"Now relax, don't do it, when you want to go to it"
Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
"SEVYN? WHAT KIND of name is that?" Paul chuckled, a grin splitting his face.
Marco chimed in, poking the tip of her nose playfully. "She's cute, like a pixie."
"I think she looks sexy with those librarian glasses," Paul remarked. He gestured to her chest. "Nice shirt, by the way."
She didn't think he was just looking at her shirt.
Sevyn scowled at the two blondes, their laughter grating on her. She'd expected this sort of treatment, but the actual experience of being their center of attention was different.
"More like an angry kitten to me," David crooned, his voice smoky and rough.
"Did you drag me here just to mock me, or is there something you actually need?" Sevyn growled, glaring at David's smirk.
"We wanted to apologize," David said, his gaze intense. "Make sure you were okay after the other night on the beach."
Sevyn tried playing ignorant. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know what I saw, Sevyn." David plucked the cigarette from behind his ear. Reaching for his matches, he found them missing.
A lit match flared in front of him, igniting the cigarette. Sevyn offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry, bad habit," she said, unconvincingly remorseful.
David snatched his matches back, annoyance flickering in his eyes. "Don't steal from me," he growled. That was going to get old fast if they didn't end up killing her soon.
Taking a drag from his cigarette, the leader continued. "My night vision is excellent. I know I almost hit you. How did you get away so quickly? And where did you come from in the first place?"
Sevyn met David's gaze, feeling the pressure to confess under what she was sure was his vampiric influence. But she held firm, protecting her secrets. She wouldn't give them anything without a fight. Her blunt teeth dimpled her lower lip, the pinch helping to clear her head.
"Obviously, you must have been mistaken," she blurted, earning a loud cackle from Paul. "I wasn't even on the beach."
"Wrong. Try again, Sevyn," David warned, his voice a low rumble. "This time, no lies."
"What are you?" Dwayne inquired from behind her.
"I'm an opportunist and a procurer of things," she taunted. Sevyn went on the defensive, being purposefully obtuse. She might not know how to explain what they saw, but she wouldn't give them anything, not yet.
David's frustration mounted. "You know what we mean. What did you do?"
"I don't know what else you want me to say. I wasn't there, David. If you were as close to me as you said, I wouldn't be here right now. The first time I saw you guys was the other night." She sighed, running a hand through her pink hair.
David wasn't buying it. He'd have to make her tell him, but not here. She already resisted his influence once; he'd pry again soon. If she didn't smell human, he'd have taken her by force and gotten the answers he wanted out of her a different way.
"Come on, we're getting dinner," David declared, more of a command than an invitation. He turned and started walking, not waiting for a response.
"Uh, sure, David. Thanks for the invite," Sevyn muttered to herself sarcastically, thrown off by the abrupt end to the interrogation. Paul, however, caught what she said. He burst out laughing, then slung his arm around her shoulder causing her to jump.
"Relax, babe. We'll take care of you," he cooed, winking. Sevyn tried to shrug him off, but his grip tightened.
Marko mirrored Paul's move, slipping his arm around Sevyn's waist. "Don't be scared, pixie girl," he teased.
"Great, that's going to be a thing," Sevyn grumbled. "I'm not scared, I just don't like being told what to do." She knew she sounded childish, even to herself.
They trailed a few paces behind David and Dwayne, the pair silently parting the crowd like a wave. The amount of respect and fear these guys inspired was actually impressive.
Paul studied the girl beneath his arm. Cute and undeniably sexy, not his usual type, but he was intrigued. Maybe it was the combination of glasses, pink hair, and freckles. Hopefully, they'd have some fun before they kill her. He envisioned a night of smoking weed and she seemed like she could be his kind of trouble with a little push.
Marko, meanwhile, was fixated on her scent. Intoxicating. He figured her blood wouldn't be any less delicious. Reaching out, he grazed his finger down her throat, earning a glare and a swatted hand. He and Paul laughed mockingly as he bumped his hip against hers.
They reached a diner at the boardwalk's end. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled, causing the hyenas flanking her to erupt in laughter. Thankfully, she managed to break free when they reached the door.
David opened the door, a derisive smirk twisting his lips as he gestured for her to enter first. A small glare was her only response as she brushed past him, a shiver running down her spine from the contact.
Damn hormones.
They settled into a booth towards the back, a nervous waitress handing them plastic-covered menus. Wedged between Paul and Marko again, Sevyn chose not to make a fuss.
Starving and tired of processed junk, she opted for a classic cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. Ignoring the boys' barrage of questions – where she was from, why Santa Carla, where she was staying – she offered vague, unsatisfying answers. David, clearly annoyed, wouldn't be getting much information today, but she knew he would force answers out of her eventually.
Food arrived, and Sevyn dove in, unfazed by their stares. They heard her stomach earlier, they knew she was starving, so they could deal with her lack of table manners.
"Damn, girl, you haven't eaten in a while, huh?" Paul chuckled, nudging her arm.
"Feels like forever since I had real food," she replied, unimpressed.
"That's the price of hiding, kitten," David taunted.
Scoffing, she dunked a fry in her milkshake, surprising Paul and Marko. Before she could protest, they each stole a fry and dunked it too. With a playful swat to their thighs, she turned back to David. "Have a high opinion of yourself, don't you, if you think you chased me into hiding?"
A beat of silence hung in the air. The look on David and Dwayne's faces confirmed her suspicion. They knew that was exactly what happened.
Finished with dinner, Sevyn dug out a crumpled wad of cash from her bag. "I got it, boys," she chirped, placing the money with a generous tip on the table before pocketing the rest.
Light conversation filled the walk back, mostly between Sevyn and the two blondes, with Dwayne occasionally joining in. The boys expertly steered her towards the exit of boardwalk, each step sending Sevyn's heart racing – a detail the vampires present thoroughly enjoyed.
"Well, this is where I leave you guys," Sevyn said, her voice surprisingly steady despite the rising fear.
Marko's voice was a low croon. "Aw, gotta leave so soon, pixie girl?" Paul mirrored his pout.
"Unfortunately, yeah. But I'll be back tomorrow night."
"Promise?" Paul whined like a child.
"Yeah, Paul, promise," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Alright, I'm outta here. Goodnight, boys."
Sevyn turned on her heel and tried to walk away casually. It felt dumb to turn her back on a pack of predators, but she had no options. She really needed to figure out a way to explain everything without getting herself killed.
"I like her," Paul exclaimed, reaching into his pocket for a pre-rolled joint. His brow furrowed as he patted himself down further. "Hey, where'd my joint go?"
"You probably already smoked it," teased Marko. Paul growled and launched himself at the smaller blonde, wrestling around with him.
David, however, had already pieced it together. The memory of Sevyn bumping into him flashed back. A quick check of his pockets confirmed his suspicions – his money was missing.