A/N: Yes, I haven't updated for a bit. No, I can't promise to have a regular schedule for updating. I know that sucks, but know that I put a lot of effort into each chapter in order for them to shine. I take my writing seriously. Now, onwards!

Chapter 4: Paranoia and Worries

August 26, 2012

After securing the box of sticky bombs, Leon and Kai moved to drop them off where Kai's boss asked him to leave them. Despite Kai's attempts to lighten the mood, the air remained so tense that one could cut it with a knife. It didn't take too long to arrive at the drop –off point on some quiet corner in Schottler, where a nondescript man in blue jeans and a white hoodie took the bombs off their hands. The only thing left to do was drop Kai back off at Perestroika, where he had left his car waiting. This time, Kai immediately tried to reassure Leon rather than distract him with jokes.

"Dude, just chill out. Just because some of the Syndicate's goons were there does not mean you've been found out, alright? They were just there to nab some explosives off the Russians, nothing more. This is not the time to get paranoid. You'll only end up doing something stupid."

"How can I chill out, Kai?" Leon asked. "Those guys may have been there on business, but what are the chances that we'd arrive right before they did, almost ensuring we'd run into them? What do you think would've happened had that last guy got away after seeing my face?"

"That guy was more interested in trying to put a slug in you rather than take a close look at your face, remember? Your death was kinda imminent there, assuming you were too slow to get off a shot if I couldn't for some reason," Kai retorted. "Plus, wouldn't Jerome be happy if one of his guys happened to stumble upon you and end your life?"

"A week ago I'd would've said yeah, but now? After he's had a chance to stew on the matter? He'd likely want to handle shit personally. I did straight up promise to murder him, so I wouldn't be surprised if he sent out an order to nab me alive."

"You realize you're just pulling that out of your ass, right?"

"You realize I've worked for the man for nearly five years, right? I think I know him pretty damn well by now."

Leon pulled up on the side of Perestroika, where Kai's blood red Gauntlet was parked. The immaculate condition of the car was enough to pull Leon's thoughts away from the Raven Syndicate for a moment.

"That's the loaner Stevie gave you? You have to be kidding me!"

"Beautiful as fuck, isn't she? Gotta love Stevie, right?"

"Hell no! The last time I was in Liberty, he lent me a Dukes that was on its last fucking legs. Damn thing blew up on me of its own accord when I slammed into a wall while being chased. I was lucky to survive that one!" Leon was fuming just thinking about it.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot to give you a message from him," Kai said, snapping his fingers.

"What's the message?"

"He hasn't forgotten that little incident, and says that he'll have a little something waiting for you at his garage as an apology if you roll by."

"Really?" Leon looked interested in what Stevie might have for him, and made a mental note to drop by the place.

"Yeah. Apparently, he didn't have much to loan you when you came by that time. He's got a shitload of cars now, thanks in part to some guy he's had collecting for him occasionally." Kai got out of the car, though he held the door open in order to get a last word in. "Hey, listen. Try not to get all bent out of shape, okay? I'm sure that Jerome doesn't know you're here. Everything will be fine."

"I'd like to believe that, but my luck isn't exactly reliable. I'll probably be dead within a few days."

"Like I'd let my best friend just be killed. If anything does happen, call me immediately and try to stay alive until I get there." The serious look on Kai's face was replaced with a wide grin. "Now, how about we go get our money, eh?"

Remembering the big payment that was supposedly coming perked Leon up slightly. He still needed the money, and if things went south, he'd need it sooner rather than later.

"Sounds good. Lead the way, Kai."

The duo arrived at their destination in Algonquin a little over forty minutes later, having decided to spice up the trip with an impromptu race and stopping for a bite to eat at Cluckin' Bell before finally getting to business. An extra five minutes was spent looking for a parking space, after which they finally made their way to the top floor of the snazzy Middle Park East apartment Kai's boss lived in. Upon reaching the luxury penthouse, Kai lightly rapped his knuckles on the door.

