Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Nope I tried, but my check bounced again I need Aram to hack his files stat!

Notes: Thank you for all the reviews/follows/fave's etc. You guys have no idea how much they mean to me

Thank you x100 to my Beta jadenanne7, you know I wouldn't be able to post anything without you. The lovely silhouettedredoblivion who just wrote the start of her first amazing TBL fanfic: The Silver Lining and all my friends over at FB/Twitter, this is for you guys.

Mini playlist can be found on my YouTube account under Ch3. Part 2. Graphics on my Tumblr account under the Tab Fanfiction.

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Previously

Her eyes turned cold and her face set in a scowl as she regarded him. "This could be the only chance we get to arrest this scumbag. I am not letting him get away." Her tone was resolute. Bullish. There was no way he could talk her out of this.

Leaning in, she pressed her lips against his cheek, his 5-hour stubble scratched her lips as she moved them up. "Listen, I have plan," she whispered in his ear and leaned back so there was some space between them.

CH. 3 – Red is the Color of Danger. ( Part 2 )

Liz had considered this possibility. They looked out of place. There were couples conversing with each other, osculating or being entertained by the hostesses and dancers. She and Red were the only 'incongruous' pair. No wonder the squirmy guy looked at them apprehensively with his beady eyes. They did not appear as two people that were enjoying themselves at all. A young woman and an older, sophisticated gentleman standing by the bar, observing others, would make her suspicious too if she were a criminal.

She had an idea. It was not meticulously thought out, nor did she have any inkling about his reaction and that's what scared her the most. The repercussions. Truth to be told, what she was about to do was a criminal offense. Right at that moment, she felt a little bit weary and perceived it as their only option, however asinine. This could either turn out to be very good or very bad.

Red eyed her incomprehensibly as she waved a hand in front of them, grabbed her drink, and downed it all at once. The liquor was ice-cold, strong and warmed her insides in an instant as she tried, but failed, to settle her nerves. The only result was a mild case of a brain freeze and lightheadedness. She was tempted to drink his too, but decided against it. That was one expensive drink, and that gesture would certainly not be appreciated.

Red observed her every move as she slammed her drink back on the bar with a muffled thud. Liz just enjoyed Red's confounded expression. She could practically hear the cogs turning in his warped mind. His stare was pensive and his posture slightly tense. For the first time in a long time after the whole Tom/Berlin debacle, Liz felt in control. She had made up her mind and Red had no clue whatsoever.

"Red, whatever happens tonight, swear to me that this will not be spoken of. Ever! Or we will have a repeat of the first time we held a pen together," Liz exclaimed in an attempted stern manner, albeit unsuccessfully. Plaintive. Tenuous. Her eyes were set and her voice was determined, but her threats sounded hollow as she poked her cold right index finger in his vested chest before flattening her hand over the steady beat of his heart while placing the other on his right shoulder. With her heels on they were practically the same height.

Red's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, his mouth somewhat agape, but remained motionless as her tendons traveled up, skating over his supple warm neck to the short hairs at the base of his scalp, her digits spreading apart.

Liz reeled from the sensation of his hair waving through her fingers. It felt like dense, exquisitely soft, short cut Vicuña wool.

Red all but purred at the touch and maintained eyeing her peculiarly. His eyes were fixated on hers and his chin protruded. He was contemplating the possible outcomes of this transference. He felt like a fish out of water. He didn't mind surprises; in fact he welcomed them, just not in a situation like theirs. His mind was racing through all sorts of different scenarios. 'What in god's name is Lizzie going to instigate? Perhaps I should get Dembe to get her out of this place…it isn't safe… No, she will devise a cunning proposal. She is facetious, just trust her.'

'Now or never.' Liz suddenly drew his face within inches of hers in the blink of an eye. Red's face contorted into a shocked expression at the proximity, and his eyebrows shot up to the beginning of his receding hairline. His eyes blinked at a rapid speed for a moment and could barely utter, "Lizzie, wait...wait. What are you…" before his voice died in the back of his throat as soft, full lips planted on his. The air whooshed out of his lungs. His eyes opened wide in astonishment, his arms still limp at his sides. Diffident. Stunned. Red's entire body tightened from his throat, chest, and down to his toes. His mind caught up after a second or two and his body automatically reacted.

