Chapter 17

Natalie liked Trevor, that much soon became unavoidable to her. How much she liked him remained to be seen, but she liked him plenty enough for him to be another reason why it was difficult to sleep at night and enough for her to outwardly avoid him when she could. When she wasn't thinking about him, she was usually mentally kicking herself for thinking about him. Even if she admitted to her feelings for him, the source of her obsession wasn't in her attraction, but rather the way she was being so carelessly ignored over Patricia these past three weeks.

She'd grown to have a childish disdain for Patricia, despite the fact the older woman had always treated her with a motherly kindness the few times they had interacted. But the black jealousy that seemed to consume Natalie these days had unfortunately expanded to an anger towards the kidnapped woman. Nat tried her best to tell herself that it was stupid to hold anything against her, but her conscious refused to listen.

There were times where she didn't want to indulge in her pity party and that's when her mind went to Avery. She was worried for him, worried that who she was was going to kill him. Even then, she still held firm to the plans that they casually date and see what happened. Some part of her still wanted normality in her life and dating someone who wasn't in the life was about the most normal thing she could do for herself.

A life of crime proved taxing, leaving her with one eye always open and a primal, sadistic nature when it came to her own survival. Somehow these instinct didn't carry on to the protection of the innocent, but all she cared to do with chalk it up as one of her many flaws and blame it on being her father's child.

Her date with Avery was drawing closer. After exchanging contact information they set and official date that was only a couple days from then. She had promised herself beforehand she wouldn't sleep with him, at least not on the first few dates. She realized that her sleeping around didn't bode to well and it was a surprise sharing a bed with Franklin one night somehow didn't end up with her missing another digit. But knowing her luck, that karmic action would come and bite her in the ass sooner or later.

Work lead her to McKenzie Airfield this particular day, a high-risk shipment was coming in a little later today and she had been requested by Ron to help out just in case things got hairy. Her gun skills were still a bit rough, but Chef vouched for her, saying she'd still be useful. So with Chef's blessing, she found herself among a handful of Trevor's subordinates prepping for their supplier plane to land and for any anomalies surely waiting to happen.

She sat on a crate, occasionally checking the skies for the plane which was due in a few minutes. She had a Hawk & Little SMG in her hands, it was given to her by one someone in her small band of guys. She didn't have very much experience with anything that brought rapid fire, but there wasn't any time to fret about it. She knew she could hold her own if she tried hard enough and kept her cool when the bullets started flying.

Natalie soon heard someone come running out of the control center stationed in the nearby trailer. It was Oscar, who looked panicked as he wrangled up the team, explaining to all of them that there were two convoys of Azetcas on their way to the air strip to collect from the cargo plane coming in. The cargo plane itself was being shot down and the engines were failing, and when the plane eventually landed, it wouldn't be pretty.

They saw in the distance the plane they'd been waiting for that was tailed by a plume of smoke coming out of the engine. On the ground they could hear the familiar rumble of incoming cars. There was no time for any more idle preparing, half the group went into cover, waiting for the Aztecas to arrive, while the others were watching and waiting for the plane to land and to get the pilot and shipment to safety as quick as possible.

The plane was nearing and Oscar was in the trailer trying to help the pilot down. Natalie was mere feet away as the landing gear of the plane touched down and bounced from impact, cracking and bending underneath the weight of the plane until it completely broke off and splintered off every which way. The plane tipped forward and the nose was shoved into the ground, the belly of the plane dragging roughly against the hard ground, dirt and debris kicking up into the air until the aircraft finally slowed and stopped, half the front of the plane inside the earth.

Nat ended up in cover behind the crate she'd previously been sitting on, making sure her SMG was loaded and ready. She took a deep breath to keep her heart from pacing, closing her eyes and going to her happy place until she heard the first shot. She jumped out of cover and opened fire at their attackers.

There was eight SUVs total, three to her left and the five to her right nearby the control center. She couldn't reasonably count the number of Aztecas they had to face, but it was enough where Trevor's people were starting to get back into a proverbial corner. All of them were well armed and a few wearing protection, highly skilled and hardened veterans of the criminal lifestyle.

