I looked around to see if I could at least figure out if I was still in Louisiana and after several minutes I realized that I wasn't. The thing that brought me here was sitting in a patio chair watching me with a wary expression on it's face, maybe it thought I was going to jump. I might be scared, angry and disgusted but I wasn't suicidal. I looked over the rail and heard him move toward me and I backed away. I didn't want him touching me again; I wanted to forget the flight- I guess that's what you'd call it over here.
"There is no escape from here pretty lady." He said from behind me. "And even if you managed to get out of the house, you wouldn't get far and you would hurt yourself and that would upset your groom."
"Groom?" I asked turning to face him.
"Yes love, your intended."
"I don't have an intended!" I retorted.
"He'll be here shortly and he would like for you to be presentable. I believe that everything you need has been provided for and there is a change of clothing on the bed."
I stared at him; I wasn't going to get presentable for anyone!
"Kiss my ass!" I hissed.
"Was that another invitation?" he drawled.
"No! Touch me again and I'll tell my intended!" I screamed not knowing what else to say.
The thing shrugged its shoulders; it really didn't seem to care.
"Go ahead, I could care less if you tell him or not. As I mentioned before, he doesn't care as long as I don't stick my cock up what I am sure is your delectable pussy and ass."
"Oh fuck." I murmured as I backed away
He gave me a lopsided grin that under normal circumstances would have been incredibly sexy.
"Here are your choices," he said still grinning at me, "You go in there and get ready of your own volition or I help you. Please, go ahead and refuse, I would like nothing more."
"Where's the bathroom?" I whispered.
********
Gremlin and I met in front of the hotel and compared notes. None of the vampires that I had sensed were Regina's brothers which begged the question where in the hell were they? It was now one day before Regina's birthday and time was getting short. It was already past one am and I could tell that Gremlin was anxious to see and tend to his mate. I have to tell you that I was jealous of him, the only way that I could touch Regina was under compulsion and that is hardly satisfactory.
We agreed to go check on the women and to reinforce the compulsion to sleep if necessary and to continue to search for the brothers. I was also going to call Olivia and have her make preparations to ward the house. Once that was done we would take the women there and Gremlin and Annie could have some much needed privacy.
Both of us scanned the hotel and thought it strange that there was no one watching it. A feeling of dread filled my stomach as both of us flew up the stairs and into the room. Annie was still asleep exactly where Gremlin had left her but Regina was gone.
I looked in the bathroom and out on the patio, how could she be gone? How could she have woken from the compulsion? And where could she have gone?
"She left the hotel." Gremlin said in his raspy voice. "Tremaine took her; I can smell his stink from here."
I made myself calm down and inhaled deeply. Gremlin was right, Tremaine had taken her and wherever it was, it was away from New Orleans, as a matter of fact, it wasn't in the state of Louisiana. I was glad that I took blood from her, it would take me some time but I could find her. Once again the ability to be out in the daylight was going to be to my advantage. Neither Tremaine nor Micah Lannister had that ability and I was certain that Regina's brothers didn't either. I just had to figure out which direction they had gone and leave, they had a good four hour start but I could make that up in no time.
Gremlin was sitting on the bed next to Annie who was still asleep, he wasn't going to go with me and I didn't want him to. Annie was his first priority and was still in danger until he did what he needed to do to ensure her safety. Micah wouldn't dare come after Gremlin himself but he would go for Annie and there was no telling what he would do to her once he got her.
As I prepared to leave Gremlin did something that was amazing and surprising at the same time, he stood, walked over to me and bit his wrist so that he bled and offered his bleeding wrist to me. What did that mean? It meant that I would always know where he was. It meant that Gremlin, a cold hearted killer trusted me not to betray him and that is no small thing. I reverently bowed to him and took his wrist in my hands and drank.
"I thank you for your trust in me." I said my throat tight.
I then bared my wrist which was pencil thin in comparison to his and bit into it. I offered my wrist to him as he had offered me his but because of the great difference in our height, he dropped to one knee, bowed his head as a show of respect before taking my wrist in his hands and drinking. We were now linked for eternity, as with Regina, I would be able to find him anywhere and he me but I had to know why he decided to trust me.
"My Annie loves your Regina; if anything happened to her she would be inconsolable as your Regina would be if anything happened to Annie. The best way to protect both of them is for us their mates to be linked together, now go find your mate. When and if you need me I will be there."
I don't mind telling you that I was speechless; this had to be a first. I thanked Gremlin again for his trust and went to the window. I closed my eyes and searched for Regina, after a moment, I knew which way they had gone; north. Which state I didn't know but if I had to guess I would say Arkansas, it only made sense as it bordered Louisiana. In a flash I was gone, in a day or two; either I or Micah Lannister would be dead.
