The Lives We Lead (jaceyboo & Traveler)

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey sighed, twirling a strand of her long, dark hair around a slim, manicured finger as her eyes scanned a page of the outdated Vogue magazine she flipped through. If Darren really expected her to waste her life away here, the least he could do was provide decent entertainment for her, though she would never dare say that to him. Whether she said it or not though, he knew that she would rather be at home, but he simply didn’t trust her to be there without him, not unless someone was there to watch her, but there were very few people he would allow into his own home. Instead, he kept her there, in the old, run down, ‘abandoned’, warehouse downtown. It was a building that wouldn’t make anyone think twice, which for him, made it the perfect place to do business.

Though the inside was nothing to brag about, it proved much nicer than the outside of the building. Aubrey’s room, as Darren referred to it, had a bookshelf with several books on it that she felt as though she’d read one hundred times each, as well as a few little decorative knick knacks he’d said reminded him of her. There was a rather large, flat screen tv she had grown tired of watching, along with a collection of DVD’s she’d already watched. She sighed as she laid back onto the chaise lounge that sat in the middle of the room, tossing the magazine aside as she began to flip through the channels on the tv. Her blue eyes glanced over at the clock on the wall, wondering how long it would be before Darren would come to her rescue. She knew that he was in the building somewhere, but she also knew that she had a zero chance of finding him, considering the man that stood outside the door of the room she was in would only allow her to make it as far as the bathroom before cutting her off.

Again, she found herself wishing she was at home and in her bed, but even then, she knew she wouldn’t be happy. Yes, there were times that she could be happy, but overall, this wasn’t the life she wanted to lead. If it was up to her, she would have left a long time ago, but to Darren, that wasn’t an option. When she had first gotten involved with him two years prior, she hadn’t fully known what he was capable of. At 20 years old, she hadn’t been the best behaved. She had fallen down the wrong path, and from there, fell into the arms of her boyfriend. Even then though, she was still a good person overall, despite some of the choices she had made, and Darren had known that, which was why he kept her at bay for awhile. He picked and chose what she did and didn’t see. Her innocence blinded her, letting her see the good in him while she tried to push the bad aside, not fully understanding at first what he was truly capable of.

And there she was, two years later, 22 years old and still playing the same game. There was so much more that she knew now, things she didn’t want to know. She knew that Darren was a monster, but even then, she still tried to see the good, simply for her own sake. Leaving him wasn’t an option, no matter what he did to horrify her. It was clear to her by then, that if she wasn’t with him, she was simply a liability. She knew too much to simply be wandering around without his watch, which was why he kept her so close. And despite how many times she had tried to leave, how much she had wanted to escape this life, she feared the day that he no longer wanted her. As long as he wanted her to himself, she was safe, even despite the dangerous life that he led, but if he ever decided he didn’t need her, she could only guess what he would do.

 

[Traveler]

There was shit that his woman understood about the life he led to provide for her, but Darren knew that she was a good enough girl; she was obedient and beautiful, and she could fuck like the Queen of the Nile when she had a few drinks in her. Dareen had loved her every since he first saw here there, on the playground in the eighth grade. He was just a piss-ant pot runner then, selling a few dime bags for his cousin and palming a few dollars for his effort, but even then he knew that he wanted Aubrey for his own.

She was hot. He didn't approach her until he had his act together though; he was nearly 22 and she was only 20, but by then he had learned enough about women to know exactly what to tell her and what to do to snare her heart and make her his.

Of course, he had been shorter when he was a kid. Short and skinny, but quick. Quick to run, quick to learn, quick to claw his way up the dealer ladder until he ran the entire region. No drugs got in or out without his say so.

Nowadays there wasn't a fucker around who would call Darren Roman of being a short, skinny kid. No... he stood at nearly 6'4" and was 230 pounds of pure muscle and attitude. He was the kind of guy who could have any girl he wanted on her knees, begging for his attention. But he only wanted Aubrey. She was his woman; his lady. Everything he did to build his empire he saw as being for her benefit, though he was also so afraid of losing her so he kept her in the Warehouse under careful watch.

