Tori couldn't stop herself from shaking after drinking three mediums caramel brulé latte and the fourth didn't helped at all. Ever since she came up here from the opening up and sat down to study her notes and the books.
'I should had stopped when I had my third, cause I cannot stop myself from shaking now..' She was sitting the quiet corner of the coffee-bar with the books she borrowed from the library and papers filed up on the rounding table. Her paperback next to her on the sofa as she kept reading over and over and checking up with an advanced laptop, a present from her deceased father from her last birthday. It was a risky present, but could provide for going back to school and decide who she wanted to be, if her father ended up being caught one way or another, which it did happen.
So far, she didn't learned anything good about psychics. Nothing was good about them though. Most of them were fake and ended up in jail for fraud or for stealing money from inoncent people. Others claimed to have gotten powers after experiencing a near death experience such as seeing different colors or auras on strangers's personalities or stating the past and future or even reading cards. All this from today to the ancient times where psychics and mostly women who were brought up to be burned alive, against their own will. Oh Gosh. And beasts, were they being burned too? Tori detached herself from her screen and stared at the old greying picture lying on the paper files. A paper with a picture she had stolen from Gabe's files. Duchess, Ingrid Tatiana Windsor, youngest daughter from the very wealthy Windsor family and an beast, just like she used to be once before. Looked too much alike, not only from the same DNA, but the resemblence was threatening too.
Into the exposing picture and the only one left from the 1850 century, Ingrid was described as beautiful with her long reddish hair made up into a loose braid that laid down her left shoulder. An elegant silouette which made any women envy during this time as being thin and well formed. All men wanted to have a piece of her so much like she had hypnotized them all. The dress she wore was exposing her beautiful rounding breasts from the picture and her eyes were right looking up at you with that necklace laying down between her breasts. Red necklace, rumoured to have caused death to a hundred of people on the streets and including herself as well. This woman could have been her ancestor and the only beast to have had perished with the poison leaving an struggling doctor Alistair Mcgreggor alone and infected with the poison as well.
And very much later, her father had volunteered for the testing experience that transformed him into a beast and was inlvolved into the Murfield's cursed name. But the most important question in all this-Did Curt Windsor had known about his ancestors from before and became a monster to make the story repeat itself, once again? What about the red necklace, where was the last time where someone had seen it? She had the right to know about her ancestor as well, not only Catherine and Vincent were involved into this disaster. Beast disaster to clear things in a way. It wasn't much that she had learnt, but to discover that a beast had discovered a poison that had attacked people in the past, what about today? Would it still be considered as an threat?
And where did the necklace had come from? Catherine's ancestor Rebecca Reynolds had her own, but what about the red one?
Exhausted by the unanswered questions going through her mind, Tori leaned back on the couch bringing up a hand through her hair as she looked up to the ceilling, feeling like she had lost track of time here by looking for answers she couldn't find. Which most of them were locked somewhere inside of Gabe's desk drawers. She only had managed to steal a picture, Ingrid's. However, Alistair's letters were still locked. Letters that were adressed to Rebecca, pleading her to give him one last wish, before it was too late. She had to find a way to bring them up to Catherine, even if they were into bad positions at the moment because of a man. The detective had been so nice to her, offering a way to escape from following her father's footsteps and trying to have a normal life without any harm. But Tori took it as it was for nothing and wanted to do her way-Getting revenge and get into Vincent's arms, taking advantage of him and Catherine's friendship, until everything had exploded that night.
However, her beast days were over and she wanted to make amends for the bad things she had done to them both. She really didn't want to be like her father. Becoming a monster like him. If Vincent looked far more happy with Catherine, Tori would have to let him go, either way. They both deserved to be together after all they been through. Even if it would be hard for her to let him leave.
'He had and always would have eyes for Catherine. One way or another I'd have to accept that by letting him go. It's not that I ever had learned to love him, after all, he never had promised anything to me.'
He needed her as an object and nothing more. Tori should had felt mad about it, but from how things had turned out lately, she couldn't blame him. She made him decide and bad things had happened. Vincent should had trusted and followed Cat about capturing her father, Bob Reynolds, but since she was spoiled brat and left alone in the world after Curt had been killed, she needed another beast by her side to latch things on. Selfish little brat. And Gabe? Not only the guy had taken good care of her, but she still had visions about the man slowly falling back into the beast side, one way or another. And how an deadly and ghostly pale Tyler would come and surprise her in the mirror by warning her about the ex-beast male was freaking her out. Could it still be true? Could Gabe still fall back down into his bad habbits, like she has been told? What if that cop, a man nicknamed Medina was right, from the start?
She rolled back her shoulders and went back to work, if she could control that new power of hers, by trying to calm down more and maybe meditate if it needed, then she wanted to help Catherine and Vincent in a any way she could manage. By warning them about Ingrid's story and about the red necklace bringing up an incurable poison back on earth. And the situation with Gabe would have to come up eventually.
And if the necklace was somewhere around here, it needed to be stopped before any other beast would get attached to it and get killed. And Tori didn't wanted anyone else to die because of her family's old mistake from the past.
...
Catherine really felt uncomfortable as she was walking into the quiet basement leading her footsteps to the doctor's office with her fingers fidgeting up her white and gold asian dress style as it was a way to control her stress. She managed to perfectionize her hair into a loose bun with strands of hair covering up her ears and without any make-up covering up her face, either. For a weird reason, she should have had. She was about to see Vincent. So why had she felt the need to cover herself up?
After she got herself out from the shower, she ended up receiving a text from Àlvarez-Stating that he had plans for a date and had actually had bought a dress for her. A short with strapeless red and bloody dress for the opera waiting inside of her closet and somehow, it did made her feel uncomfortable as he stated that he really wanted her to wear it for the date and with him being away made her feel guilty. Because she didn't wanted to. To feel like she belonged to him, which she wasn't it, at all. Her heart wasn't made for sell.
Since, it had already belonged to someone else. Vincent, mostly and despite the bad things that had occured to them, it just didn't moved away all the feelings she had for him. It was like an addiction and it was stuck to him. Even if she didn't liked or not. She felt her heart racing as she walked closer to the doctor's office's door. She stopped just right behind the door with pressing her palms to the old used up wood, trying to catch up her breath. It was just Vincent behind the door, no one else important was there, but just him. What could go wrong? Leaning her forehead to the wooden door, Cat tried to calm down her accerlarating heartbeat.
'Calm down, Cat!'
The last time she came up here, the two of them had a fight and it didn't ended well. Not to mention that he had witnessed Natasha's torture and the fire burning through her eyes. Vincent was frightened by her actions and dark stare. The guy couldn't believe what the hell had just occured or couldn't believe that she was capable to commit as an human being. No. Things were not so good as they seemed to look.
She managed to peek up from the half closing up door as she could watching him from behind, doing who knows what over there and alone. And for a weird reason, she felt him shake from his shoulders. These strong shoulders shaking like he was nervous or frightened by some unknown reason. Was it because of her, from the events from last night?
She had seen him kill, but killing his own kind. He never had tried to murder any human from before, until he went into an uncontrollable rage against her father, which she had no other choice to stop, even if it meant by shooting and ending their forbidden relationship. If they ever had one before. It was all a disaster. How can Vincent look up to her with all he had seen about her way of handling justice, now?
Did he started to see her as a monster, now?
Cat cleared up her throat as she knocked to the door, like any other normal stranger would do once they had reached up to their doctor's office and by trying to be polite. Quite too much, though. When he didn't answered back, she knocked up again, a little harder to make the place move.
"Not now." She heard him groan. She closed up her eyes blurting out a long sigh. It was now or never. She just couldn't stand behind that door looking like a girl with a stupid crush.
"It's me.."Oh God. Her voice sounded like it was about break a nerve here. Sounded so small like a child. After a minute of silence, Cat opened up her eyes to look back at the half open up door to peek up at Vincent's strong back who remained still, like a statue as he dropped his arms from whatever he was doing until she had come up here. And shaken from the way his breath was heard from there. Or more like it was her presence that broke him a nerve. The sensation to feel her here and near. Without waiting for an answer, Cat had widenely opened up the door and stepped right into the place while Vincent remained the way she had found him and unmoving from his spot and behind the desk. His strong back facing her face. Damn, his shoulders were shaking, from fear or from anger?
"I wanted to know-how you were doing, lately.." She had enough strength to walk up in front of his desk.
"Not so bad.." He blurted out as his hands formed into tight fists as he tried to control the sudden urge to lose control here. It looked so tempting to go and let loose from the wild. So easy.
"You don't sound fine.." For answer, Vincent scratched up the back of his neck trying to come up with an excuse to hide the insecuring feeling from her ears.
"I didn't get much sleep from last night. After..You know.." Oh she did know of what he had meant. After she left an much tortured and crying Natasha lying down onto the floor, she ordered him to get rid of her and immediately. So that no more stains would dry on the floor, until an uncontrollable hemorrhage had occured after she was gone from the basement. Cat continued to watch him, avoiding her and rolling his shoulders back as an nervous habit. He felt uncomfortable here and he wasn't the only one.
"I had to move her away and clean up the mess, later on..Like you've told me to do.."
"And the girl?" Natasha? That's what you meant? Not that she had mattered to her.
"I'll keep her sedated in order to control her stitches and any signs of infections, for the moment. It's all I can do.."
"You think, it could go bad?" What kind of question was that? It may be. Damn sure. She wasn't sure how much damage she put on the girl's body and how much Natasha would carry on with the consecquences of her actions. Or the fact that Natasha may never recover, at all? Deep down inside of her mind and whetever humanity was still left, it somehow made her bad.
Yeah. She felt bad about the girl who has to carry on with the terrifying scars printed on her flesh and for good. But deep scars were the worst to bare. She and Vincent had both known about this matter and lived with them for many years and how far they ended up so low with them.
"Vincent.."
"I might think, that it might be an possibility here.." He cut her off by whirling around to face her finally. The strong big and build man looked pale and exhausted, but angry from the events from last night, not that she could blame him. "Why don't you just go and check her, for yourself, to see, if I'm right?"His voice tone sounded much like a threat here. Which caught her off guard here. Guess, it was his turn to get angry here and he had all the rights to be frustrated here. It wasn't the first time, anyways. After all, she had explored all dark sides of him, ever since she got know him.
"I had a job to do, last night which I had succeded by following up the orders here..You knew the rules-"He slamed the desk as he could shut her up by allowing himself to growl, almost like a monster who warned to come , his eyes were burning with anger as she saw him raising his head to meet her.
"Following orders? You could had found another better way to negotiate than to wipe her apart.."
"Why? Did I freaked you out, down here? It's that why you're so under the edge here?" Did he heard Natasha's screams through the room? Is that why he looked so angrily here?
