Author's Note - Yeah, so this took awhile. So - So - So sorry about how long it took. Work, life, and bumps in the road delayed this chapter. To be honest, its been written for a little while. I have edited it . . .and edited it . . . and edited it again. Still isn't where I want it to be. I have had some feedback on Eric, and where I don't see his behavior toward Jason and Amy as off character, I can't see him impressed with them at all. But still in a place where he's trying to keep from alienating the girls.
Clean up was not a piece of cake.
To be honest, after the first twenty minutes Evie was completely over it. After thirty minutes, she was ready to throw something at the unhelpful vampire camped out in the corner, busy doing anything but offering her a hand. At least crusty old Bill would want to keep the façade of being a gentleman. It was becoming quite clear that Eric gave zero fucks. Something Evie usually admired in a person, or apparently vampire, but at the moment found highly annoying.
The late summer humidity combined with the church's touchy AC didn't bode well on the wide variety of gelatin molds, many of the ancient church going biddies deemed appropriate for any large gathering. Much to Evie's disgust.
There wasn't a Jello-mold she'd ever met that hadn't made her want to gag.
Nothing disgusted Evie more than a solid food that jiggled and could be seen through. Except perhaps, the Ambrosia Mayor Norris's wife always insisted on making. There wasn't a bridal shower, wedding, baby shower or funeral she didn't whip up a batch for. To be fair, no one really liked her Ambrosia, but to spare her feelings would always help themselves to at least one spoon full.
Now there were melted rainbow colored globs mixed in with Ambrosia smeared all over the tables, creating a heinous mess.
Dropping a damp towel down on the last table, Evie blew at a stubborn strand of blonde hair. Thank heavens it was the last table. Letting her attention wander over the large reception room she calculated how much longer she had. Besides the table before her, she still needed to sweep the floor and stack the chairs randomly strewn around the room.
"Are you almost finished?" At the sound of his voice, Evie looked over her shoulder and frowned. Sitting on one of the abandoned chairs, eyes glued to his phone, Eric's mouth curved slightly down.
She had expected him to leave after speaking with Bill. Actually, she had sent a prayer out to the universe that he'd disappear the second Bill had made his excuses before slipping out of the church. No one missed the parting scowl between the two vampires, it all but sucked the air out of the room, putting the remaining crowd on pins and needles as they waited to see if something was about to transpire.
Bill, the cockless wonder that he was, backed down first. As soon as he disappeared into the night, the remaining occupants let out a deep sigh before returning to their conversations.
Instead of making his departure, Eric stuck around, lurking on the fringes of the crowd looking bored and put out at the same time. He remained when the last of the crowd cleared out, and then found an empty chair to park himself in.
He also hadn't lifted a finger to help, instead had been endlessly tapping away on his phone while she slaved away, sweating like a pig.
"You don't need to stay." Turning her attention back to the table, she kept her ears open, half praying he'd take the hint.
"And leave you alone in a town with a killer on the loose?" His tone was slightly mocking, but she caught the serious dark undertone. "I told your Mormor I would see you home safe."
Pausing, unsure she heard him, Evie frowned. "Mormor?"
Hearing him shift, not responding immediately she wondered if maybe he hadn't heard her, or worse, was rudely ignoring her. But after a moment he replied. "Mormor is Swedish for grandmother."
"What?" Standing up straight, Evie turned to find him still rapidly typing away on the phone. "When?"
Searching her mind, pretty sure she'd kept an eye on him at all times, Evie tried to recall when he would've had time to talk to her Gran without her hearing. Perhaps there had a time or two when her attention had been pulled away, but nothing that took long enough for Eric to have a private word with her.
"You were talking to that tall, dumpy looking male." Finally looking up, his expression unimpressed. "The one who drove her home."
"Hoyt." Evie clarified.
"Don't care." Eric shrugged. "What's left?"
"This is the last table." Turning back finish wiping down the goo, Evie rattled off the rest of her list. "Then I need to sweep and stack the chairs in the corner."
