Chapter 7

Neither of us said anything on the drive to the party. I sensed somehow that she was deep in thought while I was concentrating on anything, but her. I was trying not to look at her as she sat there looking so beautiful. I was trying not to want her in the way that I did. Because I couldn't have her and looking at that would only remind me why. She was Don Falcone's daughter and it was my job to keep her alive. That was all. That was why I kept my eyes straight ahead, so as not to look at her even as I was thinking about her. As the lights of her father's house came into view first, I was wondering about the thoughts running through her mind. I wondered if she knew the struggle she posed. If she could sense the things building between us. When I finally dared to look at her though, she was peering ahead with a look somewhere between boredom and nerves on her face. She seemed to gaze into the lights shining off the house. I could tell she didn't know what to expect even as she was building a shield around herself to protect herself from the people, she would meet tonight. I thought that wise as I drove closer to the house.

"Every eye will be on you and your father tonight. Keep your eyes open and trust no one" I whispered the words to her when we got closer, letting cars pass me to get to the entrance. As we got closer, I saw Don Falcone standing at the top of the steps greeting his guests, and parking the car in the distance, I rounded the car to walk Constance to her father. I felt something inside me puff up as she took my arm to let me lead her. I was walking with her on my arm and though it had no meaning, I felt pride in being seen with her, this beautiful swan of a girl. We walked side by side, slower than usual, and I felt as each new set of eyes found us. Watching as the princess of Gotham city arrived. On my arm. That pride seemed to swell all the larger as those eyes watched us.

I couldn't explain that feeling until it was gone as she left my arm to take her father's.

"Ah, Constance, you look beautiful" exclaimed Don Falcone, kissing her cheek as she took his arm.

"Victor?" said Don Falcone, his voice catching me as I was walking away, and turning I found him smiling at me.

"Thank you for getting my little girl to me safely" said Don Falcone his voice as gentle as I'd ever heard it before he turned to take her away. I felt something inside me then as I watched him take her away, following only at a distance.

After a moment, I realized it was jealousy. I didn't want to give her up to him, but watching after her, I wanted to keep her on my arm a little longer.

"He's putting her in danger by letting any of these people anywhere near her" I thought it even as I knew it was a hypocritical thought considering the same was true with me, though, as I watched him dance her around I wanted that with her. I both envied and resented him for it. Because he took her for granted. Used her as a pawn. He let all these people look at her, opening her up to the danger his world held. I knew they would come for her now, making my job harder, and I resented him even more. Especially when, after a time, he just left her sitting at a table, alone.

"Constance?" I whispered her name as I came to sit next to her at the table, finding I couldn't keep my distance as I watched her sit there alone.

"For moment, this party wasn't so bad" whispered Constance, her voice small as she looked at me for only a moment before looking back to the place where her father stood then back at me. The look in her eyes was small.

"For a moment, I was having fun" whispered Constance, looking quickly away. I didn't say anything, I only sat with her, my guard up.

Everything stayed quiet for a very short while before a boy walked toward us. I could see the apprehension on his face, and I didn't know if it was because of me or her. I didn't know the boy until he spoke his name. When he finally came close enough to touch, I dared him to move closer, but he didn't take the challenge. Instead, he looked between the two of us as if deciding how to approach things.

"Hello, Miss. Falcone" whispered the boy, his voice hesitating as he looked from her to me.

"Hello" said Constance, giving him a curious gaze. The boy just stood there then, his eyes hesitant, and watching him then her, I was curious if he'd have the balls to succeed.

"You are?" snapped Constance, her voice strict as she watched him too now, making the boy's face fall when she appeared not to know him.

Constance watched him, keenly aware that I was too. I think she wanted him to surprise her. To prove himself to her. I didn't think he would. Constance must have been thinking the same when the boy took us both by surprise.