He abruptly seized her shoulders and pushed her away, almost squeezing them in a death grip as their lips parted with a soft smacking sound. A gush of air rushed back in as he tried to breathe. His eyes bore into her darkened orbs, searching for answers, looking for any indication of disinclination. A million thoughts catapulted through his mind. This was either the best plan ever, or the most imprudent one to date. Of all the impending developments that came to mind, this was not among them. He was taken aback by her sudden lewd behavior.

Goosebumps tingled Liz's skin and her cheeks flared up. The way Red's rosy, dry lips felt against hers, even for no more than a second was enough to fog her mind. Her hands remained stagnated on him as if they were glued and she couldn't move them. Frozen. Afraid that if she let go, it would mean the end of them...the end of what they had, whatever that was. She wasn't ready for that. She would never be ready for that. His eyes bore into hers, as if he was trying to see through her. She stared back, fascinated by the stark, elegant planes and angles of his face before shifting her gaze to his sophisticated Italian shoes and slumped her shoulders as her mind started to reel, her former surge of empowerment debauched.

'He sees me as a daughter. It was all in my head. Maybe he was just playing games. This was such a bad idea to begin with. Oh my god what now..?' Her brain began to gyrate and she felt nauseated.She couldn't bear the rejection, even under these circumstances. Her eyes began to mist over. 'No, I will not cry over this.'

Red was unsure on how to proceed. He didn't know if it was the booze or Lizzie's kiss…he felt rather inebriated. Her heady Chanel infused smell, her pillowy, plump full lips, the brief taste of the sugary cocktail mixed with his scotch...had drugged his mind and scattered his thoughts.

He slackened his grip on her shoulders, ghosted his flexible fingers across her cheek, and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her ear. He traced the outer shell with the tips of his right finger pads before lacing them through the silky feel of her rosy scented hair. 'She is so beautiful'

Liz's head snapped up to his, her eyes large. Puzzled. Tentative. His face came closer, her vision blurred and lips parted as his were merely a hair's breadth away. Breaths mingled. Eyes instinctively closed and slick noses touched. Instant heat. Her right hand on his vested chest sensed the deep pulsation of his heartbeat beneath his suit jacket. The other lowered and clutched the back of his neck, sweltering to the touch. 'Is this really happening? '

Time slowed down as an overpowering magnetic force pulled their mouths together. Connected. Uninhibited. Motionless. Her upper lip between his, his lower lip between hers. Warm and velvety. Red was in control as he slowly slid his lips over hers, spreading moisture over them. She belonged here; they fit together like a hand in a glove. Perfect. Electric. Heartbeats raced and breaths quickened as he bit back a possessive growl.

A warning bell went of in the back of Liz's mind, reminding her that it was not real…none of it was real. They were doing this for the sake of the mission and nothing more. An involuntarily moan that had escaped her throat spurred him on as he continued the sweet torture of his mouth on hers, alternating between pecks and firm pressure.

Red was highly adept in the art of seduction. That was evident in the way her legs began to quiver as she tried to shut them and suppress the little butterflies swirling in the pit of her stomach.

It was too much. He was too much. The way the bristly hairs on his chin and above his upper lip scratched over her face as he changed angles and tilted his head to get them impossibly closer. The way his hand moved through her hair, massaging the base of her scalp, while the other skimmed her right hip. Red-hot. All her nerve endings were on high alert. Aware of every touch and whimper, of his potent smell and taste. Aware, that he was kissing her senseless.

She was certain that she would have a mild case of beard burn, but that was a problem for later. Right now, Liz felt overwhelmed. Baffled. Terrified. Exhilarated. Indescribable. Her rational mind began to shut down as her last thoughts began to fade away. 'Cool it…he is just an asset, Nr4 on the most wanted list, Concierge of Crime…he is…he is hmmm.' He was a man and an exceptionally good kisser. Albeit a little reserved. Reverent.

That might have been so, until his hands began a journey of their own. Voracious. His right tugged lightly at her silky locks, before he grabbed a fistful of hair at her neck and tilted her head back. A tiny whimper escaped her throat, which Red vigorously kissed away to ease the pain. His left worked its own magic as his strong fingers glided over her waist and rested on the space right above her tailbone with an open palm, kneading the supple flesh through the thin fabric of her red blouse and pulled her flush against him, molding her body with his, trapping her right hand in between their chests. Once again, Liz was trapped in a cocoon of Red. Her nostrils filled with his faint smoky scent...faded musky cologne and tangy aftershave. Intoxicating. He was everywhere.

