"Wait!"

You know that part in movies when you think the main character can't possibly go through more drama and just then tons of drama starts to happen at once? Well yeah, I think this is it and the only difference between my life and a movie right now is the fact that the actors know they are acting and I don't!

I didn't ask to be part of this movie or the cast or the plot or any of it? Maybe if they had asked nicely, I'd be part of it or at least considered it. Do I really have to go through torture before I see the end credits?

These are the thoughts that races through my mind as I hear Uncle Austin's voice for the first time in almost seven years.

Nicholas looks at me and I just stare blankly into the huge bamboo door.

They are so beautiful!

I turn around sharply and stare right into Uncle Austin's eyes and he stares right back

Act cool Sam remember you're Janine.

I give a very forced, tight lipped smile and breathe out slowly

"Well Mr Austin, I'd say I'm a bit shocked to find you speaking"

Nicholas takes my hands in his trying to send me some sort of comfort.

"So Austin, what do you know about Samantha's case?"

"Look guys, whatever it is I just want you to know that I never intended for any of these and now that I've probably spoken I might be dead within the next twenty four hours"

"Okayyy! I guess this is a very serious issue then", Nicholas says as we both take our sits

So serious they threaten my uncle?

"On the day of Asher's murder, I was attacked by a man in a mask in this very house. And I couldn't see anything clearly because I was dealt with a blow to the chin. He had this very grey eyes and he started sweating profusely. He told me that if I let you win the case he'd kill me and my family and I couldn't let that happen. My daughter had just given birth and I couldn't afford to loose my first grandchild. Then he said if he wasn't in a hurry he'd have given me a scar to show how serious he was. He left but before he left I noticed a tattoo on the back of his neck. A crescent shaped tattoo. Also, his lighter fell off from his back pocket" Uncle Austin says and after saying that he let out a huge sigh of relief and he began to cry.

I nod my head in understanding and stretch out my hand to his and give him a reassuring pat.

"Do you happen to have this lighter that fell off?, Nicholas asks

Uncle Austin nods and he gets up, probably to go and get it.

"Are you okay?", Nicholas asks immediately Austin was out of sight.

"Yeah, I'm just wondering... It could be the same dude that killed Asher that possibly threatened Uncle Austin but why?"

"I don't know Sam I guess we'll find out when we get to Chicago or the hotel at least"

"Fuck I'm so tired" I state as I close my eyes and place my head on my hand

Somebody pinch me!

"Here is the lighter now please leave before anything dramatic happens" , he says as he rushes us out of his house

"Thank you so much", Nicholas says and collects the lighter

He helps me out of the house and into the car. I take the lighter from him and study it.

It's not your regular lighter. This looks very well customized with a crescent shape on it just like the tattoo I saw.

"Can I have your phone please?", I ask Nicholas and he hurriedly obliges.

"Can I see?", He asks and I place the lighter in his outstretched hands.

I open Google and my fingers dance around the keyboard.

"I don't even know what to type, what to search for! For the love of cheesecakes!" I groan exasperatedly

"Chill out Sam. We'll talk about this at length when we get to the hotel"

"Alright " I say and allow Nicholas to pull me in for a side hug and I soon find myself dozing off.

*******************************************

"Oh dear" I groan as I open my eyes and try to stand up but my feet wobble beneath me and I fall back on the floor.

My hand instinctively goes to my head and I groan in pain

Why do I have so much headache and most importantly where am I?

I glance round the room and my first guess is the hotel! Holy Shit! I'm at the most expensive hotel in New York! This is just amazing.

Where is Nicholas by the way?

I hear the door creak open and see Nicholas come in with a tray filled with food.

Damn I'm starving and it's not even for food. It's just how the short sleeves makes his arm look so good looking. Damn are they nicely toned.

"Oh hey Sam! How are you feeling?"

"Like Shit" I say truthfully
"Why do I have such a terrible migraine?"
I ask as I rub my head again.

"Sorry about that. But here I brought food. Edible food. You need to eat a lot of edibles not just cookies"

He says and places the tray on the side table and gives me a stern look.

I look at everything and everywhere but at Nicholas.

"But cookies are life", I manage to croak out

"Yeah but you need actual food Samantha. Anyway, I don't know what you like so I got a bit of everything. Lasagna, bacon, eggs, chicken soup..."