It was for her protection, of course.

Today the metal door to the lift opened and the locks were thrown, and Darren walked into the grand warehouse and towards Audrey's personal rooms like he was the king. He had a big smile on his face and he clapped his hands together to announce his arrival. Behind him were his usual guards and entourage of thugs, but there was also a new face.

This new face was close at hand, and when Darren caught his lover's eye he put an arm around the stranger's shoulders and grinned broadly at Audrey. "Babe! I want you to get dressed in your sexy red dress; we're going to go and celebrate on the town!" He squeezed the other man's shoulder.

"Aren't we, Tony?" Darren looked at the other man like he was his long-lost brother.

Indeed, the guy could have been related to him. He had the same dark, swarthy handsomeness that came from heritage in the Mediterranean, and though his face was covered in a six o'clock shadow, his lean jaws and bright green eyes pierced through the air as he looked at Audrey for the first time.

"If you say so, boss," he said, appearing sheepish and somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't boss me, Antonio! You busted their balls today, saved me two hundred grand!" Darren squeezed Tony's shoulders again before letting him go and walking towards Audrey. "You wouldn't believe this guy, Baby! Those motherfucking nigger cocksuckers tried to intercept our shipment today and this guy - Antonio! - he fuckin' gets in there and totally ruins their fucking days, didn't you Tony?" Darren grinned and pointed at the other man. "This guy, he's regular Bruce Fucking Lee. Didn't fire a shot; but they're all sleeping with the fishes now."

Darren clapped his hand together like he did when he was happy. "So... we're going to celebrate, eh? Get my man laid and show him a good time; show him how I treat my most loyal men, hm?" He reached over and cupped Audrey's ass in his hands to pull her forward and kiss her possessively in front of his men. "How's that sound, Baby? Let's go have us some fun!"

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey was a bit startled when Darren burst into the room, having been caught up in some cheesy reality show. Her cheeks flushed lightly as she sat up, clad only in a tank top and boy short panties, though she knew that Darren's men knew better than to look for too long. She sighed, running a hand through her hair which was a bit tousled from laying down, offering Darren a small smile as he spoke.

She raised her eyebrows lightly as he went on , the look on her face not showing that she was the most excited about the news. Her lips were pursed as he spoke, humming lightly in acknowledgment. It wasn't that she didn't care, or that she wasn't proud of him, but she knew that when things like this happened, he was just dragging himself down deeper. Yes, he was careful and skilled in what he did, but things like this didn't go unnoticed, and she knew that. She was terrified that one day, the cops would come bust in on them and have them all put in jail, and these little victories of his certainly didn't help to calm her nerves.

Her eyes shifted over to the man that Darren was boasting about, carefully looking over him. For a moment, she wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into. If he was anything like her, and many of the men that had worked for Darren, he wouldn’t see how hard it was to lead this kind of lifestyle. By the time he would want out, it would be too late. Finally, she tore her attention from him and put her focus back on her boyfriend, who was still boasting like a young child.

“Darren..” she chastised lightly as he grabbed her ass in front of everyone, the way he kissed her taking her breath away for a moment. Her cheeks were flushed once more as he pulled away, biting her lip slightly as she stared up at him.

“Thats great, baby." she finally told him, offering a small smile. It would be clear to everyone but Darren though, that she didn't seem thrilled about going out. If it had been up to her, she would just go home, and enjoy a quiet evening, but those seemed to be a rarity lately, and god forbid she tell him she didn't want to go.

“Now get them out of here so I can change.” she told him, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

She sighed as the men left, reluctantly getting up and walking over to a door within the room, that led to the adjacent room which provided as a walk-in closet, leading into the bathroom. It didn’t take her terribly long to get ready, considering she was already a natural beauty. Her hair already had a light, natural curl to it. She slipped on the short, form fitting, strapless red dress that Darren had requested, her body displaying it perfectly. It accented her curves in all the right places, a good amount of cleavage revealed as well. Applying a bit of mascara and eye liner to make her eyes pop, she finished off with a hint of red lipstick, the tone matching that of the dress.

