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Dangerous Affairs

By: cpm09



Chapter One

Leigh Grayson was in her bedroom looking at her own face reflected in the body length mirror. Her beauty was oblivious to her. She could make her presence known anywhere she entered. Her long black hair complemented a perfectly heart-shaped face. But her dark chocolate eyes reflected all the sadness she felt inside. She missed her parents terribly.

Her parents would have been proud of her, she thought. Her mother, Maria, was always supportive of her passion for art. Maria, a sensitive and loving woman who also appreciated art herself encouraged Leigh to express her feelings through it. She died of cancer after two years of suffering; Leigh was only sixteen years old. Then a week before her eighteenth birthday, her father William was shot on duty. The perpetrator had also been killed during the heist.

Leigh was positive that her father had been victim of foul play. He had been oddly withdrawn weeks before the fatal day. He wouldn't talk about what was disturbing him.

But there was no way she could prove Michael's involvement. The officers involved in the operation refused to help her. They dismissed her allegations straight away. She knew at least two of them were dirty; she'd overheard her father mentioning their names during a heated phone conversation once.

Five years ago

Assistant Chief William Grayson was a very loyal and dedicated officer. Michael's father had been William's first partner, before getting killed while on duty. He took Michael under his wing and guided him through training and his first years on the force. He saw Michael mature as a man and a cop. He witnessed Michael advance higher in the ranks and soon Michael had become part of the family and that made it almost impossible for William to conceive any idea that Michael might be involved in illegal activities. The fact had come alight after he'd witnessed something that made his stomach turn with disgust. Michael was on the payroll for the mob. That was a stab in the heart.

What William didn't know was that taking money from the local mob boss was child's play compared to what Michael was really capable of: Murder. Assistant Chief William Grayson had found this out in the worst way and the most treasured thing in his life would suffer the consequences of his naivety. He thought of Leigh, a child, who had known the truth about Michael's character all along, and yet he, who was supposed to have been a perceptive man never saw what was in front of him. He was utterly blinded by his trust in the only person who had ultimately betrayed him...

Detective Michael Tempton hadn't been involved in the incident, but was promptly on Leigh's side ready to offer his sympathy, one she refused blatantly. She never liked him. She never hid the fact from her parents or anyone for that matter.

Michael Tempton was a gentleman, an outstanding member of the community, the perfect partner a police officer could have hoped for. Well, at least that's what everyone had thought. Her father held Michael in high esteem, making sure Michael felt part of the family.

She would feel a chill in her body every time he was near. When he spoke to her she would either ignore or reply curtly. She couldn't bring herself to even look at him. She didn't like him at all. Her father took it as normal teenaged behavior, juvenile, but the fact was, Leigh wasn't rebellious, she had no reason to be. Her parents were loving, considerate and, supportive. She responded to their love by being a helpful, responsible daughter. However, when Michael was in the picture, her mood would change completely. She couldn't help it, and he made sure her displeasure for him was shown in front of as many people as possible. He would play his role brilliantly, feigning hurt but forgiving her for her attitude. He would just smile and dismiss it as a teenager fit of temper when her father would apologize on her behalf. She had no chance to make her father believe her.

But Leigh knew what Michael was really like, because she saw through his charming demeanor. She was young but she was no fool. He was cunning and deceiving. Why could nobody see that was beyond her? 

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

"Damn it!" Leigh was late and she hated being late, but last night she couldn't sleep; a certain pair of green eyes were in her mind the whole night, keeping her from falling asleep. It was around 5 A.M. when she managed to drift into a deep and wonderful dream. "Damien;" that was his name. In her dreams, she watched him cross to her, entranced by his magnetism. There was something about him that made her let her guard down. She would have gladly lost herself in those arms, those lips.

I couldn't. I can't, she thought sadly as she grabbed her car keys and headed to the door. She knew Michael was watching her like he had every day for the past year. He waited in his car and watched her get into hers. Every single day she ignored him. She couldn't help it today. Today she felt powerful. Thoughts of Damien and how his touch felt on her skin made her feel brave and in control. She looked back, facing those icy eyes with all her strength and defiance, only to regret. She wasn't strong enough. She felt a chill pass through her. He was grinning, acknowledging her challenge. He seemed quite amused; perversely amused.

When she arrived at the gallery Lucy came running up breathlessly waving her hands at her. She knew she was late but not that late. So, why was Lucy so eager to speak to her?

"Sorry I'm late," Leigh said nonchalantly. She knew her friend and owner of the gallery where she gladly volunteered to help twice a week wouldn't care if she was late or not. Lucy simply dismissed her apology impatiently.

Okay, that's odd, Leigh thought. She knew for a fact that her friend never lost her patience which made Lucy look so funny at the moment.

"What on earth is going on?" Leigh asked, trying hard to hide the laughter in her voice.

"Well, I knew it was going to be a success but I didn't anticipated this much!" Lucy said in a rush, hardly containing her excitement.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's just say that you are a huge success. You've done it!" Lucy said with pride. She was truly happy for Leigh. Lucy had been trying to convince Leigh to display her work for the past year and she had finally been successful the previous night. Although Leigh had always dreamed of displaying her work she didn't feel it was time yet. She needed to focus on a more important task. She needed to put all her energy to bringing Michael Tempton to justice.

"Really? How many?"

"All of them!"

"All of them? Oh my God, Lucy! This is incredible!" She was beyond happy. She was ecstatic! 

Leigh began jumping and hugging Lucy, expressing how thankful she was to have such a wonderful and supportive friend.

Not that she doubted herself but to sell all of her pieces was a bit too much to expect. Leigh didn't know what made her finally give in but the decision was made a few weeks after she'd found a letter her father had written her just before his death. She had no proof yet but she vowed to make Michael Tempton pay for the deceit and corruption.

He had started to become more and more intrusive since she started working for the Office of Citizen Complaint, a team of civilians who'd never worked enforcement investigated complaints made by other civilians, and she'd felt she couldn't do anything without him harassing her. He was everywhere she went, he was watching her moves. She was aware that he knew she was closer to gathering all the necessary evidence against him.

To make matters worse, Michael had begun to inquire about her personal life. She didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. They never talked about anything; she made it clear she didn't want him to know her or anything to do with her life.

That was why she had been so adamant to wait until she had rid him of her life. Regardless, she had accepted Lucy's request to put her work on display in the gallery during a private showing by a local and respectable artist last night. She'd put off her dreams long enough and decided not to wait anymore, she had to know if she was really as good as Lucy had constantly told her. She just had to know.

Leigh had been nervous and anxious the entire day. She wasn't going to attend the showing but decided that she needed to be there to help Lucy as she always did. Deep down she wanted to pretend the show was all hers and not that she was just a small aspiring artist borrowing a corner of the gallery.

The previous night 

She went shopping that afternoon and bought a dress that would make her feel beautiful but not stand out. She only wanted to be there to watch people's reactions and to listen to their comments of the pieces displayed. She even asked Lucy not to divulge her identity to anyone if asked. She wasn't ready for that yet.

So, there she was, happily sipping her glass of champagne and, watching and listening to the buzz around her. But there was something missing. There was no one there with her, by her side to share the great moment in her life. Lucy had been great, very encouraging and supportive but at the moment she was all business; seeing to the guests and possible buyers, and Leigh craved some support on a more personal level. 

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

Damien Crook was tired. It had been crazy at work, especially with the last case. It had taken them over five months of gruesome work to investigate, suspend the officer involved, deal with the appeal and finally apply the disciplinary charges. Now with the case closed, he felt he could finally wind down. Brian Howard, his best friend and partner had been seeing a young artist for a few months now and she'd invited him to attend an exhibit of a prestigious local artist. Not wanting to disappoint her but also not wanting to be bored to death, Brian had convinced Damien to go with him.

Damien noticed her as soon as he arrived, how could he not? She was so alluring. His attraction to her was instantaneous. He was having hard time concentrating on the conversation with Brian. She looked stunning in an elegant black tailored dress that molded perfectly to her body. It was a v-shaped low cut that showed the right amount of cleavage and made her look very sophisticated and sexy. But there was something that was disturbing him about her. Her smiles were not quite reaching her eyes. It made him want to reach out and give her the comfort she seemed to need. He felt the urge to keep her safe, to protect her.

I think I need a drink, he thought. He grabbed a glass from a waiter and continued to watch her, then she met his eyes. It was an immediate feeling that shot through his body, he could sense she felt the same. Her eyes were gleaming, his were hungry. He started slowly in her direction, still holding her gaze.

They were standing close to each other, neither speaking. Damien felt like he was under a spell.

"Hello," he said in a whisper and made her shiver. "I am Damien"

He lifted his right hand, burning to cup her face and bring her lips to his. He touched her arm trying to bring her closer to his body. Leigh couldn't move; but she wanted to. She closed her eyes and felt him move closer to her. She felt his fingers lightly touching her cheek, and she opened her eyes and saw the desire in his.

"What's your name?" Damien asked softly almost timidly.

Leigh could only stare, entranced by the feelings he was inciting in her. She opened her mouth to answer him but no sound came out. Her heart was beating so fast, and she almost forgot to breath. This man made her feel completely warm inside and she couldn't describe the intense sensations shooting through her.

"I...uh...my." Leigh mumbled but didn't have a chance to finish it.

"Damien!" Brian called to him. "You need to come and have a look at this."

Startled, Damian released Leigh and turned to face Brian. He turned to briefly acknowledge his friend but when he looked to where the most beautiful woman he had ever met was standing just a few seconds before, she was gone. He felt empty. "Damn it, Brian!" He didn't even have the chance to get her name.

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

It'd been two months and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Briefly when he touched her, her skin felt so soft, he ached to feel it again. And those big chocolate eyes haunted him day and night. But he had to get himself together. He couldn't concentrate on anything, even Brian noticed it.

"What's up with you, Damien? You have been withdrawn lately. Come on man! You left last night leaving Laura feeling completely humiliated! And I never saw you ignore pussy. Now you got me worried. Spill it!"

Damien was starting to get on Brian's nerves with all the sulking. Brian decided to do something about it to save his own sanity. He had managed to convince Damien to go out and hit the bars for a bit of distraction, only to bump into Laura, Damian's ex-girlfriend, which she wouldn't have been if it had depended on her. Last night she had made that very clear.

"It's nothing. I have been tired lately. And come on, Laura, seriously? It probably didn't take her five minutes to find someone to console her"

"Two actually" Brian murmured.

"I just need a new assignment, you know, something to help me get me out of this funk. I need a bit of action, I am getting bored, and you know me, Brian."

"Whatever you say, Damien. But since that night at the gallery when I unfortunately stopped you becoming acquainted with a certain ebony goddess..."

"What the fuck, Brian...you—"

"Crook! Howard! In my office...NOW!" Chief Harrison shouted.

Damien perked up instantly; whenever Chief Harrison called them in the office it only meant one thing: business. They had a new assignment. There is a God, Damien thought. It was all he needed right now. Action would rid all thoughts of her. Well, that's at least what he hoped for.

Dangerous Affairs Ch. 02



"Man, this is some shit! There are allegations of all sorts here. Harassment, bribery, excessive use of force, and so much more it makes me sick. Who is this Michael Tempton and why on earth wasn't this investigated before? I mean, there are complaints here from more than three years ago." Brian wondered. 

"That's the thing, someone might have been covering for him. According to this, he is even accused of conspiracy to commit murder," Damien interjected, showing Brian the name on a page of the file that had caught his attention.

"Assistant Chief William Grayson! I'll be damned! Apparently his daughter was the one to imply that Detective Tempton had been involved." 

"Well, then I think we should check her out. I am curious to know what made her think he was implicated." Brian said and he turned to the computer. "Let's see what the late Assistant Chief's daughter is up to."

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

Leigh was just finishing organizing a few files; it had been a busy day. It had been hard to keep up with the work cases. The office was short of staff and she had to work double shifts. She was exhausted and she had almost managed not to think of Damien. "Oh, God! This is insane." She said burying her head in her hands.

But how could someone forget something like that? When he spoke to her something happened that made her forget where she was and what she was doing there. It was just a brief contact but long enough to send shivers down her spine. Everything else ceased to exist. There was only him touching her and Leigh didn't find her voice to reply to his question. She had never felt anything like it before. She had spent most of her time studying and trying to avoid Michael's constant harassment. There had been no room for romance in her life.

The phone ringing brought her back to reality. She checked the time and it was way passed the end of her shift. 

"Miss Grayson, there are two gentlemen here to see you"

"Margaret, could you make them an appointment to see me tomorrow? I was just about to leave."

"They said it's very important. They're with Internal Affairs." Margaret, said in a sympathetic tone, almost apologetically.

Giving a deep sigh, Leigh resigned. "Send them in, please." 

Leigh had just finished organizing her files when the door opened. Standing at the door was a very handsome man, light brown hair and an amazing pair of green eyes. But he looked vaguely familiar. She just couldn't figure out where she knew him from.

" Hello, Miss Grayson. Nice to meet you. I am Brian Howard form The Department of Internal Affairs." Brian said, extending his right hand.

" Nice to meet you too, but as you can see, I was on my way out; so, could you please explain what is so important to see me that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Leigh said impatiently as she shook hands with him.

"Well, since you are in such a hurry." Brian said noticing her irritation.

"Brian! Sorry, I had to take that call." Damien said as he came into the room, but he didn't have a chance to finish it. "You.. Damien murmured. 

Leigh felt shivers run through her body as soon as she saw him standing there looking devilishly handsome. "This man is pure temptation" she thought.

They stood staring at each other, not saying a word. Tension filled the room. It was Brian who broke the silence. "Ahem so, Miss Grayson, this is my partner, Damien Crook."

"Now, speaking of coincidence." Damien said with a huge grin stamped on his face. But Leigh didn't return the smile, she quickly recovered from the shock of seeing him, ignoring his comment and with all the business facet she could muster she turned to Brian and urged him to continue to explain their reason for being there.

Damien was taken aback by her reaction. Had he misread her reaction to him in the gallery? Maybe she hadn't been as affected to him as he had been for her. No, he knew she had. "But Why is she acting like this?" he wondered.

"We need to discuss with you the allegations of misconduct and complaints of harassment you made against Detective Michael Tempton." Brian started since Damien seemed to have lost all ability to speak.

"Are you serious? Those complaints were made a few years ago, and only now you took interest in checking them out?"Leigh said exasperatedly. She simply couldn't hold back her anger every time Michael's name was mentioned, and on the top of it, she was getting uneasy with Damien's constant focus on her. She wasn't looking in his direction but she could feel his eyes on her.

Damien finally broke his silence when he took notice of how nervous she seemed. "Look, We are sorry it took so long, but more complaints have been filed and we would like for you to help us with any information you might have"

Turning to Damien, Leigh looked straight into his eyes, making him hold his breath for a second. "Mr Crook, the department of Internal Affairs did nothing for me five years ago, what changed? Why now? I have been getting complaints about the lack of cooperation from the Police Department regarding Detective Tempton, and suddenly you show up here at the Office to ask me for information? Would you be honest and tell me what this is actually about?"

"We can't say, sorry...confidentiality issues." Brian said.

"I see. Well, I have no information for you. It's rather late and I am exhausted. Since we have nothing to share, I think you should leave." Leigh said hoping they wouldn't notice the slight tremor in her voice. She needed help dealing with Michael, but she wasn't sure who she could trust in the department. And why did this man, who had been in her dreams for the past two months have to be on the force? Years ago when all the trouble with Michael began she vowed never to get involved romantically with someone on the police force.

"Miss Grayson, we can see this is not the right time to have this discussion. We'll come back tomorrow." Brian said and headed to the door, not giving her the chance to dispute. However, Damien remained still.

"Damien, are you coming?" Brian shouted from the corridor.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Damien murmured while lightly touching her forearm and looking straight into her eyes he gave her a slight nod. Then he turned around and left.

Leigh closed her eyes and sank into her chair. She felt overwhelmed, the touch felt so familiar, so reassuring, and yet it made her heart rate increase considerably. What am I gonna do? she asked herself. There was nothing she could do about it now, she would have to wait and see what else they had to tell her tomorrow, with that thought, she grabbed her purse and left. 

**********

"Care to explain what the hell happened with you, man?" Brian asked when they got into the car.

"Sorry. It's just that I got a bit surprised. Didn't you recognize her?"

"Why should have I recognized her? Never saw the girl before today!" Brian said in a exasperated tone.

"The gallery...She's the girl from the gallery." Damien explained.

"Oh shit, Damien. No, I didn't recognize her because I really hadn't looked at her face." Brian said ruefully. "All I noticed was her body!" He added with a teasing grin in his face, knowing it would piss Damien off. He needed his partner to snap out of this mood fast.

"Fuck you, Howard! You don't get to check out her body!" Damien shouted which made Brian laugh hard. 

"Yeah, it worked." Brian thought, pleased with himself. Damien only called him Howard when he was really annoyed.

"Possessive much? What if she has a boyfriend?" Brian continued teasing.

"Back off, man! My mind is already fucked up as it is. I don't need you adding extra stress!" Damien said dejected.

"Besides, getting involved with her right now wouldn't be very wise. You know we have a job to do and she's part of it." Brian finally became serious; knowing his friend already had it bad for the girl.

"Shit!" It was all Damien could think of to say.

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

Another sleepless night and thanks to a much vivid dream, her body was aching all over. Leigh was lying on her bed breathless after another orgasm had taken over her. She had spent the night thinking of Damien Crook . "The way he was looking at me...those his lips...hands... Damn it!" 

The buzz of the alarm clock on the bedside table brought her back to reality, much to her frustration. She had to get up and get ready for another day of work. But today was going to be different, she knew. She had yet to decide if she would share with them what she knew about Michael. She wasn't sure if she should mention him stalking her, because that's what he was doing. Even though he claimed to be only looking out for her, as he had promised her father. "Bullshit" She thought. She knew his real intentions.

As she was about to lock her front door, Leigh was grabbed by the waist and shoved inside the house. Her assailant had one hand covering her mouth and the other one had twisted her wrist behind her back. He had her face pinned against the wall in the hall. She tried to break free but to no avail. He let go of her wrist only to grab her hair and with the weight of his body he pushed hers violently against the wall again. This caused Leigh to split her lip; she could taste her blood. She closed her eyes tightly praying for it to be a nightmare.

"I've got a message for you, bitch. Back off!!" Speaking in a menacing tone, he hit Leigh on the head and all went black.



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 03



Chapter Three

"We're here to see Miss Grayson." Damien stated. He and Brian had gone back to the Office of Citizens Complaints to meet Leigh. Damien was anxious to see those brilliant brown eyes, to hear her voice again. He hadn't had much sleep; he kept tossing and turning the whole night thinking about her. "This sort of thing isn't real. This feeling is just madness" He thought.

"I am sorry, but Miss Grayson called in sick today." Margaret, Leigh's secretary, said dismissively. Damien exchanged a knowing glance with Brian who stood just next to him. 

"Thank you, we'll call back tomorrow." It was Brian's turn to speak.

Damien couldn't shake the uneasy feeling inside of him. Obviously she didn't want to talk to them, but he wondered if there was more to it. 

"Let's check her home address." He said to Brian.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I've already got it" Brian said. Damien raised his eyebrow and stared at his partner.