"Why didn't you just buy the entire hotel?", I say cutting him short and helping myself for a handful of pancakes and bacon.

He rolls his eyes and just stares at me.

"Are you seriously going to watch me eat? Won't you eat?", I ask with a mouthful of food. I choke a little and make a move to grab the coffee.

"Alright... But hurry up. We're going to take the next flight back to Chicago"

I just nod and munch away, having no strength for disagreeing.

"So about that lighter?", I ask Nicholas to know what he thinks about the whole bizarre situation.

"Well can you think of anything or anyone that could possibly be related to this crescent thingy?" Nicholas asks and I shake my head sadly.

"All I know is the stranger had grey eyes and that's it"

"Well grey eyes, let me see. I think there are only about two people in the world with grey eyes", Nicholas says in a very bored and sarcastic tone.

I just smile sheepishly and roll my eyes.

"Well have you gathered anything you think could be useful during your runs?"

"Nothing! I keep hitting a dead end. I overheard one day, a lady talk about the Asher's case to someone over the phone about the case being premeditated and all of that. Then again who doesn't talk about Asher? Anyway the conversation was not quite clear because it was only one sided and all I got from the conversation was an address book from her purse. When I looked into the address book, it was all contacts from Spain with code names and I couldn't decode any of it"

"Woah! This could be ground breaking. Do you still have it with you? Th.. the address book?"

"Yeah... I have it. It should be in my back pack", I say licking my fingers.
I gingerly stand up and open my back pack. I search for it furiously and I don't find it.

"God I swear it was here few days back", I whisper as tears threaten to spill from my eyes.

"Relax Sam! I'll help you look, what does it look like even?"

"It is white with a black stain just by the upper left corner"

He nods his head and we ransack the bag in and out and it's not there.

"It's possible it's at the house. Maybe we could search for it when we get there?", he says patting my back.

I just sniff back unshed tears and nod my head.

Looks like I probably haven't suffered enough!

"I just want all these to be over?", I say aloud and fall really loudly into the pile of sheets on the bed.

''I want to drown in the ocean!''

"I know fox"

I wasn't talking to you but okay.

We continue staring into each other's eyes. He moves closer to me and tucks my hair behind my ear. Using his knuckles to sooth my skin. He traces lines with his thumb from my eyebrow to my jaw line and over my lips.

I feel this rush of tingling sensation wash over my body as I close my eyes and inhale sharply.

Opening my eyes, I meet his gaze flicking between my lips and my boobs and my cheeks fluster red.

He leans in for a kiss and I surprise us both by pulling back and hurriedly get up from the bed.

You moron!

I see hurt flash through Nicholas' eyes and right now I couldn't care less. He stands up and meets me eye to eye.

"Did I do something wrong?", Nicholas asks as he makes a move to grab my hand and I step back.

"I can't forget what you did to me back in Chicago at the boutique?", I say with a very serious look and my arms folded beneath my breast.

"Ah", he says and closes his eyes as if he's trying to block the image out.

"You can't possibly blame that on me. You forced me to do that" he says not even trying to apologize.

"I forced you to dig your nails in my ribs and leave a scar?", I say deadpan while opening up my shirt to show him the scar.
He cringes from the sight and I continue

How the hell did we get from a working team to an arguing one?

"Look Macaulay, I am sorry about the whole wife situation but that was the only thing I could think of to get rid of that lady and I thought you'd understand my situation by now"

"You don't get to use your situation on this one Montero! Nobody planned for this to happen to you but it still doesn't mean you should be inconsiderate and inconvenience others in your part. I mean I am trying to help you amongst my really busy schedule and all you can do is bring up past incident"

"What the fuck in hell is happening right now? Me? Inconsiderate? How about what the FBI and MI6 are doing to me right now? I am constantly on the run because of them. I have had to survive from the age of 22 and you have basically had this luxury in front of you. Do you know what it is to be so fucking rich and the money couldn't even help you to begin with? I never asked you to help me. In fact, last time I checked you were the one who insisted. I already said I'm sorry anyway what else do you want me to do? Are you just pained because I didn't want you to kiss me?"

