Chapter 5

"Sorry, sir," Darius held up his hands and rose from his seat, motioning for his guards to move away, "No disrespect intended."

Then he walked away.

He fucking walked away!

They were so close to the plan coming together.

Izzie swung around, ready to clout whoever it was right in the face.

She froze as her eyes locked with the eyes like steel.

Cassius Lockwood stood before her, towering over her, and looking less than impressed.

Her target.

Was right here.

Looking her in the face.

His face was hard and unreadable as he looked over her.

Then without another word, he turned and walked away.

Now her own target was walking away!

What the hell was happening?

"What's going on? Where did he go?" she heard Jake's voice come through the earpiece, shocking her with its sudden intrusion.

She didn't respond.

She was very aware that she could possibly be being watched.

She glanced across to where Jake had been sat, but as expected he was no longer there.

Then she spotted Cassius' retreating form within the crowd.

If she wasn't going to get Jake's target tonight, then she was definitely going to get her own.

She pretty much leapt off the barstool and headed after him.

Why the hell had he scared off Francis?

It made no sense.

He didn't even know her, or at least she hoped he didn't.

If he did then everything could go very wrong, very fast.

Before she knew it she was outside the nightclub, she followed him all the way into the alleyway that led to the car park.

It was dark and narrow and she found herself grabbing in her bag for her trusty dagger. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt, prepping herself for the worst.

Her stealth was ruined as her heel caught on the edge of a dumpster wheel and made a loud 'clank' that echoed down the alley.

Cassius quickly turned to look where the noise had come from and he relaxed when he saw it was her.

He was even more intimidating in person, with his large build and broad shoulders. He was lean at the waist but had obvious muscle from the way his clothes were struggling to contain him. His piercing steel eyes seemed to glisten with the souls of the lives he had taken and his dark hair framed his impossibly pale perfect face.

This was him.

The ruthless tyrant they had tried so long to take out was standing before her.

"Oh, it's you," he muttered, looking relieved, "No thanks necessary."

Thanks?

For what?

She carried on towards him and he stopped and turned fully towards her, a frown now furrowing his brow.

He seemed confused.

"Look, I - " he began, but she swung the dagger out at him aiming straight for his heart.

He was too quick for her and managed to dodge letting out a high-pitched girly scream.

Not exactly what she was expecting from such a feared vampire.

Cassius was a strong ruthless vampire. Not one to let out that sort of noise.

"Are you crazy!" he cried as he backed up against the wall of the building.

She swung for him again, but again he dodged just in time, letting out another girlish squeak.

"I don't have any money on me, I swear," he said frantically, as he patted his pockets as if in evidence.

She stopped, just staring at the supposedly merciless vampire that was cowering in front of her.

This is not how she expected this to go.

Why wasn't he fighting back?

Why was he acting this way?

"If I'd have known this is how you'd be I'd have left you with Darius," he mumbled.

"Why didn't you?" the question slipped out before she could stop it.

She did want to know.

"Uh, this may come as a shock," he said, holding up his hands, "But the dude is a fucking vampire, I saved your life. Now you know that, can you stop trying to stab me and I'll call it even."

Izzie let the dagger drop to her side, frowning at him, "You're a vampire," she stated.

He frowned back, "You knew? You knew he was a vamp and you still wanted to sleep with him?"

Izzie felt her cheeks flush hot with anger, "I did not want to sleep with him!" she snapped.

Why did she just say that!

Why was she justifying herself to a bloodsucker?

What the hell was going on here?

"Sure looked that way," he gave a short humourless laugh, "Ooo, Darius, take me to your bed," he put on a silly high voice to mock her.

What.

The.

Actual.

Fuck.

Was going on?

This was not the Cassius she had read about.

She expected him to be all fangs and claws, a smart, devious vampire. Not one sat in the ground in front of her, taking the piss out of her; and even worse was the fact that it was getting to her.

"You!" she pointed the dagger back at him, taking the smirk right back off his face, "Are you not Cassius Lockwood?"

