Beating Hearts

by Lucretia Stanhope

  When the nausea passed, she stood up and brushed her teeth. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, trying to bring herself back to the present and out of the horrible memories.

  “It's okay, Nick is here,” she said to herself. Nick would never let Warren near her again.

  She slowly walked back downstairs. The fire warmed her as she circled the box, like it might bite her. Her eyes looked down at the vile thing, her whole body trembled. Her head turned and she looked at the time, there were still hours before Nick would be up. She had to hold it together. Had to watch the place.

  After she peered outside, she sat down at her computer, and looked at the email again. Now she wondered if she should respond, maybe she could find out what his intentions were.

  To kill you both, don't be an idiot.

  They had to go somewhere safe. She wondered if anywhere would be safe. Had he tracked them because he was connected to them both, or some other way?

  She didn't do anything other than think, and alternate between staring at her email, and staring at the box on the floor. When Nick came out she was sitting on the lounger, looking down at the box. She looked over to him, and was glad to see he looked even better than he had the night before.

  “Evening my beautiful lover. How was your day?” He walked over, sat beside her and leaned in to kiss her neck.

  “You look much better, and you didn't go straight for the kitchen, that must be a good sign, right?”

  He took one of her hands and wrapped both of his around it, and kissed her fingers. “Your touch is magical medicine. Seems making love to you was all I needed. I should be better in no time,” he said, and then noticed her hand trembling in his. “Kate, what is it? What happened today?”

  He put one hand on each of her shoulders, turned to her and searched her face.

  “What if there were a good reason to get you better faster? Can you be better now? Can we do anything to speed it up?”

  “Sweetheart, I already told you we are not doing that, besides I am feeling much better. One more day perhaps. Why? What happened?”

  She pulled away from him and looked down. “He, Warren, he knows, Nick. He knows where we are.”

  He reached for her, and pulled her back to him. “I imagined he would eventually. We will be ready. I won't let him hurt you.”

  “Not eventually. We are out of time. He knows now,” she said, and fought back another wave of nausea.

  “What happened?”

  “He sent flowers yesterday, here to the house, for me. I wasn't too worried about that, but today… today that came.” She pointed at the box and handed him the card.

  Nick looked at the card and his eyes flashed with anger. “I see.” He leaned back in the lounger.

  “I was going to tell you about the flowers, but after we made love I drifted off. I'm sorry. I haven't been able to think clearly since I saw that medallion.”

  Nick leaned forward and looked in the box. He knew exactly what it was. He closed his eyes and then got up, walking toward the kitchen.

  She followed. “I should have told you yesterday, as soon as you woke,” she said, watching him at the fridge.

  “Sweetheart, I am not upset with you. I am going to go take care of Warren. I need you to stay here.” He looked at her with serious, scary eyes.

  “No, you can't. You are not better. What is your plan?”

  “My plan is to kill him. Then I will come home and live happily ever after with you.”

  “That is not a well thought out plan. Isn't that what you told me when I had a similar one?”

  “Jesus, Kate, I can't have him sending people here while I sleep, to harass you. It's my job to protect you. Did they hand deliver this?” he asked, and paused.

  She nodded.

  “They could have grabbed you. They could have dragged you back to him, back to god only knows what.” His mind flooded with rage, but she was right, he couldn't just take off after Warren. He would lose in the shape he was in, and if that happened, no one would be there to protect her.

  “Yes, I know that, but even so, we have to be smart and stay together, Nick. After what happened the last time, you can't go alone. If that happened again. What are we going to do? Did he find us from being connected to us with blood?”

  “No, I would have felt him if he were close enough to track me. He has resources, he probably could have easily found me other ways.”

  “So we can just stay at a hotel then and be safe?”

  “We are not going to live in a hotel. He is not here, I would know. This may just be his way of trying to bait me back, bait me away from you even, which was my first response.”

  “I know he didn't like me, but this all seems too extreme.”

  “Everything is extreme with vampires. If he knows you are here, with me, and that I care about you, he will want you as a way to hurt me. He is as spiteful as they come.” Nick pulled his phone from his pocket and toyed with the idea of a call.

  “What are we going to do?”

  He took her hand and pulled her to him. “I am going to protect you my love, with everything I have to give, I will protect you.”

  She nestled into his arms, as always, just being close to him made it seem like everything was going to be okay.

  They walked outside, and sat on the swing, looking at the sky, and listening to the sounds of the night.

  “I almost forgot, he emailed me. Do you think I should write him back, see if he is just trying to scare me?”

  “He may play games, but underneath that he is always serious, and if he is trying to scare you it is only the start. He will follow through.”

  “Well that doesn't make me feel better, or answer my question.”

  “I can't see what you engaging him might accomplish.”

  “It might distract him, buy time while you get stronger and while we think about how to isolate him from his thugs.”

  He leaned in to her and kissed her, feeling her warmth, enjoying her taste. “No, my love. You don't bait an impatient monster, especially not one that really bites.”

  “But if I did, maybe I could piss him off and he would come here alone.”

