Which was a good thing, if not for the reason he had expected. As it happened, she didn’t see his carefully schooled expression turn to one of shock. Three women and Ashur appeared, and Michael realized that his new technical liaison was a she not a he.
And she had a nose piercing and tattoos.
God in heaven, what had he done to this woman to make her hate him so?
8
Buenos Aries, Argentina
Bethany Anne listened to find Michael up on the balcony looking down. His face was so smooth she was sure he had locked every muscle. He didn’t, however, manage to keep his eyes from widening a little in shock.
Got you! Bethany Anne smiled up at Michael. “Why are you up there? Come on down and meet the newest member of Team Michael.”
Ashur left the group to make a quick run through the house. Gabrielle decided that Ashur had a good idea. She wasn’t that comfortable around Michael and if the two of them couldn’t handle an attack, Gabrielle’s skills probably weren’t going to be the deciding factor for the next few minutes.
But you can bet your ass she was going to be listening in on their conversation. Gabrielle smiled and waved to Michael who acknowledged the greeting with a raised hand. He watched as the woman walked out of the room, following the German Shepherd.
That left two.
The woman who remained beside Bethany Anne was lean and just slightly shorter. She had blond hair with… black ends? Michael looked a little closer as he got nearer. She must have naturally blond hair, but had dyed it black at one point. Wasn’t blond considered the most attractive color for women? When had black become the preferred color?
With a nose ring. Michael had seen a lot of earrings and many of them were very pretty. It did tend to draw the eye to their neck, which, he considered, was a fine feature. But their nose? Let’s not, he thought, get started with the tattoos on her chest and shoulders. None on the arms, though.
Michael finished coming down the stairs and smiled at the two women. Bethany Anne’s smile was honest, warm and deceptively innocent. Michael replayed their conversation when he had asked for technical help. Not once had she mentioned the person who she had in mind was a male. It was always ‘they’ or ‘them.’
He had been shown the price of his gender assumptions and she was standing next to Bethany Anne staring at him with calm, cool intelligence.
Like he was a bug that she was judging for her collection.
He turned his eyes to her face and allowed his skill at emotional influence into his voice, “Ladies…”
The new technician’s eyes widened with fear. Then Michael’s left arm stung like crazy and a crack resounded off of the walls. Bethany Anne took a step into his personal space while looking up into his eyes, getting his attention. “None. Of. That. Michael.”
It took an effort not to reach over and rub his arm where she slapped it. That woman had a mean slap.
Michael cut off the emotional overlay in his voice. “My apologies.” He didn’t step back. Bethany Anne had stepped into his space, she could damn well step back out, too.
She squinted up at him one more time before turning toward the new woman and taking a step back. “Tabitha, let me introduce you to Michael. No last name, but then in the UnknownWorld…”
Tabitha’s eyes went from surprise and caution to happiness and amazement. “Michael? THE Michael? Oh. My. GOD!” She even squealed like a teenager as she grabbed Michael’s hand and started pumping it like she was shaking a pom-pom. Michael looked over at Bethany Anne in bewilderment, hoping for an explanation, but Bethany Anne’s face was… priceless!
Bethany Anne was staring at Tabitha like she had brought the wrong young lady to South America. Michael’s face went from shock to satisfaction as he gently voiced, just loud enough for a vampire (or dog, had he thought about it). “You might want to close your mouth, Bethany Anne. You might catch a bug.”
Bethany Anne’s mouth snapped shut as her head turned sharply, daggers shooting from her eyes at Michael who turned to give Tabitha his undivided attention.
Michael returned Tabitha’s question with a question, “I’m not sure if I am the right Michael, maybe you can provide me with a synopsis of the Michael you think I am?”
Tabitha dropped Michael’s hand and swung the low-riding backpack off of her back and onto the floor. She bent down and unzipped it and then started to rummage through it. Michael snuck a quick peek at Bethany Anne who had a look of consternation on her face, watching the twenty-something.
