I got such amazing feedback about the Michael cameo! I did a little happy dance seeing all the comments and getting to chat with everyone. And I thought I made a mistake? So I had to go dig up the wiki on Michael because I know his family changed their name when they went into hiding. And De Santa is the 'witness protection' name and they were formerly Townley.
Also the timeline is a touch off. The bank heist was in 2004, which was 4 years prior to GTA IV events. So Michael and his family have at least been in Los Santos for 4-5 years depending on how quickly they were relocated after his faked death. And Trevor may or may not have fled that quickly to Sandy Shores. But with how the game opens with Trevor being fairly established in the region and how he has beef with Johnny and the Lost, it makes me think he got there roughly the same time as Michael.
And if you're like me? I've had to write down a timeline just to keep this story in line with other events that are happening in the background. Afterall this story has only spanned the timeframe of a week and one day. I got six more days to go. Roughly. Haha
But enough of my rambling; enjoy!
aaaaaa
After about the fifth, or was it the sixth, bar, Niko was too far gone. Alcohol was free flowing and handed to him left and right. Faces all started to look the same and the room was spinning. It reminded him of the nights he and Kate would drink too quickly and just leave the world behind.
He was sorely missing her teasing smirk, her quick quips, the way she used to explode in a fiery burst of anger when someone would hit on her. He missed how during the hotter nights she would unbutton her sweater to get some relief and he'd secretly check her out. Then as the days and nights started to become more and more frequent- she'd sit in his car longer and longer after their time out.
At one point he assumed she was going to invite him in. But the hesitation and shyness won out and she'd give him a caring smile and wish him a good night. It was those nights that kept his mind going for hours as he laid on top of the bed and contemplated his life. Kate had claimed her spot within his soul and there was no removing it.
Oh what he would give to have her tucked to his side, hands wandering over, or maybe under, clothes, words whispered in different languages between knee weakening kisses…
But she wasn't the one sitting at his side chatting his ear off about- 'What is she talking about? Blogsnobs?'
"So yeah there is this chick out in Liberty, and she uh, writes this blog, right? And she is just so empowering, and uh, I swear I was her in a different life!" The blonde took a large swig off of her martini glass and widened her eyes when Niko didn't say anything in response to her.
He shifted his eyes around the room in hopes he could spot one of his men or even Karen to have an excuse to leave the booth he was being held captive in. He had found it empty and crashed down on the firm cushions, sending Anton off to get drinks. But that had to have been like an hour ago now. At least his sluggish mind was telling him it was.
"Anyway… Do you, maybe, I don't know, wanna to go back to my place?" She finished her drink and fished his cell phone out of his suit coat pocket. She hummed along to the dance beat as she placed her empty glass down and typed out her number on his cell. She chewed her lip as she entered her name for a new contact and snapped a quick selfie, cleavage and all, and saved it to his contacts.
"What are you…?" Niko's reaction time was near nonexistent, and he grabbed at thin air instead of her hand that held his cell phone.
"Done! Now you can just uh, call me and, uh tell me where you are staying at, and I'll come over! Ooo! I love this song!" She shoved his phone back into his pocket, kissed his cheek, and dashed out of the booth to hit up the dance floor.
Niko plopped his head back to the highbacked booth and swore at himself for overindulging in the vodka. After the strip club they had stuck strictly to dance clubs and bars. Without nearly naked women. Granted most of the women at the current bar had revealing clothes on. The drinking contest was probably a bad idea in retrospect now. But when someone challenged him he couldn't back down. His honor was at stake.
Movement at the bar caught his attention and he lulled his head over to get a clearer view. Karen sat perfectly perched on a stool, animatedly talking to a young man with round metal framed glasses. Her eyes were alight in merriment, and she slapped her hand to his shoulder and held on as her body rocked with heavy laughter. The sight made the corners of his lips lift in a smile.
Karen wiped at her face and calmed down some and took the offered handkerchief. But his attention was now focused on the man. Who was he to her? Some random guy trying to pick her up? Maybe an IAA asset? His eyebrows shot up when the man's hand landed on the top of her bare thigh and started to trail over her skin.
Karen went into action and instantly gripped the wrist and hauled him around and off his stool, slamming him down on the bar. Niko caught the flash of a knife in her other hand and was halfway out of the booth to help when she jerked off of him and backed away. He shouted something at her and stormed off toward the exit of the club.
Either way Niko wanted to make sure she was okay and not frazzled by the man's attempt at feeling her up. He wobbly walked in her direction, trying to not bump into too many people, but the task was getting harder to control. Feet crossed over awkwardly as he trudged closer to the bar and where Karen was smoothing over her hair.
"You… You good?" Niko swayed slightly as he approached her.
"What? Oh! Yeah." Karen spun around when she heard his voice and practically had to catch him when he leaned forward too much, "Woah there. I think someone has been over served." She let out a strained laugh and frantically looked around for one of the other guys. The plan was to appear drunk, not actually be drunk.
