I knew something was wrong when I got up that afternoon, but I didn't know what it was. I got dressed after watching a few episodes of a t.v show I had recorded to get some errands done but I never made it out of the door to do them. Just as I was reaching for my purse my mind caught the hold of three buzzing little brains entering the back of my house. I immediately abandoned the living room to go searching for the shotgun my grandma kept in the closet "just in case".
They made it to me first. The first man grabbed me roughly from the back, my hair clenched in his fist as he dragged me to the ground. "I got her!" He called out to the others.
I kicked, scratched, and spat at him, but he didn't loosen his hold. Suddenly I got so angry, so distraught I went to punch him in the face but I didn't. Light beamed out of my hand and struck him in the face. He flew off of my body and crashed into my couch, I could hear the wood splintering underneath. I didn't stop to stare however, I got up off my ass and ran. Right into a large chest. Goddamnit.
"Going somewhere?" The wolf asked me, he slammed his fist into my head and I was out for the count.
I woke up in a plain van. My hands were tied behind my back and I had a raging headache. I groaned as I moved from laying on my back to sitting upright. I blinked a few times to clear out the fogginess in my vision. There he was, the bastard who had punched me into unconsciousness. He sat in front of me grinning ear to ear.
It didn't take a telepath to know what he was thinking. He was smug that he had knocked me out. "How does that head feel?" Yep, smug.
I couldn't help myself, I smiled right along with him but not for the same reason. In stressful times that smile just sprung out on my face and it wasn't a thing I could do to stop it. "Amazing." I lied.
His smile faltered but then held strong. "The bitch is awake." The werewolf called out to the others. One guy, the one I had blasted into the couch looked back at me. And I fell into laughter, he had a knot on his forehead bigger than Texas.
He smiled nastily, "You won't be smiling once the King of Arkansas gets his hands on you."
I audibly gulped. I didn't want to meet the King.
Smash!
The van swerved and then ran off the road. The driver yelled incoherently to the others but that didn't last long. Blood spewed on the window and he slumped in his sleep, his head hitting the horn hard. The wolf in the passenger's seat tried to control the window but a few seconds later he was down for the count too.
The car ran into a tree and the impact knocked me and the other bad, bad wolf into each the seats.
"What the-" The wolf began, but he didn't finish. The backdoor to the van was opened and a giant of a man wielding a shotgun shot him between the eyes. His blood sprayed on my face, neck, and chest. Kidnapping I could deal with, having a man's blood in my cleavage? I could not. I screamed, and I screamed loud.
"Sookie, listen, we have to get out of here. Get out of the van." The man yelled at me. "You hear me? Let's GO!" That voice wasn't to be ignored.
I gathered my wits and scooted out of the van. He helped me gain my feet and untied the ropes that bound my wrist. "Eric, had me watching over you." The man explained to me.
"Wow, you did an amazing job. I mean you really stopped those guys when they ambushed me in my own home. Tore the place up, and knocked me on my ass." I babbled. "You're great at your job." I was being sarcastic of course.
He jerked me towards a parked car by holding on to my wrist. "I needed to see where they were taking you."
"They were taking me to the King of Arkansas." I told him irately.
He looked back at me, and I saw just how handsome he was. Yum. Wait, no. He sucked at his job. "Well they were going the wrong way." Was all he said.
"What's your name?" I asked as I took my seat in the cab of his car.
He glanced over at me and I startled to realize his eyes were a vivid purple. "Quinn."
Quinn didn't like to talk much so I tried to read his mind. Quinn was definitely not fully human, but I knew he wouldn't tell me if I asked. And he would ask how I knew he wasn't human. His thoughts didn't come how I was used to them, and it was hard to read him. Damnit.
"So where are you taking me?" I needed to know that much. "And what time is it?"
"It's four in the afternoon, I'm guessing you lost some time in that van. Anyway, I'm taking you to Shreveport to wait until Eric wakes up. It isn't safe for you to be in Bon Temps right now. And Eric told me to take you here if anything came up."
Ha, something definitely "came up" alright. But I wasn't sure how I liked the fact that Eric was making decisions on my life without asking. He didn't even tell me that someone was watching over me. Pam had mentioned I would be safe as long as the Vampires kept watch over me I guess she forgot about the day.
Quinn had a home in Shreveport. Once we arrived we had about two hours until the sun set and we wasted it playing cards, talking and drinking beer. I really needed that beer. Quinn was well over six feet tall, with wide shoulders, a small waist and a killer smile. He flashed his pearly whites at me while we played Tunk and I knew he was flirting and trying to distract me.
"Your dimples aren't going to win you this game, sweetie." I teased, letting him know I was on to his little game.
Quinn grinned and sat back in his chair. The beer opened his mind to me. He was thinking what was a beautiful, smart girl doing messing around with Eric Northman. I don't know how I felt about that. Eric was sweet to me, and he was protecting me.
"People are going to be worrying about me." I said.
Quinn bit his lip, "like your boyfriend?" he said with displeasure.
I fought the urge to smile. "I don't have a boyfriend, Quinn."
That was a shocker to him. "Then what does Eric want with you?"
I didn't like the way he said that and I gave him a look that told him so. "No offence, I just know that Eric doesn't do anything that isn't for his own gain." Quinn elaborated.
"Is that right?" Eric asked coolly, he appeared from behind me and took a seat beside me at the kitchen table.
