Playing With Fire.

This was supposed to be a job, nothing more, nothing less. She had been working hard at being promoted, to the point where the last hurdle she had to launch herself over was the case she had been recently assigned. It had seemed so simple. Go undercover, get close to son of the California mafia's boss. She knew dirty secrets about them, she knew what they were capable of. She was to get close while keeping her head in the game. These people were dangerous, willing to do whatever it took to get what they wanted. In the beginning, Taylor had struggled to relax around Matt and his family, his friends. Some of them less dangerous than others but should any of them learn about his secret, Taylor had no doubt that she would be dead. Right? That was what she had been taught from the beginning.

Yet here she sat opposite of Matt, her heart racing. Over the past few months, Taylor had found herself getting to know a different side of Matt. He was loving and he cared for her in a way that her husband had never. Matt wasn't shy with compliments, he knew exactly how to make her smile and make her safe oddly safe. He had never hidden his work from her but it went unspoken. He was her boyfriend, she was not involved in his work and it would stay that way.

What little information that Taylor had gained was only relayed in the beginning. A few suspected ranks, nothing that would ever put anyone away. By the time that Taylor learned of anything, she was already in too deep.

Taylor swallowed around the lump in her throat. She set her fork down, unable to bring herself to eat anymore of the breakfast she had made. Dropping her hands to her lap, she wiped her hands off on her legs. "Do you.." Taylor paused to clear her throat. "Are you busy today?" Taylor knew she needed to come clean, whether she wanted to or not. Matt would find out one way or another but if it came from her, maybe she had a chance. Maybe. "I just, I guess, I wanted to talk." Taylor winced at how ridiculous she had to sound to Matt. It was now or never.

When Taylor first made an appearance, everyone was a bit suspicious. Their circle was purposefully small, and any newcomers always arose a bit of suspicion. Of course, none of the previous...visitors had been slender, elegantly beautiful brunettes. And Taylor had proven herself to be worth enough for Matt's father to decide to keep her around, and as mafia boss, his opinion carried a substantial amount of weight. Matt could tell that Taylor had a hard time being comfortable around them at first, but eventually the two of them had grown close. With Taylor, Matt didn't always have to be the intimidating figure he did during his work, and it was a relief to be able to show someone his softer side. He cared for Taylor a quite bit and he had no problem showering her with compliments and making her smile. His work was always a silent subject between the two of them, but so far they'd never spoken about it.

Matt's eyes flicked up from his plate when he heard Taylor speak. With his mouth full of food he didn't answer her right away, waiting until she'd finished and washing his food down with a swig of orange juice before he spoke. "I'm not busy today, no," Matt told her. "I mean, I was planning a trip to the gym this afternoon with Brian, but I can always reschedule if I need to. What did you need to talk about, Taylor?" She didn't sound like herself this morning, and it peaked Matt's curiosity. He was quite good at reading people, at least as far as he thought. It was a perk of working the way he did; he needed to be able to easily tell who might be lying to him. And besides that, Matt thought he knew Taylor pretty well, and right something was troubling her.

There was a million different ways this conversation could have taken place. Taylor wondered if it would just be easier for her to go collect the phone that Matt had yet to discover. It was hidden well in one of the suitcases that she had used when she moved in with him, something that everyone had prayed Matt would never find. It would have given away the truth before Taylor was ready to come to her boss with the information she had learned. But that seemed to be the cowardly way. She had gotten into this to screw Matt and his crew over, to do it in such a way wasn't appropriate. Not when she found that she was beginning to genuinely care for Matt.

"I... " Taylor looked up, her gaze meeting Matt's. She paused, reaching up to rub her eyes. No. She wasn't going to cry, damnit. That wasn't fair to either of them. "I guess what I need to tell you is that I'm not... not who I've told you I am." Taylor cleared her throat, staring down at the table in front of her. "Bringing you, your family down was supposed to be the task that gave me a promotion I've been trying so damned hard for. But fuck if that Sanders' charm didn't start changing my mind." Taylor finished, dragging in a breathe that she didn't realize she had been holding in. She knew that if she hadn't just blurted it out, there was no way she would have come clean. She would have come up with some sort of thing she wanted to talk about if she sat there any longer.

