Wanted (In More Ways Than One)

Team Effort

When Michael revealed to the station that Ezra had listed the names and locations of the people behind the attack on Lime Street, word got out to the press that there was a vigilante running around Liverpool. An unknown officer also let slip that it wasn’t the first time that Ezra had helped the police and soon, to Michael’s chagrin, Ezra developed a sort of fan base. 

Fortunately, no one knew what Ezra looked like, but that didn’t stop people from calling him a hero. Unlike Michael, his colleagues found the whole situation amusing – particularly Cunliffe and Ishani – and they teased Michael about it over the next few weeks. Worse still, upon learning of his newfound fame, Ezra grew cocky enough to start calling the station up for a ‘friendly chat’ and most of the staff were happy to entertain him.

They had stumbled across more of Ezra’s work at least four times over the past few weeks; each petty crime revealing something much larger and more sinister, and it seemed that the majority of the station barely considered Ezra a criminal anymore. In fact, once they figured out who was behind the small crimes, they eagerly set out to discover the bigger picture and what it was exactly that Ezra was trying to tell them.

Michael, on the other hand, was fully aware that Ezra was no hero. He was as much a criminal as the people they had locked away and Michael was determined to catch him.

Currently, he was seated in a beautiful restaurant furnished with elegant lighting and rich art. Sedate music thrummed in the background and the place boasted an air of sophistication and beauty. The prices alone had Michael wrinkling his nose.

However, there was something darker happening behind closed doors, Michael was certain. All the wait staff were young, pretty girls and all of them had a nervous glint in their eyes as they served their customers. Their manager was a middle-aged woman with stern features and sharp eyes, and she remained behind the bar at all times, arms crossed.

Michael had his suspicions about these young women and their manager, but he needed proof if he was to act on any of it.

Suddenly, the empty chair opposite him was pulled out and a familiar figure flopped into it with a grin.

“Did someone stand you up?” Ezra winked.

Michael rolled his eyes. “I should arrest you.”

“You won’t though,” Ezra hummed arrogantly. “Because, like me, you think this place is shady.”

Michael pursed his lips and leaned forward. “And what makes you believe that?”

Ezra snorted as he took a sip of Michael’s water. “These poor women look terrified of their customers. That and the fact that every so often a male customer will approach the bar, gesture for the manager, have an intense but whispered conversation, then return to their seat with a small, black coin.” Ezra grinned. “Weird way to run a business when you pay the customer.”

Michael blinked then leaned back again as he frowned at the bar. He had yet to notice the coin exchange.

“I’ve had my sights on this place for a few days,” Ezra offered quietly. “Ever since its grand opening. Just felt... wrong.”

Michael nodded slowly and smiled at the waitress when she brought his stir fry. She barely looked at him.

“Are you ready to order, sir?” she asked Ezra in a small voice. She was gorgeous, with long blonde hair, emerald eyes, and a set of pink, bow lips. Ezra sent her a brilliant smile.

“It would be rude to say no when my boyfriend is paying,” he stated as he shot the scowling Michael a wink.

Finally, the woman seemed to relax. “Boyfriend?” she asked, tentatively.

Ezra nodded. “Best boyfriend I could ask for! He bought me a horse a few weeks ago.” He fluttered his eyelashes at Michael as the werewolf sent him a dry look. “Honestly, I have him wrapped around my little finger.”

Michael shook his head slowly and the woman managed a weak smile. “You look cute together.”

“Thank you!” Ezra beamed, linking his hand with Michael’s on top of the table. “You’re so sweet! What’s your name?”

“Um... Katie.”

“Well, Katie, I think I’ll take the pork teriyaki and your blueberry cider. Hey! Can I ask you something?” Ezra asked, brows pinching together.

Katie nodded and Ezra gestured her closer. “I found this weird black coin in the bathroom. Didn’t know who it belonged to so I left it on the side in case someone came looking for it. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Any idea what it’s for? Is it like a secret club token or something?”

Katie’s face closed off and she straightened as she shook her head. “No idea,” she said in a way that made it obvious that she was lying.

Ezra pulled a face and shrugged. “Huh. Oh well. Thanks anyway.”

