Without You [Daniel Ricciardo]

5. he tries to please them all, this bitter man he is

"And?" Nico raised his head when Daniel came into the kitchen. "She fell asleep in my room". He sighed. "What about Egle?" Nico leaned forward on the kitchen island, while Daniel took a seat on the other side of it. "She went home to finish some work. I told her that Zoe's not feeling well. She said it's fine". Daniel nodded. "What the hell happened there, Danny?". Nico wasn't aware of what happened in Daniel's room. After the lovebirds left the table and went upstairs, he gave them some time before he went to ask if they need anything. Nico stepped inside and saw Zoe with tears in her eyes, holding on of Daniel's pictures in front of his face. He didn't thought about asking when she gazed at him with the look full of confusion. He instantly took matters into his own hands and handled the situation. Daniel took his time with an answer. He was still trying to process what happened, to understand it and to present the facts to his brother in the right order. "You remember that man with the box?" He finally spoke. Nico noticed his eyes were red, but he couldn't tell if it's because he was tired or maybe he cried a bit along with Zoe. Nico knew from his own experience that tears of the woman you cherish hurt more than a bullet. "You mean with the box?" Nico wanted to make sure they thought about the same thing. He started to have concerns where this was leading. "Jonah Taylor. Taylor. The man with El Dorado was Zoe's father. She saw him on the photograph in my bedroom, standing next to our boss". Nico parted his lips in disbelief. His intuition warned him, but at least this time he wished this not to be true. He took a few steps back and started to walk around the kitchen. Daniel buried his face in his hands. His head was pounding, but he needed to come up with an idea of how end this crisis. He already knew Zoe would gave up everything to find out what happened to her parents. "What did you tell her?" Nico stopped in his tracks. "Nothing yet. What am I suppose to tell her? The truth?". His brother slightly noded his head, giving Daniel a signal it's not a bad idea. "You have to tell her something". Daniel stood up as he couldn't believe what Nico was actually suggesting. "Egle doesn't know and you don't plan on telling her soon". He noticed. "That's completely different situation. Isn't the truth best option for all of us instead making up lies? Don't you think Zoe would like to know?". "Great plan. I'll go and tell her that her father had connections with the mob from which, by the way, we came from and the guy who's standing next to him was known as The Butcher. I'm sure she'll be thrilled".

The long moment of silence followed, before Nico started to consider other options. "Do you think our boss killed the man with the box?" Their lifes getting more and more complicated with every another question his mind produced. "No, I would know about it. Besides, boss didn't have a reason to get rid off him and the box disappeared". Daniel reminded him as he worked the closest to their boss. "And what are the chances that Zoe has that box?" Daniel scoffed. "Stop it, okay? She has nothing to do with it. She's innocent". Nico sighed, knowing that whatever he'll say right now will only irritate his brother more, but in the same they couldn't postpone such conversation. "You know it, I know it. Still, for some it wouldn't be so obvious. In our job it's the name that counts and I rather be prepared for the worst". Nico stated, confusing Daniel a bit. What preparing for the worst suppose to mean in this situation?

"What are you talking about? You sound like you want to prepare for war". Nico looked him straight in the eyes and Daniel saw that spark of fire in his brother's blue eyes. It didn't herald anything good. "Think, Daniel. Jonah Taylor gets murdered after he broke off negotiations with our boss about buying out the box. No crew was responsible for his death. El Dorado disappears, but no one used it either. Whoever has it may assume that Zoe knows the code to open it or at least has it somewhere. Maybe she's not even aware of it". Daniel scratched his forhead. "I still can't understand where you heading". Honestly, that whole conspiracy theory was starting to annoy him. "The only people who knew about Jonah and El Dorado were us, four crews. The person who propably has it was one of us. Somebody was so disappointed with the negotiations that went after Jonah and took it by force, not wondering what will happen if Jonah won't give him the code. Maybe there was a fight and Jonah died by accident?". Daniel shook his head. "Maybe. Are you done?". He asked, but Nico was far from being done. "According to our rules, such member would be excommunicated. Feeling betrayed, he would like to use the box to get his ultimate revenge. Now, does that description fits somebody you know?". Daniel finally realised what this whole lecture was about and he didn't like it. He felt as if he came back to that church in New York. The burning walls were falling on him, broken glass crunched under his feet and smoke made it hard to breathe or see. "Romain Grosjean is dead. I shot him in the face, right after he shot Alessandra. He's dead". It hurt Nico to see his brother deny the facts so hard just because he couldn't handle the reality. He didn't want Romain back in their lifes either, but he won't act like there's no problem. Romain wasn't a small bruise that eventually will heal. He was like a cancer, eating you from the inside before you notice. "Funny thing about Romain is that he never really stays dead for too long. He got excommunicated from the crew days after Jonah Taylor died and we were too stupid to connect the dots. They told us he ran away, we nodded. He propably did anyway, but carried the box with him". Daniel shook his head. "Romain got his revenge, Nico. Thanks to him the whole East Coast crew got slaughtered. What kind of psycho wouldn't be satisfied with something like this?" "The Romain kind. He always aspired to be the most important person in the room. Maybe he feels comfortable enough to go after the other crews, but he needs supplies. He needs El Dorado. He was building his empire as we sat here on our asses and forgot about him. We need to assume that Romain is out here and might have observed Zoe". Those words had an effect on him, like fire on gasoline. He rose up from the kitchen chair and slammed his hands against cold marble of the kitchen island. "Nobody is coming after my girl! End of story, Nico". He yelled. Nico looked at him in shock as he left kitchen and ran upstairs towards his room. Zoe was still lying on his bed, curled up under the sheets. With a sigh of relief Daniel lay down next to her, inhalling her lovely scent. That night his nightmare didn't come, but he had never slept so alertly in his life.

