Sorry for the long wait here's the next chapter!

Chapter 7

"What...you really expect me to believe this bullshit?" she chuckled at the two men sitting across the room from her. She started to laugh and stood. "I've heard some crazy shit in my life but this takes the cake by far, " she laughed as she went to stand by a window.

"This is nothing to laugh about Ms. Connors, " Lucas said seriously.

She began to laugh even harder, "Okay, maybe you're not catching my drift amigo. Why the fuck would some guy named Antonio DeMarco want with little ol' me? Why would someone so 'big time' in these parts waste his time on some bitch he knows nothing about? That doesn't sound like a big time crime lord to me. Now..." she stopped and headed for her bag. "...since we've got everything out in the open and we've all said our little piece I'm going to be on my merry little way and out of your fucked up lives!" She picked up her bag and started for the door.

"Lucas..." Jeff ordered softly.

Lucas quickly stood and blocked her way to the door.

She stopped and stared him down, "Get out of my way." She wasn't backing down.

"We had an agreement, " Jeff reminded her.

"Fuck your deal!" she yelled. "Why the hell do you even care whether I get caught and killed by these guys? What's in it for you?"

They all sat or stood in silence. Lynn stared at Jeff. He hadn't moved or even looked her direction the whole time. She hated it when people didn't talk 'to you' but away from you.

"Lucas will you excuse Ms. Connors and I for a moment?" Jeff asked as he put out his cigarette calmly.

Lucas looked between them and nodded, "I'll be in my room." He turned and left the room leaving Jeff and Lynn, alone.

She shifted on her feet and waited for him to speak. A few moments passed and he didn't make a move to communicate. She stared at him wondering what he was thinking about.

"Five years ago I used to work for the CIA in Mexico, " he started as he stood from his chair and pulled out another cigarette. "I was about as corrupt as a person could get, a cold blooded killer. I used to kill people for the fun of it." He lit his cigarette and took a drag. "Then one day, I had this great plan to make me a rich man. I had all the players playing against each other...that's what I did...I set them up, and I watched them fall. Only that time, I fell with them."

She stared at him as he told her his story, she had a feeling he wasn't finished yet.

"One of the players I was working with, betrayed me. Turned out she was the daughter of the Cartel leader I was trying to keep out of the picture so the others could kill each other, " he explained with hardly any emotion at all. "I was apprehended by the little vixen and her father had my eyes taken out and they left me for dead. Little did they know I found my way around pretty good for a guy who just had his eyes ripped out. My own personal Judas Iscariot found me lying in the middle of the road and came to finish me off, but instead, I killed her. So, there I was in the middle of the road with no eyes and three bullet wholes in me...I was ready to just die, but things didn't go my way, again."

She stared at him in shock unable to speak. The thought of him being blind didn't disgust her, it amazed her. He seemed to be able to get around like a normal 'seeing' person. What amazed her was 'how' he was able to get around or to even shoot a weapon like he could without seeing.

"I may not be able to see sugarbutts but I can still 'feel' you staring at me, " he teased lightly.

She shook her head with a whisper, "All this time...how?"

He shrugged, "Five years is a long time to hone your remaining senses to compensate for a loss of one."

"Like what?" she asked.

He put his hand up to his ear, "I can hear if someone's near from their breathing or movements or even their heartbeat if it's quiet enough." He stepped a little closer and took a deep breath through his nose. "Or I can smell certain people. If I recognize their smell I won't be alarmed but if I don't..." he pointed his finger at her like a gun. "You might get shot."

She narrowed her eyes at him, which at this point seemed ridiculous considering he couldn't see her doing it. "So you get around by listening mostly?" she asked.

He nodded, "Mostly."

"Why are you telling me this?" she wondered. For a man who was blatantly betrayed he was putting an awful lot of trust into her.

He tilted his head, "You are a strong, independent young woman who speaks her mind and isn't afraid to give her opinion and I like to be just as up front about things so...if you see all the cards on the table you'll be willing to play."

"We have to trust each other, " she summed up.

He clicked his tongue, "Bingo, so...are you in agreement?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away from him. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead slowly. She did owe the man her life. Then it occurred to her that he still hadn't given her a reason why he felt the need to 'protect' her if that's how you want to put it. She turned to face him, "You still haven't answered my question." She took a few steps toward him. "What's in it for you to keep me alive?"

"You try getting your eyes and everything you've ever known taken away from you..." he snapped his fingers. "...just like that...and see if you don't change your ways. I realized I was given a second chance at life. It's about redemption darlin'." Even though he couldn't see her she nodded in acknowledgment.

"Okay, " she agreed quietly. "It's not like I have anywhere else to go right?" she tried to joke to lighten up the mood. Now that she felt like a complete ass she wanted to try and make up for all the trouble she'd caused him. "So what now?" she asked taking a seat on the foot of the bed.

He reached for his hat on the table, "Now, we all get some rest, it's getting late."

"How do you know that?" she asked curiously.

He smiled, "Makes you wonder doesn't it?"

"Yeah it does, " she nodded.

He headed for the door and opened it but turned his head in her general direction, "Ask me another time." He paused for a moment. "Get some rest, we need to get an early start, " he then turned and walked out and closed the door.

She stared at the door for a few seconds then flopped back on the bed with a sigh. Her entire perspective on her situation her life had changed in one day. If someone had told her yesterday that a blind ex-CIA agent and his partner were going to become her personal bodyguards she would have laughed in their face.

She laughed quietly in the empty room, "Walk the ride Lynn...walk the ride..."

The next morning she was stirred from a peaceful sleep by someone tugging on her ankle. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Jeff standing at the foot of her bed. She sat up and gave him a death glare, "If you're not God himself this has better be good."

He raised his eyebrows, "Not a morning person aye?"

She looked at her clock and then out the window and groaned, "For Christ sake it's not even daylight yet."

"A whiner too, " he teased taking her blanket and yanking it from the bed.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" she made a mad dash for the blanket to cover herself when she remembered...he can't see.

"Why Ms. Connors are you sleeping in your birthday suit?" he teased some more.

"Bite me, " she mumbled as she flung her feet over the side of the bed. "And for your information I am not naked. Not that it would make any difference to you."

He just smiled and dropped the blanket back on the bed as he heard her stand and walk over to her bag on the table. "Why the hell have you gotten me up from a nice, warm comfortable bed before the ass crack of dawn for?" she asked slightly irritated.

"We can't stay in one place for too long. At least till we get to our destination that is, " he explained.

"And where would that be?" she asked.

"Arizona, DeMarco doesn't have many if any connections in that area, " he said.

She finished looking through her bag and pulled out some clothes and started to get dressed. She noticed he had turned and walked to the other side of the room like he was giving her privacy. "Why do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" he asked over his shoulder.

She smiled, "Turn around, you can't see me."

He turned and faced her, "It takes some people more time than others to get used to it."

"Yeah...I guess it would, " she said softly. She finished getting ready and packed her things. "I'm ready, " she let him know.

He held up his hand towards the door, "Ladies first."

She chuckled as she lead the way downstairs.

Again, sorry for the wait and I hope to see what everyone thinks, Thanks!