"Elodie," Hana said softly, eyes sparkling in the dim light of the cabin.

The noise of the jet was practically nonexistent in the room she was currently situated in, buried underneath the covers, eyes peeking from the top of the duvet she'd buried her face in before the other woman came in.

One day had come and gone.

A whole day since Vasily fucked her face, and she'd sobbed into Angelo's chest like a baby.

And she couldn't bare to face the man.

Hana walked further into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Are you okay?" She inquired softly.

Elodie considered lying—for a moment, she considered telling Hana she was just have a moment and nothimg serious—but, the words poured out like a dam, making sure to leave out the parts about the Bomb, and Vasily's name, and when she was through, Hana's eyes was suspiciously glittering; this influenced Elodie's silent tears too.

While she was talking, Hana had closed the distance between them, and was now sitting on the bed beside her.

She reached for Elodie's hand, threading their fingers together. "It's okay to be angry, scared or afraid. You were talked into doing something against your wishes."

"I did give my consent," Elodie said, sniffling. "I let him touch me."

Elodie raised startled eyes to Hana's when the other woman squeezed her hand enough to hurt.

"Don't you ever say that again," she insisted, voice serious. "The circumstances made you do it, and besides, Angelo is supposed to watch out for you, not peddle you to another in exchange for information."

She widened her eyes at Hana. "I didn't say he did it for information."

Hana's gaze was all-knowing. "Men like Angelo only give out their women in exchange for information." She cast a surreptitious glance over her shoulder at the door, lowered her voice, and said, "you're not the first person he's doing this to."

Elodie was sure that her mortification was visible on her face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. So, all those words of warning were really that. It was no wonder he didn't hesitate to give her out just like that to Vasily.

"But," Hana was saying, "you could be the last."

That had Elodie sitting upright in bed, back leaning against the headboard. "What do you mean by that?"

Again, Hana looked over her shoulder at the door, and once she confirmed that they were alone, she said, "I know you work for the BIA."

Elodie snatched her hand back from Hana's, chest pounding.

If Hana knew, did that mean Angelo also did? Was that why he was punishing her?

"Don't panic."

It was too late for that.

"See, I'm also an agent of the BIA."

Elodie's fear melted away into surprise, and she could only gape at the other woman. "H-how...?" She could only ask as her mind conjured up different scenarios of how this came to be.

"I was assigned specifically to watch you," she said. "How do you think the BIA knew of your visit to the Yatch?"

Oh. That explained a lot, then.

She still hadn't been able to wrap her head around the fact that she was approached by the BIA first, and the offer Brooks gave her too.

"I didn't know it would come to this, though." There was an apology somewhere in those words.

"Does this mean you've been keeping tracks of him, too?" She had to ask. "Did Brooks assign you to me?"

"Yes," Hana said softly."This doesn't mean that he doesn't trust you. But after what you said the last time you spoke to him, he feels that it's better any information you have for him go through me. Angelo is less likely to be suspicious of me than you. Plus, he takes you to his meetings."

"Oh," Elodie murmured.

It did make sense, then.

And a part of her was relieved that she wasn't alone anymore. But, the other part wanted to call of the whole thing and head back to her simple life.

Then, there was Angelo's obsession with her.

It almost seemed like a lifetime ago, when he called her that.

Obsessions didn't go away magically, which meant that if she wanted to get rid of him finally, she had to endure whatever he threw her way till the very end. For her own and Mace's safety.

"Your brother is safe," Hana told her, as though she'd read her mind. "We have two agents watching him round the clock, so don't worry about that."

Elodie nodded. "Thank you."

"No." Hana reached for hand once again, clasping it in her own. "Thank you. You're giving a lot to make this work, and for that we are grateful."

Elodie squeezed back.

"Now, what did Vasily and Angelo discuss?"

Later, when Hana left to get Elodie something to eat from the stewardess— who'd smiled so bright that even Hana winced from its rays—it occurred to her that the BIA had set her up from the beginning, letting her think it was her idea to go undercover.

She was an innocent pawn in everyone's game. Including Angelo's.

*

Their plane touched down at the Harry Reid International Airport at exactly ten fifty-six.

