Patrick paced back and forth, glancing at the clock every five seconds. finally, the clock hand hit 12. Patrick grabbed his jacket off the office chair, threw it on and rushed out of his office. he moved briskly, shoving everyone out of his way till he reached the entrance of the building. A black suv was parked in front. Patrick briskly walked towards it and got in.
"You screwed up Rusoe". Patrick looked forward to see the disappointment on Cage's face, "fortunately for you, King bailed on coming here, his intentions were to put a bullet in your throat or something of the sort"Cage continued. Patrick forced himself to resist the desire to rub his neck, "He was however, very displeased with your performance. Charlie seemed to have done alot more in tracking the target than you apparently, youve been here about two weeks or a month now? and youve managed to accomplish nothing. so this is King's verdict, you have less than week to bring Banks head or body to HQ or you had better die the way your comrades did. only one of you can be left breathing, HIM or you?"
**********
Madonna's Pov
I went in for a relaxing soak in the tub.
I'd already cleared up the apartment so it's pretty much child friendly. No guns within sights and lunch is set and my outfit too.
I decided to wash my hair too before I finished up, then stepped out and patted myself down. I sat in front of my mirror, oiled and combed out my mane. I stared at my reflection... I don't have the energy anyway. I got up and got dressed. I wore my favorite blue baggy sweatpants and a white tank top. I felt hot at the moment.
I was just about to head over to the kitchen when I heard the doorbell. I felt that fluttery queasiness again.
I walked over to the door and was greeted with an unexpected surprise.
"Just who da hell do you think you are mister?!", "Hi, I'm Nate, you must be Chocolate's little brother, she's told me a bit about you... apparently not quite enough". I gawked at a glaring Audrey and sheepishly smiling Nate facing off in front of our apartment room. "Listen here Vermin, I don't care who you are, or what you are, you have no business here got that?!" Audrey told him with his signature gaze, apparently, it's wasn't just me that sensed how serious he was being. "Wow, relax little man...I mean Mr.?", "Price, and don't you dare call me little ever again, when I get older, I'll be tall enough to step or crush you got that bub"...
"That child is a spawn of the devil, don't bother with him handsome"an old lady said from across the hall, "Crawl back to your hole and die ugly hag, he doesn't need to see your granny panties"Audrey said waved his hand dismissively without taking his eyes off Nate.
I watched Nate cringe at his words and his carefree smile turn forced. "You've got quite a mouth you ki- Mr. Price"he said. Audrey sized him up and looked at me. "Care to explain how this man got our address missy?"he asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Err, I sorta gave it to him?","Donna!", "Comon please?, I'll make whatever you want!", "You're too sick for that so no", "comon!, I say he's okay. Plus I have told you about him before... remember the time I got st-"I shut my mouth quickly, but it was pointless, I saw recognition flash in his eyes. His scowl morphed into a grin sharp enough to make you bleed. "So, I get the feeling that the fact you're smiling doesn't change much"Nate said and looked down at Audrey's deliriously Happy face skeptically.
" Please Nate, come in, I'm sure my sister has been waiting for you for a while now, so go on, make yourself at home"Audrey said through his tight grin. "Alright...thank you?"Nate said and walked in, he looked at me and smiled sadly "So, that's him, very..... protective". "I know, I'm terrible at parenting"I told him smiling sheepishly.
Bang!
We jumped back and turned to the door. "What?, I'm just locking the door, Don't want any disturbance now, do we Nate?"he asked grinning and winked at him,then headed straight to his room.
"So...he hates me"Nate said, I giggled and walked closer to him, "Nah, I'd be worried if he didn't act this way", he smiled at me then handed me a hamper. Can't believe I didn't notice it before, "thanks"I said and walked him to our couch. "Give me a minute please"I told him and headed to Audrey's room.
As expected he was tearing up the place. "You won't find your torture devices, so please,if it's not too much to ask, just try not to scare him away, please?"I pleaded.
"That, my sweet doughnut Is too much to ask".
~~~~~~~~~~~~
" You're the sick one, yet we're the ones being treated with all the goods?"Nate asked.
I quirked and eyebrow at him and looked at the table. A huge bowl of spaghetti, bowl of sauce, bowl of meatballs, tray of grilled fish, a not so badly made cake, a jar of freshly squeezed orange juice, bowl of salad....
"I had a lot of time on my hands"I told him, Audrey just shook his head and took a bite out of his meatball. "You're getting better, I love this"he said dreamily and took his time to chew on it. "I agree, it's all so amazing, I just feel sort of guilty it's not the reverse"Nate said and smiled at me sweetly, I suddenly felt warm and fluffy again.
"Speaking of guilt and reverse, what exactly were you thinking when you got my sister sick".
I face palmed myself, "I got Chocolate sick?"Nate asked with a shocked expression, then turned to face me. Not feeling upto arguing with anyone, I stared at my lovely half eaten bowl of spaghetti.
"You know, my sister doesn't know how to relate with people, pretty much a loner, boring, clumsy, she's funny though but reckless, didn't even attend highschool, has her nose in books, she's clingy too"Audrey said and shoved a fork full of spaghetti in his mouth. Nate raised a brow and looked at me, I shrugged.