She whirled on her heel and marched away and Michael stared at Ezra unimpressed. “Really?”

Ezra grinned and rubbed his thumb over Michael’s knuckles tenderly. “I think I’m a great actor.”

Michael snatched his hand away with a huff. Ezra’s fingers were cold against his skin. “Why are you here, Romero?”

Ezra frowned. “To work out what’s happening here.”

“You should leave that to the professionals,” Michael muttered under his breath. “We don’t need complications like you.”

Ezra snorted and crossed his arms. “No offense, but the police aren’t exactly the quickest at solving these sorts of things. How many times have I had tip you off or nudge you along these past months? You need me and you know it. These people need me.” He jerked his head towards the waitresses.

Michael scowled and eyed the vampire darkly. “You’re becoming annoyingly arrogant. You’d better reign it in before you slip up.”

Scoffing, Ezra smirked at Michael. “Think you can catch me, Wyles? You’ll have to put some effort in.”

Michael would never admit to how riled Ezra made him. Everything about the vampire screamed challenge and Michael was desperate to take it; to prove that Ezra wasn’t as good as he thought he was. 

“I could pin you to this table right now with your hands behind your back and there wouldn’t be a thing you could do about it,” Michael growled lowly. Ezra’s eyes flashed with interest.

“Do it,” whispered Ezra with a smirk. “I dare you.”

Michael grit his teeth, fingers flexing above the table, itching to grab the vampire and prove a point. He remained where he was and dropped his gaze.

The waitresses were more important.

Ezra chuckled triumphantly. “All bark and no bite.” He raked his gaze over Michael’s body. “Got me all excited too,” he purred.

Michael scowled in confusion and Ezra’s smirk widened as he leaned forward and lowered his voice.

“Your hard body pressed into mine as you pin me to the table?” he drawled with a sultry gaze. “Now there’s a pretty picture.”

Michael’s eyes blew wide and he bristled as Ezra chuckled.

“That’s disgusting,” Michael growled and Ezra’s smile wavered a little as he straightened.

“Never took you for a homophobe,” the vampire said lightly.

Michael frowned. “I’m not. You’re a vampire and a wanted one at that. The fact that you would even think of me in that way...” He shook his head in disdain. “It’s vile.”

Amusement danced in Ezra’s gaze. “So, you are gay. I knew it.”

“I’m most certainly not,” huffed Michael before crossing his arms. “And it doesn’t matter anyway. My personal life is none of your concern. We are enemies.”

Mouth curving into a smile, Ezra tilted his head. “Thought I saved your life? Surely that makes us kind of friends?”

“Poor judgement on your part,” Michael huffed as he picked at his stir fry. “You didn’t have to save me.”

Ezra said nothing as he rested his head on a fist and eyed Michael curiously.

“Either way, you’re very attractive,” Ezra said and Michael had a feeling that he was saying that just to watch him squirm. Unfortunately, it worked.

“That’s inappropriate.”

Ezra grinned. “You are though! It’s a shame you’re a cop. I’d have definitely propositioned you by now.”

Michael glowered at him and thankfully, Katie returned with Ezra’s meal.

“Is that your manager?” Michael asked before Ezra could open his mouth. Katie glanced in the direction he gestured to and her mouth drew into a thin line.

“Yes,” she murmured.

Michael nodded. “Do you like working for her?”

Katie straightened and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Not really,” she whispered.

“Why’s that?” Michael asked quietly, giving her his full attention. She glanced between him and Ezra, biting her lip nervously as she did so.

“I... I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

Ezra chuckled cheerily and fished something from his pocket as he grinned at Katie. “Hey, don’t worry. We wouldn’t like to make you lose your job or anything. You’re a really good waitress, you know that?” As he spoke, he slid a sticky note over the table in full view of Katie.

He’s police

Katie blinked and Ezra crumpled the note beneath his fist with a grin as Katie shifted her wide gaze to Michael. Michael nodded subtly.

Katie swallowed and straightened out her creaseless black uniform. “Ask her for a ‘Dirty Florin’. Then go to the back entrance at whatever time she tells you,” she murmured before smiling at them a little too wide. “Is that everything?”

