"We meet again." Lucius smirked,

"Careful you might catch flies." Another man said from besides him. I looked at all five of the men who were devilishly handsome. But Lucius is the one that caught my eye the most of course. His stormy blue eyes cold and dark holding a silent storm that had many answers to questions about his past.

I cleared my throats fixing my posture from my earlier state.
"I have brought your cousin here. I'll be checking in tomorrow morning to see how well she is settling in. My boss ordered it." I said

"No need she'll be fine." Lucius waved me off. As the man who spoke earlier went up to hug Kylie.

" Little sister. I'm glad your safe," the man said. I raised a skeptical eyebrow at Lucius. Who was silent.

"You two know each other?" I asked.

"Yeah. He's my brother. Xavier Romanov." Kylie said letting go of him.

"Nice to meet you Detective." Xavier said holding his hand out.

"I'm not here for formalities. I'm just on my way to go home for the night." I said. I fished out my business card to give to Lucius.

"Here's my contact information, it has my desk phone number as well as my cell number. And then there's my email at the bottom. If you ever need anything just give me a call, I'll be here tomorrow morning to check in with things. If I don't come here my boss will yell at me. And we don't want that now do we?" I said as Lucius looked over my card with my valid information on it.

"No. We don't. Have a good day Manson. We'll be sure to take care of her while her place is under watch." Lucius said. Nodding to me. I ended the conversation with him by walking out of the room. Instead of taking the elevator I took the stairs. Not wanting to waste anytime freaking out in an Elevator.

----

I had eventually reached the entrance to the hotel when someone stopped me from going out.

"You dropped this." Xavier said. Handing me my locket that I forgot to put on this morning. I was grateful that he'd do that.

"Oh. Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." I said. I walked outside of the hotel when all of a sudden I felt something sharp pierce my shoulder which made me shriek out. I fell to my knees which caused Xavier to run out.

"What the hell?! Detective are you alright?!" Xavier shouted.

My vision was swaying as I felt sick to my stomach where the bullet hit my shoulder.

"No! What the hell does it look like! Get me a first aid kit from my car! Don't you dare call 911!" I growled out. Xavier's eyes widened as he ran when the doorman ran out to keep me up right.

"Ma'am I'll need you to stay up right while he goes get the first aid kit." The doorman said. I nodded as I tried to at least get the bullet out without screaming my head off. It was painful.

"Manson I got the first aid kit! Why the hell are you trying to take the bullet out?" Xavier growled out.

"Just get me inside you idiot." I snapped. Xavier wrapped my uninjured arm and carried me towards the elevator.

"What the hell are up doing?" I asked.

"I'm taking you up to the penthouse. You'd be safer up there." Xavier murmured.

"I hate elevators." I growled out. My vision swaying yet again as I cried out as another sharp pain went through my shoulder.

"We're almost there." Xavier reassured me.

" If we can get any faster I will kill you after this shit is over for taking me up in a damn elevator." I groaned out

The elevator dinged once again and he carried me inside to the couch. Kylie watching the scene with wide eyes.

"Xavier what the hell is wrong with her?" One of the men asked from before.

"Zeron can't you see she got shot by a sniper?" Xavier snapped at his friend.

"Clearly. Just don't get any blood all over the couch."

"How bout I bleed all over you? Where the hell else am I supposed to bleed? Have you ever had a fucking bullet stuck in your shoulder?" I growled out as Xavier worked quickly to try and get the bullet out.

"No. and I never will." Zeon said.

I rolled my eyes as Lucius walked in with wide eyes yet covered it quickly. Damn cold bastard.

"What the hell happened detective?" Lucius asked

"Well the obvious thing is I got shot by a fucking sniper. Who is apparently after me. And I don't want you guys involved so just get this bullet out and let me leave." I growled Out as Xavier tugged at the bullet again which I bit my lip.

"You might want to take off that jacket." Xavier said.

"Cut a fucking hole in it. It's gonna hurt like hell if I take this off." I snapped. My green eyes flaring at him. Lucius watched the scene with clear amusement. The room was starting to get spiny as he continued to pull out the bullet.

"Why the hell do you have two heads Lucius?" I grumbled out as he pulled the bullet out with one last tug.

"FUCK! Can you be a little more gentler Xavier?!" I shrieked sitting up and he pushed me straight back down.

"Is this your first bullet Manson?" Lucius asked curious.

"No. I've had many before." I said bluntly. He raised an eyebrow skeptical of it.

"How many?"

" Four. All on dangerous cases. One was an accident." I muttered. remembering when my sister Talia was so frightened one night when she was alone and had my gun from work accidentally shot me in the same damn shoulder. I chuckled at the memory.

"Something amusing?" Lucius asked his voice getting slower and messed up as my ears rang loudly.

"Just remembering something." I muttered. And that was when my vision blacked out.

-----
I felt the sun shining in the room. And yet my eyes widened at the sudden realization shooting up and realizing once again that I shouldn't have done that because the searing pain reminded me once again of what had happened last night which made me cry out. Clutching my shoulder. I heard the door to then bedroom I was staying in open to revealed a ruffled up Lucius.

I looked down realizing I was in a males large shirt.

"Are you alright?" Lucius asked concerned.

"Yes I'm fine. What the hell happened?" I asked as I layed back down.

"Well you got shot and passed out." Lucius said smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you captain obvious. Well since I'm already here and it's the morning. I'll have to see how Kylie is doing then get back to work." I said.

"Nope. Your not doing anything today." Lucius said stepping towards me. I was about to say something else but I got a phone call from Quinn. I groaned mentally of course the idiot would be calling me. I answered the call to meet a worried Quinn.

