The Fixer.

“I guess I should start with Mr. Chaussard.”

Elaina’s gaze shifted from Gabrielle’s father to Gabrielle, her mind still trying to make sense of what the hell any of this could have been connected. Following Gabrielle into the conference room, Elaina took up space at one of the table’s many vacant seats. Looking at Gabrielle, the Commandant couldn’t help the sympathetic gaze on her face. As the woman opposite her began to speak, however, Elaina found her sympathy slowly waning.

Théo was in jail because of her? Not because he deserved to be there but because he’d just been the unlucky draw? The sympathy waned even further when Elaina thought how easily Gabrielle could have decided that she be the one to be framed, or Maya or Daniel…

The sound of the glass bottle crashing against the wall brought Elaina back to reality, though looking at Gabrielle now felt more like she was talking to a stranger. Somewhere deep down, Elaina could appreciate what Gabrielle had been trying to do; when it came to family, there wasn’t much that Elaina wouldn’t do to keep the people she loved safe. However, to turn her back on the very Organization that did everything in its’ power to keep Elaina and her family safe, wasn’t something the Commandant felt herself capable of. 

Losing Tahir had taught her that. 

“Gabrielle, why would you do this?” Elaina questioned, gaze directed down at the table, both hands gently clenched into fists. “Do you even know what kind of mess you’ve created? What I now have to do?”

Elaina stood up from her seat, palms lay face down on the table as she looked over at Gabrielle. No matter which way this story ended, Elaina knew it wasn’t going to be good for the woman standing in front of her. There wasn’t anything the Commandant could do herself to save the woman, knowing her fate lay in the hands of the people much further up the food chain. All Elaina could from this moment forward was gather as much information as she could.

“Gage’s confession had better be enough because you’re deeply underestimating the power the Rutherford family has,” Elaina stood straight, arms moving to cross over her chest, part of her wanting to reach across the table and shake Gabrielle. “I assume I’m the only other person aside from Gage who knows about this?”

"Do you think I had a choice?" She let out a dry laugh shaking her head as hands pressed against the cold glass table. "You think I wanted to go against everything I believe in and sacrifice Mr. Chaussard? My father's life depended on me to do what needed to be."

Gabrielle stopped speaking for a moment to look over at the lifeless body of her father. She wondered what he would have to say about her now. His great daughter, the one who always had it all together, was falling apart inches from his deceased feet. Her lips were pressed together in a hard thin line. She wasn't going to sit here and pretend that she didn't know what was coming next. As if she didn't hear rumors of what happened to people when they crossed The St. Clairs.

“Nobody else knows besides Gage and you. Don’t worry about them I have a few on the inside as well.” 

Gabrielle finally turned her attention back to Elaina. This time there wasn't the weak woman standing as she straightened her spine and exhaled deeply. Hands wiped away the tears that were drying on her face. Gabrielle swallowed hard - she had known she was in no place to make request, but she had three of them.

"I want to see Thierry," She paused a second as she silently walked over to a picture frame removing it she revealed a wall safe that within moments was open. Gabrielle retrieved an envelope, a flash drive, and a little black book and turned back to Elaina, holding out the envelope towards her. "I need this to be mailed to Ethan Hathaway, don't worry it doesn't have anything to do what whats occurred. This book and flash drive are for you guys this is everything I have on everyone in Launceston and London. Every case I’ve handled, every lie I’ve covered up; use it to your advantage. It's the closest thing I can come to an apology.”

She had come to terms with her fate long before she was brought to wherever it was they had brought her. The four walls that surrounded her now weren't a prison but a destination. One that would reunite her with her parents and brother. As much as she hadn't wanted to meet her maker so soon; she had brought this on herself. Gabrielle paced back and forth in silence as she attempted to listen to the outside. 

