Red had never thought of Mark and Francis as much more than close allies. He was slowly revising his opinion having watched their efforts on his behalf tonight.
Francis had confirmed his suspicions concerning the earlier incident.
Red had never cared much for Costa. There had never been anything concrete to base his concerns on, but the man had an instinct that never failed where people were concerned.
With that in mind, they had kept a close eye on Lizzy and Edward the rest of the evening, making sure their paths never crossed again.
The night had passed quickly for the woman, and Liz was genuinely sad to see it end.
She settled back into the luxury sedan sighing blissfully. She eased the exquisitely crafted heels off her aching feet. Eight hundred dollar shoes still hurt, she didn't care what people said. The big liars.
Red sat into the plush leather, adjusting his silky black vest. "See, now that wasn't so bad, was it?"
Liz shook her head, reluctantly. "No, it wasn't."
It had been a nice evening. They had danced more dances, Red even relinquished her to Mark and Francis a couple of times.
They had talked with more of the crowd and she had landed an invitation to Mark's upcoming party, which he said was an annual event and that Red know all the details, so she could get the exact dates from him.
All in all, it had turned out to be not only enjoyable but productive. And if Liz were honest with herself, she hadn't minded the appreciative looks from the gentlemen in the room, even if Red had cooled their interest in her quickly enough.
The big party pooper.
Tonight had been an ego boost she had not known she needed.
After the divorce, even though she understood the circumstances for what they were, she had felt undesirable, unwanted, and unworthy.
She had loved Tom, or whatever his name was, in actuality, with her whole being. After two years of marriage and sharing their lives, her love for him had only grown. That feeling had greatly waned after the emotional and physical battle had ensued between them. When he had literally held a gun to her head, any lingering emotions had died along with her dreams of a normal life.
She had to wonder what type of man Tom was, that he didn't feel anything for her. After all that had transpired between them, how twisted were these people that they not only instilled him into her life, but had thought to have him marry her?
Had he held any sort of affection for her or, in the end, was she just a tool? A means to an end before he moved on to his next assignment?
The FBI wanted her time, her life. Red wanted the Fulcrum. What had Tom and his people wanted? The Fulcrum? Her parents whereabouts? Red? All of the above?
Why had her life become such a twisted maniacal mess?
So many thoughts, so much mystery, so many questions unanswered. Dizzy from the turmoil, Liz dropped her head into her hand, her fingers easing the tension in her temples.
"Are you all right?" Red placed a light hand over hers, "You look..."
"Tired?" Liz filled in, having heard enough of it from her colleagues over the last few days.
"No..." Red stared at her, his head shaking. Narrowing his eyes, he frowned. "Overwhelmed."
Liz blinked, thrown by his astuteness. How did he always know just by looking at her?
"I'm too impatient. I want to know what's going on in my life. I want to know..." She took a shaky breath, closing her eyes. "I think too much." Her lips turned up slightly. When he didn't smile back, she fell silent.
Red exhaled slowly, turning his eyes forward. "I despise sounding like a broken record. So I'm going to take a different approach this time." He crossed his leg, shifting his body to face her. "If a teenager came up to you tomorrow with all these ideas on how they were going to run away or get pregnant, all so they could get away from home and their so called miserable existence. What would you say to them?"
"I'd tell them to wait it out until they turned eighteen. They could leave home without repercussions." she sing-songed her head slightly shrugging her shoulders to the question. "To enjoy the freedom they have now. Nothing that's happening in their lives at that moment will be that way forev..." Liz stopped, listening to her own words, suddenly annoyed. "Are you comparing me to a melodramatic teenager." she sighed.
"No, not at all. I'm merely making a point." He pushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "You will know all you want in time. And you'll look back and wish you had appreciated the freedom, the simplicity."
"You call this simplistic?" She said, perturbed.
"In comparison, yes." Red rubbed his forehead, then squeezed the tension from his neckline. "Enjoy your life right now, Lizzy. When you have your answers, you'll have a deep desire to come back to this time, when things were seemingly more complicated."
She fell silent, suddenly afraid of her future. Red had always placated her, offering what she had always assumed were empty platitudes. But when he had described it in such a manner, she had to second guess her thoughts on the subject.
If Red was telling her these things, to enjoy what she had now, no matter how terrible and unfair it seemed, there had to be a reason.
What the hell had happened? Who were her parents, really?
She wasn't really asking the vital question, she knew. It was fear, wondering what her parents could have possibly done, that it was still affecting her life today?
