The Assignment (CLOSED)

[zydrate]

Nicole let Alex vent… it wouldn’t do any good to counter what he was saying. Let him get it out—she understood what he was saying, what he was feeling. She wanted this to stop too but it was too big of a job for her alone, but she’d do what she could to help get this over and done. The problem was trust. Not trust in Alex but trust within the department. Just because of a few arrests are made, 3 or 4 changes made in the upper structure of city government—this wasn’t something that was going to go away overnight.

Without a word, Nicole took Alex by the hand and led him to the couch where she sat down and waited for him to do the same. Once he sat next to her, she took a deep breath, “Alex, I don’t want to fight but… I need to know what your informant said to you. What information did he give you when you both talked? I mean, I know he’s dead and I had only found that out when I got back to Vegas. I’m not sure who did it yet, but I really need to know so I can find out how to proceed with this.”

She took his hand in hers again, “I can’t do this alone. Yes, this whole situation is fucked up but unless I know, I can’t help you. And trust me, love, I want to end all this trouble for you right now but it’s going to take a little bit more time.” Her thumb was stroking the back of his hand as she was talking. “I know we know a lot now but there might be something that could be hint of how to end this. A person… a place… anything, no matter how mundane you might think it is.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Just her touch helped him relax. Her hand taking his hand sent a warm softness through his body. Her voice was soothing. He was able to calm down for a moment as she led him over to the sofa. When she sat down, he looked at her, but he was not totally off the ledge. Nicole kept talking to him.. it was a talk.. not a yell.. as she guided him to sit with her.

His mind was still racing. Everything that happened the first night he was shot at... all of the security, from the first lousy detail to the security Nicole had arranged... then today the shooting in the cafe and innocent people dying.

"Nicole, I guess I have nobody to protect anymore. I guess the people I needed to protect have been put in too much danger. One of them is dead. The other...." He stopped and looked at Nicole. "Why do you have to be involved in this? Why can't it be somebody else's problem to figure all of this out? Why you?"

Alex sat there just looking into Nicole's eyes. She didn't answer. She knew that any answer she would give him would do nothing to help him relax and settle down.

"I'll tell you everything. If you are going to be involved, you need to know everything to stay as safe as possible."

Alex started out by telling about how he was made aware of the corruption. "I got an anonymous phone message at the station. he said that he knew that I wouldn't just bury it. He gave me minor details about the involvement in LA government of certain crime elements. It turns out it was my informant who is now dead." Alex shook his head. "He was trying to feel me out. He didn't give me much at first. In fact, what he gave me wasn't that big of a deal. Just information on appointments to positions of people who were affiliated with crime At first I just thought he was talking about the mob, because he never really mentioned gangs."

Alex continued for a while, telling how the informant slowly gave him more information that made Alex more interested. The mention of street gangs made Alex perk up. Then at a next meeting the mention of a drug cartel. Followed by several drug cartels and a prison gang.. all of them getting their claws into the government...all of them fighting for control.

"I don't know exactly what you are looking for, but I will tell you everything I know, but I will tell you the big names that he mentioned were Sanchez from one of the cartels and Munoz from the prison gang and that they were making inroads in the government control in different cities and that there were discussions about the two possibly merging."

Alex sat back on the sofa. He closed his eyes. Just talking about what he knew made him exhausted, but it also gave him a sense that he was helping, in a small way, stop the craziness that was following him. Of course, he realized he was probably being naive.

 

[zydrate]

After Alex was done, Nicole didn't say anything for what seemed like an eternity when, it was only about 5 minutes of silence. Nicole took Alex's words in and thought about it… really thought about what he said. If one didn’t have experience with how to handle an informant, then it could get overwhelming. When dealing with an informant, they usually wanted to be the one who ran the show… you, as the handler, had to be firm and know when to push back for information.

Like she was thinking before, there was no way she could do this by herself—she had limitations and wanted to handle this in most lawful way possible or else, it would all be for nothing.

Nicole realized she was still holding Alex’s hand and she gave it a light squeeze before letting go and standing up from the couch. She then shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jean shorts and let out a heavy sigh as she started to pace from the small living room to the fireplace.

“Okay,” she told him, “This is what I'm going to do. I first need to speak with the detective here in LA, the one I called earlier but I need to do it in person. In the meantime, I need—no, sorry, I would like for you to write up a statement of what happened today at the café up to the time we left. But that’s it. Don’t send it to anyone, don’t embellish it. I'm going to try to hold off on having anyone question you in person as I don't think it's necessary but again policy and procedures here in LA are different.” There was a lot to do and perhaps it was a lot to think about now, but it had to be done.

“Let me go talk with the detective and I’ll be right back afterward—two hours tops… I would prefer you stay here until I get back as I really don’t think your place is safe for the moment… we can talk more in depth and lay out a plan on what to do next… does that sound OK?”

The drive alone would also allow her time to think more about what Alex said and mentally compare it with the information she had uncovered on her end. Right now, they were both on the same track but she wanted to discuss that more with him when they had a little more time later on.

