As much as I wish it. Moonlight doesn't belong to me. I like to come play in their sandbox.

Xxxxxxxx

Josef, where are you? Josef stops and holds a finger up to stop Cassie's prattle and waits to see if what he heard was his imagination or not. Josef starts to get an inch between his shoulder blades.

Lorenzo Castillo has been watching Josef and Beth all night. He laughs to himself as he thinks how stupid and foolish Josef has been to allow himself to feel so much for this woman. Anyone can see that she is his weak spot. All Lorenzo needs to do is watch and wait, and he will have the woman. When that happens, Kostan will do whatever Lorenzo wants to get her back. What Lorenzo wants is Josef's money and power.

Lorenzo has been staying in the deep shadows. Seeing Beth standing alone in the dark at the railing he had an overwhelming desire to speak to her. During the evening he has had enough small talk to hear a lot of catty remarks about her living arrangement. It's piqued his interest. He's also curious to see how she reacts to him. Since she tried to expose his business a few months ago with her news stories. At the time, he did nothing to stop it because he found it a useful way to clear his new enterprise of the old guard. He can tell she's young, and he wonders if she will be afraid of him.

Beth coolly nods to him. "Well, Mr. Castillo, it's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." When I was investigating your illegal business practices and hoping you'd go to jail. Beth does a mental shrug. How was she supposed to know he was a vamp?

Castillo watches her for signs of fear and gets angry when all he senses from her is disdain. His anger is joined by a sense of outrage at her lack of response to his presence. He's far older than she is. She should be suitably impressed. His rage begins to build as she stands there with her head cocked looking at him like he is a bug on the bottom of her shoe. How dare she!

Beth starts to move away from him. "I'm sorry to leave, but I must rejoin the party. It was nice meeting you Mr. Castillo."

He reaches out to grab her arm and completely misses her. Josef appears from thin air and moves Beth out of Castillo's reach. "Darling, you must introduce me to your new friend."

Lorenzo is surprised at how fast Kostan is at her side. He had not even heard her make a sound. Nonetheless Josef is there in the blink of an eye removing her from any contact Lorenzo tries to make.

Beth moves next to Josef and smiles sweetly at him. "This is Mr. Lorenzo Castillo, Mr. Castillo this is the host of this wonderful party, Josef Kostan."

Josef smiles a very predatory smile. "Nice to meet you Mr. Castillo." Josef turns to Beth. "Beth, would you go and get me a glass of AB negative?"

Beth knows Josef well enough to know that this isn't a request. This is one of those few times where she knows Josef expects her to do as he says. Beth smiles. He can expect anything he wants. Doesn't mean he's going to get it. Beth motions to one of the waiters. "Please get Mr. Kostan an AB negative."

Josef glances at her with his body turned slightly so that Lorenzo can't see his face and gives her a scowl. Beth smiles. There will be words about this later, she's sure.

Josef turns back to Castillo. Causally he asks. "So, how are you enjoying the party?"

Lorenzo had not bargained on dealing with Josef tonight. Speaking to the woman was a stupid mistake. He had overplayed his hand. He tries to think of a way to throw Josef off balance.

"It is very nice. Some of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Josef notices Lorenzo glance at Beth. Lorenzo continues. "For instance, your companion here Ms. Turner, is it?" Beth nods. "Very beautiful. I am never opposed to looking at beautiful women. I even own a few." He says this very and watches Beth's eyes narrow at him. Castillo turns his attention to Josef. "I understand customs are different here, but I would buy her from you. I would pay you handsomely for such a beautiful young woman. Usually, I only buy humans, but I would make an exception in this case."

Beth starts to laugh. Her hand flies to her mouth to try to cover, but it's too late.

Lorenzo narrows his eyes at her and watches her. She will pay for laughing at him. "I'm so sorry." In a fit of giggles, she walks off.

Lorenzo hoped to anger the two of them, but for some reason the opposite has happened.

Josef smiles as he watches her go. That was not a smart thing to do, but he couldn't blame her. Josef looks at the man to see if he's serious or trying to get a reaction from him. Josef decides it's a bit of both. "She's not for sale at any price to anyone, ever. She has a very protective family that will kill anyone that lays a hand on her. I'm telling you this to give you fair warning." Josef wishes he had the cutlass he used on Lola. He would take care of this problem right here and now.

