Deceiving Dexter

Chapter Ten - Busy Mornings

One Month Later

Natalia POV

‘Do you have to leave?’ I asked Dexter, rolling over to face him. I was on the bed in my tiny apartment, while Dexter stood at the end of the bed, doing up the buttons on his shirt. The police uniform looked quite good on him, I have to say.

‘Sorry Nat, shift starts in twenty,’ he said, sauntering over to me and placing a soft kiss on my lips, lingering for a moment before pulling away slowly.

‘Dinner tonight?’ I asked and he nodded.

‘I’ll be here at seven,’ He smiled, picking up his shoes and leaving the room.

The last month we had been going on dates, getting closer. Well, he has been getting closer to Natalie not Natalia, but it feels like sometimes the two become one. I like being Natalie sometimes, it’s a freedom yet a restriction.

I haven’t gotten much information out of Dexter, but that’s understandable right, it’s only been a month and a half?

 I rolled around in the sheets of the bed, stretching out my arms and legs. I looked over at the time and realised that I should get to Klara’s before Dominika kills me for being late. I usually went home before work, but I was late anyway, so I threw on some of my Natalie clothes and meandered out the door, ready for another days work.

_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

‘What are you wearing?’ Dominika laughed as I walked into the café. There were a few people in the back but it was still pretty early so it wasn’t too crowded. 

‘Clothes,’ I replied to her snarky comment as I walked past her to put my handbag in the back. As I walked past the mirror I took a glance at my clothes. Did I really look weird today? My hair was up in a loose bun, little make-up covering my face. My navy dress was high necked and ended just above my knees. Wow, I guess I do sort of look like Natalie way more than myself. 

She was at it again when I walked back, ‘You look like a librarian, a sexy librarian, but still a librarian.’

‘I didn’t have time to go to my apartment,’ I told her as I started cleaning the bench.

‘Sure darling, and was the reason for that because you were in bed with a certain someone,’ the brunette winked and I tried to hide my blush at the truth in her words.

‘I was just busy,’ I lied and she nodded, but her distrust of my words was prevalent in her expression.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I hurried to open it.

            Hey Nat, Miss you already – Dex

I checked Dominika wasn’t looking before replying.

            Miss you too, have a good day – Nat

‘He calls you Nat? I haven’t even called you Nat.’

Dominika was looking over my shoulder and I quickly slid the phone into my pocket.

‘There’s not too many customers, let’s talk,' Dominika commanded, and without waiting for a reply she strutted over to one of the tables, and looked at me expectantly.

I followed suit, sitting opposite the woman, who put her hands on the table and intertwined her fingers.

‘So, tell me about Dexter!’ She said with a smile on her face.

‘He’s great, he is so sweet and-’ Dominika put her hand up to stop me from talking.

‘Stop right there.’

‘Wha-’

‘That was a test, and you failed. Epically,’ she told me, a warning in her face.

‘What?’

‘This is a mission. You are not Natalie.’

‘I know that,’ I knew that, why was she pressing this?

‘Do you Kitten, because you talk about him like he is your boyfriend.’

‘He is-’

‘No. He is NATALIE’S boyfriend. He’s YOUR target, but you seem to have forgotten that.’

‘I haven’t forgotten the mission, but I needed to get close to him.’

I did need to get close to him, right? How was I supposed to get information without getting to know him.

‘Could you shoot him?’ she asked, a knowing undertone to her voice and my eyes widened at the question.

‘What?’

‘If you’re father told you right now to shoot him, would you do it? Or would you hesitate?’

I couldn’t answer her. The answer was too scary. It was too complicated. She didn’t wait for my reply, the silence was enough.

‘You’re silence speaks volumes Kitten.’ 

She was right. This was a mission, nothing more, but I had gotten close to him. Too close.

‘I’ll stop being so involved,’ I stated, but I could tell that it was going to be hard, I had gotten to know this man. I know his favourite foods, I’ve watched his favourite movies, heard about his family. How do I know all that without being too close to him?

‘You’d better Kitten, or I am calling you’re father.’

‘Are we in fourth grade!?’ Was she really going to tell on me? Like we were children?

‘No, we are playing a game of life and death and you’ll be close to the latter soon, unless you do what I say,’ she said fiercely.

‘What do I need to do?’

‘Start by getting some real information for your father.’

She was interrupted when my brother entered the Café.

‘Hey Erik,’ Dominika smiled, ‘Can I get you anything?’

‘The usual.’

‘Coming right up,’ she walked back to the counter and my brother came and sat next to me.

I was still hurt by the things that Erik had said over a month ago, but since then we have been pretty much ignoring the incident.

‘What are you wearing? You look like you’re going to church.’

‘Thanks for that, you look nice too,’ I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

‘I didn’t mean-’ He put his hand on my arm, but I shook it off.

I didn’t need to deal with this.

I walked away from him and went into the back room and checked my phone, no messages.

I was about to compose myself and go back out but I heard a commotion out in the Café, so I walked out slowly, only to be faced with a heart stopping image.

Erik was face down on a table, his hands behind his back as a man held his wrists tightly. Erik was yelling at the man, who stayed silent while a woman handed him handcuffs. A smug look on her face.

The man was wearing a police uniform, and I would know that face anywhere.

Dexter.

The woman next to him with Bridgette, his partner.

Dexter was arresting my brother!?

Erik was struggling against Dexter’s strong hold while Dominika argued with the woman, trying to tell her she was making a mistake. Bridgette brushed her off and walked over to where Dexter had Erik.

The woman started speaking, ‘Erik Cherkesov, you are under arrest for murder.’