Her eyes scanned her body in the reflection, adjusting herself a bit. She tried not to worry too much about how the night would go, hoping that perhaps a few drinks could do her some good. With that, she slipped on a pair of black stiletto heels, and wandered out to find Darren.

 

[Traveler]

Darren was carrying on with the new guy, Tony, when Aubrey finally came out of her room. "Hey! You're looking like a million bucks!" his Jersey accent became more prominent when he was happy, and today Darren was extremely happy. The entourage poured into matching black Escalades. Of course, Darren made sure that his new protege was in the SUV that he was in.

Audrey's place was next to Darren, as usual. He'd expect her to sit next to him so that he could wrap an arm around her and claim her as his own.

Tony sat in the front seat with the driver, his place allowing him to talk to Darren but not to see his boss as they drove down the freeway to the downtown district where all the best clubs were. It was still early in the evening, a good three hours before sunset. As they drove, though, Darren fondled Audrey through her dress and slid his hand up her thigh. "I can't wait to get you on the dance floor, babe. You know how hard these kinds of deals make me." His eyes narrowed lustily and he smiled at her in that half-intoxicated way he got when he was imagining her in one of her sexy lingerie outfits. He loved the color red on her, though; it was his favorite color for showing off his arm candy.

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey tried not to appear disgruntled as she climbed into the back of the car with Darren, knowing that ruining his mood would only make the night miserable for both of them. As usual, she was quiet, half listening as he spoke with the new guy, still sounding as enthusiastic as he had before. She found the whole thing somewhat strange, never having even heard of this man before, but now suddenly he was one of Darren's best men? Something just didn't seem to add up, though she kept her mouth shut about it.

For a moment, she found herself lost in thought, tuning Darren out, at least until his touch brought her back to reality. She inhaled sharply as she felt his hands sliding further up her thigh, the action pushing her dress up slightly. Her eyes darted up towards the front to make sure no one could see them, sighing as she offered Darren a light smile. "Can't take you anywhere.." she whispered teasingly, her hand grabbing his to keep it from moving any further, though she still kept it pressed to her skin.

She forced a little laugh as he spoke, trying to play along despite the fact that she really had no desire to go out, let alone dance. "Get me drunk first." she told him in a half-joking tone, though she was being completely serious. A part of her felt bad, knowing that she should be happy for him, but honestly, she just wanted things to go back to how they had been in the beginning of their relationship.

 

[Traveler]

"Ah, baby..." Darren looked at her with his sexy Mediterranean eyes and smiled softly. His hand wanted to ease up and creep towards her thighs, but for now he let it go and just held her hand. "You can take me anywhere; love has no borders."

Tony tried to hide the smirk that lifted his lips at his bosses corny remarks by looking out the window.

"Hey, 'Tone!" Darren's semi-drunk happiness made him a little more brazen then usual. "Hey, we gotta hook you up tonight. You did good." He looked over at Aubrey and grinned. "Did I tell you, babe? Two hundred fucking grand, the shipment was. And those motherfuckers tried to take it from us." He shook his head.

The driver, Bruno, kept his mouth shut and his eyes on the road. He'd worked for Darren long enough to know when the boss just wanted to hear himself talk.

At the club, Antonio jumped out and did a quick survey of the area before opening the door that was next to Aubrey. He waited as Darren pulled his girl into a passionate kiss, deep and probing, before letting her get out of the car.

 

[jaceyboo]

"Mhmm.." Aubrey hummed lightly in response, her eyes darting out the window as they approached the entrance of the club. 'You only told me about twenty times.' she thought to herself, though she simply nodded along as he spoke, knowing that he would probably retell the story another several times before the night was over, especially once he got a decent amount of alcohol in his system.

Her body relaxed lightly as he kissed her, finding herself leaning in to him as his lips moved against hers. She sighed as he pulled back and allowed her to get out of the car, again wishing that she could have simply spent time with him alone that night, though she tried to push the thought aside as they made their way into the club.

