Heart of Stone

by:

A.K. Hunter

Chapter Fifteen

"The secrets that you hide control us and it's just not fair." —Skylar Grey, "I Know You"

The upside to being a stay-at-home captive was that you could sleep late every day and no one cared.

It was almost noon by the time Alexis rolled out of bed. Kevin had already left to God knows where, and if it wasn't for the gnawing hunger, she would have rearranged her nest of pillows and slept for another few hours. The third trimester of her pregnancy wasn't anything to write home about. Alexis felt gigantic. She'd officially reached the stage in which she couldn't see her toes or shave her legs.

She was also terribly boring. When she wasn't thinking about how she should have her own zip code, she was sleeping. Almost all of her waking hour energy was reserved for Kevin and her now-weekly OB visits.

Alexis sleepily stumbled to the kitchen, digging through the fridge for a bottle of water and then grabbing a box of cereal out of the pantry. She shoveled a handful of dry cereal into her mouth. She'd stopped having coffee a few weeks earlier after it had triggered Braxton Hicks contractions. She knew that those particular contractions were just part of being pregnant—there was no real harm there—but she didn't want to chance it. The baby could survive, technically, without Alexis, but there were still too many unknown and unpredictable variables at work. It was best to keep the baby inside as long as possible.

"Good morning, sunshine," a chipper voice greeted from the sitting room.

Alexis found Brigid on the couch with a pair of knitting needles and a large, misshapen lump of yarn.

"Morning," Alexis mumbled. Brigid had been coming by regularly for the last week or so, and Alexis was glad to have another person to talk to. It was lonely with Kevin gone so much, though she knew he tried to spend as much time with her as possible. "What are you making?"

"Well, I wanted to make a hat for Little Brigid, but I think I messed it up. Would you like a hat, Alexis?"

The redhead eyed the misshapen lump skeptically. That particular attempt would never be a hat. "Keep at it. I'm sure it'll turn into something eventually. Little Brigid can never have enough burp rags."

"So you're warming up to the name?" the blonde asked with a soft smile.

Alexis lay back on the couch, almost breathless from the simple action and the weight across her belly. "You know Kev's got his heart set on another name."

"Rosie Ryan?" Brigid laughed. "Sounds like an Irish superhero."

"Rosie Harper," Alexis corrected, hiding a grin. "We're not married, and Rosie Castle is just as bad."

"You're not married yet. Give it time."

Alexis didn't answer. As far as she knew, marriage was off the table. Sure, if things were different she would love to marry her child's father. She did love him, after all, but things weren't different. They were as fucked up as they'd ever been.

She'd taken on the mantra of dealing with her reality one day at a time. That was all she had the energy for, and any other method just drove her insane. The downside to that was that it was impossible to plan for any kind of future when you were barely surviving the present.

"I'm sorry, Alexis." Brigid must have noticed her forlorn expression. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine." She shoved another handful of cereal into her mouth before asking, "What's up with your wedding plans? Shouldn't you have gotten married months ago?"

Brigid looked at her friend warily. "It's been delayed."

"Why?"

"Well, ever since you went missing, Liam and I have both been working overtime. There just hasn't been time for a wedding."

"Oh." Alexis hadn't expected that response, but it made sense, when she thought about it.

After a beat of silence, Brigid spoke up again. "Honestly, I'm not sure if there ever will be a wedding."

"Because you're lying to him?"

The blonde sighed. "I don't think I ever expected things to last as long as they have."

"But you really love him?"

"I do. More than anything. I know it sounds like complete bullshit, but I feel more like myself when I'm with him. The life I had before—" she cut herself off. "Brigid Nolan never got to experience anything like real love. But Lilian Murphy—she has a life. A future. All the things I never thought I'd have."

Alexis ate another handful of cereal, pondering on the blonde's words. Months earlier, before she'd truly come to know about Kevin and Brigid's lives, Alexis had judged Brigid for lying. But hadn't Kevin done the exact same thing? He'd lied about who he really was so he could have a real chance at happiness. And for fifteen years, it had worked. After months of hiding away, learning that things were quite as black and white as she'd always thought, Alexis wasn't nearly as critical about Brigid's choices. "So why don't you tell him the truth?"

