CHAPTER 28
"Richie … I need you to do something for me." Duncan said in a low voice as they stood in the
foyer, having just put Esperanza in a cab.
"You want me to keep a watch on the house?" he asked, but Duncan shook his head. "No …
Adam has it covered, for tonight anyway … but I'm a little concerned about Claudia."
"Claudia?"
"Mitchell knows a lot about Beth and about us … and right now we have all of our resources
around Beth ... but Claudia is vulnerable. She can't protect herself and it would be just like
Mitchell to go after her to prove that he can."
Richie didn't disagree. It made sense, but he hated to leave Beth with only Adam to protect her
since Duncan had said he and Amanda were going back to Joe's and then his place to get some
rest so they could spell Adam the next day.
"I'm calling Claudia … she has a suite and I won't take no for an answer from her. You are
staying with her." Duncan stated. "And Richie … I know you can take Mitchell … he knows it too.
He will try to use your emotions against you. Don't listen to him … just fight your fight and let him
waste his breath jabbering … it means nothing."
Richie nodded.
The two of them walked back into the main room where Beth was complaining that she would
much rather have Adam's beer than the cup of decaffeinated lemon tea.
Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't make the rules … believe me I would get you a whole
case if you could have it."
"I think it would take a case for me to unwind enough to think about sleeping." Beth admitted.
"We're going to leave now … but we'll be back tomorrow." Duncan said as he helped Amanda
with her jacket.
"Ok … please be careful." Beth said as she went to hug both of them. "And thank you again … I
don't know what I'd do …"
"You don't have to find out." Duncan replied, giving her a squeeze.
"I'm going too." Richie said. "Can I get a lift?" he asked and Duncan told him no problem.
Beth gave him a hug and he told her not to worry …"Get some sleep Beth … It won't help if you
let yourself run down while this guy plays his games."
She nodded and said she would try.
Adam watched the three of them get in MacCleod's car before closing the door and making sure
the dead bolts were in place. He and Duncan had gone around the house checking the other
windows and doors earlier, but he made one more pass of the lower level to be certain the house
was as secure as they could make it.
When he came back into the living room, only one lamp was lit. Beth had curled up in one of the
chairs with a blanket, Barkley was sleeping at her feet and there was a fire in the fireplace.
"You should go up to bed." He told her, but she shook her head.
"I can't sleep … and if you insist on staying here on the sofa instead of going up to your room … I
feel safer down here … with you." She admitted.
He looked over at the sofa where she'd laid a pillow and blanket out for him.
"At least take the sofa … I'll be fine in the chair." He replied, but she shook her head.
"Nope." Her chin set defiantly. "You're too tall to be comfortable in this chair and you'll be stiff in
the morning."
Adam frowned. "Beth."
"Adam I'll do anything you ask to keep myself safe … anything." She looked at him directly. "But
I won't take the sofa."
He could see she wouldn't budge. Adam went upstairs to change into sweat pants and a t-shirt,
grabbing a pillow off his bed … knowing without it she'd have a crick in her neck the next
morning.
Beth thanked him for the pillow and snuggled into the chair, her feet tucked up beneath her as he
turned off the last lamp, leaving the room bathed in the glow of the fireplace.
"Good night Beth." He said, pulling the blanket up over his body.
"Good night Adam." She replied, watching as he settled into the deep leather sofa.
Almost an hour later, the fire was burning low and Beth could hear Adam's even breathing.
Thinking he was finally asleep, she pulled an arm out from under her … shaking the sleeping limb
until she could feel her fingers again.
"I didn't think you could sleep in that chair any better than I could." She heard Adam say, looking
over to find him propped on one elbow … watching her with amusement.
"It's fine … I just …"
"Come here Beth." Adam ordered softly. He'd rolled on one side and scooted deep against the
back of the sofa. He patted the empty space in front of him.
Beth hesitated. "I'll crowd you …"
"It's better than staying awake all night wondering what limb you're going to be shaking awake
next." Adam replied with a smirk. "Unless you are going to go upstairs to bed where you should
have been an hour ago."
Beth returned the smile. He had a point. But she was not going upstairs … she knew if she did
she wouldn't get to sleep … or if she did … she feared the nightmares would return.
She slipped off the chair and padded in her sock feet over to the sofa, letting Adam hold the
blanket up while she laid down, turning her back to him. Once the blanket was tucked around
them, Adam's arm slipped around her waist … holding her in place.
"Adam" her voice sounding so small in the quiet room.
"Yes"
"Whatever it is you haven't told me … it's ok." She said. "I trust you and I know you would tell me
if I needed to know."
Adam took a deep breath, unable to miss the fragrance of her hair laying so close on the pillow.
"Don't let what he said get to you … It's what he wants." Adam replied.
"I just wanted you to know." She said, snuggling deeper into the pillow.
For a long time Adam lay awake. Every day it seemed this woman was finding a new way to get
to him. Just when he thought he had her figured out and could keep the walls of his heart above
her grasp … she does something else to catch him off guard.
And now this …
Most women would be climbing the walls if they knew someone was keeping a secret …
especially if their enemy was privy to it. But Beth had basically taken it in stride and trusted him
to do what he needed to … even if that meant keeping a secret from her.
Hearing her breathing become steady, he lifted his head to look down into her sleeping face. He
could see how her brow furrowed … probably still feeling the stress of the night. She moved a
little, making a soft sound of distress. He stroked her hair back from her face, trying to soothe her
as she slept. In a few minutes her face relaxed … and so did he, pulling her tighter against his
body, Methos finally let himself drift off.
Outside in the back garden … just out of range where he could be detected, Blake Mitchell
grinned wryly. This was good … this was better than they had imagined. Devan would be very
pleased with this development … and he would be anxious to get to Seacouver as soon as
possible.
