CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

IT WAS TWO IN THE MORNING WHEN SHE GOT BACK TO HER APARTMENT, EYES HALF CLOSED FROM THE LACK OF SLEEP. Lucy had a late shift the next day and she'd promised to have Sara in her care, which eased Ruby's mind quite a bit as she went to stay with her at the hospital for the night.

The woman threw her keys onto the coffee table and her bag onto the chair, kicking off her heels. The ones she had only worn to seem more confident to agent Turner. Her cold wooden floorboards felt wonderful on the soles of her bare feet and she shrugged off her jacket.

All she really wanted was to wash her face and get into bed, cover herself in thick blankets and sleep for twelve hours straight.

Lucy ambled towards the kitchen and switched on the light, winching slightly, before she poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down.

"How did it go?"

"Jesus Christ!" gasped Lucy, the glass sliding from her hand and falling into the sink before breaking into a million pieces. The woman turned to glare at him. "Don't fucking do that."

The man with the eagle tattoo on his throat shot her a toothy grin, hands in his pockets as he rested against doorway. He watched as Lucy brushed the hair from her face as she tried to come down from the fright he had given her. Her face had gone a bit pale as she leaned against the kitchen counter with both hands.

Rio took in her attire with a raised brow, it was different, but he wasn't complaining. Lucy did not get rid of her glare as she said, "It's two in the morning, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you." he shrugged nonchalantly and tilted his head at her. He pushed himself off of the doorway with ease and took a few slow strides towards her. "And i'm kind of curious what story you came up with for the feds."

The woman bit the inside of her cheek and rubbed at her eyes in disbelief. "Exactly what you wanted me to say."

The man hummed and stopped in front of her, almost trapping her between his body and the counter. "And what was that, exactly?"

Lucy craned her neck to look up at him and pressed her molars together. He hadn't wiped the grin from his face and her eyes fell to his lips briefly before she met his gaze again, which only seemed to amuse him further.

"You know what i'm talking about."

"I'm gonna need you to repeat it."

He reached his hand towards her face and brushed a single dark strand away from her eyes with his pinky. His skin didn't graze her cheek but she felt the heat radiating off of him.

This felt like a bridge she should not be crossing. He was standing so close that she could feel his breath fan over her face and the scent of his cologne was so intoxicating she wanted more of it. She could count the lashes that covered his eyes and Lucy was unable to look away from his dark brown gaze.

"I told him it was a one night stand." she muttered, feeling the skin of her face burning up as her mouth turned dry.

"Did he buy it?"

"Not at first." she breathed, pressing her back further into the counter to try and create some distance before she'd combust. "I had to get a bit creative. Told him we met at Lucky's, just so you know."

"Creative how?" He knew exactly what he was doing and he enjoyed watching her squirm underneath his gaze. The brunette narrowed her eyes, her mouth turning into a frown. "Come on, ma. You can tell me."

Lucy didn't know if she was turned on or embarrassed. There was currently no in between and she did not want to say the words out loud while they were right in her kitchen, where she had said they screwed all night. Her eyes fell to the eagle tattoo on his throat and she did not know of she should meet his stare again.

"Why you so nervous?" he mused, smirking down at her. "I don't bite."

No, but I want you to.

The woman cringed internally at the thought that just crossed her mind and she peered up at him again with a roll of her eyes. He could literally obliterate her right now and wipe her off the face of the earth if he wanted to. "I told him we had some drinks, I invited you back to my place and then we screwed on the kitchen counter all night."

"On this kitchen counter?" he taunted, sliding his left hand over the smooth material. His arm brushed her waist as he reached behind her and her breath hitched in her throat. "Did you make me sound good?"

"I hate you." she gritted out through clenched teeth.

He huffed out a laugh. "I bet you do."

Rio leaned down slightly, his gaze sliding down to her mouth before he raked them over the rest of her face. Lucy almost flickered her eyes shut but was able to stop herself. He was intoxicating and this was so very wrong. He clicked his tongue and pushed himself away from her and she let out a shaky breath as he did so.

"A'ight," he nodded. "goodnight, Lucy."

