As The World Falls Down
Chapter 7
Suspect
Light flooded the windows the next morning. The sun's rays warming the ground. Slowly, the light stretched into the attic window, the light creeping along the floor boards. The same light managed to reflect against the back of my head, warming my hair and pulling me from my sleep.
Slowly, I peeled my eyes open, blinking back the blurriness as I bit back a yawn. I allowed myself to stretch, carefully raising my arms behind my head as I laced my fingers together and arched my back. There was a resounding pop that echoed through the room, a groan slipping passed my lips at the feeling. My muscles twitched as I sat up, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hand.
"I hate waking up," I muttered, tossing my feet over the side of the bed.
The second my feet touched the ground I flinched, a reminder that I needed to put down a mat or piece of carpet. The wooden floors were just a bit too cold for my liking at times. Finally deciding to stand up, I made my way into the bathroom, closing the door behind me for a shower.
T
"Another Mega Burger coming up!" I called out, retrieving food from the counter and making my way back onto the floor.
Once three o'clock had hit, we'd been getting customers out the wazoo. They were coming left and right from the boardwalk, piling inside for food and drink. It was a Friday and that meant booming business for the place. Unfortunately, it also meant a long night for me.
Dropping off the plate of food in my hands, I made my way to another table to take the groups drink orders. It was a set of Friday night regulars. The men normally drank until they were falling over, but normally left me a decent tip for my service. As a result I always made sure to wait on them with the best service possible.
"How are you guys doing tonight?" I asked, brushing my hair back as I took out my notebook and pen.
They all smiled at me, a few of them sitting back in their chairs.
"Well, I'd say pretty good, now that you're here gorgeous," one of them said, grinning up at me.
His name was Tom Harolding. I'd actually gone to school with him and he was quite the flirt at times, with bright white teeth and long dark hair. It had always been neatly groomed, a hair tie keeping it back occasionally. His toned muscles had also drawn in admirers in school and even now.
"Well, I'm glad that I could help," I laughed.
"You know, the two of us should hang out sometime," he said, giving me a charming smile. "Maybe down to the boardwalk and some ice cream?"
"I don't know," I said hesitantly, rubbing the back of my neck.
It was a nice offer, but I didn't want to give him the wrong impression by accepting. I mean, he'd always been an all around nice guy and I knew that he'd never force me into anything, but I just wouldn't feel right. If it weren't for David, I might have agreed. Heck, had he asked while I'd been with Mark, I would have taken him up on the offer in a heartbeat. I didn't want to take the chance of hurting David though, despite how strong he seemed. Granted, we weren't 'officially' dating, but I felt that I still owed him a certain amount of respect when I came to how I handled certain aspects of my personal life.
"It'd just be as old friends if you like?" he finally said.
"We'll see, Tom, but I don't want to piss off the guy that I've been seeing recently."
Hearing this, Tom nodded his head. He gave me a smile as he looked to his friends, giving a nod of the head.
"Alright, get us a couple of beers each and some of those famous burgers of yours," he said.
"And do you guys want any fries?" I asked.
"Chilly Cheese!" one of them called out.
It was Chuck, one of the old jocks from school. He'd graduated a couple of years before us, but the two had grown up together as neighbors, becoming the best of friends.
"Okay," I nodded my head, writing everything down on my pad. "So, six of our house burgers, twelve beers, and an order of chilly cheese fries. Anything else?" I asked.
"Yeah," another one called out. "Can we get an order of potato skins too?"
I nodded my head in response. I think his name was Mitchell or Mitch for short. So, writing that down too, I gave them a nod and turned to the kitchen to put in their order.
"Hey, Rick, I got six of our house burgers, an order of chilly cheese fries, and some potato skins," I called out, placing the ticket on the clip over head.
"Well, get your little ass back here and put on some gloves," he told me.
"Chilly is in the pot in the back on the burner," he explained as I walked into the back.
I pulled a pair of gloves from the container, pulling them on with a small snap of the rubber.
"You know what to do with the fries and the cheese is in the pump."
I nodded my head as I pulled out a plate. I took it with me over to the fryer, putting it down into the oil for a few moments, until they were nice and golder. Normally, he would par cook them, putting them down after the order was placed, that way the fries didn't sit and get cold.
Once I felt that they were ready, I dumped them out onto the plate after shaking the oil off. I went over to the pot of chilly next, grabbing the ladle and drizzling it on top of the fries. I had to pull my head back slightly as the heat rose, putting the lid back on after I was finished.