"I may have finished my education, but I can relate to everything else, we really were meant to meet!"Nate said grinning. Audrey spat out his drink. I giggled as I watched Audrey's horrified face and Nate's wide grin. "Just to be clear, you're saying you're a clingy nerdy lone loser with a degree and you just think I'll let you hang with my sister?"Audrey asked seriously. He eyed Nate with as much hate as I knew he was capable of. "Well, no, but, now that I do know a little more about Chocolate-", "Stop calling her that!"Audrey interupted, " I'm evening more determine to be her friend, or even more. In other words Mr. Price, you're gonna have to deal with seeing my handsome face alot more often"Nate said. Audrey's right hand begun to dig in to the table cloth. "You... have...a lot of nerve Mister"Audrey said in a low menacing tone. "Oh yes I do, and that's why you and I are going to have a lot of fun getting to know each other, don't you think?"
I watched Audrey glare at a grinning Nate. To think I already picked out a movie for us...I wish I had popcorn now. I looked over the table for something to improvise with.
"You are not allowed to speak to my sister ever again!"
meatballs.
"And who exactly is going to stop me?"
Gosh, this really is yummy.
"I am!"
"Is that so, and how are you gonna do that?, For all you know, I might marry Chocolate here and I will be your brother in-law"
"Over my dead body".
"Hey!, No talking about dying or being dead Mister. Carry on"I interupted and shoved another meatball down the hatch.
"Are you hogging all the meatballs?!"they exclaimed, I smirked at that. "Well since you boys were busy...". "You're sick and sick people shouldn't eat meatballs!"Audrey said and launched himself at me, I dodged. He crashed to the ground behind me, "Hey what gives?!"he whined and stole a meatball from the bowl. "Say please"I told him. "You're delusional"he told me and snagged another one. A larger hand snagged three from under my nose. "I can't help it, they're just so amazing"Nate said and smiled at me.
Well since that show was over, three of us went to the living to watch the one I picked out. Audrey made sure to squeeze in between Nate and I, grumbling about my terrible choice with men. Soon enough, all grudges were forgotten as well as watched Fast and Furious:Hobbs and Shaw. By the end of the movie, my little brother was already sleeping in my arms,I patted his silky black hair softly.
"He's cute when he's not talking" Nate said staring at him. "I guess so, he's really a sweet kid, just has a reeeeally short fuse. I never knew how to control my temper then, but he'll find a way eventually. Audrey's actually kind and caring, he just doesn't trust anyone he doesn't know and my parenting skills leave much to be desired".I told him, still patting my little brother's hair softly.
"I believe you, with everything that I've been through, I say his attitude's on the right track...his mouth however... Either way, You're right, he is caring."he said and stretched his hand towards Audrey, but, then it stopped mid way. "Sorry, I'm under the impression he might turn and break my fingers"he said and put his hand down.
I laughed.
It felt new, real, not because someone did something dangerously stupid, or to me, or to my brother. But in a way, both of us. Someone in the world actually took his time to stay with me and my little tyrant without trying to get him out of the picture. It made me happy. Nate however just stared at me confused and awestruck.
"I like it"he said and slouched on the couch without taking his eyes off me. "Like what?", "The sound of your laugh and your smile...also if Audrey we're awake, I'm sure he's tell me not to be such a creep"he said, grinning at the last part. That made me laugh again.
I carried Audrey to his room and laid him on the bed, then went back to meet Nate. He was on the phone again...with that look.
"Is that so... whatever is required... Deal with it, this is not my problem...burn it...fine, have it brought to my office"he said and ended the call. He groaned.
"So, you're leaving now?"I asked sadly, wriggling my fingers and avoiding eye contact. "Come here Chocolate"he said and opened his arms to me, without thinking I went to him. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me to his chest.... I couldn't find the words to express how I felt...elated?, Happy? Peaceful, comfortable?...I just enjoyed whatever it was i felt, like this once, nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
I heard him sigh and looked up at him. "Yunno Chocolate, I can't be a proper stranger to you when you're this close to me... especially when you look at me that way"he said smiling and ran a hand through my hair. "I have no idea what you're talking about...but, if this is wrong for strangers, then let's be friends, cause...right now... this is all I want", "Good".
We stayed that way for a while, we talked about our favorite movie genre, he told me about places I've never been to, even promised to take Audrey and I out sometime. Nate's pretty much a rich guy, he manages this huge company in New Orleans which I guess explains him being so busy. He'd arrived at Seattle for some party I assume was the Garner event so he decided to chill out at the Seattle hq for a little while. Despite my unnecessary flow of giddy emotions, I made sure not to reveal anything that could be linked to Banks.
"So, how do you finance this place?, Especially now that you're sick, it's been over a week since we met so I'm a bit worried about that too"he asked.
'Oh that? I use the money I stole from the banks on my first raid here... plus my credit cards filled with fake money so I'm basically as rich as you if you think about it'
"My uncle, he pays for the apartment and our feeding"I told him, "oh...is that why...you didn't go to highschool?... you don't have to answer that, I'm sorry for prying"he said quickly. I giggled. "Well yes it is in a way. After our parents died in the accident, a man took us in. My parents didn't have siblings anyway. Audrey was just about a year old then, so, I decided that I'd give him everything I could. So instead of going back to school, I stayed with him, played with him, I made the man promise me he'd take good care of my brother and I'd do anything he wanted. He didn't ask for anything really, so I subjected myself to menial labor which didn't last very long. Once he was old enough, I had him put in the very best school,made sure he was always happy. I'm okay with that, seeing him smiling or laughing or threatening someone makes me happy. Besides, I know how to read"I told him.
Nate just smiled at me and ran his fingers through my hair. "If you say you're happy, then I believe you. But you should know Chocolate, Audrey wants to see you happy and smiling just as much as you want to see his happiness. I want that too".