Of course, even though she and Felix returned to the house in record time, it was a good two hours later before Hannah had finished her getting ready. One would think a simple switch of clothes would only take a few minutes at best! But the redhead had agonized over the right sort of outfit, even texting Juliette for permission to raid her closets before she settled for something inside her own suitcase.
When she finally wandered her way back down the stairs, her hair let loose into tamed curls and wearing a dress that she hoped said ‘lets have sex on the beach but in a romantic way’, Hannah had a renewed sense of energy for the evening’s prowling. With war paint on (well, beautifully applied makeup to match this ensemble – but not too heavy because she imagined it’d be a horror show if it got smeared around while making out) and heels tall enough to kill a vampire with. But maybe not those hot BDSM vampires, because Hannah was still banking on someone forgetting about the Augustus Ban and properly introducing her to him!
Dusting back some of the bright green tendrils that rolled in soft curls around the frame of face, eyes were far too busy staring across the couch at the old fuddy duddy himself. A little surprised to have waltzed into the manor to find Felix sitting there at all. Knowing he was a workaholic on a good day, she couldn’t believe he had actually agreed to well… babysitting duty! Naturally encouraging her to come in to plant her butt down on the sofa right beside and to lean in to see just what he was browsing on his phone. Finding immediate boredom when it came to simple news. Merely giving her the encouragement to detail that he was truly a old man in a young man’s body.
If it weren’t for that Irish blood kicking around in him, surely Felix might have turned into a wrinkled old prune!
Leaning now on the heel of her palm, she was left with the reason as to why Jordan had instructed Felix to be here. Which in itself explained why Felix agreed, he wasn’t prone to declining when Jordan asked him to do something. Probably because well, when Felix was called it was usually because he wanted the job done right the first time. Typically the man that was the ace in the hole, which was funny considering they worked alongside a hoard of vampires. Which hadn’t gotten the same approval as they as humans did!
“But nothing happened?” She asked just to be doubly sure, watching as he shook his head. Fingers idly scratching at the back of his neck since he was giving her the full attention of focus now. “I mean that’s good considering if Jordy is this wound up, either he knows something is liable to happen or he is trying to be pre-emptively on guard.”
The old vampire might be sometimes paranoid but she gave him credit that he rarely let such things run everything. If they felt Hannah was potential bait for David or something else, then she too felt a little better that Felix and Dominic were selected to keep an eye on the plucky woman. “Doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet.” Replied the retired cop looking at the furthest wall with a dull daze. “I’ve been digging into recent dealings with Emery and things have been looking a little spotty if you know what I mean.”
She did know what he meant. Drawing her penciled lips into a frown. Idly picking at the crop hem of shirt like it would suddenly unravel additional information. “You think she’s trying something?”
“Dunno… but wouldn’t say she isn’t either. We both know how she is practically frothing at the mouth for any reason to try and get things into her court. With all that is happening and the idea that Juliette’s ex is sniffing around too… it could be a match made in hell.” Felix blinked a few times to interrupt the stare into another dimension, bringing it back to her. “Just make sure you and Dom are on the alert tonight hmm?”
“Please, you don’t have to worry about us. You know Dominic is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Looks nice and fluffy but liable to rip your fucking eyes out if he needs too.” Maybe she shouldn’t be saying that with a grin. Considering how Felix was giving her that disappointed big brother style look. “What?”
Lifting a hand to press it to his lips, it was the sound of feet descending down the steps that told her why he was giving that look in hand with probably how she commented. With a breath she hummed. Pushing herself off the couch to wander to the archway, “Well look at that, all gussied up and ready to slay.” Myra beckoned at Hannah, “And here I dressed like mostly normal!” She gave a beckoning swipe of fingers to get Felix off the couch. Making him come up to stand beside her, “Ain’t she all prudy?”
He gave into a childish smirk, “I reckon rightly so!” Myra chuckled easily at that, “You just might have to go to a nicer club if Hannah is guna be this dolled up.”
“Oh god,” She broke character, “I don’t wanna go somewhere posh and pretty. I hate them stuffy snobs that sip at their fancy wines. Bleeeeehhhh!”
“Is it too pretty?” Hannah rejoined, pausing in the doorway too look down at the marbled pattern and general vibe of the dress, then glancing up to peer at Myra’s outfit, which was equally as foxy but a far more casual vibe. Everything in Hannah’s suitcases didn’t really scream casual. Dramatic evening romance, cozy romance, business romance… the most casual thing Hannah had was the tshirt she slept in.
“Oh god, it IS too pretty! I don’t wanna to look like you have to buy me flowers first, I wanna look back seat banging hot!”
Wretched! Hannah knew she should’ve pulled something out of Juliette’s closet. She could’ve easily made one of her lingerie pieces look like a night clubbing dress with the right earrings and a jacket. Except she’d have to redo all of her makeup to make the colors in Juliette’s closets and… ugh!
