<strong>Susan Cochrane<br/>At the Illegal Pitfights<br/>With Damian, getting Cherry out of the pit and back to her crew</strong><br/><br/>There was too much going on.  Susan was smiling, a smile as bright as brass and just as false as she covered Cherry and Damian retreating from the pit.  Yes, covering them.  She felt exposed, backlit, vulnerable, the lights kept her from seeing a thing outside of the pit.<br/><br/>She had never been so grateful to see Urbano's lined face, more grateful for that thn anything in her life.<br/><br/>She was thinking very hard about what she had seen, fitting the pieces together, turning them over, who was that man Nix had been staring at.  Romano?  She would have to find out.  The Latin Kings seemed not to be an immediate problem.  But they knew who she was.  She wasn't conflicted about that any more, she didn't like it at all.<br/><br/>And the canceled fight?  It didn't ring true, not at all.  "What the hell are you up to?  You don't cross these people!"  She was staring at Mr. Nix, muttering under her breath.<br/><br/>Susan heard a small stifled sob from Cherry, her head whipped around, the young woman looked desolate.  "Hey, perk up ladykiller, you won!"  Damian seemed to have her in hand. Susan swept the crowd again, but if anything happened it would happen when they left.  She grinned again, gave Cherry a hug - rolling her eyes at Damian's dour look, the man certainly suspected which side of the buffet Susan ate from, at the least.<br/><br/>"Cherry,"  A low whisper against the fighter's ear and oh my, the way she smelled, feral and primal. "Whatever Nix is playing, you don't need to be in it.  Damian and his friends can protect you.  But you have to be straight with e.  What is he up to?  Why did he want to you to lose?  Yes he did, look at him, does he look happy?  Who is that guy he was staring at, yeah, that one over there.  Who is he?"