A/N: [edited]

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The distant sound of rain woke me up the next morning. I felt at peace as my eyes fluttered open. I clung to the plush duvet that hugged my body as I rolled over lazily, eyeing the digital clock beside me. Red bolded numbers glared at me, causing me to squint my sensitive eyes as I checked the time; 5:45am. "Five in the morning," I muttered, rolling back to the position on my back.

The room remained dark, shadows going and coming as the intensity of the rain picked up. I couldn't believe I was up this early and, weirdly enough, I wasn't tired. Early morning thoughts took over as I closed my eyes, replaying the traumatic events of last night.

I remembered running. I remembered feeling as though I had come face-to-face with a wall, only to fall back and realize that it had been a person.  I remember scrambling to my feet, fear running straight to my soul at the intimidating man that had made a quick and surprising entrance.  I remember the feel of the gun against my throat and the grip he had on the back of my neck, his words were teasing, almost playful - which even now, made me sick to my stomach. What sick person could prepare to crack a joke before murdering someone?

I hopped out of bed, my palms sweaty.  I did my best to let the remaining thoughts that circled around last night, to fade.  Quietly, I open my bedroom door and step outside.  Rain pattered against the French doors that led towards the balcony.  Liam laid sprawled out on the sofa, his back to me.  A dim chattering came from the television as I sauntered up to it, listening.  An ESPN reporter was chatting excitedly about the NBA Finals.

Curious, I walked around the back of the sofa and glanced down, eyeing Liam as he slept.  His lips were parted ever-so slightly, his shoulders moving up and down with every breath.  He cleared his throat as I stepped away, concerned that he would catch me watching him sleep. Something he'd never let me live down.

I slowly walked away, making sure I avoided any furniture as I headed towards the kitchenette. The refrigerator was stocked to the brim; from almond milk to two-percent milk, from orange juice to cranberry juice, it held it all. I gently closed the doors and turned to the cabinets, flinging them open as well. Boxes upon boxes of cereal welcomed me. From my favorite, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, to my least favorite, Honey Bunches of Oats; this cabinet held everything. I stepped back, resting most of my weight on my back foot. My hands found their way around my waist as I stood there, head tilted. "Options, options," I muttered to myself, bouncing lightly on my toes.

"Can't read?"

The voice behind me was deep and raspy, as if it were hoarse from yelling.  I turned around, glaring at the figure that sat upright on the couch.

I was met by Liam's profile; the couch angled at an odd way, leaving his face unseen. My eyes ran over his shirtless body as I peered ever so slightly to the right, hoping to get a better view. His skin was a beautiful caramel-like color; If I could tan like that... His shoulders were well defined, his biceps and arms complete. I was completely mesmerized by the sight in front of me. Liam was unaware of my stares as he brought his hand up to his hair, running it through in one fluid motion. A few strands of hair fell lightly over his face.

I blink, reminding myself of his most current comment.  "Are you always an asshole?"

I turn away from him, but not before hearing him add, "No, I usually take a day or two off."

I snort as I lean back, resting my hands on my hips as I contemplate my options.  I nod my head from left to right and chew on my bottom lip, unsure.

"If my opinion matters, Miss Crawford-" I watched as he bent down slightly, pushing the corded telephone along the coffee table, "-I'd advise a number three," He picked up a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu from the same table, nodding. I bopped on my tippy toes for a moment, nervous as hell. "Six pieces of French toast, bacon, eggs, and a side of orange juice." My mouth watered at the thought.

I laughed as I held my hand over my heart, a slight smirk on my face. "Oh my, does Liam Luciano actually eat normal people food?"

"Yeah," He emphasized sarcastically, "I even bleed red too." A scoff exited his lips as he grabbed his blanket off the couch and left, dipping through the door that belonged to his designated room. A sigh escaped my lips as I ran a hand through my hair.

Should I thank him for last night?

Should I even mention what happened last night?

As my mind raced with questions, I ordered the number three like Liam had requested. I sent a quick "Thank you," to the employee on the other end of the phone before plopping down on the comfortable sofa. I sighed softly as I rested my head in my hands, the sound of rain easing my feelings of stress and frustration.

The sofa dipped slightly as I refused to move, my mind catching up to everything that had happened within the past few days. A steady breathing filled my right ear as I turned, peaking out the corner of my eye. Liam stared at me, as I dropped my hands and raised my head. I swallowed the tears that had gathered in the corner of my eyes, feeling the lump in my throat disappear. Luciano pulls my cracked cellphone out of his pocket and hesitantly hands it over to me.