Hannah gave a heavy sigh, wrestling through her small moment of pouting.
“Ah well, there’s no time to change now. Don’t worry Myra, we’ll stick with the seediest of bars. I’ll just look like some sort of beach cougar on the prowl!” she chimed in with a laugh, pausing only long enough to eye Felix with a wide, you know what’s coming sort of smile.
“I’m surprised you’re still here, copper.”
Out came the snicker, giving life with the additional flick of hand outwards at the whole suggestion that Hannah didn’t want to look the type that someone had to buy her some arrangement of assorted slow dying greenery. “Well if you wanna look like you are ready to be introduced to the backseat while wearing that, you’d have to lose your underwear before the night comes to a close.”
A stern clearing of his throat was enough to suggest that Felix wanted no part of that conversation. Making her naturally laugh about it. Yet he seemed to be quick to grab onto more of the topic in the mention of seediest of bars. “Myra.” Again with that big brother commentary! Shaming her even if she looked up at him with a daring sort of gaze.
“Not the seediest places, I have standards. But at least to a modest nightclub. Don’t get your boxers sucked up your ass, Felix. Even I don’t want to deal with dumb drunks that don’t get no means no unless it’s packed up in a fiver.” Raising her fist for demonstration of said fiver.
He sighed. Loudly. The entirety of his body exhaling, simply missing bones flying out at the same time so he might collapse upon the floor in a pile!
“Also,” She continued with finger pointing at the marbled darling, “You can’t be a cougar. I think there is legit a age limit on that one, nice try though. As for why Felix is still here, he is our temporary driver. Dominic is guna met us down at the club, and rather than drive two vehicles… I annoyed Felix here enough that he agreed.” For effect she stepped closer to brandish a wily grin up. Earning a snort and a obvious push of hand onto her shoulder. Sliding her back across the floor.
“I know you are eager to be done with me, you will be shortly. But I did agree to Myra’s asking. One more stop and you’ll be scot-free.”
“Good enough for me. Then you can go home and catch up on your… t.v recordings?” Venturing a guess what he did though the man simply shook his head. Okay so he didn’t record things. That he was admitting.
“I too come packing weapons,” announced Hannah, holding up her clutch to pop it open and pull out the small canister of bear spray to quickly model for effect. It’d be a lot more effective than a fist to the face, and Hannah wouldn’t have to break her nails or her knuckles in the process.
A shame she couldn’t pull off being a cougar, though. At least there was momentary joy in pestering straight-laced Felix with all the declarations of their upcoming adventure. Hannah was glad to see Myra on board to this teasing, and seeing how far she too could tease the former cop. A rather sibling-esque relationship it seemed, with youthful myra being little sister and Felix somehow perpetually some ancient old man.
Hannah wondered if he were like this as a child too!
“I guess I’ll have to wiggle out of my panties at some point and stuff them into my purse to prove it,” mused Hannah, sounding far too serious about the suggestion. Of course she would never, but it was fun sounding the scandal in front of Felix. At some point he was bound to flush, and how fun would that be!
“I bet he’s going to go home and flip through old cold cases he has stashed in a box,” she whispered, all too loudly to Myra, while capturing her arm leading the way to the front door.
It was a colourful array of reactions. Both starting off with some dull blinking at the canister produced from the woman’s clutch. Turning to look at another so the break of unity could be had. Cracking down the middle as she took into bending right over in a burst of laughter. Gasping loudly for the phantom breath that wouldn’t come whilst cackling in mad harmony, leaving Felix to slap his hand to his forehead. Groaning as though he were in physical pain at the very idea that Hannah was not only carrying bear spray in her bag but that she might use it in public. Knowing how well that stuff sucked air out of a room and assured that no one would be using it for a good couple hours later!
Needing to brace herself against the archway frame less she fall actually on the floor, she dared to turn eyes upwards. Wiping against lashes to hope the laughter filled tears weren’t testing the waterproof nature of her mascara so soon. “If you pull that and have someone call the fire department hazardous materials, do not call me.” Felix declared in a loud no-nonsense statement. Proving he was rather serious about this! He would not come to try to bail them out if they were caught carrying such an item in a public space.
“Surely… they c-cant arrest us for that?” She stumbled not so sure her legs were ready to act their part, settling for temporarily crouching. Granted the way Felix looked at her now was just enough to say he wasn’t kidding. “O-Okay. Okay!” Holding hands up in a way that was hopefully enough to placate him, “I won’t let her use that. I’ll scuff my knuckles first.” In same breath she made a reach then for him. Thankfully greeted back as he cupped her palm to tug her back to shaky feet. Exhaling once more to stave off any further jovial drips but found it was going to be almost impossible the way Hannah was turning into a riot.
