DEMON SENSE (Completed)

Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Larson and I were standing just outside the basement door, but he didn't open it. Instead, he turned around to stare me down. Every muscle in his face was tight and his jaw was clenched. He still looked as upset as he had been in the kitchen. When he finally agreed to help me with Atlas, I’d been pretty surprised.

"Kelsey told me what happened."

"Then you know I've been having a rough couple of hours and am not in the mood for your attitude," I snapped.

Larson didn't back down from my obvious agitation. Clearly, I didn't intimidate him. As a physically skilled vampire, I doubted anything did.

"You know what bothers me about her story, love?" he asked guardedly, with green eyes that seemed to grow darker with his mood. "Is that, the way she tells it, Trish had the advantage in seconds. What I fail to understand, my dear, is how you can hold your own against her when under the influence, but while sober you couldn't even stay conscious."

I used my fear and anger to try and hide the lie that left my lips, "She’s a freaking vampire, Larson. What was I supposed to do? Set her on fire in the middle of the street? She caught me off guard, okay? How is that my fault?"

His hand shot up in a blur grabbing my jaw. It didn't hurt but the sheer force of his grip left all the control in his hands and I was forced to meet his gaze. "I want you to look me straight in the eyes and tell me you did your best. Tell me you fought for your life with all you had."

My eyes stung as I fought back the disappointed tears that threatened to fall.

"I…I," but I hadn't done any of those things. I had practically willed myself into Trish's creepy van.

With obvious guilt in my eyes, he let go of my jaw and looked away. He wasn’t yelling, but he was close to it. "Viktoriya, you are so…so…" but he didn't finish his sentence.

"Stupid? Naïve? Reckless?" I offered.

"All of the above!" he shouted, throwing up his hands in frustration.

Larson was starting to storm off in the other direction, but I caught his arm. "Don't. Please, Larson," I begged. I didn't want him to hate me, and I still needed his help facing Atlas. "Please don't go."

His hands were tightly balled up into fists and I could practically taste the fury and power that rolled off him as he spoke, "Why?"

"Because," I sighed. "I need you. I need you to be my friend, and I need you to support me. Look, I know I was stupid, and I promise to never ever do anything like that again, but look on the bright side. I'm safe, completely unharmed, and we now have Atlas sitting in our basement. We have him cornered, Larson. This is what we've been waiting for, so why don't we go down there and give him a taste of his own morbid medicine?"

Larson's brows furrowed. I could tell he was torn between yelling at me some more, and wanting to rip Atlas a new one.

In the end, he exhaled and said, "I'm still…severely upset with you, and your lack of good judgment. Just this once, however, I’ll let it slide. Perhaps torturing Atlas will cheer me up."

"Hey, it's worth a try."

He walked back over to the basement door and turned a key in its brass knob. I started to walk past him, but he stopped me in my tracks.

"Ladies first, Larson. Where are your manners?"

He gave me a small smile, "Naturally. Yet, I think in this particular situation, my poor manners will have to be forgiven. I don't want you walking blindly into danger anymore."