Matt really didn't have a clue what Taylor might want to talk about, but as soon as he saw that she was starting to cry, he knew it wasn't anything good. Was she breaking up with him? Was she pregnant? Matt shook his head a bit. God, he hoped not. He couldn't really see himself as a father, at least not anytime soon. Maybe once he took over for his father and could have other people doing his dirty work, he might decide to have a kid or two. But for now...hell no. As Taylor continued to speak, Matt felt something strange trickling into his body, something he hadn't really felt with Taylor: true anger, and the sickening tingle of betrayal. He didn't even say a word to Taylor as he got to his feet, grabbing his plate and his empty glass of orange juice and setting them in the sink. He only spoke to Taylor when he approached her, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her to her feet.

"Get up," he said. "We're going to take a little trip." Matt had no idea what to do in this situation, and he really didn't have much authority to do anything, so he was going to do the only thing he could think to do. He would take Taylor to his father and let him decide what to do about her. Matt led Taylor out to his SUV by her elbow, locking the doors as soon as he was inside. He was sure his father was at his so-called office, so this was where Matt headed once he'd left the driveway. He took Taylor inside, clearing his throat to get his father's attention once they stood in the doorway of the little office.

"Matt, how nice to see you," he said. His eyes flickered over to Taylor. "What's she doing here?"

Matt gave her a shove forward, not hard, but enough so that she was two or three steps ahead of him. "Tell him what you told me at breakfast," Matt said to her.

Matt really didn't have a clue what Taylor might want to talk about, but as soon as he saw that she was starting to cry, he knew it wasn't anything good. Was she breaking up with him? Was she pregnant? Matt shook his head a bit. God, he hoped not. He couldn't really see himself as a father, at least not anytime soon. Maybe once he took over for his father and could have other people doing his dirty work, he might decide to have a kid or two. But for now...hell no. As Taylor continued to speak, Matt felt something strange trickling into his body, something he hadn't really felt with Taylor: true anger, and the sickening tingle of betrayal. He didn't even say a word to Taylor as he got to his feet, grabbing his plate and his empty glass of orange juice and setting them in the sink. He only spoke to Taylor when he approached her, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her to her feet.

"Get up," he said. "We're going to take a little trip." Matt had no idea what to do in this situation, and he really didn't have much authority to do anything, so he was going to do the only thing he could think to do. He would take Taylor to his father and let him decide what to do about her. Matt led Taylor out to his SUV by her elbow, locking the doors as soon as he was inside. He was sure his father was at his so-called office, so this was where Matt headed once he'd left the driveway. He took Taylor inside, clearing his throat to get his father's attention once they stood in the doorway of the little office.

"Matt, how nice to see you," he said. His eyes flickered over to Taylor. "What's she doing here?"

Matt gave her a shove forward, not hard, but enough so that she was two or three steps ahead of him. "Tell him what you told me at breakfast," Matt said to her.

Taylor was so, so stupid. She had known it the first time that her heart leapt when Matt kissed her. In a way that it hadn't ever when she was with John. She had known it when Matt held her at night and she couldn't imagine herself being in anyone else's arms. Eventually, Taylor had known she would have to come clean but she hadn't... she hadn't thought that Matt wouldn't react. She had expected anger or betrayal or something and she had gotten nothing but a look that had chilled her to her very core. Swallowing back the bitter taste of dread, Taylor offered no resistance as she was pulled to her feet. She followed after Matt, quiet for the entire car ride to his dad's. Staring out the window, Taylor crossed her arms over her torso in a half hearted attempt to console herself.

Once she stood in front of Matt's father, Thomas, Taylor's fear only continued to grow. This was the man that was in charge of everything, that had made his family into what it was known as today. Taylor couldn't bring herself to smile at the man, despite it being her initial instinct. Whether she told him or not, Taylor knew that Matt's father would learn and she hoped that it would sound better coming from her. Maybe it would bring her brownie points, enough to at least save her life.

"I am a detective," Taylor started, dropping in a deep breathe. It was the same situation that she had been in with Matt. If she didn't spit everything out in one go, Taylor knew she wouldn't get through it all. Matt's father, he was an intense man. There was no two ways about it. "I was sent to get close, gather as much information as I could to bring your family down. If I did, I got a promotion. That means everything in my world, right?"

