Forced Affection

‘I need to speak to Hallie alone’ Billie says. I look at her and then to Leo. We had just gotten back from the funeral. I hadn’t thought or even bothered crying-what was the point? It would not change what had happened and it certainly doesn’t make me feel any better.
‘Sure I need to work out some things anyway’ Leo replies leaving us and heading up stairs. I don’t know what he was talking about and I really don’t care. The phone call before didn’t even make me one bit curious. I couldn’t care less. I just wanted to hurt others the way I was in pain.
‘Hallie I’m in trouble’ Billie says immediately as soon as Leo is out of earshot. This catches my attention.
‘Excuse me?’ I say trying to focus on her as I lead her to the lounge room.
‘The Rossini’s, they are causing lots of trouble for me. This morning I had a letter sent to me. It was a picture of a shadow hunter being killed. There were red lips on it. It was the kiss of death and you know it. They want me dead’ Billie cries openly in front of me. Every pulse in my body told me to comfort her, but I could not move.
‘Well? We need a plan don’t we’ I say only thinking of the potential hunt and the killing of a vampire.
‘I knew you would help me’ she sobbed. I blinked but still couldn’t comfort her.
‘Well? What do you have on them?’ I ask getting very sick of the tears falling from her eyes. I knew it wasn’t right-once this would pain me.
‘The-ey, the, they ha-vve a meeting at Frrr-eeedeess restaurant’ she mumbled through sobs. I was sick of this. I slapped her across the face. She immediately opened her eyes wide.
‘What the fuck?’ she snapped.
‘Seriously, if you want to live stop being such a little bitch. Now stop crying and tell me, when do they have a meeting at Frede’s restaurant?’ I snap wanting to glare at Billie but restrained.
‘Tonight. The message said I had to meet him there to settle the debt or they would come after me. Besides I already checked it out. They have the place booked out from 8pm and they want it to be a closed event with entertainment’ Billie snapped finally waking up and coming to her senses, no more tears here.
‘Good. Well we will be entertainment. You will go to meet them. I will get Avery and Rae, we will be the entertainment and when they lease suspect it, when their guard is down I will finish what you couldn’t. So you should go and get yourself ready. I have a plan to organise’ I say standing up and walking up stairs leaving Billie to stare at me as if I was abducted by aliens-whatever was her problem?

‘Nathan got details yet?’ I asked speaking on the speaker phone in the office, door locked. No one was here to interrupt any way.
‘Yeah, they are having a meeting tonight at 8pm at a place called Frede’s restaurant. I have gotten you an invite. I have forwarded everything to you. Seriously you know it is a societal gathering. They have done it in the place everyone lease suspects it-slayer territory. There must be something there’ Nathan responds from the other side of the country.
I sigh, what was I ever going to do? I need back up.
‘Yeah I know it will be dangerous but I got no one here. No one I trust’ I say rubbing the bridge of my nose.
‘What about Cortez?’ he asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
‘I don’t want her anywhere near a meeting like that. The last thing I want is for her to have the opportunity of committing suicide. She is unstable and I don’t know what to do about it. I think she needs a break from our worlds’ I say finally telling someone the worries I had for Hallie.
‘I can get there’ was all Nathan needed to say
‘Thanks’ I appropriately respond and hang up. With Nathan I was safer. We were on a suicide mission but all we needed was Rossini dead. Then maybe everything would settle down and I could focus on helping Hallie. I had never been so concerned about someone else. She needed my support now, I just needed her though.

