Blood & Juniper

I feel the tension ease and I step away from Ashlen, unboxing her from the wall. Cooper and I eye each other with a thousand word glance.

I sigh, thinking aloud, "How much damage do you think her blunder caused?"

"Anyone asks mi and I'm tellin' um tha brazen hussy was on a mountain o' coke," he answers with a shrug.

I snort, "Your improvising never fails to impress."

"Well, it can't be tha' far from tha truth," he shakes his head as we watch her storm out the front entrance nearly trampling an unsuspecting couple, "I mean, livin' mor' than a century takes iss toll but, tha' broad's gotta 'bout twen'y screws loose."

We give each other a knowing look.

I glance into the nearest room. A private party area, that *was* indeed very brazen of her. What was she thinking? There's a chair tipped on its side, I can taste the lingering dread bottled within. The hostage room no doubt.

"Thanks for the save, Coop."

That cheeky grin of his spreads across his face, "Fer wha'? I didn' do nuffin'. Tha' basket case jus' started reamin' inta mi."

I smirk at him sideways. It's not his way to take credit for things but Cooper prevented a mass disaster with that lightning rod play. Who knows what might have happened if he didn't let Betsy's play thing go.

I'm not fooled by the man's careless, aloof act. It's common for older vampire's to be calculated, but he lacks maliciousness. A rare combination of traits.

"You freed that girl," Ashlen says behind me, apparently not fooled either. I turn to an expression of awe as she views Cooper in a genuinely different light.

Cooper glances over at her, "I did wha', now?"

"You saved whoever Betsy had captive."

He raises his palms out, "Naw, I was jus' here mindin' mi own business. Poor crone's gone senile ballistic."

She tilts her head perplexed, then smiles softly at him. She must think Cooper did this out of altruism. Not exactly, more for the practicality of keeping the peace, but I won't burst her bubble. A good deed is still a good deed, right?

I turn fully to her and give her a once over now that I have a chance to breathe.

"Did she harm you?" I say more harshly than intended.

Her eyebrows shoot up a little startled by the anger in my voice.

"N-no," she stutters, "I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"No," I curse myself for failing to keep the frustration out of my tone. And now she thinks I'm mad at her. Great, "*I'm* sorry. I should have been prepared. She acted out of pure recklessness. If I had only-"

I stop as she touches my arm, defusing me.

"I'm ok, Sam. We both weren't expecting her to drag me upstairs. It just shook me a little," she laughs nervously, "Besides, you shouldn't apologize for things that aren't your fault."

But it is my fault. I should have been more diligent, more aware, taken care of Betsy a long time ago.

She clears her throat, regaining herself, "You're not responsible for the actions of others. You can't control what they do."

It's almost as if she can read my thoughts.

"Well, technically, I *can* control what others do," I refute.

She looks confused for a brief second before rolling her eyes, trying not to crack a smile and grumbles, "You're being a smart a.s.s."

I let my features soften, though I'm still upset. I'm ticked off and annoyed with Betsy, but mostly angry with myself.

I glance back at Cooper who seems to be in La-la land. In actuality, he's assessing the potential damage of that episode.

"We should find a new place to loiter. We're too conspicuous now, thanks to a certain someone."

"All of us?" Ash inquires.

"Naw, jus' tha' two o' ya," Cooper chimes in, still staring off with that bemused look, "Wander 'round fer anotha ten minutes 'er so then leave out tha' back shippin' door. Indiscriminate n' separate, easay as cake."

She questions him, "You're not coming?"

"I'll stay 'ere to handle any potential fira," he looks her over then smirks in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Well, I must say, yer jus' attractin' tha' attention from everay vampire n' tha land. Are ya keepin' a dirty lil' secret, Ashy?"

Cooper says it in jest but Ashlen shrinks back uncomfortable and oddly guilty looking.

I nod at Cooper, "That should work," I turn back to Ashlen, she's back to biting her nails, "Can you keep yourself preoccupied for a while longer without feeding on anyone?"

She nods.

"I'll leave first. Then you can follow me out after a few minutes."

"Kay," her teeth grind against her thumb enamel.

"Isalright, Ashy. You can hang back wiff me fer a bit. No need ta worry yer wee head."

"I'm not worried," she claims defensively.

"Jus' a precaution," Cooper chuckles at her, "Betta give yer poor nail beds a res' or you'll be nippin' on stubs."

She blinks, dropping her hand abruptly to the side. She presses her lips together, if Ash had fed today her cheeks would be flaring red. I might have teased her but I don't think the root of her concerns lie with the situation at Ocean Sun's. It's something else entirely. Something serious.

After making sure everyone is on the same page, I separate from them in search of the chattiest-Kathy type in the joint.

I eavesdrop on a few conversions, keeping my ear out for anyone talking about the recent event of Betsy speeding through the place like a maniac.

Surprisingly, not many. Are humans that unobservant? Possibly glued to their cellphones or they couldn't quite process the brief chaos.

I make a new gossipy 'friend' and persuade the chatter box with new theories to spread around.

It doesn't take much to hypnotize the guy. He's talking my ear off, telling me what a shame it is that the redheaded hotty would wreck herself with hardcore drugs but how he'd still bang her if given the chance.

Well, based on that statement alone, I'm going to take a wild guess that this guy isn't going to make it to forty. Not in this city.

He goes on chattering about other trivial matters and further demonstrating his poor judgment of the company he keeps but it's background noise at this point, I'm preoccupied.

I watch Cooper order Ashlen another drink at the counter. She tries to refuse, mouthing the words 'Not necessary' and 'a waste'.

After receiving his new beverage, he decides to show off. Cooper demonstrates his sleight of hand, swapping his new drink for the one that's been sipped past the half mark. He's always been good at that, the magician of disappearing liquor without ingesting a drop.

Cooper chuckles, leaning into her in his coquettish way as they chat about something. Does he always get that close? I feel something hot and foreign run from my head to c.h.e.s.t. Is this jealousy?

Absurd, Coop is the most indiscriminate flirt on the planet. This is everyday behavior, he flirts with everyone. Everything. And besides, it's a moot point.

I can't have her. She will never be mine.

So, why does the thought of her being with anyone else make me want to kill whoever that someone is? 'How rational, Sam. This only solidifies the point.'

Ash meets my gaze. There's something bewitching and electric about that look that makes me want to go to her immediately. Taste her sweet skin, take possession of those slightly parted lips. Beckoning me.

I need some air.

It comes to my attention that my designated PR newsboy is still babbling to me about something, "So, she's a real smokin' hotty, but like, out of her mind. Get this, the kind to cut *it* off in your sleep! You get what I'm saying, right? And the other is no doubt cute, more mild, kind of girl-next-doorish. I don't know, what do you think, man?"

'What do I think? That you talk too much, for starters.'

I stand up to head for the back, making sure Ash knows I'm leaving. I respond, "You should be mindful of the baggage one carries, because some will inevitably stay with you, even after that person is long gone."

The guy gawks at me, "That's deep, bro."

Is it so profound? Well, even so, it's probably wasted on this simpleton. I don't get the impression he's that bright. His teacher is experience, not advice.

Not that I'm all that smart, either. Sometimes bad experiences aren't deterrent enough. I'm always burning and never learning, so it seems.

I make my way over to the back door. It typically goes unused because it's often mistaken for an emergency exit.

I glance at Ashlen, she wanders casually, ready to follow shortly after I depart through the steel plated door.

I step into the alleyway, filled with inventory crates and immediately sense something is wrong. Smell it.

I try to signal Ashlen to abort the plan but am yanked away before I get the chance.