Footsteps approached her, the heavy boots echoing down the street, and Charlotte wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying to shrink away. She thought that she was ready, but it still took a while to process.
Two dead bodies were only a few feet away from her, and the massive blood stains on the stone bricks of the street could attest to the gory scene. What came crashing down, in the end, was her moral sense. What was the difference between right and wrong? Does killing another that kills justify the actions that have already been done?
A cold hand gripped her shoulder, and Charlotte blurrily looked up at him. His lips were settled in a somber expression while her brain was hazy. There were blood splatters all over his clothing and on his neck which was still fresh and wet. Her breath came in sharp when he lifted her off the damp ground her feet were weak.
Vincent pressed the outside of his hand to her cheek. "You got what you signed up for."
Charlotte let Vincent's hand drop. "And what would that be?"
"You seem so surprised that I killed them. We talked about this the other day. Did you think that I was joking?"
Charlotte focused on the silver cross on his ear and reached out for it, rubbing the cross between her fingers. "No. I heard you the first time. I'm just surprised that you didn't get more information out of them."
Vincent lifted a skeptical brow. "Truly?"
Charlotte shrugged one shoulder in defeat. "What do you want me to say, Vincent? I feel alright to see two bodies mutilated right in front of my eyes? I understand your motives for what you have done, so I'll leave it at that."
Vincent glanced back at the scene that may have been normal for him, but something entirely horrific to her. He swiftly turned her around, so that she wouldn't have to see the blood that had been spilled. "I didn't expect you to be afraid of me."
"I am not afraid," Charlotte whispered. "I agreed to this. They will soon come after my family and my own life in danger. This is in retaliation."
"Yes," Vincent agreed softly. "I hate to spill blood on my hands, but I need to keep the peace between the balance of humans, vampires, and vigilantes. I also wish for another alternative, but until that day comes, I need to use my abilities to my advantage instead see the vampires around me fall."
Charlotte nodded, clenching fists by her side. Vincent took her right fist that went white from the pressure she enforced and pressed it to his chest. She met his grey eyes which were no longer golden and tilted her head to the side. Charlotte could feel his heart beat stronger than ever, the thumps that were solid and dependable.
A sign of life that was completely contradictory to the vampire beings that were supposed to be dead but were still strong due to their blood that could bring death and prosperity depending on how it was used. She remembered Vincent speaking about it to one of the callers, and she sighed.
"Trust me," Vincent said with his head bent down towards hers.
Their foreheads touched, and Charlotte could feel his cold hands but warm heart. She lifted her gaze to meet his while she bit down on her bottom lip. Her decision was already made from the moment they met. "Okay."
The only source of information that could have given them a lead was gone, but she was sure that they wouldn't have spoken either way. It was likely that it was why Vincent killed them so fast.
He pushed back from her with his arms beside her head, caging her in. "We need to get out of here. The longer we linger will leave time for the vigilantes to enclose on us."
"What is the plan then?"
"It is best to lay low for now since we can't do anything else for the rest of the night. They will have to come out sooner or later when they find the bodies."
Charlotte cringed at the mention of bodies. He saw her flinch, but she waved her hand. "Still getting used to it."
"It might not even be an hour before they trace us," Vincent muttered to himself. He held out his hands. "Let's get going."
Charlotte placed her trembling hand in his, and he squeezed it before they took off to the right where she was originally headed, trying to escape from the vigilantes. The small alleyway was still a maze as they pivoted down many lanes trying to hide their tracks.
Vincent ended up taking off his jacket and setting it on fire in the trash before snuffing it out, not wanting the light to linger. Charlotte was also without her cloak, so she would stand out like a sore thumb with her random weapons that were strapped on, unlike Vincent's all-black ensemble that consisted of a Kevlar vest that people would only assume that he was a part of law enforcement.