LIVE IT UP || CONNOR

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE She needed a place in which she could blend in. She had just performed a job and that job had gone horribly wrong. Eli had been set up. It had been a trap and she was furious. It was as if it was a repeat of what had happened to her when she was in the Marines, and her hands were shaking wildly. She had succeeded in killing the man but she had almost lost her life as well. She couldn't go to the hospital for her wounds even though she probably should. But this was Eli here and when did she ever do what she was supposed to do? An angry welt was visible upon her right cheek and it was slowly becoming surrounded by a bruise. The bloody bastards had bronze knuckles and she had suffered. Her ribs were what hurt the most and she was worried that she had broken one because of their violence. As soon as she had pulled the trigger of her gun she had been surrounded by five men. She knew that if she didn't kill them all she wouldn't make it out of there alive. So she had gone into a frenzy, but not before they got her down first. She didn't know how she got out of there alive. She certainly didn't want to question it but she knew that she needed to blend in somewhere. She looked normal enough, for her black outfit was something that could be considered stylish. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a braid so that it was out of her face for a clear shot, but she now wished she could take it down to hide the marks on her face. She didn't want anyone to notice her cracked lip and her bruised cheek. She didn't want anyone to see her clutching her abdomen as if her life depended on it. She didn't want anyone to see her wincing when she took a wrong step. Shaking her head, she saw the lights and heard the sounds up ahead. That peaked her interest and for a moment she stopped, looking over her shoulder. She couldn't know if they were following her. She couldn't know if there had been anymore men. She just couldn't know. Furrowing her brow, she started down the hill to the carnival for it would give her the perfect cover. It didn't take her very long to get into the grounds without having to pay a thing to enter. She was a criminal after all and she knew how to get into places without being noticed. Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to walk normally so that no one would notice her. Her blue eyes calculated the crowds around her, and she was more than thankful when she saw the benches placed in the middle of everything. Carnival enthusiasts were gathered all around the area, eating the food and playing the games. Eli just needed to sit. Once she got to the bench she lowered herself down gingerly, hissing as she felt the strain on her ribs. Feeling slightly more relaxed, she gazed around the area. As a young man came here way, she narrowed her eyes, praying he wasn't from the group she had just taken out. But he had one of the goofiest smiles upon his face. "Heya babe. What are you doing by yourself?" Don't make a scene. Don't make a scene. She put on the most fake smile she could produce. "I'm waiting for someone so I suggest you return to your friends before I make you." She smiled sweetly and saw his stunned expression. Something about her made him trot back to his group. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath, wondering how this entire situation could have gone so wrong. sorry it sucks. didn't know what else to do!

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

pulling off his duster jacket, he folded it over an arm and left the house of mirrors. he'd had his fun terrorizing the little sister of one of his less-loyal subjects, and now he was in a better mood. however, his original purpose for being in the carnival in the first place still lingered. his irritation over being kept waiting also resurfaced, although not as powerfully this time since he'd entertained himself. he loved terrorizing the innocent loved ones of people who pissed him off. that would show neil. but that was a completely different matter. now he had to see eli face-to-face again, and she was going to hear a piece of his mind for keeping him waiting. he hated waiting. when he had to wait, he got bored, and his boredom always led to violence.

walking calmly around the fun house, he made his way back to the shadows where he was most comfortable. of course, the best way to blend in was to go right into the thick of the people, and that was precisely where he'd chosen for eli to meet him. he'd already been through there several times since arriving (he was often early to his meetings which meant he had to wait longer which led to him becoming bored and getting violent, it was a vicious circle), but he decided to revisit the eating area to see if she had arrived. blending in with the masses of people heading that way, he slipped through the bodies until he emerged near the back of the food court area where there were groups of benches. his hazel eyes settled on her immediately, and he instantly wanted to fuck her again which made only served to make him angry. clenching his teeth together, he walked directly at her, appearing out of the crowd in front of her, glaring down at her where she sat. she was clearly beaten and bruised, but she was a big girl. although he probably should, he didn't feel that spark of sympathy like most people do. they were both warriors; she didn't need his sympathy. besides, he was her boss and if she had failed in her mission, then he would be the one to make her reap the consequences. that was his duty. however, eli was one of his best, and that was why he'd sent her to do the job in the first place.

for what seemed like forever, connor had been working to forge an alliance with the russian mafia. that meant he had to stoop to some very low levels to contact them. the russians ran a dirty business, and that was part of the reason he wanted them for his allies in the first place. it was a simple case of have your friends close and your enemies closer. if given the chance, connor would gladly screw the russians over, but they had a stronger presence here than he did. after his father died, he'd lost his control of los angeles, and since then had been working to gain a foothold. if he had to ally himself to the russians to get it and to get his organization immunity, then so be it.

stopping in front of her, connor crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. "i'm hoping you succeeded considering you look like shit," he spoke plainly, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. he had no feelings for her other than those that were mafia-related. sure, they'd fucked a few times, and it was amazing, but that didn't mean he had romantic feelings for her. "do you have what i sent you for?" his eyebrows raised impatiently as he held out his hand.

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TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE The young woman sat quietly in her pain, taking it like a true soldier did. The marines had not softened her and that was the reason she was so strong now. She knew that for a fact, and it almost made her grateful for what she went through. Almost. But how could one be grateful for that? Jett knew now. She had finally told him and when her brother had been informed she thought he was going to lose total control. Somehow he managed to keep it together, but Eli had suffered. Reliving the events and finally telling her story out loud had been a lot worse for her than she would ever dare to believe. And now, with what had just happened, she felt like she was being ambushed all over again. Her hands were still shaking from the feelings that had resurfaced and Eli thought back to what the shrink had told her. She had been forced to go at least once and she had done her time. He had labeled her with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome but she refused to believe that. She was stronger than that, especially even now. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled sharply, feeling the familiar stab of a broken rib. This had happened to her before as well. Furrowing her brow as her arm snaked around her rib cage, she cursed Connor up and down, sideways and back. She hated him. She hated him more than anyone else in this entire world and he had left her almost blind sided in a way. He could have lost a valuable soldier, not that it would matter much. Resisting the urge to groan as she shifted her position, she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and caught hold of the small hard drive that had been her primary goal. As if she would ever fail a mission. She was one of the best soldiers the Irish mob had, and she didn't gain that respect and title for looking pretty or using her looks to get what she wanted. That wasn't who she was. She was already pissed at herself for sleeping with Connor. She'd never use her body in that fashion for the mob. Shaking her head now, she glanced up, aware of his dark form approaching her. She had felt his eyes on her before actually seeing him and it had made her heart beat in anticipation. As soon as she laid eyes on him, there was only one thing on her mind. And that was that she wanted to fuck him right here, right now. Forcing herself to control her urges, she remained seated, not wanting him to know the extent of her injuries. That would show weakness. She would not look weak in front of him. She refused. As he spoke to her, Eli's gaze flashed heatedly. Anger pulsated through her very being and her eyes lit with a fire that he would have never seen before. It wasn't his insult of her looks that bothered her. It was his insinuation that she would not have gotten what he asked for, that she would have failed. Eli refused to fail ever since her failure in the marines. Her pale features flushed with heat and she let her fingers close tightly over the hard drive. Chucking it straight at his face, her vicious remark cut through the happy sounds of the carnival. "Don't you dare insinuate that I would have failed. I wouldn't be here if I did, asshole." She finished caustically, getting to her feet a bit too quickly for her injuries. For a moment agony crossed her furious features but she didn't let it show for long. Swaying sideways from the head rush, she scowled and shoved by him, her shoulder nailing his and sending sparks up and down her spine even from that heated contact. "Fuck you." Eli spat, her temper getting a bigger hold upon her than she wanted to allow. But it didn't matter now. Her hatred was obvious, and it seemed it had restarted with a new vigor. If he wanted to continue their deal that they had just struck, he had another thing coming. Eli didn't take failure lightly and for him to assume that she had failed cut her. It didn't hurt her feelings, it pissed her off. The very thought of being around him at the moment made her sick. So she was leaving. Let him order her back, she wouldn't stay. Eli Byrne did not look like a fool. Not even in front of him.

