Switchblade

Chapter 17: Threats

"Are you hungry?" Killian asked as they walked to the elevator.
Tati ignored him and pressed the button.
He looked at her as she kept the handkerchief against her jaw.
The elevator opened.
"You mad at me?" he asked.
Again she didn't respond as they walked in.

She turned around and he was standing directly in front of her.
She looked up at him, visibly angry.
"You wanna hit me again?"
"No, it'd just turn you on, sicko."
He pressed the button for her floor as they continued staring at one another.
"Face hurt?" he asked.
She looked away from him.
He lifted her head. "Let me kiss it better." he teased.
She shoved him as he chuckled.
The elevator opened.
"Leave me alone." she commanded and walked out.

Killian took out his phone and dialed.
"Yes, sir?"
"Bring ointment and face bandaids to the girl's room." Killian instructed.
"Yes, sir."
He hung up the phone and continued walking after she'd already entered her room.

She shut the door but it wasn't locked so he entered anyway.

"I told you to leave me alone." she stated without looking at him.
He didn't respond and just leaned against her door.

She sat on the floor, facing away from him and leaned against the bed.

The two stayed silent for three minutes until there was a knock on the door.
Killian got off of it and opened it.
He took the bandages, q-tips, and ointment then shut the door.

"Come here." he commanded as he placed the bandages down and started to unscrew the top to the ointment.
Tati looked at him.
"Get up." he instructed.
She sighed and stood up then walked over to him.

He gently tilted her head to the side and then began to squeeze some of the ointment out onto the q-tip. She stood there as he started to rub it in.
"Is fixing it supposed to make me forget you're the one that did it?" Tati spoke up.
"You weren't gonna take his threat seriously if I didn't. Only been three days but I know you enough that you aren't scared of anybody unless they physically prove they're stronger than you."
She didn't respond.

He put the ointment and q-tip down then grabbed her bandaid.

"Fixing it because you're not here for me to torture you. I don't hurt anybody that doesn't deserve it." he repeated as he unwrapped it.
"You hurt my mom." she faced him and said.
"I hurt your mom's feelings. I didn't lay a finger on your mother."
She didn't respond.
He tilted her head again then slowly applied the bandaid.

"I still don't like you." Tati admitted.
"I don't care."
"Yea, and I know it's because you don't like me either."
"I tell you that?"
Her brows furrowed. "You didn't have to."
"Why?" He crumbled up the trash in his hand.
"I hate you enough that my energy towards you gets on your fucking nerves."
"Talkin' about your threats?"
"That's part of it."
"Or the fact you like to yell and curse at me?"
"That's part of it too."
He chuckled. "No, I like that."
She backed her face away in shock. "Are you some kind of pervert?"
"Yea."

She looked away from him.

"I like that fight you got in you. That rage. You let motherfuckers know when they pissed you off and I think that's sexy." He spoke lowly. It made her realize that they still stood close even though she faced away from him. "You think you make me mad but you just make my cock twitch."
She gasped shallowly and faced back towards him to stare. Only for their faces to be just centimeters apart.
"I don't want you to like me..." she stated.
"Then stop bein' my type." he responded.
"I wasn't trying to be."
"That makes it sexier." He smiled.
She looked away again.

"I'll be back after I shower and get your food." He turned to the door to walk out. "Change that bandaid every day." he said and left.

Tati watched the door close.

She thought about what he said. She didn't want him to like her. So she decided...

I'll make you stop wanting me.

But unfortunately, that meant she had to play nice. Because he worked backwards.

~•~

"Have the rest of you met the girl Kil brought here?" Doc asked as he and his top men sat around the table. They had the tv playing the news on the wall behind his head.
"Yes, sir." They answered.
"And?"
"She's a bitch." Niko answered. "Threw a drink on me and hit me in my face."
Doc raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And you fuckin' let her? Does she know where the fuck she is?"
"Kil told us not to touch her, sir." Silas answered. "We aren't allowed to put a hand on her but she also suffocated Rodney and left him unconscious."
Doc sighed as he listened. "What the fuck is wrong with that boy? Did he handle her?"
"We don't know. We just know she has a temper problem. She's sassed Kil a few times." Kanan added.
"We think he hasn't done anything because she's hot." Niko spoke up. "She's got a body like an hourglass. Long legs. And her face is pretty too. If she was completely flat she'd still catch the most eyes at the club."
"I saw the girl, learn how to keep your fuckin' dick in your pants. I'm not your friend." Doc threatened and raised his hand to Niko.
"I apologize, sir." Niko bowed his head.

"More on this story at 4," said the news anchor.
Doc turned his head to see what she was talking about. "In other news, Congressman and Presidential candidate Mitch Morgan was found dead in his home this morning after his wife saw his body unconscious in the center of their kitchen floor. Authorities say Morgan passed from a heart attack the night before."
"Good." Doc responded.
"We assume it was stress of the election. Congressman Morgan worked hard to gain the votes of the people and I'm sure he was hardly well rested. All we can do now is send our thoughts and prayers to his family as they deal with this tough time." said a clip of the chief of police.
"And that we will." the anchor stated.

Doc faced forward and turned the tv down.

"Do you think they'll investigate?" Niko asked.
"There's no evidence of foul play. If doctors and investigators called it a heart attack then that's what they think it is. If it looked sketchy then the news lady would still be sayin' it's under investigation." Silas answered.
"We don't know if their investigation on who assassinated President Johnson is still goin' on."
"Besides my guys in the force, I got a few more in Segal Corp. and Stone Tech. If the investigation is still on then they'll let me know if those two corporations are going through questioning." Doc explained.
"But we didn't do it." Rodney stated.
"No, but those assholes play dirty. They'll throw us under the bus to save themselves 'cause they don't owe rivals any loyalty. And if they attempt, I gotta handle it. They better not know shit or else I'm takin' it out on you, do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir." They all answered.