PLAYLIST

♩ Fingertips - OneRepublic

♩ Video Games - Lana Del Rey

━━▲━━

"And that'll help me track it faster?" I ask.

"It should," says Imari, "if it works as intended, you wouldn't need to spend all that time tracing any more Wallaces."

"And will it?"

"Count on it."

I smile at his confidence, and I don't doubt him, the guy knows what he's doing.

"Alright," I clap him on the back, "thanks, man."

Imari nods, minimizes the window, and pushes himself away from my desk.

"Do you need anything else?"

I shake my head, "think I'm good."

"Awesome. I'm gonna go check on Gage, see how the new security system's doing. You know where to find me if anything comes up."

He gives me a small smile, and I return it. When he opens the door to leave, I see Valerie talking to Tiago in the hallway, looking on edge. A bunch of people move around behind them, some transporting weapons or equipment.

I sigh and fall back into my chair, which Imari just vacated. Things are moving very fast. The past five hours have been a tornado of frantic motion and chaos. The boys and I have been knee-deep in our tasks, Gage especially since Imari insisted on a total overhaul of the security system. Although, Elijah hasn't had it much easier with all the new people to coordinate. We're not used to expanding so quickly, but it's a good problem to have, I guess.

And then there's Sienna.

I can't be thinking of her right now; I have too much shit to do.

To distract myself with something productive, I go into our financial records and begin reviewing our budget allocations, but my mind keeps going back to her. I try to remind myself that she doesn't need me right now, that it's better we all leave her alone like she asked. Several times, I try to focus on my work but can't. When I realize that all I've been doing for five minutes is staring at the screen and picturing her in my mind, I decide I've had enough.

Stepping into the corridor, I see Tiago and Valerie are gone, but the house is still bustling with people. I don't have to manoeuvre around them much; they all stand aside and let me through. It's not shocking coming from our guys, but I'm pleasantly surprised when I see Sienna's people do the same. I smile and nod at them as I cross the hallway to the double doors of Elijah's office. Tiago and Valerie are inside, as is Elijah himself. Kaen is down in the armoury, managing new weapons. Gage and Imari are probably taking care of security.

"I'm going to check on her," I say before anyone can rope me into whatever conversation they're having, "just wanted you to know in case you needed me."

"She's not really in the talking mood," Valerie says.

"Then I won't talk. I'll just check on her, make sure she's fine."

"It's your funeral," she shrugs.

I exchange a nod with Tiago and look at Elijah. He's sitting back in his chair, elbow on the armrest, and rubbing his thumb and forefinger together. I can tell he wants to do it himself, but the stacks of paper on his desk and whatever Tiago and Valerie have don't seem like anything to be put off. He nods at me, and I head back into the hallway and up the stairs to the bedrooms. Hers is at the end, right past Elijah's. I stop at her door and knock softly.

"Sienna?" I call out to her.

The door swings open, and she's standing there with her thumb hovering over the phone in her hand. She looks even more haggard than when I first saw her today. Lines and dark circles mark the skin under her eyes, making the rest of her face look sickly pale, and her hair sporadically hangs in tangles. She's still wearing Gage's shirt, but there's a large stain, darker than the blackness of the shirt, on her breast now. I feel my heart drop when I see her like that.

"Is it important?" she asks me.

"What?" I blink to clear my thoughts.

"Is it important?" she repeats, glancing at her phone and pressing the screen with her thumb.

I glance at it for a second before I look into her eyes again. I don't know what she sees in my gaze, but hers hardens to a glare.

"When was the last time you slept?" I find myself asking.

"Bye, Jesse," she goes to shut the door, but I put myself between it and its frame. This makes her glare at me again.

"I'm not leaving until I make sure you're okay," I tell her.

"I'm fine," she snaps, pushing forward, "leave me alone, I have work to do."

"No," I easily push back, "I'm not playing with you, Sienna. Answer me."

"It's none of your business. How's that for an answer?"

I fling the door open, making her stagger as she holds on to the handle. She's worse than I thought if it's that easy. I step inside and cross my arms.

"Fine," I say as she recovers, "How about I cut you a deal? If you tell me, honestly, when the last time you slept was, and the answer is within the last 24 hours, then I'll leave you to it."

"You're not my mother," she says, green-grey eyes glaring, "and I don't think those children care much about how long I've slept."

"They won't rescue themselves if you work yourself to death."

"I won't."

"Exactly."