"It was all the contract that Natasha had signed. One mistake wouldn't be spared for one second. She knew she had a mistake and she couldn't get away from it. She had known, Vincent. She did know." Cat had tried to convince him, but the man here didn't looked like he could be conviced here or didn't wanted to believe that these words were coming from the woman he once had known and loved. No. It sounded more than of an undercover job for him. It sounded like vengeance and that Cat had adored every single of it. Because of the mistakes he had made and made her bore onto her shoulders, like it was a responsability for her. Vincent walked around the desk as he leaned his curves to the front and put his hands into his pockets, as he stared at her hard. A hard glance and boy, he was that close to her view from where she was standing at.
"It looked so easy for you to do it. So I wondered-The hell why not?-"
"I had different reasons and you know it. I didn't had any choices!"
"Didn't had any choices? Like you could had choosen a better life with me or even had the guts to trust me, before?"Still frustrated, Vincent managed to snicker at her face as her eyes widened in shock, but in anger. How dare he laugh at her face! He rubbed his jaw as he followed back.
"Try to do it with an brainwashed brain and let me know, if you could had done it, in your own terms! Would you have done that, without any doubt in your gut, Cather-"
"Ayaka!" She cut him off with a warning tone through her voice. Reminding him that they weren't alone here. They could be watched and heard at the moment, as Tess informed her a few moments before. Not only from the cops they were being watched or heard. What if someone from the bar were listening to them? Like one of the girls here? Ever since she caught both Anna and Eva talking to each other in secret this morning, something told her to not buy this excuse and to not go through with this date, like Àlvarez had planed. Did the girls hid anything important that she should know, by now? What about Vincent, did he knew something that she hadn't..Suspicious,Catherine turned her head to the door who remained left open, hoping that nobody had heard them from afar.
"Let me remind you that we are not alone here and that every sound and movement are being watched and heard here." She paused as she whirled her head back to find his eyes looking away from hers. How dare he could give her orders when he was the one who sabotaged everything so good into their relationship when she tried to fix everything for him? For the two of them. "You do know, that I'm working up here and that I can't be discovered here, or else my work would be done..Remember last time, when you tried to blow off my work and that I have had let you run with the gem?"
"I know.."He grunted at this thought. If it wasn't for his damn and stupid pride, he and the others would have gotten rid of that green gem of out of their sight by now. And for a weird reason, Catherine wasn't even wearing hers today, which it was a relief. Thank God.
"I still covered up for you.."
"Which it was a mistake for you to do.."
"What? You wanted me to have turned you in, by that time?"
"From way before..When you had seen me commiting these murders send by-you know who." Vincent shifted back up his eyes to meet her confused but angry ones. "I believe it would have been better for the both of us." He did looked so serious and tired here, as she could observe him through his brown orbs. Cat tried to adjust what he had just told her now as she shook up her head. was talking about surrounding himself now, after the mess they both made and endured earlier? No way. She wasn't going to let him and take the joy of being the tortured lamb on his own way. What was done was already done by now. There was no coming back to it. But he was getting better. Vincent was human despite being an beast inside and he looked like he couldn't handled an human being's pain and suffering way different than to watch a bad beast dying on the floor. Yes. He was getting better. And it killed her inside to still feel anger towards him, because of her bride and wanted to stay it that way. Her anger holding out more stronger than her feelings for her ex here. It made her blind as she exploded right here into this office without any regret. How dare, he could say that! That fool would only attract more trouble than he had already had brought now. What about her? She also had her own problems ever since he had rescued her, after watching her mother gunned down and brought her up into the beast buissiness.
"You think it would have been easier? I don't think so. Not only you had a part into this mess, Vincent, but I have made mistakes. Hundreds of them that could end up my life, if I cannot protect myself from the bad people that I know.."It meant, that they could not get away from their feelings cause one way or another they would probably be caught one day. If they weren't being careful with theirs words. She was stuck into his problems whetever she liked or not.
"Anyways, I didn't come up down here to talk up about about our problems, but one of the girls.." He blinked his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to calm down by putting his frustration away for a second. He really looked tired and pale as he couldn't shutted his eyes even for one moment here, ever since Natasha's torture from last night. As whatever things she needed to say really looked important and that looked like she needed his help. Like old times. He sighed as he raised up his head to look up at the ceiling and brought his exposed arms against his chest.
"Okay. Shoot."Waiting for the worst to come anyways. Damn, her heart almost skipped a beat when she checked up his strong and revealed arms and how beautiful and amazingly strong they looked with these muscles and veins waiting to smash anything bad. He had rolled up his sleeves which made Cat wanted for more, when she shouldn't. Vincent looked very strong, despite being a little bit pale which made her body heat by just watching him move. She shook up her head trying to shake any naughty thoughts away and went on with what she wanted to say, from the start to begin with.
"Turns out that I was supposed to go on a date with Àlvarez, tonight. It was supposed to be a surprise, but since Àlvarez got held back at the hospital, he dropped me down." She started as he followed her movements as if he could caught her up into a lie. His intense, but warming brown orbs were watching her with attention.
"Okay?" He looked intrigued as he wanted to know more about the current situation here. Catherine waved her hands as they could and help her to push words out of her mouth while Vincent kept on waiting for her to add things out.
"Talking about one of the girls, Anna, stated that she was frightened about going on a date with an old man from the russian mafia and alone, so she asked me to go along with her..To the opera. The very same one that Àlvarez wanted to surprise me with.."It got his attention as he raised up his eyebrows in astoshement. Did he heard what he just had heard there? Cause the guy looked surprised here, for a moment.
"Opera?" Cat just sighed as she rolled up her eyes as she followed her story.
"Anna's word, not mine.I know it's a little classy. But Anna really wants someone to look up for her, so she thought I could accompany her over there and not alone.."
"You mean by-Her or You?"
"Both of us. Anna told me it would be an double date and wondered if you could come with me..at the opera.." And once again, he looked surpised by her line. He must had heard her wrong here or did just he heard her asking him out on a date? He must had find her crazy now even if she tried to remain calm and still right in front of him now. And without looking embarassed here.
"She couldn't have choosen another date, if that guy is freaking her out, why couldn't she just say no? I mean she has other dates around.." It was a good point here, but wait to hear the rest of the story and you wouldn't be so pleased, had wished to wanted to scream Cat as she followed."That's the thing. She cannot since she had already accepted the money..She cannot turn back from this, Vincent. That old man had seen her picture and wanted her in exchange as for a double pay for tonight.."
"Like?"
"800,00$." At this price, his eyes went big enough to pop out here. Vincent gave her a look that looked like-Aren't you being serious here? That look that would tell everything that she really didn't wanted to see now.
"Yeah. The guy is that desparate as I can see." He whistled which she agreed, for once.
"Very desparate. I know."
"Why, an double pay, by the way?" Okay there it was the big spoiler who was about to be blown out here. Cat had to tell him the real reason now or else he would have wanted to go on his own to find the real truth from someone else.
"Because she makes him remind of he had a crush after all that time when she was held captive by her late daddy. Completely obssessed with her. And with Anna who has a strong ressemblence to Tori, she feels unsafe, but couldn't say no to an double pay, either way.."Cat watched him feeze as his eyebrows narrowed into wonder, being all serious again. Okay, now she was getting him worried here."And something tells me that Windsor had depts to pay back before he had died..Which made Anna believe that she could be better off with protection. Not only with one person, but with two.."
"And it means by us.." He understood where all this was going into. Anna needed back-up from the two of them.
"Only for one night, Vincent. I know I ask a lot, but-"
"Who's gonna take care of the girls, if none us is here when it's needed?" A smart point here.
"Like I said, it's just for one night. Tess has us covered with bugs all around the place here, including here as well..If something happens while we're away, she'll contact us and we'll come back right away.."
"She told you, that? Or you made that up?" Couldn't help but to agree with him on this point here. From the way she had spotted both Anna and Eva talking to each other as they coming out from the blond haired woman's room together. It smelled like a plot being made behind her back.
"Not quite like that, but she's aware of the date and with the fact that you are coming with me.."
"Who said that I'm going with you?"He got a little suspcious, for a moment. The two of them were still at odds towards each other and the idea of going out with someone who has quite an possible grudge on you was pretty questionable here.
"Because I sense you got a little more protected over them, ever since you got hired here, as a doctor..That you want to protect them all.." Even to protect her, as well. From Àlvarez's and Lina's dirty hands. During these two weeks, Vincent was taking care of the girls without letting himself getting too much attached, but with that incident Natasha, he was shocked by her behavior and how easy it could go to the extreme here. He looked frightened back at that night.
"Anything else that I should know and that you're not telling me?"She remembered that he could hear heartbeats from afar, including hers. Vincent would know any other way if she got herself caught into a lie here.
"Well, I just hope it won't turn out to be a set up, or else Eva and Anna would have had heard me by now..And we both know that we don't want that to happen.."Cat really hoped that Anna's date wasn't a set up, or else that red head won't get away from it and easily away from from her terrible anger. She watched Vincent rub the back of his neck as he wasn't sure if he should follow her story here. If he should trust her or not. Despite whatever her heart was telling him now.
"Hope it's not a reason to get us away from here, if it was set up.."He sighed back in defeat. She hoped it wasn't a setup to be.
"And there's something else too.."
"Like what?"
"That you have eyes on me and that you won't let me go if something bad is about to happen, from what Eva and Anna told me..That you won't leave me alone.."Vincent cursed himself in silence at that phrase by looking away as he faced the wall, like he was ashamed. That guy's actions got caught here by the workers who had told his ex that he still had feelings for her.
"I guess that old habits die hard, like they say.."And he looked back up at her. Damn these eyes so warming didn't deserved her bitterness. They were always warming and recomforting."It's something that would never and never stop. We may not be a couple anymore, Catherine, but I would never stop protecting you.."
"I can protect myself, on my very own way, you know?"
"I know that, but like I said-I won't stop even if you like it or not..As long I can still breathe here. It would never stop. Catherine."Still loyal, wasn't he? Vincent wasn't the one who would give up without a fight here like he had told her. Stating that he would never stop to protect her as long as he could still breathe, with or without her on being in danger. Old habits died hard and it somehow made her feel uncomfortable. This attracted pull was starting to make her heart bursting out from her ribcage here. Damn, this man often told her that he didn't deserved her, but there he is today. Always here with her, whenever she needed someone close. Close enough to understand and to love her. If she just could let him in, once again like before.
How could he still want and love her, after all the mess that just occured a few months ago. Where everything between them had blown up in blood. Oh God. He was so angry at her before, but now. There he was. Always there, with these pleading and warming hazel eyes that were waiting for her to take him again. This strong and willed man who was ready to die for her, in anytime. But, it could be words as well too. She had known that the new Vincent Keller could also be very manipulative as well. Look what had happened with Zhao or the time when he had held up into his houseboat all tied up to a chair and left alone. She really didn't wanted to be tricked once again. But he was so attracted up to her and waiting to be stucked up to her, like an addiction.
"Catherine-"She really needed to get away from here and right now. Cause he was starting to make her feel uncomfortable and hated to lose control here, he must have sensed it as she stepped back from him, like he was the plague himself as she tried to back off away from him, in a hurry.