"All you need is three," Rick called, referring to the cheese as I walked to the pump.
I did as instructed, giving it three squirts of cheese. A lot came out, reassuring me that three was all that was needed.
"Burgers will be done in about five minutes. Another five for the potato skins."
"Alright, I'll let them know," I said, taking off the gloves and tossing them into the trash as I took the plate of fries with me.
Walking back out, I had to avoid being knocked into, lifting the plate above my head as I maneuvered around people. This was definitely one of our busier nights, that's for sure.
T
The sound of bikes echoed through the night as the group of four road down the boardwalk. They'd talked prior to heading out, each of them agreeing to head out into different shops. They wanted to check to see if there was anything else that they recognized, David giving them each a small list of things that he knew for a fact were missing. True, the boys had been inside her home a hand full of times, but David was the one that knew the most.
"Alright, we'll meet back here in 30," David said, parking his bike and getting off. "And remember, don't forget to ask questions."
With that, the group split up, heading out in different directions. David knew exactly where he was headed though, T & E Pawn staring back at him toward the end of the strip. He wanted to knew exactly how that watch had come to end up in the window.
Once his brothers had disappeared inside the shops, he made his way down the strip, hands shoved in his pockets. He had a wad of bells shoved in his pocket, the pieces of currency nestled inside an old leather wallet he'd picked off a body a few years ago. Each of them had something similar. Up ahead, the lights buzzed, the electricity dancing inside the neon sign.
David's eyes narrowed as a bell chimed above his head, glancing up for a moment with the idea of crushing the thing in his hand. He always hated those things as the trick of surprise was taken away. He ignored it though as the owner of the shop looked over at him.
"Ah, how may I help you?" the man asked, coming out from behind the counter.
"Actually, I'm looking for something for a girlfriend of mine," David explained, trying to remain laid back.
"Oh, a young lady," he nodded. "I believe I may have a few things," he said, guiding David over to one of the display cases. "I just got some new merchandise in a few days ago."
David nodded his head as he continued this game of his.
"I'm looking for something rather particular," David said carefully, rubbing his chin. "Anything on the simple side?" he asked. "I don't want anything too gody."
The man nodded his head in understanding, explaining that he had a simpler display near the window. Pulling the display free and sitting it out in front of David. At this, David pulled a couple of pieces free, examining them in his hand. One of them had been the Opal piece that he'd seen from the night before. Now that he could take a closer look, he realized how beautiful it truly was.
"I think I'll take this one," David finally said, letting the golden chain dangle from his fingertips, the light of the shop reflecting off the face of the stone. "Also," he paused for a moment, walking over to the window and plucking Allegra's father's watch from the display. "I have a few questions for you regarding this watch."
The tone of his voice through the owner for a loop.
"Alright, what's your question?"
"Firstly, I'd like to know if you have any security cameras in here?"
Now, that had really thrown the man for a loop.
"Yes, I do," he said firmly. "And if you cause any trouble I'll have more than enough proof to prove it."
David merely laughed at the man's response, spinning the watch around his finger.
"Well, I'm in need of a bit of proof my own self," David told him, stepping forward and placing the watch down on the counter alongside the necklace.
"In case you didn't know, you're in possession of stolen property."
The man behind the counter froze upon hearing David's words.
"I'm pretty sure you don't want to get involved in this. Especially, since by buying said stolen property, you provided a drug addict with money."
The man cursed, biting down on his lip. He was at a loss.
"Now, if you give me the footage of who sold you this," he started, pulling the wallet from his pocket. "Not only will I still pay you, for both might I add, I won't report you for not doing your research first."
Looking down at the wad of money David had tossed onto the counter, the man licked his lips, deciding on how he wanted to handle things. He could go ahead and take the money, giving the young man the tape and forget about the whole things, while technically losing a potential profit with the one who'd been bringing stuff in. He could also go to jail for knowingly buying stolen property if the footage panned out as the kid had told him. Weighing the options, he took the first one, reaching out and plucking the wad of cash off of the countertop.
"I'll be back in a moment," he said, giving David a nod, while the latter pocketed the watch.
While he waited, David took the time to admire the necklace once more, running his thumb over the stone in the center. He could practically see her with it around her neck, Allegra. Between the watch and that, he was sure that he'd manage to find a smile on her face. The only thing was, he'd have to play it off like the watch had suddenly turned up. He didn't want her knowing that he'd stumbled across it in a pawn shop of all places. Then, she'd wonder how it had come to be there and he was pretty sure that she wasn't up to hearing the truth at the moment. No, he'd wait to tell her the truth. He'd wait until he had enough evidence to not only proof to her the offenses of her mother, but anyone else that was likely connected. When that happened, he'd be able to correct part of the problem.
