Ever the consummate companion, Lilah accompanied the brothers onto the elevator, leaving her arm looped through Mica’s as they assumed their respective positions in the metal cabin.  Only the barely imperceptible hum of a motor signaled movement once Rishon depressed the button.  Impassivity slid over her face as she examined the elevator’s panel as if it held a myriad of secrets in its assortment of buttons.  Only the slightest tilt of her head toward Rishon provided a hint that she was paying a modicum of attention to their conversation.<br/><br/>How are you going to explain<i>this</i>he questioned his brother while staring directly at her.  Her shoulders stiffened on an inhale then relaxed on its exhale.<br/><br/><i>This</i>.<br/><br/>Not a person but a thing.  An item.  A belonging. A<i>this</i>.<br/><br/>Her upper lip twitched.  Her nostrils flared.<br/><br/>It had been a long time since someone had referred to her in such a way, as less than human.  An assortment of emotions sunk into the pit of her stomach as angry heat rushed to the tips of her ears and along her cheekbones.  The red of the mark on her cheek deepened.  Her fingers flexed and stretched against Mica’s arm then curled politely back the way they were.<br/><br/>Mica spoke, offering an explanation to his brother’s brashness.  She looked up through her eyelashes and offered a polite press of her lips and a lift of her eyebrows that was nothing more than an approximation of a smile than a true version of the same.  It was not her place to speak up, to argue back at Rishon, not when she knew nothing about where she was or where they were taking her.<br/><br/>Rishon clarified, his amiability disappearing in a snap.  The prickling in her fingers intensified and they twitched once more before pressing harder against Mica’s arm than she intended them to.  What a strange position to be in, caught between two brothers who clearly disagreed on how to handle<i>this</i>, one who wanted nothing more to do with her while the other was most interested in her abilities. Lilah inhaled slowly through her nose then exhaled even slower.<br/><br/>The elevator door opened silently to reveal a woman – the mysterious Roxie.  Another polite smile first for Roxie then for Mica appeared as they stepped from the elevator.  Her eyes followed the first aid kit as it traded hands and wound up with Rishon.<br/><br/>More veiled conversation that wasn’t that veiled provided background noise as the quartet proceeded down the thickly carpeted hallway.  Lilah’s grip on her handbag shifted, tucking it securely under her arm.  Something about this whole scenario made her uneasy.  Control over the entire situation had been deftly removed from her grip once she’d made the split-second decision to follow the Glantz brothers from the Raven’s Nest out into the night.  Lilah never doubted her decisions, confident that she could handle herself against whatever fate tossed into her path but tonight, right now, at this moment, accompanying these brothers down this hallway into a mysterious meeting with unknown people and hidden motives seemed like a very bad idea.<br/><br/>CALEO.<br/><br/>Mica finally spoke the word aloud.  Immediately Roxie’s interest was piqued and Lilah flooded with regret, naturally taking a half step away from Mica before returning to her previous position.  She knew she had become less cautious in her comfort and routine and had no one to blame but herself for being discovered.  This was not the sort of establishment or relationship from which a person could simply walk away.  What was that line the bad guys in the movies were always saying – you know too much for us to let you simply walk away.<br/><br/>Offering nothing more than a murmured “Thank you.  I will,” to Mica as he kissed her hand and bade her farewell, Lilah turned away once her hand was released and studied the contents of the first aid kit until she heard the door close behind him.<br/><br/>All traces of politeness faded from her face as she skimmed her fingers over the various first aid supplies strewn over the table.  “You may not.”  She looked up and let her eyes settle on Roxie’s.  “I would suggest you don’t touch me.”<br/><br/>There was nothing on the table that was going to help her bruises and she was not about to strip down to tend to the scratches Bill left under her breast so the offer of first aid was moot as far as she was concerned.  Just an empty offer meant to placate her into compliance but Lilah Weber had not risen as far as she had from the deep hole CALEO had thrown her into just to meekly give in to someone else’s whims and wants no matter how tempting the carrot they dangled was.<br/><br/>Roxie raised a brow but said nothing.<br/><br/>Lilah moved to the armoire Mica had indicated and pulled open both doors.  Various beauty products were arranged in neat rows along with the implements necessary to apply them.  Without saying a word to the other woman in the room, she carefully examined the various bottles and small pots and palettes, her fingers hovering over several bottles before she made her selections.<br/><br/>Stepping over to the mirror, she leaned close to examine the growing bruise on her cheek.  She sighed almost silently.  Covering it up would be possible but it would only be passable from a distance.  Using the mirror much as she had in the Raven’s Nest, hazel eyes flicked to Roxie then back to her reflection.  “I suppose it would be too much to ask for a martini, wouldn’t it,” she asked dryly, opening the first bottle of makeup to dab some of the liquid on her cheek.<br/><br/>Layering the shades of foundation changed the bruise from a glaring mark to merely a suggestion after several minutes. Satisfied that it would be enough to get her home without questions from nosy people, well-meaning or not, Lilah dropped the makeup on top of the still-strewn-about first aid kit and reached for her purse.<br/><br/>“Thank you for your hospitality,” she said as she fished the enameled cigarette case and matching light from her bag.  Pausing long enough to select one, set it between her lips, and light it before watching Roxie as she exhaled a thin stream of smoke, Lilah continued.  “If you could kindly let Mr. Glantz and his…<i>brother</i>,” her lip curled in disdain, “know that I’ve elected not to accompany them to their meeting.”<br/><br/>Mica dangled promises of power in front of her like a carrot but Rishon referred to her as a problem and a<i>this</i>.  The second was far more insulting than the first was enticing.  The likelihood that they would ignore her existence was slim to none but for now, it felt better not to be on their turf, surrounded by their people, and with little information in her possession to guide their negotiations.<br/><br/>With nothing left to say, Lilah gathered her handbag and headed for the door that led back to the hallway.