shrugged.
“She's
damaged,” he grumbled.
“Aren't
we all?” Faith laughed. “If she wants you too... I say go
for it. Once you handle her little situation, she can go back to her
old life. Her old friends. She'll be out of your hair.” She
looked at him for a minute, leaning closer. “Unless, of course,
you don't want her out of your hair.”
“Don't
be ridiculous,” Xander snorted, getting up off his chair.
“Oh,
don't get your panties in a bunch,” Faith smiled. A real,
genuine smile. Not condescending or wry. Just a happy smile. It was
such a rare, lovely thing to see. Then she slanted her eyes sideways
as the men in the corner started to stand, buttoning their jackets,
and the smile disappeared. “Look,” she said, her tone
serious again, “if you need any help with her case, let me
know. I could show her picture around.”
“I
don't want it getting out that I am connected to her in any way. He
will know right where to look for her. And I have a feeling he's a
lot bigger threat than she has let on. Her neighbor said they looked
professional. That two of them followed behind the main guy like he
was their boss. I mean... who has a system like that other than...”
“Organized
crime,” Faith finished, watching her boss lead the other men
out of the bar.
“Exactly.
And out of state organized crime. I have no idea who she could be
dealing with. The Italians, Polish, Irish...”
“Or,
worse yet... the Russians,” Faith said, looking concerned about
the prospect. He hadn't been around a lot of the crime syndicates in
his time, knowing what he knew about getting too wrapped up in their
business... but Faith had. Faith knew just about everything there was
to know. And if the Russians worried her, he should be scared
shitless.
“Mr.
Rhodes,” Vin's voice called, reaching out and rapping him on
the shoulder a few times. “I haven't seen you in here much
lately.”
Xander
forced a smile. “I've been getting plastered at a place around
the corner from me. I can crawl home if I have to,” he said,
shrugging.
Vin
laughed, a short, forced sort of noise. “So, what brings you
by?”
Xander
took a breath. “Just catching up with Faith. Talking about the
last case I had.” At Vin's lifted brow, he went on. “The
case with the EM Corp CEO and his girlfriend...”
“You
really fucked that one up, huh?” Vin asked, rapping him on the
back again. “No wonder you're drinking. Well, I have a meeting.
Faith,” he said, looking over at her, a strange mix of
authority and respect in his tone. One day he really needed to figure
out what the deal was with her and them. “I'll be back for
dinner. Tell the idiots in the kitchen to have my food ready by
eight. And if Anthony comes in here... he doesn't get behind that
bar. Understand?”
“Oh,
looking forward to it,” Faith said dryly.
Vin
shrugged, waving a hand as if saying 'what can you do'. “Xander.
Your drinks are covered. Better luck on your next case,” he
said, moving out through the back.
“If
I hadn't seen him smash in some twenty-year old's kneecaps, I would
swear he was just a normal, nice Italian father.”
“Yeah,”
Faith said, looking at the door he had left through. “That's
the problem with people who were raised in crime... they can cover it
well. Which is likely how your girl got herself so wrapped up in it.”
“How
the fuck am I supposed to convince some crime boss to stop stalking
his ex girlfriend?”
Faith
shrugged, finally looking back at him. “Everyone has an
Achilles's heel. Find it. Exploit it. Slice it with a knife if you
have to. The only way to get through to someone scary is to be
scarier.”
Xander
looked at her for a moment, watching the way she stood, legs wide,
her weight distributed evenly. Her arms across her chest. Her back
straight. “Sometimes,” he said, smiling at her, “when
you talk like this... you're truly a terrifying woman.”
Faith
dropped her arms, chuckling slightly. “Sorry,” she
“She's
damaged,” he grumbled.
“Aren't
we all?” Faith laughed. “If she wants you too... I say go
for it. Once you handle her little situation, she can go back to her
old life. Her old friends. She'll be out of your hair.” She
looked at him for a minute, leaning closer. “Unless, of course,
you don't want her out of your hair.”
“Don't
be ridiculous,” Xander snorted, getting up off his chair.
“Oh,
don't get your panties in a bunch,” Faith smiled. A real,
genuine smile. Not condescending or wry. Just a happy smile. It was
such a rare, lovely thing to see. Then she slanted her eyes sideways
as the men in the corner started to stand, buttoning their jackets,
and the smile disappeared. “Look,” she said, her tone
serious again, “if you need any help with her case, let me
know. I could show her picture around.”
“I
don't want it getting out that I am connected to her in any way. He
will know right where to look for her. And I have a feeling he's a
lot bigger threat than she has let on. Her neighbor said they looked
professional. That two of them followed behind the main guy like he
was their boss. I mean... who has a system like that other than...”
“Organized
crime,” Faith finished, watching her boss lead the other men
out of the bar.
“Exactly.
And out of state organized crime. I have no idea who she could be
dealing with. The Italians, Polish, Irish...”
“Or,
worse yet... the Russians,” Faith said, looking concerned about
the prospect. He hadn't been around a lot of the crime syndicates in
his time, knowing what he knew about getting too wrapped up in their
business... but Faith had. Faith knew just about everything there was
to know. And if the Russians worried her, he should be scared
shitless.
“Mr.
Rhodes,” Vin's voice called, reaching out and rapping him on
the shoulder a few times. “I haven't seen you in here much
lately.”
Xander
forced a smile. “I've been getting plastered at a place around
the corner from me. I can crawl home if I have to,” he said,
shrugging.
Vin
laughed, a short, forced sort of noise. “So, what brings you
by?”
Xander
took a breath. “Just catching up with Faith. Talking about the
last case I had.” At Vin's lifted brow, he went on. “The
case with the EM Corp CEO and his girlfriend...”
“You
really fucked that one up, huh?” Vin asked, rapping him on the
back again. “No wonder you're drinking. Well, I have a meeting.
Faith,” he said, looking over at her, a strange mix of
authority and respect in his tone. One day he really needed to figure
out what the deal was with her and them. “I'll be back for
dinner. Tell the idiots in the kitchen to have my food ready by
eight. And if Anthony comes in here... he doesn't get behind that
bar. Understand?”
“Oh,
looking forward to it,” Faith said dryly.
Vin
shrugged, waving a hand as if saying 'what can you do'. “Xander.
Your drinks are covered. Better luck on your next case,” he
said, moving out through the back.
“If
I hadn't seen him smash in some twenty-year old's kneecaps, I would
swear he was just a normal, nice Italian father.”
“Yeah,”
Faith said, looking at the door he had left through. “That's
the problem with people who were raised in crime... they can cover it
well. Which is likely how your girl got herself so wrapped up in it.”
“How
the fuck am I supposed to convince some crime boss to stop stalking
his ex girlfriend?”
Faith
shrugged, finally looking back at him. “Everyone has an
Achilles's heel. Find it. Exploit it. Slice it with a knife if you
have to. The only way to get through to someone scary is to be
scarier.”
Xander
looked at her for a moment, watching the way she stood, legs wide,
her weight distributed evenly. Her arms across her chest. Her back
straight. “Sometimes,” he said, smiling at her, “when
you talk like this... you're truly a terrifying woman.”
Faith
dropped her arms, chuckling slightly. “Sorry,” she
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