Emily's Protectors

Chapter 33: He is back! ✔

"So which one are you screwing?" Mia, one of the new waiters, asked Emily the moment Alistar was out the door.

"Excuse me?" Emily said, irritated, turning her back to the door to face Mia. She wishes she could slap that smug smile from her face. 

"Don't give me the BS story of just being friends. I might have only started yesterday, but I have seen four different guys hanging around you so far. Not even sure why you are not that hot. Do you charge by the hour" Mia snickered  

Ignoring the little bell above the front door, Emily leaned closer to Mia, but before she could say something, someone behind her spoke: "So I was right all along my little Emily did turn out to be a whore just like her mamma."

Emily froze. She knew that voice. It haunted her dreams for years and tormented her for most of her childhood. She could feel her face become paler and her whole body began to shake. "Alistar, where are you?" Emily keeps repeating. She could see the snicker on Mia's face. "Go to the kitchen," Emily ordered both new waiters. "Now!" 

Slowly turning around, Emily took a deep breath. In front of her stood her childhood monster with a sick grin on his face. "Don't you greet your father?" 

"You are not my father!" Emily shouted, causing everyone in the diner to look at her. "What do you want?" 

"I am here to take you home," Jack said, stepping closer to the counter. Emily looked at the man in front of her. It was definitely Jack, but something was wrong. His skin had a strange dead tint underneath his sun-damaged skin. Something was off, but Emily could not put her finger on it. His eyes were red, not bloodshot from drinking too much. No, his pupils were red. 

"Shit!" Emily exclaimed. Jack was turned, her worst nightmare just 100 times worst. "Alistar, where are you!" she whispered. Hearing Emily whisper, Jack started to laugh, "He can't help you anymore. No one can help you, not even those pathetic people that hid you from me all these years."

"What did you do?" Emily shouted, walking closer to Jack. 

"Nothing yet. It all depends on you" Jack smiled an ice-cold shiver ran down Emily's spine. 

"What. Do. You. Want?" She said without any emotion. 

"For you to come with me." 

"There is no change in hell that I am going anyplace with you. I am over 21, and you have no say in my life!" Emily said through clenched teeth.

"Think carefully before you answer," Jack grinned, showing off his new vampire fangs and placing a phone on the counter, "Luther said you should watch this before making any decisions."

Emily wished she could put on a brave front, but her hands were shaking when she picked up the phone. It was the same one Ben used, and blood smudges were on it. Unlocking the phone, she pressed play on the lined-up video.

It showed both Ben and Anna tied up, their eyes closed. Both were covered with blood. Luther was standing next to them, pulling Ben's hair. "Say hello to Emily, Ben."

"Screw you, you bastard," Ben said, "Leave Emily alone" before receiving a backhanded blow. "Now, now it's not nice to speak like that. Emily, if you want to save your parents, I would suggest you do what Jack said. And please don't think Alistar can help you. He is in no position to help anyone."

"Jack, I swear if you hurt my parents or Alistar, I will freaking kill you!" 

"You are in no position to make threats. Come, we are leaving," Jack said, grabbing Emily's arm.

"It's not a threat. It is a promise, so help me, if you hurt them, you will pay" pulling her arm away, "give me five minutes, then I will come with you without making a scene." Knowing that she would die soon made her seem braver than she felt. She might die, but she would do anything in her power to protect the people she loved. 

Grabbing the shop keys, Emily ran to the griller working the night shift. "Sammy, you have been with Ben and Anna for almost 10 years. I need to ask you a big favor. Please lock up the shop tonight. I need to go there is an emergency. Leave the cash in the till. Just make sure everything is off and locked" Without waiting for a reply, Emily ran to her purse and grabbed the pepper spray and a small swiss army knife Ben had gotten her after Paul's attack, she didn't know if the pepper spray would work at all, but she had to try something. "Alistar, where are you?" Emily begged for the 100th time since Jack showed up.

Hiding her weapons in her pockets, Emily walked from the kitchen, past the counter, and out of the diner without even looking to see if Jack followed. 

Outside, Emily stood for a moment, unsure what to do, when Jack came up behind her, taking her elbow in his hand, pulling her closer to him, sniffing her neck. "Your blood smells so good. It's a shame Luther and that female wants you alive" It felt like he was crushing the bones in her elbow and Emily had to bite on her lip to keep a cry from leaving her lips.

Emily's whole body became stiff, bile threatening to explode out of her. She half fell over her feet as Jacked pushed her to a big white delivery van parked across the street. Opening the back door, Emily cried when she saw Ben and Anna lying on their sides, dirty and bloodied. "What did you do?" She screamed at Jack, jumping into the van. 

"Mom, Dad, please wake up," she cried. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Emily, are you ok?" Ben asked with a small voice causing Emily to throw her arms around him. "I'm ok, dad." 

Emily begged, looking up at Jack, "you have to let them go. You have me, and they mean nothing to you." "Emily, no, stop it. We are not leaving you," Ben moaned. 

"Jack, I will go with you without any problems. You win. Just let them go" turning to Ben, "Please, Ben, you have to go without me. You have to take care of Anna, and I will be ok. Promise, I will see you soon." 

"What a beautiful family reunion, but time is running out," Jack said, picking up Anna and pushing her out of the van before doing the same to Ben. "Now you will know the pain from losing a child and not knowing what happened to her," he laughed before getting out of the van, closing Emily in the back before driving off, leaving Ben and Anna lying bleeding but alive in the street.