 

[BeachBum25]

After listening to Nicole, Michael simply nodded to her. He remained quiet and then looked into her eyes. "I'll stay here until you get back. I'll let you lead on this. Hell, I have done a hell of a job fucking everything up."

He thought about what he had told Nicole. He had held nothing back. He watched her leave and sat back on the sofa and tried to relax.

While Nicole was gone, Alex ran everything through his mind. If she wanted him to write a statement, he wanted to make sure that he included everything. He tried to remember if he saw anything or anyone doing the shooting. He tried hard. He wanted to get those who had done it and had injured, maybe even killed, innocent people.

Alex started to get antsy sitting alone in the beach house. It was unfamiliar surroundings. He explored the house a little. It was actually very nice and Alex thought about what it would be like to live on the beach instead of up in the hills. Of course, all Alex wanted to just live period... something that was becoming more and more of a challenge.

With Nicole gone longer than he thought she was going to be gone, Alex walked out onto the deck overlooking the beach. It was beautiful. He decided to go for a walk on the beach. He wouldn't be long. He was pretty sure that he would be back before she was. He took his shoes and socks off at the bottom of the steps and walked out to the ocean. Then, he walked north at the water's edge, just trying to allow his mind to be free of everything that has been going on.

He had been walking for a while, and looked around and realized he had walked pretty far. He turned around and headed back to the beach house. He wanted to be there when Nicole returned. He did not want her to think he left her.

Alex picked up his shoes and made his way up to the deck. As he opened the door, he saw Nicole, but she was not alone. "Nicole, what is going on? You said I would just have to do a written statement. Who is this with you?"

 

[zydrate]

Nicole had talked with Detective Lawrence, and he wasn’t happy she wasn’t letting anyone talk with Alex. He told her that she had no jurisdiction in L.A. and that was true… to a point. She had said that if with what she was uncovering in Vegas was tied to L.A. in anyway, then yes, she had the advantage to say Alex would be needed in her case. She informed him that Alex would be sending a statement to the LAPD in a couple of hours. He wasn’t happy about that in the end, Alex’s presence wasn’t exactly needed. So, a statement would do and if they had any other questions, then they could get in touch with Alex through his attorney.

Once that was over and done with, Nicole talked a little more with Lawrence about somethings she had come across in her own investigation and as long as she related it to her own investigation, then he seemed more open. Nicole didn’t mention that it was actually through Alex with how she was curious about the local gang involvement. Lawrence knew what she was talking about. One of the hot shot’s had a brother, Marco Sanchez, who liked to talk too much. A little too much. But when confronted with questions from the police, he clammed up. He knew what would happen if he talked. His older brother, leader of the South Hill gang would tear him apart. That didn’t stop him sometimes from bragging too much.

Now, Nicole found herself parked outside a local bar where it was said Marco liked to hang out. It was already past the two hours Nicole had said she would be back in, but no, she needed this. She needed some heat off of Alex and there was only one way to get it…

*** 2 hours later ***

Alex wasn’t home. Nicole saw the screen to the back door open so, she knew he probably was out as his shoes were out there and then footsteps leading toward the ocean and then along it. Perfect.

It took less than 15 minutes for Nicole to have everything set up. On the floor of the dining room, she had a paint drop cloth she had found in the garage and had set it up. In the middle, was a chair and on the chair…..was Marco Sanchez, his hands bound behind him, a make shift gag in his mouth and an old t-shirt covering his head so he couldn’t see…

The back sliding door opened, and Nicole met Alex in the living room, preventing him from the dining room. He had asked who was with her.

“Alex…” she said softly, knowing that Marco couldn’t hear them at the distance they were at. Nicole took Alex by both hands and led him back outside, “I’m going to stop this tonight, OK?” She said, hoping he wouldn’t blow up about it.

“Please, don’t say anything. Don’t say my name or yours. Just… let me do what I was trained to do, OK?”

Had she gone off the deep end? Yes. But she had to make this stop. She had to send a message out to those making Alex’s life a miserable hell. If she had to, she was willing to divert the attention to herself in order to take some of the heat off of Alex.

No one saw her take Marcus… it was quite easy, and she was surprised she got away with it… but she knew his ‘family’ would be looking for him soon, so she had to get this done and over with. The look Nicole gave Alex told him that she wasn’t going to back down from this. This was the only way.

It took some convincing but Marco relented to Nicole. Granted, a good portion of his left ear was missing... Nicole convinced Marco that if he or any members of his 'family' came near Alex or even attempted anything on Alex's life again, she would come back and have to take care of everybody and she didn't want to do that... besides, how would it look to other gang members and their rivals if they were taken down by a woman...?

It was well after 2 AM when Nicole returned to the beach house. The place was dark, save for a few night lights in the house but Nicole didn't go directly in. Instead, she moved around back and sat on the steps of the back deck. Even though she was beyond exhausted, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep just yet. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves from the ocean and did her best to relax. She took a big risk tonight with doing what she did and even though she knew it might drive Alex away, at least he'd still be alive to walk away if he wanted.

