Shivering deep through and inside of the cage, Catherine brought up her arms to cover up herself as she rubbed her slender and naked shoulders, but by doing that she had slip out a grunt. She almost had forgot that gottem herself beaten by an hitman whom she had stabbed in self defense and got burned by a drunkie guy. And who knows, it would have had gotten more worse if Vincent hadn't come up to stop them.

"Let's try to get out of here.." He shrugged his shoulders as he felt like shivering through his breath and especially after he had taken off his coat to give her some warmth. His own scent and smell gave her much comfort."Where does it hurt?" His eyes looked everywhere and the way her hands stained with blood made him wince, but only to think about the possibility of her taking a life. Even if it meant by self defense.

"Much everywhere. I think that Su Li has broken up a couple bones.." Cat had come up with a reply and closed up her eyes when she felt his long and trained fingers through her midsection and by examinate her abs as he pressed it, just a little harder when she released another grunt out which made him moan into displeasure.

"What is it?" She whispered back through her wincing sound by watching him shake up his head.

"You were right. A few are broken, but I think we can replace them. Mostly me.." He looked up at her with his hazel eyes concerned up."Were you hurt, anywhere else?"

"That guy managed to burn off my skin but stopped when you took care of things.."Cat had replied back with a wince as she brought up the coat closer to herself by seeking up some warmth from the cold. She looked back up to him, intrigued."Why, you think it's serious?"

"I don't know. I don't have the exact tools to tell you that but I can tell that your heartbeat is doing fine. Normal even."Vincent stated back as he was almost talking to himself as he turned around to look up if the other guys had woken up. But didn't. Much to his relief. Who knows what could have had happened if he hadn't come up to save her?

"Okay-"

"But without having a real doctor around, I wouldn't be so sure. So that's why I'm asking you it might be better if I brought you up to the hospital and fast. Just to be you don't have any blood cloth running..." What? How come he wouldn't be so sure? Usually, Vincent managed to see through a past event memory, like he used to. But not anymore? But Catherine didn't wanted to bother him up onto the questions as she had completely made herself clear that she didn't wanted to be brought up to see a doctor. After all, she had Vincent here and it was enough.

"Vincent-"

"But knowing that you don't want to get yourself exposed, I totally understand.." Vincent stated back with a sigh."And knowing that you don't want any connection leading up to the hitman you hit back. It's a pretty good reason to stay away from a short time.."

"If nobody links me up to Su Li's attack. Maybe, it could be. In any time, probably, I wouldn't want to be taken in because of Su Li's injury, in case if doctors would be making up a report and call up the cops. Which means my departement and blew my cover." Cat sighed up between her nose and exhaled slowly."Maybe. But for now on, just try to hide me up for the rest of the night and then later, you can as well bring me up. If you want, Vincent.." She closed up her eyes as she tried to hold away the pain.

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes. I am..Nobody can see me, until I manage to call up Tess and tell her where I am..Nobody can see me, Vincent.." She sworned up back when Vincent didn't looked like he wanted to agree, but if he had lived under the same circumenstances before and because he had no choice, Catherine certainly had but it was a different matter although. Àlvarez could still track her down and it would still look susicious for her to explain her boss how she had gotten into the mess and probably because of an hired female hitman who had tried to kill her and mostly because of Lina.

Yes. The barmaid was behind something weird and probably when Lina was hiding emotional feelings towards Vincent. It would be a good thing to get more closer to solving up the case and get the hell out of this nightmare. Cat promised Tess a month in order to come up with the answers of the case however with Vincent being around, it wouldn't be so easy to get away from. Since he was fierce as a tough rock, he just wouldn't leave up her side in any minute.

"Or else, I'll just blow up your cover. I get it.."He rose up onto a knee as he was about to get up."Think, you can walk up to the motel with me?"

"I think I can.."Cat winced back through her teeth. With one hand holding up to the coat, she leaned her other hand to the wall and pushed herself up onto her knees and right up onto her height with a wince. Oh right. She could still hold on and almost was about to lose her balance if Vincent hadn't pushed himself to get her from falling back down. She laid there onto his hold when she felt his strong arms around her. But that didn't stopped, she even felt his breath close up to her face when his chin was under her forehead. She felt like was about to fall into his temptation. Even if there wasn't any sentimental feelings between them, anymore. Or it was the way she thought it was.

"I went in by the entrance but I believe we can run away by the back door. There's a back door through the kitchen. I believe it'll be a better way to get out."

"You're sure?" She moved her head away in order to get a better look to his features when he looked down onto her. Well, not so much. He pulled himself away from her embrace and stared away back from her, once again.

"I don't know. But we might never know it, unless we try it.." He walked up to the open gate and took up a peek. Other than the isolated and filthy basement and a single dropping water that fell through the celling. Vincent could state that the two often were the only living people here, but that disgusting scent. He just couldn't bare it and it was way more worse thank that skank prank he had to go through, a longtime ago. Despite being into the dark with his ex-girlfriend, Vincent narrowed up his eyes and managed to track down up a leading up stairwell that probably led up to an exit door, from a couple of steps away.

"Vincent?" He felt Cat's presence approaching up to his back and felt her touch onto his lower back. Gentle and small fingers covered up in blood. He held back his breath as he pointed up the only exit door that had been visible to his normal sight as his eyes were still focusing up elsewhere than from her own worried features and from the sound of her voice. It was hard enough for him to erase the horryeons stuff he had seen lately from Catherine's doing. After, Natasha, Eva, Gretchen and Yalena. And especially after she had accused him of being close enough of being an acomplice to these murders. Well, only for Gretchen. Lena's life is still holding up onto uncertainity.

"Vincent?"

"There's an exit. Just a couple steps away and way up over there. A stairwell." He whirled his head back to her as he looked back down to her feet. Much as he wondered if she could try to walk up with her bare feet. Cute feet. He almost stated back. Vincent looked back up to meet her shaken eyes despite being all bruised up and having a few small cuts all up to her face and with her hair being all mess. She still managed take his breath away. He rose up his eyebrows in wonder and grinced up."I really hope you can still walk, cause whenever you like it or not, we might be walking on pins for a while." And Vincent hadn't meant about walking up from here to reach up dump motel, but whatever they've left things out before, it might be it.

They needed to have a talk about their relationship or whatever it was left of it. With not knowing how long time he has time left, Vincent needed to warn Catherine to choose one side to the other. Either trying to give up onto that job or become a monster and mostly, telling her this. He felt his breath getting all caught up inside of his lungs when he shut his eyes close at the realization.

That he might die and that he needed her to comeback to her own senses, before it's too late for him.

...

Unable to sleep any longer, Tori sat up from her bed and walked up into the hall when she caught up Veronica shrugging onto her trench coat and waved up off her long hair away from getting caught. The middle aged woman looked like she was about to go somewhere and her suitcase that stood close to the door made the proof of it.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside. I have a few things to attend to go with.."The blond haired woman looked back at her with a firm smile. But didn't quite reached up to her eyes that expressed concern for the young red haired woman."You look like sick. Are you sure you're getting enough sleep, Tori? You want me to make something to eat before I leave?"

"No. It's nothing. I'll probably just watch some TV and probably get some some warm milk. It usually helps me to go to bed. Dad used to make that when I was I kid.." Tori shook up her head fast and by lying to Veronica. She felt bad about lying about the so-late and called up pregnancy but the last thing that the female lawyer needed to know it was that her best friend's daughter would be selfish enough to go on and repeat the same mistakes like Curt had done many years ago with her mother. She had just found out that she may be pregnant with Vincent's baby and maybe it would turn out to be a beast. Oh God. And Veronica had mentioned that she looked sick. What if she had known about it? About her being pregnant?

"Oh yeah. Your dad.." Veronica scoffed back as she looked away for a second like she cared about the late Windsor, which she didn't much after the pain and fear he made her go through with for many years. When Veronica had been nothing into her mid-twenties, just a single mother raising a five year old boy on her own and struggling to get back into school.

"He did had his faults and his good ways-" Tori tried to speak back as she ran her hand through her unruly hair by trying to defend her late father when the blond haired woman held back a hand to make her stop from speaking.

"But it didn't stopped him to go on and choose his beast side over your mother and yourself.." Veronica had cut her up with a groan as she buttoned her coat."I'm glad you didn't turned out to be like him. Somehow, I felt like I'm still talking to Michaella. You do look and sound so much like her, in so many ways. Tori." But this was just wrong. Tori had held helself from saying that. She used to be a beast and yet, an uncontrollable one who had almost held others's own lives at risk. Includding Vincent's and Catherine's. And even without being one anymore, she still felt uncertain of who she was and outside of an pulsing creature even. With these years being locked up and under control from her father, she was used up to be free along with her beast side that she had learned to appreciate even but now that it was gone, Tori felt just empty. And with that thing growning up inside even. That thing? She caught herself in surprise. Thing? It was a living human being who didn't asked to come along but she did or so. And with that new power that was burning up through her veins and to whatever touch she felt coming from another person, it was almost scarier than ever.

It was unexplained and yet, it scared her. People would look up at her as she was a crazy person and from the way she had survived by losing up a power and gaining up a new one.

"Look, Tori.." It caught up the red haired woman hadn't paid attention when Veronica's voice had caught her up from her thinking. Her green eyes rose up into alert. "Curt stays your father. No matter if he was a beast or not. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it, anyways.." The blond haired woman had admitted, soberly.

"I know.." And yet, she should feel ashamed and especially when her mother had died which had been no accident. And if Veronica was right and only if she could show more evidence to prove it, Curt may have had been a part of her mother's death and especially when she tried to fleed away with a lover. He had become way more dangerous, and mom had tried to warn me about it.

"I won't be late, and when I'll be back up here, you'll better be alsleep, you get me, young lady?" Veronica had followed up back tapping up her shoulder that shook her up from her reverie.

