~~Young~~

Chapter Nineteen

   “I can handle myself, but you don’t know how dangerous he can be,” she turned her face to him, “he’ll kill you if he thinks you’re deceiving him.”

   “Well maybe then I should lie to him,” his eyes lit with honest humor, that sparkle making Sera’s own heart flutter, “and after he dumps a few bullets into me then I’ll be within my right to kill him and solve everyone’s problem.”  

   “No,” Sera said shortly, “I want you to come back to me whole regardless that you won’t die.”

   “Excuse me?” Chels half choked from behind them.

   “Oops,” Sera cringed. Funny how easily she could forget about the rest of the world when she was with Gage, she sighed when she heard Death’s chuckle, “Uh…” she spun to Chelsea, “I’ll, um, I’ll make it make sense in a second.”

   “I highly doubt that,” she shook her head and dropped the bag she had slung over her shoulder to the floor, turning to hang her coat on the hook beside the door before stepping out of the way, “I believe you were leaving,” she said with bite.

   Sera narrowed her eyes at Chels, “what’s that for?”

   “Sorry,” she spat, “but I’d like to talk to you without your new Stockholm syndrome boyfriend here to influence you and the sooner the better.”

   “Chels he’s not-”

   “No it’s fine,” Gage cut Sera off, reaching for her chin and turning her face back to his, “she’ll believe soon enough.”

   Sera didn’t have the chance to utter another protest before Gage kissed her. She heard Chels’s scoff but didn’t have it in her to care. Not when she felt as if Gage was trying to tell her something with the kiss. Not just a good-bye, or I’ll see you after I fix things like before, this one was tinged with concern. But what could he possibly believe was going to happen to happen to her, here, with Death and Jerry watching over her? Was he truly worried about Chelsea?

   He ran a hand over her face as he pulled away, his fingers running along her neck till he caught her necklace between his fingertips, “think can I borrow this?” he asked.

   “Sure…” she said slowly and reached for the clasp, “what for?”

   “Uh…let’s say for proof I am who I say I am.”

   Well that certainly made no sense at all, how could her necklace prove who he was?

   But before she could ask he gave her one more quick kiss, “I’ll be back for you as soon as I can okay beauty?”

   Oh, but she couldn’t let him leave without telling him how she felt, “Gage I…” she began, only to clamp her mouth shut.

   With Chels here now, she couldn’t, she couldn’t let her believe she had been manipulated anymore then she already believed. Of course that very well was exactly what had happened. It was more for her own protection then against her will but Gage was keeping her here, which would make him her captor. And the definition on Stockholm syndrome was falling in love with your captor.

   “What beauty?” he prompted her.

   She decided it could wait, that she could tell him she loved him later. Really he didn’t need any more pressures on him considering the lion’s den he was about to walk into.

   “I…I was going to tell you to hurry back but...but it’s not exactly something you can rush is it?”

   Gage looked at her for a long moment before he answered, as if he knew that wasn’t what she was going to say. But he made no mention of it if he did.