Rare Blood

Chapter Twenty-Eight: It's Not All Fun and Games

Roxy, Dmitri, Hector, and Tatiana broke into the diner where Faye Porter worked. They were able to get her social security number and a list of emergency contacts, Kimberly Porter and Melissa Taylor.  Kimberly had an address in North Carolina and Melissa's was local. They went to the local address first, and when they found no one home they broke in to wait.  At first, it was as awkward as Roxy had known it was going to be. No one was talking and Hector kept giving her looks when he thought no one was watching like he was trying to ask a thousand questions with only his eyes.

They were looks that she was pretending not to notice. Then there was the tension between everyone and Tatiana. It was palpable and on a steady up hill climb. The woman was a freaking time bomb and Roxy couldn't wait for detonation. It became apparent to her that all she had to do was push a little and hope Tatiana burst in front of Dmitri. He would have no choice but to see the Bitch as a liability and he would end her sooner rather than later.

Roxy wasn't delusional enough to believe she was on any kind of steady ground, but at least she had a goal she was willing to risk falling for. She glanced over at that goal to find he was practically caressing her legs with his eyes, again, and she was delighted. She was in awe of the power that just seemed to radiate right out of him. The things she could get away with at his side...

Every so often Dmitri's eyes began to wonder upward towards her face, then abruptly his gaze would drop and refocus at her feet. It was like he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, but she needed to maintain her uninterested facade so she kept her eyes averted as well.  She was feigning interest in something on the far wall which allowed her to see him without looking directly at him. The whole thing was working like a charm. She had him curious enough to be consciously trying not to look.

Roxy couldn't stop the grin that formed on her face and then she realized she was looking right at Tatiana who was giving her a death stare.  Roxy's smile widened and Tatiana spoke right up, "I don't know what you're smiling at, but you need to aim it somewhere else."

Roxy giggled, and then Tatiana lunged for her.

Roxy had no time to react because Dmitri, who was now the fastest Vampire she had ever seen, caught both of Tatiana's hands in one of his, halting her attack.

"You," he said, "are not permitted to touch her."

"Say's you," Tatiana spat in distaste as if she were saying he had no authority over her.

"Tatiana," Hector cautioned just like he did right before she cut off Octavius' head, only this time there was no sword and Dmitri was no feeble old man.

Dmitri smiled, "You seem to have forgotten who I am," and then he squeezed, audibly snapping the bones in her hand.  When he let go Hector was at her side trying to assess the damage, though it would start healing in a matter of minutes and Dmitri said, "That goes for you too Hector. I don't want to see you throwing her anymore of those looks you've been giving her. At this point, Roxy is worth more than either of you."

Roxy hadn't had someone stick up for her that way since Dominique.  She had to hold back the urge to jump up and down in a joyous outburst like a child just given a puppy.

Fuck you, and fuck you, she thought at Hector and Tatiana like they could mentally hear her checking them off. Then suddenly the energy in the room shifted. Dmitri turned to a statue with his ear up, listening, like a dog. They all stopped moving, and after a moment she heard it too. A car was almost out front. Someone was coming home. Dmitri reached out and caught her hand pulling her over so she was next to him as he leaned back against the wall next to the front door. He signaled for Hector and Tatiana to be on the other side where they waited with their death like stillness until a male and female entered, and closed the door behind them.