Keep your eyes closed till we get downstairs okay?"

He felt her nod against him and startled slightly when she nuzzled into him, making herself more comfortable in his hold. Her fingers still lightly moving up into his hair and back down. She would be the death of him, of that he was sure. Pegorino had nothing on her ability to make his heart stop. All she had to do was look at him with her wide, fear stricken eyes and he would be willing to cross into hell for her.

He made slow progress down the hall, not wanting to move too fast and cause her any pain. He would make sure a doctor checked her out as soon as he was able. He had tried not to look, but he thought he saw cuts and bite marks on her chest when he first moved her off the bed. Passing by the open bedroom door of her mother he said a silent prayer. Hoping she hadn't suffered too long and he asked for forgiveness for not arriving sooner. He may have been able to save her daughter, but he should have been able to get there to save her as well. Maybe if he had just shot Dimitri quicker and not let him ramble on, he may have gotten to the McReary house sooner. 'Maybe'

As if sensing his deep thoughts, Kate snuggled into him again as if asking him to quit dwelling on things. He looked down at the pale face of the woman he was starting to care more for. He wouldn't be able to deny the feelings that grew every time she looked at him. And even now his heart tugged at him to do more for her. Making the first step down caused a slight hiss to escape her lips.

"What's wrong?" Niko immediately stopped moving and watched her face for any signs of pain.

"I think the movement just caused my shirt to rub into a cut, I'll be okay. I'd rather be downstairs right now."

He could tell she was fighting the pain. A lone tear had fallen from her lashes and he felt his anger start to form again. He definitely gave the bastard a quick death. Back in his homeland he would have spent hours peeling the flesh from the bastard's bones. Savoring every scream that ripped from the person. But he was too concerned with getting Kate out from under him that he did what was necessary. But that didn't stop the thought of wanting to shoot him a few more times.

Moving slower than before he descended the stairs. Trying to be as smooth as possible. But it felt impossible to him, as every move seemed to elicit a gasp or groan from her. Once he reached the last step, he planted a kiss to the top of her head. She had been strong and held back her pain from him. Even though he didn't like her feeling like she had to be strong in front of him, he could assume why she felt that way.

Seeing the fire in the fireplace had almost gone completely out, he moved over toward the couch that sat close by it. Lowering her battered body down to the couch he listened to her as she let out a quiet sigh of relief. She almost immediately melted down into the cushions. Her knees tucked up toward her chest and her legs folded behind her, her arms crossed in front and she pulled the jacket closer around her. Spotting the throw blanket on the back of the couch, he reached out and pulled it down on top of her. She had felt cold in his hands. 'Probably from the shock'

Kate blinked her eyes open and took in her surroundings. The living room seemed untouched. She watched as Niko grabbed a tool off the fireplace rack and poked at the fire. It stirred to life and she was glad for the warmth it provided. Their eyes met before he turned to move toward the windows.

Reaching the wall by the front door he clicked the overhead fan off and the light switch as well. The fan was making the room feel cold and he didn't want her to start shivering. He could feel her eyes on him but forced himself not to look. Reaching out he clicked the closest lamp off before moving over to the other one. The window curtains were drawn shut and he moved one of them out of the way to check the street. The streetlights were still out, but he could see a car in the distance driving erratically.

Reaching for his rifle he readied himself incase this was the person who asked the two men to break in. When he noticed the make of the car, he lowered the weapon. Patrick had just tuned on to the street and pulled up to make a hard stop. The tires screeching with the abuse. He looked back to where he had left Kate and saw she had sat bolt upright and was clutching the jacket to her. He must have frightened her when he reached for the gun.

"It's just Patrick-"

The front door slammed open and Patrick came rushing in, smg ready to go. He looked frantically around the entry way and noticed Niko by the window holding an assault rifle. He relaxed only slightly before he took notice of the few blood stains on his friend's shirt and pants. His face also had a few drops of blood.

"The fuck happened to you?!" Patrick made his way over to Niko before realizing his sister was sitting on the couch, "Did you sleep with my sister?" Patrick roared when he saw that she was wearing his jacket. Her hair was a mess and it looked like she had been crying. The dim light hid her expression from him.

Niko looked between his friend and his friend's sister, "Patrick, someone broke into the house. I managed to save your sister-"

Patrick was on him in a flash, his hands fisting into his shirt, and shook Niko. "Did you touch my sister?" he yelled into the face of his friend.

"No Patrick!" Niko grabbed Patrick's wrists and shoved him away, "If you would just listen, I will explain!"

"Packie stop it! Niko saved my life!" Kate had yelled from her spot on the couch and started having a coughing fit. Her hands clutched at her chest. Patrick rushed over and knelt before her, cupping her face and reaching back he started patting her back. Blood came away from her hand when she wiped her mouth. Scared eyes lifted to find Niko and saw him heading for the kitchen leaving his rifle on the end of the couch.

"What the hell happened sis? You're bleeding and wearing Niko's jacket!" Patrick was running his hands all over his sister and was starting to panic. She looked a mess and was starting to hyperventilate. Patrick cupped her face and forced her to look at him. "Sis you got to calm down, you're going to hurt yourself if you don't!" Her eyes shut tightly, and tears poured from them. Patrick tried to brush them away, but new ones kept coming. He could feel her trembling beneath his hands, and he leaned up to place a kiss to her forehead. "Breathe with me, everything is okay."

Niko rushed back into the room carrying a bottle of water, a clean towel, and what looked like their first aid kit. He had gone to the kitchen to find some water for her cough. It sounded painful and he knew she would want something to drink after all the screaming she must have done from earlier. But when he heard the quick wheezing and panicked way Patrick was speaking, he knew he shouldn't have just left the room without saying something. Setting everything down on an end table he sat down beside her, "Kate, it is okay, I'm right here. Your brother is here. No one is going to hurt you." What he wasn't expecting was for her to practically throw herself on him. Her arms circled his neck, her face buried into the crook his neck, and she leaned heavily into his body. His arms protectively wrapped around her as more sobs tore from her throat.

She almost climbed into his lap with her need to be close. 'He walked away, he left me alone!' She held as tight as she could without causing herself pain, but she needed him to know she couldn't be out of his sight. He had saved her, he had made the man stop touching her, and he protected her!

"Niko, man, what the hell is going on?" Patrick had lowered his voice. He hadn't seen a panic attack out of his sister in years. She had been much younger when she would get them, and he hated that whatever happened was causing one to surface. He could almost feel her fear and anguish coming off of her in waves. He looked up into the surprised and stunned face of his friend. Clearly this was new to him.

"Two men broke into the house, it wasn't good." Niko continued to rub his hands down her back over the rough leather of his jacket. He leaned his head into hers and tried to offer whatever comfort she needed, "I got here too late." It was a quiet whisper, but Patrick had heard it.

"Ma?" The Irish man whispered back, afraid of the answer.

Niko closed his eyes and shook his head no. He wasn't going to voice his answer. Kate didn't need the verbal confirmation. Not now anyway. Stroking one more time down Kate's back he felt the tension start to leave her body.

"Is she?" Patrick pointed up the stairs and saw Niko nod. Getting up off the floor Patrick walked out of the living room and made the trek up the stairs. Niko followed his movement till he disappeared from view. He was sorry that the man had to see his mom that way.

Turning his attention back to the woman clutching on to him, he started his soothing strokes again on her back. He could still feel the wild beat of her heart thundering away in her chest, could even see the slight throb on her neck. Rubbing his cheek on the top of her head caused her to stir slightly. Without warning she lifted herself up and turned, planting herself in his lap. She was sideways, her legs curled up on the couch facing the fireplace. She found her way back under his chin and placed a hand over his chest. Her other arm wrapped around his neck. Her face was much closer to his jaw and he could feel her eyelashes when she blinked. Her breathing was slowing, and he hoped that meant she was calming down.

He was shocked at how she had just made herself comfortable on him. He remained still, scared to move in the slightest. She had crawled into his lap. And every time she would shift it would rub in the most inconvenient places. Had this been in any other situation he would have loved every second. He would have planted kiss after kiss to her beautiful face and neck, let his hands roam where they wanted. But he would shove his desires down; he would not violate her safety that she found in him. He would be whatever she needed right now, and if that was a comfortable place to rest, so be it. Slowly he brought his arms down to encircle her.

She hoped he would be okay. She didn't like putting him in this situation, but dammit. She needed him, and the only way to keep her panic from rising up, was to feel him pressed to her. The way he held her up in her bedroom kept the flashbacks away and she desperately didn't want to see or feel the man's hands on her again. She prayed he wouldn't resent her for this, but so far, he sat patiently and didn't make any negative comment to say otherwise. She pressed her face into his throat and caught herself before she placed a kiss to his pulse point. She would be sure to thank him later.

"Please don't leave…" Her voice was low, so low Niko wasn't sure he heard it.

He felt his insides squeeze painfully with the way she moved and how her skin felt pressed into his neck. She would drive him wild one day, but now was not the time. He settled his one arm down her back and curve of her arm. The other he placed on top of her folded legs and caged her in to him. Removing his arm for a second, he lifted the blanket and covered her legs. The jacket had rode up her body when she moved into his lap and the only fabric to separate his hand from her skin was her shorts, and they barely covered the curve of her behind. Adjusting the blanket to prevent his hand from running all over her soft legs he rested it back on his other arm, holding her close.

Patrick had started to descend the stairs. His steps loud as his weight shifted from foot to foot- step to step. His voice carried down the hall to reach Niko's ears.

"Yeah, thankfully Niko got here when he did."

"No. I don't know who."

"You should probably hurry, Kate's pretty torn up. Hell I'm fucked up."

"Yeah the medical examiner is probably needed. Couple of bodies need to be identified."

"Alright see you soon." Patrick hung up the call and walked into the living room. He smiled at the way his sister was cuddled into Niko's lap. He always knew she had a soft spot for his friend. Though his friend looked worse for wear. "You do the number on the guy in the bathroom?"

Niko nodded and was relieved when Kate had drifted off into sleep. "He wasn't expecting a sneak attack. I needed to silence him before going after the other one."

Patrick sat down in the armchair across from them, picking up his smg from the floor and laying it across his lap. "Do you know which one killed Ma?"

"No, but the one in the bedroom was doing some terrible things to your sister. I managed to stop him in time from doing something completely irreversible."

Patrick paled but continued on, "I saw the condoms, none of them open. I owe you an apology for when I got here. You saved my sister and for that I will always be grateful. Poor Ma. She didn't deserve that. I don't recognize the two guys. You seen them before?"

"Unfortunately no. I thought it might've been Jimmy's guys, but they don't give the appearance of one of the Italian mobs."

"Pegorino's? Shit man, you not running with those assholes are you?"

"No but I probably pissed them off earlier. I killed someone who was supposed to move some H for them. My contact said Jimmy was pretty mad. I was driving by the house on my way home when I noticed all the lights were out around the block."

"Shit. You think he'll come after you?"

"More than likely." Niko's reply was soft. He was worried that Kate would be in more danger now. If Jimmy could see the way he was holding her, she would wear a permanent target on her back because of him. He shook his head with the thought.

"Francis is on his way. He said he would have a few of the guys he trusts come by to remove the bodies and he said he would be sure to get Ma prepped for a funeral. Felt like yesterday we were burying Derrick."

The two fell into silence, the crackling fire and the soft breathing of Kate the only noise in the room. Niko pondered everything that had happened in the last few hours. He felt drained, like he couldn't take any more hits. He should probably warn Roman, he would be on the list of potential targets that Jimmy would go after.

"Heard your cousin is getting hitched. Congrats I guess." Patrick kept looking at his sister who looked so peaceful curled up in his friend's lap. He never imagined being in this position, let alone ever seeing his sister so comfortable in a dude's lap. But things changed, and hopefully she would see what his friend was willing to offer. He knew Niko would never betray them and he would never hurt his sister. Hell, he would almost go so far as to say Niko would kill any man who looked wrong at her.

