"Emanuel be careful!" You yelled to the 6-year-old kid at your care as he excitedly climbed up the stairs to the slide in the park close to home that you visited every day.

"Y/N Look Look!" Manu screamed as he positioned himself atop the slide ready to glide down.

"Wow! You're so-" You were distracted by the aggressive sound of tyre screeching.

You saw a black car stop in front of the park, two men getting out quickly hopping out the car as they rushed towards Emanuel.

"EMANUEL COME HERE!" You were faster than you'd ever done in your life towards him as you pressed the small button on the bracelet Carlos had made for you, a matching one adorning Manu's wrist. A panic button.

"Y/N!" Emanuel yelled your name scared as he sensed the sudden danger.

Emanuel was at the top of the slide and you were just able to reach it just before the men closed in.

"EMANUEL!" In desperation, you yanked him down from the top of the slide injuring him slightly in the process.

You clutched him tightly against your chest as you started running the men close behind you.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" You screamed in deep fear as you could feel the presence of the men right there.

You felt them clutch your hair and in pure instinct, you dropped Emanuel. "MANU RUN!" You yelled hoping to at least deter the men giving Manu a chance to run while Carlos and his men arrived.

You were yanked backward with force but didn't let your mind process the pain as you immediately clutched at both men holding them back from getting to Manu.

"PAPA!" You heard Manu's sobs although felt relief as you heard more tires screeching and soon after the men running away.

You rushed to get up getting to Emanuel.

"Manu, are you okay?" You held his face trying to examine him for injuries, your heart skipping a beat at the small bruise forming on his temple probably from when you yanked him off the slide.

"PAPA!" Manu screamed as he continued sobbing terrified. He got up running away towards his father who had quickly found his way to his son.

"Emanuel estás bien? (are you okay?)" Carlos examined his son as you did noticing the bruise, his eyes darkened in anger.

"Tras ellos! (go after them!)" He yelled at his men as they got in their cars to chase after the men.

"Carlos they came out of nowhere I-" You got up suddenly feeling the piercing pain shooting through your body from the way you were yanked back.

"You should've paid more attention!" Carlos screamed at you angrily as she held Emanuel trying to soothe him.

"Carlos I was-" Your attempts at explaining were futile.

"Why were you even here alone! You're fucking smarter than this! He got hurt and it's all your fault!" Carlos was seething, completely blinded by his anger and his terrified child in his arms.

"I'm sorry I-" This time you were fighting to talk through your own tears both of guilt and pain. Carlos had never raised his voice with you, even less after you started getting closer, crossing the line of boss-employee.

"Get in the fucking car!" He cut you off once more.

The car ride back to the house was silent except for the sniffles of both you and Emanuel.

"Y/n are you okay?" Emanuel asked from the car seat next to you on the back seat.

"I'm fine Manu. I'm sorry I hurt you." you held his small hand.

"It's okay, you were trying to save me." Manu offered you a small smile tugging at your heartstrings. "You're bleeding." He pointed out at your fingers.

You had some blood probably from cluthing at the men trying to stop them from getting to Manu.

"I'm okay." You quickly hid your hands away from him offering him a smile of your own.

You pulled up at the house and once again Carlos didn't say a word although you could tell he had significantly calmed down. He grabbed Emanuel taking him inside.

You watched them go taking a second to yourself as the pain you know felt across your whole body was presenting itself fully. You struggled to undo your belt and get out of the car with ease.

Once you got inside you could hear the shower running and you knew Carlos was getting Manu cleaned up giving you some time to clean yourself up before needing to look after Manu again...if Carlos would even want you to again.

Carlos POV:

"Manu, are you sure you're okay?" Carlos asked his son for the umpteenth time as he brushed his hair.

"Yes, Papa I just got scared but y/n protected me," Manu replied as he played with his figurines.

Carlos's heart ached knowing he was entirely too harsh on you but the terror that invaded his body was unlike anything he'd felt before when he saw you'd activated your panic button, it was something he wished you'd never had to use. As he drove to you and Manu a million terrifying thoughts raced through his head of what could be happening.

Once he turned the corner he saw the way you dropped Manu as the men yanked you back, you fighting to keep them away from his son. He was terrified for Emanuel but equally terrified for you which translated to anger. He was surprised at his own emotions taking over him, evidencing how much he truly cared for you.

"You were mean to her Papa." Carlos was snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at his son through the mirror in front of them, a frown on his son's face.

"I know Manu. I was very mean." Carlos admitted ashamed.

Once he got Manu to bed he knew he had to go see you. He walked to your room, he heard the shower running and he took the liberty to step in.

He saw your clothes, a few rips in them making a mental note to get you knew clothes tomorrow. He stripped before heading into your bathroom.

His heart broke at the sight of you. Watered blood rushed down your shaking body as you cried. Your back was facing the door so you didn't see him come in but the glass walls of the shower permitted him to see the fresh scratches on your back.

Carlos opened the shower door stepping in with you. You jumped when you felt his arm snake around your waist.

"Shh it's me, baby," Carlos whispered.

You continued crying, looking down and avoiding his eyes.

"I'm so sorry for screaming at you." Carlos turned you around gently careful not to hurt you further.

"I tried to protect him. I swear I did everything I could." Your eyes were puffy from all the crying you'd done which only broke Carlos's heart further. He hated himself for being the cause of it.

"I know. I know baby. You did, you protected him. He's safe." Carlos pulled you close kissing your temple and he felt you finally relax on his chest.

"I'm really sorry." You cried in his chest.

"No shhh. I'm sorry, I'll never forgive myself for screaming at you. I'm sorry I was just so scared." Carlos apologized again and again.

You finally looked up to meet his eyes, your crying dying down. You nodded accepting his apology. "My body really hurts."

Carlos stood by the large window of his office, the city's skyline shimmering in the distance, but his thoughts were far from the beautiful view. His hands were tucked deep into his pockets, his shoulders tense. The room was silent, except for the occasional ticking of a clock on the wall, yet the quiet only made his thoughts louder. It had been days since the incident with Emanuel, but the image of you protecting his son while narrowly escaping harm still gnawed at him.

