1x1 Story - A Debt To Be Paid

PrincessofHeart

Keeper of a jar of hearts.
~3 Weeks Ago~

Bluebird, I gotta go.

Go? Go where?

Away. It's better if you don't know. But...I've done it. I don't have to ever worry again.

Gale, what are you talking about?

I screwed over one of these bastards you hate and I'm leaving. I promise, I'll try to contact you in a few years.

YEARS?! Gale, what the fuck? Come over, we can fix this.

There's no fixing this, Parrish. They don't know I have a sister. I'm on the ferry headed across the river now. This number is no good after this conversation. I love you, Parrish. Take care of yourself.

Gale! Gale, call me right now!

Gale!

Message undeliverable.

Parrish Blue Fairfax, a woman named for a color named for an artist, looked down at her phone and realized that Gale, for all intents and purposes, was gone.

~Present Day~

Bluebird Botanicals was a rather posh store to be in the crummier part of the city. Despite the bars on the windows and the gate that closed over the front door, it was a pretty little store that had flowers painted on the glass of the windows and delicate displays of her products in the windows. The people who lived in the area had first thought it would be too expensive for them, but it turned out all of her products were just in their price range.

There had been skeptics, those who thought her soaps and shampoos could not possibly work. Yet skin problems cleared up without any other products, thinning hair was thick and beautiful. Men who were losing their hair seemed to be growing more, and anyone with arthritis using her lotions seemed to be having less days with pain. It was the common consensus that Bluebird Botanicals was a hidden gem and they feared it being gentrified like other parts of the city.

It was also a common consensus that Parrish Blue Fairfax was a witch. They just did not talk about it.

Parrish herself loved her little shop. It was nice to see people in the neighborhood who thought they would never have anything like her items come in and be delighted to see that five dollars bought them shampoo and conditioner, or soap and lotion, and not the small bottles, either. They were given what they needed, and she had a cute little shop where she was her own boss and made her own money. It was really something Parrish had hoped for ever since she had discovered her gifts.

She opened at ten in the morning, but closed after eight, because she knew that her customers often had to work odd hours. She also kept the shop open six days a week, closing not on Sundays, when they had time off, but Wednesdays. It was part of her mission to help those in the less privileged parts of the city. That she was able to make a difference, as small as it was, helped Parrish feel happier, especially as it seemed that Gale was gone. Her older brother had always had problems staying out of trouble, but it seemed worse this time. He had never left her alone before.

When the clock hit eight, she closed the front gate and locked the door, turning the CLOSED sign, turning off most of the lights. She went into the back room and did the books, depositing the money into the hidden floor safe, and then she went upstairs, the second floor of the building made into the apartment she lived in. Parrish locked her front door and reached up, pulling the pins out of her hair that kept her chestnut hair in a bun, letting the waves fall down her back and shoulders as she went into the kitchen and looked listlessly into the fridge.

Common sense told her to eat something, but she would rather just sit in front of the television and pretend like she did not worry herself sick over her brother every night. Walking over to the couch, she sat down, not even going up to the greenhouse on the roof to make more product. That would keep her busy all day Wednesday anyway. Instead, she turned on the TV and lied down, half listening to it until she fell asleep.

What woke her was a knock on the door. Parrish sleepily got up from the couch, smoothing her long maxi skirt and the thin strapped shirt she was wearing with it, and approached the door before stopping. There was something wrong there. The knock came again, and without answering, she walked backward until she got to the steps that went to the upper level of the apartment, taking the steps two at a time. Into her room, she closed the door and locked it, stepping into a pair of flats before she headed for the window next to the fire escape.

Her plan was good, but so were the men who had come for her. One of them was waiting on the fire escape, and he grabbed for her as she leaned out the window. Parrish skittered backward, and turned to run for her bedroom door as the door downstairs was being kicked in. The problem with not having neighbors was that nobody was going to hear the commotion as she tore the bedroom door open and move to the steps, only to have that way cut off by men in black as well.

The one from her fire escape was behind her, and as the ones in front of her grabbed her, he clamped a hand over her mouth. She did not even see the autoinjector, she just felt it pressed against her neck, the needle pressing into her skin. Whatever they put into her system rushed through it, and she slowly stopped her writhing and fighting and went limp. It was all a practiced run in getting her out of there then and into the van that was waiting outside.

