It's cold outside, freezing actually, and the tequila she's been drinking for the last hour has done nothing to warm her up. She's not even the slightest bit tipsy and she hates that. There have only been a few times when she's been drunk, all of them years ago when she was still a teenager, with Seth by her side. Memories from the last time she was wasted flash through her mind. They were still in Mexico and it had been Seth's birthday. Of course he hadn't volunteered that information, she happened to notice the expired license he still carried with him and remembered the date. He'd been in no mood to celebrate but she had dragged him to the bar and he'd insisted she take a few shots with him. Tequila was their poison of choice that night and they both paid for it with a killer hangover the next morning.
She takes another swig of the bottle and swallows the liquid. Nope, nothing. She might as well be drinking water. Closing her eyes, she lays back on the pool chair. Unfortunately images of both brothers assault her brain, tormenting her.
"You alright?"
She turns to find Seth standing a few feet away. He seems concerned and embarrassed, even a little shy, and she reminds herself it's just an act. The Gecko brothers are setting up a job and that's the only reason they're here. "I will be as soon as you leave me alone." She takes another shot, staring at the water in the pool.
"Maybe slow down on the tequila."
"Maybe mind your own business."
"You can't handle your liquor, Kate. We both know that."
"Oh please, I can drink you under the table."
"Says the girl who gets hammered after two wine coolers."
"That was three years ago. Things are different now."
"If you say so, Princess."
"I'm not your fucking princess, and I'm not your brother's sweetheart."
"You are a regular barrel of laughs though."
"Why are you here?" she snaps.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry about... upstairs. I was worried about Richie and you were helping him and I just... I was grateful and I got carried way. It was a mistake. It's never gonna happen again."
She holds his gaze for a moment. A sharp thrill jolts through her body, making her insides ache with pleasure and pain, and she quickly averts her eyes from him. "Is this a change in tactic?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Richie shows up, tries to sweet talk me. And when that doesn't work, you try the same thing. You guys must really want that dagger badly."
"I doubt Richie gives a fuck about that now. As soon as he heard about you, you're all that he's been obsessing about. "
"Isn't that sweet," she mutters.
"He's in love with you."
"Sure he is."
"It's the truth."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't care."
"Let me guess. You're in love with me too."
"Don't flatter yourself, Princess. You're not my type."
His words sting, even hurt, but she tells herself at least he's being honest - a far cry from Richie. "Take your brother and get out of my life."
"It's not gonna be that easy."
"Why? You guys did a bang-up job of it three years ago."
"And look how fucked up that turned out. We did it to keep you safe and it ended up fucking up your life even more."
"And what? Harassing me now is going to undo the damage? It can't."
"You think I don't know that, Sugar?" Seth snaps. "If I had a choice I wouldn't be here right now. And I wouldn't let Richie bother you either but I can't control what he does. He loves you, and he has this idea in his head that we're supposed to be together-"
"We? Meaning what?" She levels him with an angry stare. "As in the three of us?"
Seth is the one to look away this time.
"So how would that work? The two of you would share me? Like I'm a slut who gets passed back and forth between the two of you? "
"Alright, alright, just stop-"
"Oh wait, never mind. I'm not your type, right? Does Richie know that?"
"Shut up, Kate."
A bitter laugh escapes her throat. "I don't need you, Seth. And I don't need Richie. I've been doing just fine on my own."
She turns away from him, focusing her attention back on the pool.
"When we're alone, we're lost. We're stronger when we're together. You said those words, Kate. You. You said that to Frost when we were stuck in the tunnels at the Twister."
She remembers that night; it feels like it was a lifetime ago. "I was a very stupid girl back then."
"No, you weren't. You refused to give up, and you made us have hope even though there was no reason to. And we got out of that hell."
"You and Richie did, but I lost everything that night. My father, my brother. My entire life. And just when I thought I got a little bit of it back, you and Richie yanked it away again. So you can save your bullshit lecture. Sooner or later, we all end up alone."
"The pastor didn't. He had you with him, all the way till the bitter end."
