Love In Rio (closed)

“I guess I just needed a change of pace a way to start a new life and get out of the states……”

“I thought Rio would be the place for me a place where I could mellow in the other degenerates and thugs and slowly disappear from society and into a bottle”

“But I thought wrong”

The sound of the choppers flying overhead annoyed Marcus to no end and he ordered another scotch to mellow on while he waited. He was sitting at one of the more popular hotels in Rio called the swan towers and was waiting for his interview on a security job that had recently opened up. Mr. Archambault was another American like him who had made a small fortune in the hotel business by opening up a chain of high end hotels across America but The French Towers in Rio was his baby. It supported thirty thousand of the most exclusive guests in the world and there were rumors that all the bathrooms were made of gold diamonds. Marcus supposed it was good enough for the rich and famous but he preferred his small beach house a few miles out of the city. The pretty waiter in the bikini gave him his drink and he refrained from gulping it down, he took a polite sip and put hit other hand on the gun holster hiding underneath his black jacket.

“Mr. Archambault will see you now Mr. Richard” another security Guard said coming up and gesturing for the elevator.

“Well here it goes” Marcus said gulping down the rest of his drink and feeling the alcohol quickly shoot through his system. He got up and made his way over to the elevators following the man and watching him grope a couple of waiters as he moved past.

“Rio was a cesspool all right full of people who had the vilest and twisted cravings and personality it seemed like there was no end to the perverts or violent or sleazy people that I suddenly found my self surrounded by”

“Then I met Mr. Archambault”

The elevator door softly pinged open and Marcus was ushered into a large waiting room with the swan logo displayed in diamonds, it was the sort of place that screamed power and money and more importantly demanded respect. Marcus wasn’t fazed by it though after all people all could die the same way all It took was a bullet to the head.

The security Guard ushered him out of the alley and away from the pretty blond secretary. They went through a pair of huge double doors and into a large office over looking the hotel beach. An American man in a black suit was looking out the window and watching the hotel guest below.

“Sir Mr. Archambault is here to see you” the guard said stopping at the door.

“Thank you Rual” the man said turning. Mr. Archambault was a fairly handsome man who was starting to move into the older features of a forty year old man his hair was still black as night and his eyes sparkled as if he was a kid and not a multi billionaire. He walked over and offered his hand and Marcus decided that he would give him a chance.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Archambault” Marcus said taking his hand and slightly shaking it.

“Please call me Alexander come sit” he said smiling and gesturing at his black couch “can I get you some thing to drink?” he asked pointing at a small bar set in the corner.

Marcus felt the urge for another drink and bite down on his tongue to distract him. He politely declined and sat down staying on the edge of the comfortable black couch. Mr. Archambault or Alexander sat down to and pulled out a file, Marcus saw his army picture on the front and hid the grimace at the barrage of memories the picture brought back.

A flash of gunfire

Tumbling out onto the dusty sands

“So you joined the army right out of high school as a special forces member” Alexander started opening the file.

“yes sir im well equipped for any security job and proficient in all fire arms” Marcus said quickly in an attempt to move the conversation away from his service.
“You shipped out to Iran after your training and ran escort and protection jobs for six months… then you were suddenly out of the service not even my contacts could find out what happened” Alexander said speaking evenly.

Being held at gun point

Sitting in front of the court martial

A smile haunting his dream

“My discharge was honorable….sir” Marcus said rapidly beginning to unlike the man he began to move thinking it was time to end the interview before he got into a gunfight.

“No you misunderstood” Alexander said getting up and stepping in front of him “while my contacts couldn’t dig up what happened they said you got discharged because you refused to give up your mission I need to know is that true?”

Marcus closed his eyes and forced back the barrage of memories trying to break out of the fucked up parts of his mind. He turned and looked at Alexander and blew out a slow breath.

“That’s correct sir” Marcus said softly.

“And do you expect to keep that mindset on this job almost every one in Rio has a price” Alexander asked going over to his desk

“Did I have a price? Money, power, lust……….. they held nothing for me my only want was to crawl into my bed every night clutching a bottle of vodka and downing enough pain killers to stop the hang over the next day some may say that’s real fucking honorable but one of the few things that the military managed to stick in me was that when I said I’d do some thing I’d move hell and heaven to complete it….. so no I didn’t have a price”

“How fucking wrong I was”

“Sir you can count on me” Marcus said

“Good” Alexander said relief filling his features “now this job wont be as exciting as your military time is you won’t be doing protection for the hotel I need a personnel body guard” he walked over to his desk and pulled out another file.

“You don’t already have a personnel body guard?” Marcus asked moving over to sit at the desk.

“Oh no Rual is mine its not for me its actually for my daughter” Alexander said pulling out a sealed file and sliding it across the desk “she’s eighteen but she’s been getting a bit too crazy lately and I need some one to provide her with personal protection around the clock your hiring fee is in there along with your assignment and meeting place to meet her tomorrow if there’s any certain equipment you need please let Rual know”

“Thank you sir it’s a pleasure to work with you” Marcus said mentally reviewing what he would need in order to provide the maximum protection. All he had left from his special forces was his standard issue M9 pistol and from what he knew of Rio that wouldn’t be enough.

“Please call me Alexander ill see you tomorrow at diner where the two of you will meet” he said going back to his computer and losing himself in his work. Marcus knew well enough that it was time to take his leave and made his way back to the double doors. Rual was waiting for him and gave him one of those looks that Marcus instantly knew meant he was on this guy’s shit list.