"Yeah." But where would you be going? Tori had almost asked when Veronica got a good grip of her suitcase's handle and left without saying a goodbye. And from the way it seemed to be. It did looked personal. Much as it been for her as well. That baby. The red haired woman touched her belly with the sensation of having a baby scared horribly. She wasn't ready. Couldn't possibly have one when the biological father of it didn't wanted to do anything with her and especially when he had attacked her before pushing the blame onto her. Like she had been the problem from the very start. Vincent had blindly had attacked her and from the way he had done it, it did looked like he had meant it and from how Gabe had gotten himself arrested from an unspoken crime he hadn't commit or didn't, she felt like she needed to to earn up her place, and Veronica Vasquez was the last person she could connect and contact. The blond haired woman was the last person whom she could still feel connected up to her family and anscestors. Tori wasn't sure if she could trust Veronica even if the woman had been her mother's best friend onto that matter on finding the answers through her family's heritage.

To think that her own father wanted to follow up her long way of line from the family to come up alive once again. Because he had an anscestor who turned out to be from royal and beast blood.

But would it be the same fate for this unborn baby? Even if she wasn't an total beast anymore, the doctors could have had told her but they didn't. Could it become true? Because some genes never do die or go away even. Oh God. No. But what if she or he cared up the psychic and scary visions of today? How would Vincent react if he figured out about the pregnancy? And Gabe, who was still in jail for a crime he didn't commit, how would he react to it? Possibly by blaming her that all of it had been her fault from the start. After all, she had been desparate to keep Vincent close up to her side so he wouldn't run and go back to Catherine, ever again. What a spoiling brat.

Stop it!

She groaned in disgust. One day at a time. She thought back up as she clutchered her eyes shut and took deep breaths when her hand went to her still flat belly. Stress is not doing any 's not good for baby, you better start being smart here. Baby? She was already calling this thing a baby! It was just unbelivable she shook up her head in defeat as she blinked up her eyes. She moved toward up the fridge to pick up the milk carton and rose up her hand to open up the cupboard and took out a glass in order to serve herself.

It would take more than a simple glass of milk to come up to her senses and much more of trying to find a better way to not let anybody think that she had totally screwed up by hooking up with the wrong person in the first place and certainly, Veronica would not be so happy if she figured out the real result of this unexplained pregnancy with a beast who pretended to be some war hero as she had convinced Vincent to go around with so that nobody wouldn't question his real nature. It'll be a total disaster if they did found out what he had been for so long and especially for herself as well.

"Stop fussing about it.." Tori cused into a breath and took up a seat behind the coffee table and started to look through the thrown up and old news and flipped every each sheet as drank her cold milk until her attention came through a page and small paragraph had come up across her eyes.

Damn. She almost spit out her sip when she read the article.

It was talking up about the NYPD departement police of how they've discovered two bodies from the ground near at Central Park and into the very same day where a prostitute had been been found mauled to death into NY General Hospital. And three dead females prostitutes all together along with an sudden attack in jail where a certain and unknown Yalena who had been the very last to have had seen one of the girls, had been attacked over. All of them into the same day with the very same date. Which made her startle at this very reminding date.

Where an very enraged and out of control Vincent had tried to kill her once when she was showering herself into J.T.'s new place. Could it mean something? Did he suspected her on being suspected onto those killings? Only the dead could tell. Three of them died, they didn't specified how the ladies from the ground had died from, but the held prisoner had been attacked when she was held up in jail and from where two police officers had been taken over to the hospital for slight injuries of the very same attack. But how could it explain her presense into these murders? It just wasn't making any sense, or else..Yalena's injuries were described as fatal and especially when she had head bumped hard like it almost been smashed onto the wall and much hard enough. But the rest of her injuries had been described as if an animal had skinned her alive. All of them into the very same day. And the very same day when Vincent bursted into the Gentleman's Guild..When she was having a shower. Which it meant something and the reason why Vincent had attacked, so suddenly. He must have been thinking that I've done it. Tori leaned farther onto the back of her chair sighed with frustration. She wasn't at any of these incidents neither at the hospital or even at the precinct. She couldn't be suspected of any murder because she hadn't been there when it occured onto the first place.

Vincent must think that a certain beast had done it..Much like she would have done. Is that what made him awfully angry and gave him the right to attack her? No. It couldn't be. She were somewhere else, but not at Gabe's place but outside. But who had made him go through an blindly and enraging matter, such like he had done? Who could have had? Tori only had one answer that came through her mind.

Catherine, and knowning him; Vincent would have had spend the very same day with her. The whole day. And Catherine must have had thought that Vincent had used her to get the female detective away from the ex-female beast and while she could run her claws through another innocent's blood. And thinking how unstable she had been from the day she had discovered that she was a beast, Catherine had any right to accuse him but it still seemed unfair. Neither she or Vincent had killed them as they've completely stood away into the dark. And neither he was covering for her, since she hadn't seen since that brutal shower incident.

Which it only meant that a certain beast was running onto the street lately..But who?

...

Tess walked back into the precinct as she typed up an urgent text to Cat and hoped she'll get informed of the earlier events. Not only she suspected Medina wanting to blow her up but mostly that she had enough about keeping secrets. And about the way she lashed out to J.T. earlier, it felt weird and overwhelming. She felt ready to denounce her friend from losing up her mind.

Text me back. We need to talk up here. Where the hell are you? She cursed back up into her thoughts. Tess just had come back from the club to look up where Cat had been, but since none Cat or Lina had been around it was completely useless. And neither Vincent had been around either. With people screaming and dancing around. It was pointless. Cat was nowhere to be found and it made her worry. The cameras guys had been right. They had no clue where the undercover detective was hiding or even held up. They just stated that they've seen Cat walking down through the basement and everything went pitch black through the view.

Oh God. And yet, Dana hadn't or answered back with a texting message. Mostly because that bitch wasn't giving a damn about the mess she've had put Cat through and didn't managed to drag her away even. Maybe because she had no idea how the case had been personal, but since nobody was taking care of, Cat had volunteered herself to go with. And maybe Dana had a message from her ex-colleague that sheriff Sebastian Barnes who've had maybe decided to come over with his wife in order to help them into bringing an end to this case.

And maybe saving Cat from letting her make the biggest mistake. Kill her very own enemy. Not Vincent or Àlvarez, but letting her become a monster.

"Hey, Vargas..You've got a call-"

"You can save it for tomorrow. I'm going home-" Tess was tired and deserved a couple hours of slumber and maybe a good glass of scotch, before she come up and confront her partner again. However, the young cop wasn't finished.

"It's Ward. He's at NY General Hospital and wants you to identify a dead body.." A dead body? How and why? Could he've had called someone else other than her? She sighed back up when her eyes narrowed, annoyed.

"You do know who it is?" The young cop just shook his dark haired hair back as much when his blue eyes glowed up when he explained.

"A female one. And an very much known female hitman. She bursted into the ER earlier with another woman. A girl named Virgina Barbaux. Doctors did everything they could to save the woman but it was out of their reach. It was too late. She had been stabbed into the back very violently and died because of an hemorraging..Her file had just shown up, and-"

"And this is where NYPD had been informed to make an invastigation." Tess had tiredly groaned and mumured back through her breath before she looked back at the young cop."Did they gave a name to the female hitman?"

"One name and from what Miss Barbaux had called her. A woman named Su Li Zhang. She had a file over here before she was released for good-"

"What the hell, you've just said?" Tess had been shaken with the name she just heard from the young cop who whirled back up the IPad he held back to the female detective and from the picture, Tess felt like an horrible nightmare had floored back into her mind. Oh God. Su Li. That bitch was dead and Ward needed her to identify to make sure it was the very same woman that had taken a shot from her hand. And now laid onto death. Oh God. She remembered the chasing over the prostitute that Cat and herself had gone through, ran and fought back until a shot was fired off. A shot from her own hand and because she wanted to proof herself to an certain ex-captain from the past. From almost six years ago. Su Li was an hell of a bitch to catch and to stop. It had been a frightened moment for through her career and if it wasn't for Cat's support, Tess would have had fallen over.

"Detective?"

"I'll join you up.." She added up back with a shudder as her phone had vibrated up through her pants's pocket and discovered an annonymous message from another phone.

'I'm texting up from Vincent's own burner 't tell anyone where I am, but I'm okay. Got a little bruised, burned off and not to mention my ego as well, but I'm okay. Su Li tried to kill me and I've had attacked back in self defense, but only after I've discovered that she had been hired by someone and I think it had been Lina. I'm sure she was the one who ordered the hit and especially after she called me up to finish up onto attacking Eva bitch is jealous, but you can't let her know yet as long I'm hiding away with Vincent. Be aware of Lina. Why? Because she is a bitch who tried to kill me and because she has feelings for Vincent. So do the math. She's also suspicious as much like Àlvarez is.' Cat.

It was Cat. And somehow Tess had known that Cat had killed her worst enemy in self defense, that had hauntened her for years. But not for Lina, cause it just had been the begining. That barmaid was hiding more than she seemed to be. And with Vincent, Cat was into good hands for the time being.

Or wasn't she?

Tess whirled back up again and sent another message, but it wasn't directly toward Cat, but to Medina. She didn't had anybody else as a law enforcement officer to help her out with it and even if it meant to go with one of her brother's best friend to come along with her and even if the man had a dark past or was after Cat's ass for the wrong reasons. She did needed a little support from the lost avenger. While her own friend and partner had been held away.

...

Catherine laid back down onto the cushions with a grunt after she dropped a text through Vincent's phone to Tess. Oh God. Her ribs were hurting but knowing how horrifying the situation had been at the club earlier and especially where she had no idea where she had been held onto, but it was way worse than being at Àlvarez's club. The basement had been way more filthy than his. No wonder, Vincent had told her to go through the backside of the club through. Or else she would have had seen how the place had been and not only it looked awful, but it had way more people as prostitutes and not only female but also male from other countries had been working through the night shiny sidlinght. All coming up from Su Li. However, Vincent had gotten her out from this mess and until tomorrow morning unless it was morning already and luckily he had gotten there in time. Cause these guys were ready to rape a woman. A female cop if her cover had been blown away. He managed to come up at her rescue as he had done before and sheltered her from being exposed through his tired expression. And if Catherine had known better, she could determine that Vincent had been hiding something from her and from the way she had seen the black spots onto his strong and bare back, it meant that something was wrong with Vincent. With the way she had treated him horribly and unfairly, just like he had when she had tried to protected him from exposure.