The group earned several stares as they made their way in with ease, skipping the line that made its way all the way down the street. Aubrey squeezed Darren's hand lightly, glancing towards the bar before slipping away from the group. Already, she was finding it hard to deal with the flashing lights, loud music, and crowd of people. She knew it would be a long night, and even though she wasn't particularly in the mood for drinking, she would need a few drinks to keep from losing her cool.

Offering a warm smile to the bartender as she ordered a shot and a mixed drink to start the night, she tried to ignore the stares of the lonely men surrounding the bar in hopes of finding a girl to target for the night.

 

[Traveler]

Darren and his little entourage took over a large booth in the corner of the club. Drinks were ordered, and soon sexy lithe girls flocked over in hopes of gaining favor with one of the wealthy, powerful men there. Anyone who liked a 'bad boy' was bound to be happy; the table was chock full of them.

The leader of the pack noticed a couple of rough, strong looking guys eyeballing Aubrey at the bar. He motioned over to Tony. "Eh, make sure those creeps know to keep their mitts off my girl will ya?"

Antonio glanced over his shoulder at the men in question and then nodded. A moment later he had woven over to where the two guys were running fingers along their bottom lips as they appraised the ass on Aubrey.

Tony slid up behind one and quickly slammed his head on the bar. The other whirled around, his hand grabbing the bottle of whiskey in front of him like a weapon.

"Ah ah ah..." Tony waggled a finger at him as he released the other and let him slide to the ground. "Some girls it's okay to look but not touch, but Darren's girl there is off limits." He smiled at the much larger man. "If you want to keep those eyes in your head I'd suggest looking elsewhere."

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey, as well as the bartender who was used to Darren and his men picking brawls, were the only ones who reacted calmly. In fact, Aubrey didn't particularly react at all as the mans head was slammed into the bar just next to where she was sitting. She raised her eyebrows lightly as she watched the large man slide to the ground, her gaze lifting to meet Tony's for a brief second as she shook her head. "Jesus Christ.." she mumbled, taking the shot that had been place in front of her.

"Two more." she said simply to the bartender as she pushed the empty shot glass towards him, taking a sip of her mixed drink before looking down at the man who was still groaning in pain on the ground. "And put his drinks on Darren's tab." she added, glancing over to look at Darren, her lips pursed in slight anger.

She sighed lightly as she took another sip of her drink, taking it down much faster than she should, desperate to no longer be sober. Her eyes shifted over to Antonio once more as the bar tender handed her two more shots, a crooked smile forming on her lips as she handed one to him.

"Acting like Darren's puppy is only so fun for so long." she warned him. "Here's to when you realize how much he'll make you hate your life." she added, her eyes still locked on his as raised the glass lightly and took the shot. "Hopefully at that point, it won't be too late for you." she whispered as she stood and walked past him to the table where the rest of the men sat, brushing against him lightly as she did so.

 

[Traveler]

"You heard her," Antonio said to the bartender. "Put his drinks on Darren's tab." He smirked at the man on the ground and then watched as the other man thought better of flirting with Aubrey and backed away. Darren's girl seemed rather upset that he had stopped her unwanted attention though; maybe she wanted to tease her man? Make him jealous?

He merely grunted at Aubrey's warning and waited for her to go back to their table. When she brushed against him he had to wonder if she liked the attention of men she shouldn't have. Her touch had been sexually flirtatious; she seemed to like the power her sexuality gave her.

Tonio slid the still full shot glass back to the bartender. "Trade this for a sparkling water?"

The bartender took the shot himself and popped open a Perrier for the muscle, not caring what he drank. The bodyguard thanked him and slid a ten into the tip jar before walking back to his group.

"See?" Darren raised a hand in Antonio's direction. "I tell him to make sure that those small-dicked bastards know that Aubrey's off-limits, and he makes sure that everyone understands. That's what I like about him. He doesn't fuck around." He laughed and slapped his hand down on the table.

Antonio smiled and took a sip of his water from the green bottle. Yeah, he thought, [/i]this job is too important for there to be any doubt.[/i] He tried not to look at his mark's sexy girlfriend. She didn't seem all too happy to be there, but she had to know what her boyfriend did for a living didn't she? How could she not know? It didn't matter who got hurt or who had to go to jail; whatever it took to bring down Darren Roman was what he would do to get the job done.