"I really need to go now. I'll have to call Tess about us going to the double date and I'll inform you back once I know more.."Oh God. Please, she really had to go away from here. From him and fast. Before this pull was becoming to be more addictive than ever.
"Catherine-"
"I'll see you later.."Cat watched Vincent held up a hand as if he had tried to show her that he wasn't any harm to be frightened at. He tried to comfort her as he watched her stepping away from him. He could tell that she was scared of him. Scared of him. The Catherine he had known before wasn't scared of him, because she could always trust him back before, but now, things were just unespeakable to to describe.
"It's okay. I'll go with you, tonight.."Her eyes widened up into fear at this line. Would he really go with her, to make things worse or trying to clear them up by making amends. However, it did scared her to go through all that nightmare, all over again. And she didn't wanted that to happen. The more she stay away from him, the better.
"I know you would, but I really need to get-to go now!"And whirled away from him as she stepped out from the room with her heels in a hurry.
"Catherine, wait!"
It was the second time that she ran away from him as he would call her again and rushed out from the room and far away from him in hurry. She really needed to get away from him before he could get his hands onto her and before she could let herself consume onto him. Her labored breathing was the perfect explaination to it.
'Damn you, Vincent!'
...
Sitting on the edge of Catherine Chandler's desk, Medina looked up at the tableboard with both arms crossed against his chest. The tableboard was filled pictures and papers all over it which was a real mess cases were slowly starting to develop here. Àlvarez's case and a new one just dropped into the picture. An old case, Carl Patrownski's case who was considered a threat and was on the run, on NYC streets as he been told here. That man had no shame but to attack his wife Regan and left her for dead, back to their old appartement at San Jose.
Oh crap. Monsters like him still existed around and somehow never leave or change. Since, Patrowenski had decided to struck up again and not only, dd he attacked Regan, but her friends as well. The M.E. Ash, a certain Jeffrey Rafferty,J.T. Forbes and an very known Vincent Keller.
Vincent Keller. A name who was very hard to forget as it seemed, from what Medina had conclued. Ever since he had agreed to invastigate on Chandler's case, Vincent Keller's name kept on coming up all over and over again. But for what reason?
Medina only had come here to fix up with Tyler's murder and put Lowan behind bars, but with what proof? Could he bring up to prove that the A.D. guilty? He made calls, hundred to cover up his ass, but none had come up at all. He even had accused Lowan to his own front door and sensed that someone was overhearing the conversation which made him uncomfortable. He didn't asked any questions, but had the sensation that someone was watching and hearing their conversation from afar.
'I felt that someone was watching and hearing us and somehow Lowan had tried to hide that person from me.'
The only person that had come up into his mind was Curt Windsor's daughter, ex-heiress Tori Windsor, he had heard rumours that the A.D. was keeping her under watch ever since her near death exprience that made her look very different. Or rumours had said that he was keeping her away from Keller after she tried to track him down, being very obssessed here. Well, well, that was interesting here.
'It all goes back to Keller. First with the situation with Chandler who may had shot him, if I believe Rui's words. Then,Windsor as well since the girl used to date him after he had come out alive. Officially, I mean. But what about Lowan?'
Could Lowan be behind the problem as well? There was no report on him, during the time when Tyler was found dead. What Lowan was doing during that time? What about Chandler, what was she doing during that time, as well? Could the two of them be accomplices? Could this be true? What if Catherine and Vincent, have they meet from before? If they had, then why making up lies that turned with nothing?
"A penny for your thoughts, man?"He turned his head to see Cheng walking to his side. That guy what a silent ninja he turned out to be and mustly because he respected the dressing code here. Young and handsome man into his mid-thirties. He wore the usual white t-shirt along with the black tie coming with an dark jacket and black pants. Well shaved and his hair well combed, broad shoulders and quite tall, pretty much like an asian celebrity that all girls go crazy about. Just likre an asaian version of Steve Rogers a.k.a Captain America with a confused up past as Cheng was adopted when he was very young and the fact he had very poor health ahead of him. But not today anymore. But Cheng knew how to make it big and to be respected among other cops here, without using his pretty face from what Medina had known.
Just like a rock star would do or pretty much like Steve Rogers would do. However, Medina had a bad feeling that his partner just wasn't the exact same hero. Cause he wasn't. Just a stupid fake face as he had heard.
"I'll appreciate that very much, man.."He sighed back to his partner.
"How was the funeral?"
"It wasn't a funeral. However the parents came in two days ago to reclaim their daughter's body." And frozen. Medina had watched both parents crying as they had recognized an very deathly pale Tyler lying on that morgue table and right in front of them. He felt their pain, but for never once in his life, he had lost a child, but he did felt their pain, in silence. But at least, everything came back to normal, at least. The long wait was now over and Tyler's parents would finally have the chance to mourn now.
Could they?
They still wanted to know who killed their daughter and put her into a fridge for more experiments to be done. Cause not only there were many bruises, lacerations and scars, inluding a large one lying on the bare of her back, but the fact there was another scar on her chest. Her heart was stolen as it was ripped apart from her was left unexplained and supscious enough. Medina still felt that there was something missing into this puzzle. That something wasn't right at all.
"Anything to prove that Lowan is a culprit?"That was a question here. To be or not to be.
"It's hard when you have nothing into your hands, though"Medina looked back to the tableboard right in front of him with a frown. "I feel like walking around circles and with empty hands, here.."He didn't liked any of this. Cheng stood silent as he put his hands into his pockets as he kept on following his partner's answer.
"But I've had made calls.."And waited for them like it had been a such lifetime here. However good things often happen to those who kept on waiting. Even if it meant for an entire eternity.
"And?"
"I'm still waiting here.."Medina was very determinated here. He could hear his partner letting out a desparate sigh.
"You're not the one who gives up so quickly, aren't you?"Who told him to give up, anyways?
"You must know me by now, Cheng. I have more experience than you do when it comes to long waiting answers here."
"How so?"
"I have a long dark past with the police..And I won't stop until I get the answers that I want here."He blurted this answer out. As he felt his partner lose control here and knowning Cheng here, wouldn't never lose his patience unless it was for a good reason here. And he knew somehow what made Cheng go mad here. While Medina was making calls on witnesses who could or might give any inch of an idea about Gabe's past actions whetever they were bad or not. Or more answers about Chandler. And when he was just headed for getting luch, he ended up receciving a call from his wife, Laura. That caught him out of surprise, cause she wouldn't call him if he was into work unless it was a serious matter that he needed to be known about it. She sounded very worried to his point of view as she stated that Cheng's fiancee Thalia and good friend of hers hadn't responsed back to her, since seventy three hours ago, stating that she had vanished without saying goodbye here.
Which reminded him of something he had spotted before. He remembered peering bluish but covered with make-up spots on Thalia's face while he and his wife were attending at a barbeque, at Cheng's place this past summer. Cheng had never confided him about his relationship issues and always tried to find a good answer to explain whatever had occured to the tall slim and young dark haired woman's face.
"Oh, don't worry about Thalia. She just injured herself as she fell downstairs. You know women and their high heels, it was a matter of rushing at work. No big deal here."Laughing, Cheng had assured him before as he put a hand on Thalia's back whose stare was looking down on the floor as she was avoiding Medina and his wife's suspcious and worried stares.
However Medina wasn't dumb to avoid things like these. And from his years with the law enforcerment had taught him everything he needed to know. He knew how to recognize an abused victim and Thalia was the perfect example to be shown here. Was Cheng getting stressed because of work and that coming back at home was a way to explode his anger out at his fiancee? And now that she has been unheard from family and friends, especially from Laura, Medina was starting to ask himself some questions that often were unanswered here. But despite them going through his mind, he managed to calm down Laura, telling her that he would look into it and ask Cheng, if the guy knows anything about her going away without saying a word.
Cheng being an monster, was it possible? His fingers went through his hair to bring them back away from his sight, in frustration.
"Even if it means to put Lowan locked up in a cage, for a crime he didn't commit or remember? Give it up, Medina! You're going nowhere!"Had exploded his partner next to his side. How would he react if he had known about his fiancee being taking away, would he still react as raged like he was at the moment?
"You talk good when you're the one who abuses of his own fiancee here.."That shut him out from saying anything else here. It must had got him shocked and out of guard. Gotcha, pal.
"What are you talking about?"Santiago just managed to scoff at his shocked face, as he peered over at him. With a look that could break out Cheng's neck in a second.
"And you're saying that I'm going nowhere? Ha! Don't make me laugh here. I have good contacts to get whatever I want.."He smirked at his partner's shocked face. He got him in the middle and his eyes had shown him the truth.
"Seriously, Medina, you are mad. Seriously mad enough.."
"Call whatever you want it, Cheng. But I'm not the one who beats up his fiancee here. You think I didn't see any bruises on Thalia's arms or on her face? I'm not that stupid, you know?"Challenged, he unfolded his arms and had put his fists into his pants's pockets. He waited for an reaction from Cheng, but the guy still wasn't following any of this.
"Thalia is missing?"
"That's what I said. Or you have any other word that also rhymes by 'Missing' here?"Medina just rolled up his eyes.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Why don't you call Thalia, to ask how she's doing at moment now? I bet twenty bucks that she must be very worried about you. You didn't called her back, ever since we moved here, didn't you?"
"That's none of your buissness-"
"It might be. I mean, we don't share the same underwear, but we're partners here and we also hang out, like a lot. But I do know when I catch someone into a lie and you're doing it now.."That just drove him mad. Cheng's eyes had darkened at this statement as he stared to his partner's own angry ones. Medina didn't even flinch when the dark haired guy with the suit had cursed him and right in front of everyone here who stopped theirs movements when the two of them were having a very personal but serious argument.
"You.. . .."He growled these words in the most controlled way he could to maintain his anger towards Medina who managed to have the urge to keep up on mocking him and right in front of everyone here. He felt humiliated and exposed. Cheng felt so angry than ever.
"Hey, Cheng. Chief Ward wants you into the office and he says it's very important.."A male voice had come up to stop the argument before it could way madder. Out of control.
"Can't he wait?"His gaze was still facing his partner's laughing eyes here. He could tell that the guy was enjoying the challenge.
"Nope. He says that he needs someone to help out Detective Vargas about an old crime committed in San Jose. Some guy that wants to kill his wife and son on the run.."
"Then call the departement and inform them-"
"From your profile, it saids that you were the best negotiator into these crimes. Like you have the strategy to calm down any killer or attacker to surrender itself."Cheng just sighed at this proof as the officer in uniform followed."And to tell you this-Ward had already called the other departement, but still needs your help and with Vargas and Chandler who don't want their cover to blown, they might need your help now. Mostly Vargas who is at Ward's office. She has her hands full enough.."Groaning and annoyed, Cheng can't put the blame on her for that. Women shouldn't be allowed to be cops if they kept on whining on the job and whining on how it's hard enough to jungle between three files here. Like he and Medina had managed to handle so well. They were involved into many here. First Tyler's murder and body had been found. Second with Gretchen Hermandez slaughted and butched to death, at the hospital. Third with Alicia and Helga being dugged out from theirs graves and fourth, Yalena Sandler who was brutally and sauvagely attacked into her cell which injured two officers at duty here. The only difference here was that Sandler didn't die and was still fighting for her life, at the moment being. Which sent Detective Catherine Chandler into undercover to track Òliver Àlvarez's Sandler husband and stop him.