Glancing toward Matt, Taylor winced before turning back toward his father. "Everything was going according to plan until I started getting to know your son and then everything, and I mean everything, fucking changed for me."

Matt's father sat back in his chair, eyeing the woman with a hardened gaze. It wasn't the first time he had dealt with a rat but it was certainly a new situation, one that he was nearly impressed by. His mind already racing with plans, his gaze shifted to look at his son. "What's your plan? If you're to take my place one day, you have to have some sort of idea. So what is it?" Thomas prompted, raising an eyebrow.

Matt's father was anything if he was a smart man. He'd known that Matt and Taylor were growing close on a romantic and intimate level almost as soon as it had started to happen, because he could see the change in Matt's attitude towards her. And was sure that was why he asked Matt what should happen to Taylor. But in all honesty, Matt didn't know what to do. Normally when they encountered a rat like Taylor in their circle, there was a quick execution; a bullet to take care of their problem and make sure their problem was taken care of. But Taylor...she was different. Matt cared about her too much, and the thought of having her killed actually made him sick to his stomach.

"I guess we could uh, use her," Matt said, finally answering his father. "She can be our mole, feed false information to the police and tell us what they're planning something we're always a step ahead." Matt knew that convincing his father that Taylor could be useful to them was the only way Matt would be able to save her life. Even if Matt cared for her, he knew his father wouldn't hesitate to have her killed if she threatened the life he'd worked so hard to build for himself and his family.

"And you'll watch her," his father added. "Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. She goes absolutely nowhere without you, not even to the grocery store. And Taylor dear," He paused, giving Taylor a sinister sort of smile, almost sickly sweet. "if you're caught outside of that house without my dear son, it will be the last time you ever see sunlight. I promise."

Taylor's head snapped to the side, eyes locking on Matt at his suggestion. She very nearly opened her mouth to argue because she had come clean, wasn't that enough? Now they wanted her to completely betray everyone she had known? Taylor shut her mouth, turning back to Matt's father slowly. Her stomach twisted into a knot as she eyed the desk he sat up, not daring to lift her gaze. She couldn't bring herself to. She had always been afraid of Matt's father but over the last six months or so had been enough to change her opinion and now? Now, Taylor was terrified all over again.

Lifting her head when her name was spoken, Matt's father's threat chilled her right down to her core. It wasn't particularly violent but the unspoken part of it was what truly had her scared. She inched backward, silent for a long moment before she jerked back to reality. "Understood," was the only word she could bring herself to say. The word was small, unlike what Taylor was used to sounding like. She swallowed around the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat as she glanced back down to her feet. What her life would look like was abundantly clear now, she wondered how Matt's treatment of her would change. It had to, right?

- - -

Silent for a long moment once they pulled back up to their home, Taylor stared at the building. She drew in a deep breathe, reaching up slowly to rub her eyes. They stung, like she had been crying but she wouldn't let herself. "There's a phone. In my suitcase. I'll hand it over once we're inside," Taylor muttered, barely keeping her voice even as she spoke. She climbed out of the truck, her attention focused on the front door. Taylor was beginning to wonder if she had made the wrong move because there was no way that Matt and her's relationship would be remotely the same.

Taylor toed off her shoes by the front door, turning to head up the stairs so that she could retrieve the phone. She reappeared, holding the phone out to Matt when she stood in front of him again. She refused to meet his gaze, all too afraid of what she would see if she did.

"I'll be checking in every so often to make sure things are going smoothly," Matt's father said. "And I do hope they do, because my son seems to care for you a great deal, Taylor, and I would hate to have to take you away from him. You can go now. I'll check in in a week or so."

Matt nodded his head, making a swift exit from his father's office. Even if the man was his father, Matt had always been a little frightened of him, especially when he was as calm as he was back in the office. When he was angry, his actions were easy to predict: harsh words, a bullet, a body on the floor. But when he was calm...when he was calm there was no telling what he might do. It gave him time to think and that usually wasn't good. Matt drove back to the house in silence, not saying a word when Taylor mentioned something about a phone. He followed her into the house, slipping his shoes off near the door and heading into the kitchen for a beer, just having popped off the top when Taylor appeared in front of him, brandishing a phone.

