E-Written: Elle 03

"Dude, back off," Ricky called, his voice pitched low. "When was the last time you saw him that fucking happy? Let it go."

"She's bullshitting him! She's going to hurt him!""

"So fuckign what? Back off, man, let him fucking have this. For all you know she's faking it till she makes it, convincing herself. Let her. Let him. Let it go, it's not your fucking problem."

"I'm supposed to keep him safe!"

"So watch for fucking assassins and shit, let him worry about his heart. Let him have this, you just seem bitter and jealous."

"Fuck that and fuck her," Chris growled angrily, but went quiet.

Elle pretended she hadn't heard him at all, or Ricky. For her, Wynter was all there was and she looked up at him with pure devotion and wonder. Wynter was just as focused on her, kissing her neck and shoulders, then her, holding her face and her hands as they made out like young teens.

When they arrived, Wynter didn't let her go, his hands gripping her ass as she threw her arms around his neck. Carrying her inside, he took her straight back to a shower and they both rinsed off before falling into the huge bed in the bedroom.

Grinning, Wynter finally pulled back and looked over her. "Chris! Is that cook here?" he yelled to the closed door.

Chris opened the door, his look furious as he looked Elle over. "Yeah?"

"Have her bring us in something to eat and get us something to drink. Get Elle something for her headache."

"So you don't plan on punishing her at all?" Chris demanded.

"If you can't do your fucking job, you can leave," Wynter told Chris coldly. "You said being around her wasn't going to be an issue."

"It isn't! Seeing her trying to fuck you over is the issue! She's LYING to you, she has a plan and you're falling for it!"

"Chris!" Ricky yelled from the front. "Let it fucking go!"

Chris growled and left, slamming the door.

Ten minutes later, Ricky brought in a tray full of food, two drinks and a bottle of tylenol. Setting it down, he looked Wynter over. "You good, man?" he asked him.

"Great," Wynter told him, handing Elle the pills and a drink. "You have your station set up?"

"Yeah?"

"I want a ring for her finger inked on."

"His too," Elle spoke up quickly. "Matching, with our initials in them. Both of them."

"Yeah," Wynter smiled softly, his eyes a little wide, then his smile widened as she looked at her in pleasant surprise. "Yeah! Matching ring tattoos for both of us! Right now!"

"Give me half an hour to draw them up," Ricky shrugged, also pleasantly surprised.

When he left, Elle giggled and tackled Wynter down to the bed. "This is going to be perfect!" she sighed blissfully. "Now that we are both on the same page! Things are going to be wonderful! Can... can we renew our vows? Have a real ceremony? Something nice?"

"Yeah! I'd love that!"

"Can you invite your parents?"

His face went hooded as he looked her over. "We aren't really speaking..."

"Then we can change that! They just need to meet me, baby and things will be fine! Once they know that we are happy now, everything will be better! And I want things to be good between all of us, so you don't have that stress."

"We'll see," he smiled, but it was forced.

"Maybe we can invite them to meet us somewhere and i can cook for them. For all of us."

"Yeah. After a few months and everything going smoothly, we can do that. Start traveling and everything, see the world."

"Really? And I can learn all over the world?"

"Yeah, babe, of course. I promised you that a long time ago."

"Wynter!" she laughed joyously. "I'm going to make you so happy!"

He laughed too, then kissed her before setting the tray between them. "Eat, babe, then we'll get our rings. After, we can crash. I know you have to be as tired as I am."

"I'm exhausted, but too excited to sleep! I still can't believe this is real! That you really came for me and saved me!"

They talked and laughed as they ate, feeding each other and smiling and cuddling in together before falling asleep in each other's arms.

In the morning, Wynter took her on a tour of the large house. It wasn't like the house in Texas, it was all stone and very turn of the century, but she gushed over the amazing library and the nice turret room he'd set up for her to read in. Ricky gave them their matching ring tattoos after breakfast and she grinned ear to ear as he got his, straddling his lap and watching the whole time.

Chris did nothing but sit back and scowl at her all day and she ignored him. Wynter did as well, focusing instead on her as hard as she was focusing on him. She kept him happy and content, smiling constantly for several days.

