All Hell Breaks Loose [Chloe]

[Chloé Flannigan]

Her long claws beat a staccato pattern against the pavement as she fled from her pursuers. Her movements were lithe and graceful—the fur on her back taking on a silver hue beneath the streetlights. Those claws skidded across the pavement, almost buckling her legs beneath her as she rounded the corner too fast. But she regained her balance, barking once as she immediately caught sight of Christian.

The fox sped toward him, running between his legs before coming to a stop and turning to make sure her childe was not in too much trouble. The holy hunters were not stupid, of course, and had rounded the corner armed and ready. They knew the fox was no mere fox, and they were ready for an ambush. The second man ducked into a commando-esque roll, heading straight in the fox’s direction.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to do much harm as a fox, she got between his legs and urged herself to change back. The sudden transformation caught him off guard, and even if he had been ready for it she was far too close for him to get off a shot. Slender fingers slid up over his shoulders, gripping at his jacket for support, and keeping him close so that he might be able to hide her nakedness. It was one definite flaw to shifting—she was always without clothes when she shifted back, and at the mercy of the male companions she always happened to be with at the time.

Although her first instinct was to bleed him dry, she was wary of how his blood might taint her thoughts, so instead she gripped either side of his jaw and yanked sideways, breaking his neck and swiftly killing him.

Before he could fall to the ground, however, Chloe slid her arm inside of his jacket—with a flourish she had the garment from him. His lifeless body did a little pirouette before it hit the ground, and Chloe had pulled the jacket tight around her.

Her cheeks flushed red with both adrenaline and embarrassment. Had Christian seen anything? Her nakedness was not something she was ashamed of, but she did not want to be giving him the wrong idea.

[Christian Lecroix]

As soon as he noticed the small Chloe-fox was unharmed, he inhaled a deep breath before coming around the corner. Christian had been aware from the beginning of the fight that he was outnumbered but that didn’t bother him. Reaching into the holster, he slipped out a silencer and quickly added it to the weapon. Gaining on a line of sight on one of the holy-hunters, he popped off two rounds, one landing into his firing shoulder and another into his arm. That provided him enough time to run forward into one of the other hunters, the force of Christian’s charge had been enough to slam him against the brick-layered wall.

He didn’t notice that Chloe had changed back into her human form since his attention had been drawn to the wounded holy-hunter. Stalking over to him, Christian clamped an iron-grip into the wounded shoulder that brought the hunter down to his knees. He stared at him for a moment before surging forward to find out the information he wanted. There was no point in questioning him and getting nothing when he could find out easily. As his fangs withdrew from their sheaths, he ripped into the flesh of the holy-hunter’s neck. Christian kept his eyes open to remain fully alert while he drained the hunter of his blood.

Minutes later, he finished him dry before releasing the hold he had on the hunter. That alone had been keeping him from falling onto his face but since Christian had withdrew his support, the hunter fell. Christian watched as the human body fell onto the cold concrete floor before wiping the corners of his mouth with his free hand. Also, he had taken the liberty of holstering his weapon. Turning around from the corpse, Christian looked around, piercing through the darkness to find his sire.

What he saw surprised him. “Well, I can’t say it’s the first time a woman couldn’t keep her clothes on around me.” Though he knew Chloe would reprimand him for the comment, he couldn’t resist. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think that woman was you…”

Offering up a grin towards her, he walked over to her while stifling a laugh at the ironic fact she was only clothed in a coat. Perking his brows, he looked her over once before turning his attention down the alleyway. “Maybe we should get you home?” Christian suggested, gesturing down towards the opening mouth of the alley. When Christian started walking, he looked down underneath his boot when it crushed against broken glass.

“Come here…don’t get the wrong idea. There’s broken glass on the ground and I don’t want you cutting open your feet and risking an infection.” Christian explained before he came over to her and offered up his hands. “You can ride on my back if it makes you feel any better…”

[Chloé Flannigan]

Of course she’d had good reason to have faith in her childe. He’d swiftly ridded them of the company of the remaining holy hunters, and here they were, alive and unharmed. They did make a good team.

Chloe did wonder exactly who the men were and why they should be so determined to find Christian. How could they know his name, who he was, or where he lived? How could they have enough information to follow him with? She wasn’t angry. She didn’t care that he might have brought them directly to her doorstep. As per usual, Chloe was never really interested in her own well-being when the well-being of others was in the balance. She was worried for Christian’s safety, and it was for that that she hoped these men were the last, and that they would no longer cause any trouble.

