A Fresh Start
Chapter Two Hundred Fifty One
Marah stares out the window. She really can't see anything but the flashing lights from the wings. There was no moon so blackness surrounds the plane. She lets her mind wander to the last few days she spent in Springfield. Her time with Jeffrey was innocent and free. He had been so gentle with her and it took her several months to let that go. When she had, she met Adam. And as she thought about it the thing that attracted her to him was that he reminded her of Jeffrey. He was brash and gruff, but there was a softness to him as well. He possessed some of the same personality traits as Jeffrey. But the one thing he didn't possess was loyalty and honesty. Something she learned the hard way. The flight attendant walks down the aisle, stopping beside Marah and asks. "Ma'am, is there something you need?"
Marah pulls her gaze away from the window. "No thank you." She says, as the attendant turns to leave, Marah says. "Wait one more thing?" The attendant stops and turns back to her. "Are we on time for Chicago?"
"Yes, we should touch down at O'Hare between nine thirty and ten am."
"Thank you." Marah says. The attendant nods and then walks away. Marah goes back to staring out the window again.
When the plane lands in Chicago, Marah walks off the plane. She had the option of taking a commuter flight to Springfield, but she wanted the two hours to drive and think. Not that she hadn't been doing that since she left Paris. Walking up to the rental counter, she waits for the agent to finish with a customer. A few moments later, the first client steps back, Marah steps up. "May I help You?" The woman behind the counter asks.
"Yes, I would like to rent a car." She says, as the clerk nods.
""It's seventy five dollars per day with gas included for the holiday weekend. How long will you need the car?"
"Probably I'll only for the next couple weeks." Marah says, as the woman pushes a few buttons on her computer.
"What kind of vehicle are you looking for?"
"I need something small, not to flashy.
"I'll have these cars." The agent says, showing her a list. Marah looks at the cars and then picks one out. "I'll have that one brought around."
"Thank you." Marah says.
"I'll need ID and a major credit card." The agent says, as Marah opens her purse and takes out here wallet. She hands her the credit card and her ID. After a few minutes, the agents says, handing Marah some papers. "If you'll sign here." Taking the papers, Marah signs them and then hands them back. "Thank you and the car will be around in a few moments.
"Thank you." Marah says before she turns away from the counter.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" The agent says, Marah turns back to her. "Are you Marah Lewis, the designer?"
"Yes." Marah says.
"Is it true your mentor and boyfriend stole every one of your fall designs for his own line?" The agent asks, as she looks at her. "You had no idea he was doing that? Every one said that you were living together, how could you not know?"
"I'd rather not talk about it, thank you." Marah says, turning away from the agent. A couple minutes later, her car arrives and she leaves.
After everyone comes inside, the guys are back in the living room watching college football while the ladies finish getting every thing on the table. A commercial comes on and Billy turns to Richard and asks. "How's the campaign going?"
"It's getting there. I've got a lot of fundraisers coming up this week."
"Hey Josh, maybe Lewis could host a fund raiser." Billy says, looking at him.
"Sure."
"That would be appreciated." Richard says, looking at Josh. "And I swear this time I will not accuse you of corruption." He says, as Jeffrey looks at both of them.
"He accused you of corruption?"
"It was all a mistake, but yes he accused me of taking bribes for the San Cristobel Harbor project that Lewis built."
"You had to know that Josh would never do something like that." Jeffrey says, looking at Richard.
"Of course I did. The picture was supposes to be of Alan giving the pay off, not Josh. But somehow the pictures were switched and the picture that I showed on TV was of Josh making the payoff, not Alan."
"Surely everyone knew it wasn't true. I mean it's Josh Lewis." Jeffrey says.
"What does that mean?" Josh says, looking at him.
"I mean I don't mean anything personal. It's just that you are not the type of person to do anything illegal. It's not in you to break the rules." Jeffrey says.
"I'm not that unyielding or above going a little past right to protect my family." Josh says, watching him.
Jeffrey doesn't reply and after a few seconds Richard says. "Maybe your band could perform for the fund raiser."
"I'm sure I could work something out." Jeffrey says, as Reva comes to the doorway.
