Music- Silversun Pickups

Chapter 13

There was a neon pink Post-it on my door the next morning. It read, “I’m sorry. Can we talk?—Will”

I ripped it off the door, brought it into the kitchen, and wrote in big letters, “No.” I marched over to Will’s door and slapped it on. I stood there with my hands on my hips, debating whether or not I should act so immature. After a couple seconds of careful thought, I left for work, leaving the pink Post-it hanging on the door. I just didn’t care.

Before I opened the door to Montgomery and Co. Private Investigations, I adjusted the scarf I was wearing. I really didn’t want to wear it. It wasn’t terribly cold today, and the material itched a bit. But I needed it to cover the half-moon marks that were caked with dark blood. They looked worse than they were, and I didn’t want to raise any unnecessary, and not to mention, unanswerable questions.

Ellie was working the front desk. Fingers clacking away at the keyboard in front of her, she didn’t even notice me come in.

I called, “’Morning, Ellie,” before I turned left down the hallway of offices. She looked up from the computer screen, and her professional expression disappeared. Her clear eyes widened, and she beckoned me over. I sighed, glancing down the hallway before I made my way to her. All the office doors were closed.

“Where is everyone?” I asked when I reached the chest-high desk labeled “Reception”.

Ellie raised a hand and began ticking the names off her fingers. “Mr. Montgomery is meeting with the higher-ups downtown, Veronica’s doing surveillance, and I think Alexander is still in his office.”

I snorted. “Pulling an overnighter again, is he?”

Ellie grinned. She stood up and leaned on the desk with her elbows. “So,” she said. I didn’t like the prying tone in her voice. “What’s been going on with you?”

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Nothing, really.”

“Yeah, and I’m the Queen of England,” she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Well, I was hoping you would,” I answered pathetically.

“Are you kidding? Ayden actually gave you a day off without making a fuss. And Veronica came back saying you guys were attacked—”

“We just went after Fletcher, Ellie,” I interrupted. “Then some people came and wanted to talk to me. As for Ayden and the day off, you’d have to ask him about that.”

Ellie stared at my face for a long time, making me uneasy. I swallowed convulsively, but kept my face passive, blank. She didn’t seem to buy it, but thankfully let it go. “Okay, whatever you say,” she said. “You’d tell me if you were in some sort of trouble, wouldn’t you?”

I smiled reassuringly. “Of course.”

I was such a liar.

“Oh,” Ellie said, reaching down and shuffling through some papers. She picked up a file and slid it over to me. “A client is scheduled for you today at eleven. They specifically asked for you. But they wouldn’t tell me what kind of job it was.”

I took the folder, and said, “Okay, thanks.”

Ellie gestured to the folder. “There isn’t much in there. They’re really into client confidentiality, if you know what I mean.”

Tucking the file under my arm, I nodded. I waved goodbye to Ellie. She was sitting down again, staring at the computer monitor, fingers poised on the keyboard in a matter of seconds. I turned down the office hallway, and came to a stop in front of a door with a sign that said, “Alexander Gabaldon.” I knocked twice. There was no answer, so I turned the handle and walked in.

Alexander was asleep at his desk. His head was resting on his arms, and he looked as if he were very uncomfortable. Various stacks of paper surrounded him, creating a sort of wall between him and the rest of the world. The sight of him made me smile.

“Time to wake up, Alexander,” I said loudly, leaning against the door frame and crossing my arms.

Alexander’s head popped up and peeked out from behind the mass amounts of paper. His unruly brown hair stuck up in various places. His big, brown eyes drooped with unfinished sleep. Running a hand over his face, he glared at me. “Shit, Simon. Don’t you know how to knock?”

I grinned at him, and teasingly chided, “Watch your language.”

“What is it? ‘Cause it better be good,” he said, sitting up straight in his chair. “This is the first time I’ve slept in two days.”

I pouted at him. “Poor baby.”

He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “I’m gonna need coffee before I can deal with you,” he said.

Making my way to a chair, I sat with my feet propped up on his desk. Alexander gave me a dirty look, then stood up and went to a table with a coffee maker and various other supplies. While he was making coffee, I took the chance to look around the room. Disorganized is an understatement when it came to Alexander. The plaques on the wall were hanging crooked, and his trashcan was overflowing with bits of paper. I wondered how he could meet clients with an office like this. I turned my eyes to Alexander. His clothes were disheveled, and he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Somehow I thought he didn’t lose sleep over it.

