I have finally finished this chapter and I have decided to write a third one. So stay tuned, 3rd chapter coming soon. :) Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate it.
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Dylan..
I didn't want to leave yet, but I knew I had to go. I looked over at the small clock on the bedside table. It was almost a quarter to 8. If I still wanted to make it on time than I had to leave now. Anthony's arm rested protectively across my stomach, like I was his most precious possession. Maybe I was. I turned my head to look at his face. His eyes were closed but I knew he was awake. My hand went up and I brushed a lock of black hair from his forehead. At my touch he opened his light blue eyes and I watched his gaze settle on me. "Anthony, I have to go." I whispered. Before I could say anything else he moved closer and kissed me. I smiled against his lips. "Anthony.. I really - " But I lost my breath when I felt his hand between my legs, gently caressing me. Son of a bitch.. I thought but instead I moaned at his touch. I couldn't believe how fast I was getting aroused. I moved onto my side and opened my legs a little more, granting him more access. My hand slowly wandered up his thigh and I could feel his muscles tense. He once more captured my lips in a kiss, but this time more passionately. I let his tongue plunder my mouth as I started to stroke him. All thoughts about leaving disappeared from my mind as I was so focused on giving and receiving pleasure. Not long after that we started to make love again.
A few minutes later, we lay in each other's arms, sated and content to be with one another. "So, as I was saying.. I really need to go." Anthony chuckled but then his face turned serious. "I know." I kissed him on the cheek and got out of bed. I searched for my clothes who could be found all over the place and got dressed. A brief glance at the clock confirmed my thoughts.. I was way too late. "All right, i'm all set. I'll see you later, ok?" I asked Anthony who had been watching me the whole time. He nodded. After putting on my shoes I walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you." He gave me a small but warm smile. "Love y-you too." I smiled back and left the room. On the way out I grabbed my jacket and purse. As I raced down the stairs I wondered what I was going to tell my friends.
Anthony..
I enjoyed the warmth of the woman's body next to mine. The scent of her wild auburn hair prickled my nose. It was the first thing I had noticed about her.. Her hair. I had been mesmerized by it. From that moment on I knew I had to have it. I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. But that wasn't everything. She was so beautiful, so brave.. and oh such a fighter. I knew I had been waiting for someone like her all my life. I felt her slender fingers brush against my forehead. I could stay like this forever but I knew that wasn't possible. I opened my eyes and looked at my Angel. "Anthony, I have to go." Not if I can help it.. I silently added. Before she could utter another word I pressed my lips against hers. I moved my left hand over her stomach and I heard her say "Anthony.. I really - " but she fell silent when my hand stopped between her legs. My desire for her peaked when a moan escaped her lips. I briefly removed my hand when she shifted to her side. She parted her legs when I touched her again. She was so wet. I felt her hand travel up the inside of my thigh. My body froze in pleasure. I couldn't take it any longer. I kissed her with all the passion I could muster and let our desire and want for each other take control.
I held her close after we made love. Dylan hadn't been my first, but there would never be a woman who I loved and cherished more than this Angel. "So, as I was saying.. I really need to go." I couldn't help but chuckle. It was my fault she was late, if I hadn't kept her 'busy'.. but she didn't seem to mind at all. Though, I wanted her to stay I knew this meeting with her friends was important, she was going to tell them about me. "I know." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and moved away from the warmth and protection of my arms. I watched her rush around to gather her clothes. We had made quite a mess."All right, i'm all set. I'll see you later, ok?" I nodded. She smiled and sat down on the bed to pull on her shoes. After that she came up to me and kissed me on my lips. "I love you." She said in a sweet voice. I couldn't get enough of those words. "Love y-you too." And gone my Angel was.
Dylan..
