“Yeah, I would agree with that,” Besseta chuckled. “Along with the thousand machine guns shooting at us, we all agreed to just leave.”
Setting his cup down, Kenneth said, “That is a story I really want to hear later. Right now, we need to work this hypothesis.”
They both nodded and leaned over the coffee table with Kenneth and tried to figure out if their worst fear was possible.
Chapter 7
Several weeks later, Besseta was gathering a few things and putting them in a small backpack as she looked up and saw the sun setting. She gave a sigh, still hearing Kenneth pacing downstairs. Throwing her backpack, which wasn’t much bigger than a large purse, on her shoulder, Besseta walked out of the bedroom.
Not ready to face an irritated Kenneth, she stopped by Tiffany’s room. Seeing the door open, she walked in to find Tiffany putting on a pair of hiking boots. Tiffany’s long, black hair was pulled back, and she was wearing a tight t-shirt and blue jeans.
Noticing that, Besseta paused. “Ah Tiffany,” she said, “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you in pants.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Tiffany grumbled. “Pants compress the body in many places.”
As Tiffany stood up, Besseta had to admit Tiffany may not like pants, but she looked good in them. “We would draw too much attention if you wear dresses,” Besseta reminded her.
“I know,” Tiffany replied. “I still think this is just an excuse for you to dress me up.”
“You look really good,” Besseta admitted.
“Thank you.” Tiffany smiled. “I take it Kenneth is still mad he’s not going?”
Shrugging, Besseta cringed. “He’s still pacing downstairs, so I’m guessing he is.”
Reaching back, Tiffany picked up a small backpack like Besseta’s. “It really is for the best,” Tiffany acknowledged. “If this turns out to be a setup, you and I will have no problem getting away, and it keeps Kenneth out of the League’s grasp.”
As they left the room side by side, Besseta nodded. “I know, and I think he does as well, but that doesn’t mean he likes it.”
They walked down the stairs then stopped, seeing Kenneth pacing the living room with a dog on each side pacing with him. If it wasn’t for the grumpy look on Kenneth’s face, Besseta would’ve laughed but knew that would upset him more. She did smile at the sight, though, just as Kenneth looked up.
“I—” Kenneth started, but Besseta held up her hand.
“I’m smiling at the dogs pacing with you,” she informed him, hoping to head off any more arguments.
Confused, Kenneth looked down and spotted the dogs at his side. “Well, I guess that would be cute and demand a smile,” he mumbled. He looked back up. “I can’t protect you if I’m not beside you.”
Within the blink of an eye, Besseta was standing in front of him. “I know, baby, but if this turns into a setup, we can get out fast. If you came, we would have to cover you as you withdrew. I would get hurt worrying about you,” Besseta offered again.
A slight breeze blew across Kenneth’s face, and he turned to see Tiffany standing beside them. “I would be hurt as well trying to cover for both of you,” she admitted. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Kenneth, but I can’t lose you because you made it possible that I could play with dogs again, and I couldn’t lose you for little Besseta’s sake. If she lost you, I shiver at what she would do.”
Kenneth lowered his head in defeat. “Fine, I’ll drop it,” he mumbled.
Relief flooded Besseta’s body as she wrapped her arms around Kenneth, burying her face in his chest. Tiffany saw Kenneth wince as Besseta hugged him, but Kenneth said nothing as he hugged Besseta with one arm and caressed her head. Not able to help it, Tiffany smiled and saw the instant Besseta relaxed her hug and Kenneth relax.
“Just because you’re not going, please be careful here,” Besseta said, looking up with tears on her face.
Gently, he wiped the tears away. “I will. Bonnie and Clyde will be here with me, so I won’t get in trouble.” He smiled. “When you get to Chicago, call me, and before you leave for Mississippi, call me.”
“I will,” Besseta promised.
“Remember to go over your list of questions and what to look for before you meet Maliki, and if he doesn’t agree to the meeting area, just come home,” Kenneth reminded her.
“Yes, baby,” she said, “and I’ll remember the hundred other things you told me.”