He had yelled at you. Blown up in a way that wasn't just harsh but cruel, completely disregarding your health and emotions. Even though he'd apologized, you hadn't been the same since.

Your name echoed in his mind now with every moment of your absence. You had become like a shadow in the house, moving through the halls quietly, barely speaking unless spoken to. You said you'd forgiven him, but he knew better than anyone that forgiveness didn't chase away the hurt.

He hated seeing you like this.

The guilt was worse than any business deal gone wrong, and betrayal he'd experienced before. Carlos had learned to control his emotions over the years, to never let weakness show. But when it came to you, that control seemed to crumble. He found himself thinking about the way your eyes darted away from him now, the way your voice grew smaller, quieter whenever he entered a room.

Even now, you were upstairs with Emanuel. Carlos could hear his son's laughter faintly echoing through the walls. You'd always had a way with Emanuel, a deep connection with him and it filled Carlos with both gratitude and envy. 

Emanuel was naturally drawn to you like no one else, not even to Carlos himself. Your gentleness, your quiet strength, those were qualities Carlos admired, qualities he'd hoped Emanuel would learn from you among others.

He pushed himself away from the window and walked toward the door. This needed to change. He needed to change it.

Upstairs, You sat on the floor with Emanuel playing with his toy cars. His giggles were infectious, and you couldn't help but smile softly, even though your heart still ached with the memory of the incident. Emanuel was your light in the house, the one constant that made everything else bearable.

"Vroom!" Emanuel zoomed a car across the bedspread, his dark hair falling into his eyes reminding you of his father. He glanced up at you. "y/n are you okay?" he asked. 

Your heart warmed at his caring personality, always attentive, gentle, and sweet. You smoothed a hand over his hair. "I'm fine, Manu. Just thinking that's all."

"You think a lot," he said innocently, his big brown eyes watching you just like his dads. "Daddy thinks a lot, too," he commented as he slid the car around. 

At the mention of Carlos, your stomach tightened. The memory of his anger after the incident still felt fresh, even though you knew he hadn't meant to lash out like that. He was protective of Emanuel, fiercely so, and in his world, the dangerous world that he lived in, fear often manifested as anger. But that didn't make the actions hurt any less.

Emanuel climbed into your lap, his little arms wrapping around you. You hugged him tightly, inhaling the familiar scent of his shampoo. You had been with him since he was just a baby, through every milestone. He was more than just your charge. He was like your own child, in some ways.

"Daddy's sorry, you know," Emanuel mumbled against your shoulder as if he could read my thoughts. "He told me."

You felt a pang in your chest. "I know, Manu." I kissed the top of his head. But knowing something wasn't the same as feeling it.

Carlos lingered in the hallway, just outside Emanuel's room. He could hear his son talking to you, and a pang of jealousy stirred within him. Emanuel was so open with you. There was something about the way you nurtured him, soothed him, that often made Carlos feel inadequate as a father.

He hadn't meant to overhear the conversation, but once he did, it was impossible to ignore the tightening in his throat. Emanuel was defending him, telling you that he was sorry. A child shouldn't have to do that. Carlos had to fix this now.

He knocked softly on the door before stepping inside. Emanuel beamed when he saw him.

"Daddy! Look! I made a race track!" he cheered excitedly. 

Carlos smiled, though his attention was more on you, who had quickly averted your eyes and stood, gently easing Emanuel off your lap.

"That's a great track, buddy," Carlos said, ruffling his son's hair. His tone was light, but his gaze stayed fixed on you, trying to gauge your reaction. 

You were quick to busy yourself by tidying up Emanuel's toys, your movements quiet and careful, as though your were trying to avoid him entirely.

"Y/n," Carlos called you, but you didn't meet his eyes.

"I'll give you two some time," You murmured, already heading toward the door.

Carlos's jaw tightened. He hated this distance, the way you were slipping away from him. The connection that had only just begun to get deeper it felt like it was fading. 

Before he could say anything else, you were gone, leaving him alone with Emanuel.

The next few days passed in a blur of careful avoidance. You were always around, tending to Emanuel, fulfilling your duties with the same love you always had. But with Carlos, you were different. 

You kept your distance, your words short and polite. It felt like a wall had been built between them, and every time Carlos tried to break through it, you retreated further.

But he didn't give up.

Little by little, he tried showing you how much you meant to him not with grand gestures, but with small, thoughtful acts. 

For example, one morning, he noticed you hadn't eaten breakfast before tending to Emanuel, so he left your favorite pastry on the kitchen counter, along with a note that simply read: 

For you. 

Love, Carlos. 

You hadn't said anything, but he saw the way your eyes softened just a little when you saw it.

Another time, he made sure to leave a fresh bouquet of flowers on the small table by the door you always passed when coming in from your afternoon walks with Emanuel. The flowers were the same kind you had mentioned in passing once, months ago, when you were cuddling together late at night, talking about nothing in particular. He remembered every detail.

Slowly, he began to break through. 

One evening, as the sun began to set, Carlos found you in the garden with Emanuel. The boy was chasing butterflies, his laughter filling the air. You sat on a bench, your gaze following Emanuel with that same tender smile that always seemed to grace your face when you were with him.

Carlos approached quietly, sitting beside you. You initially stiffened for a moment but didn't move away. A small victory Carlos thought.

"Y/n " he began softly. "I miss you."

Her hands stilled in her lap, her eyes fixed on Emanuel. "I'm here."

"You're here," he agreed, his voice low. "But not with me. Not like before."

You didn't answer right away. The silence stretched between you, heavy and charged. Finally, you spoke, your voice barely above a whisper. "I guess I was more hurt than I let on, Carlos. When you yelled at me like that... I was terrified, wracked with guilt and I guess I expected... I expected a little comfort from you as well."

Carlos clenched his fists, the weight of his guilt settling over him like a suffocating blanket. "I know. I'm sorry. More than you know."

For the first time in days, you turned to look at him. His brown eyes were full of pain, but there was something else there too, something softer, more vulnerable. 

"It's not just about the yelling Carlos. It's about what it means. I care about Emanuel more than anything in this world, I wouldn't do anything to put him in harm's way intentionally and I would give my own life to protect him...and I thought you... trusted me."

