"What's your favorite color?", I dare to ask, trying to start a more relaxed conversation. Leroy doesn't think twice.

"Blue," he answers, shoving his fork into his mouth.

"That's my favorite color too," I reply with a slight smile, while he merely smirks a little.

"Favourite film?" he asks now and I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Um... There are many," I confess, thinking. "I think it's Maze Runner."

"An action movie?" he follows up with surprise, raising his eyebrows. I nod.

"That surprised?"

"I rather expected you to like romantic films," he replies, reaching for his fork again.

"I love those too," I say, grinning. His eyes fall to my lips and my smile slips a little as I realize the intensity in it.

I can't believe we're sitting here like a couple in love right now. I shudder as he still doesn't avert his gaze. Why is he looking at me like that?

"Tomorrow, we have something to celebrate," he says suddenly, finally averting his gaze. I frown in confusion and am about to ask what tomorrow is supposed to be, but he already continues talking. "It's my uncle's 60th birthday."

"Oh, that's nice!"

"Alex and I have ordered him a cake and I'm having a gym set up for him tonight too, but I'll wait until he's asleep. He complains all the time that he's gotten too big, but he doesn't feel like going to the gym," Leroy explains, shaking his head in amusement. I can't help but smile because of this.

"That's understandable," I laugh and reach for my fork again. "But it's nice that you're doing this for him. He'll be very pleased."

Leroy nods, the slight smile still on his lips before he starts eating again. I tilt my head slightly as I look at him.

Not only Danny is blooming here, but also Leroy.

But still, I wonder why we're here.

"Danny and you like it here, don't you? You're both in a much better mood and seem to be really enjoying yourselves," so I carefully start to speak my thoughts out loud. Leroy looks at me for a moment before merely shrugging his shoulders.

"It's always nice with family," he merely replies and then looks back down at his food.

"Then we should come here more often," I say, seeking his gaze. "And not just when we need to flee from something."

"Flee?" Quickly he lifts his head and looks at me with eyes formed into slits. "I never flee from anyone, I don't need to."

Oh, now I must have attacked his pride. I press my lips together. This was not what I wanted now.

"Oh, I was just thinking-"

"Then you thought wrong."

"But then why did we come here so suddenly?", I enquire, hoping that this time I will get it right after all.

"Because I want to catch the one who attacked you."

"And have you already?", I try to ask as casually as I can, but Leroy's sharp look tells me he already understands what I'm up to.

"Yes," he replies to my surprise. I blink in perplexity and lean a little closer to him.

"Yes? And where is he?"

"Where he's supposed to be. Can't really matter to you, though."

"Where he's supposed to be? What do you mean by that? Or are you saying you're torturing him?" Without even realizing it, my voice goes up a few octaves, causing him to widen his eyes.

"Are you going to shout it out? Now keep your voice down!"

"Sorry," I whisper, swallowing empty. "But why are you torturing him?"

"This is not the place and you are not the person I want to talk to about this."

And that's the end of it, I know without even thinking about it, but that's okay because it's better if we don't talk about something like this. Not today and not now.

"Spit it out."

"Huh?", surprised, I look up.

"You've been chewing your lip for minutes and seem to be thinking. What do you want to ask me?", Leroy picks up and tilts his head. I grit my teeth and am annoyed at first that I am so transparent, but then I see it as a chance to get to my question.

"I know I still owe you something," I begin after a while, remembering this morning. He let me out and I know I have to meet him halfway. "I was going to bake you a cake, but I want something else, so I'll raise your favor."

"And what do you want?" he asks, making one eyebrow shoot up.

"I want to talk to my family on the phone. I want to call my best friend, I've already been so unfair to her and not told her anything, abruptly stopped contacting her... Don't take away our friendship of many years. I love her too much for that."

For a long time, he just stares at me. I haven't said much, yet enough.

"Then call her. I'll have your phone tapped."

"I'll get my phone back?", I echo irritably, thus ignoring what he has said besides. Of course, he is still careful and I don't care if someone is standing right next to me or listening in, all that matters to me is that I can talk to my loved ones.

Leroy nods silently and finishes eating, while I can no longer stifle my grin.

"Finish your food, we're going somewhere later," he tells me and I get back to my meal.

☼ ❅

After dinner and dessert, we leave the beautiful restaurant. At first, I think we are going back to his uncle's house and the evening is over, which disappoints me a little for a moment, but then he turns off and drives a completely different way until we are standing in complete darkness under the starry sky.

And also have a breathtaking view of Ohio.

Leroy turns off the engine, gives me a look, and gets out, which I do after him, a little perplexed.

"Oh, wow," I breathe in amazement and hold my breath for a moment as Leroy already sits down on the grass. "I guess that's the Ohio River then, right?"

"Right," he replies. I slowly look down at him. He hasn't just sat down, no, he's lying completely down.

"Isn't it dangerous here though? There could be wild animals here," I clear my throat and shudder.

Leroy merely closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it and enjoy the peace."

I do as he says because he's right. This place is too beautiful to be considered dangerous, besides, I trust Leroy not to throw me to wild animals, after all, he has already saved me from death once.