Like he had always been from before. Protecting her as his life depended onto it. And the way his reaction had been when he transformed back to himself when he had seen her injured with burns onto her skin. It made him shiver through his breath and worried. As if the emotions he had over her hadn't vanished at all. Cause he still has feelings over you. It was all over his face. He still loved her. And she was sure of it and especially when he wanted to drag her onto the very nearest hospital onto town. However, she still was under undercover and needed to be careful with Su Li being attacked after that bitch had tried to kill her before. She had convinced Vincent to hide her over inside of a motel room and left her over with his coat when he had run over to the club to retrieve a few things like alchool and bandages to clean up the cuts and burns onto her skin while she would wait up onto a room. Motel room in order to hide away for the few hours in order to stay away from Su Li's attack.

But she needed Tess to know that she was okay and before she could track up any lead and if the lead had been close, it could be linked up to Lina and the way she was acting up lately, it was clear enough that the barmaid had some strong feelings towards Vincent. And it seemed to be as it was an act of revenge by hirring Su Li to get rid of her.

A soft knocking sound was heard as the door was slowly opening up to reveal an Vincent who peeked up through the door when Cat turned her attention to him.

"I'm back with a few clothes and alchool and bandages onto my bag here." He opened the door more widenly and had slowly walked inside of the room. Silent as ever. She nodded back.

"Did somebody had seen you walking in?"

"Other than the clerk guy. Nope. I went through the quiet club and I've noticed that Lina had probably called a night off." He walked inside and closed up the door behind and stared back at her with a deep sigh."How are you feeling?" He dropped down the paperpack onto the floor. When she looked by trying to avoid his staring.

"Still like crap.." Who couldn't know any it didn't stopped him from sitting down onto the edge of the bed and grab up his paperpack as he started to unzipped it.

"Still cold?"

"Not much. No." Maybe because of the coat she've held onto her fingers for a longtime and especially after they walked up together through the cold weather and made their way to the nearest motel. With him holding her close to his embrace with one arm as he paid the guy behind the desk a couple of bills for the night and headed their way onto the room. A room with an used up bed, a small old fashioned tv from the fifties to the front. An wooden and large wardrobe at the left and another door which went through to the bathroom. An completely deserting place and just what any couple onto the run had needed to stay onto the unknown. Vincent managed to do a quick check up through the corners to make sure that there were no hiding cameras or microphones in case if someone went into the room from before but when he went into the bathroom, he almost flipped out when there hadn't been any medical suplies or a band aid box either. And this is where Catherine had told him that he needed to go and find what he needed to tend her injuries, at first which left Vincent uncertain as he stood near the bathroom's door way.

"Are you sure, you're gonna be okay, on your own?" Vincent had replied back when she sat down onto the bed as she clutchered up to his coat and tight to keep herself from shivering. That room really needed to get the heat fixed or else..Cat just waved up her hand while the other held up to the coat.

"I'll be alright. Just go back to the club and get what you need. I'll be right here.." She assured him back with a nod to his concerned features as her feet slid under the sheets. Oh Boy, did I really had said that?

He had resisted at first, but walked away when he had known that she needed proper care with the injuries she had up onto her shoulders and down onto her slender arms.

"You've cleaned up?"

"With little water they had over here. Yeah. But it's not easy to wash out the cuts and dirt away." Couldn't even take a little peek onto the mirror of the small bathroom without having the urge to throw up. Her face had a few purplish bruises not much to be swollen like a beaten woman who look but it was still visible. One down of her eye and the other bruised up her left cheek. She wasn't coughing up blood anymore and tried to wash out her twisted hair with the sink. It was too painful enough to step inside of the shower without falling over with her feet while she walked up onto the small bathroom, right into a naked form of herself who avoided to look up at the mirror in disgust. Oh God. No wonder Vincent had wanted her to see a doctor, other than him but since she could probably meet up Àlvarez over there and be linked up to Su Li's attack. It was better if she remained away into the dark with Vincent. And if Lina had ordered the attack, it would meant by revenge.

"Lose up the coat and wear this for the meantime until tomorrow. I'm not sure if it's your size, but it'll be better to freeze up your ass from here.." His voice had awakened her up when she caught up the thrown and ripped off white large t-shirt. It was used and ripped off and mostly because he had once wore it off.

"Are you kidding?" Why would she dress herself up and right in front of him?

"Nope. I'm not.."

"Isn't-"

"No. It's not from Tori's or Lina's." Vincent almost argued back as he took out the alchool bottle and towels. "They're mine, by the way. So, don't act up so surprised.." He warned her up with a stern look when she tried to protest back.

"I wasn't surprised.." Cat stared back down at the clothes. His clothes. A white large and ripped off, t-shirt and the blue jeans she had seen him wear during the time when he was onto soldier mood. And looked up at him who still was trying to get out the stuff he needed to tend her injuries. And looked a little uncomfortable for a second.

"Vincent?" He shrugged off a shoulder when his stare was busy onto working up on something else.

"I won't look. If it's what you're probably asking yourself.." He talked up fast and even if he had already seen her naked, so many times before. He kept his attention away from her glance as he took out the bandages box out even. She watched him rubbing himself as he was starting to get cold all of sudden or probably having her here with him, being almost naked. Into the very same room. After she made sure he was looking away, Cat shrugged off the coat out from her shoulders with a wince and tried to wear the shirt onto until it slid down covering up the burnings holes and slid her legs into the larging pants.

But damn, it did hurt as she closed up her eyes shut and held a grimace through her teeth. It made her shiver through back up to the lower point of her spine. She couldn't help but releasing up a grunt when she dropped her arms down onto her sides which made Vincent reply after enduring the most uncomfortable silent, he went up through with her.

"You done?"

"Yeah. You can look now." As if it wasn't already embarrassing as it was. Cat heard him puffing out through his breath and started to get onto work. Taking a towel and opened up the alchool liquid to pour it on the towel with precaution.

"You're really sure that no one had seen you or even Lina or any other girl?"

"You really want to test my patience, do you?" And especially after he had tried to not look over her nude form when she tried to change up into a different cloth.

"I only want to know with whom I'm dealing with now.." She added up back feeling a little guilty of herself when that question had pooped out of her mind. He took out a deep sigh in defeat but mostly out of annoyance. She still wasn't so sure with whom she was dealing with and even today. The good or the bad?

"You've expected to meet up with the other guy. You mean the other me?" Vincent turned up around to see her through her careful trained eyes as if she was suspicious of his next move. He dropped the bottle onto the nightstand right next to her left side and narrowed his eyebrows right up. "These three guys were the real beasts down over there, and if it weren't for me. They would have had burned you off." He was kinda pissed from what she could observe. Better be pissed than to feel bad and it was mostly because it was better this way and especially when he had caught her kissing the ennemy a few moments ago.

"It's not like I asked or thanked you for your help, Vincent-"

"No, you didn't and like I said; I had come over because I just had known. That's all." He cut her off back and approached himself a little bit closer onto the bed and close unough to touch her thighs."Now, don't move cause it might sting up, a little.." He brought up the drenched up towel to touch up her bruised up chin which she pushed it back away. But it didn't stopped him from trying again. Vincent pursed his lips into a firm line when he noticed her drastic move and approached the drenched towel again to her chin but Cat budged herself away from him, annoyed and when the third attempt had tried to occur up, she grabbed up the towel from his hold and thrown it away which it did startled him for a second. As if he was the one being thrown away and dropped down onto the floor. He rose his hands onto surrendering movement as his stare was kept down onto the floor before he looked back up to meet her threatening glare. And even with her drenched up long locks falling over her hazel eyes, she looked angry as if the tortured act hadn't never taken any place from before when he had come over to rescue from her real attackers. The real three beasts as he had called them.

Or maybe to safe up the apparences and the non-existing feelings, he had assumed back coming up from her glare. And especially from that focing and passionate kiss therefore he should be angry too but why wasn't he? Maybe it's because that all of it was just an act. However, Cat seemed to have it enjoyed to make him piss him off.

"You really want to do this, in your way? I get it.." His voice sounded a little too calm to her own taste. He bend over to reach up the towel."It's either this or I'll drag you over to the hospital, so that your new hotshot boyfriend comes up to you and demands answers for that hitman's injuries.."

"He's not my boyfriend! He's just-"But he acted up fast before she could manage to stop him when she felt herself stop when he had suddenly stopped her from talking and especially when she felt him all over her body with determinated eyes. And especially when he looked angry. When she had known was the reason of it when she stared up at him as he groaned.

"Your playboy until you'll get and fry his ass, I get it. But you know as they say this often; Photos are way more counting than words are assuming." He went back up and held her back down onto the bed as her head laid onto the cushions. She was startled up by his sudden move that she hadn't seen coming. Too much that she almost forgot to the pain through her broken ribs. So much when she felt her chest moving above his and to where she could hear his heartbeat struggle to stay away from her and so much as it was fastly beating up.

"Vincent! What are you doing?" She was startled on the way he was starting to come up close to her when his lips made a firm, giving her an real reason as his face expression could tell.

"Do what I'm supposed to do.."

"You do know that I can scream-"

"So, what? Nobody can hear you from here." He warned her back as he held both of her forearms tight enough and looked up straight up onto her eyes."It's either this or I'll drag you up there. So, would you let me take care of your burnings or would you rather develop an infection? You choose. We have all night here." She felt herself shivering. His glare was intense as it could kill anything. Pretty much like any avengeful beast would do and with a death wish.

"Vincent-"

"You can keep on fighting, Catherine. But sometimes I wonder how long you might last, because I don't even think you can and especially when the enemy you're about to face is stronger than you think he is.." She gave him a glare over his challenging the heck he think he is? Was he trying to provoke her? To think that she was ready to give up and accept defeat? Hell no..Her eyes widened up into shock.

"He isn't-"

"Then prove it and finish it." He demanded back from her through the very first place. Why did her took so much long to stop a man who sort of been accused of domestic abuse and probably of traffic and organ traffic and probably using most of the girls he hired and left up to be an useless garbage stuff when theirs organs were well used illegally. Cause if there was more than a simple abusing thing going on, Cat would have known unless there was something else going on. Wasn't she becoming a monster by staying onto a place where it seemed to be easy to lose its way in. And Vincent had been the very first one to notice the change through her eyes. He had taken notes whenever she had lost completely humanity. Cause it doesn't matter if you're a beast or a any creature, a real human being can also lose its human being by commiting the irrepareable. And especially when she tried to have had done it before by attacking women whom had represented her worst fear ever and made her do the unthinkapable and it was by attacking two women who didn't asked to be attacked even if they were ordered to be executed through her own hands.