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

connor was used to seeing females attractive. admittedly, he was a manwhore, and he'd slept with so many women, he was beginning to lose count. however, when he saw eli, she did something to him that no other woman had done. he viewed most women as playthings, objects for his pleasure and amusement, but eli he saw as almost an equal. she was still a woman, so inherently weaker in his opinion, but she was a good soldier: his best gunrunner. his attraction to her, and his reluctant respect for her, made him come down harder on her than anyone else.

when her eyes flashed angrily, connor smiled. he'd gotten under her skin, and he knew it wasn't because he'd insinuated that she looked bad. eli didn't care about her looks. she wasn't like regan or sutton who used their looks as part of their jobs. eli prided herself on doing a job well without having to use her natural beauty as a weapon. she didn't make herself up like the others, and sometimes he wondered if she even knew that she was far sexier than them simply because she didn't have to try. raising his chin as she rose from her seat and scalded him with her glare, he stood silently with his arms crossed over his chest and fixed her with his hazel eyes. she tossed the flash drive at him, and it hit him square between the eyes, bouncing off of his forehead as his hand whipped out to catch it before it could hit the dirt. anger flashed in him just as quickly as eli's ire had risen, and his eyes narrowed as she came toward him.

the moment she hit his shoulder, he felt that angry lust well up within him so fast it almost took his breath away. instead, he clenched his teeth together as she said fuck you, and his hand snaked out to grab her arm roughly. twisting his wrist in an attempt to spin her back to face him, he turned and felt her bump into him, their chests meeting as he strongly wrapped his arm around her waist. to onlookers they would look like lovers embracing among the decadence of the carnival, but the two irish knew better. connor's eyes were cold and calculating as he glared into eli's fiery gaze. he stared her down, neither of them showing fear toward the other.

"i wouldn't have sent you if i didn't know you would come back with what i wanted," he commented hotly. his eyes flickered down to her breasts that were crushed against him and then back up to her face. he could see the pain flickering right behind the hatred in her eyes. "what happened? you need a medic." it was almost more of a statement than a question, but he didn't loosen his grip on her.

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TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE She didn't even want to see him in front of her because she was so angry. Eli hadn't been this angry in a very long time, and the fury that was fueling her was threatening to explode. This was the reason as to why no one ever got one of the Byrne twins angry. If this wasn't Connor Selwyn standing directly in front of her, she would have killed the person. She wasn't a fool, and she hated when people thought she would have failed. Failure was not an option for her. it never had been and it never would be. When everyone thought she would fail because her parents were dead, she had shown them all. When everyone thought she would fail because she was a woman in the marines, she had made sure they would remember her name. And when the men who had taken her believed she would fail and crack under the pressure they put on her, she had made sure they knew she was no ordinary woman. She was a lot stronger than she was given credit for and she hated when she was underestimated. It was why Connor had gotten so deep beneath her skin with his scathing comment. She couldn't handle it at the moment. Just being near him made her sick because of how passionate she was against simple failure. Failing meant that she would never come back until she did what she was supposed to get done. That was how she was, that was her nature. She was a fighter and that was what made her the top gunrunner of the Irish mafia. She lived and breathed her job. She trained harder than any other gunrunner, she trained more. If one couldn't find her, she was either in the gun range or doing something that would further increase her skills. She was the ultimate fighting machine and the only thing that could make her any deadlier was if she was a man. The strength was what she wanted but she knew she'd never be strong enough to overcome a male in hand to hand combat. Well, not all anyway. She wasn't foolish enough to have that big of a head upon her shoulders. So as she stood across from Connor she studied him with furious, defiant, but calculating eyes. She had to be careful. She couldn't overpower him and she couldn't be that stupid. He was the leader. He was her boss. That was a constant in the back of her mind and that irritated her to no end. She had no choice but to ultimately obey him in the end and that infuriated her. She was trapped. She knew she had angered him when the hard drive had hit him straight between his eyes. Well, her aim had never been a problem and triumph rippled through her for a brief moment. That would show him. However, the moment she had whacked his shoulder with her own she knew she was in for it. Her body already cried out in protest from just hitting him, but as his hand encircled her, she nearly yelled. Her body twisted at the waist, the ribs threatening to crack as more pressure was added to them. Her face paled considerably and even took on a greener hue from how nauseous the movements had just made her. But she would not look weak. Clenching her jaw, she found herself clinging to him to keep her upright. Her eyes took on a distant quality for a moment as her head swam, but she blinked furiously to try and bring herself back. Hearing his next words, she balked, trying to get away from him. But the sharp movements brought the agony straight back. A medic? She'd never. And he knew that. "Get your hands off of me. I'm fine. I don't need anyone. Let go." She argued viciously, looking much like a cornered animal than anything else. Her eyes held a wild look as she felt more trapped than she had ever been before, but she couldn't release her hold on him. His very touch sent her wanting him again and again, but her pain prevented her from following through with that lust. This was the worst night she had had in a long time.

