OK here comes chapter 4... Hope you like it

Rio watched Beth drive off and sighed heavily. He returned to his office in the basement below the convenient store and poured himself a large drink.

He sat down heavily in his chair, propping the scan picture against the bourbon bottle. He couldn't take his eyes off the small shape on the image.

He drained his drink, holding the empty glass in his hand, his face clouding with a mounting rage. Suddenly he stood up and screamed "fuck!" throwing the glass against the door. He sat back down, leant forward on the desk, head in his hands.

Elizabeth always had this effect on him. He could have the simplest of tasks, the clearest of objectives, yet he always got turned around, finding himself doing something completely unexpected. And afterwards, he'd awake from some sort of haze-like state, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

A knock came at the door, it was Dags. "You 'kay, boss?"

"Umm… yeah" said Rio, "dropped a glass", he said, sullenly, gesturing towards the general direction of the shattered glass on the floor. Dags glanced behind the door, clearly working out what had happened. "I'll clean up". You got a phone call from the boss", he said, passing him a cell phone.

Rio sighed and accepted the burner phone from Dags. "Thanks, just… leave the glass for now".

"Sure thing, Boss" he said and left.

"Yo" said Rio, placing the phone to his hear. "Nah, I've been busy with the Mendoza case you wanted me on"

Rio fell silent, listening to the instructions coming through on the phone, rolling his eyes in contempt.

"Um… yeah, like I said I'll get 'round to it. Things should ease up in about a week or so. What's the rush? She ain't goin' nowhere"

Rio picked up the scan, leaning back in his chair as the caller continued his part of the conversation, making only the odd affirmatory noise. After a long silence, Rio put the photo down again, rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"Yes, boss, I know Boss. I will initiate contact as soon as possible". And with that he hung up the phone. Shortly after, it met the same fate as the glass, thrown in a fit of rage at the door.

Rio had bought himself a little time, but if he wanted to help Elizabeth and his unborn kid, he needed to come up with a plan. Fast.

Elizabeth woke up the next day, a smile on her face. Her first thought was of Rio. She couldn't believe he was back again.

She felt wary of course, she never wanted to be in a position where he could manipulate her again, but she was so pleased she no longer had to live with the burden of being a murderer – of her baby's father, no less.

She got up and ambled awkwardly down the stairs to make some decaf coffee. Half way down she froze. She could smell cooking. Was it Dean and the kids? Or the girls? As far as she knew the kids were away until this evening. She had the whole day to herself.

She wondered if it was just her crazy baby brain imagining it. She wrapped her robe righter around her, trying to shrug off the paranoia. She took another step and then heard a noise. She gasped and held her hand over her mouth.

A few moments later she called out "Is someone here?! I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Don't I know it" came a reply from the kitchen.

Suddenly Rio wandered into view at the foot of the stairs.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot me again, Elizabeth" he said, his eyes twinkling

"What the-?! What are you doing here?!" she cried. "I locked all the doors. I know I did!"

"Elizabeth" he smiled. "You know if I wanna get in somewhere, I get in. Now we got more to discuss so I thought I'd make my baby mama some breakfast." He tilted his head and gave her a warm smile.

Beth felt like she was blushing from head to toe. Baby mama, she thought. If anyone else had called her that she would've punched them. Yet somehow the way Rio said it, made her feel special. God I'm such a pushover she thought.

"I'll just throw something on" she muttered and made her way back up the stairs. "There'd better be coffee" she called down. Rio laughed and made his way back into the kitchen.

Beth sighed at the swollen form staring back at her in the mirror. She put some tracksuit bottoms on and one of Dean's old hoodies. Why should she make an effort?

Besides, the more hideous she felt, the less chance perhaps of something happening between them. She gathered her hair together and pulled it back in a tight ponytail. No errant strands near her face. He can't try that move on me now, she thought smugly.

Her transformation complete, she looked at image and thought I look Charlize Theron in that serial killer movie, feeling both horrified and impressed.

"You okay?" said Rio, who suddenly appeared leaning and grinning in the doorway.

How long has he been watching me?! she thought, mortified.

"I'm fine" she replied, feeling tetchy.

He tilted his head and walked in to her bedroom, he glanced at her bed and then at her. She blushed. She could tell by that look what he was thinking of. Why couldn't he just stay downstairs?! she thought irritably.

He walked up behind her and looked at her in the mirror. "You rockin' that trailer park chic pretty damn good" he said with a cheeky grin. She turned around, angry at him – no wait – more like she angry at herself for letting him get under her skin. But he didn't need to know that.

"What are you doing here, Rio. Why are you here?! What do you want from me?!

He looked her in the eyes, that dead calm he could always project. She wondered what he was actually feeling under that calm exterior.

"Turner wants me to take you down" he said in a deadpan voice.

Beth's eyes widened. Oh my god! she thought. She felt dizzy and sick. She pushed past him and rushed to the toilet and threw up.

About ten minutes later she was sat downstairs in the kitchen cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. She looked disheveled and pale. The tightly tied back hair was a coming loose in every possible direction. Rio put a plate of food in front of her, he'd made Mexican breakfast mollettes. She was suddenly ravenous.