  “We don't want him any more pissed than he already is about me killing Teddy. Alone or not, he is dangerous. I have fought him before, and not won.”

  “What if the same thing happens again and there is no winner?”

  “I should think this time there has to be a winner. We seemed to have crossed the line of walking away.”

  “He scares me. Not much has scared me in my life, but he is evil,” she said, and leaned closer, cuddling into his side.

  “He is not going to lay another finger on you. Let's go in, lay by the fire, you need sleep,” he said, and stood.

  They walked in together, and he sat down, letting her rest her head in his lap. He stroked her hair and face as he watched her fight and lose to the call of sleep. He knew he wasn't ready for Warren yet, and that made him feel angry and helpless. She had been right, he could not go now, not tonight, not until he was one hundred percent better. If he lost to Warren they would both suffer. Suffering was Warren's specialty.

  “What should I do tomorrow,” she asked, in a sleepy voice.

  “Just stay inside. While you are sleeping tonight I will make the house safer. I am also going to leave the shotgun out for you. It will be loaded. Have you fired a gun before?”

  “Yes,” she said, and leaned into him, relaxing and closing her eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  W arren listened as the man he sent to Nick's, reported back. It pleased him to hear about Kate’s terrified response, he wished he could have seen that himself. Even though his gifts had the effect he desired, he still felt unsettled. He imagined Nick would have given some sort of reaction and assumed he must still be struggling from his fight with Teddy.

  If Warren knew how everyone was connected, it would have made his next move easier to decide on. All he could gather was that Kate meant s
omething to Nick, something that kept him from biting her, which was rare. Even when vampires took human lovers, they still bit them. Then there was Paul, who was somehow complicit in the whole thing as well.

  He wanted to kill Nick and tie that up for good, but he also couldn't pass up the chance to get a little payback first and make him suffer.

  “What are they doing now?” Warren asked.

  “He's out in the yard, been walking around, closing the window shutters. Looks like he is preparing for the storm.” The man watched Nick through his binoculars from a safe distance.

  Warren gave orders for the next day and hung up, still puzzling over things.

  He looked out at the club floor, business was still good and it was too busy to just walk away from at that point. He thought about calling Nick, to see where his mind was, maybe bait him back and save himself the trouble of going to get him. He had never been one to play games, but when it came to Nick, the hate made him want to hold off action in the event there was more fun to be had.

  N ick circled the house and looked to make sure he addressed the vulnerable spots. It only needed to get them through another day or two, and then he would settle things with Warren.

  He pulled out his phone a hundred times, each time he put it back in his pocket. If he thought a diplomatic solution could be had, he would take it. Nick was willing to pay any amount to take the fear out of Kate's eyes. He didn't see Warren relenting, not after Teddy. Not with the history they shared, not for any price, especially not when there was the possibility of causing him deeper pain.

  He was startled when the phone rang, it was listed as a private number, but he knew who it was. It seemed they might be more connected than he thought, even though he knew they could not really read minds, not even when they had a blood connection.

  “Warren,” he said, trying not to growl.

  “Nick, it really is hurtful you didn't stop to say hello while you were in town,” Warren said, with a pretentious tone. “I would have thought for old time sake we could have gone out for a nip.”

  “Cut the shit. What do you want?”

  “I have a question or two. Let's start with what your beef with Teddy was, shall we? I am truly puzzled.”

  “He's got bad manners,” Nick said, coldly.

  Warren laughed. “That he does. However, he was mine. My profit margin relied on him. You are now in my debt it seems.”

  Nick sighed, he was going to offer, even though he knew it wouldn't be accepted. “I am willing to pay a fair price. How much do you think I owe you?”

  Warren made a clicking sound with his tongue. “I've had a think, Nick, and I'll forgive all, leave you alone to sulk in rural obscurity for a very insignificant trade.”

  Nick knew what he was getting at. “What's the cash price, Warren?”

  “I'd like Kate.”

  “That's not an option,” Nick said.

  “No? I still hear her sweet little heart beating. Why is that, Nick?”

  “She is not for sale.”

  “I should have known she was yours, you always did bring me the sweetest toys. I wish you had told me. I would have shown her a much better time.”

  “What else do you want? I will see you get it, so long as you leave us alone.” Nick just needed the prick to give him a few more days, just a few days to be strong enough to drain him and send him back to hell.

  “I mean to have Kate. I must know why you haven't yet? Tell me, Nick, what is she to you?”

  “It doesn't concern you.”

  “I think it does. Did she tell you I tasted her? Have you even tasted her yet? No, or she wouldn't still be in my head with that pattering little heart, begging to be ripped out.”

  Nick bit back what he wanted to say, fought the urge to get in the car and go handle him now. Why did he have to be weak still? The fates were playing games, making him suffer for all his past sins.

  “Nick? While I do love chatting, I have things to do. Bring her to me, and then we can talk about a job opening I have for you, newly emptied as you already know.”

  “Ha!” Nick laughed. “When you decide what you want, call again. No more flowers, no more emails, and no more jewelry. Kate is mine.”

