A/n: Thank you to all who have decided to favorite/follow this story. It means so much to me that you all like the story that I have created. Your reviews are what motivates me to keep on writing, so please continue to give them out! Special shout out to Kflyintothesky, your review made me lol.

Also, I would like to let you all know that this story may have a rating change soon, (going from T to M), due to some upcoming scenes. Erik is a pretty dark character to write for and I cannot see changing him for the sake of keeping him confined to a T-rating. He is better suited for a M-rating, in my opinion. However, talk to me and let me know how you all feel about the upcoming rating change. Even with a rating change I could accommodate anyone who do not like graphic scenes; and have a skip option for those scenes that are sensual/violent themed in nature. Just food for thought. Anyway, back to the story. Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Restless

The hours of the night ticked on, as Erik lied awake in his bed staring aimlessly at the ceiling above him. After Ashtyn's departure, their plan had played out nicely. The art director had drunk the poison, that Angel his girlfriend, had put into her coffee. Triggering the art director's convulsions; which created the commotion needed for Klaw and his partner to enter the museum. Under the pretense of them being paramedics, they were able to successfully steal the vibranium-made artifact. As Erik was being strapped onto the stretcher, his thoughts unwillingly began to focus on Ashtyn's whereabouts. How he wanted to see her one last time before he left. However, that would be impossible for him to do so, and would surely cause the plan to fall apart completely. No…he would have to wait for another day to capture his beauty.

After returning to their hideout, they had made plans for their travel to South Korea, where Klaw was supposed to meet up with a so-called arms dealer for the vibranium. However, they already knew that the buyer was a Government agent, whose only interest was to take them down. Erik could care less about the agent, he only wanted T'Challa and the crown.

However, if Klaw was somehow able to kill him, Erik would had been fine with it. Yet, Klaw was reckless, it was highly unlikely that he could rid them of T'Challa on his own. Erik swung his feet onto the cold floor, sitting on the edge of his bed he looked down at Angel, who was sleeping peacefully. A grimace formed upon his face, as he thought about the acts he had performed on her that had led to her now restful state. He had put in work to ensure that she would go to sleep, so that he could have some quiet time for himself. However, he was far from satisfied. He didn't know what dominated his thoughts more…his quest for revenge, or Ashtyn.

He stood to his feet and walked over to the lone window of the bedroom and peered out to see the star-filled sky. Ashtyn had left her imprint on him and he wondered if he had left his mark on her as well. Was she thinking of him? Was she tossing and turning in her bed, wishing that his hands were sliding up and down her body? Did she want him as badly as he wanted her?

He was trained to be a ghost…to be unseen, to remain unknown to anyone. Angel didn't know the real him, they had only been together for a few months. The only reason why he had gotten involved with her was because she was already employed at the museum as a barista. It was easier to seduce her into aiding them than to try to get one of their own hired. Now, he supposed the only other benefit that Angel provided was convenient sex and a pretty face. However, she paled in comparison to Ashtyn, she was not only gorgeous, but smart. She had a quiet confidence about herself that had drawn him in. If there was one thing that he wanted, he wanted to be remembered by her. "I'll be seeing you soon." He spoke softly to himself the promise. As an attempt to pacify his lustful thoughts.

"Who will you be seeing soon?" He heard Angel's voice ask, as she placed a cool hand upon his scarred shoulder. It suddenly seemed wrong for her to touch him in this manner, especially when he was thinking about Ashtyn.

He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze before he said, "Nothing, just rambling to myself. Go back to bed before I tear you apart again." He said as he turned her around and swatted her on her butt. She giggled and made her way thankfully back to bed, which was exactly what Erik had wanted her to do. He turned his attention back to the window, staring again at the stars. Before he left the city, he vowed to have what was his, he vowed to have Ashtyn…by any means necessary.

The following day the museum was closed to the public. Only after the police had completed their investigation could the workers return. Ashtyn's mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. Nothing like yesterday had ever happened to her before. The crime was deplorable, but Ashtyn's mind wasn't on the lives that were lost, or the artifacts that were stolen. No, her thoughts steadily rested upon Erik.

His voice had haunted her throughout the night while she dreamed. Awakening a lust that she had all but forgotten. Yet, the captivating stranger had a darkness about him, something that was at odds with the gentleness of his words. She couldn't bring herself to believe that he had anything to do with the slayings. When she had learned that only the workers of the museum were killed, she was grateful that his name wasn't amongst the listed victims. In truth, she would had been more devastated to learn of his passing, than she currently was of those who she called her colleagues.

