Escaping the Hunters

Dismissed

When we got to his club I got to go upstairs and change into something suitable for the club. I chose a pair of jean shorts, a tank top, and some ankle boots since that is what most of the females downstairs were wearing when we walked through.

Zander had people on and off the land line and talking to me in-between asking me that when people stared to arrive he would need some privacy for his club matters and I understood and just waited.

"What else are we going to do here?" I asked him when he seemed done and he looked over at me.

"We're out of here by tomorrow night. Have tonight to tell my people here about what's going. Get some people to start following us so they could follow the people tracking us." He said and I took a moment.

"So you're going to have people following us but only after we are sure that we are being followed?" I asked and he nodded. "How are we going to do that? You didn't even know that we were being followed earlier, and we were hit hard." I said and he moved to sit down.

"Because now I am alert that they can follow us through states. I didn't want to say anything when we were there, I hadn't thought it through, but more than likely the Hunters do have a witch with them. They must have something to track us. Which means we left something valuable behind-"

"Probably me." I cut him off and nodded.

"Most likely. I don't have many valuables outside of my real home and  I keep anything of sentimental value in a hidden safe." He sounded paranoid, but then if I had been running and hiding for as long has he has I would probably do the same thing. I should take mental notes.

"What do you mean by real home?"

"Where I would live if everything in my business when smoothly." He said it like it was explanatory and I nodded.

"But where is it?"

"Texas." He said and I worked my jaw. For an English born I would have never thought he would choose hot Texas to live.

"Interesting."

"Do you not have a solid place to live?"

"I have lived in many countries. England. France. Italy. Canada. Mexico. United states." I said with a shrug. "When my brother was still alive we traveled a lot. My favorite place was Mexico." I said and he nodded shortly before he really looked at me. "What?"

"Nothing... how long ago did your brother die if you don't mind me asking." He added and I licked my lips.

"Almost 3 years ago." I lied but I kept my eyes down to my hands as I fiddled.

"Wow, Vivi, I'm sorry." he told me and moved to stand up. He made a move towards me but then the phone started to ring and I looked up. He looked conflicted before he closed his eyes, turned and went to answer the phone.

Four people eventually arrived, none of them talking to me, and Zander didn't bother to introduce me so I was just sitting there like a bimbo picking my nails free of the dirt that got stuck under there when we crashed.

"Thank you Vivian." Zander called out and I looked up and around and realized that was my que to leave. I smiled and got up and felt so disrespected by being dismissed with a thank you. I slammed the door on my way down and I trotted down.

I wandered around the downstairs part of the club, noting how many humans there were in this club. It was mostly half and half. But it was weird to see a human look at me and smirk before trying to flirt. The last club people were with friends and having a good time. This one was like everyone wanted to take me upstairs and make me c*m.

I had to shake of both vampires and humans, men and women. I went to the car and sat down. "What can I get you little one?" I looked up at the dark tone and came face to face with a man that could be Zanders brother.

"The strongest thing you got." I said and rubbed my head. Sitting down, ignoring the blaring music and the touchy people all around me I focused on Paul's voice. I replayed that moment over and over in my head. There was no way that I could have made that voice up. It was like he said it in my ear.

I heard a cling and opened my eyes to see three finger... I inhaled and realized it was Whiskey and took the glass. I threw it back and sighed at the burn of my throat. It was like being sick with chocolate running down your throat. A slight burn but the best kind because it tasted so good.

"Another?" He asked and I nodded and pushed the glass towards him.

"Are you related to Zander?" I asked and he set the bottle down and looked at me.

"Why do you ask?"

"You look like him." I shrugged and took the drink and slammed that back too. "Do you know when he is coming back down?" I asked knowing he hadn't been down all night since the club opened, and he narrowed his eyes even more.

"Who are you?"

"I came in with him... he told me to stay down here and that he wouldn't be more than 5 minutes. It's been more than 30." I lied again and I smiled sweetly at him but I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Let me call up and see." He said and I nodded but I waited and twirled my empty cup around. He left the bottle right there... if Zander owned this club I could pay him back for a bottle. I reached forward and took another three fingers before putting the bottle down and throwing back that shot.

