Chapter 6
My mind felt thick, like I was stuck in a house fire. The brims of my vision were cut off by black edgings and the faces around me were blurred out, as if I was near sighted. I was in a familiar bar, one I had frequented in New York City. It was dark, but the purple color scheme jumped out at me. Dark purple curtains blocked out all of the windows, and sheltered the booths for privacy. The light titanium bar was crowded by people, whom I could not recognize. Wincing and going closer to them didn't help, it was as if a filter to blur human faces was put over my eyes.
Turning to look around me, I tried to recognize at least one person. And I did. He stood by a booth talking down to a blonde female in a short blue dress. Looking down at myself I saw the black lace dress that I was wearing, not by choice. He looked up at me. Black eyes pierced through the crowd onto my face as if they were trained to do so. I was their learned target.
His long legs looked even longer in his black dress pants as he walked towards me. My head bobbed violently from left to right to see if there was some way I could avoid him. It was as if everyone in the bar had disappeared into a grey fog, and the only two people left in the empty bar was him and I.
Zander Blackwood could wear a potato sack to an Oscar's after party and still look like the best dressed man in the room. His wavy red hair dangled playfully in front of his face, and a smirk sparked upon his light pink lips. High cheekbones and a pale complexion made him look welcoming and dangerous all at once. And he was the fucking devil incarnate.
His long graceful arms swept around my waist and softly pulled me towards him. He smelled like old cigarettes and spices. At one time this move and smell would have left me wooed and carefree. Instead, muscles throughout my body clenched and eyes rolled. "My Brooke," his nose leaned tenderly into my hair, "I've found you."
Unable to push myself away, I looked up at him angrily, "Yea? From what I hear you've known where I was for few days now." Whipping my face away from his, my brown pony tail hit him in the face. "So unless you have something to tell me, I would like for you to get out of my head."
His rough fingers planted themselves forcefully on my chin, making me face his cold evil gaze. "Well there seems to be a trained group of vampires watching your house. Since when do you run around with the undead sweetheart? I knew you were fond of them, but I never thought that you would fuck one." His voice spat the sentence like he thought both the idea and myself were disgusting to him. If I could free my arms I would punch him.
His nails dug painfully into my arms. Again trying to thrash and pull away, it just made him dig in deeper, piercing my skin.
"I'm not fucking a vampire you asshole. Now let me go!" I squeezed my eyes shut over and over again trying to wake up from this realistic nightmare. "Stop stalking my house! Leave me the fuck alone!" My hoarse tired voice echoed through the empty room as I tried to scream.
He let go.
"Brooke Cotter, your vampires won't always be here to save you. You will be mine again." Playfully winking, he turned around back towards the crowd that reappeared, and lost himself in the mass of faceless people.
Eyes scanning my sun lit room, my heartbeat started to slow as I realized I was alone in my bedroom. Looking down at my forearms, I wiped the blood that dripped from the fingernail marks left in my skin. Bright red bruises started to show up as I continued to examine them. What a piece of shit.
Getting up, I looked at my phone to find four missed calls from an unknown number, a call from Sookie and two voicemails. The first one from Sookie was silent for a second before she spoke, "Hey Brooke, I just had a fight with Bill. You're probably sleeping but I'm about twenty miles from home, walking alone in the dark as hell woods. So if you happen to hear this I would super app-… What the fuck is that-." The call cut off there. Looking down at my phone, I quickly sent a text to Sookie apologizing for sleeping through her calls and to give me a sign she was okay.
I opened the second voicemail and a deep angry and familiar voice greeted me, "Ms. Cotter. I specifically told you that I would take you home. I am displeased that you did not listen to my order. Thank you for making sure that Ginger did not kill the human in my basement. I will see you at Fangtasia tomorrow." Although there was clearly ire heard in his voice, his message was said with an even tempo without any yelling. Looking at the time, I realized that it was almost time to go to Shreveport.
By the end of my shower the blood had stopped dripping down my arms, and red crescent moons and dark bruises were the only visible clue to what had happened to me in my dream last night. I hadn't had a night visit from Zander since I left New York, but the truth was embedded in the cuts in my skin. He has found me in Bumblefuck, Louisiana. Throwing on some dark jeans and an old high school track T-Shirt, I left the house and mentally prepared for the day at the vampire bar.
I prayed on the way to Fangtasia that Lafayette wouldn't still be bleeding out on Eric's couch. Hopefully, Eric would have taken care of the human prisoner he had in his vampire bar, but I could never be too sure with him anymore. The door to the club was open, and I had no need to knock to get it. What I found in the middle of the bar surprised me more than Lafayette ever would have.