"Here it is."
David looked up as the store owner walked back into the room, tape in hand. He felt a smirk pulling onto his face as he placed the necklace in his breast pocket, stepping forward to take the video tape from the man's hands.
"You have my thanks," David nodded, reaching to take it.
The man pulled it back at the last second, a glare setting on David's face.
"We're in agreement about no unwanted trouble, correct?" the man asked, raising a thick brown eyebrow in question.
David responded with a curt nod of the head, reaching to take the tape again. Like before, it was pulled just out of his reached and he had to refrain from hissing at the annoying man out of frustration.
"And?" David ground out.
"Enjoy yourself," he chuckled.
With that, David snatched the tape. He had other things to do at the moment and he didn't really feel like sticking around. With any luck the other had managed to find what they were looking for.
T
As David had assumed, the boys had gone through the shops. Though quiet as he was at times, Dwayne had made sure to carefully comb through any records that he had found, inquiring about Bon Jovi, a somewhat recent album that had come out. He'd also asked around about an album by Twisted Sister called Stay Hungry. They were albums that she'd gone and brought to the cave for them to listen to, We're Not Gonna Take It being one of the most popular of the bunch for the group. Another one had been Cher's Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. They'd all gotten a bit of entertainment out of that one, Paul having taken the time to grab her by the hands and spin her around the room. In fact, that record had been another one that was missing, including one of her Elvis pieces.
Paul and Marko had also inquired about the records, combing aisles in different shops, trying to find out if any recent pieces had been brought in. By the time they met back up, each had an item in their hand. David had obviously found the watch, the item in question being held up triumphantly as he made his way toward the others, a grin on his face. Marko had found the Bon Jovi album that Dwayne had been searching for, while the latter had found an Elvis album and Rod Stewart's Camouflage. Paul'd been left with unearthing Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry and a random album by Bowie. Each though had also managed to acquire a surveillance tape, toting them proudly to David as the group gathered closer.
"Any of them say who sold them everything?" David asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
The blonde looked around at his brothers, watching as Marko stepped forward to speak first. The youngest of the group looked a little irritated, holding up two separate tapes.
"Well, I got a couple of half assed answers," Marko said. "But I did manage to convince them to let me have these. One said some guy had come in, kind of shady looking, but that doesn't really help."
David nodded in agreement, along with the others. Quietly, Dwayne held up his find, Paul doing the same.
"Think we should try Max?" Paul asked, pulling his tape from the waist band of his pants and holding it up. "I mean, we've gotten find some place to go through them."
It was quiet for a moment as they stood there, debating on if it was a good idea. After all, Max still had no clue about Allegra. In fact, David wasn't sure if he wanted him to know. He could only imagine what his reaction would be and he didn't want any harm to come to her. At the same time, the most that Max would likely do would be to order them to turn her. After all, the man had always whined about the fact that he'd wanted a 'daughter' in all this mess when it came to the boys.
"Do we really have a choice?" Dwayne asked, looking over at David for a moment.
Said blonde stood there quietly, mulling things over in his head as he tried to weigh the pros and cons indirectly bringing their little problem to Max's attention. If they went else where, David would be able to keep Allegra to himself for a bit longer. Max would occasionally pay them a visit, but it was extremely rare as he normally had them visit the shop under the pretense of a group of noisy and rowdy teens, 'kicking them out' a few minutes after coming inside. It was his way of making sure that things were still going okay among the group, allowing a short and quiet conversation of the minds as the boys browsed the store for a few minutes, while Paul normally flirted with Max's cashier.
Shaking his head, David ran a hand through his hair, tugging slightly before letting it drop. He didn't want to take it to Max, but he knew it wouldn't matter eventually.
"We'll take it to Max," he finally conceded, drawing in his bottom lip before biting down. "I don't want any of you to say anything though," he ordered, looking at each individually. "Keep your heads clear and let me do the talking."
T
To say that things were uncomfortable was an understatement. As the group had walked into the video store they split up, keeping their hands in their pockets. The look on Max's face was one of confusion, the older man fixing his glasses as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. His boy's had never come in so quietly before, normally shoving the door open and striding in without a care.
