Hi, guys! :) Sorry for the late update, yesterday was a nightmare of a working day, not much different today, which is why I'm updating around midnight...
Anyways, time for the next chapter. Btw, fair warning - only three chapters are left until the end of the story :))
Enjoy :)
The bar is full, yet the music isn't too loud. People are walking up and down, the pool tables are all occupied. I serve drink after drink, talking with some of the regular visitors. It's a familiar routine, and something is refreshing about it, calming. Sometimes it reminds me of the time when I used to work with Benny, when I had something pretty close to a normal life. I look at the clock. It's time for my break.
As I sneak around the back, I hear a phone ringing. I smirk, there is nothing normal or regular about my life. There never was and never will be. As I pass by the room, the ring is echoing from, I hear Kevin's voice.
"Agent Sinclare." there is a pause, then he adds, "Yes, he's one of FBI finest. I'd appreciate it if you assist him however you can. This investigation's top priority..."
His words fade as I go out through the back door. I'm dying for a smoke, but I promised Jody I'll stop. Instead, I pull a gum from my pocket and pop it in my mouth, looking around.
The salvage yard is unrecognizable. The place that once hold so many wrecked cars is now clean and neat as two buildings rise up to the night sky, neon signs flashing the words "Hunter's" and "Motel". It's my pride. It took a lot of hard work, a great deal of negotiating, a massive amount of help from Mrs. Tran and Kevin, a hell of a lot of... Well, me. A lot of me. But it turned out great. I'm a proud owner of a bar and a motel. They are hunter-friendly. I made sure of it. I even managed to keep the panic room and expand it. Now it's huge with a capacity of two dozens of people with food and water for at least a week. And every single client here is a hunter. Kevin and Charlie helped set up an enormous database with all the information we have on the supernatural world. It's in one of the back rooms, near the main area. Anyone who needs information can get it on the computers installed there. My little personal library. We started helping hunters in their researches, covering for them in front of the authorities they came across while hunting. Garth is overjoyed with how things turned out. He says this is Bobby's legacy. And I can't agree with him more.
Bobby's legacy... It reminds me of another legacy. Of another secret society and of its remaining legacies. It's been almost two years since I left the Bunker. Two years since the last time I saw Dean, talked to him... Sam and Ben keep in touch. We talk regularly over the phone. Ben even comes to "Hunter's" for the weekends. It was hard to adjust to my new reality. Sometimes I still find myself dreaming about the Bunker, the little family I had there... Usually, I push aside those thoughts with work at the bar, hunting, and a lot of booze when the first two aren't helping.
Alex, the girl Jody took under her wing a couple of months ago, pokes her head through the door and sheepishly smiles at me. She's one of the waitresses I hired.
"We're out of napkins, boss" her dark ponytail sways with her steps as she hands me a phone, "It's Garth. Asking about an Okami."
I sigh and shake my head, taking the phone.
"Hey, Garth, you're gonna need a bamboo dagger and a Shintō priest."
"Where I'm supposed to find a Shintō priest in Texas!?" disbelieve dripping from his voice.
I head inside to finish my shift and then close for the night. It's just a couple of hours away.
"Do you wanna kill it or not? Your other option is woodchipper." I shrug, "That'll do the trick."
"Yeah, right," Garth almost scoffs, "And it'd be easier to find."
"You'll come this way when you're done with this hunt, right?"
"I promised you." I can hear the smile in his voice, "You owe me a drink from our last hunt."
"That I do," I chuckle, "Stay safe."
"Thanks, Braeden, you're a lifesaver. See you soon."
After that, I sink in the familiarity of the night and my shift. With Mrs. Tran as a manager, it's not that hard. She's a force to be reckoned with. Even the inured hunters, regulars around here, have deep respect for her. With a smile, I slide behind the bar, mixing drinks, making small talk with the customers. It's not a glamorous life, but it's all mine. And I'm content enough to ignore the little voice in my head telling me even though I achieved a lot and I'm proud of myself, I'm not happy. Because something's missing. Someone is missing.
This is my life now. And I must be happy with it. Maybe a case will help with that. Yes, a hunt will definitely distract me from my irrational self-pity party.
I notice Jody making her way to the bar. She's here to pick up Alex after her shift. I smile widely at her and push her a bottle of beer.
"So, something shady around lately?" I ask as she sits on an empty stool.
"Looking for a hunt again?" she sighs when I nod, "Fine, there's something. But I don't think it's a one-man job."
"Please," I scoff and point at myself, "I'm a woman, don't insult me. And I'm a Singer. There's nothing I can't handle."
Going alone after a pack of werewolves is not one of my brightest moments. Nor is one of my best hunts. But I needed to get away from "Hunter's" for a while. I needed a change of scenery, even if it was for just a couple of days. It was kind of a poor decision to go on my own.
The single proof is me. Sprawling on one of the tables, I look at the wooden ceiling, trying to ignore the pain in my leg. Even only wearing underwear and a simple T-shirt, I feel too warm.
"You're an idiot," states Luke, hovering over my face and holding my shoulders down.
"You got a death wish or something?" asks Viper as he stitches the deep gash on my inner tight.
