The beginning
Chapter one.

Cold didn’t begin to describe how Marius felt. It was as if his bones had been frozen to every muscle in his body and it was all he could do just to breath. The weather had been horrible for days, and there was no sign of a break. The forecasted blizzard hadn’t even set into Verona yet, but if the already brutal weather was any sign it was very close on its way. The streets were empty and Marius had no clue why he was even outside. He’d felt an urge to take a walk but now that he was a few blocks from his apartment he wanted to head straight home for several cups of hazel nut coffee and his warm electric blanket.

Marius was still walking down Coronus street when he heard some voices. There was yelling and a few shrieks. He paused for a second and then continued walking maybe it was just a couple fighting, stupid people should be inside its too cold for all that. But then again he was the one taking a walk in the middle of this weather. Then he heard the screaming, not fear rage, “Let go you over grown gorilla!” one voice said, definitely female. Marius decided to investigate he was hoping it was just a couple arguing but felt the need to check anyway.

As he turned the corner to and onto a small alley he saw her. Hair flying as she struggled with as she described was definitely and over grown gorilla. Now Marius was 6’4 but this guy, well he was huge, had to be at least 6 inches taller than Marius, and a good bit wider. But what had stopped Marius in his tracks was the beauty fighting her way away from the gorilla. The big guy had her arm and was trying to corner her against a dumpster and the building but every time she would find a way out. He watched as she kneed him in the groin then freed her arm, but instead of running she brought her elbow down on the back of his neck. The gorilla let out a loud scream and punched her in the gut. She went flying back against the wall and then fell. The man was starting to recover and the movements of gorilla man broke Marius’s frozen state. He rushed into action. Gorilla hadn’t noticed him so when Marius sucker punched him right in the jaw, it sent the man reeling back. As gorilla hit the wall Marius rushed him with another punch to the jaw and two to the stomach. Gorilla man slid to the ground and Marius kicked him in the head, that knocked gorilla right out.

In basic training Marius had learned never to talk to your assailant, because later they could recognize your voice, but now that the gorilla was out like king kong he walked over to Roxanna. She had started to sit up but winced at the pain. “Are you okay” he asked as she tried to gain her composure. “I think so he just go one good what in and that had me out, too bad you didn’t gain your balls a little earlier.” She said, the sneer shocked Marius, what could he say to that she was right he had froze but did he not just save her life? She didn’t even say thank you? What kind of woman is this?! “Well Miss”, he began “I didn’t know my helping you would warrant such a response. I can tell your fine I’ll be on my way.” He knew that he was being rude and that he should help her up but she had just struck a low blow to his ego… and man hood. As he walked away he heard a muffle apology almost as if she didn’t think he deserved one but it was an apology all the same. He turned and looked at her. Clutching her stomach and an over large bag. He hair was blowing in the frigid air again and she looked almost pathetic as she started to walk. He couldn’t leave her. So he walked back, “I’m sorry also I should have worked faster, would you like some help? My place is only a few blocks away. You can warm up there and ill call you a cab?” as the words finished coming out of his mouth he could tell she was going to refuse him, so he continued. “It’s the least I can do for letting the thing hit you before I reacted?” he paused, “and I won’t take no for an answer.” She stood in silence, she was thinking really hard. “What’s your name?” she asked still with that attitude. She had an accent that wasn’t from around here. Even though she was fluent there was no way she was Italian. He waited a second and the replied. “Marius, Marius Reginus.” She looked at him a second a street light eliminating her eyes. Were they green? “Well Marius, I suppose since you helped me out and all and u won’t accept my no… I’ll come with you.” She took a few steps and winced. Marius knew he was stretching here but he picked her up quickly and started walking. She had one of those stunned, shocked, indignant looks on her face that all women master. “What the hell! Put me down right now!” she was screaming in his ear but it was too funny watching her. “No” he simply answered and kept walking.