Mentioning so easily that she might just shimmy out of her undergarments, “Críost ar rothar… [Christ on a Bike…]” Felix once more groaned. Probably rather sick of this situation. If they weren’t careful, he was going to throw them out of his truck at high speeds just to be done with them both! Sure it would get him into trouble, but she almost suspected the older man was weighing the pros and cons. Needing to quickly divert any master plans developing as she in turn was grinning at Hannah’s proper approach.
Tagging on to her little commentary about just what Felix did when he was at home. Which was a shake of head at simple mundane DVR watching. And a sigh at Hannah when she mentioned going through old case files. “Why you two are so obsessed with my home life is beyond me. If you need to know, probably just go for a run and if Jordan has nothing else for me to do. Go play poker online. Riveting, I know.” He added on quickly less they make a point of trying to stop either of them from picking at him any further.
Which maybe she felt a little bad about. Doling out a there there pat to his arm. Pointedly ignoring the less than thrilled glimpse back but she was being tugged away towards the front door. Allowing Felix a moment of breathing comfortably while they could depart out the front portal. Listening to the telltale beep boop of the truck unlocking and starting simultaneously.
Either it was a show off move or it was a gentlemanly one. Not too bothered either way, she turned back to grin at the man closing and locking up the manor. “Do you know where The Wrecker is?”
“Unfortunately.” Replied the other, “Really… there?”
“Just ghetto enough but not too nasty that you’ll get stabbed trying to pee!” As if the motion of a thumbs up with her free arm was enough to quell Felix’s discomfort. “It’s fine, Dom will be with us.”
“I think you just might end up killing Dom once he realizes that’s where you are going. Turn him into a germaphobe within seconds.” Snickering at the very thought while she freed arm from the other woman, simply to open the front door for her.
“Chariot for you, madam.” Myra tightened her wily grin, “Try not to harass the driver too much, I’m starting to think he might throw us out while it’s still moving!”
Hannah had yet to hear Felix ever sound so no-nonsense serious, and found herself so dumbstruck by it, she missed the entire reason Myra was rolling in laughter in the first place. (It’s not like she’d actually have to use bear spray unless that psycho David showed up! She wasn’t INSANE!) Luckily, her panties comment had the effect she was hoping for, and it was right back to the delightful shenanigans she intended to sail on this evening.
Hannah and her stupidly high heels climb into the truck, even more awkward than earlier in the day now that she was wearing a skirt and it wasn’t as easy to move around. But she got there, scooting in and laughing all the while at the idea of being tossed right out of the truck while driving down the highway.
“I don’t know, he’s so worried about us going to a sketchy bar, would he dare toss us on the street?” she commented, leaning enough to make sure she could cast a wide smile at Felix through the windows. “If he dares to come pick us up later, we can just ride in the back cab and he can toss us around at his leisure.”
“Do you ever play real poker, though, Felix?” she asked with all curious sincerity, find that tidbit of information dropped quite interesting indeed. “Are you any good at it?”
As she managed to gather herself into the extended backseat and swivel around so she could peek through the console space back towards Hannah, her head was already nodding. “I think he would. Just probably in some nice neighbourhood at least. So sort of gentle about it but I think he would totally toss us out.” The drivers side had long since opened half way into her reply, the man of mention giving them both a obviously securitizing look. Deciphering the conversation from how much he heard but offering nothing back in commentary. “Or toss us around like uncooked corn later if he wants to come fetch us.” Probing further to see if something would come.
Either thinking of a good response or playing it off that he didn’t understand.
Simply shoving key into its ignition, bringing to life the semi-idle beast that the radio would flicker across the built in tablet. Flashing its logo before coming to the various simple options that caused her to suddenly reach between to start tapping at the radio stations. At least picking something rather than silence. Finding that she truly hated the quiet.
Short lived too as Felix was grunting at her to sit back down. Glaring additionally too until she was resting butt back into the bucket of seat. “Yes.” He stated to Hannah, “Decent enough to go to a few tournaments whenever I can and qualify.” Though he was still staring at her waiting for the buckle to meet its clasp for safety. Only once it was pressed in and Hannah was included did the driver start the movement of vehicle.
“He’s won some cash doing it too.” Myra leaned forward to press her cheek against the side of Hannah’s seat. “What was the most, fifty grand?”
“Hmm.” Was his response, not that it bothered her.
Simply cause she was grinning like the cat that got the mouse. “Did some nice reno’s on his mom’s place if I recall.” Felix glanced at her as if he wasn’t sure why that was important information. “Do you play poker then, Hannah? Or just the stripping kind?”
Felix was just a big over protective bear, of which Hannah would have loved to tease him more about, if she weren’t distracted with these new tidbits of knowledge. Renovated his mother’s house, did he? What a soft and squishy sweetheart! Myra was a fun fountain of useful things. A perfect coconspirator should Hannah ever need one.
“I’ve played poker a few times,” Hannah admitted, downplaying her enthusiasm about it quite a bit. “I’ve never played in a pro game or a tournament before, though. I can beat Juliette at any table at least. No stripping involve, usually, but I’m happy to have a game.”