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

he saw the pain in her eyes, and felt her weave in his arms as she grew woozy from it, and the sadistic side of him came out as he smiled. sometimes pain turned him on, it was part of his sick nature perhaps, but he remembered the fight and fuck he and eli had had which had gotten them to this place where they both lusted after one another even in momentary glances. even as his blood ran cold with irritation and fury toward her, he wanted her so badly. he'd never wanted a woman more than once for anything romantic. not that what he and eli had was romance. no, he wouldn't go that far. but it was repetition: something connor selwyn didn't do. subconsciously he loosened his grip on her, but she simply folded back into him, and he repositioned his arms so he was holding her up but it wouldn't be obvious to those around them that she was hurt so badly.

"Get your hands off of me. I'm fine. I don't need anyone. Let go," she growled at him as he looked past her and noticed a few patrons looking their direction. "shut up for once, eli," he hissed at her as he smiled at the onlookers. "boy, you sure have had a lot to drink, hon. we better get you home," he commented loudly enough that the people watching laughed to themselves, nodding as their worries about eli passed with connor's words. people were so like sheep at times. with little effort, he hooked his arm around her waist and marched her as subtly away from the crowd as he could manage until they were on the edge of the carnival behind some seemingly-abandoned tents. he released her and wouldn't have been surprised if she simply slumped to the ground. he could tell she was in severe pain even if she wouldn't admit it. "by the way you're breathing, it sounds like a rib," he stated, hiding the flash drive safely away in an inner pocket of the vest he wore over his shirt. even at the carnival he dressed like he was out on the town. he appreciated good style.

leaving eli for a moment, knowing he couldn't abandon her for long or she'd up and leave like the stubborn mule she was, he peeked into the tents until he found some sheets. grabbing them, he carried them back around the back to the seclusion where he'd left her. tearing them into strips, he gripped the sheet with his teeth to get a good hold as he shredded them. once he was done, he dropped them in a pile and reached for eli, running his hands down her sides to feel if she did indeed have a broken rib. "quit fighting me, i'm actually trying to help you," he snapped as she protested. "since you're too fucking stubborn to wait for a medic, i have to do it, so shut the hell up and sit still." he fixed her with a hard look from his hazel eyes and then went back to his task. he knew he was rougher than a doctor ever would be, but he didn't care. that's what she got for being so hardheaded; she had to put up with him. sure enough, he felt the tip of the bone as his palms ran down her sides, and he nodded as he looked her in her blue eyes, so like her brother's.

when he looked into her eyes, he momentarily felt sorry for what he was going to have to do. along with combat training, he'd also been taught standard first aid techniques from childhood. there were times when a doctor wasn't available, and you needed to be able to bandage yourself up to keep from bleeding to death until you could find one. broken ribs counted in the lesser first aid training he'd had. "this is going to hurt," he stated flatly. offering her a wad of the sheet to bite down on, he made sure she was ready. pulling her shirt up to her boobs, leaving it pulled down over them despite the urge to just tear it off of her, he wrapped the longer strips of the sheet around her slender frame and tied them, hearing her groan in pain the whole time. once he knotted the fabric tight so it would stay, he dug into one of the pockets on the duster jacket he had removed and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. he offered her one. "you need to see the doctor to make sure you don't have any internal bleeding, but until then, this will help ease the pain." he'd had far too much experience in dealing with things like this.

"now..." he stated, standing and offering her his hand so she could stand, but doubting she would take it, "what happened to you? any man who beats up my gunrunner like this will die." he hadn't meant it to be personal, but as the words left his mouth, he realized they were more personal than he'd intended. looking away from her as he led the way through the crowd toward the parking lot, he focused on the milling crowds to get his mind off of the temporary awkwardness of that moment and back to business.

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TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE She was furious. She hated the fact that she was injured and she was irritated that Connor was seeing her in this state. She knew that he already viewed her as weak because she was a woman. She didn’t need anything else that would lessen her value in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled sharply as she felt the stabbing pain from her broken rib. This was ridiculous. She couldn’t believe that this had even happened to her. Flashbacks of the time she was ambushed in the marines clouded her thoughts and vision now, giving her a faraway look for a moment as Connor spoke to her. It was obvious that she wasn’t listening, obvious that she was someplace in her mind. She prayed he would think she was remembering back to what had just taken place, but she couldn’t be so sure. Eli never appeared shell shocked no matter what type of situation she was in. She never appeared as if something was affecting her even though the pain might be great. She was a soldier. She never showed emotion and she never lost her head. Right now however, she was lost inside of her memories and it was scaring even her. She couldn’t come back. It wasn’t until she felt him moving her, his arm encircling her waist for support. For a moment, Eli’s legs didn’t work. She stumbled, her hand reaching for Connor so that she could steady herself as they walked. She finally registered what he had been saying and remembered the people laughing. They believed Connor and her to be a young couple in love, with the man taking care of the girl that had a bit too much fun. Anger sliced through the haze that covered her mind, making the images of her prison fade away as she realized what had just taken place. He had just made her look like a fool. Eli became furious all over again, the heat rising in her pale cheeks and her pain filled blue eyes flashing menacingly. Realizing with a start that she was clinging to Connor as he pulled her along, she tried to skitter away from him, feeling trapped and suffocated in his presence. But his body touching hers threw her and she was distracted for a moment. Her lust and her passion came front and center for a moment and she thought back to the two times that they had slept together. She wanted him again. She didn’t want to be hurt. She wanted him. Angry at herself, she forced those thoughts and those feelings from her mind, her eyes taking in the secluded area he had just brought her to. When he released her, it took all of her power and her energy to remain on her feet. She was too stubborn to admit defeat, and even though her knees were trembling and threatening to buckle, she would not fall. She would show him her strength even though it was waning. Reaching into her reserves she did the best that she could. When he came back, she saw that he brought sheets with him and dread instantly filled her. She didn’t want him to fix her. She didn’t want him to see her injuries. She was already disgusted with the fact the men had gotten to her face. It was already swollen and bruised and Jett was most likely going to throw a fit because of it. Eli hated being in pain because it showed weakness. Growling under her breath, she finally allowed herself to sit down, knowing it would be easier for Connor to fix her. But that didn’t mean she wanted it. ”Don’t. Connor I mean it. Just stay away.” She knew she was being stubborn but she didn’t want him touching her ribs. When he snapped at her to sit still, her eyes flared with defiance and pride. Inching away from him, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, not giving him easy access to what he was trying to do. Glancing up at him, she sent him a seething glare that showed the amount of anger and contempt that she held for him. Wanting to punch him, she was glad she had control of her arms as she crossed them. She could punch him but that’d only piss him off more. She didn’t want that. As he finally got her to do what he needed her to do, Eli was looking murderous. Biting the sheet bitterly, she closed her eyes in preparation for the pain to come. As he said it was going to hurt, she fixed him with a look and took the sheet out of her mouth for a moment. ”No shit Sherlock.” She was snappy and for good reason. Shoving the sheet back between her teeth, she bit down and felt him start. A gasp escaped through her clenched teeth and her hand shot out, gripping his shoulder with a vice grip as the agony rippled through her. When it was all over, Eli’s breathing was heavy and rapid and she threw the sheet away from her angrily, freeing her mouth. ”For fuck’s sake.” She complained, not directing it at him but pissed all the same. Grabbing the aspirin he handed her, she refused to let him see more weakness. She stuck it in the pocket of her jacket but refused to take any. Seeing his hand and hearing his comment about seeing a medic, she nearly snarled. ”See a medic my ass. Would you?” She knew he might simply because he was the leader and needed to preserve himself but Eli’s trust was shattered. She didn’t trust anyone fixing her. The last one who tried labeled her crazy. She was finished with the medical world. Rising shakily to her feet, she swayed dangerously, but refused to latch onto him. That was when she heard his comment. His gunrunner. Not the mafia’s, not the team’s, but his. Her blue eyes flashed for a moment but she tried not to read into it. She did belong to him, like a piece of property. That was what he meant that comment as. Property. Feeling comforted and slightly put off, she responded, following him to the parking lot with a bit of difficulty. ”Russian agent. I shot him like I was supposed to and then I was ambushed. Connor, I fucking triple checked everything before I went there. I scouted the area three times over. I don’t make mistakes anymore. Not like that especially…Look I just don’t make them. It doesn’t make sense. Those fuckers were on me in seconds. Someone set me up. There were five, and I killed two before they got me down. Two got away and I killed the other one when I started running.” She finished, looking over to him while gripping her rib. This pissed her off, but it confused her more than anything. It scared her as well. The fact that she just gave proof to the fact that she was hiding something unnerved her too. What was she going to do? Tell him that the same thing happened to her in the marines and it was just too similar? She just didn’t understand.

