As usual, whenever someone knocked on the door - which had only been twice, one being Nadir, and the other a salesman - Christiana sprinted up the stairs to her room while Erik answered it.

   It was Ray, the fop from the library.

  Erik had to refrain from slamming the door in the man's face because it would look suspicious.

   "May I help you?" He asked.

   "Yes. I'm freezing and my car broke down. May I use your phone?" Erik did not know Ray's ulterior motive, nor did he bother to pay close enough attention to spot Ray's lie.

   "Of course, please come in." Erik stepped aside, letting the shaking younger fellow into the warmth of his home. It used to not be warm. But Christina insisted it was cold and that he turn on the heat.

   Ray thanked him and went to stand by the fire as Erik went for his landline, not wanting his foe's hands to touch something that he had to touch more often then he'd like. Unless he was throwing it at a wall, Erik never used the landline.

   "Here you go. And what were you doing out there?" Erik came back moments later.

   Ray tried to act. "Well do you remember Christiana Dame? She's gone missing."

   "Oh no, she still is?" Erik frowned, acting worried much more realistically than Ray. "I heard and I had hoped they found her."

   "We haven't. I've gone out wit her mother."

   "Isn't she a bit old for you?"

  "What?"

   "Isn't it a bit cold for you? With the bad weather I hope precautions are being taken."

   "They are." Ray started dialing his own phone, which was sitting in his perfectly working car. He had to admit when he came to the house on the hill, he had not expected to have Erik greet him. But now that he knew how close he was to town... he wanted to explore. He feigned having a conversation with a tow truck driver and then handed the phone back to Erik.

  "Thank you. You don't mind if I stay a moment longer do you?"

  "Not at all. And feel free to take whatever you need. I don't care about thieves, excuse me," and with that, Erik thought he had the last laugh and headed up the stairs, turning on the cameras in the house on a keypad in the wall to watch Ray.

  Except he got a bit distracted when he found Christiana pale and terrified about the visitor who obviously was not someone she could meet.

   He completely missed Ray walking around the tree and the couch. He never saw Ray pick up the blonde strand of hair from the back of the sofa and study it in the light before putting it in his pocket and leaving as abruptly as he'd come. He had his proof. Now he had the upperhand. He could blackmail. He could scare. He could annoy Mrs. Dame.

   He didn't know Erik would bow be keeping a Punjab Lasso up his sleeve at all times, nor that he was a trained killer, an assassin.

   The rivals were even. Well. Except Erik had Christiana and Ray didn't.

                          🌹

   "What was he doing here?" Christiana asked as Erik began making a path in the carpet of her room.

   "Looking for you. Don't be so agitated, my love, I hate to see you stressed."

  "What if they find me here?" What will that mean for you?"

    "Don't worry about me, I've never had to flee a country because of a person yet. I get to my enemies first."

  "Asking me not to worry," said Christiana, standing up grab Erik's arm and stop him from his constant walking, "is like asking me not to love you - fruitless and impossible."

   He kissed the top of her head. "I adore your determination. But please... at least worry less. I can always pay my way out of everything anyway."

  "Money can't buy you a get out of jail free card."

   Erik rolled his eyes. "Christiana, I'll be fine. Khan went to law school a decade ago."

  "This isn't a laughing matter."

  "Who says I'm not serious?"

  Christiana took his mask off and threw it across the room. "This is me being angry, Erik. I don't want you to get in trouble. My mother, it seems, will do anything to get me back."

   "And if I have to remove you to Persia to prevent that I will. Did I tell you yet that your face turns pink when you're mad or embarrassed? The only way I can tell the two apart is whether you throw my mask somewhere, which isn't very helpful."

   "Stop teasing!" She laughed.

   Erik did turn somber then. His fingers slid down her cheek. "But you are the only one I have ever wanted to tease."

   Christina's heart skipped a beat. He was so wonderful to her. And she loved him so much. To think they might not have met if he hadn't almost run her over with her car.

  "I love you, my Christiana."

   "And I love your car, Erik."

A/N

  This was short. But we are nearing the end, so upcoming chapters will be longer. Who wants a fist fight between Ray and Erik?

   And the reason this took me so long is because I just finished the next chapter in my other fanfiction where bad stuff goes down. Lol