Never did she think she'd use her training to this extent. Either while in the military or as a civilian.

 

[BeachBum25]

Alex could tell from Nicole's demeanor that things were going to be ugly. He was sure that Nicole wouldn't let him see, and wouldn't even tell him what happened. He wanted to question Nicole about what was going on; he remained silent. He did what she asked of him.

Once she left, Alex was wired. He was worried about Nicole. He knew that what she was doing was probably... no, definitely... outside the scope of what law enforcement officers are supposed to do.. no matter what the circumstances are.

As it got later, Alex worried more. Nicole had stuck her neck out to save him. He was afraid she was in more danger because of doing that. He couldn't sleep. e spent most of the time staring out at the ocean. Once it got dark, he sat out on the deck, listening to the sound of the crashing waves.

Alex heard a noise at the bottom of the stairs. He looked down, and, in the moonlight he saw it was Nicole. He moved down the steps and sat on the step just above Nicole placing Nicole between his legs. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to caress. Talking lowly to her, "I am not going to ask you anything. I can feel the tension in your shoulders. All I want you to know is I am here for you. If you want to talk, I will listen."

He kissed the back of her head. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to him. He said nothing else. He just held her.

 

[zydrate]

“I know…” Nicole said in response as she leaned back into Alex, feeling the warmth of his body. Damn, she missed that.

After about 10 more minutes, Nicole sighed, ready to forget the past couple of hours. She held out her hand to Alex, “I’m tired…” with that, she took his hand and led him to the bedroom. They both got into bed and held each other. That was it. Right now, they just both needed each other and would deal with the world in the morning.

*** 2 weeks later ***
Nicole was back in Vegas. She had stayed with Alex for a couple of more days more just make sure he was OK. Things were pretty quiet and there appeared to be no more threats for the time being. Nicole had followed Alex (with him knowing) to make sure no one was following him and there didn’t appear any danger.

He took over the beach rental of the beach home she had been using. That was good. She was still wondering if he would go to his home as he hadn’t said anything about that, and she didn’t push the subject.

The day after she had her ‘talk’ with Marco, Detective Lawrence had called and told Nicole that it was quite a coincidence that something happened to one the gang member’s brother the few hours after they had talked. He asked Nicole where she was, and she told him at her rental… all night. She still didn’t share her address and if they wanted to talk to her, she would be more than happy to come into the station...

The only reason Nicole needed to get back to Vegas was to finish up loose ends on the case. The work was done, the rest was up to the uppers to see where they wanted to go. Could the whole investigation be scraped, and they wanted to forget about it? Yes, it was a possibility. It would be decided in time.

Even though she was back in Vegas, she and Alex still talked almost every day. They were slowly smoothing things over, and Nicole was glad. She was afraid what had happened that night would have pushed them apart. She didn’t talk about that night to anyone… or even to Alex. There wasn’t much to say really—the way she looked at it, it was the adage of an eye for an eye…

Tonight… tonight Alex was supposed to be coming to Vegas. Nicole wasn’t sure exactly why but it didn’t matter, this was the first time they’d see each other in person in the two weeks apart…

 

[BeachBum25]

It felt good to have Nicole with him for a few days. Despite everything that had gone on between them, he really did want her in his life. He wasn't sure how she really felt about him. Yes, they talked everyday, and those conversations were positive ones, but Alex didn't get a real feel of closeness from Nicole. It was as if she felt she was his friend and protector, but not necessarily that he was someone she was in love with.

Work returned to some semblance of normalcy. He didn't spend as many hours at the station as he had been spending. He didn't think it was necessary. He felt safe. Nicole had done something; he knew that. Chances were pretty good he would never know what it was she did. He wasn't going to ask her, and he knew she wouldn't be volunteering any information.

Spending time at the beach house was great. He got up every morning and went for walks along the beach, usually barefoot and walking along the edge of the surf. Often, he wished that Nicole were walking with him. He thought about the possibility of that becoming a reality. Then, his mind would revert to thinking that was just a fantasy that would never come to fruition.

During one of the calls, he told Nicole that he was going to visit her in Las Vegas. She questioned him about why he was coming to Vegas. He never told her exactly why. He just told her he missed her and he wanted to see her. Alex could tell by the tone of her voice that she thought he was up to something.

*******************

When he arrived in Vegas, he checked into the suite that he reserved at the hotel with the fountains. Yes, it was the honeymoon suite that he had booked. He wasn't sure how Nicole was going to respond to his presence in Vegas, but he wanted to have the best suite possible.

He made arrangements to meet Nicole at the finest restaurant on the strip. He sent a limo to pick her up and he was standing outside waiting for her when the limo arrived. Their table was ready when they entered and after being seated they ordered drinks and exchanged in some small talk... mostly Alex telling Nicole that he had missed her... a lot.

After their drinks were delivered, Alex told the waitress they would need a few minutes before they ordered. He smiled at the waitress as she nodded and then walked away.

