BOYS OF THE NIGHT - #24


"Where do I know you from?" Barb asked.
"I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them," Kevin replied lowly.
They stared at one another intensely; Barb's eyes narrowed with curiousity and questions to Kevin's strange reply.
"Well, that's great you two, but don't we need to discuss what we're gonna do with her?" AJ asked impatiently. The whole room turned to look at him. Kevin just shook his head.
"You know when to wreck a moment don't you?" he asked the Gangrel.
"What?" AJ whined. Barb rolled her eyes, diverting her attention back to the leader in front of her.
"Do I have any say in this? At all? Do I?"
Kevin looked at her skeptically. "We can't let you go, you know why too."
"What the hell? You fucking kidnap me, and then tell me I can't go home?" she yelled, standing up. Kevin backed away.
"Barb-"
"Don't give me that 'Barb' bullshit! I want to know what you're going to do to me!"
Kevin grabbed both her wrists and held her still, staring straight into her eyes. "Listen to me. We cannot let you go. You go and the next day, there are vicious little TRUE rumors about us being bloodsuckers. And with your case, we'd have one helluva lawsuit to take care of. I wouldn't even bother fighting that if I were you. We will take good care of here."
She glared at him and whipped out of his grasp. "Why did you do this to me?" she hissed at Nick. He looked down guiltily.
He didn't know what to say to that and stepped aside as she barged through the group that had assembled in the kitchen. They listened as she stomped up the stairs, her fiery italian side flaring up.


Barb accepted an apology later, as the guys tried to make her dilemma as comfortable as possible. She settled in Nick's room, where she spent most of day. Barb turned the thought of living with the guys over and over in her head. It wouldn't be so bad... but it was going to take some adjusting.
She felt alone there, even with all of the Boys around her most of the time in the evenings. They treated her very nicely, like family almost. But they weren't her family, whom she missed dearly. What she could get used to though was the sunny Florida weather. Her fair skin had developed a nice tan during days spent lounging on the beach as they all slept inside.
New York now seemed so dreary and cold compared to her new surroundings.
She'd gotten the feel of all of the guys... accept for Howie. He was friendly, yes, but quite elusive. She couldn't pin-point what was so strange about him, but she knew it was there. And it threatened her ominously whenever he looked at her, or came into the room...

"Nick! You ready to go?" Kevin yelled upstairs.
"Yeah! Hold on!"
The Ventru turned to Barb. "You'll be fine tonight. We'll be back by dawn. Brian showed you where everything is and all, so, you know your way around, right?"
"Yeah," she said, her voice dull as she layed on the couch.
Barb had been awake for three days and had become familiar with the house, and would have to stay there tonight while Howie worked on writing a song.
"Are you gonna be okay? Howie's gonna be here," Kevin said, concerned with her behavior.
"I know. I'll be fine. Just go."
"What's wrong?" Nick asked, walking down the stairs.
"Nothing," Barb said, standing up and brushing past him to go to the second floor.
Nick watched her, and turned to Kevin. The Ventru shrugged.
"Come on. Let's go," he said.
Nick hesitated.
He felt a hand on his arm and looked down to see Kevin standing close to him. "Come on. She'll be fine. She just has to learn to adjust to this. Give her time, okay? I mean think of it - That's like you moving in with a pack of humans. Culture shock."
Nick laughed at his strange comparison, thinking of living with people who ate solid foods.
Kevin tucked his hands in his pockets. "Ready?"
The blonde nodded and followed his father out the front door.