I Hate the Way...

Part 36: "You Repulse Me"

A bit shorter update, since many of you wanted to see what happens with Landon.

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Hope immediately gets out of the car when she sees the man they've been tracking to this level of the parking garage.

Josie unbuckles and gets out, followed by Lizzie too.

But Hope turns to face them as she's already making her way over to this Landon guy, "Stay in the car."

Josie doesn't know why she stops in her tracks, barely two steps away from the car. Though, she doesn't listen to her wife entirely, as she still remains outside the car.

And Lizzie definitely listens, given that it's her fault Hope's having to deal with this in the first place.

Hope limps over to the man, who chuckles as he throws out his cigarette at the sight of her, "So, your girl's getting you to fight all her battles now? That's cute."

Hope ignores the comment, trying to keep this interaction as civil as possible, since Josie decided to get into the car with her.

"How much does she owe you?" Hope gets straight to the point, pulling out her wallet to pay this guy off.

He chuckles, "Well, yesterday it was $3000," Hope begins counting hundreds, but the man adds, "But today...I don't know, the charge might go up, inflation's bad these days, man."

She should've seen that coming.

The man looks past Hope, toward Lizzie, who cowers at his gaze, "Hey, I knew you'd be smart about this—"

Hope steps to the side to keep him from harassing Lizzie, "She is smart. You're the dumbass in need to be knocked down a peg or two."

Landon raises an eyebrow at her response, "I don't know whether to laugh or shoot you."

"Surprise me," She says, shooting the man a warning look.

He chuckles nervously, "Look, man. I just want what I'm owed. $4500, and I'll stay quiet about your arrangement with the sister.

She scoffs, "Let's make it 5."

She knows how these guys work. They have to be paid extra to really see results. And she really does want to keep this civil.

Landon grins at that, watching as the Mikaelson counts it out.

He holds his hand out with a smug look when she's done counting, but she pushes the cash into his chest, roughly, "Stay the hell away from my family."

With that, she removes her hand from him and turns to make her way back to the car, making the blonde heretic and Josie sigh in relief. They thought that was going to turn out much worse.

And they are proved to be right, when Landon scoffs at the Tribrid, reaching toward the side of his waistband, beneath his shirt, and pulling out a gun.

"Hope—!" Josie tries to get her wife's attention as Lizzie holds her back protectively, but Hope had already heard the sound of the gun being loaded. Hope quickly turns around and approaches him again, knocking the gun from his hands and onto the ground before landing a rough punch to his face, sending his back falling towards the ground.

So much for civil.

Hope is about to bend down to grab the gun, but Landon kicks his leg out, landing harshly against Hope's more wounded leg.

The Tribrid yells in pain, and Landon gets to the gun before she can.

Hope kneels down quickly, trying to reach for it, but a shot fires, a panicked Landon just a few feet away, sitting up on the ground points it directly at her, the barrel still smoking.

But Hope's fight or flight instincts have only ever leaned in one direction, so she lunges forward, grabbing Landon's wrist and aiming the gun upward, away from herself or her family, before twisting it out of his grip and into her own.

She aims it directly at him, his wide eyes and surrendering hands thrown into the air as she uncomfortably struggles to rise out of her kneeling position and to her feet, given that her wounded leg is throbbing after being kicked so roughly.

She huffs out a breath, finally registering the panicked yells of Josie and Lizzie behind her.

She kicks her good leg, landing it right to the side of his face, sending him backwards against the ground again.

And as he groans in pain, she removes the magazine from the gun, tossing it in one direction while tossing the gun in the opposite, "If I ever see you again, you're dead," She promises, before turning around toward the car, finally reaching up to acknowledge the gunshot wound on her shoulder.

"Hope—" Josie immediately breaks through Lizzie's grasp to approach her wife, but she's cut off.

"I told you to stay in the car," She says pointedly.

"You're gonna get yourself killed, Hope!"

Hope deflates. She really doesn't want to argue with the brunette right now, so she sighs defeatedly, "Get in the car, Josie."

Josie grabs her wrist as Hope is about to walk over to the driver side. Her eyes scan the blood on the Tribrid's shirt, "I'm driving."

Hope groans at that, but she doesn't argue. She just gestures toward the car, giving in to Josie's ultimatum as she escorts her to the driver door, keeping her eyes on the man sprawled on the ground just in case.

And when Josie is in the car securely, Hope makes her way to the passenger door, and Lizzie gets into the backseat.

"Hope, I'm so sorry—"

"Don't worry about it. He won't be bothering you again, okay? We're family. It's my job to protect you," Hope says seriously, turning around to face the blonde so she knows that she's being truthful, "Now buckle up. Josie's behind the wheel," She tries to joke to make the mood lighter.

Josie shakes her head as she drives out of the parking deck, "We need to get you to the hospital. You're shot—"

"It's just a graze, Josie. We're not going to the hospital. We're going home."

"Hope—"

"Josie."

The brunette deflates, shaking her head as she turns to head back home, "Stubborn ass."

Hope just sighs, closing her eyes as she leans her head back against the headrest.

And Josie glances toward her, out of the corner of her eye, "Thank you."

Hope's eyes open, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she looks over at Josie.

"Did Josie Saltzman just thank me?"

Josie rolls her eyes, "Don't look so smug. I really want to take it back now."

Hope shakes her head, "Nope. You can't take it back."

"You repulse me."

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I promise to give you, like, maybe one new answer in the next chapter : )
Revealing the truth behind the story little by little...