BLOOD DREAM (Ongoing)

3.2: We Have A Wide Selection Of Shovels

"Your GIRLFRIEND?!" Dorothy yelled inside the house. "I can't believe you dragged me into this bullshit! You're lucky I didn't throw you under the bus!" She pointed at him.

He'd never been interested in Dorothy like that. She was too headstrong. She was attractive, a little shorter than Sadie and supple in the arms and thighs, but too loud. Too difficult. The kind of person who took shit from no one, which didn't mesh well with Theron and his control issues. Besides, she was Liam's sister, and it was their pact of friendship that made sisters out-of-bounds. Well, it was supposed to.

Theron rolled his eyes. "I needed an alibi and you happened to drive up. What are you even doing here?"

The feisty Hill sister marched up to Theron. "Uh huh. So you're gonna fuck me over just because it's convenient for you?"

"I was on the spot!" Theron snapped.

Dorothy shoved him. "I'm really gonna kick your ass now!"

She used to listen to him. She used to respect him. What happened to that?

Theron pressed his back against the kitchen counter. "Enough!"

"Get fucked!" Her wrath cleaved right through him, her fist hard in his ribs.

"Dor!" Liam interrupted.

Theron acted on instinct, his quick anger turning physical. He grabbed Dorothy's arms, but she slipped free and slammed her knuckles into his cheek. The pain just made him angrier. He grabbed her again, this time twisting her arm behind her back. Dorothy howled and stomped on his foot. Theron let go, then Liam wedged between them, pushing them both away.

"You're a stupid asshole for going after Sadie!" Dorothy shouted behind Liam's palm.

Theron showed his teeth. "Fuck you, Dor! I asked you what the fuck you're doing here."

"I came to make good on my texts!"

"No," said Liam, "we're just here to pick up some things for Kitra."

"What and why?" demanded Theron.

"Her safety pack," said Liam.

"We're hanging out later," said Dorothy.

Kitra's safety pack, which included a first-aid kit and her lupokitene among other emergency tools in the event she found herself in danger with the Dire. Theron burst like a thundercloud just thinking that his sister had become their favorite friend. He met Liam's eyes, summoning all his strength not to rip him apart. "Hurry up then. I have to get ready for work," he said venomously, whipping away.

"Theron," Liam followed.

But his friend's footsteps behind him only inspired rage. "Look, I'll go to Frank about the police," growled Theron, electrical stare lashing at Liam. "I'll handle it, so just fuck off."

"Good," said Dorothy.

"That's fine." Liam raised his hands. "I wanted to talk about Kitra."

"I don't have time," said Theron. Nor was he interested in Liam poking around trying to get his blessing or whatever. He made his way to the bathroom while Liam followed him and Dorothy went to Kitra's bedroom.

Liam hovered in the doorway. "I just thought if you're going to talk to Frank, you should let him know she's getting involved in the hunt for Sadie."

Of course. Liam was probably the first person she texted after Theron agreed to vouch for her. "It's on my list," he said, pulling off his sweaty tank and tossing it on the floor.

"I'm going to protect her," added Liam.

As if Theron wasn't capable of protecting her? "Because every Dire wants a helpless little human for themselves, don't they," muttered Theron. He unzipped his shorts and dropped them too.

"I'm protecting her for you," said Liam.

Theron stormed up to Liam, leering down at him like Officer Rush had leered at Theron. He needed to make somebody else feel small to compensate for it. "That's a nice sentiment, Liam, but Kit's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. You'll only get in her way."

Liam's nose crinkled. His bottom lip dropped a centimeter to inhale the sweat-saturated air between them, Theron's dense chest just a breath away from Liam's quivering lungs. "I hope you're right," said his friend.

But Liam didn't flinch or shy away like Theron hoped. He half-smiled at Theron, looking nervous.

I'm not gonna let him walk all over me, Theron remembered. He stared at Liam, feeling like he was losing his grip and Liam would be the one to take his hands and throw him off the ledge. His violent impulse was to put Liam's head through the wall, or give him a matching scar under his other eye, and maybe Liam felt that; the sparks flinging from Theron's stare eventually pushed Liam backward. Then Dorothy emerged from Kitra's bedroom. "Got it. Let's bounce," she said.

Liam stepped after her. "Can we talk later?" he asked over his shoulder.

No. Don't even fucking look at me. I don't want to have anything to do with you, or Frank, or anyone. "I'll text you when I'm free," grumbled Theron.

Liam's smile brightened. "Okay. See you, man."

He was so overwhelmed with anger he didn't know what to do. Once the front door closed, Theron got out of his underwear and stood in the shower and boiled. He didn't know why he got so angry so quickly. This was why they alienated him, because he alienated them first. It wasn't like he meant to drag Dorothy into this mess with the police. Theron just kept digging deeper and deeper holes that he didn't know how to get out of, and nobody cared enough to extend a hand.

And it was his own fault they didn't care.

Later that evening, as he paced alone in the lobby of a vacant building—a three-story retail and office space uninhabited because of high repair costs—Theron found himself dwelling. He wondered what would happen if Sadie showed up here. Then she would certainly murder him, which he'd been gauging lately whether or not he deserved (he did) and was so heartbroken by it that he blocked out Sadie and thought back to Liam. He had no other outlet besides chewing his nails and his cuticles were starting to hurt. What did Liam want to talk about? Kitra, probably. He knew exactly what this conversation was going to be. And the fact that Liam was so cheery about it just fed his anger to the point that, by 7 PM, he caved and texted him. I'm bored. Talk?

The response came just a minute later, You in the exchange again?

You're not coming down.

I am :)

Theron sighed. The building was barely big enough to hide a person from the other guard stationed here. But sure, whatever, fuck Theron I guess.

He rubbed his face, double checked the angles of the security cameras, and waited in a blind spot by the back door.