"Uh thanks. He is very excited. You should come, he would like to have more people there." Niko rubbed her back in soothing circles, trying to keep his mind from drifting off into more dangerous topics.

"I'll think about it, you might need the extra guns if Pegorino gets wind of the wedding…"

'Shit. I didn't even think about that. It'd be the perfect ambush.' "Yeah, I will need all the help I can get. I was going to ask Kate to go as my date, but seeing as what happened tonight, I doubt she will want to go." His voice trailed off as the thought of not having her at his side made his chest hurt. She would've looked so beautiful all dressed up and would have made him feel so proud to have her on his arm.

Patrick smiled knowingly at his friend. 'Yeah he's got it bad for my sis.' "So I'll call some of the guys and see if we can get a security team together, maybe Francis can get some jackets out there looking too." Not that his brother would ever do something for his family that didn't pay off for him, but he would ask. If Kate was going to be going, he would be damned sure he had eyes on her. His guilt warred inside of him over being at some lame club while his sister was being violated and his mother was killed. He would be doing some serious reevaluating.

Niko only nodded before he heard a few cars pull up outside. His eyes flashed with worry and Patrick could see the silent communication to be ready. He didn't want to jostle Kate off of him, but he felt helpless. His rifle was just out of reach and he couldn't get to his pistol without waking her. Patrick nodded and moved to the front door with his smg. If someone wanted to fuck with his family, he was going to show them what's up.

Car doors slammed shut and shouting could be heard. Niko didn't like the way he was feeling. He felt caged, stuck, and he needed to get her out of the kill zone. Placing his hand against her cheek he ran the tips of his fingers over the bruise that was forming on her face. Gently tilting his face toward hers he whispered softly in her ear, "Wake up Katie, I need to get you some place safe."

As if the words were shouted at her, her eyes snapped open and a wave of panic lashed across her body like fire. Her hand fisted in his shirt and her face tilted up to look into his dark chocolate eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the closeness. She could feel his hot breath on her lips and she licked her own to wet them. His stubble was coarse, and she found she like the way it felt against her fingertips. His hand caught hers as she traced the line of his strong jaw. And he pressed a kiss to the pad of her thumb.

"Katie I need to move you, there are people outside." Niko felt himself soften at the way she looked at him. Her fingers on his jaw almost had him losing the battle to not kiss her and instead settled for a light kiss to her thumb. Her eyes held a depth of yearning and he had to force himself to look away. Oh how he would love to get lost in her eyes and simply loose himself in her presence. The shouting was getting louder, and he looked away from her toward the door. Lightly shifting her off his lap he placed another kiss to the crown of her head before quickly standing and grabbing his rifle. He wouldn't move from in front of her, he would be her shield from whoever was coming in the house.

Patrick shifted and caught Niko's attention. The Irishman nodded and prepared himself to start shooting. No one would be hurting his family while he was present. No one. When the words became clearer from outside his eyes widened. Francis shoved the door open and stormed into the house. He looked furious and was ready to start lashing out to the first person that spoke.

"Oh for the love of all of Ireland would you put those away?! Can't you stay out of trouble for a day? I can't always keep cleaning up the messes." Francis looked at Patrick before looking over at Niko. He was a little surprised to see the state he was in. He looked exhausted and like he'd been through hell and back. His clothes were dirty and there were blood stains everywhere. It caused him to pause. Sure he had asked Niko to do odd jobs for him, and yes they were dangerous. But here was the proof of just what kind of person he had hired.

"Boss can we come in? We'd like to get started so we can head home before the day shift gets in." One of the police officers that still stood in the threshold of their house was shifting nervously under the penetrating gaze from Patrick. The smg hadn't waivered from being pointed at him and it was a little unsettling.

"Yeah, there is two males upstairs that need to be fingerprinted and photographed. Be sure to bag and tag anything found on their bodies. We need to know where these fuckers came from and who they are working for." Pausing and looking back toward the door, "And Doc, my Ma is upstairs in the first door on the right. Please show her the respect she is owed." Several officers and detectives walked in and went straight up the stairs. An older looking gentleman took up the rear with a large medical bag. Once all the strangers were up the stairs Francis moved into the living room to see his sister. He wasn't as close to her as he once was. Gerry and him didn't see eye to eye and it caused his sister to stray from them. He was older and had seen and been through more than her. But now he wasn't so sure the scorecard was as far apart as it once was. He stopped in front of Niko expecting him to move and allow him access to his sister.

"Niko it's okay, let him see me." Her hand reached out and lightly tapped his hip, letting him know it was okay to move aside. Niko's eyes narrowed at Francis before stepping to the side. He was feeling dangerous with all these unknown people in the house and he wasn't sure what he would do if Francis said something to upset her.

Francis wasn't sure what was up with Niko. Patrick had said he had arrived at the house before him and managed to eliminate the intruders, but that was about all he was told. He narrowed his eyes at the Slavic trying to figure out what his problem was. But when he turned to look down at his sister sitting on the couch, he felt his heart stutter.

Kate's face was slightly swollen and there was a rather large purple bruise forming on her cheek. His eyes hovered on her face before dropping down to her neck where he could see red imprinted finger marks like someone had tried to strangle her. Traveling further down he realized she was wearing Niko's typical jacket. The jacket had a few bullet holes in the chest and there was blood on the sleeves. A blanket covered her lower half and he wondered at why she was wearing his jacket. Something had happened to her. Her eyes lost their luster and he could only guess what horror she'd been put through.

"You make them suffer?" Francis muttered toward Niko, his eyes drifting to look at his hired gunman.

"Not enough." Niko grumbled. Oh how he wished he had.

"They are dead, and I am mostly fine. It's more than I hoped for and more than I deserved." Kate whispered looking up at one of her older brothers.

"Oh Katie." Francis fell to his knees in front of her and placed his hands on her knee. "I begged Ma to install a security system, or at least have a gun in the home. I'm so sorry I didn't do something to help prevent this." He bowed his head and dropped it on the edge of the couch. He had failed at protecting his own mother and his innocent sister.

Patrick moved back into the living room and stood next to Niko. He may not get along with his brother, but all of them could feel bad for what had happened. Hell he had been out chasing tail instead of being up in his old room and watching over the house.

Kate placed her hand on Francis' head and ran her fingers through the mass of dark reddish brown hair. She could understand their pain at feeling like they failed. She had been so unprepared herself that she felt partially responsible for not saving her mother. "Francis, please! None of us knew this would happen. And I feel horrible for not fighting harder." Tears made their way slowly down her face and felt her own remorse rise at being over powered like she had.

"Uh boss, you should take a look at this, I think we can identify one of the perps from a tattoo." One of the detectives called down the staircase.

"Yeah be right up." Francis hollered back. He took one last long look at his sister before pushing up off the floor. "Will you be alright for a few minutes?"

She nodded her head and wiped her eyes with the soft cotton collar of Niko's jacket sleeve.

"Niko, Patty, let's go. I might need your help."

"Hey you know I hate that nickname!" Patrick fumed lightly shoving at his brother. The two brothers kept lightly shoving each other on their way over to the staircase and paused when they realized Niko hadn't moved.

He was torn, he really didn't want to leave Kate for a second, but he also needed to know who her attackers were, and if there could be more of them coming after her. Their eyes met and she tore her gaze away wiping furiously at her face to remove her tears. Letting out a quiet sigh he knelt in front of her hating seeing her struggle. "Look Kate, I will only be upstairs. Would it help if I left you a gun? I know you don't normally go near the things, but it could give you peace of mind while I find out who the attackers are. I won't be long and if I am more than a few moments I will come back down to check on you, yes?"

Her heart melted at his caring nature and she also hated she made him hesitate to do what he needed to go do. She looked back up into his eyes and only saw concern for her reflected back. She knew she would be fine, the house was full of capable people, but the thought of sitting alone in the living room was a bit daunting. Looking at the rifle in his hands she didn't think she'd be able to handle it. She really had no idea how to operate it and felt herself shy away from him.

Niko could almost see the wheels turning in her head and reaching behind him he pulled out his pistol. "This is a handgun, it's probably the easiest one to use. Just point and pull the trigger. I will leave the safety on," He pointed to the lever switch showing her where it was, "And should you need someone, anyone, just holler out to us. We will all come running." He turned the gun around, so the handle of his pistol faced her, and held it out for her to take, kneeling down in front of her. Her hand shook as she reached for the gun. The weight was heavier than what she expected but then again, she had never held a gun. Her eyes widened at the weapon and looked it over.

"Both hands and don't use it if you don't have to." Niko brushed her cheek with his thumb and stood up. "Just up the stairs okay?"

"O-okay. Thank you." She placed the gun across her lap and watched her protector walk toward the staircase. The panic gripped her heart and she forced it to stop. She could do this. It wouldn't be long, and he would be right back down there next to her. She was a little unnerved at how she had latched on to him. She loved hanging out with him and getting to talk to him was always an interesting conversation. He had a wealth of knowledge and stories, and though some of them made her queasy, she listened intently. She always wondered if anyone had ever offered a shoulder to lean on for him, he was always so quiet at first. But his eyes betrayed him. She could almost see how much his past affected him and how he needed someone to talk to. He may look stoic on the outside, a cold blooded killer to most, but she knew deep down he just wanted a normal life.

Niko paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked back at Kate. He hated leaving her alone. But he wanted to know who the two men were and if they were connected to someone after him. The gut wrenching thought that they had been sent by Pegorino made it easier for him to decide to just go and kill the old man. If that was the case, he would be burning down his house soon. Taking one last longing look at her, seeing her preoccupied with his pistol, he climbed up the stairs after the McReary brothers.

In Maureen's room the medical examiner had a body bag opened on the bed next to her body. He was taking notes and making observations on the various wounds. A field agent was taking photos and marking the bullet hole in the wall where it had lodged after exiting the woman's head. Passing by the room, he followed Patrick and Francis toward the bathroom.

"Whoever killed this dude knew what he was about. The first strike severed one of the carotid arteries, and the rest shredded the vocal cords and collapsed the windpipe. He definitely suffered a painful death. Choked on his own blood and probably drowned. We found gun powder residue on his hands, so he was probably the one to shoot the Mrs. in the bedroom across the hall." The lead detective was on his knees next to the body and was examining the hands and arms of the dead man. He looked up at Francis, Patrick, and Niko who stood in the doorway. Patrick was casually leaning against the frame as if he could care less, but he had a pale complexion.

Francis nodded his understanding before moving inside to squat at his detective's side. The detective rotated the man's arm to show the inside of his wrist. Niko stood close to Patrick, not really wanting to enter the bathroom again, and tried to see what they were looking at.

"See this? It's in another language, and there is a circle that encompasses the word. Looks like the circle is a burn mark though. My fellow officers think it's possibly Eastern European, but we won't know more till we run it through our database." He held up the arm so Francis could see it in a better light. Seeing the strange boxy looking letters, he looked up to where Niko stood.

"You might know the language, care to elaborate?" Francis stood up and moved further into the bathroom to allow Niko space to walk in.

Niko felt a strange sense of knowing come over him. Eastern European could be many different types of languages, there were endless gangs and mafia families. But the fact that someone who was tagged had been in the country and had a heavy thick accent could only point to a close few options. Ones he was more worried about than others. Passing Patrick in the doorway, Niko settled himself down next to the body. The detective held the wrist out to him to show him the strange symbols with the burn mark.

"Долг. It means debt. It is Russian. The circle is what gang leaders brand into those who owe them. The ink comes later when they are given an assignment to clear their debt. Then there is another brand that happens upon completion. Letting everyone know they are free. Usually the second brand never comes, it takes a lot to be free." Niko looked over the brand, it was old, not as red as a fresh one. And the ink was faded like it was done second hand and not at a tattoo parlor. "Was there anything else that would identify him?"