"I do trust you," he said, his voice urgent. "With my life. With Emanuel's life. What happened... it just scared me. I reacted badly, but it wasn't because I didn't trust you. I panicked when I saw the scratch on Emanuel's head, when I saw you on the floor, I...I let fear take over."

Your expression softened slightly, though the tension in your posture remained. You studied him momentarily, your gaze searching his face for something, truth, perhaps. Understanding. Maybe both.

"I hate this," Carlos said quietly. "I hate seeing you like this. I hate that I hurt you. I don't want us to be like this. I need you back."

Your eyes shimmered, a ray of sun hitting your eyes perfectly as the sunset, and for a brief moment, he thought he saw a crack in the wall you had started building around yourself.

"I don't want that either," you admitted softly.

He reached out then, gently taking your hand in his, locking his fingers with yours. You didn't pull away, and the warmth of your skin against his felt like home.

"I'm not good at this," he said, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "But I want to be better, for you. For Emanuel. I care about you. More than I've let you know."

Your breath hitched slightly, your eyes widening. "Carlos..."

He squeezed your hand, his voice soft but firm. "I mean it. I love you."

For a moment, you just looked at him, your heart beating at lightning speed at his words. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Me too."

It was just two words, but to Carlos, it felt like everything.

It was a miracle you were walking down the streets on your own right now...well partially. Lando had been obliged to fly over to territory 55 after a business deal had gone wrong with his partner who urgently needed his assistance. 

Lando hated leaving you alone even if it was for short periods of time just hating the feeling of not being able to protect you himself. Nevertheless, he reluctantly had to sometimes and he wasn't one to force you to go with him everywhere especially if he knew he would be putting you in more danger around him. 

For this specific instance, he had needed to fly for a few days and it had taken a whole lot of begging over the phone for him to let you leave the house to go shopping, a treat for yourself (and a little for him). He only agreed because he had your location on your phone but also as long as you agreed that his best man Max Fewtrell would accompany you. 

The day had been wonderful for you, Max wasn't sure how much longer he could stand at another store watching you try on what felt like hundreds of pieces of clothing only for you to walk out with just 1 piece or none at all.

His feet were aching more than they would when he went on a mission and he was about ready to force you back home if it weren't for the stores closing that forced you to finally call it a day. 

You were walking to the car, Max a few steps ahead of you as he worked to get all the multiple shopping bags and boxes into the car. His struggle to do so distracted him enough not to notice the other eyes in the empty parking lot. 

Max heard you scream but by the time he turned around and drew his gun you were already down on the ground badly beaten, Max could only watch as the men delivered their last few kicks and punches before they scrambled disappearing in the night. 

Max attempted taking shots but they were futile as they ran in multiple directions and instead he focused on you instead of running after whoever they were. He saw a note left beside your beaten body.  

Max picked you up getting you in the car to quickly drive you to the hospital as you groaned in pain trying to make sense of what had just happened. 

"Max don't tell-" You struggled to breathe properly. 

"Shh don't hurt yourself." Max was stern, he knew what you were going to say and he also knew he wasn't going to listen.

"Don't tell Lando." You finished feeling as though this wasn't bad enough to have him fly back and panic over you. 

Max sees as you're wheeled in, panic filling his face at the amount of blood he can see down your face and body. At the hospital, apart from a few cuts and bruises to the rest of your body it's determined you have a mild fracture to your skull and you required a few stitches to a medium-sized gash to your head, explaining the large amounts of blood.

You fail to recall at what point you'd lost consciousness or been put to sleep as you woke up to see Max on the couch next to you, his leg jittering nervously, his phone in one hand and his head in the other hand.

"Max, are you okay?" You ask him, his head popping up and his eyes meeting yours, a wave of relief flooding them.

"NURSE!" Max screams out.

"Ouch." You grab your head as Max's loudness makes your head pound.

"Sorry." He gritted his teeth guiltily. "You get attacked and you ask me if I'm okay?" Max stifles a laugh.

You shrug. "Are you?" You ask again. 

"I'm fine...lucky for me he's decided to take his anger out on the poor nurses and doctors." He shakes his head.

"He? Max I-" A nurse comes in interrupting you, she explains everything to you, and checks your vitals before finally walking outside.

You're about to engage in conversation with Max again when Lando runs into the room.

"Y/n?!" He calls out, desperation and panic audible in his voice.

"You called him?! I told you not to." You turned to Max.

"He'd kill me if I hadn't." He argued back.

"He's right...if he wasn't like family he'd be dead already." Lando replied so nonchalantly it made a shiver run through your body. Lando walked towards you, a frown on his face as he looked at the bandage around your head. 

"Baby it wasn't his-" you were gonna speak.

"Who did this?" He looked at Max, you could see the ridiculous amount of anger in his eyes, his lips in a slight pout as he tried to keep it together and his breath incredibly heavy as if he'd just ran a marathon.

"Lan-" you tried calling him again.

"WHO?!!" He repeated himself to Max.

"They left this." Max handed him the note that was left beside you.

You saw Lando's eyes darken as he read the words. "Gather the men. Call 3, 16, 33, and 81. I want them dead." He instructed Max.

"Yes." Max didn't argue as he left the room, his phone already dialing.

"Lando-" another failed attempt.

"Did you see their faces?" He turned back to you.

"LANDO!" You raised your voice finally getting him to stop.

You grabbed your head, the volume and sudden jerk of your neck making it soar.

"Darling" Lando panicked when he saw your grabbing your head. "I'll call the nurse-"

You cupped his cheek before he could turn back around. You made him look at you. "Baby I'm okay." You spoke softly.

Lando let out a shaky breath he didn't realize he was holding, his shoulders visibly relaxing. It appeared that his efforts to keep it together were expiring.

His breathing started becoming irregular as he tried his best not to break down in front of you. He tried to quietly grasp for air that he didn't seem to be able to find.

"Lando take a deep breath." Your hands moved to his once you realized he was shaking, you gave them a tight squeeze.

"I can't..." he tried to suck in air. "I can't breathe" you could see him starting to panic.

"Lando breathe with me, baby." I grabbed one of his hands placing it on my chest, my hand tightly over his as I placed the other on his own chest. "Breath in."

