04

Nothing.

I sat still, waiting for a sign that it was safe to come out of hiding and run. I needed to get to the police station and I needed to call Jack.

Dammit, Rebecca is going to be pissed if I miss work because of these assholes.

I let out a small breath.

« Ah, there you are Lea. »

I clawed at the hand that fisted in my hair, but I refused to scream or cry out.

« You should have just stopped, Lea. » None pulled me up and held me in place in front of him by my hair.

I held his cold, steely eyes as he searched my face and caressed my cheek with the barrel of his Glock and continued to hold onto the hand that he had tangled in my hair as he pressed the end of the cold metal against my temple.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as his finger slowly squeezed the trigger, but still I refused to scream.

My gaze held None’s and I watched as different emotions seemed to pass through his eyes.

« No witnesses Boss. » I recognized voice number two from last night.

I cringed ever so slightly under the hardened glare as None nodded, « No witnesses. »

Blackness slowly consumed me as pain coursed through the side of my head. « No witnesses, » None’s cold voice whispered as I allowed the darkness to wrap me into its welcoming arms.

Carter’s P.O.V.

« Boss ? » My number two, Darrell, and his brother Darrien, looked at me questioningly as I held Lea’s still body against my chest. « What are you doing ? »

The shock was evident on the twins’ faces as I swiftly and effortlessly lifted Lea and started toward the theater entrance. I had just violated one of my own rules ; Never leave a witness alive.

There was just something about the way she had herself together, the way that she stood defiantly against me as I pressed the barrel of my Glock against her temple, the way she refused to scream or cry or beg in vain for her life as she held my gaze.

She would be pissed, and she would have one hell of a headache when she woke, but at least she would be alive.

« Let’s go. »

I didn’t wait for the two men as I quickly made my way to the waiting Escalade. As I stepped out with Lea in my arms, Tony exited the driver’s seat and opened the back door. He glanced down to Lea and back toward Darrell and Darrien and let out a low whistle.

« Should I even ask ? » Tony looked back at me.

« No, » I growled out as I slid into the back, careful not to bruise Lea anymore than what she would be.

Tony closed the door and resumed his position as driver while Darrien slid in the front passenger seat and Darrell took the seat next to me. Once we were all settled, Tony pulled out of the alley way and turned away from the sounds of sirens.

« You know this complicates things. »

I ignored Darrell as I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the seat, holding Lea steady in my lap as I did. « Did you dispose of the cars ? »

« Yes, » Tony looked back at me and nodded. « I torched both Marshall’s and Lea’s. To the naked eye, it will look like they were the only two involved in the accident. »

« How do you explain the absence of a body in her car ? » Darrien asked pointedly.

« She escaped just prior to her’s going up in flames. The authorities file an injured, missing, and endangered report ; yada, yada, yada. » Tony waved one hand in the air dismissively.

We rode in silence until we reached the private airport.

« Boss, » Darrien paused and rubbed his bare head. « You do know that taking her across state lines is a federal offense, right ? »

I let out a small chuckle, « After all the international shit we’ve done, you’re worried about something as small as a federal infraction ? » I let my expression go blank and my steel eyes go dark, « Grow a pair, Darrien. »

Tony pulled to the plane and surveyed the area. « All clear, Boss. »

« Do you have someone lined up to dispose of the Escalade ? »

Tony nodded his head, « Yes. »

I knew I could count on Tony to clean things up. It was just one of his jobs and he was very efficient at taking care of the details that I didn’t have time to be bothered with.

« Good. »

We exited the vehicle and boarded the plane. « Welcome back, Boss. »

« Thank you, Marcus. »

My pilot looked to Lea and smiled softly. « Going soft, Boss ? »

I narrowed my eyes at Marcus, « Are you sure you want an answer to that question ? »

Marcus put his hand up in surrender and backed into the cockpit. « I’m good, Boss. »

« Good. Now, get us in the air. »

I walked to the back cabin and sat on the edge of the bed as I laid Lea down, brushing her hair from her face as she moaned softly.

Darrell walked in and stood in the doorway. « She really got under your skin at the diner last night, didn’t she ? »

All three of my men had given me hell about how Lea hadn’t backed down from me as we sat across from the diner. They where keeping an eye out for our target, Marshall, while I found myself watching the young woman as she went about her task at Black Cat’s.

I nodded and continued to smooth her hair back as I looked her over, « What is it about this one ? » I looked over to Darrell. « Why the hell did this girl effect me so much that I couldn’t put a bullet in her ? »

Darrell shrugged a shoulder and smirked, « There is always one, Boss. Whether you want it to happen or not, it does. »