Natalie was just some dumb lackey to Trevor Philips Industries and the pressure was beginning to weight down on her. She managed to shot down at least one on her own, but she had little opportunity to help out much besides just not getting killed.

She had to back up into the hanger as the Azetcas pressed forward. A few of their own people were already shot down and Nat was sure the pilot had been reduced to a bloody pulp from not only the crash landing but the attacking forces.

Natalie locked eyes with an Aztec who sprang up not 10 feet away from her. She barely had time to act before he started firing. Somehow, she was slightly quicker, firing a few rounds just under his neck and the kickback making the rest into her head. She let out some kind of primal sound in triumph but still went backwards to gain her bearings, sure the rest would cover her. She heard a noise behind her and quickly wiped around, but trying to spring to action too late. An Azteca had her and threw her to the ground, him quickly going on top of her with a knife in his hand.

She yelled, trying to catch a teammate's attention to no avail, all the while fighting off the man on told of her. Her legs were pinned and useless, and her arms were useful but at awkward angles. She tried punching and shoving, but her attacks barely made him flinch, the knife was coming closer and her breathing had already stopped.

He grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head back, black stars bursting into her vision and her muscles went slack for a second too long. She felt the blade cut under her eyes and she winced away, causing the knife to drag to her hairline before she found her strength again and forced him back, but still not off of her.

His teeth were barred and eye were intent on hers, ready to see the life drain from her face when he stabbed her through her eye socket. She was losing this fight and she knew it, the knife drawing nearer but slower this time. She was losing hope up until someone found her and shot her attacker through the head. His body collapsed on top of her and for a second she could've sworn she was in Blaine County's National Park again with Evan's dead body crushing her. But she couldn't dwell just now, not with the fight for the shipment still raging.

She got up to meet her savior and found Chef. He looked her over to see if she was alright, before nodding to her, almost to assure she would be fine, and then heading off to drive away the rest of the Aztecas. She was soon to follow, ignoring the stringing pain of the new cut across her cheekbone.

It didn't take long for the remaining Aztecas to pile back into their SUVs and book it back to their home base, leaving McKenzie and bloody mess. There was no time for Trevor's team and the people hiding in the control station to have a breath of relief when their enemies accepted defeat, too busy towing away the bodies littered across the strip and planning their departure before anyone started poking around and causing anymore unneeded issues.

Chef soon returned to Nat after he instructed the others on where to dump the bodies. He tucked his gun away and wiped away the perspiration off his forehead. He gave her concerned, "Do you need to sit down?"

"Why would I need to sit down?" She asked before it hit her, an uneasy, sickly lightheadedness she would get when she used to donate blood. She looked down at herself and saw the trail of blood going down her shirt from the wound on her cheek, she didn't realize it was that deep a cut. She winced and side-stepped to get a hold of the nearby wall to help her keep upright, though it didn't help any with the queasiness.

Chef went to her side and held her up, "Alright, come with me. We'll get you fixed up."

–

She found herself inside the cook site. One the second floor among all the supplies that kept most of Sandy Shores happy and wired. Chef had called upon an associate to help fix up Natalie, he was already higher than a kite and his hand was unsteady enough to do more damage than good. She was sat up on the table while a middle aged woman who turned out to be a former nurse stitched up her cheek. Natalie was just shy of a concussion so all she really had to worry about was how much cover up she'd have to use when her cut healed into yet another ugly scar.

While the woman taking care of her was busying herself with the stitching, Natalie couldn't help but notice Trevor enter the room. She quickly looked away, pretending to not even notice him, but she feared he already caught her. Natalie sighed softly, causing the nurse to scold her and tell her to stay still. She looked back at Trevor, finding him looking right back at her. She knew that look he gave her all too well, she noticed that a turn on of his was her facing danger and this was no different, he wanted to sleep with her.

She hadn't seen that look of his in awhile, it used to excite her, but now, she was just annoyed about it. She didn't meet him with an kind of acceptance, just a cool glare then looking back to her nurse as she ran over what Natalie had to do to keep her cut infection free.

