Charlie's Devil

5 - "I'm on my way."

Verona was, as I learned rather quickly, a big fan of Frazier Bennett.

As soon as word had gotten around that he was back in town after 5 years of cat and mouse with myself, the flowers, chocolates and women (occasionally, interestingly enough, men too) had started flooding his door.

His security guard, a wilting old man whom I adored named Jose, tried, and failed, to prevent the avalanche of alcohol- wine, in particular- from literally flooding the mansion.

So, on the second day of our stay, I finally had enough.

"Frazier," I snapped, standing at his office door with my hands on my waist. He looked up casually from his piles of work and gave me a small smirk.

"Yes, amore mio?" He asked, putting his sheet of paper down to divert his attention fully on me.

"You need to go to that ball today." I ordered.

"I was planning to, Charlie." He said, amused. I narrowed my eyes. "It is the first public appearance that Xavier will make since hearing of my return. We need to make it clear that we have nothing to hide. So, you need to come with me."

I rested my hip at his doorway and raised an eyebrow, the sleeves of my hoodie pulled up to my hands. "How will me coming with you prove that we've got nothing to-" I didn't finish. It had already clicked. "You want him to know that you're working with me."

"I want him to know that I am with you." He corrected. "Not necessarily working with. I want him to know that you have my protection, my life, my word, instilled upon you. That way, he will know that as soon as a bullet under his name grazes your skin, his life is finished."

I rolled my eyes. "I can protect myself."

"Oh, I don't doubt that, Charlie." He said, and his smile changed from amused to almost admiring. "This is for my benefit, more than, I hate to admit, it is yours."

"Him seeing me will make sure he knows that you're not trying to hide the fact that you have a CIA agent with you." I raised a hand when he opened his mouth. "I'm not an idiot, Frazier. If you know about Avistocan, he'll know about me. The Italian Mafia is one of the best in the..."

I trailed off, seeing his proud expression, and sighed. "Just be ready by 8 today."

"Aren't I supposed to tell you that?" He asked, just as I turned to make my way out. I gave him one final smirk.

"Stereotypes are over rated." I stated and then made my way out to inform Dan of what we would be doing today, as the way of checking in the had been agreed upon by Mr. Hyde.

"What are you wearing?" He asked as I flipped down onto the large comfy bed, relishing in the smell of clean sheets.

"That's what you're concerned about?" I asked incredulously.

He barked out a laugh. "Char, that's always what I'm concerned about."

I rolled my eyes, feeling a longing in my heart for my best friend. "I'll wear that black dress. It can help me hide the gun at my waist and look sexy."

"That's my girl," he said, laughing. "But not the black one. The red one. Uff, I get a hard-on seeing you in that dress. Sadly not for you though. Just picturing Ryan Gosling in that... uhhh."

"Daniel," I scolded. "Are you fucking gurgling right now?"

"No, bitch, I'm fantasising. Now get up face time and show me your sexy ass before I fly out there myself."

"You're telling me you haven't hacked my camera to see me right now?" I asked, raising a blank eyebrow.

He was silent for a moment. "Stop looking at me like that," he said, directed to the glare I was sending the camera on my iPhone. "We both knew what was gonna happen when you befriended a boy who's good with computers."