Hannah didn’t bother to mention she’d made a good bit of pocket cash conning drunk frat boys out of everything in their wallets to help her pay for school. That was far from professional level and not likely to impress the very straight-laced, by the books, Mr. Matthews,
Plus, if she ever got to play cards with him she would enjoy the look on his face when she turned out hard to beat.
“So a former cop, a current king’s spymaster, a bodyguard, a chauffer, and a poker player that loves his mom! Is there anything you can’t do?” Hannah wondered out loud.
Lips puckered into a closed pressed grin at the reply to hear that Hannah had played a few times. If she knew anything about women –which she was one- the novelist in the front seat was keeping part of her reply covert. Not giving all the details which made her start wondering just what on earth she was gaining by keeping said info private. But she stole a look towards the driver. Lingering upon Felix as he was busy moving the truck into the intersection rather than them.
It couldn’t be, right? Right?
Surely not.
Eventually Felix was done safely turning them so he could give a fleeting look towards Hannah. “Sometimes tells me that you are the type to hustle.” He made it sound so seedy, “Pretty little thing that looks innocent, is usually not.” Now she started to snicker in the backseat. “More like bait for idiots. Swindle them out of their cash.”
Now she leaned even closer, “I think he’s been had maybe once or twice.” As if she had to express that, “Surely Hannah wouldn’t shake you down, Felix.”
“Hrm.” Which was more of a grunting answer that simply tickled her funny bone. Barely managing to cover her mouth with a hand as she caught him looking through the rearview at her. In a way that simply said shut up. Thankfully Hannah was there to take some of the heat off, “Plenty. I am human, I have plenty of flaws and inabilities.”
Did she interject? Of course she did! “Care to list them?”
“With you in the truck? No way in hell.”
“Oh come on, I won’t abuse them… much.” Felix scoffed to excel his point of disbelief. “Surely you aren’t that fearful of little ol’ me!”
“There are two of you in this vehicle right now. I ought to be on my guard.”
She was already fully grinning once more. Glancing between the two front seat bodies with a slow bubbling amusement.
At least for a few seconds before it was like watching someone hit the slo-mo on the television. The driver’s head had been angled forward but promptly drifted towards their right to peer through passenger’s side of the vehicle. Blaring lights of another car far too close for comfort and certainly coming at a speed that was intended on going through!
Hand over hand to alter the impact sight to avoid as much as possible the right door where they as young ladies were sitting, the sound of Felix cursing would have been comical if it weren’t for the replacing terror that sat in her gut like a explosive stone!
With a violent crunch, they were suddenly spinning. Truck whirlwinding across the roadway to batter someone else out of their trajectory before coming into a tumbling skid that took them into the median of the asphalt!
The cab filling with a dreadful smell of compressed gas containers that burst to release the series of airbags from consoles and window frames; combined with the hot static smell of electric circuits! She wasn’t even sure when she had practically ragdolled across the backseat but was then grateful the seatbelt in place. Certainly would have been thrown around if she hadn’t. Though her head certainly throbbed, guessing she strike it somewhere in their impromptu crash dummy re-enactment. “F… Felix? Hannah?”
“Get down!” Felix suddenly barked as he reached over to grab them each –not sure when he released his seatbelt- to shove both of their heads literally down. Only for the back window to erupt into shards as the peppering of telltale sound of gunfire broke through. And a pained growl –if one could call it that- coming from said bodyguard.
“Felix?!”
“Get Hannah out of here, Myra!”
Thank god for airbags, because Hannah was seeing stars for sure and had the oxygen knocked out of her lungs from the seatbelt, but at least she didn’t have a concussion on top of it. Car wrecks were a terrifying experience, and she’d been in one bad enough to change the course of her entire life. Yet for that some reason she was well adapted to know the Dos and Don’ts of a crash, how not to panic and how to safely take care of everyone while help was on the way.
That was NOT the case for sudden gun shots, however!
The pops didn’t at all sound like what she was used to hearing in movies, and at first she had no idea it was actually gun fire. Still, she let out a loud squealing shriek when Felix shielded her and Myra, only to stifle it real quick when the panicked though of they’ll aim at what’s screaming! crossed her mind. With fumbling hands she snapped off her seatbelt – but from there, Hannah found herself a bit frozen in place. Were they supposed to run out into the street with people shooting at them?!
Did Felix just get shot?!
What kind of crazy business was Jordan and now Juliette wrapped up in! Because this was SO not the modus operandi of that whackjob David Gates, who was more likely to be skulking around in dark alleys and mailing people dead birds in shoeboxes! They sure couldn’t be after her. Who’d want to kill someone that wrote adorable romantic porn for a living?!
“I still got the bear spray!” announced Hannah, with no earthly of why or if that would even be useful, but the girl being able to still speak while in shock had to be a plus.
