Talk about a long freaking week.

Arriving home after a trip to the vet with Rio, Piper stepped into her house and tossed the keys to her old charger on the foyer table. Exhaustion lined her delicate features as she kicked off her sandals and then made her way through the silent house. Without Rio there to greet her with his normal exuberant bark, the place felt empty almost beyond baring.

God, she missed the mute already and he hadn't even been gone 12 hours yet.

The blond still couldn't believe the verdict that the vet had given her and she tugged the ponytail out of her hair as she padded to the bathroom to shower. Who on earth would have hated her dog enough to poison him? Or her for that matter? Piper didn't make a point of gathering enemies but evidently she had one. It was only by shear chance that Rio hadn't eaten all the hamburger that had been soaked in antifreeze. Thank God she'd trained him to avoid table food or there was no doubt she'd be burying the mastiff now instead of leaving him with the doctor for a few days.

Stopping quickly by her bedroom, Piper tugged off her soiled t-shirt with a grimace before taking her cellphone from her back pocket. Scanning the missed calls quickly, she smiled before hitting the return on one particular one. With the callback tone playing in her ear, she shimmied out of her shorts and then tossed them towards the hamper before hearing the voicemail pick up.

"Hey Jack. Its Piper. Sorry I missed your call earlier. I had to take Rio to the vet. Someone tried to poison him evidently. He's ok now though but had to stay a the clinic for a few days... Meaning, I'm home all alone if you want to stop by. I'm sure we could come up with something to do with ourselves if your interested. Gonna jump in the shower now so hope to see you later... Bye."

Phone call done, the lithe dancer tossed her cell on to the bed and then headed for the bathroom. Stepping inside, she turned on the shower and then spent a half an hour under the spray, trying to relieve some of the tension in her sore muscles.

As she did so, she went over the last few days and sighed. Sunday through Tuesday had been pretty normal but Wednesday night the club had been raided by feds. Piper had been lucky to get home by mid morning the next day after having to answer questions for the cops and then wait to be let go. When she'd finally been allowed to gather her things and leave, she'd been told by the officer in charge that the joint would be closed for at least the weekend and not to bother coming back to Monday. Not exactly the words she'd wanted to hear since she wasn't dancing just to get her jolly's off.

Shit happened though, right? Time off was time off and the blond had been dedicated to enjoying it. To bad fate seemed to have other plans.

This morning, she'd gotten up to let Rio out when he'd become agitated about something. As he'd done his thing, she'd fallen asleep in the hammock swing on the porch only to be awakened by the sound of her dog in distress. Dawn had barely been blessing the sky when she'd rushed the mastiff to the vet and there she'd stayed until evening had started to fall.

Happy Happy Joy Joy, right?

When the hot water began to finally run out, Piper stepped from the shower and quickly slipped into a fresh set of underwear. A pair of daisy duke jean shorts followed that and she brushed out her long blond hair, leaving it free to dry about her shoulders. Then she made her way out of the bathroom to find something to eat. The rumbling in her stomach distracted her enough that it wasn't until a hand snaked around her mouth and another around her middle that she became aware that she wasn't alone.

Well, that and the hissed voice in her ear.

"Where is it, bitch? Where did you put it?"

Vaguely, Piper wondered how the hell the idiot thought she was going to answer him with his hand over her mouth but it was quickly replaced by the sight of another man stepping into view. Evidently, someone had planned a surprise party and forgot to inform her of it. The evil way he glared at her caused the grumbling in her stomach to turned to one of another kind and she froze as a cold finger reached out to trace her cheek. Something about the guy pinged around in the back of her mind but she was slow putting the pieces together with the fear stealing her senses.

"Hello, doll.. Remember me?" the man asked as he leaned in closer and then eyed his companion."Take your hand off her mouth. Shes smart enough not to make a sound." he told him before shifting his gaze back to to the blond. "Aren't you?"

Nodding just a tiny bit, Piper felt the grip on her mouth loosen and then fall away. For a moment, she and the man simply stared at each other and then he spoke again.

"I see you don't recognize me. We met the other night at your place of work, remember? I accidentally barreled into you in the back on my way out the door."

Frowning, the blond thought for a moment and then her eyes widened. Yes, she did remember now. He'd stormed through the back and grabbed her, asking about the exit. She'd pointed him towards it before all hell had broken loose and she'd found herself distracted by the sound of shouts. At the time, she'd wondered who he was but that thought had been quickly over shadowed.

Evidently, he'd seen the recognition in her eyes though because he smiled.

"Ah. Yes, now you remember. What you don't know though is that I put something in a coat there.. A brown leather jacket that I later saw you leave with. I need what I put in there back."

Frantically, the blond tried to think. He was talking about her jacket. She hadn't even thought about checking it and Tessa had taken it to wear the day before. Since she hadn't returned home, giving him the thing wasn't exactly an option. Not to mention, no way in hell was she going to endanger her roommate.

"I don't have any clue what your talking about." she shot back instead, earning a hard, back handed smack to the right side of her face.

"Tell me where it is, bitch... It would be a shame to mar such pretty features." her attacker said, even as his "nice" grin turned savage. "My friend here takes great pleasure in carving up delicate flesh like yours. You don't want me to let him have some fun do you?"

"Screw you!" she retorted, spitting in his face even though she knew it would do no good. The next blow came as no surprise even as the man behind her's grip tightened.

"I want my property back and i want it now!" the one in front said even as her ears echoed from the impact. A chime rang out and it took a moment for Piper to realize it wasn't in her head but the actual doorbell.

SHIT! JACK!

The impact on her attackers was immediate though. Instantly, they turned in the direction of the door and then glared at her. The one man from the club pulled out a gun and instantly Piper was afraid.

"WAIT!" she hissed. "Don't! Let me get rid of him. Hes got nothing to do with this."

Frowning, the two men exchanged glances before the one in charge nodded.

"Fine. But don't try anything funny or your both dead, hear?"

Grimacing, the dancer nodded and then found herself shoved towards the door. Moving slowly as to avoid tipping the men off, she moved into the hallway and then opened the front door slightly, careful to keep the injured side of her face pointed away. It was no surprised to find Jack standing there and she licked her lips nervously as she met his gaze.

"Hey Jack... Your early aren't you? I thought I told you I was going to have company till later? I really don't have time for this right now."

God, please let him read between the lines, she chanted silently.

The sun had long since ducked behind the hills and the evening air was slowly beginning to cool off a bit without its presence. A radio was blaring some classic rock song across the driveway of the small, nondescript house the youngest O'Conner was currently renting (under the table, mind you, paying for the place cash only), accompanied by the occasional clang of tools on concrete. The Evo was lit by a rusty, banged-up mechanic's work-light, which cast eerie shadows across the pavement. Jack's jean-clad legs were protruding from underneath the car, the ripped denim stained black here and there by older and newer engine grease and his boots were bopping a bit in time to the music.

Yeah, it felt damned good to be doing something normal again after the shit storm of the past couple of weeks, even if his almost healed side still gave him bitch fits from time to time if he moved too much; along with the scar the bullet had left behind, it was a nice little reminder of how close he'd been to shaking hands with death.

Hearing something interfere with his music, Jack's thoughts and movements stopped almost immediately. There was a brief pause, seconds really while he determined it was his phone that was chirping, and he pushed himself back out from under the Mitsubishi. A moment later, he stood wiping his hand across his stomach, leaving a smear of motor oil on his already stained t-shirt before he reached through the driver's side open window for his already once again silent phone lying on the seat, a small blinking light indicating he had a voice mail.

"Hey Jack. Its Piper. Sorry I missed your call earlier. I had to take Rio to the vet. Someone tried to poison him evidently. He's ok now though but had to stay a the clinic for a few days... Meaning, I'm home all alone if you want to stop by. I'm sure we could come up with something to do with ourselves if your interested. Gonna jump in the shower now so hope to see you later... Bye."

