Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Chapter Two

Eli drops down into the seat next to Bruce who glances up from his book to her, she smirks around the cigarette between her lips. He's been in Rio for almost three months now, Eli has become a firm fixture in his life. Ever since the day he watched her defend that boy he hasn't been able to shake her, and to be honest, he's not been trying that hard. He tells himself it would be best for him to get as far away from this woman as he can get, for her own safety and yet he keeps getting closer to her instead. It's hard not to. She's the exact opposite of him, and yet he finds himself wanting to be round her. There's something comforting about her. Even the 'other guy' is settled and content when Eli is around. He actually feels like he has more control. He watches her a moment as she scratches blood form her knuckles, that's not new either, he often sees her with some amount of blood, and he's not sure it's always hers. This is the first time he's seen Eli in a few days, but that's nothing new, she sometimes wanders off for days on end without a word or without notice, but does always come back.

"Bruce" she greets, he smiles and goes back to his book.

"Eli" he greets back, she leans back in the seat and crosses one leg over the other. "New friend?" he asks, she frowns and then rolls her eyes seeing the dog that's started following her around.

"He won't leave me alone" she complains sitting up and looking at the black and white dog. "Serves me right" she offers. "Shouldn't have feed it" Bruce smirks. "I was trying to be nice" she tells him leaning back again, the dog moves closer to them, rubbing his head against her leg. She sighs and looks to him. "Mutt" she grumbles and scratches at his head. Bruce chuckles a little. "Not a word" she warns him.

"I didn't say anything" Bruce argues looking to her. "You should name him" he offers.

"Why? I'm not keeping him" she counter argues, she has no intention of keep the dog, she can barely look after herself let alone another living animal.

"Sure" Bruce offers, not convinced in the slightest. Eli glances to him as he tries not to smirk.

"What are you reading?" she asks him.

"A book" he answer, she shoots him a look. "I'm teaching myself Portuguese" he offers and looks to her. "You know a little" she nods.

"Enough to order a drink" she agrees with a smirk, he smirks and looks back to his book. "I don't need much more then that"

"One day you might" he corrects. "If need medical attention, the police" She snorts.

"The police are as useful as..." She pauses trying to come up with something, Bruce glances to her.

"As?" he asks, she looks to him.

"Nipples on a man" she answers, he tries to fight a smirk. "Like really, what are they there for?"

"Nothing" he agrees. "We have no use for them"

"Then why do you have them?" she asks him fighting her own smirk. Bruce looks to her.

"I have no answer to that" he admits, she smirks and looks forward again. "But" he steers the conversation back. "Are the police here really that bad?" he asks, she shrugs.

"Never seen any sooo" she offers. "All I know is that the people here would rather come to me for help then the police....I'm sure that says something"

"You're going to get hurt" Bruce scolds slightly, worried about his friend. Perhaps more then he should be.

"I'll be fine" she corrects. "I always am" she c sets a pair of sunglasses over her eyes to soak in the sun, Bruce watches her a moment before going back to his book, eyes still seeking her out every few minutes, because the other guy grumbles in the back of his mind, he'd be content if Bruce just looked at Eli all day long. To be fair; so would Bruce. There is just something about this woman that he's drawn to him.

..............

Eli moves around Bruce's small kitchen setting food into two bowls as he dries his hair, it's hot this day, hotter then any day so far since he arrived and all she's wearing in a pair of cotton shorts, a bikini top covered with a cotton shirt, left open at the front. Now he's a man at the end of the day and she is a very attractive young woman and clearly has no issue with her own body. Bruce tries really hard not to look at her the wrong way. Even if deep, deep, deep down there is a part of him that is attracted to her, he's trying really hard to ignore that part of him. Friends. That's all they are, that's all he is going to allow himself. He's seen her change too, she's not as withdrawn. The first few times they spent time together they'd go minutes, hours without talking, just sitting together, he'd read, she'd drink but now, now they manage whole conversations, now she's let him in under her outer shield. The dog that had adopted Eli, now goes by the name Ricky, and is a fixture in her life. He follows her everywhere. Bruce sits at the table as Eli carries the two bowls across and joins him.

"How much of Brazil have you seen?" she asks Bruce, her hand on the top of the dogs head.

"Just...here" he answers as he grabs his spoon from the side. Turns out Eli is actually an incredible cook

"Wanna see more?" she asks, he glances to her.

"What?" he counter asks.

"You know, get out, see more of the Brazil" she offers. "I'm going to Tijuca for a few days and wondered if you wanted to come with me"

"Go with you?" he asks, she nods looking to him.

"It's a bit of a hike and stuff but it's worth it" she shrugs. "You can say no" she offers with a smirk. "I won't be offended" he shrugs.

"Can I think about it?" he asks.

"Sure" she answers and turns her attention to her food. "I'm heading out Friday so..." she shrugs and then offers a smile. Bruce smiles back. She looks down first, a weird, new feeling in her chest. She touches her chest and pulls a face, face curtained by her hair. What the hell is going on with her?

............

Bruce leans in the doorway of his small house looking down at Eli who is sat in a picnic chair on his veranda, she's shed the cotton shirt to bare her skin to the sun, she barely seems affected by the heat. He moves to her and holds out a beer, she smirks without opening her eyes and takes it from him.

"Thanks" she tells him opening it.

"I have to get back to the factory" he tells her. "You want me to bring anything back?" he asks, she peeks through her eye at him.

"No, I'm good" she offers. "If you see Ricky..."

"I'll send him home, don't worry" he teases starting to walk away, heading to work. She smirks watching him go, he turns back to her and she drops her smirk. "What happened to you not keeping him?" he teases a little.

"I said the same thing about you" she offers back, Bruce smiles softly and then nods before walking away. Eli smiles and touches her chest again, that feeling back. "What is that?" she asks herself before shrugging and drinking her beer.