My eyes widened as I reached for the phone, clutching it tightly in my hands. My body angled slightly as I turned to Liam, surprised. "How did you get this? I dropped it last night and I didn't even remember i--"

Luciano held up a hand and I stopped speaking. "Too many words," He mutters softly, barely audible.

"Sorry," I whisper slightly, unlocking my phone and scrolling. "Thank you, though." I didn't get a 'no problem' or even a 'you're welcome' as he leaned back, pulling out his own phone. I did the same, scrolling and reading old messages, smiling like an idiot; and that's when it hit me. Mom and Dad. It had nearly been a week since they left, meaning a week since I last talked to them.

"I'll call you once a week," I had told my mother.

I turned to Liam, who was now sitting quietly, emerged deeply in his own thoughts. I cleared my throat, the silence in the room slowly growing awkward. "I told my mom I would call her at least once a week; If she suspects anything, she'll be on the next plane to D.C. within hours." Luciano turned slowly, giving me a look of almost confusion. I frowned. "It's not really confusing, just let me call her."

"Excuse me?"

I sensed an unwarranted attitude.

"Miss Crawford, with all due respect, don't ever tell me or ask me to let you do anything. If I don't say it, it won't be done." The muscle in his jaw ticked as he angled his head away from mine, lazily staring down at his phone.

I blinked a few times and responded, "Well then, Mr. Luciano, with all due respect, they are my parents and last time I checked, you cannot tell me when I can or cannot talk to them."

His frown deepened and he started to work his jaw from side to side, grinding his teeth together in annoyance and frustration.  Then he gives me a look out the corner of his eyes, one that could freeze time.  I lean back, watching as his lips part.  The question that came out of his mouth was not one I was prepared for.

"Why are you afraid of me?" His eyes dropped to my shaking hands.  I ball my hands in fists and trap them underneath my arms.

The answer to that was easy, "You haven't given me a reason not to be."

Liam stands up abruptly, hardly giving me even a second to judge his reaction to my response. He waves behind his back dismissively, "Do whatever you want, I don't care."

I lift an eyebrow and shout out after him, "Wait, so if I walked out this hotel room right now--" Liam stops and turns on a dime, glaring at me.  I force a toothy smile, "--I'm kidding."

A noise comes out of his mouth as he turns and proceeds in walking out the room, yet, his words travel, "You have a shitty sense of humor, Ms. Crawford."

I shout out after him, "Then I guess we do have something in common!"

* * *

Liam Luciano
Hours earlier...

We had barely pulled out of the mall parking lot before Faith was out. Her head rested gently against the window, her neck craned at an awkward angle. I turned my attention to the road, sighing deeply. Adrenaline continued to rush through my veins as I thought about what had just happened.

Costello and Corinelli wouldn't stop until this girl was dead. Personally, I didn't need the money; why the fuck would I need four hundred million more dollars? I have at least six financial advisors, and I still can't keep track of my finances.

We caught nearly every light on the way back to the hotel, making me sigh. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair as my cars stereo lit up. A small, siri like voice came over the loud speaker, making me cringe. I didn't want to wake the girl up. "William is calling" the pixilated voice announced. I answered the phone through the steering wheel, glad that it didn't ring again. "Talk to me," I greeted.

"Hey," Will's cheery voice welcomed me, making me laugh just a tad. He was truly a special individual, but I would never ever admit that to him. The line grew silent as I sighed. We had talked about this happening before.

"William, you can't call me and not have anything to say."

"Oh yeah..."

I laughed, picturing the stupid grin that was probably plastered on his face.  "Oh yeah," I retorted, chuckling.

"How are things?"

I adjusted my grip on the wheel, allowing my other hand to rest as I pressed the gas, accelerating easily. "We had a slight altercation tonight," I admitted, pinching my nose.

"What happened?" His voice filled with concern, but it wasn't for me. William knew I could take care of myself; he was concerned about the girl.

"I literally left her for like a second and-"

"Liam," Will grew serious, fast. "We all know your sense of time is pretty fucked up."

"-Okay, maybe more like...20 minutes," I laughed, "Either way, Corinelli had people following her, chased her halfway through the mall and that's when I reached her."

I could see him sighing, running a hand through his already messy hair. "How the hell did they find you?"