I rush to her side and snatch the phone from her hand. When she belatedly reacts, I easily dodge her and close the door. Tossing her phone on the bed, I lift her like a sack of potatoes over my shoulder.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" she yells, pounding her fists against my back, "Put me down, Jesse, this is not funny!"

"Good," I say as I enter her bathroom, "because I wasn't joking."

I put her in the bathtub and turn the water on. She flinches as the stream touches her and looks at me, all insulted and confused.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" she yells again.

I lean over the bathtub, close enough that my lips almost touch hers. I look into her exhausted eyes and ignore the urge to pull her into me.

"Bath, now. Then bed. I'll be waiting outside the bathroom, so don't even try to be sneaky."

"Don't treat me like a child!" she snaps at me.

"Then don't behave like one."

I leave, close the bathroom door behind me, and lean my back against it. Sliding down, I let out a long breath and wonder if I have any right to do this. I remember how I reacted when I first saw those children; it's why we ordered a new TV for the gym. And Kaen had apparently lost it when he saw them.

I don't know what it's like to hold your father up to a pedestal and have it blow up in your face like that. I always knew mine was a sorry son of a bitch, and I never expected anything good from him, unlike Sienna.

How she deals with it has to be her own choice, this I know. But I can't let her destroy herself. If this means I have to force her to relax and sleep, I will. I don't even care if she genuinely hates me for it.

The water stops, and I hear soft sobs coming from the bathroom that stop my ruminations.

"Sienna?" I put my ear to the door. No response.

"You okay?" I ask cautiously.

I don't hear an answer, so I crack the door open. She's sitting in the half-filled tub, fully clothed and hands wrapped around her knees. Seeing her like this is like a knife to my gut.

"I'm sorry," I tell her, heart in my throat as I approach. I reach out to touch her but pause, unsure, hovering over her head.

"Look," I sigh, "I just want you to take care of yourself. That's it. If you want me to leave, I will, alright?"

"No," she says, grabbing my hand and looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes, "please stay."

My heart swells and skips a beat as I smile and nod at her, squeezing her hand. The smile that she gives me back as good as melts me.

"Can you help me take this off?" she lifts Gage's shirt from the water.

I hesitate.

"Are you sure?" I ask her.

When she nods, I oblige.

The water significantly weighs down the T-shirt, but it's not hard to take off.

"I'm going to refill it," she tells me when she drains the bathtub. She stands up and unbuttons her shorts, letting them drop. Underneath, she's wearing bikini panties that match her olive skin tone. She slides those off, too, making my breath stop and my hand close in a fist around Gage's shirt.

I force myself to look away as she sets the clothes aside. I wring out the shirt in my hands, minding not to squeeze too hard as I think of her standing there without a fibre of clothing on her. I don't know how comfortable she'd be with me staring right now, even though that's exactly what I want to do. And more than just that.

"I don't care if you look," she tells me, a little playfulness in her voice peeking through her exhaustion.

I turn to pick up her shorts and panties and set my eyes on her. Her body is magnificent. Her slim neck, marked with bruises, gives way to broad shoulders and prominent collarbones that I'd give anything to kiss. Her breasts are the perfect size, neither too big nor too small, ideal for handling. I notice her hard nipples and picture my mouth around them. Her stomach is flat and toned, framed by hourglass curves. Her hips and thighs balance beautifully with her shoulders, and I can't even think of what's between them without getting hard.

I realize I've been staring when she sits to put the drain plug back and starts the water running again. I quickly blink a couple of times and rush to hang her clothes to dry on an empty towel rack. When I look back at her, her eyes are closed, and she's lying back in the filling tub. Just when I decide she probably wants to be alone and lay my hand on the door handle, she perks up.

"Don't leave," she says, "please. I'm sorry for being a bitch earlier."

"No," I shake my head, pulling away from the door and facing her again, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you here like this."

"I'm glad you did," she says softly. "Otherwise, I would've probably just passed out. And if you leave now, I think I still might... and... Jesse?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't wanna be alone."

The look in her eyes makes me forget everything else. All thoughts of other commitments for the night seem miles away. How can I ever refuse her anything? Especially right now? I step towards her and kiss the top of her head, letting the scent of her fill and electrify me.

"I'll never leave you," I whisper to her, "you'll never be alone, you hear me? Not while I'm around."

Her soft smile is back on her face, and she nods.

"I think I'll need some help with..." she gestures to her hair and body.