An hour ago she had asked a loyalist for one last favor. While she had known that she had no right to ask for them. She prayed that they would allow it. Asking to see her cousin had taken guts. Truthfully she hadn't even known if he knew she was here. And if he did would he even want to see her? She did, after all, betray the organization he loved so much. 

When the door opened Gabrielle spun around. Hopeful that it would be his face that she saw but she was sadly disappointed. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She

"Please, I know I have no right to ask this," She began again though she knew he'd probably have none of her shit. "Can I just say goodbye to Thierry?"

GABRIELLE VENDROUX

When Gabrielle’s name appeared on Elaina’s phone screen, the Commandant’s initial reaction had been surprise. The two women weren’t exactly what one might call close, but after hearing Gabrielle’s voice on the phone, Elaina immediately agreed to meet her. It was what brought through the front door of Vendroux and Associates, passing through the lobby towards Gabrielle’s office.

The door was closed and locked, leaving Elaina with no other option except to knock.

“Gabrielle, it’s Elaina,” she attempted to keep her tone quiet, not wanting to draw attention should anyone unexpected walk by. 

The sound of high heels against the floor and a soft ‘click’ of the lock opening, followed by the office door opening the tiniest bit allowed Elaina to slip in, closing and locking the door behind her. Turning to address Gabrielle, the Commandant wasn’t even able to get a word out before she caught sight of the person sitting behind Gabrielle’s desk. 

It took her a moment to realize the person was actually a corpse. It took Elaina a moment more to realize the corpse was Gabrielle’s father.

“Oh my—” Elaina’s hand moved to cover her mouth, gaze shifting to look over at Gabrielle with an overwhelming amount of sympathy in her eyes. “Who did this? What happened? Why is he here? And why,” the Commandant couldn’t find the words to describe the display in front of her, “like this?”

At some point, she had peeled herself off the ground and to her feet. Though her legs had wanted to give out beneath her, she pushed forward and slowly started to 'clean' the way Gage had taught her. While she hadn't touched anything that would help prove Gage had been the one to kill the vixen. She did clean up her office and attempt to give her father some peace. She was emotionless as she worked. He had deserved better than this, and she knew it.

When she heard her name, she stopped and listened for a long moment before once more, forcing herself forward and do the door. She didn't verbally greet Elaina but instead give her access to the room.

"I don't know where to start," She confessed swallowing hard as she brushed her hand from her face. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she finally met Elaina's eyes. "I guess I should start with Mr.  Chaussard."

Gabrielle waved the French Commandant towards the conference room and away from her father's dead body. When they were both seated, she started recounting the last few weeks events.

"Someone was in my apartment when I arrived home a few weeks ago. They  told me to call Matthus  and when I did I was met by his screams...Then a video came in of Callum post torture. They had given me proof of life of the only people in my life. Which meant they wanted something." Gabrielle paused for a second closing her eyes as she thought back to exactly what they had said. "Destroy the St. Clairs. They knew about the hospital, about the constable and they wanted me to remove one of you as a player in London. They knew about my skills and their intent was clear one of you were to be framed for murder."

Gabrielle paused a second further.

"Before I was even able to figure out who they were. They sent me a photo of Callum with a bullet in his head." Gabrielle rose from her seat and started pacing the floor. "I had twenty four hours. Twenty four hours to frame Theo and my father was supposed to be safe."

Gabrielle grabbed the bottle of alcohol that was sitting on the desk and threw it against the wall. Her voice cracking as she did so.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be killed. I did what they wanted." Her back was to Gabrielle now. Gabrielle assumed that Elaina had stopped listening to her the moment she had put the pieces together that Gabrielle had framed Theo. 

"Gage has confessed to the Vixen's murder by now. We had the murder weapon still, and he can prove he planted evidence on both devices. They'll have no choice but to clear Theo with how detailed Gage's confession will be. He will not be including anything I just told you. So the french won't have any connection to any of this."

She waved to the mess in her office. Her father's dead body. All of it. Would be erased.