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

if eli hadn't fought him the whole time he was wrapping her ribs, he really would have believed there was something wrong with her. it was highly unlike a byrne not to give a bit of lip about something, and they hated being coddled. of course, connor was doing anything but coddling her, but eli wouldn't see it that way. she and jett both had some twisted idea that anyone trying to keep them alive was babying them. connor understood their pride, but when it came right down to life or death, he would save himself before he'd allow his pride to get in the way. but then again, his survival instinct surpassed his empathy for others by quite a margin. when she argued with him about the doctor yet again, connor fixed her with a hard glare. "if i have to order you to do it, then i will. it'd be best if you complied of your own free will," he snapped, his eyes boring into her before he turned and headed off for the parking lot.

as they walked, eli began to describe what had happened, and connor's brow furrowed. he had gained a few feet on her simply because her ribs were hurting and she couldn't move as quickly as usual, and he was forced to stop in place for her to catch up. he looked down at the ground as he began to sort it all out in his mind, so lost in thought that he didn't hear anything amiss in eli's words. unlike jett, connor wasn't tuned into eli's emotions and he didn't pick up on her uneasiness about the ambush. instead, it angered him that one of his agents had eyes on her. it meant someone was watching them, and he disliked that idea greatly. he enjoyed the subtlety of crime, and knowing that someone - whoever it was - would anticipate one of his movements got him the closest to scared he would ever be: wary.

eli reached his side and he looked up at her with his brow furrowed in consternation. his hand reached into the duster jacket he put back on as they walked toward the parking lot, and he withdrew the flash drive, his fingers caressing it as he held it up for her to see. "that can only mean that someone knew i wanted this, and knew you were going to be there," he stated flatly, anger edging his voice like a knife. looking off into the darkness, his eyes focusing on nothing as his mind cycled through the options, he ground his teeth together. "it means we have a mole." turning away from her, he punched a fist at the air and cursed. now he had one more thing to deal with on top of keeping the russians off of his turf and underhandedly trying to form an alliance with them to protect his territory. then there was ireland to deal with. he'd recently received rumors about stirrings with the ira, and that had him unsettled. on top of that, locally, he was dealing with the probing local police force and that damned deputy hayes. underlying it all was this complication with eli, and he couldn't get that out of his mind despite how trivial it seemed compared with the affairs of the mob.

shaking his head in frustration, he glanced back at eli and let out a whoosh of air. "let's go. this isn't the place to deal with this, and you need the doctor," he commented offhandedly, moving off toward the parking lot again and passing into the darkness. as he did, he held up a finger, knowing he was about to hear her argue again, "don't start. just get in the car."

