Death Bite (Peterick)

Part 8: When New Jersey Boys Attack

Patrick's POV:

I didn't know what time Joe was going to show up but, my stomach was growling for some sort of nourishment. Now I regretted not taking any of Pete's food with me. Once it was 11 p.m. I concluded he simply stood me up, and I was going to head straight to bed. That was until a pair of gentlemen were knocking at the door. Being it was dark outside and I couldn't quite make out their faces, I assumed logically it was Joe and Andy.

"Ever heard of calling and texting these days?" I said, letting them inside.
The light hit them, and I quickly realized they weren't my friends. There was a taller of the two who blew his long red hair away from his eyes while the other, much shorter dark-haired man bared his fangs. Panic came over me as I realized their intentions.
"P-please. You don't have to do this," I practically begged.

     "It's alright. I'm Gerard by the way. Frank and I were sent here to ask you a few questions," the taller one told me.
I backed away until I felt a shelf behind me. There was no easy way to get out of this.
"Yes?"

"Do you know a guy named Pete Wentz?"
I wasn't sure whether giving them information on him was a good idea, but I didn't want to find out.
"No. Not at all."
Gerard came closer to me, parting his pink lips. I felt his breath hit my neck, and I tensed up.

"All you have to do is be truthful now. We won't hurt you."
"I...met him once. He saved me from a vampire."
"Did you see ever see him again?"
I shook my head to which he frowned.
"Frank, dear, how long has it been since your last meal?"

"Quite a while. I could really go for some fresh blood."
My body shuddered at the thought of dying in my own store to a couple of trashy vamps. Gerard yanked my shirt and pinned me up against the wall.
"Patrick, you seem like a reasonable kid. I'm going to give you one little chance. Did you see him after that?"

"Yes."
"Know where he lives?"
"No."
I had never been punched before despite me not being very popular in high school. Bullies seemed to pick on people lower than me probably because I had Joe and Andy as sort of bodyguards. Now, though, I was vunerable and exposed.

Gerard's fist impacted with my stomach, and I tried hard not to let it affect me although the pain was unbearable.
"I swear I don't know anything."
"That little fucker has been under William's radar for some time, and he could never figure out where he's settled. If you think I'm going to leave right now without even a hint you've got this all wrong, kid."
He hit me with punch after punch until I collapsed onto the ground, curled up into a ball.

"Don't you think that's enough, Gee?"
The sweaty vamp laughed and kissed Frank.
"When did you get so soft?"
"Maybe I need you to make me hard," Frank cooed.

I groaned in annoyance of what was unfolding before me so while the lovers were locked in a kiss I began to slowly crawl away.
"Hold on. We're not done here, Patrick," Gerard's foot pressed down on my leg immediately stopping me.
"Tell me where he is and we'll leave."

He leaned all his weight onto my leg, but I held back my yell.
"Ready to talk?"
It was irritating not being able to fight my own fight, having to depend on someone of more strength to do it for me. The simple, hard truth was I couldn't do anything for myself, and this was why I had ended up in such scenarios lately. Who knew I'd be living day by day avoiding threats beyond my own damn comprehension?

Although I literally owed my entire life to Pete, I knew he wouldn't blame me for ratting out his location. My very being depended on it. I uttered his address, and the pair of pricks soaked it all in.

"Happy doing business with you. Oh and your friends are locked up in the abandoned warehouse downtown. Make sure they don't come around our hang out again. Wouldn't want them getting killed over something silly," Gerard tossed two cellphones and a ring of keys on the counter.

I should've known it wasn't Joe who had called me, but I was being too naive to care. Quickly, I hopped up, snatching the items and ringing Pete.
"Missed me too much?" he answered.
"Pete, listen, this is serious. Two vampires forced me to tell them where you live. You need to leave. Go someplace safe."

He started laughing. I concluded he was insane for a split second.
"Don't worry about me. They won't come right away. I know William. He'll prepare an attack. By then I'll be ready. The real question is you. Are you alright? Did they nip you?"

"Just a little bruised and battered. They have my friends locked up downtown. I'm going there now."
"I'll pick you up, okay? I don't want you wandering around alone anymore."
"Oh? Since when did you become so protective?"
"Ever since he tried to kill you."

Then we fell silent until he hung up. Reality was such a bummer. It was strange how close I had come to death that day. Total fear and hopelessness was something I had come accustomed to recently. A car honk shook me from my thoughts, and I noticed Pete waving from the driver's side.

"First time I'm seeing your car. Don't take it out much?" I slid in and he started down the road.
"Well, I don't ever really need it since I can travel fast by foot. For rare occasions such as this it's a necessity."
He glanced over at me and sighed, "I'm sorry for all of this. It seems ever since we met you've been getting hurt a lot."

"I told you it isn't your fault. You need to stop apologizing. You're too nice. Toughen up a bit, Wentz."
"Oh now you're saying I'm not tough? Why do you think William wants me back? I left his gang so fucking long ago, but here he is using pathetic tactics to lure me back and for what? So I can be his best fighter again."

"You were kicking his ass that time at the bookstore."
Pete chuckled, "And I can do it again."
I watched the street lamps dance off the window shield while the steady sound of tires purred against the asphalt. Parts of my body slightly ached, but I was okay now. At least I hoped so.

When we arrived at the warehouse I highly doubted Andy and Joe were there, but true to Gerard's word the hunters were tied up and blind folded. Yet they were completely unharmed. Pete helped me get them loose and carry them into the backseat.
"They'll probably be unconscious for a while. Should we bring them back to your bookstore?"

I nodded. That way I could keep watch over them. If they woke up in a vampire's house they wouldn't take it too kindly.
"I didn't think in my plus sixty years as a vampire I'd be siding with hunters, but if they're friends of yours I'm glad I'm lending a hand."

"They're not bad guys, although they did lie to me about being hunters, but surely they couldn't have admitted to me that vampires exist. I would've laughed it off, told them they were insane. Now after all of this I'm not even upset. I'm just really fucking glad I'm living, that we're all living even if you don't consider what you are 'living'."
Pete smiled and turned the key in the ignition.
"If this is living then so be it."