Liz nibbled on his lower lip before coaxing it open with the tip of her wet tongue. She took advantage of his gasp as his lips parted with a husky rasp. "Lizzieee, slo…" the words rolled of his tongue and vibrated against her lips as she gently sucked the supple muscle into her mouth before Red could finish his sentence. Taste buds touched for the first time. The Don Q. Screamer cocktail and Royal Salute scotch mixed as instinct took over. A rush of fervor surged through her veins.

His very adept tongue explored the depths of her mouth, tracing over her smooth teeth before teasing her own. Liz complied and accommodated him, massaging her tongue with his. Slow and sensual. A cocktail of hormones and dopamine released. Intense gratification. Eyes remained tightly closed in an overbearing sense of pleasure. If this was a dream, neither wanted to wake up.

All inhibitions went out the window as Liz began to forget where they were and why they were there. Music faded to the background as she surrendered to her feelings. Her right hand glided over his soft linen vest, his collar, and over the coarse hairs of his unshaven jaw as she cupped his cheek. The sensation was quite stimulating. Liz dug her fingers into his neck and kissed him forcefully, to the point of bruising his lips, as desires of the flesh won over the spirit of the mind. The kiss became urgent, fervent, and delicious. He met her stroke for stroke. Tongues dueled. Deep, wet, hot, and slick. Teeth clashed and noses bumped. Perspiration started to form on their foreheads and upper lips. It was almost unbearably scorching hot. Out of control. A despicable rush. Lascivious.

The room was spinning. Blood pulsed erratically. Groans were shared...moans and whimpers heard. Hitches of breaths through mouths and noses filled their lungs as stomachs extended and contracted. Heartbeats erratic. Deft, sturdy extremities pulled harder at her tendrils as slender fingers skated over his soft hair and short nails scratched his scalp, emboldened by his touch as they began to intensify. They hissed, sighed and shivered. Shared pleasure and pain. A hefty amount of endorphins assaulted their brains and bodies as the kiss went on and on. The taste of their drinks faded along the way. Liz got to taste the forbidden fruit after all...a sweet and salty nectar that she could never get enough of.

Their lungs began to prickle as hard, short breaths interwove and grasped for some well-needed oxygen. She didn't know anymore where he ended and she began. They didn't combust like she thought they would, no, they simply melted together. Two became one. His breath became hers. His exhale, her inhale. Titillating. A natural high. Magical. She had never been kissed quite like this before…with such bravado and passion, yet controlled and loving.

Push. Pull. Chest against chest. Buttons against buttons. Red's silky tie felt incredibly soft as it moved over Liz's breastbone. Her bosom tingled from the sensation. His right leg moved between hers as she clamped down, essentially trapping him in. Her skirt had ridden up to a promiscuous height as his thigh and knee pushed forward. The linen fabric of his pants felt both soft and rough as it swiftly brushed against the delicate skin of her inner thighs.

A spiral of pleasure began to coil in the pit of her stomach as a pool of liquid heat formed and invaded her lower regions. Stimulated. Aroused. Her body pressed hard against his as he pushed her back against the cold bar and continued to kiss as if she was the sweetest dessert he had ever tasted. 'Even better than Paczki'. Her lips throbbed from the sheer force of the condemning kiss as tongues continued to wrestle for domination. His arm, which remained tightly around her waist, was the only thing that kept her up as her unsteady legs nearly gave out. His hand traveled dangerously low to the beginning of her tailbone, over her skirt, tracing her zipper with his pinky as her left hand moved over to join the other and held his face between her palms, her fingers tracing his sideburns and ears as she alternated angles to kiss him deeper, faster and harder. Liz sunk her teeth on his lower lip in the throws of passion, and was surprised by the coppery taste of blood that assaulted her taste buds.

This brought everything to an abrupt halt as Red stilled and released her lips with a moist muffled smacking sound, followed by short raspy breaths fanning their faces and throbbing, bruised lips. Both tried to calm down while their perspiring foreheads rested against each other. Music was gradually heard again. Heart rates began to drift back to a normal, steadier beat. Eyes opened, wavering and blurred. Hands remained in place, albeit slackened as foreheads parted.

Reality came rushing back as a flush ran over her whole physique and colored her cheeks, marking her sudden embarrassment. Thank god for the darkness of the club 'What the hell was that?' Liz thought as she let her arms drop to her sides as if burned, and stared at the slightly crooked knot of his shiny silk lilac tie, tracing the Paisley pattern. Resisting the urge to fix it. Her swollen pulsating lips, and the fact that she could smell him on her, was the only evidence left that their kiss actually happened. There was no turning back from this. 'He kissed me back...'