"Besides the fact that he'd leave me? I'd probably get arrested and go to prison. Besides, if Liam knew about my connection to Kevin and you, well, this elaborately fucked up house of cards will come crashing down on our heads."

Alexis didn't respond. She didn't like thinking about how fragile their current circumstances were—how easily things could fall apart. Alexis glanced up when the knitting needles stopped and Brigid took her hand.

"I know Liam's your friend, but I want to thank you for giving me a chance. I know I've made a lot of mistakes along the way..." Brigid sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell Kevin you had survived. I keep wondering how much of this could have been avoided if he'd known sooner."

Alexis had wondered the exact same thing countless times, but that was something else she didn't like to waste energy on. There was no telling what would have happened if Kevin had known sooner that she was alive or how Alexis would have responded to Kevin's secret in a different sequence of events.

She'd tried to imagine how different things could have been. There was a good chance that she would have reviled him for his past, that she wouldn't have been able to forgive him for his deception or the crimes he'd committed since returning to Nolan's syndicate. She and Kevin probably wouldn't be together. She probably wouldn't have gotten pregnant. Alexis pressed her hand against her belly, feeling the baby move. Among all of the unknown variables, one thing was certain: Alexis couldn't imagine—didn't want to imagine—a life without her daughter.

She squeezed Brigid's hand. "Everything happened the way it was supposed to, and I don't begrudge you for trying to do what you thought was right."

Brigid's smile looked forced. "I wish Kev felt the same way."

"You're the only person in the world who truly understands what life has been like for him. He loves you. He'll forgive you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

A comfortable silence set in between the two women as Brigid continued her knitted creation and Alexis ate dried cereal, occasionally tapping her fingertips against her belly.

Alexis bit her lip, then said, "I'm worried for him. He's exhausting himself. Every time he leaves I'm terrified he's not going to come back."

The knitting needles stopped, and Alexis saw the same fear in her friend's eyes. Brigid looked back down at her hands. "Nothing lasts forever. For better or worse, things will change."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Far too soon, Brigid had to leave. Unlike Alexis, she had responsibilities that required her attention. The blonde hugged her friend and promised she'd stop by the next day.

As she rode the elevator down to the parking garage, Brigid thought about their conversation. A change was coming, whether it was in the form of a new baby, a new leader in the syndicate, or a combination of the two. Soon she'd be able to tell Liam the truth without endangering her brother or his new family. Brigid didn't know how to feel about that.

She stepped off the elevator, heading to her car. A cold voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hey, Blondie."

Kevin wanted to break something.

He was sitting in his parked car in the underground lot of his building—the same place he'd been for nearly fifteen minutes. He should be inside his home, spending time with Alexis, but he didn't want to be around her when he was so agitated.

He was exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He was tired of hurting people. He was tired of his miserable excuse for a life. None of this was how he wanted it to happen.

With a sigh, he pushed himself out of his car and walked to the elevator. It was well past one in the morning, but Alexis would probably still be up waiting for him. He hated that this was how their relationship worked. That he saw her in stolen moments during the darkest hours of the night.

The elevator doors opened in front of him, and he stepped into the apartment. Alexis was sitting on the couch, practicing sutures on a banana. She hadn't noticed him yet. As she'd gotten progressively more pregnant, it had become more and more important to her to not let her years of schooling and experience fade away. She seemed to spend most of her waking free time reading autopsy reports or physiology books that Kevin had procured for her or, as was the case that night, practicing her surgical skills.

For a moment, Kevin just watched her work. Her skin was glowing, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear after securing a tiny knot in the stitching. God, he loved her so much. She deserved so much better than this. So much better than him.

Watching her made him realize what a bitch fate could really be. There she was, in front of him, 31 weeks pregnant with his child, another daughter. He got to wake up with her and go to sleep with her at night. She cared for him, and though she hadn't actually said those three little words, he knew she had found some way to be happy with him, despite everything she'd had to give up along the way. It was everything he'd ever dreamed of having, transplanted into the worst of circumstances.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, breaking his depressing train of thought.