Unfortunately, she couldn't keep up with her silent treatment when her nurse and Chef made their leave for more important things than the face of some young woman. He ambled towards her casually, nearly ready to take her by her hips and make her his again, but she cut him off, "Where's Patricia?" She couldn't help but keep the acid away from her voice, but she didn't care, she wanted to know she was pissed off at him.

He stopped in his tracks, staring at her for a long moment. She saw a fleeting flicker of sadness cross his face, but he pushed it away, "Gone."

She hopped off the table, collecting her keys and cigarettes and stuffing them back in her pocket, not bothering to look back at him, "And Michael?"

"Gone too."

Natalie couldn't help but sneak a glance at her boss, she wondered if he was lonely with everyone gone from his home, she hoped to see if something about his proved her suspicion. She dashed the thought away however, it wasn't her problem, "I have to go."

His eyebrows furrowed, "Why?"

She shrugged slightly, already heading towards the stairs, meaning to end to conversation as soon as she could, "I have other things to do."

As she made it downstairs and out of the cook site on her way to her trailer, she was slowly starting to regret behaving in such a rude way. He was her boss after all, and also a man who wasn't big his self-control. She had a feeling he wouldn't lash out in some way that would land her in a grave, but she wasn't sure.

She wasn't sure how long she was going to stay mad at him. Frankly, she did feel a little good that his attention was back on her, but she had too much pride to just let him back in that easy. She wanted Trevor to regret blowing her off like that, totally ignoring her over a kidnapped housewife. She wanted to be the one to reject his advances this time, ignore him for other things just like he did to her. In the simplest terms, she wanted to be as petty as she could.

Natalie made it home safe and she went into her bathroom to check out the new cut on her face. Looking at herself through the mirror, she found it started from from the edge of her ear and stretched all the way to the side of her nose and no amount of fancy makeup work would cover it up in the slightest. How she was going to explain it away to Avery on their date tomorrow, she didn't know, but she had to think of something.

Facing that near death experience really made her consider if dating Avery was a good idea. She was constantly and sometimes willingly in danger and putting someone who was just an average person in a position where he could get harmed in any way wasn't something she was comfortable with. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, getting ready to dial in his number and cancel their date, but she paused, reconsidering.

It wasn't like she was going to be marrying the guy, it was just one night out. She felt deserved to have time for herself and away from all the mayhem that her job required. Avery was fun, easy-going, and just in general, easy to be around; something she needed more of in her life. Just one date wouldn't do harm and if something did ever come out of it, like the hopes of a relationship, she would deal with it when it came.

–

She chose something simple for her date, although a little nicer than her usual choice of a graphic tee shirt and denim cut off shorts. She went with a button down shirt and shorts that ended a little lower on her thigh, looking in the mirror, she felt slightly dissatisfied with her general look, after another few wardrobe changes, she was back on her original outfit.

They planned to meet at a nearby bar on Route 68 in Harmony, hoping to share a few light drinks and just getting to know each other in a more one on one setting. She was happy to get out of the house for more than just drug trafficking and even happier to spend her time with a man who was anyone but Trevor or the men in her family.

She arrived at the bar a couple minutes earlier than their planned time, finding a spot in the corner that was away from all the business and also had a good view of the front door. Even with this date almost assuredly having no risk, she couldn't help but still use her defensive instincts. Her gun was still on her and she still had an eye out for anything suspicious.

Avery arrived on time, looking around the bar until he found Natalie in the far corner. He smiled when he saw her and she couldn't help but find a smile creep across her own face. He sat across from her in the booth she'd chosen for them just as a chubby blonde waitress took their orders. Conversation between them started out awkwardly, both of them without their outgoing friends to get the ball rolling. But through common interest, chatter between them got easier quickly, as well as the steady supply of beers and fish fry.

After hours of never ending conversation between the two, one of the waitresses eventually told them it was near closing time and they would have to make their leave soon. They finally departed, but still lounging in the parking lot for a few more minutes.

Natalie couldn't help but admire Avery under the glow of the streetlight. He was thin and tall, possibly her weight or even less. With his almost unhealthy looking thinness, his features were sharp, though the strength of his jaw was hidden under his beard. If he cleaned himself up more than his signature stylish unkempt look, he could've possibly modeled.