Turning to Nicole, he looked into her eyes. "I know you think I am up to something here. I want you to know that I am not up to anything devious." He took a deep breath. He was nervous. Finally, he said to himself that he just needed to spit it out. "Why I came here Nicole was to ask you a question." Another pause. "Where are we Nicole? Where do you see our relationship? Are we friends? Are you my protector? Are we lovers? Or are we none of the above?"

There it was. It was out there. He wanted to know where he stood in her eyes. Yes, he was nervous, because he was afraid that she would explode on him.

 

[zydrate]

“You’ve been holding back.”

Nicole looked at her sister via facetime, “What? No…”

“Liar. You’re so dumb at times.”

But deep down, Nicole knew Tami was right. She was holding back on Alex. She had wanted to give him so much more but had been apprehensive. What if he didn’t feel the same? Was he coming to break it off?

“He’s not going to break it off.” Her sister said, almost reading her sister’s mind. “Come on Nicole, why would he have you come to a really great restaurant only to break things off? By the way, you need to try the salmon there.”

Of course, with guidance from Tami, Nicole picked a dress to wear to dinner tonight. She wanted something simple but when her sister found out she as going to dinner with Alex, Tami stepped in and had Nicole go to one of her favorite dress shops and there they would take care of her and they did, fitting her with cobalt blue dress with spaghetti straps... very out of the norm for her… it was certainly something that wouldn’t be able to hide a weapon if she had to…

He sent a limo. Nicole was flattered. She could have driven but that wasn’t the point. The point was he was spoiling her again. Like when they first met. It wasn’t something to show off his wealth, it was his way of pampering her. She didn’t know if she would ever get used to it but tonight… tonight she decided she would enjoy it.

When the limo pulled up, it was Alex who opened her door and held out his hand for her, helping her out. Nicole could feel people staring at them, but she didn’t care, she was only focused on Alex.

After they sat down, she could tell he was about to get serious, and he did… She listened to him and when he asked where they were, she broke eye contact and looked at her drink for a moment, thinking about what he was asking.

Friend. Protector… lovers? “Well… Why can’t it be all 3?” She could feel the mistake of wearing such a tight dress as she had wanted to take a deep breath, “I would want to say—no.... I need to say that I want us to have a future together and I know these past months has been really… not in the norm but all in all, I never stop loving you Alex. Yes, there were a few times when I said that I cared but what I should have said was I love you. That never stopped.” She took a sip of her drink, continuing, “What I think we struggle on was communication and with that, I just think it was because of our situation… the events that happened to us… how are we supposed to have a normal life with us but we were apart all the time.”

And that was the truth but she also had to know, “So now I have the same question that you just asked me, where do you see us going from here?”

 

[BeachBum25]

Damn, she looked amazing. He almost didn't listen to her answer as he looked at her. Almost. He heard her talk about failure to communicate. He heard her mention she thought they needed to be together, He heard her say she loved him and that she never stopped. Then, he heard her ask how they were supposed to have a normal life.

"I never said we couldn't be all 3, Nicole. My reason for coming here was, I wanted to know your true feelings. We have been through so much lately and we have spent so little time together. I agree with you that communication is our biggest issue. It seems we are always doing things for each other, but haven't discussed exactly what it is we are doing. My thing with McKinsey is the perfect example. I did it for you and only for you. I didn't care what happened to me or my career as a result. IF I had talked it out with you beforehand, I don't think you would have reacted the way you did. But, I didn't talk it out with you because I saw the hurt that he inflicted on you, and I wanted him to pay... and pay dearly for doing what he did to you. You thought I did it for my career and for money. Nicole, I would give up my career and all the money if it meant I could be with you. I know that is the extreme, but that is a perfect example of what you said that we struggle to communicate."

His eyes never left Nicole's. She was gorgeous and it made him feel so good inside that she was sitting here with him.

"As for where I see us going from here, I would say that if I gave you my vision, it might be considered another communication fail, because it would only be my perspective. I think that is something WE have to decide. I can tell you what I hope for, but I am afraid to even try to picture it without knowing what you want."

Alex took a big drink.

"What I would like is for us to be together. I would like us to be in the same location. I would like us to be able to come home to one another every night. I would like to be your best friend, your protector, although, I could never protect you the way you have protected me." He chuckled a little. "And I would like to be your lover. Wherever..... However."

This time, when Alex paused, he placed a small box on the table in front of Nicole. "Just go for it," he thought to himself.

 

[zydrate]

She nodded slightly with the things he was saying were true. Not that it wasn't all true. She thought briefly and felt it started with her not telling him the truth in the beginning when they first stated to see each other more regularly. Maybe things would have turned out differently... gone more smoothly in their relationship.

He mentioned McKinsey and her stomach sank. Just the mere mention of that man irked her. She dared not tell Alex…ever… that she had considered just killing the senator but of course, never went through with it. It was just a dark time in her life at the time.

Nicole listened to Alex saying how he wanted them to be together and that made her smile… truly smile again when he said he wanted them to come home to each other each night and yes, she wanted that too. Her hands were steepled in front her, her chin rested on them as she thought about it. She didn’t see him slide a small box in front of her at first until she reached for her drink.