"What? Actually, I'd thought that this would happen, so I checked it out this morning." Brian explained. "Besides, you've been rather distracted lately, with reason I must add." with a mischievous smile he got into the car. 

Damien followed him. "I know, sorry about that. I don't know what's going on with me." Damian said ruefully. "Wait, what do you mean by 'with reason'?" Damien asked warily. 

"You are so easy, man." Brian laughed, enjoying how funny he's partner looked at that moment; a picture of jealously. "I am not interested in the girl. Don't worry. You can quit the murderous thoughts you are having about me right now. She's gorgeous but I think she only has eyes for you." Brian reassured Damien who was gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stared at Brian.

"I don't know, Brian. She barely looked at me; this is just crazy. I can't stop thinking about her, and we've only seen each other twice in a span of two months. We hardly exchanged two words." Damien admitted.

"Well, let's change that. Come on, drive!" Brian said enthusiastically. 

The drive was quick, it turned out that Leigh didn't live that far from the office. When they got there they noticed two cars in the driveway.

*********

The knock on the door didn't wake Leigh who was lying on the sofa, resting peacefully thanks to sedatives Lucy insisted she take. "Who is it?" Lucy asked warily, not wanting to open the door. 

" Detective Howard and Crook from Internal Affairs, San Francisco Police Department ." Brian said a bit too loud, while Damien tried to peek through the window. 

On cue, the door opened slightly. Brian stood looking at a tall blond woman who looked back at him suspiciously. "My, my Aren't you gorgeous, where do I know you from?"He wondered. 

Damien looked at Lucy with a frown. "We would like to speak to Miss Grayson." He stood with his chin up, trying his best intimidating pose.

"I am sorry but she's not feeling very well, could you please return another day?"

"I am afraid not. Listen, it'll only take a minute." Damien lied, but something wasn't right, he could sense it. 

"We really need to see her today." Brian emphasized; he noticed Damien was becoming agitated.

"Lucy, who is it?" Leigh had awoken and heard voices. She was walking to the front door when she became dizzy. Then there was a thud.

"Oh my God, Leigh!" Lucy hurried to her friend, leaving the door wide open; both men rushed inside. When Damien saw Leigh collapsed on the floor, he was alarmed.

He picked her up and Lucy led him to the living room where, he gently placed her on the sofa; then he saw the bruises and anger filled his body. He couldn't help it, seeing her so vulnerable was killing him. 

"What the hell happened to her?" 

"Damien, calm down!" Brian exclaimed.

Lucy had tears running down her face, everything had been so terrifying. When she's gotten a phone call from Leigh, who was crying hysterically, she into auto pilot mode. She just acted. She got to her friend's house only to find Leigh curled on the sofa sobbing. Thank God she had a spare key. She didn't think Leigh would have been able to open the door for her. The look on Leigh's face was of pure terror.

Lucy was sobbing now; Brian took her into his arms and tried to sooth her. She slowly calmed down and managed to tell them about the phone call and how she'd found Leigh lying on the sofa totally in shock. And then she started crying again.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's make some tea." Brian prompted Lucy to the kitchen, leaving Damien sitting on the coffee table staring at Leigh.

"How long are you planning to stare at me?" Leigh asked opening her eyes, giving him a small smile.

"Jesus!" he exclaimed feeling relief run through him. "How are you feeling?" It was said quietly and in such way she could feel his emotion in his voice. He was truly concerned.

"I am better; I think I got up too quickly." She shivered. He was leaning very close to her face. Carefully, Damien took a lose strand of hair off of her eyes. She gave a deep sigh. He noticed and smiled softly. Yes! She feels it too, he thought in awe.

"Leigh, what happened? Please, tell me...and don't lie." Damien tried very unsuccessfully to hide his anger. He wanted to rip apart the bastard who did this to her.

"I don't know." 

Damien was ready to refute but she stopped him. 

"It's true, but I have an idea who sent him here." She said.

"Here?" He almost shouted. Now he was really angry, she had been assaulted in her own home. Fuck! He was going to kill someone for this.

"I was at the door on my way to work. I was ready to lock it when I was pushed back inside. I never even saw his face." Quiet tears fell down her cheeks. He couldn't stand her pain. 

"Honey, Did he...hurt you, I mean... did he...?" Damien clenched his fists trying to control himself.

Leigh could see his despair, his concern plastered all over his face. "No. He didn't, not like that...you know." She looked down, she couldn't face him. This was too much too fast. Damien let out a deep breath. "Thank God."Relief was etched on his face.

"Have you reported this, Miss Grayson?" It was Brian who asked as he came into the room followed by Lucy who looked quite flushed. "Leigh! Oh honey, how are you feeling"?" Lucy cut in, happy to see her friend conscious.

"Okay, I guess." Leigh answered.

While looking at Brian Lucy replied, "there is no point" and she turned her gaze back to Damien, who had his eyes fixed on Leigh. She shrugged and, he nodded in acknowledgment.

"So, did he say anything to you?" Brian asked. As Leigh started to tell them everything, she noticed Damien's face contort in fury. Their eyes locked. She held a breath. He let his out. 

"He told me to back off." Both men looked confused, then she added "I've been doing my own investigation..." Leigh looked down suddenly feeling shy.

Damien was annoyed, but he thought it would be better to discuss her investigative attempt later when she would be feeling better enough to hear his scold.

"You can't stay here alone. It's not safe." Damien stated, and Brian agreed. Lucy was about to say something when Leigh interrupted her. "I am not leaving my home."

"God, She is stubborn." It was his first thought as he looked upon her. Then Damien said, "At least agree in getting protection, we can arrange it for you."

"No, thank you." She replied snappily. She wasn't going to let Michael see how terrified she was. 

"Leigh, you don't have to do this alone. We can help." Brian offered. She shook her head. Damien was getting even more worried then he reached for her hand holding it tight. 

"Please..we can figure something out, let us help."

Maybe she didn't have to go through this alone anymore. She nodded. "Okay"

"Good. Now, since you are feeling a bit better tell us what you know about Detective Michael Tempton and your relationship with him." Brian stepped in not wanting to waste anymore time.



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 04



Michael was gripping his cell phone so tight he could have snapped the damn thing in two. He was furious. He'd been waiting for two hours for them to go. First, that blond bitch had gotten there before him and now, these guys. "Who the hell were they?" One thing he knew for sure, he didn't like it one bit. He didn't want anyone sniffing around what was his. Michael was getting restless, since he had done away with William; Leigh had distanced herself from him even more. However, He'd made sure she knew he'd be around, keeping an eye on her.

He knew everything about her, including her complaints of harassment and her attempts to expose the truth about him. He was well covered and didn't need to worry about it. But since she started working in the Office, she began to get closer. Instead of getting him pissed at her, it actually excited him even more, especially when she acted defiantly. It made him want her more. 

Five years ago...

"...We therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life."As she heard the priest's final words, Leigh stopped crying. Right there she swore to herself she would do everything in her power to hold Michael accountable for her father's death. She knew he was involved before she read the letter William had written to her explaining how he found out the truth about Michael and told her how he feared for her life and his own. He told her how he gathered some evidence but it wasn't enough to prove much, apparently he wouldn't get much help either. She was alone now. She knew none of her father's friends on the force would help her. They wouldn't want to be involved. Michael was there by her side, playing his role, and people believed he cared. 

When she found herself standing by the coffin she felt him approach. "I am here for you, Leigh" She hated his voice, it has always made her sick. "Don't talk to me, don't come near me ever again." She said as she was leaving not daring to look behind and missing the smirk on his face.

********

"You will come to me, Leigh." he was becoming hard just thinking about it. The door of her house opening pulled him back from his thoughts. But what he saw then infuriated him. The men were leaving, and one of them held back, turned back to the door where Leigh was standing and cupped her face, brushing her cheek with his thumb. Such an intimate gesture that only himself was allowed to do. Nobody was to touch her. Jerry, the guy he sent to warn her had found out the hard way. Now looking at the scene unfold at her fort door he contemplated. I should make that motherfucker join Jerry in hell" 

But it was too risky, he knew. Nobody would miss Jerry around, but if those guys were cops as Michael suspected, it would make things more difficult for him. Leigh would start with accusations again and if attention was drawn to him once more, he knew Salvatore would not appreciate that. He needed to find out who they were and why there were at her house. "I'll come back, Leigh."

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

Salvatore Visconti had been in this business far too long. He became boss of the crime family more than twenty years ago, succeeding his cousin who had been deported back to Italy. Gino never took it lightly when any of his people were sloppy on the job; Gino was aware that Michael had become careless for some time now. He knew the reason for Michael's distraction and if he slacked once again, there would be no mercy.

He needed Michael's knowledge and connections on the force but he could always get someone new. Michael was dispensable and Salvatore would make sure he knew it.

***********

When they left her home after telling them what she knew about Michael and the letter from William confirming all her suspicions, she felt partially relieved and hopeful for the first time in years. But she never mentioned Michael harassing her. She didn't think that it was relevant to the case.

But Leigh could not get Damien's face out of her mind. He seemed genuinely concerned for her and had promised to check on her later on. It was late in the afternoon, she had talked Lucy into going home since she was feeling much better. She had just finished her bath when she heard a knock on the front door.

"Coming!" Leigh hurried out of the bath quickly; drying her body and putting on a robe. She rushed to the door without a second thought of safety and she opened it. 

"That's what I call a treat. Hello dear, Leigh. I heard you weren't well" She cursed herself for her carelessness, in front of her stood the one person she despised the most. 

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Michael said already half way into the hall. Leigh took a deep breath. 

"I don't want you here. Get out." Leigh shouted with a shaky voice. Michael was in the living room, looking around. Then he turned to her. "No. I have waited long enough for this conversation, dear." he smirked. She felt the bile in her throat.

"You look...refreshed." Michael said casting a lustful look. Leigh suddenly felt self conscious and gripped the front of the robe tightly. 

"What do you want, Michael?" She asked trying not to sound intimidated, but failing terribly. He sensed her apprehension and grinned.

"I will be brief, as much as I would love to stay longer in your company, I have been a patient man, dear Leigh. But my patience is running out. Tomorrow you will have dinner with me, at my place. There is something I want to show you." 

"What makes you think I want to see it? I am not interested in anything that comes from you." Leigh said hoping he would take the hint.

"You will come. By the way, you should tell your friend Lucy not to leave work very late, it can be dangerous at night in that neighborhood, and something could happen to her pretty face." Not giving Leigh a chance to question him, he headed to the door.

"Here's the address, seven o'clock sharp." He said as he was putting the piece of paper into the pocket of her robe. She took one step back defensively. Leigh stood in the hall shaking for minutes only the phone ringing brought her back from her nightmare.

"Hello?" Still shaking Leigh answered the phone. "Hello, Leigh. It's Detective Crook...err...Damien. I am calling to see how you are doing." Damien said feeling the excitement building inside him. "This is high school all over again" He thought.

"Oh...I...I am okay." She suddenly felt overwhelmed. She was trying to control herself and not to scream.

"No, you're not. What's wrong, Leigh? Damien didn't know what was wrong but couldn't stand the pain in her voice. "Wait, I will be there in twenty minutes." he said, not waiting for her to answer.

"Damien..." Leigh murmured, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall. 

When Damien got to her house, she had managed to put on some clothes and wash her face so she wouldn't look as bad as she felt.

As soon as Leigh had seen him getting out of his car, she didn't wait for him to knock. Damien looked at her and she lost all her self control. Tears were falling down her cheeks and she started to shake. He didn't hesitate; he stepped into the house and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly and whispered soothingly in her ear. "You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you." He was in agony seeing her so distressed like this.

"I am sorry." Leigh managed to mumble once she calmed down a little. Damien took a step back and looked right into those lovely but sad eyes; He took a moment, trying to get coherent thoughts but as soon as his thumb involuntarily brushed her lower lip he lost all sense of self control. Leigh closed her eyes and let herself become lost in the wonderful sensations Damien evoked in her. Then she felt his lips on hers. The intensity of the shock that shot though her body was indescribable. As soon as he heard her quiet moan and her body tremble against his, Damien picked her up in one fluid motion. He took her to the living room and placed her gently on the sofa. But the kiss hadn't stop. It had become more urgent. His mouth hungrily sought hers, and she responded with equal desperation. His left hand was around her waist squeezing and pulling her even closer to him. His other hand was travelling up and down her spine causing her to body to shiver in response to his touch. Leigh locked her hands around his neck, wanting to keep him there forever.

"Leigh..." Damien whispered, pulling away reluctantly, resting his forehead on hers. They were both panting. "You've been driving me crazy." He said softly. Leigh responded with a shy smile. "I could say the same about you."

They sat there quietly, hugging and enjoying each other's warmth. Leigh had her hand on Damien's chest and his arm was around her shoulder. His hand was running up and down the length of her arm. They were both contemplating the significance of what'd just happened. But Damien hadn't forgotten what made him come to her so desperately.

"Leigh..." He started. "Tell me what happened." He felt her tense instantly.

"Michael was here earlier. He wants me to go see him tomorrow night."

"What?!" Damien sat up right away. "I can't believe it! He is delusional if he thinks you are going to see him alone and..." The look on her face made him stop talking. "You've got be kidding me, Leigh. You're not considering going, are you?

She rubbed her hand on her forehead and took a moment to ponder over what to say. Leigh knew things were getting worse with Michael. The sickening lust in his eyes proved that he had no intention to leave her or anyone she cared about alone. This was something he made clear this afternoon. At least she could do was try to buy sometime until evidence against him was gathered.

"Damien, I don't have to justify myself to you."

"You are not going." Damien said categorically.

"You can't tell me what to do." She was getting impatient.

"You're right. I can't." Damien said nodding his head. "However, I would advise you not to do it, since he's under investigation and you have made allegations against him. It would look a little contradictory and could jeopardise the integrity of the whole process." He silently prayed for her to believe him.

A long moment of silence filtered the air. Leigh narrowed her eyes. "Thanks for the advice."

"So, you're not going." Damien concluded with a smile.

"Oh, I am." She grinned.

His smiled vanished. "Damn it! You are stubborn!" He said angrily. "Why are you doing this?" He asked feeling defeated.

"I have my reasons." She said curtly. 

"Fine. Well, since it seems you are feeling better, I think I should go." Damien knew he was being an asshole but he couldn't help it. She was shutting him out, and that was a stab on his pride.

Leigh was taken aback by his statement. "Well, thanks for coming" She wasn't going to let him see her disappointment; she'd made a decision and had to stick with it, no matter what she felt for him. 

Damien nodded and headed to the door as she followed him. He turned around. "Lock it, and call me if you need anything" His face had softened. He couldn't stay angry with her. 

"Okay." It was all she could say. As she closed the door Leigh felt her heart sank in sorrow. "Oh, God!I think I am falling for you, Damien Crook." She thought.



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 05



Chapter Five

The next day, Damien and Brian met up to discuss what the next step on the investigation would be. Based on what Leigh had told them, they had a potential witness to one of Michael's numerous allegations of abuse of power. 

Brian had already raked some dirt on his alleged connection with Salvatore Visconti and that was backed up by Michael's former partner, David Hayes. David had left the force a couple of years ago but Brian had tracked him down and after a little persuasion the guy agreed to meet them the following day.

"That should give us more to work with, depending on what this David Hayes and that potential witness have to tell us, we could move to the next step and temporarily suspend Michael." Brian said raising his eyebrow and rubbing his hands together.

"That's great! I can't wait to see him gone." Damien couldn't hide his irritation which prompted Brian to look up from his desk and ask. 

"What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you, but don't yell at me okay?" Damien asked knowing very well that Brian would do it anyway.

"Okay. Go on..." Brian nodded.

"I called Leigh yesterday to check if she was alright, but she sounded a little nervous so I ended up going to see her and..." Damien didn't even finish the sentence.

"You slept with her? For Christ's sake! Have you lost your fucking mind?!" Brian was indeed yelling. 

"NO!"

"Ah! Thank God!"

"Well..."

"Ah, fuck!, What did you do, Damien?"

"We kissed. She was standing there crying, so vulnerable...it just happened. I...err...It was amazing, man!"

"Okay. I know you, Damien. You are not the type to mix business and pleasure, but be careful. Take it easy; don't let your feelings for her mess with your judgment on this investigation. We need to do this the right way."

"Well, I appreciate your concern, Brian. But there's something else she's not telling us. I can feel it. Michael paid her a visit yesterday, that's why she was so upset. No, scratch that, she seemed terrified. He wants her to see him tonight and I think he's up to something. She wouldn't tell me why she felt she had to go. I mean she can't stand the asshole! I don't like it at all." Damien was so worried he was pacing the office throwing his hands in the air.

"Calm down. She's not going anywhere. Get your coat." Brian decided to trust Damien's instinct, it never failed before.

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

Leigh was dreading going to see Michael, being in his house alone with him, it was turning her stomach over. In fact, she wasn't sure anymore if she could do it. "Lucy..." She then remembered Michael's insinuation. She sat down on her bed shivering trying to gather strength to get ready. The knock on the door pulled her back from her thoughts. 

"Who is it?"

"It's Brian Howard, Miss Grayson."

After a moment of silence and no indication she was opening the door, Brian tried again. 

"Leigh...please open the door."

"Sorry, Brian. I had to get the key first." She said as she opened the door her. Next to Brian stood a very solemn Damien. "Oh God, I should've known!"

She stepped aside and let them inside. Brian entered first. She looked at Damien's face as he passed her and he ignored her. Seeing him acting so professional and distant was killing her.

"Damn those eyes." Damien mumbled; then before reaching the living room, he turned around and grabbed her hand and brought it to his chest. Leigh caught her breath. He looked into her eyes and said quietly "I am sorry."

All she could do was nod and give him a regretful smile as an apology.

"Can you two lovebirds leave the make up for later?" Brian shouted from the living room. Damien smiled and gave her a quick kiss before pulling her towards the living room. Brian shook his head at them. "About time..."

Leigh blushed and looked down, but she knew that this embarrassment would mean nothing compared to what was to come when she told them about Michael's intention with her. Without saying a word she then gestured both men to sit.

"Now, Leigh, care to explain to us why the hell you think you have to go and see that son of a bitch alone?" Brian said calmly.

Damien casted a scowling look at Brian then turned to Leigh who sat next to him looking guilty" Leigh, is there anything you haven't told us?" Damien asked, trying to follow Brian's composure. 

Leigh took a deep breath, calming herself. "Michael has always made himself present in my life somehow. Everywhere I went he would be there. He never spoke to me, but made sure I'd see him. Once he followed me on a date and let's just say that after his display of possessiveness there was no second date." Leigh lest a sorrowful chuckle.

"Motherfucker!" Damien angrily slammed his fist on the coffee table and motioned to get up, but Brian never gave him the chance. "Damien, easy now!" Brian said placing a hand firmly on Damien's shoulder.

Leigh just stared at Damien with wide eyes. "You are telling us that the son of a bitch has been stalking and harassing you all these years like a sick pervert and you are going to see him alone at his place?" Damien looked at her with flaming eyes. He was furious.

"It doesn't make sense, Leigh." Brian added.

"He threatened Lucy!" She blurted it out. Now it was Brian's turn to flip out. "What the fuck?!" "It was more like an insinuation that she might get hurt. I can't risk it." She said looking at Brian because at that moment she couldn't face Damien's angry face.