Stepping closer, Tiffany put her hand on Kenneth’s shoulder. “I’ll take good care of her.”
Smiling, Kenneth looked at Tiffany. “You don’t get hurt either because Besseta thinks the world of you,” he informed her. “And I have to admit I’ve grown rather fond of you myself.”
“It’s been a long time since anyone’s worried about me,” Tiffany said, reaching out and hugging both of them.
Pain shot through Kenneth’s chest, and he felt his feet leave the ground as Tiffany picked him and Besseta up in her hug. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the pain as he put an arm around Tiffany’s neck and hugged her as he hugged Besseta.
When Tiffany put them down, Kenneth fought the urge to just drop to the floor as Besseta looked up. “You really think Maliki will agree to meet us in Corinth, Mississippi?” she asked and noticed how tight Kenneth’s facial muscles were.
Besseta totally relaxed her arms but still held them around Kenneth’s waist as he looked down at her. “If he doesn’t, you don’t meet. This is non-negotiable. The park outside of Corinth will give you the advantage of seeing what’s around and plenty of avenues of escape. If the Strong Hands find out about this, they can’t flood a little town with federal agents quietly.”
“I’m more worried about the drone vampires,” Besseta admitted before thinking then quickly added, “but I know we can outrun them very easily.”
Knowing he would be in the way and a liability, Kenneth sighed and kissed Besseta. “Please stay safe,” he whispered, breaking the kiss. “I’ll work on teaching Bonnie and Clyde how to read while you two are gone.”
They both laughed as Besseta let Kenneth go. “I’m telling you they only do it to irritate me,” Besseta chuckled as Kenneth held up the Jaguar key.
“Remember to buy Tiffany some clothes that will blend in, not only nice outfits,” Kenneth reminded her.
Hearing that, Tiffany stomped her foot. “I hate wearing pants,” she whined.
“I will,” Besseta said then kissed him again and walked to the door. Bonnie and Clyde ran after her, barking. Dropping down to her knees, Besseta loved all over them then stood up. Then the dogs ran over to Tiffany, and both stood up against her legs, letting Tiffany know she owed them some love.
With a tear-filled, smiling face, Tiffany dropped down, hugging both dogs and loving on them. “We’ll be back soon,” she promised, kissing them.
Kenneth walked them down to the dock and watched them climb on the boat. He waved until they were halfway to the shore. Dropping his hand, Kenneth looked down at the dogs. “Well, since I’m just a fifth wheel, let’s do something,” he told them, heading back inside.
As Besseta and Tiffany climbed in the Jag, they threw their backpacks in the backseat. “I hate leaving Kenneth like this,” Besseta admitted as she started the car.
“It’s for the best,” Tiffany told her as Besseta drove down the driveway.
“I know,” Besseta moaned. “At least I get to go shopping with you,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Uhh,” Tiffany groaned. “I’m ready for this war to be over now.”
Stopping at the gate, Tiffany got out and opened it then closed it after Besseta pulled through. When Tiffany was back in the car, Besseta pulled away. “You think Kenneth’s theory is sound?” Besseta asked.
Tiffany nodded. “Unfortunately, I think it has great merit,” she admitted. “His mind is quite remarkable; it’s like he’s reading the actions of others in the past and present.”
“Hey,” Besseta snapped with a smile, “he�
��s my husband. Don’t try to steal him.”
A roar of laughter erupted from Tiffany. “I just want your babies. You can keep him,” she howled.
Besseta joined in on the laughter. “Well if something happens to us, we’ll put you as guardian of Bonnie and Clyde.”
They laughed for a while as Besseta drove slightly over the speed limit. “I thought the local rulers didn’t like for people to drive over the speed limit on the big signs?” Tiffany asked.
“We have a lot to do in Chicago then have to run six hundred miles to Mississippi before we can go home,” Besseta moaned.
Tiffany looked over at her. “You could sit this war out with Kenneth, and I’ll fight for us,” she offered.