***

After his simple answer Roxanna hadn’t said a word. Yes she was in lots of pain but she wasn’t a baby to be carried around by some ape? What was with her and primates tonight? First gorilla and now ape? Well anyway she didn’t like it. She was a grown woman, she had two legs and two feet and she could walk! She didn’t like this but the aura this Marius exuded left no room for argument. So all she could do was be carried. She would make it hard for him though, she let herself become complete dead weight. Ha that will show him. But he acted as if he didn’t even notice. He just kept walking. He’d already carried her two blocks when he asked her, “So what’s your name?” she didn’t reply. She had no words for him he could talk to himself for all she cared. “Well for such a fierce little thing u must have a fierce name, or are you nameless?” now he was just trying to taunt her into talking. Ugh men never catch a hint. “Something like Olga or Wren?” oh how dare he! Those were just completely horrendous names? Plus she’s not even close to Russian. The idiot. “My name is Roxanna Bellatrix, and since you can’t seem to find any proper ways to use your tongue maybe you should shut your mouth.” Oh… that wasn’t very nice what is wrong with you! The ape is carrying you and you continue to be outlandishly rude! She was being rather rude but she just couldn’t help it, she felt as like every snide comment she every said had been meant for him and now she had to make up for lost time, absolutely ridiculous.

She looked up intending to apologize but instead of anger or even a hint of dislike in his eyes she saw humor! He is laughing! Why on this bloody earth is he laughing! Now she was just plain pissed off. Her day had started horrible. Her car had had snow caked all over it so she had to scrape her windows and then after all the work she realized the chains on her wheels had come off. She didn’t have time to put the bloody chains back on so she had to call a cab. Then the cab took forever to get to her house and drove slower than her grandpa on a good d ay. When she finally arrived she was 45 minutes late and her boss was breathing down her neck. The lady hated her and being late only made things worse. The whole day was spent running back and forth between her office and her boss’s. Something was always wrong with her reports. Every time she went into the field she would do something that called for filling out reports... such as crashing a company car shooting a drug dealer before he was questioned adequately, but then again the guy had a gun pointed at her. Needless to say her day had gone down the toilet. Then she couldn’t get another cab so was having to walk all the way home, seven blocks, from work! And the fourth floor elevator had been down and she had to use the stairs! Only to almost get mugged in the worst weather Verona had had all season. And now she was being carried by some guy with a stick up his butt back to his apartment. She was not a happy girl.
Instead of apologizing like she was going to she just crossed her arms and continued to focus on being dead weight. She now couldn’t stand this Marius character. Even if he was extremely warm in the cold weather and well built, even through his heavy trench she could feel the muscles in his chest and arms. Nice she thought very nice. He didn’t look so bad either nice jaw line very dignified, he had a little over a 5 O’clock shadow but it was okay, it highlighted his grey blue eyes. They seem more navy than blue but they were definitely blue, and definitely grey, or I don’t know what color they are. He looked down at her and that broke her revelation. Was she just staring at him at his eyes? Talking about his muscles?! What is wrong with you Roxanna? First you can’t stand the guy now you’re making googgly eyes at him? You have some serious issues girl. She made it a point not to look at him again.

They finally reached his apartment and he put her down. He lived in a nice complex a little above middle class but not too fancy so he didn’t seem overly rich but he definably had money. He opened the glass entrance door and walked her to the elevator. She still felt really bad her whole abdomen was hurting, that gorilla really packed a punch. She hadn’t been hit that hard since her earliest days training with Kzatora. That was her martial arts teacher back in Romania. He had never been lineate on her, especially when she was tired. Then he would totally kick her but. She hadn’t been practicing her judo since she was promoted to captain. She hadn’t taken on a field case in two weeks and still had lots of paper work. She was thinking about stepping down because she hated desk work she wanted to be out there fighting crime, and even though she had been in the field her first two weeks now it seemed as if there was so much paper work she just didn’t have the time to work in the field with the rest of her officers.

He pressed the button for his floor. He lived on the top and the fourth floor of the building. They stood in the elevator in silence. When the elevator dinged, telling them they were on the fourth floor she jumped a little and he laughed openly. This time it didn’t bother her as much she started laughing too. They stepped out of the elevator and down a nice hall to apartment 416. He held the door and she walked in. The entrance was nice, having a coat rack the left and a mail rack to the right. As she looked in there was a nice plush brown sofa and a recliner with two end tables. Nice furniture but not much to where things seem crowded. There were a few chairs, everything was squared even the chairs had this masculine frame to them. Down the hall that was to her left she saw three doors that was probably where his bed room and stuff was. He was walking to her right and then she noticed the kitchen and dining room.