Realizing that something was up, Max turned toward Dwayne, narrowing his eyes as he tried to read him. He was a little surprised when he came up empty handed though, the previous looking toward the others momentarily before trying to read them as well. Each one was blank, leaving a feeling of irritation to well up inside of him. He didn't like the idea of them possibly hiding something from him.
"David!" Max hissed, making the younger male nearly wince as his voice echoed in his mind.
David stood strong though, squaring his shoulders and holding his head high. He wouldn't be intimidated, even if it was by his sire. As a result, Max narrowed his eyes, stepping toward the blond and grabbing him by the arm.
"In my office," Max said quietly, pulling David along as the other roamed around the store.
Deciding not to fight with him, David went along, the door closing behind them as Max pushed him forward.
"Now, would you mind telling me why the four of you are as silent as the dead?'" he questioned, pun not intended.
It was silent for a moment as David stood there, his back pressed up against one of the walls in the office. Max was standing in front of him, a look of irritation on his face when he didn't say anything.
"Figured we'd stop by and pay you a visit," David said simply, digging into his coat pocket.
His fingers brushed the tape as he stood there, deliberately selecting his words just to irritate Max.
"Don't be smart," Max said thinly, not wishing to deal with their games.
"We need to use a VCR for a bit," David finally told him, pulling the tape from his coat pocket.
"And why pray tell should I let you play around with my things?"
"Need to look into something."
With that, David winced, eyed screwing shut as Max suddenly forced himself into his head. It was like a knife, the pain deliberate as Max pushed to put the younger vampire in his place. After a minute of this though, Max finally relented, his brows furrowing in question as he eyed David. He'd seen images of a young girl, the two of them walking down the boardwalk. He'd seen snippets, the two laughing, the girl had a smile on her face as she spun around with Paul. They'd kissed.
"Who is she?" Max asked, slowly folding his arms over his chest. "And don't lie."
Swallowing, David nodded his head, wetting his lips before speaking. He didn't want to make things worse.
"Her name is Allegra."
"How long have you known her?" Max asked, raising a brow in question.
"I don't know," David shrugged. "A couple months or so?" he offered.
"And she's still alive?"
David flinched. He knew that it would come up the moment Max realized how long things had been going on. As the oldest of the four boys, David was always carefully. He rarely left someone alive after spending time with them. Then again, it wasn't like Allegra actually knew what they were. The girl had absolutely no clue as to what they truly were. In fact, David was still a little fearful of what her reaction would be concerning that matter.
"Turn her."
David froze as he stared at Max, his words making his blood run colder than it already was. Had he heard him correctly.
"You heard me," Max said firmly.
David swallowed the lump in his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. This is why he didn't want to come here, the possibility of Max's words hanging in the air.
"I'll let you use the VCR, but you heard what I said," Max told him. "A week I could understand."
David remained silent as he stood there, listening to Max speak.
"You've kept her alive for far too long David," he pointed out. "So either kill her or turn her, but I want it done. We can't risk exposure."
Outside, they could hear something being knocked over, a growl of irritation leaving Max's throat as he tore the door to his office open. An entire shelf of VHS tapes had been scattered across the floor, Paul laying in the middle of everything.
"Sorry," the blonde squeaked, a nerve look on his face once he caught Max's gaze.
To anyone else, the look Max was giving Paul would have been construed as exasperation. Paul, Paul knew better. The look was one pure irritation. It had been all too obvious that Paul had been eavesdropping. Now, he'd made a mess and made things all the more difficult where Allegra was concerned.
"Take one of the VCR's and go," Max said. "And remember what I told you."
T
Everyone was silent as they strode back outside, putting distance between them and the video store. To say that things were tense was an understatement. The second that David had exited Max's office, the others knew that something had gone wrong. In general, David was normally quiet to a degree, but he was never so stiff. It was like his back was a sheet of stone, the muscles in his shoulders taut as he walked ahead of the others. He'd been the first one out of the store, shoving the VCR into Paul's arms.
"Hey, wait up!" Paul called out, trying to catch up as he stumbled.
He made the mistake of getting close enough to see the blonde's face. David's eyes had turned hard as ice, his gaze piercing and sending a chill of dread down Paul's spine. Normally, any other look on David's face wouldn't have bothered him. At the moment though, his brother looked ready to kill and rip someone's throat out. His victim for the night wouldn't even see it coming.
"Paul," Dwayne bit out, grabbing the younger vampire's shoulder.