"Dinner is served." She says, sensing some residual tension.
"Great!" Billy says, getting up. "These teams ain't doing anything anyway." He says, nodding towards the TV. Jeffrey, Josh, William, Billy and Richard nod in agreement as they stand up to follow Reva back into the kitchen.
Cassie has the boys standing with her. Their hands are freshly scrubbed and standing along side her when Richard walks in. He walks over to her, slipping his arm around her waist. Jeffrey walks over to Sam, putting his arm across her shoulders. While William walks over to Ava and Emma and takes her hand. Megan and the boys stand next to Sam and Jeffrey. "Josh would you like to say grace?" Reva asks, looking at him.
"Sure." He says, bowing his head with everyone following him. "Dear Lord, we want to thank you for this day and the lives you have allowed us this year. We thank you for bringing Richard back to us and for bringing the new members into our family with Jeffrey and Sam along with William and Ava. We thank you for the new miracles of life that will be with us next year. We ask that you watch over Cassie, Sam and Ava and bring their beautiful babies into this world, happy and healthy. We thank you for our close friends and we hope that everyone is with their family today and having a great day. We ask that you watch over us during the rest of this year and let us bring in next year together as well. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen."
"Amen." Everyone says, as they sit down.
They started passing around dishes as Reva asks. "Sam, where is your bodyguard? He was welcome too."
"Jeffrey gave him the day off. He figured that since we would be here nothing would happen."
"You mean after what happened yesterday, you didn't fire him?" Billy asks, looking at Jeffrey.
"What happened yesterday?" Cassie asks, looking at them.
Sam glances at Jeffrey and then reaches for her glass as she says. "My brother tried to have me kidnapped?"
"He what!" Cassie says, staring at her.
"He arranged for one of his followers to try and kidnap me as I was coming home from the hospital yesterday evening."
"Wait, why would he try to kidnap you?" Cassie asks, as a car pulls up outside.
"I thought everyone was here." Josh says, getting up from the table. He walks over to the door and stops, watching as a young woman gets out of the car.
"Who is it?" Reva asks, as Josh stares out the door. "Josh." She says, but he doesn't hear her. Finally after a few moments, she gets up. "Who is it?" She asks, as she walks up to him. "Oh my god!" She exclaims, as she looks outside.
Marah walks towards them as Josh opens the door. "Mom, Dad." She says, quietly. They both stare at her for a long time before she says. "Can I come...?"
Josh reaches for her and pulls her to him, hugging her with Reva hugging both of them. Everyone else is watching from the table. Underneath the table, Cassie reaches for Richard's hand. He looks at her. Josh finally releases her, but Reva continues to hold onto her. "Maybe we should let her come inside." He says and Reva slowly releases her.
They step back, letting her in. "What are you doing here?" Josh asks.
"I decided it was time for me to come home." She says, glancing around the table. Her gaze settles for a moment on Jeffrey before she moves on to Sam and then Cassie and Richard and the rest of the group. She shrugging out her coat as Josh reaches to help her. He hangs her coat up by the door as everyone stands up to leave the table. When Cassie steps up, Marah looks at her and says. "You're looking well, Aunt Cassie."
"Thank you, so are you. Paris agreed with you."
"It did for a while." She says, as she glances at Richard.
"Hello, Marah." He says, stepping up.
"This is too weird." She says, hugging him. "I mean Mom told me that you survived the accident, but it's weird seeing you alive." She says, smiling as she steps back and he releases her. "I'm sorry about Jonathan and Tammy."
"Thank you." Richard says, reaching for Cassie's hand.
"Mom said there's another baby on the way." She asks, looking at Cassie.
"Yes, I'm almost three months along."
"Congratulations, it's really a miracle." Marah says, as they both nod.
"It's a gift from God." Richard says, as she glances at Rj and Will.
"Both of you have grown so much." She says, as they each step forward and hug her as Billy walks up beside them.
She releases the boys and then turns to Billy. "Uncle Billy." Marah says, with a huge smile.
"You ain't changed a bit, darlin." He says, giving her a huge bear hug. When he releases her, he says. "I want you to meet someone. Stace this is my niece Marah, Marah, this is Stace."
