In the Arms of Justice

Chapter Sixteen

Previously:

Entering her office once again, Natasha stepped forward.

"Y/N, this is Mr. Kopecky. His aunt and uncle immigrated from the Czech Republic and he would like to keep them here legally."

The man was facing away from you, reading the degrees and certificates adorning the esteemed lawyer's office wall.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kope..."

As he turned your way, you lost all power of speech, ice freezing in your veins.

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You remained frozen in place, eyes transfixed on the man who held a knife at your throat two nights ago and now haunted your dreams. Although, if you had passed him on the street you might not have recognized him. Instead of the bleach-blond hair and a clean shaven face, he now wore a knitted cap over a bald head with a few days' stubble dotting his chin. Horn-rimmed glasses were perched on his nose and he wore khaki trousers with a long-sleeved black sweater and dress shoes. If it weren't for the cold eyes fixed on yours and the scar on his left cheek, you could have sworn it wasn't the same man.

Light bruising was visible under his eyes, you noticed as he took a few steps forward. His nose might not have been broken by your head striking it, but you definitely left your mark. Seeing him approach from across the room, you finally thawed enough to stumble to Natasha's side.

"H-how did he get in here?" you whispered to her, your eyes never leaving his face.

Natasha remained focus on the file before her and didn't notice your change in demeanor. "I thought you two had met. He had your business card. He didn't have an appointment, but was willing to wait in case we had an opening."

Your stomach dropped. A business card. That's the one thing you wouldn't have missed from your wallet, the amount changing all the time. You offered your card almost daily, hoping to let people know they weren't alone. Many had become clients as a result from your willingness to help. Unfortunately, that business card also led the killer straight to you.

"It's alright, our meeting was some time ago. Besides, I looked a bit different back then," he grinned at you. His tone was friendly but the underlying meaning and his predatory expression caused bile to rise in your throat.

Natasha lifted her eyes and his face smoothed to a friendly smile. "We'll see what we can do for you, Mr. Kopecky. Now, how long have they been in the country? Have your aunt and uncle applied for visas in the past? Y/N, could you give him the..."

She trailed off upon seeing your expression. You tried to force your brain to shake off the panic that gripped you tight, but your eyes remained wide in shock.

"What is it, Y/n?" the redhead questioned you in concern.

"I...he was the..."

You struggled to find the words to explain all that had happened in the past few days and the danger you were both in. Natasha had no idea and as you gathered a succinct way to tell her, you caught a small motion in the right hand of the man before you. Rumlow silently withdrew something from his pocket, just enough for the glint of metal to catch your eye before he lowered it out of sight. He pressed a finger to his lips. Natasha saw none of it, still trying to shake some sense out of you.

"Are you okay? You're white as a sheet, Y/N. Can I.."

"Ms. Romanoff," he interrupted. "I know Y/N seeing me is a bit of a surprise. We parted on less than friendly terms. Could we have a moment alone to clear the air?"

"Is that alright with you, Y/N?" she asked you, placing a hand on your arm.

Somehow, you were able to stand up straight and take a deep breath at this change of events. Oddly enough, making sure Natasha was out of danger's way made you feel a touch more calm. He didn't want her. He only wanted you. If there was a way to keep her safe, you had to take it. You finally met her eyes and nodded.

"Okay. I'll be outside if you need anything," she responded and headed for the door.

Just before she could close it behind her, a thought came to your mind and you finally found your voice.

"Oh, Natasha...could you check my cell phone? I might have missed an important phone call. It's on my desk."

Her brow furrowed at the strange request, but you gave a nod of confirmation.

"Please."

"Alright," she replied as the door closed with a click.

A dry chuckle was heard from behind you. "You're gonna pay for that, whatever you're planning."

Clearing your throat, you turned to face him. "You got what you wanted. Here I am."

"Yes, here you are. They had you hidden away after our night together, but I knew how to draw you out," the man drawled with a menacing grin as he walked toward the door.

Despite the fact that you were moving further from the exit, you felt the urge to put as much distance as possible between you. Keeping him in your sights, you managed to get behind the desk. You felt better with an obstacle in the way. He reached out to secure the lock and then turned toward you.

"H-how did you get past security?" you asked, trying to keep him talking.

He shrugged, pulling out his knife casually, as if he were checking his watch. "I got friends in low places. Never hurts to befriend the help," he smirked while fingering the blade lovingly.

"The help...you mean the cleaning staff?" you questioned, putting the pieces together. If he was able to get in a back door without being seen, that explained everything. Especially getting in with a knife, bypassing the metal detectors at the front entrance. "So you would have access to our offices...did you misplace that file?"

Rumlow slowed his hand on the blade just long enough to grin at you.

"I've had a few days to check up on you, Ms. Y/N (Y/L/N)." You shuddered to hear your name tumble from his mouth. "God bless the internet. You're quite the altruist...doing good deeds and helping people. That's what you want to do, right? To help people?" he asked you, gesturing in your direction with the tip of the knife, causing you to flinch.

"Y-yes."

"Good. Cause you're gonna help me out. You're gonna walk out of here with me. Willingly. Or I kill everyone in this whole damn place."