LEO
===============
30/04/2003
Santa Fe, New Mexico
================

Maybe I shouldn't have said what I said. I should've known she wouldn't listen to me, that she'd just get very damn pissed.

Can she really fucking blame me for wanting to keep her safe?

Since there's definitely no chance she'll change her mind on this, there's no damn point in me trying to hold her back.

Her objective might be to kill Nicholas, the only thing I'm going to be focusing on is ensuring that nothing happens to her.

That nothing kills her.

"Should be coming up on our left," she murmurs, pointing at the GPS.

The sign for 'Radnos Senior Living' comes into my line of vision as I flick on the indicator, making the turn into the carpark.

I halt in a space, it's actually pretty damn quiet to my surprise. A one story building, spreading around to the edge of the street.

Nova unbuckles her seatbelt, turning to face me.

"So, what's our cover story going to be?" She raises her eyebrows.

"Maybe that we're husband and wife who've recently bought a hotel, looking to renovate it. Ask about the best interior layout. If we manage to get into a causal conversation, we can start to ask the more specific questions,"

Fucking Husband and Wife?

"Yeah, that sounds alright," she nods, sliding out of the car and closing the door behind her.

"Leave the talking to me. Like I always say, I'm a damn good liar," I chuckle, following her across the Carpark.

The doors slide open as we step inside. There's a middle aged lady perched at a desk, green and brown swirled carpet sprawling the floor. It has that familiar, musty scent.

"Hello, can I help you both?" She raises her head, pushing some glasses up her nose.

"Good afternoon! We're here to visit Isabella and Pete Lopez," I form a fake, cheerful voice. If we come across as polite, it'll look less suspicious.

"And what is the relation?" She tilts her head.

"No relation, just need some inspiration! Me and my wife here have recently bought an old hotel, wanted some advice!" I chirrup, wrapping an arm around Nova's waist.

"Can I take your names?"

Fuck.

"Eleanor and Antonio," Nova quickly butts in, it's as though she could sense my struggle.

"I'll need to check that they're open to your visit, excuse me," she nods, standing up from her desk and striding away somewhere.

Nova eventually turns to gaze up at me.

"No relation, just need some inspiration!" She mimics by shimmying her shoulders, quirking her eyebrows and biting down a grin.

"Alright, you goddamn think of something better," I groan, squeezing the bridge of my nose.

She chuckles, leaning against me until the receptionist comes back into view.

"They've said it's alright, follow me," she smiles, gesturing as she returns back into the direction she came from. We exchange a glance before filing behind her. I discreetly slide my hand into Nova's, giving it a small squeeze.

"Remember, we're 'husband and wife'," I raise my eyebrows, giving her a nudge.

"You don't have to keep reminding me. I'm not stupid, Antonio. You manifesting it or something?" She snorts.

I'm about to open my mouth until the lady halts outside a door, pushing it open.

"Pete, Isabella, this is Eleanor and Antonio," she gestures to us as we step inside, closing the door as she leaves.

It's only a small room. Beige walls, brown carpet. A TV is humming along in the background, playing some sort of game show.

Isabella and Pete are perched on two separate armchairs.

"Hello, please come and sit down!" Isabella chirps, gesturing to the cramped sofa to the side of their chairs.

"Thank you," Nov grins, pulling me towards the sofa as we lean back onto it.

"So, Samantha briefly mentioned you've bought a hotel?" She smiles, the deep set wrinkles crinkling around her lips.

"That's right, we're going to undergo a renovation. We read lots about the 'Hotel Isabel', so thought it would be a good idea to speak to the experts,"

"Well, you're in the right place," Pete rasps, coughing a little as he finishes his sentence.

"Ask us anything, we love to talk about our hotel," Isabella gestures for us to speak.

In a way, it makes my heart ache. This couple obviously poured their life into the hotel.

If only they knew what it was being used for now. The crimson carpets will most likely deepen in colour, blood splattered across the beige walls.

"We're looking at the best way to structure the hotel, but none of the floor plans we've been offered 'tickle our fancy'," Nova chuckles.

Isabella's face lights up, "oh Pete, dear. Please go and get the 'Isabel Box',"

The Isabel Box?

With great effort, Pete stands up. I was about to go and help him but he got to his feet before I had the chance.

Guess he's still got that veteran determination in him.