"Yes," he said slowly, seeming confused at where she was going with this.

"Cassius the tyrant? In league with the Redfern and Blackwell's?"

Something seemed to click with him then and the smile returned to his face.

"You're talking about Cassius Lockwood Senior, my father."

"Your... Father?" she stuttered, all the confidence draining from her as she tried to process that.

"Yes... my father," he confirmed, yet again mocking her.

This didn't make sense.

There was nothing in the paperwork about him having any heirs, let alone a son with the exact same name.

The wind suddenly whipped around her, the alley acting as a wind tunnel.

She saw Cassius' eyes go wide and he stared at her, the smile fading yet again.

"I thought so," he mumbled.

"Thought what?" she asked, staring back at him, not quite sure what to do.

Could she bring in Cassius Jnr?

If nothing else he could be used as a hostage to get to his father.

Although she wasn't sure if the leader would want that.

It may just put a bigger target on their backs, but would it be worth it?

It would be a direct link to the target.

After a few minutes, she realised that Cassius hasn't answered her.

"Thought what?" she demanded this time, thrusting the dagger towards him intimidatingly.

He flinched back from it, hitting his head off the wall behind.

He rubbed it sheepishly.

"You," was all he answered, just making her angrier.

"Me what?" she shouted, rapidly running out of patience.

"My beloved," he spoke softly as his steely eyes met hers once again.

What?!

She must have misheard.

She shook her head and squeezed her eyes tight shut, trying to work out what he actually said because that can't be right.

It couldn't be.

Vampires' beloved were other vampires, especially those of pureblood lineage.

He's delusional, possibly from hitting his head.

He had to be.

Either that or he was mistaken because there was no way -

"Do you know what that is?" he raised an eyebrow at her, infuriating her.

"Of course I know what that is!" she snapped.

"Well..." he prompted.

"Well what?" she gritted her teeth, trying to keep her voice down as she heard people at the other end of the alleyway.

She didn't want to draw attention seen as she was still holding a dagger towards Cassius. Anyone on the outside would see this as a mugging... or maybe worse. Either way it would definitely end up with her getting arrested.

"Aren't you happy?" he asked.

Happy?

Was this guy serious?

Why the fuck would she be happy?

None of this made sense and it was messing with her head.

She couldn't be his beloved.

She just couldn't.

Fate wouldn't be that cruel to her.

Not that it would matter much when she drove the dagger into his heart, but still it was like an insult to her very existence.

She was a vampire hunter, not a vampire fucking lover.

"I take it that it's a no then," he said after a few moments of her intense silence, "I'm sure you will come around."

"Come - come around?" she choked out, gagging on the very idea of it.

No way in hell would she ever, Ever come around to the idea.

Cassius would be long dead in the ground before she ever let herself think that, and she would be the one that put him there.

"You are my destiny," he said so casually that she could have thrown up, "I'll admit, it's a little bit of strange choice, but I don't question the greater powers. You were meant for me."

"The only destiny between me and you is that I will be the one to end your miserable life," she spat at him.

"That may be so, but we should enjoy it a little first," he smirked at her.

He really wasn't getting it?

Was he playing dumb or just acting?

She really couldn't tell.

She was so mad and so confused at that moment that she blurted out, "I'm a slayer, this shit isn't ever going to happen."

It was the worst thing ever to say it out loud, especially to a vampire. She'd just broken one of the biggest rules and she immediately regretted it.

His face dropped, "A - a slayer?"

She nodded.

"Why would I get matched with a slayer?" he asked, more to the universe than directly to her.

Izzie just shrugged and stepped closer to him, ready to finish the job. She'd changed her mind about letting him live and holding him hostage.

She just wanted him dead, right now.

"Maybe it's a test," he mumbled to himself.

A loud noise distracted Izzie momentarily.

It was a group of drunks falling into the bins at the end of the alley, forcing her to step back a little further into the shadows so they didn't see.

When she looked back down Cassius was gone.

She turned looking every which way, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

Her heart sank realising that Cassius' son now knew who she was, and what she was.