********
Annie
Reggie and I have always been close. I had no sisters and neither did she so we became as close as sisters. Either she was at my house or I was at hers which is why it hurt when her parents wouldn't let me go to New Orleans with them. I remember that both Reggie and I begged and pleaded to the point of Reggie refusing to go if I couldn't go with them. Her mom, my aunt got this panicked expression on her face that I didn't think about at the time but now....
Anyway, I didn't go and Reggie promised to bring me a gift- something with Vampires on it. You see, even then I loved vampires and things like that to the point where I believed that they really existed and before Reggie went on that trip she liked that kind of thing too but not to the extent I did. I think that even though she really didn't believe in the supernatural, it still scared her a little.
I remember the day that they came back; they hadn't been gone for long. When I asked Reggie why they were back so soon, she said something about Danny and Eddie being lost in New Orleans and after that she wouldn't talk about the trip at all. Whenever I mentioned vampires, she totally freaked out but here's the weird thing, soon after they got back they moved. When I say soon I mean days after they got back and.... I never did see Danny and Eddie. Reggie said that they were on punishment because of what they did on the trip and weren't allowed to come out of their rooms. I didn't think too much of it as those two were always being punished for something.
I asked Reggie where they were moving to and she said that the Lannisters, the people her mother worked for bought a new house and that both of her parents were moving to a small house located on the property. Even after they moved Reggie and I stayed close with me even spending the night over there a few times. What I thought was strange was that everybody was up at night. Now you know that I love vampire stuff so... I thought that they were vampires-the Lannisters I mean. Did I have any proof? Of course not, but still the signs were there.
Then the boys were gone off to college and Reggie's parents were killed in that horrible car accident. The boys came home for the funeral but they didn't seem quite like themselves but then again it had been a while since I'd seen them and people do change. Both Reggie and I went to the same college with the Lannisters footing her bill and me doing the work study/ grant/loan route. We both graduated with degrees in social work and even got jobs at the same agency.
The last time I recall seeing the boys was... two years ago I believe and they were... odd? But then there was Micah Lannister, talk about a dreamboat! He was there the last time I saw the boys, as a matter of fact it was at the Lannister home. I don't know where the parents were but I do know that Micah Lannister only had eyes for Reggie and she wasn't biting.
You know, that was the last time Reggie saw her brothers, I know that they call her on a weekly basis from wherever they happen to be working but the phone calls never last for more than ten minutes tops. I know that you're wondering why I brought Reggie here knowing what happened here but I really didn't know what happened here. She never talked about it and not only that, I got this bee in my bonnet to come here, call it an obsession if you want but coming here was all that I could think of. I don't know when it started or how the idea got into my head to come here but here we are.
From the moment we arrived Reggie started acting funny. That night during the vampire tour she was over the top, she verbally attacked that cute man who I considered to be a friend. There was one thing that I did know something was happening and I was the one that brought my cousin, my friend here and if anything happened to her, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life.
Gremlin
I could do nothing more for Delgado than I did. This fight is his but I will help him if the odds are not in his favor. Just because I am a killer it does not mean that I am without honor or that I do not have a sense of fairness and as I told Delgado, if it would help to keep Annie safe and happy then I will join with him. I guess that answered the question as to my profession, I was no longer a killer for hire and I was at peace with that. I now had what I needed to be able to leave my life of violence and move to a new kind of life. Did that mean that I wouldn't kill again? No, it meant that I would no longer do so for money, if I kill it will be to protect my Annie, her cousin and even Delgado as they are now my family.
All I could do was wait and tend to Annie. I had no doubt that when I told her of all that had transpired that she would take the responsibility on herself when none of it was her fault. She was just a pawn in a much bigger game and to punish me for my betrayal, the Lannisters will try to take her. She will not be safe until she is completely mine and once that happens no one will dare to touch her for she will be protected by all of my kind.
When I looked at Annie, I saw such beauty and kindness. She will be a good mother to my children and a good mate to me. It was time for us to finish what we started and then when the time comes for me to help Delgado, she will be safe. I don't look forward to telling her about what happened although I think that on some level she knows that things are not right, I am anxious for this to be over.
I woke her with a word and a kiss, the smile that she greeted me with was beautiful. When she looked at me, I knew that she wasn't seeing a cold blooded killer for hire, she saw her mate, the one who would keep her safe and love her always.
"Are you ready for me?" I asked.
