The Beau & the Beast

36 - Followed

~Clocksworth ~

"Come on." I took a firm grip around Marianne's arm and pulled her next to me and hurried along the abandoned street.

"Let go!" She twisted in my grip but instead of listening to her I held on even tighter around the thin arm.

"Be quiet!"

"Boss .. what are you .."

"Just trust me .. okay?" I glanced back but I saw nothing, yet I knew he was there.  There was no doubt, my senses told me so.

"Clock ..!"  She hissed annoyed in my ear.

"Keep walking!"

"Why are we running? You're the strongest I know ..." she chirped happily next to me and even though the words were well-meaning, I sighed annoyed at her childish attitude.

"Because I don't want anyone's attention."

"...too late," she grinned and glanced back.

"Marie .. I'm serious ..."

She pouted her lower lip as she half-ran next to me. "Does it have anything to do with your new job?"

"No."

She frowned. "So it's someone from our past?" I nodded briefly but didn't want to say too much. I wished it wasn't so, but our old life had caught up with us. I pulled Marie into another street and we quickly climbed over a fence that led into an empty backyard. "Sooo ... how serious is this?" She mumbled suddenly and looked around with anxious eyes.

"We killed a prince ..."

"You mean Belmont killed a prince."

I gave her a quick look and hissed annoyed, "We! He could hardly have done it himself, and I will never give him to them if that's what they want."

"So they're here?"

"Their people."

Finally we were in the car and threw her in the passenger seat before I sat down at the wheel.

"So you're worried they'll kill him ..." she stated, crawling into the seat, "has he talked to you yet?"

I looked down at Marianne with a questioning look, "About?"

"The meaning of life," she sighed dramatically and gave me an annoyed snort, "about our future of course ... idiot."

"Hey! Skip the attitude."

"Or what? You're not my boss anymore."  She grinned and winked at me.

"If you don't want to be thrown out on the street, I would think again before I opened my mouth if I were you" I muttered annoyed.

Marianne was harmless, sweet and kind, but sometimes she was just devilishly annoying.

"But come on love, I just want you to be happy again .." she whined, "do you remember when you two were at the club?"

"No."

"You certainly do! Bel danced without you, and you couldn't take your eyes off him." I raised an eyebrow and tried to read what she was looking for, but she just sighed. "We never have fun anymore."

"So you were there?"

She giggled and rolled her eyes at me. "Of course."

I looked in the rearview mirror, I could see no one, but the feeling that we were persecuted remained.  "So this story has a point?"

She shrugged, "Just wanted to remind you of things that are important. Like the fact that the both of you still exist." She leaned closer and pushed her chin forward to look up at me. "Do the things your heart tells you before it's too late. As it is for me and Lu."