He did as I told him.

"Breathe out." His breaths began matching mine.

We repeated this a few times.

"You're okay baby...I'm okay." Once I saw him calm enough I pulled his face closer to mine leaning his forehead against mine. "I'm okay."

He closed the space kissing you softly. 

"This is my worst nightmare-" a few tears escaped his eyes.

"I know baby...I know..." I pulled him into a much-needed hug from both of us. His embrace was tight against me but still not as tight as it normally would be, like he was afraid to break me.

"I can't..." his voice broke. "I can't lose you." He whispered to you.

This time you placed a kiss on his lips. "You're not going to. I'm okay I promise." 

"I won't let them touch you ever again," Lando promised as he rubbed your cheek with his thumb lovingly. 

10 days...it had been 10 days since you'd visited the house and 10 days since you'd been confined to Charles's apartment. Every day you felt more and more helpless despite him giving you updates on what he had found out...which wasn't much.  

From what he knew they were an old circle, thought to have disappeared years ago... they only hid away all this time, growing stronger in silence. You still didn't know why you, why your circle had been targeted, and what they wanted which worried you the most. 

Charles held back from telling you how he was finding this out, who he sent to investigate, and all the details in between despite your persistence to know. He didn't need you knowing all the favors he was calling in. 

He knew you were worried and restless, so he took the liberty to keep secretly buying ingredients, cooking, and baking utensils knowing this kept your mind busy. And he certainly didn't mind the amazing homemade dishes being prepared daily. 

Of course, you noticed, how magically the kitchen was always stocked, and updated frequently but you thought it was a way for Charles to keep you out of the way since he hadn't found the need to buy you more clothes apart from the fresh ones he got you on day 1. Apart from undergarments you continuously wore Charles's clothes around the house. 

You had finished preparing lunch, and you'd sat around the kitchen for a while but ultimately you had enough, you needed more answers, to do something. You decided to go straight into Charles's office, not caring if you were interrupting something. 

"-I will. You have my word." You caught onto Charles's last words on the call he was having. He heard you open the door and hung up soon after. "What are you doing here?" 

"I need answers." You wasted no time. 

"I've told you what I know." Charles quickly responded, serious as ever as he sat back down at his desk.  

You walked towards him, leaning over the desk and covering the pages that stole his attention from you. 

"I know there's more." You spoke angrily. 

"Not anything you need to know." Charles took your wrist firmly and tried to remove your hand from the pages. 

In anger, you squeezed your hand into a fist scrunching the pages under it. "Do I have to remind you this all started with my circle being destroyed?!" 

"I fucking need that," Charles spoke in anger dismissing your question, getting up and pushing your hand away successfully this time. 

"I don't give a shit! Charles, I need answers!" Your frustration was evident in your voice. 

"Or what?" Charles looked up at you, challenging you. 

You stayed quiet, what were you to say? 

"Huh? What are you going to do? You have nothing left and-" Charles leaned over the desk this time. 

You weren't going to tolerate his smugness but also his words stung more than you'd like to admit. You reached forward grabbing his collar but Charles reacted equally as fast. 

He grabbed your arm not allowing you to pull him forward and instead pulling you onto the desk. 

You fought him still pulling him by the collar in hopes of causing at least the tiniest bit of harm but this only ended up with the both of you over the table. Charles over you as you held tightly to his collar and he to your wrist, his other hand supporting his body weight.

"I told you I would leave." You kicked his leg from under him, turning at the same time causing him to fall onto his back on the floor, he was winded but still kept a tight grip this time on both your arms as you lay atop him. 

"And I said no-" Charles gritted his teeth angrily as he kicked forward, making you land on your back this time, though his grip on your arms prevented you from hitting the ground hard. 

"Why are you doing this?" Your words weren't angered anymore, or frustrated...they were desperate. You felt as his grip on you weakened allowing you to take control for a final time. 

Kicking forward you forced Charles to get off you, his grip slipping away as you got up. 

"You started it." Charles scoffed as he got up dusting himself off. 

"You know I didn't mean this." You turned to face him. "Why are you helping me? Why are you doing all of this?" You pointed to the table, full of plans and maps. 

Charles stared at his desk, wondering the same thing. He had been asking himself the same thing for days now, this didn't make any sense just like you said but he wasn't going to stop. 

You waited...waited for any response. But it was all futile. 

"Let's go. You need to practice." Charles once again dismissed your questions, he grabbed his coat which hung over his chair walking past you, hitting your shoulder in the process. 

You stood in his office, a defeated sigh escaping your lips as you accepted silence for what felt like the hundredth time. But he was right...what were you going to do?

You didn't say anything, not a word as you got into Charles's car, his men following close behind letting him drive you somewhere, not caring where that somewhere was. 

Charles watched you, he could see the thoughts running through your head as you let your head lean on his car window as if accepting your new reality. He would give you an answer if only he had one himself. 

"We're here." Charles's words burst your bubble of thoughts as he pulled into an underground access that seemed abandoned, thick walls surrounding every inch of the place. 

You looked around nervously. "Are you-" 

"I wouldn't have driven all this way just to kill you." He interrupted before you could even finish the question. 

Charles led you through several doors, his men staying behind after the first 3 until you arrived at an indoor shooting range. 

"Really? All of this just for target practice?" You scoffed. 

"I need a quiet place...sometimes I like more realistic target practices...you know?" Charles smirked. He took off his jacket as he opened a cabinet on the side of the room filled with guns of all different models a big drawer of ammo just below it. 

"Pick one," Charles said as he rolled up his sleeves, allowing you to appreciate his taut muscles. 

"You trust me with a gun?" You smirked this time as you approached the cabinet. 

"No, but you know we've been through this plenty of times now, if we wanted to kill each other we would've already, but for some reason, we have yet to figure out we haven't" Charles spoke casually as if this hadn't been the cause of all your troubled thoughts recently. 

"I'm sure we might have an idea-" you spoke softly as you took hold of a gun, looking up you realized you stood closer to him than you'd realized. 

"I'm none the wiser." Charles looked down, not missing the way he could feel your chest on his own but he dismissed you as he grabbed a gun himself. 