“So much for an after work beer with this dickwad” Marcus thought deciding not to give them man the list he would need.

He’d probably get him shit equipment any way.

“So the boss gave you the job?” Rual asked in contempt folding his arms.

“Yeah so?” Marcus said keeping his voice even.

“Nothing man I just think that a chump like you should be protecting the boss while a long standing member of the organization like my self should be protecting a beautiful girl like her” Rual said a dangerous smile crossing the mans features.

“So the body guard wants a little action on the side fucking pig” Marcus thought filling the information for use later.

“Guess im just lucky” Marcus said shrugging and walking towards the door and away from the sneering pervert. He made his way back to the elevator while mentally running through his old intelligence contacts who did business on the side in the region. He knew he couldn’t trust any thing Rual gave him and would have to gather his own supplies. He felt the familiar strong tug of his body calling for whiskey and instead forced himself to focus on the mission. He knew that he would be a bodyguard for the Archambault family but he never imagined being a baby sitter. He didn’t know this girl but being the heiress of a rich tycoon he could certainly imagine what his daughter would be like.

Marcus felt a moment of anger but then mentally reprimanded him self .

“This is the job you came here for” Marcus thought bitterly as the elevator reached the final floor and gave a soft bing.

“What could go wrong?”

saturday morning bumb

Living a double life was hard work sometimes, especially when your father is the richest man in Rio. But Audreyelle Archambault had been ducking bodyguards since she was middle school. She hated being rich. No that’s not true. The money was great, the privileges endless. What she despised what the money implied about her character. All her life people assumed she was some kind of bratty bimbo, with no ambition other than marry a man richer than Daddy and spend all his money. That wasn’t her plan, at least her father knew that much about her. He knew she had no intentions of being some trophy wife, though she was beautiful Alexander Archambault understood his daughter was like him and wanted to make her own way in the world. He simply disapproved of how she wished to go about it.

While he had been grooming his only child to take over his lavish hotel empire with expensive private schools and university abroad, Audreyelle did her best learning the other side of his business. The side that didn’t show up on any Forbes lists, the part the most of the authorities had no idea he was involved in. In fact, technically she already worked for her father in a roundabout way. All her sneaking around the favelas at night had finally paid off and one of her father’s underbosses had finally taken a chance on the quiet quick tempered girl known as Drill. She was smart enough to be vague on the details of her life, even kept an apartment in of the rundown high rises to help perpetuate her allegiance to the slums.

It was a dangerous thing she was doing. Not everyone was loyal to her father and she had heard talk of ways to get him to pay more to the men who did so much of his dirty work. Drill knew that if anyone found out who she was then her life would be over, but it was a risk she was willing to take to live the life she wanted. The life of her own choosing.

She didn’t belong in any boardroom, and Audreyelle knew her father well enough to know that’s not at all where she would start. Working in a cubicle was not high up on her list of things to do, she craved excitement. The fast life. And it wasn’t just the monotony of a 9 to 5 that displeased her, Drill knew her temper would cause her father more harm than good. She had a zero tolerance policy for any sort of nonsense and she’d sat in on enough meetings to know that women were not well respected in the conference room. Put a gun in her hand, maybe some brass knuckles, things changed very quickly but that sort of thing was frowned upon in the corporate world.

But now that she graduated, her MBA in a frame in her father’s office, he was pressuring her to make a decision on where she wanted to start in his empire. She was certain that he would lean on her about it at dinner tonight. They rarely spent time together now that she was an adult but she wouldn’t call their relationship strained. In fact the only issue they had was her lack of interest in following in his footsteps. After her mother’s death he brought her home from the expensive boarding school, saying that he wanted her close to him. He even cut down his work load so they he could play a more active role in her upbringing. All in all he was a pretty good father, even if he thought his little girl was better suited for a desk than the streets.

Her phone rang as she was finishing up her make up. It was her Dad and she let a it ring a few times before she answered.

“Yes Papa,” she droned in answer and he laughed a little.

“You aren’t standing me up are you?”

“Well seeing as I’m the only one home I should be asking you that.”

“I would never…”

“But you have,” she said with with rolled eyes, but she was only teasing and her father knew it.

“Well not tonight princess. I’ve invited a new hire that I’d like you to meet since you might be working together in the near future, but I’m running a little late so do me a favor and make him feel welcomed until I get there.”

“Aww come on Dad I hate dinner with your old associates, sooo boring,” she pouted but still she got up to pull back her long dark hair and slipped on her calf length pencil skirt. “And they always give me looks about my tattoos. You know I hate that,” she said of the black and gray tattoos of Gabriel and Michael she sported on her forearms. There were others but she’d have to be in a bathing suit for them to be seen.

“Trust me princess I doubt this one will bore you, nor will he look down his nose at your body art.”

“So I can wear short sleeves?”

“Wear whatever you want, just be nice Audreyelle.” There was a bit of sternness in that last part and Drill decided to leave it alone.

“Yes Papa I’ll be good.”

“Good, I should be no more than 30 minutes, an hour tops.”

“Ok Papa.”

“Be nice.”

“Yup I heard you the first time,” she said before she disconnected the call and slipped on the tailored cap sleeved blouse, the same color as her pants. Then her turquoise louboutin stilettos.

