“What?” Charmaine asked her eyes wide with disappointment and disbelief.

Derek held onto her and calmly said, “That’s why I was coming in here. I wanted to tell you myself.”

“How could you do something like that?” Charmaine cried out, brushing his hands angrily away.

Joe stepped forward, “We’re sorry. We never meant to keep it a secret from you. We planned on telling you after the deed was done but we never imagined Michael beating us to it.”

Raymond spoke, “Michael? You’re going to frame him for what you guys did?”

Derek advanced towards Raymond and met Raymond’s unwavering glare, “I’m not the type of person who does something then turn around and deny it. Your leader Michael sent an assassin to kill you tonight but we stopped him. That is the truth.”

Raymond laughed and winced at the pain in his stomach, “You expect me to believe that?”

Derek glanced at Charmaine, “I don’t expect anything of you. I’m only telling you the truth for Charmaine’s sake.” He returned to Charmaine and cupped her face, “Everything that we do we do out of love for you. We only wanted to keep you from getting hurt.”

Baffled, Charmaine stared at Derek and asked, “Then why did you save him if you wanted him dead as well?”

Derek lifted his lips in an attempt of a smile, “Because we saw him trying to protect you with his own life.” He gave Raymond a look of approval and said, “He does care for you. I will never doubt that again.”

“Derek you are the best,” Charmaine said with tenderness. She turn to Joe, “You too.”

Having enough of their revolting farce, Raymond injected coldly, “Stop the act. I won’t buy it.” He glared at Derek and Joe with challenge, “Since I’m your hostage now, you can go ahead and kill me.”

Charmaine was annoyed by his ongoing accusations and stalked up to his bedside, “Then are you insinuating that I’m in on it as well?”

Raymond saw the annoyance on her face and quickly said, “Of course you’re not. I know you wouldn’t do something like that.”

Ignoring Derek and Joe, she looked him in the eye and softly asked, “Do you trust me and believe that I sincerely have feelings for you?”

Raymond searched her face and what he saw gave him his answer. Taking her hand he gravely said, “I do trust and believe you.”

Charmaine smiled then, “Then I’m asking you to believe what Derek had just told you.”

Raymond looked past her at Derek and Joe. He narrowed his eyes at them taking into consideration her words. If he tells her no, she would be upset with him and he would lose her, probably for good. But if he said yes, sooner or later she would find out that it was a lie and that he didn’t believe them at all.

Derek took the matter out of his hands by saying, “Charmaine, don’t push him. Whether he believes us or not is not important.” He and Joe retraced their steps back to the door. When he had the door opened, he said, “Feel free to stay and rest here as long as you want.”

Joe followed Derek out the door but stopped to look at Charmaine, “There’s congee and soup in the kitchen. Raymond is probably hungry by now.” Without another word, he closed the door softly behind him.

Alone again, Raymond could see the clear displeasure on Charmaine’s face. He pulled her hand towards him but she drew it back. “Charmaine…”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she said in a clipped voice and turned for the door.

“Come on…” Raymond started, “Please don’t let this get between us.”

Charmaine halted to turn back to him, “Fine” she said simply. Walking back to his side, she asked, “Can you answer a question for me?”

Raymond smiled when he saw the tension leave her face, “Go ahead and ask.”

“Are you still planning on working for Michael?” Charmaine asked quietly.

Raymond didn’t know how to answer her because the thought of leaving Michael and the association never crossed his mind. And if he told her that this would put a further rift between them. Instead he gave her a lazy smile and in an utmost teasing voice joked, “I’m starving. Do you think I could get something to eat or do you starve your enemies as a form of torture?” Raymond saw the hint of a smile spread her face and he grabbed her hands in his, “Charmaine, can we just pretend that the associations do not exist whenever we’re alone?”

Charmaine looked into his soft brown eyes and was lost in its depth. Sighing loudly she said with exaggeration, “I guess I could since you asked so nicely.” Seeing the content smile on his face, she gently tugged her hands from his and softly said, “I’ll get you something to eat. In the meantime, don’t go anywhere.”

Raymond chuckled and jested, “I definitely won’t. I may get shot walking out the bedroom door.” Charmaine snapped her eyes to his and when Raymond saw the flare of anger on her face, he quickly added, “I was only playing with you.”

Seeing the look of remorse and regret on his face, Charmaine giggled, “I know. So was I.”