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey shoved past two of the girls that were trying to catch the attention of the men at the table, earning a couple of dirty glances as she slid into the seat beside Darren. Without any hesitation, she reached for one of the drinks that had been brought to the table, not even giving the alcohol she had just consumed a chance to kick in and take affect before starting to down another drink.

She knew that she was being dramatic, and that drinking the night away wouldn't do anything to make her feel any better in the end. She just wanted to go home, and more importantly, forget who Darren truly was for a little bit, have him treat her the way he had when she had first met him.

A sigh left her lips as he once again started boasting about Antonio. She couldn't seem to place why, but it angered her. Maybe it was because he was getting more attention than she was, or perhaps it was because her own boyfriend couldn't stick up for or protect her, but that he had to send someone else to do it. Either way, she just wanted him to stop.

"Give it a rest Darren.." she mumbled, the alcohol seeming to make her more bold, rather than relaxing her. Almost immediately, she feared how he would react to her words, especially considering she had said them not just to him, but in front of other people.

 

[Traveler]

As Antonio sauntered back to an observation position near Darren's table he noticed that the girlfriend was really trying to get wasted. She was way to small to be drinking that much.

Darren put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close so that he could kiss her. As he talked to his home boys about his new acquisition, he could feel Aubrey's shoulders tightening up.

"Give it a rest Darren.." she mumbled.

Darren looked over at his girl. "Give what a rest? Can't a man be excited about having a good muscle, finally? Don't you remember how that coward Bruno ducked under the car the last time some mother fuckers shot at us? Or how about Loren? That fucking cunt tried to steal from me!" He reached forward and grabbed a whiskey, downing it before slamming it down on the table. "I finally got someone who's not afraid to get a little dirty to get things done."

He looked up at Antonio. "You're my brother from another mother, you know what? I love you, Bro."

Antonio nodded. "Whatever you say, Boss." He gave Aubrey a short look. "Maybe you should go home if you can't hang with Darren. He doesn't need anyone to shit on his party."

 

[jaceyboo]

She was silent as Darren spoke, her eyes cast down as she tried to ignore the stares of the men at the table as Darren boasted on. She jumped slightly as he slammed his drink down, some of it splashing onto her. As he continued, she simply nodded, not looking up until Antonio spoke.

Her eyes widened lightly at his words, her gazing turning to Darren, expecting him to say something in her defense, but as her boyfriend remained silent, she felt an emptiness inside of her. Normally, she was a strong person. Being with Darren, she had to be. Just as what he did had hardened him, it had hardened her as well, but there was something in Antonio's words that struck her, that made her simply want to break down.

'If she couldn't hang with Darren..' He was right. She couldn't. She had hung with Darren for two years, and now look where she was. More than anything, she wanted to go home. Home to what she had known before she had met him, but as far as she knew, that would never happen.

"I..I'll see you.." she said to Darren, though she couldn't bring herself to look directly at him, trying to gather her words as the tears started to fill her eyes. "...later." she finally managed to choke out, hurriedly trying to get out of her seat, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep her composure much longer.

By the time she made it out the back door of the club, she was already crying, her small body trembling lightly as she slumped down onto the ground of the small alleyway.

 

[Traveler]

Darren watched his girlfriend nearly break down and embarrass him in front of everyone. What the fuck was wrong with her? Maybe it was her time of the month. He slowly turned to look at the new girl who slid into Aubrey's place. Fuck... she was hot too. But Aubrey was his, and he was going to have to straighten her out.

"Hey Boss," Antonio jerked a thumb in Aubrey's retreating direction. "You want I should go drive her home?"

It seemed like a good idea to the mob boss, who nodded and then began to talk smack with his boys and fondle the bar whores who seemed eager to have a bit of his action.

Antonio quickly tracked the girlfriend out the back of the club. He was expecting to see her storming towards the taxis, but when he saw her crying in the dark it struck him as tragic. She wasn't just the mob bosses girlfriend; she was a person who was hurting deeply. He knelt next to her and touched her shoulder.

