To Kill an Alpha - Book Two of the Crimson Hollows Chronicles

Chapter five: Silent Blessings

The Neon Edge pulled over to a coffee shop in a city just north of West Virginia called Peastock Hills. The low rumble of the car's engine begins to disperse as Julian parks and takes his hands off the wheel, killing the ignition.

Peastock Hills wasn't really a place where people found it easier to drive back and forth and Julian could tell because it was rush hour in normal towns and cities but there was nothing but people jogging and power-walking to their next destination. There for, he just parked right in front of the shop on the side of what seemed to be the main road and it got more than a couple stares here and there. Julian could help but to smile because he's sure that he's the new town drama.

He stepped up the curb and practically stopped sidewalk traffic while wandering into the shop. He wasn't an idiot though; he wore a smokey grey leather coat and took the knives out of his boots. The summer heat was too much to allow anything else.

He slid past the glass door that he could tell was recently replaced and quickly took a seat in the far corner that only had a single window. He didn't wear a hat or anything to cover his face because he knew he would draw attention and the only thing stopping people from thinking he was some low-key serial killer was if he acted like any other person.

Still, he didn't want his face known but he did nod to a couple of onlookers and waved with a forged smile when they went back to whatever is was people here did. Around the table in front of him, a group of girls his age which was around twenty to twenty five, sat talking away.

One facing him pointed and the rest of them turned around. They all smiled and tried to hold their laughs as they all seemed to find Julian attractive. He gave them a smile equal to what he just gave to an old couple trying to solve the latest crossword of the week. He didn't come here for a relationship and even though these girls were probable the prettiest girls in the entire area, there weren't his 'type'. Which so far, is no one.

He sent a hand through his perfectly styled brown hair and his melty chocolate eyes darted back and forth throughout his surroundings and deemed it not a threat. He took a glance out the lonely window that cracked a fair amount of morning haze through it and took out his laptop. After a few taps, he was back to where he was last night and he leaned back and sighed.

"Where are you?" he silently whispered to himself in slight frustration. "You aren't exactly an 'intelligent' creature."

"What's frustrate'n ya?" the waitress asked with a southern accent and her hands on the table. She had a curious smile.

"Trying to find my brother." he lied with another one of fake smiles that seemed more genuine than real ones. "He did one of his running away stunts again and I'm just trying to message him."

"Oh, I see. You're not from around these parts then, are ya?" she asked trying to engage in more conversation, attempting to get the scoop on the new guy in town. He shook his head 'no' with a glowing smile and she leaned in closer. "Pretty nice ride you got there too."

Julian knew everyone was going to bombard this woman with questions about him once they were done talking here, so he gave her everything she wanted to hear. He motioned for her to come closer and she obeyed.

"That's my cover story that you tell people if they ask." He took a glance around as if what he was saying was top secret. "The real story is that I'm looking for a spy criminal who found his way into the United States and holed up here in this town trying to blend in."

"Are you serious?" she asked completely blown away; her features dashed in disarray. "I always found Mr. Jaspher a little suspicious."

"Wait a minute," he teased but didn't give anything away. "That's his second wife's maiden name. It has to be fake."