Tara ran because she was afraid and in part she wanted to deserve Pam and exceed the low expectations of her maker's society. Franklin was an attentive teacher and impatient for the most part, but fortunately it evened out when Tara quickly learned from her mistakes. Killing quite frankly was easy. She'd never had the inclination to become a killer for hire, but as a vampire she held certain skills which humans, fae, werewolf, and vampire found useful when they wanted someone killed. So, under more stringent rules of her mentor she began to excel in the trade as a gun for hire so to speak. All that time while she was evolving into someone different—a killer—Pam wasn't far from her thoughts.

She had almost expected her maker to come after her, praying that she wouldn't because she didn't know if she'd be able to refuse Pam's wishes. Even worse there was still the matter of being released and that blow she could not live with, not when she cared so deeply. There were other women of course and some men that shared her bed, but none for longer than she needed them to be there. She had made a mess of her love life which in turn made her strive for better in every other aspect of her life. For Tara the structure made her feel sane when everything else did not.

"Are you about done yet?" Franklin stood in the opening of her room in their suite glaring at her impatiently.

When they first began working together she took his glares to heart until she realized it was his resting face. The man rarely smiled and it suited him which in turn suited her.

"Almost," she stated in the mirror putting on her heels and. She stood in them growing in height inspecting herself in the full length mirror.

"You look like a girl," her partner commented.

"I am a fucking girl," she ground out.

Pushing off the door he shrugged, "bloody hell you are aren't you?"

She held up her middle finger before she collected the small purse that matched her crimson strapless dress with a split on the side to show her thigh.

In the car Franklin briefed her on who to expect at the party and her target was an affluent human named Daniel Lesaron who'd been building relations with vampires especially building vampire friendly hotels and working on his own factories of Artificial Blood.

"Our employer wants you to get close to him," Franklin looked at her pointedly, "be friendly."

"I didn't get into the business of killing to make friends."

"Well this one is an exception," he shrugged, "we lend our services to our loyal clients anyway we can—we don't say no when we get a paycheck to live like the rich and famous."

"Fuck the rich and famous."

Franklin smiled, "too right," sobering, "even still I expect you to utilize all that home training I'm sure you're mommy instilled in you."

Tara pursed her lips glaring at her partner.

He responded with an apathetic look from the road to her—he knew he'd hit a nerve, but he really didn't care. Tara could be very sensitive about her maker, it was a weakness, and a potential threat to him the sooner she got over the better.

"You know it's been six months."

"I don't want to talk about it," the dark skinned vampire ground out.

"I don't want to discuss it either, hell, I'd rather you'd burn and bury your issues send them far the fuck away from me, but you got shit you still sore about and it ain't going to do you any good to hold onto it."

Tara didn't speak. And Franklin was done preaching. When they arrived at the two story building they were asked for their invitations. From the inside of his black suit he reached for the invitations his employer supplied him with and a curt nod from security gave them permission to enter.

With one arm around his they scanned the crowd looking over humans and vampires with the stench of men wafting off their thousand dollar outfits. Tara wanted to vomit because she'd attended parties like these before and it was always accompanied by a feeling that she didn't belong. But, she couldn't show that here. Here she was conducting business swallowing her reservations about talking to people she normally wouldn't have.

"There," Franklin pointed with a finger sipping from his glass.

Tara looked in the opposite direction and then gracefully craned her neck to where Franklin first pointed and saw their target. He was an older man with glasses and a shiny bald head sandwiched with a thin mane of white hair.

"He looks like old money," Tara observed.

Franklin grunted, "good time as any to introduce yourself," he took her arm and Tara let him guide her to the small group their host surrounded himself around. Passing by and smiling they became engaged in nonsensical conversation, only for show, when Tara accidentally on purpose bumped into Mr. Lesaron when he turned without warning to address someone.

"Oh my, I'm sorry," her host said apologizing for the damage to her dress.

Tara wide eyed looked down and Franklin, playing her concerned date, gave Daniel a hard and disapproving look, "look what you've done," he shook his head.

"What's going on here?" a tall brunette entered the picture in a striking turquoise gown. "Come, let's get you cleaned up," she drew Tara away from prying eyes and Daniel took Franklin aside while they left.

"You're a mess," the strange woman's words echoed in the bathroom where she and Tara disappeared to see if they could clean up her dress.