Parrish was unconscious when she was taken down by the river, to one of the massive, privately owned warehouses that sat down there, owned by people that nobody ever saw. She was also still out of it as she was set onto a stool in front of a heavy water pipe. Her wrists were zip tied above her head to the pipe, her shoes taken so that her ankles were tied to the rungs of the stool. A blindfold was put in place, and she was then left to wake on her own. In the office of the warehouse, Emerson Poole looked down at his phone, and glanced at his superior.

"They've acquired Fairfax's sister. She's still drugged, but she should wake from it soon enough, it wasn't enough of a dose to keep her down."
 
Last edited:
Torpor dragged at the body and mind as William started to awaken, threatening to drag him back down into the blackness of his deathless slumber like leaden chains clinging to his limbs. As he had countless nights before he pushed against it and rose out of bed, his mind clear the moment he was up. No awkward sluggishness slowed him down as he crossed the windowless bedroom, throwing open a walk in closet as he prepped his outfit for the evening and thought through tonight's schedule.

By most accounts it was to be rather uneventful. There was no meeting with the Invictus elders until the end of the month and he'd been running his own enterprises so well that there was little work to be done or orders to be sent out. Of course that's what made this night so enjoyable. The one event scheduled was a very personal matter.

On the surface things were fine right now. Shame that meant little in a world where the shadows are so deep. Nobody had grown bold enough to say it to his face but everyone worth knowing would have heard about his recent... debacle. A large sum of cash taken right from under his nose. By a human no less. And he'd gotten away with it. Robbed him blind and then got out of the city. The sum total loss was more than manageable, an inconvenience more than anything. No, it was his reputation that'd truly been damned by this act. One was not meant to cross a Lord and get away scot-free. His escape may have been flawless but he made one vital mistake -- he had left something of value behind.

The initial search for the thief's identity was enough of a bother that William himself had to get involved. Of course because of that it wasn't hard to squeeze a name out of the right people and from there it was as simple as finding as many people who recognized it as they could. He left his agents to deal with that of course. One did not become Invictus by doing all the hard work themselves and the First Estate had more than enough servants to go around. It'd taken almost three whole weeks to find someone worth taking note of but sure enough this 'Gale Fairfax' had left something quite precious behind.

William began his ensemble with a black suit. Tailor made, worth more than most people made in a year. A red tie, a brilliant shade that made the Beast stir a bit beneath the surface as it brought to mind memories of indulgence. Gold cuff links inlaid with pearls. Brown leather shoes shined to a polish. You could practically smell the money he'd burned on this outfit alone as he stepped out of the closet.

His phone flashed and shuddered slightly just as he went to pick it up. He knew what he was going to read before he even had it unlocked.

Package will arrive in two hours.

The team he'd had Emerson put together was on the move. A squad of ex-SWAT ghouls, loyal dogs of the Estate. Well, loyal enough to know that failure would be met with punishment. Like any good dogs. He didn't bother sending a message of acknowledgment as usual as he stepped out his bedroom into the rest of his penthouse. Of course he had all the trimmings befitting a man in his position. Comfortable furniture, all the shiniest pieces of modern technological comforts, a window taking up most of the southern wall just to give him a view of the night shrouded city below. He didn't pay it much mind as he made his way downstairs.

By the time he got outside there was already a car waiting. A black Cadillac with tinted windows and a driver ready to take him wherever he needed to be. As always the little people worked around his schedule, not the other way around. He got in the back and said, "No side stops tonight. Just get there," without so much as looking at the driver. The man nodded, not daring to look back as he shifted to drive and began to pull out.

It took a while to get from uptown to the slums this city called their docks. Of course it had it's advantages. Most people avoided it the best they could and those who came here for work were easy to turn away by promising them a little bonus in exchange for their silence. It was the perfect place for some of the less tasteful transactions that William's job often led to. Not that he planned on letting it get quite that unpleasant tonight.

There was already some people there though it was far too early for it to be the assault team and their catch. No, just the usual patrol of people acting like they were busy. As useful as having a private space like this was it tended to cause problems when it seems nobody uses it save for these odd nights so they kept a regular crowd working the place, keeping it neat and even using it for actual storage from time to time. The blue collar workers who didn't know better stared as some tall, pale son of a bitch with slick black hair and cold blue eyes stepped out of the car and let himself in side. The ones who did know better kept their head down and told themselves they didn't see nothing.

