Repens

She had said everything she needed to and felt stronger at the sound of his voice. Her plan had worked. If the rest of her plan failed, the important part had been perfectly executed. The swine was trying to beat down the door.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. She hadn't anticipated any sort of questions of sentiment but she found it sweet and appreciated his concern.

The unexpected gunshot took her breath away. Had they really just used a gun to break the lock? She always thought that was only done in movies.

"Not yet." The door opened. She only had three seconds left. "Hurry!" Her phone was ripped from her hand as she was lead back to the chair.

"We got a lively one, yeah?" hissed the bulky man with broad shoulders.

"Just determined," she grinned with sarcasm.

He pushed her back into the seat as the under qualified leader took a few steps towards her, a deep frown on his lips, chest popped out, and hands behind his back. The man paused in front of her and simply stared. She wished she could see his secrets, just one would help give her a start.

The first blow against her cheek changed the direction she was looking more than it actually hurt her. But it still caught her off guard and left her breathing hard.

"I thought you said that you WEREN'T Mrs. Holmes," he said with a building voice that climaxed as he slapped her again on the word "weren't".

"I'm not," Steph panted before looking up at him with a triumphant grin. "I'm just more clever than you."

Another slap. This one stinging on her cheeks.

"I won't have a problem completely stripping you of your clothes to do a full search."

"No need. That was my big trick. No more rabbits up my sleeves." He rolled his eyes, not understanding why she wasn't terrified and shaking. "Who are you working for?"

"Pardon?"

"You aren't the man on top," she answered, letting the p pop. "I just pulled a simple stunt like that and you lost all control over the entire situation. Schemes like this take planning far above what you are capable of."

"If only you knew what I had originally wanted to do. Unfortunately, the option went against other plans," he sneered, now agitated from being made a fool of in front of his men.

Then it was time to pull out the unexpected card she had been dying to put on the table since he had first approached her.

"So how long did you know Jim?"

"Jim?"

"I'm assuming he is involved in this some way or another. Or are you high enough on the food-chain to know about him?"

"James Moriarty?" His bewildered eyes only glowed all the more, suddenly enjoying her company exceedingly more than she was enjoying his. "I've heard of him," he laughed.

A door opened from the other side of the room. The light from the next room gave the form a perfect black silhouette. It was incredible to her how cinematic the entrance was. She couldn't help but get a little excited at the arrival of an actual criminal- one with style. The figure was tall and skinny, one leg bending in front of the other with toes pointed to the ground. His arms were folded one second and then they suddenly dropped to his sides.

"Honey, I'm home," the figure sang out melodically with a strange excitement. Almost mad.

All the ceiling lights were turned on, temporarily blinding Stephanie. Little by little, she began to made out features from the bright blur.

"I underestimated you, Sebastian. Good work."

"Thank you sir," the tenor voice replied with pride, his dignity suddenly restored.

"Ah, the rat," Steph announced as if she was just now putting something together- she loved playing dumb.

Her eyes adjusted when the new figure moved only a few paces closer. His was tall and lean as she had predicted. The short dark brown hair matched his black eyes, burning with vengeance. The whites of his eyes were slightly bloodshot, he'd been up late last night working on final preparations for today. Poised, filthy rich, cunning, and extremely intelligent were little details she noticed right away- the deductions coming almost to quickly for her to process. This was the rush she loved. Yet it was also the one that brought most others to their death. Lastly, he dressed in the most expensive suit she had seen since her arrival to London- with the exception of Mycroft.

"Westwood," she noted with sarcasm. "Very exquisite."

The man glanced to the side with what looked like a blush and let out a silent chuckle. His eyes met hers for the first time but in an evil way that sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh, miss Thomas," he began with a low dopey voice. "If only you had been here for our first little game." The man on top leaned in towards her, too close for comfort. "Maybe if you had been around he would have actually died that day. Or has he told you?"

"I know enough," she bravely answered with confidence. "And he still wouldn't have died that day. He still would have beaten you at your little 'game'…Jim Moriarty."

At the mention of his own name, he gave a playful grin followed by a wink. He looked her up and down as the other had done earlier. His tongue slid over his bottom lips, reminding her of every great villain she had ever seen in films. But this was real life. The black eye rose from her chest, up her neck, then finally met her focused stare. From this moment on, if she was the least bit afraid, she couldn't allow herself to show it.

"Girls like you don't belong with the good guy," he softly stated, eyes softening up a bit.

Stephanie knew when a man was trying to charm her. The ignorant sods from uni tried all the time.

This was the exact same strategy only executed by someone on a level the uni boys had never dreamt of.

"Please," she sighed with an eye roll and a little laugh.

"No, really. He doesn't appreciate you enough. Doesn't let you live up to your potential." Her unimpressed expression turned his way, unknowingly fanning the flames of his ego. "The way he's had you locked up in that flat. He doesn't trust you enough to let you take care of yourself." Jim paused with an alarmingly dashing grin. "It would be different if you were with me."

"I completely agree, James," Steph sang, sounding as if she was genuinely changing her mind. "It would be different with you." She leaned in towards him the way he had done her. "If I was with you… I'd kill myself before your little goons could do it."

His wild grin only grew. Stephanie Thomas had been as calm as the situation allowed. Her heart was beating faster than usual but not trying to pound out of her chest. No one could sense her nerves through her steady breathing pattern- maybe Jim could, maybe. But an icy shiver went throughout her entire body when Moriarty traced her jaw line with a single soft finger. Lust was in his eyes but she didn't know him enough to know how far he would take things. All she knew was that this man was completely mad. His eyes dropped from hers back down to her chest then up again with a smirk.

"How sweet. Wearing dear Sherlock's shirt?" She prayed he didn't notice her reddening cheeks. Why didn't you call your precious Sherlock before coming here?"

"Didn't want to involve him just yet."

"Oh, testing out the solo career? How is that going for you?" He dramatically turned on his heels, spread his arms out wide, and looked up to the ceiling.

His point was made. He probably thought she had gotten herself a great deal in over her head. The one time she tries to be brave and this happens. She gets handcuffed in a chair with thugs all around her and the criminal mastermind of London trying to persuade her to leave her boyfriend. But he didn't know her. And, if truth be known, he didn't know Sherlock as well as he thought.

"I came here on my own to ease into this little thing. It'll heat up, Sherlock will come, then we're going to shut you down for good." Her high spirited tone was making the thugs a bit nervous, even Sebastian wasn't saying a word. "And that will be the end of you." She paused for affect. "For good."

Jim's face turned into that turned on amused face she was starting to hate. She didn't want to get him going. She wanted to make him upset. The back of his hand against her face would have been more welcome than the intense lusty vulture-like stares he continued giving her.

"It really is too bad for him," he began with a sorrowful shrug, hands now buried in the pockets of his trousers.

"What?"

This time, Jim leaned in so close that she could feel his warm breath against the skin around her lips. She couldn't move.

"That he won't get to see that smug little smirk you would have made after being pleased for hours." His words made her chest collapse. Moriarty was thinking of the moment she rarely let herself wonder about. He sent a loud thumping behind her ears and made her head spin as he whispered in her ear, "The arrogant virgin and the clever beauty… they'll never get to find out."

While doubt began to cloud her once crystal thoughts, someone hit her over the head from behind. Dark nothingness.