Lorenzo watches Josef and cannot detect any fear or anger as they speak of his woman. He seems amused by Lorenzo's request to buy her. His attitude is all very matter of fact. Lorenzo has misjudged the depth of Josef's involvement with her. Maybe she is little more than his whore. Lorenzo decides to push a little farther.

"In my country…."

Josef cuts him off, waving his hand dismissively. "Then go back to your country. This isn't it. That woman has a mind of her own. She also has two very overprotective vampires that will cut your head off without a second thought if you try to get anywhere near her."

Lorenzo looks off into the distance, trying to figure out how to get the upper hand. He had heard during evening of the arrangement that the three lovers have. This makes no sense to him. If Kostan cares for her then why share her, and if he doesn't then why defend her? He gives a mental shrug. Lorenzo decides to take another tack. "Mr. Kostan, two things. I let her weed out the men I wanted cleared out of my organization when she was writing an expose of my organization. I understand that at the time she didn't know I was a vampire; she does now. Keep her safe; keep her away from my business. Secondly, if she causes me trouble, I will do things to her that will make her wish that she had not been born."

Josef decides its time that Lorenzo understood who he is dealing with. Josef stares at Castillo and doesn't move a muscle until the younger vampire glances away.

Lorenzo feels the power rolling of Josef like it's a solid mass. He tries to stare him down, but Josef is the oldest vampire he's ever met, and he had no idea of his power until this minute. He realizes Josef has no need to make an exhibition of his power because he is so comfortable with it. Lorenzo wonders how old this vampire in front of him is. He must find out more.

No wonder he didn't intimidate the young woman. She is used to dealing with a vampire that dwarfed any other he had ever dealt with in age and power.

Josef gives him a cold dead stare and shakes his head. "If Beth had understood what an idiot you are, I'm sure she would not have bothered me when you approached her. You're a dead man. I don't know how yet, but I'm telling you now; you're a dead man walking. No one threatens a member of my family, and since I'm her sire, she is my family and she will always have my protection."

Lorenzo hears Josef's words and realizes he could end up dead where he stands right now. He decides to get the hell out of there. This has not gone the way he had intended at all. Josef is more formidable than Lorenzo had ever guessed. With false bravado, he tells Josef, "We will see."

Lorenzo turns and quickly walks towards the party with the intention of getting out of there. Josef keeps an eye on him by following him but not too closely. Josef spots one of his security people and motions to him.

"He's going for his car, I'm sure. Follow him but try not to let him know it. I want to know where he's headed and tell Al to have Beth's security move in next to her."

The man nods and takes off, talking into his headset to the rest of the team.

Lorenzo doesn't think Josef will upset the party by killing him here in his home, but he's not taking any chances. He heads down the stairs and tells the attendant which car is his. As he stands there waiting for them to bring up his car, he sees a woman arguing with her escort. He feels the power coming from her. He moves around her so he can glance at her face; she is very pretty. He realizes she is the woman that was having a conversation with Josef and his friends. He thought at the time that it did not look at all friendly. She dismisses her escort with a curt wave of her hand, and he leaves her.

Lorenzo figures he doesn't have anything to lose, if he doesn't make her any madder, so he approaches her. "Hello. May I be of some assistance?"

Coraline looks him over and starts to dismiss him but thinks better of it. "No, I'm fine. That imbecile that I came to this party with has no backbone. I can't believe I wasted my time on him."

Lorenzo gives her his most charming smile. "I don't believe we have been introduced. My name is Lorenzo Castillo." He takes her hand and kisses the back of it. If he can charm this powerful woman maybe she can help him get what he wants from Josef.

Coraline recognizes the name. She watches her three antagonists. She knows it was Beth who wrote the stories on this man's business a few months ago. "I'm Coraline. It's nice to meet a vampire of your reputation." She realizes he might be what she's looking for.