A gust of wind hit the back of her legs, and Evie let out a gasped shock. Ignoring the table, she spun around and blinked her eyes several times. Eric was no longer sitting on the other side of the room, and Evie tried to register the blur of motion around her. The floor was no longer littered with random plastic cups and crumpled napkins, and before her brain could register what was happening, the chairs were neatly stacked in the corner.
Eric was now leaning up against the far wall, his eyes once again glued to his phone.
"You could've offered to do that thirty minutes ago." Scowling in his direction, Evie felt a flare of irritation burn in her veins. She could've been soaking in a bath, instead of getting covered in jello-goo and cookie crumbs.
"I could've." He agreed. "But you didn't ask."
Returning to the task at hand, Evie glowered down at the mess, muttering under her breath about arrogant undead asshats.
Finished, she barely said a word to Eric as she gathered up her purse and turned off the lights. Not seeming bothered by her silence, Eric followed her out into the night.
"You don't have to do this." Keys in hand, Evie eyed Eric as he made his way to the passenger side of the vehicle. "Gran can be overly protective at times. She sometimes forgets it's not the 1950's. I can manage getting home without getting myself killed."
"I'm sure you can." His tone was dry and condescending, which only pushed Evie's feminist button, instantly putting her on the defense.
"How can I put this in a way that you'll understand." Clenching her hands into fists, Evie ignored the stinging sensation as her keys bit into the flesh of her palm. "Our little deal doesn't require you to force yourself upon me as a chaperone.
Waiting to be let into the car, Eric stared back at her from over the roof. Any trace of his previous mocking was gone, replaced by a seriousness she hadn't expected. "I'm not doing this out of generosity, or any misplaced chivalry. You said Bill lived nearby. I want to see for myself where he resides, and just how close he is to your home."
Waiting a full second to let his words sink in, Evie gave him a short nod before unlocking the driver's side door. She took another full second before unlocking the passenger's side door, debating on leaving him alone in the church parking lot. But it would've been pointless, seeing how he easily he could follow her.
Folding his much taller frame into the front seat of her car, Evie tried not to grin when his knees hit the dashboard. His immediate scowl did nothing to help, and before she could stop herself a soft giggle escaped her lips.
"You know the seat goes back." The unamused scoff he sent her way produced another huff of laughter.
"Your car is tragic." Sounding as though the car itself had insulted him, he reached down and pushed the seat as far back as it would go. It still barely gave him the leg room he required.
He wasn't wrong. The car had seen better days, but it was better than the piece of crap her sister drove around. To be fair, neither had to scrape up a monthly car payment, and the repair shop in town had been able to bring both vehicles back from the brink of extinction a time or two.
Sookie had been the one to find the car first and had been minutes away from buying it for herself. But in a rare moment of sisterly love, had stepped back and let Evie buy it instead. She'd claimed it was because it was a stick shift, but really it was because Sookie knew she needed reliable transportation to and from Shreveport.
"Does it always smell like this?" Eric asked as he looked down at his feet, then in the backseat.
"Jason left a half-eaten sandwich in the backseat at the beginning of summer." Putting the car into reverse, she barely checked the review mirror before easing up on the clutch and stepping down on the gas. "Took me a few weeks to find it under the seat."
She had half a mind to remind him she hadn't invited him to tag along but decided silence was better. Turning her car onto a nearly deserted Main Street they passed by the town's only café, her eyes spotting Sam's truck on the curb and felt slightly impressed Sookie hadn't cut the night short. Perhaps her sister was giving their boss a serious chance.
It felt like an eternity to reach the side road that led past the Compton place, the graveyard, to eventually curve toward home. In reality it had only taken them a whole whopping fifteen minutes. The backroad would add another ten to their trip but having Eric's imposing body taking up so much space was starting to make her edgy.
"How close is Compton's house to yours?" Eric asked as Evie maneuvered the car down the dirt road. There'd been talk several years back to have the thing paved, but most didn't see the need seeing there were only a few houses back that way. Not even having a drivable road to the cemetery could change the town council's mind.
Typically, it wasn't too bad. But on occasion, like after a bad downpour, the potholes could be deadly.
"Not too far." Clearing her throat, Evie caught a few fireflies on the side of the road. "We'll pass by it."