They are both eye candy, I have to give them that. Tall, well-built, with the edge that only a hunter's life can give you. One's with long blond hair tied on the back of his neck as the other has short spiky dark strands surrounding his face.
It is in the afternoon, so the bar is still closed, we're the only people around and the couple is taking care of my wound after I came back bloodied, a bit bruised, and with a hurt ego.
"As I said, it wasn't the best decision I've made." I chuckle and grab the bottle of whiskey, swinging a huge gulp, trying to ignore the feeling of the needle going through my flesh.
"If it was only one." Luke sighs and I meet his baby blue eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that since we met you a year ago, all you do is rush towards danger head first." Viper says.
"Is it the adrenaline rush you're after, or you're so reckless because you're trying to get yourself killed?" Luke raises a brow to emphasize his words.
"Right," I scoff, "You both are delusional. I..." I close my mouth as I see them exchanging a look, "What now?"
The men almost simultaneously sigh and Luke gently says.
"So it's still because of him."
"Him?" I'm tipsy because of all the alcohol I devoured to numb the pain, "Who the hell are you talking about?"
"The ass who broke your heart."
"Never have I ever in my entire life been heartbroken," I state with too much confidence.
"Braeden, you never talk about your love life."
"So?"
"And you shut down all advances..."
"Because I'm not interested, okay?" I grumble, "What's so bad about it?"
"There's nothing wrong with not being interested in all those guys, but it's bad if you're still hang up on your last relationship."
"It's not..." I sigh, "It doesn't matter, okay? It's in the past."
"Is it, really?" Luke looks at me, "When was the last time you got laid?"
"That's completely irrelevant!"
"Honey," Viper's voice is like silk, "You need a night of mind-blowing sex. It'll be good for you. And maybe you'll manage to get over your ex."
I sigh, my mind reeling. I know they are right. Yet, I'm not ready to admit it out loud. I still have feelings for Dean, I still want him. I want what we used to have. I silently shake my head. I'm not ready to talk about it. Because I know given the chance, I'd do everything the same even if it means I'd lose the only man I've ever been in love with. At least he's alive. There is some kind of comfort in that. But since it's not enough and the work at the bar isn't enough of a distraction, I take risky, dangerous cases. I make stupid decisions in the hope to forget, to fill the void in my chest with something. Because I'm tired of feeling numb, empty. And I'm ready for almost anything to feel something different.
Even when talking with Sam, Dean is off-topic. Sam understands, he knows it's too painful for me. He never pushes me to talk about it. Never. Unlike those two dickheads.
"Honestly, I'm sick of one-night stands." I finally admit.
"Really?" Luke's smile grows as his hands gently rub my shoulders, "You know, Viper and I always had a soft spot for you. Maybe..."
"Luke, no!" I exclaim and Viper chuckles.
"I told you she won't fall for that," his blonde head hovers above my thigh, making the last stitch, "I'm done. It's gonna be a nasty scar."
"Who cares?" I take another sip from the whiskey.
The front door knocks, someone is just about to enter.
"It's closed." I yell, "Can't you fucking read?"
"Trust me, I read, girl." Jody steps in with a folder in her hands and stops dead in her tracks, taking in the scene we are.
I can only imagine how it looks like. I'm half-naked, two guys hovering over me, one close enough to kiss me, the other between my spread legs. A wide grin curves my lips. Jody shakes her head.
"If I didn't know all of you, I'd get a very wrong idea of what's going on here."
"What?" I bat my lashes at her and giggle, "I've got no idea what you're talking about."
Luke's and Viper's wolfish grins match mine as they greet her.
"Hi, Sheriff."
"Nice to see you again." Viper doesn't look up as he bandages my leg
Jody ignores the gay couple and her eyes land on the whiskey bottle next to me.
"Are you sober enough for a serious talk?"
"Why, mom?" I mock a pouty face, "I'm in trouble?"
"Stop messing around," she sighs and shows me the folder she's been holding, "I've got a case, but it's two people's job and..."
"Say no more," I reach for the papers, "I'll take it."
Jody raises her brows and her eyes dart to the bottle in my hand.
"I've been drinking, yes. But believe me, I'm far from drunk." I state and sit up as Viper finishes my bandage. "What you've got here?" I ask as I go through her research.
"Vamp nest. Two hours drive. They've been leaving bodies around the last couple of weeks."
"I'm in." I nod, "We can take off as soon as you believe I'm sober enough to drive."
"Fine." she rolls her eyes as she heads for the exit, "Waiting for you in the car."
"See ya around." I wink at her and earn a chuckle back.
As she leaves, I feel Luke and Viper's eyes on me.
"What?"
"You gonna gank them all alone? Just the two of you" Luke's question is cautious.
"You want back up?" Viper adds.
"It's sweet of you, guys to offer," my smile is sugary, "But this is your night off, enjoy it. And one another." I wink, and they chuckle, "We'll be fine. We're big girls, you know."
"Just be careful."
"I always am."
I always thought it will be nice if someone really continued what Bobby did for the hunter community and I thought it'd be nice if hunters had a place to gather, like it was with Ellen's and Jo's bar. So that's how the idea of the motel and the bar came up. Tell me what you think about it, about the whole development of the story :)