As I was driving to Nathalie's house I decided to give her a call to let her know I was on my way. I grabbed my cell from my purse and dialed her number. One hand on the steering wheel, the other holding the cell phone, I waited for it to connect. "Hey Dyl, what's keeping you?" asked Nath on the other end. "Sorry, I.. I overslept.." I mentally slapped myself. Could I not have come up with a better excuse? "I was watching a movie.. and I fell asleep on the couch.. But i'll be right there." I quickly added. "Oh, that's ok dyl, see you soon then." This was not going to be easy. "Yeah, see you soon." I hung up and put my cell phone away. Maybe a little music would calm down my nerves. I switched through the stations but found nothing to my liking. "Just calm down dyl, you are going to be fine. Everything is going to be just fine." I said to myself in an attempt to lift up my spirit.
Soon I was standing in front of Nath's door, going over numerous scenes in my head about how I was going to break the news to them. After a few seconds the door opened and Nathalie regarded me with one of her trademark smiles. "Hey Dyl! Come on in." She stepped aside to let me in. "I hope you guys haven't started without me yet." I said smiling the best I could. I followed her into the living room and was greeted by Alex. "No we were just about to order some pizza and watch Jason's ME II." Nath said before asking "Can I get you something to drink?" I nodded throwing my purse and jacket onto the couch. "A coke?" I felt the need for something stronger. "Beer?" I asked. Nathalie nodded and went into the kitchen. Seven month old Spike darted from the kitchen onto the couch and on top of me. "Spike!" I laughed. "Cut it out will ya?" I said as I tried to get him to settle down a bit. Boy, was he one energetic puppy. Quite adorable too with ears still a little too big for his head.
Nathalie emerged from the kitchen and handed me my drink. "Here you go. And Spike.. leave Auntie Dylan alone now huh?" Spike looked up at her and waggled his tail before lying down on the carpet. Alex regarded me with a strange look. "What?" I asked unnerved by her stare. "Uh Dylan.. You're wearing your shirt backwards.." I looked down and noticed she was right. Oh Anthony, couldn't you have said something? I blushed. They both grinned but didn't question it any further. "So, how about that pizza?" Nath asked with a big smile. Both me and Alex nodded. "The usual." Nathalie made the call and Alex put on the dvd of ME II. Twenty minutes later our pizza was delivered and we all gathered around the wooden salon table.
"You know, I love being an Angel and it's always great to fight together but i'm sure glad to have some time off." Nathalie said before taking a bite from her slice of pizza. Alex nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's great to be able to spend some time with Jason too." And with Anthony..I mentally added. "I wonder how long we're going to keep doing this.." Nathalie said and Alex chuckled. "A long time I hope.. kicking these bad guy's asses sure is fun. Although I wouldn't mind not having to fight someone like that creepy thin man again." She looked at me and I smiled nervously. "Well he wasn't that bad.." I started but was interrupted by Alex "Not that bad? He tried to slice me up like a turkey at the Carmel mission..then he tried to throw me off the building.. Believe me Dyl, that guy was bad." I felt my anger rising and before I could stop myself I practically shouted "He saved Max at the Coal Bowl and he saved your ass on that theather rooftop as well or do you forget so easily Alex?" They both looked wide eyed at me. I took a deep breath before adding "And he saved mine too.. I just think we shouldn't forget that." Maybe now was the right time to tell them about Anthony but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Not after the things Alex said. "I'm sorry Dyl.. I guess I did forget that he saved your life. For that I am grateful.." I nodded and gave them a fleeting smile. "Me too." Nathalie said. "Let's just drop it and watch the movie ok?" I asked hopefully. Alex put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey is everything alright?" I nodded and said "Yeah sure why wouldn't it be?" before picking up my slice of pizza and having another bite. They exchanged glances and Nathalie shrugged. "All right then." For the reminder of the evening we watched ME II and afterwards we had a little chat. When it was close to midnight I decided to go home."Hey guys, i'm off. I had a great time but i'm pretty tired." I glanced over at Alex who apparently had fallen asleep."We should do this more.. Like we used to.." I nodded before throwing on my jacket. "Yeah we should." Nathalie started to get up but I stopped her. "I'll find my way out. See you later ok?" "Ok, bye Dyl." I went over to Spike and gently petted him on the head. "Bye Spike." I grabbed my purse and headed for the door, unknown to them the war that I was waging with my mind and heart.