“Alex...?” she said, stopping, not knowing what to do or say.

 

[BeachBum25]

Alex watched Nicole's face as she noticed the box sitting on the table. He said nothing when Nicole said his name questioningly. He just sat there with a smile on his face.

The silence was almost deafening. He could see the anxiety in Nicole's eyes as he remained quiet. She didn't know what to do or say, and he did not help her... at first.

"Like I said Nicole when you asked me what I want, I want us to be together. I don't need a piece of paper that says we are together. I just need us to be together. I don't care where we are. I will follow you or you can follow me. We can talk all of the logistics out. Make the decision together. Like you said, we need to communicate."

Alex picked the box up off the table and opened it; showing Nicole what was inside. Yes, it was a diamond ring. It was not gaudy, Alex knew that wasn't Nicole's style. Alex had asked the jeweler to design the ring so that it would not interfere with Nicole's work. The diamond did not stick up high which would get in the way while Nicole was working.

"Nicole, this isn't about us having to get married. We can figure that out. This is about us making a commitment to each other. To us being together. Ultimately, if it means marriage, I would be happy about that, but it will be something we decide together."

 

[zydrate]

Commitment. It was an even bigger word than marriage and Alex knew that about Nicole. She listened to him explain his reasoning… well not, reasoning but just explain. No, they didn’t have to decide right away about marriage but it was something she did think about when she thought about her future… now their future?

Who would follow who? She wasn’t sure yet… she hadn’t told him her contract was ending in a couple of weeks. From there she could continue. In fact, she was asked to continue and come on permanently, but was that what she really wanted?

“I—” she looked down at the ring and smiled. No, this wasn’t about the ring but more the meaning behind it. The more she paused, the more she was sure Alex was wondering what she was thinking.

Nicole pushed her chair out a bit and stood. With a deep breath, she moved to Alex’s side and sat on his lap—not caring who was looking. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his. “We need commitment Alex.” She turned and looked at the ring, still resting in its box and in Alex’s hand. She placed her hand over his. “I want us to be together too. Like you said, I don’t care where we’re at, just as long as we’re together.” She moved her head back and looked into this eyes as she rang her fingers along the side of his head, “I’m ready only if you are. I don’t want any more secrets between us. No more holding back.” She kissed him.

 

[BeachBum25]

Alex watched Nicole intently. He wished he could read her mind. She started to speak, and then hesitated, and Alex' heart immediately sunk. Did he want more than she was willing to give?

When she pushed her chair back and stood up, Alex was certain they were finished. He imagined that she was getting up and walking out the door and that would be the end of them. He watched her start to walk, but to his surprise, and yes it was a good surprise, Nicole moved around and sat in his lap. At that moment, time stood still. They were the only two people in the world.

He looked into her eyes and listened, and when she leaned in to kiss him, he kissed her deeply and passionately. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him.

When they broke the kiss, he looked into her eyes again. "Nicole, we have time to discuss the details. I just need you to know that I do not expect you to move because of me. I am willing to follow you anywhere... as long as we are together. I am ready. I will keep nothing from you. Everything, and I mean everything will be out in the open."

He called the waitress over and ordered a bottle of champagne. The waitress smiled at him and said, "I guess she said yes." Alex smiled at the waitress. "Well, I didn't ask that particular question, but the answer I got makes me very happy." He kissed Nicole again.. still not caring who was watching them.

 

[zydrate]

After the waitress left, Alex slipped the ring onto Nicole's finger and they both looked it a moment longer before she kissed him once more and she returned to her seat. She could still feel people looking at them, but it didn’t bother her.

They had it all for dinner; champagne, a waitstaff attentive to their requests and a wonderful dinner. They talked more, this time their attitude was different with each other. More relaxed. More… in tune? No stress for the moment, they were just enjoying the night, just like those around them.

Both knew that they only wanted to be alone instead of doing the usual in Vegas, which was gamble in a crowded casino. Nicole had wanted to spend time with Alex and had told him so. So, arm in arm, they retreated to his suite he had gotten for his visit.

It was beautiful. Nicole knew about the luxury Vegas had to offer but this one suite…. It was wonderful. It had a wonderful view of the fountains, as well as the strip. There was a bottle of wine ready for them when they entered; Alex poured them each a glass. She took the offered glass and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, “To us.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Riding up on the elevator, Alex stood behind Nicole and placed his hands on her hips. Periodically, as the car rose, he planted little kisses on her shoulder.

Once in the suite, Alex poured them each a glass of wine and raised his glass to Nicole as she offered the toast. "To us," he repeated and took a sip of his wine. Then, he leaned in and kissed her softly, gently, lovingly.

"I am so glad you are here with me Nicole. I want us to be together." He took her hand and led her toward the bedroom. As they walked across the living room, Alex's phone rang. He stopped and took it out of his pocket, pretending like he was going to take the call, but then he tossed the phone onto the couch. "That can certainly wait. Tonight is just for us." He kissed Nicole and continued to walk with her to the bedroom.