A small smile flashed across her face before it was replaced by a grimace as an outrageous thought entered her mind and she thanked her lucky stars that his wasn't the seed that gave her life. Otherwise, this would be an all new kind of twisted...even for her.

Her walls were up again as he took a step backwards, his somewhat clammy palms glided over her flawless skin to her forearms before releasing them.

A foot between them felt like an ocean apart, his body heat radiating like waves of sunlight caressing her rapidly cooling skin from the air-conditioning above them. She fretted his reaction.

After a few seconds, she dared to glance up at his face, just to see his focus elsewhere. She followed his narrowed stare over to the second table and noticed that the short guy was gone, as well as the dancer he was with. Red had just shielded her with his body...kept her from sight and nothing more. Liz let out a deep, wary breath she did not realize she was holding, causing him to swiftly turn back to her.

They locked eyes. Green eyes glazed over with lust and other unreadable emotions before one of delight replaced them. Vigilant. An upturn of his lip corners formed into a sly, cocky little victory smile. Ingratiating.

He looked pleased, as if he had just won the lottery. Liz tried to sort out her fragmented thoughts, while her annoyance came back full force. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing, judging by the smug look that was plastered on his face.

Liz did not back down from his scrutiny and sassily grinned back at him, her chin jutted forward as her hands made their way to her hips. 'Yes, two can play this game. By the way, Red is a lovely color on you.' She had left the traces of her lipstick on and around his mouth. Marked him as hers. Red on Red.

Red reached past her for his drink, downing a hefty amount before placing it back on the bar, his left arm brushing hers in the process, and wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand. He resisted the urge to wink at her and instead, flashed her one mouth-watering smile, 'Nice try, Lizzie, but this is not my first rodeo.'

His warm breath, heavy with scotch, fanned her face as he leaned forward and sultry whispered, "Well done, Lizzie. Very convincing. I believe he has departed the premises with his latest conquest." His lips touched her earlobe; the feeling of a thousand ants crawled over her head and down her spine as her eyes involuntary closed. His deep, raspy, husky voice cut through her like a warm breeze on a cold winter night. 'Is this what he sounds like in the morning?'

Liz's eyes sprung open and she mentally shook the salacious thought away as a surge of fury coursed through her veins. Blood nearly reached a boiling point. Her heart thumped hard against her breastbone.

'Is this how it's going to be from now on? Alternating between wanting to kiss him or strike him? Probably both? Damn him and his wanton behavior.'

Her brows pinched together and her lips formed a thin hard line as she desperately fancied pushing him away. She did not even know why or whom she was aggravated at; herself for letting it get out of control and flummoxed? Or him for being in control and unfastened by the kiss, merely playing his part?

Right now was not the time to let her emotions get the best of her. No, not this time...they had a job to do. The faster they got it over with, the sooner she could get out of this hellhole and back to the prison of her own fickle heart.

"Well good for him. Now let's get this over with," Liz spat out as she straightened her back. Her voice had a slight edge to it and her eyes narrowed, zoned in on the task at hand. Agent Keen.

Red bobbed his head sideways and flashed her a tight-lipped half smile. "Let's see if the doctor is up for a friendly conversation then. Follow my lead." He stepped aside and made a chivalrous hand gesture for her to go first, which she refused with a rude hand gesture of her own. He shrugged, closed his eyes for a second, and shook his head briefly as he pursed his lips. 'Women...not even a million books could help me figure this one out. Lizzie is very…tenacious.'

He subconsciously licked his swollen lips and tasted traces of his blood. She broke skin. Erogenous. A reminder of what they could become if they coupled. Dangerous. Exhilarating. The memory of their kiss was still fresh on his mind. His heart rate slightly elevated. he found himself fighting the incredible urge to rake his fingers through his short cropped hair and let out a big heavy sigh. He couldn't think straight. His body was still buzzing. Her smell had imprinted on his clothes. The kiss was permanently etched on his frontal lobe.

He would never tell her this, but that kiss was…indescribable and it still affected him, even though it didn't show. He could never do it again...no matter how badly he wanted to, over and over again until the morning light hit their worn out faces. He was in total disarray as he tried to concentrate on what to converse about with Eisenkamp.

Red strode roughly a foot in front of Liz and was only an arm's length away from the doctor's table when a loud Bang! Bang! rang out through the confidence of the enclosed space. Echoing. He was just about to turn towards Lizzie when utter mayhem occurred. People screamed. The music had unexpectedly turned louder and his hands flew up to his ears to try to block the painfully obnoxious sound. The crowd spiraled out of control, running like bulls in a china shop, knocking him and each other over as more than a hundred people made their way through the different emergency exits.