Anthony..
I stayed in bed for a while longer before taking a shower and dressing in my black pinstripe suit. After that I decided to go for a little walk. It wasn't like I had anything else to do. Besides if I stayed here my thoughts would keep drifting back to Dylan and her friends. Anyway I didn't want to think about it. Atleast not right now. There would be enough time for that later. I turned off the radio which was playing some old rock song. I pulled on my jacket and a long black trenchcoat as it was raining a little. As I headed for the door I stopped short. I looked over at the couch where my cane rested. I debated with myself about taking or leaving it behind but I just felt more safe knowing I carried it with me, it wasn't like I was going to use it or anything, so I took it with me. I was only outside for five minutes and already the rain started to pour down on me. Just my luck.. I thought but ignored it and kept walking. The fresh air seemed to clear my mind. It felt good not to think about anything for a change. After walking a couple of streets I decided to go back to my apartment. I needed to get out of those wet clothes because I wasn't looking forward to getting sick. I was about to turn and head back when I got this strange feeling.. of being watched.
Maybe I was being a bit paranoia but after being an assassin for 15 years I had developed pretty high senses. I just knew something was wrong. Then I heard it.. the faint sound of approaching footsteps.. I didn't turn around but started walking again. Slowly I increased my pace as I didn't want to rouse any suspicion. Somebody was following me.. I wondered who it was and more importantly why? But after everything I saw and went through over the years, nothing could surprise me anymore. I was lost in thought and when I passed a deserted alley, someone grabbed me from behind and dragged me into the shadows. I quickly snapped to my senses and faced my opponent or opponents as more of them stepped out of the shadows into the soft moonlit area. I didn't recognize them but they seemed italian.. though I wasn't entirely sure with the dim light. Then I realised I wasn't holding my cane anymore.. I started to panic but tried hard not to let it show on my face. I slowly looked to my right to find it lying on the ground near a firescape. As I wondered how to get it, one of the men stepped forward and spoke "Well well, if it isn't the famous silent assassin.." I raised my eyebrow at the tall dark man. He laughed an evil laugh. "You have no idea who we are do you?" I slowly shook my head. I really didn't know. He laughed again. "Does the name Antonio Velocio ring a bell?" Velocio..Velocio.. Suddenly it all came back to me. He was a notorious Italian mobster. I had been hired to kill him, which I had ended up doing. This had to be some sort of payback.. But after all those years.. It had been one of my very first assignments, now more than 13 years ago. I guess they didn't discover his killer up until now. I nodded. "Ahh so you do know..Then you probably know why we are here as well.." I nodded again. I needed to think fast, how to get out of this situation or I would never see the light of day or Dylan again. The odds were against me. I was alone against 4 of them. But hey, I have fought all kinds of thugs before, I even fought the famous angels and nearly beat them. Surely I could fight my way out of here.. or I could die trying. I once more nodded. They all laughed and eyed me condescendingly.