"Believe me or not, but all of this." he waved a hand winsomely. "All of what I'm doing, is to answer those questions. Pandora's Box has been opened, releasing all the evil into the world and now, we're putting it back in the box one evil at a time."
"So, what you're saying is that all the people on the Blacklist have some connection to my parents in some way?"
"Not all of them, but most. Some have fallen into our lap and we would be fools to not pursue them." he grimaced accordingly. "The Stewmaker for one. Whether your parents made use of his services, I don't know. Regardless, he was someone that needed to disappear." Red glowered.
Even though as indirect as it was, that son-of-a-bitch had ties to his life. But that was a story for another time.
"Trust me, Lizzy." Red's green eyes bored into hers. "You won't like the answers, but you will have them." he silently begged for her understanding. "You just have to be patient." He placed his hand comfortingly over hers. "It's the safest path right now."
"That's easy for you to say." She played with a crystal on her gown.
"Did you believe me when I told you about Tom?" She stopped her intended reply, knowing full well it would be a lie if she answered in the affirmative.
"You will have to unveil these answers yourself to completely believe the truth. It's just your way." Red's jaw open and closed, wanting to say more, but bit back his agitation
"There are times I want to lay it all out for you, but you would always have doubts about whether I was manipulating the situation, twisting things for my own agenda..." he shook his head stubbornly, "this way is best, for in the end... you can arrive at only one solution."
Elizabeth considered all that had been said. She realized she would have to reconcile herself to facing her own impatience and new, unknown fears.
"All right. I'll trust you." Liz flipped her hand in his, lacing her fingers with the thick strong ones. "I can't say that I won't be a pain in the ass, but I can promise to not get so frustrated with you." Her mouth quirked.
Red brought their clasped hands to his mouth, kissing the soft skin, chuckling. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Lizzy."
Pulling up to her door, Red stilled his friend with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I've got it Dembe."
Exiting the vehicle, he made his way to her side, offering a hand to help her from the back. Looping her arm through his, they made their way up the steps.
"You truly do look beautiful tonight. I'm glad, even though it was work related, you had a nice time." he made small talk, "And I must say, I find bare feet on a woman extremely erotic."
The woman glanced down, her cheeks heating slightly. "I love these shoes." she held them aloft. "Though, I feel like one of Cinderella's step-sisters." she made light of the moment. "I don't think I could fit into them right now."
Red smiled gently, allowing a genial silence to ensue.
Liz snickered lowly when they neared the top step. "What?" Red questioned, smiling at her good mood.
"I was just imagining what my neighbors think of me." Liz turned, coming eye to eye with Red who was one step below her. His head cocked, not getting the reference.
"They can't have missed what's been going on in my house. With Tom gone... and now you here tonight, as we are," she indicated his tux, her evening dress and the flowers in her hand, "I'm sure I have a scarlet letter on my forehead, in their eyes." she laughed softly, "Oh well, to me this isn't home anymore. So sooner or later, I will be leaving."
Red's jaw clenched, hard. "If they only knew what had gone on in your house." Lizzy's broken and rumpled form, the splintered spindle on the staircase, the scattered debris, all flashed in his mind, his rage resurfacing instantly.
"Then they might be greatly relieved to see you with a gentleman now." He smiled sadly, brushing his fingertip over the place where the now faded bruising had been on her face.
Her eyes misted, knowing what he was envisioning. Blinking , a tear slowly trekked a path over her cheek, as his comforting words of that fateful night returned.
At the one of the lowest points in her life, she had never felt so cherished. So special.
Liz wondered at the man before her. He was a complete contradiction of everything she had learned at the academy.
How was it, that this man, on top of the FBI's most wanted list... considered the embodiment of evil by some, a self confessed killer.
This same man had shown her such amazing understanding and unrelenting kindness.
The same hands that had caused so many peoples demise, were always incredibly gentle with her. Never once had he raised his hand in anger, even though she had given him ample opportunity, with her uneven temperament, unreasonable anger and outrageous agitation directed totally at him.
How was it she believed him when he said he had never lied to her? There were the times of course, when her own stubbornness barred that belief but in the end, she had always been proven wrong.
His temper was legendary and yet to date, she had never experienced it first hand. He treated her with respect and dignity. He made her feel like she had self-worth.
Ironically, she felt he was the only person she could rely on to never harm her in any way, shape or form.
He understood her like no one else. Always giving her what she needed to hear, see or understand to keep going, to not go insane.