Catherine stopped resisted through his hard touch and relaxed when Vincent decided to loosen up through his hold but still held his guarding up eyes as he was sure she'll attack him once again. But the wowan still remained to her lying position as she just watched him move and with the towel that touched up her skin. Much as she winced up through his touch when she clutchered her eyes shut.

"Sorry, but I've had warned you. I'll be nice, don't worry." Vincent's voice had warned her up back as much when she nodded back when she felt the towel touch up her bruised up chin and went back down and lefted up the shirt to press up the towel onto her bruised ribs. To clean up the spots that had been burned from these losers. To her exposed shoulder where the burned spot had been torched up and from the corner of his spot and from where he had heard three males of laughing up as a female's voice was heard whenever she was screaming which held him up onto alert. After, Vincent had heard Olga's part of the reason of where Cat may have been held and been deceived about Lina's lies and manipulation, he decided up act up fast and without even listening up to the barmaid's own pleading voice when Cat's life had been in danger.

A setting up plan, and something had told him that Lina had been behind all this mess and especially when a certain hitman named Su Li, a woman whom Cat and Tess had known from before and from the past had been involved into the setting up plan. Therefore, there had been no hitman but three lunatics and drunk guys into the cage and had been enjoying to hear a woman's scream. Adrenaline had fully kicked in and Vincent rushed into the cage, enraged like a monster.

Enraged like a fully beast out of control.

But everything is out for the good now and with Catherine being safe and sound with him under his care, for Vincent, it was all that counted for him. It calmed him down. Vincent closed up his eyes tight as he sighed hard at that thought. On how things could have gotten wrong if he hadn't come along or even hadn't listened to his instincts. Catherine wouldn't even be alive today and even if she was a woman who was willing to take care and protect herself from monsters as like he was. And there she was under a monster's clutches in order to help a desparate friend whose voice had been shut and probably by his own fault. If it ever was from the start. He could possibly remember the way that she had stared up at him as if being a beast was the only reason it mattered to him and a monster who wanted to go through his own meanings and his own way at solving his problems onto his own way and thanks to Tori's bad influence as a beast, he had become worse and so much that he almost scared himself through the mirror. But had overcamed his worst fear, when he managed to step back from the red haired woman. Vincent shuddered back into fear and dragged himself away from Cat's powerful scent. He came back from the monster and reclaimed back his own humanity without any help. On his very own way.

'I don't want to be a monster. I don't want to be a monster'. He thought himself back and his ex-girlfriend was becoming one. An nightmare that she wouldn't have had involved to become and it broke his heart. It wasn't like any martyr he would gladly take. He had known what torture looked like but to see it happenening right in front of his eyes, it was just unbearable to hold on. And the way, Catherine had kissed Àlvarez without any shame through his stare, and even if it felt as if she was filling up a job, it did felt real for Vincent and even if he felt like he wasn't having much time ahead, he needed to tell her if she would ever come again to her senses once again. The loving and courageous Cat who fought for the good cause and not the other way around and even if it meant to break his own barely beating heart.

He might die. He even felt how transforming back to his own self earlier, had been much more harder to hide himself from any pain and even if Catherine hadn't wore up that ridiculous red gem around her neck, it made him painful as his own bones were clutchering up and wouldn't let his blood circulate any easier. It almost broke his heart onto his pieces and much as he tried to hold on onto grasping up his chest into pain when he tended onto Cat's injuries.

"Vincent?" Her voice had brought him back to the present when he snapped his eyes open and looked up at the very same woman whose eyes had hautened him for many years and from the way she was losing herself onto a monster's hold. Hurted him to choose which one of them were better. He stepped back his move and dropped the rug onto the nightstand as he turned his eyes away from hers. He couldn't bare to look up onto these hazel eyes and the very ones he fell for, once. He wished he could forget the pain and the pain of knowing. Cat slip her legs through the blanket as she watched him standing up onto his ground and avoid her eyes from meeting hers.

"Think that it would be okay, till tomorrow?" She tried to ignore the sensation of his touch she had felt from him when he was tending up her injuries with care and by being gentle and soft in order for to not be get herself hurt in any other way.

"If you don't show any sign of infection, it'll would be just fine." Vincent had concluded back and folded his arms against his chest, before he could ask again. Being serious, this time."Therefore, there is one question that troubles me, although."

"Like?"

"What makes you think it was someone you had recognized and that Lina had sent you over? I mean nobody knows who you are, so why the worry?" He wondered back onto that conclusion. Cat had given it a little bit of the thought too. Nobody had recognized her into the club. The only persons that would have had, it would been Eva and Lina. However, since Eva was still unresponsive, it couldn't have been until it almost have had happen when the blond haired woman had taken a good eye to look up and examined her, and even if she was into a deep agony of an everlasting pain. She had recognized her. Well, almost to be fair and only after when the biggest blast had come up later which made Eva lose conciousness after the torure.

And Lina? Unless it was for personal reasons and since she had some mixed feelings for Vincent, it might have been, but how did it explained the connection between Su Li and herself? Unless , they had been allieses through the time and needed a help from a friend. As if Su Li had any female friends back in Rikers, before and went out for good behavior. Heh, right. She must have had seduced to jury in order to get out. No doubt to that as Cat would have thought.

"That's what I've thought too. I've followed the procedure until I've ended up meeting up Su Li, once again. Like I've said before, Tess and I were chasing her before and when Tess and Su Li were both fighting up, a gunshot was heard." Cat had followed up when Vincent's narrowed eyes had met hers."Turns out that Tess had shot Su Li and, acting up as a good cop, I've asked her to take her gun away when EMT had rushed over onto the street."

"You're sure, it was a settup? Or else, Lina would have had blown up your cover by now..If it was by this way.." Vincent tried to follow back, cause if Lina had discovered that Cat was fooling her around, she would have had made herself very much clear, anyways.

"I don't know about that, though. Maybe, she had some connections to get through me. I don't know what I've done to make her angry, but I do know that she has the hots for you-"

"Which, I have totally denied. I see her as a colleague not as a friend and from last night, I've might change it up that catergory into the suspicion spot by now." Vincent had interrupted her back which made Cat narrow up her eyebrows. She was startled. Vincent was not dumb enough to fall over like he had done in the past, but when he managed to recognize the bad through a person, he managed to look around the room under Cat's watch. Telling herself that he was thinking up of an made up theory here.

"What do you mean?" Cat wondered back up as when her ex-boyfriend took a few breaths and came up with what both of them had already know. He stopped his tracks and turned around to face her.

"You were saying that she had the hots for me, no? Well, let's just say that what you had done to Eva before, it was enough to make her bladder go off. She must have thought that she was doing me a favor by showing me who you were really." Vincent had stated back when she was caught off guard at this point. He remembered the way Lina had reacted when he was trying to reach out for Catherine and the barmaid had tried to ignore his pleads and the way she had told him that his ex-girlfriend was becoming someone he hadn't expected to face. Someone way worse.

"And Su Li?" Still she had no clue of how the hitman seemed to fit into that mess and neither Vincent could find a better answer to that. He shook his head and scratched up the back of his neck in frustration. Mot because of the unexplained lesions that were already making its way onto his back.

"I have no clue about her, but if it means that Lina had known a few badasses women around, that hitman might have been. Not sure if Àlvarez knows any other bad guys around, but Lina may have had." He replied back as he stood up from the bed and rubbed his palms onto his pants as he walked away and faced the ancient wall."When you and Tess were suspected her from before, hadn't you checked out through her background, from work or where she had worked?"

"I only remember from the time where her husband and sister were found murdered. Warren was a pratical high persons through the politics and was heard that he had been sleeping off with a woman or mostly, was found with a woman in bed. A certain Charlene into her late twenties. Both of them were murdered, slaughtered." Cat had recalled back through her memories as a police officer with Tess. "Two others Detectives Romano and Webster were both working up into this case and needed back up. Tess and I, for special assistance. Practically in case, if the women into the The Rose club were helded into frightening situation and on any of the questions. And Su Li had denied all the answers about if she ever had heard her husband having an affair with her sister while the she pushed out the blame onto the other woman, and then-" Crap. That club's . She had forgotten that she had heard that name from before until she had finally stepped in and had become one of the powerful hitmen of the place. Cat had caught off of her words when she remembered the other woman who had been the false suspect and the one to whom they were chasing and falsely accused out until it did took some real research to figure out who had been the killer before. Asian nature and into her early thirties. A very thin woman with dark mid-long long with bangs and bloodshot dark eyes and forming dark circles, did looked nervous to her eye when she was being brought up onto the interrogation room into the precinct. More like scared as if she had no idea of what she had been accused about and why the cops were so interested into her. And Cat could have had sworn about one thing although. This woman had the very same cheekbones onto her face and to whenever a frown was shown up. It looked very familiar.

But who was this woman and what made her look familiar? Cat couldn't picked up a name or even when Vincent had called her back.

"And then, what?" Cat had rose her eyes up to meet his confused stare where his eyebrows were knotted and his expression didn't betrayed his feelings. "What happened later on, Catherine?"

"That woman. The one who was falsely accused and in order to Su Li to run away with murder." She replied back as he nodded up by following up her voice with attention. "I believe it was Lina. Su Li might have had pushed the blame onto her, so she could run away. I'm not sure why she had done that, but it must have been for a good damn reason." In order to have had the barmaid got up so angry and asked for the hitman for her services because she didn't liked the way Cat had handled things with Eva. Or mostly, because Vincent didn't shared the same feelings with her and mostly because he was too focused onto helping out with the girls and mostly his ex-girlfriend here. He wasn't able to erase his feelings away as much as she wanted.

