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Neon Moon
chapter twenty two

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❛ my life, my love, my drive;
it came from pain. ❜
— Believer, Imagine Dragons

THERE WAS A SOFT KNOCK AT THE DOOR THAT STARTLED SETH. He spun around to face the door as it opened, Marisol slipping inside. There was a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Hey," he exhaled, hands moving to his hips. "Where have you been?" She flung her bag onto the table with a huff, crossing the room to collide with Seth.

Her mouth met his in a passionate, feverish kiss. Calloused hands slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and danced against her skin, running along her ribs. He reciprocated the kiss happily. Her fingers ran through his tousled hair, nails scratching at his scalp. "Wow," he exhaled into her mouth.

Her mouth moved to the corner of his his, to his jaw, and to his neck. Seth's head instinctively tilted to the opposite side, one hand moving to cradle the back of her head. "I got you extra towels," he said, eyes fluttering closed. She hummed against his throat, teeth grazing the skin. "For your hair."

Her nimble fingers slipped beneath his top and scrunched the it over his abdomen. The ridged of his torso tightened beneath her touch. "I found it," she whispered against his skin, tongue falling out to trace his collarbone. He shuddered, fingers tangling within her hair. "Mm, found what?"

"Our next hit," she replied with a beaming smile. Seth paused, his fingers going lax in her hair. He hadn't noticed her pull away, arms wrapping around his waist, hips pressing into his. "All we have to do is our homework," she continued. "It could be a good score, baby. Really good."

The hand in her hair fell to his side. His brows furrowed. "Well, you know how much I love those," he said. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth to suppress the growing smile on her face. She felt so silly getting excited over something so dangerous. "You know, a shower sounds like a good idea."

He nodded his head. "Would you... like to join me?" Her hands slid easily within his back pockets of his jeans. She gave his butt a nice squeeze, leaning her body into his. He couldn't stop the laugh that slipped through his nose. "I'll meet you in there," he told her, kissing her forehead.

          She slipped away with a light giggle, dragging her fingers over his chest. "Don't be long... okay?" He felt his stomach twist with her wink. He nodded, his throat dry and his chest warm. Heat crawled across his exposed skin. His eyes followed her all the way to the bathroom, the light blinding her for a moment before she disappeared behind the door.

Seth visibly relaxed. He turned back to the dust that once was the manager. Slowly, he wiped away the remains before taking his glasses and tossing them in the trash. The water came to life, then. In the bathroom, Marisol undressed and kicked her clothes to the side. She combed through her hair with her fingers, humming a tune she had heard in the mercado.

          Once steam began to float past the curtain, she pulled it back just enough to slip into the small space. Warm water hit her skin immediately, stinging the surface for a moment before relaxing her muscles. She cupped her hands below the water and splashed it into her face, hands pushing back her hair from her face.

          She couldn't see Seth, but she could hear him. She could hear the unbuckling of his belt and the leather piece falling to the floor. She could hear the unbuttoning and unzipping of his jeans, and the way he kicked them off and to the side. He whipped back the curtain, climbing in after her. She grinned the moment his arms looped around her slick waist, pulling her into him.

          "I went and paid for some passports today," Seth said. He blinked away the water splashing against his face. She leaned her head back against his shoulder with a sigh. "Yeah?" she replied, her tone bored. He pressed a kiss to her throat, humming in response.

          His fingers pressed into the skin of her abdomen, massaging the flesh there unconsciously. "I also added on to my tattoo." This seemed to intrigue her. She whirled around, interest sparkling in her eyes. "Show me," she said as her hands moved over his biceps. The corners of his lips tugged into a playful smirk. Nonverbally, he showed off the tattoo. The area was still red, and the ink was more vibrant than the rest.

          She craned her own neck to get a better look, careful not to touch or get too much water on the healing skin. "You covered the bite mark," she breathed out. He grunted out a response, turning his head back to face her. "It looks nice. Makes you even more roguishly handsome."

          One wet hand pushed his hair away from his forehead. Small droplets of water slipped over his face, down his nose, and off of his chin. Her fingers moved around his ear, to cup his jaw, a small smile spreading across her face. "Do you want to talk about the job?" she asked.

          He did. But standing there, basking in the beauty of Marisol Rojas, did change some things. He shook his head, his arms tightening around her waist. Their chests kissed in the middle, water spilling over their shared space. With a content smile, he crossed the distance and pressed his mouth against hers in a slow, lazy kiss.