The unexpected sounds of breaking glass and a quickly silenced scream were the answers Kai's knock received, shortly followed by the door being unlocked. It swung open to reveal a dazzlingly beautiful blonde woman with bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle. The first thought that ran through Leon's head was that she was some sort of goddess.

"I take it you're done?" she asked in a firm voice that sounded somewhat at odds with her delicate looks. Leon also noted the light French accent she possessed.

"It's all taken care of," Kai responded. "I hope whatever you're using those sticky bombs works out alright."

The woman shifted her gaze to Leon instead of answering, asking, "This that friend you told me about?"

"Yeah, this is him. Leon, meet Antoinette Parker. Antoinette, this is my boy, Leon," Kai said, making the necessary introductions. "He's the guy to call when you need someone you can count on. Aside from me, of course."

"Nice to meet you, Leon. Please, come in and take a seat. I'm just finishing up with a guest."

Leon followed Kai inside, momentarily taken aback at the sight of a man strapped to a chair, bleeding rather profusely from a nasty wound on his head. Noting the man's size, Leon glanced at Antoinette to compare. She was rather petit, which made him wonder if she had help in getting the man in his current position. Even though that was the likely answer, she quickly proved that his injuries were all her doing.

"Say hi to my friends, Josef," Antoinette ordered the man. Silence was his chosen response, which didn't sit well with Antoinette.

"Have you no manners? I told you to say hi!" she said angrily, picking up a knife off her kitchen counter and jamming it into Josef's left leg. He yelped loudly, saying something in Russian that neither Leon nor Kai could understand.

"It would seem that you've learned nothing from your time with me. I thought I told you not to speak to me in such a way. I'm a fucking lady, remember? You don't speak to a lady with such vulgar language!"

She yanked the knife out of his leg and stabbed him in the right arm this time. Josef yelped once again and tossed another Russian curse out.

"So what's the deal with Sunshine over there?" Kai asked as Antoinette walked into one of the bedrooms, shaking her head.

"Just a routine interrogation," she answered. "I was hoping dear Josef could tell me a little about his boss, Viktor. So far, he's been rather uncooperative and it's started to grate on my nerves." She walked out of the room holding a pair of pliers and sporting a menacing look. "At this point, I'm just torturing him for shits and giggles. I think the time has come for me to end it, though. There's only so much enjoyment I can derive from mindless torture."

"Exactly what are you gonna do with the pliers?" Leon asked,

"Figured I'd rip out his eyes or something. A suitably painful finish for all the time I've wasted on him."

"Jesus!" Kai exclaimed. "Not that we haven't seen some gross shit before, but Leon and I just finished eating fifteen minutes ago. I'm not really looking forward to hurling that chicken back up, and I'm sure he isn't either."

"Could you maybe save the eye pulling for another victim?" Leon added. Antoinette sighed dramatically.

"I was looking forward to hearing the scream he'd generate, but if you insist…" she said, putting down the pliers. She then regarded Josef for a moment before picking up the knife again and stabbing him in his left eye. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't contain the scream of pain that the stabbing generated, putting a smile on Antoinette's face.

"How's that feel, huh? I bet you're wishing you'd told me what I wanted to know, aren't ya? Well, too late for that now, you stupid son of a bitch. Now, I'm just going to kill you."

Josef struggled against his bonds as hard as he could, desperate to get away even though it was impossible. Antoinette just widened her smile and stabbed him in his other eye, causing Josef to roar even louder. She let him squirm for a few minutes before putting the knife down.

"Au revoir, Monsieur Josef. You will not be missed," she said before picking up a silenced pistol that rested on the kitchen counter, waiting to be used. She fired two shots into his head, ending the man's life.

"What a waste of a nice morning. I could've been enjoying a gourmet breakfast or something. Oh well, too late to complain now." She turned to face her two living guests. "So, what brings you here today?"

"Uh…just looking for our, um, payment for that job," Kai said uncertainly, looking slightly afraid that he would incur Antoinette's wrath for bothering her with the matter.

"Ah, of course. Forgive me for holding you up. Un moment."