She started shoveling the food in her mouth, not even coming up for air. Rio sat watching her with a smirk on his lips. She swallowed the massive bulk of food in her mouth, reached for a napkin and dabbed her lips delicately.

"Damn woman, you hungry" he chuckled and sat adjacent her, at the corner of the table.

"Thank you for breakfast" she said demurely, trying to stifle a burp.

"De nada" replied Rio with a smile. "you want some more?"

Beth shook her head. "Tell me about Turner" she replied.

Rio sat down next to her and began telling his story. He took her back to that fateful night, when Turner had offered to save his life. Rio had agreed to Turner's demands, "hell I would've agreed to anything" he said, staring into his coffee cup. Beth felt a twinge of remorse and looked away.

"He called 911, got me in hospital… stayed there for a good few months. They fixed me up real good though" he said, seeing Beth's anguished face. "I'd almost forgotten 'bout Turner… then one day he shows up at the hospital. Starts askin' loadsa questions, about you, 'bout the business, 'bout us… About what'll happen to me if I don't cooperate…"

Beth fidgeted in her chair. She felt sick. This was it. She was going to prison.

"And you gotta know, Elizabeth… I was mad at hell at you for what you did… Shocked the crap outta me, too. I thought I had you all figured out"

Beth had been expecting this. The time had come to have it out. He thinks he has me all figured out?! Fuck you, Rio. She flew into a rage and decided to give him a piece of her mind.

"You put me in an impossible situation, Rio. You fucking kidnapped me and ordered me to kill someone. I won't be manipulated like that. I'm not your puppet. You do not control me. I am good at this… really good at this stuff. But I won't hurt people!"

"People get hurt all the time… whether you mean to or not… It's just life, Elizabeth" said Rio, with a casual shrug.

"Not like that. Not like that, Rio. I won't do it. Even if Turner came after me right now, I wouldn't shoot him. I couldn't. You got off on me being a naïve little housewife, you got off on trying to corrupt me, trying to push me closer and closer to the edge! But I won't become like you!"

Rio lifted his head, looking down at her "you think you know what it means to be me?! You ain't got a clue. You want it all, but you don't wanna get your hands dirty. Some of us ain't so lucky. You're a spoilt little white girl who got bored and thought she try hooking up with a gangsta just to scratch an itch – now I didn't mind scratching it, don't get me wrong, but let's get real here"

Beth suddenly found herself standing, giving Rio a full slap across the face. She looked down at him, eyes alight with fury.

He put his hand to his mouth, where he took the brunt of the slap. A smear of blood appeared on his fingers. He looked up at her, mockingly. "Damn that was a good slap Elizabeth. Hey, I thought you didn't hurt people – maybe you just like hurting me"

Beth's face contorted in horror, rage subsiding. "Oh my god… Oh my god what have I done?!" she cried. Her hands went to her face. "Wait…" she said and waddled off. She went to the freezer and returned with an ice pack.

She approached Rio with it and grabbed a chair to sit closer to him, gently tilting his head. She delicately pressed the ice pack against his lip. He gave her an intense gaze, she looked at the floor, feeling ashamed.

"You're right" she said in a small voice. "you're absolutely right. That's why I got so mad. Because you're right. I walk around, thinking that I'm better than you… but I'm not. I'm not so different. "I was bored… meeting you, it made me feel alive again… the excitement of it all, it was like I was addicted. God I'm such a fucking hypocrite… and a terrible person…" the last words resulted in a sob.

Rio looked at her, took her hand, taking the ice pack gently from her and said "S'Ok Elizabeth… I got this".

Beth nodded mutely and sat back, feeling drained. "I don't know what it is about you, but you drive me crazy… It's like you bring out the worst in me… I feel like a freaking bunny boiler".

Rio looked up at the ceiling and then back at her, "You were right too", he conceded. "Turner was a mistake, a step too far. I knew he wouldn't stop coming for you… and I wanted you to end it. Shoulda known you wouldn't cross that line."

Beth gave him a tearful smile and asked the question she had been afraid to ask, "Do you forgive me?"

Rio took a deep breath and looked straight in her eyes, shaking his head he said "You know, I shouldn't – if anyone else had done that they'd be dead by now. Let's just say you drive me crazy too…"

Beth chuckled "was that a yes?"

Rio leaned in close to her, lifting a wayward lock of hair. "Yes" he said and continued in voice that made her shiver "but you don't cross me like that again, ya hear me Elizabeth. We need to face Turner, head on. No more games."

Beth found herself nodding "Yes. No more games."

Her face was very close to his now, she could feel his breath gently on her face. God he's beautiful she thought. She needed to move away, this was getting too intense, but she couldn't stop looking at him, at his eyes, his lips.

"How- How's the lip?" she asked cautiously.

He flicked his tongue out, gently probing it "I'll live" he replied, not taking his eyes off her.

Beth could barely breathe. She could feel her face reddening. "I should… I should clear these plates away…" she mumbled, readying herself to get up.

Rio reached out, placing a hand on her knee to stop her from getting up. She looked down at his hand and then back at his face. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.