Kevin wasn't sure how much to tell her. Should he say that he was furious for the cards they'd been dealt? He should be grateful. He knew that people like him didn't get second chances, and for the most part he was grateful. He just wished their second chance didn't have an expiration date.

Kevin wasn't stupid. He knew that things as they had been for the past several months were coming to an end. Nolan was getting weaker every day and Sloane's position in the syndicate was getting stronger. Kevin couldn't ask Alexis to stay locked up forever, and his choices in the real world were limited. People like him didn't get to live happily ever after.

"You're amazing," he said simply.

"So are you."

That was bullshit. He wasn't amazing—not in the least. He was a killer, a liar, criminal without a future. Kevin kneeled in front of her, resting his hand against her belly. The baby was getting bigger. Every now and then, when she was feeling particularly feisty, Kevin could see the outline of a foot or an elbow pressing against Alexis' skin. It scared him how much he loved his unborn daughter, his little rose, though he hadn't met her yet.

After losing Sarah Grace, Kevin couldn't imagine ever wanting or loving another child as much as he'd loved her. But the moment he'd felt his and Alexis' baby moving underneath his fingertips, his heart had made room. He couldn't wait to see her, to hold her, to watch her grow. It was stupid and dangerous to hope for those things; people like him didn't get to raise a family. But that didn't stop him from wanting it.

"I think she's sleeping," Alexis said. "She doesn't usually move much around this time."

Kevin nodded, glancing up at Alexis' tired eyes. "You should be sleeping, too. You need to rest."

"I rest plenty. I'm not going to miss a chance to see you."

Her casual reference to their fucked up arrangement broke his heart. This was it. This was all they had. He glanced up at her. "You deserve so much more than this. You both do."

She frowned, then glanced down at her belly. Her fingers entwined with his. "We all do." Her hand slid up his arm and gently cupped his face. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head.

"Kevin, tell me."

He breathed raggedly. "I'm so tired of this. And I'm so pissed off that this is the best we get."

"Kevin—"

"I love you. I want to marry you. I want to have a family and future with you. And the way things are… it's some sick, twisted joke. I hate this, Alexis. I hate that I have no control over my own life. I hate that the best thing I can do to protect the woman I love is to make her give everything up and hide her away from everyone she loves."

He eyes were wide. "It's not over yet. We can still have a future."

"Can we?"

"Yes."

"How can you believe that?"

She sighed. "Because I have to. I have to believe that this isn't the best we'll get. I have to believe that this is only the beginning—that the future we both want is still within reach."

He broke away from her embrace. "How can you even want to be with me? How can you have any happiness with me after what I've done to you?"

"You're trying to protect me, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I've locked you up to do it. You can't tell me you don't resent me for that."

She glanced away and didn't respond, and he knew it was because she'd be lying if she said she didn't resent him. Finally, she looked back up at him. "What do you want me to say, Kevin?"

"Nothing," he quickly assured her. "I just… I just wish things were different. I love you, and I love our baby, and I'm so happy to have you back in my life, but I—"

"You're afraid it's not going to last," Alexis said.

"Terrified."

Alexis didn't respond. Instead, she stroked his cheek, then pressed her lips against his. She pulled back, looking into his eyes, then kissed him again, her tongue tracing his lips, seeking refuge against his. Kevin couldn't hold back as emotion poured out of him. His fingers entwined in her hair as he lost himself in the taste of her. Alexis slowly moved to her feet, never breaking away from his touch, and they stumbled to their bedroom. Once inside, she pushed him onto the bed and lay on her side next to him, continuing the kiss. Finally, she broke away.

"When are you going to show me how all those goodies in your drawer work?"

He froze. Surely he hadn't heard her correctly. "You want that?"

"I want you," she said. "All of you."

She watched him earnestly without a trace of fear or uncertainty. She really did want that. Kevin had meant it when he'd said that his sexual preferences began and ended with Alexis. He truly didn't need anything in his bed besides her, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited by the thought of trying something new with her. Their lives were complicated and dangerous, and often the only thing that grounded them was the physical reassurance that they weren't alone. His heart expanded as he looked at her, loving and appreciating that she was trying to distract him from all the problems that neither one of them knew how to solve.

