Not About You

Chapter Eight

Damon finally decreed it safe enough to go vampire hunting. So, Lucy was wandering around the rundown area of town armed with stakes and the compass. Ordinarily she would have brought her guns that were equipped to fire vervain or wood bullets but as she didn't know who she might run into, she decided to leave them behind. The last thing they needed was for her to attract more attention from the sheriff or her deputies.

She had driven around following the pointing of the compass but had shifted to walking when it seemed she was getting closer to their vampire. It was the best way to pinpoint where they needed to go.

"Find anything yet?" Damon asked. They'd been talking over the phone while she searched.

"Don't you think I would have mentioned it, Salvatore? I'm looking. Be patient."

He snorted. "Have you met me? Patience is not in my repertoire."

"Yeah, I'm aware. Okay, I've walked around to doublecheck and I'm pretty sure it's pointing at this old warehouse. What do we do now?"

"Now, you go home and let me handle this." Damon's voice came from behind her making Lucy jump.

She spun around and gave him a little shove. "I hate it when you do that. And I'm not going anywhere. I don't accessorize with stakes for the hell of it."

Damon sighed and grasped her elbow to stop her when she tried to walk past him to the building. "Please, Lucy. Just go home. I need to know you're safe."

She frowned. "I'll compromise. You go in and I'll wait here for ten minutes. If you aren't back by then, I'm coming in after you."

"Fine. Ten minutes. But you don't come in no matter what you hear until the time is up." He pointed a finger in her face to make sure she was paying attention.

"Don't come in unless you scream for help. Got it."

"That's not what I said at all but I'll let it go because you have a point."

Lucy gasped and put a hand on her chest. "Did the great Damon Salvatore just admit that I'm right?"

"I never said that. I simply conceded that you had a point." He released his hold on her and took a step back.

"That's the same thing."

"No, it's not."

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "Whatever, Salvatore. Let's just get this over with."

Damon broke the handle on the door and disappeared inside. She checked the time then leaned against the lone car in the parking lot, stake in hand and arms crossed. Only a couple of minutes passed before three gunshots rang out.

Lucy straightened. Why the hell did a vampire have a gun? And why the hell didn't she have hers. Damn it. She chewed on the inside of her lip as she debated whether to go inside or not. Another minute or so passed before there was another shot. This time she heard Damon yell out.

"Okay, he didn't call for help, but close enough." She jogged around the building searching for another entrance. The gunshots had followed Damon's appearance way too soon for her to use the same door. Maybe a different entry point would give her better odds.

She found another door around the corner of the building. It was far enough from the one Damon had used that she felt better about her chances. Lucy pulled her lockpicking set from the pocket of her cargo pants and knelt before the door. It was another skill she'd picked up from her uncle. Well, not from him directly. He was far too proper for that, but he found someone to teach her. Just in case. He was big on making certain she was prepared for the just in cases.