Red had lost sight of the doc as he disappeared in the masses. He abruptly spun back to see if Lizzie was still behind him, when something solid hit him and shattered on the back of his head. He slumped to one knee and braced himself on his hands as two strong arms came out of nowhere, grasping him from behind. He struggled to fight them off. His head pounded, as if a hammer had hit him.

"Raymond, we have to go now!" Dembe screamed as loud as he could to no avail. Red seemed dazed and slightly impassive. He brushed his fingertips across the back of his head and quickly pulled them back when he felt something sticky and warm ran through his fingers. His digits were coated with blood. A thin stream of blood trickled down his neck, to the front of his throat, staining his once impeccable white collar. Adrenaline surged through his body, prohibiting him from feeling anything. Not a sting. Nothing. 'Lizzie…'

Red swallowed a heavy, dry lump. His eyes frantically scanned the room. It began to rotate as people passed by in slow motion. Screams of terror muffled by the heavy ringing in his ears. His chest tightened, constricting his breathing.

He shrugged Dembe off him, who was still trying to pull him up by his armpits and stood sluggishly by himself. Trembling. Dizzy.

Red suddenly snapped and grabbed Dembe by the lapels of his suit jacket with all the strength he could muster. "No! Find Agent Keen, Dembe, NOW!" He tried to scream, his voice scratchy and hoarse. Red glared at Dembe. He was fuming.

Dembe had never seen Raymond this hysterical; a look of panic crossed his face. The bodyguard gave him a curt nod and set off towards the entrance.

Red's stomach turned as he explored the area. His hands slumped and rested on his knees as he tried to clear his mind, inhaling and exhaling big gulps of air. 'Wake up. Lizzie is here somewhere. Or maybe she got away. Please be okay…'

Liz was nowhere to be seen. He straightened his back and eyed every corner around him, until he saw his fedora still perched on the edge of the bar and what he identified as her legs being dragged over the floor behind it. His eyes widened to the size of saucers, a crease appeared on his forehead as his eyebrows shot up and instinct took over.

He reached to grab the Smith & Wesson 36. strapped behind his back when something heavy and blunt swiftly hit him hard on the middle of his backbone, once, twice followed by a gnarly cracking sound until he dropped onto both knees. A third blow across his shoulder blades made him plummet flat onto his stomach, hands spread out in front of him as his revolver spun away until it came to an abrupt halt, not two feet away from him. His body quivered with effort as he tried to reach for it, but his arms felt like jelly. Weak.

The hefty heel of someone's sticky shoe pressed on his spine between his shoulders held him down. A natural force of gravity and weight displacement. The adrenaline rush had quickly dissipated. A silk cloth slithered across his face before he felt a sharp sting at the side his neck.

The room slowly turned upside down. His eyelids began to droop as pepper red blood drops blurred his vision. He couldn't move his fingers. His legs were unresponsive. His body was numb. Immobilized. Powerless.

The right side of face pressed against the cold dirty dance floor. The luminous blue beams hypnotizing. His breathing labored as he tried to breath deeply through his nose. His lungs burned. Wheezing. He could barely feel the floor vibrating from the unbearable beat of the ongoing music.

The overpowering odor of lavender, paradichlorobenzene, and expensive cigars filled his nostrils before his eyes gradually blinked to a tunnel vision. Her limp body had disappeared and her shoes were no longer visible. Out of sight. All he saw was red. All there was was blood.

Red slowly batted his eyelids until he couldn't blink anymore. His whole world turned dark. He really wished this was some horrible nightmare and that he would wake up soon before his last thought struck him. "Lizzie…I am so sorry…." The music drifted away. An uncomfortable and eerie stillness. Lights out. Pitch black.

*...What was the price on his head?...I think I heard shot!... I think I heard shot!...Pinpoint potential troublemakers and neutralize them, neutralize them, neutralize them…Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!...

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I hope you guys are satisfied with the turn of events :)

Thoughts? Comments?

Music: Hestia Prytaneum YouTube account under CH 3. Part 2

Graphics: Hestia Prytaneum Tumblr under Fanfiction or fb.

Part 2

Music Club: Cazzette - Blind Heart ft. Terri B! [Audio]

Kiss scene: Yael Naim- Toxic ( 16 bit dubstep remix )

End scene: Rage Against The Machine - Wake Up