Red put out his hand, shaking Anthony Burke's gingerly.
"Tony, I'm so sorry for all this..." Red looked around the area as each member of Burke's team did his or her job, so efficiently.
Burke's eyes twinkled slightly, but he managed to keep a straight face. "Yeah, Red," the man remarked, "last night at the bar, oh and by the way, thanks for two hundred I bet on you," he nodded agreeably, continuing, "and now today in the hall?" the man waved his hands around expressively, eyeing the area just as the floor cleaners arrived on scene. "You're going to get a bad reputation if you don't slow it down."
Red managed a small smile. "Well, we wouldn't want that. I do appreciate your discretion, I wanted you to know."
"It's all her fault." Francis looked up from his seated position, finally pulling his attention away from the cute medical assistant that had bandaged his side.
Liz gasped, astounded to be sudden center of attention. "You little weasel! And I was concerned for you."
"Red's got himself a girl." Silas shook his head, grimacing his distaste. "Dames, they're too much trouble."
Francis nodded his agreement. "Ouch!" he jumped, pulling away from the doctor's less than gentle handling.
"That hurt! I want her back!" He pointed at the cute medical assistant, smiling charmingly at the woman.
"What do you mean dames?" Elizabeth took exception.
"Hey, I just saved your ass. Show a little respect." Silas suggested.
"For the elderly." Liz snapped.
"Hey, I saved her ass too." Francis corrected indignantly.
"All right all ready!" Red put an end to the bickering with his raised tone, having noted Tony's delight at his predicament.
"Lively group you have there." the man nodded perceptively.
"They're all idiots." Red stated his opinion.
"Hey..." Liz really took exception to that statement.
"Except her." Red corrected instantly.
"Well of course you'd say that," Silas stretched his shoulder this way and that, an old wound acting up after the battle today, "you're sleeping with her."
Elizabeth was simply stunned, the blue eyes darting frantically to Red for assistance. She could not believe these men were turning on her so quickly.
Again, Francis nodded knowingly. "That's right, that's what's going on here." he continued to nod. "He's boning her."
"Oh my God!" once again she looked to Red with a 'aren't you going to do something' look.
Red met Tony's eyes easily, his head lowering once before he shook it shortly, meeting the guy's eyes again before shrugging his assent.
"Oh... my... God."
Red sent an apologetic glance the woman's way. "Is there is anything we can do here today to help out?" he offered politely.
"You can do something right now, for me!" The man was informed in no uncertain terms. "You can inform your goons here, that our private life is just that!"
"He started it." Silas pointed at Red.
Red crooked his head sharply once, a crisp snap helping to ease the tension building inside his temples before returning his attention to their host.
"We have it covered." Tony was just as pleasant. "This sort of thing happens all the time."
"Well, you certainly have it down to an art." Red glanced around to the pristine area, his senses slightly askew.
"Why, thank you Red." Tony took the compliment well. "We pride ourselves on our professionalism."
Elizabeth glanced around the area herself, flabbergasted. One would never have known that anything nefarious had taken place, let alone that two dead men had recently lay sprawled on the gleaming marble floor just below her feet.
"I'm going to have Mr. Kaplan come in to look at Francis, not that I don't trust your..."
Tony waved the issue aside. "I can't wait to see Kate again."
"Can't I keep her instead?" Francis moped, watching the doctor and the aide pack up the last of their gear.
Red glanced at the cute little intern. "No."
"Then can I have some of the good stuff before Mr. Kaplan arrives." he whined. "She thinks I should man up and..."
"It's a flesh wound, you pussy." Silas reminded scornfully.
"Two flesh wounds! Two..." the young man held up two fingers. "I'm hungry."
Silas shook his head sardonically.
Tony's expression shifted a tad, but he was always the consummate host. "I have a private dining room." he suggested.
"Does it have a bar?" Silas needed to know.
Tony seemed offended. "Of course..."
Elizabeth stifled a yawn. Red noted as much. She had a long day, she needed to rest.
The man glanced down at her blood spotted clothing.
"Well gentlemen, on that note, I believe it's time for us to retire." Red lifted his hand, and Elizabeth instantly placed her fingers into the warm palm. "I need to get you in the shower."
"Well, of course you do." Silas simply stated the facts as he knew them.
