The word 'sorry' isn't enough

Kiara had kept to herself in the master bedroom. After her so called talk with Bill she’d felt even more emotionally drained than usual. She also felt trapped, like Bill was just shoving her aside in some corner so she’d be out of his way in terms of sight and mind, but also out of his worry since she was confined to the mansion.

Eventually she picked up her phone and began to scroll through her contacts. She needed to do something, maybe to clear the air somehow. For now with Bill that would be hopeless but she owed a talk to someone else. She looked at the contact for Vincent, Quinn’s Alfred to his batman. She wasn’t sure if the number would even work but it was worth a try.

She dialed it and leaned back on her seat, a bit of trepidation in her stomach but overall wanting to do this like one rips off a band-aid.

Vincent smiled as he watched Vivian in the kitchen. He still found himself shocked about how things had turned out. He was lost in thought when his phone began to dance on the table. He reached out, picking it up and flipping it open.

"Vincent Davis, How can I help you?"

Kiara let go of the breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding. Hearing Vincent sound...relatively good only made the pit in her stomach grow. But she'd never been a coward, she dove in head first regardless of consequence.

"Hello Vincent, this is Kiara" she said, letting the greeting hang for a moment.

"I would like us to talk... tonight if possible, and in person"

Vincent stared at his phone for a moment.

"It is......good to hear you are feeling better, Ms. Griffen. I hope you can understand my actions were only meant to protect what I needed to. A meeting can be arranged under certain terms."

He was still not sure what to make of this phone call...or her request to meet...

She nodded as she spoke.

"Name your terms but if at all possible a meeting tonight would be great... but whatever you decide I shall abide to" she said. Well at least Vincent wasn't outright jumping down her throat. That HAD to be a good sign right?

Vincent thought carefully, and sighed.

"Very well, Ms. Griffen. Come to the estate tonight. I will make arrangements that you, and you alone, will be granted entrance. You will be under escort, but you will be allowed in. You will be brought into a room where we can meet privately. If this is satisfactory, I will see you here in exactly two hours."

Kiara nodded "Very well... two hours" she said before hanging up.

She stood and looked around. She took a moment to take a quick shower and make herself presentable. At least in the shower it gave her time to think of how she'd sneak out out the mansion without Bill having a coronary.

As she flattened the skit she'd put on she looked around. The guards were all outside, the staff had left for the night. She still recalled the ways she'd sneak out but because of her own doing the guards were patrolling too often.

She buttoned up her blouse, made sure her boots were on tightly and put her hair up into a ponytail. She then watched the guards from out the master bedroom window. It took her a few times to memorize the pattern before she went downstairs. She kept her emotions down, she didn't want Bill poking his head out.

She opened the door and closed it. Two guards looked at her but nodded, knowing that getting some fresh air was not against the rules. She smiled and began to walk along the outside perimeter. Every now and again a guard would nod to her but she kept calm. She actually enjoyed the fresh air, feeling mildly better being outside the walls of the mansion.

It was only when she reached the south corner and two more guards passed that she made a beeline for the tree cover. She ran full speed until she'd cleared a couple of miles before she used her phone to call over one of her people.

In the two hour window she still had about 40 minutes but she rather not be late. One of her employees brought over her car and she drove him back to her place before heading down the road to Quinn's estate.

He watched as the car pulled up to the drive. The guards formed a circle around the driver and searched her, then six of them led her inside to the room he had chosen. He wore his gun in plain view and sat in the chair facing the door. As the door opened, he nodded to the chair in the center of the room.

"Welcome Ms. Griffen."

He looked to the guards and motioned them out of the room.

"Shall we exchange pleasantries or are you pressed for time?"

She expected the scrutiny and the guards and she didn't fight it at all. She offered a small smile to the guards before she was set in the room where Vincent met her.

"Evening Vincent... apologies if I sounded like I was pressed for time.. I just rather not delay this...in case other things happen" she said as she sat down.

"you're more than welcome to exchange pleasantries. I must be honest, I didn't expect to be even allowed to step foot in this place"

He smiled.

"Someone who has come into my life convinced me that everyone deserves a second shot at things."