"That's not the damn point! This is about you as a person and not what you've been through"

At this point we were standing up close and raising our voices at each other. I'm surprised at this point tears are not even dropping.

"Isn't what I've been through supposed to make me the person I am?"

"Maybe you should just give yourself up and go back to jail"

Reflexively I raise my hand and punch him hard in his nose.

He immediately starts bleeding and he bends over in pain.

"All I ever wanted was to play soccer. I never wanted any of these and I am sorry about your wife. I really am but you don't have the fucking right to tell me what I can and can't do. Now take me home Macaulay"

But somehow I feel like I haven't said a piece of my mind.

"You know what Macaulay? You're a piece of shit who should have never bothered helping me"

He looks at me with rage and I stare back with disgust

"Now that's what you call being inconsiderate", I state and make my way to the bathroom. Locking it behind me, I fall to the ground and weep uncontrollably. I put my hand over my mouth so he won't hear my cry.

"Why is my life so fucked?", I whisper through seethed teeth.

Quit whining!

"Easy for you to say! I just want one person, one person to understand me truly and deeply. How could I be so foolish as to think Nicholas was the one"

I guess doctors aren't that smart.

"Maybe he's right, I should just give up because what's the point?"

I get up and blow my nose and wash my face. I need to redo my makeup.

I towel dry my face and leave the room to get my backpack. I see Nicholas holding an ice pack over his nose. Immediately our gaze meets, I sigh and roll my eyes.

I can't deal with this shit.

I grab my backpack and head for the bathroom. Without even throwing him a second glance.

While in the bathroom, I let out a sigh of exasperation.

I bring out my make up kit and begin to doll myself.

One thing I've learnt about disguises is that it has to blend with your face. If they can see where the makeup ends and where your face begins then you've done it wrong.

All done now. I admire my handiwork in the mirror and plaster a smile on my face.

FLASHBACK...

"Listen Nadine, the world is fucked up and you can't change people's action towards you. Always put a smile on your face because why not? A smile makes you pretty and free and a frown just gives you nothing but wrinkles and an ugly face. Besides, a smile is a girl best makeup"

Dad says as he unties the boat and lets it sail into the lake.

"But daddy, Murphy was being mean to me and I had to teach him a lesson because I was angry" 10 year old me whines as my dad had just come back on a Friday only to hear I had been given a week's suspension over crushing a pupils fingers.

"Well I won't congratulate you or judge him but what I do know is... Always be nice. Always put a smile on your face. Never let your predicament get the better of you. In any room, you're always going to be the bigger kid and you can use that to your advantage. I love you so much baby and I'd do my best to protect you"

Dad says as he gives me a hug and a fishing rod
"I love you too daddy", I smile and place the bait on the hook

"Now when the suspension is over, you do the right thing by apologizing to the kid. Always be the bigger person, literally and otherwise, you got that?"

I smile and nod my head

FLASHBACK ENDS...

I stare in the mirror and smile back. I miss my dad.

After what feels like hours, I finally leave the bathroom and see a disheveled Nicholas.

He looks at me forlornly and mumbles incoherent words underneath his breath. He gets up and makes his way towards the bathroom. I manage to cast a glimpse at his nose and it looks bad.

Well he had it coming

"I know but I still feel bad" I mutter as I pinch the bridge of my nose.

Nicholas comes out and I see his jaw muscles clench and unclench. A bandage is placed over his nose

"Let's go" he says and grabs his suitcase.

I flick my hair and grab my backpack.

Outside the hotel, we meet the car waiting and a driver waiting. Nicholas opens the car door for me and I roll my eyes and walk over to the other side.

"I can open the door myself. Wouldn't want to be of any inconvenience", I say staring in his eyes and not wavering my gaze. I open the door and get into the car not glancing at his side.

I hear his side of the car door open and close and I feel the proximity of our closeness which makes my head spin.

I feel him place his hand on mine and I try to wiggle it free but his grip is very strong.

"You want to squish my fingers like you did to my ribs", I state plainly still not looking at him.

"I'm sorry Sam", he croaks out an apology

"Pfft", I scoff and vehemently remove my hand from his.

I am not dealing with this right now.

A/N:

Author: is it just me or there's a lot of sexual tension between these two? (Smirks)

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