"What the hell happened last night?! What's this about you being shot?!" Quinn yelled in my ear. I winced at his outburst.

"Quinn calm down! I'm still alive aren't I? And how do you know about that?" I asked raising an eyebrow. Then my gaze snapped to Lucius's cold ones who was in deep thought about something. His earlier smirk gone.

"Some guy named Lucius. Your mom called me and was worried sick that you didn't turn in last night! I thought she was going to have a heart attack!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Well she's stronger than that. She knows what I do for a living Quinn and so do you."

"You need to stop taking stupid risks for your family! What d we loose you one day. I don't want to go through that like you did."

I growled out frustratedly, I don't like talking about my best friend Riley. my earlier anger turned into sadness as my hand loosened on the phone.

"Xellia! You there?" Quinn said gently. Sniffling and wiping a tear from my eye I answered.

"Yes. What does Hudson say about this?" I asked.

" Your on desk duty." He said. I stilled. Lucius looked up noticing my sudden change in posture.

"Desk duty?" I said undeniably calm.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I yelled.

"No. you need to stay put! It's either desk duty or staying home! I need you safe Xellia. For your sister. You don't want your little sister to wake up with knowing you dead!"

"Don't you dare bring Talia into this!" I snapped. I choked back a sob.

"I'm sorry Xellia but I really gotta go. Stay put! Or it's desk duty at the station for you!" Quinn ordered. He hung up the phone. I growled out frustratedly and thew my phone on the ground flinching as it cracked a bit.

I put my head in my hands. My shoulder still in pain from last night.

"Who was that?" Lucius asked suddenly. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"who? Quinn? He's my partner in crime." I said.

"No. who's Talia." Lucius asked.
My eyes darkened at her name.

"No one you should be concerned about." I said.

"She doesn't seem like a nobody to you." Lucius said gently. I narrowed my eyes at him. Not willing to talk about the topic any further. But he doesn't listen.

"Just forget about it. Shouldn't you billionaires know everything about me? Isn't that what you do? Look up our personal lives to get to know us? When that's technically stalking?" I said.

"I did look you up, but I want to hear it from you. I want to know what happened." Lucius said.

"I don't feel like talking about it. What I feel like talking about or to who I might say, is my boss." I growled out. I threw the covers over to the other side when I just realized that I was wearing a males large size shirt. I groaned.

"You look good in my shirt Xellia." Lucius smirked. I hissed at him to shut him up. But he never listens.

"Take your eyes somewhere else. I don't need them lathering my body like that." I said shooing him away. Which he doesn't move.

"Lathering your body? What kind of talk is that?" He asked amusement in his voice and trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"Hey! I was desperate to come up with something snappy. You gotta get out so I can change and speak with my boss." I snapped.

" Then where are your clothes? Your obviously not going to go outside in the streets of New York looking like that are you Manson?" Lucius said.

"Get out and get me my clothes!" I growled out. He raised his hands in mock surrender and finally gave in to leave me in peace. I pinched the bridge of my nose of the annoying idiot.

I quickly decided to take a quick shower and take off my bandages on my shoulder to get some new and fresh ones.

After taking a hot shower I wrapped my shoulder with fresh bandages and I saw my black shirt and pants with my black leather jacket. Yes I love the color black... but there was no holster. With my gun or my badge...

I quickly changed and marched out into the living room and kitchen area and glared at Lucius who was reading the newspaper and drinking coffee.

"Where the hell is my holster with my gun and badge?" I said.

"In a safe place where you can't get it. And where you'll never find it." Lucius smirked.

"Why do you intend to keep me here? Hmm?" I asked putting my hands on my hips. Which he raised an eyebrow at.

"Because your boss ordered it. As well as your partner in crime." Lucius said matter of factly while sipping his coffee.

"Pfft just because of them? They need me in this case. They can't do it without me. And you can't keep me here because it's impossible." I scoffed.

"Detective Manson, I hope you understand that I am just following their orders. By all means, go ahead and get yourself killed if that's what you really want. What about your family?" Lucius said setting down his coffee and staring me straight in the eyes. I never held back.

My eyes flared at the mention of family. I hate it when people bring up the delicacy of my family, it's important that I keep them safe from harm. Making sure they're not threatened by my work.

"Don't bring them into this. They're not a part of my day job. And you know it." I hissed out. 

"Then don't go. Because you'll be safe here, and because someone tried to kill you you're lucky to still be alive." Lucius said. 

"Are you sure you really want to babysit me? Because I can be a real handful. And I would like to go and visit my sister. If that's an option." I said folding my arms across my chest. 

"Why would you go when you're on lockdown? Your boss and your partner specifically said to stay wherever you are because you got shot." Lucius said 

"Well, I want to go see my sister so you or someone else better take me or I'm going myself. I make my rounds every day to be sure to check on my sister. And if I'm not the first person to see her wake up then I'll be slightly pissed off and Talia will be slightly scared. So What would you like a frantic phone call from my phone from the hospital saying my sister is going crazy. Or me biting your head off?" I said. Lucius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fine. We'll leave in five minutes." Lucius said grumbling and cursing under his breath. Inwardly I did a little victory dance because I won the argument. And I definitely would like to see my sister again, it would be better than staying inside all day being bored as hell. 

I quickly fixed myself some toast and grabbed my keys for my SUV which were sitting on the counter but Lucius was quick to take them. 

"Hey! I'm driving you, idiot!" I snapped at him 

" You driving? No, I don't think so with that injured shoulder of yours. You can barely move it. So I'm not letting you drive." Lucius chuckled shaking his head at me as he swung the car keys around his finger. 

"Fine. Mister smart guy let's go." I snapped glaring at him. 

"Very well." Lucius nodded to me.