Hey guys, sorry for the late update, but here you go. Chapter 10 on your doorstep! I hope you like. Your guess is as good as mind as to what will happen. Please review and.. enjoy :D
Chapter 10:
"You're brother?" I clung to Patch's arm as i swayed on the spot. White spots danced in front of my eyes and i swore the roof was about to cave in. Scott had a brother? A vampire brother at that? There was never a moment when i thought i knew everything there was about him, but that certainly shook me.
Lance appeared uneasy by my reaction. He wrung he hands together before saying, "Yes. I'm sorry, i didn't expect it to become such a shock.. I presumed you knew he had a brother." Although his eyes showed he was just covering up for the wrong reaction.
I took a deep breath. "Yeah, well. He tended not to tell me, or anyone come to think of it, much about himself." Patch half carried me across to the sofa, where Vee was awkwardly fiddling with the remote control.
"I'm very sorry. If you do not require my help, i can leave." he said honestly, a look of trepidation set in his eyes.
Patch snorted, "Now you offer to leave? Wow, how humble of you."
"I am aware i have caused quite a disturbance. However, Scott assured me you're trustworthy," Lance looked directly at me, "And he told me that he cares for you, dearly. I can not let him down. He is the only family i have left." He sounded so sincere and i'm sure if he could cry, he would have. However, Patch didn't seem to be buying the act, however plausible it really was. He rolled his eyes in disgust.
I eyed him curiously, "What about your parents? I thought they were alive? How old are you?" So many questions, so little time and Mom was walking back down the stairs.
Shit, i thought. Shit, shit, shit.
"Mom," i said loudly, turning to see her wobbling her way down the last step and staring avidly at Lance who didn't appear to notice her as he had his back to her. I guessed he wasn't going to get involved.
"Hey, Nora, sweetie. Who is this?" she said, pointing to the back of Lance, more alert now.
I waved a hand, trying to diffuse the issue, and ushered her into the kitchen away from the tension.
"Who was that, honey?" she whispered once we were away from prying eyes. I tried to look nonchalant when i replied, "Oh, just a friend." A friend, indeed. Patch wouldn't like hearing that.
"He's just an acquaintance, Mrs Grey. I do apologise. If you'd rather he left.." Patch spoke, voice like butter, behind me. I jerked in surprise when he suddenly touched my shoulder. He stepped back, hurt.
Mom looked surprised but not offended by the new visitor, "Oh, that's no problem, dear. If he's a friend of yours," Patch glowered at the floor. Mom didn't notice, "Then he's welcome. Care to introduce me?" she smiled, and seemed more herself for the first time since coming home just... 8 hours ago?
"Oh, yeah, sure mom. But you really need to rest more. You look a little.. peaky."
I walked mom out to meet Lance who introduced himself pleasantly with a smile and didn't seem alarmed when he saw mom. She was the one who seemed alarmed. She smiled flirtatiously and shook his hand when he thrust it out to her. In no time at all i was apologising to them and ushering her back up the stairs. "He's a good looking fellow, isn't he?" she said, winking at me. Yes, he was. But only one person had my heart. I didn't think now was the right time to tell her Lance was a vampire. I kind of judged that an angel was less likely to suck my blood. No, i thought dryly, they're more likely to try and take my soul and live through my body.
"Sorry about that. She's just got out of hospital and is very nosy," i explained to Lance. I tried not to stand too close to him for fear Patch would get the wrong impression. Although it was hard not to be attracted to Lance's six foot, well built appearance. Until i noticed the tiny fangs making their selves known. I shivered.
"Are you okay?" he asked. I glanced across at Patch who had taken a seat next to Vee, seemingly in conversation.
"Um, yeah. You know, you can sit down." i gestured to the seat in front of the kitchen.
He stayed stood. I rocked back and forth with slight awkwardness. I suddenly realised we hadn't asked how he could help with Hank.
"I'm here for however i can help. Whether it's to kill him or help you survive his people."
I couldn't help but gape. Had he read my mind?
He crooked a smile when he said, "Yes." I wrung my hands together and looked behind me to Patch still in conversation.
"Don't tell Patch, okay. He gets jealous." i whispered to Lance who merely grinned sheepishly and nodded.
"Don't worry dear Nora," he bent so his mouth was to my ear, when his breath caused the tiny hairs in my ear to tickle, i shivered. "Secret is safe with me."
I blushed crimson and brought my hands to my face. A small nervous laugh escaped my lips and i had to bite my tongue to hide the hysteria about to explode. I had just been thinking how good looking Lance was when i said Patch gets jealous. Totally forgetting he could read my mind. I didn't need to ask him to know for certain.
I managed to recover my embarrassment just in time for when Patch appeared. He sighed and crossed his arms, staring at Lance with resignation. "Well as much as i'm not happy with your arrival, i suppose it is good that we have one more person on our side. Even if it is a... vampire." he spat the last word like a bad taste in his mouth.
I looked to Lance then back to Patch. Both opposites in personalities and looks, yet surprisingly the same. I didn't know how that made sense, but it did. Pfft, i muttered in my head, either i was being silly or i was starting to like Lance a little too much. I tried to hide the guilt hovering beneath the surface.
"In that case then, you'll be pleased to know that because my senses, there is a man with two swords, a rifle and knock out gas, standing five feet from the door."
I couldn't help the blood in my body freeze. Patch grabbed my arm in no time, Lance took the other and dragged me, catching Vee along the way, out the back door. A second later, as soon as we made it a few hundred feet away from the house – i had to stop the spinning in my head before i could concentrate – the house suddenly had a lot of echoing of loud sounds and my heart went out to my mom. We didn't have time to get her out. I hoped for all our sakes that she remained asleep and oblivious. It was me they wanted, not her.