"Is it that painfully hard for you to admit you might not hate me?" You questioned him. 

"I haven't heard you admit anything." He bit back.

"Trust me...you won't." You laughed.

"Guess we're both stubborn like that then," Charles smirked proceeding to line himself up and shoot repeatedly at the center of the dummy target that stood a few meters away not missing a single shot.

He also didn't miss how you didn't flinch even slightly at the loud bangs. 

"Yep, guess that's one thing we got in common." You turned too not even taking a second to line yourself up before proceeding to shoot the target too except directly at the groin, a single hole was hit repeatedly only burning it bigger with each shot.

A shiver ran through Charles's body at your perfect and eerie aim. 

"But one of us has to give eventually." You finished, annoyed as you thrust the gun into Charles's arms and proceeded to walk out of the range. 

As you sped away into the night, tires screeching against the damp pavement, the silence in the car seemed louder than that of the gunfire you'd just escaped. You kept your gaze trained forward, unwilling to betray any hint of the turmoil in your mind. You never meant to drag him into this mess, yet here he was, determined to help you when he could have easily abandoned you or killed you. 

You hadn't spoken a word since you'd bolted from his place, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging heavily in the car. Finally, he broke the silence, voice low but tense.

"Did you let anyone see you? In your little escapade?" he asked his grip tight on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road.

You glanced at him, unsure whether it was anger or something else. "No. I was careful Charles."

His jaw clenched. "You're sure no one caught even a glance?"

"I don't know," You replied honestly, averting your gaze. "It's possible Charles...I-I don't know."

He scoffed. "You don't know..." he repeated your words. 

"Charles I told you you didn't have to do this. Are you second-guessing your decisions? Why did you even run with me then?" I questioned him, aware of the building tension between us. 

He laughed bitterly. "Good question. Maybe I have a weakness for trouble. Or maybe," he glanced at you, his dark eyes softening as he looked at you, "I'm not as willing to let you go as I should be."

You let out a shaky breath. Your walls, carefully constructed over years of deceit and control, felt dangerously close to crumbling. Here you were, vulnerable and exposed, relying on the man you'd once thought of as nothing but an enemy. 

"Pull over," You said abruptly, your voice barely above a whisper.

He shot you a sideways glance, eyebrows knit in confusion. "Are you insane? Do you want to get killed now? They could have followed us you know?"

"Just pull over!" you screamed, your desperation left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, he guided the car to a secluded side street, the engine growing silent. You leaned forward, your head in your hands, and your breathing was uneven.

For a moment, he thought you might be on the brink of passing out, the overbearing weight of everything finally overtaking you. But then you lifted your head, meeting his gaze with a fierceness he hadn't seen in you in a long time.

"You don't get it, do you?" you laughed, a defeated laugh, voice shaking with a mixture of anger. 

"Whoever did this to me...whoever is coming after me won't stop. They're cruel. They've already wiped out everyone in my circle, everyone I ever cared about, and trusted. They just came after you too Charles. I'm the last loose end...and anyone who gets close to me becomes a target, you've become a target." you looked him straight in the eyes. 

"I'm not exactly a stranger to danger," he replied, his voice calm but with a firmness to it. "You think I haven't faced threats before? I'm not some helpless bystander."

"This is different Charles" you insisted, frustration evident in your voice. "They're organized, smart. They know my moves, my strengths, my weaknesses. And now...they know you're involved."

His expression softened, and he reached over, his hand grasping yours, warm and grounding. "I'm not running away. As I said, we're doing it together...and we'll be ready"

You stared at him, still confused as to why he was so adamant to stay by your side. For so long, you'd built your life around distrust, convinced that everyone would betray you. But here he was, offering support...and maybe something else she was to scared to face. 

"Ok." I nodded looking down at your linked hands, a small sigh of resignation slipping out. "This won't be pretty Leclerc. There's no telling what they'll throw at us next."

He smirked, shifting the car back into gear. "Let them come." His tone was so confident it almost made me believe there was no way we would be defeated. 

Charles started driving again, in silence, but it was different this time. The tension that had once simmered between you now felt like something else his hand remained linked with yours and it wasn't awkward. You tried to ignore the way your pulse quickened whenever his fingers brushed against your hand or the way he would use your hand to change gears instead of letting go. You tried focusing on formulating a plan, piecing together the scattered fragments of information you had.

"We need somewhere safe to hide out," he said after a while, breaking her thoughts. 

"I know a place," she replied, her voice steady. "But I have no way to tell if it's compromised. Could be dangerous."

"Risks don't scare me." Charles smiled. 

You hesitated. "It's an old safehouse on the outskirts of the city, that belonged to my great-grandparents. Hardly anyone knows about it. Or at least I hope." 

"We can't keep driving forever. We have to risk it." Charles agreed. 

You nodded, Your mind already shifting into a tactical mode, plotting the next steps. If you reached the safehouse, you'd have a chance to gather supplies, and maybe even access some information about who was behind the attack. But a gnawing doubt and fear lingered, that the safehouse was already compromised. 

The drive felt endless, the road twisting through darkened streets and deserted alleyways. You drove all night, city lights faded as you moved toward the outskirts, replaced by the eerie silence and loneliness of abandoned buildings. Finally, you arrived, the safehouse looked just like every other abandoned house you'd passed, with no indication of recent activity. 

You'd exited the car cautiously, scanning the area for any sign of movement. You led him to a hidden door on the side of the building, taking a deep breath before pressing a series of numbers into a camoflaged keypad. A few seconds passed before a door clicked open, and you both quickly slipped inside, your relief was palpable as the heavy door sealed shut behind you.

The safe house was sparse, a relic from another life. Dust covered the surfaces, and the air was stale, but it was uncompromised. You motioned for him to sit while you searched for supplies, grabbing a first-aid kit from a cabinet in the corner.

"You're bleeding," he noted, his tone a mixture of surprise and concern.

You glanced down, You'd noticed the red seeping through your clothes in the car but chose to say anything knowing Charles would only grow concerned. But the adrenaline was fading, and the pain was creeping up. "I'll be fine. I've handled worse." You waved him off. 

He took the kit from your hands, his gaze dark. "Sit down." he ordered.