"Aubrey," his voice had softened from the gruff asshole voice he used inside to one that he reserved for talking jumpers down from their ledges. "Honey, let me get you safely home, okay? You don't need to be around all this shit. You're too good for this."

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey hadn't even heard Antonio approach her, her face buried in her hands. It wasn't until he reached down and touched her that she noticed him, jumping slightly as she turned to look at him.

Her eyes were red from crying, her makeup a bit smeared. There was a certain innocence about her though in that moment, her face giving off the look of a fearful child. She sniffled a bit as he spoke, wiping her eyes as she tried to pull herself together, though it didn't really seem to work out.

"But I'm surround by 'all this shit'. Every single day!" she practically shouted, both her pent up emotions, and the alcohol talking. A new set of tears began to roll down her cheeks. She was tired, angry, drunk, and confused. She knew she shouldn't act like this, after all, it wouldn't help anything, but at that moment, what else was there to do? The emotions that had been bottled up for so long, were now steadily flowing out, and she didn't know how to react to it.

"I just wanna go home." she whispered, burying her face into Antonio's chest, clinging to him as though her life depended on it.

 

[Traveler]

Oh God... she looked like a little girl who had been playing in her mother's make up. The innocent look to her eyes and the hopelessness made Antonio want to protect her, but he had to remind himself that the reason he was there was to bust Darren. He was there to play a role.

"Come on," he cradled her in his arms and gave her a moment to cry and to collect herself. He helped her to stand, one arm wrapped around her waist as he supported her and they walked towards the front street. Once they were there it was a small matter to catch a taxi and then to get inside with her. Antonio found a handkerchief in his pocket and shook it out before handing it to Aubrey.

He knew better than to talk in the cab. The ride was short and quiet, and when they got to her building he paid the fee and a tip and then helped her to the elevator. Everything about that night seemed surreal to him.

 

[jaceyboo]

Whether he realized it or not, just simply being there as she cried was comforting. This was the first time she had truly broken down because of the feelings she'd had locked away, and just having him there somehow seemed to help in a way, though she truthfully didn't understand it.

She allowed him to get her into the taxi, calming down a bit with each moment that passed. Even as they sat in the cab, she found herself leaning into him, her head resting on his shoulder as her breathing finally steadied, her mind and body calm once more.

"I'm sorry.." she whispered as they stepped out of the cab, the reality of the situation seeming to come back to her as they made their way to the elevator. She was supposed to portray herself as strong, not like this. She had made a fool not only of herself, but of Darren. Darren.. All over again, the panic seemed to flood back into her eyes, swallowing nervously as she thought of how he was going to react when he got home.

"He's going to kill me.." she mumbled, mostly to herself as she leaned against the wall by the elevator, her fingers nervously drumming against her leg as she once again tried to keep herself together.

 

[Traveler]

As they walked to the elevator Antonio kept his hand on the small of her back, guiding her along and reassuring her that he was still there. The night watchman recognized them from earlier and didn't bother the couple, but he was on Darren's payroll and would be sure to tell the drug runner about what he saw. "You don't have to apologize to me," he said quietly as they waited for the elevator doors to open. He watched the hallway and the door as they waited, and when Aubrey said that her boyfriend is going to kill her, he gave a little laugh.

"He's not going to remember this in the morning," he said, keeping his voice low enough that the watchman couldn't hear what he was saying. "He'll enjoy himself tonight. Shen he forgets where you went I'll remind him that you got sick and had to go home, bada-bing-bada-bong, you're off the hook. Tomorrow's a new day." He snapped his fingers when he said that and did a little tap with his right palm on his closed left fist, an Italian gesture made famous by the old mafia movies. The elevator opened and he escorted her in, stepping with her and then pushing the button for her penthouse floor.

In the elevator Antonio noticed the security camera and so he kept his head down and said nothing. They'd talk once they got to her flat if there was anything to be said. Otherwise he intended to see her safely to bed, lock her doors for her, and return to his 'boss'. If he was going to bust the crook he needed to know what was going on all the time with him, otherwise every time he committed a crime in the pursuit of justice, Antonio was doing his agency a disservice.