Sookie Stackhouse sleeping on a footrest wearing nothing but an oversized Fantasia shirt. Honestly, I would have never guessed that this was how my second of work would begin. And I watched someone get shot by my coworker yesterday.
Without going near her, I grabbed the books to restock the club for the upcoming week, because I knew the minute she woke up, I wouldn't get anything done for this bar. Sitting on the stool for an hour or so, I had yet to hear Sookie move, or Ginger around the bar. It felt like I was the only one there.
But then a rustling came from behind me.
"Brooke…? What are you doing at Fangtasia?" Sookie's blonde hair rest on her back as she lifted herself up.
Still sitting on the barstool I answered, "Sook, I work here. What are YOU doing here?" She shook her head as a response, clearly confused at my answer. Instead of saying anything, she stood up and started towards the mirror on the wall. Lifting her shirt she took a look at her back. It was clear of anything. "Sookie, what are you doing?"
"I was attacked last night by this Bull-Headed thing," I nodded waiting for her to continue, "so Bill brought me here so Eric could help." Thus Fangtasia. Got it.
As Ginger walked in with a plate with a disgusting looking sandwich on it, I stepped back towards the bar to put my paperwork away. I ignored their conversation until Sookie started to yell about Lafayette being in the basement.
How did she find out that Eric has been keeping him prisoner here? Her eyes landed on me wildly, "You knew Lafayette was locked in Eric's basement!?" Sookie sounded as if she could kill me with her words if she wanted to. I stuttered a short response that made her lunge towards me. "Bring me to him! Now!"
Ginger looked at me nervously and stopped when I yelled, "Ginger you leave that gun where it is. I will take her to him." I had yet to go down to the basement, I was scared to see where that poor man was put. Opening the door, the smell of human feces and blood filled my nostrils. Stopping myself from vomiting on the stairs, I continued to lead Sookie into the room.
There he was, looking worse than when I left him last night. I followed Sookie towards him, but she glared at me angrily. "You let him stay down here? What kind of person are you?" She touched Lafayette's head lightly.
"I ain't a vampire huh?" Sweat dripped down Lafayette's dirty face that was still coated with dried blood. Did Eric promise to make him a vampire?
"Sook, I had no idea he was down here until he snuck out during my shift yesterday. Ginger shot him, and I left before I could see how Eric treated him. I couldn't handle it, I hoped maybe he let him go."
Sookie stood up abruptly, leading me back up the stairs, "You just HOPED that a deranged son of a bitch like Eric would let him go after he let him sit in his own shit and piss for weeks?" My head faced the ground in disappointment towards myself as we continued up, back into the bar. I had let Lafayette down, how could I ever think about trusting Eric after this?
Sookie and I waited in silence until the first vampire emerged from the coffin. It was Bill Compton. Looking well rested he smiled at Sookie and immediately embraced her. She looked less pleased. "My friend Lafayette is in Eric's basement. Chained up like an animal and left to bleed to death. If you knew about this Bill Compton I don't think I could ever forgive you." He nodded his head and assured her he had no idea what he was talking about.
Then the man of the hour appeared from the back room. Instead of looking as if he had just got out of bed, Eric looked as he normally did. Like a Calvin Klein model in his low jeans and dark green shirt. He confidently strolled into the room. As if I wasn't there at all he sauntered past me and approached the couple explaining that Lafayette traded sex for vampire blood to sell on the streets. The way he looked at her was like he had never smelled or seen anything so sweet. Bill watched wearily as Sookie approached Eric, and an echo of a slap resonated in the silence of the bar.
Standing up, I went to go get Lafayette water until I was stopped by a commanding voice, "You Ms. Cotter, will not leave my sight." Eric turned back towards Sookie letting out a slimy, "And may I add Ms. Stackhouse, that color really suits you." Bill pulled Sookie away before she could slap him again.
"If you don't let him out right now, I swear I'm going to the police!" Sookie yelled at him, and I agreed with her. With a click, Eric's fangs were protruding from his mouth in a response to her threat.
"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement," he backed away from the blonde woman. "Please wait in my office while I have a short conversation with Ms. Cotter here." With fangs still extended, the Viking turned towards me. I sat comfortably, on a couch in the corner of the room, not making eye contact until he was right in front of me. "Well, how was your second day of work?" His words were muffled by the oversized teeth filling his mouth.