You relented, allowing him to tend to your deep but minor wound. You couldn't help but be reminded of the night that started it all, Charles's touch once harsh and uncaring now the opposite. 

His was careful and precise, and you found yourself studying him, the light furrow of his brows. You once hated him, seeing him as nothing more than an obstacle in her way. But now, as he focused intently on your wounds, you felt a strange warmth bloom in your chest, one you didn't dare acknowledge.

"Thank you," you murmured, your voice barely audible.

He looked up, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "Don't make this a habit." He joked. 

"You growing fond of me Leclerc?" You smirked. He stared at you, your gazes locking for a few seconds but he didn't answer. 

"We need to figure out who's behind this," he said finally, breaking the silence. "I might have a few contacts who might know something, but it's a gamble."

You nodded. "I might know some people to, it seems whoever is behind this knows I'm not dead so there's no point in trying to stay invisible anymore."

"Then we'll start there." His voice was steady, but his gaze lingered on you, searching. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I don't have a choice," you replied, your expression hardening. "Whoever did this won't stop until I'm dead. I have to face them head-on."

The determination in your voice was fierce, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration. You were stronger than he'd ever accepted, and despite everything, he was glad to be by your side.

It took 3 days. You took turns sleeping making sure someone was always alert, when you were both away you worked together to plan your next steps, to find information. On the third day once it was finally getting dark you set your plan into motion. 

You were going to split up, each to contact your own sources, gathering whatever intel you could find. You had insisted it was safer this way, less chance of both of them being targeted at once, he had refuted, adamant on sticking together but you had somehow convinced him despite a part of you hating the idea of leaving his side. You agreed that maximum in a week from now you were to meet here again. 

If one of you didn't show up...it was clear what that meant. 

"Promise me you'll be careful," you said, surprising yourself with the fragility of your voice.

He gave you a reassuring nod, his hand taking yours in an action that had become familiar. "You too." his grip on your hand tightened. "We're going to get through this." he sighed as if also trying to convince himself of this. 

"For the record, I don't think this is a good idea" Charles spoke as he drove through the familiar streets at night, the two cars behind him containing some of his own men the only thing in sight. 

"You invited yourself so you don't get to opine." You refuted.

 "This is my car, you're carrying my guns and wearing clothes that I bought you I think I have enough reason to opine." Charles bit back. 

"No one told you to let me live...in fact, I told you to kill me so you chose that yourself-" You were going to argue. 

"Shut up we're here." Charles interrupted you before you could carry on. 

You saw him drive into a hidden road that led to your house which you believed only very few people knew about not including him. "How did you?" You turned to him as he continued driving. 

Charles smirked but kept his eyes on the road. "You're not the only sneaky one here." 

"Stop the car here, we'll have to walk the rest of the way if we want to go unnoticed." You chose to ignore his previous comment as you were coming closer to your estate.

You both got out of the car and stayed close to the tree line as you approached the house, Charles's men surrounding the other side of the estate in case they saw anything. 

"Why the fuck do you need this much land," Charles complained as he wiped some sweat off his forehead from how long you'd been walking. 

"More space more control, more people less possibility of someone entering without me knowing...more control." You once again repeated his own words adjusting them slightly earning a glare from him. 

"Well obviously that logic didn't work...did it?" Charles also used your own words against you but you had to admit it hurt more than you'd imagined. 

Charles noticed how you found no humor in his words instead clearing your throat to disguise the knot that intended to build in it. 

"Obviously not." You said in a volume that Charles wouldn't have heard if the silence around you hadn't been so significant. 

You were finally coming up on the house and your breath hitched at the bodies you could see laying by the stairs leading up to the main door. 

"Are they-" But before Charles could finish asking you'd already run up the closest body. 

"Oh my god Ava." You placed your hand on the woman's cheek who lay lifeless right in front of you. 

Charles kept a look out at your surroundings making sure nobody was watching now that you were in plain sight and luckily the place seemed to have been abandoned after the attack. 

You then quickly moved on to the next bodies by the stairs. "Elijah...Michael." You closed their eyes saying a small prayer hoping they'd found rest. 

"You knew all of their names?" Charles asked in a quiet tone not wanting to disturb the silence. 

"There might've been a lot of people working for me...but they were all family. Every single one of them." Charles didn't miss the way a tear fell before you wiped your eyes quickly. 

You continued your way into the house in the same silence as before not taking it for granted that you hadn't seen or heard anyone around so far. Inside it was worse than outside, with bodies everywhere it was impossible not to step on the blood that had filled the once-white floors. 

Charles let you take your time noticing the way you struggled to continue without at least sparing a glance at the men and women who only a few hours before were guarding you. 

"I'm-" Charles wasn't sure what to say but maybe letting you hear he was sorry for you would make it better except he didn't get the opportunity. 

"Let's go upstairs." You shut him down before he could even get a word in. 

Charles could see his men come in from the back door and signaled for them to have a look around downstairs to which they happily obliged. He followed you upstairs as you moved through the space with ease until arriving at what he would assume was your room. 

He watched as your hand dropped to your side, the gun you held almost slipping from your grasp as you took in the state of your once sacred space but even more so the woman who lay dead by the foot of your bloodied bed. 

It took him completely by surprise when you dropped to your knees in front of the woman and saw how your body shook with the tears you were finally letting escape. 

Charles didn't know what to do so simply stepped closer hoping you were able to feel his presence wondering if it had all become too much or if this had been someone truly special. 

"Her name was Liz- Elizabeth." You began. "She...she was like a mother to me and-" the knot in your throat stopped you for a second. "She helped me escape. She ran to my room as soon as she heard the attack and found me trying to get my guns to fight back but-" your tears increased as you remembered. "She told me to go. She said they could handle it and that I should go." You rested your forehead against Elizabeth in tears. "I knew what would happen and I still left." 

Charles wasn't sure what he was feeling but he had a sudden urge to hug you an urge he would've acted upon if it hadn't been for his men running into the room. 

"Gens arrivent." They whispered, guns drawn. 

"We have to go c,mon." Charles lowered himself to your level. 

You clutched Elizabeth a little harder before placing a kiss on her cold and colorless cheek and leaving her behind. 

