Hoyt kissed Tessa's cheek as he left the warm bed. He had thoughts of staying. Of waking her up and repeating last night over and over until the world disappeared. But he moved his creaky bones toward work. The mistress that never wavered. He believed in his purpose. And always had. Since the day he was inducted into the secret world of the VCU he had felt home. And all these years later he had enough freedom to do what he wanted. He could sit at headquarters and run papers through a desk job but that would make him crazy.

As he quietly snuck his clothes from the scattered places they lay on the floor he thought about Tessa. He was much older than her. And he knew this wouldn't last. He wouldn't let it. She deserved children and a lover who could give her the stability and dedication she needed. He was too old for both. That is how he was sure he loved her. Because he already felt himself explaining his wrongness.

He left the house silent. Locking the doors behind him. His car still held the smell of her. And it made him think about turning back for one more kiss. But she deserved sleep. She had been thrown into this chaotic world and it had to be a shock to the system. All that and finding out about Dimitri was enough to stress anyone out.

As he pulled up to the restaurant he spent a moment surveying his surroundings. On the surface everything was quiet. Nothing that would tip anyone to the fact that the head of the areas vampires ran the business and most likely lived beneath its roof. He wondered just how crazy it would drive the world if they knew. Or how many, like the old woman saw the world without rose colored glasses.

He grabbed his folder from the back seat and reviewed the grisly crime scene photos again. He scanned the fresh ones from last night on his tiny mobile screen. He needed to forget Tessa and old blind women and focus on why he was here. Going in angry wouldn't help but focus would keep him on task and away from Luka's power games. He was done playing nice cop. Luka was a rule follower but needed to be pushed a bit. It was time to push.

As he walked in he was taken aback by the the silence. There were a few scarce staff members keeping busy but no bustle. The actual hours were dinner only. But Hoyt knew it had less to do with being trendy and everything to do with Luka being a vampire. He wondered how many of the staff were aware. He'd bet his badge at least a few of the employed humans were fans and frequent 'donators' to the cause. At one time it sickened him. But now he understood it kept the balance. They provided a service and were rewarded and saved lives in the process.

Hoyt walked to the bar area where he found a twenty something girl in the middle of folding cloth napkins while her body performed some awkward dance moves to whatever it was her headphones were piping in. He guessed this was one business that didn't worry too much about break ins and violence.

After at least a full minute of staring she finally looked up from her task and jumped.

"Holy shit!! You scared me. We aren't open. Move along. Come back at Five. And wear a bell. You knocked a year off my life!"

Hoyt smiled with amusement. Definitely not submissive. Either she was new or Luka was more tolerant than he thought. He flipped his badge upon the wooden bar.

"Oh. Sorry. What can I do for you?"

"I want to see Luka. Now."

The girls dark brown eyes darted from the clock on the wall to the door behind the bar in less than a second.

"Not gonna happen. What else can I do for you?"

Hoyt almost thought about turning around and waiting. Taking the safe route snd waiting the hours away with Tessa or hunting Calina. But the pictures were fresh in his mind. It wasn't his problem this girl chose to work here. She obviously knew about Luka. Her glance at the clock wiped away any question of her not knowing about Luka.

"You dance with devil you take risks. Get him up."

"That's not gonna happen. It's the number one rule. I can call Klein. He's the day manager. Best your gonna get during bankers hours."

Hoyt had enough. The kid was obviously scared of Luka. And she should be. But he could be just as scary.

"Listen up. Closely. You can piss him off by getting him up. Or you can piss him up by not getting him up and having him wake up to a restaurant full of suits going through every nook and cranny for days. I'm knee deep in murder here and he's got some information I want. I'm not here for niceties. Either way, your pissing him off. This way, you place the blame on me."

The girl turned the color of new snow. She licked her lips and wiped the newly forming sweat from her forehead. She removed her phone and headphones and took off her apron. Hoyt saw her fixing her hair as she disappeared behind the door.

As he waited he kept himself occupied by thinking of boy blue. The child no one missed. To Hoyt he was the driving force behind destroying Calina. They all mattered, but somehow that one was the hardest for him.

Hoyt sensed a breeze and shifted his position. Muscles automatically moving to tense. Luka stood at his left. His face still pale and stone had a forced smile that put Hoyt on edge. He decided to skip the hello and get to business.

"Sorry to disrupt your beauty sleep. Your problems are just beginning. The more I get, the more you get. See how it works?  I've got dead kids, dead vampires, and a pocket full of questions that need to be answered."

Luka was so close Hoyt could smell him. He stepped back a step and reached for his pocket to get out his notebook. Something had his hair standing on edge and he moved slowly to avoid rustling Luka up who was definitely not a morning person. Hoyt felt like he was in the presence of a wild lion. And knew enough to be careful.

"I get it Hoyt. But you know what I need to do first? Have some breakfast."

Hoyt saw saliva dripping from Lukas fangs. His brain fired adrenalin and his heart sped. In a millisecond his training kicked in and he crouched and rolled. The bar where he was standing splintered with an explosive noise and Hoyt turned a table over to protect himself from the flying wood.

Still on the floor, he reached for his pocket and grabbed his gun. He shot wildly towards the front of the restaurant. His brain only thinking of taking out the darkly shaded glass and slowing the crazed Luka. If he was lucky, someone would call the cops. His shot went left and he lifted his arms to try again and make it count.

A blur of motion to his right spun him. He felt his shirt grow damp down his side and knew he was injured but had no idea how or how badly. He was only focusing on staying alive. Adrenalin told him to get up and fight.

As he stood, Hoyt grabbed a piece of wood from the floor and aimed it over his shoulder where he felt the next breeze. He had trained for years but Luka was faster than Hoyt would have believed possible. He felt the wood connect with something solid. It left his hand still embedded in whatever it landed in. His brain told him to take the chance and aim for the window again. 

He felt searing pain in his shoulder as he lifted it up to point his gun. In a flash the window shattered into pieces and Hoyt realized if he hadn't taken that shot and lifted his shoulder at that exact moment he wouldn't have a throat.

His own eyes squinted at the arrival of sunlight through the window. From behind him he registers a hiss and screech from Luka who is moving toward the bar. Hoyt picks up another shard of wood smaller than the first and cuts Luka off before he can get in the shadows behind the bar. Grey smoke slowly lifts from Luka's skin as he crouches and screams. Hoyt grabs ahold of him and doesn't let go despite Luka embedding his fangs in his dangling injured arm. He feels claw like fingers wiggling into his ribcage and uses his energy to thrust the wood into the side of Lukas head.

Hoyt feels strangely euphoric when silence replaced sound. His ears feel relieved as if an alarm had been ringing and was suddenly tuned off. He staggers backward to a table and with his vision swimming he fumbles for his phone. With numb fingers he tries to hit the panic button for the VCU. As the phone slick with blood falls to the floor Hoyt accepts the darkness calling him. The table is no match for his uneven weight and Hoyts still form doesn't feel a thing as it smacks into the floor. 

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Oh my gosh! That was intense. For me. Maybe for you. I won't know unless you tell me!! Luka's death means big changes. But what are they? And did Hoyt just die??? Don't ask me I'm just as in the dark as you are!!! Ps- if you wouldn't mind not commenting the names of who died is appreciate it (if they both died! ) I don't know!!!!!!