"You. Are. Not. Going." Damien punctuated every word; a sense of déjà vu washing over him. However, this time she didn't have a chance to answer back. This time Damien had Brian as a back up.

Leigh opened her mouth to contest but Brian stopped her. "Damien is right. You stay here. Give me Lucy's address; I am going to check on her." 

As Brian was leaving he turned to a very pissed Damien and quietly whispered, "Go easy on her, she was trying to protect her friend. Remember that. We will figure out what to do when I come back." Damien only nodded.

When they heard the front door shut, she turned to face him. Damien's breathing was heavy and his green eyes had a dark shadow. "Damien...I'm..." She didn't stand a chance to finish; his hands were on the back of her neck pulling her to him. His lips were on hers; his kiss was filled with an anguish that scared him. He was claiming her and she knew then she could not deny him what both wanted so much.

He was on her neck now, licking, nibbling; his hands slowly running down her back until he reached her ass and possessively grabbed it. "I will kill him if ever touches you." he whispered, bringing a jolt of electricity down her spine. Leigh moaned his name and didn't feel her legs supporting her body anymore; instead she had them wrapped around Damien's waist. Their hips started to grind together. It was frantic. Pure desperation, her hands holding his shoulders tight. Her cries of pleasure were driving him over the edge. He took hold of her blouse, ripping it open. He touched her breast now covered only by a black lace bra. She let a loud moan escape her mouth; Damien groaned and his mouth hungrily attacked her nipples which by now had grown painfully hard.

"Leigh, I want you so fucking much..." He managed to mumble.

"Damien...oh God...please..." Leigh had her eyes shut.

"Bedroom?" He asked, panting heavily. Leigh opened her eyes, and saw the lust and love in his. "Love?"

She was dazed. She just couldn't remember the last time she felt like this. "Ever" After all these years of a practically nonexistent romantic life she had to fall for an officer.

Damien started to pull her hands and somehow they ended up in her bedroom. Call it instinct or pure luck, either way he was too turned on to figure it out. He let go of her waist briefly to pull his shirt off, but the cold she felt from the lack of contact with his skin was enough to bring Leigh back to reality. "What am I doing?" She started to panic. All those promises made to herself now seemed foolish; the moment he kissed her and looked into her eyes she knew she was in love. So why was she stalling what she knew was to come? 

Damien noticed the sudden change in her face. "What is it?" He looked confused. "It's okay if you don't want to, Leigh, I will understand. But know that I won't hurt you, I will never hurt you, sweetheart." The silence that followed was just about torture to him.

"It's not that I don't want you, Damien." He let go the breath he didn't know his had been holding. They stood facing each other; Leigh was biting her lower lip, her arms were crossed shielding her breasts from his view. He was watching her body language. He knew she was as turned on as he was. "Then, what is it?" He asked again.

"I don't have the habit of sleeping with people I barely know but I...err..." She felt silly. How could she tell him she was afraid of this ending up being a onetime thing? That she couldn't help that even though they'd only known each other for a short time she was completely in love with him? Damien never felt more like an insensitive ass in his entire life, there he was staring at her face blushed with embarrassment.

"Look at me, Leigh." He said holding her shoulders and turning her to face him. "I want you like I've never wanted anyone in my life before. But I will not rush you into something you are not sure about." He sighed. "I have fallen for you, Leigh Grayson. God help me if you don't feel the same about me."

All uncertainties, questions and fears were quickly washed away by his words. Leigh got closer to him; put a hand on his chest, her fingers slowly caressing his skin. Damien responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. She whispered, "I do." Leigh stepped out of their embrace, reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, letting it fall on the floor. 

Damien felt the temperature in the room rise ten degrees. His eyes were alternating between her naked breasts and her eyes which were showing all her resolve. He knew then he didn't need to ask if she was sure.

Damien took one step closer to her and Leigh closed her eyes; her body was trembling with anticipation. He reached for her breasts grasping them gently and started kneading her tender skin. "I love how your skin feels in my hands," he whispered, making Leigh shiver as she felt his breath in her ear. He knelt in front of her and slowly started planting soft kisses down her stomach while pulling her pants down; his hands were stroking down her thigh and the inside of her knee. Leigh was quivering and moaning his name. When his lips brushed against her pussy, Leigh gripped his hair and jumped slightly, holding her breath. 

"So wet..." Damien murmured. He stood up and helped her lie on the bed, joining her after swiftly removing the rest of his own clothes leaving only his underwear on.

Damien climbed on top of her, using his thighs to spread her legs. Leigh didn't resist, she was in such a haze she would have granted him anything. He seized her hands and placed them above her head, his fingers entwining with hers and holding on tight as he rested his forehead on hers whispering "You're beautiful...so perfect".

Leigh opened her eyes to see his smouldering with desire. Leigh was holding her breath in anticipation to his next move; she quivered when she felt one his hands trail down her arm, down her neck. She threw her head back granting him more access then he started tracing the contour of her breasts. His exploration continued downward over her stomach and up to her breasts again where he took his time to tease her nipples with his tongue. The heat of his mouth was driving her crazy; Leigh was writhing beneath him, chanting his name like a prayer. She could feel him harden against her and let her free hand travel down his back, her nails scratching his flesh lightly making him shudder when he felt her hand touch him. He threw his head back inhaling sharply.

"Leigh..." Damien was on fire, he hungrily licked and kissed his way down her stomach until he reached her navel. She was watching him; he held her gaze for a moment before lowering his head again. 

"Damien...I have to..." she couldn't finish; the moment his mouth touched her, she lost any coherent thought. "Oh God!" 

"You taste so sweet..." he said softly as his fingers teased her clit. Leigh was holding her breath and she was trying to form words on her mind but all she managed was a series of moans which seemed to have driven Damien over the edge. He didn't feel like teasing anymore; he couldn't wait any longer. He had to be inside of her. Leigh could feel him hot and hard brushing against her but she wanted more, she needed him to fill her completely and show her how to be loved. When he plunged into her in one single thrust, she clutched his shoulders hard and time went still.

Leigh felt a little discomfort and she was surprised it hadn't hurt as much as she thought it would, but tears were running down her cheeks. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she saw the shocked look on his face. He realized what had happened the second she became rigid beneath him. Leigh's painful whimper had only confirmed his fears. She turned her head and looked away. Damien's green eyes were full of questions but at that moment he was only able to say "Jesus! I am so sorry!" Silence reigned once more. 

"Look at me, sweetheart...Leigh...please." Damien pleaded, his voice shaky and full of concern. He couldn't move, he didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had. "Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?"

Leigh found strength in his word and smiled at him. "No. Do you want to stop? "

"Christ, No! You feel wonderful, so perfect, Leigh." He said, trying to describe how he was feeling. "But..."

"Make love to me, Damien." Leigh said, her eyes glistening with desire. 

That was all it took for him to gently start thrusting into her. He was planting soft kisses on her face and Leigh felt her whole body energizing with every plunge. "Wrap your legs around me, don't let go." He was breathless, his self control was slipping away from him. He kept alternating between gentle and hard thrusts in a controlled rhythm that was driving both to their limits.

"Damien...Oh God!" Leigh felt she was going to explode into million pieces. She grabbed his arm tightly; when she felt his mouth on her breasts sucking and licking her nipples it was like heaven and hell at the same time. Leigh let a loud cry escape her as her thighs closed tightly around him. Damien was shaking, he'd never felt so overwhelmed like this before. He followed her and releasing a guttural moan while holding her firmly against him, mentally vowing never to let her go.

Damien collapse on the top of her, blissfully sated; the air was filled only with their breathing and after a moment of silence he rolled to his side bringing her with him. Leigh rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her tenderly. 

"Would it have mattered? Would you have changed your mind?"

"You didn't answer my question, but no I wouldn't have. I don't think I would've been able to." He said with a chuckle. "But I would've been more gentle, more careful."

"It was perfect, Damien. You were perfect. I am sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid." Damien was ready to argue but she put her hand gently on his mouth. "When I told you Michael kind of ruined my dates I wasn't kidding. After awhile getting hurt for being rejected a few times, I gave up. I figured I would have to get him out of my life first."

"Leigh..." he held her tight wanting to say soothing words but he let her continue. 

"You came into my life and suddenly I felt all my fears slip away. You made me feel safe. Did you know I vowed to never date a cop?" Leigh tried to lighten the mood, then she realized what she said immediately and started to rectify it. "Err...not that we are dating or anything...I didn't mean..." 

It was Damien's turn to stop her speaking. "No, we are not." Leigh only nodded trying desperately to hide her disillusionment.

"But we will. I am taking you on an official date as soon as this is over. You are mine now." He grinned.

She could not conceal her contentment, "Yours? Not sure I want to date a cave man." 

"Too late." he grinned and softly grabbed a handful of her hair jokingly and then he kissed the top of her head affectionately. After a moment of wonder, Damien spoke seriously while cupping her face as she looked up at him. "Leigh...I swear that if he ever lays a finger on you..." 

"Shh....don't. Just hold me, please."



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 06



Brian had finally managed to get Lucy calm enough to tell him what was going on. He had gone to the gallery only to be told she wasn't there. He then, tried calling her at home but no one picked up. He decided to go to her place. He was feeling uneasy; something was wrong. 

He rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. He then tried knocking. "Lucy, it's Brian." He shouted.

"Brian..." Lucy opened the door slowly. 

"Jesus!" Brian pushed the door wide open, stepping in. He put his arms around her waist he pulled her to him. She looked terrible; he noticed she'd been crying. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking. Hell, her whole body was shivering.

"Are you hurt? What happened?" He sounded frantic.

"Not helping, Brian." Lucy managed to chuckle. 

"Sorry." Brian said ruefully. He couldn't help but feel protective of her. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since seeing her at Leigh's trying to look brave and in control but failing miserably. He'd been playing around for awhile but he quickly realized she wasn't into casual relationships. She made sure he understood when she rebuffed his advances in a very blunt manner, he'd fallen for her right then and there. 

Little did he know that his feeling was reciprocated, but Lucy remembered him from the gallery. She'd remembered how he'd checked out every woman that night, even though he was on a date. She wasn't going down that road again. "Damn it! he feels good"

"Why are you here, Brian? Is Leigh alright?"

"She's fine. Damien is with her, so I came to make sure you are okay." She looked at him expecting more explanation, but he seemed reluctant. 

"Are you going to tell me exactly what is going on?" she asked becoming disturbed.

"Are you going to tell me what caused you to shake this badly?" He asked in response.

"I've been getting weird phone calls all day. I thought it was just someone with a twisted sense of humor but it got worse. The last one really frightened me, it was personal. He said my name..."

Brian's expression never faltered. He simply nodded. "Pack a bag. You are coming with me."

"Wait a minute! I am not going anywhere 'til you tell me what's going on."

As requested, he did just that. And as he'd predicted, it didn't go down well. 

***********

Leigh woke up feeling her body aching with desire. Leigh opened her eyes and smiled at the view of Damien talking on his cell only in his pants. She stared dreamily but apprehension hit her when Damien turned his face. He looked serious, worried. 

"I know...We will figure it out together....Okay....See you in a half hour." Damien sat down on the bed next to Leigh. He looked at her and smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly as she sat up; her hand gripping the sheet tightly.

"Brian will be here soon with Lucy. We need to get sorted." He said dodging her question. They stared each other for a moment. Leigh understood.

"Alright" 

But before she managed to get out of bed, he grasped her wrists and brought her closer to him. She could feel the warmth of his body passing through hers; it was something she was becoming addicted to. Damien didn't need to do or say much, a simple touch would be enough to make her mind go numb and her body surrender. Then he'd kissed her, lingering for a little while. He was savoring her. She felt his hands tremble slightly. She smiled. He chuckled. "Come on." Damien said, pulling Leigh out of bed.

***********

"No! I am not going to argue over this again, Leigh."

"So, don't. You know I have to do it. He won't stop." Silent tears streaming down her cheeks now, but this time it was anger that triggered them.

They had been arguing for over two hours since Brian arrived with a very distressed Lucy. Brian told them about Lucy's phone calls. At first the caller would hang up after a few seconds but the calls became creepier. She would hear someone's heavy breathing or chilling laughter.

Leigh went ballistic. She knew it was Michael's way of trying to force her to agree to their meeting. "You will come." His words echoing on her mind. She had no choice.

"Okay, that's enough! Time out! We can't take it anymore." Brian shouted. "Leigh, remember it's not your fault, so don't feel you are the one that has to fix it." He said in a softer tone. "And you," pointing at Damien. "Need to focus. We've talked about this already."

Brian realized what had happened between Damien and Leigh as soon as he saw Damien's sheepish face. Brian wasn't angry, but he knew it would complicate things even more. He knew this because he was having the same problem trying to keep his personal feelings out of this case. Lucy had gotten him bad.

"Goddamn it!" Damien growled.

Damien knew he was losing his focus, but he couldn't help it, especially when the thought of what Michael intended to do with her had been heavy on his mind. 

"Leigh, sweetie, don't blame yourself. I agree with Damien. It's risky going to see the creep alone." Lucy was hugging her friend, each woman trying to comfort the other.

"But I am the object of his attention. I do feel responsible." Leigh disputed.

"He is so full of himself. He is certain I will go to him. Why not fuel his ego? It might sidetrack him enough so that you two can dig for dirt" She said looking at Brian and Damien."And I might even be able to find out more about his connection with this Salvatore Visconti."

"That's our job, Leigh. Not yours." Damien refuted. He stood facing her then gently took both of her hands in his. "Please."

"But I can help. Let me help." She insisted.

"Out of question. You and Lucy are leaving tonight. We already arranged for you two to be taken somewhere safe until it's all finished." Brian said adamantly.

"Hold on a second!"

"What?!" Both women shouted at the same time. Both men rolled their eyes.

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

Salvatore Visconti was a man of little patience, he detested weak men and shitty excuses, and right now it was exactly what he was dealing with.

"You know, Michael this is not the first time you let me down. You've been rather distracted lately. I am beginning to think your loyalty is questionable." Salvatore said, knowing exactly what Michael's cause of distraction, his weakness L¬¬eigh Grayson.

Michael knew better. If he opened his mouth now it would only make things worse. It had taken him a lot of time to get this close to Salvatore. He had been planning for a long time. He had to get a grip on things, but Leigh had made things a little more difficult than he had thought and being under scrutiny by Internal Affairs meant he would have to act faster than he had originally planned.

So far, he had been pretty sure Salvatore suspected nothing. Michael had been careful, eliminating possible snitches along the years. But now things were getting more complicated, he was running out of time.

"You were supposed to be on the lookout and once again you didn't do what I pay you for. There has been a raid and many were arrested." Salvatore had gotten up from his chair and walked towards Michael. "I know you are under investigation, but you dodged it before, however it seems the new Captain in charge, Robert Harrison; as I've been informed, is not keen on cooperating with us. Should I reconsider your usefulness?"

"You have my full commitment and loyalty. Sorry, I slipped. It won't happen again."

Salvatore nodded. "Molto benne." Shortly after he'd dismissed Michael, Salvatore called for Gino, his nephew. "Keep an eye on him, Gino. I want to know what is going on. Also, have someone watch Miss Grayson. The last thing we need is for him to do something stupid again because of her. I am not done with him yet."

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

Michael went straight home to get sorted for his meeting with Leigh. He could barely contain his excitement; she would finally see what he had been doing all these years to make her see they belonged together. No other man had had a chance to win her love, which he'd made sure of. He'd kept her under close watch; she never knew he was aware of her artistic side. She was talented, but he would never allow anyone to have any part of her. Leigh was his.

He was getting annoyed with those detectives form Internal Affairs. They had been spending a lot of time with her. Michael cringed at the thought of her in the company of other men. But soon he wouldn't have to worry about them. His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He hurried to answer it as he knew exactly who it was. He had one of his informants keeping Leigh under close watch.

"Are they still there?" Michael asked.

"Yes. One left but returned with her friend, the gallery owner." 

She must have told them about his visit. The phone calls to her friend were just another reminder to her that he would not take 'no' for an answer. Michael checked his watch. It was nearly five o'clock. She would have to leave soon to meet him. 

"Stay put. Let me know when she leaves the house."

 

**********

Both Damien and Brian were silent, not because they didn't know what to say, but because they were afraid for their lives. These women were fierce when they argued their point. Both men were backed against the wall, having fingers pointed in their faces and all they could do was to wait for the rampage to end.

They were saved by the sound of Brian's cell phone ringing. "Thank God!" Brian thought as he excused himself to answer the call, leaving Damien alone facing two angry women. 

"I am going to make some tea." Lucy said, already turning toward the kitchen.

"You look so hot when you are angry" Damien said with a mischievous grin as he reached for her hands, pulling her against him.

"Damien...you're not getting away so easily. I am still mad at you. You and Brian need to realize we can look after ourselves. Lucy can't just hide some place, she's got a business to run and I refuse to let Michael turn me into a paranoid and terrified person."

"I know. Sorry. I can't help it. I need to know you're protected." Damien said each sentence with a kiss. "I understand how you feel, but I don't like not being able to be with you to make sure you're safe and I certainly don't want you playing bait." 

"Please Damien, I can't do this without you." Leigh pleaded leaning against him and looking into his eyes.

"Damn it!" Those chocolate eyes got him every time, but now it was a new level of control as she reinforced her killer look with the lightest of touches, her fingers so intimately stroking his chest was his downfall. "If we were alone..." Damien whispered but Brian interrupted him. 

"We need to go. Where's Lucy?" 

"I am here. What happened?" Lucy said coming from the kitchen. 

Brian pulled her aside, smiling softly. "Will you at least stay here with Leigh until we return with more information?"

Lucy felt a jolt of electricity shoot right through her. "What's wrong with me?" She was staring now. "Sure" "Damn it! Did I just purr?"

Brian remained by her side looking intently into her eyes. "Breath" He reminded himself. 

"Okay. We'll be in touch..." He said squeezing her hand. "...and Lucy...I am sorry about pushing you earlier."

"No, you're not." She teased. Brian growled quietly. 

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

Once they left, Leigh and Lucy finally managed to sit down and talk. They were both exhausted and emotionally drained.

"So, how are you feeling? I've noticed you and Damien can't keep your hands off of each other."

"Look who's talking, you and Brian were devouring each other with your eyes."

They were both smiling, but Lucy couldn't hide her concern. "Sweetie, Damien seems to really care about you. But how do you feel about him?"

"I am in love with him." That was simple and clear. Leigh said it with a certainty she never thought possible. 

"Are you sure? You haven't known each other long. You might be getting confused with physical attraction. This is all a little sudden."

Leigh was waving her hands dismissively "I know. Rationally you could argue this is absurd, but Lucy, it is more than physical attraction. I can't explain it; he just turned me inside out. I feel loved and desired like never before. I look into his eyes and I only see sincerity. This feeling is so strong that it should scare me, only it doesn't. It's quite the opposite. I actually feel completely safe when I am with him."

"Leigh, you are in love." Lucy agreed simply.

"I am indeed." Leigh said with a goofy smile. 

They were so engrossed in their conversation, Leigh even lost track of the time. Talking about Damien made her forget her problems and her meeting with Michael. 

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

Michael was livid, once he knew she wasn't simply late, but wasn't coming at all. He lost his self-control, throwing his cell phone against the wall. This was something he never predicted; Leigh not giving in. He was certain she would have. She would regret it.

