1.2 | The Prince of Thieves

Chapter 11

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Aidean Campbell

'They did a good job.'

'Oh, yeah.' She nodded in agreement as she scanned their apartment with wide eyes. Whatever that required polishing had been polished, whatever that required washing had been washed, and whatever that required scrubbing had been scrubbed. She never remembered seeing their home so shiny before, not even when she first moved in. 

Their home. 

Being back here with him sent little bubbles floating up in her and she glanced over at him with a smile breaking out on her features. This apartment would always be home to her, and it would always have her heart. It had contained so many happy memories, and a few sad ones too, she felt a tinge of nostalgia as she helped him transport their belongings into their bedroom. Now this seemed right; a stark contrast from when she had stepped in here with dust flying about her feet. Her electric cello, electronic piano, music recorder and other belongings would arrive soon via air.

What had ensued earlier was a long conversation with her parents, with her mostly assuring them that she had thought long and through about this, that she was sure she wanted to stay in New York for a longer time, that no one was forcing her to remain, and that she wasn't going to be involved in any gang wars. That didn't stop them from worrying incessantly though. She had promised to contact them regularly, and had managed to convince her mother that Skype calls once a week – rather than once a day – were sufficient. Besides, she had her knives and her training. And she had Leon. She would keep herself safe.

Yet a brief little nugget of worry bugged her. From what she understood, Leon had moved to the Puzzle Box for the safety it provided, and the efficiency of having his core teams close at hand. Moving back to the apartment meant that his men couldn't guard him as well as before, and that he would have to travel to the Puzzle Box and the warehouse for work. Privacy seemed to come at such a high cost. She had told him about Anderson as well. Leon had known about the police checking up on him for a while, but he had brushed it off. They never had anything on him, according to his sources in the NYPD.

'Are you really sure about moving back here?' she asked when they were unpacking their things. The walk-in wardrobe was a hot, sweaty squeeze with the two of them and their open luggages.

'Yeah,' he said simply. 'You are here.'

She responded to him with a laugh. Yet as much as she was touched to hear that, she couldn't deny the dangerous reality of a mob boss being far from his guards. Maybe they could buy over their neighbour's flats and move some of them over? No, that wouldn't be nice to their neighbours. It would go back to the issue of a lack of privacy too. She imagined his men trooping over to their apartment at all hours of the day and she shuddered.

'But you'll be safer there, wouldn't you? I heard Dom say that we should have moved there from the day we married.'

'It is true that it's safer, but there's not much privacy.' He offered her a wry grin, then added, 'As you've already experienced.'

Hana jokingly narrowed her eyes at him. She still hadn't forgotten the sensation of the full blown realisation that more than fifty people had been aware of their activities the night before. Really. News travelled fast, and the occupants of the house seemed to appear anywhere and everywhere. Leon had wanted to show her the pool. But as they were greeted by the sight of close to ten topless men – he had some really good looking people working for him, if she may add – lounging around and inside the water, Leon had laughed, covered her eyes, then herded her back into the house again.

She also learnt that 'no women in the house' was a rule he had created. Not even she would be able to stay for long. His men had been fascinated by her presence at first, but after a while, they would probably begin to question the fairness of Leon having his wife with him. She didn't want to be the cause of discord between him and his men. He leaned over and tapped her nose, drawing her out from her silent reverie.