“If the favela boys could see me now,” she said as she slipped on a set gold bracelet bangles and pulled her mother’s wedding ring out from under her blouse. She wore it on a chain and never took it off. Her diamond studs were last and she left her bedroom to wait for this guest her father assured her wouldn’t judge her.

“So this is what my life is now huh”

Marcus looked around his shabby apartment one more time it was by no means the ritz as a matter of fact it was a step above the military bunks he spent most of his life in.

“I was so desperate to get away from my old military life but here I was doing the same thing living in the same kind of place only difference now was my level of inebriation”

Marcus tuned away wordlessly going over to his kitchen. He ignored the table piled high with weaponry and tactical equipment and going over to his brown stained refrigerator. His graceful fingers danced around the handle for a few seconds before he wrapped his and around and yanked it with a solid tug. It popped with little resistance and he found the bottle of Jack Daniels and eagerly brought it over to the table.

He glanced at the file on Audreyelle in between shots loading his custom 1911 long slide pistol and checking the equipment he bought. It hadn’t taken him long to get his contacts to send him a proper supply kit one better than that pervert would have sent. He was into his fifth shot when his phone beeped signifying it was time for him to go.

“So this was it a new assignment a new charge a girl this time not only that but one entitled and privileged one from a land vastly different then I was I hoping for the best? Or was I just hoping for this not to be as colossal as a fuck up as last time”

“That was probably to much to ask for”

Marcus rose sliding his gun into the chest holster, his spare side arm a snub nose revolver went into his back holster and last his dad silver flask went into his suit pocket hanging on the chair. He walked into the bathroom making sure he was neat and presentable not bothering to look at his face in the dirty mirror. He slid on his best suit the one tailored to hide his gun and also show off his physique which would help deter any one who might think they could take him.

He paid for a cab to the hotel because hey even he wasn’t that dumb. He rolled down the window as they went letting the night air clear his head a little bit and looking out at Rio’s opulent coast line.

“Even in a place like this I could admire the beauty even if it was a double sided coin where the difference in each side was blood. How easy it was to forget that just across the beach line the Favela’s fought for control every day each one trying to one up the other in a bloody gang war that would never cease to end the soldier in me wanted to join up wanted to belong in some army again and fight with brothers the other part of me however held back reminding me of what happened the last time I was a soldier”

“Hey man you getting or what?”

Marcus shook himself off his thoughts and stepped out paying the cabbie the money before walking up to the hotel. He ignored the woman glancing at him and adjusted his suit to try and stop his need to drink. It wouldn’t do good to take to many sips in front of the charge in case she told her father he was a drunk. He pushed his need to drink deep down into his belly and instead bit his lip until blood popped into his mouth.

“Will you tell Ms. Archambault that I’ve arrived” Marcus asked the receptionist before going into the restaurant attached. He saw the reserved table and went over opting to stand next to it out of respect for his charge and his employer.

Her phone buzzed in her clutched as she stepped off the elevator.
Hey sexy lady your dates here
She frowned at that, Audreylle wasn't exactly the dating kind but if she made a date she was certain to have remembered it. She didn't reply to the text, instead slipped her phone back into her clutch and headed to the reception desk where her almost best friend worked. Almost because Anna Belle would never be completely open with her out of fear of losing her job and Drill had long since stopped trying to push the issue. Besides, she had her own secrets. Well, just the one really.

"What the hell are you talking about Anna," Drill asked with furrowed brows as she leaned on the desk.

"Well what else am I supposed to think when a hot guy comes asking for you?"

"What hot guy?"

"I don't know some dark and stormy looking dude in an expensive suit just asked me to announce his arrival..."

"Ohhhh that's not a date," Audreyelle shook her head laughing a little. "That's a new employee of my Dad's. I'm supposed to make him feel welcomed." She tried not to roll her eyes at that but still there was no such luck, and to that Anna laughed.

"Well that shouldn't be too hard. Best not keep him waiting then," she replied with a nod and Elle turned her head to look at the man standing near her father's table.

This might be more interesting than I thought, she thought as she waved good bye to her friend and headed over to greet the mystery man. She tried to keep her appraisal as covert as possible but found it all but impossible as she moved closer to him. He was hot, tall and dark. There was a hint of hardness in his eyes and no matter how well his suit was tailored Audreyelle had spent enough time around well dressed dangerous men to identify the holster under his arm.

"So you must be the new guy," she said as she extended her hand to him. "I'm Audreyelle but that tends to be a mouthful for most. Elle works just the same. My father is running late as usual but I'm supposed to make you feel welcome so how about a drink."

So this was my newest charge the person I would be expected to lay my life down for. This was Audreylle the daughter to one of the richest men in the world….

And she was fucking hot

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Elle” He said trying not to stammer to much as he attempted to recover from the almost knock out blow he received upon looking at her. He felt the back of his neck prickle as he took her in and reached out capturing her extended hand and brining it to his mouth for a kiss. He gently kissed it and let it go before stepping over to her sea and pulling it.

“Please sit” He said pushing the chair back in before he walked over to the other side. He took the precious few seconds to recover and sat down himself nodding as the waiter cam over with a bottle of wine.
He was surprised to find that for the first time in a while he wasn’t thirsty… a least not that kind of thirsty.

“I was hired by your father yesterday” He said his fingers dancing on the cool glass of the cup “I don’t know if he told you why” He said looking at her.

She didn’t look like the kind of girl who needed or wanted a body guard I assumed her father told her what I was hired for but it might be best to wait until he get here.

