CHAPTER 57
Cassandra appeared more interested in getting to know Beth than causing trouble over dinner,
which only made Adam worry even more about her plans. She was definitely up to something,
and he wondered how long it would be before they could get her out of here and away from Beth.
Duncan and Amanda did their best to keep the conversation from steering into dangerous
territory, and Joe, who was not a man who hid his feelings easily, glared at the uninvited guest
throughout dinner. He didn't have any patience with these games, especially when he knew they
were intended to hurt his friends.
"That was a fantastic meal." Richie said to Beth and Claudia as everyone moved to clear the
table before having desert in the living room.
Joe had only just taken a piece of the cake Beth made especially for him, when his cell phone
rang. He excused himself, but in only a couple of minutes he called Adam and Duncan aside.
"Devan is definitely in town. One of the Watchers I had keeping an eye out for him says Devan
and a couple of men, including a young immortal that we don't have a line on yet, are working out
of a warehouse flat on the docks. He said there was a lot of activity there last night, but won't get
any closer."
"This is our chance." Adam said to Duncan, who nodded.
"I'm coming with you." Joe told them. "I may be able to get more out of him in person."
They walked back into the main room and as soon as Duncan said they needed to take care of
something, Beth's face fell. She knew it was about Devan and although she knew eventually
Adam or Duncan would end up confronting the immortal, it didn't make it easier knowing it could
be today.
"You'll be careful?" she asked as she walked with Adam to the door, waiting until he'd put on his
coat and checked the sword in the lining before wrapping her arms around his waist and burying
her face in the neck of his shirt.
"I'll do what I have to do Beth." He replied, stroking her back. "Please try not to worry. You'll be
safe here with Richie and Amanda." He tried not to think about leaving her here with Cassandra.
Duncan had promised to have Amanda keep a lid on things, but if this weren't their first and
possibly only opportunity to surprise Devan, he would never leave and allow the woman who
hated him so passionately to be so close to Beth.
"We need to go Adam." Duncan called from the doorway. Joe was already in the van.
"Save me some of that cake." Adam said as he cupped her chin and kissed her tenderly before
following Duncan out the door.
Beth stood with Amanda at the door, watching the van until it disappeared around the corner.
"Would someone tell me what's going on?" Cassandra asked, and Amanda nodded to Richie, not
seeing how it would make any difference either way if she knew.
He gave her the short version of how Beth's husband had been killed by Asher Devan and now
he was out to seek his revenge on her. "This is the first real lead we've had on him since he
escaped."
"I'm sorry." Cassandra said to Beth, who had curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs, holding
one of the throw pillows tightly. "It must have been so difficult losing the man you love like that.
I've known violent loss myself, and it's never easy … especially in your condition."
"I've been fortunate to find friends who care." Beth replied, glancing at Richie, Amanda and
Claudia.
"And to find a man like Adam so quickly …" Cassandra said, assuming Beth's husband was only
recently deceased given her pregnancy.
Amanda and Claudia both bristled at the remark, and Beth was a little taken aback.
"I'm sorry … I'm feeling a little tired. I think I'm going to lie down for awhile." She said, calling for
Barkley to follow her upstairs.
"How could you be so tactless?" Amanda demanded as soon as she heard Beth's door close
upstairs.
"What? It is a little sudden don't you think? Or maybe the loss wasn't as devastating as she
would have you believe." Cassandra replied.
Richie wanted to strangle her for that remark. "You have no idea what she's been through. And
not that it's your business, but she did love her husband very much and he's been dead for over a
year."
Cassandra looked even more puzzled. "So who is the father?"
Amanda wished Richie hadn't told her anything. This really wasn't Cassandra's business.
But Richie felt like he had to defend Beth and explained about the baby.
"So the child was conceived in love." Cassandra said more to herself than anyone else.
"It may not have been in the conventional way, but yes, that baby is a part of the love she shared
with her husband." Amanda replied. "And now she's found love with Adam, and if you have any
intention of causing trouble between them … don't. Because we all love Beth and we want to see
her happy." She stopped short of threatening Cassandra directly.
--------------
Across town, Duncan and Methos shook their heads. They were too late. Devan and his men
had already moved out of the flat, but not before leaving them a message, a message in blood.
"It looks like they've been dead for several hours." Duncan observed, being careful not to touch
anything as he stared at the mangled bodies of a young couple.
Adam was staring at the wall, cursing himself for not leading Devan halfway around the world and
away from Beth. His decision to stay with her had cost this couple their lives. He wondered how
many more would follow before they could stop him.
"One thing's for sure. He knows you are here." Duncan said as he read the message again.
Leandra loves Raphael was scrawled in blood on the bare wall.
"We should get out of here and let the police know where to find them." Duncan told Methos, who
hadn't said more than a few words since they stumbled onto the macabre scene. The place had
been cleared out and they hadn't found any clues that would lead them to Devan's new location.