"I took fingerprints and made a dental cast. We will also run those through our database and send it to Interpol. We should have a name within a day or two. I'm flagging it as a high priority. The other guy, the one in the room, he has the other burn mark you were talking about. But there were more of them, not sure what the other words are." The detective placed the arm back on the ground, "I'll have the medical examiner have his assistant bag this one up. The cleaning crew won't be by till the afternoon probably. You guys have some place else to stay?"

"Patrick and I don't live here anymore, neither does our friend, Kate can stay at my place." Francis took one last look at the body. The blood had saturated the bathroom rug and was running through the grout in the tile floor outlining the nearest tiles. He didn't want his sister anywhere near this place.

Niko almost voiced his protest at Kate being at Francis' place. He was more than willing to take her to one of his many safe houses. But maybe she should be with family. She would find comfort with them and be able to process the death of their mother. And he didn't really have an extra bed. The burn mark was pulling at his brain, he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite remember where. He didn't run with many gangs before helping ship people across the Adriatic. So why it was trying to dig at old memories was beyond him.

"Alright. On to the next one." The detective stood up and gestured they move out of the bathroom. The group filed out and headed down the hall to the bedroom.

"The three pictures we found," He held them up for Francis, "They were of your mom, sister, and brother. You know when they were taken?"

Francis took the photos and handed them off to Patrick when he looked at them. They didn't look recent, Kate looked younger, and Patrick was of his mugshot. Their mother also looked younger, about the age of when Patrick and Kate were born. Looking closer at the image of his mother he felt anger well up.

"The photo of Ma is from Pa's old wallet. He kept that photo with him till the day he died. How someone got copies of it is strange. We buried the wallet with him. Kate's looks like her senior prom photo, and clearly it's a mugshot of Patrick." Francis took the photos back from Patrick and tucked them into his suit jacket pocket. He would be sure to destroy them later.

"The other perp had copies of them too. So whoever sent these guys to get them, must have known your dad." The detective eyed his boss wearily. He knew he wasn't the cleanest cop on the police force, but he had promoted him to his current rank and made sure he never got a case too crazy. So he was willing to bend some of the procedures on this case. "I wiped the knife clean of fingerprints." He whispered to Francis. The nod was all he received from his boss. They would speak later on what to enter into evidence.

"Did you buy dirty bullets?" Francis looked at Niko who still carried his rifle. He needed to know if they were going to need to cover up for him as well.

"They are clean. No major retailers, and cash only. I trust the man who sells to me." Niko silently thanked the man for wanting to cover for him. He didn't need more heat on him than he already had. He really had no business being in the residence and he had just come from killing a whole bunch of other Russian mob muscle. He made sure his ammo wouldn't be traceable, and he would be destroying his shoes later to remove the possible link between the footprints and him. His rifle was the most commonly bought one on the market, and the serial numbers had been long since removed. There would be no tracing him to those murders.

The detective didn't even react to the conversation. Clearly he had been working for Francis for a while and knew some things were better left alone. Patrick walked alongside the group silently. He was happy that Niko wouldn't get into trouble, but at the same time it was going to be hard to come up with a cover story. Why would some random gang members break into their mother's house? He would think on it.

"This one was a little more cut and dry. Two bullet wounds, one to the head and one to the heart. Both hit their targets and I assume he was dead before he slumped over. Judging by the weapons present, and the size of the entry and exit wounds, I would guess that you shot him?" The detective walked into the room and glanced over his shoulder to Niko as he entered.

"Yes." Niko shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like being back in here and it was making him feel on edge. The handcuffs still laid on the ground where they had fallen off and he could see the other knife from the knife set sitting on the nightstand.

"We found the gun the guy used to kill your mom on the armchair over there in the corner, it had a suppressor. I had one of my partners bag it for evidence. Could lead to some other unsolved murders in the area. The guy on the bed only had a pocketknife. One gun for a break in seems odd to me. Makes me think they knew their targets. Also the chef's knife on the bedside table has blood on it. We will bag that as well to determine if it was only used on your mom, or possibly your sister as well." He looked over the group, "We can handle the rest from here unless there is anything we need to know?"

"The torn piece of clothing on the bed will have DNA from either one or both of the men." Niko spoke softly, uncomfortable with letting the knowledge out to Kate's brothers.

"DNA? Alright, I'll bag it. Anything else?" The detective walked over to the bed and pulled out an evidence bag from his pocket. Being sure to only grab the cloth by the bag, he sealed it. Turning it over in his hands he understood what Niko was saying. There was clearly evidence that it had been used, and not just as a gag of sorts.

Francis held his hand out to look at it needing to know what Niko had meant. He had said DNA but hadn't deliberated further. His detective had flinched when he reached out for the evidence bag. That only made his ire rise higher. What the hell was he hiding? "Hand the bag over Ron, I'll end up reading the report later, might as well let me know now!"

"Boss. Uh. I-I don't think you want to see."

"He's right Francis. Leave it be." Patrick had spoken up. He had seen the aftermath before any of the police officers had arrived and he had put one and one together. He didn't like it, and it made him wish he could go over to the bed and put a few rounds into the dead body, but he would wait to let his anger out later. There would be time to fume.

"Did he rape my little sister?" Francis had yelled the question out and had turned red in the face. He was mad, madder than he had ever been in his whole life. More so than when his father would abuse him, when Gerry would beat him up, or when he had to deal with blackmailing scumbags- no this was worse. This was something he could have helped prevent. His sister was the only good thing to come from his family, and now they were trying to tell him she had endured something unspeakable?

"No Francis, but it was close. I managed to get here in time to stop him from…" Niko trailed off. It didn't make what happened any less profound. But he had managed to save her from the final act.

Niko was grabbed by the enraged brother and slammed into the opposite wall of the bed, hard. The wind left his lungs in a rush and he felt dizzy with the rapid movement. Francis was on him, his hands roughly tangled in his shirt. He could see the absolute rage behind his eyes, could almost feel it in himself. He knew that pain. He felt it constantly since walking into this room for the first time.

"You clearly didn't get here in time. My sister was violated and you stand here and say you stopped him?! You didn't stop shit! She will have to live each day with the images of that disgusting man doing God knows what to her. And you have the balls to hover over her and keep her 'safe'!" Francis lifted Niko away from the wall before slamming him back into it. An audible crack sounded when Niko's head connected with the wall. "Don't you dare come near my sister again!"

"Francis stop!" Patrick leapt at his brother and clutched his wrists trying to remove the hands from his friend's shirt. He may have been mad at the whole situation, but Niko was the last person who needed to be criticized. "Get off of him!"

The detective jumped to attention and wrapped his arms around his boss' torso. Together the two managed to pull the seething brother off of Niko before he could do more. The detective still holding him back in case he tried to lunge at him again, Patrick standing between the two trying to shield Niko from another attack.

"Did you hesitate? Did you watch him finish before killing him? She doesn't need someone like you around her. You are just as dangerous and vile. How many people have you killed? You're no different." Shoving the detective off of him he straightened his jacket and glared at the Slavic. Turning abruptly, he marched out of the room and down the hall. They could hear his shoes stomp down the stairs before the front door slammed shut.

Niko leaned back into the wall and grabbed his head. That last whack and made him see stars briefly. Pulling his hand away from the back of his head he couldn't see any fresh spots of blood. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his vision. He'd been hit worse, he would manage.

"Don't listen to him Nicky. He doesn't handle anger well. I'm going to try and talk him down. Don't leave, Kate would be devastated." Patrick patted his friend's shoulder and left quickly after his brother.

"Can I get you anything? You took a rather hard hit to the head." The older gentle voice of the medical examiner called from the door. Niko only shook his head no. He'd take care of it when he got home.

"At least let me make sure you don't have a concussion. They can get rather nasty." With a slower pace in his older age, the man walked over to Niko and started examining him.

"Hey doc, if you're all finished in the other rooms, I'll let the guys know they can grab whatever they need so they can head out. The sun should be up in a couple of hours." The detective was impressed with the way Niko had let his boss just go at him. They had all been on the receiving end of his rage induced episodes at the office and knew it was best to just let him be. But if he had been spoken to that way, he wouldn't have let Francis off so easily.

"Sure Ron, I'll finish looking at this young man then I'll finish up in here. The evidence bags are all tagged and ready for processing. I'll have the mother ready for burial by Sunday." Older, kind, gray eyes looked over to the detective before shifting back to Niko's head.

"Thanks, I'll let the boss know." He headed out of the room and toward the shouting he could hear outside the house. Yeah it was going to be a minute before his boss cooled off. Thankfully his shift was over at sunrise and he could avoid his wrath for a day.

"Ah young man, a temper is such a troublesome trait in people. I've known Francis for a few years. He climbed the ranks rather quickly, almost as quickly as his anger boils over. We've learned to pay him no mind. I advise you do the same. What that poor girl endured is no more your fault than it is mine. You managed to get here before the true act was carried out. She will need someone in the coming days. Nightmares are tricky things, and she will probably swing between depression, anger, and, I hope, happiness." The medical examiner turned Niko's head side to side and flashed a small flashlight into his eyes looking for pupil dilation, "My advice to you, would be to get some much needed sleep. You look tired young man, and will need your wits about you if you are to help the young miss through the next few days- you will be with her right?"

"I thank you for checking me out, I will do what I can, but Francis does have a point. I am probably the last person she should turn to." Niko nodded to the medical examiner and headed out the door. He wasn't surprised by the outburst from Francis. In all honesty he was shocked it hadn't happened sooner. But his words had cut deep, closer to his own reservations and fears than he'd like to admit.

"Ah another troubled young soul." He watched the young man disappear around the corner and said a silent prayer that he would be able to find peace, "Perhaps you will learn your lesson in hell." The medical examiner said toward the slumped over body and began the process of removing him from the house.

Niko paused at the top of the stairs. Should he be the one for Kate to turn to? She had seemed adamant about him being around, but he doubted she could think clearly. He was cold, and still needed to deal with Jimmy. She would be safer with Francis for the time being and he would give her time to sort out her thoughts. She didn't need to be involved in his mess. Using the railing to steady himself he made his way down the stairs. Patrick and Francis were yelling so loudly he was half expecting the neighbors to start yelling at them to shut up. Making the final step off the stairs he couldn't help but look over to Kate.

"I heard- I heard most of what was yelled." She was tracing the barrel of the pistol in her lap, her eyes fixated on the matte black finish of the gun.

Niko hesitated in the entrance to the living room. She hadn't elaborated on what exactly she heard, and he was still doubting himself. It would be better if he kept his distance. Once she was able to process everything, she would be embarrassed with the way she had clung to him. And he was sure she would resent the fact that he had seen her so vulnerable.

When she didn't hear Niko reply to her comment she looked up. He was standing at the entry way, leaning against the archway, and was studying the floor. He looked so tired and his shoulders slumped slightly. Francis was wrong in what he said. Yes, she had been through things she didn't want to do, but she fully believed that if Niko hadn't have shown up, she would be lying dead in her bed. She shuddered at the thought. She could hear some of the yelling from outside. Patrick was doing his best to make Francis see reason, but she doubted he would cool off anytime soon.

"Niko, please. Sit down with me." She didn't like the distance and she wanted to show him she didn't want him gone. She wanted to be near him, and Francis could shove it.

"I don't think it would be a good idea. Francis is pretty heated." He refused to meet her eyes. He knew she would be disappointed, but he wouldn't compromise his resolve. She needed to be away from him, she needed to be safe. And he had danger follow him around every turn.

"Niko Bellic you march over here and sit down, Francis can go jump off a cliff, he has been in and out of my life for so long that he has no right to tell me who I can be around!" She took a deep breath and silently pleaded with him to at least look at her. He had avoided looking at her since he came down the stairs. He had promised he would come back to check on her, and she fully intended for him to follow up on that.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced up at her. The tone was harsh and had an edge to it. 'There is the fire I know you have'

"Please don't make me beg."