"If I had to place my bets on who did this it was the Rutherfords.  I have no proof, but they're the only ones who make sense plus I'm pretty sure I recognized the voice of the man sitting in my living room that night."

For someone who was normally so poised and powerful, she felt weak. She knew that the St. Clairs couldn’t just let her actions slide and she didn’t fault them for it. In fact, she hoped that whatever punishment they saught fit would be swift and she’d be reunited with her father. The thought made her bottom lip quiver as she finally turned to face Elaina once more. 

Eyes stared at the phone as she made her way down the corridor to Vendroux and Associates. She wondered how they were doing - if they debated on phoning her for help. Her teeth sunk into her cheek repeatedly as she read the words over once more. She liked the French Commandant, but he was just a piece of the puzzle. She had meant no harm to him or the others, but her father, the only family she had left, needed her. Family came first - it was surely something that they would understand.

Would they though? This transgression was something she knew deep down would not go unforgiven. She had known that for them to find out it was her something would have to occur - somehow she would have had to make a mistake. None of it would matter though, if her father was not safe. As soon as Gabrielle had finished at the Vixens apartment and phoned Maidmen after that she had waited by her phone to hear from whoever had taken her father.

First, Theo had been arrested.

Then Westminster Insider had posted their blast reporting that the incident had occurred and someone had been arrested.

They had all they needed. Hadn't they? Her father should have been walking through his front door, and she should have been running into his arms.

None of that happened though.

Four hours passed.

Then a day.

Still, her phone didn't ring. Her doors didn't open, and there was no sign of her father anywhere. Mentally she kicked herself for ever believing they would return her father so easily. It had all been part of a ploy; they must have wanted something else. Must have needed to use her influence and ruin somebody else's life. Whatever they wanted, it had been enough to kill Callum. Their determination to get whatever they wanted was clear, and Gabrielle wasn't going to risk pissing them off any further whatever it was they were going to get it.

Her key slide into the lock of her office door once she heard the audible click Gabrielle pushed it open. Gabrielle dropped her purse down on the small kitchen counter and started the coffee put. Lazily Gabrielle grabbed herself the skim milk and a cup and placed both things besides the coffee pot. It was quite - a clue that she was the first one to show up this morning. Something that wasn't new at all. She let out a heavy sigh as she reached for her cell phone and started dialing her father.

The loud familiar ringing in the silent office started her enough to cause her to knock over the milk and sending it crashing to the ground. The container and its contents didn't matter to her as much as that noise did. Gabrielle followed it through the office until it lead her outside of the door with her name on it. A shaking hand turned the knob and pushed it open.

Her body relaxed as she took in the sight of him. He was there - sitting right there in her black leather chair with his back to her.

"Dad!" She called out as she let go of the door handle and started towards him. Heels clicking on the ground as she quickly closed the space. "Dad?"

It wasn't until she was standing in front of him that she saw the emptiness in his eyes.

Gabrielle stumbled backward her back, meeting the wall as she allowed her body to drop to the ground in a heap. This wasn't fair. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Her sobs radiated throughout the office and lasted until she hadn't been able to breathe.

At some point, she had dragged herself over to her father and laid her head on his lap.

Gabrielle hadn't even lifted her head to see who was standing in her doorway. She hadn't cared enough. All that mattered in this moment was her father.

Strong hands grabbed hold of her as gently as possible and pulled her to her feet before leading her out of the room and towards the conference room. Seconds later, a glass of bourbon was placed in front of her.

She sat there silently for what felt like hours; finished the glass and then started on the bottle. Finally, she met Gage's eyes.

"I have to fix this. He would want me to fix this."

Gage shook his head.

"Not you," He said softly as he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I'll fix it. I'll go to Maiden. I'll admit it was me. I still have the knife to prove it. I'll explain each step I took as detailed as possible. I'll make them believe."