Red cast the man an warning look. "Please, stay, enjoy drinks on me."
"Don't we always?" Silas quipped.
"Yes, but this time I'm actually offering." Red's eyebrow arched as he led Lizzy to the elevators.
"Hey Tony," Silas perked up somewhat, a thought occurring, "we've been through a lot today." the man explained his next statement. "You know that little blonde waitress," he held his hands before him indicating, "the one with the..."
"Oh, I like her." Francis perked up as well.
"Yeah well, I get first dibs." Silas pointed a silencing finger.
Francis did not seem waylaid by the problem though. As a matter of fact, the young man arose on his own, brushing his clothing, preening his hair back into place.
"What say," Silas continued, "if you assign her to this private dining room, say."
"You all ready said that." Francis pointed out.
"Said what?" Silas was confused. Francis waved it aside.
"Have a good evening." Red drawled, shaking Tony's hand once again before the man took his leave with but one grin of camaraderie to all concerned.
"I'll check with you two later." Red nodded to Silas and Francis.
He checked for his ever present shadow. "Dembe, if you could call Mr. Kaplan? She'll get you in top notch order in no time, Francis." he ignored the other man's mournful moan.
"I'll join you when I can." Red stated aside to the large black man. "I want to show you all my appreciation, but in a more substantial way."
"Raymond, there is no need."
"There is a great need." the man leaned kissing Liz on the temple.
The woman released his fingers hastily, rushing back. She threw her arms around Francis, hugging him dearly.
"Thank you." she whispered. She quickly transferred her gratitude to Dembe, whose face lit with a brilliant smile.
She hesitated visibly when confronted by the large bulk of her bodyguard, who stood formidably before her.
But in the end, she threw her arms about the massive shoulders, holding tight even when she felt the tenseness rack the solid frame.
Red lifted an incredulous brow. Slowly but surely, the tension eased in the other man's rigid frame, Silas' arms lifting to embrace the woman. His head dropped, as he took in the scent of her hair, his eyes closing in open relief that she was truly safe and sound.
For most he protected, it was merely a job, but in this case, somewhere along the line, it had become personal.
He thought of the woman as a younger sister and God forbid anyone should ever mess with his baby sister.
Francis stared after the pair, as Red and Liz took their leave. He could still feel a slight tension emanating from the older man. He sensed however, it had nothing to do with himself any longer.
Red was having a difficult time forgiving his lapse in judgement where the woman was concerned. DeCarlo had come out of the blue.
Red had put all the necessary precautions in place, and they had succeeded. But to the man, Liz almost died.
Red Reddington would never forgive himself for such an oversight.
Once they stepped through their door, Red pulled Elizabeth into his embrace. He held her tightly, basking in her warm scent.
So many times in the past, he had wanted to hold her like this.
So many times she had been in mortal danger. When he had finally retrieved her from Stewmaker... his relief that he had made it in time had overwhelmed him.
Tipping that bastard back into that swirling mire of filth, had somehow cleansed his own soul.
Then later, Liz had called him a monster himself.
In some ways, perhaps he was. But he had almost welcomed the hateful words, because it meant... she was still alive to say them.
"I'm all right." she assured, her voice muffled against his suit jacket.
"I'm not." he told the truth.
Watching DeCarlo, knowing he had the control of life or death over Lizzy. And that it was his fault, made him physically and mentally sick.
He had been playing the game as they always did in this business. He swept the rug out from under someone, they'd try to exact some sort of revenge... Red would win in the end.
Only this time, he hadn't taken into account that he had a vulnerability. That his enemies would attack what he loved most.
He knew it happened, but he was never a participant in the disgusting practice.
Only someone who was weak, would attack a wife or child. He should have seen it coming, because DeCarlo was weak.
Red took a calming breath, his arms tightening, holding as if he never wanted to let go, but in the end, he forced himself to do just that. "Get ready for bed."
Liz straightened her exhausted body, grateful for the suggestion. "I think I will."
Red followed, set on automatic pilot. Going through the motions as he did every night, only this time, he suddenly realized that Liz was right there beside him.
They had never done this before. It was their established routine that once the bath was free, the next would enter.
But not tonight.
"Thank you..." she muttered softly, putting her toothbrush aside.
"For what?" he was stymied.