They sat their wine on the nightstand, and, as Alex kissed Nicole, he began to undress her... slowly. There was no rush here. They had plenty of time together. Tonight was going to be about getting reacquainted with Nicole and her luscious body.

Once he had Nicole undressed, he laid her down on the bed and he undressed. Once he was naked, he moved onto the bed with Nicole. Alex began by placing a kiss on her forehead and then slowly moved down her body; exploring Nicole with his lips and tongue. It was the start of a long night in which neither of them slept. They took their time exploring one another... pleasuring one another..... holding one another... then pleasuring each other some more.

As the sun rose in the morning, Alex held Nicole in his arms. "I look forward to coming home to you every night... or, if I am home first, to you coming home to me. It is something I am really excited about." They laid in bed until Alex heard a knock at the door. "That must be room service. Don't be mad at me, but when I checked in, I set up for room service for breakfast this morning. I was hoping, I wouldn't have to eat it alone." He smiled at Nicole and kissed her. He got out of bed, and put his boxerbriefs on to answer the door.

On the way back to the bedroom with breakfast, Alex grabbed his phone from the sofa. After placing breakfast on the bed and removing his boxerbriefs again, Alex slipped back into bed with Nicole. Kissing her again, Alex reached for the champagne bottle and opened it.. allowing the cork to go flying across the room. After pouring the champagne into the two flute, he added orange juice to each. Then, he uncovered the breakfast for them. They sat in bed and ate and sipped their mimosas, their legs touching, their hips touching.. kisses were mixed in along the way.

When they were finished, Alex carried the tray into the living room and sat it on the table. Returning to the bedroom, he looked at his phone and saw there was a voicemail from the call last night. He listened to the message, and his jaw dropped.

He looked at Nicole. "It is from the network. The police are trying to get a hold of me. My house and the beach house both blew up.... at almost the same time."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole savored each kiss she was given by Alex. Of course, she made sure to return each one he gave her as they rode in the elevator. She was sure they gave security quite a show of them being so affectionate. Oh well.

In the morning, even though Nicole was a little tired, she wasn’t ready to quit their lovemaking. She had realized she had missed Alex more than she could have thought. She hadn’t been with anyone else since their last time together as she didn’t want anyone else. Yes, they had issues with some things, but she felt after their talks, they were on a better path than before.

When breakfast was over, Nicole had lay back down in bed, not wanting to get up just yet. She heard Alex with his phone and when she had looked over last, it was looking like he was checking his voicemail. Something was wrong. She looked over at him and saw the look on his face. Nicole sat up, holding the sheet to her chest.

Someone blew up Alex’s home in LA.

“What?!”

She got out of bed and threw on a robe. She found her purse, took out her phone and dialed Detective Lawrence. Her only real contact in L.A. Nothing. He wasn’t answering. She called the main department and they had said Detective Lawrence had retired. He was no longer on the force.

Nicole’s phone chimed. She looked at it… it was Tami texting her.

Not now… thought Nicole as she was going to say something, but more texts came through from Tami.

Links to some entertainment site… Tami’s all-time guilty pleasure, entertainment and celebrity news…

Although she was hesitant to click it, Nicole did, and it showed a picture of her and Alex from last night… at dinner. She was sitting on his lap…Their pictures showing and of course, a close-up of Nicole’s ring. Well, that explained how they were able to find out they were together… Nicole didn’t say anything to Alex. When he asked what was wrong, she just showed him her phone.

Goddamnit. Nicole was going to say something to Alex when her phone chimed again, alerting her something else was wrong. Her home security system sent an automated message.

A fire.

Her fucking home was on fire!

Now, Tami was calling.

Nicole ignored her sister’s call. Instead, she called the security company and they had already dispatched the fire department but, they were saying by the looks of what they could monitor, her home was a loss.

She looked at Alex as she shook her head, "We need to get out of here."

 

[BeachBum25]

"What the fuck... my house.. the beach house where I was staying. This shit isn't over, is it?"

Alex watched as Nicole was looking at her phone. When she showed what she was looking at, he was shocked. It was the two of them at dinner the previous night... the ring. Who would have taken that picture and posted it? Was there a connection to the fires at his house and the beach house.

He heard an alert come in on Nicole's phone. He didn't know what it was. He assumed it was something with work. Then, Nicole made a call. Alex turned his back to her for a moment; trying to process what had been a great evening, great night, and into a great morning had suddenly turned into a fucking nightmare.

Turning back to Nicole, he saw her face and heard her say they had to get out. He grabbed some clothes from the bag he packed and started to dress. Realizing Nicole had nothing to change into, he tossed her a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts. They were obviously too big on her, but as he watched her put them on, Alex couldn't help but think for a second how much better they looked on Nicole than him. He quickly moved to the door after grabbing his wallet.

Stopping before opening the door. "I am taking direction from you. Just tell me what you need me to do to make sure we are safe."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole didn’t have a plan. She wasn’t prepared for something like this to happen. All she knew was that they had to get to safety. The hotel was, in a way, a bit safe but they couldn’t stay there forever. That would put too many people in danger.

