Second Chances(blair/lady)

Nyx Morgan paused as she entered the park, glancing around the near empty space as she pushed her shoulder length blond hair out of her face. The curly strands were in her way, but she didn’t want to pull it back because if she did pass someone that she didn’t want to, it offered some mask of security against being recognized. Though she was new to town, there was still a chance that someone might know who she was. The fact that the only man she was looking for, was one that everyone kept telling her to walk the other way from, just made her move to meet him, all the more enticing.

No matter how many times the local cops made a run for his family, the try to bring down the crime family always seemed short, despite having the mob son standing there and feeding information. To the point that the powers that be were worried that he’d really switched sides, and was playing both sides for his own benefit. Nyx, with a outsider’s ability, had the idea that the man was just tired. He’d been undercover 10 years, and it hadn’t been a easy ten years. She had no doubts that he was tired of it. Though offering to get another agent into his personal hell either meant he was setting her up to fail, or really was that eager to get out, that he was willing to cut another deal, risk another life, to make it happen.

The fact that her boss had sent to DC to ask her to join the New York team in hunting his family, just meant that it was someone he hadn’t meant before. Which made her wonder if he’d already formed the opinion that anyone who would offer to come here as his ‘girlfriend’ was really a whore, or just that desperate to close a case. She was neither, but she had her own reasons for reaching out to a man as isolated as this mob son.

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts she walked through the park, knowing that somewhere between here and the other side, her and her new partner were going to have that accidental meeting that so often leads into romantic moments, or in their case, a meeting that left them with a reason to pretend to be dating.

Winston Skarsgard walked through the park, the color of his black coat pulled up and a grey scarf snugly pulled around his neck. A cigarette was hanging out of the corner of his mouth, and his hands were shoved in his pockets. It was a cold day in NYC, which made the meeting even more annoying for Winston. As much as he needed this new girl, he also hated to think too much about it. After all, he was leading her into a fiery pit of hell, all because he was not man enough to break away from his father's business. He was taking this young (probably naive) agent and into a world that was going to make her wish she never joined the force.

"Afternoon, Miss Morgan," Winston murmured, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and tossing it on to the pavement. He crushed it under his foot and looked down at her with icy blue eyes. "I see that your flight left you in one piece... I apologize for not being able to pick you up from the airport myself, but you see, I had something to take care of at home." His voice was rather emotionless, but genuine. It was clear he was worn down and far away from any sort of feelings that could be had. His life was a wreck, after all.

"To catch you up to speed, my father believes that when I have been at the police station for the past few years, I was actually seeing you. That's Thursdays and every other weekend. I'm a private person, so it's plausible that I would wait quite some time before introducing you... You will be meeting my father and brother tonight at dinner, and they believe I have asked you to move in with me. I live in the mansion, of course, but in my own wing. Privacy is limited, but it's available. If I moved out, I'd be questioned. It's too big of a risk right now."

Nyx ducked her chin a little as the man approached her, warding off the chill of the air and giving herself a moment to gather her thoughts. While she’d known Winston Skarsgard was a beautiful man, she hadn’t been prepared for the cold, polished beauty of meeting him in person. And while naïve in some ways, the woman wasn’t as naïve as Winston thought she was, at 24 the girl had led a hard life leading up to this point. The fact that she had willingly volunteered for the assignment of being in close quarters with Winston made her superiors wonder if she was merely ambitious, or actively suicidal.

“Afternoon. And as for picking me up, I’m perfectly capable of flagging down a cab for myself.”She shrugged a little before looking up at the man. Once again unsettled by just how good looking the man was. And she knew there was brains in that pretty skull, otherwise the man wouldn’t have stayed alive this long. But if he was that intelligent, she wondered why he hadn’t run the first chance he got. She knew there had to be a reason, just as she had her own reasons for allowing him to be her escort into hell.

Running her fingers through her hair again she tilted her head as she thought over what the man had just told her. “Moving in means sharing a room doesn’t it?”She muttered after a moment. While it disturbed her somewhat to be in close quarters with someone she’d just met, she knew it was for the best. She just wasn’t used to sharing space with someone else. “Anything else I should know?”She asked before sighing softly. Deciding that the best way to go about dating, was to let him know some things about her to, seeing as she knew everything the cops knew, and everything else she could learn by just being with him. But he needed to know some things before they pretended to date.

“I’m a only child. I tend to not get along with people because of it, at least not for long. I try, I really do, but I’m cold, argumentative, and downright nasty to be around at times. At least according to the last person I tried to date. Just so you know.”She said smiling a little at him, sighing softly. “Well. Shall we go ahead and head back to the house? Might as well get this horror show on the road.”she muttered, well, at least she had no delusions about just how badly this could go for both of them.

Winston smirked at her a bit. Good. She was intelligent and independent. He could work with that.

"An only child, twenty-four, ill-tempered," he murmured, making mental notes. He handed her a folder. Inside was a fake I.D., birth certificate, social security number, college diploma, and a teacher's certificate. "You went to school to be a teacher. I met you during your senior year, and while you finished school, you had no need to work. I've been taking care of you financially, understood? There is also a couple credit cards in there. Use them as you please, but be careful on buying anything suspicious. My father has eyes all over this town."

He gave her a very serious look, shoving his hands back in his pockets. "Yes, that means sharing a room. However, I have my own living quarters, and the couch is rather comfortable. I've fallen asleep on it many times..." He frowned a bit and looked out at the large crowd crossing the busy street. The town was all hustle and bustle at this time of day, making it a perfect meeting place.