He shook his head, a quiet order to stay back. David wasn't one that was overly violent on a normal bases, but this wasn't under normal circumstances. In reality, outside of Dwayne, David was the most patient out of the four of them. After nearly 100 years, he had to be.
"What did he tell you?" Dwayne asked, making sure to keep the conversation between the two of them.
"It doesn't matter," David grumbled.
"David?" Dwayne pressed, prodding as lightly as he could.
"I said it doesn't matter!" he hissed, fists clenching at his sides. "It never matters what I want!"
Dwayne froze at his words as a few of the pieces fell into place. Over the years, Max had been rather forward about expressing his dislike of any of them attempting to take anyone into their group when it came to women. As a result, they'd never been allowed a steady girlfriend. Max was very particular in those he deemed worthy to be part of the family. Even though the man had always expressed interest in having a female presence around-he wanted a daughter-in hopes of mellowing the boys out a bit. He didn't want just anyone though, which led Dwayne to believe the worst. At the same time, Dwayne realized that David's reaction would have been far worse if Max wanted her gone. A moment later, it dawned on him.
"He wants her turned?" he questioned, watching as David flinched, indirectly giving him his answer.
T
She was beautiful. Her smile seemed to light up the very room. He'd been watching her for nearly an hour now, just watching. He couldn't bring himself to approach her, not after Max's orders. He could still hear his cruel voice in his head as he walked out, the acrid taste of his threat hanging on the tip of his tongue.
"Either you turn her or kill her," he'd said, before finishing. "And if you don't… I will, David."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, David fingered the necklace in his pocket. He was almost tempted to throw it into the ocean at this point. He thought back to her haunting smile, how the corner of her lips turned up when she looked at him. He could feel his hands shake as he leaned back against the rigid wood of the railing overlooking the beach. He didn't want this.
At the start of it all, David had contemplated turning her, even offering her the 'wine'. When she'd declined, he'd found out later that he was actually glad for it. He didn't want to just force that kind of life on her. It wouldn't be right. Not to mention, she'd likely hate him for it. He didn't want to go through that. He couldn't live with the possibility of her hating him. At the same time, he didn't want to not be in his life. He couldn't kill her. He didn't have it in him to do so.
Growling, he turned around, slamming his fist against the railing. Inside, he could hear the sound of her laughter. A man had made a joke, flirting with her. The sound caused his blood to boil, teeth sinking into his lower lip until it bled. Perhaps, he should let her go, send her else where? No. David shook his head. Max would find her and when he did, he'd kill her without any shred of remorse. It didn't matter if his eldest 'son' was falling in love. It didn't matter if he'd found someone to be his 'mate'.
"Love…" he whispered, the foreign word clinging to the wet appendage that was his tongue.
Was this what love felt like? The urge to protect what was his, despite the possibility of not being able to have it. Was that why he now hesitated in turning her?
"You guys have a nice night!"
Her voice met his ears, eyes turning back around.
"David?"
He watched as her brows furrowed in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, walking toward him, her arms wrapped around herself.
She shivered for a moment as she came to stand before him, her lips turning upwards as she looked him over. When he didn't answer, she reached a hand out, brushing his cheek as her thumb ran over the soft skin of his lip.
"You're bleeding," she whispered, her other hand rising up as she pressed her sleeve to his lip, blotting the blood.
"You'll ruin your jacket," he told her.
Allegra merely shook her head, stroking his cheek as she dismissed his warning.
"I don't care."
He frowned as he stared at her, his dead heart clenching in his chest. He almost felt human in his despair, eyes glinting as they stung ever so slightly.
"Allegra," he breathed, taking her hands in his as he pulled them away from his face.
They were warm, the blood inside of her constantly circulating. What right did he have in taking that away from her. She still had such a long life ahead of her. Perhaps even a husband and children.
David froze momentarily. Children. How he'd thought of them when he was human. He'd been no where close to finding anyone at the time, but it had still been in his mind. It'd all been taken away when the earthquake hit though. He'd been crushed underneath a pile of rubble right inside the lobby of the hotel. His lungs had filled with dust and the lack of air at the time was suffocating him. When Max had found him, he'd barely been conscious, his thought fading in and out. The man whom was now his sire had saved him instead of killing him. He never told him how lonely his new life would be though.
"David?" Allegra whispered, frowning as she stared at him.
"I… I have something for you," he told her, letting her hands drop as he reached into his pocket.
