I stood just as quietly as I could outside of my kitchen listening to Sam tell his mother to not say anything, that I wouldn't allow any harm to come to them because I hated violence. While this was true, Sam was going to learn, right along with his mother and Bill, that I was done letting everyone walk all over me. It was time for me to embrace who and what I was if I truly wanted to prove to Eric that I wanted to be with him I needed to stop running. With that in mind, I walked through the doorway and straight over to Bernadette, grabbed her shoulder right above the tacky green dress she wore, and dropped my shields to ask her the only question I had of her.
"Bernadette," I asked, "what's your part in all of this?" Her thoughts were awful!
"Is she kidding? This whole thing was my idea! Why else would I allow my son to marry a non-shifter? As soon as she's gone I'll introduce him to Talia in Texas. He can sell his stupid bar and come back to start a family and have more pure bred shifters. They will be good together."
I interrupted her thoughts to get her back to what I needed to know by asking her again what her motives were, and once again, I hadn't stopped listening the entire time. I was getting tired from trying to weave through the snarly red of her mind, but I keep pushing... "Sam doesn't know exactly how much I am involved with this, but what he doesn't know won't kill him. This bitch better not tell him or I will take great joy in killing her after Bill takes care of the two Vamp bitches. He said he would get them to agree to stay in his house, and then would fight the sun and stake them before he dies for the day. They won't be able to help her tomorrow when he takes her and I'm sure Bill won't live long after killing The Northman's progenies so I won't have to worry about him for long either. It's great! I can wipe out that debt, and then go home with my boy to watch my grandbabies grow up. She probably doesn't even know that I only spent $150.00 on her ring, she's so pathetic. Soon it will be over and she won't do anything to us! When she lets us go, I'll send Bill over right away to just get it done.
When I've listened to all I can take from her, I let my hand fall away and step back. I don't even care how much more she's involved or what plans she may have in place to kill the only real friends I have, she won't get out of this alive, not now; if I had ever thought that I wouldn't have to kill Bill before now, I was sadly mistaken. I know for certain that he must meet his true death, but maybe we'll hold him in silver so Eric will have the honor of ridding the world of Bill Compton once and forever more. The truth of the matter is Eric never killed him when he had all those opportunities before because he didn't want to hurt me. I can no longer find it in myself to care what happens to Bill. He has hurt me for the very last time; he just doesn't know it yet, but he will, and very soon.
I turn to look at Sam who had been yelling at me to stop listening to his mother as she had nothing to do with any of it. I just stared at him, realizing that he had no clue how fucked they really are because although Bernadette didn't let him in on everything, still he's just as culpable as her, and I will not allow our phony friendship to cloud my judgment. An idea pops into my head, and I run back down to my room and grab the silver chain, a pair of leather gloves, and two scarves from my closet to keep the shifters quiet, along with my cell phone. On my way back downstairs, I hand the gloves to Karin to put on, and then hand her the silver asking her to put it Sam and Bernadette for a few moments. When she returns, I pick up my phone and dial, and after three rings he answers.