Devil's Nest

Chapter Sixteen: Underground Gift

The very first birthday Leslie could recall from memory was her eight birthday, two years after her mother died and when Martha started to actually come around. The detective didn't expect her family to do anything, her father was too busy working his ass off, brothers weren't the type to throw parties for birthdays, and her uncle was doing his first time in federal prison (nine years being behind bars for robbery and possession of heroine).

However, Mr. Anakin managed to throw a small party, which only ended in a disaster. A small alligator managed to slide through the crack in the fence early in the morning, it almost took three hours to get it out. Then, Lawrence became sick with chicken pots, Leslie was the only one around to take care of him and not get sick because she had already had the illness. Lastly, half of her classmates couldn't come because of the rumors spread about her brothers (mostly on their juvenile activities that the parents were worried about). Finally, the cake was infested with flies and also melted from sitting out in the sun too long because Edward forgot to cover it up.

Somehow, after all the disasters and misfortunes, Leslie remembered it being he best birthday ever. She looked on the bright side of things; the funny moments and seeing her father focus on everything but work for once after their mother's death.

The detective woke up to the faint sound of D'Angelo walking around the large room. Leslie sat up slowly, the sheets were soft against her naked body, she grown to love the silk expensive sheets; even though it doesn't really protect her from the draft. Then again, D'Angelo holds enough warmth for the both of them. D was dressed in a three piece suit and also wearing headphones while speaking on the phone. His hair wasn't a mess and face clear from stubble.

"Hey you," Leslie said while running her fingers through the nest on her head.

D'Angelo stopped in his tracks like a deer caught in headlights, "Good morning."

"Off to a meeting?"

"Yeah." He walked to her side of the bed to share a kiss on the forehead. "Happy birthday."

Leslie reached out to grab his untucked tie to receive a better kiss. "Thank." She sighed in relief while tucking the tie into his dark gray vest. "Let me get ready. I'll leave out with you."

"You don't have to rush, I left a set of spare keys for you. You can stay here or come back, whatever you want to do honey." D went back to getting ready for work, rushing around the room and trying his best not to curse his assistant out. Leslie slide out of bed and wrapped the thing bedsheet around her body to protect herself from the chilly air. "I'm about to go, I'll call you during lunch." He announced before Leslie could close the bathroom door.

"Oh okay," Leslie wasn't too happy for D'Angelo leaving so early or at least today. Being that he haven't been to a meeting or the club in days, it was by time he went back to reality and left her for work- she done it many times before. "I'll see you later?"

D'a face dropped slightly before he cleared his throat.

"I'm not going to see you?" Leslie was quite hurt from the sudden bad news. "I'm sure Evelyn is going to keep me out all night anyway, I'll see you tomorrow." She kept back the disappointing sigh by kissing his cheek and pinching the soft skin, which turn dark red.

"I did buy you a gift."

"Jesus, again?! How did you even buy this while you were busy with Vegas and us?"