And to which she had slowly started to hate him for that part. What give him the right to fim to be angry at her when she was the one to have had tried to safe their relationship, while he wasn't doing anything but to screw up with another red haired woman? Damn, right. He deserved to be hated and for the risks and the dangerous situations he had put her under for a very long time. Cat looked back away as she slowly slippered through the covers and laid down by raising up the covers to her chin, with a wince but as she looked away from him.

"Let's call it a day, okay? I'm too tired to think on what to do next." She turned up a bit to meet his sobered eyes."Unless, you wouldn't consider me onto falling alsleep here? Think that I have a concussion, by the way?"

"I don't believe you have one, or else you wouldn't have remembered that last event with you and Tess chasing some bad guy over. If you had a concussion, I wouldn't recomand you to sleep, but I can't possibly leave you alone, either way." He shrugged back with a sigh as he started to take off his shirt under Cat's startled expression. What the heck was he doing, now? He couldn't be thinking with making-up sex? No way!

"Vincent, I don't think-"

"Appropriate? Yeah, sure.." He groaned back as he tossed his t-shirt onto over to the floor leaving only with his black tank top. Which made Cat feel embarassed and with the way he made her feel exposed and with the way he made her feel like she was attending a show. Close to a strip club, as she shut her eyes from watching anything else. Her heart felt like pounding hard and felt like it wanted to explode out of her ribcage. Oh God.

"This is not the time for-"

"Sex? Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I'll keep up my pants here. I'll be nice here. Wouldn't want you alone if something bad happens through your slumber time, babe.." He settled down onto the bed as she could feelt him dangerously close to her side. Which made her go redder. Cat could feel her cheeks getting burned. Vincent didn't know how to stop himself from approaching back or to make her feel her temperature heating up into faster mood. How come did he managed her to make her feel this way? Still? And especially when she went hard onto him, almost violent to him, lately. She didn't deserved him, at all. And even with all the faults he caused to make her feel this way. Hatred way.

"Vincent!-" She bursted out alarmed when he made his first move over and had assure her back and as she watched him with eyes wide. Looking how strong and exoticting he looked like.

"Don't worry, I'll be nice and I won't do any stupid thing unless you ask me. Now move over.." Oh Crap. He pushed her over so she could give him some space. Oh God.

"Still I don't think, it's such a good idea. What if we lost track of time?"

"Calm down. We only have four to five hours of sleep and besides you need your rest and clear your head up for tomorrow morning.."Vincent brought up his arm around her shoulders as they both laid down onto the cushions and with the way his heart was starting to beat up faster when her cheek laid onto his chest, Cat could felt her cheeks redding up out of nowhere and with the way his fingers went wriggled through her hair, even.

"I don't think it's such a good idea.." She whispered back as she felt him kiss the top of her head as he always have had from before and slid through the sheets for theirs own bodies to cover up from the cold. No sex, as he made it clear."Tomorrow, might be a different setting up and we can't pretend that something hadn't happened-"

"You mean, for the bruises? Well, someone would have to tell the truth and something tells me that Lina might come forword. I might not know Àlvarez personally, but something would tell me that he wouldn't let it go any other way. If he founds out that his hitman had been caught onto a violent fight and killed another hitman in self defense.." Vincent had followed up back. And then added up afterwards."If he doesn't believe that you were onto a serious fight organized up by Lina, I'll stand up to you, saying you've came to me and helped you out by staying away until chaos had blowed over."

"Vincent, I can't let you do that..It'll be unfair.." For the both of them and mostly for his feelings. It would be unfair and with the way she'd treated him before and after their first nightstand together on the night when Eva had been attacked and punished by her actions. How come could he still even look up at her without any shame?

"Not so sure for Àlvarez, though.." Vincent added back as he looked down onto her."I know how he feels about you and something tells me he would stand up for you. You've gotten close up to his heart and soon or later, Lina would pay the price of ever being mean to you.." Just like he was and the way he had witnessed her by being the attacker lately, it filled him up big and heavily inside of his scarred heart. It still horrified him to see her attacking innocent women's lives here and even if she was paid to do this. It frightened him. Even in his worse nightmares, and especially the very last one when he dreamed her killing him without any hesitation.

Oh God. He didn't even got the chance to tell her that he might be dying, if he ever was close to do it. Just to think about him made him shut his eyes tight, he really didn't wanted to tell her that, fearing up about her reaction. Cause as much as he didn't wanted to believe in it, he was scared to die. Almost twice he had transformed onto his beast side, and yet he was starting to feel the effects of the disease through him and the gem wasn't making it even better. If he hadn't transformed at all, the disease would have slowled up through his system. But since the damage was already done, Vincent felt this illiness was already spreading up and made him feel weaker after he transformed back to himself. Once back, at J.T.'s place when he had nearly skinned up Tori alive and the next for saving Catherine and using his beast senses didn't helped either lately.

J.T. was smart enough to figure out that something wrong was going on with him, but with Catherine..Vincent wasn't so sure unless he could warn her out, if she listened to him. If Only.

"Catherine.." Oh God. That thought of ever dying had frightened him and she deserved to know.

"Mm?" She sounded as if she couldn't give a damn to anything else than him who was around with her. He took a deep breath before he went along.

"There's something I need to tell you..I..I might be.." Vincent tried to come up with a reply so he could explain what really mattered to him, but when he felt Cat's head getting a little heavier onto his chest, he stared down to see she had already slumbered up onto his warming embrace.

Oh Crap. Just when he was about to admit to the woman he loved that something might be wrong with him, she had already sleeped off onto his embrace. It made him feel irrated but also relieved, He wasn't sure how she would have take it, cause even if he tried to protect her from the truth. It wouldn't be fair to her to be kept onto the unknown. He would have to tell her, one way or another.

And Vincent wasn't ready for it to happen in any time soon. I love you, Catherine. He closed up his eyes tight and sworned back that thought onto the back of his head, as he brought her closer and brushed his lips onto the top of her head. Pressing up a long and savouring kiss as he breathed her scent as a last remaining present for him to remember before the blow would show up, one way or another.

...

At the very early morning of the day, Detective Santiago Medina was walking up the into the entry of NYC General Hospital and the very same where Gretchen Hermandez's body had been held into a crime scene where she had been operated before. He groaned. Damn, he shouldn't have had drank himself the last night before and even if the case about Lowan was over, he still was needed to stop Cat Chandler. Tess's partner and friend and whom he had suspected whildling up some serious information from the FBI. And since her biological father wasn't coeparating, he needed to come up with another plan.

And it was how to track down, Cat's family members without frightening them. And even if Vincent Keller was an important cause, he was still unreachable. All things were linked. The night where Chandler had arrested her father, when the two of them were injured. Later when a bullet covered in blood was discovered at the crime scene and with Keller who had been discovered and camed out through his own will to the public, after hiding away for almost eleven years. But for what? All these three things had linked up together into a way he couldn't describe it. Ex-heiress, Tori Windsor was unreachable and through her lawyer who had told him that she was willing to sue the NYPD departement for harrassement if he wasn't willing to step away and with the way he kept asking questions.

And from the way Internal Affairs, FBI Special Agent Hendricks had been covering up his back from a long way ago, he felt like he had been pulling up the strings for a longtime now. And if he didn't kept his word, his past would be exposed and maybe he would risk up his life and his family.

He picked up his phone and frowned at the text message from Tess whom had texted from three hours ago. Meet me up at the morgue and before things could get ugly. Ugly? What did she meant by that? Damn, now he wished he hadn't drank himself so much now. He fastened himself up his steps had presented his badge up to the receptionist and demanded to know where the morgue section was being held onto.

...

Lina couldn't barely had slept when she had cleaned up the bar from last night's party and from the way Vincent had looked up at her, hard and frustrated, but it wasn't him who had caused it the problem. It was Olga. That bitch, she had told him where Aya had been held and who held her against her will. Su Li. She had the money onto the back of her mind and needed more time to get it until she watched an angered Virgina walking by onto the club and could tell that she had cried from the way her eyes were bloodsheed through an tiring event. She looked like a mess and hadn't washed up from last night.

What the heck had happened? Virgina looked upset and seemed to have had spent the night wide awake, entiredly. Didn't changed up the dress she wore from last night and her curly loose dark hair was in a mess not to mention her mascara and eyeliner was melting down onto her cheeks like she had shed tears. But enraged for some unexplained matter. Something was wrong but Lina couldn't simply pointed out for what reason. Virgina looked too frustrated as she dropped down her purse and took off her espensive beige coat onto the bar counter.

Just. What the hell had happened?

"Hey, Virgina-"

"Don't woo me.." She spat out fast in a menacing way when she walked up and around the bar with the attitude of a threatening woman as she stood up in front of her."I need my money." Only the barmaid didn't have it with her by the moment and from the way the bodyguard was demanding it, it looked far too much and Lina tried to stay quiet before she she went on with an more but honest answer. Lame one, but worth.

"Look, I'll get it as fast as I can, okay? I just need to get through with Su Li, your boss." And where was Su Li? She should've had been the one who was supposed to walk up into here and not Virgina who seemed to be impatient to get by any minute.

"Deal with it. Now, I need my money!"

"I need to check up with Aya-" Bad excuse and especially when your very loyal hitman wasn't here to cover you up at the early morning here.

"Or else, what? Don't play dumb! You and I both know where she is. You hired us to have her killed!" The dark haired woman had cut out back as her brown and delusional eyes had never left Lina's who tried to look for a way to get out from this woman's staring. Which Virgina had found it amusing when she faked a laugh. "What? You think I do look threatening to you? Good. Now, I need my money!" Still threatening as she looked like and wasn't willing to give up. It gave Lina the creeps and through her spine when she dropped the rug and faced her, bravely as she could to the hitman woman.

"Look, maybe we can sit down and wait for Su Li to come by, and then we'll discuss-"

"You still don't have it.." Virgina had guessed out through her breath and then had released an growl out.

"It's not what I've meant-" Lina had tried to say back when she hadn't expected out the very next move that Su Li's left hand who had done but grasped her up by the neck as she pushed her away to the nearest wall. Her breath felt so caught up into a horrible suffocating matter as she gasped for air and tried to look down onto Virgina's avenging eyes as she kept her hold onto her throat which made her grasp go wild through wild. Oh Crap! Would this bitch be able to kill her? A black woman who was strong as nails like Virgina? In a bursting and twisting up snap?