The first half of Piper's message had Jack frowning a bit, but the expression was soon slowly transforming into a small half smile during the second part. (Hey! the dog was going to live, was he not?). While Jack felt sorry for Rio getting poisoned, he really did, he wouldn't mind spending time with Piper without those judging eyes of the large animal on him for a change; call him selfish...

After finishing up what he was doing on the Evo, Jack took a quick shower himself, changing into some fresh clothes before he was en route.

The sound of rather loud classic rock music poured from the black Mitsubishi's speakers as Jack put pedal to metal, speeding down the roads of Los Angeles towards Piper's house. One elbow on the open driver's side window and the rush of cool air in his face, the fairly empty (at least for LA standards) highway was just another opportunity for him to voice his own rock concert inside the Evo to an audience of only himself.

"And we don't need the ladies crying 'cuz the story's sad. Uh huh!"

Slightly off key, but no less enthusiastic for it, Jack sung his lungs out and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, bobbing his head along to the heavy guitar sound of Joe Walsh emanating from his stereo. To the casual observer, he appeared like he was back to his old self already, care free and relaxed, but underneath this calm exterior he hid the exhaustion and the guilt that the events of only a couple of weeks ago had put upon him. It was almost scary; how easy it was for the youngest O'Conner to pretend none of it had effected him in the slightest, even if it was a character trade of his not everyone always appreciated.

It didn't take long before the sleek, black Evo pulled up onto the driveway behind Piper's Charger. Like he'd done that night at the strip club, Jack let appreciative eyes glance over the old Dodge while he got out of his import and headed towards the front door of the small house. Soon, he was ringing the doorbell.

After waiting a few moments, Piper finally opened the door, though there was something off about her behavior when she did.

"Hey Jack... Your early aren't you? I thought I told you I was going to have company till later? I really don't have time for this right now."

At first, Jack couldn't help but frown a bit at that. She hadn't said anything about having company, nor had she said anything about a specific time in her voice mail. All she'd said was she was lonely because Rio was at the vet and that he should come by. Unless...

Unless something else was going on.

Seems Thursday just ain't my fucking day...

"Everything alright?" he asked, trying to casually peer inside the house. But any attempt to see if anything was out of place was either blocked by Piper or the barely opened door.


(OOC: It's not much yet, but hope you can work with this. Didn't want to do too much already.)

If it wasn't for bad luck, Piper was pretty sure she wouldn't have any. Between the last week and the predicament she now found herself in, the blond was beginning to wonder if someone upstairs had it in for her or something. Who the hell had she pissed off in a former life to deserve all this? Was it really to much to ask to have one quiet evening where nothing went wrong?

Evidently so. The fates really were bitches it seemed.

Standing with the door tight on one side and the frame on the other, Piper worried on her bottom lip as she met Jacks gaze. As she took in his worn face, her frown deepened and a few questions threatened to spill from her lips. However, it was the feel of a cold gun barrel in her back that stilled them and forced her attention back to what truly mattered at the moment.

“Uh....” oh great, wasn't that just the most impressive answer of a lifetime “yeah, everythings fine.” Liar, Lair, Pants on fire. “ Why wouldn't it be?” How the hell do I get him to go away without getting him hurt? “I'd invite you in but I am really tired. Did you stop by to check on the Charger? Its still missing but tomorrow might be a better time to look at it.”

The next nudge of the gun made her wince a bit. Evidently, being a Chatty Cathy wasn't going over well with her new “friends”. To bad though! What did they expect her to do? Slam the door in his face? Probably, come to think of it. “Get rid of him” came a hiss in her ear just as she had that illuminating though. Great. Jack was going to think she was bi-polor or something at this rate.

“Um... I gotta go, Jack... Gotta wash clothes.. Feed Rio...I'll call you tomorrow, a'right?” she said, pasting on a bright, totally false smile and flashing it at the man on her doorstep. Come on, Jack.. Go with it...

[OOC: No worries! I hope this gives you enough too. I wasn't sure how you wanted to do this if you wanted Jack to have to come in or .... LOL]

“Uh.... yeah, everythings fine. Why wouldn't it be? I'd invite you in but I am really tired. Did you stop by to check on the Charger? Its still missing but tomorrow might be a better time to look at it.”

His luck couldn't get any worse; he just knew it. First, there was the fact that practically everyone in his life shunned him now for something he couldn't turn back even if he'd wanted to. Then, there was the prickling feeling that, even if Dieseli and most of his thugs were gone, these last few uneventful weeks were just the calm before another brewing shit storm. And now, as if he weren't a magnet for all-things-not-so-fun already, Piper seemed to be in trouble if her strange behavior was anything to go by.

Just stick my frikken' head in a piñata and have at it, kiddies. Yeesh.

“Um... I gotta go, Jack... Gotta wash clothes.. Feed Rio...I'll call you tomorrow, a'right?”

"Yeah, okay," he muttered, the corner of his mouth ticking up in a half smile while a little nod of his head indicated that he'd gotten the message before he stepped back off the porch.

The smile quickly melted off his face though, as Jack returned to his car, idly wondering why trouble always had to find him, even when he wasn't looking for it. Grumbling and cursing at no one in particular, he opened the passenger's side door of his Evo, pulled the glove compartment open and took out the 1911 colt 45 he kept in there, not entirely sure what he was getting himself into this time. Yeah, whatever deity was up there watching all this and laughing their fool head off, he hoped they fucking chocked on it...

Armed, though still without much of a plan, Jack made sure he kept out of sight of windows as he moved towards the back of the house, deftly checking the back door before he silently lock-picked his way inside with practiced ease. The prickle of hairs on the back of his neck was a sure sign that he wasn't about to burst in onto a tea party when he heard the voices coming from the living room, sounding none too friendly.

Gun in hand, stalking silently, it wasn't long before Jack had his weapon aimed right against the back of the first intruder's head, cocked and ready to be discharged should someone be in need of shooting.

"Evenin', sunshine," he said in a chipper tone that didn't reach his eyes whatsoever. "Wild guess, but you're no bible salesman, are ya?"


(OOC: Hope this post is alright with you, but if not or if you want something else, let me know. Either way, feel free to do whatever! )

"Yeah, okay,"

The moment Jack gave her that look and stepped back, Piper blew out a breath of relief. Taking the hint, the tawny haired racer turned to go back to his car and the blond was able to shut the door. Crisis averted, right? Jack was out of the line of fire and if he suspected something was going on, maybe he'd dial 911 or something right? That would be the sane thing to do.

Unfortunately, the dancer wasn't given time to think on that though as the big bastard grabbed her by the arm and twisted it behind her back. Biting back a scream at the pain, Piper resisted the urge to tell him just where he could go with his dickhead self and turned an angry scowl upon the other man as he stood in front of her again. "Look, I already told you.. I don't know what your talking about. Yeah, I have a jacket but i wore it to the club last night and it was stolen. Whatever your looking for? if it was in there? Its long gone." she told him, lifting her chin defiantly even as she shifted, trying to ease the pressure on her shoulder.

For a moment, the man in front of her seemed to study her before sighing. Beginning to pace, he moved out of Pipers line of sight and that of her current holder. "Thats really to bad for you, doll. I was hoping we could do this the easy way but I guess not. You see.. I really need that hard drive. Your explanation about it being stolen sounds a little bit to easy to me." he drawled out, seeming almost regretful even though Piper wasn't fooled. "Looks like we're going to get a bit bloody, Mike...."

Suddenly, the mans voice cut off and another voice rang out through the air.



"Evenin', sunshine," he said in a chipper tone that didn't reach his eyes whatsoever. "Wild guess, but you're no bible salesman, are ya?"