She disappeared into her room for a second, returning with two stacks of bills in each of her hands. She tossed one each to Leon and Kai, smiling at them. "One thousand each, like we agreed. That is satisfactory, non?"

"Yeah, it's great," Kai assured her. "Feels a bit much for such a simple job though."

"So the acquisition wasn't difficult? That's good, because your next job will be significantly harder. You will be putting those bombs to good use, I assure you."

"Mind if we know exactly what that job is?" Leon asked.

"The two of you will be seeing to the destruction of a certain factory. I will call you when things are ready and you'll get the details then," Antoinette replied.

"In that case, we'll take our leave of you now," Kai said, moving toward the door. Leon followed behind him, but Antoinette stopped him.

"Leon, could you wait a moment please?"

"What is it?" Leon inquired, wondering what she wanted.

"Since Yamato there tells me that I can count on you, I was hoping that you'd lend me your assistance with an important matter."

"Just tell me what you need."

"One of my subordinates, a rather incompetent fool named Alton, has made a grave mistake of late. I've found out that he is trying to pull the wool over my eyes, as the saying goes, and is stealing from me. I want you to go and teach him what happens when one betrays me. He runs my outfit in BOABO, over on Mohanet Ave. The address is 3164. Consider this a test of your effectiveness."

"Alright, I'll head on over there later today. I assume you want this done sooner rather than later."

"What, you don't trust my recommendation?" Kai asked, feigning offense.

"I do, but it never hurts to have proof. I learned that the hard way," Antoinette replied. "Leon, I look forward to some good news."

At that, the two teens took their leave of the penthouse, both unable to avoid taking one last look at Josef's body before closing the door. They managed to make it onto the elevator and down three floors before Leon could no longer resist voicing the opinion he'd formed within the last few minutes.

"She's fucking crazy," he stated matter-of-factly. "It doesn't seem like it when you're talking to her, but she's totally nuts. When exactly did you two meet?"

"Second to last time I was here," Kai said. "It was one of those chance encounters you sometimes hear about. Totally unexpected, but to my benefit."

"That's assuming you don't piss her off."

"I've managed to avoid doing that so far, so I think I'm good."

The elevator reached the ground floor, allowing the two to exit and make their way back to their cars. The day was quickly becoming a hot one, making Leon thankful that he'd chosen to dress lightly.

"You know something?" Kai started as they approached their respective vehicles, "The more I think about it, the more I think Antoinette wants me."

"How the fuck do you figure that?" Leon asked, completely taken aback by the unexpected comment.

"You don't see how she looks at me. There's a hungry look in her eyes whenever we lock gazes. She wants me bad."

"I think you're the one that wants her, not the other way around. I didn't see any hungry look in her eyes earlier."

"That's because your ugly ass was there. She didn't want to make you feel bad by staring at me the whole time." He gave Leon the most serious look he could muster as he said this, rendering the other unable to contain his laughter.

"Kai, I gotta admit it. You're the funniest guy I know," Leon said once he had gotten himself under control. "I mean, calling me ugly? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

Kai gave Leon a good natured punch in the shoulder, opting to not even attempt to fake outrage at his friend's dig.

"And you call me the funny one," he said, chuckling. "In all seriousness though, I'd love it if she propositioned me or something. I assume you noted how sexy she was."

"I did. I'd advise you to find another girl to gun for, if you don't mind me saying. She doesn't strike me as the kind of woman to screw around with if you aren't intending to take it seriously, and you don't strike me as the kind of guy to want a serious relationship."

Kai didn't respond to that immediately, giving it some careful thought.

"I'll give you that one, but know that it's only because I haven't found the right girl. Of course, I'm in no rush."

"Well, that's no surprise," Leon said with a chuckle. "I half expect you to be a bachelor forever."

"If that ends up being the case, so be it. We'll just have to see where the cards fall." Kai got into his car and started it up, though he rolled down the window for one last word. "Now, you go handle that job while I go take care of a bit of business. Call me if you need me, but try to handle it on your own, kay? Can't go calling ol' Kai for every little problem."

