The vampire and the wife

Chapter 5

I couldn't take the pain and the feeling of being trapped anymore, so I got up and went to the drawers that had some of my clothes in and pulled out my jeans and a wool top as well as my underwear. I changed out of my pyjamas, got dressed, and pulled on my boots. I then grabbed my purse that was on top and ran down the stairs and got my coat from behind the front door. I didn't bother to do it up as I grabbed the keys and unlocked the front door.

"Where are you going?" I heard Dorian call from the living room.

"I need to get out and get some air." I told him. I needed space. I needed space to breathe and think.

Dorian came into the hallway and looked at me. "You've been crying."

"Yeah, which is why I need some air. I can't stay in the house anymore." I wiped my eyes quickly. "I'll be back soon, I promise." Before I could catch what Dorian was going to say, I opened the door left and shut the door behind me. I ran down the path and out into the main street. I knew if Dorian wanted to chase me, he would have been a hell of a lot faster than me to catch me. I just had to hope that he'd respect my space and give me a little space to wonder and clear my head.

I shoved my hands into my pocket as I put my purse in my right pocket and kept my hands around it as I walked. It was still raining, but I didn't bother to pull my hood up. The cold against my skin made me feel much more level-headed, but I knew that wasn't what I needed in the slightest; what I needed was something to numb the pain that the letter had stirred up in me.

I knew there was a bar close by the house, as I remember finding it one night when I'd gone for a late-night walk and before I'd been given my purse back. I bit my lip to try and keep me from crying anymore, as I did my best to remember where it was. It wasn't until I rounded a corner that I could hear loud music and shouts from drunks that I knew I was heading in the right direction.

I found the bar and managed to make my way through the crowd of people who were outside smoking near the door. The bar was dimly lit and it was crowded and loud. Just the way I'd like it, as it made me forget my problems because there was too much going on around me to think about, or I'd hoped that would be the case. I found a stool at the bar and perched on it as a small blonde woman wearing a low-cut t-shirt came up to the bar where I was sitting.

"What can I get you, babe?"

"Anything to make me forget my troubles." I shouted to her over the music and hustle and bustle of the busy bar.

"I've got you, babe!" She called back with a grin as I got my money out, ready to pay her as I looked around a little. I couldn't help but wonder if Dorian had sent Zack after me or if Dorian had come after me. If Dorian had come after you, you wouldn't have made it into the bar, as he would have stopped you. True. I turned to see the barmaid come back and pass me what looked like a cocktail.

"How much do I owe you?" I called over to her.

"First ones on the house for you." She winked, which made me smile a little at her. I nodded in thanks as I took a little sip and felt my eyes water a little from all the alcohol that was in it. I had no clue what she'd made me but I knew I'd soon be forgetting him and everything else if I drank too much of whatever it was.

I sat sipping the cocktail as the barmaid came and checked in on me as the people around the bar seemed to dissolve to their tables.

"So, what's going on that you need a strong drink?" She asked.

"Guy troubles." I answered simply as I took another gulp of the drink, not wanting to upset the barmaid.

"Ah, guys, who needs them anyway?" She asked with a grin. "Names Annie."

"Rosa." I called back as I decided to down the last half of the cocktail in one go and instantly regretted it as the flavour seemed to burn the back of my throat a little. "Can I get a red wine?" I called her. I had no plans on going home just yet to Dorian and I also knew I couldn't keep up with those cocktails either.

"Sure thing, Rosa." She called as she went to go and get my drink. I glanced around again, as I couldn't help but feel a little on edge about being in a crowded bar. That's what you get for living as an assassin on the run so to speak, with a vampire for all those months.

"Here you go, sweets." I took out my money, handed her a note, took my change as she gave it to me and shoved it in my pocket. I sat happily on the chair and began to drink my wine slowly.

A chair at the side of me seemed to free up and then someone else took the chair pretty quickly. "So what would you be doing in a dive like this?" The all-too-familiar voice asked me, I turned my head to find Liam sitting next to me with a beer bottle in his hand.

"Taking up stalking me?" I asked, looking at him coldly. I really hadn't been in the mood to play with this tosser tonight, but I knew that when it came to Liam, there was always a reason he showed up in my life. "I mean, you've already f****d my life up, so come to gloat that you told me you'd screw me over anyway you could?"