It was a vain hope. These kinds of holy orders were never small or disorganized. But it was a hope she entertained nonetheless.

And very contrary to what Christian may have expected of her, the only response his words elicited was a stronger, more vibrant blush and the turning of her eyes away from him. It didn’t matter that their relationship had become a comfortable one and that, despite is rugged handsomeness, Chloe found it easy to talk to him. That much was guaranteed due to the bond that bound them. But he was still handsome, and a man, and such words had a disarming effect on Chloe. She was modest beyond compare, as usual.

“Oh, shutup.” It was all she could manage for a retort, all grace having left her. She couldn’t possibly find strength in mind or body when she felt so vulnerable.

She glanced over her shoulder and at the tavern that now lay behind them. Her clothes were in there, somewhere, and she almost suggested Christian go and retrieve them. But it wouldn’t be advisable, due to the scene she’d just created. Surely, someone would have gathered her clothes already. So there was nothing she could say to contradict him, or tell him that they should do something different.

And she was forced to glance down to the ground when Christian motioned to the glass. She was tight-lipped as she regarded her situation—she doubted there’d be an infection, as the blood that ran through her veins would have rejected such a human thing. But that did not mean she would wish to cut up her feet, regardless.

“Damned people...why can’t they just throw their bottles in the bin, be a little civilized?” She muttered under her breath, a distraction perhaps. But she sighed her resignation and put her hand inside the one offered by Christian. It was rather awkward, trying to clamber onto his back without flashing more flesh than she wanted to—the jacket refused to stay properly fastened.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she reprimanded herself. There’d be no more changing into a fox, not unless it was absolutely required. It always seemed to land her in the exact same, awkward situations.

“Giddy-up, horsey!” She joked once she was finally settled—a lame attempt at trying to dissipate any awkwardness.

[Christian Lecroix]

Oh man.

Looking over his shoulder towards Chloe, he noticed that she had turned about six different shades of scarlet. No matter how amusing it would have been if it were anyone else, he felt the laughter drain from him. She looked more vulnerable in that moment than anytime else he had ever seen her in and as he turned back around to fully face her, the mockery grin faded into a smirk. He made no other comment about her form wrapped in a coat that covered barely anything. Though he made no apology for the comment he had made either but instead offered a reassuring smile that it wouldn’t continue.

The situation did not help when she inspected the ground beneath their feet, he perked both brows at her comment. She cursed people for not being civilized about bottles but he couldn’t judge her for it. Before he could mention anything, he felt her climbing onto his back before he could situate himself. He hadn’t been prepared for her to just jump onto his back but he worked with her so that she didn’t fall off.

“I apologize in advance.” Christian remarked as he took his free hands and fastened his hands on her thighs. “I’m not trying to be fresh.”

He wasn’t sure why he had to keep apologizing for some of the moves he had made on her tonight, but they had been out of convenience. It wasn’t because he was trying to treat her like any other female, because she was more than that to him. He cared about her in such a way that it befuddled him sometimes. He cared about her as much as he did his human sister, Sarah. Chloe was family. With that thought in mind, he tightened his grip on her and then once she was situated on his back, he started forward.

It didn’t help she had called out ‘giddy-up, horsey!’ when he started walking either. As he maneuvered through the tight alleyway, he bust out laughing at her attempt to break the silence. “I don’t know if you want me to comment to that.” Christian chuckled, as he finally made it to the mouth of the alleyway and into a small bustle of people passing by. He nodded to them without so much as giving an explanation as to why there was a half-naked woman riding on his back. He didn’t need to explain anything to anyone.

Despite making it to the opening, he didn’t let her down but kept his grip on her. He turned down one side of the street and started walking towards the nearest transit. He didn’t have a scroll to travel with so it would have to do. That way they did not spend the rest of the evening in this position. He didn’t think Chloe would like spending another minute dressed the way she was. “I’m going to the nearest transit and then from there it should be a shorter walk to your apartment. Unless you have a preferred route and if that is the case, I am all ears.”

Christian looked forward ahead down the road towards the intersection. The red blinking light flashed at him as he turned his attention from there to the cars passing through it. "I want to thank you for saving my ass in there. Here I wanted a quiet evening to spend with you and all hell breaks loose."