"Never. Though you do have a gun, you could always persuade me to sit down." He chuckled when she snorted trying to cover her laugh. He decided he would stand by, close enough for her to touch him, but until he knew how Francis would react, he wouldn't sit next to her.

"Not that I know how to use it, I would be pretty lousy at intimidation."

"I doubt that. You have good aim at darts, shooting is slightly different. But the aim is the same. You don't always have to fire the weapon, the sight of one can get the point across just as well as shooting it." He walked over and leaned against the fireplace, she was within reach, and he saw the slight confusion flash in her eyes. "I will stand till Francis comes back in. It will be easier to fight him off if he charges me again."

"He attacked you?" She had gasped and was appalled at her brother's actions.

"The thud you heard was me slamming into a wall. I will be fine."

"That's it! How do I get the safety off? I am going to make sure he knows just how much he is pissing me off!" She held the gun up close to her face and was trying to find the lever he had shown her. She turned the gun over and over looking for it. A deep chuckle reached her ears before one of his hands landed on the gun.

Lightly pulling the pistol away from her hands, he chuckled again, "Good to know I have someone on my side. But his anger comes from concern in this matter. I don't think he deserves to be shot for caring about his sister." He tucked the gun back into the waistband of his pants, she had amused him with her defiance and huff about wanting to shoot her brother. But he understood where Francis' anger was stemming from.

"I'd only hit his leg. He could do with some time off." She had muttered the comment under her breath not realizing Niko had heard her. He let out another one of his chuckles and she couldn't stop the smile from spreading. She loved his laugh, and his caught off guard chuckles were the best. That's when she knew he really was amused.

The front door opened again, and Francis stormed in followed closely by Patrick. They both still looked ready to fight each other, but at least the yelling had stopped. Francis kept his eyes trained on Niko, not liking how close he stood by her, or the way his sister was smiling up at him. Niko hadn't even bothered to look up at them when they entered and was giving his sister looks.

"Kate, you are coming home with me for the night." He didn't bother to look at her and kept his eyes on Niko. He wasn't about to let her go spend the night with him. No matter what Patrick had said, he knew when a man wanted something, and he knew he was somewhat dating his sister. She had been through too much tonight and he wasn't about to risk her falling for some contract killer.

Patrick rolled his eyes and slapped a hand to his face. They had just spent the better part of five minutes yelling the neighborhood down about letting Kate go with Niko. Patrick knew in his bones that he would do nothing to hurt his sister, and seeing how she had clung to his friend, he was perfectly fine with the two of them being together- in whatever way that went.

"No Francis, I will not be going to your place. I will be going with Niko. He has saved my life once today, and he would do so again if it came down to that. I trust him, and you should too." She had left no room for argument, she only hoped Niko would be alright with this arrangement. She hadn't asked him, and she felt a small kernel of doubt form in her stomach.

She had spoken with such finality that Niko was proud of her. But she really shouldn't be staying with him, there was maybe one safe house that would be protected, but there was only one bed. And one bathroom. They would be confined to close quarters, alone, and he didn't trust himself to not blur the lines of what was acceptable and what he felt was right. He had touched her too much already, had been pressed against her, and had placed more kisses to her hand and top of her head than he ever should have. And to have her all alone in the nice apartment in Middle Park, was just asking for trouble. She would want to be close, and he would have to force every ounce of self-restraint he had to keep from holding back. He knew he liked her, but what had just occurred before he killed the asshole upstairs, had put whatever they had between them at a crossroads.

"Kate I don't think that's a good idea. You should be with family, someplace that won't have people who work for the mob coming after you." Francis was ready to fight her on this.

"And your crooked ways are better? Don't start, please. I am tired and just want to be away from here. Niko can you go get some clothes for me out of my room? There is a duffle bag in the closet." She looked at her brother and would not back down. This is what she wanted, and this is what she needed. Francis would just have to deal.

Niko hesitated before moving around the two brothers and heading back upstairs. He could tell they needed to talk, and it would probably be easier if he wasn't standing in the room. Reaching the landing he saw three body bags lined up ready to be moved down the stairs. The medical examiner was moving a few other evidence bags into the hallway from Kate's room. The medical assistant and the other two detectives were sorting things into cardboard boxes that were labeled by the name of the room they had been removed from. He nodded to them before heading back into Kate's bedroom.

The room looked weird without the body on the bed and the handcuffs on the ground. He had never been to a crime scene as it was worked, and it felt wrong to be standing in her room. Walking over to the closet, he opened the door and saw the blue duffle bag on the floor. He quickly picked it up and opened it. He paused. What clothes would she want? How much should he grab?

"It's best to take a few loose fitting clothes, something to allow any injuries to breathe and not be rubbed. And anything that would offer her comfort."

Niko almost jumped out of his skin when the medical examiner had spoken from the doorway. "Uh thanks, how much should I take?"

"A day or two's worth, the cleaning crew should be here around 0900. They will finish combing the place and removing anything left over. The place will be ready to return to should she wish to."

"Thank you." Nodding to the elderly man he turned back to the closet. Everything seemed to be sorted by type of weather. Reaching for a few large and loose looking sweaters he moved some clothing out of the way to look at them better. 'He had said loose, so maybe something that would cover, but not irritate…'

"Also, I will leave you my card and number. I can't tell what injuries the young miss has sustained. But she should see a doctor. I've treated her and her mother before since Francis tends to only trust a handful of people. And with the way the bedding looked and the knife on the bedside table had blood, I can only assume it's not good." The medical examiner walked into the room to stand next to Niko. "Be sure to call me if anything needs further first aid."

Niko glanced at the business card the older man had extended out to him, "Thank you. I will be sure she gets checked out. I would ask you to do it tonight, but I'm unsure how she will react." Taking the business card from him, he pocketed it and went to stuffing a green sweater into the duffle bag.

"She will need time, and if anything was seriously bothering her, I'm sure she would've asked for help by now." Smiling gently at the young man who was carefully picking out clothes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at the lengths he was taking to make sure she would be taken care of. "I will ask on my way out." Slowly he made his way toward the bedroom door needing to lay eyes on Kate before heading back to the Police HQ Morgue. "And Niko?" He paused at the threshold and turned back in time to see the man pause in putting a stuffed animal in the bag, "Thank you."

Niko nodded to the medical examiner and continued to search her room for things she might need for the night.

Back downstairs Kate and Francis continued to stare at one another. The minutes ticked by on the small grandfather clock above the fireplace. 'How long are they just going to stare at each other before the fireworks start?' Patrick was getting uncomfortable with the glaring and decided it was time to break the tension. "Kate's right, she needs to feel safe, and I can vouch for Niko. You may not think very highly of him, but I do. He wouldn't dare hurt sis."

"I don't care who he is! He has plenty of blood on his hands; some I'm sure that came from whatever stupid ideas you had Patrick! He is a man, who has urges, and am I mistaken in that the two of them are dating?" He sent a glare over his shoulder at his younger brother.

"Hey!" Patrick yelled at his brother, not liking the fact that he left his own history with Niko out of the conversation.

"It's not dating, we just hung out a few times. We are friends." Even as Kate said the words, she felt how wrong it was. She was fooling herself if she didn't think of them as dates. He always picked her up, paid for their food and drinks, and was a gentleman. He never complained and looked happy to be hanging out with her. 'Okay, maybe they were dates. But now…'

"Oh please you expect me to believe that? If you knew half of what he did on the side, you'd be begging one of us to watch over you. He's bad for you and will hurt you!"

The slap echoed in the room. She didn't even realize she had moved off the couch till her hand connected with the face of her brother. It stung, and it had hurt. Tears burned behind her eyes. "Don't you lecture me on what he does, he's told me plenty, and I know he has done shady things for you and Patrick. I don't ask for details, don't want them, but you have no right to question Niko or me, or what we do together. He has been nothing but kind to me, which is more than what you can say!" She let the tears fall, she was angry, upset, and her body was starting to hurt again. She had moved too quickly off the couch and her legs shook at holding her weight up.

Patrick's mouth dropped open. He had never seen his sister react in violence, and he swore he had heard his mom's voice come out of her. "Damn sis!" He whistled low at how Francis was still turned to the side unmoving.

Francis was in shock. His little sister had just slapped him and had channeled their mother's voice. He hadn't heard that condescending tone in years and it still made him second guess things. Gently placing his hand over his face where he had been slapped, he turned back to his sister. The tears rained down her face and he saw how she shook.

"You love him don't you." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, but he had to know. If he was going to trust his gun for hire with his sister, he needed to know.

"It is none of your business." She started to feel dizzy and the room was slowly spinning. Her vision was starting to darken, and she needed to sit down soon. 'Where is Niko?'

He could see the rapidly receding blush leave her face and her eyes had unfocused. "Katie?"

The voice seemed far off, and her body felt numb. She blinked a few times trying to refocus on her brother, but it was like he was swaying. Her brain seemed to shut off and she looked toward the staircase trying to see if Niko had returned before her world went black. She thought she saw his concerned face getting closer, but he was still upstairs, right? The last thing she felt was her legs giving out.

Niko was next to him before he could blink and was catching his sister in his arms. Her head rolled into the crook of his neck and he adjusted her in his arms to be able to pick her up. Francis seemed to be in a daze. He hadn't heard him approaching and was more concerned with the paling of his sister. 'How did he get here so quick?'

Lifting her back into his arms he carried her over to the couch and laid her down, kneeling with the action. He brushed his fingers along her forehead and moved a few bangs away from her face. She was pale and breathing shallowly. Shoving the blanket under her head to prop it up, he began to lightly tap the side of her face. He knew it would agitate the bruise, but he needed her to wake up. Francis knelt next to him and reached for her hand, grasping it tightly.

"Kate wake up, come on, wake up." Niko continued to tap at her face and spoke to her.

Patrick had moved over and knelt on Niko's other side. He had been startled when the duffle bag had been dropped at his side. Niko hadn't even looked at him and made his way over to Francis and his sister, and he had caught her as she fainted. He hadn't even known she was about to faint. He was still surprised that his sister had slapped Francis.

Kate let out a low groan and reached for her head. There was a dull throbbing behind her eyes, and she felt weak. She felt someone's hand in hers and she gave it a squeeze. Another hand was brushing the hair from her face and she could almost tell it was Niko. His fingers weren't soft, they were rough and had an edge to them. It didn't feel bad against her skin, but she liked the way he used his hands. And she knew those hands would keep her safe.

"Kate wake up, you fainted." Oh how she could get used to hearing his voice before opening her eyes every day. The accent was always attractive to her, and whenever he spoke to her, his voice would take on a softer vibe. As if he only spoke to her that way. Cracking her eyes open she was greeted by the worried dark ones of Niko. Glancing around she saw both Patrick and Francis next to him looking equally concerned.

"That was one hell of a slap sis!" Patrick practically beamed at her, his excitement at seeing her take their brother down a peg was just too cool!

A small smile twitched at her lips before looking over to Francis, "Sorry, but you deserved it. Now, do you think we can start again? I would like to go to Niko's place to rest, we can discuss what happens later afterwards. I am tired, I hurt, and I just need some quiet."

Francis nodded and squeezed her hand back. "I will stay here to make sure everything is wrapped up and then I'll head into the office." He stood up and backed away from the couch. He knew when to give in to his sister, and the way Niko had been so gentle with her showed how much he cared. He would allow him to see to her for the day, but only for the day. "Niko I'll call you later with what I find out." And with that he headed back upstairs to sign off on the transport of the bodies, giving a nod to the medical examiner as they passed each other on the stairs.

"You might've knocked some sense into him sis!" Patrick couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face. She had been amazing right up until she fainted.

Niko chuckled and leaned back on his heels. He had missed the slap but had heard it from the stairs and he had hurried his pace down them. He had heard Francis' question and felt his heart stop waiting for her answer. But her answer hadn't given him anything to go on. It was the safe answer he assumed. One that would keep floating around in his mind for the rest of the day.