"Go fuck yourself!" Leon yelled as Kai drove off. He shook his head at his friend, not for the first time wondering how huge his ego would get. Going by Kai's past actions, Leon figured that it'd get even bigger as time went on. It was only a small hope of Leon's that his own presence in Kai's life would keep the teenager grounded enough to keep from doing something royally stupid.

Leon pushed thoughts of Kai's ego out of his mind, remembering that he had a job to do. He got into his Jester and quickly pulled off, wanting to take care of things sooner rather than later. Since Antoinette had simply asked him to eliminate one guy, or so the request had sounded, it would be easy to complete in a short time and with few issues. That was Leon's plan, at least. He knew from experience that a job like this usually meant that the body count often ended up being far higher than just one. After all, what self-respecting criminal operation had only one guy around at any given time? No, Leon was well aware that there was a good chance he'd be sending multiple people to their graves today if he didn't consciously try to avoid doing so. Antoinette probably wouldn't want her entire Broker operation shut down because he slayed all of her people.

As he began to cross the Algonquin Bridge, Leon took notice of an odd sight behind him. A car had made a sudden U-turn as soon as it got off the bridge, now heading back across it towards Broker. There was nothing outright odd about it, as the driver could've mistakenly crossed the bridge, or needed to go back to wherever they'd come from to nab something that had been forgotten. Leon, however, had a bad feeling about the car, which was a jet black Sentinel. Sure, anyone could drive one if they so desired, but there was one group in particular that he knew used that car and color as their general rides, and they were the one group he was trying to avoid right now.

Had Kai been in the car, he likely would've said that Leon was just being paranoid and to not worry too much. Since Kai wasn't present, Leon didn't need to worry about being chided for his paranoia and decided to listen to it, mentally planning out a way to see if he was being followed. Once off the bridge and on the streets, Leon began making his way towards Firefly Island via a ridiculously convoluted path that had him making turn after turn, sometimes even returning to an intersection he'd already passed through. His heart sunk lower and lower as the Sentinel dutifully mimicked his every turn, keeping close enough to Leon's Jester to follow it, yet not be suspected. Thankfully, Leon had found the car's actions strange, so he was in no danger of being caught off guard now. The problem, of course, was that he now felt that his pursuer was indeed a member of the Raven Syndicate. The likeliest reason for his current tail was that the Syndicate had been told to look out for a green Jester, as it was no secret that Leon favored the car over all others.

Had we been damn near anywhere on the west coast, they would've been hard pressed to track me down so easily, Leon mused. Jesters are prevalent as fuck out there. But out here in these parts? No, they just had to be rare sights. Should've just left this thing back in Cordell.

Leon finally found himself pulling up to a signal that was in the process of turning red. Stopping, he sighed loudly. What the hell would he do to get this trailing bloodhound off his back? Mounting desperation had him scanning his surroundings, looking for anything that could be of use. As his eyes glided over the cars assembled on the other side of the street in the opposite direction, waiting for the light to change, Leon took note of the driver of an unassuming black Schafter.

"Well, who knew I'd see him again so soon?" Leon said to himself. "Maybe he can give me a hand here."

Whipping out his phone, Leon typed up a text message in what had to be record time for the amount of content it had and sent it off to a number he hadn't expected to be calling or texting for quite a while longer. All Leon could do was hope that the man got his text successfully and acted, otherwise a new plan would need to be devised. Once the light had changed to green, Leon drove forward slowly, wondering what, if anything, was about to happen.

To his immense relief, the Schafter unexpectedly shot out into his lane of traffic, just as he passed, crashing into the car behind him and causing a small ruckus. Leon smiled as the minor pileup resulted in the Sentinel, which had been two cars behind him, from following. Seizing the opportunity, Leon sped off as fast as he could manage without looking suspicious, his new destination Outlook Park and the spray shop nearby.