[Chloé Flannigan]

She cleared her throat as his hands were placed firmly against her thighs. As far as Chloe was concerned, as far as she had always been concerned, there was a bubble around her, at least sixty centimetres wide on each side. If every anybody got inside that bubble, she tended to get very uncomfortable. She liked to keep to her own—it gave her a sense of confidence and self worth. But there were situations like this one where such close contact couldn’t be avoided. Sure, only lately had she allowed another man access to this bubble of hers, but it was a man she couldn’t quite keep away from.

Still, she wasn’t squirming away from Christian’s touch. She at least knew him enough to trust him, and there seemed to be no displeasure, regardless. Would there have been, had she not known him from some stray apple? Whatever the case, he hadn’t needed to apologise.

His next comment, though it was vague, brought to mind several images. It was his vagueness that hinted at the dirtiness of his thoughts, and without thinking Chloe was using her superior position to whack him over the head. She was not offended, however. She was amused. The friends she’d kept throughout her teenage years had kept her on her toes as far as lewdness was concerned. Her blushes were ill-kept, but she could handle it nonetheless.

They were getting odd looks as they sauntered down the street, and Chloe bowed her head, as if to do so would keep her out of sight. She settled closer against Christian’s back, arms snaking over his chest so that one hand could cling to the forearm of the other. Her mouth was close to his ear, her hair snagging upon his. For a moment she wondered just what Thaddeus would think if he saw her in such a position, but she pushed the thought aside.

“Whatever you think is best, Christian. If I try to lead you I’ll get us lost.” She admitted. She had a terrible sense of direction, and she never tried going anywhere without her phone. She sighed. She’d have to go back to that pub the next night to see if her belongings had been handed in. Maybe she could try to thieve them back.

“And that’s alright. It’s my job to save your ass when you need it. But are you going to tell me what’s going on? Why were they after you, still? How can they know who you are?” She questioned. It perhaps wasn’t the best time for it, but she was curious, and there were no restraints on her curiosity.

[Christian Lecroix]

“Hey!” Christian jerked slightly when he felt the light whack from the back of his head.

Shaking his head from a quick recovery, Christian couldn’t help but let the grin that spread over his features show. Stifling another laugh from within his chest, he moved his head slightly when she rested her head close to his. He could smell the scent of her shampoo or conditioner in the mess of her long hair which intrigued him a bit. He knew Chloe was a beautiful woman but there was something different about her altogether. He had sensed it when he first saw her this evening but he didn’t press the matter.

“Then I definitely think that taking the transit is the best idea…” Christian offered, ignoring the comment of her bad sense of direction. He didn’t want make a remark about all women having no sense of direction since it probably would have earned him another whack across the head. Instead, the subject had been changed to Chloe’s questions about why he was such a hot target on the hunter’s radar. The smile that had once occupied his face faltered as soon as he couldn’t provide an immediate explanation.

There were several reasons why he had enemies brewing within RB and the last thing he wanted was to involve Chloe. Before he starting formulating an answer for her, he looked both ways before crossing the intersection. “Do you remember that night a few months ago when you found me bleeding and near death?” Christian questioned.

In all honesty, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be completely honest with her but he knew she wouldn’t stop asking. With a long sigh, Christian swallowed before letting her in on a well tailored version of what happened. He wouldn’t go into detail but she deserved to know something. “That night I was ambushed by a group of hunters and they recognized me from the picture in the paper. ‘Hero Cop goes MIA during an investigation’ was the headline last year after I met Marjaan, my first sire. I was on a case for a double homicide, so were they because they thought it was an unnatural death for both victims. Our paths crossed because ever since they had been looking for a reason why I disappeared. They found out that I was changed and now they want me dead because they think Im responsible for the homicide.”

[Chloé Flannigan]

How could she have forgotten that night? Not so hard to forget. It was the night Christian had asked her to adopt him. An unforgettable night, in her books. This one was shaping up to be much the same.

Chloe had never really heard much about Christian’s past, and she was terribly curious to know what it was he had done with his life. His short story gave her a small taste, and though she would not admit it to him, she wondered whether the crime stories would interest her. She’d never been one for crime fiction or television shows. Would real life be any more interesting, or different? This one directly affected Christian, however, and thus it was Chloe’s concern.

