Keeping Promises #3
“I just found out the day before yesterday. Can I please? I haven’t seen her since I moved here and I really miss her. She’s an attorney so she doesn’t have time to visit often.”
“Nah-uh, new girl,” Johnny cut in. “We’ve all done our turn working holidays. It’s your turn.”
“Sorry, Emy. We need you to work,” Michael said, though his tone was nicer than Johnny’s. “Unless you can find someone who’ll take your shifts.”
“She looks so sad.” Nate hesitated when I turned my puppy eyes on him. He and Sean were the only two employees who had those days off.
“Please?” I leaned on the counter, making my cleavage more noticeable as I put on my saddest face. “I’ll love you forever and I promise I’ll make it up to you,” I said, placing a hand on his chest.
“Okay, I’ll take both days.”
“Yay!” I gave him a hug and peck on the cheek. “Thank you, thank you!”
“That was easy,” Johnny griped.
“What do you expect us to do?” Michael asked. “With the pout and the sad face—”
“And the,” Nate held his hands to his chest as I giggled.
“Thank you again.” I gave him another hug. “I owe you. Anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“Well, almost anything.”
“Almost anything.” Nate smiled. “I’ll take it.”
“I guess that worked out,” Michael said. He glanced at the time. “You’re off, Emy. You’re free to go whenever you want.”
“Really?” I pulled my phone out to check the time, then got sad at the lack of messages. I had kinda hoped Dennis would text since I hadn’t seen him in two days. Oh well. At least I was free for the day. “Bye, guys. Happy Thanksgiving! I’ll see you Friday.”
I hopped over the bar to leave, which was actually pretty fun. I could see why Dennis always jumped over it instead of walking around the side like a normal person. My phone rang as I walked outside, showing a picture of me and Ari making goofy faces. I answered and shouted her name.
“Emy, come over. I’m at the guys’ place.”
“What’s wrong?” I stopped walking as I reached Tuffy 2.0. She never responded like that.
“Nothing. Just hurry up?”
I got on my bike as I heard Sean and Mateo’s voices in the background. Both sounded unhappy, to say the least. “Is Dennis there?” I asked.
“Uh, yeah. He’s here. He’s… distracted,” she paused as Tuffy’s engine purred to life. “Just hurry up and come over?”
“Yeah, sure. See you soon.”
We hung up and I zoomed from the lot, driving even faster than usual.
Once I reached their building, I ascended the stairs two at a time, then opened the unlocked door to see Sean pacing the room, Mateo sitting down looking pissed, Ari sitting on the smaller couch fidgeting while she watched Sean pace, and Dennis nonchalantly reading a book.
“What happened?” I shut the door. Sean pointed to Dennis, who had a faint black eye. “What the fuck, Dennis, what happened?” I walked over and gently took his cheek.
“Nothing important,” he said. “It’s almost done healing.”
“Who’d you kill this time?”
“No one,” Sean said angrily. “He didn’t do anything for once. It was Melissa, pulling the same shit from the other day.”
“Are you serious?” I dropped my keys. “Why the fuck is she still bothering him?”
“Still mad about Kiro,” Mateo said. “According to her, she’s never gonna leave him alone. And he’s clearly not gonna fight her like she wants, so we left and came here. But man, I don’t think she’s gonna stop going on about this.”
“Hold on. Lemme get this straight.” My eyes moved to Dennis. “She randomly came up and attacked you? You weren’t arguing before or anything?”
“It looks worse than it is,” Dennis said. “She’ll get over it eventually and move onto someone else. I’ll wait it out.”
“He’s downplaying it,” Ari said. “We were right outside the bar when she came up and sucker punched him. And then she started ranting about how he’s gonna run home and get his bitch to do his dirty work—”
“She called me his bitch?” I asked quietly.
“Yes! It was pissing me off so bad but I obviously can’t do shit because I’m human and she’s like a million times stronger than me. I’m starting to hate being the only human around.”
“We’ll talk about that later. Dennis, why the fuck didn’t you come get me?”
“You were working. Anyway, it’s not a big deal. They’re madder about it than I am. I find her more of a nuisance than anything.” He turned a page in the book he was somehow still reading.
My fingers twitched as I watched him. Took in the slow-healing black eye. The way he didn’t seem to care while everyone else was upset on his behalf. A calm rage was building—I hadn’t felt this way in so long.
“I’ll be back.” I snatched up my keys and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Mateo asked.
“To find Melissa and rip her fucking head off. I’m gonna kill her.”