“Got it!” Tabitha came back up with a small notebook that had a pen pushed into the rings. She opened it and flipped through a few pages. “Here, ‘The Michael,’” the fingers of her free hand making air quotes, “that I’m talking about is the assumed head of all the vampires and was the one who turned Anton.” With this, she looked up at Michael, “Douchebag move, if you did that.” She went back to her notes. Michael snuck another quick look at Bethany Anne, whose look of incredulity was starting to smooth back a little, towards one of pleasure. Tabitha continued, “Also is the parent of a Steven, David and Howard…”
Michael said under his breath, “It’s Hugo.”
Tabitha looked up at Michael, a gleam in her eye. “Got ya!” She turned the notebook around and Michael felt Bethany Anne’s shoulder touch his as she joined him in looking at Tabitha’s notebook.
There was the list, Michael was first, then Steven, David, Hugo, Anton, Peter and Barnabas.
Bethany Anne pointed to the list, “It’s actually ‘Stephen,’ not ‘Steven.’” Bethany Anne’s smile was back full force.
Tabitha turned the notebook back so she could read it. “Really?”
Both of the vampires nodded.
“Well, slap a bitch and make her howl.” She pulled the pen off of the notebook and made the correction.
Michael could hear Bethany Anne’s voice, ever so soft, “You’re going to catch a bug like that, Michael.” He closed his mouth. Bethany Anne whistled and Ashur came running back. Gabrielle followed a moment later, from the other direction.
Bethany Anne looked over at Gabrielle. “Sorry, I wasn’t whistling for you, I forgot about your good hearing.”
Gabrielle answered, “I bet.” She reached down to pet Ashur for a second before hugging Tabitha good-bye.
Bethany Anne was next. “You take good care of old what’s-his-face over here, ok?”
Tabitha smiled at them. “No worries, I’ve got his back, and Bethany Anne?”
Bethany Anne had just grabbed Ashur’s neck. She turned to face Tabitha again, “Yes?”
“Thanks, for everything, especially for Miami, ok?” Tabitha’s earlier protective walls were gone. In front of Bethany Anne was the young woman who had been rescued out of a dire situation in Miami and given a second chance. Her expression hinted at the powerfully adept support that she would provide the teams and especially Michael.
Bethany Anne dropped her hold of Ashur and took a step back to Tabitha and opened her arms. Tabitha stepped into Bethany Anne’s embrace and listened while Bethany Anne spoke to her. “You have already paid me back for something that wasn’t your fault. I’m glad that you were good in Texas and I appreciate you taking on this effort with Michael. It can be dangerous, so while he can be an egotistical wank-sack, he can and will protect you, ok?”
Michael retorted, “I am not now, nor have I ever been an ‘egotistical wank-sack…’”
Michael was surprised by Gabrielle butting into the conversation. “No, no… I have to agree with Bethany Anne on this one…” Then, Gabrielle’s eyes got big as she realized she HAD spoken that out loud.
The two hugging women laughed as they parted.
“Call me if you need anything. Or have Michael call me, understand?” Tabitha nodded.
Michael looked down at the backpack and single overnight bag Tabitha had brought. “Not to interrupt, but no clothes?”
Tabitha answered, “Need to look local, so I don’t stand out. There are just enough cl
othes and unmentionables in there for a couple of days. So, shopping?”
Bethany Anne winked at Michael as she grabbed Ashur and Gabrielle’s arm and disappeared.
Damn that woman!
Key Biscayne, FL USA
Bethany Anne let go of Ashur as Gabrielle unlocked the door. Ashur bolted out of the room, heading downstairs.
Gabrielle turned to her boss. “You need to have a talk with your dad.”
Bethany Anne stopped and gave consideration to what had happened recently. She drew a blank, there was nothing that came to mind that should require her to talk to him. “About what?”
Gabrielle put a hand on her hip. “Don’t tell me you don’t see how much Patricia likes the man.”
“No, I know about that. Why? What is he… wait a sec. It isn’t what he is doing, it’s that he doesn’t have a clue, isn’t it?”
Gabrielle pursed her lips and nodded.
“How bad has it been?” Bethany Anne went around her bed to pick up her phone, she had forgotten it here again. There had to be a reason that she was doing it, she was never this forgetful in the past.