He bypassed the watch all together, ignoring it for the time being. His fingers curled around the chain of the necklace instead, palming it in his hand.
"What is it?" she asked, eyes wandering as she looked over him, unsure of what it was.
"Close your eyes," he said softly, watching as she complied after a moment, right brow quirked questioningly.
"I won't bite," he laughed, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Still, she was apprehensive, but she let a small smile slip and that was enough for him as he brushed her hair to one shoulder.
T
A wave of warmth washed over me as his hands brushed against my skin. The feeling was almost sensual in nature, leaving me tingling as I stood there was my back to him, his hands gliding over my shoulders, his breath caressing the flesh of my neck. It was when his lips pressed against my skin that I felt my breath hitch in the back of my throat, heat rising in my cheeks.
"David," I breathed out, involuntarily leaning against him.
I heard him chuckle, before the feeling of metal met the warm flesh beneath my neck and slid across my collarbone.
"You can open them now," he told me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder.
As I looked down, he pressed a chaste kiss to my jaw. Taking the item in my hand, my eyes widened in shock, lips parting as I brought it up in front of my face.
"David, I…" I started, barely able to speak.
My eyes watered. In all my years, I'd never seen such a beautiful stone. At the same time, I'd never been much of one for jewelry, but I'd never really had any to wear. After all, we'd never really had the money to spare for something as frivolous as jewelry. I mean, yes, I had my ears pierced, but even then, they were but crappy steel studs. If I was lucky, in a few years I might be able to save up enough money to buy myself a decent pair of earrings. What I held in my hand though, it took the cake. Seriously, it did.
When I'd opened my eyes and looked at it I found the thin gold chain, a small pea sized stone seating in the center of a tiny gold pendant setting. The stone was mainly white, sporting sprigs of red, blue, green, and yellow depending on how it was turned in the light. It was something that I knew as opal. This one was white in nature, but the stone itself came in many different forms and varieties. Personally, I always found the blue and red ones to be gorgeous, but it was a beautiful stone regardless of the color that it openly showed.
"How? Where did you…?" I couldn't seem to find the words as I stood there, my back pressed against him.
"it's just something that I happened upon in one of the shops," he told me, a small smile on his lips as he held me just a little bit closer.
"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
No one had ever given me something so beautiful. I'd never even gotten jewelry for my birthday. As a result, it was a rather large shock for me. At the same time though, I realized how quiet he was being. It was so unlike him.
"David," I began, slowly turning around in his arms. "What's wrong?" I asked, bringing my hands up and cupping his face between them.
He didn't respond at first, his eyes closed. He refused to look at me for some reason. Leaning forward, I sighed, my hands coming to rest against the sides of his neck. My feet were finally starting to hurt, the heels no doubt red right now along with the balls of my feet.
"David…" I groaned out, lifting my head to look at him. "Please?"
He lifted his eyes for a moment before closing them and turning his head to the side.
"Don't give me that half ass shit," I said firmly.
He snorted in response as I used his own words against him, the corner of his face twitching upward as he tried to fight back a smile.
"Funny," he chuckled, pressing his forehead against mind for a few seconds.
I watched as he drew in a deep breath, presumably calming his nerves before letting it out.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm just a little tired."
I nodded my head in understanding, but I didn't fully believe him. He was never tired at this time of night. As a result, it left me wondering what had put him on edge. Nothing even seemed to bother him.
"How about we go back to my place and you can lay down for a bit?" I suggested, giving his hand a squeeze. "We could just relax for a couple of hours."
T
Her suggestion to rest for a couple of hours had been taken with great consideration, the two finding themselves sprawled out on her bed together upstairs. It didn't take long after arriving before they had laid down on the bed, David closing his eyes as he laid with his head on her chest, her fingers running through his hair. It was that feeling, the feeling of her fingers against his scalp, massaging it. That's what had anchored him back to the ground, his muscles slowly relaxing and unwinding.
He was still reminded of Max's threat though and once again he was filled with an unnerving sadness. His heart dropped into his stomach when he realized that her ministrations had ebbed, her eyes closing with sleep and the comforting warmth that her body had created beneath the sheets pulling her in. He didn't want to think of how it would feel to lose that, to live each day without the feeling of having her by his side, running her hand through his hair. To any other vampire, their meeting-their time together-was a mere blink of an eye. It was nothing when weighted against the years spent alone and immortal.