Gabrielle had known there would be no convincing him other wise. With her father gone, they needed to rectify the situation. To do what they did best and clean up the mess they had made. Gage admitting the truth to Maidmen would mean that Theo would be cleared and hopefully released smoothly.

He wouldn't be the only one telling the truth, though. Gabrielle paused a second before grabbing her cell phone and phoning a lower level french loyalist. After eight minutes of telling them the facts, she hung the phone up.

She should have called them right away. Should have warned them about this mess she was in. Maybe then they could have helped her. Maybe then she wouldn't have had to call in her team to help her without question create a murder scene in her apartment.

It had been easy really. Kidnap a Vixen - a semi well-known one, one that people would not only recognize but would know often were frequented by the St. Clairs.  Gabrielle hadn't killed her herself but she had stood in the door way as the life was drained from her body.

"She's gone," Gage had whispered softly before looking down at the woman. The man took a step backward; his gloved hands dropped down by his side as he turned to look at her. "What's next?"

She was moving around the room, knocking things over strategically. She had cleaned up messes like this before and made it like they had never even happened.  Both she and Gage were in disposable hazmat suits. Her body was in the living room on the floor blood covered the couch, the table, the rug. Multiple stab wounds covered her stomach. She had been drugged prior to, but all of that would be out of her system by the time the police found her.

"We create a struggle. We make it look the two of them were lovers who just went wrong. Have you hacked into their phone yet and planted all those messages."

Gage nodded silently as he knocked over a lamp and then the chair. Ten minutes later they were both finished, and the apartment looked as if they had started in the kitchen - two glasses with both of their fingerprints.  Red lipstick on her glass matched what covered her lips. Their struggle had brought them to the living room where it ended. Her black dress was torn at her thigh, her left eye bruised and her lip busted. She looked as if she had been through the wringer.  Gabrielle had managed to get his DNA and planted it under her fingernails, on the glass, and strands of hair on the couch.

Gabrielle nodded at Gage as they moved back towards the front door. Once there they slipped out of the hazmat suits and placed them in her pocketbook to be burned. Once out of her apartment Gabrielle pulled the door closed behind her and pulled out her phone and called  Constable Maidmen.

"Constable Maidmen this is Gabrielle Vendroux," She was sobbing now on point. "I just came to see my friend and she's been killed."

She'd make the perfect witness.

They both knew it.

Thirty minutes later, it would be tested whether or not it  she'd ever make it to be a character witness.

"Gabrielle Vendroux," The man's voice was thick with an accent she hadn't recognized. He had somehow let himself into her apartment and had been waiting for her when she arrived home. She paused in her tracks, wondering if she had time to make it out the door before he had a chance to act. Though as her eyes caught sight of the silver glistening in the night, she had known that he had a gun.

"Leave it off," He barked as she dropped her hands from the light switch.

"What do you want? Who are you?" She questioned in attempts to get some answers.

"Who I am doesn't matter yet. What does matter is 'dear old dad, you should give him a call."

Without asking another question, Gabrielle fished her cell phone out of her Kate Spade purse. Her thumb ran over the screen to unlock it before she navigated to her favorites. Her father was on top. Than Cal. Her eyes looked up to meet the masked man's as she brought the phone to her ear.

One ring. Two. As the call connected, Gabrielle was met by the sound of her father's screams. Her eyes grew wide, lips parting as threats poured from her lips.

"I don't know who you are but I'll-" Another scream. Fear ran through her body, causing a nauseous feeling in her stomach. "Please stop hurting him. Please."

The line went dead.

How many clients had she handled through hostage negotiations? The question crossed her mind as her mind began to spin.  She swallowed hard as she gripped the phone tighter in her hand. As if her father wasn't enough ammunition for them, a text message came across her phone.

A video.

Callum was hanging from a ceiling by his wrist. Shirtless and bloody but from what she could see, his chest was rising. Proof of life. They had given her proof of life for both of the people she loved. But they hadn't listed their demands yet. How was she supposed to save them when she didn't know if she could accomplish whatever it was they wanted. She didn't have a crazy amount of money. Was she well off - yes, but she was no billionaire.