“No! Emy, no, don’t kill her.” Ari stood at the same time Dennis finally closed his book, watching me with interest. “She’s serious. I know that look, she’s gonna try to kill her.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “I am. Did you expect something different?”
“No? Yeah. I mean, I don’t—” she was stammering as I wrenched the door open and continued outside. “I thought you’d help Dennis feel better! Emery—!”
I slammed the door and set off at a brisk pace. I had already passed the pool and started down the stairs when their door opened. I glanced back to see Mateo in the doorway.
“She’s probably still at the bar,” he called. “I’d guess back alley.”
I nodded and bounded down the rest of the stairs, got on Tuffy, and took off for the bar. It hardly took two minutes to reach it. I haphazardly parked before setting off for the back alley.
“Hey girly.” Benji smiled as I passed.
“Hey.” I kept going. A second later I saw Michael and Nate taking their breaks out front.
“Why’re you back?” Michael asked.
“I have shit to take care of.” I kept walking past them, not sparing a glance as I snatched the hair tie off my wrist and twisted my hair up in a tight bun.
Next were the hoop earrings, which I removed and shoved in a pocket.
I glanced at my hands and decided to keep the array of rings on; I could do more damage that way.
I reached the back alley and strode around the corner to see Melissa leaning against a wall between two guys and another girl, all vampires.
“Hey Emy,” Melissa grinned when she saw me, “did you see what I did to your boyfriend?”
I grabbed her head and slammed it against the wall, then pulled it back and slammed it again. I snatched her hair and kneed her in the stomach before kneeing her in the face.
“Oh, shit.” One of the guys hopped up from a crate while the others moved back.
I held onto Melissa’s hair and pulled her head up. “Did I break your nose?” I asked sweetly. She shook her head, so I kneed her face again. I felt her nose crack and pushed her away. “Problem solved, you’re welcome.”
She let out a scream and ran at me, her nose gushing blood.
She shoved me into a wall but I kicked at her head, almost putting my heel through it before she shoved me back.
She almost knocked me off balance but I tackled her to the ground—I maneuvered into a straddle and punched her face more times than I could count, my rings catching skin and leaving trails of blood.
Eventually I reached back and yanked the chain off my belt.
She tried to catch my hands but missed. I shoved it against her neck with all my might, savoring her whimpers as I tightened my grip and pushed harder.
I was choking her with the chain, watching as her face paled and she gasped for breath.
She clawed at my fingers but I only pressed tighter—I had no intention of letting up.
Finally, she managed to shove me off and tried to get on top, but I kicked her chest with so much force she flew back into a wall. A brick cracked and fell beside her. I stood and walked over, snatching a handful of hair to drag her away from the wall.
“Get the fuck up and hit me!” I lifted her limp body partway. “You wanted a fuckin’ fight? Well here I am. Hit someone who’s gonna hit you back.” I waited for her to stand but she only shook her head.
I gripped her hair tighter and kicked her in the face, then kicked her again and let her drop. I stepped back as she started coughing up blood.
“Are you gonna help me?” Melissa shrieked at her friend.
“Yeah random girl, are you gonna help her? Now would be a good time to jump in. I guarantee you, I can take you both.”
“No one intervenes unless someone might die,” a guy said, shrugging. “Vamp code of honor.”
I turned back to Melissa. “Guess you’re on your own.” I nudged her chest with a heel and knocked her over, then climbed on top.
I pressed her head to the side, holding her neck down with one hand while I pulled out my switchblade with the other. I was an inch from slitting her throat when she mustered the energy to catch my hand.
“Are you trying to fucking kill me?”
“Yeah, I am. I told you I will if you ever pull that shit on him again. You didn’t believe me,” I paused as she shook her head.
“And you thought you were big and brave and could handle me.” I tried to push the blade closer but she fought harder.
Finally, it grazed her skin. “I told you not to fucking test me.”
It almost punctured but one of her friends snatched my hand. I let him drag me back and pull me to my feet. I didn’t bother to struggle, just watched with a smile as Melissa coughed up more blood.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re fucking insane!” She sat up, holding her ribs as she wiped blood from her face.
“I warned you, bitch! I fuckin’ told you I’m not scared.
And to answer your question, yeah I saw what you did, which is why you’re fucked up and bleeding on the ground right now.
His bitch did his dirty work for him. If that’s what you wanna call me, that’s what I’m gonna be.
I’ll be the biggest fucking bitch you’ve ever met—”
“You can’t be doing this all the time,” the guy holding me said.