"Hello." Marah says, shaking her hand as Stace stares.
"You are absolutely fabulous." Stace says, shaking her hand. "I love your clothes."
"Thank you." Marah says, smiling for the first time in several days.
"I have nearly all of your winter collection from last year and this years spring line was just as awesome." Stace says, as Marah nods, still smiling.
She turns to William. "Uncle William, or do I still call you Your Highness?"
"Uncle William is fine." He says, hugging her. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too." She says while they still hug. Stepping back, she turns to Ava.
"You look wonderful." Marah says, smiling.
"Thank you, it's good to see you." She says, reaching out to hug her.
"I see Emma's here." She says, nodding to her.
"Yes, she's staying with us indefinitely."
"So Olivia's left town." Marah asks.
"She was ordered to." Jeffrey says quietly from behind her.
She's put it off as long as she could. Turning, she faces Jeffrey and Sam for the first time. "Jeffrey." She says, watching him.
"It's good to see you Marah." He says with his arm around Sam.
"It's good to see you too. You surprised me though." She says, glancing at Sam."
"There have been a lot of surprises this year."
"And you're the one who insisted on being the lone wolf, living for only fleeting romance and your work."
"In our case maybe we should've heeded that philosophy." He says, as Marah nods. "Time and people change, however. So let me introduce my wife Sam. Sam, this is Marah Lewis." For a moment, he pauses and Sam lays her hand on his arm before she reaches for Marah's outstretched hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Lewis. As Stace stated, your clothing line is exceptional. A bit more than I could afford to spend, but beautiful and I spend most of my time in scrubs as it is." Sam says, as they shake hands.
"Thank you." Marah says
"Allow me to introduce my sister Megan and her sons Mattox and Madisen." Sam says, as Marah nods to them.
"Maybe we should eat." She says, nodding towards the table. Josh steps up as Reva leaves. She returns with another plate and chair for Marah. She makes room for her between Josh and Megan. Sitting down, Marah settles into her chair as everyone else takes a seat as well.
"Come on Judge Reynolds, she's of no threat to her daughter." Mel says, sitting behind her desk.
"She kept the child after her appointed return time." Judge Reynolds replies.
"Which she did not do out of malice or disregard for the law. She was protecting her daughter from an abusive father and potentially deadly..."
"There is no proof the child's father would kill his daughter."
"There is proof that he placed his daughter in an abusive situation, Your honor. We have the sworn statement from a former member."
"The sister to the leader of her ex husband's church. There is potential for bias with this statement."
"She's the mayor's wife! And she has had no contact with her brother in years. Mrs. Owens is being held in the Springfield PD's jail as is Mrs. O'Neill's brother. There is enough established information from the evidence presented by the FBI and IRS that Mr. Whitmere would and could do harm to Mrs. Owens. Continuing to deny her bail, is putting her life at risk, as well as her daughter's life."
"Her daughter is being cared for by foster parents."
"Yes, but what happens if something happens to my client. The case will likely be dismissed and the child could be returned to her father, placing her in greater danger."
"And who is there to say that your client will not attempt to kidnap the child and flee the state with the child."
"Sir, my client has fully cooperated with the police as well as the mayor. She has been completely open about the reasons she kept her child past the time of return to her father. We have documentation from Dr. O'Neill, the child's doctor stating that child was severely injured while in her father's care."
"None of which proves that the father instigated or participated in the incident that injured the child. It's Thanksgiving counselor. I should be spending this time with my family."
"Where should my client spend this holiday? She should not be in lock up under possible threat from the leader of her ex-husband's cult. She has no resources to flee the state or country. And I believe she only kept her daughter to protect her." There's a long pause. "The mayor and his wife are willing to vouch for this woman. Mrs. O'Neill is scheduled to testify in my client's upcoming trial, a decision that has put her safety at risk. Her brother is accused of ordering her kidnapping to keep her from testifying."
"When was this?"