She dressed in what Alex had given her, not really caring now about how she looked. She swept her hair to one side as she and Alex headed to the door. She wasn’t saying anything. Yes, she was mad but not at Alex… no, she was trying to get control of the…no, their situation. What the fuck was going on?!

“Wait…” She said, moving him from the door and opening it slowly. She peaked out slowly to make sure no one was there waiting or what. It was clear.

They couldn’t go out the front… well, they could but she knew they had to be careful. Especially if they knew about her. OK, so the service elevator it was going to be.

Once they reached the one on their floor, Nicole told the maid that they needed to use it because her ‘husband’ found out about them. The maid seemed to understand and got them access with her keycard. Perfect.

Now, where to go from there? Nicole had an idea.

Since it was still early morning, they had no problem getting a taxi and Nicole the driver the address near the warehouse where she had started her research. She was glad she didn’t let that go. It would be a safe haven for now until she and Alex could get more of a handle of what was going on. The entire ride there, she held Alex’s hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

Once they walked up to the doors, she punched in the code, the doors opened, letting them in. She was just here last week to get the last of the research… well, copies as she kept the originals here. Inside, Nicole told Alex to have a seat while she changed. She had a small fold away bed here in case she got too wrapped in things which meant she had a change of clothing also.

Now what?

Nicole was frustrated. She didn’t know where to start. She really didn’t. This was happening in 2 places, and she couldn’t be in two places at once. She needed answers from those in LA. She needed to check on her house, how bad was the damage. How was the fire started? And Alex’s home… the beach house.

Who was doing this? And why exactly.

Nicole knew Alex wasn’t going to like what she was about to say… She took Alex's hand and lead him to the small couch in near the desk. She sat him down with him as she was quiet for a minute more before she spoke up, “I would like you to head to some place safe for now, Alex. We get you out of here… I’m not sure where... anywhere but the US… at least for the time being. Before I find out anything, I need you safe but to do that, you need to be out of the country.”

 

[BeachBum25]

He followed Nicole's lead and went with her to what looked to be some type of secret hideout and work space for her. He was surprised that she had access to a warehouse, but he was not going to question anything.

Nicole told Alex to take a seat, but Alex was too wired to sit down. He couldn't stand still. He wanted to know what was going on. Only hours after he thought that his life was finally going to be settling in, here he was with their world being turned upside down again.

He listened to Nicole tell him that he needed to get to someplace safe.. someplace out of the country. "Whoa.. wait a second. What happened to communication? What happened to us? There is no way that I am running away from this while leaving you here in danger. NO. I am not going to do it Nicole. I know that I am not trained to do what you do, but I can't leave you here to fight my battle while I go off somewhere to hide. I want you to be with me. Damn it Nicole, I NEED you to be with me."

Alex was pretty certain that what he was saying was falling on deaf ears. He knew Nicole was hard-headed and was set in her decision that he had to go, but he had to let her know how he felt. "We just agreed that decisions would be made together. Now, you are sending me away. I don't care about going away from work. I don't care about going away from my burned out house ot the burned out beach house. What I do care about going away from is you. I don't want to lose you Nicole. This is bigger than you. Let others deal with it. Come with me."

He could tell by her body language and the look in her eyes that it wouldn't happen. Alex sat down in the chair. He felt defeated. He put his head in his hands and shook his head. Then he looked back to Nicole. He started to say something, then stopped. It wasn't worth his breath. She wouldn't listen.

"If I am leaving, I am going somewhere warm. Do you want me to let you know where I am going?"

He gave into her. He knew that if he continued to push back that Nicole would get angry and that it would result in a big fight. It had to be her way. At that moment, Alex wondered if they would ever truly have the relationship that he thought they were moving toward last night.

 

[zydrate]

Of course, she had wanted to know where he was going and told him so… that was a few hours ago. Until she could make safe arrangements for his flight, Nicole had gotten a call to return to work…to talk to James.

When she got there, he wasn’t happy… he was very direct with Nicole. He was pulling her off it all. Whomever was making the direct threats to Alex and now to her would only put her and those around her in danger. She had asked about Detective Lawrence… seemed no one could get ahold of the man. His wife had said he just left. As much as Nicole wanted to look into it, James told her that if he caught her near the investigation, he would have her arrested and placed in protective custody. It was just safer if she stayed under the radar. Now she knew how Alex felt.

Nicole had gone to see what was left of her house.

Nothing.

Even her jeep was burned beyond any saving. It was a wonder that none of the other neighbors were hurt or affected in anyway. The arson investigator was still working on it. Of course, it would take a couple of weeks, but a witness had said he heard explosions… hell, not only heard but felt explosions. Perfect.

Nicole felt defeated. She knew she could probably fix all this, but it would have to be done… in a not so professional way. And unfortunately, that just wasn’t her way. It never was. Well… except that time with that gang member’s brother… even then, that still bothered her.

For once, she had to wait on others to do their work and even though it was going to take time, she had no control over it and that sucked. She felt like a failure for not being able to help Alex…

Later that evening, with take-out in hand, she returned to the warehouse, of course, making sure she wasn’t followed. She didn’t want to tell Alex she was off the case because of their…involvement with each other but she knew he had to know.