"Maybe, he has a hard head." Kate smiled at her words and tried to sit up on the couch. The room had quit spinning, but she felt lightheaded. "Can you hand me the water? I thought I saw you bring a bottle in here."

Patrick got up before Niko could and grabbed the bottle. He twisted the top off and handed it to this sister, watching her take a few sips before handing her the lid. "If it's alright with you, I'm going to stay here and follow Ma back to the morgue. I'd feel better knowing she got there safely. I'll also take over planning the funeral. You have enough on your plate sis, but I will keep you informed?"

"Please." Kate took another sip of water before closing the bottle. She hadn't been told their mom was dead, but she figured she was. The way everyone was talking it was easy to pick up what wasn't being said to her.

"Take care of my sis okay Niko? If you need anything just call." Patrick leaned over his sister and placed a kiss to her hair. He would be worried about her but knew she would be okay in his friend's care. He placed his hand on Niko's shoulder in silent support before moving toward the staircase. He needed to talk to Francis and make sure he didn't do anything stupid to jeopardize his sister's relationship with his friend.

"Sorry for the interruption, but do you require any medical assistance?" The kind older man had slowly made his way into the room, having witnessed the end of the discussion between the McReary family.

Kate's face lit up at the familiar voice, "Hey Doc. We really do need to meet up when someone isn't dead or injured…" her voice trailed off as the memory of the last time she saw him was- Derrick's identification after his death.

"Ah yes my dear, but death does tend to be in the job description." He chuckled lightly and sat down next to Kate, "Are you injured?" He glanced over her face and could see the bruise forming on her cheek, the red finger length marks on her neck, and the way she instinctively pulled her hands into the jacket made it seem she was hiding something. She had been handled harshly by the looks of it.

"I will manage Doc." She didn't dare look at him or Niko. The last thing she wanted to do was undress in front of anyone.

Niko picked up on some of the subtle clues, she had almost folded in on herself, trying desperately to shy away from the doctor, without being obvious. He knew something wasn't right but wasn't going to force her decision. "I have an expansive first aid kit at my place, if she needs anything more advanced, I will call." Niko kept his eyes trained on Kate, watching for any negative reaction. Afterall she did adamantly state she wanted to be with him for the night.

She exhaled quickly with his words, torn between having the doctor tend to her chest and various other cuts, and having to do it herself in the comfort of Niko's place. She looked up to see Niko staring at her, almost like he was gauging her answer, and how to navigate the conversation to whatever she wanted it to go. A small smile tugged at her lips; he really was full of surprises this morning.

"I will be okay Doc, I'm just really wanting to shower-"

"A rape kit will need to be done before a shower."

The world came to a screeching halt. Sure he had heard Francis use the term upstairs, had been debating what had happened to her, and trying not to dwell on how the man's hands had been on her flesh, or how his pants had been undone. But to hear it from a medical standpoint, even a professional tone, was jarring. His eyes widened slightly, and he fought himself to remain passive and not flinch at the harshness of reality. Rape kit. It echoed around in his mind. Had she been so violated? Had he been too late?

A new flood of tears obscured her vision briefly before she angrily swiped at her eyes. NO, she wanted to yell. She had been through enough for one night, and the feel of their hands on her made her stomach churn violently and her body twitch at the vile feeling. Her skin felt on fire all of a sudden and without even thinking she reached out and grabbed Niko's hand, needing something to anchor her in her distress.

Sucking in a shaking breath, "No. I will not be needing one. I wasn't raped." Her voice straining on the last words. Clenching her eyes shut she turned away from the doctor and leaned into Niko's shoulder where he was still kneeled by her side. She wasn't ready to process it all- wasn't ready to face the rawness of it.

Niko squeezed her hand, surprised by how she just instinctively moved around him and touched him so openly. He closed his eyes when she leaned into him, her words helping quiet the rage a little inside of him. He was barely holding on with the notion that he had at least gotten there in time to stop the absolute worst from happening, and when the doctor had brought up the term, it put everything he was thinking into jeopardy. Her barely audible words had brought relief to him briefly. She was spared slightly. And for that he was thankful.

"I'm sorry to upset you, it's not just for the final act of, it's also to make sure he-they- didn't have any diseases. I can have you stop by sometime later to give a blood sample. I am so sorry for what happened. I've known your family for a long time. It pains me greatly dear. I'm only a phone call away. Not all injuries are physical." He reached out and lightly squeezed her shoulder, watching as a few tears seeped through her eyelashes, "Take care of her Niko, you have my number should anything develop." And with one final look between the pair, the doctor stood slowly and made his way out the front door to prepare his vehicle for the bodies.

Niko watched him leave, he felt so incredibly drained in that moment. Kate was quiet and was working to control her breathing, every now and then he could feel her cheek rub against his shoulder. With the departure of the doctor, the room seemed quieter than normal. He could barely hear her brother's upstairs talking. They must have shut the door to the room they were in. Then the realization dawned on him. He was going to have to take her to his safe house. He felt uneasy about it, the second-guessing crawling back into his mind.

Kate focused on her breathing. She wasn't ready to voice what had happened and the intense fear of having to relay details to the doctor in front of Niko gripped her heart fiercely. She wanted him to continue to look at her the way he used to. His intense gaze made her knees weak, her heart stutter, and this slow burning sensation to flood her stomach. He would look at her with an unapologetic want. She knew the look, had seen it several times when they played pool. She would tease him by leaning over the table more than needed. It was thrilling to see how his eyes would darken, now she feared that look would never be cast her way from him.

The ache of never seeing him give her that smoldering smirk, the one that said 'I know what you are doing', to never have him speak openly to her again, the pain of not having normalcy with him whipped across her body. She lurched away from him and clutched the jacket to her. She studied his startled reaction. He opened his mouth a couple of times to say something but looked to be contemplating it.

"Niko?" Her voice sounded rough, low, as if it was pained. She cleared her throat and felt a flush come across her face. 'How embarrassing' "I think I'd like to leave now."

"Do you need me to carry you to the car?" Niko was quiet, he was still on the fence about bringing her to one of his places. But he would do what she wanted, even if it killed him.

"Yeah, I'm not very steady on my feet." She looked over to him and could see hesitation on his face, "It is okay if I stay with you right?" Fear gripped her heart at possibly not being able to stay with him.

"Of course." Niko stood up and walked over to the duffle bag. Shifting the rifle on his back he pulled the long strap of the bag over his shoulder. Making sure the bag wouldn't rub too much on the gun he walked back over to Kate. She had sat up fully on the couch and had drawn her knees up to her chest. His jacket bunched up around her waist and he made sure to keep his eyes on her face. Leaning down he hooked his arm under her legs and placed his other one around her back. She had been picked up by him so many times since he came into her bedroom, she knew what to do. Looping her arms around his neck she held on as he lifted her with little effort. She tucked her head into her new favorite spot against his neck and let out a sigh of relief.

Being careful to keep his movements to a minimum, Niko headed for the open front door. Stepping outside caused a chill to descend his spine. He had come in wearing his jacket and forgot how cool it was outside in the predawn morning. Looking down at the woman in his arms he saw the same shiver rock her body. "I will turn the heat on in the car. The seats are heated as well." He felt her nod against his neck and felt a soft smile tug at his lips.

Noticing for the first time since arriving at the house he saw all the lights had turned on down the street. His comet was parked next door, Patrick's red one was diagonally pulled up on the sidewalk, and the police cruisers and medical van were parked next to them. The street was still fairly empty, but at least the streetlights had turned back on.

Taking the few steps down the staircase to the sidewalk caused Kate to hiss in pain. He would need to check her out once he got home or force her to go to the doctor's. He needed to make sure she wasn't hiding any major injuries from him. He would never forgive himself if she was severely hurt and he had done nothing about it.

The car wasn't too far away, and he made the distance quickly. Stopping by the passenger's side door he shifted Kate in his arms. "I will need to set you on your feet. The car sits low to the ground. You think you will be able to get in okay?"

"Yeah I'll be alright, you can set me down." She had moved out from under his chin and looked up into his eyes, she gave him a small smile letting him know it would be okay.

Leaning over slightly to allow her legs to slide off his arm, he helped brace her when she found her footing. Opening the door for her, he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her toward the seat. He hadn't even thought about what he was doing, it was just a natural reaction.

She smiled at the touch and lowered herself into the car. The seats we plush and the leather was cool against her legs. She heard the trunk open and shut and saw his shadow as he crossed to the driver's side. Niko had hurried to put the bag and rifle in the trunk. He knew the car would be cold and he didn't want her to start shivering. Plopping down in the car he turned the keys in the ignition. It roared to life and the heater kicked on. Reaching behind him he removed his pistol and placed it in his lap. Glancing over at her, he turned toward her and pulled the seat belt across her body, clicking it into place. Seeing she was situated he put the car in gear and left for his apartment in Middle Park.

The radio was off, and she was glad for the silence. The car hummed beneath her and she found herself looking around at the interior of the vehicle. The seats were black, as was pretty much everything else, the touch screen display was dim, and it showed it was turned off. Turning in her seat she curled up facing Niko. The heated seats felt nice on her legs.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye before looking back at the road. He was determined to get home quickly and without incident. He hadn't spotted anyone following, but he would take the long way if she could hold out, to insure no one was following. Not many knew of his place in Middle Park. Roman had purchased it once he received the insurance money from his burned down cab business. And if Niko was honest, he loved the place. It was probably the nicest place he had ever lived. And he was slightly excited to show it off.

He shifted the gear and sped up once he reached the Algonquin Bridge. It was the quickest way to the part of the city he needed. The lights of the city twinkled in the distance and caused the dreary looking clouds to not look as sinister. The rain had held off and he hoped it would until he could get her inside. Which would pose as a possible problem. There was a doorman, a front desk attendant, and there were usually a few people in the lobby of the building. It would be extremely out of place for him to carry in an injured looking woman wearing only his jacket, as well as the sight he must be presenting- in bloody clothing.

Kate reached out and placed her hand on top of Niko's on the gearshift. She watched as his fingers spread to allow hers to fit into the spaces between, and his thumb rose to caress the side of her index finger. It was such a small gesture, but to her it was everything. She would be okay in time, and she prayed it wouldn't be forever. Niko deserved someone who could be with him. Not just to hang out, but to be with him. Someone who would love him physically and emotionally. Someone who wasn't damaged goods.

When she would think of love making, she always imagined it would be Niko. Why it was always him that showed up in her dreams, and not some movie character she loved, puzzled her. She was inexperienced, she hadn't even watched porn, but what romance novels she read in her alone time in her room, gave her a pretty good idea of how it happened, and what would constitute as good. But the way the men had touched her tonight caused her to pause. Would she ever be able to love Niko and not think of what had happened?

Her hand on his warmed his insides. He continued to rub at her index finger, her thumb would brush against his before lying flat on top of his before repeating the action. Her touch was light and allowed him to shift gears when needed, and he secretly loved being able to do this. It was something a boyfriend and girlfriend would do going on dates. She had never initiated touch before, but now it was all she seemed to want to do. Touch.

"I will need you to be able to walk in the building, there will be too many questions if I carry you in. There is a doorman and a front desk receptionist. They know me, and which unit I live in, but they have never seen me bring someone with me." He glanced at her at the stop light, brushing his thumb against her finger again.

"I understand, is it a long walk? How many flights of stairs?" She really didn't want to think about walking up stairs.

"There is an elevator lift in the lobby, there will be no stairs." He had a parking spot out front that would allow the shortest walk for her. And he planned on not stopping to talk to anyone as he led her to the elevator.

"Oh thank God. I was getting worried about how many steps there could be."

"We are almost there; do you want anything to eat? I can stop and get you something? Or you can snack on something in the apartment. I don't have much."

"I will see what you have. I really would like to take a shower."

"Okay."

They both fell into silence as he pulled up to the seven story building. It was in a nice neighborhood and the doorman was friendly. A bit too friendly at times, and it made him suspicious of all the questions he would ask. But he didn't see him standing outside. The street was lined with cars and there wasn't a soul walking down the sidewalk. 'Good, should be easy to get her inside without being spotted.'