"That! That I am!" His voice was almost an octave higher, and he squinted at her when he spoke, "When-When did your eyes turn blue?"
"Okay big boy let's get you back in a booth." She looked up at the ceiling and cursed under her breath. This was so not what she had in mind when agreeing to go along with their plan. With ease she slipped under his arm and started to direct him back over to an empty booth.
"Noooo. Answer the ques-question." His accent was definitely thicker than normal, and it caused her to pause on their way to the seating section of the club.
"I wore contacts when we met, okay?! It's called being undercover. Oh thank God." Karen felt relief wash over her when Aleksei sped walked in their direction… Until she saw the urgency in his face.
"We have to go. Now. Madrazo's crew is here. Anton is bringing the car around now. I sent Ivo and Sergei back to the hotel to gather our things. I think we made a clean break and weren't spotted." He took Niko's other arm and mirrored her position, "Come on boss. I think we've had enough fun for one evening."
"Alright. Yeah…" Niko slurred his words and let Karen and Aleksei guide him to the front entrance. The lights blurred and faded in and out as they navigated the crowded dance club. The thought of just closing his eyes for a second to recalibrate his vision sounded like a good idea.
"Stay awake please. You can pass out in the car." Karen nearly tripped when his weight tried to pull her down. 'Stupid heels. Next time I don't even care about dressing the part. It's my IAA boots or nothing.'
"Pakhan we are in danger. Focus and get us out of the situation." Aleksei leaned closer to Niko's ear and whispered in Russian to him. If there was one thing that could snap any one of them out of a drunken stupor would be the threat of violence or death. The adrenaline would curb the side effects for just a little bit of time.
Niko's head snapped up and he sharply looked around his surroundings, his feet trying to get back underneath him. But the movement caused his stomach to pitch just enough, and he gagged. Karen and Aleksei struggled to keep him upright and not throw up on them or himself.
"Get the door. Anton should be out there." Aleksei took Niko's full weight and hurried his pace, "Almost there boss."
Karen shoved open the door labeled exit and nearly collided into several armed men with rifles. She went to turn back around and get inside the darkened club and came face to face with Aleksei and Niko. 'Shit'
"Watch where you walk!" One of the men with a thick Mexican accent yelled out and scowled at the woman that nearly ran into him.
"Sorry! My uh- boyfriend had one too many!" She sheepishly laughed and tucked herself back to Niko's side, grabbing his hand and hiding Kenny's ring.
"Our car is right there. Apologies for any trouble caused." Aleksei masked his accent best he could to sound more American than Russian and nodded toward a four door Super Diamond parked along the curb, Anton seated behind the wheel. Aleksei knew Anton had a submachine ready to go should things become hostile.
"Clearly they are tourists who don't understand how things run in Los Santos. Come on. I'm thirsty." Martin shooed his men aside and headed toward the entrance knowing his men would just follow him and do as told.
"Have a nice night!" Karen called over her shoulder as they hauled Niko into the backseat, moving as fast as they could and not look suspicious. She crawled over his body and pulled him further into the backseat. Aleksei slammed the door shut the second Niko's feet cleared the doorway and dropped down in the front passenger seat.
"That was too close." Anton peeled out from the valet line and checked his mirrors to see if they had turned to take aim at his hasty departure.
"Would they have even known who we are?" Karen worked on sitting Niko up in order to put a seatbelt on him.
"Good thinking with covering Kenny's ring. I do not know if they specifically would recognize us, but better safe than sorry. Johnny said they've had one or two run ins with the cartel, and it never ends well. You thought we were vicious with our methods? Theirs make ours seem like child's play." Aleksei held the wheel for Anton as he went to tuck the submachine gun down by the gearshift.
"Then maybe we should all take a breather and work on getting up toward Paleto Bay? Fort Zancudo is on the way and my contact said he would follow us out to the safe house I have. We can regroup and contact Johnny in Grapeseed." Karen gave up on positioning Niko and placed his head on her lap. His eyes were closed, and he let out a deep snore.
"So much for one or two?" Anton laughed and took back over driving, "Okay safe house in Paleto. Were you able to get clearance for drone surveillance?"
"Yeah the guy I was talking to at the bar is a pilot. He is my contact out here. We had to part ways in a show so no one would get suspicious of us. Doubt anyone knows what he does for a living. But disgruntled and shot down guy leaving a bar is typical." She shrugged and took up stroking over Niko's hair absentmindedly. It was soothing and calming to her.
"Ah. Good cover." Aleksei shifted in his seat to get comfortable. According to the GPS display, they had about a two-hour drive to reach their destination. The sun was just starting to disappear completely below the horizon and the city lights flickered to life around them. His eyes scanned the traffic as they navigated toward the coast and the highway they needed to use to head north.
