54 Erik Tarasovich

An hour after Levi and Marco's meeting with the Criminal Investigation Department the two walked in Sam's Lab.

"How was the meeting?" Sam asked, not bothering to turn away from the computer screen when she heard them come in.

An audible frustrated sigh passed Marco's mouth, "Well, we remained un-shot," he joked, and Sam turned and looked at the two. Her eyes rested longer at Levi, noting the disgruntled scowl on his face.

A smile broke into her face, amused. "So, it went well then." She commented, earning a snort from the psychologist.

The slick blond shrugged off his dark blue Armani suit jacket and draped it over the chair next to her table to avoid creasing it then loosened his tie.

"How you manage to work with eejits 'in harmony' is beyond me," Levi commented in distaste, approaching the redhead on her spot.

He reached over the test results lying on the counter beside her, after a week of working the latest murder of Cleo Gallagher.

While Marco quietly flopped down on one of the stools in the room, rubbing his tired eyes.

Sam raised a curious brow, her hair was yet again in a french braid, it had been a routine nowadays. Being too busy she didn't want her hair to be in the way while she worked.

"Well, I don't exactly. I just do Lab work and examine the dead, print stuff, and write notes. The social part is not part of my job description. But you, a public figure, Mr. Levi Jackson, the 'hot detective'. The man who solved Jason Padalecki's murder. Good luck." Sam says teasingly.

"If I had known this would be the result I would have worn my most expensive suit and shot myself in the head instead," Levi spat, considering the idea.

Earning a chuckle from Sam and a smile from the bearded GP, they both fully know that Levi would never wear his best suit just to shoot himself in the head, the stain on the exquisite fabric would be a nightmare to take out.

Sam turned to Levi, elbowed him lightly, "Oh, don't be like that, " she says, "....and death is utterly boring," she adds smiling up at him. And like one of those rare moments, Marco watches as Levi smiles back down the redhead, a smile that reaches his eyes. Marco wonders why were the two smartest people he knows, be so clueless at the same time?

Levi's mobile rings from his pant pocket, he fishes it out and excuses himself as he takes it.

Marco shifts to look at the small window by the door, checking if Levi will be done anytime soon with his phone call, then he clears his throat getting Sam's attention. "Uhmm, Should I...go?" he asks, holding the grin forming on his lips.

Sam raises a brow, she narrows her eyes confused with his question. Why was he asking her permission to go? "Are you going somewhere?" She asks in return.

"Flirting is making me feel uncomfortable." Marco teased, and Sam laughed loudly. A laugh that Marco had not heard in a while, she, well all of them had been so busy lately since taking that high profile case. Before he could see her drop by the office at least once a week for her and Levi's Saturday game night, but now it was a rarity. Even the boys had been missing her terrible darts throwing skills, in their little games.

"You call that flirting Marco?" Sam scoffed, "Wait till you hear us talking about human preservation...that's when you should really run for the hills." Sam says wiggling her brows for effect, causing him to cackle loudly.

"You sure you're not dating?" Marco asks yet again, his ship is prepared and ready to set. All he's missing is the wind and it shall sail its course. Sam smiles, looking at that little window at the door with Levi standing outside. "Some relationships are stronger in friendship," she says, certain.

Marco nods in understanding, though at the back of his mind, his ship is still at the docks, it will sail one day. He stands after checking the time on his watch, he should really get back home. Help with the chores or spend some time with the Missus.

"Well, Lisa and I are still shipping!" he says, grabbing his coat and bumping with Levi on his way out. "Shipping what?" Levi asks.

"SAMSON!" Marco shouts walking away. Causing the two geniuses to frown in confusion, what the hell was 'shipping?'

Levi left an hour later saying he had an appointment with a 'client', but by the way, he said the word 'client' with ridicule she wondered if it was Anna. He did promise to take any case anytime, anywhere in exchange for his DUI charge being dealt with.

The two made plans to meet later in two hours at their usual Chinese restaurant to have late dinner. Only for Sam not to show up.

Levi frowned looking at his mobile phone, she did not send him any text informing him of any cancelation or to tell him she would be coming late. Highly unusual he thought, considering he had never seen her late before. She was always 10minutes earlier than the indicated time.

He looked at his watch 15 mins past 11 in the evening, whilst sitting by their usual spot by the window with the view of the deserted street outside.

Finding it strange, he decided to give her a call, just to make sure she was okay. Her mobile rang and on the third ring, someone picked up. And he said, "Sam, I'm here. Where are you?"

Instead of the familiar soft tone of her voice, he heard a masculine voice chuckle. It was deep with an accent. He knew who it was. Levi subconsciously gripped his phone harder till his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched.

"Mr. Jackson, this is Erik Tarasovich." the man said, "Mr. Terasovich, how could I forget?" Levi replied in a feigned cheerful tone. "Good. good, Mr. Jackson. You cheated me of 5000€ months ago. I asked you to return it nicely. But you won't." Erik says, "You call death threats nice? And I did not cheat you, Mr. Tarasovich. You just suck at poker."

Erik gritted his teeth, annoyed at the blond man. "I have your girlfriend. Come with my money." the Russian on the other line said, "What money? I spent it buying new suits. You should see what I'm wearing now. " Levi retorted. "Well, come and play another game with me, if you win I give your girlfriend back. If you lose, I kill you." Erik says.

Erik Tarasovich stood inside an abandoned storage unit in East London. The night was cold as usual but the moonlight was especially bright. He turned to look at the redhead tied on the wooden chair, a tape covering her mouth. Green eyes staring at him hatefully, he reached for her chin, tilted it up inspecting her exposed face. She was pretty, especially in person he thought. He had first seen her face plastered in the newspaper, standing beside Levi Jackson exiting a restaurant.

He mentally scoffed, as the saying goes, truly there was no Luck like the luck of an Irishman.

"You have 30minutes to come to my office. Or I will be forced to collect it from your beautiful girlfriend, one of her kidneys would be more than enough. It would be a shame, such a flawless skin be scarred with a blade." Erik released Sam's face and turned to smile at his little crew of 5 Russian men. He grinned at them wickedly, "Or worse, Mr. Jackson, we could do a lot so much worse to your pretty little ginger. 141 Stroud Rd, don't be late."

Sam's left eye twitched, wondering if she misheard. Did he just call her ginger? He hated that word, she had the urge to kick him in his nutsack.

Without waiting for a response the tall curly-haired blond ended the call, handing Sam's mobile phone to one of his men to keep. Sam listened to them converse in Russian, lewd things coming out of their mouths unaware that she could understand them perfectly.

Erik walked back in the empty storage unit 10 minutes later, with a glass of vodka in hand. He knelt before the redhead tied on the chair, grinned up at her, amused at her state. "If Mr. Jackson doesn't come, I am sorry for you," he said in feigned empathy.

Not 5 minutes later, they hear a car park in front and the blond Irishman stepped out. He was patted down, and a laugh erupted from the group when they discovered him carrying a small knife. The very same Sam had gifted him and the boys. Erik amused with the little weapon rolled his eyes telling one of his men to just let the blond carry it around, after all, what damage can he do against 6 armed men?

Levi walked in the storage unit, finding the redhead there looking at him, her hair in slight disarray. But she seemed to be generally unharmed. He smiled at her with his signature smile,

"Sorry, I'm late dear. You won't believe the traffic!" he says.