‘Hallie no. This is stupid. I can’t believe I agreed to this. I’m only here so you don’t get killed’ Rae snapped at me. We stood back stage of the Frede restaurant. I have lied to Leo and told him I was going for dinner with the girls that I needed a break-I just had to escape the pain. As soon as I mentioned it he jumped at the opportunity. I had to lie to him for his own safety. This was something I wanted to do by myself anyway.
I had devised the best plan. We were the entertainment. Rae, Avery and I, with the help from Lachlan we had convinced Samantha Frede, the owner of the restaurant to let us do one song for Rossini in the room they had hired out. It was then that we would take them by chance when they weren’t expecting it. I guessed that it would be Rossini, his predecessor and probably a couple of his most capable men. No more than 6. Six rogue vampires that the five of us could definitely take. The plan was fool proof and this would be easy.
‘Rae I only want you here so I knew you would run to Leo if you found out. At least this way I can keep an eye on what you are doing’ I snapped at my best friend.
‘Hallie, at any moment I think we are screwed I’m walking and I’m taking everyone. I’m here for Billie. She is the only one I will protect. Don’t you dare go on a rampage and try to fight your way out. You know how rogues work. Take out the leader and the predecessor and the rest crumble’ Rae snapped at me as she got in my face.
‘Ladies’ Lachlan said pushing us apart; he was thriving on the situation. As soon as I called him I knew he would do it-after all he had said he was willing to die for me.
‘Stick to the plan. At the end of the song we take them’ Avery said getting ready. We were all in lacy attire, boobs pushed out and looking hot-actually it reminded me of a whore show. But we wanted the vamps focus on our assets and not our hands when we took them anyway. We were all armed and there was no chance of them getting out of here alive if I had my way.
‘At the end of the song, from a distance Lachlan you shoot the predecessor, he will be on Rossini’s right and Avery will cover Billie. Billie has the stake and will take Rossini after all she is on his left. It has to be quick so you can’t miss Lachlan. Hallie and I will take control of the rest and stop anything from happening’ Rae ordered as we took our place behind the curtain-waiting for it to rise and for us to sing.
I heard the music start. The lights were on us and I took a step forward. My heels clichéd on the wooden floor and the lights blinded me. My heart rate increased and I realised I had made the biggest mistake of my life. It wasn’t the meeting I was expecting. It was a societal gathering. No one would have predicted that in slayer city. There was easily 40 rogues seated around the room and Rossini at the head of the table in the the middle of the room, right in front of the stage. I had just sentenced my friends to death.
‘What have you done?’ Rae whispered to me. I looked at Billie and sensed her fear. From her eyes I knew she had given up. I turned to Avery and Lachlan.
‘I’m sorry’ I whisper. Both were pale white and not expecting this. I wish I had never done this.
‘Buy me diamonds and rubies I’m crazy bout Bentleys, Gucci dresses and drop top compresses, Wine me and dine me bring those platinum rings, Those are a few of our favourite things’ I started. I knew this was stupid and I knew I had already lost this fight but I wasn’t going to stop now. I would die fighting at least. I pranced around the stage and Rae joined in at her part ‘Buy me diamonds and rubies I’m crazy bout Bentleys, Gucci dresses and drop top compresses, Wine me and dine me bring those platinum rings, Those are a few of our favourite things’ she sang. I moved near her.
‘Stick to the plan’ She whispered when Avery started her part ‘What I need is a gentleman who does the best he can, There to hold my hand, I want him to understand
Of course I want diamonds and expensive things, But a girl gotta have her favourite things’ it didn’t take Lachlan long to realise we were still going through with this.
‘Oh that’s what you like, Nice type of life, Platinum and night, Not diamond in sight, Well that alright, You looking right, Ass cut it tight, I'll spend the night, Oh with a G, Oh we could be, Right you and me, Night fantasy, I'll make it real, So what the deal, Girl get ready to show free’ he sung grabbing the attention from us.
Nearly 3 minutes into the song was when the plan changed, I was not letting anything happen to my friends. I was going to take control. I sung the last chorus, I have roughly 24 seconds. I walk to the end of the stage and move onto the table that Rossini was sitting at. All eyes on me now I gave my friends time to get out, but I knew they were too loyal to leave and it would be their blood on my hands.
I moved seductively straight to the vampire who was ruining my friends life, straight to the vampire that I was blaming all my pain on. I didn’t acknowledge the person that stood up and clapped their hands. No one did-their eyes were on me. One step after another I placed the heels on the table. I was hoping a plan would come to me; waiters started bringing out drinks for everyone. I had no idea with the timing. From a glance I knew it was blood and then the plan came. I was going to kill him.
I made it to the head of the table and seductively sat in front of Rossini, legs holding me steadily I don’t make the mistake of glancing at any of my friends-no one was to know they were with me. I lean down and push his head into my cleavage as I finish the song. That is when I see the thing I was most afraid off-Leo standing with Nathan. I gulped and looked up everything clicked. This Rossini was the same Rossini that was with the rogues causing Parker the problems. They knew everything apart from us being here. Leo took a deep breath and from his eyes I knew he was pissed off.
I pushed my lips onto Rossini’s. Pulling away the adrenaline kicks in-everyone’s eyes still on me. ‘Leo says thanks. And I think that was the last kiss of death you will ever know. You messed with the wrong shadow hunter’ I mumble into his ears. Before he could do anything I snapped his neck and shoved the stake that had been soaked in holy water, with the word Deus engraved on it, through his heart. He fell and I jumped up. I was met with the beginning of frenzy-the rogues needed a leader and the predecessor was still alive.
I knew my death would come soon. I was struck before I was caught.
‘I wouldn’t move a muscle. One word and every single one of you will drink. I’m the leader now’ Leo snapped standing in front of me protecting me. Nathan stood on the other side of me and my friends now stood together on stage. Leo’s attendance grabbed everyone’s attention.
‘What?!’ one of the rogues snapped standing up.
‘If you value your life you will stop and listen to me. I command it’ Leo snaps. I rolled my eyes as if they would listen. To my surprise they did. Not a single vampire removed.
‘What have you done?’ the predecessor asked Leo fearfully.
Leo smirked and then chuckled ‘You know exactly what happened. My soul mate killed your leader and thanks to that kiss of death I know hold power over you rogues. So before you try to fight back like you would normally plan, I want you to know that with my compulsion I can make you all drink that drink. And well we all know dead man’s blood will kill the lot of you’ Leo said knowing he had won the fight and saved my life-possibly again.
‘No’ the predecessor gasped. ‘I’m to get the power’
‘That was before. But thanks to Cortez I’m in charge and I didn’t even have to do the dirty work. So I suggest you all leave. Go back to which ever whole you climbed out of and stop any previous plans made by Rossini. Consider all debts cleared no one in this room ever to be touched. And remember I’m your leader know and under my command if any of you break what I have ordered you to do, then you will die a death as painful as if I made you drink the dead man’s blood’ Leo cursed the 30 odd vampires in the room. As soon as he finished they left. I stood there scared for my life.