"Might want to slow down." I heard beside me and turned to see a burly man looking down at me. He had short hair, slightly okay looking. More chunky that stocky and his chin was filled with hair throughout his double chin. His hands were tapping away at the bar and I noticed all the rings on his hand.

"Who are you to tell me anything. Go sit at the other end of the bar or something." I muttered when I realized he wasn't sitting.

"My you have an attitude. Good thing I like the mouthy ones. Better to break-"

"You know what..." I laughed at his monologue about how he wanted to tie me up and do things to make me beg for mercy and when he slid his finger along my cheek I grabbed the bottle I had put back and turned to break it over his head. "Sorry." I said to another guy who had been splashed with the rest of the whiskey.

I looked to the bartender and saw him on the phone but looking towards us. A lot of people had heard that over the music and was watching me.

"I'd run." I heard Paul and winced at the voice in my head. I looked around and started to make my way out of the club. I took the front entrance, pushing out quickly and going the way we hadn't come from and I just kept running at a human pace until I got to a small alley street and I just started to speed through the town.

I got to a park, there were trees and swings and a big play structure. I went and sat down on the swing and took deep breaths trying to calm myself. I heard his voice. I know I did that time.

I sat down and I started to swing, closing my eyes and shifting back and forth. I didn't know how long I was there but around sunrise I heard someone running blocks away, running at vamp speed and I waited until I heard the crunch of the bark under heavy feet before trying to run.

I didn't turn as I started to run, and when I thought I was far enough away I looked back and saw the man I had hit with the bottle coming after me. I stopped under a tree and walked around it and kept my eye on him.

"Ready to learn what manners are like?" He asked and I glared.

"I have manners for those who give me manners first." I declared and kept circling before picking up my speed and getting the tree between us so he wouldn't notice I started to speed away. I got a mile away when I ran into another vampire and started to fight.

"Do you want to get back to Zander or not?" I recognized the bartenders voice and I looked over my shoulder at him.

"That guy I hit has been following me-"

"We'll take care of him... just go back to the club, go upstairs. Zander said you haven't fed in a while." He told me and I gulped. "Go on. Do I have to take you?" He was acting like I was a prisoner or something.

"I think I know how to walk by myself." I said and he rolled his eyes.

"It's not a question of if you can... it's if you would get there or wander off." He said and I when I sighed and started walking he was just beside me.

We walked in silence, him almost putting an arm around me in a big crowd until we were there. He opened the door and stayed on the outside as I went in. I went right towards the stairs and walked up slow since my legs were hurting from the swing all night.

I got to the top and heard shouting and I got to the main room down a long hall and saw Zander shouting on the phone. He looked over at me and in a second he was in front of me, the phone squished in his hand.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Staying away from a guy who wants me to beg for mercy since I don't have any manners." I said and he growled and I winced.

"Which one was it?"

"The one I hit with a bottle-"

"You had to fight him off?"

"No, he was getting vulgar, he tried to touch my cheek and I reacted." I said and stood there waiting. I felt like I was explaining myself to my father. My father would back hand me for being disrespectful, but for some reason I felt so secure with Zander I knew he would never hit me.

"Where is he?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I was at a park and he found me there, tried to take me but I started to run and I ran into the bartender." I said and he growled and seethed a name before turning and walking to the land line.

He picked it up his 12 and waited as it dialed. "Yes Zan?"

"You find that man she ran from and bring him to me." He growled out and I gave a long blink before moving to lean on the back of the couch. He set the phone down and came back towards me. "Let's get you in bed. You look ready to faint." He said and before I could blink and follow him he picked me up bridal style and walked farther into the apartment.

We got to a room that had some clothes, it already smelled like him and some kind of air freshener and I burrowed into the bed and sighed. I jerked when he started to take off my shoes and I went to sit up but he clicked his tongue and pushed my shoulder.

"Sleep." He told me and I turned my face into the pillow as he got my shoes off. "You're going to be safe." He whispered before I felt the blanket around my hips and I sighed into the pillow before scrunching it up.

I closed my eyes and for the first time in a while I hoped for a dreamless sleep again. As long as I didn't hear Paul all over again.