The world slowed down as I watched the red-eyed men.

The one with the dark eyes dragged the scared one across the path, only by his jet black hair. The guy was crying, begging, trying to scramble away. But Dark Eyes still wore his pleasant little smile, like the man's cries of suffering didn't even reach his ears. I even heard him humming a jaunty little tune.

Finally, though, Dark Eyes tossed the man onto the pavement.

Before he could even think to move, Dark Eyes slammed his foot down on the man's chest. He yelped.

I wanted to look away, to close my eyes, cover my ears, anything to stop the end that I just knew would come. But it was like before. I couldn't take my eyes off Dark Eyes, like he was some kind of god.

"Hey! Robbie! Imagine seeing you here! I've been meaning to ask, why'd you leave home so suddenly? You made everyone worry." He said, fancy shoe digging deeper into the other man's chest, making him whimper with pain.

"Nothin', Liam! I swear I wasn't doin' nothing!" He pleaded.

Liam. It fit. Even though it was relatively ordinary, his name sent little shivers up and down my spine.

"Now Robbie, you know you don't get to call me by my name. And after these stunts you keep pulling? No, no. It's Boss to you." Liam growled.

The first real display of anger I'd seen from him. Surprisingly, it didn't scare me.

It paralyzed me. Every nerve ending in my body froze up. My breathing got faster, coming out in little wheezes. Tears filled my eyes, both for Robbie, and for myself. Because I knew, as well as I knew my own name, that we would not leave that park alive.

I saw the same realization cross Robbie's face. Defeated, powerless, hopeless, his features went slack. "Of course Boss." He said dully.

Liam grinned wide, sharp teeth gleaming so brightly I could see them from my place behind the tree. "Good boy!" He said this jovially, like he was praising a puppy. "Now, tell me. Where. Have. You. Been."

"With humans." Robbie's answer was instant, resigned.

"Elaborate, Robbie." Liam singsonged.

"Her...her name is..." He muttered out the name so low I barely heard it.

"Say, do you mean the Jessica Thompson you were supposed to bring in last week? The one you lost?"

"I...yes. Okay? Yes! I lied!" Robbie snapped.

"Robbie, Robbie! I don't think I like your tone," Liam said, pretending to be upset. "Why would you lie to me?"

"I...she was...just...nice. She trusted me. Someone like that don't deserve bein' drained to death."

"Interesting. Very, very interesting."

Liam removed his foot. I hadn't expected that. If Robbie had a chance at survival, then...

Hope surged in me, and I leaned in as close as I could without being spotted.

Robbie stood up, legs a little shaky. "So I'm...free to go?"

Liam smiled warmly. "Hold on a second, Robbie. Just let me ask you this one question, and then I'll take you right home. Okay?"

"Y-yeah, okay!" Robbie smiled too, clearly relieved.

"If I asked to kill Ms. Thompson, even now that she's your human bestie, would you?" It was asked like any normal question, but it made Robbie's smile slide into an intense grimace.

"Honestly, Boss? I don't think I would. I...I'm sorry." Robbie said, looking down at the ground.

Liam put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "I appreciate your honesty. Not many people I know would tell the truth in a situation like this. Of course, it doesn't really make a difference in the end."

"Why...why not?"

"Because, old pal, you've gone soft. I have no use whatsoever for a vampire who can't even kill a human. Do you know how pathetic that is?" He laughed.

"Wait, you're kickin' me out? What the Hell, man! I-I been nothin' but loyal since you got put in charge! Come on, man, you can't put me on the streets, I-"

Liam held up a dismissive hand, and Robbie stopped talking instantly. "Shut up. Yes, you have been helpful in the past, but now? You're completely useless. And don't worry about being homeless. I've got a nice little place already prepared for you!"

I don't exactly remember what happened next. My eyes were open the whole time, I couldn't even blink (whether that was due to the trance Liam had me in or terror shutting down my body I can't say), but my brain just kind of blocked out the whole experience.

I mean, I remember bits and pieces. But it's all nonsensical. Demons, blood as far as the eye could see, body upon body strewn about the park. Of course, none of that actually happened, thank God. Well, probably.

But after some amount of time my memory resumes. I kind of wish the blackout had been longer.

I saw only one body lying on the ground, in a wide splatter of completely black blood. Robbie's body was so mangled that I couldn't even be sure it actually had been a person. Gross inside parts that I couldn't even begin to name were tossed all around a figure standing in the middle of it all.

Liam. Covered in oil-like blood, red eyes glowing so clearly that I could see them from the yard or so away I sat. He stared down at the ground, face hard and virtually emotionless.

I quickly turned away while my body would still let me.

I tried to hold in my vomit, tried to stop myself from sobbing. I hadn't said more than 15 words to Robbie, but still. He'd believed me when I told him I was innocent. He tried to save me. How could someone so decent be so suddenly gone? I felt strange, sort of hollow, like someone had taken a bite out of my side.

"Did you catch all that?"

I jumped, turning back towards the body, to the murderer.

He was looking right at me.