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

Brian had been telling Damien about the phone call, informing him of a body found in a dumpster. The deceased had been holding a piece of paper with their names and phone numbers written on it.

Both Damien and Brian were now in the coroner's collecting more information and identifying the body to confirm their suspicions. It didn't take long for them to see who it was, and it took even less for them to take action. Their only witness had been killed viciously. Throat and tongue cut, leaving him bleeding to death.

"We'd better check David Hayes soon, something is telling me he's next." Brian said.

"Well, I think I am going to head back to start Detective Tempton's suspension process. We should've done it sooner. I will give Leigh a call, to let her know we won't be back tonight." Damien sighed. He was hoping to stay with her just in case Michael decided to pay her another visit, since Leigh had agreed to not go see him. 

"Alright, and I will arrange for a patrol officer to keep an eye on the house. I don't want to take any chances." Brian said trying to conceal his apprehension. Damien nodded; he knew his partner was shit scared for the girls too. Both men were trying really hard to stay focused but this was going to be a very long night.

Damien got his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and called Leigh. He was already missing her. 

"Sweetheart, it's me. How are you two doing?"

"We are fine, Damien. Don't worry." Leigh smiled knowing that he certainly was.

"As if that is possible." He chuckled. "I won't be back tonight. I need to get a few things in motion, and then we are heading out to check on someone."

"Oh! Alright...I was hoping...never mind." Leigh shrugged with disappointment. She needed him tonight, but she also understood why he wasn't able to be there with her.

"I miss you already and I was hoping too." Damien's voice became husky. "I hate not feeling your skin on mine." He was breathing heavy. "Is it okay to call you later on again? I have to hear your voice so I am sure you are well...this is torture, Leigh."

"I know. I need to know you are okay too. Call me later, at any time. I guess I won't be going to bed so soon. I have a lot to organize for work tomorrow." 

"Work? I thought you were taking the rest of the week off." He asked anxiously.

"I already missed a few days. I can't stop my life, Damien." 

After a moment pondering he relented. "Alright, but wait for me to take you there. I will see you early in the morning, we can have breakfast together." Damien knew he had to compromise; Leigh had already shown him how stubborn and angry she could get when pushed against a wall. He didn't want to risk her doing anything foolish just to prove her point.

"I'd like that, so I will see you in the morning. Be careful." 

"I will. Sweet dreams, Love. Bye."

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

It was an exhausting and very busy night, but there were some progress. They had located and secured Michael's former partner, David Hayes, who was still willing to turnover evidence of everything he'd heard and witnessed during his time on the force as Michael's partner. Apparently, former Detective Hayes didn't leave on good terms. That was a meeting both Brian and Damien were very excited to have. They were supposed to meet up with Hayes later, but first they had to call in Detective Tempton to an official arraignment. That would have to be dealt carefully. 

"I arranged for him to come see us at ten o'clock." Brian informed Damien.

"Fine, I am heading to see Leigh to take her to work. I'll come straight back here. I wouldn't want to miss Captain Harrison suspending him." Damien said with a satisfied grin.

"Look, keep your cool and your personal feelings out of this. Don't let him pick up any hint of your relationship with Leigh."

"I will be fine. I just want this son of a bitch paying for all the grief caused and for all crimes committed. I want him out of her life, for good." Damien's face was stern, and it was showing his determination to have Leigh live her life free of fear and free of Michael Tempton's obsession.



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 07



Damien was tired, physically and emotionally exhausted. He was driving to Leigh's and the idea of seeing her beautiful face and touching her smooth caramel skin made his heart pound a bit faster. He thought about Brian's words, if Michael found out about Leigh's relationship with him, it would certainly make things more complicated, because Damien was sure Michael would confront Leigh about it. That was something Damien wanted to avoid at all costs. Even if he had to stay away from her to keep her safe, and the mere thought of not seeing her made his chest hurt.

How could something like this happen? How could you come to have such strong feelings for someone out of nowhere? When he held Leigh in his arms or kissed those soft lips it felt so right; it all made sense. Damien didn't know much about her likes and dislikes, the places she would love to visit, but he did know she was brave, stubborn, caring, passionate, honest and that she fit incredibly perfect in his arms. However, he also knew that he would have to slow things down with her so he could concentrate on the case. Besides, Leigh deserved so much better than desperate kisses and quick afternoon interludes. Damien was still kicking himself about making love to her that way; jumping on her like prey. But the way she looked at him then, he knew she didn't have any regrets and that she wanted it to happen as much as he did. 

As Damien knocked on her door he felt his pulse quicken. "Yeah, I am definitely whipped." He laughed to himself.

"Hey." Leigh smiled timidly.

As Damien entered her house, he brought her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Hey." He sighed deeply. Leigh responded by holding him tightly. They stayed like that for a long moment only listening to each other breathing.

"Come on...you look like you need some sustenance...Long night?" She tried not to sound too worried. "He has enough on his mind; he doesn't need a clingy girlfriend." She thought. 

"Girlfriend..." He almost missed her frowning slightly.

"Yes, we had a lot to work on." Damien said feeling guilty about not sharing more with her. He couldn't elaborate more. He had to keep some aspects of the investigation classified, for the integrity of the whole process and for her own safety.

"I understand Damien. I work with confidential information every day, so you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings." 

He stood there staring at her. "You are incredible. Thank you for understanding." And then he kissed her, softly at first but as she moaned quietly into his mouth, he increased the pressure and he lost himself in the sweetness of her mouth.

"Ahem! Breakfast anyone?" Lucy said with a grin as she passed them heading to the kitchen.

"Sorry, I forgot Lucy was here." Leigh mumbled with her head buried in his chest.

Damien was actually glad for the interruption, otherwise he would have completely forgotten about his resolution to slow things down.

"I am actually hungry! And you need to get to work..."

Damien ended up dropping Lucy at the gallery first, and as he was parking the car near the entrance of Leigh's office building, he took a deep breath.

"Leigh, it would be better if we didn't see each other again until this case is closed." He was gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. 

Well, she certainly wasn't expecting that. Leigh felt like he had just stabbed her in her heart. Her hurt was noticeable in her voice "Why?" she managed to ask.

"Sweetheart..." He parked the car and turned to her, grasping her hand. But Damien couldn't look into her eyes; if he did he wouldn't be able to go on with this.

"Look, I am trying to do the sensible thing. I need to be cautious. If Michael suspects anything about us he might do something..." He didn't finish because she just didn't give him the chance. Leigh unbuckled the seatbelt and quickly straddled him, taking Damien completely by surprise. She took hold of his face and looked into his wide eyes as she spoke. 

"I am done with his threats. I am done with feeling like a helpless little girl; he did it to me for years. I can't have you or anyone deciding my life for me. Don't make decisions on my behalf and don't take my choices away from me, Damien. I don't deserve it damn it!" she said angrily.

"Baby..." Damien made a move to kiss her but Leigh put one hand flat on his chest.

"However, I agree we need to slow things down a little. I don't want to cause any problems for you at work, and you need to focus on the job." She finished with a grin.

This time Damien didn't find any resistance when he leaned in to kiss her with everything he had. When they came to their senses they noticed a few people on the street looking at them, some amused, others not so much. Damien chuckled and Leigh blushed looking down mortified. 

"You never cease to amaze me. Sorry for being such an ass, I have this protective side that sometimes turns me into a complete jerk." He said cupping her face and giving her peck. Leigh smiled and returned to her seat, gathering her purse and briefcase. 

"I can get a taxi home, so you don't need to rush to pick me up" 

"No, I will be here at five, okay?"

"Alright, see you at five. Take care." She said opening the car door. She didn't want to push, but she felt there was something he wasn't saying that had him worried.

Damien smiled but it didn't quite reach his face. He had a nagging feeling something wasn't right. He looked around and didn't see anything suspect. Damien watched her get into the building before starting the car. He shook the feeling away and drove back to the office.

As soon as Leigh got into the building she was greeted by a man with a pair of cold brown eyes that sent a chill straight through her body. He was blocking her way, and as she tried to move around him his calloused hand stopped her.

"Miss Grayson, don't make a scene..." He told her and discreetly opened his jacket to show her a gun.

"...you are coming with me." His voice was voided of any emotion. That scared the hell out of Leigh. All she managed to do was nod. There was no point in arguing. She knew she had to keep calm and fighting now wouldn't help her situation.

"Good girl." He said pulling her back towards the door.

***********

Brian and Damien were in the conference room waiting for Michael's arrival for the official arraignment. Captain Harrison was going to order his suspension based upon several allegations and complaints made by citizens both to the Police Department and the Office of Citizen's Complaints.

They were going to argue that suspension was necessary to ensure the integrity of the investigation in case Michael retorted. But what they weren't prepared for was Michael acting in complete disdain during the entire meeting. Brian had been keeping Captain Harrison informed of the development of the investigation, and surprisingly Brian was told to lead the meeting. 

It gave Damien a great sense of pride for his partner and their efforts. However, in the end it was Captain Harrison who gave the announcement. 

"You are being suspended until the investigation is finished. Detective Tempton, hand over you badge and your gun." Captain Harrison ordered.

Without muttering a word Michael placed the gun and his badge on the table. He had a satisfied smirk plastered on his face, something that was irritating Damien profoundly.

"Conceited son of a bitch." Damien had remained quiet the entire time they had been with Michael, but the smirk Michael displayed wasn't something easy to swallow. Damien had a feeling the smirk was directed at him personally. Michael was testing his nerves. 

As the meeting came to an end, Damien's cell rang. He ignored the call without even checking the caller and placed it on vibrating mode. After the third time, as Michael was leaving, he turned to Damien and said in a condescending tone. 

"You'd better get that, you never know Detective Crook, it could be a friend in distress."

"Shit, he knows!" Damien concluded.

Panic struck Damien as he walked to the back of the room and to check his cell. "Lucy" he whispered to himself. As if on cue, it rang again.

"Hello, Lucy?"

"Thank God! I've been trying to get either you or Brian." Her shaken voice only added to his distress.

"What's wrong?"

"Is Leigh with you?"

"No, she's at work. I dropped her there this morning."

"She never made it to the office, Damien. We were supposed to have lunch together, but I was running late so I called to let her know. Margaret said she never showed up."

The room was spinning, or was his head? Damien's ashen face got Brian's attention. He tried to take the phone from his partner. But Damien recovered immediately.

"Have you tried her cell yet?"

"She wasn't answering before and now it goes straight to voicemail." Lucy's voice cracked.

"Where are you now?"

"In the gallery. Damien...I..." Lucy mumbled.

"We are coming for you." He had to cut her off; he couldn't deal with her crying. It would only make him more frantic.

As they hang up, Brian had to hold down an infuriated Damien, who now was throwing chairs around the room.

"Motherfucker! Son of a bitch! I am gonna fucking kill the bastard!" He was yelling out of control.

"Calm the fuck down, NOW!" Brian shouted.

"He took her!" he shouted as he tried calling Leigh's cell. "Pick up baby...pick up...shit! It goes straight into voicemail."

"We need to get Lucy first, we'll think of something on the way. I will get a patrol to check her house and locate Michael."

"I'll kill him Brian, I swear!"

 

***********

Leigh had been quiet the whole time he drove, not that she hadn't tried to get some kind of interaction going from her kidnapper, if that was a wise thing to do. But she was getting extremely anxious and fidgety.

"Can't you sit still? You're too impatient." His tone was low but somehow she didn't feel intimidated.

Leigh ignored the remark. "Can you at least tell me if it's going to take much longer? I am desperate for the toilet, we've been on the road for a long time and..." her voice betrayed her attempt to sound brave but actually showed how afraid she felt.

"Will you ever be quiet?" He interrupted Leigh and she recoiled in her seat. He gave her a sly grin, which bizarrely gave her a certain sense of comfort.

Without her realizing, the car slowly came to a stop. "Get out and don't try anything silly." She took a quick look around and there were no neighbouring houses, nowhere to run for help.

Leigh nodded nervously, turning to face the massive house in front of her. Leigh was about to find out that the classic architecture contrasted drastically with the minimalist decor inside, which immediately prompted the thought of anonymous owner.

She was led to the front door where they were greeted by an older man wearing a dark suit. "You're late Darryl. Boss was getting edgy, and you know we don't like when he gets annoyed!" 

"Okay, at least now I know his name." Leigh thought as they entered the house. 

"Well, she's here now, Nelson." Darryl said becoming annoyed himself; "This way, Miss Grayson." He said holding Leigh's elbow as he led her to the spacious living room where a half dozen men seemed busy in deep discussion. Leigh halted suddenly confused and a little unsure. They didn't seem threatening but she felt anxious nonetheless.

"What's going on? Who are you guys?" 

A middle aged man with streaks of grey hair crossed where she stood and extended his hand. 

"Miss Grayson, I am sorry for scaring you, but it was necessary. I am Special Agent Scott. FBI."

Leigh stayed still with her arms crossed for a few seconds, trying to take in the statement. 

"What the hell does the F.B.I possibly want with me? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She looked at Darryl with angry eyes. He just shrugged and gave her a smirk. "Sorry, it was necessary, for appearances' sake." Darryl told her evasively. 

"I want my phone back. I have to talk to..." Oh, she wasn't happy.

"Miss Grayson, we advise you to tell no one yet." Agent Scott interrupted her.

"Advice not taken, I want my phone now!" Leigh knew that by now Lucy would have found out she hadn't been to the office. Lucy would have probably spoken to Brian and Damien who would be, without any doubt, worried as hell.

"We need your assistance on a matter regarding Detective Tempton, and we don't have much time to..." Agent Scott said in a superior attitude.

"And I need my phone." Leigh cut him off. She wasn't fazed by him at all.

"I told you she was tough." Darryl said handing Leigh her purse. And unbelievably sexy! He thought. 

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

After picking up Lucy and checking Leigh's house they headed to her office. Brian spoke to the receptionist who didn't offer much information that could help. Damien then asked to see the CCTV footage. He had his eyes glued to the screen, as he saw a strange man, who was obviously threatening her, put his hand on her. Damien fought the urge to punch something. 

"Who the hell is he?" Brian muttered.

"I am more interested in finding out where the hell he took her." Damien could hardly control his anger.

Silence reigned for a moment.

"What now?" Lucy asked, but the look in Damien's eyes told her he felt as lost as her.

"We should locate..." But as Brian began to speak, Damien's cell phone rang. He jumped from his seat nervously ignoring the two pairs of very concerned eyes staring at him. 

Leigh!

"Baby, where are you? Are you alright?" Damien couldn't contain his anxiousness. 

"Damien, I am fine." It was a relief to finally hear his voice. "I am not sure exactly where I am, I have to ask..."

"Leigh, is Michael there?" Damien wasn't sure what he would do if she said 'yes'.

"No..." 

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"But the F.B.I is." Leigh said in a quiet tone.

"What?!" He growled.

Leigh didn't have a chance to elaborate because Darryl took the phone from her. Leigh's mouth fell open; she couldn't believe what he had just done. She stood there feeling like an idiot and all she could do was give him an indignant look. She was fuming. 

Darryl ignored her completely but not before admitting to himself how even more adorable she looked when she was angry. 

The ranting on the other side of the line, snapped him out of his thoughts. "Detective Crook, I am Agent Johnson. I want to assure you Miss Grayson is fine and safe, I made sure of that. Now, we will allow you to come to meet her since she's refusing to listen to us unless you are here."

"She obviously doesn't trust you, not that you could blame her. Cut to the point, Agent Johnson. How do I get there?" Darryl's arrogance didn't sit well with Damien who responded with the same candor.

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

Both Brian and Damien had been in silence since they started the drive to meet up with Leigh. Damien concentrated on the road but his mind was filled with questions.

Brian broke the silence with a frustrated howl. "How on earth did this happen? We look like idiots in all this fucked up case!" He wasn't happy about being in the dark. He was also upset about having to leave a very distressed Lucy behind, but he knew she would be safe in his house.

"That's what we are going to find out after kicking some ass for pulling shit like this." Damien was beyond pissed. He was ready to explode. It had been a relief to hear her voice but he would only be totally at ease once he saw her face. 

"I don't get it, Brian. Why would the F.B.I do something like that to her? And what Michael said to me was like he knew what had happened; it doesn't make sense."

"I think he did, but I agree it doesn't make sense at all." Brian was as confused as Damien. 

"What was the agent's name again?" Brian asked.

"Johnson. I must say I didn't care for the arrogant tone in his voice when he gave me directions to get there; something he made clear he wasn't too happy about doing. And the way he talked about Leigh; how he'd made sure she was safe. I want to know what he'd meant exactly." 

"Don't start with the jealousy crap! We haven't got time for this." Brian said, slapping Damien on the head. "Focus Crook!"

Brian didn't say but he knew that the only reason for the F.B.I's involvement had something to do with Salvatore Visconti. If so, there was no doubt things would get more complicated. He also knew Damien was aware of that.

"You realize they will not share much with us, don't you?"

"I know, Brian." Damien said, lost in his thoughts. He couldn't shake the guilty feeling away; it was his responsibility to protect Leigh and he felt he let her down.

"Well, we'll find out soon."

***********

Michael thought he had done well so far. He knew he shouldn't have said anything to Damien Crook but he just couldn't help himself; that man had put his hands on Leigh. His Leigh. 

The moment Michael had spoken to Damien, he knew the Detective realized Michael knew about the affair. The look on Damien's face was priceless; he was probably wondering how Michael had found out about them.

That time he'd seen the Detective cupping her face, he became so furious he almost lost it right then and there.

When he found out who those two men in her house were, it only made his anger rise even more; he swore he would make the Detective pay for tainting his love. 

However, after that he'd made sure he continued watching her every step, although he had to lie low for awhile because of the investigation on him, he still kept her under close watch. 

So he got someone to watch her for him, one of his many goons, but the feedbacks he got had one thing in common, Detective Crook spending a lot of time with her. Michael had just put two and two together. "Nobody touches what's mine. You will pay, Crook, just like the others who had tried to date her!"

Now he was on his way to see Salvatore Visconti to tip him off about possible raid of one of the warehouses. Salvatore was becoming suspicious of his intentions, so Michael had to plan his moves carefully. 

He couldn't wait for later that night when he would see his Leigh, she would have the wonderful surprise he'd prepared for her. She would just love it and then she would realize she loved him too. 

He hated her at first for not meeting him the other night, but he realized it was the Detective's fault. His Leigh wouldn't have stood him up intentionally. Now he would have to rush things along. She would have to stay with him until he finished the last job for Salvatore, who by the way didn't suspect it would be Michael's last one. 

Michael didn't trust anyone, but Darryl had proved to be loyal and Michael knew he wouldn't touch Leigh. Although he had warned Darryl anyway, he'd decided that Darryl would be trustworthy enough to watch her.

Michael was becoming aroused just thinking about her. The waiting game would be over soon and he would finally feel her luscious chocolate skin in his hands. Tonight Leigh, you will be mine completely.

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

Salvatore Visconti had all organized to have Michael disappear. He would serve as an example to others, a message to show that betraying the family would have only one consequence; death.

He knew Michael had been dealing his supplies behind his back, pocketing as much as he could. How petty. Michael risked it all for what? For a woman? Weak man Salvatore thought with disgust, he despised weakness. Michael had served his purpose, but lately, his stupidity had been attracting too much attention from the authorities. 