On the fifth day, she was coming out of the bathroom when she heard Chris talking to Wynter. "I'm telling you, Wyn, she is conning you. She was devastated when she heard about that dude dying and you know it! They were all over each other! Just give me a chance to prove it! Let me show you, that's all I ask. One fucking hour. One hour to prove she is still a lying bitch and if nothing happens, I let it go forever. Video feed is live all over the house."

"Just let it go now!"

"One hour!"

"One hour won't hurt," Ricky offered. "Just to give you both peace of mind."

"One fucking hour," Wynter spat angrily.

Elle moved back, then came bounding down the hall happily. "Hey baby!" she called happily, hugging Wynter and kissing him as he grinned and kissed her back, his eyes lighting up as soon as he saw her.

"Mornin! Hey, wanna meet in the breakfast nook for breakfast?" he asked with a smile. "I'll meet you there in a few, ok?"

Elle nodded, smiling, then kissed him before heading to the little room under the turret that he called the breakfast nook. It was on the opposite side of the house, but it had a table to eat at and benches, chairs to sit in. He could call it whatever he liked.

A moment later, Chris slipped in, shutting the door behind him. "Hey," he called softly.

"Hi? Where's Wynter?"

"On a call with his folks, he's going to be a bit."

"He didn't tell me?" she asked, sounding hurt. "Is he... ashamed of me?"

"You can cut the act, Elle," Chris told her chidingly. "It's just us now. I'm supposed to be checking outside, but I came in here to talk to you... baby, I can get us out of here. Slip you out, get you to the plane, get us back to the states. He'll never find us."

"I don't want to go back! You don't understand anything, Chris... I love him. I didn't understand it before, I was so focussed on getting away, but now I do understand it. All we want is to make each other happy! Can't you just be happy for us? Maybe not me, I know we don't like each other, but at least him? He's your friend, isn't he?"

"Of course I like you, baby, I still love you! I adore you and..." he breathed, moving closer as if to touch her.

"Don't! Don't touch me!" she hissed, moving away quickly. "Don't ever touch me again! Chris, you need to understand, I never liked you! I used you! You were a creepy old skeeze, always touching me and looking at me and when he didn't notice what you were doing, I thought I could use you."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked in confusion.

"You always touching my feet and watching me, staring at me, losing at your video games and pretending it was lag. He never noticed, but I did. I saw you watching me and you were always touching my feet. I knew you had a thing for me and I used you, but I thought you were gross. A gross old man who I was going to use to get away! But I don't want away, Chris! I'm happy now and so is Wynter! So just let us be happy and leave us alone! Let him be happy anyway. I know you're pissed at me and I'm sorry for using you, but at least let him be happy... but you won't will you? Because you're angry at me for shutting you down. That's why you reached out to him, because I told you no. Now you want to get back at me for rejecting you, don't you? You're only here to see me punished, it's not even about being his friend! Just... leave Chris. Let us be happy! If it's the money you want, my card is in my purse. You can have every dime, I don't want it. Take it and go, just let us be happy. Please? Go find a way to be happy, a girl your age who's into the gross, creepy shit you're into."

"You were fucking into it when you were coming for me!" he snarled angrily, moving closer threateningly.

Elle flinched back. "I faked it! Not like you even knew, you were so focused on my feet, you had no idea what the rest of me was doing! I faked it before I puked so I could get away from you, weirdo! Does he even know that you aren't here for him? That you aren't his friend? You're just here to try and see me punished or get me to leave with you? You're so pathetic! You don't deserve his friendship! All he wants is people who love him for who he is and you're just using him! Just like everyone else! Jesus. Just go, Chris. Take my bag, take the card and all my money and just go. It'll hurt him less in the long run. You suck!"

"Fuck you, Elle," he growled, leaning close again. "You weren't faking it."

"Tell yourself what you need to, skeeze. Get away from me before I yell for help. Don't ever come near me again! The only reason I won't tell him is because it will break his heart, you complete asshole. You don't deserve how much he cares about you!"

"I know you're full of shit, Elle!"

"You don't know anything about me or what I went through with those people! Wynter saved me! He saved me and I didn't deserve to be saved, but he did it anyway! Because he loves me! He loves me and I love him and we're happy now, do you know why? Because were' in love and we both work so hard to see each other happy! I'd do anything for him and he knows it, just like I know he'd do anything for me!"

"Like right now, telling his parents all about you?" he sneered.