She blinked. That what odd. From what little she knew of Vincent she hadn't pegged him as someone who would seek out relationships, or perhaps she was just cynical at this point in her life. Either way she offered a warm smile at his words.

"I'm glad you've found someone who clearly makes you happy Vincent"

"It was she who found me actually."

He laughed softly.

"But on to other matters. You asked for this meeting, and we might as well get things rolling. What did you want to discuss?"

She suppressed a chuckle. It wasn't a discussion and frankly she hadn't thought she'd get this far without at least someone throwing a punch or shooting so she went for it.

"I came to apologize. I hurt you... in more ways than one and I shouldn't have lost control like that" she said. Not that she recalled much of the attack but Quinn's expression had been enough to tell her it had been real bad.

His smile faded and he looked her in the eyes.

"Now, Kiara Griffen, you and I have known each other far too long for that. That thing that attacked me was not you and we both know it. It was something that got inside you and made you act in ways that you would never act."

He paused for a moment for her to soak in his words.

"You offer an apology and it is accepted, but it is not you who needed to. After all, I did sort of shoot you repeatedly. I do apologize for that too, but your other self left me no choice."

She chuckled darkly looking down at her lap. "Well...I know you're a good shot Vincent... so if it makes you feel better I didn't even die when Bill had me shot point blank in the head" she said bluntly.

Her inner self was in a corner banging her head. She was so socially backwards sometimes.

"Nevertheless I should have known better...I should have anticipated my side effects, known how to isolate myself and not put others in danger like that"

Vincent was visibly flustered at her statement.

"Well...I must say...how uncivilized of him. Shooting his own fiancee in the head? Most inappropriate."

A smirk formed at the corner of his mouth and he winked at her.

"Now that all that mess is behind us, how have you been since your recovery. I understand you had quite the eventful trip out of state?"

She smiled. She didn't tell Vincent that she and Bill were not engaged nor on any real road to it, that would be left for some other day.

"Eventful...wouldn't be the way I'd put it. It was a fiasco from the get go" she said as she leaned back.

"Vampires Vincent... stay far far away from their politics"

"Oh I'm afraid that is out of the question, Miss Griffen. Vampire politics are almost a lifeblood around here."

He laughed softly.

"Fortunately, I get to ignore most of the petty games. That is Mr. Quinn's realm. I just keep myself busy letting others throw money at us."

She chuckled "ahh...if only I were so lucky... but I seem to have a superb talent at pissing off vampires high up in the political ladder" she said as she crossed her legs.

"Speaking of...I must confess I'm surprised. I fully expected Quinn to be holding a shot gun during this meeting"

Vincent smiled as he reached to a switch on the table. As he flipped it, he nodded behind her as a partition slid aside revealing three large men with automatic rifles.

"I was insistent on you not being under threat, but I had to make a few concessions to arrange this meeting. Mr.Quinn assigned a hand picked team to attend me, and while inconvenient, I can understand the reasons. Especially with the recent issues with Isabel. She will not be happy with the outcome of her most recent exploits and that will probably create a bit of drama when it comes to light."

Kiara actually pouted "Only 3? and here I thought I'd earned a little more gun presence than that" she said with a grin.

"A bit disappointed that Quinn isn't here to threaten me himself BUT whats a girl to do" she said with a casual shrug.

"As for Isabel... well I'm sure she will get what she deserves... she's pissed off enough people to even scare me"

"That was the part I won in the deal. A simple show of force and nothing more. Besides, we both know what is on my hip, so let's not play games."

He smiled as he sat there looking at her.

"I would like to have the time to chat away but I am afraid my own time is limited, as I do still have a household to maintain."

She chuckled "I'd never play games with you Vincent" she said as she stood and flattened her skirt.

"I apologize if I took up too much of your time, but I am glad we could have this talk"

He stood, smiling at her.

"I hope it will not be the last time, perhaps next time under more pleasant reasoning."

She smiled and nodded. She didn't know if she'd ever speak to Vincent again, knowing Quinn he'd probably frown on her visiting too often.

With the same guards who had escorted her in she was escorted out and back to her car. It was only once she was inside in the driver's seat that she sighed. It felt a bit sad that she could carry on a civilized conversation with Vincent yet couldn't get straight answers out of Bill.

Shaking her head she put her car in drive and sped off.