Niko stirred some and moved around to get more comfortable. Something warm and soft was cradling his head and he turned to press his face in the smooth fabric, inhaling at the familiar scent. His muddled mind couldn't place where he had smelled it before, and he gave up trying. The inky darkness was calling him to rest and let his body start metabolizing the copious amounts of alcohol surging through him.
Karen let a bemused smile grace her features when he nearly buried his nose into her bellybutton. Her fingers kept up a gentle stroke over his forehead and into his somewhat longer hair. Her eyes trailed over his freshly shaven cheeks and shot up to the side of his head when her fingers brushed over something that felt like wires and puckered skin.
"What the…?" She leaned forward some and parted his hair to see a couple of neatly done stiches.
"Albanian asshole got off a lucky shot by his head. Too many close calls. One after another." Aleksei heard her sharp inhale and question and turned in his seat to see what was going on. While he didn't show it on the outside, the intimate way Karen was holding his boss rubbed a nerve or two the wrong way.
"I think I'm starting to see that. Why are they so hell bent on killing Kate and Niko?" She looked up from inspecting his fresh stiches, unconsciously reaching for her own scar that rested on her upper arm.
"Best guess?" Anton flicked his eyes to the rearview to see her before going back to the road, "Vova was the brother of Alexi. The brother was killed by Niko the night of Kate's attack. Alexi took over the faction in Europe and they had been promised things by Natalya. Well Niko also killed Natalya- So I'm thinking they were trying to take down the person who ruined their deals, arrangement- whatever."
"Dimitri and Natalya don't have any random siblings we don't know about, do they?" Karen sighed and leaned back in her seat. It would be their luck that some other relative existed and was currently working on a plan to kill them all.
Aleksei snorted and shook his head, "Rami long range killed Dimitri's other cousin on Kenny's order shortly after Niko put a round through Natalya's head."
"Were they planning anything?" Her attention was now fully peaked.
"No clue. Kenny asks- it gets done." The two men in the front seats shrugged and didn't have an answer for her. It was also a sobering thought that one day Kenny would take back his title and position. Niko would bow out and things would go back to the way it was.
"Can I ask you two a question?" She chewed her bottom lip and went back to running her fingers over Niko's strong jaw line.
"You are considered law enforcement. So we aren't willing to give secrets if that is what you are fishing for." Anton knew better than to be completely open and honest with her. This was an IAA agent who was taking liberties with his boss. His fingers gripped the wheel just a touch tighter when he spotted her caressing his cheek.
"Given the choice between Niko and Kenny, who would you rather be the leader?" Her blue eyes locked on to the back of Anton's head then shifted over to the side of Aleksei's head. Would they just blurt out the answer? Mull it over? Deflect? Her curiosity was burning a hole in her chest the longer the silence kept stretching between them all.
"You are asking us to choose?" Aleksei wiped his hands over the dress pants and picked his words carefully, "To make that choice, or to even voice our opinion, would be treasonous. We do not get to decide who sits at the head of the table."
"Whoever carries the title is our leader. No questions asked. That is what we have signed up for." Anton glanced at his fellow captain at his side. They both knew who they'd like to have in charge, but the fear of Kenny's rage kept their mouths shut and their tongues still.
"So if Niko were to just hand the ring off to some random person, they'd be in charge?" Karen scoffed and looked down to where the golden ring rested on Niko's right hand. Her thumb rubbed over the gem encrusted insignia and felt weird knowing she had that same logo on the bullet proof vest that kept her safe.
"In theory. But he has named Georgi as his second in the event he is killed. It would go to him if Niko were unable to hand the ring off or name a different successor… It would've defaulted to his child had Kate given birth." Anton let out a shaky breath. He was still reeling over the news Kate miscarried. He continued to carry guilt and blame over her condition. When the doc told him it was possibly triggered from the CPR or epinephrine administrated he had sunk down to the floor and started to figure out a way to offer his resignation to Niko.
'I had failed…'
Aleksei reached over the gearshift and gripped Anton's shoulder. It was not his fault, and he hated his friend was taking the full blame. They should have been more diligent in her care and forced her to get checked out more fully once they agreed to stay in the compound for the foreseeable future. Roy had mentioned about the poison used on Kenny's daughter. Kate should have been a higher priority than she was.
"One last question because… Well. I have this thought. And…" Karen looked up to the ceiling of the car and swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't imagine what Kate must be going through with the knowledge she was pregnant. Key word was. The telltale sign of tears burned behind her eyes, and she blinked rapidly. She had seen Niko's pain… One lone tear escaped free, and she let it go to drip down her chin and land on Niko's forehead.
"You do not have to hide your emotions. We are not all so cold that we didn't shed tears behind closed doors. My wife was thoroughly shaken and upset. Emotions do not make you weak." Anton pointed to the glove box silently asking Aleksei to get some tissues out.