She came to find out she genuinely did like him, he was so easy to talk to. Even if some sort of relationship didn't blossom from their various dates, he made for a great friend. She suddenly felt his lips on hers. The kiss he gave was short, small, and sweet. There was no need to push it any further and she found she enjoyed it. In all honesty, she hadn't been kissed like that in ages.

When they separated, she could feel the blood rush to her face, she could only hope the light was low enough for him not to see. If she saw her blushing like a schoolgirl he didn't show it, smiling at her and bidding her farewell before he walked back to his own car.

She watched his car leave the parking lot before she got into her own car. She still felt the smile on her face, thinking about how successful their date had been. She was surprised to find she was already excited for a next date, and also a little nervous too.

She made it back home and was already stripping off her clothes before she made it to her bedroom to change into her night clothes. Just as she finished undressing and dressing again, there was a knock on her door, or rather, a loud banging. She jumped a bit at the sudden noise and her heart rate was already skyrocketing. She leapt towards her gun on the kitchen counter, grabbing it tightly in her fist before she slowly stepped to the door. She looked through the eye hole and let out a huge breath in both relief and annoyance. Trevor, great.

She unlocked and opened up the door, making no attempt to hide the handgun, "I could've killed you, y'know."

He ignored the comment After all, he could easily end her life before she could even think to pull the trigger. He didn't ask for an invite inside, stepping forward on his own accord, forcing her to take a few steps back, "What the fuck is your problem, eh?"

She was caught off guard for a moment, but quickly tried to regain her apathetic mode she had been using on him for the past few weeks, "What are you talking about."

Trevor jabbed his finger at her, laughing with annoyance, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Natalie."

She turned away from him, setting her gun back down and going into her fridge, "Did you come over here just to yell at me?"

He suddenly appeared right behind her, she turned to face him, "Yes I did come over to fucking yell at you."

She frowned deeply, crossing her arms and trying to look as defiant as she could, "Shouldn't you be worrying about Patricia instead of me?

His eyes boor down into hers, "Why do you care about Patricia?"

"Why do you?" She shot back, suddenly feeling childish.

He didn't speak for a long moment, perhaps trying to size her up, or calming himself so he didn't rip her head off, "You're jealous."

All her false confidence ran right out the door and was replaced with uneasiness. She was left speechless for a moment, trying to think of something to divert the accusation, but only coming up with, "No I'm not."

A grin spread on his face, he knew he had her, "Was that what Michael was talking about? You're jealous of Patricia?"

She turned away for him again, trying to hide her humiliation, "Why in the hell would I be jealous of her?"

His irritation grew, "Stop lying to me."

She was stuck. He already knew and she insisted on lying. Natalie sighed, defeated, "Fine, I was jealous of her. Whatever."

She expected triumph to come of him, but it didn't, he sat down on her couch, looking up at her, "So, you like me."

She breathed out of her nose, fighting with herself, trying to find the best way to articulate without pouring her heart out to her boss, "I-I guess." She shook her head, she could do better than that, "I thought we were friends, Trevor."

He looked surprised, "Friends?"

She sighed, she couldn't bring herself to look at him, "Yeah, friends. I figured when you spent nights hanging out with me, that made us friends. I just..." She ran her hands through her hair, so much for not pouring her heart out, "Y'know, you're a real asshole for just up and ignoring me completely like I wasn't even there."

He didn't say anything for a long while and she realized that he actually didn't know what to say. It must not have been often people showed legitimate care for him without also fearing him like Ron did. She slowly began to feel a little bad for putting him in this situation, speaking up again to break the increasingly awkward silence, "Look, next time you decide to act like I don't exist, give me a heads up beforehand, alright?"

There was still silence from him for another moment before he finally answered, maybe this was just as "Yeah... sure."

She sighed, but smiling ever so slightly at his answer, "Great. Now I do you want to help me polish off the case of beer in my fridge?"

Trevor found his own smile, nodding. She grinned, glad to have things at least somewhat cleared up and him willing to spend time with her once again. There was still some stuff else that needed to be addressed, but that was for a later time, and she'd rather not address her admitted attraction for him just then. For now, all they needed to do was just become friends again and drink like they used to, and when she felt he deserved it again, bed mates.