She could hear it through the shattered back window, footsteps. Plenty of them. Though she wasn’t sure if it was other people that had been tugged into the accident or if they were approaching, just what mattered was the fact they were actually in danger now. It was no longer a laughing matter.
Though maybe she wanted to laugh a little bit when Hannah announced her secret weapon of bear spray! “Get. Out!” Was Felix’s less than cordial way of basically saying her idea was useless. Okay, not useless but not helpful either. As it would gas them too most likely if they didn’t book it out of dodge after pulling the pin to let out the noxious fumes!
Before she could say anything, there was a hard bang accompanied by a slamming slap of the kicked open drivers door against the front of the truck. Unsure if the hinges broke because of the accident or if Felix was really just that angry! At least if he was pissed off, then he wasn’t bleeding out because he had been shot. Hopefully it was minor. “Myra!” he yelled again.
“I’m going asshole!” So that was a little rude but she didn’t like being called in such a way when they were basically flying by the seat of their pants!
Still at least she had some decent shoes that were used probably in the same way as Felix had. Kicking at the back door till it opened with some leverage. Certainly less graceful as she nearly fell out –the world making a ugly tumble- as she frantically pinwheeled arms around to keep her balance. Stepping back to the crumpled state of the truck –silently grateful the gas tank wasn’t on this side- before looking at the door of Hannah’s spot. “C-Come on!” She shouted making a reach for what had been the handled. Tugging on it one moment and cowering down the next at a few more loud shots were promptly being let loose. “Fuck fuck fuckity fuucck!” Using her body weight to pry the placement open, once more she was nearly on her ass. As the space gave way for her to scramble up and grab whatever first was possible on the writer. “We need to go, now. We need to call Jordan.”
Oh he was going to be pissed, she knew that. Especially as there was some rather obvious noises trailing closer that gave way they weren’t being targeted by some rogue human, but their less than mortal friends.
Just who the hell betrayed the coven… actually… she already could venture a guess.
“Han-aah!” Breaking into a startled cry as the front of the trunk bounced due to the pouncing presence of something bent on all fours. Peering through the cracked windshield and slowly deflating airbags. Glinting rings of bright red peeping at them. “O… oh shit…” A grin overtook the unfamiliar face one moment and the disgusting spread of vermillion erupting through its head came second! Eyes rolling back to face plant itself into the hood before sliding off. Spray splattering across in a violent projection with bits of gray matter that she didn’t need to guess came from a certain organ.
“What the fuck are you still here for!” Felix barked somewhere nearby, not like that was helping her wanting to run any faster!
Cool! Cool. This was Cool! Totally fine! Everything was good! Hannah was absolutely not losing her mind in a panic and probably going to get murdered by the mafia as collateral damage in some sort war of kings. Super not a big deal at ALL. She certainly wasn’t a second away from hysterically laughing because apparently Felix kicking open his door was kind of hot, and he and Myra shouting at each other being adorable in a crazy sort of way. This was a perfect normal way to feel, yes.
No. Nope! Sure wasn’t!
“O-kay~!” she chirped in the highest of squeaks, kicking off her glorious heels, because she was not about to run in stilettoes like some horror movie bimbo, then to trip somewhere with a broken ankle and then get dragged away somewhere in the night. Shrieking again when something, someone landed on the hood of the truck only to get shot dead right there in front of her eyes.
For a second she might’ve blacked out. Hannah might’ve genuinely died right there in that moment! Whatever it was, autopilot kicked in – partly by Myra as she grabbed Hannah’s arm and pulled, and partly fueled by Felix shouting at them to go. Either way, she was sliding out of that truck onto her toes. Following Myra without a lick of hesitation, despite the fact she’d seemed as pale as a ghost!
She had a short thought that maybe they ought to take the flung to kingdom come heels with them. Their points seemed like they might work as great stakes but that was a very fleeting thought. Partially due to Felix being mister bossy pants and using the f-word like it was a damn comma! It was time to go, especially when the little firecracker of horny novels was met with a very nasty dose of reality that wasn’t about to be simply swept under the rug! It was too bad that Hannah wasn’t a dumb blond, because she was sure later she might be able to just dangle something shiny in front of her to distract her from the new reality tearing open in front of them.
With a cinching hand swivelling over to grab upon hand instead of arm – not about to look like she was dragging the girl out for a beating- there was next to no time from slipping from the truck to straight bolting like mad humanized deer! “Run… run!” The night’s newest mantra as she didn’t bother to even dare a look back across her shoulder. Rather looking forward and making a pointed choice to get them out of the median where the truck had come to rest in its newly face-lifted way; knowing there were in fact traffic cam’s somewhere nearby. There were intersection lights just a block away that they well… they had to run too.
Not even rogue vampires were stupid enough to let too many people see them. At least if they had a sense of preservation, they wouldn’t! “We have to get to the camera’s!” She declared, disregarding whether or not she was dragging Hannah or not. Simply tightening her grasp on the modern age pretty woman to assure they wouldn’t be separated.