After her conversation with Hana and the light meal she had, Elodie had tried really hard to sleep on the plane, but she didn't do more than doze for a few minutes. The fear of Angelo walking into the room, catching her vulnerable was enough to keep her awake.

Thankfully, Angelo got off the plane before she did, and took a separate car altogether. Elodie was relieved, because she wasn't sure she was ready to talk to him just yet. Or even see him.

In fact, they hadn't seen each other since that night, after he'd dropped her at the house. Elodie had taken care not to see him, and he, her.

Their journey to the Heathrow had been separated, and he'd gone as far as letting her get on board first, before he did.

Elodie quickly became swept up in just how busy Vegas was. There were people everywhere; on the sidewalks, spilling into the streets, throngs gathered around the infamous Bellagio and miniature Eiffel Tower as though the night was just only starting and not it already being ten p.m.

She stayed glued to the window of the small car occupied by she and Hana, eyes wide, taking it all in. Bright and gaudy and neon, lights and colors, shrieking girls wearing colorful sashes and crowns balanced precariously on each head and men cat-calling the women while stumbling out of the casinos like they had all the time in the world. It was all over the top.

Their hotel, The Bellagio Hotel & Casino, was in the middle of the Vegas Strip, and offered the perfect view of the fountain itself. It had everything to offer: pools, The Conservatory and it's seasonal flower gardens (Hana made a promise to take Elodie to check it out later). Plus the casino on its second floor where all the actions seemed to be.

Their driver dropped them at the entrance, and the concierge helped with their bags, loading it onto a cart that he wheeled into the lobby. And what a lobby it was. The first thing that caught her attention was the ceiling.

The lobby ceiling featured a huge hand-blown glass sculpture piece named “Fiori Di Como,”.  It was made of over 2,000 brightly-colored glass flowers which frazzled and dazzle under the bright lights reflecting off it.

The second thing Elodie noticed was the 8 feet tall silver and gold mosaic horse that is made of thousands of tiny mirrored tiles. It was so sparkling and loud and so perfectly “Las Vegas” and definitely set the mood for a party. That was, if she was the partying kind.

This work of art was directly in front of the reception desk area where Hana stopped to take the keys to their room, while Elodie took in the sights.

"Wow," Hana said, keys in hand, stopping to take in the sights of the flowered ceiling. "No matter how much I see this, it never stops to take my breath away."

After taking several pictures at the behest of Hana (to commemorate her visit here, since London held so many bad memories, and some good ones), they finally went up to the elevator and headed for their floor.

Elodie could only marvel at the opulence of the room once they were safely in the room with their luggages.

It was glorious.

The suite was large, spanning the entire length of the thirty-sixth floor of the Main Tower floor with floor-to-ceiling windows offering the perfect view of the man-made lake; The Bellagio fountain itself. From that high up, Elodie could see for miles, beyond the brights lights and the city limits.

The bed was large, could probably house four people, a carlifornian king size with so many pillows it looked like an invasion.

"Holy shit," Hana said, head poking into the bathroom. Elodie joined her and her jaw dropped when she saw the freestanding jet tub, big enough for two people, and the French windows that opened onto a small balcony overlooking The Conservatory with its transparent ceiling glass. The busy night and the sound of people having a good time floated up to them when Hana opened the doors.

In the sitting area, there was a wine cooler on the coffee table holding two unopened bottles of champagne, a couple of crystal glasses on a tray, and a box of fancy cookies tied with a red ribbon. It was all insanely romantic. And it would have been perfect if she was here with her significant other, and not a paid-for escort.

"This is beautiful," Hana was saying, setting her bag down on the bed as she fingered a pillow. "It's silk. My God."

Elodie didn't understand what she was on about, but she did join her on the bed. "Angelo went all out for this one. Although, I can't say why."

Hana stopped fingering the silk long enough to give me a pointed look. "That's because he intends to share this place with you."

On a subconscious level, she'd expected that, because common sense would be sharing a place together to save expenses. But, after all that had happened, Elodie wasn't sure that she was ready to face him just yet.

"Hmm," was her reply.

Hana sighed and got off the bed. "Do you want a glass?" She reached for one of the bottles and waved it at her. "Or do you want to call it a night?"