I’d known Alexander for about two years now. A private investigator by day, a lady-killer by night, that’s what Veronica liked to say. Women seemed to have a dangerous attraction to his boyish charm and carefree looks. Even Veronica and Ellie had a hard time resisting those innocent brown eyes. Me? I did just fine.

He sat back down in his chair. “Now, what is it?”

“Just wanted to say hello,” I said.

Alexander’s eyes narrowed menacingly. “You woke me up from a perfectly good sleep to say hello? You better be kidding.”

I smiled, and plopped my feet back on the ground. “I’ve got time to kill. And what’s more fun than annoying you?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Working, maybe?”

“I haven’t really any work to do until eleven.”

Alexander scoffed, “Lucky.”

Looking at all the paperwork laying about on his desk, I felt a stab of sympathy. Nobody likes paperwork. “Anything I can do?” I asked.

His brown eyes suddenly gleamed as he replied, “A back rub, maybe?”

I crossed my arms over my stomach and threw him a stern look. “In your dreams, pervert.”

He winked at me.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m serious,” I said.

“So am I.”

I stood up. “Forget it,” I said, turning to walk toward the door.

“Simon, wait,” Alexander said.

I swiveled on my heels to face him. He ran a hand through his hair. “I could, uh, use you as backup tonight,” he said with some difficulty. Asking for help from a girl decreased his manliness.

“Tonight?” I asked. “It depends on the client I’m about to meet. I’m not sure what they want.”

“Let me know?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

Alexander looked relieved. His expression immediately turned playful, though. “I hate to ask a girl, but thanks.”

I walked over to him, and slapped him on the back. He winced. “You may be surprised to know that women invented the signal flare, bulletproof vest, space suit, circular saw, and windshield wiper,” I smiled. “You're welcome.”

The phone rang, high and shrill. I didn’t look away from the magazine in front of me as I reached for it.

“Dahlia Simon,” I answered absently.

“Your eleven o’clock is here to see you,” Ellie’s voice came through the phone.

“Send them in.”

I flicked the magazine shut, and shoved it into a drawer. I smoothed down my crimson blouse and glanced at the time on my computer monitor. It was 10:59. I watched it turn 11:00 as the door opened. The client was on-time, literally.

At first sight, the woman wasn’t impressive. She had copper-red hair that fell to her shoulders in a dull manner. Her eyes were colourless, the kind where they could be brown, or even blue, but you couldn’t be sure. The peaches-and-cream complexion of her face was pretty, but average. She had thin lips that were glossed with a pale pink colour.

It was when she walked to the chair in front of my desk that I realized there was more to her than the first impression. Those bland eyes sparkled with life, and each strand of her hair glimmered under the florescent lights. She smiled, and it warmed me straight to the heart. She may have not been physically striking, but she had a certain presence, standing there. I shook her hand, and she sat down in the chair. She crossed her legs at the knee. Under her straight-leg jeans, I saw running shoes. Sensible, too.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Blaise,” I greeted. The file had only listed her last name. “I’m Dahlia.”

She smiled shyly, and said, “Please call me Lilynn.”

I smiled back politely and leaned back in my leather chair. “All right, Lilynn, what can I do for you?”

Her stunning smile faltered a bit, but it remained in place. “I’m not going to lie to you. You’re not going to like this. But I would like to you hear me out.”

The professional expression on my face dropped. Despite my misgivings, I nodded to acknowledge I would listen to what she had to say.

Lilynn drew a breath and let it out slowly before beginning. “First, I want you to tell no one about this meeting. I trust you won’t violate the client confidentiality agreement?” I tilted my head in acquiescence. “Good. Now, I’m going to pay you a very large sum of money to do as I ask, Dahlia. I don’t care what you do with it. You can give it to Montgomery Investigations, or you can keep it all to yourself. Either way, it doesn’t matter.”

I propped an elbow on my desk and rested my chin in my hand. Gazing at her thoughtfully, I was beginning to think she was right. I wasn’t going to like this.

“I want you to stay away from Damien. It—” she continued, unable to finish because I cut her off.

“What?”

“Don’t go near Damien—”

“What are you talking about?”

“Listen to me, Dahlia,” Lilynn huffed. She folded her hands calmly on the desk, eyes fixed intently on my face. I fell silent, muscles unmoving, frozen in place. “I’m going to pay you twenty thousand dollars just to stay away from Damien. Think about this.”

“Damien?” I asked disbelievingly, ignoring the ridiculously large amount of money she was offering me. “Damien?”

“Yes.”