"Leave him out of this!"
"Fine. Then let's talk about Richie. I know my brother, Kate. He's a stubborn asshole, but he loves you."
"The only person Richie's capable of loving is you, and you, him. Everyone else gets chewed up and thrown aside once they serve their purpose."
"That's bullshit."
Kate downs the remaining contents of the bottle and sets it aside. Pulling up her knees to her chin, she wraps her arms around herself. "Really? I asked Richie about the woman you were with at the mansion. You looked happy with her. Turns out, you were just using her like you used me."
"It's not true. Richie only said that because he doesn't like Vanessa."
Jealousy surges through her. "Vanessa? Your ex-wife?"
"Yeah."
"She's pretty."
"I know."
"Does she know how much of a bastard you are?"
"She has a pretty good idea."
"Obviously not if she took you back."
"I don't want to talk about her."
"No, you'd rather try and convince me to be your brother's sex slave."
"For fucks' sakes!" He approaches her, pulling up a lounge chair close - but not too close. "God, what is it with you women? Why do you have to blow everything out of proportion? I get it, Richie's intense, but that doesn't mean he's a freak or a psychopath or a rapist-"
"I never said he was."
There's a brief pause before he continues. "Vanessa thinks that about him. She knows better than to say it to me but she hates Richie."
"So do I. Looks like Vanessa and I have something in common."
"You don't hate him. You want to but you don't."
There's that smug arrogance she hates so much.
"You could have staked him a hundred times over these last few hours but you didn't. And you didn't have to feed him your blood, but you did. You know what that tells me? This lone ranger routine of yours is an act, that's all. And when Johnny Depp can't pull it off, what makes you think you can?"
"Explain something to me. Why is Santanico still alive? I mean, you and Richie have been at this for a while now. I've only been tracking her for a year and I'm probably just as close as you guys are to getting her. Why is that, Seth? Why isn't she dead yet?"
He doesn't answer right away, and every instinct in her brain screams he's hiding something.
"It's not that easy."
She shakes her head. "Nothing ever is with you Gecko brothers. Look, I'm just really, really tired of your lies. Can you please shut up for a while? I need some rest."
"Then go to your room. Get some sleep."
"I can't. Not with Richie there." She can feel Seth's gaze studying her, watching her intently, so she turns away, closing her eyes. They spent many a nights like this over the course of their year together. Sometimes he would be drunk and she'd have to help him to their motel. Other nights she'd fall asleep by the pool and he'd carry her back to their room. It's terrifying how easily a part of her is ready to fall back into old patterns with him.
"Kate, you don't have to worry. I'm not gonna let Richie hurt you."
"He's not the only one who hurt me." She doesn't open her eyes. "Who's going to protect me from you?"
He doesn't respond, and she doesn't prod for an answer. Frankly, there's nothing he can say she'll believe.
Seth watches her for a while. He should stop, because he's acting like a full-on creep watching her sleep at this point, but he can't help himself. There's always been something comforting about being around her and it's been years since they've had a night like this.
Eventually he picks her up and takes her back to her room, like he's done many, many times in the past. As always, she doesn't stir nor does she wake up.
He places her on the bed, next to Richie.
"Is she alright?" Richie asks.
"Still pissed. You?"
Richie wiggles his fingers. "Sensation's coming back. Slowly."
"Keep those hands to yourself, Richard. Don't touch her. Let her sleep."
"Because raping sleeping women is such a fetish of mine?"
"Shut up." He walks over to the other side of the bed, takes a seat on the nearby chair and puts his legs up on the coffee table. He doesn't say anything, simply watches as Richie runs his fingers through Kate's hair gently, carefully, so as not to wake her.
"I think I know why the attacks got worse."
Seth peers at Richie. waiting. "Why?"
"Because," Richie says softly, his attention still fixated on Kate. "I don't think she's human anymore."
A/N - As always, thank you for the wonderful feedback. I'm not even going to lie, I started working on the next chapter much earlier than planned because of the encouraging comments :)