He did as instructed and passed a couple back to Karen, "Your question?" He would get her off the topic of Kate and back to whatever was causing her to ask them all these questions about their organization. He found it odd but figured to an outsider this was all beyond fascinating.
Karen dapped at her eyes as to not smudge her makeup. There was a dark thought that kept circling around in her mind ever since her boss called her explaining Niko took over Kenny's Bratva. It had sent shockwaves through her when Niko kicked down the door to the apartment in Hove. That was the first glimpse of him with the title.
The way he handled himself through the interrogation. How he had put her in her place. The simple fact he could say whatever he wanted, and someone followed it to a tee…
Then when she was given a seat at the table with them all? His leadership, commanding presence, cool and calm demeanor while surrounded by people who could probably go toe to toe with him and win on their best day-
Niko wore the title very well.
Even when he told her he hated it, she knew better. There was a hunger in his eyes hidden below the rage.
"Karen?" Anton looked over his shoulder for a split second when she got quiet on them.
She tilted her head down to stare at the face of the most powerful man in country, who she was currently lovingly caressing his cheeks, and soaked it all in. She took in a fortifying breath and reached out to hold his hand the ring graced.
"What if…
What if Niko refuses to give up the title?
What if Niko is too far gone already?
What if…
What if he fights Kenny to stay as head of the Bratva?"
aaaaaa
"Hey Gordo!" Mal attempted a smile, but her eyes were firmly glued to her friend lightly breathing on the hospital bed. Quietly, as if scared any noise might wake Kate, she edged into the room and gladly took the chair Gordon stood up out of, using his hand for balance as she lowered down.
"Hey Mal. Been a long time, and I got to say you look great!" He kissed her knuckles of the hand he still held and exaggeratedly winked at her. He had hung out with her a few times when Packie needed his help with a job for Elizabeta.
"Wish it was under better circumstances… How is she? Has she been asleep this whole time?" She removed her hand from Gordon's and shuffled a little on the chair hating the harder surface. Soft beeping from the heart monitor smoothed her frayed nerves as it told her Kate was stable.
She watched as Roman scooted over to the opposite side of the bed and placed a kiss to Kate's forehead. His heartbroken expression had the waterworks building again. Roman always wore his heart on his sleeve and it stabbed at her knowing he was hurting as much as she was.
"She hasn't moved an inch since I took over watching her." Gordon met Georgi's eyes and hesitated before going back to his safe position of against the wall… As far away from Georgi as he could get within the small room. He didn't think Georgi would do anything to him, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure.
Georgi casually went back to the folding table and his laptop, checking to see if anything had been touched or moved from where he had left it. It was as he remembered, and he took a quick sweep over the comforter to see if there were indentions from a body or where Gordon could have been sitting. The fluffy fabric was still puffed up from when he had re-tucked it around her body. 'Good.'
"Do you think I can have a minute alone with her?" Roman looked up from studying his future cousin in law to address Georgi, who he figured was in charge with his cousin's absence. He wanted to give his condolences and have some privacy in order to not feel awkward. He didn't want an audience to witness his emotions and reaction. He normally didn't care who saw what when it came to him, but this felt too personal and close to the heart.
"I'll have Georgi show me the apartment and I'll get it set up. I could use some actual food. We are both starving since the hospital didn't let me order anything." Mallorie struggled to her feet and thankfully accepted Georgi's help. She left no room to be rebuked. She had spotted Gordon wanting to protest and she was bound and determined to give her husband the ample time he needed. She would wait her turn this time.
"Gordon can stand watch outside the room. We are not ever going to leave her alone while under our roof. I can promise you that." Georgi felt pride rise in his chest at how Mallorie simply commanded them and worked around anything that got in her way. He bent his arm and held it out to her, catching the flash of mischief in her eyes. 'Between Kate and Mal I will never have a say in what they do…'
"As the way it should be. No more slip ups, yes?" She let him set a leisurely pace as they left Kate's room- Gordon grumbling on his way to stand in front of the closed door.
"Correct." He made sure to keep his speed to her comfort level. He had seen the pain come and go from her and grew concerned. She had been put through her own ordeal. Having someone seconds away from injecting her with the vicious poison, watching as he and Niko fought her off, and then the ups and downs from all the attacks and death. He lifted his free hand and cupped her hand where it rested on his elbow. It was his silent way of asking if she needed anything.
She squeezed his arm and willed her pendulum of emotions to cut it out for an hour or so. She would be ready on her time when the need to talk or crash came. But the other reason for getting Georgi alone resurfaced and she turned to look up at his face, "You know I am a fairly good lie detector. And I picked up on some hostility between you and Gordo. Has something happened between you two?"
"He outranks me. Always kind of has, with him being Kenny's friend. But I find myself getting more and more protective of Niko, and through him Kate, and I didn't like the way he was friendly with Kate at the hospital. You ever just get hunches?" He looked down to her and figured there was no point in hiding anything from her. She'd get it out of him eventually.