“You’ve been wonderful,” Ezra chirped with a sympathetic gaze. “Thank you.” He grabbed his fork and tucked into his meal. She nodded stiffly and paced away, leaving Michael to contemplate his next move.

“You gonna do it?” Ezra asked under his breath and Michael glanced at him warily.

“I don’t see what other choice I have.”

“Could be dangerous. Going alone to the back entrance after asking for a weird black coin? Sounds dodgy.”

“I have an idea what I’m going to find.”

Ezra glared at him harshly. “Whatever you do find, there’s likely going to be a bouncer or two. Maybe even a couple of wrestlers with guns. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to go alone.”

Michael scoffed at him. “So what? I should take you with me for back-up? I can handle myself, Ezra. I’m not human, remember?”

Ezra shook his head quickly. “Think about this for a sec, Mikey.” Michael scrunched his nose at the nickname. “Even if they don’t have silver bullets, they can still hurt you. If you heal in front of them, they’ll try to capture you and sell you to the highest bidder.”

Michael pulled a face. “Obviously, I won’t let them.”

“And if you escape,” Ezra continued as though Michael hadn’t spoken, “then you’ll lose your opportunity to find out what’s going on behind the scenes. They won’t let you in again.”

Raising an eyebrow, Michael eyed Ezra coolly. “Fine. I’ll take Ishani with me.”

Ezra snorted. “Sure, put Ishani in danger and if everything goes sideways, you won’t be able to reveal what you are.”

Michael crossed his arms. “I’m not taking you with me.”

A wolfish grin swept over Ezra’s features. “I’m a fantastic talker. Come on, Mikey, we could work together on this.”

“I am this close to driving you back to the station.”

“I’m a great actor. I can get them to talk – you know I can.”

Michael squared his jaw before flicking his gaze to the stoic manager. “I must be insane,” he muttered to himself and Ezra’s grin widened at the victory. 

Michael stood and stiffly made his way over to the bar. He leaned against it in the same way the other customers had, and he jerked his head at the manager.

She was a tall lady with worn skin and long brown hair that was beginning to grey. She had stern eyes and thin lips and when she spoke, her accent hinted towards American.

“What’ll you have?”

“Dirty Florin,” Michael grunted in a way that he hoped sounded as though he knew exactly what he was asking for.

The manager eyed him for a moment and trailed her gaze to Ezra briefly before reaching under the bar and grabbing a small black coin. She slid it to him over the counter and he pocketed it with a tight smile.

“Come ‘round the back for twelve-thirty,” she whispered and he nodded before whirling on his heel and prowling towards Ezra.

“Half-past midnight,” he grunted at Ezra and the vampire beamed at him triumphantly.

“We’re going to have so much fun,” Ezra winked.

* * *

The restaurant looked eerie under the flicker of streetlights and although the main seating area was dark, at the back entrance was a small gathering of five people. Michael assessed the people carefully – they were all men and they appeared excited; eager for whatever they were waiting for and many of them were dressed as though they had money to spare. 

Michael was glad that he’d chosen a crisp white shirt and a black blazer with trousers to match. It allowed him to fit in seamlessly with the others.

Footsteps caught his attention and he turned to find Ezra sauntering towards them, hands buried inside the pockets of a black leather biker jacket. He wore tight black jeans and a crimson polo shirt and when he smiled at Michael, the werewolf found his gaze lingering longer than it should have. He wasn’t prone to noticing people outside of a professional manner, but he found himself thinking how handsome Ezra looked with his striking amber eyes and caramel-coloured locks.

He frowned at himself and shook his head as he turned back to the door and waited for Ezra to join him.

“Well, I know what I’ll be dreaming of tonight,” Ezra hummed as he raked his gaze over Michael. “You clean up nice.”

Michael rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “Enough. We’re here for a reason,” he reminded quietly as Ezra unabashedly ogled his rear.

“How on Earth are you still single?” Ezra continued, clearly enjoying himself. 

“Quiet,” growled Michael, tips of his ears tinged with pink. No one had blatantly flirted with him like this before and Michael wasn’t sure where to cast his gaze. Vampires weren’t supposed to be so charming.