Kevin kissed Alexis' neck just below her ear. "You have me," Before she could respond, he reached into the bedside table, pulling out a long strip of the soft, black fabric. He gently brushed his lips over hers. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

She kissed him back in reply. The kiss grew heated, and Kevin's fingers made quick work of her pajamas before covering her eyes with the fabric and knotting it on the back of her head. He gently pressed against her sternum.

"Lay back."

Slowly and somewhat clumsily, Alexis curled onto her side, her skin already warming against the cool bedsheets. It was difficult to lay comfortably on her back without an army of pillows. She'd never been blindfolded in bed before, and every noise and sensation made her heart race. She felt so vulnerable, lying completely naked on their bed—

Kevin's fingers slid up her arm, and she jumped at the contact. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he whispered. His weight lifted off the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'll be right back. Just get comfortable."

The bedroom door softly opened and shut, and Alexis was left alone, excited and anxious at the thought of what might come next. She lay there, comfortable in the silence, for several minutes. It wasn't until a new weight dipped into the bed behind her, jolting her out of her doze, that she realized Kevin had come back in.

"Kevin?"

His fingertips slid down her bare side. "Hi, beautiful." A heady combination of jasmine and roses washed over her. She turned to him, but he held her in place. "Stay right where you are." His hands gently kneaded her neck and shoulders, working loose and knots he found. Every place he touched left her skin warm, almost burning for more. He loosened a knot in her lower back, and she sighed into his touch. This was not at all what she'd been expecting, but she was completely on board with the soothing, warm sensations moving over her body. His hands continued their path down her body, kneading her backside and thighs, and stopping at her calves. Ever since he'd found out that there was a pressure point in her feet that could induce labor, he'd stayed far away from them. Alexis had never been so relaxed, and she actually felt herself begin to doze off again.

"Roll on your back."

She sluggishly complied, surprised to find a pillow supporting her back, easing the discomfort of the weight pressing across her pelvis. Kevin's hands slid up her front, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. A small flame sputtered low in her belly, the warming oil and aromatherapy candles doing their work. Kevin's lips gently pressed against hers as he guided her arms over her head. He kissed her slowly, savoring the sensation. Something cool and soft wrapped around her wrists.

She heard the soft sound of a bottle being opened, and then his hands gently cupped her breasts. She moaned as the oil warmed her hardened nipples, sending sparks of pleasure straight to her core.

Kevin's hands continued downward, and her hips lifted off the bed when the pad of his finger brushed over that bundle of nerves. He repeated the action and she keened, her wrists tugging at the restraints. Kevin eased her legs apart, teasing her inner thighs with gentle caresses, and then Alexis cried out, bucking her hips off the bed when she felt his tongue dip inside her.

Between the blindfold and the oil, every sensation was magnified: Kevin's tongue lapping at her core, his fingertips teasing her thighs, the bedsheets brushing against her skin, the silk cloth confining her wrists. Kevin slid two fingers inside her, deftly stroking that perfect spot as his tongue teased her nerves, and she broke apart beneath him, whimpering his name, her hips bucking against his face and fingers.

Rather than stopping, Kevin's fingers worked her harder, faster, his lips closing over her nerves and alternately sucking and flicking them with his tongue. She screamed as another orgasm rushed through her, and it wasn't until she'd climaxed twice more that he stopped. By that time Alexis' voice was hoarse, and she was shaking, sweaty, almost sobbing from the pleasure overload.

Kevin's mouth plundered hers, tasting of strawberries and Alexis herself. Something hard, cloaked in fabric, pressed against her inner thigh. "You taste amazing," he breathed. "Every bit of you." His lips wrapped around her nipple, and she ground her hips against that hard length with a moan, already overcome with need.

She heard him groan, a soft curse slipping between his lips. He got off the bed, and she heard his sweatpants hit the floor. She expected him to hop right back in bed and finish what they'd started, but instead she felt a tugging at her wrists.

"Get on your knees," he ordered, helping her get up without her vision or the use of her hands.

Soon she was turned away from him, her wrists pulled above her head, her fingers wrapped around the bars of the wrought-iron bed frame.

"You look so sexy like this."