"I'll get the door for you." Niko turned the car off, slid the pistol back to its normal resting place, opened his door, and walked to the trunk. Opening it he grabbed the rifle and flung the strap around his neck, shifting it quickly to his back. The duffle bag came next and hid the gun from view for the most part. Next, he grabbed the shotgun and held it against his leg. He hoped the front desk person couldn't tell, or didn't care, about all the visible guns. Slamming the lid shut on the trunk he walked quickly to the passenger door and opened it.

Kate's hand extended out for him to grab. Taking her hand in his larger one, he helped her step up out of the car. As soon as she got out of the vehicle a bright flash of lightening, followed by rolling thunder, clapped overhead. The rain began to pour from the sky and started to drench them. Kate shook at the coldness and pressed herself to his side. His arm wrapped around her waist and guided her toward the front door. He kept the shotgun glued to his side, as hidden as he could get it.

Reaching the door, he pulled it open and directed her inside. The lobby was warm and dimly lit. The front desk was empty, and the TV screen was on a news channel muted. Rubbing his shoes on the welcome mat he tried to dry them before stepping onto the marble floor. Kate clung to his side and shivered constantly. He needed to get her inside his apartment so she could get out of his slightly wet jacket. Together they walked over to the elevator and waited for it to open.

The quiet ding sounded, and the doors opened. He guided her inside and pressed the 7th floor button. The doors silently closed and quiet classical music started to play as the elevator lifted to their floor. Her hands we balled in his shirt around his waist. One of her hands sat on his hip bone and every time she would clench her fingers, he would feel them dig slightly into his skin. He fought hard to keep his body from reacting.

She had attached herself to his side. She was in an unknown place and wanted to stay out of view of anyone who might see her. She had wrapped her arms around his waist and turned her face into his shoulder. She couldn't stop the shaking her body was producing and she was starting to panic. The space was small, and she felt trapped. Her heart tripped and began to race at how close the walls were.

Niko looked down at her when she shuddered harder than she had been. He could see the panic starting to form on her face and knew he needed to act quickly. Dropping the shotgun to the elevator floor, he turned her into him, and cupped her cheeks, lifting her face to look into his. Her hands dragged against his wet shirt when she moved, and she buried them into the wet fabric above the pistol in his waistband. He forced the shiver down when it wanted to rise up with the way she touched him. She didn't know what she was doing, and he wouldn't give her the wrong impression.

"Look at me Katie, nothing is going to happen to you while I am here. This is my place, and I have made sure to bring you to the safest place I can think of." He spoke softly to not alarm her, "I promise you, you are safe here."

Her hands gripped his shirt harder and her eyes shut tightly. His words calming the chaos that wanted to consume her mind. A few tears slipped out and trailed down her face.

"Please don't cry, you're tears break me."

"Oh Niko." She buried herself into his chest and held on for everything she had. She didn't care that his shirt was soaked, she didn't care that she could feel every toned muscle that lay beneath her hands, she didn't care that she stood basically naked in his jacket pressed against him. All she cared about was the strong arms that surrounded her and kept the bad images from resurfacing in her mind. She knew then, she was falling for him. Why she hadn't fallen sooner was beyond her comprehension. But here in this tiny elevator she knew she would need him, in whatever way he would give himself to her. She would take it all.

"Thank you. Thank you for being here, for letting me invade your private living space, for saving me from certain death, I owe you. I owe you so much." Her words were muffled against his chest and it took him a minute to decipher it all.

"You owe me nothing. Do not say such things Лепа (Lepa)." He had spoken in his native tongue, hoping it would cause her to smile like it used to do when they would hang out. The word fit her, beautiful. Even if she didn't say she was.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open to the high end loft. She turned in his arms to look at his place. It was refined and spacious, the large windows showed the rain coming down in buckets, and the couch looked inviting. Stepping out of his arms she walked into the space. She was fascinated by everything she saw. It was so nice, and so not something she expected him to live in.

Niko bent down and picked up the shotgun, putting his lift key into the elevator he hit the 'do not disturb' button, and removed the key. Stepping out into his apartment he watched her turn in a slow circle taking everything in. The doors shut behind him and he could hear the lift descending to the main floor. The button usually kept the lift from coming back up to his floor, unless he called for it from inside the apartment.

Walking into the kitchen he placed the shotgun down on the counter. Taking the duffle bag off, he placed it on one of the bar stools, and removed his rifle. It joined the shotgun on the counter. He placed his hand on the barrel and patted it. He had been thankful to have it with him; it had saved Kate's life. Turning to look over his shoulder at her, he found her walking toward him.

"I will take a quick shower and change, will you be okay? I will be fast." He placed his hand on her shoulder when she was close enough. He would pass on the shower if she wanted him too, even though his body protested the thought.

"Mmm yeah, if it's okay, I will go through your kitchen. Then I will need to shower." She was looking at all the cabinets and kitchen drawers, he could almost see the mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Like I said there isn't much. I won't be long." Niko released her shoulder, picked up his guns, and headed for the partition wall that separated the living space from the bedroom. Dropping the rifle and shotgun to the bed, he couldn't believe how much he had used both in the last few hours. He removed his pistol and tucked it beneath his pillow. He would reload it properly after his shower. Bending down he reached under his bed for the gun cases he had. Pulling them out he placed them on the bed next to their respective weapons. Clicking the latches open he went to work unloading and placing them in the foam slots, securing them in place before closing the lid. He quickly moved them back under the bed for safe storing.

Tugging his shirt over his head he dropped it into the laundry basket next to his dresser. Opening up a top drawer he removed a pair of boxers, and then grabbed a white undershirt tank top. Closing the drawer, he pulled open another one and grabbed a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants. He almost never wore pajamas, simply passing out fully dressed on the bed, but tonight he would have company and he didn't want to be weird in front of her.

Walking over to the bathroom door he looked back down the makeshift hallway and saw her eating a peach at the bar in the kitchen and pushing the buttons on the remote for the TV. She would be occupied for the moment, and he could shower quickly. Opening the door, he closed it behind him.

Her eyes had widened at the sight of him shirtless. His back was full of defined muscles and she could see a large purple bruise forming on one of his shoulder blades. Turning her attention back to the TV she flipped through the channels trying to find a movie to keep her mind busy till it was her turn.

Niko flipped the lights on and looked at his reflection. He had a few streaks of blood on his face, likely running down when the rain started to fall on him, and his chest had two bruises forming from where he had taken the hits to his bulletproof vest. He would remove it from the trunk before getting rid of the car later. Brucie would more than likely love to get his hands on a good conditioned comet.

He looked tired, and he was looking forward to falling asleep. Walking over to the shower he turned the nob to hot. He needed the heat of the water to remove some of the tension he felt in his body. He kicked off his shoes and pulled his socks off. Unbuttoning his pants, he let them fall down his legs and pool around his feet, and then dropped his boxers to the ground. Kicking them toward the counter he stepped into the hot spray of water and felt the relieved sigh escape him.

'What a night. First Dimitri, then Kate. I will need to take care of Jimmy soon. He will definitely come after me.' Niko placed his fists against the shower wall and leaned his forehead on them. The water was soothing the aches he felt all over. 'And I will need to tell Kate that I can't be with her till I know it is safe to be together.' He frowned at this thought. He didn't want to be away from her. He wanted to spend every waking moment with her, and even in sleep he wanted her tucked against his body. He couldn't live with her not near him. Hell he wanted her near him now. 'Who am I kidding, I would be more worried if I couldn't keep eyes on her.' But what would she think once his past was known? Would she turn away from him in disgust?

Grabbing the shampoo off the stone bench he began to scrub his hair clean. Washing away the dirt and blood from it. Rinsing he reached back and grabbed the soap and started to scrub his body. He had worked up a sweat going through the ship and killing everyone. But it had been necessary. He wanted no one left who might retaliate.

Letting the water wash away the suds, dirt, blood, and filth, he turned the shower off. Grabbing the towel off the rack just outside the glass door, he made quick work drying off. He dropped the towel on his pants and started dressing in his pajamas. Taking another look at himself he was pleased to see all the blood gone. Brushing his teeth quickly, as to not keep Kate from her shower, he finished up his evening routine. Picking up the dirty clothes and towel, he checked to make sure she would have a few clean towels to use. Satisfied the bathroom was acceptable to a female's standards he opened the door.

Kate stood on the other side holding her duffle bag. She jumped when the door opened, not expecting it to open so fast. Niko stood in the doorway of the bathroom, holding his clothes from earlier and a fluffy white towel in one arm, and the bathroom door open with the other. She felt the heat rise in her face at his lack of clothes. She was used to seeing him in his jacket, and even seeing him in a t-shirt was odd, but this? This was way better she decided. She could see how defined his arms were, and what she could see of his chest had her swallowing thickly.

"Bathroom is all yours, there are clean towels on the rack. Knobs are labeled in the shower." Niko spoke as normally as he could, he could tell she was staring at him, and the blush on her face was cute.

"W-what?"

"The bathroom, it's your turn." He smiled at seeing her turn another shade of red before she ducked into the bathroom under his arm.

"Hang on just a second." He heard the zipper to his jacket and turned to look over his shoulder of the arm that held the door open. She was facing away from him and was pulling the jacket off of her. He quickly turned away not wanting to have her catch him looking. He felt the leather brush the underside of his arm and he released the door to grab it. "I won't take long in the shower."

"Take your time, the water won't go cold." He said over his shoulder before letting the door close fully behind him. He walked over to the laundry basket and dropped the towel into the towel basket and started to empty the pockets of his pants. He placed his cell phone on the top of the dresser, he would need to charge it soon. The USB caught his attention and he figured he might as well get it to Francis, but not before taking a look himself.

Dropping the pants into the dirty clothesbasket with his damp shirt, he tossed the jacket onto the top of the dresser, and then he turned toward the nightstand. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out a lock box. Removing the key from the underside of the drawer he unlocked the box. He removed and replaced several of the pill bottles before landing on the one he wanted. Opening the container, he let three pain pills tumble into his hand. He was going to need it to help him sleep. He could feel a slight pull in his shoulder, and his back was starting to hurt. Tucking the pills into his pajama pants pocket he looked at the USB drive. It was smaller than a normal one and looked like it had been dropped a couple of times. Figuring he could take a look before Kate got out of the bathroom, he headed toward the living room where the laptop was.

Kate heard the door click shut behind her. The bathroom was pleasantly warm, and she sighed at the feel of it. Turning to the large mirror she got the first real look at herself since going to bed that night. Her hair was a mess and she quickly removed the hair tie letting the mass fall to just below her shoulders. Her face was puffy from being slapped so many times and a bruise was forming on her right cheek where the man had backhanded her for biting him. Her neck looked like a rope had been tied around it and had rubbed her skin raw. Her hand lifted to trace a red line where he had grabbed her neck to hold her still. That's when she noticed the large welts on her wrist that the handcuffs had caused. Trailing her hand down her neck she removed the torn shirt off her shoulders. A thin cut traced her collarbone, it wasn't deep, as the person had only lightly drawn the knife across her. Large blood blisters graced her chest and one side of the base of her neck where he had sucked on her skin too hard. She saw the large bite mark on the swell of her breast, he had broken the skin, and it was what hurt every time her shirt and Niko's jacket rubbed on it. It hadn't fully sealed shut and was lightly bleeding. The red flesh burned under her fingers when she went to touch it. Another thin cut ran between her breasts and stopped just shy of her navel. He had told her he would gut her if she didn't open her mouth. She spotted another nick on her ribcage from where the knife had caught her when he cut a piece of her shirt off to shove in her mouth, and another smaller one was close to where her shorts rested against her.