A look of determination fell on Besseta’s face. “No, but don’t think I haven’t thought about that,” she replied. “Not you fighting for us but just sitting it out and continuing my quest with Kenneth. But I have a feeling this war is going to affect many of our kind and even more humans. I think if I sat out, I would eventually have to fight in the end, so I’m just going to get it over with.”
“That is what I believe,” Tiffany confessed. “I’ve tried to stay out of the world and just study it, but human wars and these disturbances keep pulling me back.”
“How can you study the world and not live in it?” Besseta asked, confused.
“Not very well, it seems,” Tiffany replied.
Setting the cruise control, Besseta looked over at Tiffany. “Do you know how to use a computer?” she asked.
“Of course,” Tiffany answered. “That is one of the most remarkable inventions to date.”
“I always say plumbing.”
“Yes, that was a good one, but I still put computers above it,” Tiffany said. “I’ve been putting my library in the computer. Translating and typing each scroll then scanning them.”
“You have electricity?” Besseta asked, confused.
Tiffany chuckled. “Well yes, computers won’t eat food,” she said. “I have several little wind and water turbines that provide me with more than enough electricity.”
Not surprised, Besseta smiled. “Leave it to you, Tiffany, to live green.”
“How long have you known Maliki?” Tiffany asked out of the blue.
Shocked, Besseta answered, “Uh, since he took a seat with the League here after the War of Independence.”
“Well, I’ve known him since a decade after his turn,” Tiffany stated. “He was a commander in central Spain for the Romans. I didn’t really care for him then, and the sixteen hundred years since haven’t improved my opinion.”
Not sure how to answer or what brought out this revelation, Besseta sat quiet for a few minutes to see if Tiffany was going to explain, but she just sat quietly and watched the road. Taking a deep breath, Besseta asked, “May I ask why you didn’t like him?”
“Foremost, he was with the Roman legions,” Tiffany spat as if that explained everything. “But he was always so arrogant—even for a vampire.”
Trying not to laugh, Besseta smirked. “Well, that does put him at a disadvantage.”
Tiffany shook her head. “He still carries the attitude of a Roman general even though when he was a general, the Roman Empire was collapsing,” Tiffany grumbled. “In case you’re wondering, he really did kill one succubus and two incubi. That’s one thing he didn’t make up.”
“How do you know for sure?” Besseta asked.
“My husband was with Maliki when he killed the succubus, and another I trust was around Maliki for the others,” Tiffany told her. “That is one area of his life Maliki doesn’t flaunt.”
“Well, I heard about it,” Besseta pointed out.
Tiffany nodded. “Yes, from others, but Maliki doesn’t even like to talk about it.”
Thinking about that, Besseta asked, “Why do you think he doesn’t want to flaunt it?”
“He’s scared,” Tiffany replied. “He didn’t know what the succubus was when it attacked him as he woke up. Luckily for Maliki, he didn’t try to feed off it. It wasn’t until Herotho, my husband, told him what it was that Maliki even knew of their existence.”
Liking that reasoning, Besseta asked, “You think that’s why the two incubi attacked Maliki? Because he killed a female?”
“That’s what I’ve always thought,” Tiffany admitted.
“Your husband was with Maliki?”
Tiffany gave the barest of nods. “Yes, he was traveling with Maliki to Rome to pay tribute. At that time, northern Italy had very large packs of werewolves. I mean whole villages. Since they knew each other, they traveled together for mutual protection and stopped in a cave after traveling for a week. Luckily for both, my husband put a very large boulder over the mouth of the cave. That’s what woke Maliki. Herotho was sleeping deeper in the cave in case it held another entrance.”
A shiver ran down Besseta’s spine. “I think that falls way beyond luck,” she admitted in a low voice.
“I do as well,” Tiffany smiled. “If she had taken Herotho, I would’ve started one of your crusades against the incubi and succubi.”
“I never knew you even mingled with other vampires,” Besseta confessed.
“Rarely but I do,” Tiffany replied. “I met you, didn’t I?”
Remembering the encounter, Besseta smiled. “Yes you did. You know I almost took off running when you made that knight’s armor crush him.”
