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I was desperate for a shower and felt like I wouldn't be able to stand much longer without taking some cramp medicine. Sleeping for 12 hours straight was on my agenda from the moment Michelle and Luke picked us up at the airport.
I drop my suitcase and backpack to the floor to manage to open the door. I take the first step into the apartment and step on a piece of paper. It was an envelope. I feel like all my organs fell to the ground. In the envelope, there was a symbol I knew all too well, it was the same crest the mafia leader had in his hand when I killed him.
I pull my gun from my waist and start looking inside every room of the apartment. I check the kitchen, the bedrooms, the laundry room, even the balcony. There was no one.
I open the envelope, ignoring the fact that my fingers were trembling. Inside, there were photos, I was in all of them: leaving home, entering Luke's house, at the bar with Lena and Ally, at the hotel in New York, at the bar in Madrid. I grab my phone and call Luke.
"Hello?"
"Luke...," I clear my throat, trying to hold back the tears. "Come here, please."
"What happened?" His voice comes out worried, and I hear confused noises from the other end of the line as if he's getting dressed. I try to avoid tears and think clearly, but I knew what that meant and couldn't respond. "Scarlett! Talk to me, you're scaring me."
"They found me. They know I'm the one who killed their leader. They've been following me for days," I wipe my face with the back of my hand. "Remember the photos they sent to Dianna last week? It was them too, as we suspected."
"How do you know that?"
"Just come here, okay?"
"I'm getting in the car. Stay calm, okay? We'll figure this out." He says before hanging up.
I was so distraught that I realized I left all my things outside the apartment. I quickly grab them and put them inside my room. I check all the locks on every door and window. There were no signs of forced entry, apparently, they just threw the envelope under the door.
I sit on the couch, staring at my own shoes. I was very naive to think they would just forget about me. I startle at the sound of the door being opened. It's automatic to stand up, unlock the gun, and point it towards the door.
"Whoa! It's just us!" Luke puts both hands in front of his body. I take a deep breath, locking the gun and putting it back in my waistband, and only then do I notice Michelle entering right behind him.
"Oh, my friend! Luke told me everything," She hugs me tightly, and I almost start crying again.
"So?" Luke asks, and I let go of Michelle to hand him the envelope with the photos. He becomes serious as he analyzes them all and hands them to her when he's done.
"How did they find out it was you?" Luke is equally surprised.
"My old S.W.A.T. uniform has my last name. They must have hacked the system and pulled up the lieutenant list."
"What do you plan to do?"
"I have no idea."
"I'll send this to Jake. I'll ask for his opinion, maybe he'll refer you to a protection program."
"Great, just wonderful! The bodyguard needs a bodyguard now," It would be comical if it weren't so tragic.
"Terrible timing for that kind of comment, Scarlett."
"Don't you want to spend some time at my place? It's dangerous for you to stay here alone," Michelle says beside me.
"I went to the other side of the ocean and they were there. It won't help," My mouth had a horrible taste, and I felt restless, as if I were about to vomit.
"Scarlett's right. I'll talk to Jake and see what he thinks. Anyway, there's not much to do now."
***
MICHELLE WAS LYING on my bed. I checked all the locks in the house several times until I felt the false sense of security. I join her, settling under many layers of blankets. I try to sleep, but the sleep doesn't come. I toss and turn countless times in bed. My body was extremely tired, but my mind was so racing that no position seemed comfortable.
"I have a sedative in my purse and a gun. You can choose, because I'll use one of them against you if you don't stay quiet," She sits on the bed and turns on the bedside lamp.
"Sorry," I kick the blankets away from me, get out of bed, and start pacing around the room.
"This is even worse. Okay, come here, let's talk about something else, how about that? Getting your mind off this will be great," She has an optimistic tone and reaches out to me. I lie back down, this time with my head resting on her stomach, and she starts running her fingers through my hair.
"I almost slept with our boss," I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
"Luke told me,"
"I didn't tell him. How do you know?"
"He just said he was suspicious, by the way you were acting when we picked you two up."
"What do you make of it?"
"I think the initiative was hers. You're too straight-laced to do it willingly and spontaneously," We laugh because we knew she was right.
"I don't think the initiative was hers," I start, but she interrupts me.
"I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"I slept with Luke," I abruptly lift my head, staring at her.
"When was this?" I ask as if stumbling on the sidewalk.
"It was only twice. On Dianna's birthday and the other on New Year's, but if you hadn't called, it would have happened again," Past my initial shock, I lie back down with my head in her lap.
"What did you think?"
"I found out that pansexual men are better in bed."
"So, you liked it?" I tease her. "My dream of a threesome with you two has never been closer to becoming a reality."
"Silly," She laughs back.
"But was it vanilla or something more? I don't know, like leather handcuffs, a tail butt plug, floggers..." I ask excitedly.
"What a specific question. Have you two done it?" I quickly sit up in bed. "Now I'm interested. I want details."
"It's been a long time. We've fulfilled each other's fetishes several times. But tell me, how did you end up with our esteemed friend inside you?"
"We agreed to watch a fight on TV. One thing led to another, we laughed a lot. Before I knew it, I was moaning his name," I can't hold back the laughter.
"I should say I'm surprised, but I've been in your shoes myself. Well, here's my advice..."
"I'm listening, madam expert in having sex with Luke," At this point, our laughter echoed through the apartment.
"I'm giving you this advice because I don't want to find myself in the middle of a fight between you two, let that be clear," I hold her hand. "Michelle, when you feel it's getting too much, that one of you is getting too involved in the story... if you feel like it's reaching a point where one of you is going to get hurt, you bail. I love our friendship too much, the three of us work well together. Don't screw it up."
"Noted," She starts playing with my hair again. "Floggers, huh?"
"He taught me a lot about properly fucking someone, but I taught plenty too, trust me."
"My god, Scarlett. I could bet he was more on the dominant side."
"We used to switch. He gave me a hard time when he let me dominate him. But if it's something you like, just go to him and ask. Even though he likes to dominate, being spanked by a pretty woman is never too much," I wink at her.
"You two are so difficult," She laughs. "You didn't tell me what happened between you and our boss."
"Ah, it's because there's nothing interesting to tell. We kissed a few times, I got carried away, and if it weren't for her brother, we would've done it."
"Speaking of which, I remembered something to comment on. That secretary of hers is fake, right?"
"What do you know that I don't?" I shift position to get a better look at her.
"She didn't outright say she doesn't like McAllister, but I suspect, you know? I noticed, during this time working, doing her security. I didn't say anything because I thought it was normal, it's not a crime not to like your own boss."
"What a jerk! Dianna likes her so much."
"When McAllister calls her on the phone, she makes mocking faces. As soon as the boss approaches, she changes her attitude, it's funny, you know?"
"Hmm, I see. I think we should switch for a week. I really need to get away from Dianna for a bit," I comment.
"Why? Are you suspicious of something? Look, Scarlett, Brett may be a snake, but I don't think she would be deceitful enough to try something against McAllister."
"I'm just taking a few days off, you know? I bet Dianna will understand."
"I think your idea is silly. It'll be too obvious that you suspect something when suddenly the head bodyguard decides to guard a mere secretary. Besides, you're not in the police anymore, you have to stop trying to solve problems that aren't yours."
"Is it too late to choose between the sedative and the gunshot?" I bury my face in the pillow.
"Quit the drama, Kettermann. Go to sleep," She scolds me and turns off the lights.