He disappears out of the room, Isabella turns to face us. "What a beautiful young couple you are, you remind me of Pete and I when we were young,"

"We read about your story in a news article a few years ago, it inspired us," Nova grins convincingly.

"We were hoping that's what it would do! Anything is possible, you just need a whole lot of love and patience,"

I feel guilty that we're having to lie. Then again, I think she'd rather hear this story than the truthful one.

Pete emerges with another cough; holding a fairly big box in his shaky, frail hands.

"Do you want some help with that?" I instantly jump to my feet, he shakes his head.

"I was a darn veteran, son. This box ain't heavy to me," he snickers, dropping the box onto the floor.

Isabella gestures to it, "feel free to rummage. This is all the stuff we kept from the hotel, from when we were renovating up until we locked the doors for the final time,"

I exchange a glance with Nova as we both slide onto the floor, kneeling beside the box and opening it up.

"Are you sure you don't mind us looking through this?" Nova asks, Isabella shakes her head.

"Not at all, it's nice to have somebody show an interest for once," she smiles.

We start carefully removing things from the box, analysing anything that falls into our hands. I feel some paper brush against my own, gently pulling it out and unravelling it.

I'm looking at damn gold dust, I can't believe our fucking luck.

There's a perfect floor plan of the hotel, a blueprint stapled to the back.

"Eleanor, this is exactly the design you were talking about," I swiftly turn the paper around, showing her what I found.

"Oh wow, it really is," she takes it into her own possession, studying it carefully.

"Well, I wish we could find a renovator to design a floor plan like this one," I chuckle, glancing up at the couple.

"That was the first sketch our renovator created, and it was the one we stuck with! The layout was perfect," Isabella chimes, opening her mouth to continue but hesitating on her words for a second.

She glances over at Pete before diverting her gaze to the ceiling.

"You know, you're both free to take that along with you," she kindly smiles.

"We couldn't possibly," I shake my head.

"Please, I insist. It would warm my heart to be of help,"

I glance at Nova, who is definitely trying to bite down an ecstatic grin.

"That's very kind, thank you so much," she carefully places everything back into the box, keeping the paper under her arm.

We can't just ditch, they've unknowingly given us a significant piece of information that will be extremely beneficial to our course of action.

Isabella offers us a tea, we accept. She explains their life, how they met and came to marry. Nova and I just hope she doesn't pry to much about our own.

—

"They were absolutely lovely," she smiles to herself, clearly in a good mood as I pull out of the Carpark.

"Pete was practically my grandfather reincarnated," I chuckle, resting my hand on her thigh as per usual.

Her grin falters as she leans her head against the window. "Means we're one step closer to facing the bastard," she sighs.

"He will not be getting out of that hotel alive, under any circumstances," I reassure, smoothing my thumb across her leg.

"Damn right he won't. I wonder how much backup he's gathered, or where the fuck he's even found any backup," she shakes her head.

"He's a psychopath, obviously a good manipulator. Probably wasn't even too difficult for him unfortunately," I grimace, turning to look at her.

"Hey, at least you might be getting your year out."

"I'm going to miss you so much, again," she huffs.

"I'll miss you too, but I'll be right here when you're back. Besides, we've been apart before-"

"-yeah, for fifty days; not a whole year,"

I sigh, accepting the harsh reality. A whole damn year is a long time, and it's not as though I'll even be able to contact her.

Three hundred and sixty-five days of not hearing her voice, her laugh. A year of not being able to see her every day.

It's going to be shit.

"You know I'll always wait for you," I grin.

"I can't expect you to always wait for me, Leo," she shakes her head.

"Why not?"

"It'll hold you back," she sighs.

"And it would be goddamn worth it," I squeeze her thigh, glancing over at her.

A small smile tugs on her lips as she gazes back out of the window, yawning.

"Try and get some sleep, Nov,"

"No, I feel guilty. You've driven all of the way here, let me drive back,"

"You look like you're about to pass out any minute. Wouldn't be very good if you did that on the wheel, would it?" I chuckle, shaking my head.

It's true. She looks absolutely exhausted. Still beautiful, but so damn tired.

"When was the last time you had a full nights sleep?" I ask quietly.

"Last night,"

"And before that?" I tilt my head.

"Probably in the Philippines," she shrugs, "I think it helped last night that you were with me, honestly."

"Do you want me to stay with you again?"

She pulls her gaze from the window, resting her hand over my own.

"Yeah, that would be nice," she smiles gratefully.