“In any case I’m sure your father will fill you in” He said making the split decision and clearing his throat “I’m excited to work with him and you both I have heard great things about the company and of course your reputation precedes you” he said taking a measured sip of his wine

Ah there’s the thirst I have a much better handle on

“I don’t know if your fathers told you any thing about me” Marcus said “My name is Marcus I am new to Rio I jus moved here for the job”

"Well Marcus let me be the first to welcome you to Brazil," she said and raised her glass to him before she took a sip. In the few moments of this first meeting Audreyelle noticed a few things about this Marcus.

He drank. That was obvious from the way he hesitated when the wine came, and the slight tremble in his grip. And she didn't have to be told that he was security, he was too young to be doing anything else. Her father wouldn't have wasted his time dining with the new boy in the mail room. He was a good boss, but not that good.

"So you're the one who's supposed to keep me in line, huh?" Audreyelle took another sip, mulled over how much she should tell Marcus of what his job might entail. "I'll be honest with you Marcus my Dad has my life pretty much planned out for me. The problem is I'm not that interested in what he wants for me. I'm no debutante and despite how awesome I look in this skirt I hate that I have to wear it. I hate these shoes. I hate this stupid purse..." She felt herself sliding into one of her tirades, closed her eyes and took a long slow breath. Audreyelle smiled when she opened them and started again. "When I got done with grad school, Dad threw a huge party. Bought me a shiny new Mercedes. Had them put "next ceo" on the license plate. You know what I did? Traded it in for a motorcycle, a more reasonable car, and an apartment he doesn't know about," she said with a wink and put her finger to her lips.

"I say all that to say I'm not at all what you think I might be and I'm nothing what my Dad believes. I have my own ambitions that don't involve any boardrooms. The faster you understand all the the easier you job will be."

And with that, Audreyelle downed her glass of wine and waved the waiter. "I don't know about you but I could use something harder. You seem like a scotch man." Without waiting for his response Elle order him a scotch and herself a Tom Collins.

I never expected her to be this smart most of the people I protected were innocent naïve even trusting far to much in me and my abilities to spare any thing else much thought but she was different she was a ball buster she was a wild stallion she was some one who was not going to be controlled by any one even her father

Which meant I was doubly fucked

Marcus watched her order him a drink trying to stop the trembling in his hand. Damn! She must know he had a drinking problem but then again his condition made it pretty obvious. He was still trying to get a grip on her words. The way she laid it all out… well he respected the hell out of it even if it did make his job more difficult. She was the kind of person who knew what she wanted and was prepared to get it even if it meant taking on the entire world.

The scotch came and he regarded it for several long seconds before picking it up “To disregarding false pretenses” He said clicking his glass with hers and then draining it in one smooth gulp. He liquid fire made him feel better and gave him the courage to continue.

“That’s all fair” Marcus said regarding her with steely eyes “Frankly I think you should be able to do whatever you want and follow your own path I’m not here to judge you or be your fathers spy I am getting paid to do one thing and one thing protect you now as long as you don’t get in the way of me doing my job then I wont get in the way of any of your dreams or what you want to do hell I’ll try and help you as best I can” He said locking eyes with her.

“Are we clear? Do you find this agreeable?” Marcus asked ordering another drink with a wave of his hand.

"Well you see that's the thing Marcus," Drill said as she swirled the swizzle stick around her glass a moment before she took a sip. "I can't promise my goals won't contradict yours. I think deep down my father knows a little bit of what I've been getting into, I mean I haven't been to mass since my mom died yet I have these very specific tattoos in pretty prominent places. I've come home with bloody knuckles after having been gone for days, but heaven forbid he ask anything when the answer will cause him discomfort...And speaking of the devil," Audreyelle said as she stood from her chair to watch her father approach.

He was a master at the double life and she often wondered how it was that he didn't catch on to what she was really up to. After a fight in high school, Audreyelle begged her father to get her private jujitsu lesson under the pretense that she needed to learn to defend herself. He didn't even inquire if she'd won the fight and when jujitsu turned to kickboxing he didn't bat an eye. The hand guns, though, she picked up on her own but she didn't exactly hide her affinity for them. Whether he was blind or ignorant, Drill wasn't sure, all she knew was that with this Marcus guy tagging along it wouldn't be long before he knew the truth.

I wasn’t expecting that

I mean clearly she was more than just the pretty face or party rich girl that most people that came from her walk of life were. There was some thing…. Hardened about her some thing that I found a strange kinship in. She was certainly hiding some thing in her life some thing she didn’t want daddy finding out

Speak of the devil

Marcus got up pushing aside his surprise with the ease of a practiced military man and shaking his bosses hand “Mr. Archambault” He said keeping his grip firm before dropping his hand and pulling out the man’s seat.

“I was just having a lovely conversation with your daughter” Marcus said nodding his head at Elle and putting on his best fake smile “she was telling me a bit about the surrounding area and some of the off the beaten paths to see I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of using some of my own contacts to get what I needed no offense but I wouldn’t trust any thing your man got me” He said his distaste for the man poking through before he hastily covered it up.

"Ahhh you must have met Raul, that slimy fuck...sorry Papa but it's true," Elle said to her father's pointed cleared throat as she leaned to kiss both his cheeks.

"Slimy because he hasn't gotten the hint that you have no interest in him," her father said with a smirk as he sat down and the waiter brought over his favorite vintage of red wine. "Since you turned 21, he's been on her, but he was respectable about it. Asked my permission before he made any advances..."