An hour later, Leon drove out of Native American Engines in a black Jester, already missing the green paintjob that the car had possessed previously. He'd also had the plates on his car changed, taking advantage of the fact that the spray shop often aided those of the criminal element in useful ways. Aside from being a Jester in a city where virtually nobody drove one, the car was inconspicuous. Even so, Leon wasn't about to run the risk of being followed again, and chose to take the car back to the Red Hawk Motel's parking lot and leave it there for the time being. Upon his arrival, he spotted the red Tailgater he'd stolen from some poor sap back in Cordell, signifying Violet's presence in the motel room. Leon idly wondered if he should get it a plate switch and a new paintjob too, but decided against it for now. If it became necessary, he'd do it, but there was no pressing need.

"You're back earlier than I thought you'd be," Leon said as he entered the room. From her position on the bed, Violet simply shrugged.

"It wasn't much to do, since you weren't around. I drove around for a while and took in some sights, but it was ultimately too boring for me, so I came back here. Now that you're back, how about we do something together?"

Leon frowned at his sister. "Sounds like you didn't even try to do anything entertaining. Go back out there and try again. Maybe there's an arcade around here or something. Hell, go shopping. We've got enough cash lying around for you to get a few more things if you'd like."

"I just want to spend some quality time with my brother. Is that so much to ask?" Violet pleaded, pouting childishly.

"Stop that," Leon said somewhat irritably. "All we've done since we entered this city is spend quality time together. There comes a point where one gets tired of hanging around their sibling and needs to chill with someone else. Besides, I'm about to be in the middle of something in a bit."

"I never get tired of being around you, Leon," Violet said honestly. "I don't think I ever will."

Leon opened his mouth to reply to that, but came up short. It was touching that she loved him so, especially considering the various brothers and sisters he'd met over the years who couldn't even stand to be in the same room as each other. In truth, a part of Leon wondered if Violet secretly hated him in some capacity. Yes, he'd stepped up and taken care of her as best he could when their parents had died, but there was always a little voice in the back of his mind that told him she despised him for not being present more than he was. She was old enough to understand his reasons for being gone so often, a fact she had reminded him of on more than one occasion, but the combination of having no real friends, no parents to turn to, and a brother who was often out participating in various types of criminal activity had to take its toll on the girl. Rarely did a day go by in which Leon didn't ruminate on the question of when Violet would finally snap and rage at him for the many times that he wasn't physically there for her or those times when he'd come close to being arrested or killed.

"Earth to Leon, you still with me?" Violet asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face and jolting him from his thoughts. "You zoned out there for a bit. Something eating you?"

"Nah, just thinking about a few things. Nothing to worry about, though. You had been saying something?"

"Only that I don't ever dislike being with you. You're basically all I've got in this world, so I have to hold on to you as tight as I can. Understand me?"

Leon nodded slowly, feeling as if there was something wrong with her response. Deep down, he knew that was stupid, yet he couldn't shake that odd feeling. He really believed that Violet should hate him in some way, and that thought wasn't going to be banished so easily. Nonetheless, he tried his best to shed them, flashing his sister a grateful smile. Their eyes met, and Leon froze as he examined hers closely. He could spot what he thought was adoration and appreciativeness in her chocolate orbs, but there was something else he spotted simmering just beneath the surface. It was something he couldn't recognize, something that, for whatever reason, made him shudder.

"Are you cold or something?" Violet asked, looking concerned.

"Just a little," he lied, looking away quickly. Though he wasn't entirely certain at the moment, Leon thought that he had seen a split-second glimpse of the hatred that he felt had to blaze within his sister. There was no other explanation.

A shrill ringing sound interrupted his contemplation, causing him to frown slightly. It also reminded him that he really needed to switch his ringer over to an actual ringtone at some point. "Hello?" he asked, not even bothering to pay attention to the caller I.D.

"Ah, it's me, Niko. I thought I'd check in and see if my little diversion helped you out."

"Yeah, you really did me a solid there. You didn't get fucked up by those guys or anything, did you?"

Niko laughed. "No, although they would've had a hard time putting me down, my friend. I don't fold so easily. If you don't mind me asking, who exactly were the people chasing you?"