The office was already lit, clean and occupied by the time William arrived. Emerson was already here and waiting, having left some files on the desk for his superior to look over. William dug in without a word. It was everything his contacts had been able to gather on tonight's mark.

Parrish Fairfax. It was hard to tell if she'd been so hard to find out of her effort or her irrelevance. Small business owner, nobody of importance in the grand scheme of things. William knew that she wouldn't know anything about the money. They would have been meeting much sooner if he'd had a money trail pointing her way. No, this was personal. Some might even call it spite. Even if she knew where Gale was he would still be out of their reach. That didn't mean he was going to enjoy it any less.

The last file was interesting. Hand written. Clearly the work of the scouting team's Auspex specialist. He'd seen something unnatural about the woman and her place since day one. A touch of the abnormal. He had no doubt she was human but there was clearly more to her than met the eye. Curious. Was this strangeness what gave her brother the ability to pull the wool over his eyes before? Maybe. Just maybe. A cold smile crossed his lips as he began to think about it. Perhaps this girl would have some actual use after all.

William knew of their arrival before before Poole told him. He could smell them even from the office. He could even pick her out from among the ghouls, her aroma mixed with chemicals and the barest trace of adrenaline. He turned to start leaving as he gave Poole his orders.

"Don't interrupt me for anything short of the end of life as we know it. If any calls tell them that I'm taking care of private affairs. Do not give any information. Get the engine started in ten minutes. This won't take long."

He left and made his way to the warehouse proper, a devilish grin on his face. No point in bothering how much he enjoyed this part of his work. Seeing people twist at his words. He didn't expect she'd have much willpower and even if she did... she was only human.

He found her in the expected state. Minimal injuries and more restrained than really needed. However he scowled when he saw that some of the team were still standing about. Like he needed security. The moment the captain noticed the look on his face he immediately had all of them leave. Best to leave the boss to his work. Pleased once he was all alone he stepped towards her, waiting until he was certain she was awake by listening to be breathing before speaking.

"Miss Fairfax. Terribly sorry for this unpleasantness but we need to talk."
 
Emerson had been thorough with his investigation of Gale Fairfax. The man had come to them through a recommendation that was actually nothing more than something Fairfax had made up. He had done a good job about keeping his personal life secret, though there was nothing that could stay secret around them for long. A little digging into his phone records had found a few whores, and a surprisingly clean sister. That was who he had concentrated on. Part of the file folder that William had been given were candid photographs of the young woman in question. She was admittedly attractive for a human being, though he could not quite put his finger on why. The long chestnut hair was thick and glossy enough, her heart-shaped face sweet enough, her eyes, the same gray green as Gale's, wide and long lashed enough. Still, there was something that made her delectable, and he had warned a number of their people to not be tempted to harm her.

He walked with William down the steps, a tall, languid figure at his side. His own suit was a bespoke, Saville Rowe number that he had imported and fitted to him there in the states, and the dark blue made his violet eyes even more vivid than they already were. The navy was so dark that his long, blue black hair almost blended into it, giving him the look of a moving shadow, combined with his pale skin and the dark rimmed glasses he still wore on his nose though he did not need them. A sniff of the air told him that Parrish Fairfax was awake, and he caught the slight shift of her wrists as she tested what had been tied around her wrists instead of panicking.

"I'll have it running," he replied, leaving William to the young woman.

Parrish had woken up, groggy and confused, until the memories of her apartment being raided had come back to her. Then it was a sharp gasp of air, trying to realize what was going on, until she picked out the sound of people milling around, the warmth of the pipe against her back, as it seemed to be a warm water pipe, the plastic all but cutting into her flesh around her ankles and wrists. The blindfold let her see just beneath it, until she saw a pair of shined, brown shoes stop in front of her, and she knew that she had been approached by whoever wanted her there.

"Lie number one," she said softly. "You're not sorry at all."

The words left a bitter tingle at the back of her mind, and she knew that he was lying. Undoubtedly, it pleased him to have found someone connected to Gale, and someone that Gale might come back for. She sighed softly, leaning her head over to itch her elbow with her chin for a moment.

"If you're expecting Gale to come back for his little sister, I hate to disappoint you, but my brother is, for all intents and purposes, a piece of shit. He's long gone."
 
He waited for the crying or the struggle or the pleads but her first choice of words surprised him. He wasn't use to being surprised by humans. For such a pretty little thing she certainly had a bit to her. Little good it'd do to get her out of this situation but she now truly had his full attention now. He felt he was going to enjoy this.