Like now for instance, he understood her need for quiet contemplation. It wasn't an intimidating silence. It wasn't to punish or to hurt. He saw it for what it was... an inner need.
Waiting, Red came up a step, standing in front of her. He twirled the loose curl of hair laying along her neck.
"I would never hurt you , Lizzy." The man stressed, his deep voice resonating with a mixture of emotion.
She wasn't sure if he was speaking in general or referencing her battle with Tom. It didn't matter really, she guessed.
"I know..." Raising on her toes, she kissed his cheek, marveling at the fleeting touch of his five o'clock shadow against her smooth lips. Another minor comparison between him and Tom.
Tom could shave in the morning and be fine until the next day. But Red, by midday, a soft growth shadowed his face. Not that it was unattractive, he looked quite handsome.
Maybe it had to do with his virility. Red screamed Alpha Male more than anyone she knew. A fact he had proven repeatedly tonight.
What was she saying?!
She flushed a deep crimson red. She felt it creeping across her chest, her face flaming with it.
"You're blushing." he grinned, tilting his head, scanning her features. "May I ask why?" he laughed softly, enchanted with the change.
"No." The brunette turned her face, embarrassed.
He wasn't sure what it was that set her off. He wouldn't push her, just yet anyway.
Red was more than pleased, none the less.
"I wish you would change your mind about staying at the safe house tonight. Security hasn't finished here, it's still not working properly." Red craned his neck scanning the house. "I'll be with Mark and Francis for a little over two hours, think of all the things you could snoop into." he teased gently. "My place has armed guards and let us not forget, a whirlpool bath."
The added enticement gave the woman pause for thought. She really enjoyed that whirlpool bath.
"All right, I'll make a deal with you." She compromised. "You go have your meeting and I'll pack a few things, get some things in order here. When you're done, come back and get me."
Red scrunched his brow, frowning. "I don't like it. Something isn't setting right with me."
"You know, I am a big girl, Red." It was her turn to tease. "I have a real FBI badge and everything."
"I still don't like it." Something was itching at him, gnawing at his stomach.
"It's just a couple of hours. If I am staying with you for a while, I'll need time to gather some things anyway, right?"
"All right. Two hours. Not a minute more." he glanced at his watch. "I should go..." he pulled back, his eyes raking over that form fitting red gown which delighted him just as much now as it had when he picked her up earlier in the evening.
"And though it pains me deeply to say, let you get into something more comfortable..." he pointed a finger at her, his brows lifting meaningfully. "I'm warning you now, if you don't answer when we get back, I'm coming in."
"I guess I better get inside then." She said, somewhat reluctantly.
"Wait." Red stepped into her again, his cologne filling her space. "I almost forgot." he slipped his hand under her coat, running his fingers along her waist, then up her back, searchingly.
"Wha...?" Liz inhaled, electrified when she felt the cloth covered arm and heavy cufflink on his wrist, graze the bare skin on her upper back.
His hand came to rest on the top of her dress, his thumb and forefinger snapped, popping the eyelet loose from it's partnering hook. Her body unconsciously bowed to the touch.
Keeping her in place, he grasped the zipper. Tugging it, he felt her jerk, her breasts pushing into his chest as the teeth gave way.
"Samar indicated you might need help with that." He rasped, lowly.
"Getting it zipped." Liz rolled her eyes. "T-thank you." she stammered as his fingers traced slowly down her spine. "I mean...for tonight, I had a good time, Red... R-Raymond."
Smiling, he picked up her hand, kissing the palm. "Elizabeth." He bowed his head ever so slightly, his eyes holding her's hypnotically. He had enjoyed the way she had stumbled over his name.
Red patiently waited while she fumbled with the key in the lock. He came up behind her, his warm hand wrapping around hers, steadying her suddenly shaking fingers.
He turned his head slightly, inhaling her soft perfume. The man's mouth pulling at the corners when she exuded a small sigh of awareness, due to his close proximity as his warm breath tickled her neckline.
He enjoyed the returning flush of cognizance. He deftly opened the door, laying a hand just above her rounded bottom, ushering her inside.
The imprint of the warm hand imprinted itself on the flesh beneath the silk dress.
"I'll be back... soon." Red reminded, brushing his thumb over the soft rosy flush of her cheek.
"Lock it, Lizzy." he advised silkily before pulling the door closed. He smiled through the glass when she did obeyed, without complaint, his eyes holding her's spellbound for a long beat, before the man turned, taking his leave.
He jauntily bounced down the steps to the waiting car, ignoring Dembe's teasing remarks as they pulled away.