"I got a bit of price on my head back in my hometown, and it looks like the guys after me do a little business here in Liberty," Leon said, seeing no reason to lie. "I'm hoping this doesn't force me to leave the city, but there's no telling right now. It probably is safer if I disappear, though."

"Perhaps, but you can't run from your problems forever. It might be better to confront them head on."

"Easy for you to say, Niko. At any rate, I'll bear that in mind. Catch you later, man."

"Take it easy, Leon."

As Leon ended the call, he had the distinct feeling that a beautiful friendship was being formed. He could definitely use all the friends he could get, so that was a great thing indeed. It wasn't until Violet snaked her arm through his that he realized he might have said too much over the phone. Now she was probably about to worry herself over what he said.

"Were you attacked or something?" she asked, fear in her eyes. "Did the Ravens find us already?"

"No, nothing like that happened. I did run across this black Sentinel that saw my car and started following me all over the place," Leon admitted. He would've rather told her anything other than the truth, but there was no point after what he said to Niko. "I think my car is being watched for, and it doesn't help that Jesters don't roam this part of the US all that often."

"Are you saying that we're gonna be found out soon, if we haven't been already?"

"Nah. I had my paintjob changed, and the car's gonna sit here until the heat dies down. The Ravens are only here on business, so if we lay low, we'll be fine."

The relief on Violet's face was readily apparent. "Thank God. I don't fancy having to deal with any of that so soon. I guess we can hole up in here for a few days, wait for the coast to clear."

"You mean stay inside, with no fresh air?" Leon threw her an incredulous look. "Not a chance, girl. I don't intend to hide away when I have shit to do. You shouldn't either."

"You're running the risk of encountering someone you don't want to meet face to face. Sounds like more than enough reason to stay in the house for a few days."

"This is not a house, as you can see," Leon said, waving a hand around the room. "I don't fancy staying cooped up in here, and I know you don't either. Look, Liberty City is a big ass place. I highly doubt that the chance of running into a few Ravens is all that high."

Violet looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments, and then shook her head. "You're forgetting the fact that you regularly do shit that has an excellent chance of putting you in the wrong place at the wrong time. I mean, you are aware of how Lady Luck has been treating us lately, right?"

"The lovely Lady has very little to do with our current issues. That all falls squarely upon me."

"I wasn't just talking about the main predicament here. For the last two months, things have been going pear shaped whenever they could. Have you forgotten all the bullshit you told me about? All the crappy ways your missions had been imploding on themselves? That was happening before we ended up here in Liberty.

"Okay, you have a point there. Still, I refuse to be scared into inaction. I've got shit to do, and those Raven bastards aren't gonna stop me. If they try, I'll just show them why that's a bad idea."

"Leon, if you love me, you'll keep your recklessness in check. Don't go causing trouble if you can avoid it, okay?"

Leon didn't respond at first, his gaze drifting off to the side. Violet grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Promise me, right now. Otherwise, I will not let you leave this room for the next week."

"Like you could keep me here against my will," Leon said with a snort. "I'd love to see you try."

With surprising speed, Violet whirled Leon around and pushed hard. Having not expected the action, Leon wasn't able to prevent himself from falling on the bed or stop Violet from landing on top of him. He struggled to toss her to the side, but she placed her knee over Leon's crotch, perfectly placed to deal a damaging blow.

"Dick move, Vi," he said with a frown.

"Interesting choice of phrase, given the setup we have here," she responded with a grin. "Now, will you be a good boy, or do I have to become Mistress Violet in order to get you to behave?"

"Mistress Violet? The fuck have you been doing when I'm not around?"

"You really wanna know? I could show you, though I think I need a few tools for the best effect."

Leon grimaced. "No thanks, I'll pass. You can get off me, however. I do have something that needs to be done."

"As long as you promise not to do anything unnecessarily stupid, you're free to leave."

"Okay, okay. I promise to be smart about my actions and to not engage the enemy unless I have no other options."

"Alright then, soldier. You may exit the room at your discretion."

