I woke up to Sookie shaking me. "What? Gosh, what?" I was frustrated because I clearly wanted to still be asleep.

"I found Lafayette," she said.

"Here?" I was still half asleep and I just wasn't sure whether to believe her.

"Eric kidnapped him. He's chained up in the basement! I'm making Eric let him go. I knew we couldn't trust that guy."

"What the heck are you talking about? Does Eric even know Lafayette?"

"It's because he sold vampire blood. Eric doesn't like that he's a drug dealer."

"So he kidnapped him? I knew there was a real reason to not like him." We waited until the vampires woke up. I had wanted to go check on Lafayette but I figured the basement was probably something I didn't want to see.

"Good evening," said Eric as he walked into the bar from the back. I already felt like rolling my eyes. But now he'd done something really serious. "How are you ladies doing tonight?" I saw Bill walk in behind him and Sookie wasted no time getting in Eric's face about Lafayette.

"You chained him up and left him to bleed to death!" Sookie shouted.

"He traded sexual services with a vampire in order to sell his blood," Eric replied coolly. "It is a grave offense."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for what you've done to him!" With that, Sookie slapped him and Eric barely reacted.

"Sookie!" reprimanded Bill.

"You've tortured him and bitten him and shot him and left him down there in his own filth for weeks!"

"Is that true?" I asked, finally saying something.

Eric turned to face me and said, "There are others who would've done far worse and you all know it."

"You're gonna let him go right now or I swear, I'm going to the police!" I exclaimed. I was extremely tired of what Eric had been doing and I was tired of being scared of him.

Eric hissed and cornered me in the couch I had been sitting on. He had fangs mere inches from my face. "I do not respond well to threats," he said. Then it was as if he finally saw my face and he retracted his fangs.

"Eric, back off of her!" said Bill.

Eric blatantly ignored Bill and said, "But perhaps, we can come to some sort of arrangement." It was clear that he was speaking to both me and Sookie.

Eric started explaining about this missing vampire in Dallas, which of course, meant the city, not my name. "So if we go to Dallas to help look for this missing vampire, you'll let Lafayette go?" I asked.

Bill immediately reacted. "No, Sookie almost died last night and Dallas shouldn't have to help you anyway. They are not going to Dallas!"

"Bill, I can make up my own mind," said Sookie. "I think I'll go."

"Well, then I will take Dallas' place," said Bill. "She does not need to go."

"If she doesn't go, there's no agreement," said Eric. I knew Lafayette needed me and I automatically knew that I had to go but I was disgusted that I was being made to do any of this. "I will pay for all of your expenses, of course," he told me, "and yes, I will release your friend."

"And I want $5000," said Sookie. "I'm missing a lot of work."

"What about you, Dallas? How much do you want?" Eric seemed to be willing to pay any price for us but I didn't want money from him, no matter how much I needed it.

"Nothing, I've got my own job," I replied.

"This is also a job. I'll pay you what I pay Sookie for her telepathy."

"No, I don't want your money."

"You surprise me and that's a rare quality in a human. You get $10,000 whether you want it or not."

"Then Bill comes with us," I demanded. I needed someone on my side when we were there.

"Deal," said Eric with a grin.

Then the door to Eric's office opened and Pam brought in Lafayette. He was doing badly. As we drove back to Bon Temps, Sookie kept offering to take him to a hospital and he kept refusing. Then Bill dropped me off at home so that I could get packed for Dallas. Eric told us we were to leave immediately. I was already worried about this trip.