if the mafia can learn to love

[assassinrue]

Nikolai glared at her through the mask. "I need to ask you a question and then you are going to get in that car and go far away, do you understand?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline blinked, taken aback by the fierceness in his voice. "Okay," she said in a small voice.

[assassinrue]

"Did any of those boys hurt you? Did they hit you, cut you? Did they..." He swallowed. "Do anything else?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline eyed him warily. Why did he care so much? "They knocked me out, so my head kind of hurts," she answered. "Other than that..." She shrugged and held out her arms. There were bruises on her forearms from where the Easts had dug their fingers in, dragging her along.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai's nostrils flared. "Do you know who knocked you out?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline grimaced, trying to think back. She didn't recognize most of her kidnappers, but she remembered what they looked like. "He was tall. Black hair, dark eyes. Darkish skin, kind of Asian looking," she said. "Why?"

[assassinrue]

Nikolai wiped any expression out of his eyes so she couldn't fathom what he was thinking. "Start running now, Avi." He pressed his fingertips into her lower back encouragingly.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline stared at him for a second longer, trying and failing to read something in his eyes. Then she took off. She spotted the car before long and ran up to it. As she approached, the doors unlocked. She threw open the back so and jumped inside, panting slightly from the exertion.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai was right behind her, backing his way down the street, tranq gun in hand. Shots rang out and Nikolai fired back, hearing the satisfying clunk of dropping bodies. He darted back and jumped into the car. He pulled off the ski mask. "Go!" He shouted at Trae and began pulling his amo vest off, wincing as he did so.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline noticed a second later who was in the driver's seat. She was too stunned to say anything as her brother threw the car into gear and hit the gas. She braced herself against the seat as the car lurched into motion, then looked over at Nikolai. Relief was written all over her face. "Are you okay?" she asked.

[assassinrue]

"Fine." He mumbled and pulled off the bullet proof vest he had had under his shirt. It had saved him from one bullet today and for that he was grateful or he would be dead on an East street and Avi would be recaptured. But an second bullet had found its mark, lodged into his left under right under his bicep. As he grabbed a pair of thin pliers and began to route around for the bullet, he had a fraction of a moment where he wondered what she would think of his small tattoos, and then suddenly became self conscious, he knew he was well built but suddenly having Avi looking back over the seat at him made him feel like a stringy preteen.

(he has very specific tats so don't go making any up lol)

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

(Wouldn't dream of it lol)

Aveline watched him with a grimace, but she couldn't look away from the gruesome sight of him pulling a bullet from his bleeding arm.

[assassinrue]

It hurt. A lot. He bit his lip to keep from making a sound. For some stupid reason he didn't want to seem weak in front of her. He thought about the scars on his body and wondered what she thought of them as he tore a piece of his shirt off and tied it around his arm.
At the edge of town, way out into neutral territory in an abandoned industrial neighborhood, Nikolai asked Trae to stop the car behind an old warehouse.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Trae did as he said. Once they were stopped, he twisted around in his seat to look at Avi. "Are you okay?" he asked. She pointedly ignored him. Her eyes were busy tracing Nikolai's exposed skin, noting every scar and wondering how he'd gotten it. She wondered if he had more she couldn't see.

[assassinrue]

"Follow me." Nikolai said calmly. He lead them from the car, through a small door into the warehouse. He flicked a switch and the space was filled with a warm light. In the center were two desks, one was empty and the other fairly cluttered. At the far end were two small beds, several cabinets and a curtain pulled back from it all. Tucked against the walls, shaded from the main light by a platform sticking out from the walls overhead, were four cubicles, each with there own door tightly shut. Up above them on the platform were numerous crates, cabinets and boxes.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Trae and Aveline looked around with identical expressions of curiosity and awe. "What is this place?" Avi asked. "Your batcave?"

[assassinrue]

Nikolai grinned. "Pretty much. My father began working on this place when he first came over. There's everything here needed to survive for at least a year." Nikolai chuckled. "He was a little paranoid." He beckoned Avi over to him.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline stepped forward cautiously, still looking around. Trae watched Nikolai through narrowed, mistrusting eyes. "Where's your father now?" she asked, curious.

[assassinrue]

"Dead."Nikolai said simply. He reached up and put slight pressure on Avi's temples. "Does your head hurt?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline winced when he touched her. "Yeah," she said. "It's actually getting worse."