Now if there was one thing I hated than it was being laughed at. I gave them an icy stare and their laughter died in their throats. Before one of them could make a move I kicked the man in front in his knee, making it crack with a sickingly sound. He cried out in pain. I quickly spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick sending him flying into two others. I used the temporarely diversion and ran over to the firescape to get my cane. I quickly unsheated my rapier and got in a fighting stance. A grin started to spread on my face when I saw the look of terror written on theirs. "You son of a bitch! Kill him!" The tall man ordered angrily, grasping his broken knee in pure agony. A shorter but more muscular man with long hair which was plastered against his face because of the constant rain attacked me and threw a punch but I easily evaded. I kicked him in the stomach, making him stumble backwards. When he attacked me again, I screamed while I raised my rapier and stabbed him. I pulled back and the man fell to his knees, blood appearing on his lips as he fell face down on the ground. I directed my attention to the other 3 who looked slighty horrified by the turn of events. "Goddamnit, do I have to do everything myself? I said kill him!" He yelled. The remaining two ran up to me at the same time in an attempt to disarm me but failed as I kept dodging their attacks. After awhile I managed to stab one but as I did so the other slammed me into the wall behind me and punched me in the stomach. This made me drop my rapier. He kept punching me until I couldn't take it any longer and slid to the ground, clutching my abdomen in pain. That moment I saw my life flashing by. I couldn't believe it was going to end like this. Oh who was I kidding? What had I expected? I should have died a long time ago. I had been lucky the other times, now my luck had run out. Dylan I am sorry.. I thought as a tall figure loomed over me holding a gun in his right hand. "Didn't think you would get away now did you? End of the line Thin Man." He said raising the gun and pointing it at my head. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander off to Dylan. My Angel.. We will be together again.. One day.. I promise.. And I heard the safety of the gun being pulled back.
Dylan..
When I got home I changed into my pyjamas and crawled into bed. As I lay there staring at the ceiling I thought about tonight. I should have told them.. I sighed deeply and turned around. When I looked at my bedside table I noticed a thin golden chain sticking out of the drawer. Anthony's medaillon.. I realised. I sat up and opened my drawer a little more. There it was. The medaillon I had snatched from him at the Coal Bowl after he saved Max. I took it out and held it out in front of me. It was a beautiful piece. "Hmm.. I wonder if he'll want it back..He has never mentioned it before.." A part of me hoped he wouldn't so I could keep it to myself. That way I would always have something to remind me of him. I smiled and kissed it before I fell into a dream filled sleep.
In the morning I woke up with a smile on my face and the medaillon clutched firmly in my left hand. I had slept and dreamt wonderfully and I felt utterly refreshed and ready to face the new day. After making some coffee I slumbed down on the couch and turned on the tv. I carefully sipped from my cup of coffee as it was still hot while zapping through the channels, looking for nothing in particular, when my cell went off. No doubt it would be Nathalie or Alex. I put my cup down on the small table and went over to the kitchen where I had left the little bugger. "Hi Alex, everything alright?" I asked going through the fridge, looking for something to eat. "Yeah, i'm fine.. You?" I took out some cheese. "I'm great Alex.. Why do you ask?" I asked in turn, closing the fridge again. "Well, you seemed somewhat out yesterday. Are you sure everything's ok?" For a second I wanted to spill it out to her, just to stop her rain of questions, as it would definitely shut her up but it wasn't the best thing to do, nor was it the best time either. I bit my lip and then said "I'm positive Alex. So any plans for today?" I asked trying to change the topic. "Actually I thought about going shopping, you want to come? I'll give Nath a call. Should be fun." Hmm, why not? I could use some new clothes.. maybe buy Anthony a little something.. "I'm in." "Great! Let's say we meet up with Nath in about 2 hrs, her place? We can have a bite to eat and then we have all afternoon to shop." "Sure." I said while making myself a sandwish. "Ok, see you later Dyl." "Bye Alex." I walked back into the living room, taking the sandwish with me, and sat down on the couch. I once more zapped through the channels but when I found nothing I settled for watching cartoons. "Better than nothing."
Anthony..
I tightly kept my eyes shut as I waited for the gun to go off, to end my life. There was nothing I could do anymore. No miracle could save me now like the times before. At some point we all have to die, but I just wanted it to be different. "Hey, what you guys doing there?" A deep male voice called out. I had been so focused on the blow I was about to receive that it took me awhile to realize it was an entirely different one, no foreign accent at all. I slowly opened my eyes to find the two mobs gone, apparently they had fled and a police officer stood looking at me from a distance. I let out a deep breath. I was still alive. For once I was glad to see a cop, until I remembered I killed two men whose bodies were still lying there as well. "Are you..alright..Sir?" He asked. I slowly nodded. He then eyed the dead bodies and knelt down beside one of them to inspect it. I saw this as my cue to make a quick getaway. I snatched my rapier of the ground and sprinted further down the alley, disappearing into the darkness. I was still a little sore from the fight earlier and my sides hurted like hell but I ran as quickly as I could. I could hear him calling after me but I never looked back. I just wanted to get away.