JACK! Even as her captor twisted around in surprise, Piper took the opportunity to throw her head back, busting the man right in the chin. The impact made him loosen his hold enough she could jerk free and then she turned, bringing her knee right up into the idiots exposed groin. His sharp exhalation of air was a welcome sound and the blond immediately jumped backwards, out of his reach.

"Hey Jack... You know, we've really got to quit meeting like this.." she got out, wiping one side of her mouth and grimacing when it came away with blood. Moving carefully around the other man, the dancer watched the two men before glancing at her rescuer. "These boys don't seem to have any more manners than the last ones did."


{OOC: Feel free to do whatever you like from here. Hope I gave you enough. We could make a run for it or whatever you wanna do.}

"Hey Jack... You know, we've really got to quit meeting like this.."

"Hm, I don't know about that. Life could get boring," he replied smirking a bit as he looked in turn to Piper. "You okay?"

"Well, well... if it isn't Mr. O'Conner."

Jack's eyes returned to the man he was holding under gun point, but even if he was surprised to recognize him, his face showed none of it.

"Frank... should I start singing 'it's a small world after all'?" Jack said conversationally. Then the tone of his voice changed. "Gun. Floor. Now. You know how it works."

Disgruntled, Frank placed the gun on the floor and kicked it away from him. The weapon spun and clattered as it slid across the old hardwood floor. It bumped the wall and stopped dead right then and there.

"Curious," Frank said as Jack moved to retrieve the gun, never taking his eyes nor his aim off of the man. "You look oddly fit for someone who is supposed to be feeding the worms. It seems I've underestimated you, O'Conner. I expected you to be six feet under by now. Preferably buried in an unmarked grave."

"Can't say that I'm not happy to disappoint you," Jack said dismissively while he shoved Frank's gun behind his back in the waistband of his jeans, feigning nonchalance despite the fact that his death had been close to reality. A few weeks previous, he had been fighting for his life after he'd gotten shot, something he didn't really feel like going through ever again.

With my life style though, I probably have more luck at winning the lottery than living past my thirties.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, boy." Frank smiled a wide, creepy smile even with the gun still aimed point blank at him. "You'll be dead before long. You and that b--"

Before Frank could finish the sentence, Jack's own anger ignited and he slammed his gun-filled hand across Frank's jaw, causing the man to fall back against the coffee table.

"Whatever you have in mind... Already looking forward to it," he said, backing up a couple of steps towards the door, the corner of his mouth ticking up in jest as he watched Frank spit blood on the floor. With his gun still aimed at both men, a look towards Piper told her to go, and it didn't take long before he followed her outside; all the while, Frank was shouting threats and obscenities after them.

Yup, like I said... 30's < lottery...

"What the hell did you do to piss these guys off?" he called in Piper's direction as he dashed towards the Evo. Better get the fuck out of here before they lost the upper hand, right?


(OOC: Hope this was alright. Thought it could make for a bit of a 'wtf' moment )

"Hm, I don't know about that. Life could get boring," he replied smirking a bit as he looked in turn to Piper. "You okay?"

The words made Pipers lips quirk up a bit even as she winced at the pain along her jaw. It was no doubt going to bruise but at least she'd only be colorful for a few days and not dead. There was no doubt in her mind that whatever these asshats had planned, it wasn't a simple picnic in the park. Only Jacks arrival had saved her from a horrible fate and she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She wasn't that crazy.

Opening her mouth to reply, the dancer was suddenly distracted by the bad guy speaking Jacks name. Oh Hell. That couldn't be good could it? Immediately, she wondered how the hell Jack knew these two and if she'd just landed in another mess. Yeah, if it wasn't for bad luck, she sure as hell wouldn't have any right now. And wait a minute, what the hell did the bastard mean about feeding worms? Piper was beginning to feel as if she were playing some game of Clue in which she didn't yet have all the pieces to take wild guesses.

Glancing at Jack questioningly, the blond decided that now, however, wasn't the time to be asking the questions rolling around in her brain. As if in line with her own thoughts, her knight in shining armor pulled back and smacked the man with the butt of his gun just as he was fixing to say something nasty. Part of her wanted to applaud the action but common sense already had her moving by the time Jack shot her a look. Yeah, yeah, you didn't have to beat her with the obvious stick. Her feet were already making tracks towards the door even as Jack said his "goodbyes". Damn, remind her never to piss him off.

Ducking out the door, the blond glanced around and spied the Evo parked behind her own car. Since she had no keys of her own and couldn't have gotten out anyways, she raced across the yard even as Jacks' voice rang out behind her.

"What the hell did you do to piss these guys off?" he called in Piper's direction as he dashed towards the Evo. Better get the fuck out of here before they lost the upper hand, right?

Squeaking a bit as she pulled open the passenger side door and dove in, she waited for him to come around the other side. "ME?? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! CRAZY ASSHOLE STUCK SOMETHING IN MY JACKET AT THE CLUB I GUESS! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I HAD IT!!" she practically shouted even as he climbed in and she glanced back at the house, seeing the door opening. "HURRY UP, JACK!! HERE THEY COME!!" was all she had time to get out before the henchmen leveled a gun at them and fired off a round that somehow managed to miss the car completely. Evidently, his wits were still scrabbled by the head blow. "GO GO GO!" she cried as he leveled off for another shot. "And me? WHAT ABOUT YOU?? THOSE DUDES KNEW YOUR NAME, JACK!! ARE YOU SOME SORT OF CRAZY ASS MOBSTER DUDE? Do I have to worry about being dropped in the ocean or something with a set of custom made cement boots? Cause.. for the record, I really don't make good shark bait!"

As Piper hurried towards the passengers side, Jack slid across the hood of the Evo and hopped through the open window into the driver's seat, the engine already growling to life even as Piper shouted for him to hurry. Soon, the tires screamed for purchase on the tarmac when the black Mitsubishi backed out of the driveway just as the first shot rang through the air, the bullet thankfully missing the car completely or else he was going to be PISSED. Not needing to be told twice, let alone thrice to go, the Evo sped off away from the house now, and Jack instinctively ducked his head when a second bullet shattered the back windshield, spraying bits of glass everywhere.

Son of a bitch!

He didn't get much time to lament the back windshield, though, as Piper continued to throw question after question at him.

"And me? WHAT ABOUT YOU?? THOSE DUDES KNEW YOUR NAME, JACK!! ARE YOU SOME SORT OF CRAZY ASS MOBSTER DUDE? Do I have to worry about being dropped in the ocean or something with a set of custom made cement boots? Cause.. for the record, I really don't make good shark bait!"

Oh shit, where do I even start?

From the shocked and worried look in Piper's eyes, Jack could tell she knew something wasn't quite right, possibly thought that with the situation she had just gotten out of that she wasn't much better off now, so where did he start to explain the reason behind why and how he knew those guys without her thinking he was actually one of them? Somehow, coming out with, 'we did a couple of gigs together' didn't seem like the right thing to say.

"Uhm... It's a long story."

Wow, good one, Jack! That will surely put an end to all her questions!

Deciding to take a page from Piper's book instead, he opted to ask his own question rather than answering hers. Maybe that would distract her enough from him and who he kept acquaintances with.

Haha! Yeah, he knew it was wishful thinking, but a guy could try, right?

"Where is that jacket now? Is it still back at your place?"

Jack shot a quick glance at Piper, only just then realizing that, Jesus, that currently wasn't the wisest question to ask. The woman already thought he was part of Beavis' and Butthead's crew back there, and his question, if taken the wrong way, could only serve to enforce her suspicions if he was 'lucky'. And damn, was he feeling lucky tonight.