Things were made even worse with the fact that her life could be snuffed out as easily as a candle, the light fading in her eyes as color fled from her skin. It'd be all too easy, a snap of the neck or even a hand to the throat leaving her struggling for air. There were a number of ways that her life could be ended, forfeited from the measurable scales of the living. It wasn't a simple matter of dying of old age or disease at this point.
Reaching his hand forward, he allowed his fingers to brush the pale flesh of her arm, trailing it from the elbow down to her hand. It was almost magical, the way that the hair began to stand on edge, goose bumps forming at the follicles. He repeated the action over and over again, watching her body's reaction, a faint moan rising inside of her before breaking free from her barely parted lips.
Downstairs, the boys had made themselves comfortable, the VCR plugged up to the little TV that the mother and daughter owned. They were going through the footage one by one, looking for the evidence that they needed to rightfully accuse her mother for the stolen property that was Allegra's. it had been David's orders, shortly after the two had arrived, quietly instructing the others to park the bikes at a distance so as not to draw attention. He didn't want Allegra knowing what they were up to. Not quite yet. Still, it wouldn't make much difference if she knew the truth. Allegra's relationship with her mother had been strained for years. The two barely saw each other, the younger of the two busying herself with work, her own plans having gone to the wayside after having graduated. She'd felt like there was no true place for herself in the town or anywhere else for that matter. As a result, she kept working, using it as a means to drown out the internal depression that she was fighting, hiding it from those around her.
The feelings of loneliness had come about at the age of eight. When she'd turned 13, she realized that her mother would never truly be there for her. Her 16th birthday had been a bitter day of resentment spent by herself in her room, a lone cupcake sporting a single candle as it was extinguished with the slightest breath of air. Her first kiss had been complicated and confusing, the advances made afterwards sending her running. For her 18th birthday, she'd spent the evening with a case of beer, finally deciding to say the hell with things and get drunk. It had been a lonely existence and she didn't want it to continue that way.
When she'd met David and the others, something had sparked inside her, lighting a forgotten candle and illuminating the darkness recesses of loneliness. It had secretly been a breath of fresh air, filling her with a sense of warmth and comfort. It was a strange situation, but it had managed to make her smile, lifting her spirit if only just slightly.
"I think we found something."
It was Marko, the curly haired youth having nearly dozed off due to extreme boredom. Remaining in one place for so long wasn't his thing. He didn't have much patience for it. Despite that, he'd kept his eyes open, switching off with the others as they went through the tapes while playing game after game of cards. Poker had been among them.
Groaning, David carefully pushed himself up off of the bed, Allegra's hand falling to the side with a soft thump. He rubbed the back of his neck as he stood, turning and looking back at her. She was sound asleep at this point, her head tilted to the side. Her eyes fluttered beneath her lids in slumber. He could only imagine what she was dreaming about in there.
"What did you find?" David asked, sighing as he descended the rickety old ladder.
"If you hurry your ass up, you might find out," Marko snickered.
The younger of the two yelped in surprise, the sound being muffled as David clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up! She's sleeping!" he hissed in his ear, irritation obvious on his face.
Paul snickered over in the corner, finding the whole situation funny. He went quiet though when David threw a menacing look his way after.
"Now, what did you find?" David asked once more.
He pushed Marko away from him in order to take a seat on the couch. The dusty piece of furniture smelled like cigarette smoke and cheap alcohol. At some point in time its color had likely been a powder blue, the cushions now dark with brown and black stains.
"It wasn't just her," Dwayne said quietly, rewinding a small section of the reel before pressing play again.
They watched as a man somewhere in his late forties walked into one of the shops with Allegra's mother, his hand riding how on her back. Once they were fully in frame, they could tell that he had dark hair that hung close to his neck, pock marks littering the side of his face. The skin shined a bit, indicating that he had a somewhat oily complexion. There were bags under his eyes, some indicative to lack of sleep. More than likely, he spent most of his time outside on the streets hustling what he had.
As the two made their way to the counter they exchanged words. There was not audio. With no sound, it was impossible to tell exactly what they were saying. Allegra's mother seemed strung out though, stumbling slightly as she held onto the countertop for balance. The man beside her pulled out a couple of records from under his arm, laying them on the countertop haphazardly. For a few moments, his fingers lingered, his lips moving without producing sound. They were negotiating a price.
"Did he show up anywhere else?" came David's question.
He had a frown on his face as his eyes remained glued to the screen, committing the image to memory. He wanted to be able to recognize the man if and when he finally came across him. God help him if he ever crossed paths with the blonde. The drug pusher would be ten feet under instead of the normal six for all that he'd managed to add to their problems. If he was lucky, he might even get to keep his head.