However, that wasn't the end of her concern for Erik's wellbeing. When she had given her statement, Ashtyn had omitted her interactions with Erik. Apparently, there was a glitch with the security cameras, and the footage was unusable. She didn't know why at the time, but now that some time had passed she realized that she was trying to protect him, despite the trouble it could bring to her.

She sighed aloud. Sitting at her desk, she allowed for her face to fall into the palms of her hands. She sat there for a moment, until it dawned on her the silliness of her even coming to work in the first place. There was no way that she was going to get any work done while her mind was in a state of unrest. She abruptly stood to her feet and reached for her symbol cane. Ashtyn didn't tell anyone that she was leaving early, quite frankly she simply didn't care what anyone thought. She was going home, and no one was going to tell her different.

She exited the museum and made her way towards her home. Her apartment was only a few blocks from her work. She only carried the bare necessities, she found out long ago that her blindness made her an easy target for pickpockets, so she never carried a purse. She was walking along trying to clear her mind. When her cane had connected with a solid object. She stopped in her tracks.

"Ashtyn, it is so nice to see you again." Ashtyn instantly recognized the voice, as she felt her heart began to beat to an erratic rhythm.

"Erik?" She questioned breathlessly.

"You remembered me." There was an edge to his words, but Ashtyn chose to ignore it.

"Of course. How could I not?" Then her thoughts when back to the events that had occurred moments after their first meeting. "Do you know what happened here yesterday?" She asked. There was a moment of silence, before he answered.

"I do." He replied indifferently. Ashtyn was taken aback. He had responded to her question, as if she had just asked him if he wanted some jelly on his roll.

"Well, it was quite horrible." Ashtyn said trying to convey the seriousness of the crime. She didn't want to shame him into acting more sympathetic than he was, but if he would had replied to anyone else with that same casual tone they may believe him to be heartless. He remained silent for a few moments, causing fear to rise within Ashtyn. Fearing that she had insulted him, and he had left her standing idly in the middle of the sidewalk; she started to call out his name. Yet, just before she could he asked her a question.

"Do you really care? Do you really feel mortified by what was done to people who didn't even respect you? You know that they considered you beneath them. Yet, you want me to act as though I am sorry that they met their end?" There was anger in his words. She took a few steps backwards to create some distance between them. However, she misstep and the spike of her high heel had gotten wedged in one of the cracks of the sidewalk. She felt herself falling and then she wasn't. Erik had moved so swiftly that it was almost unimaginable, but she was now secured within his powerful embrace.

"Are you alright?" He asked with concern laced within his voice. Ashtyn nodded her head, unable to find the words to speak. "Why would you carelessly step back like that? I have seen you walk you are normally so careful."

"You seem upset, it startled me." She felt his grip around her waist tighten. Perhaps, he didn't know that he was so intimidating. "You can be disarming at times, but just then you were frightening." She felt Erik exhaled, as if he had been holding his breath. His cool minty-fresh breath caressed her delicate skin.

"Please…forgive me. The last thing I want is to frighten you away. You make all the passions within me bubble up to the surface and I find it difficult to control myself when I am around you. I have never met anyone like you and…" Ashtyn could tell that he was struggling to find the right words. She wouldn't rush him through his process, she could tell that he wasn't used to discussing his feelings. She waited for him to find the right words, and he did. "I only want to be in your presence."

Still holding Ashtyn close to him, she could feel his heartbeat drumming in his own chest and vibrating throughout her own body. There was a connection, a feeling of them somehow belonging together, each fitting together like a puzzle piece. How could she deny him his request? Yes…there was an aura of danger that surrounded him, and she shouldn't have permitted him access to her. Then again, she had lived her life so carefully for so many years. She would had loved to blame her disability, but the truth was she would had lived her life shutoff from the world, with or without the benefit of her sight. Even though she was probably going to kick herself later. She leaned into him and said, "Would you like to hangout at my place for a while?"

This was one of the few times that Erik was grateful for her blindness. The devilish grin that spread across his face would had scared off anyone with sight. He brought her even closer to himself. Her breasts were crushed against the hardness of his chest. Her breath hitched, and her lips trembled slightly. She was fully expecting him to deliver her a searing kiss, but his lips only brushed against her cheek as he aimed for his target. His lips were mere inches for her earlobe as he spoke his answer to her question directly into her ear. "Hell, yeah."