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TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE She knew that something was amiss in the very middle of the place she felt safe. The mafia was her family, it was her home. Not only did she just work for Connor, but she lived and breathed for the life that she now had. She had nothing left other than Jett. The fact that they could be in this together was something that she would never take for granted and it bothered her that someone was taking advantage of their position. Her mind had been spinning ever since she had been ambushed and there was only one explanation to it all. Someone had known she was going to be there and had given away her position. It didn't matter how many times Eli had scouted the area. She was one of the most thorough agents that Connor ever had because it had been the difference between life or death in the marines. It was no different here. One mistake and you could either be nailed by the cops, or there would be someone nailing your coffin shut. She wasn't going to take any chances. The fact that all of her efforts were in vain unnerved her. She hated the feeling that was welling up inside of her chest. This wasn't good. Her eyes flashed to Connor as he said that she could either go to the doctor out of her own free will or he would order her there. She wasn't going to go willingly and she knew that he knew that. The only way she was going to go into that medical center was if he threw her over his shoulder and carried her there. She gave him a pointed look as she spoke. "If I have time, I'll go." She wasn't going to make time to go, that much was for certain. She was going to make sure that she was entirely too busy to even step foot into that wing of the estate. Shaking her head slightly, she sighed in frustration. This entire situation was just confusing and held too much of that deja vu quality that she didn't want it to possess. Trying to figure it out and sort it through her mind, she was aware of Connor's distance increasing. She wouldn't complain. Space from him meant that there wouldn't be another confusing emotion inside of her. She knew what it was like to want someone. She had been in that position before. But this was completely different. This was on an entirely different level. She wouldn't go as far as to describe it as need, but she had never lusted for a man in this fashion. She wasn't afraid of Connor. Some may call her foolish for that, but she had no reason to fear him. Everyone died sometime, and if she died at his hands because of her rebellion than so be it. She doubted he would end her life that easily though, for he would have serious consequences from her twin. That wasn't the point though. She wasn't afraid of him, but she was wary of what he was doing to her feelings and her emotions. She had declared it as great sex and lust but there was something else. Eli hated him, there was no doubting that. She loved to piss him off and she lived to irritate him. The hatred would never subside, or so she believed. Romance? That would never happen. They weren't the kind of people to date and they both knew that. So why was she even thinking about it? Pushing those thoughts hastily from her mind, she looked up just in time to keep from crashing into him as he stopped. Coming up short, she caught his gaze and watched as he reached inside of the jacket. Seeing the flash drive that had caused her so much pain, she thought for a moment and came to the same conclusion that he did. They did have a mole and this person would pay. Watching him have a small melt down as he raised his fist into the air, she almost felt bad for him. He had so much on his plate already and this was just something that he shouldn't have to worry about. She could solve this. She approached his side after a moment, her hand reaching to gently clench his forearm, bringing his arm out of the air. It was the softest she had ever been with him and for a moment a blush crept up her cheeks. She prayed he would think it was fever from the injuries. "I'll deal with the mole. You know I can handle it and nothing would give me greater satisfaction than killing the bastard that got my rib broken." Eli announced quietly, dangerously. This was her killer instinct kicking in. She would find this person and she would make them pay. No one did this to her and got away with it. No one. As he turned away from her, she followed after him, knowing that they couldn't talk strategies here. Hearing his next words, she opened her mouth to argue but was instantly cut off by his warning. Snapping her mouth shut, she glared slightly but knew there was no point. She couldn't stay upright for much longer and his car was right there. Giving him a look that said this argument about the doctor wasn't over, she ducked down gingerly and settled into the seat beside him. "Thanks. For my ribs." She snapped heatedly, knowing she owed him. He had managed to make a rather effective brace and they weren't in nearly as much pain as they had been in before. "If we just keep them like this than I won't need a doctor." She finished stubbornly, feeling closed in now that she was in his car with him. Alone. Her blue eyes turned to look at him and she wanted him all over again. This was entirely too frustrating. She didn't know how much longer she could resist him. "Could you hurry up?" She couldn't. She couldn't wait. Letting out a frustrated growl, Eli moved across the middle console and was suddenly straddling him in his seat. Ignoring her ribs, her lips crashed into his, her fingers grabbing his shirt as she did so. Relief fled through her at that moment. She couldn't resist him. Not now, especially.

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

"you have no idea who it is, any more than i do," he retorted as she claimed she would deal with the mole. he didn't trust other people to sufficiently deal with his problems, but as her fingers brushed his arm and the tone of her voice sank in, he looked into her eyes even as his hand pulled up on the handle to the car door. he knew she was serious. there was nothing more serious to eli and her brother than killing a traitor. besides him, she was the only person he knew would efficiently find the person responsible and deal with it accordingly. "fine," he relented flatly. "i trust you." turning his back on her so she couldn't see any emotion that may show on his face, he opened the door and then walked around the car and unlocked his own door. connor selwyn trusted no one, and he never admitted it when he did. he trusted jett as well as his own siblings (even lennox whom he verbosely despised), and he trusted eli. that meant worlds in the irish mafia, and it was an unspoken honor among the ranks. his fingers felt shaky as he unlocked his door and climbed into the seat. taking a deep cleansing breath, he tried to ignore eli fidgeting as she started blathering on about trying to skip out on the doctor.

"like hell you will," he growled, pulling his duster off and lifting his hips so he could pull it out from beneath his weight. he reached over the front seat and tossed it in the backseat, realizing too late that he'd dropped his keys back into the pocket of the jacket as he'd opened the car door and slid inside. "could you hurry up?" she asked, irritating him with her impatience. "i'm trying... i left the damn keys in my pocket. where the hell's the fire anyway?" he snapped, his hazel eyes cutting over at her as he twisted to reach the jacket. as he looked at her, he was once again aware of their closeness, and he glanced quickly over her body, remembering her shirt being up around her chest. it was as if she read his mind, and the lust flashed over her face as she slid across the seat and onto his lap. the keys forgotten, his hands instantly went to her shapely hips as she grasped his face and began kissing him heatedly. they were quite the pair, both turned on in the worst possible moments. his hands ran up her sides, removing her shirt over her head. when she winced in pain, he smiled darkly, sexily, up at her. "don't you enjoy a little pain every now and then, hmm?" he asked, his voice husky with the uncontrollable desire he had for her. as she ravaged his shirt, his back slid down the seat and he twisted so he was beneath her on the full length front seat of the car.

with his shirt gone, there was nothing between them but their undergarments. "do you have to wear such tight, fucking pants?" he growled as he yanked them off of her. pulling her face down to his, he kissed her with a passion that heated his skin and sent ripples of heat radiating off of him. it took no time at all for the windows of the car to fog up, but he never noticed as he enjoyed her for the third time since their first strange, but seemingly fated collison.