After taking a few quick stops to rest a bit I finally made it back to my apartment. I kept an eye out to make sure I wasn't being followed. I don't think I could handle another fight like that in one night. But those guys weren't going to give up that easily. They would be back, sooner or later. As soon as I made it inside I sealed all the windows and locked the frontdoor. Then I took of my coat, jacket and shirt to inspect any wounds or bruises. No wounds, but a few bruises were starting to appear on both sides of my ribcage. I ran my hand along my side to feel for further damage and as I suspected a few ribs got bruised in the process. But I got away in one piece, that was all that mattered now. I went over to the bathroom to bandage my bruised ribs a bit so I could rest afterwards. But how would I explain this to Dylan? I had broken my promise. I would have to think about that later. After I had bandaged myself the best I could I lay down on the bed to get some rest. It took me awhile to get comfortable but once I did I almost immediately drifted off to sleep.
I woke up due to the pain caused by my bruised ribs as I was lying on my side by now. I sat up and let out a loud moan. It seemed to hurt even more than I remembered. This was going to be a long day, it was only 8 o'clock in the morning. I slowly moved off the bed and walked over to the window. I peered outside to find the sky almost completely cleared up and the sun shining. At least that's something.. I thought and made my way to the bathroom, looking from some painkillers, so hopefully I would get some more sleep later on. As I was looking for the painkillers, a disturbing thought came to my mind. Those italian guys probably knew where I lived and I was injured. I had to find another place. But they hadn't come back in the night so I figured I had a couple of more hours before they would make another attempt at killing me.
Dylan..
It was eleven o'clock when I drove up to Nathalie's house. I remembered the time Nath and Pete had moved in together. Back then, I thought I'd never find someone to share my life with, but now I had Anthony. I couldn't picture my life without him. I looked myself over in the mirror and smiled at what I saw. I looked happy despite the fact I still had a difficult task ahead of me. I had also decided to wear his medaillon but I couldn't let them see it yet so I tucked it inside my black blouse before I got out of the car. I went up to the frontdoor and knocked. The door opened and I found Pete standing there, smiling his usual friendly smile. "Hey Dylan, you're on time." He joked. I laughed a little. "Like you're so punctual.." I said pointing my finger accusatively at him. He grinned and stepped aside. "I won't say any more. Come on in." I went inside and sat down on the couch when Nathalie walked in. "Wow Dylan, you're actually on time." She said with a straight face. I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Yeah yeah.. be happy that I am for once." She came over and hugged me, then she took a seat beside me. "Alex will be ri - " Nathalie was interrupted as the doorbell rang. We both looked at each other and then bursted out laughing. "That's probably her!"
"Don't worry ladies, I'll get it." Pete said as he went to open the door. A few seconds later Alex walked into the living room. She looked at me and I could tell what she was about to say. "Don't." I stated with a smile. Nathalie laughed and Alex raised an eyebrow, a gesture that made me think of Anthony. "Now that we're all here. Let's go shopping!" Nathalie exclaimed happily. "We can take my car." Alex pointed out. "No, let's take Dylan's. Her car has a bigger trunk. Believe me, i'm gonna need it." Nathalie laughed. "Fine with me." I said. "All right, that's settled then. Let's go." Alex said and the three of us took off.
First we went over to Starbucks and afterwards we had a bite to eat before we started our shopping adventure. After a few hours of shopping I ended up buying a dark blue jeans, a white blouse and a black satin negligee, my gift to Anthony. I smiled as I pictured the look on his face when I would show it to him. Nathalie on the other hand had bought a bunch of other stuff as well. Alex had gotten herself a nice pair of high heeled shoes and a pair of black pants. She looked great in those. After we got everything stacked in my car we decided to have a drink before heading home. We picked out a bar and got ourselves a table near the window. A waitress came over and took our orders. The tv was turned on and a news bulletin was being read.