"Someone's coming, there's cars," Charles whispered to you as he could see the headlights through the window of her room.

"Come." You took his hand dragging him with you. 

You entered your bathroom and Charles was convinced you had gone insane if it hadn't been for the fact that you pulled your whole bathroom sink and counter out to reveal a hidden passage. 

"What the-" He was impressed. 

His men ran through and ahead but Charles stared at the door in awe. 

"Hurry!" You whispered pushing him in before following yourself and closing the door behind you. 

As soon as she shut the door the dark passage illuminated revealing a long and dark corridor. "This is how I escaped." 

"You walked all the way from here to my place with a gunshot wound through your stomach," Charles asked as you began to walk through the passage. 

"Adrenaline can make you do crazy things." You responded not bothering to look back at him. 

"Why exactly did you go to my place?" Charles rushed to catch up to you. 

"I told you, I wanted you to kill me." You once again avoided his eyes. 

"If you wanted to die you would've simply let yourself bleed out" Charles grabbed your arm stopping you from walking. 

"Wouldn't have been an honorable death." You finally faced him. 

Charles spent an embarrassingly long amount of time looking for you after the ball, combed the streets, and had his men look into security cameras but it was like you were simply a ghost, gone with no trace which shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. 

Once the sun was coming up again he decided to head back. You could take care of yourself, he told himself. But in reality, a million thoughts of what could've gone wrong crossed his mind. Maybe someone had recognized you at the party it wouldn't have been odd if someone had pointed it out to someone else. Perhaps the people who had tried to kill you had found out and tried it again. 

Charles was snapped out of his reeling thoughts as he heard the front door. Drawing his gun on instinct he was surprised to see you walk in wearing the same dress as yesterday except you held your heels in your hands. 

"Where the fuck have you been?" Charles asked angrily.

"I was-" You looked up at him, snapped out of your thoughts. 

"I have been looking for you all night, do you know how dangerous it is for you to be out there?!" Charles charged toward you. "I have risked my life, time, effort, and men all to keep you protected and you decide just to disappear?" 

You had a rough night, you needed space you needed to think, and coming back to this certainly didn't help. "You think I want all of this Charles? You think I want to have to rely on someone else to stay alive?!" You matched his tone. 

Charles was taken aback, he wasn't sure what he had expected but it wasn't these questions because, in reality, he felt relieved you were back but he certainly was failing to show it. 

"I spent the entire night walking around in these stupid heels-" you continued as you threw the heels at his feet. "wondering what the f*ck is next for me." Your eyes watered. 

Charles wasn't sure what to say, choosing to remain silent. 

"I thought tonight I could find out something." Your tone lowered with your head, defeated. "I thought maybe I could figure out who or maybe even just...why." A tear slipped down your cheek. "But you're right...you've risked too much for me when I have nothing left." you met his eyes. 

"That's not what I meant y/n I just-" Charles was filled with guilt, trying to find the right words this time. 

"Look I don't know why I came to you that night Charles." Your voice was so frail. "But I do know you probably should've just killed me that night...instead of saving me. Would've saved us both a lot of effort." You laughed but it was evident you were just masking the pain as you soon broke into a sob. 

Charles didn't care this time. He didn't care as he closed the gap between you both pulling you tightly into his arms. He held you, held you as you cried into his chest, held you as you let yourself fall into his arms and whisk you away.

"I'm glad I didn't kill you that night," Charles whispered as he placed a kiss atop your head. 

He thought you didn't hear him over your own cries but once you glanced up at him, your eyes red and cheeks tear-stained he knew you had. "What happens when you get tired of me Charles?" 

He looked deeply into your eyes, using his thumb to wipe away at the tears as best as he could. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of you. Turns out you're my favorite person to hate." 

Charles' heart warmed at the small smile he saw tug at your lips. "I'm sorry." you apologized, unsure of what for exactly but feeling the need to. 

"Me too." Charles felt the same urge. 

"And thank you, for...everything." You added Charles felt you squeeze him tighter before leaning up and placing a kiss on his cheek. 

"Shh." Charles wasn't sure what to reply. "Let's get some rest." 

You looked up realizing Charles had brought you to his room, the only room in his apartment you hadn't dared to intrude into before. 

Charles got up opening his drawers to pull a shirt out. "Here get comfortable." He tossed the shirt over. "I'll stay in the guest room tonight." 

"Charles you don't-" You were interrupted by one of Charles's men bursting into the room. 

"Ils arrivent! C'est un massacre en bas!" (They're coming! It's a blood bath downstairs) He yelled at Charles. 

"Fait brûler les documents et gagne nous du temps!" (Burn the documents and buy us time) he insturcted the man who soon took of running. 

"C, mon!" Charles extended his hand to you which you didn't hesitate to take. He dragged you to the guest room. 

"Get some shoes on quickly!" He instructed as he ran back outside. You wasted no time not only getting shoes on but quickly changing into something more practical. 

Once you were done Charles was back, a duffle bag in hand. "Take this." He handed you a gun. 

You grabbed it and Charles quickly took your hand again. "Let's go." He led you outside his apartment, you could hear screams and gunshots close by as he led you towards a back door. 

Before Charles opened the door you stopped him. "Charles wait!" You pulled him back. "You don't have to-" 

"Don't." He quickly stopped you. "Whatever happens outside, we're in this together." He squeezed your hand tighter. 

Although reluctantly you nodded knowing you wouldn't be able to change his mind right now and you were running out of time. "Okay." 

Charles opened the door, you caught sight of his men shooting at some people you were having trouble recognizing. "Keep running don't look back!" Charles kept a tight hold of you pulling you with him until you reached his garage. 

He got into one of his numerous Ferraris and you quickly followed. As you looked back a few bullets flew at the back of the car but thanks to the bulletproof glass failed to cause any real harm. 

Charles stood in front of his full-length mirror adjusting his tie, his suit was perfectly neat, clean, and spotless. He used his most expensive cologne, adorned his hands and wrist with his favorite rings and bracelets, and spent a little more time on his hair, ensuring it was tidy enough to last the evening. 