"Nope. I'm not even at work. Just come for a beer in my favourite bar, where my favourite barmaid is." I looked over from him to where he was looking and noticed his gaze on Annie, who seemed to be winking at Liam. I made a mental note to tell her to go running as fast as she could from him. "So you survived then? It seems like I won that bet." He grinned.

"If you ain't got f**k all to say, shut your mouth and move away, as I'm not in the mood for your s**t tonight." I took another sip of the wine, again debating whether I was going to drink it or throw it over him. If someone else had paid for it, it would have been the second option. As I looked at him again, I noticed more this time that his eye was still bruised pretty badly.

"Let me buy you a drink as an apology." He grinned.

"Shove it. I don't need your money, or you, Liam, or your apology, as I'm not selling my soul to you ever again, devil."

"Aww, come on, Rosa. I was only trying to be nice and say sorry for our little fight we had." I felt a flash of anger stir in me as he brought up the fight we had. He'd been the reason why I was without my Xander right this moment and he was the reason why I was hurting so much.

"How the f**k did you find me?" I asked, trying to keep a reign on my temper. I knew I was getting to the point of being drunk with only two drinks, but I knew I couldn't start a fight in a bar full of people.

"I guess I have friends in the right place and one of them gave me a tip off as to where you were and so... I just happened to keep my distance from your house, although I am kind of confused as to why Dorian is staying with you. I thought he was cozying up with your vampire." I clenched my hand under the bar to stop myself from lashing out at him as I looked up at Annie, wondering if she'd be able to help me out of the situation with Liam. He will not get the best of me. I will not react.

"Why are you terrified that a vampire will kill you?" I asked as casually as I could muster up trying not to let him know that he was really riling me up and I just wanted to hit him and let my anger out on him again.

"Why would I be terrified of a vampire when I'm more scared of you?" Liam answered, which caught my attention and made me look at him again. "I'm not going to lie to you, Rosa; I've never seen you fight like you did that day. You didn't hold back on me. I'm proud of you, babe." He grinned.

"You shouldn't be proud of me. I didn't kill you." I retorted, allowing myself the luxury of only that bit of anger to come out. "I'd be much more proud of myself if I had you know, but saying that you had Lucian on your side didn't you so that he could protect you in case I did get the upper hand on you."

Liam laughed as he took another drink from his bottle of beer. "How did that go for you then? I mean fighting Lucian."

"Like you said, I survived, which must have pissed you off."

"Not in the slightest. Like I said, I was backing you all the way, sweetheart. I know what your capable of and Lucian... He's child play for you."

"Let's not play this game anymore, Liam, as I'm getting bored and pissed off with you, so what do you want?"

"Ahh, Rosa, how I have missed your bluntness in situations." He sighed with a grin as he put his beer bottle down. "One thing I want is not to mess with you any more; I've certainly learned my place with you and secondly, Master wants you back in the Order Rosa. He's waiting for your return. Whatever you think you know about us, it's not true in the slightest."

"Mmm, what do I know about you? I know you all like to murder people who are innocent. You can't tell me that's not true." I retorted with a sweet grin as I saw irration cross his face. I knew Liam too well and I knew I was making him uncomfortable, as he knew when I was drunk I was very unpredictable when it came to him and I, I could see in his face that he really didn't want to mess with me since I beat him in the fight. "I'll take a hard pass on that one."

Liam went into his pocket, took out a card and put it on the bar top. "If you change your mind, sweet heart, call me. Master really does want you back now and I certainly wouldn't mind having you back too."

"Like I said, hard pass. So if that's all you've come for, may I suggest you leave me the f**k alone to drink in peace." I picked up my wine glass again and began to drink it all down in one go.

"You'll call me. So I'll see you around." He drank what must have been the last bit of the beer in the glass bottle and then walked out.

I know he left because I'd made sure to watch him leave and once he had gone, a sigh of relief left my chest as I ordered myself another glass of wine. I sat at the bar, looking at the card with Liam number on it, as I debated between tearing it up and keeping it. Maybe we can have some fun if he really is scared of you. No, I really don't want to walk that path with the devil again. Sadly, the devil has already come and sought you out, so now you have to play the game. Against my better judgement, I put the card in my pocket and sat drinking my second glass of wine, feeling myself getting more and more tipsy but the feelings were still there. The pain will never go away while you are in this dark place. Maybe I'll never escape the dark place; maybe this is my new home from now on.