Memories of the motel parking lot flashed before my eyes. I saw Damien advancing on me, I felt his lips moving up my throat, I smelled my blood on his breath. “Do you know what he is? What he’s done?”

“I do.”

I frowned at her. “Why do you want me to stay away from him?”

Lilynn said bitterly, “You don’t need to know that.”

“Maybe not,” I agreed, but added, “But I want to know.”

Sending me a cold and calculating look before answering, Lilynn didn’t look so friendly now. The congenial smile had disappeared under a layer of icy dislike. “I don’t want Damien to turn you.”

“Okay…” I said, more than confused. “Why not?”

She let out a strangled sound. Her cheeks flushed an unattractive dark red, contrasting sharply with the pastel pink of her shirt. “Because I want to be the one standing by his side, not you.”

I held up my hands. “Hey, I don’t want to stand by his side,” I said. “The position’s all yours.”

A dangerous expression crossed her face. “Yes, well, the decision’s not up to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Damien is infatuated with you. After he tasted your blood…” she trailed off, staring at a spot on the floor. She then muttered incoherently, “I could have prevented it. I almost did. I almost had it.”

I swallowed uncomfortably. My fingers fiddled with the scarf. Lilynn was still talking under her breath. It looked like she was trying to burn a hole in the floor with her eyes.

“Look,” I said, “I’ll try my best to stay away from Damien. I don’t particularly want to see him, but if he comes after me, there isn’t much I can do.”

Lilynn raised her chin and stopped muttering. Her face was impassive now. The range of emotions this woman had frightened me. “You better try your hardest,” she said, deadpan. “I’ll resort to a different method if you don’t.”

I gritted my teeth. “Are you threatening me?” I asked.

“I am.”

I stood up abruptly, sending my chair rolling behind me. I pointed a finger at the door, and said, “Get out, Ms. Blaise. I don’t want your money, and I definitely don’t want your threats.”

“You’re going to give up twenty thousand dollars?” she asked. She was trying to appeal to my greedy side.

I arched my eyebrows. “Out.”

She uncrossed her legs and got up in one swift movement. I noticed she was toothpick-thin, ribs defined under the shirt she was wearing. My eyes found her neck. It was covered in white scars. Multiple teeth marks had torn into the flesh. “You’re making a mistake, Dahlia. You don’t know what I’m capable of,” she warned. “You don’t know what I’m willing to do.”

“I’ve already told you I’ll try my best to avoid Damien. But I can’t make any promises. Like you said, the decision’s not up to me. So, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

Lilynn tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. She smiled. This one did not warm my heart, but chilled it. A few minutes ago, she had been warm, nonthreatening. Now she was sending threats in waves.

“You’ll come around soon enough, Ms. Simon,” she said, and walked out.

What was that supposed to mean? I stood there with my mouth gaping open slightly, trying to absorb what had just happened. Lilynn had offered me money to stay away from Damien. I didn’t need money for that. I would gladly stay out of his way. But if he happened to jump me in another parking lot, I didn’t think I’d stand much of a chance.

I sighed. I’d deal with that problem if, or when, it came up. No use worrying about it.

I walked out of my office, following in Lilynn’s footsteps. I came to a halt at Alexander’s office, and poked my head inside.

“We’re on for tonight.”

Alexander looked up from his paperwork and grinned. “Can’t wait, Wonder Woman.”

The smoke from Alexander’s cigarette curled through the night. The end glowed bright orange as he sucked in another drag.

“That habit’s gonna kill you one day,” I told him.

He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth. “You sound like my mother, Simon.”

We were standing across the street from a bar. The flashing neon sign read, “Six Six Six” with a picture of a devil.

“Is the name a sign as to what it’s in store for us?” I asked bleakly.

Alexander just laughed and took another drag. It was almost nine o’clock, and the sky was pitch black. The bar was our destination, but Alexander had insisted he needed a smoke before he could go in. I was leaning against the window of an abandoned building, chewing gum that had become tasteless thirty minutes ago. I was beginning to resent my offer to accompany Alexander as backup. I could be doing something so much more productive than this.

“Tell me what we’re doing again,” I said, toying with the charm bracelet on my right wrist. The fact that it was made of silver hadn’t escaped my notice.

“You’re not doing anything,” Alexander said. “I’m going in to wheedle some info out of a guy I know.”

“What am I here for, then?”

“To watch my back. But unless something happens to me, I want you to sit there looking pretty.”

“I don’t like looking pretty,” I complained.