She hadn't realized she had started crying till she looked back up to her face. 'How ugly must I have looked to Niko and my brothers?' She wiped her tears away angrily before turning away from her reflection. Opening the shower door, she turned the hot water on, she would scrub every inch of herself to be rid of the way those men's hands had felt on her body. Letting out a soft sob she bent down to grab her duffle bag.

Placing it on the counter she opened it and saw several things. She picked out her toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and her favorite body wash. She was surprised to see them in there and she felt herself let loose another sob at how thoughtful he was in thinking about her needs. She pulled out pair of underwear, these ones like boy shorts, and she was glad he hadn't found any of her thongs. Placing them on the counter she pulled out her large cable knit dark green sweater. It was one of her favorites and it was large on her small frame and had a loose scoop neck opening. She usually slept in it when it got cold outside and the snow started to fall. How he knew what to grab made her smile, and she gave a little watery laugh. He was too good to her.

Placing the sweater on the counter she noticed a stuffed animal in the bottom of the bag. And her heart broke at the kind gesture. He had grabbed her stuffed orange and white cat. She had slept with it every night for as long as she could remember. She wasn't sure where it ended up in all the chaos but was relieved to see it in the bag. Lifting it up she kissed the pink button nose and tucked it back into the safety of the bag. Seeing several other long sleeve loose shirts, a couple of stretchy leggings, a few bras and other pairs of underwear, and a pair of her faux sheep fur lined boots, she was pleased with what he grabbed.

Closing the bag and placing it back on the floor she grabbed the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Opening the glass shower door, she placed the items on the stone bench. The hot water was causing the room to steam up and it felt good to her. Stepping out of her shorts and into the shower she allowed the hot water to cascade over her body. The water was almost scalding, but she didn't mind, it felt amazing. Letting her hair get soaked she reached for the shampoo and poured a generous amount of the lavender scented cream into her hands. She began to massage it into her scalp and let the aroma flood her senses. Making a good lather of it she turned into the water and let it rinse her hair out. Grabbing the conditioner, she repeated the process and left the conditioner in. Looking around the shower she saw the towel rack just outside the door and spotted a washcloth on the top. Opening the door, she grabbed the soft white washcloth. Squeezing a large dollop of the vanilla smelling body wash onto the cloth, she began to wash her body. The soap stung the open wounds and caused her to gasp at the pain.

Quickly rinsing and washing out the conditioner from her hair she let another sigh out. She was glad she had gone to get a wax earlier that day. It was a closely held secret, but her leg hair bothered her. And the lady who did the waxing was a fun person to talk to. She was rather loose in her morals and told Kate of all the sexual exploits she had. It amazed her what this woman knew and had been asking her questions for years every time she went for a wax. The lady had even convinced her to start waxing other parts of her and she had made a friend in the waxing lady. Her mother was never one to talk about such things and it's where she got her conservative views from, but sometimes her curiosity got the better of her. She had been asking her waxing lady questions about dating men, and what to look for if a guy, you know, wanted her. The question had made the lady laugh uncontrollably, until she realized Kate had no clue. The lady had a wealth of understanding and spent the rest of the waxing session explaining ways men dropped hints. Some rather blunt, others harder to decipher.

Her legs were bare for Niko since he rescued her, and she would have been more embarrassed having been caught in-between waxes. But it also meant the men had something else to taunt her with. He had made rather lewd comments about her bare lips, and she shuddered when his voice echoed in her ears. Getting back under the fall of the hot water she let her shoulders slump. She wasn't sure if she would ever get comfortable with someone touching her more private areas. Kind, soft, dark chocolate eyes flashed across her vision and she gulped. Yeah, maybe one day she would be able to bring herself to let Niko lay his hands on her.

Turning the water off she grabbed the other two soft towels and brought them into the shower. She wrapped one around her shoulders and the other around her waist. Pulling her hair out from under the towel she bent over and wrapped her hair up in the towel to dry. Removing the towel from her waist she started to dry off her body. The aches were starting to settle back into her muscles, and she hoped Niko had something for pain. Wrapping the towel around her chest she made sure to not cover the bite mark. She would need to bandage it. Searching the cabinets, she didn't see a first aid kit or any bandages. She would have to ask him where he kept them. Having an internal debate, she grabbed her underwear and slid them on under the towel. It mostly covered her, and did more than his jacket did, so it should be all right.

Slowly opening the door, she looked to find where Niko was. Stepping out of the warm bathroom caused a shiver to trace her spine. "Niko?" she called out into the empty bedroom and waited for his reply.

"In the kitchen." He responded back and sounded preoccupied.

Walking out of the bathroom she headed back toward the kitchen in search of her companion. The floor was cold beneath her feet and she wondered if he had some extra socks for her. Walking into the main living space she saw him sitting at the bar with his back to her and was typing something on the computer. His hand reached over to a glass tumbler and he took a sip of a clear liquid. Her feet were soundless on the highly polished wood floor as she approached.

He turned when he felt her approach and felt his face flush. He had a few glasses of vodka while she was showering, and the pain pills were starting to take effect, but what caused the blood to rush to a couple of places was her. She was standing in front of him in nothing but a towel, her hair was wrapped in another towel, and she looked beautiful to his eyes.

"Do you have a first aid kit? I need some bandages…" Her voice trailed off and she reached up and covered a spot over her chest.

Swiveling on the stool he turned to face her fully. He noticed some of the marks he hadn't earlier that graced her creamy skin, and it made his heart hurt. He saw the thin line that ran the length of her collarbone, and another one that started just above the swell of her breasts and disappeared into the towel that was tightly wrapped around them. Her hand rested over one of her breasts and he assumed that was what she needed bandaged. Getting up off the stool he closed the space between them. His eyes held such sorrow for her that it caused her to look away.

Reaching out he lightly placed his hands on the sides of her face and turned her back to him. "You don't have to hide from me."

She was holding back the tears and he could tell she was trying hard. She sniffled lightly and looked back to his eyes, "How can you look at me when I am hideous?" Her hand dropped away from her chest and he saw the bite mark. It was sluggishly trying to bleed, and it was bruising quickly.

Anger burned in his stomach at seeing the mark, but her words bothered him more. "You are not hideous, not to me. Don't ever think that. Come, let me bandage the wound, and we can get you to bed." He ran his hands lightly down the sides of her face, neck, shoulders, and down her arms to grasp her hands. Pulling her back toward the bedroom he guided her to sit on the bed. She sat on the edge, mindful of the towel and made sure it stayed covering her. She watched as he opened a drawer on his nightstand and pulled out a stiff cloth looking bag.

He placed his first aid kit on the bed and sat next to her. He folded one of his legs up and let the other dangle over the edge of the bed. She turned her body to face him and shifted the top of the towel, lowering it slightly to give him better access to the bite mark. Her breasts were pushed together by the tightness of the towel and he got a good look at her cleavage. She wasn't huge by Roman's standards, but they were the perfect size for her body, and he longed to be able to run his hands over her, to feel the softness of her skin. Her face was turned away from him again and he realized she was worried about how she looked to him.

"Kate, you know this changes nothing about the way I feel about you. You don't have to be ashamed." He turned her face back to him, "Look," he held out his arm and pointed to a long scar that ran down his bicep, "this scar is from the first fight I ever got into. The person managed to catch me with his knife, and it took months for it to heal up correctly. Do you think I am ashamed of this scar?" He saw her shake her head no. Lifting up his tank top he showed her a bullet scar that rested on his lower abdomen. It resided just outside of his six-pack and it caused a blush to form on her face. "Scars are nothing to be ashamed of, and while I hope yours will heal and you won't have to live with them, to have the constant reminder of what happened, know that I will never judge you or only see the scars. I only see you."

Silent tears fell from her eyes at his words. He always managed to say what she needed to hear. She placed her hand on his knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, it will take some time, but I had no idea how bad I looked. I looked a mess, and I can't believe you didn't react poorly when you saw me for the first time."

"I was only focused on getting you away from him. I did not pay attention till I was sure you would be okay." He placed his hand over hers. In truth he had seen her face and the bruising and wanted nothing more than to spirit her away from there. "I am sorry I was not able to stop him from doing what he did."

"You didn't let him rape me, and- and that will be something I will always be grateful for. Seeing you enter the room… I knew I would be okay when I saw you." She wiped the tears from her face, and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Niko opened the first aid kit and pulled out some gauze, skin tape, and some kind of ointment. He opened the gauze package and folded some together to form a plush pad large enough to cover the bite. Squeezing some of the ointment on the gauze, he made sure to get a good amount on it. It would help with infection and pain, and would hopefully keep the germs from spreading. Looking for her permission he scooted closer to get to work on bandaging the wound. He lightly placed the gauze on the wound and held it in place.

"Hold this while I get the tape. It shouldn't stick to the wound and will be easy to remove later in the morning." She reached up and placed her fingers against the makeshift bandage. Niko tore a few pieces off from the tape and ran them the length of the sides of the bandage. Running his fingers over the tape to make sure it would stay put. Goosebumps rose on her skin with the light touch of his fingers.

"Thank you, Niko." She whispered, not sure why she felt the need to be quiet.

He continued to rub his fingers along the tape that held the gauze to her skin and let his fingers drift to the non-tapped sides. He was trying to not imagine what kind of force would be needed to break the skin while biting down. Or how painful that would be. His eyes wandered over the other cuts and fought the image of the man running the knife over her skin. He felt his own tears burn in his eyes and closed them. He would need another drink.

"I'm going to go get my clothes on, I'll be right back." Kate stood from the bed and walked over to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

He was struggling to keep his thoughts contained. She had suffered at that man's hands, and he hated that he wasn't there sooner. Whoever had sent them was going to die a very slow and painful death. He shoved off the bed and headed back into the living room. Walking over to the computer he closed the screen. The USB would need to get to Francis soon. He didn't like what he saw and was worried there could be more someplace else. They had been tracking Kate. And from the looks of the images it had been for months. He saw her coming and going from work, a salon in upper Algonquin, and to a random apartment building over by Playboy X's place. They had photos of her having coffee with another male and he felt a small amount of jealously form in his chest at the image of her placing her hand over his. He would finish looking over the other folders before giving it to Francis. The last thing he wanted was Francis going off the deep end.

He had set up a makeshift bed for himself on the couch while she showered, as he would offer the bed to her. He wouldn't be able to be in the same bed as her, he wouldn't get any sleep. He grabbed his glass off the counter and the glass bottle of vodka and walked over to the couch. He placed them on the coffee table and headed back into the kitchen for a second glass. If he was feeling the way he was, he was sure she would want something stronger to drink before bed. Maybe keep the demons at bay while she slept.

Plopping down on the couch, he fluffed the pillows up and leaned against them. He kicked his feet up and placed them on the coffee table. He would wait for her to change, and then see if she needed anything before bed.

Kate had dropped the towel off her body once she made it inside the bathroom. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she kept replaying Niko's words. Grabbing the sweater with more force than was necessary she shoved the garment over her head. The soft cashmere caressed her skin and she smiled at the added comfort. The sweater gaped in the front and it hung low on her chest, allowing her bandage to not be rubbed. The sweater fell just to mid-thigh and she found that it covered her underwear. Bending over she undid the towel on her head and let her hair fall. Flipping it back as she stood, she looked at her reflection. Her hair had dried slightly, and it was starting to curl. She normally straightened her hair daily but knew he hadn't packed the straightener for her.

She parted her hair like normal and decided it would just have to air dry. The curls fell in around her face and she saw it hid some of the bruise on her cheek and marks on her neck. Why she was checking her appearance she couldn't fathom. But she wanted to look somewhat better than what she did earlier. Deciding to forgo the leggings he had packed she made quick work brushing her teeth. He really had thought of everything when getting a go bag ready for her. Picking up her tattered pajamas she wadded them up in her hands and shoved them in a side pocket of the duffle bag. She would get rid of them later. Checking to make sure she left the bathroom the way it was before she entered, she walked out and laid the duffle bag next to his hamper of dirty clothes.