This time her phone dropped into her pocketbook. She hadn't needed it anymore; there was no one else in her life that they could hurt. Gabrielle straightened her posture and crossed her arms over her chest. She lifted her chin high and attempted to keep a straight face. They couldn't see how much they were hurting her.

"What do you want."

"For you to further destroy the St. Clairs. That little stunt at the hospital was cute - protecting them by framing Constable Maidmen - it was cute but now you're going to use the Constable to do us a favor. Remove one of the St. Clairs players here in London a-"

"I'm not killing anyone."

"You aren't, but you may as well be. You're going to do what you do best, but instead of cleaning up a mess you're going to make one, and the St. Clair loyalist of your choosing will be a the center of it."

"What makes you think I won't just go to them?" She questioned brow raised as she cocked her head to the side. "You're the one hiding behind a mask like a coward."

Her phone binged again.  

Gabrielle didn't allow her eyes to leave the man as he hand fell back into her bag. The phone chimed again before she had a chance to wrap her fingers around it. This time when she pulled it out, there was a photo of Callum with a bullet in his head.

Gabrielle hadn't been able to silence the cry that left her lips. Tear filled eyes looked away from the phone and back at the man.

"Why are you doing this?"

He ignored her question as he rose from the chair and started towards her. Large steps closed the space between them, and while she had known she should have fleed, fear kept her in place.

Whilst he wanted to take comfort in her confidence there would be no further issues, Laurent was finding it remarkably difficult–not that it mattered much when he was teetering so close to the edge he would have the fucker shot if he dared open his mouth, anyway. The Frenchman offered a silent nod of acknowledgment. Her next words, however, had him huffing out an empty chuckle. A Vixen and a private room. Years ago, he’d have jumped at the idea…

“I guess it really is the beginning of the end if people think I need help getting laid, now.”

The words had him finally reaching out for the untouched glass. In the blink of an eye and a hasty gulp, it was empty.

“Appreciate the thought–” Sort of, anyway “–but I’ll pass,” he said, almost tossing the tumbler back down in a gesture reflective of his utter fucking exhaustion. “Sort something out for Olivier, instead. I’d say he’s earned a decent fucking reward tonight.”

“That wasn’t my intentions at all, nor had the thought even crossed my mind.” She spoke softly as she leaned backward in the plush seat. Admittedly she was just trying to help. When it came to situations like this - with people that she cared about - she had a hard time not wanting to help in any way possible. It had been the same way when her mother and brother had been murdered. She had pushed her own pain aside and took charge. She had done what she needed to do at the time. 

It was late enough that Olivier had to argue with a baker not to lock the store up just as he was arriving. He paid twice as much as he should’ve for the last loaf of bread available in the place, as a small compensation for causing the baker any distress, and started home. He hadn’t gotten far when he heard a loud scream not too far ahead. It almost sounded like an echo, likely coming from down an alley and behind one of the buildings that lined the street. If he’d kept walking home, he likely wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night without knowing who’d let out such a noise.

As he drew closer, Olivier could hear sounds of struggle and picked up the pace until he found the source of the scream. Olivier set the bagged loaf on top of some crates nearby before taking a few quick strides forward and landing a blow to the base of the attacker’s neck. He was already pulling out his gun from the holster vest hidden beneath his sports jacket, but the woman seemed to have gained her balance enough to take matters into her own hands. Slowly, he eased the gun back into the holster and pulled a switchblade from his chest pocket instead. He opened it and kept the point of the blade directed right at the man on the ground. 

“It’s good you were able to call attention to yourself, though,” Olivier said with a quick nod. “A dumber person wouldn’t have screamed and might be dead by now. Are you badly hurt?”