"My brother is moving in from college today," he sighed, "So that will take a bit of attention away from us until we get to know eachother. Until then, keep to the basics."

With that, he nodded to the Mercedes parked across the street. "Come," he murmured, "We need to get going."

Nyx smiled a little as she opened the folder, looking it over. Before tucking the I.D. and credit cards into the wallet she’d bought, and the rest into the modest, not over the top big purse she’d gotten. If anything, she looked his social match with the thigh long trench coat, a pair of snug jeans and a sweater under it. She looked comfortable and relaxed,even if she was a bundle of nerves over what was coming up next. Nodding absently at his words to show she understood she smirked a little. “Well, I guess that means no shopping at Guns and Ammo, more like trips to victoria’s secret and macy’s.”She teased a little, offering a flirty smile though it went no further then her lips. While she knew he was handsome, and her body had that gut level reaction to him, but her mind knew that they couldn’t do it, because it would make a complicated mess, even worse.

“Well, at least you have a comfortable couch for me.”She mused, amused because she had spent more time on a couch then she had in a bed. “Basics it is then.”She said shruggins as they headed for the car,rolling her eyes a little. Of course it was a Mercedes.

When they reached the house Nyx swallowed hard looking up at the mansion, shuddering a little. Despite being years on the force, and being undercover before, this was a whole new game, and she had a feeling whatever was waiting for her in that house, was going to be like nothing she’d faced before. “Well, here we go.”She muttered bracing herself as she got out of the car, walking around to his side, waiting for him to head up for the house, watching the hustle of servants moving things back into the house. How one person got so much crap to go to college, she’d never understand.

Rhys grinned as he stepped around the back of his own sports car, holding a pile of books, pausing at the sight of the girl with his brother. Tilting his head slightly as he considered the two. “Hey, Win.Who’s the girl?”He said, his smirk widened as his gaze flicked over the well toned body. The playboy knew no boundaries, and as the second son, and sheltered from the life his brother led, while reaping all the benefits of being a mob son, the man had very few boundaries, and absolutely none where it concerned a beautiful woman. Even if the said woman belonged to Winston. Really, it would surprise no one that if Winston really liked someone, that he’d wait until he was sure about her feelings to wait to introduce her to his playboy of a brother.

"Hello, rhys, right?"Nyx said smiling a little, a bemused look on her face. while she had known about his antics, being faced with the playboy she had no idea what to think of him.

Winston took a good look at his brother and narrowed his eyes playfully. "This is my girlfriend, Nyx," he said, putting a protective hand on the woman's lower back. It was hard to tell if it was just an act, or if he was truly irritated by his brother's flirting. "We've been together for a few years now, and I figured it was time to... bring her around the family." He clenched his jaw a bit, because even though it was an act, it was still a bit nerve-wracking. His father was a hard man to read. "I'm going to take her up to our rooms. She's had a long flight and would probably like to rest before dinner, you know."

He nodded toward the stairs, leading Nyx across the large entry way of the mansion. "Father wanted to see you," Winston said over his shoulder, "He did not say why, but I figure you should make sure to see him immediately. You know how he is. The two of us can catch up and dinner." He gave his brother a smile (a genuine smile) that showed that there were very few people who truly cared about, and one of them was most definitely his brother.

“Hey Nyx.”Rhys grinned wider, tilting his head, though the smile warmed to genuine delight, there were few things he enjoyed more than flirting with his brother’s girlfriends. Not only because it annoyed Winston, but because he was interested in making sure his brother ended up with a good girl, a loyal one. If he got laid in the process of getting rid of them, that just made it even better. Shifting the books he was holding he nodded. “I’m sure she’d enjoy the rest.”Rhys’ smirk was just this side of perverted as he considered what ‘resting’ would entail before sighing quietly as he watched the two head inside. “I’ll see you then.”He said smiling back, this time without the teasing, a genuine smile this time.

“Bye rhys.”Nyx said over her shoulder as she let Winston direct her outside, looking a little wide eyed as she looked around her. Amazed at the sheer amount of money on display. Quiet until they got to his rooms she shifted her bag off her shoulder, biting her lip a little.”I only brought the one bag. Figured anything I needed, I could buy here. You did give me credit cards…you might want to take them back…I enjoy shopping.”She said smiling, talking because she was nervous now that she was actually here, actually dealing with him.

Shrugging, Rhys sat the books down on the entry table he headed for his father’s office, pausing for a moment as he rapped his knuckles on the door before stepping inside, smiling a little. “Father?Win said you wanted to see me.”He said, the playboy persona melting into the calmness that was rarer for him then it was Winston. While the two brothers enjoyed each other’s company, Winston was one of his best friends, Rhys and Winston couldn’t be further apart in their rebellions. Winston had run to the cops(not that rhys knew that), and Rhys had turned into what everyone expected of a rich kid, brilliant, player, and most of all,the man who went to all extremes to live his life to the fullest.

Winston took her back as they entered the sitting room of his quarters. "Just so you know, I will be taking the couch," he said, rolling his eyes a little. The comment she made about him offering the couch made him wonder exactly what kind of guys she had been dating in the past. He thought it was obvious that he was implying he'd be the one sleeping on the couch... "Shop as much as you want," he said, "Do you really think you could put a dent in my bank account?" He smirked a bit, because he knew she had no idea how much money he had. The police force didn't even truly know. Despite working with them, he was still a very private person.