"Look, I swear I'm not some crazy ass mobster dude, alright? but those guys... as you might have noticed, they stop at nothing to get what they want," he said, checking the rear view mirror to see if anyone was following. Thankfully, so far he saw no headlights, but if Piper really did have something in her possession that belonged to those guys, he was pretty sure that tonight was not the last they'd seen of them.

…Damn, he needed a freaking vacation. Or maybe he should just move to Bora Bora all together.

Seriously? How the hell did she keep finding herself in these situations? Piper wasn't an angel but she'd never been one to attract the kind of trouble that kept showing up on her doorstep these days. Tessa? Sure. She could have definitely predicted that but her? She was usually the level headed one of the pair with nothing more exciting than a couple speeding tickets as skeletons in her closet.

It looked like that was changing though as the black Mitsubishi finally grabbed gears and took off like a bat out of hell. Grabbing on to the armrest, the dancer turned to glance backwards but the sound of glass shattering had her yelping and ducking down. “Holy shit!” she hissed, deciding that staying low was the better part of valor at the moment.

"Uhm... It's a long story."

Jacks return to her question didn't exactly make Piper feel any better either as they sped down the street and then made a turn into more steady traffic. Giving him a “Oh really?” look, she shook her head and then pushed at the mass of blond hair that hung in her face. Reaching for the visor, she flipped it down to check out the damage done by the assholes fist and then frowned as Jack spoke again.

"Where is that jacket now? Is it still back at your place?"

Piper couldn't help it. Suspicion clouded her expression even as she narrowed her azure eyes in his direction. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why the hell he wanted to know but realized that was fairly self evident. Whether he was working for the guys or just an innocent wandering into the wrong situation, it was a natural question to ask.

Could she trust him, though, was the million dollar question.

Weighing what she knew of him, which was very little in all honesty, with his actions at the house, the dancer finally took a deep breath and decided she didn't have much choice but to believe in him. He'd saved her twice now at no little risk to himself so that had to mean something, right? Besides, from the encounter back there, she had to assume he wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the asshats. His next words only seemed to prove her own assumptions.


"Look, I swear I'm not some crazy ass mobster dude, alright? but those guys... as you might have noticed, they stop at nothing to get what they want,"

“God.. My room mate has it. She borrowed the jacket last night to go clubbing in and I didn't even think about it.” she managed, hand already reaching for her phone. “I had better call her. Tell her not to come home.”

Hitting the number of her roommate on speed dial, the blond leaned back in her seat even as the other end went straight to voicemail. Grimacing, she waited for the greeting to play before speaking. “Tess, its Piper. When you get this, call me immediately. Do NOT under any circumstances go to the house or even drive around the block. Remember that leather jacket of mine you borrowed? Turns out something was left in it that I didn't know about and the original owners are a bit excited about getting it back. Anyways, CALL ME!”

Hitting end on the call, Piper looked back at Jack with a resigned expression. For a moment, she was silent before giving him a little smile.“Thanks for yet another rescue, by the way. I don't know if you are the craziest son of a bitch I've ever met or the bravest but you probably just saved my life back there. Again.” she drawled out softly, brows furrowing a bit as she remembered the events leading up to the mad dash they were making. “I'm sorry for dragging you into... whatever this is. From what was said back there.. I'm guessing I just put you in danger too. They evidently thought you were dead or something and now.. now they know your not.”

Grimacing a bit at how stupid that sounded, the blond shifted her attention out the front wind shield and tried to make a plan. Unfortunately, she kept coming up empty. She had no idea what to do with a situation like this and she didn't think just making a call and giving the USB device back would do the job. The men obviously would kill to get their hands on whatever it was and she would bet good money on they not wanting any witnesses either.

Which meant she and Jack, at least, were dead people walking. What an oh so lovely thought.

Blowing out a breath, Piper relaxed in her seat a bit before rubbing her face. The enormity of the situation hit her and delayed reaction made her hand shake even as she frowned and then swore. How the HELL were they going to get out of this?

Piper had that incredulous look on her face, as though she was not entirely sure whether she should trust him or no. In their current situation, Jack couldn't blame her for that, but thankfully his words seemed to tip the scales in his favor a bit, because after a moment she almost visibly deflated.

“God.. My room mate has it. She borrowed the jacket last night to go clubbing in and I didn't even think about it. I had better call her. Tell her not to come home.”

Awesome... as if things weren't complicated enough already. They didn't even know what was in that jacket that was worth a human life or two, and now some other innocent bystander had it? What was it they always said? The more the merrier?

Yeah, not in this case.

While Piper called her room mate and left a voice-mail message, Jack navigated the Evo through the streets of LA, hardly keeping to any speed limits while he occasionally checked his rear view mirror. A short silence followed after Piper ended the call, but it didn't take long before she spoke to him again.

“Thanks for yet another rescue, by the way. I don't know if you are the craziest son of a bitch I've ever met or the bravest but you probably just saved my life back there. Again.”

A sideways glance showed that Piper was giving him a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood and automatically Jack returned the smile, not wanting for her to worry about where his mind was right now. After everything that had already happened recently and all the shit he'd stirred up in the past couple of weeks, not just for him, but for his family, Brian would think him anything but brave, crazy maybe, but not brave. Fuck his brother though. What else should he have done? Call LA's not-so-finest?

...Yeah, because that surely would have ended fantastically well.

“I'm sorry for dragging you into... whatever this is. From what was said back there.. I'm guessing I just put you in danger too. They evidently thought you were dead or something and now.. now they know your not.”

"Nah, don't be. It's not your fault," he said with a dismissive shake of his head. Reaching one hand down, Jack grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled the fabric up enough to reveal the bandage underneath that covered the still healing bullet wound. "Besides, I was never not in this to begin with. They would have found out I'm still breathing sooner or later anyway."

As he pushed the fabric back down to cover to bandage again, his expression darkened a bit. He didn't care much to think about what would happen when Frank and his band of goons caught up with him, especially after pissing Frank off by pistol-whipping him across the face. No doubt there'd be consequences for that stunt later. Piper's newfound involvement though, that was what truly worried him. The deeper she was pulled in to all this, the more likely it was she could get hurt much worse than she was now and that was not an easy thought to dwell on...

Before long, the Evo finally pulled up on the drive way of the old, small house Jack was currently renting. It wasn't much, but hey, the rent was cheap and payed in the cash, and the people in the neighborhood could care less about what you did or didn't do so long as it didn't bother them.

Shutting the engine off, Jack turned his eyes towards Piper and he frowned a bit when he truly caught sight of her bruised jaw for the first time that night. Wordlessly leaning over, he lifted his hand to delicately trace the pad of his thumb across her discoloring skin, careful not to hurt her while he looked her injury over. Damn, the son of a bitch had clocked her good; it made him regret he hadn't done more to Frank than knock a few teeth loose.

"We should get you some ice for that. Then we'll figure this thing out," he said while he let his hand drop from her face, giving her a reassuring half-smile before he turned to get out of the Evo. Even though he had no idea how to play this game yet, one thing was for certain; they needed to know what it was that was hidden inside Piper's jacket first before they did anything at all.

That, and a drink...

"Welcome to my humble abode." Unlocking the front door and entering the house he'd been living in for a little over a week now, Jack turned on some lights so that the both of them could at least see where they were going. "Haven't had much time to settle in yet, but feel free to make yourself at home," he said before he headed towards the kitchen to get the promised ice, a bottle of Jack and two glasses, because he was pretty sure they could both use one right about now.

"Besides, I was never not in this to begin with. They would have found out I'm still breathing sooner or later anyway."

The moment Jack lifted his shirt and showed her the bandages on his side, Piper got a sick feeling to her stomach. Sure, in the moment, she'd held it together well enough but now that the adrenaline was starting to fall away, she was getting a clearer picture of what her life was becoming. Had become, if the last hour was any indication. In the span of a few minutes, everything she'd known and love had been turned on its axis and she'd been tossed in some sort of alternate universe in which she didn't know any of the rules. While she was always one for an adventure, this seemed a bit ridiculous and somehow, she didn't guess it was going to have a “happily ever after” ending to it either.

