Getting creative was easier said than done.

After their drunken night out, Elodie had gone to bed, while Hana had also gone to her own room after ensuring that Elodie was safely tucked into bed. So dead was she to the world that she hadn't seen felt the presence of Angelo in the room during the night, and by the time she woke up, the only trace of him was the scent of his cologne; which lingered in the air.

Hungover and cursing every alcohol out there, Elodie went to brush her teeth and ease herself in the large bathroom, wincing when she saw her ashen pallor in the mirror above the sink. A few splashes of water on her face, and pinches to both cheeks restored a little color, though.

Now, standing on the balcony overlooking the bright and busy sidewalk of the Strip, Elodie placed a call to Jean.

"Well, hello," Jean said, sounding slightly out of breath. "If it isn't Ms. Evans herself."

"Hi, Jean."

There was a slight pause. "You don't sound so good."

Elodie perked up, tried to infuse warmth into her voice. "I'm good."

Silence. It was a loaded one.

"Really, I'm fine," Elodie rushed to explain. "I called to ask you about Mace."

"Mace is doing great," Jean said quietly. "He's always doing great. But, tell me: if you're so worried about Mace, how come you're not taking better care of yourself."

She furrowed her brows, gaze on the woman pulling the arm of a shrieking toddler sidewalk. "I do take care of myself."

"El." Jean sighed. "You and I know how much of a lie that is. I know how hard doing these things are for you, but you don't stop to even—for a minute—worry about yourself."

"That's not true." Her own protest sounded so weak, even to her own ears.

"If what you say is true, tell me why you're on the phone with me right now, even knowing that someone is watching him for you, asking about Mace, when you should be taking advantage of the little freedom you have to take a breather for yourself."

If only she knew the truth, E2 mused.

"See?" Jean asked after Elodie refused to provide an answer to that. "El, just tell me the truth, okay? Are things not working out with your new beau?"

"I'm conflicted," the words rushed out before she could think better of them.

"About?" She prompted.

"An...my beau."

"In what way?"

"He does things to me that I normally wouldn't allow people to do, and the truth is..." Elodie sucked in a sharp breath, giving her back to the window, listless gaze falling on random things in the room. "I like it."

"Oh," she murmured, then she repeated in a much softer tone, "Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Elodie echoed.

"Can I ask what those things are?"

"It's...sexual stuff."

"Ah, I see." There was a light scuffle at the end of the line, then the sound of a door closing. "Are we talking hardcore stuff? Lite, Kink?"

Elodie nodded, realized that Jean couldn't see her, and gave a verbal confirmation.

"Wow," Jean breathed, marvel coating her tone. "I never expected a day like this to come, you know. You and I discussing stuff like this."

Elodie pressed the back of her hand (not holding the phone) to her hot cheek. "Jean."

She chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. I'm getting off topic here."

"Jean, come on."

"Okay." She sounded more serious now. "What happened between you two that led to this discovery."

"Nothing. Nothing bad, at least."

"Do you like him?" Jean asked, changing the subject. "Really like him?"

Elodie couldn't confirm nor deny that just yet. Because she'd never taken the time to examine how she felt about the man just yet.

"Oh, boy." Jean's sigh echoed down the line. "You can't go around falling for men you don't have the assurance of seeing again, Elly. Men like that would easily replace you, remember that. Is there any assurance that he'd want to see you once your training ends in a few days?"

Elodie licked her lips. There was no assurance that Angelo, despite his claims of obsession, was going to keep her around once their contracted time was up. "No,"she replied in a small voice.

"Men like that are nothing to us, just as we are...we are nothing to them."

"So, you were in a relationship like that before?"

"No." The reply was too quick and sharp. Jean must have realized how that came out, because she said, "I was not like you. I had plenty of fun at the time. We had good, mind-blowing sex. But it was different. I may have liked it too much and I struggled alot when it was time to break things off. I don't want that to happen to you."

"I think it's already too late," Elodie confessed in a small desperate murmur, eyes lowered to the rug. "I think things have always been different with us since we met. I'd prepared myself for the worst, you know. Worst would have been fine."

"Oh, Elly, just break things off then. If you already feel like this, you have to end things. Find someone else."

"I can't."

"If you do this, you'll get hurt."