"Just yesterday Sir, the man who was given the order has signed a statement detailing the orders given to him by Mr. Whitmere. Sir, if he'll attempt to kidnap his own sister what would he do to someone that is of no relation to him. Mrs. Owens life is in danger the longer she stays in the Springfield PD's jail."
There's a moment of silence before Judge Reynolds says. "I'll order her bail to be set at $200,000, but counselor, if she runs or if she has any contact with her daughter before her trial, she will be sent right back to jail."
"Yes sir, thank you Sir." Mel says.
"I'll contact my clerk to set things in motion."
"Thank you sir."
"Counselor."
"Your Honor." Mel says, hanging up. She sits back for a moment. Letting her gaze fall on a picture of Leah, this case meant a lot to her, not that Rick would ever hurt their daughter or allow anyone to hurt Leah. She knew that they both would do anything to protect her, which is exactly what Mrs. Owens had done. Sitting up, she logs off her computer. Leah was spending the holiday with Rick, so she had no one to come home to and her family wasn't meeting until that evening for the holiday. Standing up, she reaches for her coat and then her brief case and purse.
After they finished dinner, everyone adjourns to the living room. The guys are watching football while the ladies sit around and play cards. Megan is dealing when she looks at Marah and asks. "When are you going back to Paris?"
"Ummm, I'm not." Marah says, picking up her last card.
"You're not going back?" Reva says, watching her.
"No I'm not. I quit the fashion house I was working for." She says, while she looks at her cards.
"You have a contract with them?" Reva says.
"I did, I mean I do. I'm about six months away from the end of the contract."
"So what are you going to do?" Sam asks while looking at her own cards.
"I don't know. I thought about starting my own fashion house here or Chicago and I could find a place somewhere between here and there, if I started in Chicago." She says, as everyone looks at her. "It was time that I came home."
"What about the contract?" Reva asks. Marah looks at her and then shrugs her shoulders. "You signed a..."
"I signed a contract with them to support my designs. I did not sign a contract to have everything I worked for stolen from me." Marah says, sitting her cards down. She gets up.
"Where are you going?" Reva asks.
"I need some air." She says, walking away from the table. Jeffrey looks up as she walks out of the dining room.
When they finish the hand, the ladies decide to join the men. As Sam sits down beside Jeffrey, he asks. "Is something wrong?"
"No, why?"
"I saw Marah leave a while ago." He says quietly, as Reva sits down beside Josh.
"Where's Marah?" Josh asks.
"She went for a walk." Reva says, focusing on the game.
Mel arrives at the police station about an hour after speaking with Judge Reynolds. "Can I help you?" The desk Sergeant asks.
"I'm here to post bail for a prisoner."
"Which prisoner? The desk Sergeant asks.
"Debbie Owens." Mel says, as the DA comes out of the station.
"Mrs. Bauer." He says stopping beside her.
"Mr. Worthington." She replies.
"I'm not sure how you were able to convince Judge Reynolds to set bail for Mrs. Owens, but I will be waiting and I'll prove she knowing and willfully kidnapped her daughter."
"You do what you have to do." Mel says, as he steps back and Mel turns her back to him. "Could you bring my client out please?" She asks, looking at the desk sergeant.
"Yes ma'am." He says, turning away. For a moment, the DA watches her and then he turns to leave.
Marah walks for a while, not realizing the time or where she's going until she ends up on Main Street. Walking up to CO2, she realizes that it's closed due to the holiday. She smirks and then turns around. Walking over to one of the tables, she pulls out one of the chairs and sits down. She sits there, pulling her coat around her. Across the street and coming out of the park is Julian. He looks up and spots Marah, sitting alone. He watches her for a moment before he crosses the street. Marah's lost in her own world and doesn't realize he's there until he clears his throat and she looks up. For a moment, his breath is knocked out of him as he looks into her eyes. After several seconds, she says. "CO2 is closed."
"I'm sorry?" He asks, still staring at her.
"CO2." She says, nodding towards the coffee bar and he looks over at the bar.
"Oh no, I'm not here for a coffee. I was taking a walk in the park and I happened to notice you sitting here when I came out." He says, pulling the other chair out.
"Please have a seat." She says, sitting up. She feels the walls coming up and despising them even more than she despises Adam for lying to her for all those months.