Michael's fate had been determined; it was just a matter of finding the right opportunity and Salvatore knew Michael's idiocy would present him the perfect one on a silver plate.

***********

"You can't be serious! How can you expect me to pull this off?" Leigh's hands were shaking with disbelief as Darryl looked at her with worry.




Dangerous Affairs Ch. 07



"Look, you would be protected..." Darryl really didn't want to disclose the fact that she was in more danger than she'd thought. Michael was completely out of his mind as far as she was concerned. Darryl had seen Michael's apartment; the walls covered with photographs of her. He was obsessed alright!

"I don't know...I need to speak to Damien first. He won't like this idea." Leigh was scared, and she knew what Damien would say about it. The idea being alone with Michael and being used as bait didn't seem to come from Darryl, who didn't seem very happy with the plan.

Leigh didn't know Darryl at all to trust him. She didn't know that Darryl had spent a lot of time keeping an eye on Michael, following him from Salvatore's to her house, and that eventually she had caught his eyes. 

The fact that she was seeking the Detective's support, somehow made Darryl inexplicably jealous. He couldn't help it, he was attracted to her. Too bad she seemed to be smitten by Detective Crook. Lucky Bastard!

"Johnson! I want a word, now." Agent Scott had had enough. He and Darryl agreed that Leigh could provide some information about Michael that could help with the undercover job, but Darryl wasn't keen on the idea of using her like this.

Excusing himself, he left a very nervous Leigh standing by a window that overlooked a massive garden. She never felt more confused.

Hurry Damien!

What they were asking of her was dangerous and made her stomach twist. According to Agent Johnson, Michael was expecting her to be brought to meet him tonight. She would have to play along, pretending to be interested in what Michael wanted to say. More like what he wants to do... She quivered in disgust. The idea was for her to try to get more information on Salvatore, but how did they expect her to do it? Michael knew she hated him, how was she supposed to make him believe in her sudden change of feelings?

She had lost track of time, but Leigh snapped out of her trance as she heard a familiar voice.

"Where is she?" Damien asked, finding it difficult to hide his anxiety.

Brian and Damien had been greeted by Agent Scott who had introduced himself and Agent Johnson. Darryl never attempted to shake hands with them. Damien's eyes were scanning the surroundings, desperately looking for Leigh. A few men gathered next to a round table looking over some gear; Brian noticed the men didn't seem to be thrilled with their presence. 

As soon as Leigh heard his voice she turned around and rushed to him. She knew she was being silly, it's not as if they hadn't seen each other that morning, but with everything that had been revealed to her, Leigh craved his touch.

When she remembered she was in a strange place with strange people, she forced herself to walk calmly toward him. He hadn't seen her approach from his peripheral, but Brian had.

"Hey kiddo!" Brian smiled, relieved to see her well.

Damien turned around and saw her standing there looking at him biting her lip. He lost all composure. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a tight hug, breathing heavy in her ear.

"I almost lost my fucking mind!" He whispered harshly. They remained quiet for a long moment, breathing each other's scent. Damien stepped back slightly and lifted her chin.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Leigh nodded, that's all she managed to do at that moment. It felt good to have him holding her again.

"I am so sorry, sweetheart." Damien closed his eyes for a second.

"Detective Crook, we don't have much time. We need Miss Grayson to decide soon if she will be willing to assist us or not." Agent Scott pointed out. 

Darryl was standing by his side and he focused on the scene before him. His eyes fixed on Leigh. A flash of envy washed over him. Damn!

Damien turned back to them with Leigh secured tightly in his arms. "Assist with what?" He looked at Brian who also had a puzzled expression. 

"Care to tell us why in hell you staged her kidnapping?" Brian asked.

Agent Scott did explain why, and as expected the two detectives weren't very happy to know she had been watched all along. 

"So, she either help you out or your cover is blown..." Brian concluded.

"Christ! You guys are unbelievable!" Damien shook his head in disgust.

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

They had been arguing for the past hour, and nothing had been decided. Leigh was getting a migraine. There was a deep pressure on the back of her head. She was feeling dizzy and the lump in her throat was making her sick and the shouting wasn't helping. Hell, it was what started the damn pain! 

"Please, Damien..." She pleaded.

He finally looked at her and his heart ached. "Shit! Sit down, Leigh."

"You have to calm down, Damien. I need you now. I can't do it without you." She spoke softly. She couldn't contain the tears falling. She was afraid.

Damien looked into her eyes and held her hands firmly. "Don't ask me to agree with this. I can't agree with this." He begged.

"This is bullshit. You are not interested one bit in catching Detective Tempton. You are asking for her help because, without relying on your cover, you would have nothing on Salvatore!" Brian said in anger. He also had had his share of shouting. When agent Scott told them of their plan to use Leigh to obtain information on Michael and Salvatore, he'd gone ballistic.

"There is something else you're not telling us. What is it?" Damien had been suspicious of their intent from the beginning.

Agent Scott and Darryl glanced at each other. "We know that Salvatore has also sent someone to watch Miss Grayson." Darryl said.

"But why? I mean what would they want to with me?" Leigh asked, wincing at the throbbing in her head. 

Damien noticed the distress in her voice. "It doesn't matter why; but it is another reason for not involving her in this mess." He said trying to save her from any further stress.

"She will be watched. I will be there protecting her." Darryl said tearing his eyes from Leigh and facing Brian who growled. 

"How do you plan on doing that? You will have to leave them eventually. He's gone to this extreme to have her and do you think he will let her go?" Damien was trying to control his anger, but he was on the verge of shooting someone.

"He has been suspended today, he knows it's just a matter of time before we collect the evidence and lock him away. He has nothing to lose and he knows that. You can't possibly ask her to face him right now, if ever!" Damien said harshly but then turned to Leigh "You don't have to do this, love." Damien's voice softened as he looked at her.

"But it could speed things up." Leigh argued; "So we can be together without his shadow over us." her voice was soft almost like a whisper.

Damien felt his chest tighten. 

"When is he expecting her?" Brian asked.

"He told me tonight at seven. He had instructed me to keep her until then. He anticipated you would go after him as soon as you knew about her disappearance." Darryl said. "He had planned his alibi very well." Darryl explained. "She will be protected, we..."

"I've said it before, no way in hell! Absolutely not!"

"It's not your decision, Detective Crook." Darryl had lost his patience.

Brian and Damien looked at Darryl with amused expressions, but before they could jump down the man's throat, Leigh stepped in. 

"If I don't have their support I won't be doing it, so I suggest you lose your cocky attitude, Agent Johnson. I don't know you and I don't trust you not after what you put me through."

Damien's grin spread all over his face. God, I love this woman.

"I apologize for my attitude, as for you not knowing me we can fix this if you want." He winked.

Leigh rolled her eyes. 

Damien couldn't believe it. This asshole is actually hitting on her. He was about to lunge for Darryl when Agent Scott intervened.

"Johnson, shut up! I am sorry, Agent Johnson here thinks that everyone shares his sense of humour." He turned to Leigh. 

"Miss Grayson, I assure you and your friends that you will be safe at all times. We have the house under surveillance and at any sign of danger, we will be right there with you."

"I will agree only if you let both Damien and Brian be there with you."

"Miss Grayson, this is a federal investigation and I can't allow..." Agent Scott argued. He didn't want two cops involved any more than they already were.

"But you can allow a civilian to play bait?" Damien cocked his eyebrow as Brian crossed his arms. Damien was terrified for her, but he also knew she had already made up her mind.

"If they're not there, I am not doing it."

With a loud sigh Agent Scott spoke "Very well."

*

Author's note: a bit longer than usual. Hope your are all enjoying it. Please comment and vote. Help me improve! 



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 08



After a brief discussion, it was decided that Brian would head back to the city to check on Lucy. He would then meet David Hayes, Michael's former partner, to gather as much information as possible. They were running out of time, they desperately needed solid evidence against Michael.

For some reason unknown to Brian, he wasn't entirely sure about Agent Scott's intentions. Maybe it was instinct or pure paranoia but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Damien felt it too.

They never thought they'd find themselves in a case deeply involved with the Mob and with FBI agents they didn't trust not counting the fact that someone they cared for deeply was being put in the front line. Things weren't looking good.

They would have to get Michael out of the equation soon if they wanted Leigh out of this mess. Brian suspected that Salvatore's interest in Leigh had to be related to Michael's knowledge of his business. Salvatore was probably worried Michael had spilled vital information to Leigh. If that was true, Leigh was in big trouble.

After hugging Leigh tenderly and wishing her good luck, Brian patted Damien on the back and got in his car. "Trust your gut, don't lose your focus." Brian said quietly and Damien nodded.

As the agents were getting the last detailed sorted, Damien pulled Leigh to a corner of the room. He leaned against the grand piano, bringing her to rest on his chest.

"Promise me you will not push him. Don't give him any reason to get angry or suspect anything. Promise me, Leigh." His voice carried a hint of fear. If anything happened to her, Damien knew he wouldn't be able to control his actions.

"I promise." She said, burying her face in his neck, trying desperately to hide her own apprehension.

Damien pulled back enough to cup her face with both hands. He looked deeply into her eyes for a brief moment, not caring if anyone was watching them, and kissed her hard.

They were lost in the moment, completely oblivious to Darryl's intent gaze. It was obvious to Darryl that Leigh and Damien were very much in love and that he wouldn't have a chance in hell with her. Pity. Darryl didn't believe in that love at first sight crap the movies tried to shove in people's head. But he couldn't deny the intense attraction he felt when he first saw her. 

Now, lust at first sight I totally vouch for.

His baby sister certainly wouldn't have approved of his behaviour. She had constantly berated the way he treated his girlfriends, if you could call them that. The relationship never lasted long enough for them to gain the right to the title. 

Darryl had dedicated all his time to work. Doing undercover jobs didn't exactly give him many opportunities to meet nice women, nor did it give him the chance to build a relationship. There were times he would be gone for months. Of all the women he'd met, none had put up with long periods of absence and the whole secrecy thing. 

He didn't know why, but seeing Leigh's eyes passionately looking at Damien, kissing him fervently had slapped some sense into Darryl. It was time to stop being a jerk. He knew Leigh was a nice girl and despite his first impression, he also knew Damien was a good guy and an honest cop. 

Pity. It could've been me. No more games, she deserves more respect than what I've given her so far. Darryl thought.

"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt. It's time." Darryl finally said.

Damien stopped the kiss but kept Leigh in his embrace. She sighed deeply. "Alright." Leigh gripped Damien's hand "Come on, walk me to the car."

As they approached the cars, Darryl started to speak. "Damien, you go with agent Nelson, he's the one in charge of surveillance. You will be able to listen to the conversation." 

Damien nodded. He could sense a slight change in Darryl's attitude but wasn't certain.

With a last kiss, he helped Leigh get into the car. He then turned to Darryl. "I have no other option than to trust you will keep her safe."

Darryl remained quiet; he sensed Damien hadn't finished yet. 

"I don't approve this. I don't like it one bit. So, if she is harmed in any way, I will hold you personally responsible. Understood?"

"Are you threatening me, Detective?" Darryl challenged Damien.

"Yes." Damien replied without hesitating.

Surprisingly, Darryl grinned satisfied with Damien's genuine concern for Leigh. 

"So you know, Detective, I also think this is a risky idea." Darryl gave Damien a sympathetic look. "I won't let him hurt her. I will do anything to see her out of there safe, even if it means blowing my cover." 

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

They had been on the road for awhile and the silence was excruciating. Darryl just couldn't stand her hating him. He needed to fix this. He needed to apologize.

"I am sorry." Darryl said simply.

Silence.

Never taking his eyes off the road, he said it again. "I am really sorry."

Leigh sighed. "I know. What I don't know is why."

"What do you mean? Why am I sorry? I don't understand." This time he turned his head slightly in her direction.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were when you took me?"

"I was being an ass. At first, I had done it to keep up appearances but then you looked too beautiful trying to act brave. I was having too much fun...sorry." Darryl said looking repentant.

Leigh smiled as she shook her head. "Jerk."

After a long pause, Darryl sensed Leigh's apprehension grow.

"You don't have to do this. We can call it off." Darryl said with genuine concern.

"The thought of being in the same room as Michael just makes me sick." 

"So, don't do it, I can..." 

But Leigh interrupted him. "I have to do this, for my Dad and for myself." 

Leigh also wanted it all to end so she could start living her life fully, which meant pursuing a relationship with a certain Detective. "Can I ask a favour?"

Darryl nodded. At this point he would grant her anything she asked.

"Damien has a tendency to be overprotective, but he has his reasons. I don't like to see him upset. Could you cut the bullshit with him?

Darryl plastered on a huge grin. Damn.

"I hope he knows just how lucky he is." 

"He does." Leigh smiled; the thought of what she was about to do forgotten briefly.

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

Brian had phoned Lucy to let her know Leigh was fine, but he left out the fact she was going to meet Michael; Brian had thought it would be better to tell her in person.

He was standing in front of Lucy, bracing himself, waiting for the blow. "So, let me get this straight..."She said.

Oh God! It was all Brian could think.

"You two allowed her to face that filth alone? What the hell Brian!" Lucy shouted. 

The fact that Lucy had reason to be angry didn't help Brian's argument. He hadn't been pleased with Leigh's decision either, but it had been exactly that, her decision. Still the whole situation stunk. 

"Look, I am not happy with this okay? Damien is pissed too, but he went with her...to support her." Brian winced at his poor attempt to ease Lucy. Whenever he saw her upset like this he seemed to lose the ability to use his brain. What the hell.

Lucy sighed. She understood the underlying message in his words. Brian expected her to support Leigh, too. But, somehow, there was an undeniable feeling that he actually needed Lucy to support him. 

"So, what now?" She gave in; something about him didn't let her be angry for long. How pathetic am I?

"Now I need you to stay here a bit longer..."

"But..."

"Please."

She relented. "Fine."

"I have to go out and check a few things, but I will call you later to let you know any developments, okay? Help yourself with anything you need." He was heading to the door and she followed him. Brian turned around and faced her. 

"Lucy, I am sorry for all this." 

Cupping his face with one hand, Lucy said. "The least you can do is kiss me goodbye."

Brian didn't need to be told twice. The kiss was long and full of promises.

********

"Take a deep breath, relax." The look Leigh gave him was enough to make him shift his body uncomfortably. "Well, try." Darryl shrugged ruefully. 

They had been sitting in the car one block away so that Leigh could put her herself together. Darryl had been waiting for Leigh to calm down a little. She kept looking back to see if the other unmarked cars were behind them despite Darryl's reassurances.

In her mind, she continued to offer herself encouraging words, but her stomach thought otherwise. She had been feeling nauseous and her heart was pounding so fast she thought she might have a heart attack. Shit. Shit. Shit. 

Leigh closed her eyes and took a deep breath. William Grayson, her father, popped into her mind; the memory of him smiling as they shared a big bowl of popcorn while watching The Shield, was enough to give her the courage she needed.

"Right, let's do it." She said with confidence as Darryl put the car back into drive and the vehicle pushed forward.

***********

Michael's meeting with Salvatore had been enlightening to say the least. He felt like an idiot when Salvatore told him that Darryl was a fed. Michael's swollen eyes and broken nose was a small evidence of just how infuriated Salvatore had been when he found out. 

He knew he'd messed up big time and now Salvatore had pretty much given him the last chance. Michael had been really surprised that Salvatore hadn't killed him right then and there. However, Michael knew his days were numbered as far as Salvatore was concerned. 

Now, he had to find out if his Leigh knew about Darryl. That would be the ultimate betrayal. He had planned everything so carefully, or so he'd thought. All his side dealings using Salvatore's name as leverage had been halted earlier than originally considered. His plan to disappear had to be brought forward; the first step was to bring Leigh to him. 

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

They got out of the car and headed to the front door. Leigh was shaking but tried to concentrate on her role. Darryl had Leigh's arm in a tight grip escorting her to the front door roughly. They had to appear convincing.

Leigh had taken a minute to check her surroundings; she couldn't believe this house was Michael's. It was a beautiful large house, gracious, regal, not exactly what she had expected to be Michael's taste. 

They weren't even inside but they could hear music emitting from the house. She shivered. Leigh felt her stomach twisting in a thousand knots.

Something is not right.

Darryl didn't even bother knocking; he knew Michael had left the door open. According to his instruction he would have to put Leigh inside and leave. But he wouldn't do that. As they stepped in, Leigh's breath caught in her throat. She winced at the blaring classical music. 

The tempo was slow with stirring piano chords; the intensity of the piece was something Leigh would have appreciated, but right then it only made her feel uneasy, to say the least.

Darryl's voice calling for Michael brought her back to the nightmare she was living. But right on cue, Leigh felt a reassuring grip on her arm. She didn't need to look at Darryl to know he felt as apprehensive as she was. 

They continued to step forward into the house. The dimmed lights combined with her dread didn't allow Leigh to take in the place.

Darryl called out again, but there was no answer. What the hell is going on? But before he had a chance to figure it out, the door behind them shut abruptly.

They never even managed to turn around before Darryl collapsed on the tiled floor. Leigh lost her balance as she was pulled down by Darryl's hand which still had a grip on her arm. She landed just beside him in a heap of tangled limbs

The terror of seeing Darryl's seemingly lifeless body sprawled out on the cold tiled floor prevented Leigh from screaming. Suddenly, she was being pulled up and away from Darryl. Everything was happening so fast. Her heart was beating frantically. 

The music, the dimmed lights, the horrific feelings running through her made her mind swirl. She couldn't think. She was suddenly being grabbed. Michael.

His calloused hands gripped her wrists possessively, bringing her to rest her back against his chest. Tears began to fall as Michael put his nose against her hair, and breathed in deeply.

Leigh heard him whisper in his usual arrogant tone. "Mine".



***********

 

Damien's hands were clenched into fists. The murderous look on his face was enough to keep the other men in the car quiet. They had been quiet for a while now, focused on listening to the conversation happening in the house. But there was no conversation; in fact the only voice heard was Michael's. 

"What the hell is going on?" Damien asked angrily. No one dared guess; Damien's body language screamed homicide. The agents in the car with him, highly trained and supposedly not easily scared, were actually intimidated by him.

For Damien, the silence was like torture. He needed to hear her voice. Say something, sweetheart.

"Where the fuck is Darryl? I don't like this." Once again nobody muttered a sound, not even agent Scott, who hadn't displayed any sort of emotion.

***********

Leigh gasped and her immediate reaction was to scream but no sound had come out. She struggled hopelessly against Michael's hold, but that only seemed to excite him more. 

"Always feisty..." He said smugly.

Leigh continued to watch Darryl, trying to catch a glimpse of life coming from his still body. But nothing. 

Oh God he's dead!

Her reaction hadn't gone unnoticed by Michael. 

"What is it dear Leigh?" He asked, looking down at Darryl's body and up to her face. 

Leigh knew she had to say something, otherwise Damien was going to bust into the room in two minutes.

"Is he dead?" She asked trying to sound indifferent. She had to disguise her emotions.

"Why do you care?"

Leigh didn't answer, just stared at Michael's cold eyes.

"I thought he was your friend." She said merely, but in her mind she was screaming.

"I don't make friends with feds." Michael said but never took his eyes off Leigh's; he tilted his head as if to gauge her emotions.