"You still don't get it, do you? Su Li is dead and right damn dead by your hitman! That bitch had stabbed her with a knife!" Virgina's yelling and desperating and shaking voice was enough to make Lina realize that she had lost a bet as she tried to raise up her hands and tried to get away from Virgina's tightening hold with much strength as she could. Damn, she could feel her manicured nails almost transpercing up her flesh..Su Li's little bodyguard's hold and anger was just too strong as much as she tried to fight off.

But couldn't. She couldn't even feel her own feet onto the floor, either. Dead? How could Su Li be dead? From the most of time she had known her, Su Li had the most powerful and remorsefull woman that she had meet from her entire life and even had put onto a blaming fault that she wasn't involved with. The murder of her husband and her sister, Su Li had used her for bait and using the vulnerable ones had been easy to cover up your fair ass from justice.

"You didn't told us, that your little bitch could even fight like a wild cat. Had we've known that matter earlier, my boss's life would have been spared..She rushed up onto my arms and died at the hospital. In surgery because of the intense deeping gaping of her wounds. And the very ones that your hitman slut had done. Just wait till Àlvarez gets to know this. He'll have a such good laugh." Virgina had stated back, angrily when her voice had almost broke down. Oh No. Not Òliver. If he ever heard that she had played with evil, he was so gonna kill her, one way or the other..No. Lina tried to push back the hands that held her from catching up her breath.

"Godsh-No.." Lina had tried to say in a gasping sound. Oh God. Was she gonna die here? Oh God.

"Or maybe. I have something better to offer, although." Virgina had loosen up her hold onto the barmaid's throat and let her fall back down onto the floor like a thunding sound. Virgina stepped back as she watched Lina cough up and held her neck, trying to catch up with her breath. She looked back at the tough woman who was frowning back at her and mostly with disgust. Probably be thinking that she should've had finished the job of killing her, either way than to let her live.

"Like what?" Lina had croaked back in a breath as she kept on inhaling and exhaling by making sure her lungs still worked after the near and attempting killing experience here as Virgina put her fists both onto her hips here and stared down.

"Like you could do me a little favor, you know. While you'll be collecting up the money, you'll be directing up Su Li's people from now on.." The bodyguard had explained which made Lina widen up her eyes into shock. What the heck?

"What?" Her fear was almost about to come true. Unlike Àlvarez's strict rules, Su Li's people were way worse to handle, from what she had heard. And to which the bodyguard's smirk had answered to her worst nightmare to be.

"You had heard me, little bitch. We have nice guys and girls around our club and since their boss is dead, they'll probably need more precaution and who knows, a little drug trafficking going as well.." Virgina smirked back at her own works."Heard, that they're even good at it and once they're onto the effect, they do know how to make a customer please. Drugs with sex, are even better all at once. I mean, you must know that."

"I'm not allowing any drugs around the place here. It's Àlvarez's -"

"I don't care about your boss's rules, here. You'd put us into this hell from the day you've called Su Li and now, she's lying cold dead right down into the morgue now. I give you one week to give the money you've promised and meanwhile the men and women would move on into here for work. If you follow up into these conditions you'll be alright. If not, I'll denounce you to the cops, about illiegal immigration with the girls's stating, the human and organ trafficking and not to forget the drug one as well and bringing up Àlvarez into the scene. Because we both know that he is no angel." Crap. It was blackmail and Lina had known that Virgina was loving and even savouring up her little revenge plan. She had lost a friend due to an surprising attack from Aya and was willing to make the barmaid pay hard her depts. Lina slowly stood back onto her feet as she continued to watch Virgina crack up a laugh. That woman was seriously losing up her mind and probably and maybe because of grief.

"Not only, Su Li had kept marijuana around, but also some cocaine and heroine. Hard stuff to make you enjoy an simple and good time." Virgina had added up with a smirk to the barmaid's stare.

"You're truly a bitch.." Lina had shook back her head in disgust as she rubbed back her throat while Virgina just shrugged back her shoulders as if she didn't just cared. Not even when she was a close range to kill up a person here.

"Not better than you are as long you'll hang up as a dead-zombie thingy. It's gonna be our little secret." Virgina had promised back as she wipped off the melting mascara onto her cheeks and was about to turn around to gather up her things until, she turned back at the frightened woman. "Oh, and one last thing here.."

"What?"

"The women that worked up for Su Li aren't so much like yours. I mean, they're not as nice and frightened little darlings. If they felt like they were being robbed or treated bad by any costumers, they'll attack back. Either bitting up or clawing up their flesh vaccinated, if you know what I mean. So you better watch your back." Virgina had admitted back to Lina's horror. Just how much were these people even can be that dangerous? Were they from else where and especially where it looked like there had been no rules when it came to Su Li's people? But after what she had been through with Virgina here who had almost gotten her killed. Maybe they were capable of anything. But what what Àlvarez? How would he even react if he figured out that his own club had elarged it up? If he had figured out how much troubled she gotten him inside and with Ayaka, if she ever figured out what her intentions had gotten her into a mess and especially after a very bad trap that would likedly raise many eyebrows. Including, Àlvarez's.

"What about Aya?"

"Like I said; that bitch knows how to fight. Let's see if she can hold onto them.." And as she slowly lifted up the hem of her dress up, which revealed an glowing and silver glock being held up onto its hostler and all held around her thigh. Which worried out Lina as her eyes stared back down to up as they looked up to Virgina's pissed out expression.

"Or I can always finish her-or maybe both of you out, by myself, and you wanna know why? Because I don't believe, she is legit to any of us." That sentence had strucked up things way too much now. And Lina had known that something wasn't right here. The bodyguard here had known something that she doesn't. And her experssion had told her that she had been tricked by the enemy. Not Virgina but Aya.

"Why?"

"Because, once upon a time and a longtime ago. Su Li had recognized her from before and she did never forgotten an familiar face.." Virgina had admitted back and did the sign that everybody often made fun of. The sign of a gun towards her own head as she fakedly and invisibly pulled out the trigger. Which meant that time for Lina was almost running out to save her own skin from the devil here.

...

Still shaken, Tess looked down onto the body where the very first woman had tried to kill her through her dreams. An very dead Sun Li was lying up onto the gurney with a blanket covering her up from her breasts to her feet, at the table at the cold morgue room.. A woman whom had scared and scarred her up when she was forced to shoot her when Cat and herself were still chasing over her. And Cat, being a friend had helped her up to get back onto her feet after she had shot the hitman when the two of them were fighting off. But there won't be any fight coming up ro get her onto the gut, anymore. Cause Cat had finished up the job for her.

"Hey sista-Whoah..That's a holy ghost here.." Damn. Old Medina. Always the same to put up a joke which didn't left her impressed.

"Enough to shake me up from a nightmare, I know." Tess had answered back. Well a nightmare that might be over, but not might be when Chief Ward would figure out who had been Su Li's assassin."And to say that I've shot her from years ago."

"Her, you mean?" Taking a deep sigh, Tess whirled back to her brother's bestfriend and folded up her arms against her chest and stood up to the hardened cop in black.

"Yup. Zhang had left me with a few shaken nightmares when I first started up as a young officer and if it wasn't for Cat, I wouldn't have had continued either way over here. Or even had followed up until now.." If it wasn't for Cat, she would have had lost it. Panicked even or do much worse. Tess had always shot bad guys in self defense, however. It had been different this time. Not that Su Li was nice. No she wasn't. But to push up another woman to take the blame had been the worst step and made her angry and pissed off to learn that she and her partner had been tricked.

"You mean.." Medina had followed up wondered about the meaning she tried to give him when her eyes crossed his, as a warning signal which took him a few seconds in order to figure out what she truly meant."Chandler had killed her?"

"Looks like it. But it was by self defense. Cat had texted me through her phone. Burner." Tess stated back without caring up about his reaction."It was all a settup by her boss and I don't mean Àlvarez, but the woman who brings up the girls at the bar. Lina. And I could tell that she hadn't quite liked up the way she had treated up Eva. Cat's last victim before she gotten herself attacked."

"Think it's all about personal revenge? If so then, why she hadn't arrested Àlvarez already?"

"It's not that easy. She needs more time and that's what I fear. By letting her go through that club and with the deepest she gets herself into, it's only gonna go worse."

"Every undercover job is dangerous, Vargas.." Medina had scoffed back as if she hadn't known the dangerous behaviour behind it.

"And way more dangerous when it's personal, Medina and yet nobody wanted to take that case either. Not even the FBI had wanted to, until Cat had crossed paths with Lena and the rest became history.." She followed up by trying to stay calm, even if she wanted to rip him apart. However, the dark haired man felt like his own time was being wasted here for nothing. He wasn't having any of her mess and was about to turn around his heels away too of his likening.

"And that's why, you've texted me up? To cover up for your friend who's taken up a dangerous case? Seriously, I've got better things to do here, like-"

"Like arresting a female cop from a felony matter, she didn't commit? When she was proven innocent?" She caught him back when he was about to leave the room away and turned his head back to look upon his shoulder as his own bad smirk had left his expression. About damn time. She was getting his attention now.

"We all know that itsn't true. She is as guilty as she tries to not be it-"

"Says who? Special Agent Hendricks from the Internal Affairs? I wonder how Chief Ward would say about it once he hears about you invastigating my partner behind his back and without his authorization. I'm sure he'll freak out and sent a important message to to your own chief. I'm sure he's gonna be happy to hear that you've been playing under his back ever since Hendricks had called you up to open up an cold case.." What was she up to? By blackmailing a cop? That was way too far which had surprised her from her own doing. He whirled back and held up a finger up to her face as of a warning matter.

"That's not true. I had to get Lowan behind bars for good...And Chandler should know the rules even better as much as you do, Vargas.." Medina had followed up back as a ran his fingers through his hair. He did looked up tired from the double case he was handling at the very same time and with Lowan out of the picture, he was having a hard time to push Cat over the edge. With her father who had been nothing to his help and neither was Tori Windsor who was being protected by her lawyer, he had no idea what else to proceed up again.