  When he hung up, he regretted letting Warren bait him. Pushing buttons seemed to be something he was well practiced at. On the upside, it didn't sound like he was in a hurry to settle things, so there might be enough time to ambush him.

  As he took a last walk around, ordered more blood, and checked in on Kate obsessively, he fought with the idea that he could go to town and kill.

  The fresh blood would heal him and he could do the world a favor by ridding it of Warren. His victim would have died for a good cause, but could he justify it? Would it make him no better than the monster he sought to destroy?

  K ate woke to another love note on the floor. She smiled and got dressed, feeling better that Nick was now aware of what was going on, and he did seem to be getting better each day. Her mind drifted to the medallion, and all the people at the club. Soon, she thought, we will help them soon.

  She decided that today she would be ready if Warren sent another of his gifts. She was not going to sit around and cry, playing the victim. She looked all over the house for a suitable weapon, but found none.

  Nick had closed the windows and left a shotgun, but she wasn't sure she could actually shoot anyone, so she walked outside to what looked like a shed-turned-workshop.

  She rummaged around, and found a few axes, but thought they might be a bit gruesome. She finally settled on a heavy metal pipe, it wasn't a baseball bat, but it was a heavy enough pipe, and it would work like one. As she weighted it in her hand, she thought it might even be better than a bat, and felt like she was more likely to use it than a gun.

  Even with her metal beating stick, as she had started to think of it, she still felt vulnerable. She checked the windows a few times, made sure they were indeed closed tight, and tried to settle into photo editing. Even though she wanted to take some new pictures, she didn't want to be caught outside should that black van show up again.

  Her mind constantly drifted back to the club, she was going to have to go back. She just couldn't let a place like this go on. If this was a rampant problem in big cities it needed to be exposed. She did have a small purse camera she had packed. Something told her she would need everything, she laughed a little, thinking back to how long ago that seemed.

  She was adding wood to the fire when she heard the sound of the gravel under tires. It felt hazy like a dream as she walked to the door. Her beater stick rested on the frame. She recalled Nick asked her to stay inside, but she didn't want to walk around terrified every day while he slept, and knew they needed to be proactive.

  After she cracked the door and stepped halfway out, she watched as the same man as before approached.

  “You should leave,” she said.

  “Warren sends his best wishes, Kate.” He walked up the steps, and reached out with a small box.

  She looked at the box, through the clear lid she could see what was inside. As her eyes fixed on the pin, she felt her bravery leave. All she could do was stare silently at it.

  “He wanted you to know that the little prick he gave you, was just the beginning.”

  The man smiled, and she felt bile rising in her throat. She reached out and took the box, which she dropped from her trembling hand.

  Focus, Kate!

  The man laughed at her, smiled a wicked grin and when he turned to walk away, she pulled out her beater and swung. It hit him in the back of the head and he spun around, looking at her with shocked eyes.

  She swung again, terrified that he might still have the strength to grab her or hit her. The metal connected with the side of his head and a small trickle of blood started to drip from his nose. He fell forward and she stepped back out of the way.

  Once she was sure he was out, she reached down and felt to see if she had killed him.

  He still had a pulse.
/>   She ran inside and grabbed some duct tape from the kitchen drawer.

  When she got back to the porch, she taped his hands together and then his feet. Then she dragged him inside, slowly. He was so heavy that she had to take a few breaks before she was able to get him fully in the house.

  Once she had him inside, she taped his hands some more and then taped his hands and feet together. She wound two rolls of tape around him, because she was petrified of what he would do to her when he woke up, if he could get out. Especially if he woke up before Nick did.

  “You are going to die bitch,” the man said, in a groggy voice.

  She had been in the kitchen, nervously drinking water, and walked slowly back to where he was, peering into the room to make sure he was still bound. “Hello. I'm sorry I had to hit you.”

  “You are going to be sorry,” he said, a little more clearly.

  She watched as he struggled against the tape. “Why do you keep coming here? What does Warren want?” she asked, walking fully into the room.

  “He is going to kill you slowly while your dead boyfriend watches.”

  She walked over and kicked him. “That is not going to happen.” She was so angry, angry for all the people that Warren had sent off to die, and angry that he had taken her dignity, and was trying to again. She kicked him repeatedly, trying to feel better, but she did not.

  He laughed at her and spat at her feet. “I hope I am there to watch you suffer too.”

  She went and got another roll of tape to cover his mouth and came back. She stood over him looking down at him. “What does Warren want with me?”

  “He is going to hurt you in ways you never knew you could hurt, you fucking bitch.”

  She ripped off another piece of tape and put it over his mouth.

  He struggled and wiggled, trying to get free.

  She checked the time, Nick would be up soon and he could decide what to do with the henchman.

  She sat back at her desk and tried to work on pictures but her mind went back to the pin. She looked down at her finger, where there once had been so much pain. Remembering the pin, she stood up and hurried outside, and looked around the porch looking for the little box. It was sitting, broken, just at the edge of the porch near the steps. She leaned down and picked it up. Her hand trembled, threatening to drop it again, she wrapped her fingers tight around it and brought it inside.