"Forgiving Francis." the blue eyes shifted to his, soulfully appealing.
"I thank it should be the other way around." Red disagreed.
Liz was a little taken aback by the declaration. The woman stepped closer, reaching for him, though hesitantly. So much had happened today and she was trying to wrap her head around it.
"He's a good friend to you, and I almost jeopardized that." Red lifted his head, staring back at her through the mirror. "I am sorry for that."
A soft smile lit her face as she laid her hand on his shoulder. She watched him breathe in at the touch, his shoulders losing a bit of their tension before he turned to face her.
"I'm also sorry that I didn't take into consideration that the deal I made would have such dire consequences, to your life." his jaw pulsed erratically. "You have always been my vulnerability in dealings with the Cabal, never in regards to one of my business deals."
"Is there really a difference?" she asked.
"Most people I outbid have the same outlook as I do." he turned her around, taking the brush from her hand. "You win some..."
"You lose some." she concluded, wondering what he was about.
"Yes, but there are also DeCarlo's in the world." he continued, lifting the long strands of hair as he stroked the brush through the silky maze. "And I know that." he sighed, smiling gently at her heartfelt moan of appreciation. "But this is my first deal where we have been... intimately involved, so to speak."
Liz stood perfectly still under his administrations, but a slight flush graced her cheeks.
"I know what we are, but they don't..." he concentrated on his efforts, enjoying the feel of the soft strands filtering through his fingers. "But that doesn't make you any less a target. I will take proper precautions from here on out, I promise."
"And what are we?" she asked quietly, redirecting the path of their conversation.
"That remains to be seen," he halted his hand, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror once again, "doesn't it?"
He lay the brush aside much to her dismay, disappearing into the closet space for a spell, leaving the woman to her own thoughts.
After he changed, Red fixed a quick drink at the bar, heading towards the bed. He sat a glass of wine on Lizzy's bedside table.
She came out of the bathroom moments later, having taken her time, paying particular attention to her state of dress this night.
Red raised, having plugged up his computer, his attention immediately caught and held. In fact, he had offered a double take the moment he saw her.
And if he didn't know better, he would think she was purposely teasing him.
Like her gown last night, this one ended at her ankles, had long slits at the side and flowed with her movements. The soft red material plastered to her skin as she walked, showing him little glimpses of what lay beneath, which made his damn mouth water.
"Oh, do you like it?" she asked all too innocently, having noticed his attention was still riveted and direct.
"Yes..." his eyes drifted slowly over her form, hesitating on the empire waist, highlighting the fullness of her breasts.
"Good..." she smiled, taking a sip from her glass, "because you bought it."
Red felt a smile working it's way across his face.
"I did, did I?" he queried, settling back into the soft pillows, his computer all but forgotten.
"Yep." she nodded. "In my defense though," she began, as she crawled up on to the mattress, "I saw it in one of the shops downstairs," she explained, "Silas was blathering on about his many exploits with members of the opposite sex and my head was about to explode." she sighed. "They asked my room number..."
"And they charged it to our room." Red concluded.
"Yeah..." she winced. "They said, because I tried to pay for it myself... "
"That it's a long entailed process that will take months on end to correct." he nodded knowingly.
"Trust me," he looked over the gown once again, the nipples tightening under his penetrating gaze, "I do not mind." his eyes focused pointedly on the small peaks, his mouth pursing. "Are you cold?" he finally lifted his stare to hers, finding her lips quivering in barely held amusement.
"A little..."
Red pulled back the blankets, laying his arm out in invitation.
"You're not gonna offer to turn the heat up?" she asked, sliding closer, laying against him. She hooked her leg over his, relaxing blissfully into his solid form.
"I'm perfectly capable of keeping you warm." he said, adjusting the sheet over them. "Don't you remember?"
The woman felt an electric shock course through her at the blatant flirting... finding she very much enjoyed it.
She had never thought of herself as a femme fatale, but this man made her feel every inch the part and she enjoyed it, immensely.
"Yes..." she snuggled into his heat, sighing happily. She took a steadying breath to slow her rapid heartbeat. Which was all for naught when the man's large hand swept a searing path down and across her back.
He leisurely stroked her bare skin, getting lost in his own thoughts.
Everything that had happened in the last two days, left him exhausted and wired as hell.