"Early warning system? Yeah… So what level did he take it to?" Oh she was going to have some very choice words with Gordon if it was what she was picturing. And then she was going to talk to Kate about setting boundaries. Niko didn't deserve to have something be taken out of context and it hurt him.
He lifted his eyebrow when he could practically see flames dancing within her brown irises, "Easy now. I just walked in the hospital room with her sitting on her knees next to him and he was stretched out on her bed. They were closer than I would deem as friend's only level."
"Gordon knows better. I guess with Gerry gone and Packie MIA he feels the rules can be bent or ignored. I know him pretty well. I can talk to him if you want. Surprised the fear of getting his hand broke by Niko isn't deterring him." She rolled her eyes and smiled when Georgi chuckled.
"I was scared to death the first time she hugged me. That is certain death under Kenny's law." He stopped in front of a vacant apartment and felt around the doorframe for the hidden key.
"I know my Roman thanked you- But thank you for saving Kate and having Niko's back. It means so much to me." She sniffled and cursed her pregnancy hormones to the end of the world. Just seeing Kate so still and buried under blankets, Niko's jacket, and hooked up to so many machines had shoved her to the edge of keeping it together. She blinked several times and tilted her head up to the ceiling to stave off the tears.
But the sob broke free, and it was game over.
"Hey… It's going to be alright." He turned back around to Mallorie and touched her arm, asking permission to hug her or do something to lessen the tears. He wasn't prepared for her to throw her arms around his neck, burrow her face to the crook of it, and cling to him as if her life depended on it. It took him a second to react, but he held her back just as tightly.
"She! She is going to be," Mallorie hiccupped and shuddered as another body quaking sob rocked her, "It's going to break her heart!"
"Mine has already broken for her…" His own eyes glassed over, and he tucked his face down into her hair soaking in the comfort of her embrace. He moved his arms to support her better and accommodate for the needed space between their bodies. Last thing he wanted to do was harm her baby.
"But… But we will be here." Mallorie more or less had to reassure herself that Kate was not about to do this alone. There were too many people who loved and cared for her friend. 'Don't get ahead of yourself… Focus on one thing at a time.'
"And Niko will be by her side as soon as things are settled out west." Georgi rubbed her back to help lessen the intensity of her sobs. He just hoped it wouldn't take too long for Niko to find Trevor, get him to back off or kill him, and hightail it back to Liberty. They were all missing their leader and friend and could really use him back at the compound.
Kate was going to need him the most.
aaaaaa
"Hey Kate… I know you might not be able to hear me. Or maybe you can? If that's the case you can make fun of me later for it." Roman's lips lifted in a half smile as he sank down to sit on the cold metal chair next to her.
"Things are going to look really dark when you wake up…" He paused and looked away from her closed eyes to stare at a blank spot on the wall. Collecting his thoughts and trying his hardest to come up with the right things to say.
"And that's okay. Life isn't always sunshine and cakewalks. I think we both know that to be true. October was one crazy month. But since we share that experience and came out of it on the other side- I have faith we can do that one more time." He clasped his hands together and bowed his head, "I am sorry this is happening."
"For all the faults and struggles my cousin has, you have been the shining light in his life. It is going to be so incredibly difficult- I know. Just." He sighed heavily and let a couple of tears loose as the words got lodged in his chest. Tightness gripped his heart, and he reached out to cross his arms over the edge of the bed and lay his head on them. Taking her from his line of sight.
"I can't lose you or my cousin. If you pull away or take away his source of light it will kill him. I know it. And I want to believe he is just as important to you as you are to him. That if he falls back into old ways it would destroy you."
"When I vowed my life to Mal, it was like I found a part of me that had been missing my whole life. I didn't think our level of love between us could be found anywhere else in the universe. It is powerful and gets me through the hardest of days. When I look at you and how Niko just becomes someone else entirely? I discovered that my true love could be replicated in others." He found the strength to look back up at her wispy reddish-brown hair that framed her pain free expression.
"Just don't go and upstage it. Kind of like how mine is older and already more established." He cracked a smile and propped himself up on one of his elbows, "That one was pretty lame, wasn't it?"
If he thought hard enough he could picture her wrinkling her nose and doing her best to contain her laughter at his horribly timed jokes and one liners that fell flat. But her eyes would always betray her, and he knew she loved his comedy. Their ever-expanding group of friends never understood him, but she did, and he adored her for it.
"Alright. I've probably freaked out my wife with how long I've been away from her. You're going to get through this. I know it. And I'll be here every step of the way if you want me to." His knees popped as he stood up and scooted closer to the head of her bed.
"I love you. Get some rest." He bent down and placed another kiss to her forehead, "I think I'll leave you with something my cousin would've done-"
"When you love what you have, you have everything you need."