“Jesus, Jack...” was all she managed as he let his shirt fall. For a long moment, she could only sit there and try to make sense of everything as they drove. Thankfully though, it didn't seem to take them long to arrive at Jack's place and it was a momentary distraction in which she was thankful for. Glancing around as they drove up to the small house, she was relieved to find it quiet even as her companion turned off the car and faced her. The gentle touch of his hand brought her attention to him and she saw the regret flash through his eyes. His next words made her give him a little smile and nod.

"We should get you some ice for that. Then we'll figure this thing out,"

As his hand dropped away, Piper watched him turn and get out of the car before following. Moving as if in a haze, the petite blond followed in into the house.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Glancing around, the dancer blinked a bit as lights came on and then felt a glimmer of amusement start up. The place was sparce but at least looked habitable. It also sported a sofa that she immediately sank down on even as she ruefully considered her luck.

"Haven't had much time to settle in yet, but feel free to make yourself at home,"

Nodding absently at Jacks words, Piper watching him disappear into the kitchen before taking a deep breath. Leaning over her knees, she rubbed her face and then winced as she came in contact with her jaw. It wasn't the first time she'd ever taken a punch and probably wouldn't be the last but damned if it didn't remind her that they were now on the run. Who'd have ever though she, Piper Blair, would be running for her life from some sort of mob characters? Definitely not her, that was for sure. Did this make her and Jack the new Bonnie and Clyde?

Shaking her head inwardly at her own looney thoughts, Piper heard Jack rattling about in the kitchen and then decided to do as he suggested and make herself at home. Getting up from her seat, she peeked down the hall before finding the bathroom and going inside. Taking a few moments to wash up and make herself half presentable, the young woman finally managed to get herself together enough to feel steady on her feet. There was no use crying over spilled milk and whining about the current predicament wasn't going to change things. There was no magical rewind button or crew that was going to jump out and announce that they'd both been pranked.

No, this was real and the sooner they sorted it out, the better.

Leaving the bathroom, Piper navigated her way back to the living room and then towards the kitchen where she still heard Jack messing around. Finding him there, she gave him a little smile before moving forward and helping. “You know... Maybe you should let me do that. From what I can tell, your in worse shape than I am.” she said softly, concern in her gaze as it swept over him. “How about you take a seat and let me do the work this time around. While your at it.. You can tell me how you know those guys. Somehow, I never took you for the sort to hang out with thugs like that....”

Putting a gentle hand on his arm, she have him a soft nudge towards a chair before taking up the chore he'd set for himself.

“I'm guessing that gunshot wound is why I haven't seen you around? It looks like it was pretty serious. Since you weren't sporting it a few weeks ago, I'm guessing that you've been a busy guy, indeed.”

Turning on the light in the kitchen, Jack placed both his and Frank's gun on the kitchen counter before leaning both his hands on the edge of it while he let out a deep breath. He was supposed to be done with this kind of stuff; he was supposed to go legit now, but clearly the fates had different plans for him because what were the fucking odds that this would happen?

Zero to none... Unless your name is Jack O'Conner.

Cursing under his breath, Jack pushed away from the counter to start setting actions to his words. Taking one of those handy sandwich bags from a drawer, it was quickly filled with some ice from the fridge, and all the air was pushed out before he sealed the bag up so it could be used as a compress. Next up was the whiskey.

The bottle of Jack was standing on the counter just where he'd left it, the amber liquid practically glowing in the artificial lighting. He'd drank almost every day even before he'd gotten shot, mainly to take his mind off of shit, and he was pretty sure that by now his tolerance for booze was higher than it had ever been. So much so, you could probably remove his liver, squeeze it out and get pure alcohol in the juice. It wasn't something he was all that proud of, but hey, everybody had their flaws, right?

Reaching up to grab two glasses from the cabinet, Jack winced at the sudden sting of pain the movement caused in his side. Oh hell. Even though he was beginning to heal okay, he was clearly still far from there.

After a quick glance back to the open doorway to check that Piper wasn't coming in yet, he lifted his shirt for the second time that night, though this time he saw something he hadn't before. A faint shade of red was pushing through the white of the gauze. Oh hell. Between doing some maintenance on the Evo and the chance encounter with Frank at Piper's place, he must have worried the wound enough that it had opened up a bit again. The doc had warned him about this, told him to take it slow for a while, but Jack had never been one to be able to sit around, twiddling his thumbs for very long.

Wunderbar, just frikkin' awesome...

Sensing Piper's imminent approach though, Jack dropped the hem of his shirt back down and returned to what he was doing, setting out the two glasses just in time to look casual when she walked through the kitchen's doorway. She didn't seem to notice anything was amiss so he merely returned her smile with one of his own. What little time she had taken to fix herself up seemed to have worked; Jack noticed almost immediately that she was moving more fluidly than she had done before as she moved towards him now to help.

“You know... Maybe you should let me do that. From what I can tell, your in worse shape than I am. How about you take a seat and let me do the work this time around. While your at it.. You can tell me how you know those guys. Somehow, I never took you for the sort to hang out with thugs like that....”

"Guess it's true what they say then. Never judge a book by its cover," he said, smiling a bit.

It crossed Jack’s mind to be stubborn, to refuse her help, but when Piper put her hand on his arm and gave him a little nudge, he had a feeling that it would fall on deaf ears anyway. So he bit back his pride and let Piper take over while he took a seat, letting the view of her lithe form as she moved around the kitchen take his mind off of things for a bit.

“I'm guessing that gunshot wound is why I haven't seen you around? It looks like it was pretty serious. Since you weren't sporting it a few weeks ago, I'm guessing that you've been a busy guy, indeed.”

When the conversation turned to his gunshot wound however, jack stiffened slightly, his smile slipping.

"Yeah," he answered curtly and none too helpfully while he pulled out his pack of smokes and placed one between his lips, lighting it to avoid having to explain the wound and how he knew those guys any further. She didn't need to know about what he'd been through the last couple of weeks; the less she knew about his past indiscretions the better it was for the both of them.

Blowing out the cigarette smoke through his nostrils, Jack stood up and moved to stand close behind Piper. He could feel her body heat radiate against his own, her scent filling his senses as he reached past her to grab the bag of ice he'd prepared to serve as a compress.

"I appreciate your concern, beautiful, but why don't you sit down now and take care of yourself first. You're in my house now and I can still pour a couple of drinks," he said, holding up the makeshift ice-pack.

"Yeah,"

Jacks abrupt answer to her question made the blond sigh but she knew better than to push. Pushing would only start a fight and she wasn't in any frame of mind to deal with that. Not to mention, if he didn't want to talk about it, it really wasn't any of her business.

Giving a little mental shrug, Piper turned her attention to the glasses in front of her and found herself staring at them sightlessly. Once more, her mind tumbled back to the events of the day and her brow furrowed as she remembered the mans brutality. Piper was no innocent to the world but a place where that sort of violence seemed as natural as breathing made her stomach clench. She knew damned well if it hadn't been for Jacks arrival, she'd be dead or worse right now and that was a realization she really could have done without.

Feeling her hard won composure slip a bit, the dancer was just about to reach for the bottle in front of her when she felt Jacks heat behind her made her pause. The brush of his hand reaching past her and picking up the ice bag to hold it up made her still even as his husky voice sounded from near her ear.


