At The Edge of Fear

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel followed Lucio out into an alley. She was still feeling conflicting emotions, but didn’t think twice about them seeming natural. All she knew was lust, desire, fear, and confusion. She was glad to be leaving the movie though. It wasn’t that she disliked it. It was that she was wanting something else more intently.

A sound caught them off guard - a falling can. Rachel felt the fear going stronger. Someone was behind them. The fear spiked as Rachel felt herself thrown away from Lucio. She fell against the wall of the theater to see a man standing in the alley, gun pointed at Lucio. Rachel was dazed, but she heard the man, who was almost completely covered to protect himself from the cold - or to protect his identity - demand something from Lucio - a common thug trying to get money or something.

Rachel found herself unable to move to help. She couldn’t do anything physically to help. She wasn’t strong enough for that, and her emotions were so jumbled, she barely registered what was happening, not to mention the alley way hadn’t righted itself yet. Had she been in a good mind, she could have activated the SOS on her wallet. As it was, there was nothing for her to do.

[Legione Sumus]

Lucio Pirozzi

The depths of jealously lead men to crazy things. He'd been with many women, a few men, and none of them ever wanted to leave him, some offed themselves when he broke up with them, but he never hurt them. Some went back to their husbands or boyfriends. Some never found love again -- at least none that were ever as satisfying as he was.

So it was no surprise that the man who came down the alley claimed to be the lover of a woman he'd seduced not three days back. She hadn't been nearly as much fun as Rachel. And certain was not worth the risk of this very problematic encounter.

The man's hands grabbed his lapels and Lucio tried to fight him off. Rache's fear was so ingrained in her she stood and stared horrified. And Lucio would use that fear to his advantage. He gripped the man hands as the other man lifted him off the ground and shoved him against the wall. Lucio went limp making it all that much harder for the man to hold his dead weight but he shoved the fear Rachel felt into the man.

Lucio opened up himself to the world around him, fed the man everything else but focused on that fear. He wanted him to die afraid and alone and cowering before him. The man didn't know what was happening. He shook in fear. Lucio dropped to the ground, barely keeping to his feet if it weren't for the iron grip of the man who had held him. The man tried to flee in terror but Lucio made him stand his ground. Fear shook him. His breath quickened. His heart raced. Lucio could almost feel it pounding in his chest.

And then just as suddenly as it had started the man collapsed to the ground nearly taking Lucio with him.

Lucio mustered up a little of the fear Rachel felt and plied it to his emotional state. His heart quickened even as he calmly reached for his wallet and reached down to see what had happened to his assailant. "I think he had a heart attack." Lucio called emergency services and stayed on the line while he checked on Rachel. "Are you alright my love?" Lucio pushed a little more fear and lust into her, a reminder of what lay at wait at home.

[Rachel Shale]

The man picked up Lucio and Rachel was frozen. She couldn't move. Fear was the primary thing within her even if occasionally other emotions hit her. She had no clue what was going on or why this man seemed to hate Lucio more. Then she saw the man become afraid. She saw the terror in his eyes. Lucio was put back on the ground and his assailant began to clutch at his chest and fell to the ground dead. The man who had attacked them died of a heart attack - what were the odds of that.

Lucio called emergency services and soon an ambulance would be on the way. The dead guy had tried to hurt him, and he still called the ambulance. Rachel was still afraid, but she was endeared to Lucio. He could have just left the man there. She felt afraid, but wanted to feel him next to her. Briefly the mixed emotions poked at her, but it was soon gone. She told herself there was nothing wrong with feeling desire right now. It was a survival instinct.

"I don't know..." she said, her voice shaky. "Just...scared...I think I'll be okay, amore."

She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug. Death wasn't something unfamiliar to her, but she had never seen it like that before.She had never been this close to it before. "I want to leave." she eventually said, turning away so she didn't have to look at the dead man in the alley.

[Legione Sumus]

Lucio Pirozzi

Lucio nodded and wrapped his arm around Rachel. "We will need to answer questions about the incident, but we can wait elsewhere." Lucio let them to the end of the alley while they waited for the paramedics to arrive, which would also bring the CCDPD. He had nothing to worry about. Yes, he'd murdered the man, but he would have died from a heart attack -- natural causes.

The sirens drew near. Their flashing lights strobing through the end of the alley and making everything an off color to the point of almost nauseating Lucio.

The paramedics checked on both of them before turning their attention to the dead man lying on the ground. He was dead. There was no saving him, but it was formality.

