Sixty- Eight- What are you hiding?

As the speaker of the laptop blared out news about Anderson's mysterious death which was definitely going to be investigated, the entire occupant of the new house all sat still at their various positions, their own thoughts in their head.

"It doesn't make any sense." The lack of sound which had seemed to etch deeply into their midst got chased off by Sebastian's voice.

"I made sure to tie him up as firmly as possible. And never once did I have a reason to untie him. "

" Wait... " Amir's hand rested beneath his chin as his elbow found support against the arm of the couch he was seated in. "Didn't he take bathroom breaks?"

"I provided him a means to do it on the spot."

" Man... That's a little disgusting. But it still doesn't make any sense. How could he have escaped if you secured him so well?" Amir's momentary look of disgust got replaced by the curiosity that seemed to run through the minds of the four men, Chloe inclusive.

She could tell Markings escape had something to do with the questions she has been asking. The mystery surrounding the accusations against the brothers.

"We should check the CCTV capture, you left it on right?" Gabriel wasn't looking like a man who was about to confess his sins anymore.

After Sebastian gave a small nod, he continued,

"Something must have been captured."

"When do we even get to move back?" Amir asked Sebastian who had already dragged his laptop closer to continue doing what he did best. As that went on, it suddenly occurred to Chloe that Nathaniel had not still said a word.

"Piping reconstruction is still being done and considering how huge the house is, we might have to be here for another week or so."

" Wow." Amir's seemingly unwavering posture changed as his arms readily crossed over his chest as his body laid out lazily over the couch which he had migrated to along the line .

"I never thought I would be saying this soon..." he continued. " I actually miss that house."

" Hmm," Gabriel hummed in a withdrawn manner.

A brief quietude occured.

" So..." Sebastian's strong voice broke the peace. "Are we all going to the house today to check out footages and inspect the place?"

" Yeah, sure," Amir replied swiftly.

" Great. We can also discuss-"

" I am not going," Nathaniel finally pronounced the fact that he was still in the room.

" Why?" Gabriel asked.

"I have somewhere to go," Nathaniel answered.

Amir narrowed his eyes, dubiosity evident in them. "You are not going to do something implicating, right?"

The man being questioned seriously reached for the nape of his neck and lazily stroked the length. "I am going to do this and that, nothing extravagant really."

Even his response had a hint of recklessness which was really unlike the man.

"Well, good. " Amir relaxed and exhaled hard.

"I am starving."

At the same second, Lucille walked in and announced that breakfast had been ready for quite a while.

"Well, that's my cue," Amir let out a small grunt as he got up. After doing a very dramatic stretch that exposed part of his lower abdomen, he slightly flung his hand into the air and said, "Bye for now guys."

Then, his legs moved briskly towards the kitchen.

Next to leave the room was Gabriel who made a loud exit without a word from his mouth by slapping the sides of his khaki shorts quite a number of times.

When Sebastian got his stuff packed and made for the kitchen, Chloe also made to get up but Nathaniel who was seated on a a product of fine upholstery, as well as carpentry work.

"Chloe..." He heavily called her and without a warning, his hand went around her waist and he pulled her towards him and onto the arm of the couch effortlessly.

"Wh-what?" She was suddenly breathless.

"I-" He seemed to notice how tensed she was. "Are you okay?"

Chloe swallowed hard. Their closeness was the reason for her sudden reaction. If it would be safe to say, when he pulled her closer, her heart jumped in a way that she could not explain.

"Chloe?" His fingers which held a part of her lower body attained a firmer hold and his lips appeared to shift closer as he scanned her face.

When Chloe realized she was already having certain thoughts, thoughts that went hand in hand with their little rump the previous night, she pulled her head back a bit and regained her sanity.

"I am okay. Your pull just startled me, that's all."

" Oh." His hand dragged along the smoothness of her top in an apologetic manner. "Do you plan to do anything today?"

She snickered. "What's there to do? The house is already clean."