His statement took Leigh by surprise. He knows about Darryl! She thought, but Leigh kept up the facade. Leigh tried to harness any kind of acting ability and convince Michael that she knew nothing of Darryl's involvement. She knew if she dropped character for a moment, it could mean the agent's life.

"Oh my God! But...I don't understand; if he's a fed then why did he bring me here?" Leigh asked as she tried to escape his grasp but no such luck. Get to the point, Leigh, she told herself.

Michael wasn't sure if he could believe she didn't know about Darryl, but decided to ignore the issue for now. He was becoming aroused just by having her next to him and thoughts of what he had planned to do with her were clouding his mind. Soon, he thought with a menacing smile.

"What do you want with me Michael? What is it that made you kidnap me and kill a federal agent?" She couldn't bring herself to look at Darryl anymore. She had to do this as quickly as possible. Be strong. 

"He betrayed me. Fucking Fed." He said coldly. 

"He's not dead, though." He sneered as he glanced at Darryl's body. "Not yet."

Leigh closed her eyes and relief spread throughout her body; She prayed Michael hadn't noticed it. 

"What do you want with me?" She asked again as an attempt to get him to say something more incriminating.

"I will show you." Michael wasn't entirely convinced of Leigh's involvement with Darryl but he went along with his plan nonetheless.

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

Back in the car, Damien had heard enough. He wasn't about to sit there waiting for the crazy bastard to show her anything. As far as he understood, Darryl was out cold and Leigh stood alone with a sick man who had her at his mercy.

"I'm going in." He said reaching for the door handle. 

"I don't think so. We haven't got any useful information on Visconti yet." Agent Scott finally spoke. 

"I don't give a fuck about Visconti. You have one of your agents down, possibly dead and a civilian unprotected. I am going in."

"I am well aware of the situation detective; you heard Michael, Agent Johnson isn't dead. I will have the house surrounded by Agents ready to go the minute I say so." Agent Scott said coldly.

The other agents were all looking at Damien with sympathy. They hadn't seemed pleased with Agent Scott's lack of concern for one of their own and for an innocent young woman who hadn't needed to be in there in first place.

Damien was beyond angry, he was infuriated. The tension in the car became so thick, he was having trouble breathing. However, his focus was in every word Leigh was saying, waiting for her to give any sign she wanted out. He wouldn't hesitate; Damien would make sure she left the house alive and unharmed, because any other possibility just wasn't acceptable. He needed her; he needed her love. He knew that he couldn't ever feel for anyone what he felt for Leigh. His heart was aching for her; the feeling of protectiveness was almost unbearable. 

God help him, but he would die to protect her. 

***********

Michael pulled Leigh by the arm gently, leading her to an adjacent room. His other hand was on her waist, keeping her securely close to him. She thanked God she had chosen to wear a thick jacket this morning, because the thought of feeling his skin on hers wasn't sitting well, and her stomach was churning. She could taste the bile rising in her throat.

She was on the verge of losing it completely. Leigh knew her bravery and self-control weren't going to last too much longer. 

It wasn't until they entered the room and Michael turned on a tall floor lamp, did Leigh's head begin to spin. With her mouth open in pure disbelief, Leigh stared at the white walls where a few familiar paintings hung; her paintings. The only ones she ever had the courage to display. They were the ones that had made her extremely happy and proud when Lucy had told her they had been sold.

"I bought them so I would feel you near me; I bought them to make you happy." His voice denoted his sickness and selfishness. 

Michael wanted to own her, as he did her paintings. Leigh would never let this happen, she would rather die; he would never ever own her. He might have bought her work which she had poured a little of herself when painting them, but he would never possess her soul. That belonged to one man only.

"I can't believe it! You..." Leigh's rage was overwhelming her. "Is this what you wanted to show me, Michael?" She asked, trying hard to calm down and keep her tone neutral, but her disgust was becoming too obvious to disguise.

"Can't you see? You belong to me."

"The hell I do! You disgust me! I hate you!" Her efforts to break free of him were in vain; it only made him tighten his hold even more. 

"Now, we both know this is not true. I know you love me. Everything I've done for you was to show you my love."

"Was killing my father another twisted way to show me your love?" Her blood was boiling, her mind was clouded with rage;

Michael didn't even flinch; he knew she would bring up the issue. He knew that denying now would not matter at all. She knows, she's always known.

"You have to understand, love." He said, cupping her face in his hand while the other still had a hold on her arm.

"Don't call me that, you bastard!" She screamed.

"Leigh, he was going to tell you everything about me and Visconti. I couldn't let him do it; I needed time to make things happen." Michael sounded so pathetic, like a little boy giving stupid excuses for his bad behaviour.

Leigh was shaking her head frantically. 

"Are you seriously telling me you did murder my father?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me!" She shouted, punching his chest repeatedly.

***********

Damien didn't even bother look behind him as he knew for sure Agent Scott and the other agents were right behind him. Once he had heard Leigh's distressed voice, there was no stopping him. Things were becoming heated and he would not wait for Michael to finally lose his mind completely. 




Dangerous Affairs Ch. 08



He reached the house and quietly crouched down by the window, with Scott following behind. They couldn't hear anything over the music playing from inside. 

"Wait!" Agent Scott whispered harshly as he put one hand on Damien's shoulder to stop his advancement. This only elicited a growl form the detective. That was Damien's warning; he wasn't going to be stopped.

"Fuck you! She's in there with a psycho and you want me to fucking wait?" He spoke angrily but as quiet as he could.

Just as agent Scott was about to argue, the music stopped unexpectedly. Both men looked at each other. Damien's immediate reaction was to glue his ear on the door, trying desperately to listen to Leigh's voice, but he couldn't hear anything—much to his frustration.

"If you had stayed in the car..." Agent Scott said.

Damien didn't bother answering back. His middle finger conveyed the message he wanted to send.

***********

Leigh's eyes were wide and her breathing was erratic; her whole body was shaking. "Are you going to continue denying it? Because if you are, we have nothing more to discuss."

That was the last attempt to extract anything from him. Leigh had reached her limit. His sweaty hands on her skin were nauseating; she didn't know how long she could keep herself from throwing up.

"You want the truth, love? Why? It won't matter; you're not going anywhere, Leigh."

Leigh felt the temperature drop suddenly, and a cold, calculated fear crept up her spine.

I can't do this anymore. Leigh took a deep breath and composed herself. She knew he would spill everything if she kept pushing him, even though she had promised Damien she wouldn't. 

Forgive me, Love. I have to do it.

"I deserve the truth, Michael. You said you loved me. Prove it. Tell me everything." 



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 09



Chapter 9

Michael had been close to telling her everything so many times before. Every rejection from her had triggered in him the desire to see her vulnerable, broken. She had always treated him with disregard and had never even given him a second thought. But he knew it was only because of her father, William. He had been the one to poison her mind against him; he knew that she truly loved him. 

So, he did what needed to be done to ensure that Leigh was free to be his. It hadn't been difficult to finally make up his mind. William had planned to expose him and send her away. Leigh was Michael's. He had always known that, and now she would as well.

She wanted proof of his love? Then she would get it. He was going to give her in graphic detail how he'd executed his plan. When he was finished, she would be completely numb and then he intended to bend her to his will. She would have no other choice then to accept that she could never deny him again.

"Tell me why you wanted my father dead, Michael." Leigh tried once again.

Michael studied her face carefully, but Leigh was so emotionally drained. Her face, which was pale and expressionless, revealed nothing.

"William never understood my reasons to be involved with Visconti; I did it for you. From the moment I first saw you, I knew I had to have you." Michael looked at her straight into her eyes.

"I was just a child." Leigh murmured in disgust. Michael either heard what she said or he'd read her thoughts. "I saw beyond that, sweetheart."

She cringed at the endearment used. She didn't want him tainting the lovely feeling Damien evoked every time he used the same word. Leigh closed her eyes briefly and swallowed hard.

"William was a fool, just like my father was. Visconti offered me the chance to have everything I wanted, and with time I would have you too, my love."

It took all the strength in her not to slap his repugnant face. This was a crucial moment and she would be damned if she messed it up. 

"Visconti used me, just as I used him to build all I have today. Now, we can finally be together, no one will ever come between us again."

"Michael...there was never anything between us. What are you saying?" Leigh was getting more frustrated as the minutes passed.

"William had to die, love. He made it clear I was never to come near you ever again." He tilted his head and cupped her face.

Leigh was too numb to retract. She just stared at him, tears slowly falling.

"It was worth the trouble I got with Visconti. He hadn't approved of me using his men without his consent, but he had let me off. After all, your father was going to give the evidence he had to the FBI."

"Take your filthy hands off me." Leigh said calmly in a low, no nonsense voice as she looked straight into his eyes.

***********

"He's still in the house with her." Gino said. "What about the Feds?" 

"There are three now just outside, and more nearby. What should I do?" Gino had been itching to put his hands on Michael.

Salvatore hung up the phone and sighed pensively. He had known for a long time about Michael's side dealings. A man in a position like his, had to know everything that involved his name. Salvatore had been aware of the small fortune Michael had built for himself by using Salvatore's name, resources as well as stealing his goods. He wanted Detective Tempton alive, so he could have the pleasure of killing him. Michael would pay for his betrayal; painfully.

"Stay put and keep me informed of the developments; if he leaves the house alive it won't be for long." Salvatore instructed.

***********

Damien was growing even more restless, if that was possible. To say that he was ready to kick the door down was an understatement. He had briefly weighed his chances of busting it open and still being able to stand fit to face Michael. That thought had been dismissed as quickly as it passed through his mind. The door was made of solid oak.

He concluded that they had to go with plan B, whichever that was.

Just as he turned to Agent Scott and Agent Nelson, who had just joined them to confabulate about a plan of action, they heard the faint noise of the doorknob being turned slowly.

Fuck!

Damien's senses immediately went on high alert and his body stiffened, preparing itself for a possible confrontation. 

All three men quickly eyed one another in acknowledgment and, as swiftly and quietly as possible, each took their positions to cover themselves the best they could. Damien double checked the gun in his hand; fully loaded and ready as he was.

If someone ever asked him what he was feeling at that very moment, he wouldn't have been able to tell them. Tension and apprehension were obviously in the equation, but beyond that his emotions were all mashed together. He couldn't afford being unfocused right now and he would not think of Leigh and the possibility of her being part of a conflict in which loaded guns were involved. No, he would not.

Agent Scott was crouched behind one of the pillars that ostentatiously supported the front porch. Agent Nelson, who didn't seem to be one bit stressed, stood slightly bent behind the other.

Damien felt like the slow kid playing hide and seek; having nowhere good left to hide, he picked the one where he would be obviously noticed. He knelt next to the door, waiting to aim his gun on whoever's head appeared first, provided it wasn't Leigh's, naturally.

The door was now slightly open but no one had come out. After a brief moment deliberating what to do, Damien took his chances and pushed open the door a little more with his right foot, but something was stopping it from opening wider. He cautiously peeked inside and his gaze darted lower. 

"Son of a bitch!" Damien murmured in relief. Agent Johnson, barely conscious, sat against the door on the floor with his hand still gripping the doorknob.

Signalling the other two agents to approach, Damien crouched and, as low as he could, he spoke to Darryl.

"Where is she?"

"He took her to another room..." Darryl managed to say. "Sorry." He added.

Damien nodded and in a reassuring gesture, he patted Darryl's shoulder. Then Agent Scott and Nelson helped Darryl out of the house where one of the other Agents had informed them that Michael had indeed confessed his involvement with Visconti.

Darryl might have been down temporarily, and any chances of recording a possible confession from Michael would have been scrapped if it hadn't been for the fact that Leigh had also been wearing a wire. 

Meanwhile, the other Agents had already positioned themselves around the property. Damien didn't waste any more time and began creeping into the house with only one objective in his mind; he would get Leigh out safe, no matter what.

************ "Take your filthy hands off me. Now!" Leigh said again when his grip on her arm became tighter.

"No, it is time you understand you are here with me, for good. I told you, you are mine." Michael growled and forcefully, with his other hand, grabbed her neck, bringing her face closer to his. 

"No!" Leigh tried to shout but his mouth covered hers. She was fighting him off frantically, tears of anger and horror of what might happen, started to fall down her cheeks. 

She tried to shove him away but her attempts were useless against his sick determination to have her body. He was savaging her mouth, groping her anywhere he could. 

Suddenly, he'd stopped and a brief sense of relief washed through her body, but then she noticed where his gaze was. Her blouse was ripped wide open, revealing her heaving breasts, barely covered by a lacy bra and the wire. Shit! During her despair to get away from his hold, Leigh had completely forgotten about it.

The look of utter fury in his face gave her cold shivers that spread right through her soul. She braced herself for the blow before it came.

"You sly bitch!" Michael yelled as he slapped her furiously, wanting nothing more then to make her pay for the betrayal.

"Damien!" Leigh screamed.

But as soon as he did it, he realized he could not kill her. He needed her to be his guarantee out of the house alive, because he was without a doubt certain that the house had been surrounded by the feds.

As soon as that realization hit him, he turned around, placing Leigh in front of him as a shield. Right there determined like never before, stood Damien, facing them with his gun aimed at Michael's head.

"Let her go. Now!" Damien said refusing to look at Leigh in the eyes. He had heard her screams and that nearly killed him. As he ran along the hall, trying to figure out in which room they were, his heart had stopped a dozen times.

Suddenly, behind him appeared Agent Scott and Nelson, both men joining him in his intentions of securing Leigh, but Michael wasn't bulging. His eyes filled with rage, showing no intentions of freeing Leigh, who remained rigid in his arms in a complete cataleptic state.

Then, the click of the trigger and the comprehension of what was about to happen, snapped her out of her trance.

No!

*************   They say, when facing death, people usually see their entire lives flash before their eyes. If it was so, Leigh had just missed hers entirely. The only thing she saw was the look of despair etched on Damien's face. 

"Don't!" Damien's scream echoed in her thoughts. His gun aimed at Michael's head, and not one single tremor in his hand. Despite his utmost fear of what might happen to his love, Damien maintained his focus on Michael's every breath. Damien intended to act promptly at any sign of Michael pulling the trigger. 

Leigh could feel the cold barrel of the gun pressing under her chin. Her body shivered and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. It was just too damn hard to believe that her life would end like this; at the hands of the man she despised the most. 

"Michael, just let her go." Agent Scott said calmly. 

Michael tightened his grip on her arm and pressed the gun even harder against her skin. Leigh whimpered and held her breath. There was nothing she could do but pray. 

Michael's eyes showed nothing but loathing and were glued on the agents in front of him. He was cornered with only two options available−give in or die. 

"Why should I? I have nothing to lose, but I will take what is mine down with me." Michael said impassively; his words stabbing Damien right in the heart.

Damien wouldn't look at her, he couldn't. If he did, he would lose his mind completely. He was on the verge of shooting the bastard just for having touched her. Her ripped blouse exposing her chest and her bruised face were the proof of Michael's brutality and that he was quite capable of following his threats.

"We can talk about it, Michael. Perhaps, discuss alternatives to your fate?" Agent Scott suggestion did not sit well with Damien, but his only reaction was to tilt his head slightly towards Agent Scott. However, Damien knew that this was a crucial moment of negotiation. He would have to deal later, after seeing Leigh safe and sound, with whatever Agent Scott promised Michael. One thing Damien knew for certain, somehow Michael would pay for every grief he had ever caused Leigh.

Michael stared at Agent Scott expectantly. "I am listening." He said flatly.

"I am sure there are things about Visconti you could tell us that would come to be beneficial," said Agent Scott.

Michael was quite for a long torturous moment, trying to consider all that had been said. The biggest problem for him was the fact that he would have to let Leigh go, which was something he knew he couldn't do. But who said he would have to do it at all? He could make the feds believe he didn't want her, but would Damien buy it?

Michael pondered his options and decided that his revenge could wait. He also knew that Salvatore would not take lightly Michael's betrayal; his time was up. 

"Very well. I will go with you." But before he let go his aim at Leigh, Michael stared at Damien and smirked. He brought the hand that was gripping Leigh's arm up to her face, turning it to him. He gave her cheek a long lick and roughly kissed her lips. He did it all with his eyes focused on Damien's. 

"Mother fucker!" Damien shouted as he made a move to attack, but a tight grip on his shoulder reminded him that attacking would've been just plain stupid.

Michael seemed amused by Damien's reaction and a rush of satisfaction washed over him. It's not over, Detective. 

Without care, Michael shoved Leigh aside and threw his hands up. He was immediately restrained and his gun was seized. Through it all, he watched intently as Damien caught Leigh in his arms, shielding her from others' view.

Damien never felt such relief in his life. He held her tightly, giving her the reassurance he needed, but if he had to admit he also needed the comfort of her skin, her warmth. Right there he mentally vowed to never let her go.

"I am here, sweetheart. You'll be fine." Damien whispered repeatedly as Leigh cried quietly.

**********

After speaking to David Hayes, Michael's ex partner, Brian endured the tiring task of gathering all the evidence and passing it on to the D.A. Afterwards, he had gone to his place where he had waited with Lucy for news from Damien. When they got the phone call from Damien, informing them that Leigh was safe, both Brian and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.

It had been a long night and they were all exhausted. Damien and Leigh had met up with Brian and Lucy at the station and updated them on the events. Brian hadn't been very happy about missing the action, and most importantly, not being able to be there for his partner. 

Michael had been taken into custody and Damien and Brian had been told the case was now out of their hands. Both Detectives argued with Captain Harrison, but there was nothing they could do about it, Michael was now a matter for the FBI.

They'd decided to take the women back to Leigh's for a well deserved rest. After taking a shower Leigh dumped her ripped clothes in the trash; she didn't want ever to see them again, that would be a reminder that Michael had his filthy hands on her.

Later, they all gathered in the living room discussing the events of the day. Damien didn't particularly want to be reminded of it because he felt sick every time he remembered the gun pointed at Leigh.

"So, what happens now?" Lucy asked as she placed her cup of tea on the coffee table. Leigh sat next to her friend but her attention was directed to Damien. 

"Well, even if he cuts a deal with the feds he's still serving time," Brian said.

"But I doubt he will make it," Damien added. "Why do you say that?" Leigh asked.

"Because Salvatore will make sure of it; Michael won't live long enough to testify." Brian explained.

********

The group ended up talking most of the night. Before they knew it, it was early in the morning and Leigh was exhausted. Brian and Lucy left together with a promise of checking in on her later that day. 

Once Leigh had a moment to herself, she moved to the kitchen where Damien found her facing the sink. Ten excruciating minutes and Damien couldn't stand her withdrawn any longer. He approached her quietly, standing right behind her; his arms enveloping her in an attempt to sooth her worries. 

She shivered but did not move away, in fact she welcomed him. Leigh slowly turned around to face him. Her arms wrapped around him. 

Neither one said a word for a few minutes.

It was Damien who broke the silence. "Leigh...I don't think my heart could take another scare like that." 

Leigh responded by clutching tightly to him. Damien exhaled deeply. "Seeing that gun on you...God Leigh, it nearly stopped my heart."

She nodded only. After a quiet moment, she murmured. "Will you stay with me today?" She buried her face in his chest. Leigh breathed in deeply, trying to inhale his comforting scent; her fingers digging tightly into his flesh. She craved his reassuring touch.