His fingertips trailed up her side, one arm wrapping around her hips beneath her belly, and the other laying across her chest, gently playing with her nipple. Alexis moaned, desire and heat making her want just one thing. Kevin's chest pressed against her sweat-slicked back, and he kissed the side of her neck. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She was more than ready.

Kevin hands slid down to her hips, coaxing them outward, and he spread her legs a little further with his knee. "I love you." His hips lined up with hers, and stars burst in Alexis' eyes as he filled her in one stroke.

She moaned, her head falling back onto his shoulder, her fingers clutching the bars with a white-knuckle grip. Kevin pulled back, then thrust back in. Each stroke was punctuated with a breath of stillness, a half-second that he savored the feeling of Alexis wrapped tight around him before he pulled back and greeted her again. Pleasure knocked around inside her, making her breath escape in those punctuated puffs turned whimpers, each time the tiniest step closer to a release. Alexis began to rock her hips against his.

Without warning, Kevin bit down on her neck as he thrust into her and the entire world shuddered to a halt as slow-moving pleasure spread outward from her center. "Oh my—" She almost collapsed from the quiet, devastating power of it. And for a moment, the ties around her wrists were the only things holding her upright. Before she'd come back down, Kevin began to rock into her, lifting her to straddle his hips for deeper access. Alexis gripped onto the headboard, mewling helplessly.

"How does that feel?" he asked her, his breath ragged in her ear. She rocked her hips in time with his and they both moaned.

Something powerful was building in her base, tightening and coiling and ready to explode. Alexis managed to slip one hand free and then the other, leaning forward with one hand fisting the sheets and another flat against the headboard, offering resistance to Kevin's unforgiving thrusts. Each exhale was a cry, each inhale was never enough. Oh God she was so close—

"Holy fuck," Kevin moaned, and she felt him turn to hot steel inside her. He roughly yanked her up to him, his fingers tangled in her hair. His fingers stroked that bundles of nerves as his tongue dragged behind her ear.

"Come for me, sweetheart." His low voice and the pressure against her nerves twisted her stomach, and one ruthless thrust broke her wide open. White-hot pleasure flooded her synapses, sending her spiraling among the stars. Her eyes rolled back into her head; her crazed body went slack in Kevin's arms. Floating among the starlight, Alexis dimly felt Kevin crumble against her as he found his release, and she embraced the cool, soft bedsheets, barely aware of him rolling her onto her side and tugging the blindfold off.

"Alexis? Baby, look at me."

She blinked a few times, candlelight filled the room, washing everything in its soft glow. Kevin fingers pressed against her flushed cheekbones. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

A smile pull at her lips, and with clumsy, heavy limbs she pulled his face down to kiss him. "We should have started with that."

Alexis awoke to Kevin tossing and turning in bed next to her. She turned on the bedside lamp before facing him. Sweat had broken out on his skin, and he moved restlessly, mumbling in his sleep. His expression was pained. She watched him for a moment, her heart sinking. The nightmares had been increasing in frequency over the last few weeks. She hated watching him suffer, watching him exhaust himself on a daily basis, even when he slept. He'd never needed a good night's sleep more.

"Kevin," she said quietly, shaking his shoulder. "Wake up."

He shot upright with a gasp, his wide, disoriented eyes landed on her; his chest was heaving.

"Kevin?"

Tears slipped from his eyes, and his hands slid over her face, entwining in her hair. Before she could move, he sealed his mouth over hers, kissing her urgently. Over and over again, he pressed his mouth against hers, eventually slipping his tongue between her lips. His teeth tugged at her bottom lip, demanding her participation. Alexis gasped and tried to pull back, but his hand slid through her hair, holding her head in place. His other hand slid up her thigh, bunching up her nightgown as he went. She shivered at his touch and desire curled in the pit of her stomach.

Alexis managed to wrench herself away from his grasp. "Kevin?" she whispered as she pulled back. "What's the matter?"

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, pressing a line of kisses against her skin.

She grabbed his shoulders, pushing him back. "Talk to me." He wouldn't look in her eyes, so she gently forced his chin up and stroked his hair. "Tell me what's wrong."

His eyes flicked up to hers for just a moment, betraying the crazed emotions inside. Alexis' heart broke for him. "Kevin—"

"I don't want to talk about it."