"Yea," the vampire agreed.

"I'll have my dry cleaner attend to it. In the mean while why don't we go shopping and get you a new one."

Tara stopped scrubbing at the dress and her paper towels folded into a ball in her fists, "what?"

The woman looked at her wrist, "I own a boutique thirty or so minutes from here. We can have you looking ravishing again in no time—the night is young."

The vampire was confused as to who this woman was and declined.

"Forgive me," the woman began to explain, "I'm Maryann Forrester, Daniel's ex and occasional PR person when I need to be. I assure you it's in the best interest of everyone involved that he's not seen disrespecting a vampire or any species. I understand the politics can get very serious."

"So, you're going to buy me a dress?" Tara asked still confused even though this woman's identity was cleared up she wasn't very trusting of her intentions.

There was a knock at the door and it opened and Franklin's voice could be heard, "Tara darling are you alright?"

Sending a glance to Maryann Tara went to the door explaining the dress was a disaster and Maryann's offer. He looked in the general direction of where Maryann leaned against the sink and nodded his head to give Tara the go ahead. He managed to point out a few key facts that made it more appealing in Daniel's case to get to know him. Everything Franklin said was true about his family even though it wasn't common knowledge in certain circles what he did for a living.

"Go on then," he said so that Maryann could hear. Her heels could be heard as she joined Tara at the door.

"It's settled then," she passed Franklin and told Tara she would meet her outside. The pale dark haired vampire followed her and Tara outside reminding his partner, "be nice."

"I heard you the first time."

"Just because you heard me doesn't mean you listened," he adjusted his collar, "I hate suits."

"You just hate looking civilized."

He snarled, "it's an overrated look."

"Look at that," a jaguar came rolling to a stop where Franklin and Tara stood outside, "next time I get the blood spilled on me."

"Not a chance," Tara stated.

Maryanne's boutique was a collection of thousand dollar dresses the contract killer took in with a measure of awe. They were walking around in relative darkness when the brunette put in the code and after a few minutes where she was gone in the back the lights came on.

"Let there be light," the owner joked jingling keys. "The dressing rooms back there."

Tara looked around at the dresses and choosing one at random she grabbed it only to have the shop owner confiscate it. Brown eyes looked at her questioningly as the woman shook her head, "I have something else in mind," her eyes glittered and she pushed Tara took the back telling her to undress and wait for her.

With mild curiosity Tara did as she was told find the back dressing rooms to be large and spacious with several mirrors on the walls to look at herself from every angle. In a bra and panties she stood waiting while the dress was placed carefully on floor so the blood would touch anything it could stain.

"Here we are," Maryanne returned later with a dress.

"You don't know my size," Tara took the garment anyway.

Maryanne studied her body with an appreciate gaze that Tara didn't miss.

"How long have you known Daniel?" she felt better talking than being watched quietly.

The brunette shrugged, "long enough to know his likes and his dislikes, but not enough to really know him if that makes sense."

Tara paused, "I can relate to that."

"With your boyfriend?"

Stepping into the dress she pulled the straps over her shoulders and Maryanne came forward to help herself to the wrinkles she insisting on straightening—including the imaginary ones.

"He's not my boyfriend," Tara corrected looking at the bowed head of the helpful shop owner.

"Oh," was all the answer Maryanne gave as she zipped up the black dress for her. Then her eyes rose meeting Tara's not all sorry to hear the news, "beautiful."

Taken aback by the comment Tara dropped her gaze suddenly shy.

"No one's ever told you that before?"

The vampire could have lied, but then her first response had already given her away.

"Not lately."

"Then you've been around the wrong people," she stated playing with Tara's hair now as she placed it neatly over her shoulders completing the look she was going for, "perhaps it's time for a new crowd of friends."

"Perhaps," Tara indulged.

"It's settled then," the woman moved away careful with the garment as she grabbed it from the floor.

"What's settled?"

"Lunch tomorrow," the woman said in an as a matter of fact fashion, like they were on the topic and Tara was the one who wasn't keeping up.

The dark skinned woman raised her brows.

Immediately correcting herself, "right, you don't really do day time," she continued, "fine then you'll have dinner at my place." She left no room to argue and Tara didn't.

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Surprise! Stuck on one story I got ideas for another one I've been flirting with the idea of revisiting