She frowned as the story worked its way into her mind; she focused on the particulars, and wondered how people could be so judgmental.

“And they didn’t even stop to ask your side of the story?” She asked. The world would be such a peaceful place if people could just talk to each other. Instead, they liked to jump to conclusions and condemn each other. An open mind was a rare thing to find in this day and age. But then she also had to wonder whether they didn’t deserve being hunted. They did kill, sometimes unnecessarily. Chloe tried to keep to those she deemed unworthy of life, but who was she to judge? And with her particular ailment, she tried to avoid feeding much at all. It got tedious.

She didn’t wait for his answer. They obviously had not stopped to hear his side of the story. And even if they had, she wondered if they’d even have considered his innocence. She would have suggested that he keep going, that he solve the case in order to absolve himself. But she doubted that would work, either. They were hunters. They hated vampires regardless of affiliation or innocence.

“So you’ve just been keeping a low profile? Is there anything we can do to get them off your trail, so you can live with some peace of mind?” She asked. It was a vague curiosity, and she was determined to help, if she could. She wanted her childe’s happiness. And as much as he may have wanted to keep this from her to protect her, it wasn’t his job to protect her. It was about time he learnt that.

But she was not a professional, not at all. She would have no idea where to start where investigation was concerned. But she would do her best. She would question him intensely until he gave her the answers she was looking for.

[Christian Lecroix]

Christian let out a long sigh.

When she kept throwing questions at him, he found himself becoming rather uncomfortable delving into his past. Despite the current position Chloe had conquered in his life, he still had his distance from people. As he continued down the sidewalk, he shifted her slightly so that he could regain his hold on her. They were very close to the transit and then they could get straight to her apartment. It was uncomfortable enough for Chloe since she was half-naked still. Knowing he couldn’t avoid questioning from her for very much longer, there was no point in changing the topic. “Most hunters or holy men don’t want to hear vampires have to say, they think we don’t have souls so why would they care?”

Before he could go on, Chloe was already asking him more questions about wanting to help him. It was a very good thing that she could not see him exasperated expression that flickered across his face. Passing through the intersection, he was able to get through without being hit by an oncoming vehicle. When they reached the transit, Christian still didn’t let Chloe down form his back despite the looks they received. There was no point in trying to explain to them what had happened, even though some of them were vampires. Christian could sense it but he was to lazy to second sight them.

“Pretty much. No point in trying stir too much trouble when I don’t know how big their faction is.” Christian explained when he watched the transit open to let the awaiting people board. “Where are we getting off at for your apartment? I should probably know this but I cant remember to save my life…”

As he found a comfortable spot on the transit, he let loose a grip on Chloe so that she could sit in one of the seats. At least she could be somewhat easy about sitting down since the coat did cover the necessary parts. But if she didn’t, Christian would have been more than willing to let her borrow his coat to cover up her legs. “Are you going to be alright until we get there? I can give you my coat if you want it…”

[Chloé Flannigan]

This was the best place, the best situation, for this conversation. Chloe was stuck upon Christian’s back and he had nowhere to go to escape her questions. Maybe she was aggravating him, but her curiosity knew no bounds. The two of them knew each other at least well enough that Chloe was able to leap over that boundary that ought to keep such personal questions at bay.

Chloe shrugged, as much as she could while perched on Christian’s back. She couldn’t argue his point. She had been ignorant and naive when considering the mindset of hunters. Until she’d got mixed up with the God’s Arm bunch alongside Napolyon. She’d been there when they’d confronted Simon, the converted vampire. She’d heard the kind of crap they’d filled his head with. She was perfectly willing to believe that the humans were the same, if not worse. They’d not give the vampires the chance to explain, even if they may have been acquainted beforehand.

They remained silent until they reached the transit. Chloe ruminated upon Christian’s predicament; the same once which he seemed reluctant to share with her.

Chloe ignored the stares they received. It was awkward, but if she believed it was completely ordinary than it was. These people were strangers and would never see her again after this night, so it didn’t matter what they thought.

Once they were seated upon the train, Chloe got as comfortable she could in a single, thigh-length coat. She pulled it tighter around her and kept her knees locked together in front of her. She was glad they were near the back of the carriage, where they were away from any scoundrels who might wish to stare.