Her hands slipped over his shoulders, careful not to bump his fresh tattoo. One hand moved to her hair, tangling within the water logged locks. His other hand splayed at her lower back, bringing her that extra step closer. Their tongues met in the middle. Warmth encased them like a security blanket. The steam of the shower protected them from the outside world.

Moments like these helped stave off the guilt. Marisol could focus solely on Seth and the love between them. She could focus on the tender movement of his hands, on the way his mouth captures hers. His breath fanned her face as he pulled away, their eyes meeting in a lustrous gaze.

          "I love you," she exhaled. She grabbed at his face. A burning sensation blossomed behind her eyes. She sniffed. "I love you," she echoed, standing on her tiptoes to press her mouth against his in a rougher passion. His eyes remained open as she pressed open mouthed kisses to his mouth. Her tears mixed expertly with the water dripping from her hair. "I love you," he whispered.

In one fluid motion, Seth was lifted Marisol into his arms. Her legs wrapped instantly around his hips, a gasp slipping past her wet lips. "I love you," he repeated himself, glancing up at the brunette in his arms. A sliver of a smile crawled across her glistening face. Without another word, their lips met once more.

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There was a gentle breeze that ruffled the hair sticking to her lips. Cold metal bit gruesomely into the flesh of her wrists. It was dark, mostly, besides the flames before her.

          Marisol cracked open her crusted eyes. Her lashes batted a few times to adjust to the light. Kneeling before her at the feet of Carlos was Scott. Around his neck was a metal collar, the metal snug against his throat. Crimson splattered across his face.

          She felt her heartbeat fasten, thumping in her ears and in her throat. The chains holding her back rattled as she moved. "Scott," she called out, throat tight. He didn't pick his head up. Carlos watched, his face twisted into a scowl. "Scott," she tried again, pulling against her restraints. The clinking echoed, as if they were in a cave.

It was then that she noticed how quiet everything else was. The fire didn't roar, it didn't sizzle. The breeze didn't whisper. All she could hear was the chains and her heartbeat. Had she even heard herself speak?

Carlos moved. His free arm stretched out to his side, a long blade clutched between his fingers. It reflected the orange and red flames in its body. She stopped, eyes wide and focused on the blade. Slowly, it inched higher and higher until the tip was pointed directly at the black space above them. A starless sky was proving to be a heinous feat.

His other hand dropped the chain holding Scott's collar and tangled his fingers into his hair. The skin of his knuckles pressed firmly against his scalp, and he tugged the boy's head back. A sliver of skin peeked out from around the collar, right below his jaw.

"No," Marisol said. "No, no, no." The chains began to rattle again. The metal tore at her skin. Liquid oozed from the abused flesh, spilling over her skin and decorated the sand beneath her. A mocking grin plastered across the culebra's face. "Stop!" she pled, her voice muffled by the loud thumping in her ear. "Please, don't. Let him go!"

          It was agonizingly slow. The blade was pressed to Scott's throat, sharp and taunting. Her eyes bled tears. Her wrists ached, but she continued to pull. She continued to rip at her own skin, her feet digging into the sand. If she broke her hand, so be it. She wasn't going to let him die. She couldn't let him die.

One side seemed to slip further. She jostled to the side, a painful scream slipping past her lips. Before she could break through, Carlos ripped the blade across his skin. The wound was invisible until red slowly began to spill over his skin. Scott gasped, gagged around the blood filling his mouth.

"No!" she shouted, jolting upright in bed. Her skin was glistening with sweat. Seth stirred from beside her, reaching over and turning the bedside lamp on. Her face crumbled, the imagery now burned in her mind.

Silent cries turned to full sobs that shook her to the core. The noise was loud in her ears. Seth sat up, clearly disoriented. "Marisol?" he whispered, brushing back her sweat slick hair. Her head shook, fingers trembling, tears cascading down her face. Quietly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his chin onto her shoulder. "It's okay," he whispered. "I've got you."

          And he sat with her. His thumb ran along her side, his eyes locked on her weeping face. He waited patiently as she calmed down, muffled words hiccuped against her shaking hands. Words he couldn't understand, with a few thrown in that he could. And Scott's name was one of them.

          When her sobs turned to gentle cries, she finally dropped her hands and leaned into Seth. She sniffed, hiccuped, and struggled to breathe. His arm moved to her shoulders, holding her tight, pressing gentle kisses to her head. That was all she needed, he assumed. If only he knew.

