Dangerous Waters sneek peek #2 - Meet Travis and Teresa

This week I thought I'd introduce you to the seriously demented brother and sister antagonists :) 

There is some swearing in the below so be forewarned. And keep in mind this is taken from my unedited draft copy.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!!

Fight or flight

“Would you stop already?” Teresa grumbled, glaring at her ever-pacing brother. “No one’s following us. Relax.”

Travis finished scanning Beacon Street then ducked back into the alleyway. “God damn it! Do you ever listen? I told you we had to cool it for a while. What the hell were you thinking?”

“The bitch spilled her drink on me.”

He sighed and tiredly rubbed his eyes. Arguing with her was like trying to reason with a bratty three year old grabbing candy in a grocery check-out line. “So we’re homeless because someone accidentally got diet coke on your shirt?”

“Quit being such a Queen,” Teresa said with a huff. “You know Stefan thinks of us as his kids, which is totally weird by the way. All he’ll do is make us listen to his rules again. If you wouldn’t have talked me into running we’d probably be watching TV by now.”

“If they just wanted to talk they would’ve waited until we got back, not raided the building like a two man S.W.A.T. team. This is serious, Terr. If they find us, they’re going to kill us.”

For the first time in as long as he could remember his snarky, narcissistic sister looked vulnerable. She crossed her arms to conceal her jittery hands and captured his eyes. “So what do we do? I’m not living on the street again, or in the skuzzy-ass hotels we used to stay in.”

Travis placed a comforting hand on his baby sister’s shoulder. “Things aren’t like they used to be, sis. Even you have to admit that Stefan taught us a hell of a lot. Once we get out of town we can trance a bank manager and get all the money we need. I thought we’d head south—you always wanted to see Orlando.”

“And what about the skank who started all this? We just leave her to her fairy-tale life, sipping wine in her mansion? No fucking way.”

“Wake up!” Travis screamed, shaking her shoulders so violently that her teeth rattled. “You think you can take her? You don’t know jack shit. Raven’s been training for almost two hundred years, Einstein. She’d tear your ass apart like a piñata.”

Teresa just rolled her eyes. “Not Raven, you douche.  I’m talking about Emily.”

“Emily? What the hell did she do?”

“If she wouldn’t have wandered up to us like a lost puppy we would never have fed with Alexander there, and Stefan would still be clueless. The bitch led Raven right to our door.”

“Oh come on. That’s a reach, even for you. Raven lied to her about our scent. You’re really going to blame her for that?”

“I knew making her strip was a bad idea. All it takes is a flash of boobs and you turn to mush. Are you ever going to grow a pair? You’d still be Keri’s lapdog if it wasn’t for me.”

“Don’t.”

“Oooh, don’t talk about my precious Keri,” Teresa mocked. “God you’re a pussy. She was never going to turn you, and you know it.”

“That doesn’t mean I wanted her to die. I loved her. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Love shmove. You wanted to become immortal. I did you a favor.”

“A favor? Are you serious? I asked her to marry me that night!” Travis caught just a hint of a smile on Teresa’s lips and froze. “You knew—that’s why you did it, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, ri—“

Like a stroke of lightning Travis smashed his fist into the brick wall just to the right of her head, opening up a gaping hole into the vacant building behind her. “Don’t you fucking lie to me! I swear to God I’ll kill you!”

Teresa calmly ducked out from under his arm and dusted the debris off her shirt. “So what if I did? Did you forget your promise to our parents, dear brother? Ten years is a long time. Remember the ambulance ride? Mom was coughing up blood, and dad was, well, dad wasn’t doing much of anything come to think of it. Hard to blame the guy, since he had a piece of metal stuck in his head. You promised them that you’d always look out for me—swore on your life actually. Where did I fit in your little family? You really think Keri would’ve let me keep living with you? She hated me.”

Travis collapsed to the ground and clutched his knees to his chest, tears stinging at his eyes. “How can you say that? She paid for you to go back to school. She even decked out your room with all the shit on your insane ‘must-have’ list. She was going to ask you to be her maid of honor.”

“And when was she going to make me her sister? That’s right. Never. All she had to do was say yes.”

“Yes? Yes to what?” He stared at her in total confusion until it suddenly dawned on him. “Our walk in the park—you followed us.”

“Of course. I’d only been pushing you to ask her for like three years.”

“So when she said she’d marry me, but she would never change me—”

“I knew I had to take matters into my own hands,” Teresa finished. “I figured she’d never be more distracted than that night. Boy was I right. She didn’t even wake up until the gas splashed her face. Once I lit the match all she could do is run around screaming. I’m glad you were at class. It was kinda gross watching her face melt away.”

“You are seriously messed up,” he muttered without meeting her ice cold eyes. “You know that, right?”

Teresa wrapped a strand of her curly blonde hair around her finger. “Whatever. We’re immortal now—that’s all that matters.”

They both slipped back into the shadows when two figures emerged at the end of the alley, continuing on without even a glance in their direction. “It’s too dangerous for us to stay here. Will you at least come with me to Florida?”

“Once I choke the last breath out of that little whore you can take me wherever you want.”

Travis slicked back his long, brown hair. “Fine. But if we’re doing this, we do it my way. Agreed?”

“As long as she dies, I’m good with whatever.”

“Their house is only a few miles from here. It’s surrounded by woods, so there are plenty of spots where we’ll be able to hear what’s going on inside without risking being seen. As soon as she’s left alone you can have your fun, but we’re waiting as long as it takes for that to happen. Even Sandy has had decades of training, and I’m not dying for your stupid vendetta.”

“Hi ho, hi ho, off to kill a bitch we go!” Teresa sang out, dancing down the alley ahead of him like a giddy schoolgirl.