"My name is Julien." He says, ignoring her sarcasm.
"Hello."
"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" He asks after a few seconds?"
"It's Marah." She says, moving to get up.
"Where are you going?" He asks, reaching out.
"Look, I am not looking to get involve with anyone or date anyone at this moment in time. In fact, it's the very last thing I want to do. It' was good to meet you and Happy Thanksgiving."
"Wait." He says, getting up.
"Please, really I'm not interested."
"Did I saw I wanted to date or have a committed relationship? We just met and I take you for an old fashion..."
"You have no idea what type I am." She says, her temper flaring.
"You're not old fashion?" She looks at him and then turns away. "You really don't have to leave. I'm not asking you to marry me, but as you pointed out, it is Thanksgiving, so why should we spend it alone when we can spend it together?"
She stops and turns around to look at him. "I didn't say I was spending it alone, did I. You assumed that I was. My family is from Springfield. I was simply taking a bit of...I don't have to explain myself to you." She says, turning away. He watches her walk away, leaving them both alone again.
Mel is waiting when Debbie walks out of the holding area. "Mrs. Bauer." She says, as the door slides closed and locks behind her. She closes her eyes for a moment. "I'm really happy not to hear that sound any more, but how did I get bail? I don't have the money to post bail."
"I posted it for you." Mel says, as she looks at her.
"You posted it. Wow, thank you. I can pay you back but it won't be..."
"I'm not worried about you paying me back." Mel says, turning to go. Debbie follows her. When the reach Mel's car, she unlocks it, they both get in. "For your safety, I would suggest that you don't go home."
"I don't have a home really. I was staying in at the Laurel Falls motel, but I haven't been able to work, so I haven't been able to pay for my room, so I doubt I have one and I doubt that I have a job."
"Alright, I'll get a room at the Springfield Inn for you but you will need to get a job and find a place to live before your trial next month." Mel says, backing out of her parking lot. "Even though this is a criminal case, we have to keep in mind that social services is involved with the case and they will be watching the trial. You need to prove that you'll be able to care for Arianna when we win this case." Mel says, pulling out of the parking lot.
"You think we're going to win this case?"
"We have a good case, and once the jury hears the case they'll agree with your actions."
"My ex has connections. Bro. Whitmere..."
"You're ex husband's leader will not be a factor in this trial."
"You don't know him. He learned from the best. His father used any means necessary to get what he wanted, that included blackmail and bribery, Jeremiah learned from the best. They can destroy people."
"For right now, you do not need to worry about Jeremiah."
"Of course I do. If he learns that I've been released, he will come after me."
"He can't come after you because he was arrested a couple days ago."
"He was arrested, how? Why?"
"I don't know all the details about his arrest, but I do know that there could be pending charges of attempted kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping."
"Who did you he try to kidnap, not Ari..."
"No, your daughter is safe. She is placed with a foster family here in Springfield and neither your ex husband or Jeremiah knows where she is. Jeremiah ordered the kidnapping of his sister."
"Sam! He went after her, why?"
"From the statement given by the man that attempted the kidnapping, he has always resented her for leaving the organization and now it is also for her interference in this case. He also is not happy that she married someone outside his organization as well as whom they got to officiate their wedding."
"He went on an on about her being a whore and slut because she was pregnant before they were married. It always seemed ironic and hypercritical that he or any of the men could bed any woman in the compound or surrounding area, without questions being asked about their morality, but let a woman do that and she was a whore and brought before the whole congregation to face their judgment." Debbie says, as Mel looks at her.
"There was one stipulation for your bail being set." Mel says, as they drive through town.
"Ok."
"You are not to have any contact with your daughter. If you do, you will be sent back to jail. As well as the usual disclaimer that if you skip bail and are found before trial you will be sent right back there."
"I understand." Debbie replies, as Mel nods. They finish the trip in silence.
By the time Marah returns to the house, everyone is getting ready to leave. She hugs Billy and Stace, Richard, Cassie and the boys along with William, Ava and Emma good-bye. Sam and Jeffrey had already left, along with Megan and her boys. When the door closes behind them, she turns to Reva and Josh. "I think I'm going to say good-night." She says.
