I spent the rest of the night trying to distract myself, tried to paint, hands were shaking too much, tried to watch T.V., but I couldn’t focus. Managed to get a little bit of laundry done, but I kept stopping every time I passed the gun. The revolver itself had an appeal to it, but the fact it was supposedly a gift, it was terrifying.

I couldn’t relax even after daylight finally hit, as tired as I felt, so when the knocking on my apartment door came I nearly jumped out of my skin. Slamming myself against the door, I try to put on a serious tone as I speak. “Who’s there? What do you want?”

“James. I have a gift from the boss.” The voice was loud, but familiar, the big guy from Meritites place. I look through the peephole, and he’s still wearing the body armor, a box under his arm. I open the door, he barely waits to enter. He set the box down on my table, looking at the gun on the table. “Huh, boss said that you didn’t have a gun.”

“Didn’t before I got home.” I handed him the note, he read it and seemed to mull it over. James physically, besides being built like a goddamn freighter, he looked in his late thirties probably. I never did ask.

“This the first message you’ve received?”

“Yeah, I’m not trying to pull anything over on you guys.” I got a nod and a few more moments of silence and then…

“I’ll hang around, outside if you’d prefer, I’ll talk to the boss about either getting a couple guys on regular surveillance, or moving you to a secure location. Not going to risk a stalker getting to you.” I must have looked surprised, because he shrugged a bit. “Habits from the old job, I’ll tell ya’ another time.”

“Oh. Well, thanks for bein’ willing to look out for me.” I just got a nod in response as he’d begun to examine the revolver, he let out a chuckle. “What’s up? It actually fake or somethin’?”

“No, it's real,” He picked it up, I guess checking the weight of it, before holding it flat. “But it’s got a cross worked into the pattern on the grip, see?”

The pattern was some kind of star or burst thing, he pointed out the heavier lines on it, and those made a cross. He shook his head and put it back down. “Guess they covered their bases with it.”

“Hey… You just got your prints on it… Won’t that..” I trailed off, shrugging once more as I remembered I worked for someone who illegally sold artifacts, so cops probably weren’t someone I could look to. Not that I really did before. “Whatever, what did Meritites send over?”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Right, that,” He opened up the box and handed me a shirt, it was made of a stretchy but tough material, and had hard padding around the neck and vital areas. “She figured it was best you had something like this, for your new work. Must be for dealing with vampires,” When I blinked at him, he added. “Boss pays me enough to go along with it.”

“Ah.”

“You should keep the gun too.”

“Not really my thing.” And at that he responded to that by placing a belt holster, tucking the gun he had in it away, beside the gun on the table.

“Don’t have to use it, but you’re going to want people to think you will. As the boss’s head of security, this is non-negotiable. Now get some rest, I’ll be watchin’ out the door.”

I just nod and follow the instruction, still setting things in front of my bedroom door in case the stalker came in through something other than the front damn door.

When I awoke in the evening, I trudged into the shower, might as well be decently clean this time around. Not that it would matter, no matter how long I washed it for my hair was going to look greasy as hell every damn time.

Mom would often tell me I was more attractive than I thought I was, she’s a nice person, thinks I’m crazy but considering how grandma acted about her powers I’m not really surprised she’s convinced it’s mental illness. Note to self: Tell her this is a personal assistant job.

I get myself dressed, half-decent looking this time around, keep it simple.Dark jeans, nice shirt, and my favourite jacket. An older leather one, used to be a friend’s back in high school, I think it was his dads before then. I borrowed it, he said to keep it, I tried to give it back a few times. We eventually drifted apart, as all my friendships go.

I grabbed my belt, only one I owned really, and went into the main room, putting it through belt loops and attaching the holster. I picked up the gun, sighed and placed it in, and goddamn did it feel it heavy.

I moved to the door and looked through the peephole, James stood there, checking the ends of the hallway in a regular pattern. I felt bad for his neck if he’d been doing that for the past… I looked at the clock… 11 hours. Damn.

“Sorry,” I said as I opened the door, peering out at him, “Didn’t think I’d be out for that long.”

“No worries, you spent the entire night and a few good hours of the morning on edge, it’s reasonable.” Then he smirked “Plus I switched off with some of my trusted men when I needed to eat, in fact, they've been parked outside watching the windows most of the time.”

“Oh. Well there’s no more pity for you then.”

He laughed. “Hey, the boss wants you safe, I was going to blame her anyway. Come on, she’s probably waking soon, she’s got some kind of meeting planned, and wants you there.”

I nod and follow, trying not to let the nerves show, the idea of Meritites already having a meeting she wanted me for was a bit unsettling.

Maybe that’s why she was so happy to hire me.

It wasn’t a long car ride but it felt like an eternity to me, trying to keep my breath under control, keep my pulse controlled. As the night darkened we pulled up in front of the building, to a waiting Meritites just outside the door.

She slid in beside me, smiling her twisted smile. It was warm and seductive on her perfect lips, but when you know vampires, you can feel the perpetual predatory nature to it. “And there you are, my dear girl. And armed!”

“Yeah… Gun was a recent gift.”

“James texted me, I’m thinking of moving you into my penthouse. But enough of creepy stalkers, we have business.”

“Yeah, ‘bout that… Who? I doubt the werewolves are back in town already.”

She said with outright excitement “The Jiangshi, of course!”

I grabbed for one of the motion sickness bags in the doors pocket, and promptly filled it.