Dagger of Persephone (The Brother's Grimm, #2)

+ Chapter Five: Hotel, Motel--Straight to Hell +

I stared out the tinted car window toward the rundown looking motel—the neon light of the vacancy sign blinking rapidly. My hand was pressed tightly to bullet wound on my shoulder to keep the blood loss to a minimum, "Please tell me you did not bring us here to crazy murder us..." I mumble as I leaned my forehead into the chilled glass of the window. 

Alexei leaned over an pressed the button on my seatbelt—unbuckling me, "Isn't the mystery of not knowing more exciting snowflake? Come on...live a little." I turned my face toward him with a deep frown—his humor was far from funny though he clearly amused himself. He flashed me a feral looking smile that showcased his sharp canines. He knew exactly how his presence effected others and it was clear the creep enjoyed these reactions.

"Maybe you guys can flirt later...right now we should probably make sure Poppy doesn't bleed to death..." Darren pops his head in-between us, giving Alexei a dirty look—a brotherly warning to back off. I roll my eyes at the display, clutching my shoulder a little harder as I reached out—popping the door open when I saw Anna making her way out of the office. 

She approached us with a stoic expression on her beautiful face, by looking at her you wouldn't have even known an hour ago she was ripping people apart limb from limb. Her gaze locked with mine for a moment before it swung to the most captivating person in our little group--or perhaps the most unstable. Alexei got out of the car first and I followed after him, leaning my weakened body into the door. I watched as the two of them whispered back and forth to each other--looking in my direction ever so often. 

"Pop...about what happened back at the hotel...with your magic..." Darren had always had the worst timing to have these talks. I gritted my teeth, looking back into the car through the open door, "Can we not do this right now?" My patience was completely shot and the pain in my shoulder had only seemed to have gotten worse the longer the bullet sat in it. He gave me a soured look but pressed his lips together, showing that I had his compliance to my wishes--at least for the time being. 

Alexei pulled away from Anna, approaching the car with a confident stride that had my heart beating a little faster with an unknown excitement. His eyes held me captive as if he knew exactly the effect that he was having on my body--enjoying himself thoroughly. He pressed his hand to the roof of the car, leaning his body closer to mine then was necessary, "Looks like this is were we stop for the night..." He tilted his head to the side, peering in at my brother through the small opening in the door, before he lifted his eyes to mine. 

I swallowed hard under the weight of his aura crashing into mine, "Fine--but first thing tomorrow morning you will take us back to our house...No games." I lift my chin a bit and puff out my chest as I make my demand--I need him to know that I'm serious. He chuckles under his breath as he takes a step back giving me the breathing room that I want, "Fine...no games but tonight you do exactly what your told, understand?" 

I narrow my eyes as I brush past him, knocking my good shoulder into him, "I understand...Just don't get ideas about sharing a bed with me..." Anna leads Darren and I to our room under Alexei's command. While he leaves us to do make important phone calls--or whatever. 

"Mom would not approve..." Darren says as his eyes roam the trashy space—the stench of stale piss and cigarettes burning at our noses. There were a couple of faded stains on the walls that I didn't want to think to hard about what they might have been or how they got there. I squeezed pass him, moving further into the space, "Well it's a good thing she isn't here then..."

Anna pushed Darren into the room, slamming the door shut behind herself. He threw a dirty look at her over his shoulder but it didn't seem to concern her one bit, "Neither of you are to leave this room until Alexei gets back...and even then I doubt you'll be leaving it until the sun rises. So get comfortable kiddos..." I didn't like the idea that we were suddenly taking orders from a complete strangers but being in greater numbers seemed to be the safest way to go, especially with an unknown enemy.