"I appreciate your concern, beautiful, but why don't you sit down now and take care of yourself first. You're in my house now and I can still pour a couple of drinks,"

Oh, if only things could be so simply fixed by a bag of ice and a bottle of whiskey, right? Ignoring the pack offered, Piper closed her eyes and then let her slim body lean back into his. The contact was grounding and his scent enveloped her, giving her an illusion of safety. Twisting around, the blond looked up at him a moment before she buried her face against his chest, wanting a comfort she hadn't even been aware of needing till that moment. Careful of the bandages on his side, she slid her arms around his waist before drawing in a deep if shaky breath.

For a moment, she simply stood there before finally forcing herself to speak. “What are we gonna do, Jack? Somehow, I don't think hiding out here is going to solve our problems. I have no idea what is on that thing they want but it must be pretty important or they wouldn't be going to all this trouble. Its got to be what the feds were looking for when they raided the club the other night... I had no idea that I'd end up the pigeon carrier for the damned thing... Who thinks like that?”

Pulling back to look up at him, she couldn't hide the fear she felt at their whole predicament. What the hell did she know about mob intrigue and criminal activity? Sure, she was no angel but this was way over her pay grade. She didn't have a clue as to how to stay on the run or keep one step in front of the sort of people who were now wanting her dead.

Jack placed the ice-pack back on the counter when it became apparent Piper wasn't going to take it. Instead, she leaned her lithe body back against him, instantly making him realize that her strong composure of only seconds ago had been nothing but a show. It didn't take long before she turned around then, giving him a brief look before she buried her face against his chest, her arms coiling carefully around his waist until her small hands were clutching the back of his shirt and he was suddenly acutely aware of her body pressed so tightly against his. She was all around him, the smell of her and the feel of her assaulting his senses.

Wrapping his own arms around Piper in a bid to comfort her, Jack could feel her shaking slightly. He lifted his hand to stroke her hair while he pressed his lips to the top of her head, the want to soothe her and protect her building slowly inside of him as a moment of silence fell between them... only to be broken by a question he didn't have an answer to yet.

“What are we gonna do, Jack? Somehow, I don't think hiding out here is going to solve our problems. I have no idea what is on that thing they want but it must be pretty important or they wouldn't be going to all this trouble. Its got to be what the feds were looking for when they raided the club the other night... I had no idea that I'd end up the pigeon carrier for the damned thing... Who thinks like that?”

Jack held her tightly for a few moments more before Piper's hair brushed his cheek as she pulled her head back to look at him, their lips only a breath away from each other when he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Hey, I'm not going to let anything else bad happen to you, okay? This ain't my first rodeo with these guys," he said as he lifted his hand to cup her cheek so she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Once you get a hold of your roommate, we'll know what's on it and we'll take it from there."

"If push comes to shove though, we can always take a little vacation," he said, smiling a bit now as his hand caressed her cheek and brushed away a lock of her blond hair that was slightly obscuring her beautiful face from him. He was half serious, too. Who knew how much that thing was going to be worth? A pretty penny, that was for sure. And in all honesty, he figured looking over your shoulder constantly would be a whole lot less stressful in a place like Bora Bora or somewhere similar. Oh yeah, he could just see it now...

Leaning in, he pressed his lips against hers in a lingering kiss, one that tasted of more, ramping up his longing for her to a higher level even as he pulled back just enough to speak. "Everything's gonna be fine. Alright?" he assured her softly, the corner of his mouth moving up in a small smirk as if to give a little more power to his words.

"Hey, I'm not going to let anything else bad happen to you, okay? This ain't my first rodeo with these guys," he said as he lifted his hand to cup her cheek so she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Once you get a hold of your roommate, we'll know what's on it and we'll take it from there."


Standing there in Jacks arms, Piper could almost believe the words coming out of his mouth. God, how she wanted too, too. It would be so easy to put everything on his shoulders and let him worry about it but that wasn't the girl her daddy had raised her to be. Not to mention, Jack didn't exactly look as if he'd fared much better at the asshats hands. Hello, gunshot in the side? He'd obviously had his own brush with the grim reaper and it was going to take both of them to figure out a way through this.

For the moment though, Piper decided to let him have his way. The concern she saw in his eyes warmed her and his touch comforted so was there really any harm in leaning on him for just a little bit? It had been so long since she'd had anyone to share her troubles with and she was damned tired of being alone.

"If push comes to shove though, we can always take a little vacation,"

Those words had her blinking rapidly before glancing up at him. New thoughts spiraled around in her head but were quickly sidetracked as Jack's touch made her shiver with a new awareness. The proximity of their bodies suddenly became startlingly apparent even as he closed the distance between them and claimed her lips in a gentle kiss that she made no move to divert. Just the opposite, in fact, as she tilted her face up to his and gave him better access.

"Everything's gonna be fine. Alright?"

No way was she arguing with that decree, Piper decided as she met his gaze and finally nodded. Just being with him made everything better and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to hide away somewhere with him, away from the madhouse their life had suddenly become. Oh, if only they could win the lottery or something. To bad fairy godmothers only existed in fairy tales, right?


“Vacation, huh? Right now, that sounds like a lovely idea. As long as there's lots of sun, surf and sand.” she tried to tease back, lips quirking up in a bit of a grin finally. “Maybe our own little island where we can lay around all day drinking fruity concoctions and getting a gorgeous tan. I hear that the Bahamas are lovely this time of the year... Maybe a bit crowded for our purposes though...”

Then, giving in to the magnetic pull between them, the blond wrapped a hand round the back of his neck, threading her fingers through his sandy hair. Giving him a gentle tug, she closed the hairs breath of distance between them to kiss him again, fanning the need he'd stoked with his first contact. For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist as did the danger they now faced. All that was real was the chemistry between them and the desire that hadn't seemed to dim over the past few weeks. Piper wasn't sure what it was about this man that attracted her so much but he had a way of making her lose all common sense. Suddenly, instead of worrying about bad guys busting down the door, she was wondering how fast she could get him naked again.

At least, that was until BuckCherry's “Crazy Bitch” started blaring from her pocket and Piper groaned at the untimely interruption as they broke apart.

Giving Jack a bit of a disgruntled look, the blond fished the offending object out of her pocket in time to catch sight of Tessa's picture waving at her from the screen. Blowing out a breath, she hit talk even as she realized how close she'd been to losing her head. Had she really just been about to take advantage of the poor guy in his own kitchen?

“Hey Princess.... Please tell me you got my message and your not being forced to call me with some gun to your head.” she shot off in greeting, avoiding Jacks gaze even as her cheeks turned pink.”Yeah? Good.. Listen up.. I'm with Jack.... yeah yeah, that Jack... No, this isn't some kind of kinky roleplay game. God, Tessa, get your mind out of the gutter, would you? Not everyone is like you....” she said, speaking into the phone before rolling her eyes. “Look, I need you to go through that jacket of mine you borrowed. There should be a.... Oh, you found it? …. YOU DID WHAT? DAMN IT TESSA! What are you? Insane? Wait, don't answer that... Just... God, just don't do anything else with it all right? Where are you at? …. Ok, fine... Heres what we are going to do. I'm betting they have your picture by now but they haven't got a clue where to look for you at. We need some sort of plan so we need to meet up somewhere.”

Listening to Tessa's chatter on the other end, Piper glanced at Jack and placed a hand over the speaker. A quick question about the address and then the blond was giving it to her roommate before telling her to meet them here and to be careful. Once the call was ended, she flipped the phone over and pulled out the data card before looking at her companion once more.

“This thing has a gps in it. If these guys are as big time as we think, no doubt they have the ability to pull up cellphone coordinates. You want to do the honors or shall I? We'll have to get a disposable soon...” she asked, holding the thing in the air. “ Tessa will be here soon, too.... It will probably take her a couple hours but she'd already found the damned USB. You arent going to believe what was on the thing either.... A bunch of off shore accounts with billions of dollars in them.”