"I don't think they took your mom, Nora." Vee said beside me, a comforting hand on my shoulder as we huddled behind a tree, just able to see the back of the house – and mom's bedroom window – without getting seen.
"How do you know?" i said with irritation. Not really aimed at her, but more at my stupidity for thinking we'd be safe. We'd never be safe. I was surprised Hank hadn't sent his slaves to find us sooner.
Vee kept her eyes forward at the house when she said, "Because we would have heard an awful lot of screaming."
"Not if they knock her out first," Patch said numbly. I swallowed hard. Patch gave me a concerned look. I looked away.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," i retorted.
"Hey wait, isn't that your mom there?" Vee pointed to the back door where my mom was currently trying to beat a tall beefy looking man with a frying pan. I tried to stifle a laugh, but a small giggle escaped.
"Damn," exclaimed Vee after a moment of watch my mom really batter the man – even though she was no doubt about it, losing. "She can really beat that bastard!" I slapped her on the head, "Ow! That was a compliment, damn it!"
I smirked, "I know. But we need to concentrate." i looked pointedly at Lance and Patch, "Right now they have my mom as a hostage, or there about's," when i looked back at mom struggling against the heavy man, i bit my lip, tasting blood then said, "What are we going to do?"
xx
Still two hours later i was biting my lip and tapping my foot as we sat in my living room, striking up a strategy.
"Nora, please. We can't just go out hunting down Hank with your mom in their hands. It's suicide. For both you and maybe even your mom, too."
"Oh, so you're such a smarty at rescue missions, arent you?" i tried to hide the snarky attitude but didn't hide it well enough. Patch glared at me. Clearly in serious mode.
"I'm serious, Nora. If you rush into these things... well.."
I shrunk under his intense gaze. "Yeah, i get you. Sorry." He smiled. Pleased with his efforts.
"Right, well." Lance cleared his throat from across the room. He had been fairly silent since we got back inside the house. I didn't know how everyone could be so damned calm! Wait.. Yes i did know. It wasn't their mother who had been kidnapped and probably going to be tortured by Hank. Would he really go as far as to kill the mother of his two daughters? Particularly one who hadn't got on the wrong side of him? That being me, of course. But Marcie...
Oh god. Marcie. My eyes widened in realisation and fear.
"Nora, what is it?" Patch held my shoulders as i shook with all possible reasons.
"He wouldn't try to kill Marcie, would he? I mean.. he wouldn't try, surely.." i felt my heart freeze over. Sure, Marcie wasn't my favourite of the ugly sisters, but i sure as hell didn't want her to killed. By her own father, in the least. My father. I shivered, realising he was my own blood too. I was going to need serious therapy when this was over.
"Nora," Patch's eyes showed such sorrow that he didn't need to answer. I knew it instantly.
"It won't work. He wouldn't do it. Not to her. Not to mom. It's me he wants, and-"
Vee looked at me from the sofa. Her eyes covered in worry and exhaustion.
"Nora, are you really willing to sacrifice your own mom and Marcie just to save your own skin?" Vee, my best friend. The girl who was also... non wise. Was actually becoming wise. For a split second, i hated her for it. I knew she was right. I couldn't – i wouldn't – risk two lives at my expence. But then again, i didn't exactly want my body taken over – whatever that meant. I didn't really know the logistics of the procedure, and i didn't think i was eager to find out.
"Okay," i said, calming down and coming to the only solution i could think of. "I think i know what i have to do." i tried to send my idea to Patch through my eyes. But it didn't take a genius to figure out the idea. It was practical suicide.
"No. I will not let you go in there – where-ever that is – and give yourself up. No,-"
"Patch!" i said with protest.
He ignored my pleading, "-we'll find some other way. But i'm not losing you. I'd rather put myself in the firing line first before i lose you. Plus, we have Lance here-" he glanced Lance's way who looked up at his name, his eyes narrowing in either fear or annoyance. "-he'll find a way." Patch sounded more confident about that issue that Lance appeared to be.
"I'm not your fairy godmother," said Lance, running a hand through his hair and looking like he was thinking hard. He did look a little – pale.
I blinked, "Well, why are you here then, if not to save us?" i said matter of fact.
He gave me a stare that made me feel naked. Like he was seeing right through me. Did vampires have ex ray vision?
Clearing his throat again he said, "I am here because as you may remember i told you, Scott asked me to help in protection. Well, not so much asked, as begged. He didn't mention anything about actually saving you, since quite frankly," he eyed us all in turn and seemed to sniff the air, "This situation is a bit beyond my abilities."
I gawked, "Beyond your abilities? What exactly are your abilities, may i ask?" i crossed my arms and sensed the mood in the room grow tense. All eyes were on Lance, well, except Patch. Who was eying me with a mixture of pride and – fear?
Lance looked disgusted at having to explain himself. "Well, i can provide a distraction. Maybe lure this Hank person – which by the way you have yet to explain to me the problem is has aroused – and maybe, i don't know.. torture him?" i thought i saw a slight turn of the lip, a grin, at the idea of torture.
I couldn't help but laugh incredulously, "Torture? That's your big plan? Wow.. what a heroic vampire you are!" i spat the words out like venom. He scowled, and eyed me up and down like dessert. A sudden thought occurred to me. Had he fed lately? Feeding meant – blood? Yeesh!
Patch looked at Lance and then to me, warily and then stood up from the couch, moving the coffee table to the side. "Okay okay, enough. Lance, on behalf of all of us, as much as i distrust you -" Lance sneered slightly. Patch continued, "-we all appreciate your efforts in coming to our aid. Even if some of us show it differently than others." Patch eyed me, clear that he meant myself. I huffed, arms still crossed in defence.