How could he deny her? How could he deny himself? Even if she hadn't asked, he would still have stayed. He needed her as much as he needed to breath.

"There is no force strong enough to make me leave you tonight." Damien cupped her face in his hands and looked deep in her eyes. "I love you, Leigh." And then he kissed her. It wasn't an urgent kiss; no, he kissed her tenderly. After the day's event he knew the last thing she needed was to feel rushed, pressured. She needed to be enveloped in gentleness and love.

Silently, Damien coaxed her to the bedroom. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. Their eyes, their touch expressed all the unspoken feelings. 

********

It had been raining for a few hours. Even though the curtains were open, the dark clouds in the sky hid the daylight, leaving the bedroom dim. The slight chill in the air made it almost impossible to leave the warmth of the bed, the warmth of Damien's body.

She was spent; her body ached everywhere but the satisfied feeling was undeniable. Oh God, I love him so much! 

He had made love to her slowly and gently; he'd wanted to prolong the blissful pleasure of having her body wrapped around him. Her soft cries drove him mad with passion. He just couldn't get enough of her.

Damien snuggled against Leigh's back, his arm over her waist, his fingers tracing invisible designs on her skin.

She shuddered slightly with contentment. "Are you cold?" He asked concerned as he pulled the covers over their naked bodies.

"No, I am just fine." She turned awkwardly to face him, seeking his mouth. Damien pressed his lips to hers as his hand brought her body even closer in a tight embrace. "But I am hungry! I can cook..." she quickly checked the clock on the nightstand " ...lunch." She finished speaking with a wide smile. It just about made his heart melt. 

"Sounds great!" Damien said giving her a peck on the cheek. I am a goner! He grinned to himself.

**********

They spent the next few days learning more about each other's body and mind. Damien had only left Leigh for awhile, one morning, when he had to go meet Brian to wrap up the final details of the case with the D.A. 

He'd been anxious to tell Leigh the news. Michael had been hit with a load full of charges, including, two murders, conspiracy to commit murder, obstruction of Justice, assault, kidnapping, as well as money laundering, witness tampering and witness retaliation. 

Agent Johnson, in a private conversation with Damien, told him that after the collaboration of David Hayes, federal prosecutors were planning on filing new court documents asking permission to introduce evidence of a number of uncharged crimes they claimed Michael had played a role in.

It was an attempt to persuade Michael to testify against Salvatore Visconti. The FBI was eager to finally charge and put Visconti where he belonged. Needless to say, Michael hadn't wasted a second agreeing to a deal that would still put him behind bars, but with reduced sentence.

Michael was going to send Salvatore Visconti into a deep hole.

Agent Johnson also told him and Brian that Agent Scott got reprimanded for using Leigh; apparently he had an old issue with Visconti he had been dying to settle.

"So, does it mean he's going to be locked away?" Leigh asked as she entered the living room with two mugs of coffee.

"Yes, not as long as we would've wanted, but yes, he will spend a long, long time in prison." Damien told her as he took her hands, bringing them to his lips as he pulled her to sit next to him on the sofa.

"Where is he now?" She asked casually.

Shit! That was the part he was dreading telling her. Damien knew she wanted specific details of his whereabouts. He squeezed her hands in a reassuring gesture. "He is in a safe house for witnesses." To say Damien had been angry when Brian told him would be an understatement. Brian hadn't been happy either, but the decision was beyond them.




Dangerous Affairs Ch. 09



Her face immediately paled and the look of fear was back. It just about killed Damien. She had been so happy for the past few days and now the black shadow was back. Damn it!

"I wish it was all over. It's like my whole life is on hold." She said, disheartened.

"Not for much longer, love." Damien said bringing her to the security of his arms.

*********

Michael had been pacing for two hours. He had been restless and the waiting was unnerving. Two months. Two fucking months! He had been confined to this place with nothing much to do but listen to the crap music playing on the radio; courtesy of the three assholes designated to watch him. Michael knew it would be much longer before Salvatore's men caught up with him. He had to get a word to Gino. 

To add to his problems, Michael couldn't stop thinking of Leigh. Her taste still lingered in his mouth even after all this time. That made him be constantly aroused; but the thought of her in the arms of that Detective infuriated him. Son of a bitch! Michael shut his eyes and screamed with anger. If he couldn't have her, no one else would.

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

Leigh had been keeping herself busy, trying desperately not to think about the upcoming trial and the fact that she would have to once again face Michael. She was the most important witness and despite of her discontentment about being in the same room as Michael, she would be damned if she didn't go and help convict him.

She had just finished sorting out the laundry when she heard the doorbell. Leigh checked her watch and frowned. She knew it wasn't Damien, as he said he wouldn't be back till after lunch. Who could it be?

Walking almost on the tip of her toes, she stopped a few feet from the door and shouted. "Who is it?"

"Miss Grayson? Leigh? It's me Agent Johnson."

"Oh!" Leigh wasn't totally convinced and opened the door warily. "Hey!" She said and in return she received a warm smile from him. 

"Hey! You look well." Leigh said with a bright smile. 

"Thank you. Can I come in?" Darryl stood at the door with his hands in his pockets. God, I almost forgot how beautiful she was, He thought longingly. 

"Of course, I'm sorry. Come in, come in." She said as she stepped aside. Once inside, Leigh's brightness faded a little.

It was warm and cosy in her house but why was it that she started to feel cold and shivery? Something wasn't right, and even though Darryl tried to hide his apprehension, she picked up on it straight away.

"What's up? What happened?" Leigh asked warily.

Darryl thought she looked adorable in those sweatpants. His memory didn't do her beauty justice, but her sweet face now had a worried expression that he knew his unexpected visit had brought on.

He stood silently for a moment, studying her face. He'd debated for a long time before deciding on coming to see her. He should have left it to the officers in charge to break the news, but he thought he owed her at least that much.

"Hmm... are you alone? Where's Detective Crook?"

"He doesn't live here, Darryl. Why?" She was getting more anxious by the minute. Her voice was starting to falter.

Just as she was about to ask him what was wrong again, her phone rang.

"Answer that." He nodded to the phone when she didn't make any move to go for it.

"Hello!" Leigh answered but never took her eyes away from Darryl's.

"Leigh, it's me. Look, I..."

"Darryl's here, Damien. What's going on?" She blurted it out, not letting him finish. Damien gritted his teeth in an attempt to control his temper. Why the hell did Johnson have to be there? Damien had an idea and it didn't make him feel any calmer.

"Damn it!" He growled. "Pass the phone to him, please." 

"No, I need to know what is going on." "I will tell you soon, sweetheart, but I need to speak with him first."

After a long pause and a frustrated sign she did what he'd asked her. 

"Don't tell her anything yet, Johnson. I am on my way." Damien told him.

"Fine, I was going to wait for you anyway." Darryl hung up the phone and Leigh stared at him. After a moment of silence, she sensed he wasn't going to tell her anything. She turned and started walking to the kitchen. 

"Coffee?" She asked without looking back at Darryl, so she'd missed his eyes studying her figure. "I have tea if you'd prefer."

"Coffee would be fine, thanks." He managed to reply, but his voice carried a hint of tension. Leigh noticed how close he stood next to her. He kept the conversation light and casual while waiting for Damien to arrive. However, Leigh felt a little uncomfortable under his intense gaze. 

"So, are you and Crook still seeing each other?" He asked bluntly.

Leigh almost dropped the mug of coffee on the floor. She coughed a little trying to disguise her nervousness.

"No offence, but it's none of your business." Leigh said but averted her eyes. 

"Sorry, I had the impression you two were together. He's very protective of you. I have to say, I can't blame him. I would've been the same."

"Darryl..."

Darryl moved even closer. Leigh's eyes were wide with surprise. 

"I hope he realises how lucky he is..." He said as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. The gesture didn't repulse Leigh, but it didn't make her feel anything like whenever Damien touched her. It just felt like a warm caress from a friend or a brother. 

"I am the lucky one." That's all she said as she gently removed his hands off her, but Darryl stood contemplatively, then he smiled and nodded. 

Stepping away from her, he leaned against the kitchen counter and folded his arms. "I meant to talk to you earlier, but things got a little crazy."

"What do you mean?" she said as she made an attempt to collect the two empty mugs from the kitchen table.

Darryl stopped her by softly putting a hand on her forearm. "I failed you." He said simply. "I am sorry."

Leigh looked at him with disbelief. Had he been blaming himself? Now she felt bad for not considering his feelings. However, she didn't have a chance to say anything, because at the kitchen door stood a very pissed looking Damien. 

What the fuck! He was staring at Darryl's hand still laid on her arm. For him it just looked too intimate and utterly inappropriate. Hell, who was he kidding, he was jealous, simply and purely.

"Don't let my presence disrupt your tender moment." Damien regretted his words the moment he heard himself saying them.

Leigh chose to ignore his comment and walked to meet him. "I never heard you coming in." As his expression softened she kissed him lightly and placed her head in his chest. "I missed you." 

That did it. Damien could not stay mad at her. If he was honest with himself he would have to admit that there was nothing to be mad about anyway, he trusted her completely. However, Agent charming Johnson was a different matter entirely.

"Johnson." Damien said with a cold look.

"Crook." Darryl nodded.

Silence engulfed the room.

"Ah, for God's sake!" Leigh said impatiently. "If you two are finished sizing each other up, I'd like to know what exactly is going on." She had pushed herself away from Damien's embrace and stood with her arms crossed, waiting for their responses.

"Michael's escaped custody." Damien broke the dreaded news. "This morning."

Now it was her turn to be silent. She was trying to process the information and all the implications of it.

"Okay..." 

"There is more." Darryl said dismissing Damien's disapproving stare.

"Our informants say that Visconti has an interest in you."

"ME?!" The fear in her voice prompted Damien to quickly pull her to him. 

"They won't get anywhere near you, love."

"I came to offer protection. We could take you away and keep you safe until...." 

"No." She shook her head vehemently. "I refuse to hide while they are free. No."

"Leigh, please..." Damien begged.

This time she turned to Darryl. "Set up a meeting with Visconti. I want a word with him."

Damien's and Darryl's shocked faces somehow gave Leigh some confidence. Yeah, I am leading the show now. 



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 10



"Okay, I am going to pretend you didn't say that." Damien said.

"What are you thinking? You can't just go there and say what? 'Hey Visconti, how are things?'" Darryl chimed in.

"Yeah, like he's going to simply agree to a nice lunch date with you and the entire police force." Damien said sarcastically.

"Not counting Federal agents." Darryl said.

Leigh felt as if she was in a tennis match, her head kept turning from Damien to Darryl. She sighed with annoyance.

"Listen..." Leigh said slowly, trying to control her emotions.

"No. You listen carefully. You are not doing this..." Damien gestured with his hands. "...whatever you are planning, because it is insane. You will leave it to me." 

"And me." Darryl grinned at Damien, who gave him a quick nod of understanding. 

Leigh felt angry, frustrated, scared all at the same time. "Do you think he's going to risk coming after me? And what does Visconti want with me anyway?" 

"I suspect he wants to use you the same way you want to use him." Damien looked at her and cocked his eyebrow. He wanted her to know that he had a good idea of what she had been thinking. Visconti would use her to bait Michael. And after that, only God knew what he would do with her because other than helping catch Michael, she was of no use to Visconti.

Damien dreaded thinking of what Salvatore would do once she had served her purpose. Damn it all if he would let Leigh go through with it.

Leigh shrugged her shoulders. "It was just an idea. Anyway, I am sick of waiting for things to happen. I am sick of being scared. I think I can help."

"I still vote for a safe house." Darryl suggested, ignoring her completely, which frustrated her even more.

"I said no." Leigh said sharply and she looked at Damien for support. 

"I need to feel I have some control over my own life." Leigh said with a bit of anger. "I need to be near you." She murmured. 

Damn those eyes, Damien thought. 

"But you are not to go anywhere without protection. No arguments." Damien relented. 

Leigh's bright smile was full of love and determination. She knew that despite all their efforts and hard work to catch Michael and deal with Salvatore, it would be her role in the process that would determine the outcome.

Darryl just shook his head. Oh, she's trouble...and so not mine. He thought sadly.

*********

After Darryl left, Damien couldn't control his desire any more. He started to kiss her senseless, after leaving her lips swollen and her feeling breathless. 

Damien kept a tight grip on her neck as his other hand travelled down her quivering body. 

"Damien..." 

He cupped her sex and what he felt brought a wicked smile to face. She was soaked. "You are so ready for me, Leigh." His voice was husky and he sounded breathless too.

He loved her immediate responses to his touch. Her nipples were aroused and her face flushed. Seeing her like that just made him crazy. He gave in to the impulse to snatch her up and take her to the bedroom, where he loved her until exhaustion. 

"Tell me again..." His rough voice made her shiver.

"I am yours...only yours." Leigh repeated breathlessly as he held her tight.

As he was hers.

**********

"So, it will be better if you stay away for awhile, until the trial and things are more settled." Leigh told Lucy on the phone. 

Leigh had explained about Michael being on the loose and how worried she was that something would happen to her friend because of her.

"Not your fault he's a maniac. I don't want you to be left alone. I can stay with you."

"I won't be alone." Leigh said shyly. "Damien is staying here, for now." Her old insecurities still nagged her.

"Good. I feel better knowing you have some company." Lucy sounded relieved for her friend.

"Yeah...I didn't have much choice." Leigh wasn't upset with Damien's insistence in staying to protect her, but she couldn't help feeling a little upset that she was causing so much mayhem in his life.

"Come on...Damien loves you. You know he doesn't mind. He's not like the others, Leigh. He's not intimidated by Michael and he's not leaving you." Lucy said, tapping into the core of Leigh's fears.

"I know...I am sorry for being so whinny today. I guess I haven't taken the news as well as I had thought, but I am trying to be strong, Lucy."

"Hey! You are entitled to be a bit insecure." Lucy always knew how to comfort Leigh.

"Okay, enough of me. Tell me about Brian, I haven't seen him very much, so I just assumed..." Leigh's voice held a hint of humour.

"Well, I guess he's fine. We spoke on the phone. I think he's been busy with the upcoming trial." 

"Oh...sorry, Lucy." Leigh said with disappointment.

Just as Leigh was about to enquire a little more, she heard her cell phone ring. It was Margaret, her secretary from. Leigh had officially returned to work last month, although she had informed them that she would only work until they'd found a replacement.

It was her day off and Leigh wondered what was happening. She ended the call with Lucy and checked the voicemail. Feeling a little more confident after the talk with Lucy, Leigh decided to head off to the office. According to Margaret's message, they were swamped with appointments and it didn't help matters when one staffer phoned in sick.

Leigh left a note for Damien on the fridge door explaining where she would be; she knew he wouldn't be happy but she refused to feel scared and remain housebound. As she opened the front door she was greeted by a pair of dark brown eyes. 

"Miss Grayson, I need you to come with me." Gino said solemnly. "Please, don't make me use this." He said as he discreetly revealed his Glock 17.

Leigh nodded. "Alright, but you put that gun away first. I've had enough of being threaten." 

Gino raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Come on then." He said ushering her to his car.

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

It wasn't what she'd thought he would look like. Salvatore Visconti was charming and handsome. Somehow, Leigh expected someone rugged looking and ruthless. This man sitting on an extremely expensive Italian leather armchair looked too sophisticated and courteous to be considered a mob boss. 

Salvatore got up and walked unhurriedly but purposefully towards Leigh. His whole demeanour was intimidating despite the appearances.

"Miss Grayson! How delightful it is to meet you." Salvatore said taking her right hand and bringing it to his lips.

Leigh accepted the greeting but pulled her hand back slowly. Salvatore gently took hold of Leigh's elbow and coaxed her to take a chair opposite his.

"Miss Grayson, I won't take much of your time. You know, you've caused me a lot of headache."

Leigh sat with her back straight, trying in vain to look assured but her trembling hands were betraying her. Salvatore applauded her brave attitude.

"Although not intentionally, I understand." Salvatore took a moment to study Leigh's face. Beautiful!

"Mr. Visconti, why am I here?" Her eyes darting from Visconti to Gino, who stood leaning against the door.

"Mia cara, you are here because I need you to do something for me."

Leigh nodded. "I take it I don't have any choice?"

"Of course you do! If you choose not to help me I won't be upset with you; I will be disappointed, though."

Salvatore took a moment to study her a little more. "You are smart and determined. I know you've been through a lot for young age. I know that Michael's interference in your life hasn't helped the matter."

"He killed my father. Did you know that? Did you help him?" Leigh's whole body was shaking now.

Salvatore stood up and walked to the mini bar behind his chair. The clinking of ice in the glass was unnerving her even more.

"No." His expression was sombre and sincere. "When I found out, it was already done. Michael acted on pure jealousy, anger, and selfishness. Not exactly qualities I expect my men to have."

When Leigh cocked one eyebrow, Salvatore actually chuckled. "Well, I can't afford mistakes being made because my men have their better judgement clouded by feelings as such."

Leigh looked astonished by Salvatore's as matter of fact attitude. 

"He had no permission to use my men to serve his personal business." Waving his hand dismissively, Salvatore explained. "He's stolen from me. I don't take betrayal lightly." Salvatore's voice was voided of emotion.

"I have made sure he's cornered and have nowhere to go for help. The thing he wants the most is you, Miss Grayson. I want him to have no choice but to come to me."

"So, you need me to lure him to you." It wasn't a question. Leigh knew what Salvatore's intentions were because she had thought the same. However, she never envisaged having the mob on her side. But did she want Salvatore to help her deal with Michael?

"And if I don't help you?" she asked quietly.

Salvatore stared at her and smiled. "There will be no hard feelings." 

"Just like that?" she asked incredulous.

"Yes, Caríssima, just like that."

Leigh stared at Salvatore for a long moment contemplating what to do. She really didn't believe he would just let her go, it would be too good to be true.

"I need to make a call." She said and her tone told him she had already decided what to do.

Damien is going to kill me... She thought.

*********

Damien arrived home later than he had planned. He had missed Leigh all day. The past week had been absolutely heaven. He had missed Leigh all day, even though he had spent the entire week with her. And it had been heaven. 

Through all the trials and tribulations, Damien had come to fall in love with Leigh all over again. He was completely head over hills for her, which made it that much more difficult to give her space and not be so protective. He would not rest until Michael was put away once and for all. The thought of the bastard being anywhere near her enraged Damien. 

But he refused to let thoughts of Michael spoil his happiness.

Damien had been feeling giddy like a teenager, eager to see his first love. He missed her so much it was crazy. He could still feel her touch, smell her in him — a mix of vanilla and spices. She was all over him and he loved it.

"Leigh!" He called out and frowned when she didn't answer. Where is she?

Damien walked through the house, expecting to see her anytime. His level of anxiety was rising.

Just as he was about to shout for her again he spotted a note on the kitchen counter. 

Damien,

Gone to work. They needed extra help. 

I will see you later.

Love you.

Leigh

Shaking his head in clear disapproval, Damien picked up his cell phone. 

********

He had been waiting the whole morning for her to come out. He knew she would have to go to the building adjacent to file the proceedings of a case. He knew because the sexy brunette that assisted one of the case managers had told him.

The chilly air provided the perfect excuse to conceal his face with the hood of his jacket. Michael sat on a bench across the building eating a sandwich. Thinking. Planning. Soon. He shivered with lust and anger.