Alexander flicked his cigarette away. I watched it roll into the night, the butt still smoldering. “Sure you do,” he said, putting an arm around my shoulders. “You just sit back, relax, and have a good time. I’ll do the dirty work.”

I pulled his arm off of me. “Fine. But if something goes wrong, I’ll be there.”

His teeth flashed white through the gloom. “Aw, I didn’t think you cared.”

“Do you want me to just sit there, sipping a martini, relaxing if you get beat up? Because I’d be more than happy to watch someone kick your ass. Maybe it’d knock some sense into you—”

“Okay, okay,” Alexander laughed, grabbing my arm and dragging me across the street. “I get it. You’ll help me out if I need it.”

He let go of my arm to open the door. There was a sign hanging on it that said, “Six Six Six’s Six Drinks for One Deal.” Try saying that three times fast.

A bombardment of stale cigarettes and alcohol met our noses as we walked in. To the right sat the bar, bottles upon bottles lined up behind the bartender. Dimness and smoke partially clouded the view of the customers. The hustle and bustle of the people was loud and boisterous, their rowdy laughter and drawling conversations muddled together. The air was warm and thick, and it felt like it would stick to your skin.

Alexander led me to an empty stool at the bar. I hopped up, slapped my hand on the bar, and grinned at the bartender. “Dry martini, please.”

He nodded, shaking his head and smiling at my overly enthusiastic manner. I swiveled the stool to face Alexander. He, too, was smiling. I shrugged. “What? That’s what they do in the movies,” I said indignantly. I had to raise my voice to talk over the noise of the people.

Leaning close to me, Alexander said, “I’ll be in the back of the room. See the big guy sitting in the booth?” My eyes searched through the tables and booths, and finally landed on a man with a shaved head and tattoos running down the length of his arms.

“Yeah, I see him.”

“I’ll shout if I need help,” he said, pulling back.

I nodded, looking into his deep brown eyes. He seemed confident he wouldn’t need my help. I hoped he didn’t, but had the Firestar tucked a holster under the gray coat I was wearing just in case. I had had time to go home and change into something a bit more comfortable. I had chosen a white, scoop neck t-shirt and a pair of washed-out black jeans. I added my steel gray coat to the outfit because it was chilly out. It was also useful for hiding the gun.

Alexander trotted off toward the man in the booth, and I turned back to the bar. The bartender had placed the martini in front of me while I had been talking to Alexander. I dragged it toward me and took a sip. The alcohol burned pleasantly as it slid down my throat.

Someone slipped onto the stool next to me. I shifted to give them more room, not really paying attention, until they spoke.

“Fancy meeting you here, Ms. Simon,” they drawled in an awfully familiar voice.

I slowly turned my head to look at them. It was truly the last person I wanted to see.

Damien was sitting there, his dark eyes scanning my face. A wicked smile was playing on those full lips. The lights in the bar were brighter than the security lights in the Sea Shell Motel, and I noticed for the first time that Damien had an olive complexion. It suited him well, with his naturally black eyes and gleaming white teeth. His russet hair was pulled into a ponytail at the back of his head, the tail long enough to brush the collar of his motorcycle jacket.

I looked away and squeezed my eyes shut. Lilynn Blaise’s words echoed in my head. I picked up my drink and glanced back at him. “Yeah, how about that?” I said as calmly as I could. “You come here often?”

Damien’s expression didn’t change a bit as he replied, “Sometimes.”

Taking another sip of the martini, I raised my eyebrows at him over the glass. “I bet you enjoy the selection of drinks they have here.”

His eyes swept down briefly to my neck. His chilling smile widened slightly. “Some nights are better than others,” he said.

I set the glass down, hands shaking slightly, and glanced surreptitiously around the room. I didn’t recognize anyone besides Alexander. That was both comforting and terrifying. It meant that Damien hadn’t brought any of his flunkies. It also meant that no one could come and help me. I looked at Damien, sitting there, all cool and collected, staring at my exposed neck. “Stop checking my neck out,” I snapped.

Those black eyes moved up to my face. “Forgive me,” he purred. “I was just remembering the taste of your blood on my tongue. So delicious, so sweet—”

“Shut up,” I hissed. I slid off the stool, preparing to leave, when his hand on my arm stopped me.

“Stay, Ms. Simon,” he commanded.

“No,” I responded, “You stay. I’ll go. Pay for my drink, will you?”

Damien laughed gently, the sound caressing my senses. His hand steered me back to the stool. I sat back down unwillingly, and he let my arm go. Licking his lips, he stared at me.