It was silent. Leo turned and faced me. ‘Get bloody changed’ he snapped as he pushed me towards the end of the table.
‘How did you know I was here?’ I asked walking away.
‘I didn’t. I was here to fix my problem’ Leo snapped at me.
‘Well I was fixing my own’ I snapped back. Lachlan rested his hand on my back and Rae stood there glaring at me. Avery held Billie who was still much shaken.
‘No you weren’t. You were supposed to be clearing your friend’s debt. But you wanted to get rid of the pain you feel. You wanted to hurt someone. You did not care what it took, even if it was a suicide mission’ Leo snarled at me.
Nathan stood looking around.
‘You know the power won’t last. You might be soul mates but you aren’t married and well vampires can’t fall under the command of some slayer’ Nathan said to Leo who still had not looked away from me.
‘I know but by the time they work it out. We will have left’ Leo answers.
‘C’mon’ Avery said leading Billie away, Rae stood there.
‘Hallie I can’t believe you were that stupid’ she started on me.
‘Oh quit it. I did what I had too’ I snapped back at her.
‘I can’t believe you endangered all our lives and you don’t even care. Don’t ever trying to talk to me again. Consider this friendship over’ she said coldly as she turned and left. I knew it was suppose to hurt, but I could feel nothing. Lachlan went to hug me to be pulled away from Leo.
‘I wouldn’t touch her. You will take Billie and Avery home. Make sure they are safe’ Leo compelled Lachlan.
‘I will not touch her and I will take the girls home’ Lachlan answered leaving and following the girls out the door. We followed suit, when we got to Leo’s car I realised how stupid I was. It was at that moment that everything hit me. I could not believe what I had done. I wanted to cry but couldn’t, it was too late. I lost my uncle, my brother, my entire family and now my best friend. This was the worst day of my life.
‘I will go home and take care of what I can’ Nathan said to Leo.
‘Yeah fly out now. We won’t be much longer if I have my way’ Leo said to Nathan not even acknowledging me. With that Nathan disappeared and Leo got in the car.
‘You didn't even flinch’ Leo whispered as he started the car and I knew he was replaying me killing Rossini over and over in his head.
I couldn’t say anything, but a tear ran down my face and I knew that the pain would come soon.

When we arrived back at the house I saw Rae’s car parked out front and I knew she was inside. Probably waiting to apologise, I hoped. Deep down I knew that was not the case. After what I had just done I would be surprised if my friend ever spoke to me again-I had lost so much and it was my own doing.
Leo stopped the car, cut the engine, opened his door and got out. He did not wait for me over even bother to care. I followed suit. I followed him up the stairs into the office and I knew what was coming.
‘Leo?’ I asked as I closed my door. He was moved faster than I ever imagined. He had me pinned against the door-one hand holding me, his leg stopping me from moving in any possible way. His free hand moves to my neck.
‘In one snap I can kill you’ he whispered so coldly. His eyes were darker than I had ever seen and I honestly thought he would kill me. I bite my lip and knew my eyes were getting glassy. At any moment the tears would fall. I was scared he would hurt me, most of all though I was scared he didn’t care about me.
‘But if I did, I would flinch; I would cry and no doubt feel something. Because killing someone is a last resort for any reason. But tonight seeing you kill Rossini and not flinch frightened me. I don’t know if I can do this’ he said staring at me.
‘You hate me because I didn’t flinch?’ I snapped. Did he not understand the pain I was going through? Before Leo said anything he moved and opened the door, Rae walked into the room and I knew I was getting out of this argument. Leo would not continue while she was here. Sure what I had done was stupid but I did what I had to for my family and friends. I had made the sacrifice, he didn’t.
I looked at Rae and she didn’t bother even glancing at me-she was not here to apologise. I may have just avoided an argument with Leo but it was at the price of one with Rae.
‘Hallie, you should go down stairs-Billie is waiting’ Rae says to me as she leans on my door frame.
‘What? Really? Rae I’m so sorry’ I say looking at her. She nodded and I ran out the door, leaving Rae and Leo in the office-I didn’t even hesitate I wanted to apologise, but all I could do now was make sure Billie was ok.