The officer who approached looked stunned to see his arm around Rachel. "I'm Detective Dorian Vega. Can I ask you a few questions?" He looked from Lucio to Rachel and he seemed to know his girlfriend. "Rachel, can you tell me who your friend is and what happened?"

Lucio growled. "My name is Lucio Pirozzi and you will speak to me not my girlfriend, no matter how familiar you are with her."

[Dorian]

The man with Cruz's girlfriend introduced himself. Had they broken up? Or was this something else. He wished his son would talk to him. The name was one he'd never forget -- Pirozzi. Giodano Pirozzi, missing and presumed dead. But Dorian knew the truth. He was dead, in a deep dark tunnel in the Underground where Aria had killed him. She'd chased her own father down into the depths of hell for killing Lucas.

What was Rachel doing with this man.

But his introduction was fueled by anger and he reached out to grab Dorian's lapels and Dorian was quickly putting the man in an arm lock careful to avoid any skin contact. "Do not touch me."

Dorian had no cause other than asaulting an officer which Lucio quickly recanted. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Won't happen again."

Dorian let the man go with a gentle shove away from his person. "See that it doesn't happen again. Now tell me what happened."

[Marisol]

The page went off and as with any death a statement had to be taken. Marisol responded, but noticed another detective had gotten here first. This was a routine questioning. It would be over and done. Marisol was about to leave, but then the witness grabbed the detective.

The hair on her neck raised. That was an odd response to something like this. She had to assume the man was innocent, even if now she believed there was more at play. His instincts screamed that this wasn’t routine. No matter what though, SOPs* stated that if a witness was hostile, you had backup. Marisol was dimuty bound to stay.

She approached and gave the other detective a nod as she took her position. She wouldn’t ask questions. She was his backup. There was a woman with the witness - clearly distressed.  Marisol stood, her stance defensive and her position straight from academy - the witness was hostile.

((OoC: * SOPs = Standard Operating Procedures))

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel followed and a cop came to ask them questions. Not just any cop…Rachel knew him, but her mind was all foggy. Lucio grabbed him and then let go. The cop spoke again, and with it, his name came to her mind. Dorian Vega.

”We were…” her voice trailed off. ”Dorian…Cruz…”

memories are strong things, and this had been the first time Rachel had been with Lucio around someone she knew. Memories of the break up came back at that. The last few days came through. She didn’t know how long everything had lasted. She was lost, scared and uncertain. She couldn’t tell anyone. That’s what Lucio had said, but now Dorian knew. And she was afraid. She felt lust and desire. All of it swirled within her. Her mind raced and her breathing quickened, and that small little voice that had been buried for so long latched to the familiar. The voice within her that screamed for help. The eyes are the window to the soul and even though she made no sound besides her quickened breathing, her soul screamed for help as she met Dorian’s gaze.

[Dorian]

Dorian nodded to the other detective on the scene and hoped she'd understand quickly. "Detective, why don't you take Ms. Shale to the ambulance over there and get her statement while I talk to her suitor."

The man stepped between Dorian and Rachel. "I' don't think so."

"If you don't take a step back you will be arrested for a few things you might not actually have done." Dorian smirked. It wasn't exactly a lie, he couldn't prove anything, but he knew what this man was. If he was any relation to the man Aria killed.

[Legione Sumus]

Lucio Pirozzi

This was bullshit. Lucio stepped between the cop and Rachel. Things got more intense and Lucio reached for him again. This was not his fault. He shouldn't even be here. What the fuck!

Lucio grabbed the man and his initial reaction was to push every emotion into him, but the man grabbed him like he knew what he awas going to do. Like he knew what he was. And Lucio was on the ground with his hands behind his back. "And now my friend you are gonna be talking to me down at the station."

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel didn’t know what was going on. Everything was happening fast. She was scared, aroused, and confused. She was breathing heavy and it felt like it was hard to get air. She wanted Lucio…she needed him. A woman cop was there now too and she approached her. ”Ms. Shale - let’s go over to the ambulance. Maybe they can help with your heavy breathing okay?” her voice was kind and sweet. She gently took Rachel’s arm and began to lead her away.

What surprised Rachel about this was she didn’t resist. As the kind detective led her away, she followed. Even as she knew Lucio could fix her. They arrived at the ambulance and a paramedic came out. ”Miss, I’m going to put this mask on you. It’s going to help you breathe okay.” Rachel didn’t react, but she didn’t fight as they put the mask on her. When oxygen began filtering in, breathing became easier.

”Ms. Shale, my name is Detective Guerrero- you can call me Marisol. I know you just went through a scary situation, but would it be okay if I ask you some questions? You’re not in any trouble Ms. Shale. I’m here to help you.” Rachel nodded.