"What is this?" he asked, taking the phone from her. Obviously he knew it was a phone, but what was so important about it? Taylor had been hiding it from him, so it must have something to do with her police work, but what Matt just couldn't fathom. He pushed it back at Taylor. "Keep it," he said. "You'll need it if you're going to make your boss think nothing's changed. But I want you to take the password off. And leave it somewhere visible, so I can check it when I need to." Matt took a long sip of his beer, swallowing the liquor and letting out a soft burp. "So um, what should we have for dinner?" he asked, glancing at Taylor for a second. It felt strange to be asking such a mundane question, but Matt wanted things to be as normal as possible. Taylor was still his girlfriend, after all. And Matt was hungry.

Taylor wanted to look up at Matt, she wanted to explain to him what her thoughts and her feelings were but she couldn't bring herself to. She was too afraid of what she might see. Anger or betrayal, she couldn't design which one would be worse to her. Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Taylor nodded at his comment. She turned the phone on, her fingers flying over the keys to turn off the password. Shuffling over to the counter beside the fridge, Taylor set it down there so that she could charge it if necessary while it laid there. When Matt neared the fridge, Taylor all but jumped away from it. She didn't want to be in Matt's way and upset the situation when she had already made it a horrible day for them.

"What?" Taylor blurted out before she could think, confusion etching itself across her features when Matt spoke. She paused, clearing her throat. "I.. uh.. I guess whatever you want? I thought you were wanting to go to the gym with Brian?" Taylor mentioned Matt's plans from early. She froze when she realized all too late what her comment may have been construed as. "I-I'm not trying to... get alone time or whatever. I swear," Taylor filled in on the imagined concerns. She bit down on her bottom lip, forcing herself to look up at Matt finally. Her gaze settled on his forehead because as brave as she was, she couldn't bring herself to actually look him in the eye quite yet. "I'm not super hungry so we can do whatever you're in the mood for."

"I think that in light of current circumstances, I'm going to cancel my trip to the gym," Matt said. "I think Brian would understand." He didn't particularly want to have to explain to Brian why he'd brought Taylor along to the gym, because per his father's new rules, he would have to. He wasn't so sure how well telling the guys about Taylor's true motives for getting into their circle would go over. But then again, since his father had placed him in charge of Taylor and her well-being, the guys wouldn't dare lay a hand on her. No one died unless Matt's father ordered it, and Matt had enough confidence in his dad to know that he wouldn't have Taylor killed unless she really messed up. He knew how much Taylor meant to Matt.

"I'll make fajitas, then," Matt said, finishing off his beer. He tossed the empty bottle into the sink to be cleaned out later and then went to the fridge to grab the package of pre-cooked fajita steak meat. "You don't have to act like that, you know," Matt said, looking over at Taylor as he pulled out a skillet. "Like you're scared of me, I mean. You brought this on yourself Taylor and...well, I want things to be as normal as possible. Because if you let this change things then this whole situation is going to get really shitty really fast. So just...get it out of your system and help me make the fajitas." Matt knew he definitely could have phrased things a bit more eloquently, but he just felt so weird trying to order Taylor around the way he did to the guys. But he supposed he needed to try, given their situation. And she needed to learn to listen to him this way, because Taylor was certainly used to doing things her own way.

Taylor drew in a sharp breathe, giving a nod of her head. She had hoped that Matt would decide to go to the gym and just leave her behind. Matt's father hadn't said she needed to go with Matt if he left, just that she couldn't leave without him. She knew that she was barely holding herself together, she had hoped that Matt would leave because she didn't want to lose it in front of him. Matt was the one that deserved to be upset, not her. She had no right to be remotely upset and yet all she wanted to do was break down. Nodding at Matt's suggestion of fajitas, Taylor moved forward to rinse out the bottle in the sink. Her shoulders pulled together, her movements coming to a halt when he spoke up again. His words hit hard enough that all Taylor could do was stare at the water running down the drain.

