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“Take what you can get,” Beth says.
“Fair. Alright, what do we have?” I ask.
Luis spreads three of the files in front of me. One is the alias of Stephanie, a woman in her thirties who came into a lot of money selling her lotion recipe to a major company. The details of which are under a non-disclosure agreement, so she can’t talk about it much. But she’s so happy to be starting her new life as a novelist in the Ozarks. It’s suggested I buy more jewelry for the look.
I open the next file. “Andrea,” I read out loud. “Always loved beaches. Used to be a dancer but suffered a knee injury that ended her dance career. Decides to make the best of it by moving to Florida. Sells custom-made seashell bracelets online.”
“We’ll set you up with a crafting class to teach you how to make the bracelets,” Luis adds.
“This all sounds very miserable,” I say.
“Hey, Andrea gets to live by the beach again! Isn’t that nice?” Beth asks.
Beth and Luis share a glance. I don’t like the way they’re looking at each other, then me, like I’m a stupid child who is ungrateful for her birthday present.
“Shauna… is there a type of alias you’d prefer?” Luis asks.
“Oh, I don’t know. How about a baker in Aura Creek who lives in a rundown house next to great neighbors and the best running trails in the state?”
Beth shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I know you’re upset about having to go through this again, but your life is still at stake here.”
“Is it, though?” I ask. Luis and Beth sit back, looking surprised. But I’m serious. Hudson Judge wastheguy. He was the Holy Rollers’ top hitman.
And he sucked! He was an absolute goof who easily fell into the most obvious trap. If that’s the best they could throw at me, then what the hell do I have left to be afraid of?
“What if… what if I don’t want your protection anymore?” I ask.
Beth gasps. Luis bites his bottom lip.
“Shauna, you need to think rationally. A criminal organization wants you dead. They won’t stop with just Hudson,” Beth says sternly. I know she just wants to watch out for me, but I don’t really care.
“But I’ve seen for myself, multiple times, what these guys are capable of. And they aren’t capable of anything! I’ve already survived them twice now. I think I can take whatever they try to throw at me.” I sit back in my chair, feeling like I’m in control of my life for the first time in weeks.
“If you go back to Aura Creek, we can’t guarantee you’ll be safe. We can’t force you to stay in the program, but we also need to insist you do so for your own safety.”
I smile at Luis. “I know you do. You and Beth, and hell, even Todd. You’re just trying to look out for me. But I know what I’m capable of. Whatever they try to throw at me, I can handle it. And I’ll show up in court to testify for you, too. Just give me the time and place, no problem. But until then… I need to live my life. As myself.”
Luis and Beth look upset but eventually come around. Beth begs me to be careful, and I give her a reassuring hug.
“It’ll be alright,” I tell them before I leave. I know it will.
27
EMILE
Ican’t sleep. I toss and turn, trying one side of the bed, then another. My shirt is drenched in sweat. So, I pull it off over my head and throw it across the room. The boat chase makes me cringe as I close my eyes. We could've been killed. And then what?
I touch my cheek and wince at the soft bruise I can still feel. I get up and go into the bathroom to inspect the damage. There it is, a blob on my left cheekbone, aged and nearly healing. It is so bold against the whiteness of my skin. I extend my fangs and inspect my mouth, but everything looks normal there.
I’ve been avoiding Marcel’s calls for a few days now. I haven’t gone completely no-contact, but I’ve mostly limited it to answering his text messages. I just didn’t want to answer his questions when I still didn’t know what my plans really were, but I think it’s time to make a decision. It’s time to move on instead of just drowning in what-ifs and could-have-beens.
I take out my phone from my discarded pants, finding Marcel’s name at the top of my call log. I hesitate for a moment before pushing the button, wondering if I’m ready for this. But I take a deep breath and steel my resolve.
The ring of the phone plays in my ear, each tone feeling like an eternity. Finally, he answers. “Hello?” he says tiredly. “I know we’re vampires, but it’s the middle of the night, man.”
“Yeah, I know. I know. I just wanted to talk for a minute. Is it a bad time?”
There's a brief pause before he replies. "No, it's okay. What's going on?"
