The men rushed into the room. They held assault rifles and other guns I couldn't put a name to.

The handsome guy stood up. He walked towards me in a calming manner. His dominance was easily felt in the room regardless of the four men that had walked in.

I swallowed hard. What was this man doing? Was he crazy or was he that crazy to take a bullet for me?

"Lucas! How nice to see you. I didn't think this was your turf... oh wait it isn't." The stunning man spoke condescending approaching the men with guns. "So tell me why I shouldn't kill you all right now?"

Lucas, I presumed took a step forward. The other men looked at him a little nervous. They still held their ground.

I frantically looked for an exit. The locked balcony was out of the question. Searching the room my eyes marveled at the red illuminating exit sign above a doorway down a hallway.

I moved for the door hoping no one noticed me as they conversed. It wasn't so as two of the guys turned their gaze to me and aimed their guns. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Please! Don't shot I'm just a college girl." I said they didn't seem to care as there grip on their guns tightened. "It's also my birthday." I continued. Why I thought that of all things would making them change their minds I don't know, but it didn't.

"Today's your birthday?" The handsome guy said looking over at me. I nodded my head. His look started to turn angry or agitated. I wasn't sure. "What do you want with her Lucas?"

"She's wanted in conspiracy with the Vermilion Coven." Lucas told him. "We want no trouble with you Caleb or your pack. We just want her." He pointed and looked at me. My heart was pounding against my rip cage making my ears ring with its every beat.

"You aren't just going to take the girl. I don't care that Vermilion has anything to do with it or that she was involved with them. You aren't taking her and I'm going to have to ask you to leave before I kill your men and have only you to go home and tell this message. If you step foot in my territory one more time waving guns in the air causing so much commotion that I have to see you again I'm going kill you and James. Now leave before I do kill you." Caleb warned them. His tone of voice even made me question my whole life.

Lucas dropped his head and looked at his other men. "I'm sorry Caleb."

In that split second Lucas lowered his gun and started shooting at Caleb. Caleb dropped to the floor swinging his leg under Lucas taking his legs out in the process.

I booked it to the exit door down the hall as I heard someone yell to chase after me. There were tables against the walls with decorations and vases and such. I picked some up a long the way throwing them on the the floor behind me to hopefully trip who ever was behind me.

I heard a scuffle as I looked behind me Caleb was there tackling one of the gunmen chasing me. I stopped for a second debating on helping him take care of the guy but he looked at me.

"Go! Run!" He shouted. I started running and turned around to slam open the door. It set off an alarm. I didn't look back as I skipped every other stair trying desperately not to twist my ankle in the process.

So many questions were racing through my head. Who where these men chasing me? Better yet what is the Vermilion Coven and what did they want with me?

Out of breath I finally reached the ground floor door. Opening it I ran outside. It was raining out. Trying not to draw attention to myself I walked down the alleyway. Once I reached the sidewalk beside the club I was about to walk out onto the sidewalk when I noticed more gunmen running into the club. There were a few men talking to each other one of them pointed my direction and two of the men started toward me.

I had to think fast I looked around my surroundings. There was a dumpster across from me. Wouldn't of been my first choice. I opened the lid of the container and hurrying to pull myself up into it.

I had no time to pull the lid back down as I heard the men running into the alleyway. I swallowed back bile as all I wanted to do was puke at the stench of the dumpster.

"Hold on man let me check this out." I heard someone say as they approached the dumpster. I shoved trash underneath me out of the way and sunk in deeper into the trash. "No I don't see anything she must still be in the staircase." I heard the guy say walking away.

I started to panic. I hated confined spaces. Throwing the trash that was on me off me I quickly crawled out of the dumpster. I peeked around the corner of the strip club again this time it was like heaven. It was Aurora's car with the four ways on.

I nearly cried when I saw it.

I ran keeping my head down. Once I reached the car I threw the door open and jumped inside.

"Step on it," I said out of breath. I looked over to see my sister. She looked confused and disgusted.

"What the hell happened to you? You look like you went dumpster diving." She said pinching her nose trying everything not to breathe in the smell. She pulled away from the club leaving the chaotic mess behind us.

"Sort of,"I mumbled. I relaxed into the seat as we distanced ourselves from the strip club.

"What happened to you?" Aurora asked again cracking the window. She leaned against the car door trying to get fresh air.

"If I told you-you seriously wouldn't believe me."

"I think I would." She tested.

"I'll tell you when we get back to your place, can you stop at my place first and grab my phone?" I told her.