And from what he had heard from FBI Agent Dana Landon, Àlvarez may have been involved into Child Trafic and wasn't acting alone here. It was way more than a simple matter of husband beating up his wife and right in front of his daughter who is still missing here. He didn't know much Chandler, but he did know the risks of going into undercover with personal feelings, especially for the unresponsive victim. It was a risk, but worth to be brave enough.
"Cheng-"
"I'll be on my way!"And right back to Medina's frowning face, he replied with a pointing and threatening finger. "This conversation isn't over, Medina.."And rushed away as his partner watched him walking and rushed upstairs away. Liar, liar. Medina hated liars and professional liars.
The guy really thinks he could get away with this? Oh No. He wouldn't and Medina wouldn't allowed to happen. If Cheng had anything to do with Thalia's missing, he'll do anything to prove it.
His vibrating phone had shook him out from his reverie and hung up, not seeing the identity or phone number who remained private.
"Medina."
"Detective Santiago Medina?"
"Myself here."
"This is Nurse Sarah McAdams from St. Bellevue Hospital, here. You called me a few days ago about the woman who was found dead. A certain Tyler Stevenson. You told me if she had came up here once before for attending bruises and lacerations, right?" He did remember when he had gone through this hospital when Tyler's parents had mentioned that she had a medical file open and went there once in a while.
"That's correct, ma'am."Finally something was getting interesting his supscious concerns about Cheng's unsual behavior, Medina sat down at the desk and took out a blocknote as he started to take notes and messy notes as McAdams kept on explaining her view of the story. His brows narrowed in concentration as she sounded hesitated on the phone. Like she was afraid to commit a phony by exposing a patient's background to a police officer without any permission here.
"I don't think it's much, but she did went here by emergency, at the middle of the night.A year ago, around October, the 13th 2012. EMTs rushed in and I was working double so. I went there as I usually do. Turned out she had gotten herself slashed-"
"Wait, wait a minute here. What do you mean by gotten herself slashed?"
"As if it was by an tiger, it looked like, I mean. She was bleeding from the back. Tiger's claws as I could say."
"She was conscious?"
"Not quite. She kept on fading all time, before she was rushed into surgery. She did looked critical and was keeping on losing blood, that night."
"Who else was there at the emergency? I mean other than doctors and EMT, back then."
"Other than myself and all the team, there was a man. A tall dark skinned with messed black hair wearing a blue sweatshirt stained with blood all over, dark jeans. He looked very shocked and trembling like a shaking little flufy dog.."Pretty obvious guessing that he might now who was the man during that destraught moment when Tyler was trying keeping on clutch into hope that moment.
"Did he gave a name?"However, Medina had already had known about that man's smirked playfully here.
"Oh, he sure did. Gabe Lowan, Assistant of the D.A's office and her boyfriend.."
Gotcha. Hendricks may sent him in hell for making him wait, it just didn't mattered anyways. He had McAdams's confession into his recorded phone and may have to interrogate the EMTs and doctors team, especially those who rushed inside of the hospital with an nearly fading and bleeding Tyler and her so respected boyfriend and distraught Gabe Lowan at her side. He had to act fast, before he could rush in and ask for a warrant in order to arrest Lowan.
Catherine Chandler would have to wait for a bit. He had come up here to bust up Lowan, sure, but he had another case to handle and it was 'The not so-innocent female cop' who was probably into undercover by now.
He still had to find a way to make her speak the truth.
And if she doesn't make things any easier in his way, he'll use Vincent Keller as a bait in order to get into her weakest and emotional point.
Like he had mentioned before.
He hated liars.
...
Tori knew that she would be violating a few rules by penetrating into Gabe's place, especially when he first gave her the shelter she needed at the first place after she was discharged from the hospital with the weird sensation of not feeling normal after that near death experience she went through. She looked behind her back, worried and hoping that she wouldn't get caught by anyone else around for a second and turned her attention right back to the door as she worked to unbolt the door's lock with a spair key that Gabe gave to her a few weeks ago.
As for the alarm. It was probably desactived. Probably because he was too 'busy' to notice it.
But he had a few important papers and possibly all the answers that she needed to know. Mostly, Catherine and Vincent would to know about it too. A strange liasion between Alistair, Rebecca and Ingrid, including with the red gem necklace she had wore back in the day that provocated many deaths, including Ingrid's. She believed Gabe had hid them somewhere into his desk or somewhere inside of his appartement. She had to get to them, before he could get rid of them and quickly. And since he was busy on handling things with his lawyer, he wouldn't notice the difference if something ended up missing, but only if he was smart enough that figure that someone was snooping around his work place. Stealing was bad.
Click. Yeah, it did work. The lock had been unlocked as the door slowly opened on its own here. The thing with the hairpin worked. Pretty much like it would had worked into the movies.
She gulped as anxiety was rushing into her blood as she gently pushed the door as she first stepped inside being quiet as she could and disarmed the alarm of the entry as she often had spied Gabe doing it before leaving for work and closed the door behind her back. She took a look around as she clutched to her paperback, worried. She wondered where would 'The supscious A.D.A. would hide such important information? Under his bed, under the cushions the pillows from the couches, behind the TV? The kitchen, his work desk. The basement or the bathroom? Where?
She wouldn't know if she still stood up here, like a terrified statue. So with a desparate sigh, Tori decided to make her move as she started to look everywhere into the appartement.
Here comes nothing.
...
Late at night, Lina felt a little bit better as she dragged herself to go the bar to help out an very stresfull Olga who was trying to make up martinis or three of them without crushing them down on the counter as a clutz act.
Couldn't blame the girl with the golden and strapless dress here. With her curly dark blond hair was into a mess and mascara threatening to fall, Olga was an hard working girl but could barely understand english around the louding music and dancing floor with the coloring highlights here flashing at them and enough to make them blind here. It just stressed her all night long. Olga looked like she was reaching her limits by now. She really needed a time to regain her breath and to be under control here, or else someone would find out and would report her helpless behavior to Ayaka. Lina didn't really need another dancer to be attacked, especially after what happened to Natasha. You behave bad, you get punished. That were the rules, whatever they liked or ex-dancer put her hand on the dark haired girl who turned her head back at the person who touched her shoulder, startled. Eye widened like she had seen a ghost here,Olga almost dropped a glass when she felt Lina's hand as she tried to assure the young woman talking her language with a bad russian accent.
"Ne napryagaytes', chtoby razdrazhat' kliyentov bol'she, chem eto.Otdokhni vmesto etogo, ya zaymus' vsem ostal'nym" Don't strain to annoy the customers more than some rest instead. Which was not quite the good translate conversation she tried to have or to convince Olga to step down, but it was better than to have her deal with an emotional breakdown from stress. The girl with the dark hair just shook her head as she denied her offer. Olga was too scared to refuse anything, including the orders that she's been ordered to do so, ever since she was a toodle. She was used to work, no matter what it was , she'd do it without asking anything back, just like a good and obedient girl.
"Can't. Have to work here.."She followed with an apolegy here as if she had been ordered into since the day, Lina got herself injured and that Olga had volunteered to help her out.
"I know, but you can't show your emotional distress towards other people, it would only frustrates them here. Damage them."Lina could tell from how customers were acting towards Olga's behavior here, by getting more angry would only stress the poor girl here. And despite taking Vincent's advice to stay home and relax, Lina just couldn't leave the girls alone here. She just couldn't. She felt like it was her responsibility to take care over them, after all; they were here because of her and because of Àlvarez. Natasha, Olga and Kayla were the more vulnerable ones, than Anna and Eva who were born here along with Alicia, Helga, Gretchen and Yalena. These bitches, they never got the chance to know what it was to live under fear. Too bad, they got away with death.
"You need to rest. If you cannot, then go and take care of Natasha and ask her if she needs anything else, like make sure if she has any fever or that she needs to get bandages changed by now. You see, is at some rendez-vous with Ayaka who is watching over Anna and her date by now."Lina tried to convice the girl to give up on her duty by going over to see if Natasha needed anything else at her room here while Vincent was away at the moment.
Just a few hours before at this evening when she came back into the club wearing a simple blue sweater and dark pants, Lina spotted Vincent getting out from the basement as he wored a nice and dark tuxedo with a dark tie instead of an dark bot knot tying him up his breath out. He really looked dashing and amazingly fit with the broaded shoulders and his his sculpted abs right behind that white shirt and that dark west. Nicely shaved and his hair well combed back and amazingly strong like a superhero would look, Lina thought she would fall over him as he walked passed at her as he said three things without looking back. "Hi and Bye."
Which had left her upset, but made her heat go nuts. Damn, that Ayaka. She sure was a lucky but bad girl to have him all over for herself here. And somehow, Lina was jealous. She couldn't go after him, because of that stupid disease she's carrying, but hated him to after a vicious and monstrous girl like Ayaka. Ayaka didn't deserved a nice guy like him, at all. Cause she was bad and very bad.
And fake, somehow. Lina had sensed ever since Ayaka had first stepped here and made things go chaos. And Esperanza in all this? She took off to who knows where, right after Ayaka was hired as an hitman and bodyguard.Àlvarez wanted her for sex, which she continued to refuse his offers, by taking her job very seriously here. Even made Vincent go nuts around her,when she wasn't even didn't liked the atmosphere that Ayaka made her feel and felt like she had seen her somewhere, but where? That woman was entirely fake. Which made her drive nuts here.
"Lina?" The ex-dancer shook her head as she tried to get rid off her bad thoughts away from a second as Olga called her back, worried with her broken english accent. "Lina?"
"Go and find Natasha, Olga. It's an order and don't make me repeat here.."She ordered back as the girl had noticed her going a little dizzy as if it was about thinking of Ayaka and Vincent going out together tonight and doing who knows what, later on. Don't go dramatic, Lina. It's Keller's private life, who cares about if his heart gets broken about a bad girl like Ayaka?
"Ma'am-"
"Just get the hell out of here!" Damn that little thing was getting into her nerves as Olga fled away from her sight in hurry. Damn, what kind of life Olga is gonna have if she continued to act and stay in fear for the rest of her life? She ran back her fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes, frustrated by Olga's scary attitude and her own anger one.
"You know, she was just trying help when you were still recovering from your stupid hand injury.."Letting out a deep sigh, Lina managed to calm down and opened up her eyes to see Eva walking towards the bar, looking quite different and a little too much confident from what she looked like, tonight. Eva had curled up her blond and bleaching hair, wore an black short top dress which its straps held up to the back of her neck which revealed her a long V-decollete and the form of her breasts looking marvelous here and bare back entirely exposed, but covered the rest of her buttocks's form. High heels with the same color and fixed up her make-up with these fake eyelashes and a deep red lipstick for her lips.
