Page 77 of At First Irritation

Taking a deep and still painful breath, he marched forward, pushing into the room, and sagged in relief against the door at the sight of Harlow right where he had left him.

Foxx dropped to his knees next to the man. “Fuck, you are one lucky human, old man.”

Through the clouded and broken windows, the light outside shined even brighter than before. Oh boy, good thing he stashed his sunsuit close by.

* * *

Harlow groaned,eyes fluttering open. He found himself face to face with Foxx—the vampire leaning over him.

At least, he thought it was Foxx. The man’s face was coated in blood, soot, grime. But who else would be in a pink bear sunsuit?

“Foxx?” he rasped, gasping out as his lungs protested.

Foxx blinked. “Oh good, you're awake.”

“Is the building on fire?” It looked like there was a fire down the hall, from what he could see, but then again, what he saw didn’t make sense. There was too much sunlight…there shouldn’t have been. The walls of the building should have blocked it. He was also on the ground floor now…laying out by the front desk. He didn’t even want to think about how he got down here.

“So, I killed all the vampires…and just to add on, everyone did not surrender, so I was fighting the humans when that asshole I didn’t kill on the stairs ran in with a bomb. Let’s just say things went boom. The little bastard had apparently set up multiple bombs that not only killed the humans I was fighting but blew up half the building, and took care of the last of the survivors on the ground floor. I sort of blacked out and woke up back down here. Found some blood. Found your ass again. Luckily, I had placed you at the end of the building that did not explode, and yeah, I just came back from fetching my sunsuit so we can get the fuck out of here.”

Harlow stared, his mind just trying to take all of it in. “What is it with everyone getting to blow things up except me? Well, at least there are no survivors to deal with… But man, are we going to have so much paperwork.”

“A mountain of paperwork. That we can ignore until we are both healed. Yeah, I'm on a blood high right now that is letting me ignore all my wounds.”

“I can ignore it longer than you,” Harlow said with a smug smile, a laugh slipping out. He instantly regretted the laugh as horrible, gut-wrenching pain followed. The pain was just part of it. Harlow felt weak, just completely drained.

“Don’t make me end you,” Foxx said sweetly.

Smirking, he held back his laugh this time. “Give me a moment, and I’ll get up.”

“Oh, no.” Foxx chuckled as he zipped his face plate into place.

His eyes widened when Foxx's hand started to push beneath him. “What are you doing?!”

“You can’t walk, and I’m on a limited supply of energy.”

Harlow tried to struggle, ignoring the pain, as Foxx picked him up. “Put me down!”

“How else did you think you were getting out of here? You are as weak as a kitten, Harlow. I’ve already talked to the police and the fire department. They have set up a half a mile-wide blockade on all sides. They will not come closer until we have left the building. Even talking to Tony didn’t get them to relent. They insisted that it’s their procedure. They need to ensure it’s just us, and that they are in no danger from others if they enter.”

“Foxx, I’m not kidding around.” He kept wiggling, trying to get out of the vampire’s hold. “Put me the fuck down. I can walk!”

Foxx ignored him and started towards the entrance.

“You are not carrying me out of here!”

The vampire huffed, but his stride didn’t falter. “Why are you being so difficult? You are injured. You literally passed out. I’m pretty sure the wound in your back hit one of your lungs. You need medical attention. For fuck’s sake, so do I, though I doubt I’ll get it right away, as the local hospital probably won’t accept me, and that makes me grumpy. So, I need you to suck it up, shut up and stop fighting me so we can get back to the car. Because those asshole police officers said we had to seek out medical help ourselves.”

“We can go to the hospital, but you are not carrying me, princess style, back to the car, down several blocks in broad daylight, past police and other officials, while you are wearing a fucking pink bear onesie!” Harlow roared. His horror at the mere thought of walking past police officers while being carried by his pint-sized partner, dressed like a pink fucking bear, outweighed the pain of him shouting.

Foxx burst out into a fit of laughter that was downright maniacal. “I don’t see how you plan to stop me.”

Harlow tried to struggle with all his might. He screamed, “STOP!” as the bastard pushed them through the front doors, and stepped out into the shining light of the sun, marching boldly down the steps and towards the street.

“I swear, Foxx, if you do this, I will murder you!”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Foxx!” Harlow screamed in rising panic. “FOXX!!!”

Was murder really not an option…

THE END