Zoe reached out for her foundation, while sitting in front of the mirror in changing room. The product didn't cover up perfectly those shadows under her eyes, but it'll be enough to not scare the guests and survive the performance. The dress she was wearing for today made her feel uncomfortable even though it fitted her perfectly. It was all just in her head. She needed to calm down if she didn't want to fail. In the same time the image of her parents from Daniel's photograph was still vivid under her eyelids. Whenever she blinked, their serious faces showed up in the darkness for a slight second. Daniel explained to her that he inherited the phorograph from the man he knew and was no more. Zoe had no reason to not believe his words, but expression on Nico's face while he was telling her that made her a bit suspicious. She put all of her belonging into her bag when there was knocking on the door. A head with dark curles looked inside, which made Zoe smile at him. Daniel entered the room, looking hot in his new dark suit. The material closing tightly over his muscled body. After closing the door behind him, he sat next to her on a bench and moved closer. One of his arms embraced her, pulling her closer, so he could kiss her cheek. "I already put the foundation on". She warned him with a giggle. "I'm resourceful". His stubble scratched her cheek, which made goosebumps rose all over her body. Daniel took her chin and moved her face closer to his in order to kiss her on the lips instead. "I wish I could stay with you like this". She moaned against his lips. "Hey, where this whining is coming from? Besides, you're already put the foundation on".

Zoe punched him in the arm, which only made him laugh. She wanted to push herself away from him, acting like she was mad, but his hands hold her close by her hips. "Everything is good, Ms. Taylor". He assured her, looking deeply into her heavenly blue eyes. "I'm still quite embarrassed that I broke down like that in front of you and Nico. It was just a picture and I overreacted. But that's because I'm trying to solve this puzzle for so long". She made a pause to connect their hand together. Daniel felt this stingy pain in his chest. He had all the answers she desired and was keeping them away from her. But that's for her own safety. "Do you think I could borrow your photograph for a day or two? I want to ask my grandmother about it. I actually found something on my own. She won't be able to dismiss me. You could come with me". "I'm not sure your grandmother would be happy". He commented, remembering the first encounter with Zoe's grandmother. Zoe put her arms around his neck and moved even closer to him, so their noses were touching. The air they breathe out now mixed between them. "I am happy". She admitted quietly, before their lips connected one last time before the show. In the exact moment Zoe said those words, Daniel realised that he's happy too. He finally allowed himself to feel something more and Zoe was his definition of happiness. After he was forced to leave the backstage, he took his seat in the first row. He wanted to enjoy this night to the fullest, but thoughts about Romain resurfaced as the lights went off.

Zoe started to dance on stage, reliving for a hundredth time the tragic history of Odette and her prince. Two hours passed quickly and she couldn't wait to see Daniel. After the curtain went down, she rushed back into the changing room. She changed from her dress into more comfortable clothes. Then she sat on the same bench they kissed not so long ago. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the though of Daniel's arms around her. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her as it was too perfect to be true. The sudden knock on the door surprised her as Daniel suppose to wait for her outside to not get mixed with the leaving crowd. "Someone here is impatient". Zoe commented teasingly, when the door opened and she was washing make up from her face. She didn't check in the mirror if the person entering the room was in fact Daniel and that was a mistake. Zoe froze as some stranger just like started to walk around the space. "I'm sorry sir, but this is a private room. You're not allowed to be here". It didn't sound convincing as Zoe's voice started to tremble. The man looked at her and Zoe's heart stopped for a slight second. The man himself didn't look dangerous. It was the scar which blemished his face that terrified her. The red bruise started on his forhead and trailed its way toward the cheek were it connected with another one, more round. "Yes, we didn't have a pleasure to meet. But I was watching you, Zoe". He spoke. Under different circumstances she would marvel at his perfect French accent. "Excuse me?" The stranger stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She looked at his reflection towering over her own, his dark blue eyes watching her closely. His grip on her was strong. "You're nothing like your father, although I can see this rebellious sparkle in your eyes". The air hitched in Zoe's throat. Her mind screamed to run, but she couldn't move. He made sure of it. "I wanted to play with the boys and you, my dear, are a perfect toy for us". He said, before covering Zoe's mouth with a piece of wet cloth. Zoe tried to fight, but the fumes quickly drained her body of its strenght. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier until they closed. Her body went numb, falling straight into Romain's hands.