"Richie … I need you to do something for me." Duncan said in a low voice as they stood in the
foyer, having just put Esperanza in a cab.
"You want me to keep a watch on the house?" he asked, but Duncan shook his head. "No …
Adam has it covered, for tonight anyway … but I'm a little concerned about Claudia."
"Claudia?"
"Mitchell knows a lot about Beth and about us … and right now we have all of our resources
around Beth ... but Claudia is vulnerable. She can't protect herself and it would be just like
Mitchell to go after her to prove that he can."
Richie didn't disagree. It made sense, but he hated to leave Beth with only Adam to protect her
since Duncan had said he and Amanda were going back to Joe's and then his place to get some
rest so they could spell Adam the next day.
"I'm calling Claudia … she has a suite and I won't take no for an answer from her. You are
staying with her." Duncan stated. "And Richie … I know you can take Mitchell … he knows it too.
He will try to use your emotions against you. Don't listen to him … just fight your fight and let him
waste his breath jabbering … it means nothing."
Richie nodded.
The two of them walked back into the main room where Beth was complaining that she would
much rather have Adam's beer than the cup of decaffeinated lemon tea.
Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't make the rules … believe me I would get you a whole
case if you could have it."
"I think it would take a case for me to unwind enough to think about sleeping." Beth admitted.
"We're going to leave now … but we'll be back tomorrow." Duncan said as he helped Amanda
with her jacket.
"Ok … please be careful." Beth said as she went to hug both of them. "And thank you again … I
don't know what I'd do …"
"You don't have to find out." Duncan replied, giving her a squeeze.
"I'm going too." Richie said. "Can I get a lift?" he asked and Duncan told him no problem.
Beth gave him a hug and he told her not to worry …"Get some sleep Beth … It won't help if you
let yourself run down while this guy plays his games."
She nodded and said she would try.
Adam watched the three of them get in MacCleod's car before closing the door and making sure
the dead bolts were in place. He and Duncan had gone around the house checking the other
windows and doors earlier, but he made one more pass of the lower level to be certain the house
was as secure as they could make it.
When he came back into the living room, only one lamp was lit. Beth had curled up in one of the
chairs with a blanket, Barkley was sleeping at her feet and there was a fire in the fireplace.
"You should go up to bed." He told her, but she shook her head.
"I can't sleep … and if you insist on staying here on the sofa instead of going up to your room … I
feel safer down here … with you." She admitted.
He looked over at the sofa where she'd laid a pillow and blanket out for him.
"At least take the sofa … I'll be fine in the chair." He replied, but she shook her head.
"Nope." Her chin set defiantly. "You're too tall to be comfortable in this chair and you'll be stiff in
the morning."
Adam frowned. "Beth."
"Adam I'll do anything you ask to keep myself safe … anything." She looked at him directly. "But
I won't take the sofa."
He could see she wouldn't budge. Adam went upstairs to change into sweat pants and a t-shirt,
grabbing a pillow off his bed … knowing without it she'd have a crick in her neck the next
morning.
Beth thanked him for the pillow and snuggled into the chair, her feet tucked up beneath her as he
turned off the last lamp, leaving the room bathed in the glow of the fireplace.
"Good night Beth." He said, pulling the blanket up over his body.
"Good night Adam." She replied, watching as he settled into the deep leather sofa.
Almost an hour later, the fire was burning low and Beth could hear Adam's even breathing.
Thinking he was finally asleep, she pulled an arm out from under her … shaking the sleeping limb
until she could feel her fingers again.
"I didn't think you could sleep in that chair any better than I could." She heard Adam say, looking
over to find him propped on one elbow … watching her with amusement.
"It's fine … I just …"
"Come here Beth." Adam ordered softly. He'd rolled on one side and scooted deep against the
back of the sofa. He patted the empty space in front of him.
Beth hesitated. "I'll crowd you …"
"It's better than staying awake all night wondering what limb you're going to be shaking awake
next." Adam replied with a smirk. "Unless you are going to go upstairs to bed where you should
have been an hour ago."
Beth returned the smile. He had a point. But she was not going upstairs … she knew if she did
she wouldn't get to sleep … or if she did … she feared the nightmares would return.
She slipped off the chair and padded in her sock feet over to the sofa, letting Adam hold the
blanket up while she laid down, turning her back to him. Once the blanket was tucked around
them, Adam's arm slipped around her waist … holding her in place.
"Adam" her voice sounding so small in the quiet room.
"Yes"
"Whatever it is you haven't told me … it's ok." She said. "I trust you and I know you would tell me
if I needed to know."
Adam took a deep breath, unable to miss the fragrance of her hair laying so close on the pillow.
"Don't let what he said get to you … It's what he wants." Adam replied.
"I just wanted you to know." She said, snuggling deeper into the pillow.
For a long time Adam lay awake. Every day it seemed this woman was finding a new way to get
to him. Just when he thought he had her figured out and could keep the walls of his heart above
her grasp … she does something else to catch him off guard.
And now this …
Most women would be climbing the walls if they knew someone was keeping a secret …
especially if their enemy was privy to it. But Beth had basically taken it in stride and trusted him
to do what he needed to … even if that meant keeping a secret from her.
Hearing her breathing become steady, he lifted his head to look down into her sleeping face. He
could see how her brow furrowed … probably still feeling the stress of the night. She moved a
little, making a soft sound of distress. He stroked her hair back from her face, trying to soothe her
as she slept. In a few minutes her face relaxed … and so did he, pulling her tighter against his
body, Methos finally let himself drift off.
Outside in the back garden … just out of range where he could be detected, Blake Mitchell
grinned wryly. This was good … this was better than they had imagined. Devan would be very
pleased with this development … and he would be anxious to get to Seacouver as soon as
possible.