I whipped the car into a parking lot, before killing the engine. Families exited vans and cars, luggage in hand as they tiredly made their way through the doors, finally arriving at their destination. I watched silently as couples stood on the sidewalk, giggling and laughing as they enjoyed each other's presence. I turned away, the sight tugging at my heart as Will's voice filled my ear again.

"-Earth to Liam, Earth to-"

"I'm here, Dumbass."

"Then let me repeat my question; how did they find you?"

I groan and rest my elbow on the car door. I sigh and mutter my response, "They sent the De Santis kid."

The phone was silent for all of two seconds, then through the speaker came a loud, boisterous "Hah!" Followed by some not so comforting words, "They sent Vincenzo De Santis' prodigy?"

I mumble a, "Yes."

"Oh, we're fucked, wait, what am I saying... you're fucked!" I could envision him pacing back and forth now.

"We met once, a few years back, but that was because our father's were close," I sigh and rest my head against the cool window, "We became friends and I mean 'friends' in a very loose manner."

"How loose?"

"Like, if he needed too, he'd still kill me."

I could tell he was silently processing the information, a few deep sighs coming through the phone.  After a quiet moment, he spoke up, "Is the girl okay, at least?"

I chuckled as I turned, casting a glance at her. "She's okay."

"Are you sure? Because your version of 'okay', is 'as long as they're breathing'."

"William, she's okay; no cuts or anything that I can see."

He huffed a "fine," through the phone, making me laugh once more. "I'm going to come visit you both soon."

"That's fine with me," I lay my head back, closing my eyes. "She has a mouth on her." William cackled loudly.

"Please, you know what that mouth can do...? She's hot, bro, don't even deny it."

"She's okay..."

"Okay?" He exclaimed, "She's 'okay' compared to Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Nicki. But to anybody else, she's so fine."

I groaned loudly, "We already had this discussion, Nicki isn't even that hot; all she has is an ass."

"-Yeah, an ass I'd like to-"

I dropped the phone from my ear, waiting for William's sexual fantasies to finish before I spoke to him again. A moment or two went by before I brought the phone back up to my ear. "Look, it's late, I'll talk to you tomorrow okay? Tell Luis and Alex I said hey."

"Sounds good," Our conversation ended with a click as I unhooked my seatbelt and got out the car. I rounded over to Faith's side, easing the door open so her neck didn't snap completely. Her breathing was steady as I leaned over her, detaching her seatbelt. I wrapped my arm under her knees and around her shoulders, easing her out the car.

The lobby was quiet, only one employee working the night shift. I shot the man a quick, upward nod as he spoke up. "Too many drinks?" He joked. I forced a laugh, nodding.

"Something like that."

I constantly found myself leaning against the wall, bracing myself as her weight seemed to increase within the second as we rode up the elevator. Once we hit door to our room, I eased my arm from around her legs, nearly making her fall. I held her, my other arm sliding down to her waist as I supported her, keeping her upright. The door opened and closed behind us as I headed straight for her room.

I pulled the sheets back just enough, before laying her down, watching as the bed dipped beneath her. For a moment I watched her; I watched her sleep. She looked so innocent, completely undeserving of what was happening to her - She looked like her. Tears pricked my eyes as I turned, whispering 'goodnight' as I did so. I hadn't even made it to my bedroom before my suit jacket was off. I entered my room, flipping on a light before I began to change.

I should've felt tired, but I wasn't. Sleep was truly the last thing on my mind. I eased myself onto my bed, my feet still firmly planted on the ground. It was so quiet, it was almost peaceful.

I opened the drawer of the nightstand beside me, pulling out three things; a cross necklace, a picture frame, and a promise ring. To anybody else, the picture was pointless and worthy of the question, "What the hell is this?" But for me, it was all I had left of her. Ellie Mitchell; my best friend, my high school crush, my future wife - at least, until she was taken from me. I dropped the frame on the bed and cursed.

I clutched the cross necklace with all I had; it had been hers, Ellie's, before she died. She wore it everywhere, every day. I switched the chain, making it a tad longer before I claimed it as mine. It hung right around my heart and I wore it, everywhere, almost every day. I tossed that to the side, before fondling the promise ring.

My vision blurred as I ran my thumb along the engraved wording on the inside of the ring, making me smile. "to my best friend, to my lover, to my Liam."  I couldn't bring myself to recall that memory; I couldn't bring myself to remember her mother's phone call to me, the way her voice broke, and the way I felt afterwards.

Ellie died seven years ago; and when she died, a part of me did too.

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A/N: Sorry for any missed grammar mistakes.