Seeing him nod from the corner of her eye, Eric fell silent again.
After a few more minutes, Evie watched as the woods started to thin and the sight of Bill's large plantation house came into view. Letting up on the gas, she saw that there were lights beaming out from the lower floor.
"This is it." Evie said.
Eric turned his gaze to look past her. "He lives there?" He tone didn't sound overly impressed.
"Gran says it used to be a beautiful property." Slowing down even more, her eyes moving over the structure, she couldn't help but try to see past the decay and rotting clap boards. It probably had been an impressive sight. Like so many other old homes in the south it had declined through the years.
Pressing down on the gas she moved past the house, but not before a shadow appeared before one of the large windows. Feeling a little creepy to have been caught sitting outside Bill's place, Evie cast a quick glance before pushing the accelerator a little more firmly.
Passing by the graveyard, she took the curve toward home a little too fast and slowed down before nearing the final curve in the road.
Coming to a sharp stop, she turned the key and let out a deep breath.
"Well, I'm home safe and sound." Flashing him a huge fake smile as she undid her seatbelt, Evie waited for Eric to unwedge himself from the car. Instead, his head whipped toward the house, his body tense.
"Invite me inside." His tone was tense, and deadly serious. His stare seemed to drill into her, causing a flash of fear leap up her spine.
"Not likely." Grabbing her purse, she jumped when he gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist.
Blue eyes boring down on green ones. "Everly, you need to invite me in now."
Seconds away from telling him to pound sand, a crash came from somewhere inside, followed by Gran's terrified yell.
"Eric you're so invited into my home." The words were barely out of her mouth before Eric was in motion. Barely seeing the car door open for him to exit, he was across the yard and up the back steps before disappearing inside.
She'd barely had the chance to open the car door.
The sound of further crashing met her ears as Evie raced after him. Barely up the steps shouting echoed out into the night. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but not entirely. Pushing the screen door open with a thud, she froze at the sight of her Gran slumped against the wall. Her hand holding her neck as blood dripped through her fingers.
The bubble of panic seized her stomach, as a huge lump formed in the middle of her throat. Cutting off her ability to breathe. Eric had a man pinned to the kitchen wall, his feet inches off the floor, kicking in desperation to free themself from the vampire's hold. She watched in utter shock as Eric slammed the man several times against the wall before punching him soundly in the gut.
Watching, Evie realized she felt nothing for the intruder's wellbeing. Perhaps that made her a bad Christian, but if they were the one who hurt her Gran, then they deserved everything Eric was dishing out, if not more.
Ripping her eyes from the angered vampire, she met her Gran's watery gaze. The fear and silent pleading for help pushed Evie into motion. Hurrying to the drawer where Gran kept all her clean dish towels, Evie grabbed a handful out before making her way across kitchen tiles, to where the older woman was slumped up against the wall.
Prying her Gran's hold from her neck was problematic, but after a few calming words she eventually relented, and Evie quickly pressed the cloth to the wound. She didn't waste time studying the cut, not entirely sure she wanted to see just how bad it was.
Gulping down some fresh air, she tried to push away the panic. She needed to get to the phone and call the paramedics, but to do that she would need to let go. Letting her eyes lower from her hand, she noticed Gran's nightgown was torn, and crimson was starting to soak the white linen.
Nearly hysterical, she searched for Eric and gasped when Eric's large form shifted, reviling the assailant. "Rene?"
It seemed the world froze in place. Never in a million years would she have even predicted Rene of murder. He'd always been so kind, and polite.
"You fucking vamp WHORE!" Rene spat, blood dripping from his mouth from where Eric had at one point slammed his fist into his face. His anger and rage were boiling over and nearly filled the room with a sickly oil like feeling. "Fucking, fang banging slut. You and your sister, spreading your legs for these monsters."
Perhaps not so kind and polite.
A low growl came from Eric's throat, as he yanked Rene up again until they were eye level. "I'm going to treasure breaking you."
"No!" Every fiber of her being flared to life, as Eric's intention became crystal clear. "You can't."