I think he really doesn't want to see me dead and I wonder why because I remember him saying not long ago that I'm welcome to die after the wedding, I don't think he needs me any longer than that and yet he was beside himself with anger and worry when I got shot.

"I like to speak plainly, you know," I begin after interminable minutes of silence. A very pleasant silence. Leroy doesn't stir. When I glance at him, he's looking up at the sky.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that you want to confess something to me," he murmurs without looking at me. I frown in confusion.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I don't have anything to hide. I'm actually more getting at the fact that I know next to nothing about you," I interject and turn my head away again too, preferring to stare at the twinkling stars that give me courage. "I want you to tell me more about your life."

It stays silent between us again for a while and I feel bad. I should have realized that Leroy wouldn't go for it. After all, he doesn't volunteer anything about his life and certainly not to me!

But I am surprised, as so often in the last few days, because Leroy actually talks.

"What do you want to know?"

I hesitate. "Everything there is to know. You know everything about my life too, so it's only fair that I get to know everything as well," I confess honestly, looking away as he glances at me so he doesn't see my uncertain smile. He sighs softly and turns his head away again. Meanwhile, I wait patiently, after all, I don't want to force him to do anything.

"I'm Leroy Kingston, twenty-six years old, my birthday is in July," he begins and I can't help but roll my eyes, smiling. Of course, that's how he starts.

"When exactly in July?", I follow up.

"The fifteenth of July. I've also been the leader of the Serpiente for five years now. My father liked to keep me out of these things. He wanted me to have a normal life and it worked for a long time... Until I turned nineteen. It was in winter, December to be exact when I was kidnapped for the first time. I was on my way to a friend's house, but on foot, as I had had an accident weeks before and my car was still in the garage. My father was sure it wasn't an accident, but I waved it off and told him he was just being paranoid and not to worry. Just as I turned I was attacked by five men, they hadn't even covered their faces with a mask, as if they knew I was no challenge and would certainly not escape, which they were right about. I didn't even manage to scream, it all happened so suddenly. Well, and then they took me away. To Mexico, to my father's greatest enemy. They wanted some kind of chip from him and used me as leverage, but weeks went by before my father found what they wanted. Weeks of doing whatever they wanted to me." Sighing, he shakes his head.

I realize he's not really with me at all right now, but deep in reminiscence, but still, I scoot a little closer to him so he realizes I'm there. I'm incredibly sorry for what he's just told me and my feeling is that the worst is yet to come.

"They beat me up every day, almost all the time. The worst was when they put an ice pack over my head and then hit me with their bare fists - God, it hurt so much that I even cried the first time," he chuckles with amusement and shakes his head at himself.

Horrified, I tear my eyes open, my stomach tightens at the idea and I feel incredible pity for him. That must have been terrible! How could anyone do such a thing to someone? I could never do such a terrible deed.

"I wasn't used to the violence. Cold showers and hardly any sleep. When I was allowed to sleep, it was outside in the snow where the dogs kept me warm, that's why I love them so much. One of them was shot when he stood up for me. Joker, the pit bull. A beautiful animal and a great friend. Well, six weeks went by before I could go home and in that time they didn't let my wounds heal, no they actually stuck their fingers in just to hear me scream when all they had to do was ask," he adds, making me look at him.

"How can you laugh at that?" I ask, seriously concerned. Leroy smirks and now looks up at me.

"I ended up killing them all," he whispers promisingly, giving me goosebumps with his words.

Swallowing, I turn my head away. "Was death the right thing to do?"

"They killed my mother in front of my eyes when I was seven years old. Death was the wrong thing to do because it put her out of her misery, which escaped me. After all, I was so high on adrenaline. Because they actually deserved much worse."

"I'm so incredibly sorry about that, Leroy," I whisper, biting my lower lip. At that moment, something changes in his gaze.

Even though he's just told me the story of his life, I think those few words have actually triggered something in him, because his gaze becomes a little... softer.

I can't describe it.

True, he hadn't put on his impenetrable look either, but still, it's as if tension has been released in his features and his eyes are now speaking.

"We were naïve. A child of the mafia remains the mafia, you can't keep them out of it," he says merely, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"I think it was the right thing to do. Your father did the right thing because that way you could at least enjoy a free childhood and a free youth, without all the danger," I contradict and cross my arms in front of my chest as a cold gust of wind brushes me. Leroy looks up at the sky again and says nothing. I clear my throat softly. "Is the man who kidnapped you that time Don César?"

"No. I killed him and César is still alive, after all. That man was the one who killed my mother. Don César is another bastard whom I will soon kill. I still have a score to settle with him because of Danny."

There is silence between us for a while, then I dare to speak the next words.

"How am I involved in this? I mean, in your life."

"I guess your mother should explain that to you," he replies simply, without thinking, without even looking at me, and I wonder what reason there is that he doesn't like to tell me himself.

"My mother?", I enquire as I realize what he was saying in the first place and he merely nods. I feel my body tense up, but immediately try to get a grip on myself.

It's all well and good that she knows something, but why has she kept it from me all my life?

☼ ❅