Diclaimer: i don't own anything from Atwater-Rhodes
Summary: Naomi Rayne is half witch, half vampire. Along with a long list of money making kills, comes a list of infamous friends and lovers. She came home to relax after working away from home for two months. But old and new people keep getting in the way of her vacation.
A/N: so i'll keep this 1st note short and sweet. tell me what you what by hitting that review button at the bottom left hand corner. b/c reviews make me happy : )
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naomi casually walked into the bar and felt as if she had come home. The red strobe lights, pounding bass, and mirrored walls made up Las Noches. The mirrors were all shattered now from a fight long ago, although it didn't matter to most of the occupants of the bar since they didn't have reflections. The bar never lost it's unusually comforting appeal to her.
There at the bar sat the exact person she was looking for. He wore dark jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off the four tattoos on his arms, the black ink a stark contrast to his pale skin. If you were to look closer you could make out the snake on his left wrist, a wolf with gold eyes on his right representing Fenris, Echidna was on his upper left, and lastly Ceberus, Hades' three-headed dog on the right. He turned when Kaei, the bartender, had nodded in Naomi's direction his shining black eyes hiding just under matching black hair.
Naomi kissed him on the cheek.
"Nice to see you back," he said as he absently putting an arm around her waist.
"What are you drinking?" she asked wrapping her own arm around his shoulders.
"Nothing that you want," he said then nodded toward Kaei. "Find her something."
They had an unusual relationship from the start. For starters she's half witch, half vampire. The only differences between her and true vampires was she couldn't heal anything serious, teleport, and she couldn't change her appearance at a moments notice. Her line had been disowned but had found their way in the world by hunting for money, something that had made her millions in the past eight years.
They had met when she was sixteen in Ambrosia after one of her jobs. It took him a few months before he finally managed to hook the infamous half breed. It had been a passionate two year love affair before ending amicability. She was now twenty-three and was just returning from a much talked about trip through Europe after two months.
"What have you been up to?" he asked.
She frowned, "Oh the gossip wheel is disappointing."
"I mean besides working," he laughed.
"Nothing really since I've only been home a few days," she shook her head took another sip and asked. "So Aubrey what about you?"
"What, I have to tell you?"
"Ah yes because I know everything," she laughed.
"And thanks to your photographic memory you remember it," he pointed out. "You seem happy today."
"I think it's being here," she said sitting in his lap despite the open stool next to her. "This place feels like I never left."
Aubrey's arm tightened around Naomi's waist and he locked eyes with her. He loved her eyes. They were mostly green, a dark blue rim with flecks of silver and brown mixed in. At any given time her eyes could be a different shade of green, and occasionally brown or silver. Currently they looked black since her pupils were so dilated.
"I'm glad your back."
Are you now? She asked taking a sip.
"Yes," he said stealing her drink from her.
"Hey!"
"You look good," the vampire said seriously.
She reclaimed her drink, "Don't people ever get tired of saying that to me because I sure as hell get tired of hearing it."
"Never because it's true," he said using his free hand to brush a strand of light golden brown hair that was loose from her ponytail.
Aubrey's hand continued to travel down her neck and lifted the silver chain that hung around it. The chain was long enough that the two charms on it hit around her breasts. The first being her mother's five-karat marquise cut yellow diamond engagement ring with two surrounding two-karat emerald cut clear diamonds, this was not unusual although this was not the chain she wore with it.
The other charm was the normal occupant of the chain. It was an exact copy of Aubrey's signature necklace. Hers a silver upside down cross with a snake wrapped around it. He had given it to her for her eighteenth birthday. She hadn't worn it since they had parted ways.
"Do you like?" she asked playfully.
"Why?"
She refused to answer and chugged the rest of her drink.
"So are you staying in New Mayhem for long?"
"Just passing through tonight," she said. "I don't have a job lined up right now—"
"You mean you have time off," he said in mock horror.
Naomi pushed him, "I worked for two months straight I think I deserve some time off."
"Like a vacation?" he asked skeptically.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"You and vacation don't go together," he said finishing off his own drink.
"Ha, ha," she said grabbing his face. "Oh ye of little faith."
"Well look here," Fala said going around the bar. "The bitch is back."
"I wouldn't talk Fala," Naomi said. "I know you missed me."
"No I missed you making the shit hit the fan and all the money I would win off of it," the vampire said tossing a bottle over her head after tasting it.
Fala and Naomi used to practically be at war, but now they had a strong dislike of each other and a small mutual respect. The vampire's skin was darker than that of Aubrey's because of her Egyptian heritage currently her curtain of black hair hung around her face.
"Is that your car out front?" Fala asked referring to her brand new Cadillac XLR convertible.
Naomi nodded.
"Nice," she commented. "How much did it cost?"
"Bout a hundred grand."
"Not your most expensive by far," Aubrey commented.
"Nobody asked for you to speak," Naomi told Aubrey.
You love me for it, he smiled and hugged her closer.
Maybe so but I still didn't ask for your opinion, she said dryly.
"Staying long?" Fala interrupted.
Before answering the witch moved to sit on the empty stool, "I'm just stopping in tonight. Tomorrow I'm gonna visit with Kendra's crew."
"I thought you weren't working?" Aubrey asked his voice becoming emotionless.
"I have friends in Acton too," she said.
Aside from working through all the big vampire bars she was well known throughout the bash circuit. Among her friends and employers was an infamous boyfriend, to which rumor had it Aubrey resented.
"Jealous Aubrey?" Fala taunted.
He didn't answer instead he just disappeared.
"Now that he's gone," Fala said sitting cross-legged on the bar. "Why did you come back here?"
"Because his little bitch needs to be put in her place," Naomi said angrily.
The vampire smirked, "I like your thinking half breed. So what'd she do to you?"
"She deliberately tracked my ass down when I was in France," Naomi began. "You know why? Because she wanted to 'meet the person behind the myth'."
Fala started cracking up knowing the witch didn't give out information to strangers.
"I'll give that author something to write about," the witch grumbled.
"Did you leave her something to remember you by at least?"
"Not in the fun way."
"What are you two lovely ladies talking about?" came Nathaniel's smooth voice as he draped an arm around the brunette and kissing her cheek. "I hope it's about me."
"I'll only give out that information for a price," Naomi teased.
"Aw," he scoffed. "No fun."
Nathaniel was an old family friend. Once again his skin was darker than that of most although his background wasn't well known. He helped her secure jobs when she was younger. In the past couple years they used each other for information, mostly it was Nathaniel asking her for help.
"Maybe I should use that next time I ask you for something," she smiled enjoying the break in her emotions. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard you were back in town and have been roaming every bar I could think of to find you," he answered.
"And this is number what?"
"One," he smiled. "I'm good."
"Your ego is much too big for that head of yours," she said. "Now what really brings you here?"
"Again you," he said rounding the bar for a drink. "I need your help with something."
"This conversation is boring me," Fala said before disappearing.
"Am I getting paid for this?" she queried.
"Only if you help me," he said standing next to her. "I need to know where I can find an extremely good weapons dealer."
"Depends on what you're looking for."
"I'm having trouble finding the exact specifications that go along with a pair of daggers," Nathaniel said slowly.
"Oh yeah...what's that?"
The vampire raised his eyebrows.
"Who the fuck is hiring you?" she demanded.
"I've been forced to zip my lips baby Rayne," he said. "Now can you help me?"
"Nathaniel you better tell your fucking employer that if they want my magic in a piece of steel. I need to know who they are. And it's about fucking time you stop calling me that."
"You drive a hard bargain Rayne," he said.
"That ain't hard honey," she said walking out. "Just fair. Hit me up when you get an answer."