I fiddled with the napkin underneath the martini glass. “What do you want, Damien?” I asked tiredly.

“I just want to enjoy this lovely atmosphere.” He waved a hand, indicating the smoky bar.

“That’s not true and you know it,” I said.

Damien smiled, revealing a flash of fang. “Perhaps,” he said vaguely.

“What are you here for?”

“I’m here to make you an offer, Ms. Simon.”

“An offer, or a demand?”

“It depends. It is what you make it to be.”

“Cut the crap,” I said, twisting the stool to face him straight on. I met his eyes, trying to decipher the expression behind them. “Just tell me whatever the hell it is you want to tell me.”

Amusement twinkled behind his eyes. He said, “Very well,” but didn’t say another word for a whole minute.

I looked at him expectantly. “I suggest you get on with it.”

“I’m going to give you a choice,” he began, eyebrows raised to emphasize his point. “After tasting your blood, I realized you belong with me. I haven’t found blood like yours in centuries. When my mate, Masata, was killed, I traveled the world to find someone like her. Tasting everyone and anyone to see if they could replace—”

“I bet you did.”

Anger flashed across his hauntingly beautiful face, disappearing in a matter of moments into indifference. “If you do not wish to hear my story, then that is fine. My offer is simple: join me or suffer the consequences.”

I frowned at him. “How is that an offer?”

“I’m letting you choose between eternal life and eternal death.”

I stood up. “No.”

I was halfway to the door, pushing my way through the crowd of people, before Damien came up behind me. I stood there, frozen, the people moving around us like we were merely an obstacle. Pressing his cheek against my hair, he said in a voice so low only I could hear, “Let me make you one of us, Dahlia.” The way he said my name was intimate, a passionate whisper. “I could show you things you’ve never even dreamed of.” His breath tickled the sensitive spot just beneath my ear, and I shivered.

I replied hoarsely, “If I did want someone to bite me, it wouldn’t be you.”

A growl escaped his mouth, and he shoved me away from him. We were still within touching distance, though, with his muscular shoulders blocking my view of the rest of the bar and his fangs at eyelevel. He stared down at me, and I stared right back.

“You would choose death over me?” Damien asked slowly.

I didn’t have to think about it. “Yes.”

“I’ll have to persuade you otherwise. I do not wish to kill you, Ms. Simon. But I will hurt you. And I will hurt the people you love.” He stretched a hand out, nearly touching me.

“Uh-un,” I warned, my own hand vanishing behind my coat, resting on the butt of the Firestar. “I’m not helpless this time, Damien.”

Damien’s eyes raked over the gun. He smirked. “A gun?”

“That’s not all,” I said. “Have you seen Thanatos lately?”

That wiped the smirk off his face. Good.

“I did not come here for you to make this hard for me,” he hissed. “You have one day to make your decision. I suggest you choose wisely.”

He turned and walked out the door. I stared after him, my breath coming and going heavily. My hand was still touching the Firestar. It took me a minute to come to my senses and walk back to the stool. My martini glass was sitting there, half-empty. I didn’t feel much like finishing it, so I just slid onto the stool and stared at it in thought.

One day. I had one day to figure out what to do. I could either go to Damien without a fight, or wait it out. I was worried that if I did nothing, Damien would retaliate by doing something awful. He had said he would hurt me, and, more importantly, the people I cared about. Choices, choices. Neither of my choices seemed too appealing.

Someone grabbed me, yanking me off the stool. I whipped around to find an excited Alexander. Behind him, I saw the bald man stalking his way toward us, his expression murderous. Alexander looked over his shoulder, and then back at me. His face split into a wide grin. “Uh-oh. Looks like the shit’s hit the fan.”

Great, just what I needed.

A/N: Hellooo! Well, I know it’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve updated. School, life, and a mild case of laziness prevented this chapter from going up sooner. I’m so sorry!

This chapter was quite a plot-advancing chapter. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty of Callum, Liam, looove, and action coming up :)

If you don’t remember exactly, Damian is the vampire that assaulted Dahlia in the parking lot. Once he tasted her blood, he kind of became obsessed. Alexander is a new character. He’s just a friend and work buddy of Dahlia’s. Lilynn is also a new one.

Again, I just want to thank every single one of you who reads and reviews this story. You guys are simply amazing. You are what inspire me. So thank you! Also, thank you to those who push me to update, sending me PMs and emails. I really appreciate you getting my lazy butt into action :)

Until next time (which I hope is soon!),

-Carm-