Author's Note: I want to thank the reviewers I've received so far on this story. I'm very happy that you guys are enjoying this story. I'm sorry it's taken me some time to write and post this new chapter. I was dealing with Hurricane Michael prep before it hit the Florida Panhandle. Thankfully, I wasn't on the worst side of this monster storm. My thoughts do go out to the ones who were effected by Michael.
Beth glanced at her empty bed all the while rubbing her hands over her flat stomach. She missed Mick. He and Josef had been staking out Ben's office for two weeks. Every night they would wait to break into the DA's office, but when they would begin to make their move another investigator would show up. They both were on edge, and she was worried. More vampires were turning up dead everyday in LA.
The night she and Mick told Josef about the baby, she gave Mick an ultimatum. If they were going to make it as a couple he had to open up to her. He had to include her in everything even the vampire business. She knew knowing what was going on wouldn't change anything, but it seemed to relieve the stress weighing on Mick's shoulders.
She had been patient and watched from the sidelines as Mick and Josef began their investigation. It took every ounce of will power she had to stay out of it. Now it was her turn whether Mick liked it or not. They needed to know what Ben knew.
She took a deep breath before turning around and heading into the kitchen. She pulled down a glass from the cabinet then pulled out a bag of AO negative blood from the mini refrigerator cabinet Mick had installed. She had initially argued with him over it, but in the end she realized he was actually right. If she left the bags in the refrigerator, there was a chance of them being discovered if she had unexpected guests. And having them found would open a can of worms that she really wouldn't know how to close.
Beth opened the bag and squeezed the contents into the glass. She took a drink after throwing the bag away. It actually didn't have the copper taste she remembered from the few bloody noses she had as a teenager. Mick had offered to inject the blood into her system like he did from time to time, but the thought of needles freaked her out. She did agree to give it a try if she couldn't take the taste of the blood in front of her.
It turned out she really didn't mind the taste. For some strange reason it tasted like tomato juice, but this version was a bit thicker than the tomato juice she liked to drink. Mick speculated it was the baby changing the taste to something she liked, but neither one could figure out how that was even possible. She just thanked the heavens for small miracles and finished her glass of "tomato juice" before rinsing it throughly out leaving no visible trace behind.
Beth walked into her bedroom and ten minutes later was climbing into her car. Thirty minutes after that she arrived at the DA's office. She walked into another flurry of activity. But this day seemed different. It appeared everyone was working on a trial case, and from the looks of it more than one. She approached Ben's office unsure of how he would greet her. His head came up at the sound of her knock, and a smile graced his face. She returned the smile and entered the office with his approval.
"Hey Beth, am I glad to see you."
"Yeah, It looks like you have your hands full with some cases."
"That we do, but I want to apologize for what I said to you before."
"You made it clear I wasn't welcome while you were investigating Mick."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me, and I took it out on you."
Beth frowned slightly as she took a seat across from Ben. "Excuse me, your what?"
"Beth, you're a very smart and beautiful woman. I'm sure you've suspected…"
"That you like me? Yes, but I also figured you knew how I felt about Mick."
"I had my suspicions, but I have to admit I'd hoped it wasn't too serious. But judging from your reaction I can see that it clearly is serious."
"Yes, it is. Speaking of Mick, have you finished investigating him? I'd like to come back to work."
"You haven't lost any of your spunk I see. Yes, the LAPD and the DA office don't see Mick as a person of interest anymore."
"Why is that?" She knew why but wanted to see if Ben would open up to her again.
"Beth, this is still a conflict of interest case. You know I can't talk about it with you."
"Ben, how is it a conflict of interest if Mick has been cleared of any wrong doing?"
Ben sighed before nodding his head. "I've known you long enough to know you won't let this go. So, I'll tell you what I know. I really shouldn't but maybe if we put our heads together, we'll be able to figure this mystery out."
"Okay, I'll give it my best shot."
Ben smiled as he opened his desk drawer. "I know you will. So, three months ago after our kidnapping incident I admit I was intrigued by St. John. I still don't know how he and his friend got us out of there alive. But it wasn't until I received photos of him getting hit by a car then walking away seemingly unharmed really peeked my interest."
Beth quickly bit her lip to stop the gasp that was in her throat from escaping her mouth. She thought she had the only copy of those photos. If Josef took care of Dean Foster, then why didn't the Cleaners sweep Foster's place for copies? In Ben's hands those photos clearly raised a lot more questions than she had answers for. How did he get his hands on them?
"I also received a list of names with the photos, and four names jumped out at me…Jackson and Emma Monaghan, Josef Kostan, and Mick St. John. Why are they on this list, Beth?"