I scoffed as I looked up at the behemoth of a man, "Honestly, a little better than yesterday. And your handwriting is atrocious. Took me hours to read the memos in that notebook." He backed away as I started to stand up. "I don't know if I can still work for you if this is what it's like. Keeping humans in the basement Eric? Is that what I'm in for if I cross you? For the second time in my life, I was chest to chest with Eric Northman. And I wasn't backing down.
His smirk allowed the tip of his fang to be seen through his lips. "Are you trying to tell me you want to be chained up Brooke?" He let out a dark chuckle as he reclaimed his fangs. I rolled my eyes. Continuing his gaze upon me he was quickly distracted by the marks on my arms.
Eric grabbed my wrists gently and looked at them with scrutiny. I tried my best to take them back, but it was too late. He could see the gouged out cuts and now dark blue handprints on both arms. "Who did this? You didn't have them yesterday." Searching blue eyes met mine as he looked at me with horror. But all I could picture were soft waves splashed beautifully on dark rocks.
He continued to stare realizing I wasn't going to answer him, "Brooke," he kneeled in front of me, still holding my wrists as if they were made of glass, "was it the man outside your house? Did he get in? I had protection there all night, I'm sure of it." His head started to shake back and forth as if he blamed himself. How could he act like this? How could he act so worried about my wellbeing when another human being, just like me was sitting bleeding to death in this basement? I wasn't important enough to him to pretend like this.
Still trying to pull back I finally spoke in a soft tone, "No, he didn't get in," Eric finally looked up at me from his spot on the ground. There were questions blazing in his eyes, "He uh, he got into my dreams. " My words were mumbled, but Eric could hear them clearly.
"This man can attack you in your drea-."
"Eric? I want to make this deal now…" Sookie stomped loudly back from his office and paused when she saw the position he was in, while still holding my arms in front of him.
Getting up he turned to me, "You will wait here until we are done. Is that clear? Pam will make sure you stay this time." I nodded as he left following the blonde bombshell that is Sookie Stackhouse.
A half an hour passed as Pam and I sat in the same room silently. She didn't care much for humans that was for damn sure. I tried to ask her about her outfit and she looked at me like my head was on backwards and I was speaking in French. Finally hearing Sookie and Bill emerging from his office was both a blessing and a curse, knowing I would still need to answer Northman's questions. Sookie and Bill walked past me without a final word and exited the building. She gave me a warning look. As if I was in danger when she was the one attacked by an animal last night. Stackhouse was clear still upset about me knowing about Lafayette's location.
"Ms. Cotter, come to my office please. Pam, let the humans into the bar." Pam nodded towards her maker and proceeded to open the door for patrons.
Eric's office was the same as it had been days before, except there was no tequila on the table, and no Lafayette on the couch. Leaning on the desk was Eric, once again staring at dark hand-sized bruises. "Do those hurt?" Is this the same Eric who just decided to let a human out of a basement after weeks of him living there? I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest trying to hide the evidence.
"So this, 'he', does he have a name?" I once again shrugged, causing Eric to emit a small growl, "Brooke, you will answer me. How do you know this man who is hurting you?" Still standing in the middle of the room, I could help but look down away from the strong vampire in front of me.
"I do." I whispered.
"You do. Who is he?" Eric stood up straight, but didn't move near me, allowing me my space to talk.
I let out a small cough as my throat went dry from frustration, "He uh, he's Zander Blackwood." Eric continued to wait, "I dated him in New York. I guess he followed me here."
Nodding Eric continued to question me, "Is he a vampire? Did you drink his blood?"
Shaking my head violently, I could feel my eyes widen. This was the first time I looked at Eric's face since I'd entered the room. "No." The word was quick and intense. I couldn't help but let out a hard laugh, "No, he's not a vampire. He hates vampires. Thinks they are scum of the earth and give a bad name."
Scratching the back of my head, I looked down again, away his scrutiny. It felt as if when we looked at each other, he could get all of my secrets out of me without trying. Sitting on the black couch, I looked back up with him with a blank stare. I was done talking about this. "How did Sookie get you to let Lafayette go?"
"We are taking a trip to find a vampire in Dallas, with Sookie's mind reading." He allowed the conversation to drop.
"We? Dallas? Wait Sookie can read minds?"
Waddup friends? I had a lot of time and ideas today to write so here you go :]
PLEASE REVIEW. It would be awesome for me to know what you guys think, and where you think it's going.
I only own Brooke.. and Zander