Holding her breath, Evie watched as Eric's posture tensed, before his head moved slowly, his gaze connecting with hers. "You must be joking. This piece of garbage nearly killed your Mormor."
"I know." Evie gulped under his judgmental glare. "But my brother is still a person of interest in the other murders. If you kill Rene, Jason will never be cleared. They were friends." Nodding to Rene, Evie swallowed at his hateful glare. "Sheriff Dearborn and Andy might think they were working together."
"He wouldn't have stopped with her." Eric growled as his eyes darkened. "You and your sister would've been next."
A chill went down her spine. Eric was one hundred percent right. "I know. But you can't kill him. Gran would never want someone to die for her. Besides, it wouldn't be great PR for vampires if you kill him. You know how bad that would look."
A dark scowl appeared on Eric's face, but he shook it off and gave her a careless shrug. Turning his attention back to where Rene was dangling. The hate radiating from Rene's eyes was chilling, as he clawed at Eric's fierce hold.
"Eric." Licking at her dry lips, Evie turned to where Eric was still holding the attacker. "Eric, I need your help."
His body tensed, and a growl ripped from deep inside. Slamming Rene's body one more time against the wall, he let go as Rene hit the ground in a thud. He looked ready to kick out with the sole of his boot, but instead spun around and made his way to her.
"I can't reach the phone, and I left my cell in the car." Dread was eating away at her heart, and she lifted pleading eyes to him. "She can't die."
Nodding, he pulled out his phone and moved to the other room. His voice was low as he talked, and Evie felt a moment of relief when he returned. "They'll be here shortly."
Shortly felt more like an eternity.
Gran had fallen unconscious, and as every second ticked by Evie prayed. She was a little rusty at it, seeing she'd never really been the religious type. She'd promised to be a better granddaughter, because seriously the woman's whose blood was now covering her hands deserved better than a monthly visit from her during the school year. So desperate Gran lived, she also vowed to be a better sister to both Jason and Sookie. That one would be harder to keep, seeing her sister could be a selfish cow at times. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
As she bargained and pleaded with a God who hadn't really done many favors in her life, Evie kept half an eye on Eric as he stayed close to Rene's unmoving form. His anger could be felt from across the room, even though his face was void of any emotion. A few times their eyes would meet, and his gaze made her feel both vulnerable and reassured at the same time.
The old grandfather clock from the living room chimed, breaking the silence in the house, and Eric looked over from the other side of the room.
"I could give her some of my blood." His tone sounded less than pleased at the thought, almost as though the offer was being dragged out of him.
She felt stupid for not thinking of it before. How many times had she been forced to listen to Sookie retell how Bill had saved her life after the Rattray's had nearly beat Sookie to death? She'd painted Bill to be some sort of knight in shining armor, rushing to her aide. It'd been his blood that had saved Sookie that night at the beginning of summer.
Looking back down at her Gran, her breath coming out in short, ragged gasps. As if the act itself was bringing her untold pain, Evie contemplated the offer. Sookie had also shared a time or two how there had been a few side effects but hadn't really gone into great detail.
"Sookie said something about side effects after Bill gave her his blood." Perhaps she was being stupid. Did it really matter if there were a few lingering issues, if it meant Gran didn't die?
A dark look crossed Eric's features, before he caught himself. "Nothing that causes damage."
The sound of a car coming up the drive pulled their attention. Relief flooded through Evie's veins, that immediately faded the second the sound of her sister's voice hit her ears.
Walking through the backdoor, Sookie's gaze first landed on Eric. Evie watched as a scowl formed on her lips, but before she could utter a word her eyes flicked down and a gasp was ripped from her instead. "Gran?"
Dropping her purse to the ground, Sookie was in motion as she rushed over the ancient linoleum. "What happened?"
"Rene." Her hand still firmly attached to Gran's frail throat, Evie licked at her dry lips, unable to look in her sister's direction. Right now, she was barely hanging in there. To see Sookie's gutted expression would really make her loose her shit.
"But why?" Sookie cried, her hands shaking as she grabbed another clean dish towel from the drawer and came to kneel next to Gran's unconscious form. The wound on her chest was still bleeding, seeping into the white of her nightgown. Pressing the towel down on her chest Sookie stared.