 

[BeachBum25]

When Nicole said that she did want to know where he was going, Alex was surprised. He fully expected her to say something like she didn't want to know that way if someone tried to torture her to find out where he was, she would never be able to give it up.

Then, she got a call and said she had to go to work. Alex nodded his head and watched as she left.

It was amazing how things changed in their relationship. One minute they are committing to one another that they want to be together. The next minute, he is planning on going somewhere without her because she insists on it.

While Nicole was gone, Alex started to look at places to go. He wanted something warm' just like he had told Nicole. He thought about the Caribbean, and then wondered if that was too close. Then, he thought about Hawaii. It was one place he had never been, but it was definitely on his bucket list. He let his mind wander..... Tahiti... Bora Bora.... Fiji.

Alex wandered around the warehouse. He hated being stuck here, alone. While spending all of the time alone, he decided he wanted to go to Hawaii. If he wanted to go to one of the other places, he could do that from Hawaii.

He jumped a little when he heard the door to the warehouse open, but he relaxed once he saw that it was Nicole. Alex saw that she had take-out with her. That was good, because he was hungry.

 

[zydrate]

On her way to the warehouse, Nicole thought more and more about it. She was off the case, that was a given. She had the skills to stop all this. But the thing was, she was doing this alone.

She decided not to tell Alex about her being taken off the case. She needed to fix this. She needed him safe. She didn't want to know where he was going but, yet, she did... This was a dark road that she wasn't sure she was going to make it back from but there was no negotiating with gangs...and by gangs, politicians were automatically placed in the gang category because that's what they were.

Nicole wasn't sure how much time it would take but it would be a while.... more time away from Alex than she had wanted to spend from him. They had just gotten things worked out or at least, they were on the road to fixing things... now this shit.

She served up their food and they ate in a somewhat... forced compromise? They made small talk, of course, staying away from the subject of their current predicament.

After they were done, Nicole took a deep breath and then moved closer to Alex before pushing herself onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. They didn't say anything for a moment before Nicole spoke, "I lied Alex... I want to--no, I need to know where you've decided to go..." she kissed him and whispered in his ear, "I want to make sure you're safe." As much as she hated to see him go, it had to be done. It would all be over soon... She would make sure of it.

 

[BeachBum25]

"I know you said you wanted me out of the country, and I know that Hawaii is not out of the country, but that is where I want to go. It is far enough away. It is remote enough and far enough away from here, and it is one place I have never been to and I have always wanted to go there."

He waited for her reaction. Alex expected that she would say no that it had to be another country, but that never came. "Babe, I don't like the idea of us being apart again. I especially don't like the idea of us being apart because of the fact that you are going to be involved in activity that is dangerous and the result of something that I have done. Why don't we just go together. Hell, I will give up Hawaii. We can go anywhere you want. It doesn't have to be anyplace warm.. just as long as you go with me."

Alex knew that Nicole would never agree to that. He knew that she would want to finish what she started.

He held her close as he returned her kiss. Then, after breaking the kiss, he looked into her eyes. "I know you won't go with me. You know where I will be. I will be waiting for you. I hope you come to be with me soon."

 

[zydrate]

"Alex.. dont' tempt me.." Nicole whispered against his ear... "you know I would go with you in a heartbeat but..." she trailed off, not needing to finish her thought that it wouldn't help with their situation, they would only be running from the problem. This was something that had to be stopped at the root. Otherwise, no one would have a normal life... whatever normal was anymore.

"You haven't done anything Alex, you were only doing your job, that's it. These people, they are the problem," she kissed him hard and nodded to her being him soon, "I hope so too." She really did hope so. She had wanted to tell him that she wanted out of the states once this was all over. She had spent a good portion overseas, it was just something she was used. But there would be time to talk about all that later. Right now, she just wanted him. "Just a few more weeks, at the least, OK?" Before he could answer her, she kissed him hard.

They had made love several times before falling asleep for a couple of hours before showering and heading to the airport in the early morning. It was around 3AM when they arrived at the airport. It was a good time as there weren't too many people around to notice them. It was rushed but the sooner he was safe, the sooner she could do what needed to be done. She had promised to keep him in the loop and she would do her best.

And then, he was gone. Well, on his way to Hawaii. What was odd about that was she had never been there either. Hopefully soon.

*******************************************
*** 2 weeks later ***

Bodies started turning up. First, it was a random gang member--no one of significant importance... gang on gang violence, the news had reported. Then, suddenly, major players had started turning up dead. Violent deaths... nothing in groups. The killer always struck when the person was alone. There were no witnesses.

How to take care of those in prison? Illicit the help of other gangs in prison. Turn them against each other. Involve the Aryan Brotherhood... they didn't take much convincing...

Nicole worked night and day... she was tired. She was battered and bruised. She was losing weight. She had failed to contact Alex for the past week and a half. She was caught up in a whirlwind of activity... illegal activity and she couldn't stop now. There was still a lot to do.