 

[jaceyboo]

His word's reassured her in a sense, knowing that he was right. Darren would get too drunk to recall anything that happened, but that didn't completely ease her worries. Moments like this were happening more often, and even the times that Darren didn't remember still put a toll on their relationship. Things weren't the same, they never would be, but for her sake, she needed things to go as smoothly as possible at all times.

"You don't understand." she told him quietly, the fear clear in her voice. "I have to keep him happy. I know too much about him, about what he does. If anything happens.." she started to say, her words cut off as she swallowed nervously. "If he ever gets sick of me.." she tried again, her words trailing off once more. "...I won't have a very fortunate outcome." she finally said quietly.

Almost immediately, she knew she shouldn't have said anything. For all she knew, Antonio would go back to Darren and report everything she said. For so long though, she had kept her fears hidden, and even though speaking them wouldn't do her any good, it felt somewhat relieving.

She was silent through the elevator ride, her thoughts running wild. There was so much more that she wanted to say, things she just needed to get off her chest, but she knew that she couldn't. It wasn't until they finally reached their destination that she spoke once more, her innocence shining through yet again.

"Thank you." she said softly, her eyes gazing up to stare at his for a moment. "For everything." she added, quickly glancing down. She knew that he had simply been instructed by Darren to get her home, but he had offered her a sense of comfort, something she hadn't felt for quite some time.

 

[Traveler]

Antonio's jaw tightened. This was exactly what he'd expect from a man like Darren. His own girlfriend was there because she feared him, not because she loved him. A woman afraid was a sad thing to see, especially to a man like Antonio who felt like women should be protected. He walked in with her, his hand returning to the small of her back as they moved from the elevator to the privacy of her flat.

"No one is going to hurt you, Aubrey. Darren's a lot of things, but a coward isn't one of them. Only a coward would even think about killing off someone that he loved." He pursed his lips and shook his head. "Maybe he'll send you to Cancun or something; give you a new life somewhere else - but if you don't betray him then he'll have no reason to hurt you. Besides, it would look bad if word got out that he ordered you eliminated." He stood near her and slid a hand along her cheek, cupping it softly. "No one is going to hurt you, Aubrey. Not while I'm around."

He glanced around the apartment and removed his hand. "I gotta get back. You stay put and don't worry about Darren, okay? It will be fine."

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey sighed softly as he placed his hand on her cheek, the simple gesture strangely comforting. There was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, yet she believed him when he said that as long as he was there, no one would hurt her. She had no reason to believe him, especially considering the fact that he was becoming so close to the man she was terrified of. How could he honestly protect her?

"Will you stay?" Her words were frantic as he pulled back, her eyes begging as she stared up at him. "Just for a little while?" she asked quietly. Again, she found herself surprised by her own words. While she didn't fully understand it, she felt safe with him around. He probably thought she was crazy. Just an hour before, he had simply been one of Darren's men, but now, he seemed to offer a sense of protection. Perhaps it was the alcohol talking.

"I..nevermind." she muttered quickly, shaking her head lightly as she turned around quickly, her cheeks flushed as she wandered further into the flat and towards her bedroom. She felt like an idiot, and found herself hoping that perhaps Antonio would join Darren in getting too drunk to remember the events of that evening. "Goodnight."

 

[Traveler]

He paused.

Will you stay? It was an honest request, a simple thing from a scared woman. He felt conflicted. Normally he'd stay, but as 'Antonio' he had to be loyal to Darren. Perhaps he could work this to his advantage, though. Maybe this would help him nail the SOB and send him to jail.

He had begun to open her door and leave, but instead he closed it and bolted the door. He hated lying. He hated cheating. Some would argue that as a double agent he was very good at both, and he'd have to agree. If he could somehow get Aubrey to turn state's witness then half of his job would be done. He'd just need to gather evidence and then bust Darren.

The thought of playing with her emotions made him sick, but he had to do it.

Antonio followed her to her bedroom, hearing her say 'nevermind' and 'goodnight', but knowing that she might welcome the company. He reached forward and put a hand on her arm to turn her around to him.

