Dead By Sundown

Chapter Fourteen: Concrete Demons

"Be careful when you cast out your demons that you don't throw away the best of yourself.
God never said he hated demons.
If there is good, there must be necessary evil.
Therefore he lets the deities and demons thrive"

Chapter Fourteen

Nadia parked back in the garage on the estate a little before seven in the morning, just before the household would be waking fully. The early morning dew clung to the air like a promise for the new day.

  Her judgement had been compromised over the past month or so. Overruled by fear, she let Lorenzo's men take her, she let Victor sell her like nothing, showed Ivan how weak she had become. Her visit to Michael had only brought it all to the forefront of her mind. 

  It took a lot for Nadia to admit it to herself, but she was terrified of what was to come.  The only reason Ivan didn't already have her was that the Italians had got to her first. Accidentally or not, she really did owe them for her life.

  A life debt had been made, and Nadia would pay. 

  The sound of a bedroom door opening a little way down the hall drew Nadia from her thoughts.

  Jade, flush-cheeked and pyjama-clad, emerged from Nico's room, a slight smile still present in her eyes. Nadia watched her for a moment as she stood in front of the door and a strange sense of longing took place in her heart.

  Quickly, it dissipated when Jade looked up to see her standing there.

  "So, you and Nico, hu?" Nadia asked, a devilish grin dancing across her features.

  Jade's blush somehow deepened, but a smile pushed its way onto her cheeks none the less. It made Nadia's heart a little bit more full seeing it, not that she was particularly fond of Nico, but she could tell he made Jade happy, and she remembered being that girl once.

  Nadia could see the girl about to deny the accusation, so raised her eyebrow in challenge. That was all it took for her to cave.

  "Just don't say anything to Lorenzo yet," Jade muttered, shaking her head at the floor, still with a bewildered smile on her face.

  Nadia chuckled lightly along with her, leaning on the wall to hold herself up, remembering when she had the same look on her face after Michael had kissed her for the first time.

  She had left the apartment to get some air after a particularly bad conversation with Victor and returned to find Michael pacing up and down in the small apartment, apparently stressing over her whereabouts. Without thinking he rushed up towards her, grabbed her face and kissed her with all his might. Her immediate response was to push him away and slap him, but instantly regretted doing so and pulled him back to her with just as much ferocity. When they finally pulled away, nothing could stop the grin spreading on both of their faces. 

  That was how they had always been, explosive, passionate and ultimately a little bit destructive.

  Nadia's memories were cut short by a pair of blazing green eyes. "Where have you been?" Jades tone wasn't exactly accusatory, but the look in her eyes certainly was. A crease formed between Jade's eyebrows as she took further note at the way Nadia seemed to be different somehow.

  There was something off with the assassin. She still wore a smirk on her face, and her features were as impossible to read as ever, but somehow Jade could tell wherever she had been bought with it bad news.

  "With an old friend," Nadia said as if that was answer enough. If it wasn't, Jade didn't let it show, she simply nodded thoughtfully.

  "I won't ask any questions," Jade began, "I know sometimes it's better to let the past be the past," a sad look graced her features for a second, "but this 'old friend', as you say, doesn't seem to be doing you any favours."