“Vacation, huh? Right now, that sounds like a lovely idea. As long as there's lots of sun, surf and sand. Maybe our own little island where we can lay around all day drinking fruity concoctions and getting a gorgeous tan. I hear that the Bahamas are lovely this time of the year... Maybe a bit crowded for our purposes though...”

Jack couldn't help but grin at that. With his body pressed against the length of her smaller one, he idly noted how Piper fit up against him like a piece of a puzzle. He could feel her heart pounding, knew that she was as swept up as he was and it was almost scary how the chemistry that had snapped to life so easily between them still burned inside of him weeks later. Desire had him wanting to claim her mouth with his again, to bury himself inside of her and make them both completely forget the situation they were in.

Thankfully, the fire low in his belly was perfectly mirrored in the deep grey of Piper's eyes and there was no question that the carnal want that had been ignited between them from the moment they'd touched each other again was about to take over both of them.

Complying to the little tug she gave him, the barely there distance between them closed again as he took her mouth for the second time, feeling the detonations of sensation that exploded in his body when she met him with a force all her own. Holy fuck she felt so good. He'd lost count of the women he'd been with, but he could say for certain that none of them felt or tasted like this, nor had they held his interest longer than a night or two unlike Piper. 

Tangling his fingers into her hair he devoured her mouth like a starving man, his free hand just as hungry as it slid under the hem of her top to touch her soft skin. Letting his fingers drag up against her skin towards their destination, he was about to remove her offending piece of clothing when her phone blared from her pocket. Talk about fucking timing.

With no other choice but to abort, Jack let a disgruntled sound slip from his throat as Piper broke away from him to answer the call. Leaning against the counter and picking up the cigarette he didn't remember lighting, let alone place it there, he watched her. He could see how flustered she was, even if she tried to hide it from him. They both knew where they were headed only seconds ago, both had been more than eager, but one phone call and they were both pulled back into reality.

“Hey Princess.... Please tell me you got my message and your not being forced to call me with some gun to your head. Yeah? Good.. Listen up.. I'm with Jack.... yeah yeah, that Jack... No, this isn't some kind of kinky roleplay game. God, Tessa, get your mind out of the gutter, would you? Not everyone is like you.... Look, I need you to go through that jacket of mine you borrowed. There should be a.... Oh, you found it? …. YOU DID WHAT? DAMN IT TESSA! What are you? Insane? Wait, don't answer that... Just... God, just don't do anything else with it all right? Where are you at? …. Ok, fine... Heres what we are going to do. I'm betting they have your picture by now but they haven't got a clue where to look for you at. We need some sort of plan so we need to meet up somewhere.”

Rubbing a hand over his face, a soft scratching sound emitting as his palm roamed over unshaven territory on his jaw and chin, Jack listened to Piper's side of the conversation, smirking a bit when it became clear she'd talked about him to her roommate, but otherwise staying expressionless through the rest of it. When Piper asked for his address, he gave it to her, then raised his brow when she turned her phone over at the end of the conversation and pulled the data card out.

“This thing has a gps in it. If these guys are as big time as we think, no doubt they have the ability to pull up cellphone coordinates. You want to do the honors or shall I? We'll have to get a disposable soon...”

"I'll do you if you do me," he said teasingly, placing his smoke between his lips to free up his hand before following Piper's example by taking his own phone from his pocket, turning it over and extracting the SD-card. Swapping his phone for hers now, Jack shot Piper a cheeky wink before he hurled the device against a wall, shattering it to pieces on impact. Even if it was short lived, the small act of senseless violence felt good.

 “Tessa will be here soon, too.... It will probably take her a couple hours but she'd already found the damned USB. You arent going to believe what was on the thing either.... A bunch of off shore accounts with billions of dollars in them.”

Taking one last drag from his smoke before snuffing it out in the sink, a grin he could barely contain wanted to spread across his features when he caught the tail end of her words. Damn, if he didn't know any better, it was almost as if the fates had just decided to compensate them for the shit they'd been through. Whether Piper would see it the same way was a different question, but still...

"Baby, if  what your roommate just told you is true, you better start packing because we'll be buying the Bahamas," he said, not able to keep his grin from spreading any longer as he slid his arm around Piper's waist and pulled her slender body against his again, ignoring the slight sting in his side as he did so.

What?! They were already dead people walking, were they not? So they might as well make this thing worth their while now, right? Fuck that saying 'if it looks too good to be true, it probably is' up the ass...

"I'll do you if you do me,"

The smirk that accompanied those words had Pipers lips quirking up even as she rolled her eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue to come back with some smart ass remark but the shattering of the phone against the wall silenced those words. Instead of speaking, she simply wound up and sent the other phone into the surface too, grinning as it too combusted into a million pieces.

Ah, the satisfaction that came in such small things.

With Tessa's news delivered, the blond figured there was nothing to do but sit and wait. The other woman had said she'd tell them all about what was on the drive when she got there but the gist of the deal was that the chip held the key to transferring funds around to different off shore accounts. Without the drive, whomever the money belonged to couldn't access their funds and where, for all intents and purposes, quiet possibly broke. All illegal money was usually stored in accounts that couldn't be traced and the USB device was probably what the feds had been looking for when they raided the club.

Happy Happy Joy Joy, right? Leave it to her to get sucked right into the middle of everything.

"Baby, if  what your roommate just told you is true, you better start packing because we'll be buying the Bahamas,"

Then again, as Jacks arm slipped about her and she was pulled against his warm body, Piper couldn't help but feel a tremor of excitement. His words made her laugh even as a slim brow arched upwards. “Oh yeah? And just how are we going to do that, handsome? Steal the money? You don't think they will follow us?” she chided softly, eyes dancing a bit with amusement as she licked her lips. “If there are truly billions of dollars on that thing, I don't think they'll stop till they get it back.”

Growing more serious then, she frowned, reaching up to put her arms about his neck. A million thoughts whirled through her mind even as she tried to sort them out. “Then again, its not like we can give it back... I don't think its going to matter one way or another. Their going to kill us unless we find a way to put up road blocks. If the feds want it bad enough, maybe we can use it to our advantage. Theres got to be some way around this all....” she continued, leaning against him even as worry tried to take hold again. “That much money makes monsters out of men. Tessa can hack into almost anything and even she said it was pretty tightly coded. Which means nothings going to be easy about this.”

Then, blowing out a long breath, she looked up up at him before forcing another smile. “Not much we can do about it at the moment though, right? We'll just have to find something to do to pass the time till Tessa gets here and try not to worry....” Finishing that with a smirk, she waggled her brows at him before giving him an impish grin. “What should we do? Play checkers or something? Tic, Tac, Toe?”

“Oh yeah? And just how are we going to do that, handsome? Steal the money? You don't think they will follow us? If there are truly billions of dollars on that thing, I don't think they'll stop till they get it back.”

No man had ever weighed the pro's and con's of stealing a large sum of money as quickly as Jack's mind was in this moment. Perhaps stealing was even too strong a word. After all, there was no question that the money on that drive was as dirty as it came. Maybe that was part of the appeal though. That sense of risk and danger that had always drawn him in so easily, and the more he thought about it, the more he just wanted to go for it. They already had a target on their head whether they gave the drive back or no, so why not throw caution to the wind and live the life of the rich and infamous while they could?

“Then again, its not like we can give it back... I don't think its going to matter one way or another. They're going to kill us unless we find a way to put up road blocks. If the feds want it bad enough, maybe we can use it to our advantage. Theres got to be some way around this all....”

As Piper's slender arms reached up to wrap around his neck, Jack's easy smile faltered a bit when he caught the tail end of what she was saying. Feds. Yeah, he trusted those as far as he could throw 'em. Not to mention he was probably still on their shit list because of his association with Stephano Dieseli's drug cartel. Thankfully, they'd never found anything on him that could have stuck enough for them to be able to convict him, but that didn't mean it would stop them from trying. In any case, he'd rather stay out of their spotlight for now; the idea of spending the rest of his younger days in prison didn't really appeal to him.