Not quite like Marilyn Monroe, if Eva tried to look like her, Lina would believe that she had failed.
"You do know that I'm not normal here and that I can get sick with even a small cut here. So if I were you, I'd shut up, you know?"
"Okay. You don't need to get on your horses here. I was just trying to tell my point of view here. Don't get all dramatic.."
"It's just that Olga can't keep acting and accepting nonsense from people she doesn't know. Living in fear won't help her, at all."
"She has the right to be afraid. I mean just look what happened to Natasha. That bitch didn't held back and had beat the creap out of her. Even, the new doc was shocked by her own doing, you know?"had followed Eva leaning her elbows to the bar counter which made Lina look uncomfortable here. She felt like Eva's breasts were fixing her up and from the way she was dressed, it meant that she was having a date. Lina looked up at the blond haired girl, suspcious. Eva must have a good reason to be this confident here, which it was weird and fishy as well.
"You're going on a date?"
"Not only one, but two. I have two dates here.."Two dates, at the same or different times?
"Tonight?"Lina had blinked towards the girl here.
"Yep."
"You're not gonna be a little exhausted with two dates?"
"Nope, while I'm still young and beautiful, I can handle it. Two men at the same night won't scare me."Like a sex machine, look how things turned out for the ex-dancer here.
"Have they seen your picture?"Like it mattered. Customers had tendency to choose whith which of the girls they wanted to sleep with and with one person was enough, but with two..Girls would need to get themselves prepared for more supplies to come. However, Eva shrugged her shoulders by looking away, annoyed by her questions. Cause the pictures thing didn't mattered to her, at all. Like she could give a damn to it.
"Yup, they both did and I had agreed to take them on my schedule.."But there was more than Lina believe to hear. Something that Eva wasn't telling her.
"Why not asking anybody else? Like Anna or Olga? Instead of taking everything into your hands?" Two at once was too much to handle.
"Anna is out with her date and needed Aya and Keller as back-up, in case if she needs any saving, over there and Olga? She's not so ready from the way you unleashed your frustration out at her face, like a beast."had corrected Eva as she looked down to her manicured nails with a mocking frown to her face. "It doesn't help the situation, by having crying baby girl with a man atop of her, you know?"
"What about the other?"Eva kept on shaking her head as she declined the idea of sending any other girls than herself here.
"Not possible. She's not here for sex and you told me, about it.."
"She won't have any choice if she's not a match-"
"Doesn't matter. Kayla won't go through it-"
"She would have to. Men like young girl-"
"No!"
"Eva-"Lina got cut off as the blod haired haired woman had slammed the counter hard. Her eyes were boilling with a mix of anger and sadness close enough to explode here.
"She won't go through it..And that's it!"But the barmaid shook her head as she remind Eva the exact rules from the beginning. Telling her that there were consecquences to face if they weren't followed. Rules that she had agreed to follow, ever since she had moved and signed here. The hitman, for example.
"Remember, if this matter goes right through Ayaka's ears, you'd be screwed and I wouldn't be able to help you. You know that?"But much to her shock, Eva just scoffed at her face laughing out.
"Just like you closed up your eyes when Alicia and Helga begged you for help? You let them getting themselves killed by the hands of a monster. What about Gretchen? Did you and Àlvarez had ended up by silencing her up so that Lena would take the blame for her murder?"Feeling caught into this mess, Lina held her breath through her throat as she felt her shoulders shaking with fear. Where did Eva heard about this nonsense of these faking words? Did Lena had blurted out a few words from way back?
"She hid his daughter away from him-"It was a bad excuse.
"And had to sent the same monster who killed both Alicia and Helga to attack her into her cell?"Looked like the blond haired girl had known too much here. Too much for her own taste and her own good. Lina remained stunned at this as she followed with a calm and firm voice, trying to be courageous, even if she wasn't.
"It wanted to finish her off, because she was being too noisy around the club. She wanted to bust Òliver to the cops when it needed him to keep him alive. Lena was keeping his daughter away from him. Which meant by kidnapping a child-"
"Probably Lena would have rathered to die than to deliver her own daughter into the hands of a devil man like Àlvarez! That's pure blackmail, Lina and you know it!"had cut off the angry woman. "Kayla is not even a teen and would not be treated like a slut.."
"Says who?"Eva just gave her a glare as if looks could kill the soul. These brown eyes weren't kidding.
"Says all the girls that lives and works for you and Àlvarez. As long we all shall live, Kayla would not be touched by any men.."That oath coming out from her mouth was quite convicing as if it was coming right from a stupid sorority and stupid film. But anyways, Lina tried to stay calm as she pointed the blond haired woman with her finger up at her face as a warning that she wouldn't dare to forget anytime soon.
"Just wait for Ayaka to hear this and she wouldn't go any on easy on you. For covering for a slut.."
"Like I said; Kayla wouldn't be touched and it doesn't matter, if Ayaka has to beat me up for covering her up here..We won't let this happen. I'll make sure it won't.."With a warning glare, Eva walked away from the bar as she walked to another table where a man who looked to be thirty and was wearing a silver suit was waiting for her with his friends who were sitting at the rounding table with him. Lina watched the blond haired girl getting all friendly with them all as she sat down into the man's lap with her thighs on his front aera feeling very sensually as she grabbed and put his hand to grasp her breast, making him dare right in front of his laughing friends as she rocked and rubbed him, fully clothed and all that. Well the guy was , but not Eva cause other than wearing that black dress, she had nothing else underneath all that. If the guy wanted sex here, Eva was going to give to him. It didn't mattered if it was in public or in private.
What a bitch. Eva thought she would get away from hiding Kayla forever, but she was just wrong. She wasn't the one who made the rules here. Couldn't decide what was right or not. One day, Kayla would have to come out if Àlvarez doesn't get his hands on her, at first. It was sad, but who said that life was fair?
Through the loud crowd here, Lina took out her phone and texted a message to Vincent to warn about Eva's behavior and to tell Ayaka to come over to the club, once the date at the opera was over. Not sure if they had any Wi-Fi, but it wouldn't hurt to try anyways.
Just wait for Ayaka to come.
And once Ayaka comes back from her date with Vincent, Eva would be begging for mercy.
...
Everything looked so giantic and elegant here, too much for his own taste. So much that he felt so small. Vincent gulped as he looked around being nervous here. Surrounded by hundred of unknown people into elegant gowns and tuxedos and without any desguise here or without any masks. These people were having fun all chatting, laughing and drinking expensive which servers would call and offer a glass of champagne walking around the ballroom with waltz music sound coming from the violonists players who were playing at the background. All orchestra was giving him the creeps as he was standing alone here waiting for either Anna or Catherine to show up at the stairs right behind him. Sweating like a maniac. He felt like he running out of air here. Must be the tie or the entire tuxedo that was starting choke him off. Make him feel tight into this rented costume of an penguin.
He felt like he was about to die here. All these charities and parties with Tori didn't quite helped him to get over anxiety, after all. It was still a hard challenge to go through it. But he had accepted this supposed date in order to help Catherine on keeping an eye into one of the strippers's protection. Anna, the exact mirror of an certain ex-pretending girlfriend whom he wouldn't pronounce the name aloud here.
Where were they?
"Champagne, sir?"A male's voice had startled him out of his reverie as he gasped out in shock. Getting a little jumpy here. Vincent turned around as he composed with his accerlerating breath and not to forget his own rushing heartbeat as he stared back at the waiter holding a tray with a three flutes of champagne on it. That man looked so young much like his own nerphew Aaron. "Are you okay, sir?"
"No, thank you.."
"What?" Vincent just shook his head as he held up a hand, telling the young guy that he didn't wanted any drink. He declined his offer, with politeness. Damn, he felt like he was burning up here.
"I..I..I mean about the drink here; No, thank you about it..And I'm fine..Thanks.." Way too much jumpy. That place reminded him of too much and unforgattable memories. As the waiter walked away, Vincent closed his eyes as he ran his fingers back to his hair, frustrated and feeling embarrassed by his behavior. Which it was weird. Cause he should have had known about the stranger walking by his side or even sensed him by afar from here. How come did he missed it?
Too much stress. And maybe of the gem that Catherine had wore ever since he started to work at the club, as a doctor. It made him be vulnerable and mostly weak, just like the time when he felt his heart aching, not only because of the pain he had to go through with Catherine, but in physical pain as if he was about to have a heart attack in any second.
"Vincent?" He opened up his eyes as he slowly turned around to face up whoever had called back to see a dark haired but beautiful wowan coming downstairs. Breathtaking sight.
Catherine didn't mentioned on how she was going to be dressed as, but the sight was enough to make his heart miss up its beat. Her long brown hair was were into loose curls laid on her right shoulder. She wore a beautiful but simple and elegant silver gown not too long, with sleeves along with a beading bodice covering the corsage with pearls, clutching up a small purse with the same color. Silver earrings with pearls hanging on her wore light make-up with mascara and eyeliner to give her eyes some volume. But however, not too sexy, but just naturally beautiful from within. Just natural. Vincent knew it about this fact. Because Catherine was simply beautiful from inside and outside. She never had the urge to be someone that she wasn't. Nor too sexy or too vulgar much like other girls would go for to please a man or themselves. But she wasn't one of them. There was only Catherine here to his sight. And Ayaka was nowehere to be found. Or any stupid gem here or not.
Much to his relief.
He felt so hypnotized for a second. Hypnotized by her beauty. He felt like he was projected right back into that moment, when he had first stared out at her walking down on stairs with a beautiful red and long mermaid dress. Her hair into this magnificent and braided bun, her make-up mask, these red tasting lips. These eyes that laughed at his relieved features when he was able to control his beasting out anger towards an terrified and bald guy with a dark suit. Catherine was so breathtaking at his eyes and still was, today. Strong like a warrior. Not a princess, but a warrior.
And when he had rushed downstairs to kiss her, when she had to leave him once the mission was over. This kiss, he wished it would had lasted for forever and ever. So passionate and full of love. Vincent remembered rushing down on the stairs to brush up his lips to hers as the two of them shared an desparate and wanting kiss. A dream and a memory that he would forever cherish until the last days of his life. Even if she has to hate him for the mistakes and pain he had made her gone through for a very longtime, ever since she had found him, as a total and different man now.
But he wanted her. Her body and her undying love right back to him, so badly. Everything, he begged. He stood stunned as she approached him with a raised eyebrow, questioning herself as if he had any problem. Oh God. She was so close to him. Okay, not as much. But still, close enough feel her breath and the fact that his rushing heart wanted to explode out from its ribcage. Oh God. She was so beautiful..
Come back, come back to me, Catherine! Please, I'll be a better man!
Damn, he couldn't stop himself from begging. She only attracted him more and more that only drove him blindly couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was so damn trapped. It looked like he had just found her after looking out for her from a very longtime. So damn long. He missed her so much.
"Uh, Vincent?"
"Uh? Oh! I..I'm sorry. I got distracted for a second.."He blinked out from his thoughts as he stepped back from her in a way to regain his balance. What a way to greet a lady. Cause the woman here was quite, don't know how to say it, but a little concerned?