"Don't wear bright colors," Winston said as he made his way toward the bedroom. "My father isn't one for obnoxious colors. He likes sleek sophistication... And right now, you are supposed to be a girl who is trying to get herself into this family." He shrugged. "Impressing him is important, despite the real circumstances."

***

Balthazar Skarsgard looked like an older version of Winston, with greying hair and lines around his eyes from years of stress. He was a vicious, cold man. The only love that was ever displayed was for his sons, whom he cherished. However, it was understood that even they did not hold a permanent place in his life. If they stepped out of line, they'd pay for it, just like their mother did long ago... Rhys was just an toddler, but Winston (who was eight at the time) still remembered the moment his father had found out his mother had been unfaithful. Balthazar shot her straight through the skull at the dinner table, had the maids clean up the mess, and told Winston to never speak of his mother again. To this day, Rhys was still led to believe his mother had died from illness.

"My boy," Balthazar murmured, letting a warm smile crack his usually cold demeanor. "I'm glad you are home for good this time."

He snapped at the maid who stood at the corner of the room, ordering her to pour them both a drink. "Just in time, I might add," he said, "After all, I have let you lead your life as a relatively normal college student for the past few years. I respect your education... But tonight, my son, you are no longer a college student. You are a man, and I have a job for you... A job that will test you and tell me if you are strong-willed enough to handle the family business."

He smiled and took a sip of his drink before grabbing the television remote. When he flicked the TV on, the image showed the basement of the mansion. It was dark, but a single light hung over the motionless form in the middle of the room.

"Annabel Abernathy," he said, nodding to the screen, "Detective Abernathy's daughter." He smirked a bit, clearly happy with himself. "You may seen her around campus... She was a freshman this year at NYU. Promising student, I might add. Not a lot of friends, which made things easy, but I had her snatched up at a fraternity party that was celebrating the end of the semester. I had one of my men slip something in her drink, and she has been out cold since."

He turned to his son with a downright vicious grin. "You are to be her keeper. I want her contained, but taken care of. She is my ticket to getting control over that damn detective, once and for all. You do as I say with her, alright? As of now, she stays in one piece, but if he makes a wrong move... Well, I'm sure you catch the drift." He winked at his son. "First, I want you to go down there and introduce yourself. Tell her the circumstances. Once she is awake and screaming like a little idiot for help, I want it on camera. Understand?"

Nyx eyed the amazingly big couch, that looked big enough to double as a twin bed before looking at the man. “It looks comfortable enough.Besides, its your bed. It seems…weird sleeping in it without you.”She said wrinkling her nose a little, looking younger then she was in that moment, not thinking about how it might sound like she was inviting him to join her, but she wasn’t. she just disliked taking things from others, even something as simple as sleeping in a bed that he was offering. Grinning she tilted her head.”Well, I sure as hell can try. The world’s biggest Victoria secret is in town, I’m sure I can entertain Rhys with shopping there.”She snickered a little, saying it just to see how he’d react to it.

Sighing a little at his words she nodded.”Well, it’s a good thing I don’t like bright things anyways.”She shrugged a little as she frowned at her suitcase, trying to decide what to wear to dinner before crouching down to find something. Drawing out a pair of black slacks and a snug black turtle neck sweater she looked coolly prim and proper when she walked out of the bathroom, tilting her head slightly. “Good?”She said turning in a slow circle to let him get a good look at her outfit, wanting his opinion before she went to meet his father.

~~

“I’m glad to be home. Especially since Win showed up with a girl.”Rhys grinned as he took the drink from the maid, so at ease in his father’s company, and so used to his father snapping at maid’s that he didn’t even react to the maid’s flinch. “Thank you for that. It was interesting, being normal.Well, as normal as can be.”He said tilting his head a little, wondering where his father was going with it. After all, he knew heart to heart talks like this wasn’t what his father normally did, so he knew that Balthazar was going somewhere with it.

Raising his eyebrows a little at his father’s words, he wondered if he would indeed prove strong willed enough to do it. He knew he wasn’t like Winston, wasn’t ice cold. Sometimes he wondered, despite the rich feelings between the siblings, how any woman could stand to be near him, Winston just could be so…. Indifferent.

Eyes widening as he looked at the screen he schooled his features into polite indifference as he watched the girl, amused though, that his father seemed to pleased with himself. Staring at Annabel he nodded a little.”I have. She’s taking some of the same courses I was.”he said before nodding. “Well,I am sure I can keep her in relative comfort.”He smirked, thinking to himself to what he could do to entrain himself with this girl, before nodding.”I’ll make sure the camera shows it.”He said standing,straightening his clothes.”I’ll go check on her before dinner.”He said walking out and heading downstairs to see to the girl. Actually wanting Winston's advice on what the hell was happening, after all, this was the first time he'd ever had to do something for his father, but no matter how lost he was feeling, he knew better then to interrupt his brother while he had a woman in the house

Winston clenched his jaw a bit at her comment on his brother. "Don't lead him on," he said, "Rhys likes to test the girls I date when I choose to bring the home. If you so much as give him a flirty eye, all bets are off. He will dislike you, and in turn, my father will dislike you." He swallowed hard. "My father has very strong feelings against women being unfaithful." He turned away and took his coat and scarf off, revealing a black button-down shirt. He didn't dare go into detail about his mother. Even the police force does not know about what had happened to her... He had never been able to bring himself to talk about his mother death. Never. Not with his brother, friends, women... It was something he tucked deep within himself.

