Diamond Bar
06/02/2016 11:15am

A glass smashed against the grubby carpet and Ashley whirled round to glare. Andy was standing a few feet away, towel in hand, glowering down at the glass. Ashley sighed loudly and walked over, grabbing the dustpan and brush.

He started sweeping it up and took his time disposing of the pieces of glass. He, then turned to Andy again. He knew he'd be forced to ask what was wrong.

"So, why don't you tell uncle Ashley what's wrong?" He grinned, earning a scowl from Andy.

"I'm still pissed about Abbie." Andy snapped.

"You could try talking to her like a functioning member of society." Ashley said.

Andy seemed to take offence to this and was about to offer a scathing reply when the door to Diamond flew open and Annaliese walked in. She stared between them and looked confused, and more than a little hesitant.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked.

Ashley frowned at her slightly dishevelled image. Normally she'd be wearing one of her 50s style dresses and a pair of Hell Bunny heels, but she seemed to be wearing a lot of baggy clothes at the moment and her sleek hair had been tied into a loose ponytail.

"No, just Andy's inability to express himself." Ashley smiled, earning another glare from Andy.

Annaliese nodded and entered the bar, letting the door swing shut behind her. She seemed cautious and glanced around the bar, garnering confused looks from both Andy and Ashley.

"Is it just you two?" She asked, pausing before she took a seat.

"Yeah, who else would be here?" Andy replied.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and clambered onto the stool. She took a few steadying breaths and glanced at the two of them.

"So, what's bothering you? Perhaps I'll get more out of you. Andy's like a dead body." Ashley said, then moved out the way when Andy went to elbow him in the ribs.

Annaliese parted her lips to speak and then stopped herself. She bit down on her lower lip, gnawing at it, considering her words.

"Do you think I'm old?" She asked.

"Yes." Andy answered, earning a sharp punch on the arm from Ashley.

"No, you're two years younger than me." He said, and she seemed relieved.

There was a beat of silence and Ashley stepped closer, leaning on the bar to get a good look at her. Annaliese looked tired and her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying.

"This isn't about age, is it?" He asked, and this drew Andy's attention.

"It's about a friend." She murmured.

Ashley and Andy exchanged dubious looks and they nodded for her to continue. She cleared her throat.

"My friend likes someone, but she's afraid to say anything." She said it so quietly that Ash was unsure if he'd heard her right.

"Well, your friend should say something. It's better to know than to never know." Andy said, causing Ashley to raise a brow at him.

"What if she can't because the person she likes is incapable of any feelings at all." She whispered.

"I'm sure that's not true." Ashley replied.

She lifted her head and a single tear trailed down her cheek. Andy looked surprised then went to back away, only to be grabbed by Ashley, who sighed again.

"So, how long have you felt this way?" Ashley asked.

"Does it matter?" She said, wiping her eyes and sniffling a bit. "He won't feel the same way."

With that said, she slid off the stool and adjusted her ponytail so it wasn't crooked. She turned to leave and Ashley rounded the bar, grasping her wrist.

"Please don't walk away from this." He said, and her wide eyes glassed over like she was going to cry all over again.

"I hate feeling like this." She murmured.

"Then fix it. Go address the problem."

Annaliese nodded and left, letting the door swing shut as she went. Ashley stood, watching the door for a few minutes. He glanced back at Andy and his eyes narrowed.

"And as for you. Take your own damn advice, already." He snapped.

Andy had the decency to blush and look away. The bar remained silent, save for the sound of a tap dripping nearby.

********************
Bryant Park, NYC
06/02/2016 13:44pm

It was an unusually warm afternoon and he found himself seated on a bench, watching the birds flitter past. Two women jogged by, snippets of their conversation could be heard. He lowered his sunglasses to stare at the sky overhead and watch the sunlight cast dark shadows between the spiked trees.

The phone in his pocket rang and he pulled it out, hitting the answer button and pressing it to his ear.

"Good Afternoon, Malik." Abaddon's voice spoke.

"Good Afternoon, sir." He replied, glancing round again.

"How goes the mission of finding the congressman's daughter?"

"Very good, Sir. I have reason to believe she will be in attendance at the Brookville Annual Charity Gala."

There was a pause on the other line. The distant sound of a baby crying could be heard and for a moment the world was still.

