As I walked out into the living room I saw Liam stretched out on the couch. I stopped and noticed that he was out cold. I picked up a pillow and smacked him in the face. He woke up with a muffled yelp and fell off of the couch at my feet.
"Get up! And how did you get in here anyway? I changed the locks."
He yawned and stretched.
"I don't know why you keep changing your locks; you know that I can still get in."
He stood up and walked into the kitchen. I followed him and started the coffee pot. He sat down at my little two-seater oak table.
"Okay, if you are going to crash at my apartment then you can tell me what happened last night at the club".
He stared at me for a second and sighed.
"Fine".
I handed him a cup of steaming coffee.
"Jay-Jay showed up late, as always, and we discussed what she was doing here, but in the middle of our conversation, Alan's thugs showed up and trashed the place. We escaped and Jay-Jay went and hid at Marie's for a while. We can go talk to her later".
He took a sip and set his cup on the table. Then the doorbell rang.
I walked over and opened the door to get a fist in my face and then the carpet came to greet me and as I heard voices yelling, the world went black.
I woke up on my couch. I was staring at my ceiling trying to figure out what had happened. I saw a face looming over me. I closed my eyes and counted to ten as I stretched to make sure everything worked. I opened my eyes again and sat up. Sitting across from me was Liam, James, Jay-Jay and Marie.
"So who hit me?"
They looked at each other.
"Okay, just tell me."
James cleared his throat
"Um, Aramis did. He's in the kitchen sulking."
From the kitchen, Aramis called
"I do not sulk!"
I sighed. I got up and walked to the kitchen, Aramis was sitting there, sulking with his arms folded.
I sat across from him, "Okay Aramis, two things. One- why are you here? And Two- Why did you deck me?"
Aramis unfolded his arms.
"I am here because I have a message from Jack and I didn't mean to deck you, I thought it was the one with pointy hair answering the door."
I glared at him.
"You mean you were planning on hitting Liam? Why?"
"Becauseā¦"
He folded his arms across his chest. I stood up and placed myself in front of him.
"Because why?"
He glared at me.
"Oh, I get it, you're jealous."
He stood up, which put my face dangerously close to his.
"I am not jealous."
I smiled.
"Yeah right."
I turned around and sat back down in the chair.
"So what was the message from Jack?"
Aramis sat back down in his chair and put his arm on the table.
"He said that he doesn't want you out and running your own territory anymore. Apparently someone has put a price on your head."
I just gaped at him. Liam's voice came from behind me
"She can't just leave. This is her home, these are her people. If someone wants her dead then I can take care of it but she can't just leave."
Aramis stood up.
"Yes, she can. Jack is her master. When he calls you come."
I put myself between Liam and Aramis. I looked Aramis straight in his eyes.
"You should know this by now. I don't belong to anybody. I am nobody's servant, no one's my master. I am my own master."
Aramis stepped back to show that he meant no harm.
"You tell Jack that if he wants me to return then he has to ask not command. Oh. And tell him that he's an ass."
Aramis looked past me and a voice came for behind.
"Or you could just tell me yourself."
I turned to see Jack standing in the doorframe.
"Hi."
His face still looked too calm for the present situation.
"I think that we need to sit and talk."
I sat back down and waited patiently.
"Could you please leave us Monsieur Liam?"
Liam looked at him. I put up a hand to show Liam that I would handle it.
"Liam stays. He's my Second. Liam, go tell the others to hang at Marie's for a while."
Liam went back into the living room. I heard some muttering and the front door opening and slamming shut. Liam walked back in and stood behind me. Jack sat in Aramis' vacated chair.
"So what do you want to talk about?"
Jack shifted his weight, which to me meant he was nervous.
"I would like to talk about you coming back home."
I looked at him.
"What do you mean? I am home."
He gave me a dirty look.
"This is not your home. This is one of the territories I gave you and I can take it back just as easily."
I smiled at him.
"You can try, but while you were busy with your own territories I and my people grew not only in numbers but in power."
Jack's eyes were starting to look worried even though his face looked calm.
"Why can't you just leave me be? I've never been interested in running my own territory but now that I have, I can't just leave. Don't you understand?"
Jack sighed.
"Fine, I'll give you one month to find the person that wants you dead. If you can't, then you return home with me, Fair enough?"
I considered it.
"Okay but if I return home, and then I get to decide who will be Master here."
Jack started to protest but I cut in.
"You owe me for entering my territory without my permission."
Jack nodded. I put my hand out and Jack shook it.
"Okay, now you two get to leave."
