Unstoppable | The Vampire Diaries

91. It's Complicated

Her phone ringing distracted her. She answered instantly, without checking the caller ID.

"Tell me that Tripp is still alive," Caroline said urgently.

"Hello to you too," Riley said sarcastically. "He's alive. Hurt, prejudiced, close-minded, but alive."

"Good," Caroline resounded. "One of his guys took my mom, and they won't let her go until we give him back."

"They did what?!" Riley raged, causing Matt's head to snap up in alarm. "We'll keep him alive," she promised angrily, ending the call. She crouched down so that she was eye-level with Tripp. "One of your men kidnapped my very human step-mom, the Sheriff. You still think you picked the right side?"

"It's a contingency plan," Tripp said weakly. "In case anything ever happened to me."

"Hmm," Enzo nodded to himself. "Maybe we should kill you anyway, see how solid that plan is."

"Enzo," Riley said warningly. They weren't going to play around with Sheriff Forbes, and Tripp's men knew that.

"You can set the meet for the edge of town off Old Miller road, do the trade there. And send Matt, they trust him."

"Fine," Matt said, leaving so that he could meet Tripp's men at the right place.

"Wait," Riley called, following him outside. He turned curiously. "What's so complicated about your side?"

"What?" Matt asked, confused.

"You said your side is complicated," she reminded him. "We're your friends, Matt. Maybe not Enzo, but the rest of us are. How could your side be anything but ours?"

Matt looked at her incredulously. "You know what, Riley? Sometimes I feel like you forget what you are."

Riley crossed her arms, brushing her brunette hair out of her face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not a vampire!" Matt hissed, even though Enzo could probably still hear them. "You walk around like you're indestructible when you're always the most vulnerable person in the room."

"I don't have to be a vampire to be strong, Matt," Riley said softly. "And neither do you."

Matt scoffed. "OK, fine, where's Bonnie right now? Or Aaron?"

"Where's Ivy?!" Riley rebutted. "An innocent vampire that's dead because your friend in there wants to be a hero. Vampires can be weak, and humans can be strong – remember that next time you have to pick a side."

Matt shook his head, walking away from her. When Riley looked in the opposite direction, she saw Stefan walking towards her with Caroline beside him.

"He's still alive, right?" Caroline asked, vamp-speeding to her.

"Yeah," Riley clarified. "Although he's been alone with Enzo for the last 3 minutes so who knows?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, entering the cabin to find Enzo standing over an unconscious Tripp. "What did you do to him?!"

"He's fine!" Enzo swore. "Just a little blood loss. I think he may have an iron deficiency problem."

Riley rolled her eyes, helping Caroline to remove the chains that were keeping Tripp in place.

"Did he really need three chains?" Caroline asked the guys. "I mean, who is this guy? The Hulk?"

"I didn't restrain him!" Stefan immediately shifted the blame.

"No, you let your sworn enemy sidekick Enzo do it!" she said angrily, getting the last chains off of the unconscious body.

"Oh," Enzo said out of the blue. He smiled. "That's brilliant. Of course, that's why she hates you," he addressed Stefan. "That's how you worked her into such a state in Savannah. She hates you because she doesn't hate you at all. She has a thing for you, mate."