Harry's brothers' amusement faded fast. They stepped forward, but Clay and Hemi were ready. Hemi slammed into two of them, before both were launched over a car. Clay hit the others once, and they crumbled to the ground.

Red kicked him to his knees, but Harry still managed to mutter curses. "Come here," she motioned to Leah.

"What," she said, and looked at the man, who had grabbed her. He isn't so tough, she mused, with piss all over his pants.

"You still have to stand up for yourself," she smiled, blood still in her teeth. Red picked up one of Rangel brothers' cowboy hat, and a lit cigarette on the gravel.

"I don't," she said, but Red pulled Harry's hair, so he looked at Leah. "Uh, I don't like perverts grabbing me," she held her chin up.

Red's eyebrows raised, waited a moment. "Men like him need physical punishment," she laughed, "because it is the only way they learn."

She shook her head, but looked back to Harry. I'm sick of everyone! They grab me at school too! Leah no longer bothered going to teachers anymore, for Tracy's reputation earned a lot of ire. The slap was sharp, and she felt her hand tingle. "Don't touch me again!" she screamed, and a laugh escaped.

"Good girl," Red let go of him. Hemi laughed.

"Some men only understand pain," Clay smiled at Leah, but his lip curled at Tracy.

Tracy stepped between them, "We have to leave."

"Any friend of General Van Lear," he turned on her, "is a friend of ours."

Leah frowned, for the General had been dead for a very long time. "I thought you guys were cool," she pouted.

"We won't hurt you," Red stepped up to her, "I would never hurt you, Rosalie." She frowned with a slight shake of the head, "I mean Leah." Clay studied his daughter-in-law, and the laughter in Hemi's eyes died for a moment.

"We need your," Clay looked at his daughter-in-law, "assistance in a matter. Afterwards, we will take you back to your car." He smiled at Leah, but his gaze turned baleful, when it turned on Tracy. Pin pricks of hellfire red burned deep in his eyes, and his teeth seemed so much sharper.

Leah shook her head. Impossible, she thought and cut off the idea. "What do you want?" she asked.

"For you to take a ride with us," Red smiled, but it curdled when it turned on Tracy. "We want both of you to come along. She took Leah's arm with a smile, and she tucked hair behind the teenager's ear.

Hemi laughed and clapped, "I love road trips!" He moved to their vintage muscle car, "All of the restoration work was done by me, all the custom work too."

Leah looked back to see the Rangel brothers stirring. Their cousins, just as dumb, she recalled, stepped out of the bar. "You'll bring us back," she said, and the men helped up their family.

"I can't make you choose anything," Clay smiled at her, but then he looked at Red.

Leah followed the wild eyed woman, though her mother protested. Hemi opened the door for the women, before he got into the driver's seat. Clay walked to the passenger side, indifferent to the approaching men. Red sat in the back, between Leah and Tracy. Tires kicked back gravel into Harry, his brothers and cousins. Hemi bellowed out laughter.

Despite the vintage muscle car's pine air freshener, the interior was choked by the ghosts of tobacco, beer, liquor, and drugs. It moved at a sluggish pace, engine roared as an insane lion. Although the heat was on, a chill persisted. A tang of blood rested below all, and settled on the tongue. The radio, caught between stations, garbled out nonsensical mishmash of music. Air felt thicker and somehow stale. Like a metal tomb, it was made to protect its occupants.

Like sucking on a penny, Leah thought. Like a steel coffin, it is kind of cool. He looked out the window. All of this is happening so fast. Do they live in this thing? How does it feel to be free, free from people, free from judgment?

Clay turned to Leah, "We've been on a road trip for a while." He looked at Hemi and Red, "There was a betrayal, despite our loyalty. We want to get answers, which we deserve." He smiled, but already had plans for their next purpose. Hemi could be wild, and Red, he knew, still felt her loss, even after all these years. He smiled, "You are a smart young lady, but our life isn't for everyone."

"Filthy, degenerate drifters," Tracy laughed.

Clay seemed to not hear her. He kept his eyes on Leah, "Do you know our truth?" Hemi laughed, but Red watched her.

She smiled, shook her head, but looked at each of the Bliss family. "I don't know," Leah looked at Red, who smiled. "I…thought, maybe, you were Children of the Night," she laughed, but their smiles grew. The answer had come from lingers thoughts, ever since she'd seen Lily's eyes burn with flame.

"That is a poetic, perhaps romantic, way of phrasing it," he nodded.

"If you're with the one you love," Hemi beamed at his wife, "It isn't so bad."

"That's right, Baby," Red smiled at him.

"It's true!" Leah blinked. A chill gripped her, but questions clamored inside. "What, what is it like?!" she bounced in her seat. Tracy grabbed her, pale with red cheeks.

"Like all things," Clay shrugged, "it has drawbacks and benefits."

"Let me say I believe you," she chuckled, but her heart raced. "What are the draw backs?"

"The need for blood," he shrugged, "but you need less overtime." He looked at Hemi and Red, "Time is a pro and a con. I taught myself to read, like my woman always asked me to learn." He looked at the brooch that hung on the rearview mirror. "You'll need to find things to occupy your time, without a master as we are." Hemi and Red laughed at this.