The man had gotten the point by now and was slowly climbing to his feet. Gabrielle had taken a step backward and towards her white knight. While she didn’t think he would be stupid enough to charge a man with a knife. He had been stupid enough to attack Gabrielle knowing how she could destroy his life. When he instead turned and ran in the other direction she turned her attention to the blonde man. A small smile on her lips she nodded her head. 

“Yes, just a little shaken. He didn’t really do much damage. It honestly could have been a lot worse.” Gabrielle laughed. “I should have really taken my cousin up on those boxing lessons.” 

Divya had been humming off and on all day. It was - she wasn’t sure who was to blame. She’d been woken several times the night before by a neighbour blaring music multiple times, though each time it was a different man singing. She’d eventually found headphones to sleep in, uncomfortable though they were, and now the damn song that had played most often was stuck in her head. So what’d I miss? What’d I miss? repeated over and over again, and eventually, she groaned aloud, spinning away from the look she earned from the woman behind the market stall.

“If I knew what I’d missed,” she muttered to no one - or so she thought, “I wouldn’t be here shopping, would I?”

There are times when the simplest of actions can lead to the worst of moments, and other times that can nearly lead to the worst of moments. It was a rather deep thought, deeper than Jack was accustomed to while on a casual stroll to get some coffee in the morning. It would seem that his morning was another man’s night, still, but Jack couldn’t tell that from seeing the man up the street. All he could tell, when he tripped slightly, was that his shoe was undone. So he stepped off to the side of the path, bent down, and went about retying his shoes. 

It was early enough that the streets weren’t super busy yet, and there should’ve been enough room for others to maneuver around Jack. Everyone managed to figure this out, except one man who stumbled and slumped against the wall barely a meter from where Jack crouched and reproduced the contents of his last few drinks onto the pavement between them. The stench his Jack like a freight train, but he was frozen with fear that if he moved, the other man would move, and the stream of twice-again liquid would veer close enough to Jack to touch him. Fucking Mondays.

She had been on her way to meet a client when she had seen the sudden purge of last nights drinks hit the concrete. London was really a jungle sometimes. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as black heels hit the pavement. She wasn’t going to sit idly by while puke traveled towards the man sitting on the ground beside him. Fuck that. Nobody deserved that - not even the young man who she didn’t know. Gabrielle stopped in front of them. She pointed to the man who was a mess and eyed him sharply.

“You hold your vomit from here on our or find an alleyway,” She turned her attention to the man with curly hair. She held her hand out for him to take. “You up now. You’re coming with me.”

It would have been impossible to not hear the distressed shriek that echoed through the evening air. Immediately, Elaina hand shifted towards her waist. The brunette could remember a time when handling a firearm had absolutely terrified her; when it came to violence, Elaina had always been more inclined to let Tahir or Farid take the wheel.

How times had changed…

Approaching the opening of the alley, Elaina arrived just at the woman who had presumably screamed landed three separate kicks into her attacker’s abdomen, admittedly, a bit confused as to why the woman had needed help at all. Still, it didn’t stop Elaina from hurrying to the woman’s side and drawing her weapon, pointing it towards the man writhing on the floor. 

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Elaina’s questions were directed towards the woman, though her gaze remained trained on the bag of dicks beneath them. The brunette had no intention of firing her weapon, assuming the man wasn’t stupid enough to try anything else. 

Gabrielle had recognized the French woman's voice though it had taken her a moment to realize it was not Noa but Elaina. Still felt a sense of relief flow over her body as she quickly positioned herself behind Elaine. She shook her head. “Nothing that wont heal. Thank you.” 

She turned her attention towards the man who was still sitting on the ground hand held against his stomach. She could tell he was trying to make up his mind on what he was going to do but the gun trained on him told him he should just go the other way. Gab watched as she ran in the opposite direction when they were free and clear she looked towards Elaine. 

“I truly appreciate that Ms. Halevy.” Her hand shot out quickly. “Gabrielle Vendroux, Thierry is my cousin.”