“Thalia. It’s only a few blocks from there.” She said, answering absently. He probably wanted to change the subject, and Chloe shook her head when he asked whether she wanted his coat, too.

“I’m fine.” After which she contented herself with just staring at him. She was doing it subconsciously, her thoughts having run away with her senses. There were things he was not telling her, things that he wished to keep to himself. There were holy hunters on his tail and he was only trying to avoid them so as not to stir any more trouble. Chloe was no sleuth, and she did not know the largeness of their organisation. She could have offered help, but she had no idea where to start. But she would think about it. She would try to find a solution on her own time. Until then, she was sure Christian could take care of himself. She hoped. She just might have to keep him more company than she had previously.

[Christian Lecroix]

“Just keep an open eye out for it.” He nodded.

When he felt satisfied that she was settled well, he loosened up and propped an arm across the back of her chair. Christian wasn’t trying to show a possessive trait when he accomplished it, he was trying to get comfortable. He knew Chloe wouldn’t read his body language the wrong way and start making comments, though she might have just to poke fun at him. As he leaned back into the chair, with his free hand, he reached into his leather jacket pocket and fished out his cell phone. Flipping open the screen, he looked at the time and to see if he received any missed calls. None. That was perfect.

“I think once we get you back, we should call it a night since its been a rather productive one already, don’t you think?” Christian commented, as he snapped his phone shut and replaced it back into his pocket.

Upon making the comment through, a wide grin spread of his handsome features as he watched her for a moment. He was kind of curious to see what her reaction would be when he said that. Tilting his head slightly towards her, he was closer to her than before but remained a safe enough distance where she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. “So I wanted to thank you for saving my ass back there. I know you feel its in your job description but I appreciate nevertheless.”

Keeping an objective eye to their surroundings, Christian watched the other patrons on the transit. Each person he watched had a unique characteristic to them which made him curious to know about them. But tonight he was simply too tired to watch them any longer before looking up to see the Thalia stop coming up. “I believe this is our stop.”

[Chloé Flannigan]

Chloe chuckled a little under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest—although the action could often be misconstrued as representing a cranky or dismissive mood, Chloe felt neither. She felt a little chilly, even though she shouldn’t have due to the particular aspects of the vampiric nature. Perhaps it was habit. And she wanted to stop the coat from swinging open on the sly.

What she found amusing was that Christian felt the need to tell her when she should call it a night. It was as if the two of them were constantly battling over who had the upper hand in this sire/childe relationship of theirs. Chloe ought to have had the upper hand in most things if the sire/childe relationship was respected as such. But Christian was physically older than she was in human years, and she supposed that since he was male and seemingly protective of her, he felt he should try to dictate how she should stay safe. Chloe would never dream of telling Christian of what he could or could not do, and she understood the certain compulsions he might have otherwise regarding the usual etiquette between ordinary humans.

But even then...he may have been older, but he had nothing over Chloe, nor the right to tell her what she should do.

She chuckled, though, because she knew he didn’t do it on purpose, and he was acting only in her best interest. But if she didn’t want to, she didn’t have to consider the night over. She did stop chuckling when he thanked her, however; her face assumed a seriousness, and she nodded.

“It is in my job description.” She said, the finality to her tone brooking no argument. The corner of her mouth curled into a smile, however, her expression soft.

And then it was their stop. Chloe stood before Christian could offer him her hand; their conversation had fuelled a new confidence—she shouldn’t lean on him as much as he allowed her to. She needed to put her foot down. She had her independence and she would not give it up freely. She padded across to the door and pushed the button to release them. They whooshed open and she stepped out onto the platform.

She would not have Christian carry her again—she had perfectly good eyes and people ran around shoeless in the city all the time. If there was any grit on the ground she could surely avoid it. Besides which, the neighbourhood she lived in was clean and better than most in the city. She didn’t fear much for her feet. They sauntered toward the exit and Chloe took a right turn to head in the direction of home. Her arms were still crossed over chest, and her hair fluttered freely in the breeze. At least there was hardly anyone around to give her odd looks.

[Christian Lecroix]

“If that’s the case, then I have failed at my job.” Christian popped both eyebrows upwards in a nonchalant manner.

This wasn’t to point out the flaws in his relationship with Chloe but rather his failure to be a sire to his only childe. For months, he had not heard or seen her but only once in a brief period she returned. When she called him that night upon her arrival in RB, he made a decision that he would get to know her. That had turned out against his favor because she declared the feelings she had for him. Christian had tried to explain that he had not felt the same.