What the fuck was he doing? He felt like he was watching a scene in a movie, not actually doing it.

"I want to stay." He replied, his voice low and thick. "I've wanted you every since I first saw you at the Cabana Club two weeks ago." His eyes traveled over her face, down to her lips and then back up to her eyes. "I just never thought that he'd be so stupid to push you away."

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey felt like an idiot, her cheeks flushed as she stepped into her room. Why did she say that? None of it seemed to make sense. She didn't know Antonio, so why did she open up to him the way she did? Why did she ask him to stay?

She jumped lightly as she felt his hand on her arm, her breath catching for a moment as he turned her to face him. Her cheeks were still reddened as she stared up at him, quickly glancing down as his eyes met hers. She couldn't seem to understand the affect he had on her simply by standing there, her heart racing as he spoke.

"I.." she mumbled, unable to form any other words. Her mouth was slightly agape, the flush on her cheeks brightening as she tried to gathered what she had just heard. "I don't understand." she finally choked out, her words just above a whisper. Never could she have imagined that he, or anyone other than Darren, would say something like that to her.

Taking a nervous step backward, she backed into the edge of the bed, nearly falling back onto it. Gazing back up at him, she found herself shaking her head lightly. She wanted him to stay, but not a single part of her expected that he would. Now that he agreed, she didn't know how to react.

"You can't think like that." she whispered, though her face seemed to reveal that a part of her deep down, wanted him to think that way.

 

[Traveler]

"I know," he said, putting both hands on her arms now. "I know... it's dangerous and stupid, but I can't control how I feel." He looked at her and stroked her arms softly as he faced her. "I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, Aubrey. I just want you to know how I feel."

Antonio let her go and dropped his hands to his sides. "When I saw you there... I dunno. I had to know who you were. And when I found out that you were Darren Roman's girl, I had to find a way to be close to you."

He could hear the logical, moral part of him yelling in protest and he shoved that part down deep so that he could do his job. It was like the devil on his shoulder was wearing a badge and had just locked up the angel. In his head he could almost hear the dialog in his brain:

Devil: Shaddup, you stupid goody-two-shoes!
Angel: Don't do this! You're playing with her heart!
Devil: I'm just doing my job!
Angel: It's not right to play her like this!
Devil: Ya Moron! We gotta nail her boyfriend!
Angel: There's gotta be another way!
Devil: (Shoving the angel into a dark box) And stay there, you lout!
Angel: You're going to regret this!

He smiled at her, his eyes looking mournful. "I'm not going to let him hurt you, Aubrey. I'm just working for him so I can be close to you. Ya gotta believe me - I know I don't have a right to say this, but... I believe in love at first sight. I just want to be close to you and keep you safe, and if I gotta be Darren's pit bull to do it, then that's what I gotta do."

"I have to get back before he misses me. I wanna stay, Aubrey. I do. But if I'm going to keep you safe then I gotta get back to Darren. Okay?"

 

[jaceyboo]

Aubrey appeared to be frozen as he spoke, though her mind was going crazy as she tried to process his words. None of it felt real. After a moment, she sat down on the bed, her face unreadable as he continued to speak. A part of her wanted to believe him, a part of her wanting it to be true. But at the same time, it didn't make sense.

Just as she had in the car on the way to the club that evening, she found it strange that Antonio had wedged his way up so far, so fast. And now he claimed it was all because of her? A part of her wished it was true, but how could it be? Despite how fairy tailish and romantic it sounded, she couldn't believe it. It was a nice thought though, perhaps the escape that she needed.

"I..I want to believe you." she said lightly, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she stared up at him. "And if by some, slim chance you were telling the truth, how would it ever work?" she asked, standing back up before continuing. "Things like this...don't happen." she said with a light laugh, though her tone was neither light or joking.

Her arm brushed against him lightly as she walked past him and over towards her dresser, her lips pursed as she removed her earrings and set them on top of it. For a moment, she was silent, just standing there before turning slightly to face him.

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you are." she told him, sighing as her eyes gazed into his. "But you're different." she whispered, looking away before continuing. "And it scares me...It scares me because I want to believe you. But I don't."