"Excellent. I will pull some strings." Abaddon's gleeful voice said.

"What should I do once I have retrieved the girl? And killed the four-headed demon?" Malik asked.

"Bring the girl directly to me. If Vincent wants her then he will have to pay top price."

************************

Greenview Heights
06/02/2016 18:30pm
Kacee POV

Nerves were crashing through me. An entire army of butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach. I had spent the last hour getting ready and had put on my blue dress, applied a very moderate amount of make-up. I was pacing about the appartment, feeling like I may start giggling at any moment.

I grabbed my hand bag and the two invites. The gala would start at seven thirty. I opened my door and slipped into the hallway. Locking the door, I turned and made my way to the door opposite. I knocked and waited with baited breath.
"It's open."

I twisted the handle and entered the appartment. I couldn't see John at first until he poked his head round the door to the bedroom.

"I'll be right out." He disappeared again.

I decided to make myself at home and explore some more. The strange cabinet was still across the way and one of the slots was open, revealing an empty space. I wondered where that gun had gone. Someone tapped my shoulder and I nearly leapt out of my skin.

"Sorry, love." John was behind me, trying to conceal his laughter.

"One of the guns is gone." I murmured.

He met my eyes for a nanosecond and then his gaze flicked to his side and I tilted my head to catch a glimpse of the holster secured round his hips, barely hidden from view.

"No way, you cannot take a firearm into a charity gala." I snapped.

"I've taken a gun into Starbucks before." He replied, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. John seemed to sense he'd won and smirked. I glowered at him and took the time to appreciate that he was wearing a suit. He looked so handsome.

"You look handsome." It slipped out before I could stop it.

"And you look beautiful." He grinned when I blushed.

He stepped back, leaning down to pick up his phone, tapping the screen a few times. The limo my Mum had chosen would be arriving any minute. Dad owned four cars. Mum would always choose one of the limo's to pick me up. It was the only thing she knew that may cheer me up.

"Ready." John shoved his phone into his pocket.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be." I replied.

The limo arrived five minutes after we got downstairs. The driver shifted in his seat to open the door, but John beat him to it. I got into the car and he followed. If he was amazed by the limo, he didn't say anything. We drove in relative silence since my nerves were a mess. I felt like i wanted to be sick.

When we got to the Brookville Hall, I almost didn't want to get out of the limo. The door was opened by the driver this time and we both got out. The hall was decorated beautifully with white roses and icy blue flowers. People were standing around talking.

I nearly jumped when someone slipped their hand into mine. I glanced up at John. He linked our fingers together and smiled.

"Don't freak out, love. I'm right here." He said, and it made me feel a lot calmer.

We walked hand in hand to the door. I showed the tickets to the doorman and he nodded. The hall itself was as amazing as ever. The glass roof was decorated with fake snow and ice sculptures adorned the corners of the room. A large buffet was across the way. They had clearly decided to be modern and invited a DJ. Inoffensive pop music was filtering from the speakers.

"Darling." Mum appeared.

She rushed over, embracing me and pressing a kiss to my cheek. She seemed to remember that John was next to me.

"And you must be the young man my baby is smitten by." She gushed, and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.

"I should hope she is," He smirked, and Mum laughed. "John."

Mum accepted his hand and glanced at me, nodding in approval. My face heated up and she let go. Mum would obviously go and brag to Dad. He'd be over soon to give John the third degree.

"Your mum seems nice." He grinned.

"She's the only one that understands me," I murmured. "Dad doesn't. Don't get offended by anything he says."

"Hey, look at me," John said. I turned to look into his eyes. "I won't get offended and I won't leave you."

I smiled at that and angled my head to glance at the floor until his fingers grazed my chin, lifting my head. Our lips met briefly, until someone cleared their throat and we pulled apart, Dad was standing in front of us.

"Good Evening, Kacee." He said, sternly. My Dad's way of saying he was not impressed.

"Hi, Dad." I whispered. I was about to introduce Dad, but he was faster than me.

"And you must be John," Dad turned his attention from me to John. John, to his credit locked eyes with my Dad and stared him down. Dad was clearly not used to this. "It's peculiar that I cannot find a single shred of information about you except for what my wife has told me."

John continued to stare at my Dad. Dad had obviously been doing his research. John smirked then and draped his arm round my shoulder.