[/style]
TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE ”Yes but I have the time to figure it out and you really don’t.” She countered immediately, letting him know that she wasn’t letting this issue go without a fight. That was Eli for him though. She was like this whenever it became personal, and that was almost as personal as it got. She hated when she was ambushed and what she hated more than anything else was a traitor. Someone was betraying her family, the mafia and she wouldn’t stand for it. She was raised to fight for what she believed in and loyalty was what was at the very core of her being. She did what she believed was right and this was anything but. The fact that someone felt the need to beat her because of the mission she was on was something that she would never take lying down. If they thought she could and would be pushed aside that easily than they had another thing coming. She would never ever give up. She was Byrne and they never gave up, no matter what the consequences. She would find this mole and she would make certain that they paid. The determination and defiance were apparent in her furious eyes. As he acquiesced to her request, she relaxed instantly. When he said he trusted her, Eli’s gaze snapped to look up at him, but he had turned away from her. Had Connor Selwyn just admitted that he trusted a woman? Deciding not to push it, she responded quietly, dangerously. ”You won’t be disappointed.” And that was the cold, honest truth. Eli would deliver the mole to him on a platter. When he basically told her that she was not skipping out on the doctor she simply glared at him. He would see. She didn’t care. She would not be going to that doctor. There was no way in hell. Shaking her head, she sat in her seat quietly enough for a moment, until he took too long to find his damn keys. If he had just kept him in his pants’ pocket like normal people did than she wouldn’t be having this problem. The inner battle inside of her was raging and her lust was winning over her practicality. This was going to hurt but it was going to be entirely worth it. As he questioned her, she snapped her gaze towards him, answering his question without words. The fire was inside of her and it was burning her from the inside out. It burned for him, she burned for him, and she was greeted and satiated by the heat of his skin as soon as she touched him. Gasping from the mere touch his fingers brushed across her hips, she moved against him now, her hips pushing against him even though they were still clothed. She needed him now. She was more turned on than she had ever been with him and for a moment she wondered if it was because he had taken the time to try and help her while she was injured. Maybe it was the personal touch he had added to her title of gun runner. She would never know but she didn’t care. What she did know was that he wanted this as badly as she did and probably had ever since he had pulled her against him. Pushing all thoughts from her mind now, she let her lips crash up against his in an angry, passionate kiss. She had so many conflicting emotions inside of her and she certainly didn’t know how to string them together, but it didn’t matter now. What mattered now was that she was getting what she wanted and what she needed. As he yanked her shirt off of her, Eli felt the pull and the sting of her broken ribs. Agony rippled through her for a moment and she had to take a second to regain her breathing, crying out softly as she turned the wrong way. Closing her eyes with a hiss, she opened them again, looking down at her abdomen. It had already started bruising but she did her best to ignore that. She had to if she wanted this. Hearing his dark, twisted words, Eli was distracted and she was glad, even thankful for that. She forced a smirk onto her lips as he questioned her, and she leaned over him, her hands bracing herself on his shoulders, for she had managed to rip his shirt off. That was another garment of his that she had destroyed and she could care less. It was already a known fact that something was going to break when they had sex. It was about time that they just accepted it. Her eyes met his as her smile matched his, and she knew exactly how to respond to turn him on. Her fingers ran down the length of his chest, her hands moving to his belt and undoing it quickly. Leaning closer to him so that their lips were only inches apart, she whispered lustily. ”It depends if the pleasure that comes with it is worth it or not.” Her Irish accent was strong in that comment and she finally succeeded in bringing his pants down. As he complained about her own pants, a short laugh escaped her lips and she helped him tug them down, kicking them off and out of the way. ”Have to make you work a little bit Connor.” As soon as she said his name though it was like they were finally released. Everything fell away as she allowed him to have her for the third time. And this time seemed so different than the rest. She didn’t know how to explain it, for it was still amazing in every way, but she couldn’t place why it was different. As they came to a finish together once more, Eli was panting, her breathing more ragged than it had ever been before because of the pressure her rib placed upon her. She had remained on top of him the entire time, giving him something different. He didn’t seem to be complaining however. Right now, Eli was leaning over him, her body trembling from what had just taken place and from the pain that was ripping through her abdomen. Refusing to show how much she hurt, Eli closed her eyes and moved so that her forehead was resting against his shoulder. The car windows were completely fogged over, but it didn’t matter. Connor’s car was parked in such a secluded spot that she doubted anyone would have walked by. Eli shook now even though she did her best to control it. The lust for him was still there and she felt almost frustrated. She felt like her want for him would never be satiated. Rising slightly, she peeled herself off of him, reaching for her pants and managing to pull them on, after her undergarments. As he went back to his seat, Eli pulled her shirt on over her bra, wincing as her rib protested. Confusion was her only companion now and she looked over at him, trying her best to figure this out. There was something more, something both of them were hiding. But they had made a deal. No relationship, no romance. Was it blowing up in their faces? She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t ride back with him after that, no matter how amazing it was. She knew she couldn’t because she just couldn’t keep this up. It was all a lie and something had to give. She’d be damned if she gave though. Snarling for a moment under her breath, she realized for once that she wasn’t mad at him. She was angry with herself. Hitching in a sharp breath, she clenched her fists and then reached for the handle of the door. ”Fuck. Fuck. Fucking idiot.” The words were quiet and she didn’t know if he heard them. She didn’t care. Flinging the door open, she slammed it behind her thin frame, glad that the slam masked her cry of pain from the quick movement. Starting away from the car, Eli didn’t know where she was going to go at the moment but it had to be far away from him. It had to be far enough away so that she could escape her own feelings and her own thoughts. What was she doing? sorry it sucks. didn't know what else to do!

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

it was cramped in the car and not as glorified as it was in the movies, but connor never even noticed. all he could see and feel and smell was eli, and he was lost in his passion for her like a man high on drugs. his head swam with the pure ecstasy of this encounter just as every one before, although each was unique in its own way. he would say he loved her, for all it was for him was the passion, the lust, he want, but he did need her to some degree. it wasn't to a degree that he would consider a weakness, it was more like a hunger. he needed her like he needed food; if she didn't give him the pleasure only she could, then he would starve. by now, she knew what he wanted and what he liked, and she had already perfected giving that to him. growling with passion as he finished, he sank back against the seat as she pulled away from him to retrieve her clothes. sitting up, he pulled his pants on over his hips and then reached over the seat to find the jacket he'd discarded. it needed to be close when he got back to the mansion since eli had destroyed yet another of his shirts.

"do you have any idea how expensive my wardrobe is becoming now that we've made our little deal?" he asked, jokingly. looking away from her, he found his ruined shirt and dug it out of the foot of the car just as he heard her mutter something before throwing open the door. the outside temperature rushed into the car like a blast of cold air although it was spring and wasn't freezing like it had been weeks before during the freak blizzard. confused by her sudden strange behavior, connor momentarily debated leaving her to walk, but then decided against it. he didn't want his best gunrunner dying of internal bleeding that he'd probably worsened by fucking her. rolling his eyes, he shoved open his door and slammed it behind him as he looked after her. "what the fuck are you doing?" he called after her, his hands raising in a question before banging on the roof of the car as they fell back down. his eyebrows raised and he fixed her with an impatient look as she walked away from him through the parking lot. why did women have to complicate things? what about no attachments didn't she understand? or maybe he was reading too much into it and she was in severe pain and thought he was going to force her to go to the doctor. she was right, he was going to force her to go to the doctor, but she didn't have to get all pms-ed about it.

growling in anger that was slowly building as she ruined his pleasant post-sex buzz, he rounded the car swiftly and grabbed her arm in an attempt to turn her to face him. "what the hell is wrong with you? get back in the car," he snapped, his irritation rising by the moment.