Turning, he frowned. "Nope," he said, "Not going to work. You got the colors right, but a turtleneck? Come on." He moved over to his closet, walking to the very back where he had some of his past girlfriends' clothes. When he came back out, he was holding a tight-fitting black cocktail dress. "This should be around your size. Wear this. I assume you have heels."

He sighed and sat down on the couch, running a hand through his hair. "No rush. Dinner won't be for another half hour..." Leaning back, he turned on the television.

***

When Rhys entered the basement, Annabel was beginning to stir. Her long dark hair was a mess around her head, strew across the cold cement floor. She was still wearing the party dress from the night before, but her make up was smudged beneath her eyes. Her throat was dry from the lack of hydration and the immense amount of alcohol she had the night before, and her head was pounding... When her eyes finally flickered open, and her limbs started to come to life, she realized her right ankle was bound by a metal chain attached to a pipe...

Slowly, she forced herself to sit up, but it was no easy feat. Her head was spinning from the alcohol and drugs. "Holy shit," she gasped, putting a hand to her head. When the door opened, revealing Rhys, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Finally, she was starting to realize that this was no dream. She was chained up in a dark, cold basement, and the only thing familiar about the scene was the senior that was in her western literature class the semester before. What the fuck?

"What's going on," she croaked, her throat so dry it hurt, "What are you doing here? Is... is this some sort of fucked up punishment for passing out at the frat house?" She started to pull on the chain in a vain, hopeless effort of stubbornness. "Let me out of here, and I won't tell my father."

“Fine.No flirting with the kid who’s younger then me.”She said sighing a little as she watched him for a moment. Glancing down at her clothes she scowled a little. “Its comfortable.”She scowled annoyed with him changing it even if she’d asked his opinion. Taking the dress she nodded.”I do.”She sighed a little looking at the dress before running her fingers through her hair. “Are we experimenting in cross dressing, or just not throwing out after girlfriends?I don’t want to wear someone else’s clothes.”She teased, trying to reach out towards him because she knew something.

They’d be working close together, in close quarters for awhile now. No matter what else happened, they had to be able to pull off the in love couple, and being comfortable enough around the man to tease him about things, would help. Though she wasn’t sure how he’d take it, she had to adjust to her new life quickly, otherwise this whole thing was going to blow up in their faces. Changing she frowned at herself in the mirror, looking at the sexily messed up hair, the light makeup on her face, looking younger then she was, young and naïve.

Moving back into the other room she sat down next to him to strap on the heels, glancing over at him as she did. Feeling awkward in the clinging dress. He’d been right, it was a size to small,but it fit, and fit well, making even her average sized breasts seem bigger. She looked slim, young, and like the perfect plaything for a mob son.”So, what should I expect from your father?”She asked, curious. Wondering what he’d say.

~

Rhys smirked a little as he listened to her speak, pausing in the doorway as he watched her come to terms with what was going on. “Well, it is a punishment, but not for anything you’ve done.”He said as he carried the glass of water and a small plate of food into the room with him, setting them on the floor before crouching down in front of her, “If I let you out of here, my father would skin me alive.”he snorted in amusement, tilting his head.”You never did figure out my last name did you?”He said looking amused because despite having met her, he guessed she hadn’t made the connection between the college senior and the skarsgard mob family.

“I’m Rhys Skarsgard, and my father has…decided that you are more useful here, then at college. I have been put in charge of your care.”He said smiling slightly, willing to play kind and helpful for the time being until he figured out just what he was going to do. This was just to weird for him, to be able to act normal. “Do you need anything besides food and water?”

Winston sighed a bit and looked over at her. "He will probably look up and down every chance he gets, but another than that, he prefers women to be seen and not heard," he said, laying his arm over the back of the couch. Oddly enough, it seemed like he was inviting her to come in closer, to get used to being with him. After all, if they were going to play this off, they needed to get used to touching... "I do not believe in that philosophy, by the way," he murmured, looking into her eyes. "My father and I are very different, despite what he likes to believe."

After a moment of intense eye contact, he turned back to the television. "Just be sure to only speak when spoken to, or if you are complimenting him," he said, "And... Well, don't be taken off guard by my body language. I'll probably keep you close and by me at all times. I don't want him to get suspicious on my intent."

***

Annabel looked at him closely, and when he mentioned his last name, her eyes went wide. "No..." The word came out in a whisper of disbelief as she looked at the handsome classmate before her. He was a good student, both smart and handsome. She had never suspected this of him, ever. Mainly because her father did not tell her much about his work. He made a great effort in shielding her from the harsh world that surrounded her, and it took a lot of begging and pleading to even let her go to NYU.

"You have me here... to punish my father," she murmured, realization slapping her in the face. She took the glass of water, and as much as she wanted to throw it in his face, her body forced her to chug it for hydration purposes.

"I want out of this basement, that's what I want," she snapped. However, she knew it was no use. Her body was already shaking out of fear. What were they going to do to her? Nothing good, she assumed. This was a brutal mob, after all, and they were out for blood.

Tears began to form in her eyes, and she sniffed. She hated that she was crying, because she wanted to be tough, but she was scared. She'd never been put into a fearful situation before. Her father had made sure of that.

"H-how did I get here?"