I didn't sense one ounce of fear from Quinn and that made me like him even more. I looked to Eric and my mouth watered. He was unbelievably good looking. Even Quinn's ruggedness didn't match up to Eric, but he was somewhere behind him. Eric's baby blue eyes met mine and I saw anger. His face however, was cool as December.
"Explain to me what happened in detail." Eric didn't even look at me as Quinn spoke but I could feel all his energy directed at me. My body shivered, although I my blood was hot as blazes. I barely knew this man and he didn't even have to look at me for my body to react. I wonder if this was how all Vampires were. That had to be it.
After Quinn finished Eric nodded his head without a thank you and stood up. He offered me his hand and I took it, raising to my feet too. "Thank-you, Quinn." I said to him, I was thoroughly grateful.
Eric turned towards me, his eyes not meeting mine. He pushed loose hair away from my face and placed it behind my ear. "Your payment for your job will be wired to your account." He said to Quinn, his voice distant and detached, he was reminding me that Quinn had been paid to protect me. He wasn't a knight in shining armor. More like a hired gun. He looked me in the eyes then, and I saw he was still upset. As he moved my hair he saw my neck, scratches and bruises were still raw and sensitive there. He rolled my sleeves up from my shirt and saw the bruises there.
All of a sudden Eric was a statue. He didn't move as he looked at the bruises and scratches. "I knew I smelled blood. Quinn...you didn't explain these." Fury rolled off of Eric in waves and his fury was directed at none other than Quinn. He was angry because I had been hurt, I had been bruised. In my heart I knew that wasn't just because the Queen would be displeased.
Quinn didn't look happy either. He looked over the table at me and to my arms. "I...I didn't see those. She hid them." He accused me, not happy that I hadn't shown him.
"You didn't bother to ask if I was okay, so let's not blame the blame game." I bit out. I tugged my arms away from Eric and rolled my sleeves down. Then I pulled my hair over my shoulders and down my collar bone. "Can we go now?
He looked away from me, "After you." Eric answered sardonically. I didn't like this side of him at all. "I'll be calling you later on tonight, so we can discuss..." He said to Quinn, and then we were off.
Pam wasn't too happy that her word had been broken. She didn't bring up what she said but I could sense she wasn't happy. "That little pet of yours failed."
"Shut up, Pam." Eric said quietly but firmly.
Pam didn't hear him. She was tapping her Louboutins on the floor, ticked off. "I never liked that-"
"I said 'shut up'!" Eric roared.
Pam indeed shut up and then stormed off back to the bar, leaving Eric and I alone in his office. He sat at his desk and I sat in the chair in front of him. Eric stared at me and then closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was such a human thing to do I was stunned.
"So what's next?" I asked softly, not wanting to wake up that beast in him that Pam had.
He opened his eyes and stood up, striding to the front of his desk he knelt before me. I never thought I would see the day a Vampire would kneel in front of me. He pulled a pocket knife out of his jacket and slit his wrist. Blood pulled out and he rubbed his fingers into the wound before it could close. "Let me heal you."
How could I say no, when he had already endured pain just so I wouldn't feel any? I nodded my head and his fingers went to work. I could feel my skin closing back over itself on my neck and arms instantly. There was still stiffness in my body but I was sure I would have to ingest blood for that to work itself out. "That was kind of you..." I thanked him. He smiled at me warmly and I couldn't resist to smile back. But then that smile vanished, he stood up and sucked the blood from his fingers and returned back to his seat.
"I talked to the Queen, and she agreed that we should put more security on you." There will be two vampires watching you at night, and I have some other beings who will watch your home during the day." Eric explained, he was looking at me but it was as if I was transparent. The Eric who had just injured himself so I could be pain free was gone. Cold, distant, and businesslike Eric was here.
The I-can-take-care-of-myself woman in me wanted to tell him I didn't need anyone watching over me. I did fine just by myself but the smarter part quickly shut the other part up. I needed all the protection that could be given to me. Oh! "Quinn will be apart of the...er...team?"
His eyes practically shot blue sparks at me. Snarling "no" at me.
Well soooorry. I rolled my eyes, "It wasn't his fault-"
"I paid him to make sure you were not harmed and he failed. It is his fault, so don't let your little crush get in the way of that." Eric thought I had a crush on Quinn? Was that why he was angry? What are we in High School?!
I resisted the urge to roll my eye again. "I don't have a crush on Quinn. Besides the fact that I was a bit roughed up, he completed his job."
"If you had broken your arm, or lost a few fingers. Would you still say he "completed his job" simply because your little human life was saved?" He yelled at me. I hadn't been yelled at in years, by anyone. Customers gave me shit but they never yelled. I was near tears but I wouldn't let one drop.
He had a point but I was stubborn enough not to give it to him. Tonight had been much too stressful, I just wanted to go home and go to bed in my bed. "I'm going home."
Eric pushed a button on the landline phone in front of him, "Pam have-"
"I'll call my brother. I owe too many favors to you." I slid out of my chair and without a goodbye I walked out of his office. Pam spotting me in the crowd followed me and handed me her cell phone.
"Master wanted me to give this to you so you can call your brother." She said disdainfully. I don't think she was very happy with her 'Master'.
I smiled meekly, "I know he told you to let me borrow it but thanks." I called my brother and he told me he'll be there in twenty minutes since he was already in Shreveport on a 'mission' (sex). I gave Pam her phone back and left Fangtasia. I cried as I waited for my brother. Sometimes life was just too much.