"Let's leave here. Tonight. We dont ever have to come back. You wont have to marry Boren I can protect you."
She looked through him where he sat on the edge of her bed, "Boren has connections. He has enough money to find me no matter where I go."
"I'm a gangster Nadine, an assassin, next in line to the Sylvador gang, I have connections. I can provide security."
She didn't react except to frown, "What kind of a life would that be? Always looking over our shoulders, Never being able to let our guard down, Never being able to contemplate living a quiet life," she paused, "My father may have done somthing horrible but I will not abandon him, Boren is pulling my father out of some large debts. Debts he could be killed over if he doesn't pay."
He felt frustration itch his fingers as he fought not to pull his hair out.
The next part was hard for her to say but it was necessary, "I can not go with you Edward. In fact I dont think we should see eachother anymore," she turned away from the window to look at him, "Tomorrow morning I have been instructed to give Boren a more... appropriate response to his proposal. I'm sorry. I really am."
He stood and she held a hand up to halt his progress, "You need to leave right now Edward."
Her tone was harsh, her face like stone.
"I will." He stepped forward slowly until her hand rested on his chest.
"Let me kiss you one last time."
Wordlessly she dropped her hand and let him grab her waist. She didnt resist as he pulled her into a deep kiss. Their mouths met and molded, their tongues darted and danced. Fighting for dominance. He backed her into the windowsill and pushed her up effortlessly until she sat there with her legs wrapped around his waist.
His hand gripped the windowsill as he reached in his pocket and broke the kiss abruptly. Confusion gleamed in her eyes. He leaned back and snapped a capsule beneath her nose.
The powder within the capsule exploded in a glowing pink line and swiveled like a snake until it shot into her nose. Her eyes glowed an astonishing shade of pink before her eyelids fluttered shut and her body went limp.
He stuck his shoulder under her in a smooth motion as she drooped forward. He stood and carried her from the room like a grain sack. He drew his vest aside as he went for easy access to his powders and walked around the room quickly gathering things.
In the closet he found a laundry basket on rollers. He fingered through her clothes grabbing some lighter things some winter things. A few nightgowns, black ankle boots and grey slippers. She had a bathroom attached to her closet. The only thing in the bathroom was two small woven baskets one by the tub and one by the washbasin. He tossed both in and grabbed the long tie to a robe. He set her down on the bed and bound her hands he put her back over his shoulder and tied the other end of the robe string to the basket and headed to the hall. The basket had a squeaky wheel he reached for his knife belt and found darts. Dipped in knockout potions that when you woke made you feel drunk. He darted the man that was downstairs from the top of the stairwell.
He picked up the basket balancing it against his opposite hip. His other arm still upwards and wrapped around her waist. He huffed a little on his way down.
As he turned his back to the entrance from the gardens he heard the door creak open. He let go of her basket for a split second leaning it into the bannister. His hand flashed backwards toward the sound and he heard another body drop. On the first floor he stepped over the two bodies swiftly and made it to the barn.
He set her down in a carriage that was extremely small and lifted the basket up beside her drawing the windowed curtains shut.
Letting his adrenalin wash over him and giving him speed he picked a horse and led it to the tack wall and tied him.
He went quickly back to the house and recovered the darts before dragging the guards bodies into the empty stall. By the time he was done he was sweating. He smirked and stripped both men down to their underwear. Putting a empty boddle between them he ran out to hitch the horse.
***
*Nadine
There was too much light.
She turned to cover her eyes and her hand fell softly across the soft cotton blanket. Wait that wasnt cotton. She froze as she felt faux furs. She opened her eyes. The light was too high. She sat up quickly and clutched the soft silk under sheets in alarm.
She was in a small room with a high window there was a closed curtained archway in one corner of the room and a high open archway in the other.
A clothes rack sat in the third corner of the room with men's clothes on it. A pleasantly odd shoe pedestal sat next to the bed with her evening slippers and her black ankle boots. She went to grab her shoes and was delighted that it turned. Her hand felt oddly heavy.
Her hands were shackled and as suprise and horror rolled through her the curtain opened.
Edward stood in the doorway an unreadable expression on his face.
He stood there saying nothing, and she threw the sheets aside. Her legs were bare and her gown was high but she did not care.
She whirled to face him after climbing out of the bed.
"You chained me up?!"
His voice was nothing but a murmur as he spoke her name. He cleared his throat and spoke again. His voice was husky and deep as it resonated with her as it always did.
"Nadine, settle down."
She shook off the calm feeling that always came over her when he spoke her name and walked within slapping distance of him.
"Edward, you will unchain me right this second."
He looked at the ground avoiding her gaze, somthing he never did. His eyes were dark and brooding in the shadow of the doorway as he leaned against the frame. Long corded fingers turned a metal button.
"And then what?"
His voice was so strange from the man that she knew. His strong jaw feathered as he continued to avoid her fiery stare.
"And then what? How dare you Edward. Unchain me!"
He walked away from her into the kitchen she followed hot on his heels her chains jangling as she stormed after him.
He began making two plates.
"Coffee?"
She could not believe him right now.
"No Edward! I dont want any fucking coffee. Look at me..."
He turned to her with a intense gaze and she wished she hadn't asked him to turn around. She felt tears spring to her eyes and she tried to battle them down. She felt heat, and anger, and the sharpness of betrayal.
"You would rather keep me against my will then let me leave you freely?"
Her voice shook and he frowned.
"Its not about keeping you for myself. I'm aware that things will not be the same between us." He paused. "but I wont let you leave."
She made a sound a sound of frustration and stormed into the bedroom whipping the curtain shut behind her.
***
*Scar
That could have gone better he thought as he dropped an empty skillet in the wash bin with a clang. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
He kept picturing the resentment in her eyes and told himself it didn't matter.
He had placed a plate of food just inside the archway, and closed the curtain quietly to give her some space.
He stared out the largest window in the cottage. The kitchen window and looked at the forest around them.
He doubted she would ever forgive him. He told himself that that didnt matter either. She didnt come out all day as he cleaned and widdled away a piece of wood, and when he went to check on her that night she was asleep the food sat beyond the closed curtain untouched.