Well, then.

One good thing to come out of this disaster was definitely the woman standing in front of Ethan. Poised, graceful, and with a solution for the dripping coffee, as expected. He’d heard a lot of  her, and more about her. Everyone had to say something about Gabrielle Vendroux – something sweet, something nasty, but no matter if one loved or hated her, they all agreed on one thing:

She was the best damn fixer in London.

Which, naturally, meant that she had all of Ethan’s attention. And for her to walk right into him, literally…

Gone is the Starbucks mug. “Miss Vendroux,” Ethan cooed, a slight nod of his head. I know you, just as you know me, it said. London wasn’t as big as it seemed. “Throwing my coffee at you is the farthest thing from my mind. But I’ll take you up on that offer–” And, like the true gentleman he was, Ethan offered Gabrielle his arm before they made their way to the café.

She would have had to be stupid to wave him off and keep going about her day. Ethan Hathaway was just the connections she wanted to have in not only her pocket but someone of his talents to work beside. She had known that he had his own thing going on but a small part of her wondered how hard it would be to recruit him on to her team. 

Without hesitation, she slide her arm through his and followed him into the cafe. Her eyes quickly scanning the room to ensure that they would be able to find a seat before pointing towards it. When they were finally seated she offered him a smile. 

“So how is business treating you so far?” She questioned as her eyes pulled away from him and to the menu in front of her. “Has Bennett and Gallagher give you a decent size office with a mouth dropping view? If they haven’t I sure can.”

The people he encountered on a daily basis were far cry from upstanding citizens and the example of morality, however, disgusting scum picking on defenseless – for those, Adrian had little to no patience. Normally, the assassin wouldn’t bother to get involved in someone else’s fight, but the intensity of a woman’s scream was proof enough she needed help.

The piece of shit towering over her was bulky and aggressive, but a no match to a former GIGN operative. One heavy blow delivered in a swift manner had been enough to result in the attacker falling on the ground, groaning in pain. Only then, Adrian got a chance to get a look at the woman.

Gabrielle Vendroux.

He knew who she was, but did she recognise him?

“London streets at night are not exactly safe, miss.” Adrian approached the man, wrapped his left arm around his neck in a near-lethal choke, and dragged him upwards, “What shall we do about him?”

“My job doesn’t really allow me to decide when or when I shouldn’t be out on the streets of London. This typically doesn’t happen.” She commented as she looked down at the man who had just attacked her. When her savior asked his question she bit down on her bottom lip a moment as she decided. “Everyone deserves a second chance right? Well this is his.”

Well, at least she wasn’t a Russian.

Even if their last meeting had left him contemplating snapping her fucking neck, Laurent’s hatred for the resurgence of the Vorshevsky family was so utterly overwhelming he wouldn’t have had any left for her even if she had deserved it. The glass in front of him seemed more appealing by the second. If Gabrielle decided tonight would be the right time to test her luck with an attitude again, Noa was not going to be the only one in a hospital bed.

To his surprise and relief, however, Gabrielle’s topic of choice was all business.

“We trust you to handle these things for a reason,” he said bluntly. It was true. Members of the French Organization weren’t exactly known for being subtle, nor did they have the time to spare with war looming. Laurent silently reasoned it would also be a good chance for her to prove herself worthy of keeping around after her last ‘my dick is bigger than yours’ outburst. Whilst he didn’t want to dislike her, and he certainly didn’t want to distrust her, London as a whole new ball game. Everyone was earning their stripes all over. “I’d like you to handle it. If there are any issues, you come to me, nobody else, all right?”

“I don’t suspect there will be any further issues but you’ll be the first person I call.” Gabrielle said as she glanced around the room. She noticed the eyes that were on Laurent. It was like everyone in the room was waiting for him to lose his fucking shit. “Are you okay? Is there anything else I can help you with. Do you need to get laid?”