Nyx looked thoughtful.”I can be silent when needed.”She said thoughtfully, because overall, she hated silence, it drove her insane to be stuck in a life where she could only been seen. She’d been raised like that, and in the last 8 years since she’d left home, she’d worked hard to forget the lessons that had been engrained on the child, but it was a reason she knew she could pull off this life. She’d grown up in something similar, so she could do it. She had to. Shifting to curl her legs up under her she leaned into him, intending to get used to acting like a couple she smiled.”Good.”she said as she met his eyes.

“Well, I can deal with staying close to you. Don’t want anyone to think I’m open game to be taken.”She said well aware how some of the men probably where with women they found if unaccompanied by someone. She’d hate to be outted as a cop for defending herself against something like that.

~~

“Yes.”Rhys said tilting his head as she stared at him in disbelief before shifting to sit on the floor next to her, leaning back on the wall and shifting her slightly so that she was leaning against him. Unwilling to let her struggle to hold herself up and he hated to see a woman cry. “You know I cant do that, even if I wanted to.”He pointed out sighing softly. He disliked this, no one should be kept in a cage, and no matter what it looked like, this was a cage for her. For the first time, he understood what made his brother so cold, you had to be, to deal with this.

“One of my father’s men drugged you at the party last night and brought you here. That’s why you feel so bad. The drugs are worse when they’re added to alcohol.”He said his hand fisting at his side as he resisted the urge to stroke her hair. He was to much of a ladies man to enjoy seeing her so upset, but he also knew he was on film, so he couldn’t do much beyond holding her up so they could talk without his father freaking out. He knew his father would have a issue if he started treating her like most of the women in his life.

"Exactly," Winston confirmed, his voice professional as always. However, his hand moved to caress her shoulder, letting his fingers graze the soft skin that the dress left exposed. Damn. He couldn't do this. It was going to be hard as hell to be this close to a woman, and also have to keep her at a distance for her own good. As much as would love to take her to bed, that was all he could offer her. He was not used to letting others in emotionally. Sex was always his way of showing affection.

"Now, I need to let you in on something that I'm sure will come up in dinner conversation," he sighed, keeping his eyes on the screen. "My father has Detective Abernathy's daughter in the basement. The chances of him letting her go are very slim, but so are the chances of him killing her. He will keep her around as long as she is useful, and from what he told me, he was putting Rhys in charge of her. He's not used to being a tough guy, so she might be okay... I need you to act like this information doesn't disturb you at dinner, okay?"

***

Annabel only let him hold her up because she could not do it on her own. Her head was still spinning, and the crying was not helping. Not in the slightest. "I... He doesn't tell me anything," she insisted, sniffing and wiping under her eyes, "I am no good for any sort of information. I swear." The truth was, her and her father did not even have that great of a relationship. Her parents had been divorced since she was seven, and she'd always lived with her mother. Her father only came in to the picture to restrict her and shield her from the real world...

Her tough exterior was starting to melt, because she was clearly started to get scared. The reality of the situation was sinking in. She was a hostage... Something to use to get back at her father.

"You can't even tie me up in another room?" she said, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, "I don't want to stay down here. Please."

Nyx shuddered a little as the man's fingers brushed against her shoulder, swallowing hard as she rested her head against the back of the couch. While she had known she was pretending to date him,and it wouldn't mean anything beyond the casual touches, the girl had been alone for a long time, and winston made her wish their circumstances couls be different because right this moment,nothing could ever happen for them.

Shocked into silence for a moment,not knowing what to say before her head turned to look at him."w-what?you have got to be kidding me."she said her eyes dark and angry as she considered what the man had told her. She knew that she had to get over it,not let it affect her but it broke something in her to know that a woman, no a child in their world,innocent in a way her and winston weren't, was being used in this game. And as bad as it was, dhe did find comfort that his playboy of a brother had been put in charge of her. Swallowing to calm herself she ran her fingers through her hair before standing."we better go. Its almost dinner for dinner."she said remembering how long he said they had till dinner. And needed to get her first meeting with his father behind her.

****

"You're not here because you have information. Father just wants to have you under control,because with you here, he's fucked up your fathers ability to move against him without putting you in danger."he explained matter of factly though there was sympathy in his face.

Though not as invovled as his brother, the 22 year old had grown up a mob son and was...left with little sympathy for others. Frowning slightly he nodded."I'll set you up in my wing of the house. You'll be guarded,ut it will be more comfortable then here."he said standing and unchaining her. Picking her up easily as he headed to his rooms.

While it probably wasn't what his father intended, he was going to keep her somewhere he was sure that none of the guards would consider messing with her. Which meant his roooms because everyone knew he didn't appreciate anyone invading his privscy. Very similar to winston in that way.

"Again," Winston murmured, standing up from the couch, "I need you to act not disturbed." He gave her a sidelong glance and straightened out his shirt. Taking her hand, he led her out of his room and down the hall, nodding to the various guards that stood along the walls. Balthazar had one thing going for him, and that was an amazing security teams. These men, on a daily basis, devoted their lives to protecting their family one way or another.

When approaching the dining room, he squeezed her hand and led her through the double doors that were opened by two servants. He smiled at the sight of his father already sitting down at the head of the table, sipping on a glass of wine. The man was in a good mood, a result of having that Abernathy girl, no doubt.

"Father," Winston greeted, his voice taking on a slightly different tone before. It was still a grave tone, but powerful. He actually sounded like the heir to a mob. "This is Nyx. Her things are being moved in as we speak."

Balthazar grinned and looked Nyx up and down, but did not stand up or move to greet her. "Yes, yes... Sit."

