Dancing With The Devil (part two)

Chapter 47: The Predator

Jim linked their fingers together and picked up his glass of champagne. Astrid picked up hers before being dragged across the room by her fiancée. She noticed that she was being dragged in a specific direction, towards a huddle of men at the other side of the room.

"Who have you spotted?"

"Ciaran Walsh." he stated.

"Ah. Bomb man," she laughed, "yes, we should probably thank him for providing us with that hardware on such short notice."

"Well, he's a old friend," he said, not slowing down, "I'm going to reintroduce myself."

They reached the crowd of men and Astrid cleared her throat, making herself known. They all turned around, Ciaran in the middle. He nodded his head half heartedly upon seeing Astrid (they never had got on) but as Jim stepped out from behind her, his eyes widened and he began to laugh.

"Jim?" he stepped out of the bundle he was in and Jim stepped in front of Astrid.

"Long time, no see."

"They- they said you were dead!"

Jim smirked, "yes, I've been getting that a lot recently."

Ciaran laughed and shook Jim's hand heavily, before inviting the pair to sit down with him.

"So, where have you been for three years?" The excitable Irishman said, sat on the edge of his seat whilst Jim sat in his, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He offered one for his fiancé, who took it with a small smirk and a delicate hand, before taking one for himself, tracing across his lips and then placing it in his mouth.

"Back in Ireland, in hiding. Waiting for Sherlock Holmes to die." He smirked, the cigarette moving slightly as he spoke. He lit his and then gave Astrid the lighter, "Recently, I managed to bribe my way back into life, he may be alive, but he's gonna be experiencing a shit show at some point in the not too distant future." Astrid chuckled, exhaling her cigarette smoke dramatically, fully aware of what he was talking about, "not to mention my big resurrection, which won't be for a while."

"Oh, this I can't wait to hear about." Astrid smiled and finished her drink. The conversation came to a brief halt when Astrid noticed that Ciaran was staring at her. Not her face though. She sat back in her seat rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath, "men."

"Yes, you'll be the first to know." Jim cut into the silence.

Jim smirked at Astrid as Ciaran watched, looking somewhat offended.

"Sorry what?"

Jim looked at him, "hmm?"

"Why her?" He began, unaware he was walking into dangerous territory. Astrid just smiled and let out another puff of smoke, "why is she special?"

"You better be careful about what you say next." Jim warned and Ciaran just chuckled half heartedly.

"It's just, we've been mates for years, Jim. Surely you can tell me over one of your 'colleagues'" he continued and Astrid raised her eyebrows at his vagueness.

Jim leaned forward on his knees and growled at his old mate, like a predator, "what makes you think time has anything to do with it?"

"Well, does it not?"

Jim just shook his head. He finished his glass of alcohol and placed it on the table. He then stood up, abruptly, causing Ciaran to follow suit, quietly apologising-not really meaning it.

"She's not a colleague," Jim snarled, "and if you ever insinuate in any way that she is unimportant ever again, I'll kill you."

Ciaran swallowed the lump in his throat as Astrid stood up next to Jim, she whispered in his ear and he took her hand and lead them away from Ciaran, giving Jim just enough time to blow smoke into his old pal's face.

After they were out of earshot Astrid started laughing.

"What a promising display of loyalty that was"

Jim just shook his head, "next person who speaks to you like that can bleed to death."

"Now that, I can't wait to see." She smirked then scoffed, "did you see the way he looked at me?"

"Like he wanted to eat you..."

Astrid nodded, "he looked everywhere but my face."

"Oh, he'll get his comeuppance."

"He better." Astrid huffed, still rather grumpy. She stopped walking and folded her arms across her chest. Jim smirked and turned around, "next time we do one of these I'm showing up in the baggiest clothes I can find."

Jim shook his head, "no, no, no, let them look." He offered his hand with a smile and she took it, yelping slightly as he pulled her into him. She automatically wrapped her arms around her neck, "let the entire world see you in my arms, the energy of their gasps of jealousy will generate enough power to light the tower of fucking England."

Then and there, with everyone looking, Jim smashed his lips onto Astrid's and they engaged in a few seconds of passionate lip locking, with bystanders voicing their reactions through gasps of shock. Astrid took no notice of them, she just focussed on Jim. After they broke apart to breathe, Astrid sloppily leaned into his ear, nipping the cartilage as she whispered straight down it.

"I love you too"

After about ten more minutes of showing off, they decided to take their leave. This idea came when they were sat at a table speaking to some clients about business and Astrid, growing increasingly bored, had reached her foot under the table from where she was sat opposite him, and had began to kneed Jim's crotch with the heel of her shoe. Jim had excused them, before taking Astrid by the arm and signalling to Seb that they were leaving.

"Have I done something wrong?" Astrid pouted as they got back into the car.

"Not at all dear," he smirked, "I was getting bored too."

Astrid laughed, "well, it's gonna take me another twenty minutes to get out of this dress, so, do you think you can keep it in your pants that long?"

"You better." Seb piped up from the front, "I don't want to see any of that shit."

"Alright, Seb, calm down."

Astrid giggled, "maybe speed up a little though."

(A/N i have now just decided that I would cast Enzo Cilenti as Ciaran. He's not Irish, but he is rather attractive and suits a mustache. He also got to make out with Andrew (lucky bugger) eight times a week for months in Present Laughter, so, he gets to be in this!)