“You can go take a seat in the living room and I’ll bring some hot coffee and pain killers. Do you like hazel nut?” his voice was fading as he walked further into the house. Now there’s a shock he likes me favorite coffee? Go figure. “Yes I love hazel nut.” She said half smiling. “Me too, it’s my favorite.” He called out again. She deiced to go sit on the couch and as she walked towards it the wall blocking her view of the kitchen ended and she could see him. She hadn’t noticed him take his jacket off, but now looking at him she noticed a green sweater with the sleeves pushed up to reveal massive forearms. And in this room she could see his eyes were greyer than blue, but deep grey. He was tall, very tall, and she wasn’t short either 5’7 was above average, and here in Italy all the ladies were short, even her hulking boss was shorter than her. But he was very tall had to be over six feet. As she examined his physique she could tell he was very athletic, his jeans hugged his legs, showing off sculpted muscles, at least he wasn’t into those skinny jeans these new age children like so much. He looked up and saw her watching him again. This time he smiled. “Coffee’s almost done can I get you anything to eat or a warm rag?” he was really smiling now because Roxanna being as bold as she is wasn’t looking away. She let him know she was sizing him up now. “Nope I’m good.” She stated looking him in the eye, and she smiled.

***

Marius had felt her eyes on him sense carrying her in his building. She liked what she saw and that was really boosting his ego. She was sitting on his sofa still wearing her coat. Maybe he should ask to take it for her… “Would you like me to take your coat?” he asked just a tad bit unsure, and he could tell she noticed it, which he didn’t like at all. “Sure, here.” She said as she slipped the heavy coat off, revealing a red cashmere sweat with a low V neck showing a hint of cleavage. As he watched he noticed she was um... well endowed with feminine curves. She had a small waste but noticeably wide hips. Not too wide like his grandma but well perfect? She was wearing black slacks and black stiletto boots. Not the kind with the point. Why was he noticing so much about her cloths? Geese I’m a man, I’m not suppose to care what she’s wearing. But he did. She was modest, even though she was showing off at the same time. He liked that.

He walked around the counter and took her coat. Walking back to the coat rack he placed it on a hook. She sat back down and he decided to sit next to her since they still had five minutes till the coffee was finished. When he sat down she looked a little unease like she didn’t want him that close to her. Why? She didn’t seem to mind my presence from the kitchen? Well it doesn’t matter this is my place and my couch. He leaned back and she scooted toward the arm rest and lean back also.
“So, do you want to tell me how you manage to get in that mess with the gorilla guy?” he asked. Maybe talking would ease her mood. “How do you think I got in that “mess”, she said making quote signs, “I was walking home and the imbecile tried to just grab my bag and run” As she finished she gave him a duh look. “Well why didn’t u just let him take it? It’s only a bag. What if you got seriously hurt, would the bag be worth it?” he could tell him words were not making for good conversation she seemed a little ticked off by him. “Yea well I can take care of myself and some idiot who thinks he can take my stuff is out of his mind, and my safety is none your business Mr. Reginus.” She gave him a cold stare as she finished. Oh so we’re on a last name basis now huh? What a feisty little thing she is. He liked that too.

The Coffee was now done and Marius retrieved two mugs and brought her a cup. Roxanna took hers but stared at it for awhile. “It’s safe to drink you know.” Marius said he’d watched her slip into deep concentration once the mug was in front of her. “I know it’s safe to drink. You don’t seem like the poison type.” she said there was no emotion in her voice, like she was still in deep thought. “Well what type-” there was a buzz and then her phone was chiming. Almost as if her revelry was broken she snapped up and grabbed her bag, digging through it till she pulled out a sleek smart phone.

“Hello” she said, questioning. There was speaking on the other end but Marius couldn’t make out the words.
“When….?” More talking on the other end, “Tell me where to meet you.” She grabbed a pen and started writing something down.
“I’ll be there in ten, don’t move.” She said and hung up the phone. “Mr. Reginus I have to leave immediately what is the response time for a cab around here?” she was practically breathing the words as she said them.
“Well usually about ten minutes but I’ll see what I can do.” he said as he got up and headed towards the kitchen to call a cab. While Marius dialed he saw her putting on her coat and chugging several scalding swallows of coffee. “Is everything alright?” he called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, yeah everything’s fine just meeting a friend.” She said digging through her bag again. She pulled out her wallet and laid a $20 out, then on a piece of paper wrote down a number. He got off the phone with the cab company and walked back towards the living room. “What are you doing?” he asked she was in such a frazzled state; this woman must always be stressed out or something. “Oh money for the cab and…” a man’s voice came across the intercom announcing that the cab had arrived.
She grabbed her bag and went straight to the door. “Bye and thank you.” She said before slipping out. Marius was left standing alone, she had been here and now it was as if she’d never came in the house at all. He looked back down on the table where her mug was. A piece of paper with a number was on it and a smiley face. Marius grinned, well that was nice.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 06.06.2011

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