She nodded her head as she popped open the glove compartment and a matt-black glock laid peaceful amongst the random papers. My earlier nervousness of her running into him lessened seeing the weapon she had stashed for occasions just for these.

I wanted nothing more than to go home and check on Baset but I couldn't in case Roy was waiting for my return.

I laid my head back. Trying to processes what all had just happened. Everyone did say your twenty-first birthday is supposed to be a blast but I don't think what happened tonight is exactly what they meant.

I looked down at my hands they were shaking. My anxiety was acting up. I tried to hold them tightly as to hide them from Aurora. I didn't need her to know how bad I really was.

I wasn't this bad with fear since I broke up with Roy. Roy had threatened to find me after we had broken up to teach me not to ignore him after I stopped replying to his messages.

Flashes of Roy splashed across my closed eyelids making me cringe with pain. It wasn't just what he had done to me earlier but it was also the fact of everything else that had happened. Every reason why I left him hit me like a ton of bricks.

We soon arrived at Aurora's place. She had no issue with grabbing my phone mentioning that the whole place was vacant.

"We're here." Aurora said turning the car off.

I opened my eyes. I hadn't noticed that I had drifted off into thought for so long. I coughed clearing my throat.

"We are here already?" I said relieved. Being this far away from the city was already making me feel less anxious.

"Auntie Evie!"

I was swiftly hugged around my thighs. Looking down to see Jozy she looked up with the biggest smile you'd ever see. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh my goodness you've gotten so big!" I said picking her up. Jozy was only four years old. She looked just like her mother. She had brown eyes and tan olive skin. There were a few sprinkled freckles across her face. "So what has my favorite niece been up to?"

Jozy laughed as she played with my hair.

"I'm your only niece Auntie Evie."

"So? You're still my favorite." I told her putting her back down.

"Mommy is Auntie Evie staying with us?!" Jozy asked glowing with joy.

Aurora looked at me waiting for me to answer.

The truth was I didn't know what I was planning on doing. I knew staying here was the safest bet for me.

"Auntie Evie is staying for the night my little Jozy." I answered making Jozy smile with excitement.

"Oh yay! We are going to play barbie's!" Jozy said running inside. There was a moment where Aurora and I looked at one another. She looked at me with the uncertainty.

"What?" I asked looking at her confused.

"Aren't you going to explain to me why I was picking you up at a strip club on your 21st birthday? And the fact that you smell like the inside of a trash can?" She crossed her arms.

"I think you answered your own question Sis." I joked making my way inside.

Aurora grabbed my arm pulling me around.

"Enough with the jokes Evelyn. Something happened and you're not saying it why?"

"Because if I did you'd look at me as if I were crazy." I told her taking my arm back. Aurora's face made it difficult to not tell her everything. She looked just like mom did when I had a bad day at school.

"Please... tell me." Aurora whispered.

I tried to look past her plea for information about tonight. Her green eyes looked series like they always did when she became all overprotective.

"Aurora you wouldn't believe me trust me on this." I kept insisting to her. My hands began to shake. My breathing began to get difficult. My chest tightened as I thought about Roy. How he came to my house and barged into my apartment.

"Eve, Eve.... Evelyn!" Aurora snapped grabbing my now trembling hands. She cupped my cold shaking hands in her much warmer ones.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I couldn't look at her any longer.

"I haven't seen you like this since you've been with Roy." As she said that she realized what had cause my trembling. Roy. "It was Roy. Why was he around? Did he hurt you? I swear Eve if he-"

"I'm okay!" I shouted hoping it would calm her down and think rationally.

Aurora starred at me for a litttle while. I thought she would continue on but she didn't. She looked at her phone. The message that sent to her made her eyebrows furrow.

I meant to ask why but something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I saw some kind of animal leap through the brush next to the house. When I turned to look longer this time there were glowing red eyes staring from the shadows.

"Pist! Pist!" I said trying to get Aurora's attention. She looked up from her phone.

"What?" She asked tucking her phone in her back pocket.

"There's something over there Aurora." I whispered. I wasn't trying to alert what ever animal was lurking so closely to us.

"Oh my gosh Eve it's most likely just a raccoon. We are having trouble with them lately to be honest. The little shits like to rip open our garbage and leave it all over the place." She said rolling her eyes. She made her way to the door opening it for me to follow. "Let's get inside before it thunderstorms."

She walked inside leaving me to stare at the single pair of red eyes. They seemed harmless but even a bee seems harmless before they sting.

I swallowed my fear and told myself it was a bunny.

It was just a a fluffy bunny Eve.... with bright red eyes and a stare that left a hole in you.