Protection

Chapter 8 Ready

Regina slips into the blue dress. It's tight, fitted down her body, and similar to what she used to wear. Killian rolls up the sleeves of his suit, shifting, he looks at Regina with angst. "What?" She asks. "You sure?" He asks. 

"You've asked me that about a thousand times," Regina said. "Right, well, just, once we go in there, it's all a done deal," he said. "Well you have your gun," She nods. "Right, of course, and I'm a damn fast shot," he assures. "I know, so just be my.... " she feels the hiccup in her throat, "master.." she forces. 

He catches her eyes, and gently tilts her chin up to him, "I'm not your master," he shakes his head. "This is a role, for a short time, until they swoop in," he says. Regina sits down at the vanity and starts doing her makeup, of course much heavier than usual. 

"You know you're really beautiful naturally," he compliments. She looks at him, holding the brush in her fingers. "Really?" She asks. "You don't know that I feel that way?" He asks. "Well, I guess I did, just not used to the words," She smiles softly. He nods, awkwardly, "Well you are, you're naturally stunning," he said. 

Killian leads Regina towards the hotel they're planned to meet. Killian keeps his sunglasses on, and holds Regina by the arm, a typical move by the masters. Regina resumes her role of looking downward, and her hands clasped. 

"You ready Lena?" Killian speaks softly, into the micro chip on him. "Yes," she voices over it. "Ok, so he's going to look over you up and down, probably touch you," Killian said. "I know," Regina nods. 

Killian sees Regina's former master, and gives him a nod, holding Regina's arm. She keeps her eyes focused down, as he walks towards them, and heads to the elevator in front of them. 

Regina slows her breathing, as she stands behind a man she knows all too well. This time, luckily, a good man is by her side and with a weapon on him. They reach a hotel room, and the door is opened. 

Regina hears every sound she's heard so many times before. "And here I thought you were just a married couple," the master says. "Well, sometimes putting on a show with them is quite useful to training," Killian alters his voice slightly. The master furrows his brows at him. 

Killian casually stands, with his hands in his pockets. "How old is she?" the master asks. "18," Killian lies. Smoothly, the master touches the sides of his face, and jaw, and walks around Regina. 

Killian stands back and watches as he paces. Regina's former captor touches the back of her dress, on the zipper. She trembles, and tries to hide it. He unzips her dress. With her back exposed, Regina feels anxious and vulnerable. 

"She's exquisite," he said. "Mmm, I know, she's broken in too," Killian says. "Indeed she is," the master looks at Killian once more, and with a flick of his eyes. Regina gasps, as her hair is pulled backward. 

The blade is held at her throat. 

"I know exactly who she is, you think I couldn't recognize her just because you dolled her up?" the master snaps. Killian's jaw clenches, "Let her go," he starts to reach for his gun, "Don't you dare, or I slit her throat," he warns. 

"You're already caught, your customers, we even know where you keep the girls," Killian warns. "But without her, you don't have enough witnesses to tell you," he said. Killian quirks his head, "You think the others won't talk?" Killian crosses his arms. 

"I trained them all," the master boasts. "And yet, this one is working with me, isn't she?" Killian asks. The master flinches, tugging Regina harder. "You don't want to add murder to your list, your cronies are done, the embassy is on you. Perhaps you should have invested more time in your barricade and defenses, rather than kidnapping innocent girls," Killian spat. 

"They're not innocent," The master snaps. "They were! Before you got your filthy self on them," Killian grits. "Now, you let her go," Killian says. "You think I am going to take a command from you? She's mine," master says. 

"She's not yours, she's no object, she's a person," Killian gets angry now, and steps toward him. Regina's head is lifted upward by his hold on her hair, and the knife remains against her throat, as the master pulls her back. Killian steps closer, his chest close to Regina. 

Killian stares him in the eyes, "You're going to let her go," he smiles now. Regina is small between the two men as they stare at each other angrily. Her head tilted back she can see under his chin, as the blade presses on her throat. She tries to swallow and feels the ping of the blade, it could pierce her skin if she jolts. 

Meanwhile, the embassy has stormed the building where the rest of the women were kept, and another group storms the hotel where they are. Still listening, Lena and the others, armed, search for the room Killian is in.

Pressing forward, Killian smiles. "What could you possibly grin about?" the master asks. "Delighting in you suffering, just imagining you in prison, and what they'll do to you. They'll make what you did to her look like child's play," Killian smiles. 

The master clenches his teeth together, and before he moves another inch, the barrel of a gun is inches from his eye. He drops the knife, as Regina is the one facing him, with Killian's gun in her hand. Killian smiles behind her as she looks the master in the eye. 

"You always were defiant," the master spits at her. "Because maybe you didn't break me," Regina   growls back at him. Killian smiles as Regina steadily holds the gun at the man, and Killian kicks the knife on the floor. 

"You'll always be broken," the master snarls. "Good can come from Broken," Regina sasses. Killian smiles proudly, "And.." he tilts his head back, as the door opens behind him. The other agents enter, to cuff the master. 

Killian gently urges Regina to give him the gun, and she does. He's taken out by other agents and Regina lets out a deep sigh. Killian gently touches her shoulder, and smiles. 

As Regina gently leans up to him, she hugs him on her own. "Well done," he says softly, wrapping around her securely. "Now what?" She asks. "Now, we get on a nice plane, and leave," he nods. "Where to?" She asks. "Do you remember at all where you're from?" he asks. 

Regina thinks a moment, letting her memories of three years before enter her mind. "I think New York, Brooklyn," Regina remembers. "There you go," Killian smiles. "You'll come with me?" She asks.

"I gave you my word didn't I?" he asks, with a wink.