"That's what you think," Audreyelle mumbled into her glass. In truth, the advances began way before Elle was legal, but he never forced himself on her so she kept that part to herself. It was his leering eye that made her uncomfortable and now that she was more than capable of defending herself, Elle figured why rock the boat. Her father loved Raul, he had saved the man's life on more than one occasion and for that Elle trusted him for her father's life at the very least.

She remained quiet as the two men chatted away about Marcus' work history, all the while wondering how she might slip away from this whole thing. Elle enjoyed her dinners with Dad but she had things to do tonight. Dangerous things that this new guy might put a wrinkle in if Papa decided that he start his post tonight.

Then there was a single vibration in her purse. Her work phone, and it was the most discreet alert her throw away phone had to offer. With her eyes on Marcus, Elle slipped the clutch into her lap and shift her eyes to her father to ensure he wasn't looking her way as she pulled the ancient flip phone from the expensive leather.

Midnight...CDD...PLJ

"What is it Elle," she heard her Papa say as she read the phone screen. "A date I hope," he added with a chuckle.

"Something like that," was her smiling reply, trying her best to keep the truth of what the text meant to herself. "At any rate I'm afraid I have to cut this short. It was nice to meet you Marcus..."

"Not so fast princess," her father said with a raised eyebrow as she stood from the table. "It is probably best if he starts his post now. What do you think young man?"

"Really Dad? I'm just going to see some friends."

"Favela friends?" And again he raised an eyebrow.

"So what if they are?"

"That's exactly my point. He'll go with you. Take my car."

"No thanks, I'll drive myself," she said as she got up from the table shaking her head. This was going to be very difficult and not just because she had to drive her car and not her bike, Drill just hoped this Marcus would keep his mouth shut. "Well come on then, I've got shit to do," she barked at Marcus as she passed him.

Mr. Dechambault was a nice man but there was some thing off about him and his family. I had heard whispers of course whispers of other revenues he earned but there was nothing concrete and this sort of thing was welcomed in Rio in any case he was pleasant to be around in a way that made one forget about his wealth and think he was just another low life degenerate stuck in this cess pool

Then you took a good hard look in the mirror

Marcus watched the exchange taking some mental notes. The girl was obliviously chaffing under her father her own ambitions battling his concern for her safety. The way he said “favela friends” was telling as well he either didn’t approve of her hanging out with riff raff or there was an element of danger to it that Marcus didn’t know. Either way the way he was staring at her and she was glaring at him spoke volumes to Marcus.

“I’ll get started sir” Marcus said thanking him for the meal and getting up to follow her “Thank you for dinner”

Marcus followed her trying not to stare at her as they stepped into the lobby of the hotel “listen” he said grabbing her arm and gently pulling her to a stop “Clearly you don’t want company tonight with whatever it is your doing and I don’t want to spend the night arguing with you so I have a proposition for you you go and do whatever it is your wanting to do and I will shadow you that way you don’t see me I see you and I am not getting in your way and you can move about freely with your… Favela friends do we have a deal?” He asked letting go of her arm and raising an eyebrow waiting patiently for her answer.

It was a gamble that much was for sure she could still try and lose him but it was better than spending the night arguing with her and trying to get her to listen. Besides it would give him time to take in the situation see what she was hiding from dear old dad and give him the chance to check her out (which he would never admit to doing). He could also drink.

He said an eyebrow crossing his arms unintentionally showing off his muscles as he waited for her answer. His emerald green eyes were intense as they stared at her locking her in and drawing her in one smooth motion.

"Well you're gonna need to change," Drill said with a little smirk as she stepped away from Marcus, fighting the urge to put the heel of her hand in his throat for thinking he could touch her without permission. Already she was making the transition from Daddy's girl to ruthless hood and it happened mostly without her knowing it. "You look like a cop and where we're going that will surely get you killed. All the training in the world won't keep the wolves from tearing you apart," she said quietly with a cool smile on her face. Anybody passing might have thought them having a pleasant conversation, perhaps closing in on some overnight plans from the way she looked up at him, meeting his glare with one of her own. "Touch me like that again, I'll break your fingers," she added with a blown kiss as she stepped passed him to call the elevator. She hit the button a couple times, before she turned back to him. "Meet me in the garage in twenty. My ex was about your size, his stuff is still at my place."

With that she got into the elevator and waited for the other guests to get off on their floors before she hit the penthouse button. Everybody knew her father had a daughter but few who didn't work for the hotel knew what she looked like and she liked to keep it that way. There was no telling who might be staying under their roof, or who they might associate with. There had been at least two kidnapping attempts on her father that she knew of and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to set their sights on her. But if it happened she would be prepared.

When the doors opened Elle went straight to her room and stripped out of the garb of a wealthy heiress, which meant down to nothing. Even her underwear were too exquisite to be worn as Drill. No Drill needed things that would be functional. She didn't need straps and hooks to catch on things or pop open in the heat of the moment, so she donned a cotton sports bra and boy shorts over which she put on black stretch pants and tank top. She tied her hair back tight in a low pony tail and grabbed her jacket before she headed off to the garage to meet Marcus.

As the elevator descended she wondered just how much she could let him see. Perhaps she could use tonight as a test of his trust. If he had no intentions of being her father's spy then perhaps she might give him a glimpse into who she really was and if he kept quiet about it then she might let him see everything. She got the feeling that he might be telling her the truth, that she should give him a shot. And if he proved her wrong, well, it wouldn't be the first time she had to get rid of a body.