The man walked backwards with his hands in his pockets, beanie still on his head as he shot her another grin. Lucy stayed impossibly still as she watched him disappear and heard the front door close behind him.

The brunette let out a long breath and gripped the counter tightly as she closed her eyes. Lucy was really in for it now.

✧✧✧✧✧

IT WAS SAFE TO SAY THAT SHE HAD GOTTEN NO SLEEP THAT NIGHT. Her mind kept going back to him and she hated it. She cursed the man that had captured most her thoughts these days. Even while she was at work, getting ready for the rest of her night shift did he plague her mind.

"Aunt Lucy." It was Sara trying to get her attention a little past eleven in the evening. The brunette sat on a chair beside the bed with a blanket covering her legs. "You don't have to stay with me all night, you know."

"I know, honey." smiled Lucy with a small shrug. "There aren't many other kids here tonight, it's okay. I promised your mother to stay with you until she got back."

Ruby had left about an hour prior, getting a change of clothes and some stuff that Sara had requested. The girl had to stay for observation another day before she was able to go home and Ruby had insisted on staying the night while Stan stayed at home with Harry.

"So, it's like a sleepover?" said Sara tiredly.

"A little bit." Lucy hummed, resting her head on the back of the chair. "How about you focus on getting some rest and when you feel a lot better we can have a sleep over at my house with Sadie?"

"We used to do that all the time when we were little." grinned Sara, turning on her side and adjusting the nasal cannula for her oxygen. "I'd love that. Oh, could we watch that scary movie?"

"Your mother would kill me."

"She doesn't have to know ..."

"What doesn't she have to know?" Ruby slid the sliding doors open and entered the room with an overnight bag in her hand. Sara looked up at her mother sheepishly as the older woman narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "You better not be planning anything little Miss."

"She wasn't." offered Lucy with an amused smile on her face. "We were discussing how much popcorn during a movie is too much popcorn."

"Uh-huh." Ruby pursed her lips before she burst out laughing. 

The woman leaned down to kiss Sara's head and sat down beside Lucy, grabbing onto the blanket to pull it over her own legs, too.

"Get some sleep, Sara." offered Ruby. "We'll be here when you wake up."

It didn't take the girl long to fall asleep then, she was amped up on medication and having her mother near was a great help too. Lucy glanced down at her work phone screen to see there hadn't been any calls so she kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs up.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble staying here?" questioned Ruby, her head lolling towards her tiredly. 

"Nah," she uttered and sighed softly as she peered up at her friend. "I only got Sara and another kid but his parents do everything. I don't need to be there till three for his antibiotics. Unless you'd rather have me go so you can sleep?"

"Hell no." Ruby rolled her eyes. "I don't want to be alone right now."

The brunette hummed in agreement as she hugged the blanket closer toward her chest. "She'll be okay."

"I know." said Ruby as she looked at Sara with a furrow of her brows. "I'm just so worried about her. About everything that's going on right now. Did you know that me and Annie wanted out?" Lucy shook her head at that. "We did this one job and then we were going to call it quits, but Beth decided that it wasn't enough and that she wanted more. Now were stuck in this shit again."

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"We did but she promised we could do it."

"How much are you washing?" Lucy whispered, shooting a quick glance at Sara to see she was still asleep.

"Right now? Seven-fifty."

"What?" she gaped as she sat up straight. "In what ... a few weeks? That's impossible."

"We're not doing it alone." admitted Ruby as she kicked off her boots as well and got comfortable. "We have this entire system set up with all sorts of woman thinking they're secret shoppers for this company we made up. It's working so far."

"Ruby," frowned Lucy as she looked at her friend with worry. "this isn't going to end well."

"I don't blame you for having gotten out." said Ruby truthfully. "This is dangerous and messed up and that gang leader ... he's terrifying and I can't help but think every day is our last."

The woman's face faltered at that and averted her gaze towards the white wall ahead of her. Her friends were going to be in deep shit and she was doing stuff for him on the side without their knowledge and it was messed up. 

Perhaps she should call it quits too, for real this time. 

Unfortunately i had to re-write this twice because wattpad would not save it today due to an error. i hope i managed to get the tension right in the first part? i kinda think i did <3