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Seth tossed a doorknob onto the table Marisol occupied. Her bible sat in her lap, forgotten in favor of staring out the window. The noise was enough to startle her out of her trance. Her eyes flickered toward the knob curiously. "What's this for?" she asked, taking it into her hand.

           "You said you wanted to help," he said, facing his watch toward him. "Unlock it. Fast as you can." She sighed, closing her bible and setting it to the side. She wriggled the key with a furrow between her brows, snatching it out of the lock. Seth's face remained glued to his watch.

"It's the wrong key," she commented, twisting the metal between her fingers. It was warm to the touch and it sent a shudder along her spine. "No, it's a bump key," he replied, taking the knob and key from her hands. She glanced up at him, watching his expert hands. "Okay? In a perfect world, they'd have a snap gun for this. The quickest thing... But this is Mexico. We've got to make do with what we've got."

She leaned against the table top, peering up at him through her lashes. A ghost of a grin crossed his scruffy face. "Now, watch," he told her. And her eyes snapped back toward his hands. He fit the bump key back into the keyhole. "Like this." With a thrust of his palm, the lock clicked. Marisol's eyes widened in wonder. "It's all in the reflexes," he explained with an amused laugh.

          He passed the doorknob back and Marisol straightened in her seat. Her fingers curled and she thrusted the heel of her hand into the bump key. It moved slightly, scraping her palm, eliciting a sharp gasp from the woman. "Shit," she cursed, waving her hand with a grimace. "Shit, okay. Let me try again."

Seth's hand ran over his chin. He watched as she readied her hand once more. "Someone kissed me," he blurted out against his better judgment. He had been contemplating telling her. When it happened, he was quick to shut it down. But did he really have to tell her. She missed the key entirely, her head having snapped up to focus on his worried face. The knob clattered onto the table, rolling from her hand.

She wasn't sure what to say. She knew things had been hard. His addiction has surely driven quite the wedge between them, and her nightmares definitely didn't help. But she thought they were good. Seth could see the gears shifting in her head. Quickly, he sat in the chair opposite and reached for her hands. "I didn't cheat," he stated. "I went to check on the passports and scope the place out. And she kissed me. I didn't kiss her back."

          She stared down at their conjoined hands for a moment. "I believe you," she stated. "But, um, that was a lot. I definitely didn't expect that." He frowned. "Should I have not said anything?" he asked. She shook her head. Her fingers squeezed his. "No, I'm glad you told me," she explained. "You took me by surprise."

He nodded slowly, breathing in a long inhale. "I saw the safe," he then exhaled. Marisol's shoulders tensed. Her brows lifted slightly. "It's a good score." Her skin flushed. Excitement sparkled within her doe like eyes. "It's gonna play. If we work out all the moves. We've gotta review 'em."

          She couldn't stop herself from hopping up from her seat and rounding the table, plopping straight onto Seth's lap. His eyes widened as she straddled his waist, arms loosely wrapping around his neck. "I like it when you say nice things to me," she told him, pressing a quick peck to his mouth. He didn't even have time to reciprocate. He grinned. "You did good."

          His voice dropped. His hands pressed into her hips firmly. His eyes left hers to watch her lips stretch into a pleased smile. "Y eres muy hermosa." A surprised gasp left her sharply, followed by a slap to his shoulder. His arms wrapped tightly around her hips, a proud glint flittering in his dark eyes. "Where did you learn that?" she asked, curious.

          "I picked up a book," he answered nonchalantly. "The internet is also free. Says so on the sign outside." His hand came down on her backside gently, startling her. "Now, go back and keep practicing. We need to dot our i's and cross our t's." Reluctantly, she did as told. She withdrew from Seth and plopped back down in her own chair, reaching for the doorknobs.

          A warm sense of pride filled his body, watching her practice. "This beauty school dropout," he continued, clearing his voice, "the one with the helmet hair, she's got a direct-to-DVD bodyguard watching the front of her place."

          "That's Tocayo," she replied. "The collector also has another guy, Chino. He's supposed to be with him tomorrow." Seth nodded. His hands slapped against his thighs before he stood, sauntering over to the alcohol. "Splendid," he sighed. "Any other surprises?"

          She thrusted her palm against the bump key hard, sucking in a sharp breath when it hurt her. "Raf says they sit there in the beauty parlor waiting for the collector to do his thing," she explained, twisting the key to wriggle it free. Seth paused mid pour and glanced over at the woman. "I'm sorry, Raf?" Instinctively, her eyes rolled. "Rafael. I told you about him."