Well this was going to be interesting

Marcus watched her leave admiring her form one more time before shaking his head of those thoughts. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie before turning and heading toward the garage. She needed to change and since h didn’t have the clothes yet he would wait for her there. Luckily he had a VIP key to get access into the hotel so he circumvented the other and used a service entrance to get to the garage all the time thinking of her.

So they were going to be getting dirty tonight? Well Marcus felt more at home with the filth any ways. He didn’t know what this girl was up to but whatever it was it was some thing she didn’t want daddy to find out and some thing she could probably get in trouble for. Of course it only made her hotter in his eyes. He had a habit of attracting the bad girls some how even in the military. He liked a little danger a girl who wasn’t quite good maybe it came from his over bearing nice nice mother or maybe he just had a type.

Either way she had it in spades

He waited drinking form his flask but trying to remain on point. He was on mission and even though he fought fine while drunk it wouldn’t make him perform or look good. When she finally came down he pocketed it and moved towards her noticing the clothes in her hand.

“Thanks” He said taking them and putting them own all while admiring her outfit change “you look better in that” he said shrugging and pulling off his suit jacket.

“So you going to tell me what you are really up to?” He asked unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off revealing a scarred chest and some bullet wounds “What you don’t want your father knowing about?” He asked pulling his belt down and pushing his pants down revealing thick muscular legs and black tight boxers.

Elle smirked a little as Marcus dropped trough in front of her. She wasn't exactly the shy type but usually it took a man at least a few hours before he dropped his pants for her. "It'd be easier to show you," she said, waiting for him to finish dressing and while he was adjusting his pants, Drill took the opportunity to snag his phone out of his pants pocket, easily getting around his pass code to call her other number, and she saved it under her other name.

"Never call this number," she told him when she handed the phone back to him. "I'm only giving it to you in case I need to call you. And as soon as we get off this property there's no more Elle or Audreyelle or anything that sounds like it. I worked hard burying that and if you fuck this up...well just don't fuck it up."

As she spoke, the formal cadence of her speech slipped away, replaced by the real sound of Brazil. She even developed a bit of an accent that would only get thicker as the night wore on. Drill fished her keys out of her pocket and deactivated the alarm on her tiny black Fiat. It was perfect for manuevering through the tiny winding streets of the city. Not as good as her bike but she didn't trust this Marcus enough for that ride.

"Le'go," she told him as she hopped into the driver's seat and started the car. "Now listen and listen well, don't speak. At all, even if somebody talks to you. Just keep that flask handy, nobody is gonna think twice about you boozing where we're going. It'll probably serve you well to get a little slur going, even in jeans you look official and that shit will get us both killed so do us both a favor and drink up. I have to make a quick stop but while we're riding, why don't you tell me what you know about my Dad."

By then they were out of the garage and Drill's foot was planted firmly to the floor as she weaved in and out of traffic. She kept the music down and the tinted windows up. It was more conducive to the conversation they needed to have.

Ah

Edward watched her weave in and out of traffic the picture becoming semi clearer. So there was some thing going on with her dad which meant the rumors about him having a secret side business were probably true. If that was the case though why sneak around?

Unless

Daddy didn’t want her in the rough and tumble family business which probably made sense given how protective he was of her. He wouldn’t want any thing to happen to her even if she was determined to be her own person. So was he here to protect her? Or to spy on her?

“I didn’t know any thing until you said it” Marcus said shrugging ignoring the jab about the flask “I mean there have always been rumors about your dad but nothing concrete so I am assuming he is up to some thing on the side I mean most Rio is famous for that and since your sneaking around him to do it he doesn’t approve of you doing it which is probably why I was hired”

He watched the streets whip by noting they were headed to the favela’s “Don’t worry I know how to do under cover” He remarked ignoring the memories “I’ll blend just fine this aint my first rodeo”

“So are you working for your dad’s side business or carving out a piece for your self?” He asked tipping his flask back.

"Little bit of both," she said with a glance at Marcus. At the moment Drill was being as honest as she could be about this whole thing. "I figure if I work my way up from the bottom without him knowin' nothing then he'd be hard pressed to keep me out of the fold...I mean since I'm already in there anyway."

She was more than "in there". In the past six months Drill had proven to be a valuable asset in the enforcement branch of her father's business. Aside from her disarming good looks, her no nonsense approach to the business often exceeded those of her superiors and to top it off she had an incredible knack for drawing the truth out of anyone. Of course it often involved the butt of her gun or the tip of her blade but the result was always the same. Two things happened when Drill came to your door, you either paid up or fessed up, and there wasn't much anybody could do about.

Once they got into the center of the slum, she had to let up on the gas a little. The roads, if you could call them that, were narrow and windy as she made her way to her other place. Marcus would be the first from her other life to see it and her stomach did little flip flops at the possible consequences of crossing her two very separate worlds.

From the outside it looked like all the other tin roofed shacks but her father's money afforded her a few extras. It was a duplex of sorts, the lower level she used as a garage and the upper served as her home away from home, though given her increased involvement Drill found herself spending more and more time in her favela hideaway.

