Diamond Bar
06/02/2016 21:45pm

Abbie POV

I had come in early and had just finished my set. The crowd cheered and whooped. I smiled and waved and clambered off the stage. Someone set a drink down in front of me.

"For rocking the fuck outta this place." CC was in front of me, grinning.

The next act got onto the stage and started singing. I accepted the drink and took a few sips to calm my nerves and quench my first.

"Thanks CC." I smiled, and he nodded.

This Saturday the bar was packed. People loitered around talking and swaying to the music. People were on the dancefloor, slowly moving in time with the music. It was amazing. Across the way, Ashley was flirting with a girl. Jake and Jinxx were serving drinks and looking on in despair as the girl played hot and cold.

CC had turned his attention to the sound system and I was left to head to the bar to grab another drink. I decided I needed something besides alcohol. I shuffled through the crowd and someone grabbed my arm. At first, I assumed it was a drunk trying to get a dance, but I turned and was face-to-face with Andy.

He smiled, somewhat thinly at me. I bit my lip and shuffled nervously. I'd been ignoring him now for about a week, but I realised that I was being immature. I needed to talk to him like an adult. I smiled a little and this seemed to put him at ease.

"We should talk." He leaned down and said in my ear, causing little shudders to jolt through me.

"Ok, that's fine." I agreed.

He nodded and led me away from the crowds and towards the back area, behind the bar. I could still hear the sound of the music but it was muted and distilled by the hum of the fridge. Andy leaned against the fridge and shuffled. I guessed he was nervous.

"So?" I murmured. i had no idea where to start.

"Abbie, I feel I should apologise to you." He said, quickly.

Oh right, that was sudden. I took a few minutes to grasp what he was saying and nodded. I toyed with a strand of my hair.

"Andy, I'm sorry too. For being so cruel to you," I said, and he looked relieved. "So, what now?"

"You want me." He smirked.

I nearly spit out my drink. None of the boys back home would have been so blatant and it stunned me a little. Of course I wanted him, but I didn't just want a one night stand or some casual fling. I wanted to get to know the real Andy. I wanted to form a bond with him.

"I do, but I want to get to know you." I whispered.

He raised a brow at me then he moved so quickly that I squeaked. His lips connected with my own and I snapped into action and kissed him back. His body pressed against my own, forcing my back against the fridge. My hands coiled round his neck, toying with his hair, his hands wrapped round my waist, pressing me closer.

We barely registered that someone was there until someone cleared their throat and we pulled apart to see Ashley smirking at us. I stuttered something and pulled back. Andy was completely calm, but his eyes glared daggers at Ashley.

"What?" He snapped.

"Vinnie's here and he's demanding to speak to you." Ashley said, still grinning.

Andy frowned and glanced at me. I must have looked nervous as Andy gripped my hand, giving my fingers a reassuring squeeze. Vinnie creeped me out. That date at Starbucks had been a fluke and was defintely not something I wanted to repeat.

"Tell him I'm on my way." Andy said. Ashley nodded and disappeared.

Andy glanced at me again and turned to stand in front of me, grasping my chin and smiling at me.

"Don't worry. Vinnie won't touch you." He said, then pressed a kiss to my forehead.

He started walking and I followed. Sure enough, Vinnie was at the bar. He looked a mess though. His usually slicked back hair was bedraggled and he had dark rings under his eyes. His gaze shot up and locked onto Andy.

"What's up, Vinnie?" Andy asked.

Ashley was hovering a few feet away and was biting his lip. Something was wrong and Ashley knew it. Vinnie lifted the glass in front of him and drank the whole thing, slamming the glass down when he finished. This made a few patrons jump and shoot him dirty looks.

"Did you know that Malik is dead." Vinnie sneered.

My face must have been a picture of confusion. Jake came to stand next to me and he smiled at me as though to reassure me. I managed a small smile but turned my attention to the scene unfolding before me.

"No, I had no idea," Andy said. "How'd he die?"