Cassandra appeared more interested in getting to know Beth than causing trouble over dinner,
which only made Adam worry even more about her plans. She was definitely up to something,
and he wondered how long it would be before they could get her out of here and away from Beth.
Duncan and Amanda did their best to keep the conversation from steering into dangerous
territory, and Joe, who was not a man who hid his feelings easily, glared at the uninvited guest
throughout dinner. He didn't have any patience with these games, especially when he knew they
were intended to hurt his friends.
"That was a fantastic meal." Richie said to Beth and Claudia as everyone moved to clear the
table before having desert in the living room.
Joe had only just taken a piece of the cake Beth made especially for him, when his cell phone
rang. He excused himself, but in only a couple of minutes he called Adam and Duncan aside.
"Devan is definitely in town. One of the Watchers I had keeping an eye out for him says Devan
and a couple of men, including a young immortal that we don't have a line on yet, are working out
of a warehouse flat on the docks. He said there was a lot of activity there last night, but won't get
any closer."
"This is our chance." Adam said to Duncan, who nodded.
"I'm coming with you." Joe told them. "I may be able to get more out of him in person."
They walked back into the main room and as soon as Duncan said they needed to take care of
something, Beth's face fell. She knew it was about Devan and although she knew eventually
Adam or Duncan would end up confronting the immortal, it didn't make it easier knowing it could
be today.
"You'll be careful?" she asked as she walked with Adam to the door, waiting until he'd put on his
coat and checked the sword in the lining before wrapping her arms around his waist and burying
her face in the neck of his shirt.
"I'll do what I have to do Beth." He replied, stroking her back. "Please try not to worry. You'll be
safe here with Richie and Amanda." He tried not to think about leaving her here with Cassandra.
Duncan had promised to have Amanda keep a lid on things, but if this weren't their first and
possibly only opportunity to surprise Devan, he would never leave and allow the woman who
hated him so passionately to be so close to Beth.
"We need to go Adam." Duncan called from the doorway. Joe was already in the van.
"Save me some of that cake." Adam said as he cupped her chin and kissed her tenderly before
following Duncan out the door.
Beth stood with Amanda at the door, watching the van until it disappeared around the corner.
"Would someone tell me what's going on?" Cassandra asked, and Amanda nodded to Richie, not
seeing how it would make any difference either way if she knew.
He gave her the short version of how Beth's husband had been killed by Asher Devan and now
he was out to seek his revenge on her. "This is the first real lead we've had on him since he
escaped."
"I'm sorry." Cassandra said to Beth, who had curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs, holding
one of the throw pillows tightly. "It must have been so difficult losing the man you love like that.
I've known violent loss myself, and it's never easy … especially in your condition."
"I've been fortunate to find friends who care." Beth replied, glancing at Richie, Amanda and
Claudia.
"And to find a man like Adam so quickly …" Cassandra said, assuming Beth's husband was only
recently deceased given her pregnancy.
Amanda and Claudia both bristled at the remark, and Beth was a little taken aback.
"I'm sorry … I'm feeling a little tired. I think I'm going to lie down for awhile." She said, calling for
Barkley to follow her upstairs.
"How could you be so tactless?" Amanda demanded as soon as she heard Beth's door close
upstairs.
"What? It is a little sudden don't you think? Or maybe the loss wasn't as devastating as she
would have you believe." Cassandra replied.
Richie wanted to strangle her for that remark. "You have no idea what she's been through. And
not that it's your business, but she did love her husband very much and he's been dead for over a
year."
Cassandra looked even more puzzled. "So who is the father?"
Amanda wished Richie hadn't told her anything. This really wasn't Cassandra's business.
But Richie felt like he had to defend Beth and explained about the baby.
"So the child was conceived in love." Cassandra said more to herself than anyone else.
"It may not have been in the conventional way, but yes, that baby is a part of the love she shared
with her husband." Amanda replied. "And now she's found love with Adam, and if you have any
intention of causing trouble between them … don't. Because we all love Beth and we want to see
her happy." She stopped short of threatening Cassandra directly.
--------------
Across town, Duncan and Methos shook their heads. They were too late. Devan and his men
had already moved out of the flat, but not before leaving them a message, a message in blood.
"It looks like they've been dead for several hours." Duncan observed, being careful not to touch
anything as he stared at the mangled bodies of a young couple.
Adam was staring at the wall, cursing himself for not leading Devan halfway around the world and
away from Beth. His decision to stay with her had cost this couple their lives. He wondered how
many more would follow before they could stop him.
"One thing's for sure. He knows you are here." Duncan said as he read the message again.
Leandra loves Raphael was scrawled in blood on the bare wall.
"We should get out of here and let the police know where to find them." Duncan told Methos, who
hadn't said more than a few words since they stumbled onto the macabre scene. The place had
been cleared out and they hadn't found any clues that would lead them to Devan's new location.