I nod, keeping a cautious eye out of the window and retreating into silence.

—

Losing track of time when you're driving is easy. It feels as though we've only just pulled out of the car park at Radnos.

I glance at the GPS, thirty minutes left to go.

Nov has fallen asleep, not to my surprise. She's got her head leaned against my arm, snorting gently.

She looks so damn cute when she's not being all stubborn and sarcastic.

One of the reasons I prefer to drive, aside from the fact that I'm a great driver anyway, is because I like to feel in control.

I feel strange when I don't have a grip on my own fate.

When Carlos died last year and Nova was brought in to replace him, one of the reasons I couldn't stand her at the time was because she didn't do things the way I wanted.

Now though, it's just one of the many things I love about her. She doesn't just 'bow down', despite the circumstances.

Nicholas was this close to killing her. To this day, I have no idea how she survived.

She refuses to back down to him. As frustrating as it is for me, because I don't want her to her hurt again, she won't let me stop her.

She's phenomenal.

The car passes over a small dip in the road, jolting and snapping Nova awake. I take notice as she instinctively reaches for her thigh, finding my hand rather than her S&W.

"Don't worry, you don't have to shoot a pothole," I chuckle as she climbs out of her slumber.

"My God, how long have I been asleep?" She groans, rubbing her eyes.

"About," I glance at the GPS, seeing the time at 6:30pm, "two and a half hours maybe?"

"Jesus, you should've woken me up." She rolls her shoulders.

"I was enjoying the peace and quiet," I snicker, earning the usual arm-slap from her.

It's just so easy.

We're talking, laughing. I never could've seen this coming in a million damn years.

I hated her. I hated her so fucking much.

Now, I'm absolutely lovesick. I'd do anything for her.

Anything.

—

"So, your little excursion was a success?" Vincent grins as Nova sets down the floor plan, stapled to the blueprint.

"Much more successful than I think either of us expected," I smirk, giving her a nudge.

Vincent takes the paper into his possession, studying it carefully.

"This really is just what we needed. Now I can inform the others, and we can get into the real plan," he nods along to his own words.

"Any estimate how long we're going to wait to execute this?" Nov leans forward.

"Time is of the essence. We don't want him dillydallying off to anywhere else. As soon as we form a plan, Shields,"

She hums before Vincent continues, "you're certain you'll be alright to join us? I understand it's personal-"

"-I'm definitely alright to come along," she speaks with confidence, standing up straight.

Vincent shoots an affirmative nod, "in that case, go and rest. Thank you both for doing that job so efficiently, it's saved the rest of us time,"

"Not a problem," I push up to my feet next to Nova, nudging her arm in gesture to follow me.

Directly outside of the office, we're met by Yamato.

"I love 'ya both, so I'm not going to pry on whatever it was I saw earlier; but try and keep it as low profile as possible," he chuckles.

"Thanks for not prying," Nova snickers.

"Don't worry Yam, we didn't plan on you spotting us anyway," I grin.

"Believe me, I wish I hadn't. Don't worry though, your secret is safe with me,"

We flash him a grateful smile before treading across to Nova's cabin, checking that nobody is around as I follow in after her.

"There's some food in my bed stand if you want it, I'm going to take a shower," she announces, disappearing into the washroom.

"And what if I want to take a shower with you?" I call after her.

"You're a fucking giant. We aren't both fitting in here," I hear reply from the other side of the door, a grin tugging on my lips.

I am pretty damn hungry, the offer is tempting. I pace towards the bed stand, opening the drawer to see what she's got stashed.

A few packets of crisps, the odd Jolly Rancher and some crackers.

I think I had better food options when I was being held fucking hostage.

I rummage, and the slight disruption in the drawer brings something into my line of vision, hidden beneath her shit selection of food.

Curiosity getting the better of me as always, I reach forward and pull the piece of paper out.

I've seen this before.

I saw it the night that she was drunk last year. She'd just launched it's frame against the wall in a fury.

Her family picture, only Nicholas has rightly been ripped off of the edge.

She really does look so much like her Dad. Like both of her parents. Knowing this was most likely taken about a year before everything went haywire, it's unnerving. 

The washroom door swings open, I quickly slide the photograph back into the drawer and resume to unsuspectingly eating the crisps.

She's only got a small towel wrapped around her athletic figure. Her smooth, long legs are still dripping with some water, dark hair fanned out across her shoulders.