"Yes and no. I am sorry. Just not for the reason you might assume. It really is regretful it's come to this at all. If I had my way your brother would have been caught and dealt with before he made any trouble at all."

He walked around her as he spoke, his voice echoing off the high ceiling of the warehouse. This gave him a good look at her from all angles. The pictures didn't do her justice. She was an alluring creature even in her current state and disposition. It made his plans for her all the more appealing. But that'd have to wait. Best to get all the unpleasantness out now.

"Oh don't be mistaken. We are perfectly aware of the kind of man your brother is. No, we're more than certain that he'll never come back here ever again. However... someone has to take care of the bill he left."

After he did one rotation around her and drew in close, reaching in close to grab her chin firmly and tilt her head this way. With the blindfold on it seemed a pointless gesture to make her 'look him in the eye' but this had dual purpose. A. Control. Make it clear it was him, not her bonds, that were keeping her here right now. B. Intimidation. He wasn't rough with the movement. He'd been as careful as could be but if she tried any resistance she'd find him hard to shake off and while his skin was soft to the touch it was also icy as death, an unnatural feeling on her bare skin.

"And what a bill it is. Now as much as I'd this to be as simple as him bringing back what he's stolen we both know that it won't happen and we both know it won't cover what he's done. So now it falls to you. And I think you'll find yourself willing to comply one way or another. I'm asking you now to take the easy way while you still can."
 
He grabbed her chin, and his fingers were firm when she tried to pull away, his fingers unnaturally cold. Parrish tilted her head a bit, and grabbed a hold of the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, biting down on the web of skin there, not hard enough to draw blood, but definitely hard enough to hurt. When he jerked away on instinct, she let his hand go, expecting some kind of backlash. Very few people who were okay with being all touchy feely without permission were going to let something like that go.

"Horseshit. I am not responsible for my brother any more than you're responsible for any other autonomous adult. I don't do business with you and I'm not going to give you my shop or anything else."

Parrish leaned back against the pipe, sighing quietly, "This is the part where you threaten me. Do let me guess? Torture, burning my shop to the ground, using all my cell phone data? Am I close?"

She sighed quietly, "The best choice for everyone right now is for you to just find Gale and get your money back. Because I'm not giving you anything."
 
He clearly wasn't holding on tight enough as she managed to get her teeth into his flesh. Ironic, wasn't it? However he didn't react as immediately as she might have expected. There was hesitation before he pulled back, less a pained reaction and more an unspoken agreement that she'd let go if he pulled away. He stared at the slightly dented flesh as his skin failed to darken with bruising, the numb pain she had managed to inflict already fading. After flexing his hand a bit he sighed. She was spirited, he'd give her that.

"And what would I use with a stuffy little herb shop exactly? I don't need or want to skim any money away from your business, Miss Fairfax. I'm planning to take that out of you through labor."

When she tried listing off his attempts at intimidation and torture he just smiled. Oh what a poor little thing she was, thinking he'd be that crude. She clearly didn't know how in over her head she was. He didn't answer her at first as he slipped a hand into his suit's inner pocket and produced a small, thin black tube with two little rods coming out of the sides near one end. He made sure he was very close when he slid his thumb across it as the sound of a knife slipping out from his switchblade was not missed.

"What I'm going to do is I'm going to ask you very politely to comply with me. Depending on how you answer I may or may not consider removing some of your restraints. We have a very long night ahead of us and I'm more than willing to wait for you to start being reasonable whenever you're ready."
 
"Yeah, well I can't dance, I can't sing, I can barely do my own taxes, and I don't cook. I also have vagina dentada so I doubt that I have any skills that you would find useful. I make shampoos and soaps. That's all I do."

The sound of the knife bothered her, and she frowned, sighing quietly, "I'm going to listen to what you say. I am pretty damn sure that I'm not going to do what you want, but you never know, maybe you want me to sit around with my feet up reading a book on horticultural botany."

Parrish knew that mouthing off was probably stupid. She quietly hoped that one of her sisters might have realized something was wrong with her and had alerted the coven. So even if he decided to keep her tied up until she acquiesced, they would be able to find her. It was nice to know that the entire coven was capable of what she was on her own. Still, this person, whoever he was, did not seem to realize she was a witch. That only seemed to work well for her.

