Thanks for your reviews! I think I'll continue writing this until the end. I have too because I can't be lazy and read other peoples Billy Russo fics, and yes this will quickly turn into a dark (with some smut) fiction. Reviews welcome! (With the low popularity of punisher fanfiction for some reason you readers are my motivation)

They were in his other apartment, the one that overlooked the river. It was almost empty with the exception of Billy and two other neighbours somewhere else it the apartment. He said he liked it that way, was more quiet.

Chloe stared with empty eyes at the dark water below.

Behind her stood Billy, he hadn't even taken his blazer off. For a moment his eyes went down to the murky waters below as well before he focused on the defenceless woman in front of him.

She flinched as his hand went to her shoulder. He came closer, enough that she could feel his body heat as his hands went around her, opening the top button of the blazer with precision.

He continued going down each button with no protest from Chloe, coming close enough to brush the shell of her ear as he worked. His sharp cologne was a welcome comfort of familiarity. Finally the oversized red-splattered shirt fell to the floor.

"This isn't professional." She mumbled, almost absently.

She didn't hear it but she felt the rumble of his chest for a second. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."

Placing his hand on the small of her back he caressed the soft skin for a moment, before steering her into the large bathroom. He sat her down at the edge of the walk-in bathtub.

After wetting a clothe he began dabbing at the blood on her hip.

"You going to tell me what happened?"

She let him clean the blood, little by little before she answered. Her voice was hoarse, but she knew she hadn't screamed. "He was . . . someone murdered him. They were going to murder me too. But I stabbed them."

"Atta girl." He said.

Finally she turned to look at him. But even as he seemed proud, genuinely proud, of her actions there was something else, something darker. She looked away again.

"They're going to be angry with me now. They're still out there."

The back of his hand brushed against her cheek. "You just focus on me now."

She gave a small nod.

She let her mind become as numb as her body felt.

He worked in silence.

After some time she looked at him.

"Billy aren't you hot like that?"

"Hm?"

"You haven't even taken off your blazer yet."

"If you want me to take my clothes off you could just ask."

Chloe didn't smile.

She turned around and reach out to him. He gave a small flinch, almost unnoticeable as she touched his arm.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He removed her hand from his bicep and gathered her hands within his.

"Are you hurt?"

"Of course not."

She closed her eyes again.

"I can't believe he died like that." She whispered.

"Getting stabbed in the throat is fast."

"Yeah." She whispered. "I suppose it is."

He wet the clothe again and dabbed gently at the dried blood on her cheek. He moved gently, brushing the towel against her lips.

Chloe looked at him again. There was something wrong. It was an itch in her brain he had triggered but she couldn't figure out just why. As he worked it was as if he wore a perfect mask of neutrality.

She angled herself towards him. "Billy . . . " She began in a small voice, but couldn't find the words.

Reaching for the lapels of his blazer she began to remove it, pushing it off his body. He didn't stop her.

It fell to the ground.

The white shirt was stained blood red around his bicep where even the gauze hadn't stopped the wound from bleeding. But it had been wrapped around his arm with expert presition that only came through practice.

She inhaled sharply. "Billy what happened?"

He didn't answer. He didn't look guilty. He looked like he had been caught and had accepted it. Proudly. He continued to look at her, darkening eyes flickering between her light ones.

"I . . . I didn't tell you how he died." She said, shaking her head.

He leaned back. "The police told me."

"No. No a mortician confirms that, and that takes at least a day."

She looked up at him again. And then at his bicep.

Exactly where she had stabbed the killer.

As her head snapped up she expected him to look confused. To look defensive.

But he looked expectant.

She stood up from the edge of the bathtub and stumbled away. The sink dug into her back. "N-no."

"Yes."

She moved away from him, out of the bathroom as he stood up slowly.

It was like entering a parallel universe, where the dark things that crawled in the dark existed and she couldn't pretend they only hid beneath the bed.

"I don't understand." She whispered.

He placed the clothe down in the sink, in no particular hurry. "What did Mr. Marlet tell you, Chloe?"

"What?"

"I need you to tell me what you spoke about."

She moved backwards across the plush carpet. "Billy what's going on?"

He couldn't help but smile now. That look on her face, that hopeful look, still giving him a chance. Still seeing him as a hero.

Sweet, beautiful, angelic Chloe Pritcher. So terribly trusting, going off and talking to all these men - especially those men who might have ruined her with their words. Taken her away from him.

"I killed him in the kitchen. And you stabbed me." For every step he took forwards, graceful as a panther, she took one shaky one back as her eyes widened in teary-eyed terror. "Don't worry, I'm not angry. You're a smart girl."

And then she turned around and sprinted for the door. He let her.

She tried to yank it open. It wouldn't budge. She tried again with a cry of despair.

The key was missing from the lock. The door vibrated as she pounded desperately on the wood with her fists.

But her throat closed up and she couldn't scream.

"Help. Please. Help." She whispered as she kicked at the door in desperation.

Whipping around she saw Billy had rolled up his sleeves and was holding a small white towel in one hand now. Her eyes darted around. But there was nowhere to go.

He ran his hand through his hair, staring at her intently. "Babygirl this wont hurt, but you gotta stop working against me now."

"Billy, please, please, please don't." She begged, voice dropping to a feeble whisper as he took slow calculated steps forwards, closing the space between them. She felt like she was going to faint. He responded with a soft look, the kind one gave an animal before slaughter.

And then he lunged forwards.

She thrashed against him as he twisted her around and away from the door with force.

He swung her legs out from under her and she went crashing to the floor. In a split second he had manoeuvred himself on top of her before they even hit the ground. As she cried out in pain on collision with the floor he straddled her, yanking her wrists together with bruising force above her head. He hovered over her, eclipsing her vision from anything other than him.

With a tense jaw he shoved the towel onto her mouth and nose. "Shh, don't struggle. Everything is going to be fine Chloe. Just relax. Breath." He coaxed as he leaned in closer just as her eyes began to flutter. "That's it. You're safe."

Her body gave one final jerk before it went slack as her eyes slid closed. A tear escaped her eyelashes. Before it could roll down her temple he bent down and brushed his lips against her heated skin, tasting the salt of the tear.

His lips moved against her temple, "You're safe now Chloe. I have you."