"Marah?" Reva says, but Josh steps in.
"Good night darlin." He says, hugging her.
She hugs him back and then turns to Reva. She can tell that her mom wants to talk, but she doesn't feel up to explaining exactly what happened in Paris so she says. "Good night Momma." Hugging her she turns to leave. Closing the door behind her, Marah leans against the door. When she left Springfield, she didn't think she would be coming back feeling the same way she left.
When she's upstairs, Reva turns to Josh. "Why did you do that?" She asks, as she walks into the kitchen.
"Because she's not ready to tell us what's going on. And you know that by the fact that she walked out on us." Josh says, helping her to put the last of their dinner away.
"I only wanted to know what she had planned." Reva says, closing the refrigerator door.
"I doubt she has any plans right now, except to come back home. What did she tell you before?"
"Only that she has six months left on her contract and she decided to come back home to start a fashion business either here or in Chicago."
"That's all."
"Yes, I was asking her about the contract when she got up and left."
"Well whatever it is, I know that you will get it out of her." He says, slipping his arms around her.
"You know that how?" She asks, leaning back against him.
"Because, you're not going to let it go until she tells you what happened." He says, kissing the side of her neck.
"Are you saying I'll bully her into telling me?" She asks, moving closer to him.
"No, I'm saying you're tenacious." He says, as she turns in his arms.
"Well, one thing I can say. Her reaction to Cassie being here went better than I thought it would."
"Yes, that's probably because Richard is back." He says, leaning in to kiss the side of her neck.
"She did seem more at peace about that. I hope that everything will be alright between her, Jeffrey and Sam."
"I don't think that will be a problem. He's her uncle. Do you really want to talk about the relationship between Marah and Jeffrey right now? I'm trying to seduce you and your focus is elsewhere." He says, leaning in to kiss her.
"And you want my full attention."
"Well, that would be nice." He says, pulling her closer to him.
"Then you have it." She says, leaning up to kiss him.
Jeffrey is coming out of the bathroom as he dries his hair. When he's finished, he looks towards the bed and finds Sam watching him. "Are you okay?" He asks, walking over to her.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"
"Ummm, because you have that look that says you want to say something but you're afraid too." She looks away from a moment. "Sam."
"I was thinking about Marah?"
"What about her?"
"Maybe wondering is more the word I'm looking for."
"Alright."
She looks down at the bed as she asks. "I was curious about how you felt when you saw her this morning?"
"I was surprised like everyone else. No one expected her to come home."
"Maybe you thought she was pretty. She is a beautiful girl."
"She is beautiful, as is her mother and her aunt, but she's not you."
"She's young..."
"And she's my niece. You have no reason to feel insecure darlin."
"I'm not feeling insecure. I was just curious what you thought. There was something there for you and her."
"Something that was a mistake as it turns out. Marah is an intelligent, savvy young woman and when I found that fashion house I knew it was the place she needed to be. It was never our time because..."
"She's your niece."
"Well yes."
"You didn't know that then."
"No, we didn't, but that doesn't change it. I don't want Marah. And if you want to know the major reason Marah wasn't the woman for me. She wasn't you, and no woman that I've been with since Russia has been the woman for me. The only woman I want is laying right here beside me, pregnant with my child and married to me. What did I think when Marah walked in? Like everyone else I was surprised. Did I think about our time together, no? In fact, I'm looking forward to being an Uncle. I never thought I would get to do that." He says, as she leans up and kisses him. When she leans back, he says. "I love you, both of you."
"We love you too." She says, smiling.
"Good, are you going to get a shower?"
"No, I think I'll wait till the morning. I don't really feel like getting up." She says, as he moves to get up. "Where are you going?"
"To turn the light off in the bathroom, I left it on in case you wanted a shower. I'll be right back." He says, as he stands up. She snuggles down into the covers while she waits for him. When he comes back, he smiles when he sees her laying there. He pulls the covers back before he turns his lamp off and slips into bed. "Come here." He says, after he gets settled. She moves over to him as he lifts his arm and she lays her head on his chest as he wraps his arms around her. "I thought pregnant women are supposes to run hot?" He says, playing with her hair.