His clipped tone took her by surprise. Alexis shook her head. "Let me help you." She stroked his hair again, doing everything she could to calm him. "I know things have been difficult, but you're not alone. It's going to be okay. I'm here for y—"

"Just stop it!" he snapped, his voice shattering the comfortable quiet of the night. He jerked away from her touch. "I'm not a child, Alexis. And I don't appreciate being treated like one."

What the hell was he talking about? "I'm not—"

"Yes, you are. I don't want hear you sugarcoat things to make me feel better."

"I'm telling the truth," she insisted. "I really do believe that everything will be okay."

Kevin huffed. "Then you're the one who's acting like a child."

"What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is that my life is shit, and I'm tired of pretending otherwise." He threw the comforter aside, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and stomping over to his closet.

Alexis didn't know how to respond to this angry, belligerent Kevin. He was her rock, her comfort and security whenever she was overwhelmed by their situation. She'd never seen him this way. Confusion and hurt warred with anger, pressing in on her chest. "It's not all bad," she began.

He emerged from the closet, tugging a sweatshirt over his head. "How is any of this good?" he demanded. "How is any of this even okay?"

"We're together," she said softly. "We have each other. We have the baby."

For a moment, his gaze softened. He exhaled raggedly, rubbing the back of his neck. Alexis decided to test her luck. She slowly stepped closer to him. "Kevin, what did you dream about?"

That haunted look returned to his eyes, and he shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He walked out of the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"Out," he said shortly. Moments later, he was gone.

Alexis stared at the elevator for a while after he'd gone. She'd never felt more trapped than in that moment, and tears slipped down her face. A cramping sensation moved across her abdomen, and she moved gingerly back to the bed. It wasn't overly painful, just another round of Braxton Hicks contractions. She curled up on Kevin's side of the bed, breathing deeply, trying hard not to cry.

She tried to keep it together. She tried to stay calm and collected and hopeful. With each passing day it was becoming more and more difficult to do so. Kevin was spiraling, she hadn't seen Brigid in almost a week, and every day Alexis grew closer to bringing a helpless, innocent baby into the world. She needed help. She and Kevin both needed help. Another round of contractions squeezed her abdomen, and she winced at the discomfort. The baby shifted around, likely waking up from her nap. Alexis rubbed her belly, breathing deeply and trying to relax. "Stay there, baby," she whispered. "We're not ready for you yet."

It took well over an hour for the contractions to subside, and Alexis was more than a little hurt that Kevin hadn't come back during that time. It wasn't fair that he got to just leave. She hadn't been outside the apartment in months, and even if she did leave, she carried the baby with her. It wasn't as if she could escape from or forget about their situation.

Her eyes landed on Kevin's cell phone. In his rush to get away from her, he'd left it behind. When Kevin had first brought her to his apartment, he'd been careful to keep his cell phone out of her reach. As time passed and Alexis grew to accept the danger her family would be in if they tried to rescue her, he'd become more lax. Now he trusted her to stay silent, to not engage with the life she'd been torn out of. In that moment, Alexis knew his trust in her had been misplaced.

With surprising speed, she sat up and kicked her feet over the side of the bed. She took the cell phone, turned it on, and hurried to the hallway so she could watch the elevator. Kevin would be furious with her for breaking the cardinal rule, but she didn't care. It wasn't up to him anymore.

Alexis dialed that all-too-familiar number, waiting with bated breath as it rang on the other end of the line.

The hum of the elevator broke through the silence of the apartment, and Alexis' heart sped up. She didn't have much time.

"Hello?"

Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew that voice; she'd known it for as long as she could remember. "Daddy?" her voice cracked.

The elevator doors slid open.

"Alexis?" her father gasped. "Baby, is that you?"

She barely hear his response. A primal, bone-deep fear had frozen her in place.

"Alexis? Can you hear me?"

Sloane stood at the threshold of the apartment. Blood stained his hands and clothes, and his face split into a grin when his gaze landed on Alexis.

"Alexis?!"

The street boss stepped forward, looking her up and down. "Hello cailín álainn, what a pleasant surprise."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading, and please review. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the story and/or how it's unfolding.

Next time: Shit hits the fan... again.