Lorenzo continues to try to charm her. "It is a shame your escort was not smart enough to know that true beauty needs to be guarded and protected. If I were your escort, no one would dare insult you. A woman of your beauty and stature should be revered."

Coraline gives him a speculative look. She knows she's being fed a line, but after the scene with Mick, Josef, and Beth maybe it's what she needs. Mick's voice echoes in her head; the words "that Beth is the only woman he ever loved," makes her sick. Coraline wants revenge on all three of them and what better way than to kill Beth. The thought of that smug bitch being at her mercy, makes Coraline smile. She needs a dupe to take the fall or Mick will carry out his threat. Even if she can kill him there is always Josef to contend with. The two of them looking for revenge, are not a force she would want to face.

Coraline thinks that this man could be the answer to her problem. If she could make him the fall guy..."Do you have a car here?"

Lorenzo smiles. "They have gone to get my car."

The attendant pulls up in a silver and black Mercedes. "Here it is now. Could I offer you a ride?"

Coraline smiles at him knowingly. "That is most generous of you. Thank you."

Lorenzo quickly walks around to the passenger's side and opens the door for her. Coraline slides in and Lorenzo gets in and they drive off into the night. Neither of them noticing the black Porsche following them as they pass through the gate.

Josef calls Mick. "I think I found out where your tail came from."

"Where?"

"Remember the name Lorenzo Castillo? Well, he wants to send a message to keep Beth away from him and his business. He threatened her tonight."

Josef hears Mick growl through the phone. "Exactly my reaction. Mick, we need to make sure he ends up without a head. He threatened her, after he offered to buy her from me. She laughed in his face for that, and he took it rather poorly."

"Josef, when you checked up on him earlier in the year did you get any information other than he's a vamp?"

"No, I wasn't looking for anything else. Because Tejada was human, I didn't have Ryder start looking into Castillo until Beth was knee deep in her story. I assumed that the business would go to another human. I was going to tell her Castillo is a vamp and stop her but then her sources dried up. She decided to let it go so I kept quiet and figured we could go over it she decided to revisit that story. I can tell you he feels like he's around two hundred twenty-five years old. I'm having him followed. Hopefully, security can find out where he's headed. Are you still being tailed?"

"Yes, but I have an idea about that. I'll let you know later, how it comes out."

"Sounds good. Let me know if you find anything out." Josef hangs up and returns to the party to find Beth.

Beth keeps looking up expectantly. She's started to worry about Josef. Not two minutes after she left him on the balcony, two of his security guys moved in and have been making small talk with her. They are trying to look like something other than bodyguards, which is ridiculous.

Mick flips open is phone for a call. "Victoria, it's Mick. I need a big favor if you're in the area." Mick outlines what he needs and says Josef will pick up the tab for a double body cleanup in return.

"Give me ten minutes to get me and the boys into position."

Mick winds through the industrial area of the city, looking for a signal from Victoria. He sees the signal from one of her guys. he moves to drive down the narrow lane that is fenced in by warehouses on each side. He comes to the corner and as he passes a large black van moves to block the road. Another moves in behind the car that is following Mick, and the car is penned in. Victoria's people need to just stay out of the way and not get involved beyond moving the vans into place.

Mick walks back towards the car with a leather pouch in one hand and a gun loaded with silver bullets in the other. Mick motions for the man to get out of the car. The man gets out and Mick can smell that he's a vampire. If Mick had to guess, he would say they are about the same age. The man slides out of the car with his hands up. Mick flips him around, so his hands are behind him and puts the silver laced handcuffs on him. "I wouldn't strain against those cuffs much if I were you. If they cut into your wrists the silver is going to hurt like hell."

"Well, I'm not talking," the man says.

"Fine, with me. It's not my job to make you talk. That I'll leave up to Josef." Mick says

The man looks a little surprised and worried. Josef's reputation precedes him. Mick shoves him into the back seat of the Benz and goes over to thank Victoria. "Thanks. I needed this one alive." They shake hands and Mick drives back to Josef's.

Mick enters the gate and keeps going to the back of the mansion. Mick flips out the phone and calls Al. "I managed to corral my tail, and I've got him in the back of the Benz. Where can I stash him until tomorrow night?"