[/style]
TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Did she like the sex? Yes. Like was putting it mildly to be perfectly honest. She yearned for it, wanted it, needed it. There was something about being with him in that way that enlivened something within her. It was as if a part of her that had long since been dormant was suddenly awakened by the sudden touch of his fingers. And that was the truth. Eli had not let another man touch her since the time she had been taken while serving in the marines. The very thought disgusted her, especially after what was done for her. The fact that she had let that happen, that she had allowed Connor to be the one to first touch her after she had been degraded and used was saying a lot. It wasn't saying that she trusted him completely because she didn't. She wanted to but it was difficult. She was coming from a difficult position but there was no way that she could ever make him understand that. If she was to try she would have to explain herself and she would never do that. Eli bit her lower lip as she walked away from the car now, doing her best to figure out the best way to go about this. She knew deep down that she was scared and that infuriated her beyond anything else. Nothing else could make her this angry, save for Connor. Fear was an emotion that she loathed. It meant that she had lost total control of a situation and she just couldn't handle that, especially since the marines. Especially since she had been raped over and over again way back then. It wasn't that long ago, but it was easier to think about it as being far away. Then she didn't have to face it. Taking another deep breath, the young Irish woman brought her hands up to her face. Covering it for a moment as she walked with her back to him, she heard his fist pound his car but she ignored him. Eli was one of the only individuals who dared to walk away and turn their back on Connor Selwyn. She knew she was in the position to do it so it didn't bother her in the least. Digging the heels of her palms in her eyes, she cursed under her breath. This was a stupid, stupid decision. She shouldn't have walked away from him after that but she couldn't stand being in that confined space with him. Something was wrong. Something was different. This wasn't just about lust and satiating her needs anymore. There was something distinct in her heart even though she couldn't name it. She couldn't name it because she had never felt it before and that petrified her. She could not be developing feelings for Connor. She wouldn't allow it and neither would he. She would rather shoot herself than fall for the leader of the Irish mafia. This was ridiculous. This was preposterous. She was going to be sick from the stress of the entire situation. Grumbling once more, she heard Connor's order but blatantly ignored them. She wasn't listening to him and that much was obvious. But as she continued her rather pain filled walk, she was suddenly aware of the familiar feeling of being watched. She didn't slam on the brakes because that would bring attention to the fact that she knew something was going on. Instead, she tried to signal to Connor that someone was here. Hearing a branch crack to her left in the trees that lined the parking lot, her steps faltered but she played it off as if her ribs were bothering her. Faking a cry of pain, she turned slightly so that she was facing Connor a bit more. Her blue eyes slashed across the lot and she was glad that her slow pace didn't put that much distance between herself the man that she was sworn to protect with her own life. Her life meant nothing compared to Connor's. That was the oath she had taken when becoming a part of this family. Thinking quickly, she caught the shadowy figures in the darkness of the tree line and brought her pistol out quickly, glad that she had fixed the silencer to the trigger before performing her assigned job. Aiming with the scope she had added, she fired one quick shot, hearing the garble of breath before the body slumped the ground. She wouldn't let Connor get hurt because of a stupid mistake on her part. She should have never come here without killing them all first. She glanced to Connor now, much more than just a simple worry of keeping her leader safe flashing through her heart and her mind. She couldn't let them think that he was here in case they didn't know. She couldn't bring any more attention to him. She'd have to sacrifice herself, for it was she that they wanted as of right now, not them. Seeing the two shadowy figures come forward, she made sure her gun was loaded, knowing she was out numbered and in an unsafe position because Connor was so far away. Hissing through her teeth, she heard the gruff voice of one of the men as he stepped out. "I would drop the gun if I were you miss. You have something we want. Now, I could kill you myself, but I think bringing you with us would be a bit more fun and entertaining for us all. So come along quietly and we'll think about leaving the rest of your ribs the way they are." Eli's temper flared then, the color rising in her cheeks even though she was suffering from internal injuries. Her hand brought up the gun as she saw a man tighten his hand around the handle of his own gun. She fired quickly, watching the one who had just spoken get hit in the arm. She had to duck simply because the other man had opened fire. His bullet had grazed her leg and she sat on the ground now, her free hand pressed up against the wound to try to stem the bleeding. Furious she saw that her own weapon was empty but she wouldn't let it go. It could still save her. Assessing the situation quickly, she prayed Connor wouldn't give away his position. He was far more important than she was. Her blue eyes turned upwards as she started scooting backwards, her heels digging into the softer ground as she tried inching away from them. The one who wasn't shot laughed cruelly. "You should have just come quietly." Eli's jaw clenched and she spoke up nastily, her voice dripping with ice. "I don't do quietly. You want it, you'll have to get it yourself." She threatened, knowing exactly where the rest of her weapons were. As a hand came out, she felt the sharp sting of the punch blooming on her right cheek, but it gave her the perfect position. As she lay hunched against the ground, her ribs screaming in agony, she unsheathed her dagger quickly, aiming the blade right for his foot. The man's yell split the air suddenly and Eli felt herself being thrown backwards rather roughly from another hit to her face. Spitting out blood, her vision swam for a moment and she could feel herself on the edge of passing out. A woman could only handle so much brute force, no matter how much training they had. A booted foot was sent to her ribs and she couldn't keep it in any longer. Crying out, she nearly vomited, doing her best to scramble away. She was going to die, but at least Connor would have made it. That had to mean something, right? Of course it did. He had the hard drive. He was safe. Crawling forward now, she forced her mind to think of what she could do to possibly get out of this situation alive. But it seemed as if her luck was running out. Jett was going to be so pissed. sorry it sucks. didn't know what else to do!

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5

[CONNOR SELWYN]

[style=width: 399px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #000; line-height: 85%; text-transform: uppercase; padding-top: 8px;]it's a steel knife in my windpipe

She fucking hates me and I love it

as eli continued away from him, he growled in irritation. he hated when emotions got involved. connor rarely felt emotions. rather, the only emotions he felt were anger and irritation over society believing that everyone must be ruled by their emotions. and being ignored only pissed him off. he walked around the rear end of the car, irritated that they had fallen into this "walk away and make him chase me" stereotype, he came up short as he noticed eli's body tense. although she didn't halt in her steps, the subtle tightening of her body signaled him. they had fought together in battles enough times before, that he knew the smallest signs of threat. when she hunched over with a cough, her blue eyes flitting across the parking lot, he stopped short and watched. he was hidden by the shadows of the trees falling over the parking lot, shielding him from view of anyone who hadn't already seen him there.

eli pulled her gun so fast, he instantly reacted. the silenced shot pierced the air, he felt it more than heard it, and he reached for the gun he always kept in his belt at the back of his pants. inwardly cursing, forgetting he'd shed the pants when they'd screwed in the car, he turned and darted back to the car. he didn't hear the words as the men spoke to her, and his heart raced as he knew he was missing the action. irritation that he wasn't in the middle of it burned in his veins, and he yanked open the driver's side door. reaching over the front seat into the back, he ignored his ruined shirt and retrieved the duster jacket. digging under the driver's side seat, he withdrew his silenced pistol and closed the door as quietly as necessary. he doubted he would draw attention, but he didn't need any additional eyes on him, more than necessary.

