Give Me Love

"Wake up. Wake up, Lauren," I hear someone say as they shook me, "dammit, wake up!"

I groaned and sat up. "What?" I snapped.

Nicholas's urgent expression unnerved me as he moved to pack some of my things. "Get dressed quick. We have a problem."

I threw the covers off of my body and scrambled to pull jeans over my bare legs. Pulling off my shirt, I quickly put on another one and grabbed my jacket while slipping on my shoes.

Nicholas handed me my bag as there was a crash downstairs. William slammed open the door.

"Come on, Lauren," William said to me.

I reached to grab William but Nicholas grabbed my hand instead. Running to the window and opened it, he looked down then back at my door.

The front door was kicked in and I snapped my head to my door. "Figure something out, Nicholas!"

He grabbed his head and fell to his knees as did William. I bit my lip and hurriedly looked around. My door was kicked open and in walked a woman with black hair.

"Ah, my dear Lauren," She greeted.

I backed up until I hit my nightstand. "Penny? What are you doing here?"

Penny gave a grin and gave a kick to a disabled Nicholas. "Your father sent me. I must say, making a deal with one of these things to save your sisters… you have balls."

I bit my lip as another man walked in, carrying a gun. I looked from him to Penny. "Please, don't-"

Penny let out a harsh laugh. "Don't tell me that you actually like them? They are evil, my dear niece!"

I bit my lip and reached behind me, feeling for anything that could help the two brothers. Grasping a pen, I took a step forward.

The man shot a round into Nicholas's shoulder, making him yell out in pain. I froze and looked at Nicholas. He was rocking back and forth in pain from the shot. William laid there with his head in his hands. He was awake as well, but was in pain from whatever was making them stay down.

"A dog whistle gives them a debilitating migraine. Simple, no?" Penny said.

I shook my head and took another step forward, earning William a shot this time.

"You were always my favorite niece. So full of promise. You would have been an awesome hunter. But the moment your mother started associating with this filth, I knew it would never be the same. I knew your father would kill her," Penny taunted, "and he did."

I tightened my grip on the pen as Penny pulled out a knife and turned to the two vampire brothers. As she raised her weapon, I ran and stabbed the pen in her neck, then quickly grabbed her knife, throwing it at the male. It hit him in the shoulder and I stood up and pulled it out of his shoulder, stabbing in the neck. I grabbed his gun and turned around to look at Penny, who was now standing up, with the pen sticking out of her neck.

"Wrong move," She hissed as she pulled out her own gun, shooting with her shaking hand, hitting Nicholas. I pulled the trigger repeatedly and watched as my aunt fell to the ground with three shots to the chest and one to the neck.

I shut my curtains and fell to my knees between William and Nicholas.

"Check him," William groaned out, "I'll be fine."

I nodded and turned to Nicholas, who was still semi-conscious. "What do I do?"

"Get the bullets out of him," William croaked, "I can get mine."

I pulled off Nicholas's shirt and bit my lip. Taking a deep breath, I shimmied the first bullet out. Moving onto the more worrisome one, which was thankfully just below his collarbone. I pulled it out, but he still wasn't healing.

"Why the hell is he still not healing?"

William took a deep breath as he got his own injury taken care of. "When was the last time he fed off you?"

I groaned. "Five days ago."

William stayed silence, but I understood what needed to be done.

"You better be fucking grateful," I hissed as I leaned down to him since he'd get more out of my neck.

His fangs pricked my skin and I held my breath.

________________________________________________________________________________

"How did that woman know you?" I heard Nicholas question from the backseat.

I turned around. "Calm down there. You've been through a lot. Are you feeling okay?"

Nicholas shook his head. "Answer me, dammit! She knew you! What the fuck are you not telling us?"

"Just calm down," William ordered, "We're almost to the place Sapphira secured for us. We'll talk there."

I took a deep breath as William pulled into an apartment building parking lot. "Let's go."

I climbed out and saw Sapphira standing in the window of one of them. Walking up the stairs, I entered the apartment and headed straight for a bedroom.

"Nope, you're staying out here," Nicholas ordered as he steered me into the living room, "I want fucking answers. How do you know hunters?"

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. "You should be a little more grateful, I killed my aunt to save your life."

"You're aunt? That woman was your aunt?" William asked.

"You come from a family of hunters?" Nicholas yelled, "You never thought to mention this to me."

"I didn't think it'd matter," I whispered.

"Well it obviously did!" Sapphira interjected, "You nearly got Nicholas killed!"

I sighed. "I haven't been the only one keeping secrets," I stated, "But it's because of me that your ass is still here. I should have left you to die," I hissed at Nicholas.

Nicholas sent me a cocky smirk. "You wouldn't have let me die because who would protect you from your hunter father, who for some reason wants you dead."

I narrowed my eyes and pulled my newly acquired gun out of the waistband of my pants and pointed it at Nicholas's head.

"Are you sure you want to test my kindness?" I seethed, "I can and will take care of myself."

"Lauren," William said as he walked behind Nicholas, "calm down. And Nicholas, do not taunt her. Her family is known for their temper."

Nicholas turned around. "And who exactly is her family?"

"Her father is Jackson Graves."