"Also, thanks for introducing yourself," she muttered.
 
He was disappointed that things were going so poorly. Then again should he have expected better from anyone who shares the same blood as Gale Fairfax? He even let out a sigh, fiddling with the knife in his hands as he looked her over again.

"It's a good thing I'm not looking for any of those. I do need someone who can do work for me. Keep their eyes open. Maybe let me store certain things in your store. And don't think I don't know about your other talents..."

He was bluffing of course. The report only suspected an anomaly and that could be one hundred different little things. Her kind did share one common factor: fear. Nothing scared an abnormal human more than being outed as a freak. If he played this right then he might not have to resort to what he was thinking.

"Ah, how terribly sorry," he said after she pointed out that this had been a one sided introduction, beaming as he re-sheathed the knife and put it back in his jacket. "William Monroe."

He decided to give her the tiniest bit of slack as he hooked a finger under the blindfold to tug it down. It wasn't as if there was anything to see here that'd help her if she did escape. Which was unlikely to say the least. Most of the lights on the ceiling were off but the ones directly above were still working. While the position threw shadows across his face she could still see him well enough to get an impression. He was a sharp featured man with a strong jawline but despite this there was a sickly vibe to him. His skin was deathly pale, no comforting flush touching his face. It wasn't hard to imagine a dead man was smiling at her.

"There, see? Starting to get to know each other. I'm sure we'll get along famously at this rate," he told her, all charm and smiles as he tried to catch her eye.
 
"Well I can't work for you," she said firmly. "I have a job, and a business to run. I have people who rely on me, and I'm not willing to give that up because you think I owe you something. It's more important than filthy lucre."

One of those cold fingers lid up beside her temple and hooked the blindfold that had been wrapped around her head. She winced at the light, even though he shadowed her as he was leaning over her. Parrish closed her eyes for a moment, getting used to having light again, her head feeling light from the drugs still in her system. She would have to be careful if they tried to get her to sign something. She looked up at her captor, then quickly began glancing around where she had woken up. It was far more interesting to her to try and figure out possible paths of escape if she ever got the chance, even if they had taken her shoes.

"I don't want to get to know you. Just needed a name to give the cops," Parrish replied, not particularly fond of how he was trying to be charming.

Her starry gray green eyes glanced his way again, and she could admit he was handsome, but eerie. There was a strangeness to him, and otherworldliness that she was not familiar with. Parrish had to wonder silently what her brother had gotten involved with. Gale, while not like her, still had a charm to him that was hard to resist. She knew that it had kept him out of a lot of trouble before, and meant he never had a hard time finding a woman to go home with him, even if he preferred someone he had to pay.
 
"I'm more than willing to offer you the assistance to keep your shop up and running. What kind of person would I be to deprive you of that after all?"

When she tried to play off why she learned his name he just chuckled at her, amused at her almost childish threats to get the cops involved. "And because I really have reason to be scared of the police. Of course you might think they're the goods guys in all of this, ready to help you at the drop of a dime. Such a clean record, not a black mark to be found. So very unlike your brother. His file, that was something to behold. Very generous of our law enforcers to give it to me and my associates..."

His point was made clear and this wasn't a bluff. He didn't hold that power personally but it was in the First Estate's best interests to keep the police out of their business as much as possible and this would be no exception.

After she let her gaze wander around the warehouse for a moment, clearly trying to find a sign of escape or some detail to help her if she got out, she finally looked at him. Perhaps she wanted to show that she didn't fear him. Her mistake was that she should fear him. The life blood in his veins began to stir as he drew ancient power from it, keeping his eyes locked on hers as invisible hands began to pluck at the strings of her mind.

"I think we've had more than enough foulness, Miss Fairfax, so I'm going to make you a deal. Just apologize to me and we can start working towards something that benefits us both."

It was worded like a suggestion but the forces tugging at her mind would make them an order, willing or not. She wouldn't even realize it wasn't her thought or will until she'd done it. That was when he'd have her. Not because he had his sway over her because at that point he'd take the last thing she had left: choice. She could be stubborn and play the part of an unwilling meat puppet or she could choose to play nice of her own volition.
 
"I don't want assistance. That just leaves me open to get screwed over. I don't know what you think I'm going to be able to do for you," Parrish replied, feeling the tingle of power rising in the room.