Calling it a night meant going to bed, and staying awake until Angelo himself came into the room, and the discomfort that was sure to take place. Hana staying a little longer meant Angelo staying away, too. Elodie was willing to be that he'd purposely let Hana be with her.

Even though the other woman was doing this for her own benefits, too.

So, she held out a hand, her fingers a pincer waiting for a glass. "Please."

Hana poured two glasses, and joined Elodie back on the bed, handing over her own filled glass. "A toast," she said, "to strong women who'd do anything for those they love."

The reminder that she was doing this for Mace gave her a little energy boost, and enough strength to push her ordeal into the back of her mind.

"Cheers to that." Elodie touched the rim of her glass to Hana's, even smiling a bit. She took a small sip.

After two more glasses, enough that Elodie felt a bit buzzed, Hana suggested that they go to watch the singing fountain. They got there just as one show ended, ten minutes before the next one started, perfect enough that they had time to weave through the crowds and secure themselves a spot up against the railing right in the middle.

Humidity was ripe; the air warm and moist and heavy, and a fine sheen of sweat broke out on Elodie's forehead the longer they were exposed to the heat. Hana, ever the put together one, sweated as though it was an aesthetic.

"It's unfair how good you look," she told Hana, waving a hand in front oof her own face, and generating a bit of cool air that did nothing other than add to the heat.

"We're certainly not in nippy London anymore," Hana replied, fanning herself with her purse. "At least there's no rain."

Elodie hummed in agreement.

As famed as The Bellagio fountain's were, Elodie had never seen a video of it and knew not what to expect. The crowd wasn't so busy tonight, so there was time and space to breathe as the show started—Frank Sinatra's Fly me to the moon—and the water began to dance.

And it was magical.

Seriously. It took her breath away, the way the water danced to the rhythm, choreographed to match the music, moving so effortlessly, smoothly.

For the whole four minutes, Elodie was transfixed, breath held, eyes wet. Maybe it was because her emotions were all over the place, or the indulgence in the wine, watching the dancing water made her emotional.

Three minutes in, Elodie couldn't stop herself from reaching for Hana, who also reached for her in turn, and when she sneaked a glance, she found that the other woman's eyes were wet, too.

It was weird, this day. In the morning, she'd been hiding out, bogged over the fact that she'd liked Vasily's hands, as well as Angelo's, and the shame of her crying afterwards; and in the afternoon, discovering who Hana truly was. And now, she was on another continent entirely, holding hands with an undercover agent, crying over a fountain—its water and music.

After the show ended, Hana began to walk them back to the hotel, hands still holding onto each other.

"Do you know what I think?" Hana asked, not pausing in her strides, but her gaze was on Elodie, who was focused on ensuring they didn't trip.

"What?"

"I think you should exact your revenge on Angelo, too."

That had Elodie meeting her gaze, and so therefore halting their walk in the middle of the sidewalk. "What do you mean?"

"Hasn't he only ever treat you like some sex slave?" It was a rhetoric question. "You should do the same to him. Don't let him see how much he's affecting you or he'll keep at it. Men like Angelo, they feed off your fear. You can turn the tables around, too."

Elodie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Hana think, prior to her first time with Angelo, that she had experience? "And how do you propose I do that?"

Hana shook her head, then began to walk again, taking Elodie with her. From the short distance to the hotel, neither of them said a thing. But, Elodie waited though, knowing Hana would speak when she was ready.

At long last, once they were in the hotel lobby with its radiance, she finally replied: "Get creative. All that matters is that you punish him just the way he did to you."

*

A/N:

Two updates in one night? Yeah, I did that. Wrote two chapters in a day. I'll try to work on more before the week runs out😉.

Thank you for reading as always, and I know things may be confusing for now, but don't worry, we're slowly, but surely getting there.

What do you think of Hana's revelation?

Do you think she's telling the truth?

Should Elodie have trust her do easily?

Why do you think Angelo is avoiding Elodie?

Do you think he put Hana up to entertaining her?

Lastly, have you been Vegas? How was it?

I haven't been, but I hope to one day.

Don't forget to vote, comment and share❤️