          "No you didn't," he argued. The bottle clinked against the counter. He turned back toward Marisol, arms crossing tight over his chest. "He's my connection," she replied. "I know that I told you about him." His brows furrowed into a deeper frown. "I think I would remember you talking about another men during pillow talk."

She couldn't stop the flush erupting under her skin. It spread over her chest, up her neck, and along her cheekbones. "What do mean connection, anyway?" he asked. "You been reading too many paperback originals?" Her eyes narrowed at the doorknob before she forced her hand once more against the bump key. The sting lessened, but she figured that it was most likely to her palm going numb.

"He promised to be our lookout," she stated, tone sharp. Seth scoffed. "Alright, slow down." Finally, she glanced up at him. He was watching her intently. Alongside his worry was the tiniest hint of jealousy. It was an emotion she remembered well. "The last thing I need is another mouth to feed around here."

He reached beside him for his glass and downed the amber liquid. Gently, she placed the doorknob back onto the table. Replies swirled around in her head. She wanted to tell him that he was being a jerk, and selfish. But his attention was gone. His head turned toward the television on low volume.

He scrambled for the remote, turning the volume up higher. Marisol turned around when she heard a familiar name. On the television was Ranger Gonzalez. The newscaster explained how the Ranger had found the Geckos fried in a car. Confusion puckered between her brows. "That..."

Seth exhaled a hefty sigh. "It's Richard," he concluded. "He's trying to throw off the cops." And it's a smart idea, he thought angrily. In irritation, he switched off the television. He grabbed the bottle of alcohol and poured him another glass over his melting ice cubes. "Keep going," he instructed the brunette.

"Yes, sir," she replied sarcastically. Seth rolled his eyes as he took a long drink from his glass. That eagerness from before had died. All because of a little, stupid, green monster that Seth just loves to entertain. She bumped the key once more, but it refused to turn. Seth sighed, setting his glass down on the table. "Congratulations," he said. "We're dead."

"You're such a fucking baby," she muttered, pulling out the key once more. She blew a strand of hair from her face before re-inserting it. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, eyes narrowed into a glare. She tugged the key back a bit before thrusting her hand against it. When it didn't turn again, Seth scoffed.

She glanced up toward the man expectantly. She was sure he was itching to go on a tangent right about then. "You know what," he began, his lips smacking together. "It's off. I'm calling it off."

She scoffed in disbelief. "Over some guy?" she asked. His back straightened. "No," he argued. And he wasn't lying. Not entirely. "You're not ready. No más." She dropped the knobs onto the table and stood up. "No!" she fired back.

Their eyes locked together in a heated stare. "Every Spidey sense I got is tingling in every nook and cranny from my eyeballs to my balls-balls." Her eyes rolled dramatically at his response. "So, forget it. We're gonna wait—"

"Wait for what, Seth?" she asked. "What are you so fucking afraid of?"

He couldn't believe she didn't know. How could she not know the answer to that question. The silence surrounding them felt louder than any yell or shout they could make during an argument. Seth shook his head. He downed the rest of his drink and slammed the glass onto the table.

Not ready, she thought. With a scoff, she picked the knob back up and wiggled the bump key. Seth's eyes followed her hands as she forced the key into the hole and moved it just a tiny bit. With a thrust of her hand, they finally heard that familiar click.

Her eyes lifted to meet Seth's softened gaze. With a growing smirk, she wiggled the key. It moved. She had done it. Setting it down, she looked back toward Seth with a calmer composure. "You have to trust me," she stated. Seth nodded his head, slow. "We can do this. I'm ready."

"I already lost Rich," he sighed. "I can't lose you, too." Her heart skipped a beat. Her body ran warm. "I know what happened down there was traumatic. And the shit with Richie fucked you up. But you weren't the only one who lost someone." He ducked his head. He knew that. He noticed the lack of certain people when they had reunited. He hadn't asked. He hadn't asked about anything that happened after they parted. He had been so caught up in having her again that he hadn't thought about it.

Now could be the perfect time, he thought to himself. "What... what happened down there?" he questioned, picking his head up and spotting the far away look in her eyes. She shook her head as a lump swelled in her thraot. Sparkling tears filled her warm eyes. "I can't," she whispered. And maybe she needed to. Maybe talking about it could help. She was just too stubborn to try.

rumi says . . .
bro,, i love them.

in no way am i saying that
marisol & seth have a healthy
relationship at this moment but
the honesty!!!! good job seth

how was the chapter?
what was your favorite part?

i hope you guys enjoyed it!
feedback is seriously appreciated!