“Me?” Tiffany gasped. “You kept saying, ‘I know what they’re thinking, and we can’t go that way.’ I really thought you were crazy until you asked that monk where the key to the library was and he didn’t answer. Then you casually walked over to a desk and picked up the key.”
“I’m glad you stayed with me,” Besseta admitted. “I really needed a friend then.”
“I did as well,” Tiffany smiled. “Even if you didn’t listen to me about Bereno,” she chided.
Letting out a long groan, Besseta complained, “You just had to bring that up.”
“I told you he was a first-class ass,” Tiffany reminded her. Glancing over, Tiffany saw disappointment on Besseta’s face. “It was a mistake, Besseta. Everyone makes them. You didn’t make the same mistake, so let it go.”
A grin slowly came to Besseta’s face. “Kenneth is great, isn’t he?” she asked.
Tiffany chuckled. “Yes, he is,” she answered. “I didn’t tell him he was an ass when I met him, did I?”
Images of Bereno’s face and reaction to the first time Tiffany met him as she called him a jackass popped in Besseta’s mind, making her laugh. “Bereno didn’t take that very well, did he?” she noted.
“I was hoping he would attack so I could save you some anguish down the road,” Tiffany admitted. “My only worry with Kenneth is he really sees you as a woman. Not that that is a bad thing, but I’m sure you two aren’t going to set up house. I know without a doubt he will put himself in unnecessary danger trying to protect you.”
As fast as laugher found Besseta, it disappeared and was replaced with worry. “I know, but he won’t listen. He treats me like I’m made of china glass. If he got hurt trying to foolishly protect me, I think I would die,” Besseta told Tiffany in a low voice.
“That is true love, Besseta. Don’t take this the wrong way, but it amazes me a human could show that commitment to one of us for only the purpose of love. I’ve seen some humans do it for the chance to turn, hoping for our extended life. But not Kenneth; he is willing to die protecting you just because he loves you,” Tiffany tried to explain to Besseta and herself.
Since she had thought the same thing, Besseta nodded. “I know. Sometimes, I wish he would at least be open to the change in case he did get hurt.”
“You know I talked to him about the change, right?” Tiffany asked. “I’m sorry, but I wanted to see his reaction. It didn’t make sense to me since the only family he has, really, is you. I’m not going to lie; if I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have agreed to the change. I can see his point of view; living forever has downs
ides.”
Propping her arm on the door, Besseta moved in the seat to get more comfortable. “Yes, he told me you two talked,” Besseta replied, “and I’m not going to lie. If I had been given the choice before the turn, I would’ve taken it, but going through the centuries without family changed my perspective. Knowing what I know now, until I met Kenneth, I would rather have just lived my life.”
“Try going several millennia,” Tiffany said in a low voice. “At one time, I cherished the time I had with Herotho, but now, without him, I’m not sure it has been worth it.”
Glancing over, Besseta asked, “You aren’t going to leave me, are you?”
A sparkle jumped in Tiffany’s eyes as a smile filled her face. “No, killing one’s self is a crime against nature. Life has and is a purpose. I have you now, and though I may not have always been beside you, I was never far,” Tiffany told her.
“Not saying you didn’t, but how could you keep track of me?” Besseta asked with curiosity. “Your house is several thousand miles away.”
“You were on the west coast is why I was there,” Tiffany replied, shocking Besseta. “I had just found out you were at your home and was getting ready to move to another house closer.”
“How?” Besseta asked, worried she was making a mistake that others could use to track her.
“I know you, Besseta, and your style. It isn’t hard to find an area where criminals are dying. As far as you coming home, there is a family that lives on the property next to you that get in touch with me when the house is occupied,” Tiffany explained. “I have to say when you go to less-developed countries, it is harder to keep track of you. I’m usually able to pinpoint you in a week after you move.”
Besseta was shocked. “I think you can give Kenneth a run for his money as a detective.”
“Hardly,” Tiffany smirked.
Satisfied her movements weren’t easily followed, Besseta just stared at the road as they drove in silence for some time. Finally breaking the quiet, she asked, “You think Kenneth will change his mind about turning?”
Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations Page 11