"I saw him one other time," Paul admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "He wasn't selling any of our stuff though."
"Where was this?" David asked, ejecting the tape before laying it on the couch beside him.
"It was at this shop a little further on the east side… Holter Brother's I think."
David sat there for a moment, running over things in his mind as he tried to place the shop that Paul was talking about. If he remembered correctly, it mainly sold guitars. He'd never seen Allegra with a guitar before, so he could only assume that she didn't own one.
"I think it was this one," Paul said, popping another tape in and pressing play.
They all watched as he forwarded through it, the screen fuzzing up as it tried to keep pace with what was playing. People came and went on the screen, figures pacing back and forth as they examined options for possible use. They couldn't play just any guitar. No, it had to be to their tastes, their preferences and specifications. The same went with any instrument, each was unique and it was for that reason that so many people came and went through the shop.
"There!" Paul exclaimed, leaping forward and smashing the pause button with his thumb. "That's him."
David narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin thoughtfully. They'd managed to find him, but now they had to figure out the connection with the pawn shop.
"Press play," David instructed, leaning forward on his knees, elbows pressed firmly as he watched the screen flash back into rolling motion.
This one was also missing a key piece of audio, but most pawn shops only needed the video part of it as it provided an added aspect of protection in case of theft. The man behind the counter had a name tag on, but it was blurred due to the quality of the equipment. Most places only had the minimum required security in place for their businesses, unless they catered mainly toward the buying and selling of jewelry. Lowan's was one such place, dealing in fine gold and silver. David even wondered momentarily if he should have gone that route for Allegra.
"I think I've seen him somewhere before," Dwayne said quietly, referring to the man that had been in the previous frame.
"I think you're right," Marko nodded. "That time over off Rosewood Place when we were messin' around."
Dwayne chuckled in acknowledgement. They'd actually been following a couple of girls, ending up tipping over a few trashcans and redecorating the inside of some poor saps car. It had been a fun night for the two, but in the end they had come up empty handed with the girls they'd been following. That didn't mean that they hadn't run into a bit of trouble though. At the back end of the neighborhood there'd been an old house, random people coming and leaving. Several people were laid out on the porch either smoking or drinking. It was there that they'd first seen the guy, following someone outside as he patted the guy on the shoulder, pressing a small bag of pills into his hand.
"Its probably where he sets up shop at," Dwayne pointed out.
"Someone mind filling me in here?" David ground out, looking between the two of them.
"Sorry," Marko cringed, scratching the back of his head. "They've got some Surf Nazi's over by Rosewood Place," he explained. "Neighborhood's a bit run down, but the chicks are hot."
"And you never took me with you?" Paul whined.
"Oh, shut up," Marko scoffed. "You've got plenty to look at here."
Paul whined again, sitting in the armchair like a dejected puppy. It would have been funny had David not been so irritated with things at the moment.
"As you were saying?" David huffed, wanting to get back to the previous conversation.
"It's pretty much a place for junkies and anyone looking for a fix," Dwayne finished explaining.
"So, you're telling me that this guy is likely the main supplier in the area?" he mused, trying to decide what to do with the new information.
It was good to know if they really needed a 'fix' of their own as most of these people had no place else to go. In fact, if he had to take a guess, it's likely where Allegra's mother spent most of her time. If it wasn't, then he'd be surprised, but he was pretty sure. Now, they just had to decide when they'd make their move. It was obvious that they couldn't let her mother see David. If she did, she'd likely realized that something was off. That was something that could throw everything out of wack.
A creak from upstairs let them know that Allegra was waking up to a degree, the sound of her groggy voice reaching their ears. She called out to David, the others snickering as a result. The source of their laughter let out a hiss of annoyance before making his way back upstairs.
"Stay quiet and keep looking," David told them. "And when you're done, make sure everything is back where you found it."
With that, the blue eyes blonde made his way back up stairs, making the most of the time that they had together before she was ripped away from her life and possibly his as well.
Alright! I hope all of you liked this chapter. Things are about to heat up and bit and we're going to learn a bit more about David. It took a little finagling to get this chapter up though. I think standard formatting is becoming an issue for some reason and I had to downplay my word processor format to get it to submit. ANYWAY I hope all of you liked the chapter. Please REVIEW and MESSAGE! I'd love to hear your thoughts on all of this! Let me know what you'd like to see happen!