Liz leaned up into his lips, kissing him, holding it for a moment before she pulled back slowly.
"Do you mind me kissing you?"
"Why should I mind if a beautiful woman kisses me." he smiled. "Unless you are practicing for something? Were you afraid you'd forgotten how?" he reached up, tracing her lips with his finger. "Because I have to tell you, you're doing quite well."
She giggled quietly, "Which is always nice to hear." she played with a button on his shirt. "I seem to do this a lot... it's almost as if, I wish you didn't have clothes on or something." Liz could not raise her eyes, the bold remark surprising even her.
Cupping her small face, he pulled her towards him, "Which is always nice to hear." he murmured, kissing her sweet lips, grunting appreciatively when she rocked her pelvis forward against his thigh, getting more intimate with him.
God please, don't let me screw this up. He prayed, wondering briefly if God even knew his name anymore.
Liz laid back, laying her head on chest, getting comfortable. Red listened to the quiet room, his mind refusing to shut down. The events of the day recoiled sharply in his brain. He unconsciously gripped the small frame tighter.
"Stop feeling guilty," she mumbled, "it's keeping me awake."
Red snorted quietly, "Even if I were, how could it keep you awake."
"You're thinking too much..." she whined. "Disturbing the room aura or something."
"Go to sleep," Red kissed her brow, "you're delirious."
"You're demented." She countered, her mouth curving into a smile.
"No, that's Francis." Red corrected, rolling towards her slightly, wrapping his arm lower about her waist.
"Fine, deranged." she had no problem with the adjective.
"Still Francis." he murmured contentedly.
"You're gonna be dead in a minute if you don't let me sleep." Liz warned playfully.
Red ran his hand down the slope of her spine, getting lost in the satiny feel of the fabric laying over her feminine curves, his hand stopping just above the slope of her ass.
"If you're checking for panties," she muttered, "you're wasting your time."
Red chuckled quietly into the crown of her head, "Thank you for that very valuable information."
He lay there a moment, formulating his plan.
"What are you doing?" she mumbled into his neckline.
"My curiosity is now peaked." he rumbled softly, humor clearly in his voice. "Not that I think that you're lying."
His large hand swept across her bottom, clearly finding her statement to be true.
"Are you happy now?" she sighed.
"I don't know..." he hesitated, his fingers tapping against her bare, satin covered bottom.
"Well, there's not that much there." Liz informed him. "Unless you you're talking to Silas. Who says I have a big ass."
"First of all, what's he doing looking at your ass." Red looked at other places, like the deep cleft between her ample breasts.
"He and Francis were making comparisons a couple days ago on my merits as opposed to a little Barista down at the coffee shop." Liz watched intently as the man lowered his head gently kissing the swell of her mound. "There was nothing personal about it."
"Seemed pretty damn personal to me." Red's hand ran over the gown, a gown that didn't leave much to the imagination. "I have to be honest with you, I'm rather shocked that your drawers are missing."
He palmed her ass, his fingers naturally curving to the rounded bottom.
She giggled against his chest after a second, tilting her head up to look for him in the dark.
"Drawers?" she tittered.
He smiled at her apparent dismissal to his invasion of her space, patting her bottom. "Skivvies?"
"I am not wearing drawers or skivvies." she politely corrected herself, if only for the man's sake.
Red bunched the satiny fabric in his hand, baring a bit of thigh to his touch. Liz found her breath suddenly tremulous and she could not prevent herself from arching into his thigh.
"Sweetheart, I know I said there was no pressure to further along relations..." he began tightly, "but I am only a man unfortunately, one feeling a definite pressure in a certain area of my anatomy at this particular moment in time."
Liz bit her bottom lip, trying desperately to hold her smile.
"With that said," he breathed out calmly, "unless you had another agenda in mind to which I am not privy...perhaps we should simply... go to sleep"
Liz winced a bit, hearing the discomfort in the man's voice. She did not pretend to misunderstand his statement.
Was she ready? Her body certainly wanted to further things along. Even now, she was having difficulty silencing a slight thrumming between her legs.
"Sleep, sweetheart." Red muttered tightly. "If it's meant to be, it will be."
She cuddled close into the man, still trapped in her thoughts, wondering what she should do.
Because her heart was telling her to take a leap of faith.