Page 44 of After Darkness Falls

"Wait, so the rumors of you and that hot vamp…"

Jack snorted at his cousin. "No offense, but you know what I think about most vampires."

Tris shrugged. "Well, you like me well enough. And Chris told me you danced with her on Night Hill last Sunday."

"That was work."

He said nothing else, and Tris found no reason to question him further, so Chloe had to be nosy again. "You work on Night Hill?" she asked.

Jack glanced away from the road for half a second, watching her before setting his eyes forward again.

"We're about to cross the border. Hang on tight."

She had an instant to tense before feeling that strange wave of water again, and then they were out of Oldcrest. Looking back, Chloe saw absolutely nothing. Her stomach churned. She didn't like it at all.

Suddenly, she remembered why. She had people looking for her here in the real world. What would Charles think if he knew she was popping out of safety just to shop?

It felt like a terrible idea, and she considered asking Jack to turn around.

"The huntsmen work without needing to report to an authority outside of our order," he told her. "We have an understanding with most governments. Basically, if they want us to protect them, they let us do our thing. The exceptions are vamps. The suckers make usask." His tone couldn't have been more disgusted. "I spotted something funny, so I had to head over to De Villier's place and ask if I could organize a patrol around Oldcrest. The territory technically belongs to him."

Suitably distracted, Chloe let go of the worry. She'd be okay. She was with two badass huntsmen, and the bounty hunters probably still thought she was in NOLA.

"How does that end with you dancing with a hot vamp?" Chloe asked, with validity, she thought.

Jack sighed. "Because vampires have a complicated dynamic. We don't make an appointment. We're guests, and we request an audience with the master of the house. In the meantime, we're expected to pleasantly drink, and dance, and eat canapes until his mighty pain in the arse decides he can be arsed to see us."

That sounded like Levi.

"I'd like to see you dance."

He was too collected and in control, always in a suit, even now, even when he ran. She just couldn't picture it.

"Trust me, you wouldn't. He steps on toes a lot."

"That would be because you're entirely incapable of letting anyone lead, Patricia."

Until now, Chloe hadn't realized that Tris was a nickname.

"Hang on. She gets Tris, I get Cheetah?"

Jack shrugged unapologetically. "She earned Tris. She was Blades for years. Then, she took down her own major demon and got to pick her name."

"So Chris, Reiss, Bash, and all the others did something noteworthy before getting the name they wanted?"

"Not Bash. I picked Bash. He hasn't been in the field yet. Bat, too."

"He goes alphabetically. You're lucky he was done with the B’s," said Tris.

She ruminated on her fate to remain “Cheetah” until the end of time. Or at least the end of her time in the Institute.

"Hey, why did Gwen escape the nickname thing?"

Jack snorted as he turned toward the entrance of a car park. They'd arrived in a nice city that seemed gigantic after ten days in Oldcrest.

"Do you need to ask?"

She did. Chloe glared at Jack, ready to be offended on behalf of her friend.

---