" You should stop working as our help, we can always hire someone else. Anyway," he continued before she could counter his earlier statement which was said with a very serious tone.

"Let's go out today."

"But you said you have plans today," Chloe reminded him and he gave a short nod.

"I know. You are my plan for today." Nathaniel frowned for a second, his eyes darting to the side.

"That sounded so wrong. Let's just say, being with you today is my plan."

There it was again, the stir. Chloe knew she would never be able to really understand how Nathaniel made her feel with his words and touch, but she loved it anyway.

"So..." she said to try to prompt his suggestion.

"So, dress pretty. We are going on a date."

Nathaniel withdrew his hold and got up, Chloe's eyes still stayed on him.

"Where to?" She was already dancing in her head while sorting out her little wardrobe Sebastian got from the flooded house.

"Just dress pretty." The hovering man leaned in and placed his luscious lips on hers gently, sending new waves through her system. Her eyes instinctively closed and she waited for the full kiss to come as the prolonged contact was already making her needy.

As his heavy breath tickled the side of her mouth, she felt Nathaniel's head tilt a little to the side and just when she thought he was going to what she wanted him to do, he took her lower lip in between his teeth and gave the soft flesh a very light, yet pleasing nibbling.

Nathaniel did nothing more and as pulled back, Chloe let out a shaky breath, she couldn't help it.

"Don't forget to dress pretty," he reminded her with a hint of humour in his voice and when her eyes finally opened, she realized she now the only one left in the room.

~

"Do you watch movies?" Chloe asked as their stroll began to take them down a hill.

After a quick meal at a restaurant, Nathaniel had made mention of a small town tucked somewhere not too far from where the new house was.

Since it meant spending more time with him, she agreed to follow him and after a ten minutes ride, they were walking past town houses and a nice array of tall trees here and there.

"No," Nathaniel's response to her question came sharply.

"Oh. Well I guess you wouldn't have the time to." Her body swung into his and before she could shift away, he grabbed her hand and entangled it with his in a way that delighted her.

"I am still a little curious about that day..." His other hand went into the pockets of his casual jeans. Chloe actually found it amusing to see him dress in a way that wasn't formal. The thin, body fitting, vee necked, long sleeved blue shirt sure made him look so... juicy.

"What day?"

"The day Markings shot Gabriel."

" Oh." Chloe's eyes shifted to the other side and she just had to let take a deep breath and exhale slowly after.

For a second, she contemplated telling him the truth, but when she saw it would hinder a lot of things, she changed her mind and decided to wait to hear what he had to say.

Grabbing her hand even more securely as their walk intensified, Nathaniel said, "It just baffles me continuously how effortlessly you handled that gun. Chloe?"

The tone of his voice got her looking his way again.

" The incident made me realized I really don't know much about you and trust me, I want to know everything about you."

His pace soon halted and hers had no choice but to comply. Nathaniel retrieved his hand from his pocket and placed it on her shoulder.

"Trust me Chloe," he continued. "I want to know what you are hiding from me."

" Hiding?" Chloe could have worn a pale face already but she her acting skills was still very much intact. "There is nothing I am hiding. I just don't have anything much to say about my life. And about the gun thing I-"

" Chloe?" A foreign voice interrupted the serious exchange and as her eyes met the owner of the croaky masculine voice, they widened.

"Chloe?" The man called again, his eyes squinting as though wanting to make sure they were seeing right.

"Excuse me," Nathaniel butted in. "Do you know her?"

"Of course." Chloe found herself closing her eyes but she could still see it all. She could see the mix of excitement and sadness on the man's face and the questioning look on Nathaniel's face. She wondered what look Nathaniel would have when the man answers his question fully.

"Of course I know her," the man's voice was now shaking with elation.

" How would I not recognize my daughter."

"What?"

"She's my daughter. I am her father," he said and Chloe snapped her eyes open, dragged her hand out of Nathaniel's hold and without thinking, she ran.