He wasn't sure why he was so nervous not only having been to countless balls before but also having used these scenes to scope out information probably in most. Were you going to like the dress he picked out for you? What if they'd given him the wrong size? Did he pick the right shape and size of heels? 

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a knock on his door. It had to be you. Taking one last glance at himself in the mirror he opened the door, his breath immediately catching in his throat as his eyes landed on you. 

"Uhm, I can't zip up the dress alone." You shyly admitted as you turned around completely oblivious to the effect you were having on the man. 

Charles was speechless, he could see your bear back having been forced to wear this dress without a bra, and the zipper just ended before the curve of your ass making him imagine things he should've felt ashamed of. 

Clearing his throat Charles tried his best to regain composure as he grabbed the zipper of your dress and pulled it up appreciating every small detail he'd been allowed to see of your body, the small freckles adorning your back and a small scar that peaked out your side he could just about make out. 

"Thank you." You turned back around and once again Charles found himself struggling to steady his breathing as he appreciated how the dress perfectly hugged your body. The red fabric wrapped tightly around your waist, and the wrap details gave it a snatched look, the slit reached just above your thigh making the look so...mesmerizing. 

"You look...beautiful." Charles would be a fool not to admit it and liked that he could see a small tint on your cheeks at the compliment. 

"Oh...Well, you picked the dress well." you shied away. 

It was weird for the both of you, unsure of how to react to the compliments being so used to the constant rude remarks thrown at each other normally. But it felt nice, even if they'd never admit it. 

"I'm not sure anyone could wear this as good as you," Charles muttered quietly under his breath but it was loud enough for you to hear it. 

You turned around to face him as you tied the mask around your eyes preparing yourself to head out, to Charles it was a crime to have your face covered as your features truly complimented the attire so perfectly but a weird side of him was glad no one would be able to appreciate you in your entirety aside from him tonight. 

_________

"Okay just remember you're my girlfriend, Luna Monroe, no one's heard of you because you belonged to Circle 55 before they expanded to Monaco, I've spoken to the leader he's ready to back us up if needed," Charles explained just as you were pulling up to the valet outside Avolire Palace. 

"I know I've been memorizing all morning and afternoon." You reassured him. "And I've got plan B if necessary," you smirked hiking your dress up, your covered leg displaying a tight strap that hid several sheats.

Charles cleared his throat trying to regain composure at the sight surprised at how much the sight had affected him. He wasn't sure what to say also afraid his voice would sound weak if he spoke now so he simply nodded before getting out of the car. 

"Men." You laughed to yourself noticing the effect you had on him this time. 

Walking inside your arm was tightly wrapped around Charles ready to keep up appearances, it was clear that as soon as you walked in you drew attention as several conversations died down and you felt the piercing gaze of several sets of eyes. You felt Charles's hand slide down your body before wrapping tightly around your waist drawing you closer to him. 

"Keep your head low darling," Charles whispered against your temple before placing a kiss on it using it as a cover as you continued walking further into the ballroom. 

"Seems like it'll be harder than expected to go unnoticed." You turned around to face Charles wrapping your arms around his shoulders as both his hands came to grip your waist now and you started swaying to the music. 

"I thought you were the best at that?" Charles smirked, you could see the glint of mischief in his eyes even through the mask as he pulled you closer your chest touching his. 

"I didn't say I couldn't do it, did I?" You bit back earning a laugh from the man. "Might just need a drink before." You added. 

"Why don't I go get us a drink then?" He suggested, giving you a wink before gently detaching himself from you and walking away. 

You stood to the side avoiding the collision with the dancing bodies as you scoped out the place discretely. You recognized a few people and watched carefully at the people deep in conversations, your eyes landing on two men who looked to be in a heated discussion across the room, you recognized one as Patrick Mosley son of Max Mosley a powerful leader in his time although his circle had struggled to recover after his death, it was odd to see Patrick around events as big as this but it was unmistakably him, his hand tattoo only bringing further confirmation. The second man was harder to identify as his back was turned to the dance floor.

You tried moving around the room in attempts to catch a glance at the man only to be interrupted by a body colliding against yours. "Oh I'm sorry." you quickly apologized to the man in front of you. 

"Oh please excuse me I wasn't looking." His hand rested on your waist where it had landed in an attempt to stabilize you after the hit. 

"Oh it's all forgiven from my side" You quickly added using your best attempts at charm to quickly move past the interaction. 

"I'm Esteban Ocon." The man extended his hand obviously eager to keep chatting.

"Luna." You shook his hand noticing you'd lost sight of the man you were looking for already. 

"Excuse my forwardness but you look absolutely ravishing tonight Luna." The man smiled widely, trying to cut the distance between the both of you. 

"Oh...thank you I'm actually looking for someone if you'll excuse me." You stepped back, offering him a kind smile but ready to move on but were stopped once again by Esteban. 

"Mosley?" He asked catching your attention, you hadn't been careful enough. "Yeah I was wondering what he could be arguing about, after everything I've heard." he piqued your interest further. 

You weighed your options and although the last thing you wanted was to shake off a man tonight you needed the information. "Care for a dance." You extended your hand to him. 

"It would be my pleasure." He smirked cockily taking your hand in his before leading you to the center of the room. You let him place his hands on your waist while you placed your arms on your shoulder still maintaining an odd amount of distance. 

"So do you know Mosely?" You began. 

"Hmm not much, he's been MIA for a couple of years, a few sightings here and there but ever since the attack on that circle he's been reappearing again...wonder if he's behind it." He laughed oblivious to the anger that coursed through your veins. 

"Attack on a circle?" You had to act oblivious "What happened?" 

"All I know is Mosley and other circle members who were thought to be dead started reappearing days before a circle just outside the city was attacked, everyone dead except the leader who escaped, she hasn't been seen since. I think she's dead." Your grip tightened on the man involuntarily. "eager are we?" He took it as a sign of affection which you had to play along with drawing closer to his body to distract him. 

"Why were they attacked?" You continued asking as you felt his hand lowering reaching close to the curve of your ass, you sure as hell would've broken his arm already if you didn't need him to keep talking.

"I heard something but it's impossible. I think it's all bullsh*t." He spoke, his tone a little more serious. 

"What is it?" You laughed trying to act unserious.