His Serbian wasn't the best but getting to hear Niko and Bernie speak it effortlessly had him wanting to remember it and use it. He knew Kate loved listening to his cousin conversate in other languages, so maybe it would help her find her way back to all of them.
aaaaaa
"Jesus Niko! You hide the weight well." Karen huffed as she, Anton, Aleksei, and Sergei carried an unconscious Niko toward the open and waiting door of the motel they had selected for their hideout. Ivo moved further inside as they crossed the threshold. Together they stumbled around coffee tables, couches, and finally dropped him down to the surface of the king-sized bed.
Karen shook out her arms and walked the room checking for hidden cameras or microphones, "How long do you think he will be out. Kind of want to stay on schedule." As if to answer her question Niko snored loudly and rolled over to his stomach, whispering something in a language none of them could speak.
"We can give him an hour. That should give us a good window to have the drone footage available when we head out." Aleksei unzipped his designer suitcase and started to lay out a couple of weapons to have on hand should they have picked up a tail or alerted enemy gangs of their presence.
"Okay sounds good. Um… I'm going to go check in with the front desk and walk the perimeter." Karen tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and lifted her leg to rest on the coffee table. Her fingers moved her dress up so she could tighten her holster into place and check her weapon.
"You? In that dress?" Sergei looked to his boss' to see if they were okay with it. Normally Aleksei scouted everything out and took up watch from a sniper's nest. He also wasn't sure what the level of trust was between them and her.
"This doesn't strike me as the nicest part of town if you know what I mean." Anton eyed her up and down. The black Italian designer dress left not much to the imagination. It hugged her hourglass figure like a second skin and screamed high class and money. Not to mention she was in heels.
"I appreciate the concern. But I am a trained federal agent. I can handle my own." She leaned up and pulled the slide back on her pistol to ensure it was loaded and ready to go. 'Honestly. Do they not remember that Niko picked me to have his six not that long ago?!'
"Fifteen minutes. Then I will come looking." Aleksei started to assemble his sniper. He was still going to do his own checks with the night vision scope he brought along. He had seen a billboard at the corner of the motel, and he would use that to get higher than the surrounding buildings.
"Copy that." With one last look at a passed out, snoring Niko she marched out the unit and stepped back into what her training taught her. Count the doors, mark which ones look occupied or not- how many cars? Fire escapes? She smiled and nodded at a family that was dragging heavy luggage into a unit a few doors down while trying to juggle two sleeping children.
The moon was nowhere to be seen and it casted the small town of Paleto to take on a sinister appearance. Vacant buildings, potholed streets, the random howl of a wolf- it was downright creepy. The streetlamps weren't very bright and one of them was flickering on and off. 'Too many shadows and places to stay hidden…'
The front office was dark and a 'be back soon' sign swung back and forth in the warm breeze of the coastal air. She drummed her fingers on the counter and leaned up in her heels to see if anyone was hiding within the interior. The ache from the arches of her feet forced a silent curse past her lips and she turned to look at the center courtyard where a giant pool and hot tub beckoned her.
'He said fifteen. I could use a quick soak for my feet.'
aaaaaa
"You believe we can trust her? She is the one who betrayed Niko and turned him into an IAA puppet for a time." Anton dropped down on the pull-out couch and asked his team their thoughts. The drive up the coast had been an interesting one. Her ideas and points held merit, but he just couldn't get past what she had originally done to Niko.
"That is still on Niko. As much as her. She like screams 'I'm a cop' vibes." Aleksei mimicked an over-the-top policeman stance and used his hands to form the shape of a gun, earning a couple of chuckles from Sergei and Ivo.
"I see the fresh air out here has finally loosened you up." Anton laughed outright when Aleksei flipped him off, "Go on then. Go sit all isolated and smoke your cigarettes up in some tree."
"I'm just jealous that you don't have to listen to Pakhan's snoring. He hit the bottle hard." Sergei pulled out one of the dining chairs and sat down heavily. He had a few drinks, but nothing to the extent that would cause him to pass out cold.
"Pretty sure that's our fault… We did kind of keep feeding it to him." Ivo took off his sports coat and loosened his tie. They had basically poured it down Niko's throat at the strip club trying to get him to have a good time. The lap dance up on the main stage had helped their boss get out of his funk and it was like the switch had been flipped.
Niko talked, laughed, joked- Hell he even danced at one of the bars. A sight none of them would be forgetting any time soon. Especially since it had been recorded on Anton's phone. But they had enjoyed getting to see their leader break loose and have a good time. Kenny never would allow them this freedom and they drank it in like fish.
"It was worth it. He needed the break from everything that's going on. I thought for sure he was going to refuse to go up on the stage." Aleksei chuckled when Niko nosily rolled to his side and grabbed a pillow, shoving it over his head.