Beth shook her head at her boss. "I have no idea. For all we know it could be a list of donors for the Mayor's fund."
"You don't believe that any more than I do. Beth, I've been getting a new list every week, and more names keep getting crossed off of it. I was told to keep this to myself, and I have until now."
"LAPD doesn't know about it?" Beth was surprised that Ben would keep Carl out of the loop.
"No, no one knows about the photos or the list but me and now you. I've had investigators looking at Kostan and St. John for weeks."
"And?"
"And nothing other than charities as well as normal PI work, they're clean. But you already knew that."
Beth smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I know that because I know them. I also know they can help you with this. Let me take a copy of this to Mick, and I'll tell you what he finds out."
Ben shook his head as he took the list from her hands. "I can't do that, Beth. As I said, I was told not to share this information with anyone."
Beth raised her eye brows as the information sunk in. It suddenly made sense as to who sent the list Ben currently had in his possession. The Vampire Council appeared to be making their threat toward Mick a reality. They really were coming for him. She watched Ben place the list into a folder before placing it back into his desk drawer.
She needed to get this information to Mick as soon as possible. She nodded her head and rose to her feet. "Thank you for telling me, Ben. I'll let you know what I find out,"
"You mean what you find out from St. John after you tell him about what I've shown you."
"Ben, Mick and I don't have secrets. You're a smart guy. You must have known I'd tell Mick if it concerned him, and this clearly does."
"Yeah, I suppose it does. Do me a favor and ask him to keep this to himself. I get the feeling whom ever sent me this list was very serious about their warning."
"I'm sure he will since he is a Private Investor, but I can't make any promises."
"I understand. Listen, I'll walk you out. I have a case I need your help on anyway."
"Okay, sounds good."
Beth's mind was a blur of thoughts as she and Ben made their way to the parking garage. She stepped out of the elevator and immediately felt a bout of nausea hit. Rushing over to a garbage can, she lost what food was in her stomach. Man, she hated morning sickness, but she was thankful that her morning sickness wasn't as bad as some expecting mothers. She glanced at Ben while she straightened to her full height.
"Are you all right?"
She nodded her head pulling out a napkin and wiping her mouth. "Yeah, I think I have a touch of a stomach bug. I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Beth replied before wrinkling her nose. What was that smell?
"Mr. Talbot, I'm so glad to finally make your acquaintance."
Beth jumped at the silky smooth voice of the woman before them. Where had she come from? She watched the woman's green eyes turn toward her for a minute then refocused on Ben. There was something about this woman that didn't sit well with her. Her gut was telling her they needed to get away from her, but her nose told her they wouldn't be able to run fast enough.
"Who are you?"
"I'm an associate of the group who contacted you, Mr. Talbot. You were instructed to tell no one about the information provided to you."
"Yes, I know that, and I did keep it to myself for three months. I can't make heads or tails of this list. It doesn't make sense to me."
The woman laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sure it doesn't Mr. Talbot, but you didn't follow directions. Now there are consequences that must be faced."
Beth took a step backwards while Ben stepped in front of her. She quickly realized this situation just went from bad to worse. And for the first time in a long time she silently wished she hadn't left her cell phone in her car. Because she was almost one hundred percent positive the woman before them was a vampire. Which meant they were about to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening."
"Leave Beth out of this. She has nothing to do with it."
"Oh, but she does, Mr. Talbot. She's the person you told about the list."
"But I'm the one who knew the risk. If there are consequences, then let me face them. Besides the only way you could have possibly known I told her is if you were watching me all this time."
"Ben…"
"No, don't, Beth. This is my mess not yours."
"How intriguing…you care about her. I admit my employers won't be happy if I let her go for seeing me, but I believe they'd be even angrier if I kill her."
"What?"
The woman smiled and shook her head. "What kind of consequences did you think you'd face Mr. Talbot, for breaking your unspoken agreement when you kept the list?"
"My death wasn't what I was expecting, but other than my request why would you let Beth live? You don't strike me as a woman who'd agree to such requests."
The woman nodded her head and focusing her green eyes past Ben. "Normally, you would be correct, Mr. Talbot. A woman in my line of work doesn't leave witnesses. But your sweet Beth is special." She glanced at Ben as her eye brows rose. "You don't know do you?"
"Know what?"
The woman smiled as she shook her head. "It's a pity she didn't trust you enough to tell you her good news." She leaned forward slightly starring at Ben with her milky white vampire eyes. "She's pregnant, Mr. Talbot," she continued showing off her sharp fangs. She quickly grabbed Ben's neck and before Beth could even react his body fell to the concrete unmoving.