A smirk pulled at Ezra’s features but he fell silent at Michael’s command.

Finally, the door opened.

The manager from earlier sauntered out, dressed in crimson leather and face made up like a doll in a way that didn’t really suit her age. Behind her, two beefy men stood, expressions grim as they surveyed their audience in disapproval.

“Welcome to Dirty Florins,” said the manager. “I am your hostess, Ruby. Please form an orderly queue to the left and we will start taking requests on a first-come-first-serve basis.”

There was a flurry of movement as men scrambled to form a line. Michael c****d an eyebrow and joined the back of the queue and Ezra followed him with a grin, as though he was enjoying the chaos. True to her word, Ruby began whispering to each man in turn and writing down notes as the two men – clearly her guards – lurked behind.

When she reached Michael, she held out her hand. “Do you have your ticket?”

Michael frowned in confusion and Ruby rolled her eyes. “Your coin.”

Nodding in realisation, Michael retrieved the black coin from his pocket and placed it in Ruby’s waiting palm. She slid into her own pocket and glanced down her list. “We have Penny, Lyra, and Yen left. Any preferences?”

Michael shook his head and Ruby wrote something down. “You may have Lyra.” She moved past him briskly and held her hand out towards Ezra. “Your ticket?”

Ezra blinked and Ruby pulled a face. “Your coin?”

Ezra glanced at Michael helplessly. “Ah... I’m with him?”

Ruby narrowed her eyes. “No ticket, no entrance.”

“But we came together-”

“No ticket, no entrance,” Ruby insisted before closing her notebook and at Ezra’s wide eyes, Michael cleared his throat.

“He’s with me,” Michael confirmed, sharing a pointed look with Ezra and hoping that he had guessed the nature of the establishment correctly. “I, uh... I like to watch...” He held back a wince and Ezra grinned as though that was the most exciting thing that he had heard all year.

Ruby wrinkled her nose in disgust for a brief second and a little part of Michael withered and died as Ezra latched onto his arm with half-lidded eyes and a smirk.

“Yes, he does,” Ezra purred, rubbing salt in the wound. “And I’m very good at following his orders.”

Michael swallowed when Ezra pressed up against him and he suppressed a shudder. The vampire was freezing.

Ruby smiled at them thinly before nodding and marching away again. 

“You ‘like to watch’?” Ezra repeated in a whisper and Michael pulled a face before shoving at him.

“I didn’t hear any bright ideas from you,” he grumbled.

A smirk pulled at Ezra’s lips and he leaned close beside Michael’s ear. “Is that really one of your kinks?”

“One: no, that’s disgusting. Two: my personal life is none of your business,” huffed Michael as he elbowed Ezra as subtly as he could manage without any of the other guests noticing. He heard Ezra snicker behind him.

“I think it’s hot,” Ezra breathed beside his ear and Michael shoved him a little harder, causing the vampire to chuckle.

“As with any goods, full payment is due upon exit and you will not be permitted to leave without it,” Ruby stated, gesturing to her intimidating guards. “I don’t tolerate harm to my staff and any property damage will be paid for by yourselves. You have one hour and no more, but you may use that time however you wish.” She smiled after a moment and gestured towards the door. “Enjoy yourselves, gentlemen. Any queries, come directly to me.”

The guests made a beeline towards the door, looking extremely pleased with themselves. Michael and Ezra followed at a more cautious pace, wondering if the others were regulars. 

Michael stamped down on the urge to growl when one of the security guards eyed him suspiciously. Michael was by no means a small man and he wasn’t sure if the guard felt threatened by him, but he didn’t like the way the human puffed his chest out and scowled at him. He eyed the guard warily and Ezra suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

“Come on, gorgeous,” Ezra purred and Michael lost all focus on the guard as the vampire’s icy grip sent a shiver through his body. He quickly yanked his hand away.

“You’re freezing,” Michael whispered and Ezra smiled sheepishly.

“And you’re a convenient radiator,” Ezra murmured back, subtly trying to snag his hand again.

Michael snatched his hand away once more with a scowl. “Stop that.”