Vinnie laughed. It was a cold, cruel sound that made me shrink back a bit. Andy wasn't fazed by Vinnie's apparent madness.

"Where are they?" Vinnie hissed. Who were 'they'?

"I don't know." Andy shot back.

"Of course you don't. I'll bet you're covering for them. You'd all love to see me dead." Vinnie seethed, standing and knocking the bar stool down. The glass shattered against the floor.

I whimpered and Jake pulled me close and shielded me. Andy nodded his thanks to him then glanced at Vinnie.

"I'm not covering for them." Andy scowled.

"Good," Vinnie said, seeming to compose himself. "Here are my next set of instructions then. I want them dead. Kil them."

Ashley's lips parted in shock. Even CC looked horrified. Jake's face gave nothing away and Jinxx looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Andy was the only one to actually articulate what he felt.

"I'm not murdering any members of this family. Your father-"

"My father is dead, do you hear me? D-E-A-D, dead. I want those four killed." Vinnie shouted.

Andy's eyes narrowed and for a scary moment I thought he might comply, instead he shook his head. Vinnie's face became a mask of shock.

"No, I'm sorry, Vinnie. You might not care for your father's legacy but I do. I will not help you kill them." Andy said, his tone brokering no arguments.

"Plus they'd fucking end us." CC added.

Vinnie stared at them each in turn and stepped back slightly. He glanced at me and his eyes narrowed. That glare sent ripples of fear through me. He turned and stormed out. Andy's gaze followed him and he sighed, grabbing his phone. He swiped the screen and tapped it a few times before bringing it to his ear and waiting. Someone must have answered.

"Paul, it's Andy. What did you guys do?" Andy asked.

I couldn't hear the response yet and Andy was saying yes and no here and there. He said goodbye and hung up, sighing again and tapping the screen again, bringing the phone to his ear.

"John, it's Andy. Vinnie's furious. What's happened?" Andy asked, and this time his eyes widened. "You did what?"

I didn't hear the response. Andy had buried his face into his palm and took a shuddering breath.
"Is Kacee all right?" He said.

"You guys need to come to Diamond."

The conversation ended and andy set the phone onto the bar. He motioned for Jake and Jinxx to start closing up. He glanced at me. I managed to smile at him and he smiled back.

"You're about to meet a four-headed demon." CC snickered as he strolled by me.

A four-headed demon? I stared aghast at Andy and he nodded. He was agreeing with CC.

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

About an hour later, the bar was finally cleared of all patrons. Jake had finished organising the cash registers and was sitting on the bar. jinxx was next to him. CC was sat on the stage alongisde Ashley, who looked ill at ease. Andy was by the door, peeking through the glass pane. The weather had changed for the worst and it was now raining.

I was sitting on a bar stool, awaiting a demon walking through that very door. No way, demons don't exist. My hands were shaking. No one spoke. You could cut the tension with a knife. Andy sighed and stepped back, opening the door. My gaze lifted and I waited with baited breath. What walked through the door was not what i expected.

Four guys walked in. They looked so normal. This was the demon. My eyebrows knitted together at the sight of them. My eyes then fell on the girl that one of them was carrying. She looked young, maybe sixteen. Her blonde hair was fairer than my own and hung in loose coils around her shoulders. She was wearing a pretty, blue dress and dolly shoes. She seemed to be unconsious.

"Is she all right?" Andy asked.

"Yeah, she's fine." The one holding her said.

How the hell could she be fine? She'd obviously fainted. My lips opened to speak then closed when I saw one of them staring at me.

"Whose she?" He asked.

"That's Abbie." Andy replied.

"This is the demon?" I murmured.

"Yes." Andy said.

Andy held out his arms and the guy handed the unconsious girl over. Andy turned and set her one of the couches across the way. He then went over and started speaking to them. I slinked across to the girl, curious about her.

I leaned over and her eyes started flickering. She was coming to. I smiled. Her eyes opened and her gaze flitted round the room, landing on me. For a minute she was silent then, as though remembering something heinous, she sat up and vomited.

