Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter forty six

I spent the night in Lex's arms. I was plagued by vague nightmares-none of the vivid terrors that had haunted me in the past; no, this was a swirl of dark colours and deep fear. They paralyzed me, left me frozen, cold sweat pooling in the dip of my spine.

I woke up alone, the gradient of light on the wall telling me it was well past ten in the morning. My muscles shouted in protest as I rose, tender from hours of misuse. I slid into a pink sweater, and pulled my hair into a low bun, trying the rid myself of the crawling sensation the dreams had left me with.

The house seemed eerily empty-the study was dark and silent, the kitchen devoid of staff. I assumed Lex was in a conference room or had disappeared off to some far corner of the house, but it was odd that there was no staff to be found. As I passed through the great glass ballroom, I heard voices. The door to the front drawing room was slightly ajar. I had never been inside the drawing room; it was meant for important deals and political visitors, none of which had taken place in my presence. I knocked slightly, and pushed the door open.

My heart stopped dead in my chest.

On the couch, across from where Lex was seated, was Dr. Jordan and Agent Booth. Both were in suits, with FBI windbreakers overtop. I could clearly see the outline of a gun under Booth's suit jacket.

"Ruth." Lex said. His voice was pleasant, but there was a warning tone underneath. "I was beginning to think I'd have to come wake you. You remember these gentlemen, yes?"

"I-" My throat closed, so I simply nodded.

Lex opened one arm, and gestured me towards him. Reluctantly, I crossed the room, and sat next to him on the loveseat. He wrapped an arm around my waist, his grip uncomfortably tight. I wanted to ask why the agents were here, but decided it too risky-if, by the grace of god, they were not here because of Alistair's death, any mention of his name might trigger an investigation.

"You look well, Ruth." Jordan smiled at me. "We heard about your ordeal. Very lucky that Mr. Luther found you so quickly. How did he manage it?"

I darted a look at Lex, who nodded slightly. "I have a ring with a stone that gives off a special radiation signature. Lex tracked it once he noticed I was gone."

"I thought the whole idea of keeping her locked up here was to keep her safe." Booth grumbled under his breath. Jordan put a hand on his colleague's arm, stopping his muttered complaining. Lex had stiffened beside me, the tension in the room thickening.

"May I have a moment alone with Ruth?" Jordan asked. He noticed Lex hesitate, and jumped to explain. "Just a moment. I want to make sure she's alright, after everything that's happened. I'm a trained psychiatrist."

"Fine." Lex gave in. "As long as Ruth is agreeable to it."

I swallowed hard, but nodded. I just would steer clear of any mention of Alistair, and end it as quickly as possible.

Lex, in the premise of untangling his arm from around me, leaned in to whisper in my ear. "They want to make sure the engagement isn't being forced on you, darling." He stood. "I'll be just outside if you need anything."

Booth rose, too. "Why don't you show me your famous wine collection, Luthor?"

Jordan waited until both men had left before turning his gaze back onto me. I shrank back into the armrest of the loveseat, avoiding eye contact.

"I gather congratulations are in order." He said gently. "You must be very excited."

"How did you find out?" I asked bluntly.

Jordan seemed prepared for the question. "I'm an FBI agent."

"You're a doctor."

"An FBI doctor." Jordan corrected me. "And it was in those trash magazines at the grocery store. Someone leaked the proposal story, or their version of it, at least."