"Timothy Thorndike, your father introduced us before. I was quite enchanted by a lady such as yourself and was hoping to steal you away" whispered the boy, making Constance lean forward. She propped her head up on her elbows and looked bored. It was cute, but I didn't let on that I thought that as I watched the encounter take place. The boy wasn't getting the response he wanted either because she seemed to still be ignoring him as she looked passed him to the inhabitants of the room.

"Your father used to be mayor before he was killed. Mayor James is succeeding him quite well" said Constance, her demeanor cold. It shouldn't have made me proud, but it did. Just when I thought she could do no more to make me want her, she managed to become the ice queen to my king. It was enticing as I watched the boy search for the words to counter her. He seemed to never find the words because suddenly Constance was looking intently at him. When it was clear he wasn't going to say anything, she smiled as if deciding to humor him. It reminded me of something I would have done. Playing with the kill before putting it out of its misery.

"Can I help you, Mr. Thorndike, or did you just bored, and decide to waste my time" said Constance crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her hands along her skin in her impatience.

"Yes…mm mm, yes, I was going to ask you to dance" whispered the boy, making me look at him.

"Constance" I said her name, but I didn't know why as I stared the boy down waiting for her response.

"It's alright, Victor, I doubt Mr. Thorndike could hurt a fly" whispered Constance, not looking at me, but instead at him as if sensing my desire to shoot the boy as my hand stroked it.

"I wouldn't underestimate him, after all, he lives in Gotham" I said the words with humor in my voice, but Constance only shrugged them off as she focused her gaze on the eager boy before her.

"Alright, Mr. Thorndike, I'm bored enough" said Constance, giving him a smile that only served to make that feeling inside me grow.

She left her shawl hanging against the chair as she took the young man's hand, letting him lead her onto the small dance floor set up in the center of the room. The boy's nerves never left him. Maybe because he was dancing with her or because he could feel me watching him the entire time. I was intent in my purpose that night. Not just to guard her, but to keep my eyes focused only on her. If anyone even moved to harm her, I would be there first, I promised myself that as I watched her press her body close to his, and sway to the tune his body led her. All the while, I never let my eyes stray. Mostly, I watched his hands. I made sure they were always in my sight. That if they ever dared stray, he saw me move to come towards them. They appeared again shortly after. The whole time that gnawed feeling boiling inside of me. I didn't think much of any of it, didn't dwell on it at least, until he said something to make her smile. I felt something inside me dwindle and snap then when that smile turned to a laugh. That jealousy kept building inside of me and it took all my self-control not to shoot him dead where he stood. My mind kept screaming that she was mine when she wasn't. Watching her with him only cemented that as that smile stayed on her face.

"She's not yours" I thought it, but I didn't like it as she continued to smile the most genuine smile I had ever seen. She had smiled at me before, laughed with me before, but this was different. Now, she was smiling at another man. Not even a man, a stupid boy with no real idea how lucky he was. He was dancing with her, something I should have been doing, but wasn't. I only wanted that smile that laughter to be for me. That made what I was watching even more heartbreaking as I watched it all play out. That was when all the denial that I had before suddenly disappeared. Because I knew I was falling for her. I was in love with her, yet, I couldn't have her. I would never have her, I knew that, as I watched her sway to the music with the Thorndike boy. She wasn't mine; she couldn't be mine, but I knew it.

"I love her" I thought it, unwilling to say it out loud because it was so much more than that.

To protect her, not just because she was Don Falcone's daughter, but because she was mine to protect. I knew that, especially when the dance ended, and she didn't return to the table. She spent the rest of the evening in the company of Timothy Thorndike and I spent the rest of the evening watching her with him. At the end of the night, when the boy left, he took her hand just as I had done mere hours ago, and he kissed it. He kissed her where I had kissed her. And for the second time that night, I had visions of pulling my gun to shoot him between the eyes. Because no one should be kissing her. She wasn't just Don Falcone's daughter anymore, but my jewel. My precious jewel to protect against everyone. Especially this boy, who had no right to her. It was the one thing we had in common.