He was something else, all right. Undoubtedly, Fionna would have been able to identify him, but Parrish was in the dark for now. She glared at his attempt to turn her into a lap dog and laughed at him bitterly.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's going to happen. You kidnapped and drugged me, but I'm supposed to apologize? Keep dreaming. I think you should apologize to me. Sincerely. And then I'm going home. You've interrupted my life and sleep schedule for far too long as it is."

Parrish pulled at her bonds, "I'd also like my shoes back."

Emerson knew William had said no interruptions but the ten minutes was up and he was not nearly as patient. Instead, he sent a little text, a lie on his part, but nothing that Miss Fairfax needed to know.

We found Fairfax. If she won't cooperate, we can just get him.

While Emerson did not think it was worth the effort to go after the girl, he wanted William to get what he wanted. That was motivation enough to get him to do his job properly.
 
The polite, smiling facade of a man trying to be host fell apart as a mix of surprise and anger replaced it instead. Not just annoyance, rage. He didn't do more than glower at her smart ass response and grit his teeth but the look in his eye gave away something deeper. A maddened look like an animal right before it started going for the throat. However some revelation hit him a moment later and suddenly he was composed again, a less than comforting chuckle escaping him.

"Oh, you must think you're very clever. Well, congratulations. You've proven to be a hard little bird to cage. It's a shame that very talent is the very reason I will make you mine."

So it hadn't been a mistake after all. Any 'normal' human would have started singing whatever tune he asked the moment he tried to dominate their mind. She'd brushed it off without a problem. It certainly made getting her 'cooperation' harder but in a city where he was far from the only Lord with this gift it would be quite an asset. Not to mention she could be hiding more.

Just as he was about to continue his cell phone went off. He looked unamused. His instructions had been very specific and seeing Emerson's name flash on the screen defiantly did not improve his already dropping mood. The message itself didn't help matters. To hell with the brother, investing in this woman had the potential to be worth more some pile of cash.

"Terribly sorry about that," he told her as he slipped the phone back without sending back a response. After taking a deep -- and ultimately pointless -- breathe through his nose he told her, "Look, Miss Fairfax, I'm not an unreasonable man. I'll admit I'm frustrated but at the same time I don't make a habit of losing. See, your brother? That was a fluke. Really at this point I should just have your memories of all this plucked out and leave you in your bed back home as if none of this happened. But... I don't suppose that'd work, would it?"

He crouched down a bit to get on eye level with her, still pulling off that charming facade as he asked her, "Do you think it's really worth being put through this? Fact of the matter is I'm not letting go of you. Your brother left the bill with you whether you like it or not. Now I'm not a monster. I'd rather we both be able to get through this comfortably. Being here..."

He glanced around the darkened warehouse and glanced at her bound limbs and the rusting pipe she was leaning against.

"This is just to get across where making this harder would lead. I'm honestly not fond of this part of the process. I think we could both be much more comfortable and making a lot more progress somewhere else. However I can't really do that with good conscious until you give me a reason to."
 
"I'm not available," Parrish responded, not at all liking his suggestion that she could belong to him, like a thing instead of a person.

She rolled her eyes as he picked up his phone and sighed, "Oh my god, not even important enough to threaten if your phone buzzes. This is what's wrong with the criminal underbelly today."

Her eyes narrowed and she sighed, looking away from him, "No, it's probably not. But Gale never did think about how he was fucking up my life when he was doing it to his own. Been that way for years, if that's any surprise. I know I've bailed him out before, but whatever you want from me? I can't give it to you. I'm sorry, you're just going to have to cut your losses and forget about my family."

Parrish looked back at him again, right in the eye, "You can't have me. It's not possible. I belong to myself."

More than anything, she wanted to get that through his head. This was obviously a guy who had never been told no before, or if he had, it was not very often. Parrish had learned to not only live with disappointment, but to survive dishing it out on occasion, too. She appreciated that what Gale had done was wrong, and that stealing, even from the bad guys, was still wrong. It was not her problem though, and she refused to pay the bill for someone who barely acted like he cared about her most of the time.
 
It was a brave sentiment to be throwing in his face for not being in control of the situation but it didn't take a genius to notice the emphasis she put on her brother and family. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. She cared more than she was willing to admit. That was a crack he was more than willing to try and wedge open.