"Nah. He is a man just like the rest of us. Well. At least he and I get some all the time." Anton laughed when Aleksei, Sergei, and Ivo just blankly looked at him, "What? I'm married and he's about to be." He pointed at Niko helping them put two and two together.
"You think she will say yes?" Ivo didn't know Kate as well as the others and was curious to know if he had been honored with getting to talk and meet his boss' future wife. It would make the trip to the park more special to him.
"Not a doubt in my mind. Georgi said he thought they were already married when Niko introduced her to him. The way they just always find one another, it's like magnets. We may not have been in the middle of Natalya's bullshit, but Niko would've burned Liberty to the ground to find her and his cousin." Anton nodded with his words.
"But I do think someone else is trying to butt in. Gordon." Sergei spoke up and felt comfortable now with using his voice. Before he would've stuck to the background and let those above him take control.
"Why do you say that? He's the leader of the Irish now. It would be suicide." Aleksei paused in loading his sniper. There would be a zero chance of anyone catching Kate's attention away from Niko.
"At the hospital. I know my rank and place… But I see a ton. He lingers around her. Offers to be with her when we have things to take care of. And maybe it's because I don't know Kate well, but Ron also seemed to hover. Is she just an affectionate person and is okay with people being in her personal space?" Sergei looked up at Aleksei to see if his thoughts were off or right on track.
"Let's keep an eye out. I'll talk to Georgi when we get back to LC. He has spent the most time around her and Niko. But it's almost been fifteen minutes. Don't need to let Karen get the slip if she really isn't trustworthy." Anton checked his watch and sighed. He really was starting to worry about Karen and how she was hanging all over is boss and crossing lines he had created.
"I'll bring Karen back after I do my checks if she is still wandering around. I got my cell on me. Call when Niko wakes up… If he hasn't gotten alcohol poisoning already." Aleksei shook his head and threw the strap over his head. Niko's snores were loud and obnoxious and every time he would mumble or talk in his sleep they all exchanged smirks. It was seriously surreal at times how the interactions between them all just flowed so easily.
"And to answer your question? I think we can trust her because she is still in love with him." Aleksei opened the door and turned to regard his equal, "Niko is not to know of that. He needs to maintain his trust in her if we are all going to have to watch each other's backs."
aaaaaa
"Oh my God…" Karen nearly moaned as she lowered down at the deep end of the pool and dipped her throbbing feet into the cool water. Her gun was tucked up by her hip in the shadows her body created from the one solo light in the courtyard. The breeze was gentle, silent, and felt like a cozy blanket wrapped around the shoulders.
She leaned back on her hands and lifted her face to the moonless and starless sky, letting her eyes close on a groan. Whoever this Trevor person was, was as good as dead for making her walk all over LS in three-inch heels. And whoever invented the high heel was going to be resurrected and then shot. Repeatedly.
"You're dead."
"Fuck!" Karen yelled out in Russian and lifted her gun, twisting around to try and point it at the person who snuck up on her- only to miscalculate her positioning on the pool's edge and fall into the chilly water. She thrashed around for a second to get her bearings then started to kick to the surface; eyes scanning the ripples for the person to lean over the ledge.
Aleksei squatted down where he had seen her dip below the surface and waited for her to emerge. He hadn't meant to scare her- okay well maybe just a tiny bit- but the moment was too good to pass up. On his way to the billboard he had spotted her relaxing at the water's edge and became miffed. She was supposed to be securing their surroundings and looking for possible enemies.
Karen sputtered when she broke the surface and glared up at one of Kenny's men, "You are a fucking asshole you know that?!"
"I think it's a fair punishment rather than the alternative. I had a clear shot from the parking lot. Does the IAA really leave their agents this open for attack?" He frowned at her and did his best to keep his own ire in check. He was beginning to regret letting her come on this trip. They were not out traversing all of San Andreas for her to fall back in love with his boss and possibly confuse Niko's feelings.
"I didn't think I'd have to watch my back from my own team!" She slapped water at him and swam to the edge and threw her gun up to the concrete surface. The water had saturated her dress and it was weighing her down heavily in the water. Not to mention the coldness was starting to make her shiver. Her fingers trembled when she gripped the rounded lip of the pool.
"Not everyone can be trusted close to you." He had leaned back away from the water she chucked at him and managed to avoid getting any on his borrowed Italian garb.
"Yeah! I'm starting to see that. Ugh!" She failed several times to haul her body up and rested her forehead to the smooth title just under the lip. A bitter laugh escaped her chattering teeth, and she pushed back from the wall and started swimming over to the shallow end and steps to get out.
Aleksei had moved forward to offer her his hand, but she beat him to it. There was something within that laugh that he didn't like one bit. It was almost like resignation, or like she had been pushed too far. That there was another problem lurking under the surface of her standoffish and brash wall of protection she placed around herself. He gracefully stood up and picked up her pistol. Her shoes caught his attention and it dawned on him why she was by the pool to begin with. Blood had dried along the back interior.