Once they'd pulled into the garage and Drill locked it up tight from inside, she lead Marcus up the rickety stairs to her living quarters. It was only one room but there was a clear division between her sleeping area and lounge area with a large tapestry separating the two spaces. "Make yourself comfortable," she told him with a nod at the couch as she dipped behind the curtain to put on a pair of proper pants, and her gun belt. Hidden beneath the false floor under her bed, Drill kept what she called her work kit. Ski masks and weapons of various caliber were all laid out in neat little rows, she picked a couple 9 mils that fit neatly at her back and grabbed one of her airbrushed masks. Drill grabbed a t-shirt long enough to cover her her guns, pulled it on as she came around her makeshift curtain. With no makeup, her hair pulled back and the mask around her neck, there wasn't a hint of the rich girl Marcus met only a few hours ago. This was Drill.

"Hope those shoes are comfortable...there might be some running tonight."

He stayed quite doing what he was trained to do. Listen and collect Intel and she was more than apt to supply it. Maybe she was just happy to finally be able to share it with some one or maybe she just wanted to brag either way he was learning more and more about her and her father.

Not that it mattered

He was more importantly trained not to ask questions, to go about his duty and do what he was paid to do. He excelled at that…. Well at least before his last mission and now he was even more determined to live by that motto even if it meant drinking to dull any lingering curiosity.

When she pulled up he got out taking in her words with a distant nod his eyes unfocused and distant. He seemed to suddenly snap into focus and he hurriedly took another hit of his flask as he followed her inside.

“I expected more” He said raising his eyes at her modest living “still I’m impressed most people would assume you’re another wealthy heiress to get this far so fast you’d make a hell of a military girl” He called to her watching as she disappeared behind the corner and prepared. He leaned against the wall crossing his arms waiting patiently.

Drill frozen at the mention of that word. Her nostrils flared, fists clenched so tight her knuckles cracked. Heiress. She hated being called that, hated what it implied. Like she was some sort of useless layabout waiting for the world to be handed to her. She took a deep breath and let it out slow through clenched jaws in an attempt to squelch the venom that bubbled up at the sound of that word. And showing this Marcus just how good she was at her job.

"I told you once already," she said quietly, her dark eyes hard on him as she took two purposeful steps in his direction. "Don't say shit about that girl you met at dinner. She don't live her...shit she don't even exist here. I'm just hot headed favela girl tryna make a name for herself in the strong arm business. Nothing more, nothing less," she said, more relaxed now though her stance otherwise. Her shoulders square, arms loose at her sides with her left foot slightly in front of the other. But just for a moment.

"I don't like repeating myself so let that be the last time," she said as she grabbed her gloves off the coffee table she fashioned out of a few wooden crates and half a door. There were a set of brass knuckles on the table too and she slipped those into her back pocket. "If you fuck my shit up tonight all that military training won't help you in jungle."

“It was a compliment” He said shaking his head and watching her slip the knuckle dusters into her back pocket “It’s a fucking show of respect” He said coming over to her gently grasping her shoulder and turning her to face him.

“Let’s cut the bravado and shit” He said narrowing his eyes at her “If were going to be working in the field together which we will be if you want to do this under Daddy’s nose without him finding out about it then we have to work together as a unit which means giving on another a chance you might not believe it but I’m ex special forces which means I’ve been trained in CQC and in blending in I’ve been doing this for three years and I don’t have the patience to do the whole bravado and muster so if I am paying you a compliment I’m paying you a damn compliment” He let her go and flipped his hood up hiding his face in the shadow as he went over to the door and opened it.

“Now can we do this?” He asked and not bothering to wait for the answer turned on his heel and stepped down into the favela. He walked over to her garage and noticed the bike in their whistling in admiration before turning and waiting for her to come down and fill him in on the plan.

Well he's got some fire that's for sure. And something else but she tried not to think too hard about it as she reset the locks and headed down the stairs. Drill was just in time to hear his whistle at her bike and that made her smile, but she was quick to wipe it away. Drill didn't smile, maybe a smirk even now and then but she prided herself on her perpetual scowl.

"I heard it the way you meant it," she said as she came up beside Marcus and pulled the garage door shut. "I just hate what that shit means man...even if I wanted what he does. I'd never be that. So I guess what I'm gettin' at is thanks," she said with a nudge before she turned and shouted something in Portuguese to the elderly man on the roof across from her place. The man tipped his hat and moved something off the roof ledge to his lap.

"Now I don't know about you but I could use a caipirinha and a pastel," Drill said with a smirk as she led Marcus down an alley that evolved into a main thoroughfare in a matter of 15 steps. "And you my friend need a nickname. You can't be in Rio without one. You ain't really posed to pick it but I'll give you a pass since you new in town."

“A nickname” He said scoffing and shaking his head “seems like soldiers are the same every where” He murmured his eyes getting a little distant as he seemed to be recalling an internal memory. H was on mission however so he quickly squashed it instead taking another measured sip of his whisky flask before returning it to his side holster.

“Why don’t you give me one” He said wearily looking around the bustling street. He knew that based off of where they were almost half of these people were involved in a gang and the rest of them that weren’t were probably still carrying weapons of some kind. It was just like Iraq the last place he was stationed in and that thought made him smile softly.

“And while your at it you can tell me you cover story and mine” He said walking with her “why your bringing a new guy to the operation I can prove my worth just fine once I know the score but since you’re the one with the knowledge I need to be filled in first

"Score," Drill repeated with a snort as she led Marcus into an open air bar of sorts. It was a popular meeting place for the local hoods and the women who chased them. Samba music blared as she weaved her way through the crowd to the food cart that served as the bar/kitchen. After grabbing a couple pastels and a drink, Drill nodded towards the lone empty table. It was a high top, tall enough that she could rest her elbows on it without leaning over as she ate her pastry.

