Chapter 11 BPOV

"Listen good, Little Sugar. Once you leave, you ain't gonna be hidden no more like you is here."

"I've been hidden?"

"Too many bodies confuse vampire gifts, and mine throw off everyone. Once you get 'bout three miles away though, you only got Demetri, so you gonna be completely under his protection. You gonna haveta listen ta him, and you gonna haveta play along."

"Confuse vampire gifts?"

"A lot of gifts focus on the mind, Tessoro. When you have a lot of minds concentrated in once place, it muddies things a bit and makes it hard to focus on just one thing because there are numerous perspectives on the same thing. Also, with so many different ways one thing can go with so many vampires, it makes the future impossible to predict."

"You're talking about Alice."

"She isn't the only fortune teller in the vampire world. Master Aro has two in his employ, just not quite as accurate. With the Captain, his mind is such a maze, it's impossible for even Alice to know what his decisions are or how they will effect anything."

"She can't see you?"

"Nope, and so long as your future is twined with mine, she can't see your ass either. That said though, there gonna be a lot a uncertainty today, so once you leave with Demetri, the only thing that certain is you gonna be with him for a time. That means you ain't gonna be hidden from no one no more."

I sat in the passenger seat of my car as Demetri drove away from Peter's place, the conversation I had with him and Peter before we left running through my mind. I mean, I guess I was curious how everything was going to play out, but I didn't know what all had been happening while at Peter's. I had no idea that was why he had so many guests that did nothing but knock down walls and drink his entire inventory of alcohol. I guess it made sense, even if it didn't answer a damn question.

Before we left, Peter handed Demetri an envelope, but neither one would tell me what was in it as Demetri tucked it into his inner jacket pocket. I also wasn't all that sure I wanted to know since they were being so secretive about it. Plus, neither one would tell me what the plan was once Demetri and I left. I was just handled into my car and we were off, heading back toward the Strip.

It was approaching twilight when he turned off the main road and took a few side streets, pulling to a stop outside a bar that was certainly off the beaten path. It had seen better days, and the look that overtook Demetri's face when he opened his door was all I needed to know that this was a pretty shitty place.

I waited in the car like I was told to until he opened my door, his hand appearing to help me out. When I took it and stood, he actually pulled me close to him as he shut the door. I looked up at him and saw his eyes scanning the area. When he was as satisfied as I'm sure he was gonna get, he wrapped my arm through his and dipped his head as we walked toward the door. "Do not stray too far from my side."

I nodded but didn't comment as he pulled open the door, allowing me to enter before him. My stomach rolled and eyes watered at the smell of something rotting. I didn't really want to take more than two steps inside, but a hand on the small of my back told me I didn't have a choice. With a whimper in my throat, I followed the unspoken command, and let him lead me to a table that was against a far wall. He sat with his back to it and facing the room while I sat with my back to the room facing him.

He pulled his hood down and started to take off his gloves when I leaned forward with my voice lowered. "Why here? If it smells this bad to me, I can only imagine how bad it is to you."

He didn't stop his task as he flicked his eyes to mine. "I have my reasons, Stella." Tucking his gloves away, he leaned back in his seat while crossing his arms. "There is no telling how stupid desperation will make someone, and no one will care when this place is leveled."

I didn't miss his choice of words. Clearing my throat, I clicked my tongue. "When?"

He gave his version of a reassuring smile. "It's always a matter of when. Desperate times and all that? I'm sure you know the phrase."

I did. I knew it pretty well, actually. It was desperation that led me to make that call to Peter. However, now was not the time I would have liked to see it become an actual decision someone makes. And, there was only one set of people I knew that could have been desperate when it came to me. Hearing the door open behind me while watching Demetri's eyes shift and darken, I gulped.

I felt my body stiffen as Demetri turned those pools of onyx on me. He didn't say anything, just reached into his jacket to pull out the envelope that Peter had given him, placing it on the table. With one finger, he slid it toward me as he stood.

"No matter what you hear, do not turn around. In five minutes, open this, and do what it says."

Looking at the envelope in front of me, I licked my lips and nodded. There was no need to say anything; I knew what was inside. It seemed I was back to where I was almost two weeks ago...

Following the commands of someone that wasn't really there.