Never Let Me Go (Book 8, Vampire Diaries)

Chapter 9__The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch

Damon and I were in a bar in the middle of nowhere, where he was trying to pretend that he didn't go back and find Elena's necklace, even though he knew that I knew because of the connections.

Stefan pulled a man inside, putting him on the bar.

"What'd he do?" Damon asked.

"Speeding," Stefan answered. "He's yours if you want him."

Damon raised his glass. "I have a drink, thanks."

"Suit yourself," Stefan told him, transforming, biting the man on the neck, feeding, pushing him off the bar to the floor after he was dead. I picked up a bottle of alcohol to drink from. "You're distracted."

"Oh, yeah?" I asked. "Well, your standards are dropping. You can't tell me Cade gets out of bed for a midlife crisis on a motorcycle."

"Cade's work takes time," Damon told us. "This is how we pass it." My phone rang. I saw that it was Sybil calling. "Don't answer that."

I glanced at them, picking up my phone, turning away to answer. "The evil lackey you are trying to reach is no longer at your service."

"There's that emotionless Nicola sense of humor that I missed. Where are you?"

"Oh, you know. Different city every night. Salvatore world tour."

"I'm gonna need to ask you a favor. Do you still have that iron ball you scooped up off Peter Maxwell?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So, I'm gonna need you to pause your murder spree with your ancestors and drive to Mystic Falls and deliver me that ball." I turned to face Stefan and Damon, who were both shaking their heads. "If you're nodding, I can't see you through the phone. So, what do you say, Nicola? Yes or... yes?"

Damon shook his head. "No."

I thought for a moment, sighing. "I'm on my way."

Stefan and Damon gave me 'what the hell' gestures.

"I'll text you the details."

I hung up.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked. "We work for Cade now. We're done with the Sirens."

"You know, maybe a trip to Mystic Falls..." I trailed off, pouring alcohol over all the bodies behind the bar, looking at them. "Is exactly what we need."

"It is?" Stefan asked.

"The woman killed my sister right in front of me, made me kill my ex-boyfriend so that he couldn't bring me back from the edge," I told them. "Humanity-less vampires tend to want revenge and will do anything to get it. Humanity-less Huntress is no different. Yes, she did keep me from killing you, but now that Cade has made both of you immortal, I can kill you how many times I want, and you'll be back."

"A present from the devil that you have taken advantage of five times now," Stefan told me.

"What's your point, Nikki?" Damon asked.

"My point, boys, is that I don't need Sybil to control me anymore," I answered, taking out a lighter, lighting it. "Mm?" I tossed the lighter on the bodies behind the bar, setting them all ablaze. "And I am going to burn her to the ground."

I smirked.

   ********   

Stefan, Damon and I were dressed for the pageant of Miss Mystic Falls, walking into the Lockwood Mansion.

Bonnie and Caroline were in the foyer, shocked to see us.