"Meet me down at the security office. After what Lola did, we had a vamp holding cell put in. You know, if we could have held her, there would be a whole lot more people alive." Mick pulls down the drive to the security office and waits for Al.

"Can you keep him on ice until tomorrow night? Josef and I both have some questions for him." Al grabs the guy out of the back of Mick's car and takes him to the cell.

"Sure. No problem."

Mick heads for the house.

Beth watches Josef walk across the ballroom to her. He motions to her security and they move away. Beth wraps her arms around him and kisses him. "I've been looking for you." Josef kisses the top of her head. "I'm right here and everything is fine." Josef wants to talk to her about her mentally yelling for him earlier but it's going to have to wait.

Mick goes to find Robert. He finds him in Josef's study. Robert glances up. "The least you could do is let them have this last night alone."

Mick shakes his head. "I'm trying, that's why I'm here talking to you instead of Josef. Robert, there is trouble, but it's contained for tonight. I want you to let Josef know that the guy that was tailing me is in the security office locked up tight. Tell him there is no reason to mess with him until tomorrow night. Considering the threat against Beth and the man locked up in the holding cell, I may as well come back tomorrow night."

Mick turns to leave and hears Robert. "You know, I've never seen him as happy is he has been this last year."

Mick doesn't want to get into this with Robert but doesn't see how to avoid it. "Robert, this was Josef's idea. He was the one that came up with it, not me. Is it better than the way it was before? Sure, especially for me. I won't deny that. I'm tired of having to justify our choices to other people. You and I used to be friends and I hate to lose you as one over this."

Mick turns to leave and hears Robert sigh. "Mick it's not a deal breaker, but I want you to be patient if Josef is not particularly happy to see her leave, even for a year. He loves Beth. More than I think he even realized until the three of you made this arrangement, and he had to face her going away."

Mick nods and leaves the mansion.

xxxxxxxx

Beth watches as the last of the party guests finally say their farewells.

Josef walks over to Beth's security detail, thanks them and tells them to go find Al and tell him that they are relieved for the night. Beth wraps her arms around him and lets out a sigh of contentment. She looks up at him. "So, what would you like to do now?" Even as she asks the question, she can see the love and desire in his eyes. Beth takes his hand and they walk up the stairs to their room.

Josef grabs the remote off the table and clicks on the stereo. He would much rather dance on the terrace with her. First, he needs to find out if she called him tonight. He needs to know if it was his paranoia letting him know she was in trouble with Castillo. "Beth, you remember when you were out on the terrace with Castillo?"

She shrugs and nods at him. "Sure."

"Did you call me?" He asks

"No. You were just there. You were in the other part of the house. How could I have called you?"

He taps her forehead. "I think you called me from your mind."

Now Beth is confused. "I'm not sure what you're getting at."

Come here and sit with me. He guides her to the couch, and they sit down together. "Close your eyes and concentrate on my name. Then call me only don't use your voice."

Beth closes her eyes. Josef

He winces but smiles. "Not so loud."

Beth looks at him in amazement. "You heard that, like, what telepathy?"

Yes, baby just like telepathy.

She hears his voice in her head and laughs. "That is so cool. How come you didn't tell me vampires can do this? Can you and Mick talk like this? Can I talk to Mick like this? This is wild."

He grins at her excitement. "Not all vampires are telepathic. I have a certain amount of talent in that direction and I'm your sire but I'm not telepathic, I can't do this with Mick. You can try this with him, I have a hunch because of his talents it will work but warn him before you do it the first time. No surprises with something like this." He pauses for a moment. "Beth this is important, for now, let's keep this to a minimum. Let's not advertise your ability. The more surprises an enemy gets the better off you're going to be if you're in trouble." She nods her agreement knowing he's right. "Beth, you're going to need training to improve. Don't try to speak like this to humans. You'll freak them out, and you could damage them. Don't try this with strange vampires, you never know what their reaction might be. For now, it's best if you practice with me and Mick."

She grins at him. Sounds good to me. I have an idea. She reaches over and loosens his tie.

His eyes heat with desire. I like the way your mind works.

Xxxxxxx

Comments are always welcome.