I•C•E// r.s.l.❣

2.7

Thomas was lovely, and surprisingly up to my intelligence level, so I didn't feel like I was talking to a child or Albert Einstein either. He handled my sarcasm and we spoke about everything and anything.

But it was when my watch bleeped that I realised, it was time. He looked at my wrist. "What was that?"

"I got a text." I fibbed, pushing the briefcase behind my chair with my foot. It scraped along the ground quietly, but loud enough for me to hear. "But, I have to go, would you care to walk me?"

"Why's that?" He arched an eyebrow.

"I'm more than willing to put my trust in somebody with a badly hidden Glock." I smiled innocently. However, it was quickly replaced by a frown when he grabbed my leg and pushed up the little slit that went up my thigh.

"I think a lady with a Beretta strapped to her leg will be more than fine." He brought out his own gun and aimed it to me, standing up. I stood up also.

"Now?" Ross' voice came from my watch.

"Now."

I brought my leg up, kicking him over the balcony we were sat at. He fell a good 30ft onto a table, which initiated screams downstairs. I very casually fixed my hair and grabbed the briefcase, walking towards Ross.

I didn't stop for him, simply grabbed his hand, leading him out. But, three men stopped us.

"Me or you?" I turned my head ever so slightly.

"Allow me to shine." He took the suitcase from my hand and stepped forward, I stepped back. There was one single moment of hesitation. Until he brought the suitcase up and swiped it from left to right, hitting all three in the face collectively.

All it did was stun them, but for long enough for Blondie to take them all on at once. I stood back in shock internally, but remained calm on the outside. It was amazing how far he had come.

"Come along." He offered me his hand and we very calmly walked out of casino/restaurant. He returned to his excited state, bouncing around. "We totally just fucked shit up in there."

"I know we did, it's refreshing to be back-" a figure ran past, yanking the suitcase out of my hands. It got into a car. "What the-"

"Get a car, I'll get a head start." Ross was off again into the Lambo we came in. To my luck, a Mercedes had pulled up. I shoved my badge in the face of the valet and took the keys, following after the sleek black car.

I didn't turn any music on, it distracted me. And at the speed I was driving, I couldn't afford something that could cost my life and other people's.

"Athena." Ross spoke from my watch. "I've got him, I'm in front of him, come in from behind."

"Will do."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I love you, I really do."

"Stop saying that, you're not dying tonight."

"Who knows."

"You won't." I frowned. "Because I would too."

He chuckled, then sighed. "You're nice. Are you behind him."

"Yes."

"Slow down ever so slightly, I'm going to stop and sandwich him between us. I don't want to get you hurt." Ross said.

"Alright..tell me when."

Two minutes passed. "Now."

Well.

We stopped at least a metre before each other, the car in between us now descended into a concrete ditch, previously home to a river. I stepped out of my car in awe.

"I've got this." Ross said and followed behind them. The speed they were both driving at was insane, leaving marks on the light grey concrete. The cars drove in circles and then in a straight line.

"Ross, stop. There is a wall at the end." I drove down the ditch myself.

"Yes, I'll crush him in between." He replied. "I'll be fine-"

Then he cut off, and when I looked up, the car he was chasing had driven away from the wall, leaving the Lamborghini to drive into the wall at an outstanding speed. My jaw was beyond the ground at this point.

Shock coursed through my veins. A voice shouted that he had died, due to the silence. I leaned on the steering wheel.

"How do I explain this to David?!"

"You don't."

I got out of the car, and looked to the car, Ross helping himself out. He was a bloody mess, but he was walking.

The person in the other car got out and he didn't give them time to retaliate, ending him with a bullet. Blondie then collected the briefcase and nonchalantly walked to my car.

Blood and cuts aside; the reckless side of him was hot as fuck.

"Here you go." He lightly placed the briefcase on my lap. "Staring is rude, Athena."

"What the hell are you made of?"

He laughed. "The same things as you, sort of."

"I hate you." I smiled, turning up and out of the ditch as Ross' car set alight.

+++

"Stop."

"What, you can handle a near death car crash but not some rubbing alcohol in a little graze?" I pursed my lips. "I'm almost finished."

"We still need to go to the hospital." He looked up at me. "My nose is broken."

"We don't have to." I smiled, placing a plaster over the stitches I had to sew myself (it wasn't pretty).

It was strange that just a few hours made us so comfortable with one another. Because chair to chair was too far away to fix him up, I had to sit on his lap to apply my first aid skills.

I was almost done; it was just his nose which had only now stopped bleeding. I touched the tip of his nose and he moved away. "Hell. No."

"Ross-" he struggled against me, whining. "Ross! Do you trust me."

"Of course I do, but it's gonna hurt."

"Yes, but it will save you from surgery. Grip my leg if it's that bad." I placed two of my fingers on the bridge of his nose. "And don't move, I might break it further if you do. Ready?"

"Go."

I pushed the bone to the side and it clicked awfully loudly. Ross blinked.

"Done. It wasn't that bad."

"I genuinely want to cry, that hurt so bad."

"Boo-hoo." I chuckled, putting tape on his nose. "Finished."

"Thank you." He smiled, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"No biggie, now go rest; we have 3 of 7 USB sticks. We hit Spain tomorrow and then London in the weekend."