With a petulant huff, Ezra shuffled further down the dimly lit corridor, pausing only when he reached a line-up of well-dressed women whom were quickly dispersing with the male guests.

Michael scowled in distaste and even Ezra pulled a face as the men practically dragged women into various storage rooms and bathrooms, or forced them up against the wall where they stood, to grope and whisper disgusting things into their ears.

Ezra took a step backwards, clearly upset when one man began undressing an uncomfortable-looking woman a mere two metres away. He bumped into Michael and Michael growled softly from his chest. These were the waitresses that had served them in the restaurant. 

Michael surveyed the corridor slowly and noticed that the wall bore stickers above each woman’s head. The second name in was ‘Lyra’ and Michael paled when he recognised Katie’s familiar face. She gazed back at him hopefully.

Ezra spotted her too and he turned to Michael with an urgent look. “Do something.”

“Is something wrong?” Ruby suddenly asked behind him and Michael startled as he whirled to face her. He hadn’t heard her creep up on him.

“You’re welcome to switch if Lyra doesn’t please you,” Ruby offered as her guards moved to flank her.

Michael licked his lips, thinking quickly. “Oh, she’s most pleasing to look at, but... I get the impression that she doesn’t want to be here and, well... consent plays a big part in our...” He glanced at the helpless Ezra. “Our process.”

Ruby smiled charmingly. “I understand, but I assure you that all of our girls are willing. Right, Lyra?”

The manager gave her employee a hard look and Katie began to nod, but upon noticing Michael’s subtle head shake, she frowned. “No,” she said weakly, before her voice grew firm. “No, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to do this. None of us do.” She turned her defiant gaze towards Ruby. “But she doesn’t pay us if we disagree. She threatens to fire us. She says that she’ll send her men to our homes if we try to quit.”

Ruby smiled sharply at Katie in a way that promised pain. “Nonsense. You can do anything you want, dear. Leave any time you like.”

“That’s not what you told me last week,” piped up a young woman marked ‘Penny’. 

“Or me,” murmured the woman beside her – ‘Yen’.

Feeling bolder, Michael turned back to the seething Ruby with a c****d eyebrow. “I do have one more question... Why do you place so much trust in your clients?”

Ruby glowered at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” drawled Michael, “anyone can walk up to that bar and ask for a ‘dirty florin’ and you don’t even try to vet your customers. No ID, no background check, no questions asked...”

“I’m a good judge of character,” Ruby huffed, growing more irritated by the second.

A small smirk played about Michael’s lips. “So, you can judge whether a murderer has entered your restaurant? A serial killer? A thief? Even an undercover detective?”

“Yes,” Ruby snapped, then her eyes widened as the epiphany struck and she whirled on her heel and raced down the corridor, towards the door. Michael started after her, but the guards glanced at each other and grabbed him in unison. They hurled him at the wall and chaos erupted in the corridor as the male customers realised that something was amiss and sprinted for the exits. They threw the women out of their way and there were alarmed shouts and cries of pain as women collided with floors, walls, and each other.

Michael snarled and allowed a little of his werewolf strength to bleed through as he struggled against the two guards. He pushed them backwards and sprinted after Ruby, but one guard grabbed him by the neck and the other rammed a fist into his face. 

Patience lost, he gripped the pair by their hair and smashed their heads together and they buckled with matching groans, sinking to their knees as they clutched their heads. He narrowed a glare at them before running after Ruby.

However, once outside, he came to a shocked halt when he stumbled across Ruby tied to a bicycle rack by her wrists. 

With a pink ribbon.

There was a neon green sticky note attached to her forehead and Michael approached her warily, peeling the sticky note off her skin despite her attempts to bite him.

We make a good team! Let’s do this again some time.

Below the message was a smiley face with fangs.

A small grin pulled at Michael’s lips and he pocketed the note before calling the station. As the nightshift officers listened to his explanation, he sauntered towards the back exit, knowing that – apart from throwing themselves through the glass front doors – this was the only route of escape for the guards and customers. He leaned against the doorframe, waiting for them to come thundering through, and he glanced at Ruby once again, satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

He waited for his colleagues to arrive, thinking of a certain amber-eyed vampire to pass the time.