"Just like you do? By taking the rules onto your own hands, after fourteen years ago?" Tess had spit out the reason of his coming back here onto town."In hidding as you meant to say?" It was a topic, that the dark haired man had always tried to keep away from being exposed and with the way Hendricks had walked up into his life before and before, he had become a cop. He frowned back at her glare.

"I'm just making sure that the rules are being followed like they're supposed to be and your partner needs to make sure on which side she carries on and to whom she fights for-" Nice excuse. But it wasn't enough to Tess's own hearing cause she wasn't having any of it, at the moment.

"Which is why Cat proves to be a good cop. She knows how to put her feelings away from emotional matters and personal things away, while you just can't.." Tess stated back in a breath."Just wait, until Lowan's lawyer finds a way to drop the charges and you'll be the one who's gonna have the last cry to it and looking like a fool, at the very end of it."

"Is that a threat, Vargas?" It sure damn was.

"It might be. Which I don't always do until someone that I respect and admire is threatened by someone like you.." After all, she did spotted to see Cat destroying an evidence at the evidence room and from exposing up Vincent before. Imagine what she could do now. But it was a damn threat. Medina held up his hands in surrounder as he tried to defend himself here.

"Oh come on! Chandler is a grown woman. She doesn't need any protection from anybody-"

"Or to be threatened by a old man like you or by Hendricks who couldn't come to show up his ass after he had been bafleed and offended that he hadn't been right.." Tess had cut him again."He sends one of his puppets around to finish out the job so he wouldn't get fired by his own boss and since he thinks you owned him a little favor, he sends you over with your partner.." Cheng was all but legit just to imagine his reaction he was keeping another case under secret, it would make him want to know more and knowing how good his partner worked. It would be no more of a secret.

"Cheng doesn't know any of this. He had come along to help me onto finish up the job about Tyler's murder..and scheduled to move away later-"

"So, you're working all alone? That's even better, and with no alibi to cover your own ass. It'll be better.." She finished up as she took out her phone from her coat and leveled up her hand to let him see what she had been doing all this time and once he had started to speak up to her.

Without even thinking he was being recorded. Oh No. Thinking a little too late about his own actions, Medina had looked up to her phone as she waved it back to his face and he could tell that she was smirking up here. Damn, not only she had his attention but had caught up onto her trap.

"You've caught me into record.." Damn right. She had learned a few couple tricks but not only because of her brothers, but from old classic movies. Where often the cop had been recordering the conversation into discrecy or often had done the watter glass drink thing in order to bring up the person to confess when she or he had been caught up into a lie.

"Imagine what would happen if I had shown this up to Ward? I'm sure, he'll alert up your boss and probably suspending up both Hendricks's and your own ass." She smiled back wickedly when she noticed how his face had gotten pale and unguarded.."The Vargas clan had a code to whenever danger they were being getting caught up onto which was this statement; You step onto my feet, you'll get biten up by the clan and the whole clan here. So, either you stop your invastigation on Chandler or I'll reveal that you're here for the wrong reasons." Crap. Was it blackmail? It did sounded like. Tess watched him shake his head still perplexed that she had caught up into a trap.

"That's blackmail, Vargas and you know it.." He stated back as a warning which she softly chuckled back. Well, that sounded pretty evil and too much out of character.

"At least, it'll be my time to shine here and like I've said; You step onto my feet, you'll get biten by the clan. Me, mostly. It's your chance to step away or you can always get your badge taken away by the forces.." And to which she was willing up to do or so. As far it sounded fair. Which she felt like when she waited Medina to say something which it had took almost like a while as he looked torn to choose between two possibilities here. Always the crow as he used to be called once he had come back into the living and how many mistakes he had made over his young years. Tess watched him look around to his surroundings and dropped down his arms to his sides before he followed up, with a defeated up sigh. As if he had no other choice but to listen or else he'll may have to lose his job. After all, he did specified that he wanted to bring down Cat and anybody else close to her, Vincent Keller for an example.

And somehow, Tess wondered if she could at least trust him. Which her gut had told her not to.

"Alright. What do you want me to do?" He declared back as she took a deep breath and started to explain up with the best plan she could manage to bring up without any other question. Even if it mean it might not work, at all. But what else could she make it up a few seconds. A genie from a enchanted might come up with a better answer, though than hers.

"First off; Cat is gonna show up at the emergency care over here and the reason? Because of the fight that she taken off with the lying dead bitch here. Hiding away to avoid all clues and coincindes from Su Li's death. Second; Àlvarez would probably show up once he'll learn that she'll be here."

"By her own cover name. I believe.." He had concluded back through through her story as she nodded back and ran her fingers through her short and messed hair.

"Yes. We need to keep it from spilling out her real name or else her cover would be blown. And since I've already got up her ass, completely, I might need a white blouse to cover up my identity. You see I'll be playing her treating doctor until Àlvarez would come up.." She admitted back as Medina who still was trying to follow up with the plan, had rose up a eyebrow and put his hands onto his hips.

"Treating doctor, for?"

"Cat's undercover job is by being an HIV-positive and female hitman, Ayaka and since Àlvarez already knows me, it'll be better.." Tess watched him pointing himself back as if he had bno other clue of what he was needed to this plan.

"Okay, but what about me? What I have to do with it?" That was where he comes up along the way.

"Since you have nothing better to do than to harrass my partner's ass, you'll be playing yourself as a cop who got called up by me and stated to fill up a report, and figure out if Aya has anything to do with supscious Su Li's death.."

"Which you think was by self defense.." Well for sure. The hitman had been hirred up to get her killed for a personal issue. Tess leaned herself against the cold table and sat onto the edge of it. Trying to not stare down at the dead body who gave her once, many nightmares before.

"True, but that Cat has nothing to do with it. Or it'll raise up many questions to the girls and especially Lina. Question up Aya and Àlvarez, and especially Àlvarez, and once you'll be done, try to gather up many information you can find about him. And I mean anything, that we probably hadn't found or figured out.."

"Think that Lena or Patrick weren't honest when they've confessed?" That guy has a well damn good memory.

"I don't know. But the more surprises that keeps coming up with this case, like organ and human trafficking, the less would be better and I'll be preparing for the worse to come along. You know that I don't like surprises." Tess had let out and stated back to not question out the girls from the club, and Lina mostly. Or else, the bitch would feel herself go under red thin line if she sees others cops walking around the club. And The FBI was holding up onto the club like a magnet. Damn, where was this bitch girl? The ex-stripper, Leah Dawson, Barnes. Once named Nadia, before she fleed away with an ex-FBI Agent.

"Neither do I.." He pointed back to her phone which she decided to stop the conversation as she she blocked out the rest and put it back inside of her jacket's pocket. She had her fun and decided that she should at least warn him about the consecquences of his actions.

"And one more thing, here."

"What?"

"Cat might be coming up by a person. The doctor who takes care of the girls at the club."

"Who, do I have to fear?" He asked back, sarcastically.

"Vincent Keller.." And with that answer that still rang it up through his ears, Medina took a step back, perplexed as he had no given clue of why he should be scared of a man that he had never meet for once through his entire life. But Tess looked serious enough.

"Why should I be scared of Keller? I barely even know the guy.." He blinked up. Damn, he didn't. However, the female detective scoffed back. That guy was smart enough to come around and cause trouble. Things had gotten a little quiet after Gabe had gotten into prison for Tyler's murder. However with three dead strippers and Àlvarez's wife whose life was still into cliffhangers, Medina would make sure to get involved and especially when it was Cat's case. He'll found a way to put her into trouble which Tess tried to avoid by trying to nicely tell him to back off or else, she could always denounce him to Ward.

"Doesn't matter, because knowing you; you would be looking onto any personal people coming from Cat's past in order to bring her down, and Keller's one of them.."

"He looked quite close to her when he walked up into the precinct-" But Tess had cut him off once again as he let a growling sound out from his throat. He didn't liked to get himself interrupted and by a woman who was also one of his bestfriend's sister. Better not mess up with Tess Vargas.

"Because, he's the hero of the day. That's why. Not only he had saved mine and Cat's lives, but he had saved the entire precinct as well." She wasn't sure if he had known about the last hostage that had taken place a few months ago. If he hadn't come back to his senses, she and Cat would have gotten themselves killed, if Vincent hadn't came back to safe them.

"And you think he also wants to save those girls, including your partner's?" And knowning Vincent for a tiny bit, he might want as much. He'd do anything for Catherine and in order to make sure she was safe from any danger. Even if it means saving from herself and from all the mess that had walked up to theirs lives.

"If it means by keeping these innocent girls at safe. Clearly, but also saving Cat's cover and herself as well." Tess had concluded back with a hard stare that told him to shut up before any other chaos could come up.

...

He felt like laughing at Lina's frightened face when he watched Virgina stepped away from the bar. Damn, that bitch wouldn't get away anymore, and Su Li's bodyguard has made sure that she would not step back from her troubles. And through his hidden corner, he had watched her fall. Poor Lina. That woman was such in trouble. Not only, she had take care of Su Li's bad people, but she had made an pact with the devil by siding up with Virgina's bad behavior and from the way Su Li had perished into battle with Aya. And Aya was only getting him excited. With her loyalty towards Àlvarez and into bringing him down which might take some serious thinking before jumping up into the very conclued idea.

And with a sickened Keller who was barely holding up into tight life for this woman. He must say; he did find it heroic. To have someone to protect and even if that person didn't wanted to be protected by the very person who had broken up her heart from trying to protect and love him deeply, until he had rejected her horribly. However, it had changed when the cameras had stopped working here and this is where, Su Li had taken action onto kidnapping the hitman and had brought her up to her club.

A club that should be banned from many years ago, and as Virgina had stated; Su Li wasn't the kind of a person to forget a person's face, so easily. Su Li had lied when she said she didn't know Aya, when she did.

Which made him smirk even more. Things were getting even better and while everybody believed he had gone back into his hometown, he decided to stick around here and he was glad he hadn't missed any step of it. Or else, he'll be missing every good things around. Like Vincent Keller being close up into death doors, than he should have had and with the way he was beasting out and especially from last night after saving the so-called Aya. There wasn't much time for him to hold on, and especially if Vincent Keller decided to beast out for a third time, he might not live for any longer. His heart might gave out before he'd realized the consecquences. All because of love. When nobody had gave him love. To Him.