Absent-minded, Christian followed Chloe out of the transit towards her apartment building. He had not offered to carry her again but it was due to she had already started walking without him. When he watched her for a moment, Christian noticed she looked comfortable walking without his help. As she made her right turn, he followed at a short distance behind her with his mind still revolving around Piper. He couldn’t let this be the end of everything. There had to be something more than this feeling that stirred within him than he really let on.

“Chloe.” With a sudden stop, he had called out her name, in hopes that she would hear him and cease her walking. He didn’t fully understand what was becoming of him right now. It was just recently he had returned to RB to build his relationship with her but he found himself torn. “I have to find her.”

Before she could question who ‘her’ would be, he explained everything in a short sentence for her. “Piper is out there. She’s alive and feeding, that much I know. I wanted to sever her for so long, but I can’t. This seems random but I cant shake this feeling she is waiting for me somewhere.” He dropped his chin slightly before closing the gap between him and his sire. Remaining a few inches away from her, Christian placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled lightly. “I know I promised I would stay around but I need to know if she is alright. Please say you’re alright with this…”

[Chloé Flannigan]

Chloe stopped when her name was called; the distant quality to the voice indicated that Christian had stopped some time ago. Chloe turned, curious—had he seen something he wanted to show her? Had they misjudged the hunters, and were they being followed? Both assumptions vanished when she caught sight of his face. Something else was amiss. She hugged the foreign jacket tighter to her chest and, taking a deep breath, backtracked. She wanted him to be able to talk to her, to confess his woes to her. Was he finally giving in?

Her frown deepened. He had to find her. Chloe’s mind quickly assessed all the female acquaintances she knew that Christian knew; his next words cleared her confusion. Piper. Chloe had only met the girl once, and then it seemed as if she’d just completely disappeared. She could tell, via the golden link that connected them all together, that Piper was still alive and seemingly well.

Initially, Chloe’s heart sunk at the thought of Christian going away again. Even though she’d been excited about Thaddeus, this new fling that she’d thrown herself into, the distance between them lately had grown. Besides, Thaddeus was human, and he was not privy to the Chloe’s secret. She could not talk to him naturally about the city and its inhabitants. Toshiya and Seppuku were nigh non-existent. Somehow, she felt Christian was the only close connection she had left.

So it took her a while to respond. But finally she nodded, and worked to erase the frown that had settled between her brows. She offered the best conciliatory smile that she could.

“Yes, yes of course I’m alright with it. She’s your childe, you have to go see that she is safe.” Chloe said, and even as the words left her mouth she realised that she was being selfish, wanting Christian to stay. Hadn’t she only just been musing on the fact that she was the one who had to protect him? What would she have done had it been Christian who was missing? She would have gone to find him without a glance backward. Her eyes softened to echo the smile on her lips, which was now genuine.

“Go on, Christian. Bring her back. I’ll be fine.” She nodded, reassuring.

[Christian Lecroix]

He had taken note of her frown upon his declaration.

Much to his dismay, he hated leaving Chloe again after just seeing her tonight, but it needed to be done. He hoped she would understand that much at least and that rest could be explained later. It had taken her quite some time to respond to him but he could tell even through her forced smile, she didn’t like his decision. Christian inclined his chin down a little so that he could watch her speak but it was more for comfort in knowing she would be alright. The last time he had seen a woman [that was close to him] was his sister watching him leave for the Texas Military Academy all those years ago.

“Chloe, I’m coming back whether I find her or not.” He spoke, hoping the seriousness of his tone would help reassure her. He wouldn’t leave her without knowing she would be content in his absence because the first time, he had never gave her warning of his departure. “You can guarantee that. Plus who else is going to keep my ass out of trouble when it comes around?”

When he noticed the genuine smile flicker across her lips, he mirrored her smile before closing the gap between them. He wasn’t sure if this would be crossing the line but he attempted to show her affection regardless. Christian embraced Chloe tightly when he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. With another bold attempt, Christian also planted a brotherly kiss on the top of her head before releasing her from him. “You stay out of trouble now.” He teased before nodding to her.

Turning the other way, Christian was sure she could make it back to her apartment on her own. What she decided to do the rest of the night was her own business, because he knew what he needed to do now.