I clench my jaw, looking away and back at my crisps.

"Like what you see?" She slides an arm up the doorframe, popping out her hip with a smirk across her lips.

"I'd like it better if you ditched the towel," is my suggestion as I settle back against her headboard.  I don't know why I'm so caught off guard when she actually does drop the towel, pooling it at her feet.

"Better now?" She tilts her head, neck suddenly flushed pink, and the way her lip rolls into her mouth tells me all I need to know.

I nod my head towards the small desk cozied in the corner of her room. "Gorgeous. Sit on there, Nova."

A breath breaks from her lips as she walks the small distance, giving me a fucking good view of her rounded ass before she turns, jumping up to sit on the edge of the table.

I move to the edge of the bed so that I'm facing her. "Now," my eyes rake down her body. From those stunning eyes to the pair delicate feet. "Look at me and touch yourself, Nova. Let me watch you."

Her gasp is audible, as though I've just suggested the most obscene thing in the fucking world. "Leo—" she gapes, but her hand betrays her, slowly sliding up her thigh.

"I said what I said," a grin tugs on my lips, and my cock tightens in my underwear. "I want to watch as you make yourself lose control."

She whimpers, legs opening slightly as she takes two fingers and glides them up the glistening heat between her thighs. I groan, fighting every urge to not go and bury my head there instead.

"God," she whimpers, and slides a finger inside of herself. "Talk to me, Leo. Tell me what you want me to do."

"I thought you didn't like following my orders?" I chuckle, pushing up off of the bed so I can get a little closer to her. She says nothing, cheeks blood-red.

I step towards her, raising my hand and grazing my finger across her lower lip. "Focus on your clit," I whisper, taking her hand and sliding it up slightly. "I know you love it there."

She nods immediately, and I drop my gaze to watch as she swirls two soaked fingers around the swollen bud. "That's it. Good girl." I breathe, cupping the side of her neck and taking a second to marvel at her. "Fuck, you're so beautiful."

"Leo," my name is a plea on her lips, and I take pleasure in the way her breathing is falling ragged, the way she's working her hand slightly faster. "Please."

"Please what, love?" I lean over to kiss the side of her neck, nipping at her skin. "You want my fingers instead? Or my tongue or my cock?"

"Fuck, everything," she moans, her head falling back and her gaze meeting mine, dark with desire. "Give me everything, Leo."

The self restraint in me snaps, because around this woman, I have a complete lack of it. I lift her off of the desk and spin her around, before placing a hand between her shoulder blades and pushing her chest down.

She groans, and now she's angled perfectly before me. I slide a hand along the contour of her ass, creeping down until I reach her entrance. And I don't hesitate before plunging two fingers inside of her.

"Fuck!" She hisses, head pressed against the wood as her nails grip into the edges. "God. Yes, Leo."

I rest my face against the small of her back, pressing against her as I curl my fingers to hit that inner wall I know makes her feel good. She moans my name, hips grinding backwards.

"Fuck me," she demands, voice cracked and needy. "Now. Fuck me right now."

"My girl is impatient," I chuckle, before pulling my fingers out of her heat and angling my hips behind her. I let my trunks drop to my ankles before kicking them away. "And so am I."

I line my cock up before burying it deep inside of her with a single thrust.

—-

"You know when you said you had food, did you not think you mention it was a goddamn jail portion?" I snicker as she comes and sits on the bed beside me, after having a second wash following our unexpected session.

"Sorry that my selection isn't gourmet enough for you," she grins.

I lay back, throwing the empty packet into the bin and pulling off my shirt. She yanks on some pyjamas before crawling into bed beside me.

Her head rests on my chest, arms wrapped around me as I comb some fingers through her hair.

"That feels nice," she murmurs against my skin, heaving out a satisfied sigh.

"Good, that's the point," I chuckle, brushing some stray hairs out of her face.

She turns her head so that she's gazing at me, keeping one side of her face pressed against my chest.

"I love you, Leo," she whispers.

That's the first time she's said it out loud. I gently trace my thumb across her cheek; speckled with small scars and littered in some freckles.

"I love you too, Nov,"

It would be nice to just love her in peace. Not have to take a staircase that could trip us towards our death. 

To not have to resent being in love, because at the painful end of the day, either one of us could die.

The other would just have to go on without them.

It's both a blessing and a curse, to feel everything so fucking deeply.