Winston sat down on the left side of the table, bringing her around to sit beside him. Once seated, he placed his hand on her thigh. "Where's Rhys? He's usually never late to dinner, especially the first night back from being on campus."

"Taking care of the Abernathy girl," he said, taking a sip of his wine. Turning to maid, he snapped and waved her to the door. "Go fetch my son."

***

Once they were up to his rooms, and she was sat down on his bed, Annabel brought her knees up to her chest and bit her lip. "Thank you," she whispered, taking in her surroundings. It was hard to admire the beauty and luxury around her when she knew she was being held against her will.

Reaching up, she ran her hand through her hair and glanced up at him. What a handsome man... A handsome, dangerous man who didn't bother mentioning he was a fucking Skarsgard. Not even that time they were in the same group for a midterm project.

"Well, tell your father 'thanks' for letting me finish the semester," she grumbled sarcastically, "It's nice to know he values an education... I'll always remember my freshman year."

Tears were in her eyes, but she was too bitter to sob. "Is that why you were in that class? I don't think you're an English major," she said with suspicion, "Were you there to stalk me? To see where my dorm was and who I spent time with? I have a boyfriend, you know! He's probably worried..."

Of course, she didn't really know what a douche bag she was dating. The guy had another girl on the side all semester, making for a few lonely nights on her part, and while she thought he was probably worried and out looking for her, he didn't even know she was gone yet. After all, she was still cuddled up to his other girlfriend for the weekend.

“I wont, but I’m allowed acting…like myself when I’m with you.”She said frowning a little before calming, forcing herself to not think about it. Swallowing hard as he took her hand, absently stroking the back of his hand with her thumb, nervous about what was going on. Glancing at the guards she knew there was a reason Balthazar was still in charge, he wasn’t careless with his life or what was going on in his world.

Smiling slightly at the sight of Balthazar she turned her head slightly, looking up at Winston at the slight change of his tone. It was subtle, but there. Swallowing hard as she watched Balthazar look her up and down she glanced at Winston before offering a soft, “Hello, sir.”She said sounding awkward. Despite the man’s warning his father liked silent woman, it seemed rude to not say hello since she was indeed living in his house. Relaxing slightly at the touch of the man’s hand on her thigh, sipping her wine as she watched the two men talk as the maid nodded and left the room.

~~

“….I never said you couldn’t finish. Well, he probably would think that it was a overindulgence, but I can throw enough money at the school to let you study and take the classes online.”Rhys said tilting his head, taking her sarcasm as seriousness. While he was fairly sarcastic himself, he rarely ever saw it when others were talking to him, so he tended to try to take the ridiculous stupid things that people said when they were being sarcastic seriously.

Frowning at her he let he out a startled laugh.”As if I’d ever attend a class to just stalk a pretty girl…. Okay, I might, but I didn’t.”He shrugged carelessly, unworried about her boyfriend. After all, he knew the kid. Even just in passing, the brief acquaintance between the two men had left the kid with a broken nose as rhys caught him flirting with his girlfriend. While he played with girls, rhys didn’t take kindly to others making moves on them before he was done with them. “I have a history degree with a minor in English, should I ever decide to write a book or something about my historical findings.”He said, shrugging, as much as it pained the popular man to admit, he was somewhat a geek with his history lessons and his need to research.

Glancing up at the maid as the woman knocked on the door he sighed, before standing, looking down at Annabel.”I have to go to dinner. Do you need anything before I leave?”He asked studying her

Balthazar raised his eyebrows at her greeting, but didn't seem bothered. It was only when women stepped out of line that he grew angry... "I'm hoping your brother will prove himself with this job I've given him," he murmured absently, "I'm quite aware that I... coddled him a bit too much. Much more so than I did with you, and I'm afraid it may have long lasting effects." He pressed his lips together and took another sip of his red wine.

Winston shook his head, even if he was in absolutely agreement. His father did make a greater effort to foster Rhys' youth, unlike Winston's, and it added to his ever growing bitterness. However, he knew that his father only doubted himself out loud so that someone else would assure that he was being hard on himself, and that he did the right thing.

"Father, you fostered his education," Winston said, "And by doing so, you helped with appearances where the public is concerned."

Bathazar grinned. "I suppose you are right."

Winston smiled a bit and squeezed Nyx's thigh, trying to help her relax. He nodded to her glass, silently suggesting that she drink to help with her nerves.

***

Annabel perked up a bit. "Wait... You'd do that? You'd let me atleast study?" She had not expected that, and while she didn't consider studying her idea of fun, it was better than nothing...

When he stood up, she looked nervous at the idea of being left alone. "I... No, I guess not. Well, you can bring some wine up. I'd rather be a tipsy hostage than a sober one." She shrugged a bit and hugged her knees to her chest.

Nyx smiled a little as she took a sip of her wine, forcing herself to relax. Biting her lip a little because the woman was awkward with having silence, she had no idea how to act with Balthazar. At least with Winston, she knew how to deal with other cops. Tilting her head at Winston, offering a hesitant smile. She didn’t like the idea of family get togethers when it was her own family, this was so much worse.


“I would. I’ll see what I can do about getting your books.”He said sighing as he tilted his head.”I’ll bring wine, and some harder stuff. I’m sure Win wouldn’t mind sharing his bourbon with a pretty girl.”he grinned, that devil may care smile tweaking his lips, teasing her just a little bit, hoping to piss her off. At least if she was angry, she wouldn’t think to hard about being left alone. “I’ll be back. I promise, and I’ll lock the door so no one can come in.”He said as he left, flicking the lock, effectively locking her in, as well as everyone else out.

