Prologue


Charlotte Tremblay didn't hate her job. On the contrary, she quite enjoyed it under the right circumstances. At this very moment, however, she was contemplating how many years she could be sentenced too if she committed a murder. This murder being of her boss.

Anthony Edward Stark was a rich, playboy millionaire, who didn't care 'bout anyone but himself… Actually, that's not a hundred percent true. He only cared about the people around him if it was in his best interest. At the current moment, it was clear that he was truly trying to get a rise out of her.

They were sitting next to each other in the back of an armored Humvee. There were three soldiers with them that were escorting them back to the airport. She was against the window, staring out of it as she planned Tony's murder. It would be fantastic and brilliant.

It wasn't like she hated him. At times she enjoyed his company, sometimes just tolerated it. It wasn't the fact that they were sitting together that upset Charlie. No, it was more of the fact that Tony was getting antsy and talking to the soldiers.
"I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial," he was saying. "This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you are going to pull over and snuff us." He rolled his eyes when they didn't answer. "What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest?"
"We can talk, sir," said the man sitting next to them.
"Oh, I see. So, it's personal?"
"No, you intimidate them," answered the woman upfront.
"Good God, you're a woman. I honestly… I couldn't have called that. I mean, I'd apologize, but isn't' that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first."
"I'm an airman," the woman said.
"Well, you have, actually, excellent bone structure, there. I'm kind of having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird?"
"Tony," Charlie said.

Her voice was full of warning, trying to remain calm. It was downright humiliating to be in his company when he was in a mood like this. But he enjoyed her reaction, probably the only reason she kept her job and their… unconventional friendship.

Taking a deep breath, the man beside Tony spoke up.
"Sir, I have a question to ask."
"Yes, please."
"Is it true that you went twelve for twelve with last year's Maxim cover models?" The young man shied away from the look Charlie threw him.
"That is an excellent question," Tony said. "Yes and no. March and I have a scheduling conflict, but fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins. Anything else?"

The young man raised his hand.
"You're kidding with the hand up, right?"
"Is it cool if I take a picture with you?"
"Yes, it's very cool." The soldier pulled out a camera and handed it to the man in the front seat. "I don't want to see this on your Myspace page." The man threw up a piece sign and Tony sighed. "Please, no gang signs." Slowly, the man lowered his hand in disappointment, but Tony smirked. "No, throw it up. I'm kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I'd be out of a job with peace."

Just as the man in the front seat went to click the camera, something hit and blew up the vehicle in front of them. Charlie let out a strangled yep as Tony started demanding answers.
"What's going on?"
"Contact left!" the woman yelled.
"What have we got?" Tony asked.

Grasping at the locket around her neck, Charlie eyes widened as she watched two soldiers got shot down. The solider beside Tony climbed out of the car, slamming the door shut.
"Wait! Give me a gun!" Tony yelled.
"Stay here! And get down!"

Charlie tried to call out after Tony as he got out of the car. He wasn't even focused on her. She curled up on the bottom of the seats until she heard another explosion. Her head shot up and she forced herself to try and find Tony. Life be damned, she wasn't going to die alone.

She found him lying on the ground, blood soaking through his shirt. "Tony!" she cried. Her hands went to his chest, trying to put pressure on the wound. She whipped her head around when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Her vision went black as she was hit across the face with the butt of a gun.


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