"You're sure, that you're okay?"She still didn't looked much convinced. Vincent just nodded as he wanted to assure her. Damn, not only Catherine had left that stupid necklace away, but she still made him feel dizzy here. Not only because of her beauty, but there was something else wrong here that he just doesn't have the slightest of the clue, anyways.
"Yeah, I'm fine.."He shook his head trying to calm down his rushing that woman was making things hard for him and with her beauty which didn't help. He cleared up his voice as he went back into bussiness, hoping he'll get over his dizziness while she patiently waited for answer.
"So, are we supposed to wait for Anna and whomever her date is by now?"
"From what I've heard, they were supposed to have shown by now or else what we should have seen them at the entrance. Since, our leading lady needs a chaperone to look after. If anything goes wrong here.."She shrugged back with a sigh. It wasn't like she had much choice but to come up here, by the way.
"And the guy's name is?"
"Ivan Smirnoff.."Cat looked behind for a second as she and Vincent were being watched by other unknown and glorious people who were walking by and moved a little closer to him, with her voice lowering down."Tess did a quick check up on that guy and came out with the info that he had a few incidents with Curt Windsor, from years before.."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Apparently, Windsor had made a lot of ennemies and had money problems at the beginning of his career. He may had or not loaned a lot of money back then. Especially from the russian mafia here.."Money problems, uh? Not only Windsor had a threat of getting himself killed, but also had a bad experience with other and most unrecomended people of the streets. The organized crimes."Smirfoff had offered him his help to succeed, but you know how things are always ending up when you have to deal with blood money.."Vincent nodded at this statement as he frowned. It always ended bad with blood money.
"And Tori in all this?"Turns out that even after put into ground, Windsor had other and serious problems that he didn't had the chance to clear and the fact his own daughter had something to do with it made things uncomfortable to handle. Especially, when an old and powerful man had an serious obssession with her. Vincent even wondered if the old man had figured out the differences between Anna and Tori by now. Would he report it back to Catherine about that problem or not?.
"Obessession, maybe? I believe Smirnoff wanted to get back at Curt in a way to destroy him, by using his daughter as bait and that turned out to be an obssession. And even with Windsor being dead, it won't change anything at all according to Smirfoff's plan.."
"Well the guy is not that young anymore. He wants it's own fun here.."had admitted Vincent back with a scowl. "Anything else that Tess had informed you?"Not to forget that the other female cop was in between cases here. Catherine's and maybe Regan's. If J.T. had the guts to spill things out, of course.
"Not much, though. She's been too busy about meeting up Ward. So, she had put up two officers do the check up at the club and if everything goes wrong while I'm not there, they'll contact her so that she could catch me up back.."So Tess was being busy at the moment or so and with Catherine's captain, but what about Medina? The other cop that came and bust Gabe's ass about Tyler's murder. Would he also force him to tell him the truth, about beasts as well? Would he take the risk to be exposed?
Not about to happen.
No way.
"That sounds like a good plan.."It was only a date, nothing else did he expected? But he still wanted to spend the entire night here with her and without any , he moved foreword to the plan."So, what's the play for tonight?"
"I did look through it and it turns that and his lady would go to see La bohème."
"What?"Cat only rolled up her eyes at him, annoyed as if he had never heard that word from elsewhere here. But who could blame him? The guy was locked up from the entire world for at least eleven years and hidden into a old and lost warehouse with his only and best friend. Cat wasn't sure if she shouls tease him about it or not from the way he looked down at her, confused as he looked quite cute with at face, as she explained him. The story behind the story, here."La bohème, by Puccini. You've never heard of it?"
"Nope."Vincent shook his head as if she just had spoken to him into another language than english. He never took any interest into opera or was fond of it. She put her fists onto her hips in wonder as she looked up to him.
"You've seen Rent before didn't you?"He rolled his eyes back up by trying to work up his head for a moment, before he had blurted anything out, hoping he won't sound like a idiot here and in front of her. A few kids fighting for freedom and to love one another despite the hard conditions they were facing and diseases at christmas's time, way back to the very early nineties.
No day, but today. Live into the moment with friends and family while you stil can, cause you don't know if you're gonna live to the next day. It was a good lesson. Vincent frowned.
"You mean-A couple protesting adults that sang on tables at Christmas's time and yelling their own way of freedom and to love the same sex and fight AIDS? I sure did.."He must have had during those lonely years where he had spent hiding in that old warehouse with J.T. Kids singing 'La Vie Bohème' had resurfed right back into his mind.
"Well, it was based on the opera, genius.."He blinked as he stood impressed to her for real? It was based on the opera?
"No kidding.."
"Nope. I'm not.."
"So it's a remake?"She chuckled in a softly way that he also loved to hear as far as he could remember. The way her nose was wrinkling in a cute way, like she was blushing at her first crush. Quite like the Catherine he had used to know from before.
"Not quite. If you add some rock'n roll and HIV virus instead of opera and tuberculosis, it stays the same story, but not for the ending..According to Puccini's story.."Speaking of deadly viruses that he really don't want face in any day. He felt like she was hiding something, mostly the ending.
"It's still ends okay, just like the musical, right?"He narrowed his eyebrows together as she made up a grimace, trying to look innocent.
"I don't know about that point, but we'll see.."She wasn't helping him that much, but it was always better to keep the best punch to the end. Catherine looked around from their corner and noticed that more people were starting to show up here. Feeling unerved by their presence, she looked back at Vincent who looked far better than she looked.
"I think we should probably go by now-"As she passed by him, he managed to hold up her elbow from running turned her head back at him who stared up at her, annoyed about something that she couldn't describe on his face. Or trying to not burst out into a laugh here.
"Don't you forget something here?"She gave him a weird stare at him as if she had no idea of whatever he was going to tell her later on.
"What?"
"We're supposed to look like a couple here-" She stepped back from him as she released herself from his hold, looking up at him in a strange way as if she didn't get his idea of how a normal couple should look like and with him as well. But he did told her the truth as he looked serious enough. It was part of her plan to invite him here so that they could watch Anna and her date for tonight.
"Just for tonight-"
"Yes, but we also need to act like one here or else you wouldn't have invited me for nothing if you didn't need any help. So, let's act like one."He showed her up his arm to her with a nod. She just frowned at this ridiculous manner."Shall we?"Her eyes shifted from his arm to his eyes and way back in forth as he waited. It was too late to turn back from this precious gesture, either way now.
"I guess so.." With a slowing move, Cat slid her arm under his. A quite strong and built bicep as she could feel her hold onto his and tight as he held her, like she was precious to him. Which made her feel anxious and burning with desire here. He made her feel like that. Stuck under his hold.
"Damn, your heartbeat's going up fast here.." He told her."Just calm down. I'm here with you.." Cat looked up to find Vincent's warming hazel eyes looking down at her as she need comfort from him. He looked far more human and less of a monster here. Just the man that she always wanted to be with from the start.
"Okay, let's go.."Damn, her free hand was clutching hard on her purse as she tried so hard to overcome the invisible butterflies that were into her stomatch. Fighting the temptation off, even if she didn't wanted to..
...
"Did you saved all the data you need for tomorrow?" Too focused to be distracted by his assistant's voice, Ash made a few touches on his computer as he cleared up old autopsies reports, including Tyler's, which it wasn't much to be explained other that she had been shot to three to five times and to have her heart ripped out as being locked up wasn't any worse than it was by it.
"Yeah, I'm good for now.." It was already late and he planned to leave to have lunch with Jeffrey and Regan and probably to talk with Vincent and J.T. about catching Carl on their own. He did have second thoughts and was seriously considering of surrundering Regan's attacker to NYPD by now. Damn, he was scared, cause it would be the second time that he might have to turn his best friend over again to the eyes fixed the blinding screen as he waved his hand toward his waiting and female colleague to go home."You can leave, Tanaka.."
"See ya, tomorrow, old man.."He heard the door closing which meant Tanaka had left the office. She was a cute and smart woman to have as a worker and smart and as badass to put a man right back into his place. He knows it, because he had been one of them before. She wasn't afraid of anything, unless it was failure. She did looked pretty scared when she found out that the had lost some important results, that's for sure and felt very awful about it. But what was done was done now. They weren't one hundred percent sure enough if the girls had been sick with transmitting diseases or with something else. Cause if they were, he and Tanaka might be into trouble. She was always being careful with evidence and never had made any mistake. If she hadn't, then who did stole the evidence? Ash shook his head, getting unwell thoughts running back into his head.
Damn, Tanaka..
Why would he start to date someone? He shouldn't be into it! By the way things had turned out to be now, especially now that Regan has returned. It was a little complicated to relax.
"Old man, yourself. Right.."He scoffed as he finished to save his important files into his USB key as he closed up his computer. But as Ash brought up his suitcase onto his desk, his lying phone had ranged up as an alarm clock had would. With a sigh, he grabbed his phone and answered without looking up at the person who was calling him as he brought it up close to his ear.
"Yeah?" He asked as leaned his back at the chair, feeling exhausted after a long tiring day.
"Ash?"
"Yup. What's up, J.T.?"Ash rubbed his eyes as the man at the phone was only and the most franatic guy that he could know by now. He could hear J.T.'s voice trying to not get worried as he blurt this out."Where are you now?"
"About to leave work just by now. Why?"
"Go rent a room.." What the crap did he just heard? Ash felt a smirk coming to the curve of his smile.
"Why?"
"Cause, you can't go back to the club.."
"Why for?" In the background he could hear a dog's barking up which meant that the guy wasn't alone.
"Because it's been bugged by Carl.." Say what? Clearing up his eyes from the fatigue, Ash sat up straight on his chair, alerted by this matter. He really hoped that J.T. was making this up as if it was a bad joke.
"What the hell are you saying?"It didn't made any sense at all now. Why would J.T tell him to go away and how Carl did found him? All of them?
"Remember when I had received that threat letter back before? Well, not only Carl had left that letter, it turns out that he had the whole place bugged from the entire beginning.."Ash felt his breath caught up inside of his throat as he just couldn't believe whatever J.T. just told him about. No, he didn't wanted to believe it. There was no way that Carl could have had traced their footprints from there to here. It just couldn't be true. It can't be. They were all being careful, even Alex. Damn, he felt his heart speeding up with fear.
"So you're saying that-"
"You're smarter than I know, man. I mean that Carl had us heard and probably watched from the time you guys had started to live there..We need a second plan.." Damn it. Carl did found them and tricked J.T.'s own place which only meant that they were all screwed from the start. Damn right, they all needed a new plan and right now. Mad people were smart enough trick an human being by a a nice and pretty face, just like Carl.
"How could you know that?"But Ash had already known the answer. If Carl had managed to put wires everywhere into the place in silence, he might know their plan by now. Unless there were a few changes into his schedule.
"I found one of the bugs when I working earlier today..That's when I realized I had to do something. I had to call the cops.." Crap. He was so ruined now.
