BountyHunterpart19

Maria DeLuca and Isabel Evans had been at the mall for nearly an hour before Isabel held up a dress and nodded. It was short, red and she knew it would drive her brother crazy.

"Are we in 'Hookers-R-Us'?" Maria asked noting the brevity of the dress.

Isabel rolled her eyes and held it up against Maria. "You are going to look so good in this."

Maria looked down and thought about the last time she had gotten dressed up for anything. The last time had been for work as well. There were some advantages to being a female bounty hunter.

She grinned and took the dress walking back into the fitting room. She stripped out of her clothes and slid the slinky red number over her head and looked in the mirror. She suddenly felt like Cinderella going to the ball. She opened the door and showed Isabel.

"Oh wow." Isabel smiled. "Max's mouth will hit the ground. I know someone else who would probably kneel down and take instructions from you as well�" Isabel raised her eyebrows and grinned as Maria's chest flushed.

"I wonder if Marco, you know, the guy I'm working for, will cover this as an expense?"

* * *

Michael paced the office unsure of what to do. He knew Isabel was probably filling DeLuca up with past hyjinks and probably making him look like a complete jackass.

He looked at the phone for about the fiftieth time in the last hour and thought about calling Max and getting to the bottom of whatever the hell was going on so Maria wouldn't go on a date with him.

But this was her job.

This was his job.

They didn't actually have a relationship of any kind; just a few cheap feels in parking lots. Nothing more. Right?

"Fuck!" He slammed his palm on the Teakwood desk in frustration. How could this woman get so far underneath his skin that it was making him crazy? What was she holding over him?

Michel knew this date was either going to kill him�Or kill him. There was no way he was going to let this woman who just appeared in his life slide right through his fingers. Deep down, reason was trying to work its way through; Maria DeLuca was not going on a date with Max Evans because she wanted to. She was going on a date with him to try to get some information out of him about Liz Parker. That was it, plain and simple.

"Fuck!" Michael slammed the desktop again. He wasn't letting her go alone, he promised himself he'd be discreet, but no way in hell was she going alone. He already made a decision; Maria DeLuca? Oh yeah, she was his.

* * *

It seemed like days instead of hours before Isabel Evans returned to the office alone.

"Where is she?" Michael jumped up from behind the desk.

"Maria?" Isabel shook her head, a knowing grin gracing her face.

"Yes Maria, you know I 'm talking about Maria. God! Why do you have to be such a bitch?" Michael ran his hands through his hair.

"I guess," Isabel set down her bags, "because I can. Maria's back at her hotel getting ready for her date with my brother, the little shit."

"Do you know where they're going?"

Isabel shrugged; clearly enjoying the torment Michael was going through.

"Cut the crap, Iz." He demanded. "Where are they going and what time?"

"You really have it bad, don't you?" She shook her head, a smile dancing on her lips.

Michael didn't answer her. She knew him well enough to know the answer already; he wasn't about to give in and make his life even more miserable.

"He called her a little while ago, she's meeting him at the Roundhouse at seven."

Michael nodded. The Roundhouse. Nice place. Quiet, dark and romantic. Damn.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asked hopefully.

"Not staking out my brother, dumbass," Isabel rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall. "She's a big girl Michael, she can take care of herself. It's just a job, right?"

Michael nodded and wondered how in the hell he was going to be able to spy on Maria and Max.

* * *
Maria looked herself over in the mirror and thought she looked good. The slinky red dress was nice, but not too nice. The neckline was low and a bra underneath it would have been impossible, with thin straps over her shoulders and her hair pulled up on top of her head, Maria couldn't remember the last time she had looked this good.

"For a fugitive aider�" She murmured as she applied red lipstick to her full lips.
As she looked in the mirror she had a vision of her dress around her ankles and Michael Guerin in front of her, pounding into her, her hands grabbing his hair in handfuls. She shuddered when her vision contained a streetlight and cars. A parking lot.

She grabbed the new purse she had bought and made sure it was stocked with the essential bounty hunting supplies: stun gun, mace, handcuffs and license. She was ready to go.

The ride to the restaurant was brief, she pulled into the lot and parked next to the only shiny silver car she could find and assumed it belonged to Max Evans. She checked her make-up in the rearview mirror one more time before getting out of the jeep and walking inside the restaurant. She saw Max as soon as she opened the door. Actually she saw his smile first.

"You find it okay?" He asked and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah," Maria smiled and wondered how such a gentleman-type guy could help a felon like Liz Parker. "My hotels about ten seconds from here."

Max nodded and he motioned to the hostess. They were led to a table not all that far from the bar area, not too deep into the folds of the restaurant. Max pulled her chair out for her and Maria felt the urge to laugh.

"So, any luck finding Liz?" Max asked as they both perused their menus.

Maria lost her voice for a second, she hadn't anticipated the Liz card being played so early in the date. "No, not really. You?"

Max grinned and shook his head.

* * *

Michael, after much arguing with Isabel, parked her borrowed car in the far end of the parking lot of the Roundhouse. He sat low in the seat with sunglasses on and watched Max Evans park his shiny silver car and go inside. He had to wait for a few minutes until he saw Maria's jeep pull in. He lowered his sunglasses when he saw her get out of the jeep.

"Holy shit," he murmured as he admired the red dress and the way that it swung against her thighs as she walked. "Fucking Max." He shook his head as she disappeared into the restaurant.

He waited until the digital clock on the dash let him know it had been ten minutes before he got out of the car and strolled into the restaurant. He scanned the bar for either face and then took a seat in the corner where he had a view. He ordered a beer and it only took him an instant to spot that red dress.

He narrowed his eyes and watched as Max seemed to be flirting with his woman. His woman? Michael sighed and wondered when the exact moment of him becoming so whipped happened.

TBC