“He needs a 2x4 upside the head he’s so blind. Really, he needs to be clued in so he can, what do they say around here… fish or cut bait?”
Bethany Anne rolled her head around, hearing the bones pop. Damn, that felt good. “Yeah. I was trying to not be cupid on this. He needs to get his head out of being the top in the chain of command.”
“He needs to get his head out of his ass, you mean.”
“Fuck. Really Gabrielle, don’t sugar coat your opinion.” Bethany Anne smiled at the older woman. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s probably aware, at least subconsciously. Maybe there’s more than one person scared of the future.”
“Why, who is the other one besides him and me?”
Bethany Anne looked over at Gabrielle, no smile on her face. “You’re scared?”
Gabrielle walked over and sat on the couch. She hadn’t meant to start this conversation. “Yes. Aren’t you? I’ve lived for… Ok, lots of years.”
Bethany Anne snapped her fingers, so close!
“It was a wild ride before I met you. But you take this, saving the world, seriously. You’re trying to make it better for so many people at the same time. I’m scared of a lot of things, but you losing your mind is probably my chief concern.”
Bethany Anne sat with Gabrielle, pulling one leg up underneath her and sitting on her foot. “Losing my mind? Have I been making bad decisions?”
Gabrielle shook her head. “No, and that’s more troubling. We all make mistakes. But I worry that the longer you go without making a mistake, the bigger the mistake will be.”
“Like some kind of Karma equation? Make lots of small mistakes or you save up the results for a big explosion?”
“Maybe? Maybe not. I’m not sure. Do you realize that we took out one of Michael’s children? And as soon as we find that fucker David, his ass will be gone too. I’ve lived my… more than a hundred, less than a thousand, years with those two as pinnacles. You only got higher by going to Michael. And, I just got through watching him take on a female technician and he didn’t know what to do about it. You have the Patriarch, the absolute top of vampires, who was never long-suffering to begin with, working with you as a partner. He even calls you for advice. Michael has never, before you, called anyone for advice.”
“You did hear how that got him stuck in ‘the container of death,’ right? He had a long time to think about it, it seems to have changed him.”
“Change. Maybe that’s my problem?” Gabrielle sat back against the couch, arms crossed over her eyes. “When you are as… traditional… as I am.”
“You mean old-as-fuck, right?” Bethany Anne let the smile creep into her voice.
Gabrielle lifted her right arm to peek out and stab Bethany Anne with a look that would wither a lesser woman. “That right there is what appeals to me, and scares me. You are so young to have so much on your shoulders, what if those shoulders break?”
There it was. That was what was bothering Bethany Anne. That was what she hadn’t been able to put her finger on. What if her shoulders broke?
They are as strong as titanium, Bethany Anne. Well, not entirely, but it made for a good metaphor TOM thought.
What?
Remember? We adjusted your bone structure. Let the enemy come at us, we won’t bend, we won’t break, we will stand resolute and then, kick their ass.
Bethany Anne whispered, “And let God sort them out, TOM?”
And let your deity of choice sort them out.
Gabrielle understood that Bethany Anne was having an internal discussion with TOM. But it was an existential moment as she watched the woman in front of her go from Bethany Anne the friend, to Bethany Anne, leader. This was the woman who had first attracted her.
Bethany Anne’s eyes flashed fire and her smile returned. “I’ve been so informed that it’s damn near impossible for my Kurtherian enhanced shoulders to break. And we will take each challenge head on and steamroll the fuckers if they can’t get with the program. If they will talk, we will talk. If they want to yell, well then, we’ll slap the shit out of them until they want to talk or their jaws are wired shut. If they want to fight? Fuck ‘em. We have shit to do and no time to do it.”
Gabrielle stared at her boss for a minute and then could feel the confidence seeping back in her bones. “You’ve been worried, haven’t you?”
Bethany Anne nodded. “You know? I think I have. I’ve made some poor decisions lately, I might need to go to a confessional. But thanks to you and the rest of my team, I’ll never bow, I’ll never break. I will stand and let the fuckers come…”
Gabrielle finished for her, “And then kill them all and let God sort them out?”