"So we are exposed by now..You mean?"And everything would flow apart now. Cause a mad man was into their tracks which meant they weren't safe anymore. And mostly for Regan's son was in danger. He felt J.T.'s panicking voice as he rushed up his words to his ear when he sat there, into shock.
"It's too late to go back man. I had to leave and fast away from my own safety place with an annoying and frightening dog under my hold..with my stuff. Laptop, toothbrush and clothes and dog food and toys. Especially with Ed, cause I know that Vincent wouldn't forgive me if something had happened with him being left alone at the club.."
"So I guess this is it. There's no turning back now..I-I-I have to warn Regan and Jeff, they need to know.."Damn, he was starting to sutter like Regan used to. He was freaking God. There was so much to do in here.
"That's what I'm afraid about. That Regan would go and play brave towards an avenging need to get out of here and right away!"
"Where are you know? Which motel place are you into?"He had to get out here and fast!
"Maryland Inn somewhere just a few streets away and guarded by two officers at the my door. 202.."
"Two officers are guarding your room?"
"Let's just say that I used to sleep around with a smart and badass female cop with a stubborn attitude, before. I have good , get your ass in here and fast!"
And Ash didn't wasted any other time. He grabbed his suitcase and his coat and vanished from the office after he closed everything that needed to be taken care of. Computers, the flashlight and the door.
Which was left unlocked, after he disappeared from the departement...
...
Vincent felt his arm getting a little tighter under Catherine's hold as they were walking towards the two persons in interest of the party, into the rich and golden ballroom surrounded by rich and dressed people here. He could tell that she was nervous here as the real thing was about to began here. It wasn't the crowd that made her feel weird, but as they were coming closer, they watched an elegant Anna all dressed up into a dark and long dress with her red hair all put up into french braid chignon holding it up to her left side of her head. Her naked back being exposed to their view as she arched back with her hand holding up a glass of a champagne flute and laughing at whatever she was being told. Catherine felt like she was boiling up in anger here. Girls would be girls and boys would always remain boys.
However, Anna wasn't Tori here. Tori didn't deserved to bear the burden of her father's bad choices of life, but that didn't that she was innocent. And Anna had the choice to walk away from that lifestyle, but didn't because of the glory and the fantastic dreams that she was having into her mind. She was way bad than ex-heiress. However, they were both boyfriends's stealers into the agenda here. True fact since she had seen that bitch kissing Vincent once before and who knows what they both did later on.
And there was Ivan Smirfoff here who was exchanging a couple of his laughing jokes right back to ease her up for their first date together here. The man looked pretty good for his age. Smirfoff was a tall and build up man into his dark suit and tie and looked in good shape for a man who was into his mid sixties here with his silver hair brought back to the back of his head as a extreme and pwerful cologne was covering up the atmosphere here. Coming from him. Catherine had examined him from a close view to see that Smirfoff didn't looked like a threatening man, but maybe because it was either Smirfoff had what he had with his pretending escort girl or the fact that he was slowing starting having Alzheimer by now.
"Calm down, Aya.." She felt Vincent whispering right back to her ear as they both were walking straight ahead like a perfect couple.
"I am calm.." She gritted through her teeth trying to hold on on her nerves which he winced from the way she held pressed hard on his arm, like she wanted to break it off. Hard.
"You're about to squish my arm here, in any minute.."He growled back. He couldn't helped at this fact.
"Can't help it. It usually calm my nerves.." No kidding. He scoffed back.
"It isn't for me, when your heartbeat can't slow down for a minute-"
"Try to ignore it, Vincent!"She urged him to shut up and to walk up faster.
"Like you said-Can't help it. Slow down and smile.." Smile? Just watch and see. Cat pushed him back with her elbow as he did the same thing right back to her. By pushing his strength right back at her , she watched him from the corner of her eye that he was smirking and wickly smirked right back as he felt her watching him. Damn, the guy looked pleased by her reaction.
"My, my. Look who's here? Tori. It must your bodyguard and her date.."had said the man named Smirfoff right back to the new coming and fake couple who were coming up to them. Anna turned around, looking all elegant and classy with her dark low-necked top right back to Catherine and Vincent with a smirk. Anna looked like a glamourous red haired woman from the late twenties to early thirties with her champagne flute glass and make-up and the thought that came through Catherine's mind was to give her was a huge slap on her face to wipe off that stupid smirk on her faking face. She felt like she was about to throw up here and in public.
Tori? Why would that man call this woman by another name? Unless, Anna had lied to him and gave him what he wanted to hear. Wait, till Lina hear this..She cleared up her voice as the man standing next to her was groaning as his gaze was still fixed on the elder.
"I'm so glad that you finally had made into here, Miss Richardson and Captain Keller.."had greeted Smirfoff with the most charming smile he could offer to them. While Anna scoffed at his behavior trying to not intimidated by Cat's raising eyebrow as she mentioned her to mind off her buissiness and directed her eyes right back to the waiting gentleman.
"Pleasure is all mine here and please call me Ayaka here.." And out to her surprise, Smirfoff took her free hand, still clutching her purse, as he bent down to give it a gentle kiss, like such a gentleman would do. She could sense Vincent staring right down at him, trying to study the man's profile. He wasn't so impressed by the old man's sweet gesture or more like he tried to hear his heartbeat from here. Like it would tell him something sneaky or not. Smirfoff rose back up as she took her hand away from him with a nervous grin.
"Is it your first time by coming to the opera, I mean?" Smirfoff tried to please her off under Anna's envious stare. Cat looked back up at the girl to see that Anna was getting a little impatient and felt rushed as she wanted to get out of here with the money and not with the the girl had come up here it was for the money, not for anything else. Like Cat would ever steal him from her.
Not in a million years.
"Well, not for me, but for here, it might be.." She indicted with a head nod towards the tall and build up man in a dark suit right next to her right side, who was still holding her arm as Vincent nodded with her word.
"It'll be my first experience for tonight, sir.." She could tell that Vincent was trying on concentrate on Smirfoff's heartbeat to tell if the old man was lying or playing with them or not. It looked like he was struggling with much effort despite the music floating around the ballroom who was now surrounded by full of people here. However, Smirfoff didn't looked as he had any bad secrets here.
"I'm sure you're gonna love it and despite the foreign language, you'll be captived, young man..Puccini is one of the best.." The man looked so much assured and confident with his love of the music that he hadn't noticed the ex-soldier trying to calculate him on being the bad guy. Vincent had closed up his eyes for a moment trying to locate anything from Smirfoff, but gave up when he couldn't get anything. He sighed as he opened up his eyes as he stared right back to Smirfoff.
"Count on it.." Vincent tried to not frown here as his eyebrows narrowed in wonder. He looked confused or more feeling uneasy partner next to him felt him getting a little tense as she turned up her eyes at him, a little confused. The look on Vincent's face had told her everything she feared to be. He couldn't track the old man's into trouble. He and Catherine exchanged a worried stare towards each other. He couldn't specify for sure if Smirfoff was a bad guy or not, even if his heartbeat was just beating up nicely here. No trace of any setting up a trap were into the man's mind, at all. As far it seemed to be.
"Well, shall we all go?" Anna had disturbed them back to the real world with an rassuring and fake and Catherine looked back up at her as she took a sip from her expensive champagne drink. She did looked a little left apart through them here and felt uncomfortable. "I mean, we really don't want to to miss such an important play and especially since we are getting VIP seats up. I'm sure we're gonna have a great view from up there.."
"Certainly not, Tori.."had assured the silver haired man as he leaned a hand to her small back and quite close to her hidden buttocks as Vincent leaned towards Catherine's ear to whisper as the two of them were still watching the couple walking upstairs through the crowd.
"He called her, Tori?"
"Looks like Anna didn't quite told him the real truth here.."
"Why?"
"Maybe to give the guy the pleasure he wants to have..Let him be into his fantasy, I think.."
"Hopefully, he wouldn't be disappointed.."
"Are you guys coming? It's about to start soon!" The red haired woman had added back to their intimate conversation before following up Smirfoff. Cat gave her back a firm smile as she lowered up her voice to Vincent back. Both of their glances were still eying the couple here.
"I'll have a few words with Anna, once the show is over and you'll handle Smirfoff.."
"Good plan.."
"Speaking of plan, what were you trying to do here?" She did noticed him trying to do something while she and Smirfoff talked and from the way the gangster had took and kissed her hand made Vincent look envious, for a bit.
"What?"
"Were you trying to track him, going beast mode?" Cat watched him shaking his head, trying to deny whatever she was thinking now.
"No. Not like that. I've tried to track him into any bad angle or a bad spot from the past, but I couldn't get anything at all.."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't track anything, like I used to, Catherine. Which it's starting to get on my nerves.." Okay. Now, she was getting jumbled here as she added back.
"Then try on concentrating, I've seen you on doing that before-"
"Even if I did, it wouldn't be much of a difference anyways. Just like I couldn't track anything on the two graves."Vincent had added up to that point. "I mean, Alicia and Helga's hidden spots.."He had clearified as Cat looked up at him, perplexed by his statement. The event when she got angry and laughed at his face while he stood there not knowing whatever was going on with him when he couldn't trace any events about how the two girls had ended up into the ground. So it was true and not a lie. Vincent couldn't track anything into someone. But why? How did this happen?
Cat felt so bad for her actions from before, to just think of it. It might not be Vincent's fault after all and she still laughed at his lack of effort of tracking both girls and had accused of setting up Lena's attack, which might not be true. Because, he was there with her. Both of them were at the graves when the attack had taken place. He couldn't have been in two different places at the same time. But, anyways there wasn't enough proof to make him look innocent, however.
"I don't know why..It feels like it's blocked inside of my brain.." Her eyes went right back to him in a halt as she watched him voice felt like it was about to lash out in frustration and from confusion. He grunted with anger as he looked away like he was ashamed.
"Maybe it's just stress. It confuse your mind by having a lot to bear on your shoulders that you suddenly lose control, sometimes." Like when she had thought that she would gotten herself pregnant she was late on schedule when things were getting better for the two of them. He turned his head right back down to her as she noticed of how tired he looked and yet she didn't know why, but she felt like she wanted to comfort him and soothe him from any pain and stress as hard lines were showing up to his pale face and dark bags under his eyes as he looked back down at her. He really looked concerned and worried for a moment as if he had no clue what caused him to look weak. Much paler, than she thought.
Just like earlier when she came into his office, she did find him look a bit paler than he used to. He wasn't faking it, after all. Oh God. She was shocked, but tried to hide it from her features as she pursed her lips into a firm line.. Cat had never seen him like this before, until now.
"I really hope that you're right. To think it's only stress that bothers me here, would ease me up to know.."
"Let's get going now.." Maybe the show would calm him down, so that he could try and track Smirfoff back later on. She squeezed his forearm with her fingers as an small and gentle gesture to give him some support. She smiled at him as he blinked up in surprise back, unexpected. "Try to relax, here. It's gonna be okay.." He let out a shaken breath and the two of them started to follow the rest of the people walking upstairs as they were leaving the ballroom.
Arms linked to each other's hold. Like an normal couple.