Leon went silent for a few moments, waiting for Violet to move. When she didn't, he cleared his throat in a way that he hoped communicated his desire to have her get off of him. She finally moved after a few more seconds, though she chose to drop on top of him rather than roll over, a long sigh escaping her lips.

"Something else you need to say?" he asked, realizing that she was quickly heading into an off mood.

"I really don't want you to leave, no matter what you promise," she admitted. "Every time you run off to do something astronomically stupid for some guy who likely doesn't really care for your well-being, I worry that you won't come back. If I could have my way, we'd leave it all behind and find some quiet place in an out of the way area where we can settle and stay out of trouble. Is a little peace in our lives so much to ask?"

Leon chose his words with care, not wanting to upset his sister any further, but knowing that avoiding the truth of things wouldn't get them anywhere. "We've talked about this before, haven't we? Much as I'd like to, there's no chance of me ever being able to live a normal life. I gave it up when I decided I'd do what I had to in order to take care of you."

"But that was when we were younger. You're old enough to get a normal job now, so why can't you? We don't have to live like this anymore!"

He was reluctant to admit it, but she was right. At eighteen years old, he could easily find himself a job and bring in money the legal way. There was a problem with this, however. For one thing, he lacked any sort of college degree that could open the doors to a satisfying career, leaving him stuck with the prospect of working dead end jobs until he snagged something that resembled a worthwhile employment opportunity. Unfortunately, even achieving that would be difficult thanks to the fact that he didn't possess a high school diploma, meaning that the number of available jobs would very quickly be reduced. It wasn't a compelling scenario.

There was also another reason for his stubbornness in remaining a criminal. Aside from enjoying the larger amounts of cash he could make, as well as simply being used to the lifestyle, he was afraid. No matter how often Leon tried to ignore it, there was always a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that somebody was out to get him. Even before his newly established problems with Jerome and the Raven Syndicate, Leon could never shake the thought that he'd pissed off someone enough to make a permanent enemy. Anytime he dreamed of a life outside of crime, he kept picturing such a calm life ripped apart by the intrusion of something, or someone, from his past, and he couldn't bear to put Violet through that. It was always his plan to see her grow to womanhood, then quietly remove himself from her life, leaving behind more than enough to allow her to live in relative comfort. He never told her as much, for fear that she would latch on and never let go, but that's what he wanted to do. It would hurt her, of that he was acutely aware, but she'd get over it in time and be better off for it.

At least, that's what he hoped.

"As things stand, I'd never make enough for us if I went about it the honest way," Leon said, deigning to keep his full reasoning to himself for now.

"I'll get a job too, if that's the problem," Violet countered. "If we do it together, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Vi…," Leon trailed off, considering his next words. She was obviously adamant about him putting the "life", as she often called it, behind him. "Look, I'll be honest with you. I just can't see myself going all domestic and shit, not with all the blood on my hands. I wouldn't feel right attempting to pursue that kind of life when I've denied so many others that chance. All I deserve is the difficult and dangerous life of a crook. It's all I know anyway."

"Like any of those people you've killed would've even considered living an honest life. You don't need to put yourself in constant danger as some kind of…penance. No one's judging you. And you can learn how to live the normal way, I know you can."

"You can't read the minds of dead people, Sis, so you really have no idea what they might've done if given the chance. Please, just drop this for now, okay? You can feel free to get a job if you want, but let me do me."

She looked at him for a long while, her expression unreadable. Eventually, she nodded and said, "Fine, I won't bug you about it. If this is how you feel you need to live, so be it. Just…could you stay with me for a bit? I don't want you to leave so quickly, in case…"

Her words died in her throat, but Leon had a good idea of what she was going to say. Unable to bring himself to leave her in her rapidly deteriorating mood alone, he simply laid there next to her, stroking her hair and wishing, not for the first time in his relatively short existence, that fate had dealt them a much better hand. As the minutes ticked by, Violet began to sob quietly.

It took every ounce of Leon's willpower to not break down and start shedding tears himself.