"Well I suppose if you aren't willing we could always look for the next person down the line. I'm sure someone in your family would be more than willing to cooperate. Of course that might not be necessary. Your brother stole from a legitimate and very powerful conglomerate after all. With our people trying to track him down it's only a matter of time until he shows up on the evening news with a few extra holes though... knowing the people I work with they'd rather let him face the music and get our money back before he suffers an unfortunate accident in federal prison..."

He was bluffing though after decades of this kind of work it'd be hard to tell. The truth was any given organization his kind had didn't stretch beyond the city under their control. Travel outside of the city was dangerous for obvious reasons and even if they knew where Gale Fairfax had gone it would be unlikely whatever powers might exist there would view the 'invaders' kindly'. But she didn't know that. Hell, it was unlikely she was even aware of what he was yet, much less the ins and outs of their varied dealings.

"But as I said I'm a reasonable man. I don't think any of us want this to get messier than it already is. Personally I think it's a very generous trade. Your sweat in exchange for Gale's blood."
 
Parrish wanted to tell him that there was nobody else. She would have loved to have said she did not care if Gale ended up dead. The unfortunate truth was that she indeed cared about Gale, and knew there was one other person that could possibly end up on their list. The sickening weight of knowing she was going to have to play ball was infuriating, and she was glad she was tied up. If she had her hands free, she might have punched William Monroe square in his handsome face. As it was, she took a breath, lips pressed together tightly for a moment before she answered him.

"Just exactly what do you want me to do?" she asked him.

"I can't just agree to anything, and I won't. I also want a contract. A legal one. I won't be trapped by this forever. He didn't take that much. When it's paid off, I'm done. No matter what you might think. And no, it still doesn't mean you owe me."

Straightening the best she could, she now considered this all negotiations, "I won't abandon my store, nor will any of your lackeys be running it for me. I'll do what I can for you in my off hours, provided I have enough time for the normal things humans need. I also won't do anything Tuesday nights. I already have plans. I'm not going to get up in the middle of the night because you think you own me, and I'm not going to let my work suffer for you."

She did not say it, but her eyes certainly did: It's not worth that kind of time.
 
Even as she was trying to make it clear that she still wasn't happy with this and that she was going to try and force her terms into this agreement he knew he had her hook, line and sinker. This was the terrible flaw known as human sympathy. Give any one person too much emotional value and you can't afford to get rid of it. How nobly selfish. He smiled, trying to not look mocking as he heard her out. Once she was down he casually produced the switchblade from his jacket. As he began to speak he slipped the blade under a gap near one of her wrists, cutting through with little effort.

"With all due respect, Miss Fairfax, your position isn't exactly one you can negotiate in. I'd only be too happy to get you a contract to make it official but don't mistake that for much freedom. Ask anyone who's taken out a loan from the bank. As for your business I couldn't care less. In a comforting way. We have more lucrative enterprises to take care of I don't think I'll be needing your gifts during your work hours."

As he spoke he'd managed to get her other hand free and he'd crouched down to start doing the same for her legs. He had the knife lowered and ready but didn't cut the cord and instead looked up at her with that damned confident smile of his as he asked, "What were those gifts again? And let's skip the part where you lie or act like you don't know. People like you are special and I doubt you being able to brush off my control isn't all there is."
 
"I want a contract, a legal one, because I won't be trapped any longer than I have to be," Parrish replied, having let her voice settle into a nice, deep chill.

"This isn't going to be some situation where I just work for you as long as you feel like it. It'll be a business deal, and nothing else."

William released her wrists, and she rubbed them gently where the zip ties had dug into her flesh, and then frowned as he hesitated to free her ankles. She also did not like the idea of him that close to the edge of her skirt. Parrish rolled her eyes, looking away from him before trying to decide how much to tell him. What would get her away from him more quickly than anything else. Half truths seemed like the best idea at the time.

"I'm a witch," she admitted, not at all wanting to look him in the eye as she admitted it. "And before you ask why I didn't just free myself, I'm not that kind of witch. My specialties are potions and healing. Not every witch tosses fireballs out the second they're challenged. Nor do I have a black cat, pointy hats, and my broom is turquoise blue and used to sweep my floors."

Parrish hated the stereotypes given to her people. If he really wanted to know, she had a little pink budgie that she tended to sing with when she took him out into the greenhouse to work with her.
 
