Poisoned Waters | ✓

|𝟑𝟑| "𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫"

   Monet sighed with her swallow, "The sun is setting in a few hours. Have you decided on whether to go or not? You've got that 'lost fish' look on your face. Always making that damn face when you're thinking too hard." she continued. He lifted his eyes and found a cheeky smile sitting upon her lips.

   "'Lost fish'?" He soon broke into laughter.

   "Yeah, man, your eyes are all big and you look confused as hell. You better not be creating bad scenarios about meeting Angelo." She shifted from her position across from him and gradually moved into his arms. He squeezed her at the waist tightly, wanting to warm up her cold skin due to the icy weather.

   "I need a plan for us to win, if I don't come back from that meeting alive." he stated.

   Monet abruptly pulled back, "Bruv, what do you mean you ain't coming back alive? Angelo isn't going to bloody kill you. I don't wanna be pessimistic, but I don't think we will win without his help." she retorted.

   "The opposition is going to willingly help us defeat them?" Noah asked back. It sounded ridiculous, he knew it and so did she.

   "We don't have an army." she contended firmly. "I don't know if you really saw the looks on people's faces when you were speaking this morning. It was fear. I've seen it before, the people of Goldcrest were so fearful for their lives that they lost them. People don't wanna die, so many people already have, and if we fight this alone, more people will."

   "So, you trust Angelo?"

   "Trust is a big word, but I've seen Valta, it makes me deep how similar you two are. I know he won't want to lose all of his hard work—especially since it reminds him of his mother. They're scared too, they don't want to lose more people either. Working together will turn Mack and West's plan in on itself, they'll be seriously outnumbered." Monet explained, Noah sighed heavily, his eyes averting from hers for a moment. She waited patiently for his response, to which he simply resumed his tight hold at her waist.

   "Okay, I trust you, chérie. Je compte sur toi." he mumbled into her neck. "I want you to come with me, for good luck..."

   "Good luck?" she quizzed, cushioning her cheek against the side of his head.

   "Yeah... and to chop his head off if he tries anything." She snorted. "Don't laugh, you look so cool when you fight, like my little sexy ninja." The more he said, the harder Monet laughed. She pulled back and held his face in her hands. His hazel brown eyes inspected her, dilating as he smiled.

   "He won't hurt you, I'll make sure of that." she assured. He nodded softly, raising his chin to kiss her lips.

•

   Parking the rover into an alleyway, Noah and Monet continued on foot further into the central city. The daylight-saving sun fell just after five p.m, adhering to the quiet, cold streets. Once they'd followed the one-way road to King William Street, they'd soon reached the beginning of London Bridge.

   The sight of the area was enough to make Noah halt in his tracks—Monet noticed. His brows etched together, as his eyes began to form an image to a recollection of the memory he tried so hard to bury.

   He could see Travis falling to the ground and the heated gunfight that struck Murphy and Sasha's screams that rang through his ears like sirens. The blood. He could see his life slipping away, while Angelo and the Valtans retreated, and West's fury. The blood. The small box that he gave him and his trembling hands that released pressure from his friend's wound—