"Of course," I say. She gestures to the cupboard under the sink, and I get shampoo, conditioner, and lavender bubbles. I pour the bubbles into the running water, and foam rises, quickly surrounding her like a glistening white cloud. The smell of lavender fills the place, and she breathes it in.

"I love lavender," she says, "though people say it's basic."

"Sometimes basic isn't too bad, " I say, uncapping the shampoo bottle, "but you're far from it."

I lean over the tub's edge and gesture her to come closer. She looks skeptical.

"Manoeuvring this will be awkward," she says.

"I'll manage," I give her a small smile.

"Wouldn't it be better if you just came in here?"

I raise my eyebrows, "Do you want me to?"

She shrugs, "I don't mind. I mean, I'm too tired to do anything, but–"

"I know," I smile again, "we'll do whatever you want, Sienna. Nothing more, nothing less."

Her tired eyes smile at me as she nods.

"I'd like for you to come in," she tells me, then adds, "and I don't mind if you take your clothes off, in case that wasn't clear."

I chuckle at that, "Yes, ma'am."

I don't miss her frequent glances at me while I undress. Her gaze lingers on my abdomen, where a 'J' shaped scar sits under small, circular marks. It doesn't linger for long, though, and she quickly looks away. When she looks at me again, I'm fully naked, and her gaze lingers once more, only much lower.

Smiling to myself, I climb into the tub. She settles between my legs and presses her back to my chest. I feel her muscles relax as she lets out a long sigh, and I can't help but wrap my arms around her and put my mouth on her shoulder. I notice tiny pricks all over the back of her arms and shoulders and absently stroke my thumb against them, wondering what they are.

"I don't think you wanna know what they are," she says, as though reading my mind.

"Try me," I tell her.

"Alright," she says, tired amusement in her voice, "when Gage found me, I was by those rose bushes in the hedge maze. You can fill in the rest."

I chuckle at that and kiss her shoulder.

"I'm glad you two had fun," I say.

She turns to me and arches an eyebrow, "You're not jealous?"

I snort, "Of course not. I just like to tease him. We all see the woman that you are, Sienna. We don't think you'll be content with just one of us, and we're fine with it."

"Huh," she says, "Elijah seemed pretty pissed earlier."

"Probably because Gage got to you first," I say.

It's her turn to chuckle now as she shakes her head.

"Boys," she says, "It's true what Britney once said, 'can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.'"

I raise an eyebrow.

"That's Britney Spears," she clarifies.

"I think the saying is way older than her, and, correct me if I'm wrong, it's actually about women."

"Well, if I wanted to talk like that about women, I wouldn't refer to her contextual use of it, would I? Keep up, Jesse."

"Alright there, Merriam-Webster," I say, laughing, "Here, let me."

I push her away gently and squeeze shampoo into my hand. Then I slowly run my fingers through her thick hair, working the lather in and massaging her scalp until she moans.

"This feels so nice," she breathes.

I feel my cock stiffen against her. She ignores it, but I still search for a topic of distraction.

"I never noticed your tattoo before," I say as I bring the showerhead to her hair. She arches her neck as I wash it.

"I don't think I've ever worn anything backless around you," she says.

"I've seen you in those tops that just reach your belly button. I didn't think the tattoo on your back was this big, though. I like it."

It's a black and white piece of a three-headed dragon covering her whole back; its middle head crawls up her spine.

"Wanna know the story behind it?" she asks.

"Sure, if you want to share."

"I got it on my twenty-first birthday," she says, "Valerie, Imari, and I got really drunk and went to this tattoo parlour. They say you shouldn't tattoo drunk people, but they knew who we were and made an exception."

"You got it done in one session?"

She snorts, "Fuck, no. He did the outline, and the next thing I remember is waking up the next day in the same chair. We apparently passed out in our chairs. Can you believe it? The owner had to close up shop for the whole day because we were vomiting all over the place, and he couldn't just kick us out."

We both give a small laugh that dies quickly. There's a short pause as I put the shower head away and wring out her hair. When I uncap the conditioner, she continues.

"We felt horrible about it. The guy was clearly pissed but wouldn't say anything to us. I mean, he lost a whole day of business and gained three drunken idiots to take care of for no good reason. So we asked him how much he'd earn for a day and paid him twice as much. We paid the artists more than our tattoos were worth, too. They finished our backs in a few more sessions, and we made some new friends that day."

There's another pause as I twist her saturated hair gently and throw it over her shoulder to let it sit.

"You know," she says, "sometimes I ask myself if the only reason I have friends is because of who my father is."