He could tell that he had her after Gale had been brought up. Or maybe there really was some other family she was hiding. That would certainly be something to look into. A little insurance never hurt. Regardless she wasn't ready to drag anyone down with her. As long as she kept that in mind she could be as sassy as she wanted but she'd been working on his whim. She could pray that it matched up with her own schedule but it was only her loss if it didn't.

Her admittance to being a witch was a bit of a surprise. He'd almost been expecting something... more. Not that he was disappointing. Exotic creatures tended to be more unruly the less human they were. Humans with a few tricks were still humans at the end of the day -- and easier to control because of it. And to even admit to being fangless. It's not like she could have bluffed after all this time without pulling something anyways but still, bravo.

"Trust me, I know all about the ignorant and their stereotypes. People love to act like they understand the unknown, tying us down with their ridiculous beliefs so that they can sleep soundly under their blankets and behind their walls. If everyone knew even half the truths about people like us the world would have gone made centuries ago."

He realized only then that he'd started something of a rant and stopped himself, composing himself again. How strange. It wasn't like him to get on that particular soap box. Perhaps it'd just been too long since he'd had someone to talk about it with. Most Invictus members were too noble to act as if they were bothered how the ignorant masses treated their myths. It would be for the best that he didn't let this happen again lest she see it as a weakness as well.

"Well, I imagine I'll be able to find quite a bit of use for you," he said, finally freeing one of her ankles. He looked ready to just up and help her with her other one on the spot but he dared to breathe in for a moment. Normally it wasn't something he had to worry about. Dead men don't need air after all but he could still smell and perhaps the Beast noticed something he hadn't. The short inhalation brought something to his attention. The zip ties had been secured quite tightly around her wrists and somewhere along the way she'd broken the skin. Barely, so shallow that she wasn't even properly bleeding. But there was still the oh so familiar scent.

"That reminds me. I am going to have to ask something of you before we can leave."

He spoke as if this was all part of his plan, freeing her only to pull this on her when she was closest to getting what she wanted. Of course that wasn't the case. Just fortunate timing. In truth he knew he shouldn't be considering this at all. It was clear she wasn't fully aware of what he was and a part of him wanted to keep it that way. Fear of the unknown and all. But there was advantages to letting her on and quite frankly he was a greedy son of a bitch. He had a thirst and he couldn't help but try and get what he wanted.

"Close your eyes," he asked, trying to not make it sound like an order as he put the knife down and stood back up, flashing that charming smile like she had a real choice in the matter. "A little trust exercise. I know I've hardly earned it but you're a big girl. And this is just business after all. So let's be professional about this and show me you're at least willing to fulfill simple requests, mmm? I promise you there won't be any unpleasantness."
 
"Another lie," Parrish said, looking boldly in his eyes, not closing her own.

"All of this is unpleasant, but whatever you have planned, I won't like it."

It was a matter of fact statement, not a question or even musing. She knew that nothing was going to be pleasant about working for him, or whatever he wanted of her right then. She also knew that none of this had been pleasant for her. She had been kidnapped and drugged, bound and threatened, and now found herself having to do what he wanted. Within reason. She would not be bought and sold like a thing, she was still a person.

"By the way, I know when you're lying. So you might as well not bother."

A gift, if he really wanted to know. She was not going to tell him about any of the others she might have had, but she saw no harm in admitting that one. Her natural abilities were hard to hide anyway. Parrish frowned, but she did close her eyes.

"I don't trust you though," she said firmly. "So I don't know what you hope to accomplish."
 
"Ah... let me apologize for giving the illusion of choice to begin with," he said, his words giving up the pretense of politeness even if his tone didn't change.

"Your cooperation is appreciate, not required but I'm being honest when I say you might very well enjoy it. Of course we've already spent a lot of time here and my associate is getting quite impatient... we could always just call it an evening and leave. Well, I'd leave. Stay here for a bit or try to drag that stool out with you. Or you could play along and be driven home in the comfort of a vehicle. I'd even be willing to get you something to eat after this ordeal."

He was bluffing. Only to a degree. He really didn't mind leaving her to learn a lesson nor was he lying about rewarding good behavior. Her enjoying the Kiss was a variable however. The act was unpleasant for those unwilling to take it. And very much the opposite for those who were willing. That was one gift that made kindred so powerful: an alpha predator who's prey might very well come to them willingly. Just romanticize it a bit and make the prey feel good and some idiots would come back wanting more. Of course he wasn't about to let on to what he was planning just yet.
 
Back
Top