"No." The word was harsh as she finished with the bottle, turning to toss it into the recyclables. "I'm not afraid of you. As if," Taylor scoffed, turning around to face him. She wrapped her arms around her torso, staring down at her feet. "I don't... " Taylor trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. She wanted to go more in depth but she couldn't bring herself to. She didn't want to poke and prod at the wound she had carved herself. Taylor bit back a sigh, turning to grab the wraps out of the cupboard. "Do you want me to cut up the veggies?" Taylor offered, already moving to start doing so before he had even answered.

Matt didn't respond to Taylor, mostly because he had no idea what to even say. He got the feeling that Taylor was lying when she said that she wasn't afraid of him, and he was almost angry that she'd spilled her secret in the first place. Things had been going so well and now Matt felt like there was a wall between the two of them. "Yeah, go ahead and cut up some bell peppers and onions," Matt said to Taylor. He found himself moving towards the fridge, reaching around her to grab a second beer from the fridge. Normally he might save this for dinner or not even have a second, but his nerves were running so high and he needed something to calm himself down. He popped the top and took a long swig, belching softly as he turned his attention back to the fajita meat he was cooking.

"Did you want to rent a movie later or something?" Matt asked, reaching into the skillet to grab a piece of steak. He accidentally touched the hot pan and he cursed as he stuffed the steak into his mouth. He hated that he felt so awkward around Taylor, and he hoped this was something that would pass as time did. If she hadn't come clean about her true intentions, Matt might've gone to the gym, and when he came home they would've made dinner and Matt would've tried to talk Taylor into showering with him so that they could have sex. But now there was a different dynamic between the two of them and Matt just wanted it to be over. "I mean, I'd understand if you don't want to be around me, but I'd like to try and make things as normal as possible."

Taylor was quick to step forward and begin chopping the onions and peppers for the fajitas. She cut up what she thought Matt would eat because she wasn't all that hungry. The day's events were enough that Taylor wouldn't be able to get more than a few bites in and she didn't want to waste food. She was more or less dependent on Matt now, she couldn't access funds she had been able to before. She had been very nearly finished with the veggies, only to freeze in her movements. She turned, unable to suppress her emotions anymore. Taylor had been doing a good job but just the way Matt had spoke had irked her enough that it had gotten under her skin.

"Did you hear anything I said? Anything at all? Because I'm pretty sure I told you the reason I came clean was because you're not the monster I was always led to believe. I fell in love with you. Christ, Matt. I fell head over heels in a way that I could never have imagined. The way I should have fallen in love with my hu-" Taylor had begun to ramble, only for the sudden realization of what she had been about to say stopped her. She had already dropped one bomb on Matt today, she couldn't let the second one fall so soon. She shrugged, letting out a sigh as she turned away from him. "I'll make some popcorn with that flavoured oil," Taylor decided that it was best to answer, keeping her attention focused on the last half of the bell pepper she had left to chop up.

Matt listened to Taylor ramble, honestly just ignoring her until she stopped midsentence and he realized the word she'd almost let slip from her tongue. "Your husband?" he asked, looking at her. "Is that what you were about to say, Taylor? You had a husband, you were married? I can't believe it." Matt turned back to the stove, reaching to turn the heat to the skillet off. For some reason, knowing that Taylor had been married and hadn't told him almost hurt worse than knowing that she'd been sent in to take him down. She'd come clean about that, so that proved to Matt that she cared about him. But there was just something about knowing that Taylor had been married - or might even still be - that stung Matt in his core.

"We'll rent something from Pay-Per-View then, I don't feel like going out," Matt grumbled. He was through trying to make the situation less awkward, because Taylor obviously didn't care to. He was sure things would ease on their own eventually, but with Taylor's attitude, there didn't seem to be a point in trying to speed things along right now. He reached over and took the vegetables from Taylor, adding them to the skillet with the steak and turning the heat back on. In the meantime, he warmed up a few tortillas in the microwave, making himself two fajitas when everything was finished cooking. He sat down at the table, looking up at Taylor expectantly.

Taylor was stiff in her movements as she walked into the living room with her plate in hand. SHe opted for water to drink, not really wanting to drink her problems away. With how emotional she already was feeling, it would only serve to get worse if she did drink. Sitting down, Taylor studied her plate while Matt looked for a movie for them to rent. She didn't take a bite of her food until the movie had begun to play. Instead of eating it normally, she would rip off a bite and eat it before continuing on. The monotonous routine was all she could bring herself to focus on. Rip a bite off, put in her mouth, chew, swallow, and repeat all over again until her fajita was gone.

