Lastly (L.T.)

Chapter 14

So I wasn't quite certain how to make Kestrel and Lou's relationship progress as we go but I'm trying, also, I thought I might start putting violence warnings above the chapters that have lots of violence but I don't know if you guys really care?

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I buried my face in one of my arms on top of the counter. I didn't think it be hard to run missions for Louis instead of Jay, but I was used to having my team to work with. I didn't know whether Louis would be sending me on solo missions, or if he wanted me to come with him on his missions.

I was stirred out of my thoughts by Louis with his arm under Liam, helping him back into the room. It was an odd sight considering Louis was quite a bit shorter and thinner than Liam, though he was supporting Liam's weight with apparent ease.

"Sorry." I said with no remorse, looking at the raised knot on Liam's head.

"No hard feelings." He said and gave me a small smile. He really was a nice guy.

Louis helped Liam down to the couch, patting his shoulder. I tried not to stare, but a guy like Louis having a friend that was so big and muscled and sweet as Liam was hard to picture even when it was right in front of you.

Louis was in his dress shirt and pants again so I assumed he'd been at the club dealing with the mess he had made last night. I wondered if the so called "shooting incident" would affect business for the club, but it seemed like he was too rich to care.

He left Liam on the couch and walked over to the counter where I was. He didn't seem at all disturbed by the fact I was still holding a loaded gun with the safety off.

"You and I are going somewhere tonight, love." He nodded to me.

I felt my temperature rise again at the word love, but I hid it and raised a cocky eyebrow at him instead, "and where would that be?"

"Well for starters you might want to go get your things out of your hotel room and move them into your room here. Then, you need to come with me so you can meet some people before you and I have a job to do."

He wanted me to move in here? Like with him or my own apartment in this skyscraper?

He seemed to know exactly where my mind had gone, because he fished a key on a little key ring with the club's logo key chain attached to it out of his pocket and tossed it to me. I snatched it out of the air and looked at it, noticing the room number on the key chain was three apartments down from his. A small part of me wondered if he had done that because he wanted to keep an eye on me, or because he wanted to keep me close. He had no reason to expect any ill intent from me now, we were trading partners after all, and I was working for him.

I was annoyed that he hadn't asked me first, before demanding I stay here, but I really couldn't stay in a hotel for a year so I decided not to press the issue. It would make my life easier if I just took control of a small part of the situation. I could get upset about it later.

"I'll go get my shit, and then do you just want me to meet you somewhere? You said we were doing something tonight." I said pointedly.

Louis nodded, "I'll knock on your door around nine tonight, the three of us will ride together."

It took me a moment to realize that by three of us, he meant Liam would be coming with us. I couldn't decide whether I liked that or not. I didn't know how I would feel about being alone with Louis again right now.

I pointedly left the gun on the counter and hopped off, going to the bathroom to fetch my dress and shoes. I didn't ask Louis if he wanted his sweats back and neither he nor Liam said a word to me as I left. Louis was sitting on the floor near the couch, both of them wrapped up in their own conversation.

It took me less than half an hour to get all of my shit into my duffle bag. I decided to keep Louis's sweats and threw them into my duffle bag to be pajamas. I donned my black leggings and tank top and threw my leather jacket on over it. I tried to braid my hair, but I wasn't skilled at braiding like Andrea so I had to settle for throwing it up in a ponytail. I put on a bit of eyeliner, but left the rest of my face makeup-free, and headed out the door.

It still felt strange, walking through the empty club during the daytime. The squeaky clean floors and clean smell portrayed none of the sinful scent it would hold by nightfall. I headed to the elevator and pressed the up arrow that would take me to my room. I still didn't know what was in the rest of this building. Was it all an apartment complex except for the club floor? I wondered if I would have time to snoop around and explore before Louis came to get me.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to a pair of icy blue eyes. He was no longer wearing his dress attire from earlier, instead he wore a leather jacket, with no shirt underneath so that his sculpted chest was open on display, and black skinny jeans. His hair was messy and swept off to the side of his forehead. He looked incredible.

I was expecting him to leave the elevator, but instead he stayed leaning against the wall, "I'm headed up," he said roughly.

I nodded and headed into the elevator, setting my bag down near my feet and leaning against the same wall a few feet away from him. The doors shut and the elevator started to climb, agonizingly slow.

"Why do you need me specifically to help you?" I asked, not expecting him to answer.

"Because you're fast, and all of my fighters are fast, not strong. I need someone with the same skill set as me, a partner who I can go on missions with and trust to watch my back in a fight, rather than think with their fists in a blind rage. You have quite the reputation for being all of those things." He answered with his eyes closed and his head tilted back against the wall.

I was shocked at his honesty, and realized he probably wasn't wrong about me being the only other fast and calm fighter he could find. We were a rare breed, but I still didn't know what missions it was that he needed me for.

"And what if I'm not?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

He leaned his head forward and stepped away from the wall, and towards me, "I guess I'll have to find that out then," he shrugged.

I didn't have time to gasp or say anything before his fist came up and was flying towards my face. Out of mere instinct, I ducked and spun, knocking his fist to the side and jetting my left hand out to deliver a return punch to his gut. He stepped towards me and blocked it pushing my hips against the wall of the elevator with both hands to get me to stop before we actually fought. There was only a few inches of space between our hips and faces and our chests were pressed together, breathing hard from the sudden movement.

"Looks to me like you are." He said softly, the space between us charged with a harsh electricity. We were so close, but we felt so far apart.