Bad Taste (Part I) // Colby Brock

194 - Rebecca

"Ready to fight some vampires, Becky?" Kevin asked teasingly as he tossed a stake up into the air and caught it, flicking it around his hand like a show-off.

"We aren't fighting anyone, Kevin," I replied, rolling my eyes. "As fun as that would be..."

"We aren't," Sam confirmed.

"No fun," Jake and I said at the same time. I playfully threw the closest thing at him, which he dodged before fake-lunging at me. I was smiling without realising it—only catching on when I caught Katrina grinning and turning to Sam. I tucked my hair behind my ear—a habit I hadn't done in years—and was about to turn to look at the stairs when I felt something slide into my belt.

I looked down just in time to see my dagger and Colby's retracting hand, making me quickly spin my head back to look at him. I raised a brow. "Hey, maybe we are fighting vamps."

He shook his head. "That's in case you find trouble."

"Shouldn't be too difficult," I mumbled as I turned to tuck into his side. His arm slid around my waist automatically, though his eyes were on Angela in the kitchen.

She'd opted to stay here with Katrina, despite being offered to come with us by Aryia; Sam hadn't allowed Katrina at all. She looked, right now, like she was far away as she blatantly stared down at the kitchen island, completely distracted. I'd caught her like that a few times, but I hadn't cared enough to ask what was going on. Still, I wondered.

With a slight frown, Colby glanced at Aryia, who was also distracted, then over to Sam. "Let's go," he said. "I want to get this over with."

"It's not like it's a big deal, Colby. Why are you in a rush?" Tara whined.

"I'm not in a rush, I just don't like Elliott all too much right now." His eyes flicked over me. "I have every reason not to."

"Right," Jake agreed in a more serious tone than I'd expected. Tara met his gaze for half a second then everything clicked for her and she looked down to the floor with a tiny smile. I purposely sighed, making Colby pull me a touch closer.

"Jake, Tara, take the lead—as usual. Sam, you go in front of us this time," he ordered as his other arm came around me. I tried to hold back the smile that wanted to form on my face, but I knew I'd let it slip just enough to be noticeable.

Sam and Katrina exchanged a goodbye before he, Jake, and Tara all disappeared first. Then it was everyone else, since the world turned into little more than a blur for me. I naturally held onto Colby as he ran—not because I didn't trust him to keep hold, but because I wanted to be as close as I could be.

We stopped on a rooftop what felt like minutes later. I was still clutched to Colby and didn't move back, enjoying the close proximity just as much as he was. His thumb gently rubbed circles into my back—on show from my crop top. I felt his steady breathing beneath my hand, which rested on his chest. He wasn't watching me, though, because he was focused on the single vampire standing across the rooftop from us.

He stood and watched but made no move, waiting. I could tell there was more than just him but my human eyes couldn't see them—they were hiding somewhere in the dark.

After a couple of seconds, everyone was around us. I was still pressing to Colby's chest even when Sam took his place a couple of feet to my right. We were in front of everyone else, since Sam and Colby were the leaders of our clan. Kevin and Mike stood nearby, with Elton and Corey prepared next to Devyn and Jake and Tara. I noticed Griffin hanging out toward the back of us, Xepher not too far from him.

By this time, the lone vampire no longer was alone. A clan gradually arrived in front of us, one vampire at a time. They came in about half-second intervals until the last, who stood ahead of the rest: Elliott.