“That much money makes monsters out of men. Tessa can hack into almost anything and even she said it was pretty tightly coded. Which means nothings going to be easy about this.”

Now that he couldn't argue with. Add to that that they weren't up against just any Joe Schmoe, and it was more than obvious that they had quite the bumpy ride ahead of them no matter which road they choose.

“Not much we can do about it at the moment though, right? We'll just have to find something to do to pass the time till Tessa gets here and try not to worry.... What should we do? Play checkers or something? Tic, Tac, Toe?”

A slow smirk crept back onto his face now. If there had been any confusion as to what she was actually saying, her impish grin made everything crystal clear. Hell, one had to be completely blind not to see that look in her eyes, and it easily pushed back any worrisome thought he may have had as he pushed her gently against the edge of the kitchen table behind her, effectively trapping her between it and his body.

"Mm, I'm not sure I can handle the excitement of such thrilling games right now," he teased back, his own smirk growing more devious as he lifted Piper up just a bit to have her sit on the table. Taking up position between her legs, he leaned in, hovering his mouth close by her ear as he whispered, "but I'm sure we can think of something else to take our mind off of things..."

Giving a more tangible meaning to his words, Jack placed a kiss on the sensitive skin just below her ear. With both their phones shattered to pieces on the floor and Tessa not being due for a little while longer, it was just the two of them now and that was more than fine with him as he nuzzled her neck, placed another kiss to the curve of it at her shoulder before he pulled from her and reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it carelessly aside.

Piper's body was something he was pretty sure he would never tire of. Jack could feel her burning hot flesh underneath his lips and the quickening of her pulse as he soon lavished attention on her collarbone, her bra-clad breasts, gradually moving lower down her body while his fingers worked the button of her daisy dukes open. Pealing the denim away just enough, he pressed his lips to her exposed hipbone, leaving absolutely no doubt to Piper as to where he was headed.

((OOC: And on that note... feel free to fast forward to whichever point you like. It's all good with me!))

Seeing the glint that came into Jacks eyes at her words, Piper couldn't help but let out a soft laugh as she suddenly found herself pinned against the table. Tossing her silky mane, she bit her bottom lip in anticipation even as his husky tone melted her middle.

"Mm, I'm not sure I can handle the excitement of such thrilling games right now,"

Ha. That would be the day. The dancer had a feeling that Jack would have to be dead in the ground before he wouldn't be able to handle “games” like this. As his calloused hands lifted her slightly and she found herself perched on the table edge, the young woman arched a brow even as she leaned back, inviting him in closer.


"but I'm sure we can think of something else to take our mind off of things..."

Oh yeah, Piper was sure they could too. Already, her pulse was quickening and she licked her suddenly dry lips in anticipation of what she was sure to come. “Hmmmm... well, I suppose we could play charades or something..” she whispered, still trying to keep her tone light. Something that was immediately ruined as she felt his lips press to her neck and a throaty moan escaped her throat.

So much for playing it cool, huh Blair? She inwardly chided herself even as he stepped away and she made a soft noise of protest. No. Damn it, no teasing like that, she thought even as her lashes fluttered open only to find his fingers at the hem of her shirt, tugging it up and over her head. Yeah, that was much more like it. Reaching for his shirt, she returned the favor, savoring the heat of his skin even as she was careful not to disturb the bandage at his side. Damn, the man was sculpted right and she drank in the sight of him, even as he moved in close once more.

As his lips and hands wandered, it quickly became apparent as to what Jack had in mind and Piper was content to give her up to the sensations he brought to life. The rest of their clothing soon found themselves abandoned to the floor as the lovers enthusiastically renewed their acquaintance with each others bodies. Piper was never quiet sure when they moved from the table to end up sprawled on the floor but in was a long while later when she came back to the real world, head against Jacks shoulder and half sprawled over his good side.

Then, she couldn't help it. She started to giggle and then it turned into a full laugh. Pushing herself upwards, her azure orbs met his darker ones and a gambit grin turned up her lips. “You know... This is getting to be a habit. Get into trouble, run away and end up having wild monkey sex on any surface that's available. Some people might think we are a bit crazy.” she drawled out in her west Texas accent. “I have to admit though... if it wasn't for the imminent death thing... I don't think it would be a bad habit.”

Pulling back a bit more, she then dropped her gaze to his bandages before frowning. The hint of red concerned her and it mirrored in her eyes as she looked back at him. "Are you.. ok? Should we maybe rewrap that or something?" she asked, just as the sound of a car pulling up outside caught her attention. "oh shit.. Someone is here." she hissed, pushing upwards and reaching for her clothing but ending up with Jacks shirt instead. A quick glance around didn't show her the tank top she'd been wearing earlier so she shrugged and pulled the t-shirt on instead. If they had to make a run for it, at least Jack could get by being half naked.

{OOC : Ok, i opened it up for Tessa to appear if she likes! Hope this all works!! }

“You know... This is getting to be a habit. Get into trouble, run away and end up having wild monkey sex on any surface that's available. Some people might think we are a bit crazy.”

Jack’s laugh was a deep rumble in his throat, breathless and amused before it trailed off with exhaustion as Piper lifted herself up a bit to look at him. Their sexcapades and his release into her seemed to have drained him of what little energy he’d had left leaving him boneless and worn out in the most pleasurable of ways.

"Those same people thinking that might also just be a bit jealous," he said, grinned lazily, remembering how they'd met at her place of work; the strip club where she'd literally put the 'tease' in striptease during the show she'd given him. In hindsight, that had been when his attraction to her started, only growing stronger when they'd gone toe to toe with three bikers, which in turn had resulted in them ending up naked together and having mind-blowing sex in her shower, seemingly setting the bench mark for their relationship from there on out.

“I have to admit though... if it wasn't for the imminent death thing... I don't think it would be a bad habit.”

Relaxing his head back onto the cheap linoleum floor of the kitchen with Piper draped over his side like a human blanket, Jack couldn't agree more. He was content in a way he hadn't been in what felt like quite some time, and in this moment, he couldn't give a shit about the dark clouds looming over their heads.

Arms still wrapped comfortably around her back, fingers idly stroking over the smooth skin there, Jack's brow furrowed slightly though, when Piper pulled back further from him, her words breaking him out of his trance.

"Are you.. ok? Should we maybe rewrap that or something?"

His eyes wandered towards the bandages on his side then, noting the red stain underneath them had grown a bit since last time he'd checked it. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to re-wrap it after all, eh? Yet before he could answer, he heard the car pull up outside the house the same time Piper did.

"Jesus Christ," he cursed under his breath. Moving quickly, he pushed himself back to his feet after Piper had untangled herself from him, gathering his boxers and jeans and putting them back on. A quick glance towards Piper showed that she had his shirt, her tank top was nowhere to be seen, and he couldn't help the small smirk from creeping onto his face at the sight of her as she put it on. The shirt hung on her like a garbage bag, coming down almost to mid thigh, laying shapelessly over her curves, yet it still looked so much better on her than it ever could on him.

"That's quite a hot look on you by the way," he said, shooting her a teasing wink before turning a bit more serious as he grabbed the 1911 colt from the counter. Pulling the slide back to cock the gun, Jack made his way towards one of the windows, staying off to the side just in case as he took a look through the blinds.

"What kind of car does Tessa drive? Cause I think it might be her," he asked once his eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness outside to be able to make out the make and model. The owner however, was still shrouded by the night's shadows.


(( OOC: Lol, it works perfectly fine! Cue Tessa now, I guess ))