Bill The Vampire - 01 by Rick Gualtieri

potential source of embarrassment for him. For starters, you talk back. You saw how quickly Jeff shut up Alice last night. That's par for the course around here... at least before you showed up. From what I've seen of you, I think it's fairly obvious that you're the type that just gets more obnoxious as the beatings go on ( she probably had a point. I tend to be strictly of the 'If I'm going to get an ass-kicking, I might as well deserve it' mindset ). Lastly, you've already shown you're not above taking a cheap shot if the opportunity presents itself.”
     
    “Can you blame me?” I asked.
     
    “No, but it makes you unpredictable. It's not like Jeff can just chain you up somewhere for the next three months either.”
     
    “Because of James’ protection?”
     
    “Yes,” she replied with a nod.
     
    “And if he did, I'd squeal like a pig to James just to fuck him over, no matter what the threat.”
     
    “Bingo! And James knows how Jeff thinks. He'll definitely be paying a few visits between now and then.”
     
    “So?” I asked hopefully.
     
    “So, we compromise a bit. Play with the rules a little,” Sally answered.
     
    “How?”
     
    “The ninety day protection is supposed to give you a chance to learn how to survive as one of us. What better way to learn to survive than finding your own way? At the same time, as part of the coven, we're honor bound to provide you with basic support, which we will. The fact that you seem to be a wuss ( she saw the look I gave her )... have an aversion to killing, that is, actually works in your favor, here. It makes things easier for us since it means we probably don't have to worry about cleaning up any of your messes. So, to cover that, on the weekends you'll report back here and we'll give you enough blood to make it through the week.”
     
    “And what if I don't come back? What if I just make a run for it?” I asked, but she smiled as if expecting this question and got up. She walked over to a desk, opened it, and pulled something out. She then tossed it to me. As I caught it, I was not surprised in the least to see it was my wallet.
     
    She said, “If you run, or try to disappear...”
     
    “You know my name and where I live. You hunt down and kill my friends and family, I suppose.”
     
    “Smart boy.”
     
    “I watch a lot of TV.”
     
    “That doesn't really surprise me.”
     
    I ignored the barb. “And Jeff came up with this plan?”
     
    “Fuck no! This was all me. Jeff just dumped your ass on me and washed his hands of the whole thing.”
     
    “So you came up with all of this?”
     
    “Don't sound so surprised,” she said, sounding a bit snippy.
     
    “Sorry, I just wasn't expecting it from...”
     
    “From someone who looks like me?”
     
    “Well, yeah,” I said sheepishly. “It's just that, well, this area of the city and all, I kind of had you pegged as...”
     
    “As?” she glared hard at me.
     
    “Well, either a model, or...”
     
    “OR?”
     
    “Or a stripper,” I said in a small voice.
     
    “You know, you call Jeff an asshole, but you're just as big of one!” she exploded. “What would you say if I told you I was a physics major working toward my doctorate when Jeff turned me, huh, asshole?” I turned beet red as she continued to berate me. “I worked my ass off day and night for a perfect GPA. So I really don't appreciate dickheads like you coming along and assuming that all I'm good for is shaking my ass up on a stage!”
     
    “Oh god. I'm sorry,” I stammered. ”I didn't mean anything. It's just that...”
     
    Suddenly she was smiling again as she said, “Just fucking with you! I was a stripper.”
     
    Bitch!
     

The Long Road... err, Train, Back Home
     
     
     
    I sucked down the blood packs Sally had given me earlier ( no point in getting hunger pangs on the way home and finding myself contemplating chewing on some dirty homeless person ), and then got myself together as best I could. While this was