“If they won’t talk? Yup.”
Gabrielle stood up and offered her hand down to Bethany Anne. “Come on, boss. Let’s go find someone who needs to be fucked up.” Bethany Anne smiled at Gabrielle who raised both hands in the air and turned around to walk out of the room. “Oh, for fuck’s sake! I can’t believe you turned that into a slut statement!”
Bethany Anne hopped up and raced to catch her Guards’ leader, slapping Gabrielle on her ass as she ran by. “Three is the magic number!”
Gabrielle stopped in the hallway, looking at the stairs where Bethany Anne had just disappeared.
A smile curled her lips a tiny, so very tiny whisper breathing through her lips. “It was four. A girl has to have at least one secret.” She started walking again. “Well, at least one more secret.” But, she had been very drunk, which had taken quite a lot of effort. So maybe it was two and she thought it was just two sets of twins? Crap, for all she could remember, it was possibly just a dream too.
Bethany Anne didn’t find her dad, but she did see Ashur lying out on the grass, enjoying the sun. She translocated over to her house next door. Unlocking the transfer closet, she poked her head out and said in a loud voice, “Hello the house?”
“I’m in the kitchen,” her father replied. She could hear AC/DC blasting from the weight room in the converted garage, so that was probably where the rest of the team was.
Bethany Anne walked into the kitchen. “What are you doing?”
Her father closed the fridge door. He had bread on the counter and cold cuts in his hands. “Lunch,” he said.
“Where’s Patricia?”
“She had an 11:30 appointment at what she called the ‘magical, magical’ place. When I asked for clarification, I was informed my security clearance wasn’t high enough. Imagine that, a general without a high enough security clearance.”
Bethany Anne put out a hand, “Stop what you’re doing. We need to catch up and I don’t want,” she waved at his sandwich materials, “this. How about Joe’s?”
Her dad smiled. “Damn, what a negotiator. Fine, fine, twist my arm and demand the concessions … I’ll do it.” Her dad finished putting away the bread and reached for the keys on the counter.
“Which pair is going to shadow us?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know, but we need to talk without extra ears, so they can take a second car.”
“What are we going to talk about that those guys can’t hear?”
“Father-daughter stuff.”
Lance looked back at the kitchen, already wishing he hadn’t been so quick to throw away his safety line.
As they came up to the front door Gabrielle walked in.
“Going to Joe’s. Tell whoever to grab the next SUV. We’ll drive the speed limit, so catch up.”
Gabrielle saw the forlorn look on Lance’s face, so she could guess he had an idea this wasn’t normal business. “We’ll be a couple of minutes behind you.”
Lance was surprised when Bethany Anne jumped into the driver’s seat. She so often had her security driving, he had rather forgotten that she could drive just fine. Sliding into the passenger seat, he watched as she started the SUV and hit the button to open their gate. She was a better driver than he remembered.
No time like the present to get the hard stuff out of the way. “What’s going on, baby?”
“You, Dad.”
“Me?”
“Yes, my loving father who is occasionally as dense as a howitzer barrel.”
Lance considered what she had just said. Nothing he should have figured out came to mind. “Did I forget a birthday? Do Nacht even have birthdays?”
“Dad! Women after a certain age don’t have birthdays. They remind us that we’re aging. Well, I guess I don’t want to know how old I am. Wait, how did we make this about me? That’s a woman’s trick.”
“Also a general’s. Works to keep the younger officers on their toes.”
“Good trick. Now, let’s talk about you.”
“That’s what I’m avoiding.”
“I can tell.”
“So, let me know who I offended and I’ll try to make it up to them.”
“Who you offended?”
“Yeah, I can’t think of anyone I’ve pissed off. That’s something I probably would remember. So, I figure that I’ve been my usual tactless self and offended someone. But, I’ve got to tell you I wouldn’t have believed I could offend any of your team, and I’ve tried.”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set One: Books 1-7, Death Becomes Her, Queen Bitch, Love Lost, Bite This, Never Forsaken, Under My Heel, Kneel or Die (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets) Page 113