"He'll tell them when he's ready, I have faith in that," Elle told him, lifting her chin. "I know he's proud I'm his wife, I think he's afraid of them hurting me in some way. He's not ashamed of me at all. As soon as he's ready, I'll meet his parents and they'll love me."

Chris snorted. "They'll never love you, they don't even love him. They tolerate him."

"Then that's their loss, he's a man worth loving. Your loss too. Get out, Chris. I'll leave my bag on the nightstand. Do everyone a favor and just disappear. I don't need that money, but obviously it's all that matters to you, why else are you here? You're using him. Go. Now, or I'm yelling for him."

Chris left, clenching his teeth and not three minutes later, Wynter came in looking overjoyed. Elle tackled him in a hug, clutching him close and he let her, not asking her what was wrong.

The next morning, Chris was gone. No note, no goodbye, just gone. Elle's bag was gone too, but she'd removed everything but her fake ID and fake cards.

Wynter pretended to not care, but Elle knew it had hurt him to know that Chris had been using him again.

Elle was just glad that Chris and his suspicions and constant raging was gone.

When she suggested they take a week and go to Italy, Wynter jumped on it excitedly.

That was how their trips began. The first few times, Ricky came with them, but after the fourth trip, Wynter let him go back to Texas, telling him he would fly him back for new ink.

Elle knew it would be easier to get away now, but she wasn't planning on that now. She wanted revenge.

He'd killed Gus. He was going to pay.

Instead, she made him fall in love with her more and more every day, playing into his insecurities and giving him everything he ever wanted in her.

Traveling the world with him, she learned to cook from all of the masters and she cooked for him, planning on eventually poisoning him and weakening him. In Germany, she finally met his parents in person and they were cold and angry towards her. She pretended not to notice, smiling at them benignly as they watched their son smile like they'd never seen him smile. He was happy and they eventually thawed towards Elle. Especially when they discovered that she was wealthy herself and didn't care about their money.

She only smiled at them and wondered how long it would take them to notice their accounts that Wynter had access to were all slowly being drained by microtransactions to thousands of charities around the world.

Lucy had taught her that.

After Germany, they traveled the rest of Europe, then Asia, until three years later they landed in South America.

Wynter was still doting and completely head over heels for her, and she kept him happy. In love. She wanted to see him completely crushed when she ruined him and his family.

It was in Chile that all of her plans fell apart.

She was in a market, Wynter close by like he always was. Her translator. Buying papayas, she looked up and locked eyes with Gus.

Her Gus.

Her stomach tried to climb into her throat as she let out a whining wail, dropping everything.

"Babe?" Wynter asked in alarm, hurriedly picking up her basket.

Elle stared across the market, Gus disappearing into the crowd.

Had that been real? It had to have been a hulucination, Gus was dead.

Wasn't he?

"I want to go home," she whispered to Wynter, feeling faint.

"Do you need a hospital?" he asked quickly, feeling her head. "Come on."

Wynter started leading her to the street and immediately, a car pulled up. "A ride, senior?" a man asked, opening the back door.

"Si!" Wynter called, but Elle stared in stunned silence at Jesus.

Wynter sat her down, then got in next to her as Jesus got in the front and pulled away with them.

"Is this real?" Elle asked Jesus, feeling numb and light headed.

"Elle?" Wynter asked in confused concern. "El hospital!" he called to Jesus.

Jesus smirked at nothing as he turned down an alley two blocks down and stopped the car.

"Hospital!" Wynter called again as Jesus got out, then opened the back door.

Four men pulled Wynter out, none of them Elle knew, but she knew the man across the alley.

"Gus!" she whispered, stumbling out of the car, then stopping and staring at him in horror. "Gus! You... aren't dead!"

Gus's eyebrows rose and his eyes went to Wynter. "You told her you killed me?" he laughed, then closed the distance to Elle. "Nah, mami," he told her, looking her over with pain in his features. "I been lookin' for you, though. Finally tracked this pendejo here," he went on, standing inches away but not touching her. "Been watchin' you. Say the word, mami and you both get back in that car and I go home. Say another word and I take you back home with me."

Elle let out a wail, clenching her hands. "Are you real?" she asked, breaking down into tears as she swayed.

"Shhhh, mami," he whispered, pulling her into a one armed hug.

Elle let out an anguished scream, then threw her arms around him as her knees gave way.