Making his way downstairs he smirked at the sight of his brother and his girlfriend, tilting his head in greeting at his father.”She is doing well now. And the video is awaiting your viewing pleasure whenever you want.”he said as he sat down, his eyes flickering to Nyx, wondering if she really was a cool and collected as she appeared.

Balthazar nodded to his son, looking pleased. "I was told you transferred her to your rooms," he said, taking another sip of wine, "I'm hoping it is because you are taking advantage of a pretty girl with no where to go, and not because you have grown soft." His voice was stern, and his words were blunt. If he had not been raised by the man, Winston would have thought his father's words were insane. What kind of father would encourage his son to rape a girl instead of comfort her? Balthazar, that's who... And deep down, Winston was humiliated that Nyx even had to hear that.

"The girl could get sick in the basement," Winston interjected, "It's nearly winter. We don't want her to catch hypothermia before we get out use out of her."

Balthazar pressed his lips together for a moment, then turned to his younger son. "I sincerely hope that is your reasoning, Rhys," he said sternly. "As for the video, I'll watch it in the morning. I have a meeting after dinner... But it better be good. It will be the first video I will send to the detective." With that, he smirked.

The tension of the room seemed to calm once the maids started to come in with the main course, allowing everyone to shift back in their seats and admire the nice cut of meat before them.

Rhys tilted his head a little as he reached for a roll, looking amuse at his father's words. while both brothers had different ways of dealing with what they saw as something uncivilized, at least Rhys wasn't young enough to think that there was any answer but the one his father wanted."Of course I'm not feeling sorry for her. She's a pretty piece of ass, and I have every intention of getting laid if she's going to be here for awhile."He shrugged before shrugging a little at his father's words."It's adquate. She accused me of attending college to just get to her, as if I'd ever want to spend time in a class if I wasn't there to learn."The youngest sarsgard snorted in amusement because it was true. Even if he had been sent after her, he wouldn't have attended classes unless he wanted to.

Nyx stared down at the plate of food in front of her, before stealing a quick glance up. “And I am sure Rhys will find plenty of uses for her. Though, she is in college yes?Maybe if you allowed her to study, she would be easier to deal with.”She said, with the calm rational of a woman that was used to problems like whether or not a kidnap victim was going to be reasonable or not. If you weren’t aware of who she was, that the woman was a cop, you would really think that she was advocating the rape of another woman. Flicking a glance at Winston before looking at Balthazar, flushing a little.”I am sorry…I just thought that it would be a good thought…I did not mean to offer insult by butting in…”She swallowed hard as she stared back down at her plate and started nibbling at her food.

Rhys smiled tilting his head a little as he studied his brother’s girlfriend, a flirty smile twisting his lips as he looked at the beautiful woman in the cocktail dress. While he’d hate her if she really did act on the flirting, he was more then willing to flirt with anything with beautiful legs.That, and she'd saved him from bringing up the topic of books with his father, it was going to be interesting to see how Balthazar reacted. Glancing at Winston he smiled as he started to eat. “What are you doing these days?I feel out of the loop. I haven’t been home long enough to know what anyone does.”He sulked a little, because he both loved and hated the fact that the two elder skarsgards didn’t involve him in the family business, but he also felt excluded.

Balthazar grinned a this youngest son's response, looking quiet please. "That's my boy," he said, tipping his wine class and taking a sip. "Gives me a few ideas, actually..." After he finished it, he had the maid switch him over to a glass of whiskey. Winston soon followed, not about turn town down liquor in the presence of his father.

When Nyx spoke, Winston immediate turned his head to subtly glare at her. He wasn't mad at her, but dammit, she needed to remember what kind of situation they were in. Gently, he squeezed her thigh. "Don't be foolish, love," Winston murmured, his voice taking on a flirtatious, yet condescending tone. "Nothing is too hard for us to deal with, and studying will be the least of her worries while she is in our care."

Balthazar nodded and began to cut into his steak. "Rhys can handle the girl whether she is compliant or not."

Turning to his brother, Winston sighed. "Detective Abernathy found some... incriminating evidence where the prostitution business is concerned. He busted down one of our slave auctions," he admitted, "Father and I got out just in time. The next night, I went up to the party on campus and drugged the girl." He shrugged. "And now you are in the loop."

Winston had to work hard at not allow himself to look embarrassed. He didn't exactly like the idea of Nyx knowing that he was the man that his father sent to get the girl, and that was the business he was taking care of that kept him from picking her up at the airport.

After Balthazar had finished off his steak, he didn't bother to wait for the others. Quickly, he wiped his mouth with his napkin, downed his drink, and looked at his watch. "I have to get to that meeting," he sighed, then looked at Rhys. "At midnight, I want you to bring the girl to my rooms. Make sure she is bound and gagged." Standing up, he patted the youngest son on the shoulder. "Winston, I need the next group of girls ready by morning."

Winston looked caught off guard. "The morning? I thought we were holding off on auctions for the time being..."

Balthazar narrowed his eyes. "Don't question me, boy."

Winston nodded respectively. "Yes, sir."

And without another word, their father left the room, heading for the limo that would take him to his "business" meeting.