Clearing her throat, Taylor leaned forward and set her plate on the coffee table once she finished. "For what it's worth, I am sorry," she spoke, swallowing back th swell of emotions as her eyes watere. She clamped her eyes shut, refusing to cry. It wasn't her place. Taylor dragged in a deep breathe, raising her head to look toward Matt. She smiled but it wasn't a happy one - it was all she could do that she hoped may have conveyed what she was feeling inside. "Hurting you was the last thing that I wanted to do but I couldn't... I couldn't just keep it a secret because that would have been worse." Taylor concluded, sniffling as she looked away from him. "Right?" She hoped Matt would validate her reasoning but she wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

Matt frowned as he watched Taylor walk past the table and into the living room. "Guess we're eating in the living room, then," he mumbled to himself as he got to his feet. He grabbed his plate and followed her into the living room, sitting down next to her on the couch. He picked up one of his fajitas and took a large bite as he picked up the remote control, turning on the television and surfing through the movie channels. He finally chose one and put in his credit card information to rent it, tossing the remote next to him on the couch. He noticed that Taylor didn't start eating until the movie had started, just like he noticed the strange way she ate her food. Luckily things were silent as the two of them ate, and Matt almost thought they might be able to get away without any more mentions of what had happened today, but as soon as Taylor moved forward to set her plate on the table, Matt knew he was wrong.

He opened his mouth to snap at her, to tell her that he didn't want to talk about this anymore and that she just needed to drop it, but when he saw that she was holding back tears, Matt fell silent. "You don't have to apologize," he said, sighing. "Well I mean...fuck, I don't know what I mean. I'm not so much hurt as I am a little betrayed. I kind of thought I finally found a relationship that wasn't clusterfuck-level complicated and that my father approved of, but after what happened today, I realize that's not true anymore. I understand why you did what you did, Taylor. The coming clean, I mean. I can understand that you didn't want to hurt me, but you've got to understand that you did. I just want things to be as normal as possible, okay? Can we do that?"

Taylor sniffed, reaching up to wipe at her face. She hesitated for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip as she looked up to Matt. She bit down on her lip, her stomach twisting into a knot as her eyes connected with Matt's. His gaze was just as intense as it always had been, what had originally caught her attention. His personality had only further made Taylor fall in love, something that she certainly hadn't been expecting. Clearing her throat, Taylor let out a heavy sigh as her shoulders sagged. Taylor picked at the edge of her shirt, trying to remind herself that this was still very much the Matt that had opened her eyes to an entire world that she had never even realized existed out there.

"Can I..." Taylor trailed off, her mouth going dry as she tried to speak. "Can I, y'know, come over?" Taylor forced herself to ask, wanting nothing more than to wrap herself up in Matt's arms and to try to forget everything that had happened over the past day. Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for Matt's answer, all too eager to move over to the opposite couch when Matt agreed. She sat down beside him, practically on top of him as she leaned into his chest. "Thank you. For being you," she mumbled, pulling her legs up as she cuddled into him. "That stupid Sanders' charm," Taylor teased, hoping she would be able to ease the tension in the room.

Matt managed a slight smile when Taylor asked if she could move closer to him. He saw this as a sign that maybe things actually could be normal between them, even after Taylor's confession. "Sure, come on," he said, holding out his arm for her. When she sat down next to him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer despite the fact that she was already practically in his lap. "You don't have to thank me for anything, Taylor," Matt whispered, leaning over to press a soft kiss to the top of her head. "But I'm glad to see my Sanders charm hasn't failed yet." He gave her side a soft squeeze with his free hand, grinning.

Matt liked the way things were right now, liked the stage their relationship was at. And he hoped that Taylor's confession wouldn't hinder the progress they were making. But Matt was determined to make things as normal as possible; and really, other than him having to accompany Taylor everywhere, nothing would really change. Right? Surely they could manage some sense of normalcy. And maybe now that they were being completely honest with one another, things could go even further than they had before.