Beth took another step backwards her eyes glancing at Ben then refocused on the vampire in front of her. "You made a mistake killing him."
"No, I think because of me your vampire lover remains safe for now." She smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, I can smell him on you. It's faint, but it's still there. The question that remains is whose baby is that?"
"What are you talking about? We both know vampires can't have children." She knew there was no sense in denying her relationship with Mick.
"This is true, but I'm curious about you."
"Why? I'm nothing more than a human."
"We both know you're more than just a human. You've been given access to our world, and you're not shying away from it."
Beth swallowed hard as she took another step backwards. She wanted to get away from this woman if nothing else to keep her unborn child safe and alive. But she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun her. "You sound surprised."
"That would be because I am surprised," the woman replied looking down at something she pulled out of her pocket. She glanced up with a big smile on her face again showing her sharp fangs. "After hearing Coraline's interrogation, I wondered if you were the little girl she kidnapped to save her marriage. So, I had the image of the girl aged, and this image proves I was right," she said turning the picture around.
Beth didn't even look at the picture because she knew she'd be looking at her own face. "All that proves is Coraline kidnapped me as a child."
"No, it proves so much more, Beth. It confirms the identity of your vampire lover, and the father of your unborn child. With that knowledge my employers will want to see you, and I'm more than happy to deliver you to them."
"You assume too much from a simple photograph."
"And you can't hide your fear from me, Beth. Remember I can hear your hear racing."
"That's true, but what about your precious secret? You killed Ben in front of all these cameras."
The woman shook her head as she placed the photograph back into her coat pocket. "I've been doing this a very long time, Beth. I shut down those cameras before I confronted the two of you. You're the only witness to my crime. And very soon you won't be able to tell anyone about what happened here."
Images of where to stab the vampire flashed through Beth's mind as she searched for a weapon. She knew it was pointless since this vampire was not only stronger than she was but faster as well. She took another step backwards as she watched the vampire laugh at her. She took a deep breath and drilled her feet. She knew she had to face her attacker or die trying since Mick had no idea where she was. He'd be angry and devastated, but she silently hoped he'd understand.
"Let's get this over with, because I'm not going anywhere with you."
"You sound sincere, Beth."
"That's because I am. If I'm going to die anyway I have a feeling death by your hands will be a kindness. This Council I keep hearing about won't be so kind I imagine."
"You would be correct, but I'm afraid I won't be killing you today. You will face them Beth, and you will be very much alive when you do."
"We'll see."
Beth set her feet as she watched the vampire before her. She expected the woman to simply charge her with her Vampire speed then knock her out. She blinked her eyes several times in confusion. The woman looked like she was charging her, but her forward motion appeared to be slowed to a human speed. She ducked the punch thrown at her then connected with one of her own.
The vampire staggered backwards slightly as she rubbed her jaw. "That's impossible."
Beth just shrugged her shoulders as the sparring match continued. She was able to either duck or deflect every attack thrown at her with ease. Beth couldn't explain how this was happening because the vampire was right. What she was doing was physically impossible. The vampire should be wiping the floor with her.
The vampire appeared winded as she began laughing. "Perhaps I'm going about this all wrong. Let's try something I know stops other vampires in their tracks."
Beth's eyes widened as a wooden stake was removed from the vampire's coat pocket. "I thought you didn't want to kill me? If you stab me in the heart, that'll be the end result,"
The vampire smiled twirling the stake in her hand. "I don't have to stab you in the heart to keep that abomination from helping you."
Beth narrowed her eyes and clinched her hands into tight fists. "My child is no abomination."
"This child will always be an abomination for as long as it lives."
Beth stood her ground and waited for her attack. For a time they each ducked or deflected punches, but the vamp finally connected hitting her in the jaw a few minutes later. The force of the hit should have dropped her or made her extremely dizzy, but she found that she actually hadn't felt a thing. The laughter she heard from the vampire died away as she turned her head toward the undead creature. The gasp she heard come from her didn't phase her while she watched the vamp become paler than normal.
"Ouch," she said remembering back to the time she hit Mick in the head with a flower vase.
Beth smiled feeling a surge of energy flow through her veins. She threw her hand out connecting with the center of the vampire's chest throwing the creature backwards with such force she dropped the stake. Beth bent down and retrieved the weapon then walked up to the stunned vampire. She starred down at the creature before stabbing her through the heart.
"You will never come after me, my child, or Mick ever again," she said before walking away to collect her phone and call Mick.