"Last night two bodies were found in an Alley nearby Sunset Boulevard. Apparently they died due to a stab in the chest..this most likely caused by a sword."
I froze and slowly turned around to look at the tv. I couldn't believe it, maybe my ears were playing tricks on me but when I looked at the screen I saw two bodies laying on the ground.. a stabwound could clearly be seen. "Oh my god, did you guys hear that?" Alex asked shocked. I could only nod. Anthony, he couldn't have done that, could he? He had promised to give up his life as an assassin, yet two people were found dead due to a stab. The Thin Man was known for such acts. "Yeah I heard it. You don't think it could be.. Well you know.." Nathalie said, hesitating a bit. Alex nodded. "Do you know any other guy who kills people with a sword?" She shook her head. "But it's impossible Alex. He died remember. He fell off the Roof that night. He couldn't have survived a fall from a ten story building." I wanted to say something but my mouth had suddenly become very dry. When I looked up I saw Alex looking at me intentively. Her eyes wandered down and I wondered what had caught her attention. I looked down and found her source of interest. Anthony's medaillon had escaped my blouse and was now dangling in front of it. "Is it really impossible? What do you think Dylan?" Alex said narrowing her eyes and giving me a penetrating stare.
Anthony..
The painkillers weren't much of help but it eased the pain a little so I was able to sleep for a few more hours. It was close to noon when I got up for the day. I wondered how Dylan was doing. Probably hanging out with her friends and having fun, at least if they hadn't taken the news badly. That could mess up everything. But they seemed reasonable people. I made myself a cup of tea and sat down on the couch. Now that I wasn't an assassin anymore, life seemed dull and boring, especially when Dylan wasn't around. It would take some time to get used to this kind of life but it was the least I could do for her. I took a sip from my tea before putting the cup down. I slowly reached over at the armchair and grabbed my cane. When I unsheated the rapier I noticed some dried blood on the blade.
For the first time in my life I felt disgusted by myself. How could I kill people and not feel any remorse? The money had been my biggest motivation but still killing people went against everything I had learned at the Orphanage. Maybe the death of my parents had made me a cold blooded killer. Maybe I killed to ease the pain. I really didn't know, but I had given up that life so in a way it didn't matter anymore. And last night had been self defence. Was it wrong to choose your own life above others? Besides they didn't deserve to live.. they were killers.. Killers.. just like me.. So, what makes me worthy of this life? I shook my head. "Nothing." I whispered as I cast my eyes down at the bloody blade in my hands. I took out a crisp white handkerchief and started to wipe the blade clean, all traces of blood erased, like I had done so many times before. If only my acts could be erased so easily.. if only it could be done.. But it couldn't.
When I finished cleaning my rapier I decided to get something to eat but quickly dismissed that idea as the mere thought of food made my stomach turn upside down. I sighed. Guess not.. I drank some more before lying down on the couch. I couldn't stay here for very much longer, but where to go? For a moment I wished I had never killed that mobster, it was bound to cause problems. The only good thing was the money I had gotten for that assignment. Right now, there wasn't much I could do so I decided to get some more rest. I wanted to get better as soon as possible. I didn't want Dylan to see me like this. She would just ask how I had gotten injured and I didn't know how to explain. Well I could just tell her the truth but I didn't feel like doing that. What if she couldn't forgive me? What if she didn't believe me? I would lose her.. That I couldn't bear. So I just lay there, thinking about Dylan..about our relationship..about my past..about my life before the killing. Would the past keep catching up with me? For my sake and Dylan's I hoped not.
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I hope you all enjoyed this second chapter. If you haven't reviewed yet, feel welcome to do so. It's what keeps me writing. :) so R&R.