"We have our moments." She says quietly with her eyes closed. "It's just really cold outside."
"It's not as cold as that week we spent in Iceland, tracking that gun runner, what was his name?"
"I'm not sure, Cash something. I haven't thought about that in years. I think we both had a minor case of frostbite by the time we caught up with him."
"He did prove to be a hard one to catch, but my favorite was the Brazilian drug lord you brought in on your own. I've never been more proud of anyone then I was when you walked into our base in downtown Rio, dragging, and I do mean dragging that man behind you."
"I gave him the option to come in freely, he didn't take in." She says, shrugging her shoulder.
"He would've been smarter if he had. How long did you drag him?"
"Oh about fifty miles, he was hold up in that compound outside Rio. I never really told you how I got in, did I."
"The official version was you fought your way into the compound. Is that not what happened?"
"Well, that was part of it. There was fighting but it didn't start until after I was already in the compound and arrested Salvador. His men tried to stop us from leaving."
"If there wasn't a fight then how did you get in?"
"I met a local that confirmed our in-tel that Salvador liked prostitutes. We used one of the agents as my pimp and he insisted that he accompany me to compound and stay until our business was done."
"You sold yourself!"
"Well, not literally. The op was over before Salvador even realized it was a ruse." She says, as he pulls away from her.
"You went in as a prostitute, knowing Salvador's rep for killing prostitutes after he finished with them." He says, moving to his side so that he could look at her
"I had an agent with me. That was more than twenty years ago." She says, watching him. He doesn't say anything. "Why am I getting this weird vibe off you?"
"You deliberately put yourself in danger. He could've killed you."
"He wasn't going to kill me, I had back up."
"Who?"
"You know that team that came in with me."
"Yeah, and if I remember correctly, Leon Marks was a part of that team."
"I had forgotten that but he was. And he played an important part in that whole op. You could say he had my back."
"Leon Marks was a mediocre agent at best, you knew that. I never understood why you wanted him on that op."
"I came back didn't I, so he must've down something right." She says, leaning up to kiss him.
"That is..."
"...over with and not worth arguing about whether Marks had my back. I brought Salvador in. Even though I had some help." She says, looking at him with a sly smile."
"What help, not from Marks?"
"Do you remember that compound we got from the op in Turkey, just before we went to Brazil?"
"Yes, that guy said that compound was lethal."
"It was only lethal in high doses. I only gave him enough to knock him out before he could make his play and then I let Gunner in and he cuffed him and waited for him to come around." She says, as he looks at her.
"Marks wasn't even there was he?"
"He was there, but he stayed behind in the village to listen for any interference from the local police. He was supposes to let us know if any of our activity raised the suspicion of locals. As it was..."
"As it was, you were just messing with me about Marks having your back." He says, as she smiles.
"It's fun to watch you go off. I wonder why you still go cave man every time Marks name is tied to mine."
"I do not go cave man."
"You wanted to hurt him every time he was ever in the same room and I think you still would."
"He wanted you and he did nothing to try and hide that, even though he knew we were together and partners in every sense of that word that can be taken."
"He may have wanted me, but he was too scared to ever get up the nerve to ask me or any woman out."
"Oh you don't think he wouldn't've asked you out?" Jeffrey asks, laying back down and she moves over to him.
"He was too terrified of you."
"As he should've been. He was so far beneath you that it was really laughable to think he thought he had any chance of getting with you."
"Not conceited much." She says, teasing him.
"It's not conceit, it's confidence. Marks didn't stand a chance getting you." Jeffrey says, settling into a more comfortable position.
"And you think you were the only one that had that chance?" She asks, laying her hand on his chest.
"Well, if I wasn't able to get you then maybe I should've given up. I mean I am Jeffrey O'Neill." He says, as she laughs. "Do I need to prove why you're with me and not someone, say like Marks?"
"Well, if you think you can." She says, as he rolls her over onto her back.
"I'll do more than that." He says, leaning in to kiss her as she laughs