Making use of that free hand to fish into pant pocket. Practically feeling the icy breath of something lurking after them like some shitty ass nineteen eighties horror film. Willing the adrenaline and terror alike to make her feet pump like they had never before! Certainly not making it easier for her to get the damn smart phone out, but it wasn’t like she could just stop and call a time out!
A horn blared as she made them run across the streetway of incoming traffic. Curling fist perhaps a little rudely to bang off the person’s front end before turning the middle finger up to certainly declare that they were the assholes instead of them “Dickhole!” Two girls running for their lives, man chivalry was dead!
“C-c… can you call Juliette?” she bumbled out giving up on this whole tugging her phone out of pocket. “O.. Oh! Throw your bear spray!” She suddenly realized. “Launch it backwards!” At least slow down the others since she was well aware that vampires had stronger senses of smell than they did. This ought to be a real treat. At least slow them down while the terrible sound of firearms were crackling off like a K-mart special Fourth of July behind them!
Hannah had never run so fast in her life. Honestly, she wasn’t an athletic person even in the tiniest sense and her favorite meal was frozen taquitos dipped in nacho cheese! Her ideal evening was sitting on the couch with a heated blanket and binge watching Hallmark Romcoms! She liked to daydream and write about adventure, not barefoot sprint for her life on the city streets!
Myra was smart though, when they were murdered at least the killers would be caught dead to rights on camera. Hannah could bet Juliette would hunt them down in her honor and bury them in court! The worth of her books would probably skyrocket.
“W-what?! But her DATE!” Hannah almost made the grave mistake of slowing down, but it was almost required when she let go of Myra’s hand to fight with her clutch purse. Why did she care about Juliette’s date? Screw Juliette’s date!
But first: bear spray.
When Juliette had given her the can, Hannah thought it was just like regular mace. You point and spritz, problem solved. It seemed Juliette had given her a chemical grenade to protect herself from David. Absolute insane overkill – at least Hannah would have assumed if she didn’t so desperately need it now! There was a bit of frantic screaming as she fought with the device’s safety, snaps, or pins, or whatever plastic nonsense that was trying to get her killed.
Once she heard the little hiss of gas escaping, she stopped dead in her tracks, screamed (for accuracy, obviously) and tossed it back from whence they came. Then with more squealing was grabbing onto Myra’s hand again for resumed escaped. Hannah DID not to linger around to find out how many goons with guns or otherwise were still chasing them!
There was not one miniscule of a thought, consideration or care anywhere inside the spread that was her being to think that they might be interrupting the date of Juliette and Jordan. Sure that if they found out about this after, they’d both be plenty frightened and fuming. Sure, it would suck that their time together was being cut dramatically short but this was vital! Their lives were on the line! By things that weren’t human any longer and she had to somehow try to dance around this truth while getting them to the intersection that felt like it was growing further away by every step forward.
“Damn their date!” Might as well have been her war cry at this point!
Though there came the recollection of the little eye watering, foul smelling mace that was tucked away as more of a joke surely than actual necessary tool! The very thing becoming the latter of that thought, as fingers were tugged away so she might unclip that little clutch to pull the unsung hero from it’s depths.
Giving her a chance to hop backwards a few feet as to watch the soon tossed and spraying opaque fumes out of its topside. Lodging away the screaming pitch of Hannah practically treating it like it was some old war grenade that needed a theatrical declaration from lungs! Making sure that little tidbit was nicely tucked into noggin to potentially later laugh at since well, that was funny. Just not right now.
What was good, was being able to use those few seconds to utilized both hands. Tearing the phone out of pocket to tap thumb as quickly cross the unlocking feature into the dial pad. Interlocking her grasp once possible onto Hannah as she came back to her. Giving them both the unspoken go to start running yet again. How the hell did hundred yard sprinters make this look easy and why did they think it was fun! They had to be insane.
Later! Think about their crazy antics later!
More gunshots paired with some animalistic cry was surely enough fuel to keep their legs running while eyes glimpsed down to the phone screen. Punching as hard as she could to dial and turn the speaker on to listen to the tone give them their bored ring. “Come on,” Hissing the words like it was going to help urge the other end to pick up any faster, a daring glance over shoulder was enough to see the plume of the spray rising rather broadly about.
Click.
“This had better be g—”
“Rogues!” She snapped off before he could even finish his sentence. “Felix is in the midst of them! Hannah and I are trying to get to the intersection of uh… 3rd ave and… and—” What the hell was the other street’s name! Why was she drawing a blank! “Fuck, it’s like two miles away from your place!” It was about as good as it was going to get.
“How many?” His tone had slightly changed. Still irritated but not aimed at her.
