James frowned as Mary began to plow forward through the crowded dance floor, Chris in tow. It looked as though he was trying to pull her back. James stood from the barstool and made eye contact with Mary. He took a hesitant step forward, then stopped as Mary looked back at Chris and let him pull her back into his arms. James inhaled deeply, catching the faintest trace of fear in the air, hanging heavy with the lingering cigarette smoke surrounding him. He stepped back, pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, threw it on the bar and walked out the door.

He had to admit he was just the slightest bit curious. Not even Stone's people could pull up anything on her; no monsters from the past to bring to town. Not for this one, anyway. The girl knew how to keep her secrets, he'd give her that.

Chris pulled away from her and kissed her on the cheek.

Chris: "I'll be seeing you, Love. Sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite."

He walked away before she could respond, lighting a cigarette on his way out the door. As he congratulated himself on a job well done, wondering if Mary even had the faintest clue how easy it was to manipulate her, he suddenly found himself on the ground with his face in the cold cement.

Chris: "What the-"

Just as the pain from the blow to the back of his head finally hit, he was being lifted back off the ground and shoved into the brick wall of the building with such force he knew it wasn't human. It took a moment for his vision to clear before he could focus on his attacker. He grinned slowly at the fury on James' face.

Chris: "Well, well-"

James hit him again, sending blood spraying into the alley.

James: "DON'T talk. I don't want to hear a single word. The only reason you are not dust in the street right now is because I didn't have the presence of mind to figure out how to hide a pool cue on my person on my way past the bouncer. Have you heard of a restraining order? Because you've got one. If I EVER see you anywhere within a LIGHT YEAR of her again, your fuzzy little brain won't have the time to register my presence before the molecules that make up your body are scattering to the wind."

James threw Chris back to the ground, then grabbed his ankle and pulled him behind a dumpster. A few more kicks to the abdomen rendered him unable to move. James shoved his bloodied hands into his pockets and walked away without another word.

Mary had just walked out of the bar by the time James got back around to the front of the building.

Mary: "Hey. Where'd you go?"
James: "Needed some air. You okay?"

Mary: "Yeah, sure."
James: "What happened to your boyfriend?"
Mary: "You do know he's…"

Mary paused.

Mary: "…not feeling very well. Didn't you see him come out?"

James: "Nope."
Mary: "Oh. Okay. I'm going to head home now, it's been a long day."
James: "You walking?"
Mary: "Yeah…"

James: "Be careful."

Mary: "Sure. Thanks."