********

"Damn it! Damn it!" Damien kept chanting in his head. He'd gotten through Leigh's office and asked to speak to her, but he was told she never came into the office. He tried her cell phone once more, desperately hoping she would answer this time. He hoped in vain. He decided to go to the office and speak to Margaret personally or maybe someone in there had seen her.

Nothing. No sign. Nothing.

Damien was feeling completely powerless, something he was not used to. He didn't like the feeling one bit. He stood at the reception area with his fists clenched, deciding what to do next.

"Excuse me, Sir." 

Quickly jerking his head around, Damien found himself facing a young security guard. 

"Can I help you?" The young man asked warily. "Are you looking for someone?"

Damien showed him his badge, identifying himself. "I am looking for an employee, Miss Leigh Grayson. Do you know her?" Damien had little conviction the young man would know her, he seemed new at the job.

"Well, I think I know her. Young, gorgeous face, a body I could sink into!" 

Damien didn't look amused; in fact, he wanted nothing more than to break the young man's teeth. Checking the name tag he said, "I will ignore your crude comments this time...Dave." He said the guy's name with disgust.

"Erm...sorry." The young man coughed to hide his embarrassment. "Well, I didn't see her, but another guy was here earlier looking for her and seemed very upset when I told him she hadn't been in this morning. I think he had been waiting for her for awhile. I wonder if she stood him up." Dave said with a smirk.

Damien held his anger and asked. "Can you describe him?"

"Older guy, tall but not too big. I mean he wasn't skinny but not fat either. I couldn't tell you anymore, he had his hood up covering his head and was wearing sunglasses, which I though was funny because it has been raining all morning."

What a fine security guy he is. Damien nodded; his mind frantically working. "When was that?"

"Around eleven. Stormed out of here after talking to me and punched the car over there." Dave nodded his head in the direction of the car.

Michael.

*********

After letting Brian and Darryl know he hadn't found her and telling them about the suspicious incident outside the building, Damien headed back to her house where he met them. 

"There is no sign of a struggle." Brian said.

"She must have been caught by surprise." Darryl suggested.

"At the door." Damien concluded.

"What do you mean?" Brian asked

"As she was leaving the house, possibly at the door because she had already left a note and was on her way out." 

Damien stood with his hands on the back of his neck."Son of a bitch!" Damien shouted.

"Calm down. We don't know if it was Michael." Brian said.

"I know it wasn't." Damien stated.

Brian and Darryl looked puzzled at Damien.

********

"This is so messed up. I can't believe it; we've been acting like rookies." Damien was furious with himself. He'd been behaving completely unprofessional and irresponsible. Now, Leigh was paying for it.

Darryl looked at Damien with sympathy. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Damien. You couldn't have forced her to go to a safe house." Darryl realised then how much Damien loved Leigh, because the desperation in the detective's face was heartbreaking.

Damien could only shake his head. "Brian..." He looked up to his friend for help.

"Okay, I am not saying a word to Captain Harrison or he is bound to suspend us, hell he probably would kicked us out of the force." Brian sighed deeply. "Darryl, you have your contacts, use them. We need a meeting with Visconti."

Darryl nodded "Well, I've blown my cover as you know, so I don't know how easy it will be. But I know that Visconti won't hurt her. It's not in his code to hurt women."

"The man's got a code? Seriously?" Brian asked with a hint of amusement.

"Well I won't object to that." Damien sound a little relieved.

"Yeah, and Visconti will want to keep his actions clean with no direct involvement, as he's always done. That's why it's been difficult to nail him." Darryl explained.

"Darryl, you know you can get in a lot of trouble if your superiors find out what you are doing?"

"I know, but don't worry. I just have to make sure I contact the right people."

The three men nodded in agreement. It was going to be a long day and they had to get their heads together and their emotions under control.

Easier said than done. 

********

Leigh knew what she was doing was crazy and totally against her better judgement, however, she also knew she had to do something to help catch Michael. 

She simply refused to sit and cry over her situation. "Mr. Visconti?"

Leigh had been in the same room since she was brought in by Gino, who had left shortly after she finished the conversation with Salvatore. 

Now, she was staring out of the window that faced the bay, deliberating if she should phone Damien or not. 

"Phoning your detective will only complicate things."

Leigh gasped startled by Gino's smoky voice. She turned around to face him. "I beg your pardon?"

"Come on, it's clear you want to phone him." Gino said conceitedly. 

Leigh remained silent, stunned by his ability to read her so well. 

"You know he would come and convince you not to go ahead with this plan." He was testing her resolve and she knew it.

"I know he would try, but I don't want him to sacrifice his career or get hurt because of me; I know Michael wouldn't pass the chance to shoot him." She raised her head and faced Gino defiantly.

He nodded studying her face. "I am sure that wouldn't deter detective Crook." Gino frowned and shook his head as if trying to comprehend some difficult puzzle.

"What?" 

"I just don't know why he would jeopardize his career like that..." 

"Wouldn't you? I mean, for someone you cared about?" Leigh asked curiously.

The fact that he wasn't sure himself if he would or not sacrifice himself like that somehow disturbed him immensely. 

Gino only stared at her for a few seconds before leaving the room without answering her question.



Author's Note: Thank everyone who's been following this story and voting. I am over the moon with the reactions. ALso thank you those who left comments, they are all very nice and encouraging. xx



Dangerous Affairs Ch. 11



Author's note: Here it is the last chapter everyone. Please comment and rate. Thanks for all the support.xx

*

"That old bastard! Son of a bitch!!" Michael kept on shouting obscenities as another empty bottle of whiskey was thrown at the wall. He had been hiding in the abandoned warehouse he used to store his good; goods stolen from Visconti. He knew no one would think of looking for him there because not even his moles had knowledge of this place.

He had been taken totally by surprise when he was told the news about Leigh being held at Visconti's, but Michael was actually furious with himself for not foreseeing the possibility of that happening. 

At first, he hadn't been sure if Visconti had found out about his betrayal but now he was certain. Why else would the old man keep Leigh?

This totally screwed his plans. Now, he had to decide on what to do next and he had to do it quickly.

*********

"So, you understand what you have to do?" Gino asked for the third time.

"Well, I am not stupid." Leigh looked at him annoyed with his arrogant demeanour.

"I am sure you're not, however I need to be absolutely certain you know what to do and how to do it."

Leigh studied his face and was surprised to see a hint of honest concern in his eyes. She frowned confused.

"Yes, I do understand." 

Gino gave her a brief nod. "Let's go." He said guiding her by the elbow out of the room.

*********

It was late afternoon and Damien was just about to punch the wall in frustration. "Where the hell is Darryl?" 

"Will you calm down, you're driving me insane." Brian grumbled.

They had used every informant they knew but so far nothing. Visconti didn't make any move. No one had spotted Michael. They were in the dark and it was killing Damien.

When they heard his phone ring, he somehow sensed it was Darryl with news. He didn't even check the number displayed and started spewing. "Why the hell did you take so long? Do you know anything? Where's she?"

Darryl gave an exasperated sigh. "Fucking hell, man! You don't need to shout! I am on my way, nearly there. Get ready, I've got news."

"We've been ready the whole fucking day!" Damien didn't care if he was being an ass, he was sick of sitting around waiting for news. He needed to do something. Not knowing if Leigh was safe and well was just too much to bear.

Not ten minutes after hanging up, Darryl was outside the house. He never had the chance to knock as the door burst open. 

"So?"Damien asked anxiously.

Darryl just rolled his eyes. "I will explain in the car."

"But..." Damien didn't even have the chance to finish speaking because Darryl was pushing him out of the house. Brian was right behind him laughing at his friend's frustration, although deep down he was worried as hell about Leigh.

"Let's go. Got your babies with you?" Darryl asked looking at Brian and at a very wound up Damien.

"Always." Damien replied as he touched his 9mm handgun for reassurance.

They got into the car and Darryl sped off. On their way he started telling them what he'd learned about the situation, or rather what was going to happen. 

"I can't fucking believe it!" Damien shouted. His hand was now pretty sore from punching the dashboard repeatedly.

"Calm the hell down Damien. You don't know what made her agree to go along with this, and it doesn't matter now." Brian was serious and ready to start kicking ass.

"I know why." Damien said shaking his head. "That fool was trying to protect us. I know my Leigh." He shook his head in disbelief. "When this is over I am going to kill her."

Darryl smiled knowing well enough that Damien wouldn't stand a chance with Leigh.

"Okay, so Salvatore is taking her to meet Michael..." Brain began, but Darryl interrupted. 

"No, Salvatore doesn't get his hands dirty. I bet it will be Gino. My sources told me Michael is pretty much finished. Salvatore will not let him get away with anything. Apparently there are unresolved issues to be settled between him and Salvatore."

"Whatever it is I don't care. Leigh shouldn't be involved in this mess. Damn it, that woman will be the death of me!" Damien threw his head back against the headrest and shut his eyes tight.

Be safe, Love.

After driving for what felt like an eternity to Damien, they arrived at a rundown area of the city. They parked on a street where there were a few warehouses.

Brian and Damien looked at Darryl, expecting him to know where to go. Darryl didn't disappoint them.

"It's that building with the Lease sign over there!" Darryl murmured. 

As they approached the building, Brian kept his eye on the street. There were no cars nearby, no one around.

Brian murmured. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Darryl shrugged and averted his eyes from both men. "We have to check out what's going on...come on."

Brian shook his head and pulled Damien's arm slightly. "I don't like this. I think Darryl is hiding something."

Damien stared at his friend for a moment then he nodded. They couldn't talk more because Darryl was motioning them to follow him.

It was now getting darker and they knew they had to act with caution. They could see from the dirt smudged windows that there were people inside.

"Shit! I can't see her." Damien said.

"Good. It's a good thing, right?" Darryl said.

Neither Brian nor Damien answered. They just kept looking through the window.

**********

"...You've got something that doesn't belong to you, Michael. My uncle was very disappointed to know you've breached his trust in you." Gino was standing a few feet away from Michael.

"I needed a guarantee you would help me, I was going to hand it back." Michael said with a smirk. He looked rough and shabby.

"I see, well, what do you need help with, then?" Gino didn't believe one word Michael was saying. He knew Michael was prepared to use the incriminating documents he stole from Visconti's office to bargain with the feds.

"Word is you have something I want too."

"Ah! Are you referring to Miss Grayson?" Now it was Gino's turn to smirk.

"I know you have her, Gino. Where is she?" Michael raised his voice impatiently.

Salvatore and Gino had planned everything carefully. Leigh was supposed to be seen in the house as their captive. They had already found out which member of his house staff was betraying them with Michael. That particular staffer, after passing the information to Michael, had been appropriately dealt with.

But Michael didn't know that. He didn't know that, at this very moment, Gino had her safe waiting in a car two blocks away. 

"Well, you won't need those documents now Michael. My uncle sent me here to help you. He's willing to forgive your mishaps if you just hand over what it is ours."

"What about Leigh?" Michael asked suspiciously.

In his present mental state, Michael wasn't thinking clearly, otherwise he would've remembered that Salvatore's never forgave betrayal.

Gino picked up his cell phone and spoke quickly, then after a couple of minutes he said, "Look out of the back window and you will see her." Gino's voice was low.

Michael hesitated briefly, but he just had to see if she was really out there; not far from his reach.

********

Outside the warehouse a car with tinted glass parked slowly. The back window slid down and Leigh's face was in clear view.

"Jesus!" Brian and Damien turned to look at Darryl who had a horrified look plastered on his face.

In an instant, Damien was heading towards the car, when Brian held his arm brusquely. "No!" Brian said shaking his head vehemently. 

It was then Damien saw a couple of men moving at the back of the warehouse. They had to act fast but how to know who those men were there to back up? Gino or Michael?

"They're with Michael." Darryl said with certainty.

"How the hell do you know?" Damien was anxious but trying hard to keep his control. 

Darryl ignored the question. "I will handle one of them." He said instead as he passed Brian, who followed right after.

"I'll deal with the other one." Brian said as walked behind Darryl. Damien had his eyes glued on Leigh.

"And Damien..." Brian called, causing Damien turned to him. "Don't rush into action, wait for us to return." 

Damien gave him an unpromising look. Brian rolled his eyes.

******

Looking through the back window, Michael saw Leigh opening the car door and he followed her line of vision; He saw Damien and he was walking towards Leigh. Anger filled him and he lost his mind completely.

Leigh had been waiting for Gino's man to signal her to roll down the car window so Michael could see her. But when she spotted Damien crouched by the side window with a gun in his hand, she reacted without thinking. She had to reach him before anything happened to him. 

It all happened so fast no one could have predicted it. Damien came around the building toward the back door, when through the side window, he saw Michael withdrawing his gun. When Damien realized who he was aiming at his protective instincts took over.

Michael screamed furiously when he saw her running to Damien, who he had spotted crouching under the side window. In one single thought he withdrew his gun and aimed at Damien, totally forgetting that Gino was behind him at the front door of the warehouse.

"Leigh! Get down!!" Damien shouted; his pulse erratic. In his mind there was only one objective: protect her.

On the ground, Leigh could hear shots being fired. She was in such a shock that she lost count of how many.

When she opened her eyes, it took a few seconds to focus on the scene around her. Tears were spilling down her face, her hands were shaking.

"Oh my God!" Leigh murmured, her voice cracking.

Michael was on his back on the ground, arms sprawled and his right leg bent. He looked dead. Was he dead?

She felt her body being lifted and then she looked behind her and saw who was helping her. 

Gino. 

"You're not very good at following instructions, are you?" Gino said as he shook his head.

Panic set inside of her. "Let me go! Damien! Please, where is he?" she cried and her body convulsed uncontrollably. Gino could only hold her tight.

"Shh...calm down." He spoke softly in her ear, and the sudden urge to protect washed over him. "He seems alright. They're checking him now."

"They? Where?" She said as she turned her head in the direction of familiar voices.

Darryl looked at her with relief stamped on his face and Brian looked pissed.

She actually managed to chuckle nervously as she noticed Damien sitting up.

*****

In all his years in the force, Damien had never been shot. At that moment, he vowed to make up for his friends in the department who had been shot before and never again make a joke out of it. It was definitely not an amusing experience. His shoulder hurt like hell.

"Where's Leigh?" he asked Brian and Darryl.

"She seems fine. Now, you stay put, I need to get assistance." Brian said in a serious tone. He was concerned for his friend and annoyed at the same time. Brian had been on his way back to Damien, after taking care of Michael's minions, when he and Darryl heard the shots. 

"I will go check on her." Darryl told them, but when Damien was about to stand up in protest, Brian's stern look halted him immediately. At least Damien had the decency to look guilty. "Don't even think about it. I am not in the mood." Brian scowled as he put pressure on his friend's injured shoulder.

"Ouch! Careful! I'm sorry, but I acted on instinct." Damien grinned.

"I wonder if I should act on instinct when reporting this mess to Captain Harrison." Brian released a defeated sigh. "You gave me a scare, big guy." He said with affection.

"Sorry." Damien closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had been lucky and he knew it.

********

Before going to check on Leigh, Darryl went up to Michael's body and quickly checked his pockets. He found what he was looking for. The act had not gone unnoticed by Brian who wondered for what Darryl had been searching. 

Brian didn't have time to ponder too much, he had to call an ambulance and report what had happened.

Darryl approached her and Gino gingerly. He and Gino briefly exchanged a knowing look. "Leigh...Are you alright?" Leigh was already disentangling herself from Gino's arms.

"Let me go see him, please?" She begged softly with tears running down her face.

Gino, seeing that she had gotten a lot calmer, let her go; his head turned to Darryl. "Well, you were supposed to come alone."

Darryl didn't respond. Instead he asked Gino, "Did you shoot him?" 

Gino smiled. "Not carrying a gun." 

"Of course not." Both men nodded.

"Here...don't forget this." Darryl cocked his head and threw a small envelope to Gino who caught it with one hand.

After a long moment of staring at each other, Gino said, "I'd better go. I wouldn't like to be late for dinner with my uncle."

It was Darryl's turn to smile.

"We're even?" Gino asked.

"You know we'll never be even..." Darryl said.

"One day we will be." Gino murmured with his back to Darryl as he left.

******* Meanwhile, Damien had been holding Leigh so tight she started to become breathless. 

"Damien..."

"What were you thinking, huh? Are you trying to make me crazy with worry?" His voice sounded tired, deflated.

Leigh open her mouth to reply but shut it as she had a feeling nothing she said now would make him less upset. She sighed deeply. 

They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't see Michael reaching for his left ankle where a small pistol had been hidden.

When Damien heard the click of the safety catch, he threw Leigh behind him in an instant.

"I don't think so!" Darryl shouted, shooting Michael in the hand. He instantly dropped the gun and screamed in agony.

********

In less than half an hour, the place was swamped with local police and the F.B.I. 

Michael kept shouting profanities; those mainly directed at Darryl. His fate was now sealed. No more bargains for him; he would stand trial and most likely to go straight to federal prison. 

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Brian asked Darryl as he was watched Damien and Michael being taken to the hospital.

"What do you mean?" Darryl tried to seem nonchalant. 

Brian only cocked his eyebrow. "Look, I will deal with it, and in your report you can say you received an anonymous tip that an escaped criminal was here."

"Right, what about the fact that Michael was shot first by someone else? Forensics will determine it wasn't any of us who fired the gun."

"It wasn't Gino who pulled the trigger." Darryl released an exasperated sigh; it had been a long day. "Don't worry about it; the details have been taken care of." Darryl's tone indicated the end of the discussion.

Brian wasn't happy with Darryl's attempt to cover up for Gino Visconti but he thought it wasn't his battle to fight and that Darryl would have his reasons for letting Gino go. So, Brian decided to let it go too, for now.

********

Leigh was sitting by the window watching over Damien in his hospital bed. People had come and gone, but she remained.

Lucy had come too; she rushed to hug and lecture her friend for being so stupid. Leigh sobbed and held tight to Lucy, the events of the day were finally catching up with her.

"Hey." Damien managed to say, his voice hoarse from the use of the oxygen mask. He had been in surgery to remove the bullet and had just woken up.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Leigh was nervous and Damien noticed it.; she wasn't sure if Damien would be upset with her for not telling him about meeting Michael. 

"Been better. Come here..." He beckoned her closer.

"I am so sorry. I wanted to help and be free of him for once." She blurted out.

"I know, it's okay. You're safe now, that's what matters."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course I'm mad. But I reckon that since we're getting married and this won't be the only time I will get mad with you, there's no point in staying mad for long." He said it all in one breath and waited anxiously for her response.

The silence was killing him.

"Is that so?" Leigh was trying hard to conceal her grin. His smiling was fading slowly and he gulped. "Not a very romantic proposal, was it? Are you mad?" it was his turn to ask.

After a long pause, Leigh spoke. "Well, I figure that since we're getting married, you will have plenty of time to make it up to me." She smiled then.

Damien had a wide grin stamped on his face.

She had been sitting on the edge of the bed holding his hand. She was careful not to hurt him as Damien pulled her closer.

"I love you, Leigh." Damien's eyes were glistening with emotion.

"I know." She sighed, feeling fully content for the first time in years.

"I love you too."

The End.

Author's note: By the way, I am working on Gino's story. Since DA was my first ever attempt at writing I think your responses were pretty cool. Thank you so much.I am hoping to write longer stories in the future.