Elodie should listen to Jean. Jean knew better. She had more experience, obviously. But now that Angelo had shown her just how sensual she was, the way he'd practically coerced her into have a three-way with Vasily, and just how good she had enjoyed being used for another's enjoyment, all she did was crave more. She wanted Angelo to do dirty, unspeakable things to her.

In the light of the day, alone, Elodie could finally admit that to herself.

Giving that up was unthinkable. Plus, she still had more information to get for Brooks and she couldn't quit now, not when they were so close to finding the truth.

She had to convince Jean that she'd be alright. The last she wanted to do was make the other woman worry, after she'd already saddled her with Mace already.

"Jean, I'm not like you, you just said that. You got to enjoy yourself properly before doing this and I didn't, and I want it to feel special. Sex with him is good, how could I walk away from that just now?"

"You tell yourself that you'd be better off later," Jean said, her voice hard, cold.

"It's a good contract, though."

"There are many men that wouldn't invoke such a conflicting feeling in you."

"It's okay, Jean. I can do this. I know, right now, I don't sound so convincing. But I can do it. I'll have my fun and leave him. I'll be okay. Just like you."

Jean didn't respond. Her prolonged silence made Elodie realize that her friend had lied to her about how seamless her affair had gone.

It was a warning, but Elodie didn't know how to heed it.

*

She'd promised Jean that she'd think about it before they hung up. She would try to treat her encounters with Angelo as purely transactional as it ought to be.

Now, Elodie thought about it as she curled into bed with the free magazine that came with the hotel room. She let herself truthfully consider how she might feel at the end of two weeks, once she'd exposed Angelo's plan and got out safely.

Everything else became blurry, the words in front of her turning into dark squiggles.

Elodie enjoyed sex with Angelo no matter how depraved it was. She enjoyed letting him tie her up, position her howevery he wanted.

The little shiver that slithered up her spine left little doubt about how much she'd like it. The stirring between her legs even left less doubt about how good it would feel.

But it wasn't love.

It was pure, unadulterated lust.

Elodie wanted the fast hot fucks. She was so starved for it. She hadn't realized just how much she craved this until her conversations with Hana last night and Jean this morning. Maybe, this was because Angelo was her first. And it had awakened her body. That was it.

Besides, there was the issue of getting creative.

Angelo had hurt her over and over again.

He'd tied her up, raped her (even though she'd responded to it in a way that shocked her), and did everything but make her life smoother.

She had to get even.

Punish him a lot like he did to her, too. And what better way was there than this? Fuck him long enough to make him even more obsessed with her, then leave him high and dry in the desert wind?

A short, but sharp knock jerked Elodie out of her thoughts, and she looked up just as Hana closed the door behind her. The other woman was wearing a blue sundress with thin straps and white sandals with little heels. Her hair was done up in a ponytail with smooth, bouncy waves.

"Good morning, Elodie." She sounded so cheerful for someone who'd been equally three sheets to the wind last night.

"Morning," Elodie's reply was more subdued. She pushed up into a sitting position, ignoring when the magazine fell onto the bed beside her.

"I know you have yet to take breakfast, and that's because Mr. Casieri requested that you join him in his office as soon as you get up."

So, they were back to normal now? Hana didn't want to talk about last night?

A small line appeared between her brows. "He has an office here?"

"He does." Hana had already moved off to the closet, popping out to say, "Please, take a shower," before going back in.

Elodie got up and did as asked, too tired and wired to unpack all she was feeling now. But, as she showered, she wondered if Angelo had called the place his office to throw Hana off the scent of his prepared meeting with Vasily.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Hana was waiting with the outfit she'd chosen. It was a pink dress sporting full-skirt layered over with white tulle, and capped sleeves. The footwear choice was a light pink platform heels with buckle on the side. Her hair was smoothed into a low ponytail, the edges tamed.

"You look so good," Hana gushed on their elevator ride down to the lobby.

Elodie had managed a small smile, but her stomach churned. She was a bit familiar with Angelo's style now, she thought. If he wanted her to impress someone, he'd made sure she dressed sexily, showered her off. But, this dress made it obvious that this was a normal outing.

But, why does he have an office in Vegas? Was that why Vasily suggested they meet here in the first place?

A dark sedan was already waiting in front of the hotel once they stepped out. Elodie recognized Eyes from the yatch, and he only nodded when she murmured her 'hellos', holding the back door open for her.