...
V.I.P. seats and view were marvelous to to feel upon royalty. Quite like the Oscars events on there from the sitting crowd and from the theater stage where sopranos singers would start to appear once the red curtains would be pulled off and make do their magic and share the tragedy to the people through their pain and emotions through their singing.
Catherine stared down from her seat as she watched the couple sitting together. Smirfoff and Anna holding hands together and far away from her seat up there. She frowned, these two loony lovers had managed to trick her and Vincent by leading them into expensive seats while they had fleed away from their watch to hide among the crowd, down there. Like two teenagers in love.
"Looks like they had managed to escape us from their sight. So hard to get a moment of privacy, lately.."Had followed up Vincent as he sat down next to her, trying to look down at the seats. He winced at the sight from where he and Cat were seating. Damn far up."Damn, that's a lot of people in here. No wonder they wanted to hide down there.."
"You can tell that. I feel like an overprotective parent here, stalking up my daughter and her date. An possible killer kind and unstable person to kill her and him, all together.." Cat cursed her breath here.
"Calm down, here. You're not like that." He kept on looking down as he wondered how much height a normal person would jump off from here."Any word from Tess?" He raised his eyebrows back up as he pushed himself to his seat.
"Nope. I think she's too busy to call. She would probably leave me a text, if something goes wrong.." But Cat knew that she couldn't check up with her texts since she had silenced her phone before accending the room with Vincent. And no one would want to be disturbed by someone's phone here.
"If there's no bad sign, then we should be fine.."Her partner had sighed back as she shook up her shoulders, trying to shake up her nerves.
"Hopefully. Nothing better to watch and hear crazy sopranos lashing out their lungs out with pain and melodrama. Yup, it's gonna be so much fun.." She scoffed back as Vincent turned his head right back to her to find her holding up her breath despite of trying to let out an sarcastic line out of her mouth.
"You still won't tell me how it ends, right?" Here it goes, again. He still wanted to know how the show would end, like an impatient kid.
"Nope..Or else,it'll spoil all the fun here. You better find it on your own when you see it.." She tried to keep it still.
"Even if I have to wait and sit for three hours to see it happening?"Cat had rolled up her eyes at this question as she tried to not look up back at him. Wouldn't want to give that satisfaction gesture.
"Sorry. You're gonna have to be patient.."Or go and read the book. The book is always better than any adaptation.
"That's not my thing.."
"Sorry, you're gonna have to.."She gripped hard on her dress to hold on losing it as her ex-boyfriend kept on making up excuses on wanting to escape.
"What if I have to fart?"From the corner, she shifted her eyes back to him, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Seriously? Cat wondered if he was being serious or not, but from the way his face looked with a guilty smile as he sat into his seat. Wondering if she should laugh or not. He made a weird face.
"Then keep yourself together.." She pursed up her lips he would ever fart or pop in public. A beast farting here, would attract a thousand of dead souls around up here.
"Seriously?"His eyes widened and she could tell that he kinda looked cute with that face and that build up black tuxedo suit.
"Yup. I am.."She tried to not laugh at his remarks. Even if she wanted to when he was trying to make her burst out in laughter. Her attention went back at the front as she once again heard his voice. Still, the man was just stubborn to give up here as he kept on going on.
"You're not the one who gives up fast, aren't you?" Oh no. Cat didn't know the true meaning of giving up and won't go to look for it, in some dictionary. Not in a million years.
"Nope and I know that you aren't, either.." Neither Vincent had know the word, at all. Since he was doing whatever his mind told him to do in anyways. Just like he was doing tonight.
"Can't you, at least tell me; if it ends just ok. I mean, at the end? They all live alright, no?" Trying to not burst into laughter, Cat turned her head towards him by giving him a warning glare. Really, Vincent looked like he wanted to move out and fast away from an hundred of people here. Being patient wasn't his motto lately. He waited for an answer as he remained seated on his armchair which was next to hers. He remained still and unaffraid by her glare. Enough to explode. Which didn't surprised .
"Vincent.."
"What?" But what came later had made his jaw drop into shock, when she gave him the big and glaring up eyes.
"Shut up. It's starting now.." Luckily the room was getting a getting a litter darker as the crowd started to clap their hands as the show was about to start finally. He made an growling sound as he turned his head away as he was following up to see the show, now that it was about to start as Cat tried to remain calm despite wanting to burst into uncontroling giggles at his stubborness as her attention went back up to the curtains who were about to be pulled off, in order for the show to start.
But it also felt human and normal for her to laugh in this crucial moment, especially when Vincent was the one who made her want to laugh, in a time like this.
...
Damn, why didn't she took it with her? The red gem should have been with her so that she would control the beast. Kill Keller. But this bitch didn't took it! It would have been way easier for him to end up Keller into pieces, but looks like the guy had chosen to take the slowing way of dying.
To keep Keller from coming back. Because he had lost his way since Natasha was getting a little bit better, ever since the new doctor had checked her up and treated her injuries with such precious care. When he shouldn't have. Vincent Keller was getting in the way from him and Àlvarez from doing their work. Especially when he was making the bodyguard feeling all soft, ever since he had started to work here.
'Damn it! I need those organs and right now! I can't let this creature coming out..!' The monster in him was making things unbearable and it needed to be controled.Or else his cover would be blown and he wouldn't be saved, like Àlvarez promised him. Everything would be over once he would have lost control. Because there was no way of turning back, if the beast unleash himself out of him.
He might need to hunt. He has to start on hunting on new preys to survive. He has no other choice than to hunt innocent preys, in order to keep the beast from showing up. He rose up from the bar counter leaving as he made his way through the screaming crowd and towards to the second floor. Where the girls were sleeping.
Where they were all asleep up there, like little and pretending innocent devils.
...
Vincent hadn't known for how long he had been sitting up there but he was sure enough that his own heart wanted to rip away from his rib cage and without any hesitation. He couldn't take his eyes off from the stage and he believed that Catherine couldn't also take her glance away either. So much that the two of them were both absorbed by the story.
Especially from the moment where the actors potraying the hopless but wishing characters Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard and Colline had coming in expressing their struggle through siging and acting, to keep on going on trying to find any way on surving despite living in poverty and the struggle to pay their rent as they were being threatened to be thrown out to the cold Quartier Latin's streets of the winter period, by their big jackass landlord Benoit.
Until a seamistress named Mimi had barged into theirs lives and became romanticaly in love with Rodolfo whose inspiration had woken up like fire as well like their passion to love one another. Until she confessed her love and the secret that she had been hiding from him until now. A secret that could change everything between the two lovers.
That Mimi had been consumed by an deadly illiness. Tuberculosis. From the way Rodolfo and Mimi had said their goodbyes, after Marcello had tried to silence her as an act to protect his friend from suffering any farther, it did reminded him from the night where Catherine had left him alone in the rain after she had accused him of committing an attack on Lena who was still remained behind bars when it had occured. However he did know for sure that Rodolfo didn't blame Mimi for anything at all.
Quite much like Rent.
He shook his head in couldn't have been in two places both at the same time. He went into his own will back at the precinct and to see from his own eyes the girls who were dugged out from theirs graves and laid on tables as an horrible scent went through his nostrilis. A bad scent who was hard to forget.
And yet, Cat had the guts to say that he might have been part of her friend's attack. It just couldn't be. He had no idea. And Tori in all this? Could she had set this attack just to provoke Cat? No, it couldn't. Or else, she would have had defended herself as he had tried to attack her in the showers. Kill her was the exact word. If neither of them had set this thing up, then who did it? J.T. had no clue where she had been during the time of the attack, before she had shown up to the club. Maybe Gabe would have been the only alibi that Tori could afford so. Especially, if she still lives with the struggling A.D.A. who was probably fighting to prove his innocence. He would have to face up with Gabe, one day or another.
He got startled up as he looked down to see someone's small and slender fingers were grabbing his shaken hand. His breath had caught up through his throat as if he had forgotten to inhale for a moment. Catherine looked back at him with worry, but it did more than that.
Her beautiful and shaped hazel eyes looked like they were about to shed tears. Looks like the opera had gotten through her somehow, like it had done for him.
"You won't mind if I hold on onto your hand, for the next part to come?" She had whispered back to him as the fourth and last Act was about to start.
"No.." He struggled with this word as he felt his voice was about to shake up here for no reason. She didn't looked convinced as he shook up his head, trying to assure her.
"It's alright.."
"Your hands are cold, Vincent.."
"It's nothing. I guess it's only the singing that makes me go a little shaky here. It's been a longtime since I felt strong emotions.." Overwhelmed he should have said. He felt so overwhelmed that he hadn't noticed that his own hand was getting cold. Didn't felt like he was shivering at all or maybe it was just stress, like Catherine had stated before.
"I'm fine, Catherine.." Didn't know for sure he felt fine or not. He wasn't certain, but he was certain enough for her to nod up her head as her attention went back to the stage as she held on his hand and tight. Vincent just stared back at her, with moist eyes. He could hear her heartbeat rushing up in haste as her breath kept on blocking up whenever Mimi was heavily singing with pain as she started to cough and crawling up into a corner so that she could lay on the floor to find some comforting sleep through her endless pain and hoping it would ever stop.
An endless pain that he might have to go through, if his days were counted on lifetime. If he had heard right from Àlvarez's private conversation, he might not have for long enough to live. It teared and frightened him up to know that he might not live to the next day. No day, but today. And Catherine, in all this? How would she take it, if she was about to know that matter?
How God. How could he had the guts to leave her alone, after all the sacrifices that she had made up fror him? For them to be together, in a life without any danger. God, he loved her.
No. He still loves her, today.
"Mimi!"
Rodolfo's wretchening scream had come up to his ears as his eyes turned right back up to the theater where he could see the poet running back to the love of his life whose soul have left her body and away from any pain through the cold air. Shocked as his own heartbeat was accelarating up and fast, Vincent could see the man backing away from his friend's hold and rushed towards and down into his knees to the dying woman and held her helpless body close to his own body as he bursted into uncontrolling tears. Clinging to her like his own life depended on her. Sobbing over the loss of her love. Just like he had depended on Catherine, once.
From the corner of his eye, he could see her eyes sheading a few silent tears that were falling to her cheeks. And her fingers were clutching hard up to own fingers as she tried to release all the pain into them. Rodolfo's cry of pain had pretty shaken her up as if she was the one who had lost the love of her life here. Damn hard as he could thought about it. Vincent managed to control his breathing, not because of his sentenced life, but for Catherine as he kept staring up to her beautiful features.
Because, he'd know that soon or later, she'll shed tears once she'll hears about his hiding secret.
...
Sorry. I'm sorry about the long wait! I really am! This chapter should have been done before the New Year's Eve, but let's just say that I really didn't have a very nice Christmas at all. Really, it was a nightmare and I quite had lost the joy of writing for a while, until now. I'm back, don't worry!
I hope you had enjoyed this chapter, cause the next one would come up soon! So what did you thought about VinCat's supposed date? Thank you so much, Beasties! I'll see you soon!