She didn't see him in the bedroom and guessed he had probably gone back to the living room. Walking into the living space she saw him sitting on the couch and decided to join him. She didn't think she would be able to fall asleep any time soon.

Niko glanced up to her as she made her way around the couch and noticed she hadn't put any pants on. He swallowed thickly and darted his eyes back up to her face. 'Woman you are going to kill me…' The sweater was loose, but it hugged in just the right places. Her tiny waist was accentuated, and it slid along her thighs when she moved. It was incredibly sexy, and he found himself looking her over again and again. The sweater was open around her chest and he could see the bandage. The deep green made her skin glow with the contrast and he never thought she had looked more beautiful than she did right now. Her hair was curling around her face and he loved the curls. It made her look innocent and vibrant. While he liked her hair the way she normally wore it, this was natural.

"Hey, is it okay if I join you? I don't think I can sleep just yet."

He only nodded silently at her and dropped his feet from the coffee table so she could walk over to an empty spot on the couch. He sat up a little and reached for his glass of vodka. She sat down right next to him. Not as in the cushion next to him, but right next to him. He could practically feel the body heat that was coming off of her. He looked at her sideways and couldn't help the smile that tugged his lips. Pulling the glass to him he took a small sip and rested it on his thigh.

She watched him take a sip and debated if she wanted a drink. She had noticed the empty glass on the table and smirked at his quick thinking. "May I?"

Niko leaned up off the couch and pulled her glass toward him. Grabbing the vodka, he poured her a generous amount before topping his glass off and setting it back on the table. The pain pills were in full effect and he could feel the slight fuzziness that hung in his brain. His body wasn't throbbing in pain anymore and he could breathe easier now. Handing her, her glass he leaned back into the couch.

"To getting better." She said with a lopsided grin before holding her glass up to cheers.

"Ypa (Ura)." He clinked his glass against hers and downed the whole glass.

Following his lead, she downed hers and felt the burn all the way down to her toes. 'Wow that felt good!' Kate reached across the table and grabbed the bottle before he could move and re-poured herself another healthy shot before offering to do his.

He held his glass out for her and watched as she poured another large shot for him. He was feeling the buzz from all he had drank while she was showering, but he would welcome more, especially if it kept her sitting next to him a little longer.

She clinked her glass to his and took a swing off her glass. The burn seemed to dull the pain in her skin and the pull she felt against the cuts. But she knew alcohol wouldn't truly be the answer for her pain. "Do you have some Tylenol? I could use something for the pain…"

"I'll do you one better, but I'm only giving you half. They probably would have given you a prescription if you had gone to the hospital." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the third pain pill he had grabbed from his medicine stash. He knew she would be hurting and would probably be looking for something to kill it. He set his glass down and broke the pill in half, holding one of the halves out for her to take.

She took the pill and placed it in her mouth before taking another sip of the vodka. She had no idea what she had just taken, but she trusted him not to knock her out.

"You just take random pills from strangers?"

"No, and you aren't a stranger. You wouldn't give me something that would hurt me. I would think you thought more highly of me than to just hand me something bad."

"True. It's a pain killer, a strong one, I don't take them often, but night's like tonight; I know I need the extra help. Makes it easier to sleep through the night."

She hummed an annoyed sound but pushed it away from her mind. She would ask why he needed the pills later. From what she saw, he had only possibly fought one person at her mom's house, had he gotten hurt by him? Turning to look at the TV she saw he had kept it on the movie she had landed on earlier. It was a sappy movie that she would watch after scary ones so she would be able to sleep at night. The alcohol was burning in her system and she shuddered at the feeling.

Niko downed the rest of his glass and placed it on the table, he would be pacing himself from here on out. He didn't want to get drunk, and he definitely wanted to be aware of what was going on since she was in his care. He settled back down into the couch and let his body relax. He knew no one would be able to reach them here without tripping several security measures. And that fact alone made him feel better about bringing her to his place.

Seeing him settling back down into the couch, she followed his lead and downed the rest of her glass. Placing it on the table she decided she would try and get comfortable. But that would mean snuggling up to him. Before it had felt natural to just collapse into his hold, but now it felt different. It took effort and conscience thought to place herself in his arms. He must have noticed her looking at him because his eyes shifted to her from the TV.

"Everything okay?"

"Can I- um. Well that is. Uh…" she waved her hand toward him in a manner he didn't understand.

"You wish to lay on me?"

"Yes." Her face flamed bright red with her blush.

Niko raised his arm from his side and granted her access. She scooted closer and folded herself down into his side. His arm dropped down on her and pulled her in more, his hand resting on her hip. She nuzzled into his chest and felt the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of his tank top. Yeah this is what she wanted. And he smelled so good. She couldn't quite place a name to the smell, but it just smelled like Niko, and she inhaled greedily.

He felt her settle against his body and fought his own desire to hold her. She was getting close to the line he had formed in his mind. And cuddling was on the other side of that line. The side that led to other things, the side that screamed more than just friends, the side that he wanted to jump into so bad. But he would be patient. He would let her lead and once she gave him the green light, he would show her just want it meant to be truly wanted.

"The bed is yours tonight, I was planning on sleeping on the couch."

"Can I have the couch? I don't want to be in a bed."

Her answer stunned him. Was she worried it would trigger something for her? "If that is what you want."

"It is. I will be alright on the couch." She lifted off of him lightly and grabbed the edge of one of the thick blankets he had brought to the couch for his makeshift bed. She pulled the blanket up to her and covered her legs. She was getting good at manipulating him and knew how to move around him. She knew he wouldn't protest the cuddling, which really it wasn't cuddling per say, but she needed the closeness and he would provide for her. Carefully she slid her arm across his stomach to wrap around to his far side.

He knew what she was doing. She was working around his walls and getting what she needed. He didn't mind too much, but it did make him wonder what things would be like if she hadn't been attacked. If they would still be platonic friends or would she have eventually worked the nerve up and let him touch her. He would've gone slow. She had stated several times she wanted to wait, and even her brother said she wouldn't put out. But he had a sinking feeling that when she started to relive what happened, she would distance herself and push him away.

Her fingers moved in slow arcs on his side and it caused jolts of electricity to run beneath his skin. He could feel her other arm, the one pressed against his side that bent and followed his leg. She had placed her other hand on top of his thigh and was slowing closing and opening her fist. He shut his eyes and had to force his arousal down. Her hands on him were slowly going to lead to other parts of his body to be known and he knew she wouldn't react well. Her cheek was pressed against his chest and she had tilted her face up toward his neck. Her small puffs of hot breath seemed to sink into his bare skin and caused it to flush.

'Yeah, this is worse than any torture I've endured.' Had this been any other situation, he would have started kissing her senseless. He would've caressed her face and neck with his hands. Let his hands dip down to the hem of her sweater and run up inside of it to feel all her smooth skin. He would have her panting in need and would pull her to his lap. 'So not helping…'

Snapping his eyes open he tried to focus on the movie she had put on. English wasn't the easiest language to understand, but he was getting better at it. He had figured out that the two people in the movie were madly in love but refused to act on it. Why they didn't he would never know. American's had such complicated emotions.

Unaware of the slow torture she was putting him though, she let her mind wander. The alcohol was making her warm, and it was starting to cloud her mind. Or was that the pain pill? Whatever it was, it was giving her a small buzz and she liked the warm fuzzy feeling it was giving her. She wanted to tell Niko everything, so if they ever did get the chance to explore where she wanted their relationship to go, he would know what to avoid. She doubted he would rush her, he hadn't yet, and he had been nothing but caring this whole morning. The first words he growled when he spoke to the man on top of her came rushing back to her mind.

"The fuck are you doing to my girlfriend?!"

He had called her girlfriend. And in such a possessive way. It made her insides clench. Even after all the time they had spent together, and after all the times she had vehemently denied they weren't something more, she wanted that something more with him. Every other guy she had talked to, potential boyfriends, had treated her like a piece of meat. It was as if they could sense her virginity. Niko was the first guy to not ask, to not even bring up sex. He simply talked about his life, asked about hers. She had been blind and guarded and she hoped she hadn't ruined the chance to be with him.

Her eyes drifted shut as the fuzzy feeling took over her mind. It was like she was in a hot tub, the water jets making a soothing noise, the heat sinking into her muscles. She was on the edge of drifting off into the blissful oblivion of sleep. On that edge of being awake and asleep she curled herself more into the warmth of Niko's body. Her face found the perfect resting place against the soft skin of his neck just below the stubble of his facial hair. She placed a soft kiss there, and sighed out his name, before tumbling into sleep.

His fingers dug into the blanket above the side of her thigh. He had felt her shift and her elbow had brushed against the edge of his pants, just shy of brushing the tip of his member. It had caused him to force down the moan that wanted to escape him. Her face got dangerously close to his, and he felt her settle into a more comfortable position. Her lips pressed an agonizingly soft kiss to his neck, and he felt everything inside himself stop. Then the softest of whispers floated to his ears.

"Niko"

Her body slumped against him and he could tell she had passed out. But the way she had said his name brought all kinds of fantasies to the forefront of his mind. The thoughts kept spiraling around in his head and he felt dizzy. He had never had to fight himself before, he had never been with a woman who didn't want to have sex. This was new territory. And though the chase was fun, he wasn't sure how long he would last. She was a marathon, a long drawn out race to the finish line. And he was up for the challenge. But he couldn't remain here on the couch with her and sleep. He needed the space. Her smell was intoxicating.

Very carefully he untangled himself from her. He gently lowered her to the pillows and shifted her to be comfortable. Grabbing the blanket that had crumpled down around her legs, he lifted it to cover her. He grabbed a quilt from the armchair and draped it across her body. He would be sure to turn the heater up to keep her warm while she slept. He took a moment to study her; her face was peaceful, and she had a goofy smile on her lips. When she shifted, it was to bury herself more into the pillows and pull the blankets up closer to her chin. He bent down and placed a kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep well Лепа (Lepa). I will always protect you, and I will always care for you." He whispered the words close to her ear before placing another light kiss to her cheek. He would try to stay awake for a little while making sure the nightmares wouldn't start up, then he would fulfill the need to sleep. His body was tired, and while the medicine kept the pain at bay, he knew sleep would be the best thing for him.

Silently he took the glasses to the kitchen and poured himself one last shot. She had awoken a deep desire in him tonight and it would be awhile before he could stuff it back down. She was going to give him a run for his money, he was sure of it. He looked at his laptop and decided he would do some more digging on the USB before going to sleep. Clicking the off button on the TV remote, he grabbed the closed laptop and started walking toward the bedroom. He figured he'd leave the floor lamp on; he didn't want her to wake up in a strange place and not be able to see her surroundings.

Seeing the bed made him just want to crawl in and pass out. The computer could wait till later. Placing the laptop down on the dresser he went to work on putting the first aid kit back into his nightstand. He grabbed his pistol out from under his pillow and released the magazine. It had three bullets in it. Sliding the slide back slowly, he clicked it open and dislodged the bullet in the chamber. Grabbing a full magazine, he loaded it into the gun and released the slide. It made a loud click when it returned to its rightful place. He paused listening to see if the noise had awakened Kate. When he heard nothing but steady breathing coming from the living room, he returned the gun back under his pillow.

His tank top was form fitting and he knew it would be uncomfortable to wear in bed. Deciding it would just be better to sleep comfortably than toss and turn all night he tugged the top over his head and threw it toward the dresser. Remembering to adjust the heater, he walked over to the thermostat on the wall and bumped it up a couple of degrees. The air immediately started to feel warmer against his skin and it caused him to smile.

Returning to the bed he flipped the comforter and sheet back and slid into bed. His whole body relaxed into the soft cushion of his mattress. Reaching up he clicked the lamp off on his nightstand and saw that the alarm clock flashed 0430. His eyes took a minute to adjust to the darkness of the room, he could make out the faint glow from the living room lamp. Letting his eyes drift shut, he let his mind calm after a long day. His body practically shut down on him and dragged his mind into sleep. He was exhausted after all.