"I'm not coming with you," Hana said, once Elodie was safely seated in the backseat. "Boss orders."

Elodie's eyes darted to the mountain of man still opening the door, and back to Hana. She opened her mouth to ask why, then snapped it shut, remembering that she and Hana weren't suppose to discuss anything other than this.

And if Eyes lived up to his name, he would most definitely report back to Angelo.

Forcing herself to relax into the seat, Elodie managed a smile. "Okay. I'll see you when I get back."

"Have fun."

Eyes closed the door once Hana was free from the doorway, rounded the car to the driver's seat, climbed in, and shut the door. The engine of the car rumbled to life underneath her, and soon, they were pulling away from the Bellagio and a smiling Hana.

Unsettled by the silence in the car, Elodie busied herself with watching the things happening outside of the car, thoughts, miles away.

But, she was jerked out of her thought when the car came to a sudden stop, propelling her forward in her seat.

Her hands shot out, palms slapping the leather of the seat in front of her, breaking her fall. Then, her back slammed into her seat.

Her heart beat rapidly, body trembling as she met Eyes cold gaze in the rearview mirror. He was already watching her, though, and he did not look a bit sorry about what just happened.

"W-what...?" She questioned through chattering teeth, hands going to wrap around her waist, eyes wide and body trembling. A glance outside the wind screen showed that they were in a parking space of a large mall.

Elodie reached for the door handle with shaky fingers, and she tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

Her eyes widened as she tried over and over again to open it.

"Stop doing that," Eyes' cold tone reached her, and Elodie snatched her hand back as though she'd been singed by fire. "Sit the fuck still."

She barely breathed.

"Now, listen to me," he continued, not bothering to turn around to look at me. "I don't know what you did to Angelo to make him keep you around, but let this serve as a warning to you. I don't know what it is, but what I do know is that you're hiding something."

While she wasn't out of the woods yet, Elodie knew that now wasn't the time to panic. Panicking meant giving the bastard more ammunition. Feigning ignorance looked better.

Summoning a bravado, she told him, "That's a lot of assumptions for your I don't knows, don't you think?"

"There's a lot I don't know, but I do know this," he continued, discarding her jab. "I have people watching your every move. One slight mistake, and you'll be buried before the sun sets. And it won't be an easy death for you either."

Elodie went deathly still, fingers latching onto her skirt to hide their shakes. "That's if you find one."

"I will."

When backed into wall, she always went into defensive, andd that's what what she did. "Listen here, you SOB, you have no right to threaten me."

His scoff was mocking. "You are in no position to tell me what and what I shouldn't do."

"I wonder what Angelo would do when he hears of this," she fired back.

Then, Elodie blinked when she found herself staring at the barrel of a pistol. It had a silencer attached to its mouth.

In the light of the day, the black polish gleamed wickedly, as though reminding her of the fact that things could go awry in a blink if she wasn't careful.

The owner of said gun had turned in his seat, and regarded her with bottomless dark eyes that sparkled with flecks of danger like electricity coursing through steel.

"Who'd tell him?" His tone implied that she thought carefully of her answer.

"You can't kill me," she said with a conviction she wasn't sure.

For a few minutes, neither of them moved, but Elodie prayed he couldn't hear just how loud her own heartbeats sounded to her ears.

Eyes grinned, withdrew the gun and gave her his back once again. Elodie breathed a bit easier now that she wasn't staring at the hole that could end her life in an instant.

"You haven't give me a reason to yet." He brought the car back to life and pulled out of the parking lot, and unto the busy road.

There was an underlying threat under those words. One she didn't want to dwell on, or she'd be a nervous wreck when she saw Angelo again. That was like poking a hornet nest, because there was no way she'd lie to him if he asked what was wrong with her.

But, what she did do was fasten her seatbelt, keeping her eyes trained on the back of his head throughout the rest of their drive.

A/N:

One long ass update, ain't it. It's a almost 3k, for sure.

Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed it.

What do you think of Elodie's revelation here?

Her conversation with Jean?

Do you think Eyes knows something?

Did Angelo put him up to threatening Elodie?

Comment your theories.

P.S: Next chapter is a very steamy one.

Don't forget to vote, comment and share.

Thank you forr reading.

P.P.S: We've reached 8k reads!!!!!!

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