"Try Me"

My heart exceeds it's speed. I can't relax my tense shoulders, not at the current sight of him.

"Isabel, is it?" It's the first time I'm hearing his voice - his low and smooth tone sending an uneasy chill to course through my veins. And I don't know what to say, or do.

But his dark brown eyes are glinting with a certain lethal mischief - waiting for something.

In my black leggings and oversized white sweater, my hand is gripping onto the doorknob tight, from where I swung it open. Finally, my bare lips part open, as I stand firm before him.

"What do you want?" I start, cautious and still.

His dark gaze seems to trace my own; I can't gather anything from it. All I can pick up is that he's no good - and I can inevitably feel his trouble radiating from here.

"Oh I think you know." He answers huskily, never unlatching from my blue-green eyes.

As he stands with his hands folded, the guy cocks up a brow; a questionable pout now plastering across his face. "Mind if I come in?" He asks, before beginning in his slick steps towards me, all too suddenly.

And before I can even respond, with my intentional no, he stops momentarily by my side - stepping past the doorframe - now mighty close.

"Don't mind if I do, Isabel." He whispers lowly, near my ear, before making his way past my slightly tense figure. I then close my eyes a second, and take in a calm breath, before shutting my front door behind the tattooed stranger.

My house remains quiet, as my unexpected guest now accompanies me. But I'm not afraid, I'm better than that.

I slowly follow behind him, as his taller figure heads towards my kitchen; examining almost everything he deliberately passes. In a black button up shirt and black jeans, he has a way about carrying himself, I can tell.

"You up for a glass of wine?" He asks, stopping before the refrigerator. "If you've got it, that is." I hear him chuckle, a moment, never turning to meet my puzzled stare. "But who doesn't." At this point I'm starting to think he's just rambling off to himself.

I remain standing across the spacious room, folding my arms firmly across my chest while watching him open my fridge.

Who does this guy think he is?

"How'd you find me?" I ask, narrowing my blue-green specks toward him in confusion. The pounding within my chest is no longer rapid, and my shoulders have relaxed just a bit. But I still take caution.

"I've got my ways." He answers, glancing back over his shoulder to meet my eyes, a second, before turning his back towards me once again.

Then, he pulls out the only bottle of wine from my fridge, before walking over to the cabinets and pulling out two glasses - after a few glimpses around in hopes to finally finding them.

The tatted stranger meets my perceptive gaze again. "C'mon now, take a seat." He gestures to the kitchen island, before placing the wine bottle down with it's glasses upon the smooth granite countertop and making his way over to one of the stools, and claiming a seat himself.

He glimpses over his shoulder, back at me - a sly grin now tugging at his lips.

"You afraid?" He questions, tone low and raw in challenge.

I unfold my arms, standing firm. "No." I say, truthfully, releasing a quiet sigh.

His lips curve upward immensely, for a brief moment, before his smirk dissipates. "Don't you think you should be?"

Standing upright, I then take in a smooth breath, before making my way towards the kitchen island. I claim the spot next to him, daringly locking onto his dark eyes.

"Try me." I state.

I watch an unreadable glimmer provoke within his eyes, as he watches me reach for my glass before pouring the wine myself. I bring the glass up to my lips, refusing to tear from his intent brown irises.

I don't know what he wants, but I can take a guess as to why he's here. He saw me earlier, outside of the gang's hideout; he watched me until I made my decision, and left.

And prominently, he knows who I am.

He averts his eyes onto the island's surface - his grin widening. I feel the sweet red liquid gently tingle down my throat, whilst I revert the glass onto the smooth countertop's surface again.

"What's your name?" I ask, solemnly. He returns a perceptive stare, before briefly licking his lips.

"Rio." He informs me.

He doesn't pour wine into the glass he brought for himself, but instead he just keeps his searching eyes on mine.

"Now since we're going into twenty questions, tell me this," he remarks, "why'd you cover our tracks?" The question slips from his lips as if he's been urging to ask it. I catch on to the sudden curiosity in his deep and smooth low tone. But I push his question aside, finally spilling the one I've been urging to ask ever since he invited himself into my house.

"Why is my brother involved with a gang?" I question. Suddenly, Rio's thick brows perch up a bit, almost as if in surprise. As if he... didn't know.

Then he forms a smug smile again - this time showing his white teeth while he glances elsewhere a moment.

"Ah, I guess that explains it, huh?" He says, soon settling onto my blue-green eyes again. "I know a cop when I see one."

My breath is merely held, slightly, at his remark. But I guess I already knew Rio gathered the fact that me and my team were indeed tracing the steps of the gang he's part of.

"You had no business on my property back there." He states, his expression gathering seriousness.

And I then release a low sigh. "I think you know I did." I say.

Rio's dark eyes remain unreadable on mine, as the kitchen gathers silence.

I glance down to my wine glass on the countertop; it's smooth base cool beneath my fingertips as I glimpse at the thin red liquid. I can feel Rio's eyes staying on me.

"I did it to protect him." I clarify, facing next to my side to meet Rio's awaiting stare. "I care about Cal, and this, the gang, it isn't like him."

"What he does isn't your choice to make, Isabel." Rio responds rather sternly.

"I know. But I can't just sit back and watch him become a criminal." I argue; my brows furrowed in prominent discord.

Rio's jawline clenches, hard, next to me. And he purses his lips into a thin line before sending an unacquainted, cold stare. "Then don't watch."

Frustration begins to pulsate through my veins; I can feel it nearing a subtle boiling peek.

"You can tell whoever runs this gang system they've got going on, that they better watch their backs. I'm not letting this happen, not with Callum." I warn.

In return, Rio only sweeps his tongue across his lips, before shifting in the barstool to turn towards me. He folds his hands against his lap. "Why don't you tell 'em yourself..." he remarks, lowly, beginning to escalate his brows in wait.

And all of a sudden everything in me turns cold. As Rio doesn't release my eyes, I feel my face briefly soften - in mere shock.

"I'm not letting him go, and I don't intend to for a while. The boy's got skills, he knows his way with money." Rio explains.

"Find someone else!" I raise my tone instinctively.

"Nah, sweetheart." Rio shakes his head in return. "I don't think I can do that." I watch the gang leader come to a stand, beside me. He seems to glance at the modern surroundings around him for a moment.

"How about this," he licks his lips before looking down at me. "You continue doing what you're doing, with the FBI and whatnot, and I'll think of something you can do for me while you keep quiet."

"Rio..." I trail in warning and disagreement, as he goes to turn around to leave, I presume. But before he can my hand instinctively grasps onto his arm, stopping him.

Rio's dark brown eyes lock onto my own again. And I only send him a bold, pernicious stare. "My brother doesn't have anything to do with this." I state, referring to the gang, and Rio's eyes don't tear from mine. "Neither do I." I conclude.

There's an unreadable glint showcasing within his inscrutable irises, that I can't quite grasp, as he doesn't respond. My hand slips from Rio's arm, when a brief humorless chuckle escapes from his lips. Then, he turns to continue in his smooth steps.

I come to a stand, remaining in the kitchen, watching him walk off.

"Is that it?" I question.

"I got what I came here for, Isabel." He answers lowly, and I catch sight of him sending me a once over, before facing ahead again.

"I'll see you soon." He dismisses himself, heading towards my front door, before briefly glimpsing back at me once more. "Nice place by the way." He remarks huskily - shortly before I watch the front door close behind him.

---

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