I moved quickly, holding her hair back and soothing her. I barely cared that she'd thrown up over the couch. She coughed a few times and seemed to regain her composure. Her eyes lifted and she whimpered. I clicked that she was cowering. She was afraid. Now I was pissed.

"She's terrified of you." I said, turning.

"Of course she is. I killed someone in front of her." The guy said, shrugging.

"Are you out of your fuckin' mind." I screehed, ignoring Ashley's worried look.

"Unfortunately, yes." He said.

"You think this is funny." I shot back.

Someone grabbed my arm and I realised it was CC. He looked concerned and was shaking his head.

"They're assassins." He said, and I felt my face drain of colour.

These were the assassins. I felt the insane urge to apologise in case they opted to murder me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Andy sighed and turned to them.

"We need a plan," He said. "You can't stay here, or go home. Neither can Kacee. Her life is in danger. The very thing you said wouldn't happen is happening."

"If I hadn't of killed Malik then she'd be dead."

"I'm not disputing that. You could have saved her without killing people, John." Andy shot back.

"One person. I killed one person." John replied.

I shrank back a little. Unused to the ferocity of the situation. My eyes landed on one of the demons. He glanced at me. He smiled thinly and looked quite guilty. I went back to Kacee. He followed and lowered himself to sit beside her.

"Kacee, love, are you all right?" He asked.

She glanced at him and took a shuddering breath before replying, "Yes, Ringo. I'm feeling better now I've been sick."

He nodded and glanced back at the argument then his blue eyes landed on me. He held out a hand, covered in rings. I accepted and smiled.

"Ringo." He said.

"Abbie Stanford." I replied. "So, what's gonna happen?"

"I really don't know." He replied, looking nervous.

Kacee was watching the ensuing chaos and she swung her legs round and stood up. She shook a little and I helped steady her. Andy was gradually losing his patience. Kacee hobbled forward.

"Please stop fighting." She shouted above the noise.

Andy paused and glanced at her. He looked guilty, but stepped back. Kacee glanced at John. Was I missing something, or were these two together? There was a simmer of emotion between them. Kacee seemed to show all her emotions. Hurt, sadness, betrayal and anger played across her features.

"Thank you for saving me," She said, hiccuping a little. "But you killed someone in front of me. I'll never be able to unsee that."

"I know and I'm sorry." John said. He sounded genuine.

His emotions were a lot more in check. He was calm and the only sign that he felt upset was a flash of emotion in his dark eyes. Kacee seemed to register this and nodded. Andy was watching the whole thing with worry.

"I'd like to go home now." Kacee said, sounding more resillient.

"You can't." Ashley said, finally stepping forward.

"What? But, why?" Kacee whispered and her eyes filled with tears again. She blinked and the tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving trails across her delicate features.

"The man that died tonight was the bodyguard of Abaddon Slade," Andy stepped towards her, but she moved back. "If he finds you then he'll kill you."

I wanted to reach out and comfort this poor girl. Her body trembled and she coughed like she might be sick again, but she didn't. Her gaze went to John and he stepped closer. She didn't step away, which was a relief, but she did burst into tears.

He pulled her into a hug and she responded, sobbing loudly. I shook my head. Andy laid a hand on my shoulder and stepped back.

"We should give these two some privacy." He said.

We left the room and headed into the back of the bar. I walked next to one of the demons. He glanced at me and smiled, holding out his hand.

"George." He said.

"Oh, right. Abbie." I replied, accepting.

"That was a bit of a mess, eh?" He grinned.

"Yeah, it sure was." I agreed. "Sorry for shouting earlier."

"No problem. I'd have done the same thing." He replied, toying with a thread on his hoodie.

I took one last look back and paused. I hoped Kacee would be all right. Someone stopped next to me. Andy was following my gaze.

"They need to calm down and discuss things." He said, and clasped my hand in his.

Notes