"Funny, how that happens." He said, continuing to meet my Dad's eyes.

"Indeed." Dad said, then without a word he turned and walked away.

I took a steadying breath and glanced up at John. He was watching my Dad and there was something in his eyes. An emotion that I'd never seen and couldn't place. He seemed to sense my gaze and smiled at me.

After the altercation with my Dad, the night went on as normal. Liam came to speak to me and introduce his date. She was a lively girl wearing a much too short dress. Liam seemed ill at ease in her company. I excused myself whilst John and Liam talked. I needed something to eat to settle my stomach.

The food table was a few metres away and I grabbed one of the china plates and analysed what was on offer. Someone nudged my shoulder, causing me to spill some of the salmon topped bread I'd be holding. I turned to apologise in case I was in the wrong.

The man next to me was a hulking figure with sunglasses on. Underneath his right lens was a long, jagged scar that had healed but still marred his skin. He looked at me and I felt sick all of a sudden.

"You are Kacee Hanley, correct?" He asked.

"Y-yes, please excuse me." I went to step away, but his large hand grabbed my wrist, locking me in place.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. He flicked open the lid and pressed a button. Everything happened in a blur. Several explosions went off and the fire alarms blared. My brother was ushered from the room. My captive turned to leave, but paused when he saw John.

"Let her go, Malik."

"Leader of four-headed demon knows my name. How fortuatous." The man named Malik said, tightening his grip on my wrist.

"Of course I do. What does Abaddon want with a congressman's daughter?" John snapped. His eyes had taken on that same emotion from earlier.

"Girl is very valuable. Four-headed demon has become soft because of a pretty face." Malik sneered, pulling me closer. His huge hand cupped my face, making tears form in my eyes.

I squirmed to escape. A desperate cry left my lips when I realised I wouldn't be able to get away from this man. A clicking sound made me look up. John was clutching the gun from earlier, aiming it for Malik's face.

"Going to kill me in front of pretty girl, eh?" Malik chuckled.

"If I have to." John smirked. There was something sinister about that smile.

He lunged forward with speed I had never seen. Malik shoved me to the side and I landed with a thud. I was tempted to run, but how far would I get? I'd landed funny and my ankle had locked. I sat up. I really wanted to close my eyes.

Malik was muscled but this seemed to slow him down. He pulled out a gun and fired several shots. He missed each time. John was fast and fired, hitting Malik in the shoulder with the first bullet, then in the knee with the second bullet. It became obvious who was going to win this.
Malik sank to his knees. His sunglasses had flew off in the altercation. John walked forward, crushing them under foot and standing in front of Malik.

"I feel I have underestimated you." He said.

"Never underestimate a demon." John lifted his foot, pressing his converse onto Malik's wounded shoulder, making the other man cry out.

I could only watch in horror. Malik's eyes went to me then back to John.

"Pretty girl has seen what you are now." He said, coughing a little.

John's sharp eyes went to me. I parted my lips but nothing would come out. Who had I been spending time with? Was this person the real John? His eyes went back to Malik and he aimed the gun one last time, pulling the trigger. A scream tore from my throat.

Malik slumped down and his body shuddered a little before dying. John glanced at me and walked towards me. I whimpered and tried to shuffled backwards.

"N-no, please." I was begging.

He paused in front of my quivering form, lowering himself to look at me then gripping my chin to meet my eyes. Our gazes locked and I swear I could see the monster in those brown eyes, staring back at me.

"J-john, please don't-"

My protests were cut short when his lips met mine. This kiss was different to the last very sweet one we shared. His mouth moved roughly against my own, fighting for dominance and winning. My lips parted to whimper and his tongue slid in, tasting me. My hand came up to try and push him, but he gripped my wrists roughly, probably leaving marks on my skin.

I yelped when he bit down on my lower lip and I pulled back. When he released me, I touched my finger to my lip and could feel the sticky blood against my finger.

"We should go," John said, standing. "Can you walk?"

"N-no, I think my ankle is...um." I murmured.

He stared at me and his gaze shifted slightly, allowing slightly gentler emotions to come through. He leaned down, scooping me into his arms. We were face to face again.

"You said you wouldn't kill anyone in front of me." I whispered.

"I never promised anything like that." He replied.

The harshness of his words made his accent thicker and I stared at him in horror. My eyes went to Malik's lifeless body.

Notes