CHAPTER V

      Samuel sits at a counter in the club where a waitress gives him a glass of Bourbon. He sips his drink and taps his fingers on the black quartz countertop.

Gabriel walks in and joins his brother at the counter.

"So, how was your night Gabriel? " Samuel asks with a naughty looking smile.

 "Since when did you care about how I sleep? " "Not how brother, where? ".

Gabriel grunts, "Please don't pretend like you didn't sleep at Rachael's," Samuel says, "What is that suppose to mean?" "You tell me, brother" "Are you trying to get killed? " "I don't mind a little fight Gabriel".

There is silence between the men as they hold each other's gaze.

"Did you at least find Nightmare?", Gabriel frowns before giving his twin an answer, "No. Not even in her memories but she now knows that it's for killing the supernatural. She seems to be freaked out about the book though," "Well she is doing well to hide it," Samuel says.

Samuel takes another sip from his glass, "We may need to talk to John".

"Talking about him, what's your problem with the guy?" "Nothing. He just looks like dinner", Gabriel looks at Samuel like a freak as he raises a brow,  "Creep," "I bet that's what she thinks of you,".

       Rachael wakes up with a smile on her face, she had a lovely evening last night. She never expected Gabriel to be so much fun to hang with, he isn't a bad guy at all.

"He could be my rescuer," she thinks.

Rachael cleans up and gets dressed for work, she locks her front door and takes a little walk before she calls a cab.

Her phone rings and she picks the call, "Hello, mom" "Rachael, something happened last night " "What's wrong?" "A man came into the house last night. He asked about your father's stuff.

He said something about nightmares. Are you alright?".

Nightmare?

The name sends a shiver down her spine as she recalls it from the book she read  at the office.

"I'm okay, are you alright mom?",  "I was so scared" her mom says, "Did you call the cops?"

 "No. Just come to the house please" "I will mom, promise" "Okay," Rachael's mom cut the call.

Rachael's heart beats fast like Africa's talking drum.

Her mother is scared and the last time she saw Mrs. McQueen so scared was a few days before her father died.

Something is wrong.

Rachael tries the club's number but no one answers so she decides to explain to her bosses once she meets them.

Family first.

       Mrs. McQueen hangs up the phone and turns to face the two young men sitting in her living room.

"She's on her way," she says, "I think telling her is a bad idea," Gabriel says, "And what would you have me do?

The last time she didn't know what was going on but she still got involved anyway.

And she almost died. I'm not letting that happen again"

Gabriel bites his lip in as he feels frustrated and powerless in the matter.

"She is going to be freaked though," Samuel says, "That's a given" his brother adds.

"It's better if she gets prepared for what is to come than for her to get killed without even knowing why" Mrs. McQueen says.

Mrs. Mary McQueen is 5'10ft, she is thin but bold looking.

She has strands of grey hair mixed in her brown curly hair.

She has little wrinkles under her eyes.

"Nothing will happen to your daughter," Samuel says, "No offence but I don't believe that since the day I buried my husband," she says with hints of anger backing her voice.

Gabriel stands up, "Let me take a breather he says as he walks out of the house into the daylight.

        Rachael reaches her mom's home and walks in, she stops in her tracks when she sees Samuel and Gabriel sitting on one of the sofas. "Samuel? Gabriel?", she is surprised.

 "Darling, you know these two?", her mom asks "Yes, I work for them. They are my bosses at the club" the look on her mom's face depicts an angry and confused woman.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Mrs. McQueen sparks, "Looks like the fire runs in the family," Samuel comments.

 "How do you know them, mom?" Rachael asks.

Mrs. McQueen pauses, "This was your decision," Samuel says and she shoots him an angry look.

"Your father gave me their numbers. He said I could rely on them in case anything out of the ordinary happens" "I don't understand".

 "Don't worry about it Miss McQueen, we will explain things later" Samuel says, "Shut up brother, let them speak" Gabriel says.

"So, what's going on?" Rachael asks, "I was attacked last night " her mom starts, "By someone.

Some kind of creature but he looked human" she continues, "What were the color of his eyes?" Gabriel asks "Yellow…gold, I think. Like a cat or something".

"It's no mistake, it's one of those damn dogs," Gabriel says to his brother.

"The trackers, they seemed to have picked up a bit of Frank's scent from you Mrs. McQueen, you are in danger," Samuel says.

Rachael is confused about the entire scenario, how did her late father know her bosses?

Was her employment to their club planned?

 What the hell are they talking about? Dogs? Scent?.

 "Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on here?", she says as she is the only clueless one in the room.

There is silence.

"Before your father died, he got in a little trouble with some…creatures", Mrs McQueen stutters.

"Some creatures? " "Yes...vampires", Rachael laughs, "Mom, is this a prank?".

No one is laughing, this is serious shit.

"I'm sorry Rachael, vampires killed your father. And they almost killed you too" Mrs. McQueen says as she fights the tears threatening to pour out of her eyes.

 "I couldn't tell you before", she says.

Thoughts run wild in Rachael's head, it feels like a bomb was dropped right next to her heart.

There is a sudden palpitation in her chest and tears fill up her eyes.

She remembers the death of her father vividly.

The blood dripping from his body as she stared at his corpse.

How they got into an accident and how the car exploded burning what was left of him.

The pain of losing the man she respected and looked up to.

She wraps her chest in her arms and begins to back away from them.

"Rachael…", Rachael storms out as her mother tries to come close to her.

"Rachael" Mrs. McQueen calls out as she runs after her daughter.