"Because he's a psycho." Evie muttered.
"Why is he here?" Not needing to look to know Sookie was now glaring daggers in Eric's direction.
"He made sure I got home safe."
"And you invited him in?" Sookie's anger filled the room.
"Sookie, he saved Gran's life." If her hands weren't already occupied, she would've wrapped them around her sister's throat instead. Sitting on the kitchen floor, both sisters glared at one another. Knowing anger was Sookie's go to when rattled was the only reason Evie was the first to look away.
Moving her gaze to where Eric was watching them, she considered his earlier offer. "Do it."
Their gazes locked as he read the determination in her eyes, and with a dramatic sigh, his fangs came out. Bringing his wrist up to his mouth, Sookie's trembling voice stopped him.
"Absolutely not!" Sookie's voice trembled with raw emotion, as her eyes narrowed.
"Sookie." Staring at her sister, wondering if shock had rendered her sister insane, Evie looked back at Eric who was already lowering his wrist. "Sookie she could die."
"Don't you Sookie me." Snapping her attention back, Sookie's cheeks reddened. "You have no clue what happens when a vampire gives their blood. If you did you wouldn't be so eager to put Gran through that."
"So, you'd rather she dies then deal with a few side effects?"
"Shut up." Sookie nearly screamed. "She's not going to die." She could barely choke out before a big fat tear fell from her eye. "She can't."
Her sister was making zero sense and her odd behavior was pissing Evie off. Looking up at Eric, who was back standing guard over Rene, he gave her an indifferent look back.
"Renard Parish sheriff's department." Bud Dearborn's voice floated through the screen door before the telling sound if it's creaking hinges opening had three sets of eyes moving to where the Sheriff and Andy Belfour came into view.
"What the fuck." Andy's voice boomed in the silent kitchen, his beady eyes moving from the sisters to where a tall blonde giant stood above the motionless Rene.
It was like a switch had been flipped from slow motion to fast forward as the kitchen filled with numerous officers and EMTs. To be honest, Evie had no idea there were so many officers in the Sheriff's department, as she was pushed aside, and people moved in to assist her Gran.
Sookie went to flop down into one of the empty kitchen chairs, with the help from Kenya. Evie found herself being pulled away from the hive of activity by a pair of firm hands. Pulling her to the side, she kept her eyes firmly glued on Gran, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest.
Questions ricocheted out around her, but even if she'd been able to scrape her tongue from the roof of her mouth to answer, another was fired off. It was chaos, and with every passing second Evie could feel the weight of it sucking the air out of the room until she was left gasping to catch a breath.
She hadn't had any of Lafayette's miracle pills since lunch. Add in her Gran's attempted homicide . . . things were getting dicey.
Shifting her gaze over to where Sookie was squeezing her eyes, realizing that if she was feeling this, her sister must be ready to split at the seams.
"Shut up!" Sookie screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands flying to her ears as if that would be any help. "Cheese and rice, stop!" Swiftly standing she made for the door.
"Go see to your sister." Eric's clipped tone from behind made her jump, as Evie turned her head and found his face dangerously close. "I'll handle this."
Blinking, Evie wanted nothing more than to follow her sister out into the silent night. "I can't leave Gran."
"She's going to be fine."
"You don't know that." Evie snapped, eyes burning with unshed tears, as and turned away only to find Bud standing before her.
"What in the hell happened?" Red blotches covered his face, as tiny beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He was clearly worked up, looking bug eyed down at Rene.
Licking at her lips, Evie was about to tell him to back the fuck off. Instead, she suddenly felt trapped by some giant fist, that was slowing squeezing the life out of her body. The more she fought against the pressure, the worse it got. It had been years since she'd had an episode this bad, and the last thing she needed was to freak out now.
Dark shadows began to form around her gaze, and she fought to drag in a lungful of air. But as she struggled, Bud kept pushing. Demanding answers she didn't have the ability to reply to. Finally, by the grace of God everything disappeared, as the darkness took over.
So Gran is alive . . . for now.