CHAPTER 61
"It's only a matter of time before the police connect the name Leandra to the similar killings in
Atlanta." Duncan was saying as Beth came into the main room. She'd pulled her hair back and
changed into her light blue sweats and socks for comfort.
"I was afraid of that." She confessed as she slid into overstuffed chair beside Adam.
Joe had only just arrived, and Claudia had gone upstairs, the day being a little more than she
could handle.
"Do you think they will find out where I am and want to ask me questions?" Beth asked.
"The Witness Protection Program has been known to cooperate with local authorities in other
situations like this." Joe replied honestly. "So I think we need to carefully prepare for what they
might ask, and give them as much as we can without compromising Adam or the rest of you.
"Question number one … Who is Raphael?" Adam guessed, and no one disagreed.
"How am I supposed to answer that?" Beth asked.
"That is why we need to plan." Duncan told her. "I think maybe you need to appear as unaware
of Raphael's identity as they are. We should be all right unless they want you to take a lie
detector test."
"And if they do?"
"You lie and we have your attorney blame it on hormonal imbalances and stress." Adam replied
easily, putting his hand over her slightly rounded middle.
"My attorney?"
Adam grinned. "I have some convincing credentials. And I won't let anything happen. I'll be with
you the entire time."
"You better." Beth replied, leaning closer against him.
"Richie I think maybe it's time you moved in here permanently. Amanda and I need to be able to
check on leads, and if Joe's Watcher friend is right and there is another immortal involved … we
need to make sure Beth and Claudia are protected." Duncan said, and the young man nodded
his agreement.
"Looks like you're going to get that boarding house you always wanted." Adam said.
"I still can't understand why you have all put your lives on hold for me like this." Beth said,
shaking her head. "And if I haven't said thank you recently. Thank you."
"You're like family to us now darlin'. And we don't let anyone come against our family." Joe said
and the others agreed.
"This little one is going to have a lot of Aunts and Uncles." Beth said, putting her hand over
Adam's and smiling.
-----------
Asher Devan grinned as he methodically slit the throat of his next victim. He'd taken the young
woman right out of the car as she'd waited for her groom to check in to their hotel. It had been
almost too easy, and the thrill wasn't what it used to be for him.
He tossed her body on the ground and hardly noticed the sick gurgling noises as he ordered one
of the others to leave their mark and join him back at the new hideout. He was tired of this game,
and impatient to bring it closer to Raphael. He wanted his old rival to know what it was like to
watch someone he cared about experience real pain.
"It's only a matter of time before the police connect the name Leandra to the similar killings in
Atlanta." Duncan was saying as Beth came into the main room. She'd pulled her hair back and
changed into her light blue sweats and socks for comfort.
"I was afraid of that." She confessed as she slid into overstuffed chair beside Adam.
Joe had only just arrived, and Claudia had gone upstairs, the day being a little more than she
could handle.
"Do you think they will find out where I am and want to ask me questions?" Beth asked.
"The Witness Protection Program has been known to cooperate with local authorities in other
situations like this." Joe replied honestly. "So I think we need to carefully prepare for what they
might ask, and give them as much as we can without compromising Adam or the rest of you.
"Question number one … Who is Raphael?" Adam guessed, and no one disagreed.
"How am I supposed to answer that?" Beth asked.
"That is why we need to plan." Duncan told her. "I think maybe you need to appear as unaware
of Raphael's identity as they are. We should be all right unless they want you to take a lie
detector test."
"And if they do?"
"You lie and we have your attorney blame it on hormonal imbalances and stress." Adam replied
easily, putting his hand over her slightly rounded middle.
"My attorney?"
Adam grinned. "I have some convincing credentials. And I won't let anything happen. I'll be with
you the entire time."
"You better." Beth replied, leaning closer against him.
"Richie I think maybe it's time you moved in here permanently. Amanda and I need to be able to
check on leads, and if Joe's Watcher friend is right and there is another immortal involved … we
need to make sure Beth and Claudia are protected." Duncan said, and the young man nodded
his agreement.
"Looks like you're going to get that boarding house you always wanted." Adam said.
"I still can't understand why you have all put your lives on hold for me like this." Beth said,
shaking her head. "And if I haven't said thank you recently. Thank you."
"You're like family to us now darlin'. And we don't let anyone come against our family." Joe said
and the others agreed.
"This little one is going to have a lot of Aunts and Uncles." Beth said, putting her hand over
Adam's and smiling.
-----------
Asher Devan grinned as he methodically slit the throat of his next victim. He'd taken the young
woman right out of the car as she'd waited for her groom to check in to their hotel. It had been
almost too easy, and the thrill wasn't what it used to be for him.
He tossed her body on the ground and hardly noticed the sick gurgling noises as he ordered one
of the others to leave their mark and join him back at the new hideout. He was tired of this game,
and impatient to bring it closer to Raphael. He wanted his old rival to know what it was like to
watch someone he cared about experience real pain.