"That's ridiculous," I tell her softly, stroking her upper arm, "look at all the people who left your father with you."

"But what if I fail in what they want from me?" she turns her gaze to me and looks into my eyes.

"I'm not like you, Jesse," she says, "I don't know what it's like to grow up with nothing, even if I've been surrounded by people who have. I don't know how to live my life without falling back on the simple solution of throwing money at my problems. So what if money isn't enough?"

She looks down at her hands.

"What if, other than having money, I'm just a stupid, incompetent little girl who's playing games she has no business sticking her nose in?"

"Hey," I put my hand under her chin and guide it softly towards me. Her grey-green eyes are filled with unshed tears.

"Who can stop this if not someone with money and influence?" I say. "Most people with your kind of power don't give a shit if anyone beneath them lives or dies. It's people like you who this world needs, Sienna. People who want to change things, to make the world a better place for all of us. Why do you think my brothers and I chose this life? We had the will; we only needed the strength. You, Sienna, you already have both. And even if you lose it all, you'll still be you. I know that's enough for me, for my brothers, for Valerie and Imari. As for everyone else, if they know you, it should be enough. And I have a feeling they do because you're the type to bond with everyone under you. And if money isn't enough, then you'll find another way. No, fuck that, we will find another way. Together. Because, like I said, you'll never be alone while I'm still around."

She gives me a sad smile.

"It's just hard to think like this when there are children right now being..." she takes a shuddering breath, "and my father is..."

Tears fall down her face, and I hold her tighter.

"We're going to save them," I whisper, "I swear on my life, we will save them and make sure no child under our watch ever suffers the same thing again."

My voice cracks at the last words as I remember the last time I made a similar promise. Sienna nods, but the tears keep coming.

"I just hope we succeed," she whispers.

"We will," I tell her, trying to convince myself as much as her and bringing her closer to me.

She smiles at me through her tears and looks at her hair.

"I think we can rinse it off now," she says.

I bring the showerhead over and watch the conditioner slide down her hair in silence. When I'm done, I put the showerhead in its place, and just before I unclog the drain, she speaks again.

"Thank you, Jesse," her eyes meet mine.

"No need," I smile at her, "I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

She smiles back. Maybe it's her slowed reflexes, or maybe it's my anticipation of the moment, but time seems to slow as she comes closer and brings her mouth to mine.

My heart rattles in my rib cage. Her lips, soft like butter, send shivers down my spine as she moves them along mine. I put a hand at the back of her head as she lays her palm on my neck, her thumb brushing my jaw. I bring her closer by her waist, and she throws her free arm around my shoulder. Her nipples brush against my chest as her hand slides down my back. By the time she pulls away, I'm fully hard and wanting her.

"I'm sorry," she says as she looks down at me, "that was a stupid idea. I'm so tired, Jesse."

"No," I smile at her, as much as it hurts, "ignore it. Like I said, only what you want to do. Nothing more, nothing less."

She smiles again, testing my resolve.

"Where do we find men like you?" she asks.

"In mobs," I answer and immediately regret it because her following laugh nearly breaks me. But I hide it behind a smile.

"Let's get out of here and get you to bed," I say, draining the tub and grabbing a towel. After I've dried myself, I dry her back before she takes the towel from me and dries the rest of herself. Then, I carry her to her bed and tuck her in. I take her phone and plug the charging cable into it. The screen lights up, and new messages and voicemails pop up. Sighing, I set it down, pull out my phone, and text Valerie.

"What are you doing?" Sienna asks me, voice breathy and tired.

"Seeing if your friend would volunteer to take over... and that's a yes. She says she's got some free time, and she'd be happy to help. You can let your people know if you want."

She smiles softly and stretches out her arm, palm facing up. I put the phone in it, and she quickly types something. Then, she presses a button and speaks into it.

"Thank you, bitch, don't know what I'd do without you," she makes exaggerated kissing noises, sends the voice note, and puts the phone back on her nightstand before settling back into her sheets. I chuckle at the ways of women and lean close to her.

"Good night, Sienna," I say as I kiss her forehead. But when I make to get my clothes, she holds onto my hand. I turn to her, her eyes open barely a crack.

"Can you stay with me?" She asks, "At least until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," as if I could say no.

So, instead of leaving - which I never wanted to do in the first place - I lock the door and kill the lights before climbing into bed with her. She snuggles up against me, resting her head on my chest. I press my lips to the top of her head and softly stroke her wet, lavender-scented hair. I listen to her breath getting slower and deeper, and then I fade into sleep.