He groaned back. As a monster he was born to be from the moment he had been born. When life had demolished him. Him. Just like it was destroying Keller. And He'll make sure that he'll stick around to see it happening as long as Catherine Chandler wore up that red gem around her neck while it'll control Vincent Keller's life.

...

At early and first dawn, Catherine snuggled even deeper onto the cushions and held one of them, almost happily if it wasn't from her burning holes through her shoulder that had made her grimace her when she woke up. Through the sun's hightlights burning up onto her skin. And alone. She fluttered up her eyelids open, sleepy and managed to roll up around until she felt her back onto the used matress. When she rubbed up her eyes to wake up and get rid of the slumber. Short as it felt like.

And took a look around her surroundings and through the room. The motel room that she and Vincent took up for hiding. She woke up alone here. and without any sign of Vincent around here. What happened to him? Where did he gone through? no. Vincent would never do anything to displease her, at all without her conscent or her own accord. But he did made sure she was at perfect comfort when he left her away. She rose up wearing up the same shirt from last night, the very one that Vincent told her to wear in order to keep her from showing up any exposed skin and ripped jeans that she still wore, today as she rose up the sheet to see that she was fully clothed and covered up by the sheets.

No. Nothing had happened from last night. If so, where Vincent had gone through? Did he left her alone here, after he told her he wouldn't leave her alone from the beating she had took?

He seemed sincere, from last night. If so, then where he had been? Unless, he gone to look up for coffee before the two of them would decide to confront the next day. Face the day. She and Tess would have to come up with a better answer and to cover up the events from last night. Cause if Àlvarez had figured that she had been involved into Su Li's attack and from the way she had been easily kidnapped, he might have to fire her ass, or maybe fire Lina as well. After all. That barmaid had been up onto something, she gotten her into trouble and with the way Lina and Su Li had known each other from a longtime ago, he might be. Àlvarez can be much as a monster, but what about Vincent? And even if he had his own faults, it didn't excused him from the pain he made her endure, personally and emotinally. And yet, he managed to protect her as if he had always done from before, and protected her from exposure.

As always.

Oh God. She felt such as a slut. A goddamnit whore from the way she used him lately, and especially after she treated him badly and yet, he still wanted to protect her. Which it horrified her to think about it. Cat brought up the sheet to cover herself as if she was naked but wasn't and she sat up onto the bed when she ran her free hand and through her hair where her fingers went onto, frustrated.

"Good, you're awake."Had awakened up a sudden male and familiar voice when she whirled her head around to stare up at the man who sat up at her side all night and had taken care of her injuries as much as he could. An tired and pale but fully clothed broad shouldered and strong Vincent had stood up close at the doorway that separated the bedroom to the small bathroom and getting ready to leave. And boy did he looked pissed here. "It's almost, nine of clock of the morning by now. And I've wondered if I had to shake you up awake in any moment.."

"Were you awake for long?"

"Two hours, earlier than you did. I had to pee." He shrugged back with his shoulders as he wipped out his mouth and stubble, a beard a three days was making up onto his jaw and tired as he avoided her stare. Worried stare. Cat could tell he was lying and with the way he did looked pale like a ghost with those dark circle under his eyes, had concerned her. Deeply and even if they weren't together or that she had taken the vow to hate him, forever. She couldn't just denied that he looked horribly faded as a deadly ghost. It was the first she had seen him like this, unless he was suffering from a heartbroken heart from their broken relationship.

It stated that men died faster than women, and somehow Vincent looked like he was one of them as he wipped out the sweat out of his brow with his hand. Cat pushed away the sheets and stood up from the bed when she walked up to him.

"Vincent, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I am. Why you ask?"

"You look pale here.." Cat took a look to his features. He looked weary and exhausted from her own sight. But from what? Was he about to kill himself after being the good guy that tried to safe the girls? Was he trying to follow up the others doctors states of an sudden and nervous breakdown? Much like when they couldn't follow up with the visions they've had to endure by watching and healing up Àlvarez's women under his guard?

No. No matter what he had endured over the years and from the way Reynolds had kept him under from three years and even torturing him, if it had been possible, Vincent was strong enough to not fall over suicide. Damn, strong even. It didn't mattered the mess the two of them had to endure, he was strong enough to handle it on his own. Just like she had had, for such a long time.

"You're trying to please me, aren't you? Cause, I'm not turning up into a blood sucker, in any time soon. Just to assure you.." He chuckled back softly and let his eyelids shut down when he felt the palm of her hand resting up onto his bare cheek where his dimple relaxed through that gentle touch. He leaned his head toward her palm as he felt her fingers tracing down to his lips.

He felt relaxed, for a moment from what Cat could osberve as she watched and heard him release a sigh.

"After you've bring me up to the hospital, you better take some rest, Vincent. You look exhausted.." And worn out, completely. How long did he stayed up, at night? Did he ever had gotten some sleep? And how could he? With all the mess, he had been involved with?

"Don't worry, I'm okay..I'll make sure you'll get there at the ER care, with precaution.." He had leaned up onto her touch."Cat-Okay.. Stop. Just Stop!" He had replied back alerted into a a sudden frightened shout and backfired away from her palm as if it was like some rare disease that would skin him alive which had gotten her startled. Surprised with a shaken breath as he stepped back away from her into the bathroom and held a hand onto the sink as he shuddered back and avoided her staring as he tried to recollect his breathing. Fear.

Close onto fear. Because of her? Or of himself? Catherine watched him looking away from her, still startled from his sudden movement. And to tell the truth, Cat could felt that he hide himself away from her into shame like he had been a year ago. When he felt like he was into a threatening situation when it came to the people he loved. Like J.T. and like he used to when he loved her. And used to love her.

However, hardened feelings didn't go away in a day. She just had known this fact for sure and believed it was also the same for him as well.

"Vincent?"

"At what time, you want to go to the hospital?"

"In a hour or in a couple minutes. In order to collect up with ourselves, mentally and after last night. I don't think I might have a concussion, but it'll be better to show up and tell Àlvarez, that I'm okay and that you've taken good care of me." But as he turned around to look up at her, she had realized that his hardened features came back. As if he had to recall her the situation that brought them both here, from the first place.

"And without telling him about the hitman's incident? Think he's gonna buy that?"

"I don't think so. I'll come up with an excuse and tell him that you had me under check before you've send me in." It was the best she could have had come up with or else, if Àlvarez was smart enough to see that something was going on..

"Okay. We've kept him away from worrying for long enough here. So imagine the drama we'll cause up. Once he'll see you with all bruises.." Vincent covered up his mouth with his forearm and coughed up back as he tried to clear up his throat much to her Cat's uncomfortable expression. It felt weird to see him cough, like at now.

"Are you sure, you're okay, Vincent?" She had asked again as he waved off her concern.

"Yeah. Totally.." He cleared his voice and walked onto her path before his shoulder had almost touched hers."Let me get a cup of strong coffee from the vending machine, and we'll go." He walked up his way to the bed as he bend down to get his coat and shrugged it onto his shoulders and grab up his paperback and put up the rest of the stuff from last night back into the opened up paperback and zipped back up shut, before he whirled back to the door entrance when she had called him back.

"Vincent!"

"I've got you some shoes must be your size, there over the bed. I'll see you downstairs.." He had opened up the door and walked away from the place as he slamed back the door without any haste. Leaving her alone, once again but for real. She leaned herself to the door's way and sighed. What a bitch, she had become lately and from the way he had treated her up this morning, she couldn't envy him any other way. She closed up her eyes and took a deep breath.

However, they both needed a plan to explain to Àlvarez; how she had gotten up here with bruises and how she got herself into trouble and hopefully, Tess would gladly help her up. But Vincent? She wasn't sure and wouldn't be angry at him if he had the guts to tell Àlvarez the whole truth, either. Which might cost up Lina's own job. And probably Vincent's. Cat needed a plan to justify her bruises, but what kind?

'And to tell Àlvarez, that you've been attacked by an ex-stripper whom might had been a murderer and an ex-prisoner that might tried to kill you? Or denounce your identity? Yeah, right. Think harder, Cat!' She opened up her eyes and when she rose up her exposed palm up to her eyes went into shock at the sudden up, Cat had noticed that it had been covered up with blood. Not too much but enough to see it. Her hand that had touched Vincent's cheek and lip had been covered up with blood.

...

I think I'm gonna stop here before I reveal too much into this chapter and before it goes way beyond. Looks like Cat might want to know what's going on with Vincent and something is way off. He's hiding something and by being smart as she is, Cat knows that something is not right here. Virgina's very angry at Lina after their plan had failed up and demands ransom from her and while she is gonna get it, Lina would have no other choice but to accept Su Li's other sex objects around Àlvarez's club. It's either that or she could always tell him the truth. Which it would bring Lina and Cat to exposure. Tori ight finally knows something over Alicia and Helga's deaths, and maybe the reason why Vincent had attacked her in the first place. And Tess blackmails Medina by giving him the choice to either give up his own idea of revenge or to have him exposed to the law enforcement captain of the 125th precinct.

Which might end his career, if he doesn't stop onto tracking Cat and possibly Vincent. But what about Cheng? Medina's own partner. Whatever had happened to him? The story behind the chasing over Su Li has been revealed and a few memories had stepped back up for Cat as well that for now on she had made the connection through the case and through Lina. The woman who took the blame for Su Li was Lina, only a bit younger than today and had been a nightmare to Tess when she had almost killed an hitman before.

I'm sorry for being away for so much again for the support and love, beasties, I've seen it through the other story I've posted a month and way back and I'm sorry, for all of you for having to endure my own little shit moment, before. I guess, I felt alone and had thought that nobody were reading my stories any longer. Must feel lonely through the COVID pandemic, I guess. However, writing makes me feel very worthy for a moment and possibly to give a little distraction to shake the drama away even if it means for a little second. Thanks again Beasties and don't be embarrassed to ask me to write an oneshot story about VinCat. I'll try to do the best that I can. Thank you again and I love you for still standing up here and read up my stories.

And guess what? A Twisted Blood and a VinCat chap might be coming up soon..Don't know when it's gonna be released, but I know it might be soon. Thank you and I always appreciate your love, you soon!

...