Nyx sighed softly looking down at her plate as Winston squeezed her leg, her shoulders hunching a little at his tone. It was extremely difficult for her to be meek,and even more so in his father’s presence. She hadn’t thought she’d have such issues being quiet and not being as open minded as she usually was. “I know, Win.”She muttered picking up his brother’s name for him, easily acting the part of his girlfriend.

Rhys barely hid a sigh, well it seemed he wasn’t going to be able to get her her books after all. Maybe he would let her have his? Eating he nodded,”I’ll be fine with her. She’s just another female to corral.”He said easily, and while he was dismissive most of the time in his father’s presence with the females he associated with, Winston knew that even if his relationships were brief and quickly burned through, the man cared for them, doted on them, and mostly respected them in a way that most mob sons didn’t bother.

Looking surprised that the detective had managed to get evidence, and more to the fact that his brother had been the one to go get Annabel. While he knew his brother had a active role in their family business, he couldn’t remember the last time Winston had done something like that. Nodding goodbye to his father as the man left he smiled.”I’ll see you at midnight.”He said watching him go before watching the interaction between father and heir. Standing after a few moments he grinned at Winston.”Well, I’ll see you later. I have things to deal with.”He said before heading back upstairs, carrying a bottle of wine and a small plate of snacks. Nudging the door open he sighed softly as he walked in“Annabel?”

~~

Nyx was quiet as she finished eating and as they headed back upstairs. Looking tired and beaten, she just knew that this was going to be bad. More then anything else, this reminded her of the childhood she’d tried to forget, and she didn’t know why she was here, with this man, besides the fact that he deserved someone who didn’t think he betrayed the cops to the mob. Because that’s why she was really here, her boss thought he’d gone rogue, and totally succumbed to the lifestyle. Nyx wasn’t ready to believe that yet.

Walking into his room she waited until the door shut behind them, running her fingers through her hair as she sat down on the couch, resting her head in her hands.”I guess silence is harder for me than I thought…”She said avoiding his eyes, feeling sick at the idea of what Annabel was going through, and more so because the man she was with had put her there. If only Winston hadn’t had to keep his cover, he could have protected her. Instead, he’d put a innocent in danger. Feeling even sicker as she realized that she wasn’t going to be able do anything about it.

Winston turned to Nyx and shook his head. "I guess it is," he grumbled, walking over to the bar and popping open a bottle of whiskey, "I should have known better. It's not your fault." His tone was bitter as he poured himself a drink. He knew that this was going to be a failure. What were they thinking when they convinced him to take a partner? She was young and too ambitious to be able to control herself around his father in the ways she had to... And she was also too young to be dragged through this hell he called a life.

"I'm going to call the station tomorrow," he sighed, turning away from the bar to look at her, "I think that it would be best if I continued to do this on my own... My family is too dangerous, and I'm not sure that I can make myself put you through all of it." He frowned. "I'm sorry... I guess you can consider this breaking up." He took a gulp of his whiskey and started to head toward the doors that go to the balcony.

***

Annabel walked out of the bathroom, a plus white towel wrapped around her body. She was using another towel to dry her hair. "I took it upon myself to take a bath," she said quietly. She moved to sit in the arm chair on the other side of the room, letting the heat from the fire place warm her still damp body. Eyeing the snacks and wine, Annabel seemed to brighten up a little. She had not truly expected that he'd bring them to her, and it made her feel better. This was a horrific situation, but maybe he would help the pain... After all, he was also quite handsome.

"So you want to get me tipsy, after all," she said, nodding to the wine bottle, "Did, um... Did your father happen to say anything about, well, me?" There was still, deep with in her dark eyes, a glimmer of absolute fear. Would they ever let her go? Would they hurt her? She knew this was no good...

Nyx sighed softly as he looked up at him, resting her chin in her hand. Studying him for a long moment as she considered what to say. The woman didn’t want to share her past, and if he had really turned, telling him why he had gotten a partner, would get her killed. But…he looked actually concerned about her being here. Despite how twisted her family had left her, her honor wouldn’t allow her to abandon her, even if he wanted her to. Standing she got a drink for herself, before following him out onto the balcony.

“You can’t. You’re getting a partner, or they’re prepared to write you off, and you wont live through the next raid.”She said simply, her eyes sad as she sipped her drink.”Cause you know, there’s always accidents.”She said as she stared out over the clipped lawn, her blond hair falling easily over her shoulders. While she knew the DEA would never assassinate or set out to get someone killed, if they thought he had betrayed them, they wouldn’t be careful about getting him out either.

“I’m not as naïve as you think I am. It’s just been years since I had to restrict myself to Family rules.”She said her voice holding just that hint of scorn about ‘family’, which made you wonder, did she had more experience with the mob then just as a cop? “I wont leave you here without someone watching your back win, even if you want me to. I’ll fight you over it.”She muttered, because well, she had her own reasons for wanting to stay at the 28 year old’s side.

~~

Rhys grinned at the sight of the towel wrapped girl, his eyes flickering over her, “feel free to get naked in my rooms anytime.”He said looking amused as he set the food down on the side table next to her, before tending the fire, making sure the fire was warm enough before he collapsed into a chair near hers, sighing softly.

“I always want to get women tipsy. Easier to convince them into bed.”He mused before sighing softly. “We have to go see him at midnight when he gets back from his meeting, but nothing else.”He said simply running his fingers through his hair. “He was distracted with Win and his girlfriend. Moron had to bring a girl who cant keep her mouth shut. It’s going to be interesting.”He said, using the story, not because he thought she’d care, but because he wanted to give her something else to think about besides his father wanting to see her.