Gus caught her up, picking her up and holding her in his lap as she cried, horrified, wracking sobs in his arms.

This entire time, she could have gotten away and gone back to him and instead she was working a long revenge game on Wynter.

That lying bastard.

With a scream of rage, Elle launched herself out of Gus's arms to where his men were holding Wynter on his knees, bound and gagged with tears streaming down his face. Raking claws down his cheek, she slapped him with her other hand, then again and again and again until Gus pulled her back into his arms.

"Easy, mami, shhh. Let's get you home," he whispered, nodding to his men.

Elle refused to let Gus go, refused to take her arms from his neck, even at the airport.

Lucy was there, waiting, a young woman now, and she took all of Wynters cards and giggled as she tapped away in her computer.

Elle had finally stopped crying, and was just holding onto Gus with all of her might, praying this wasn't a dream and she wasn't going to wake up in Wynter's arms.

On the plane, Gus finally pried her arms free and looked down at her. "Tell me what he told you, mami."

"He said... you died in the fire. I thought... I thought he killed you and... There was no reason to get away anymore. I was so angry... All I could think of was revenge."

"I took your seeds and planted them," Lucy called happily. "All those shell charities his folks have been investing in? The FBI is about to come into some info about how they're funneling money and money laundering and human trafficking, as well as selling arms to domestic terrorists. All of these shell companies and fake charities are about to get unmasked and them with ALL of their capital tied up in these companies... shits about to hit the fan hard. The rich white boy is just a white boy now," she giggled.

"That was part of it, but... the biggest part was making him think someone in this world loved him. Letting him find out that he meant shit to me and watching him die slowly as I poisoned him over a slow couple of years. Being bedridden and at my mercy and doing to him everything he had done to me. Keeping him in a freezer with no blankets, just a cold floor," Elle spoke, looking at Wynter who looked stunned. "Tattooing him with brands everywhere, making him into a grotesque show. Piercing him, raping him... drugging him. Making him wish for death every single day and not granting it. Anything and everything I could think of to make him pay for taking Gus from me."

"Aye, mami," Gus cried, pulling Elle to his chest and hugging her. Elle broke down sobbing again and Wynter let out a scream of anguish around his gag.

"We have plans for you," Jesus laughed, kicking Wynter.

Elle curled back up in Gus's lap, still stunned that he was alive. "I should have looked you up," she whispered. "Made sure he was telling the truth, but he never lied about that sort of thing. He'd never lied to me before. It never occurred to me he might be lying and... I didn't even consider it. I only thought about revenge. Getting him back. Making him think I loved him more than life itself, then showing him that he was nothing to me. Worse than nothing. Taking him as high as I could before the fall. I wanted to watch him shatter at the bottom."

"Look at me, Elle," Gus whispered, turning her face up to his. "Don't let your mind go there. No what ifs or should haves. Now. Now is what we have and now is where we are. Now we are going to take this piece of shit down, yeah?"

Elle nodded, looking over his perfect face. "I've missed you so much! I dreamed of you every night..."

"I've missed you too," he smiled gently. "Abuela too, and everyone else. We moved to a new house! One with more rooms and better insulation. I knew when I got you back we'd need it."

Elle let out a shocked laugh, then hugged him again.

"Aye, mami, I really want to kiss you but I'm scared as fuck to even ask," he told her shakily.

In answer, Elle grabbed his face and pulled him into a deep kiss and let out another cry. She didn't have to fake it, or pretend, she gave herself over to him completely, letting herself lose complete control.

Wynter screamed in rage through his gag, but Elle and Gus both ignored him completely as they kissed and made out, holding each other and grinding against each other all the way back to the little airstrip in Texas.

The van that was waiting was cramped with all of them, but Elle didn't care as she sat in Gus's lap and grinned at him, listening to him and the others talk about the new restaurant that had been built, on top of the one that had been rebuilt, as well as the two new trucks. There was a truck in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio now, as well as a new restaurant in Fort Worth.

Elle hardly heard them, her mind racing.

Gus was alive.

Gus was alive and she was back in Texas with him.

Looking at Wynter, she wondered what they intended to do with him. Not let him go, surely? He'd just come after her again and probably kill her this time. He had a blindfold on, but she could see tracks of tears on his face. Less than he deserved.