as he advanced through the shadows toward where he'd last seen eli, he heard her yell out. his blood ran cold, and anger washed over him in a torrent. eli never cried out in pain. he'd seen her get shot, and she'd never made a peep. hell, they'd just fucked and she had a broken rib and she'd hardly even grimaced. if she was crying out, the pain was bad. the fury that built up within him now was familiar, soothing even. unlike other men, connor didn't allow his anger to overpower him until he lost control, not in battle. he had been foolish and young enough once to allow that to happen, and he'd almost ruined his life and the lives of his mates. he had learned from that lesson and matured since then. now, his anger fueled his motions, and he channeled it to turn himself into a killing machine. when that happened, it was as if his brain shut itself up in a peaceful white room where it ran the controls, sending brief, staccato messages to the rest of his body, ordering it to attack with precision and grace.

one: body in trees, dead. two: attacker cradling bullet wound, alive. three: attacker cursing, limping, alive. four: eli in puddle of blood, alive but barely. kill.

raising the pistol, all life gone from his eyes, he appeared at the side of the man limping, reaching for eli even as he came back from punching her in the face, and his gun touched the man's temple. it was almost a gentle caress, the touch of a predator soothing its prey before the kill. the blast was muted by the silencer as well as the man's skull, and he crumpled to the ground without a sound. the second remaining attacker was recovered from his wounding, and he advanced at seeing his fellow drop. connor turned swiftly, his duster flashing open as he spun, his hazel eyes almost appearing gray and devoid of all emotion as he fixed the man with that gaze. "i choose to let you live so you can pass a message along to your superiors, as well as the mole you have in my camp," he hissed, his voice more frightening when it was devoid of emotion than when his anger sang through on his tone, "if any of you want to live, i suggest you call off this plan of yours, whatever that may be." his elbow bent although his gun remained raised to the man's forehead where he was almost going cross-eyed to keep it in his gaze. connor's voice dropped low, and he smiled but it never touched his eyes. "i will find every single one of you, and you will die. make sure your boss knows this. now run along."

removing the gun from the man's head, he acted as if he was going to walk away, but his hand fell so swiftly it looked as if he were just going to put it in his pocket. instead, his finger depressed the trigger and he shot the hand of the arm which hung limply in pain at the man's side. the attacker cursed and cradled his hand now, his ring and pinky fingers blown off. "something to help you remember the message," connor stated simply, smiling and saluting with his gun, watching for a moment as the man turned and ran from him into the darkness of the trees.

as the threat passed, he began to come back to himself, and he looked over his shoulder to see eli panting on the ground, her nose bleeding profusely as she held herself up on her hands and knees. moving over to her quickly, he knelt down beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "eli," he stated, a command in his voice that he didn't say, "can you walk? we need to get out of here."

[/style]
TEMPLATE BY ROYALSTANDARD.

[eli byrne]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] repair your broken wings ( WORDS ) 842 ( TAGGED ) CONNOR ( STATUS ) COMPLETE She was no stranger to pain. In fact, she knew it like the back of her hand. But this pain was something different. She had never felt it rush over her like this and for a moment she just wanted her whole body to be numb. She didn't want to feel, she didn't want to think. Groaning quietly as she remained on her knees, her breathing came in short, quick gasps. The kick to the ribs had done more damage and she would need to get to their doctor quickly. The extra force had shoved the broken bone in further, and she was now suffering from internal bleeding. She was petrified it had punctured her lung, for she was struggling for the breath she so desperately needed. Eli wasn't a complainer though, and even as the man advanced towards her once more she was trying to figure out what she could do. Using the last of her remaining strength and energy, she picked up her knife and held it in her hand. It was the last remaining defense that she had and she knew that she'd be physically spent after this. Taking in a deep breath, she nearly choked but held it instead. Straightening, she threw it with all of her might, watching it lodge into the leg of the man that was advancing at her. He fell, but that was not the reason why. She had felt and heard the silenced shot from a gun. Connor. No, he couldn't be here. He couldn't risk his life for this. Anger flared within her for a moment but she couldn't respond the way that she wanted to. Trying desperately to cling to consciousness, she listened to what Connor was saying to them, trying her hardest to raise herself to her feet. She felt like she nearly succeeded, but she was met with a wave of dizziness. Feeling extremely light headed, Eli stumbled and landed back on her knees, earning a laugh from the man that Connor had directed his attention to. He knew he was next and managed to get a comment out before Connor rounded on him. "Some solider you got there. That's why you shouldn't use women. Only good for one thing. My partner there was going to take her for himself before you stepped in." He had the courage to speak like that because he hadn't seen all that Connor was capable of. As the gun was trained onto his head instead that shut him right up, but his comments had hit Eli hard. If Connor hadn't been here would she have relived the marines all over again? Trying to control her breathing, she shook those thoughts from her mind and refused to believe. No. Not this time. This time she would have fought until she could fight no more. Swallowing past the lump rising in her throat, her vision swam as she tried to steady herself bu placing her palms flat upon the ground. She didn't want to cry out, but as she tried moving once more she couldn't hold it in. A gasp split the silence as the man took off after being shot in the hand by the leader of the Irish mafia. But it wasn't his gasp. It was Eli's and she felt sicker than she had ever felt before. "Connor.." Her voice was thicker because of the blood she was trying to cough up and it was obvious that she needed a doctor and rather quickly. Besides, who knew if that man was going to bring back reinforcements. Hearing Connor shift beside her, she felt his hand go around her waist and that simple act of him touching her brought a strangled cry from deep within her. For Eli to have made as much noise as she already had meant that the situation was bad. She didn't want him to know as bad, so when he asked if she could walk, she nodded her head. Wanting to save her energy, she didn't speak as she climbed to her feet, using him a lot more than she ever would want to. That small movement made her double over though, for she was struggling to breathe. The blood coming from her nose wasn't helping her situation, and neither was the blood running from her mouth. Stumbling as she righted herself, she fell into him, her eyes rolling into the back of her head for a moment before she jumped herself awake. Standing still now, she felt the pain from her leg as she put too much pressure on it, but she refused to let that be a weakness. Her blue eyes were losing the fire and the light, as well as the sharpness that the usually held. "I guess...this means I a-actually have to go to the doctor?" She questioned, trying to bring some light to the situation. This was going to be the longest walk of her life and it was only a couple of paces to his car. As he supported her, Eli made it to the passenger side, her hand grasping the door handle and leaving a trail of blood. Easing into the seat, a grimace appeared across her face before she settled in, her head rolling to the side. She just wanted to sleep but her fighting instinct told her to that was the worst thing she could do. Still not wanting him to worry that much, even though she knew he wouldn't, she spoke up once more. "You think this time...you could hurry?" Her words were breathless and foreign sounding, even to her. She was going to be furious when she was better. sorry it sucks. didn't know what else to do!

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by maroon 5