𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 || j. daniel atlas

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘

Alena had been chewing on the inside of her lip all day and it had swollen. She was touching it tentatively with her finger when there came a knock on the door to her suite.

"Walter has the Horsemen," said the security officer on the other side.

Alena had only opened the door a crack, and she hoped that the man couldn't see how her sudden dread drained the colour from her face.

"He wants you to meet him in the penthouse."

"Alright. I'll be there."

Closing the door, Alena sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh. She still had no idea what Walter was planning to do with Horsemen. All she had gotten out of him, when he'd poked his head about her door upon his return, was that he'd brought the Horsemen back to Macau with him, and that the fun was just beginning.

So Alena finished her makeup, trying to minimise the swelling with layers of the lipstick Daniel had given her. That could go one of two ways; either he would see that she was on his side, or he would think that she was mocking him. Unfortunately, knowing Daniel, it would probably be the latter.

Especially as she was the only one outside of the Horsemen who had known that Jack was alive. When they saw her here, living it up with the man who had exposed them, the Horsemen would have no other choice but to believe that it was she who had betrayed them to Walter. They didn't know that she knew about Dylan Rhodes and she could only hope that they wouldn't find out before she had time to explain herself.

Alena slipped on her most expensive evening gown, a fitted dress with a Bardot neckline in maroon satin. It matched the lipstick perfectly. Loath to admit it, Alena couldn't help smiling at how good a choice Daniel had made. Putting on a pair of heels and sliding her phone into a small clutch bag, took one last look in the mirror to steel herself.

The Horsemen could take care of themselves; Alena branded the thought so hard onto the forefront of her mind. Her own family could not. They were her priority now, no matter the cost.

By the time she reached the penthouse, Alena was wearing her smirk and had settled into the personality that came with it.

Walter smiled when the doors opened. "Wow," he said, breathlessly. "You look...just, wow!"

"Thank you, Mr Mabry." Alena bowed her head in feigned embarrassment.

Tonight, he was sporting a fine, white suit and no shoes. Alena tried not to wrinkle her nose when he offered her his hand and escorted her down to the pit, where a drink was already waiting for her. She wouldn't consume any. Not just yet.

"I trust you enjoyed your days without me," said Walter.

Alena chuckled softly. It was time for the lying to begin. "Well, I certainly enjoyed them, though I wouldn't say it had anything to do with your not being here. In fact, without you, Macau is kind of dull."

"I've missed you too, Miss Warbeck." Walter placed his arm behind where Alena leant back on the curved sofa.

Hesitantly, he raised a finger and began tracing swirls on the back of Alena's bare shoulder. It made her skin crawl but, paired with a contented sigh, she hoped the goosebumps would come off as something other than extreme discomfort.

"Sir, the Horsemen have arrived."

Walter looked a little perturbed for a moment, but turned to his security officer with a grin. "Brilliant. Bring them up."