“Don’t kn— No!“
It was like watching someone kick a cat in front of her and being unable to do anything about it. The phone thrown from hand as she was unceremoniously knocked backwards due to the implant of a hard fist –at least she let go of Hannah not to bring her down as well – but she bounced on the sidewalk. Turning already sore head up to glare at one of them damn beasts. “Look what the cat dragged in?” A grin blared across his face, “A little mouse and a rat.” Guessing who was who was decently obvious. “Now which one will run away first, I wonder? Hmm?”
She didn’t know this one either. His face was unfamiliar but she could tell he was decently new to the fold of bloodsuckers. They tended to have darker red eyes than most.
Perhaps they should have saved the bear spray for now? “What the fuck do you want?”
“Oh… just to play. We were given instructions not to hurt, but we weren’t told how rough we couldn’t go, Castiel.” Hissing her surname with venom, it told her enough that this was at least a fledging that most likely came from one of the covens. Since well, they all knew she was one of Jordan’s advisors in the human sense. Much like Felix and the other two. “And well… we are supposed to bring that one back for some additional fun.” He turned to look at Hannah, “Don’t you wanna play mouse?”
A leading lady in one of Hannah’s books would have something real witty and clever to say. That lady probably would have put pieces of useful information together in the matter of a split second, to know exactly the right thing to do.
Hannah did not! Hannah stood there frozen, her only movement in being shaking her head NO vigorously. Her fist tight on her clutch with her other hand open almost like she was reaching out for Myra and plotting to pluck her up off the ground and run again. Running would have been the wisest move. What was she going to do, tackle the guy? But she very well couldn’t leave Myra at a lunatic’s mercy all alone – not when Felix was still back there, probably getting shot full of holes!
“Heeeey, little guy,” she croaked out in the softest most gentle voice she could muster. “Ssshhh, my guy, no need to freak out here. You’re real hopped up on the sauce there, huh buddyyyyy? Noooo need to get rough or anything…”
Cause he had to be super high right? Maybe on heroine or cocaine or that new crazy salts things that turned people into murder zombies. The lighting out here wasn’t great, but his eyes were super red and likely bloodshot with some sort of blood boiling rage or something! Surely he didn’t actually want to kill them, by the sounds of it. Just send a good scary message to Jordan with a little bit of vandalism and gunfire! A classic mafia hit.
“You did us a real good scare! I’m going to need therapy! How- how about you just go on and get away from that nice lady there and we just… just say you did awesome, okaaaay?”
Scraping her hands across the front of her pants to de-pebble them from the unkind throw to the ground the asshole had given her. Muttering something under her breath, most likely cursing the idea of vampires right now and the fact that there were these stupid little newbie’s running around with no obvious parent. Whomever was going out having themselves a snack fest, boy… she hoped they knew how to hide real well! Only able to imagine just how unpleased the king was going to react. Deciding that not even her most wildest of thoughts could articulate the carnage that might be very likely to happen.
Not only where they attacking them, but there was also Hannah here. A unaware human who was a vastly important person to the rising queen.
Nope… a blood bath was going to be the least of their concerns.
“Little guy?” The vampire asked in clear confusion, “Oh… oooohhh,” Dawning realization came into the man’s voice while she got herself up off the ground. Evidently not considered much of a threat. Another telltale trait of fledglings, they thought they were invincible. God they were dumb. Practically the same veins as human teens that acted like they knew everything in the entire world! “You’re a normie.”
“Normie?” Myra didn’t stop herself from taking the word and making it sound well, stupid. It was stupid. “Geez you are a new one, aren’t you?” Mostly rhetorical, his attention turned to face back to her. Partially the purpose as she didn’t want him getting the bright idea in this moment that Hannah was a delectable snack standing there waiting for his teeth!
Without much care or trying to play it off as coolly as she could that she wasn’t actually shitting bricks, fingers smoothed through the ends of bangs. Pushing them around as feet walked through the vampire to purposefully shove her shoulder into him. Making him take a step at least back though he was giggling about it. “You sure you want to do this, fleshblood?” She asked then before reaching for that hand that Hannah had stretched out. Making sure it could clasp onto her so it at least would hopefully act as a grounding tool. “I don’t think this is a good move on any of your parts.”
“Pfft.” Typical idiot, “If you are suggesting I or any of us ought to be scared of what might come, don’t make me laugh. Old news is just that. Old. Better for the recycling bin, now… how about you both just make this easy and come with me.”
Myra hummed, looking at Hannah for a prolonged moment. “It might be the wiser choice.” Glancing back to the vampire then, doling out scratching fingertips to the top of her left cheek. “If we go, will you call off the rest? Spare Felix?”
Shoulders shrugged, “I could put in a word. But no promises.”
“Of course.” You’d think they were just suddenly conversing about the weather rather than bartering what could and couldn’t be done! “Well, come take us away.” Holding out at least the free hand as though expecting handcuffs to materialize out of thin air, she nearly could have rolled her eyes into the back of her head when the dodo approached.