"Give me that before you decide to put a round through my head and dump me in the ocean." Karen jerked her pistol free from his loose grip and hiked her dress up to shove it back into the holster. She was now cold, shivering past a level she could control, and close to a breakdown.
Aleksei watched her shake as she attempted to re-holster her gun, failing twice, "Here." He whispered and let his rifle drop to his side and took hold of her wrist and the barrel of the gun. She flinched at the touch and stumbled back away from him, a quiet 'I can do it' reaching his ears.
Karen unbuckled the holster and successfully shoved the service weapon into its rightful place, safety strap clicking with the snap. She took in a couple of deep breaths and stared at the slightly warm concrete beneath her feet. Why had she felt fear flood her when his hands touched her skin and gun? 'You know why.'
Something caught his attention on her upper thigh and turned slightly to let the light hit it from over his shoulder. Shiny, pinkish red skin that was barely raised in a jagged manner ran the length horizontally across her otherwise unmarred skin. Till he noticed another patch on her upper arm of her body. Same side as the leg wound. She must have noticed him staring as she tugged the soaked dress down to try and hide it from view.
"You know nothing about me. And your scorn, and, and your judgement just reminds me why it's just best to work alone and shut everything and everyone else out." She hobbled past him and bent over to pick up her shoes. A long hot shower, a change of clothes, and maybe a short nap in the car would do her a world of good.
"Who'd you take the bullets for?" Aleksei knew what graze wounds looked like. Had a few of his own. He watched her go completely rigid and her fingers curled harshly into the high-end fabric of her heels. Water continuously dripped from her nearly fallen apart bun and plastered her hair to her fair skin. Her thin spaghetti straps for the black dress slipped down her shoulders and sagged the front opening more over her chest and his eyes glued to her thundering heartbeat that was visible.
Fury at always being questioned and doubted ignited the shortest of fuses and she spun on her hurt feet and closed the distance between them. She had to crane her neck to be able to bore her eyes into his smoldering ones. The darkest of browns matched her intensity and the ridiculous desire to have his eyes rake over her body again caused her to shiver for an entirely different reason.
"The bullet graze to my thigh and arm were in defense of Kate and Packie from Natalya's men, which were at one point Kenny's." She hissed dropping her shoes and shoved her holstered weapon to his chest forcing him to hold it. She turned around and yanked the hidden zipper loose she hadn't seen when putting the dress on originally down. Splayed across the middle of her back was a giant scar that started just below her right shoulder blade and zigzagged down to her left hip. A thinner, more careful surgical scar was offset from her spine, "Natalya shot me with her sniper when I was trying to drag Niko to cover. The bulletproof vest only slowed it down."
Aleksei felt his insides squeeze at the marred and damaged skin. His fingertips deftly traced the pattern, his mind conjuring how a fifty-caliber round would rip apart skin, break bone, and rupture organs. When she didn't immediately pull away he firmed his touch and memorized what she had given in order to protect his current boss.
Her legs turned the jelly the instant he outlined her battle scars. The nerves never fully repaired after the surgery and touch was either extremely sensitive or barely there. But tonight it chose to blossom and flow through her. It was almost agonizing how tender he was being to her back, and she forced herself to turn around to face him.
His eyes held a softer look than before, and it caused her to pause in her rant. She darted hers between his and began to read him more clearly. The solid wall she had yet to penetrate with him vanished and his head tilted ever so slightly- his own assessment of her.
"Then… Just last night I took one to the chest for Niko." She whispered her words and reached out to take his free hand. She moved it to where his index finger was extended out and dragged her dress down with it between the valley of her breasts revealing a large deep purple bruise.
"You may think I am nothing more than a mouthpiece for a government agency that would happily have all of you in prison. Or I am just around to try and steal Niko back from someone who I am starting to call friend. Or that I am a tagalong that will only slow you all down." Her eyes glowed with the reflections off the pools rippling surface.
"I am more than that. I have nearly died protecting Niko. I am loyal to him. Do not ever make me explain this again." She took a step back from him, instantly missing the warmth of his finger, and picked up her shoes. And like the walk of shame she took off half undressed, carrying her shoes, and fighting off angry tears.
aaaaaa
Alright- this is part one of two chapters with them in Paleto. Johnny is going to make his appearance finally in this story. Feel like I've been building up to this for *checks word count and chapter count* 33 chapters and 356k+ words. I feel like this story will surpass The Price We Pay by a long shot. We still haven't gotten to the Valentine's party and the finale.
Speaking of- I am trying to decide when Niko will ask her. It fits so well in so many different places within the ending arc of this story. And I am struggling with how to word it. Niko isn't really a talkative person in game, and I've drifted pretty far off from his normal self within my stories. Everyone really has. Lol
But! Up next! The Lost MC meets up with our ragtag team from Liberty!
One Love!