"I'm strictly enforcement," she explained, leaning over the table top so he could hear her over the music. So close, she couldn't help but notice his eye. Even despite the cloud of booze, there was something about them. "Money complicates things. Makes people question your loyalty. Ask questions about your past. Keep tabs on you. Given my situation that could get messy. As long as I do the job nobody questions. I can stay a ghost...and that's my story. Long as you with me and you stay on the up and up you won't need one. When I said my crew, that's what I meant. I took over for the guy that brought me in. Turned out I was better suited for the top spot than he was," she said trying her best to remain nonchalant about it so that Marcus might miss the hurt in her eyes when she spoke of one of the hardest decisions she'd made.

He followed her shooting a cocky little smirk at some of the woman checking him out. He wasn’t interested but it would pay to come off looking as dangerous and as cocky as possible in this side of town. The whole met and greet and cultivating respect wasn’t some thing he was new to. In reality the military wasn’t all that different in that aspect form boot camp to your duty station there was always some sort of pissing contest going on. Hell even after he was made company commander of Aquilla squad it was the same way. He didn’t doubt by the time the night was over he would have found some one who picked a fight with him.

“Such is the way of the world” He murmured ignoring the others gawking and joining her at the table.

“Quite a place” He said ignoring the furtive looks pointed is way and taking the offered food and drink “I can see why you like it down here” H said leaning back to take in the sights, the sounds, and the very air.

It felt good to be back out

He watched her listening as she explained what she was doing on this side of town and the rules. So she was a ghost? Well that was some thing they had in common then he had been a ghost for the last year plying himself with alcohol whenever he seemed to be coming up for air.

“Understood” He said shaking himself form his thoughts he noticed the way she talked about the previous guy and made a mental note to ask her about it when they knew each other better.

“So let’s go looking for some trouble then” He said finally giving a real smile and draining his drink in one smooth gulp “so you going to tell me your street name?”

"Just Drill," she informed him with a wink and the cocky smirk that was her usual expression in the comfort of the slums. She left out the why, figuring it would be better just to show him when the time was right. "And we don't look for trouble...we take care of it. But that's neither here nor there, I'm waiting for them," she said with a nod at the two men approaching from across the street. There was a woman with them as well but one look from Drill sent her in the opposite direction. The men kept coming.

One thin, almost frail but looks can be deceiving in the favelas and his relatively controlled cocaine habit gave him the strength of a man 3 times his size when the time was right. The other might have given the impression that he was dimwitted with his constantly open mouth but he was fiercely loyal and had a knack with a switchblade. Between the three of them, they made sure the underboss was paid in a timely manner and anybody under his thumb kept quiet about it. The taller of the two gave Drill a nod and she shift her eyes to the bar, turning them both in that direction.

"The little one is gonna pop off about you being here but ignore him. He still gettin' used to me being the one, but I introduced him to my knuckles and now he don't give me no problems. The other one is the one to watch. Don't let that blank stare fool you. There's a barely contained psychopath behind those wide eyes," She told Marcus in hushed tones as the other two made their way over with drinks of their own. "Remember what I said earlier..."

"Quem caralho é o branco(Who the fuck is the white boy)," the little one said and Drill rolled her eyes. The other guy simply shook his head, enjoying his pastel.

"Destro, Apito. Este é Calado. Está comigo por isso ser bom,"(Quick, Whistle. This is Hush. He's with me so be nice) she said, indicating each man with a nod at the mention of their names, making a note to explain what they meant to Marcus. "E não se preocupe com seus cortes, ele é livre esta noite(And don't worry about your cuts, he's free tonight.)," she added with a wink at Marcus and Destro laughed.

"Como um estágio (Like a intern)?" was his quick response and Drill chuckled, shrugged her shoulders.

"Mais ou menos," she told him with a slap to his back as she stepped away from the table, waved for them to come with her with a flick of her fingers.

With the introductions made, it was time for Drill to get to work and she lead the men down a series of alleys until they came to a makeshift mechanic shop at the base of hill. Her guys already knew what to do and immediately went to the front of the shanty while she pulled Marcus around back.

"It's hot as fuck but it's the best I could do on short notice," she said as she handed him a ski mask before she pulled her own up over the bottom of her face. Drill could hear the guys talking around front as she slipped on her knuckles and gloves. It seemed civil enough, no one yelled but there were a lot of excuses going on and the person they were speaking to wasn't the one they were looking for so she settled in to wait for those voices in the front to get louder.

Her ear pressed to the door she waited for the muffled sounds of movement, of attempted escape. Chasing people was exhausting, Drill found waiting in back made her life that much easier. Then there was yelling, and Drill stood back from the door and set her feet. Fists up, clenched and ready. People who ran never had guns. The ones on her back were simply a deterrent. To be honest she didn't really need the knuckles either but she liked the sound they made when her blows connected.

Then the door was flung open, but the young man who opened it was too busy looking behind him. When he turned to face her, Drill almost felt bad. He was handsome, about her age. If she'd met him at a nightclub she might have given him a dance. Too bad.

"Pua," he whispered as his eyes went wide.

" Esse sou eu (That's me)," she said right before she gave him a quick right jab followed by an uppercut to his ribs before he crumpled to the floor. She grabbed his shirt front to drag him back inside. "The door," she told Marcus over her shoulder.