Releasing Hannah’s hand once more so she could raise her boot up and stomp it down on the guy’s toes. Slamming down with the full force of her body weight, pitching a wailing yip that came into a muffled oof as she counterbalanced on foot. Bringing down the one that had been her stamping tool to change it to support. Bringing her other knee hard up into groin once and shifting swiftly to drive it into his gut. Whine burbling out as he squeezed knees together to crumple over. “Might be fresh blood but still a dude with some fragile berries.” Taking back foot once more to kick him hard in the head since she wasn’t about to play nice –listening to the squeal released at the pain that erupted no doubt with the whiplashing impact- before looking at Hannah again. “Back to running, go go go!” She should get her phone but fuck it! Surely Jordan wouldn’t be sitting on the other line anymore!
Alright, Hannah was definitely missing some context here, but in her infinet wisdom, kept her pretty mouth shut while Myra took the lead. It certainly helped that Myra seemed to be perfectly calm and in control, which in turn helped ease away some of Hannah’s frantic panicking, even despite the situation. Oh, Hannah still wanted to be screaming at the top of her lungs, but she had enough of her wits about her to keep following cues!
All this normie and fleshblood stuff was starting to sound a whole lot like that vampire BDSM club, which really set Hannah into an ever deeper confusion about what exactly kind of mafia was this. Did it extend all the way into their kinky underground too? Was this some sort of fetish fueled mafia, where instead of gambling rings and arms dealing, it was sexy vampires and… well whatever it was Jordan was dealing! Nobody shot up trucks and tried to take people hostage over anything legal!
Myra, though, had elevated to Hannah’s hero. The girl handled everything like it was her JOB to kick people’s ass! Once Myra gave the order to start running again, Hannah made another squeak and did just that! This jackass was rolling on the sidewalk, but that didn’t mean his armed and dangerous buddies weren’t going to be fast on their tails.
“You’re dynamite! Amazing! A real stunner!” exclaimed Hannah amidst her running and breathless huffpuffing. “God, I wish my P.A. was this cool!”
He was surely going to be pissed once he caught his breath and located wherever ever his berries had disappeared too. She knew it. One didn’t have to be a immortal monster to be particularly feisty after having your dangly bits mashed into oblivion to know they were going to be angry as hell after. All she could hopeful was Felix was playing big strong distraction and vampire loser was praying to which ever God answered that he wasn’t suddenly a eunuch.
“Yeah well… I’ve been in a fight or three before with types like that.” As much as she didn’t want to admit too much, it had been part of the agreement for her to take on her father’s position after he stepped down. With Jordan being bluntly clear that if she couldn’t at least disable a vampire for even a few minutes, then she had no business working with him. At the time, she thought he was full of shit. Now… well he was still full of it but there was some truth to it all.
Just as they were running, her own thoughts were doing double time. Wondering just who in the world in the guess of the Hart Coven was making new vampires. It wouldn’t be Emery, surely. No… it would be too obvious and Jordan would catch on. Baby bloodsuckers were far too akin to newborns in their first stages. Needy little klingon’s to the one that turned them over, since they typically fed from the elder vampire to gain their strength. It would be hard not to notice a ton of them cozying up to Emery for a little nibble! So it had to be someone unlisted in her coven that had been doing so at least under her orders. If not, then this was a larger problem with some rogue twatwaffle that needed to be put down quickly!
“Remind me after to ask what the hell a P.A is!” Darting a look around for another vampire to come swooping out of the darkness, the distance of gunshots were at least something suggesting that the struggle with the crashed truck had to be enough. Which maybe there wasn’t that many… actually she hoped there wasn’t that many.
They might be strong but a bullet was still good enough to render them moot for a period. Knowing Felix, he wasn’t taken any prisoners if possible. One shot to the chest or head ought to be enough.
Slowing her steps as they approached the glowing lights of the towering poles, head tipped to look at the section of four red light posts. Making sure each one had a white little camera perched on top to keep a watch on traffic, Myra turned. Looking back to the scene in the distance as at least from here she could tell that there was only two vehicles that had been on them. One that had been the assault vehicle that speared them originally and another that had all doors wide open with high beams glaring. Another car half turned on itself was one that the truck had slapped into but she couldn’t tell if there was anyone inside. Giving a quiet hope that there wasn’t.
Less she get some bout of heroic drive to flush up in her body, she stared at Hannah. Pointing. “Juliette. My phone is gone to buttfuckville, and we have to stay in the light here. Under the camera’s, hoping that those dumbasses aren’t brave enough to have their faces all over the traffic cam’s.” The operative word being hope.
A car revved to life obnoxiously loud, demanding attention. Letting her look up to see the former car sitting with doors wide open was now three doors flapping and driving madly away as the notable view of someone standing in the dimness was aiming and popping off shots in the direction of its mad get-away.
“Way too much excitement, even for me!”