Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations (24 page)

Standing in the shadows with the two unconscious bodies, Tiffany waited and was beginning to wonder what was taking so long when Besseta appeared with two more bodies over her shoulders. “Stay close, and follow me,” Besseta told her and took off.

Happily following, Tiffany was surprised because it was a speed she could see and follow. It wasn’t long before Tiffany realized they were backtracking and crossing their path several times. Then turning toward the direction of the van with Tiffany running behind her, Besseta vanished.

“I’m starting to get tired of that,” Tiffany complained, leaning forward and pushing with everything she had.

When Tiffany reached the van, she was panting. Besseta had already put the two bodies she was carrying inside, and Kenneth was tying them up. Tossing hers inside Tiffany walked around to the door and climbed in. Besseta closed the back doors as Kenneth tied up the last two, and Besseta vanished and appeared in the passenger seat, shutting the door.

Done, Kenneth moved over the bodies and around Tiffany to climb into the driver’s seat.

When they were well outside of town, he said, “That bad, huh?”

“Guys, I’ve asked you to please use voices. I know you two have been talking,” Tiffany said from behind them.

“I was just asking Besseta about the vampires and werewolves she smelled,” Kenneth said over his shoulder.

“Well, she needs to tell me,” Tiffany stated.

“Sorry,” Besseta said, looking back. “You did smell them, right?”

“Of course. You were standing beside me when I told you,” Tiffany reminded her.

“No, the other ones,” Besseta said. “At the last place we got the others from, a group of vampires and werewolves were moving together.”

Tiffany shook her head. “I didn’t catch the scent.”

“No sooner than I did, we left,” Besseta told her as she turned around.

They drove in silence until they reached the bridge to the Upper Peninsula hours later. “You are positive the vamps and wolves were together?” Kenneth asked.

“Yes,” Besseta told him then looked back to Tiffany. “Kenneth thinks they are searching out the cities now, systematically gathering up vampires.”

“Makes sense after looking around the wilderness,” Tiffany agreed. “If vampires don’t start banding together, it won’t be long till they have most of us with them or dead.”

“Yeah,” Kenneth said, driving down the dark highway as the sky started to brighten. “From what I gathered so far, vampires don’t like being together in large groups.”

“Tempers flare,” Tiffany told him and turned around, hearing one of the hog-tied men groan through the tape covering his mouth. She leaned down and started whispering to him.

Besseta smiled, hearing Tiffany, but looked at Kenneth. “You only see large gatherings when tribute is demanded or when a position in the League opens. The largest group I’ve ever seen staying together voluntarily was in Italy. It was three men and four women. I’ve gone around every hundred years or so, and they are still in the same area.”

Not able to concentrate, Kenneth turned around. “Tiffany, will you quit?”

Tiffany looked back at Kenneth. “They must know why they are being punished.”

She always does that to the ones I catch,
Besseta told Kenneth in his mind. Kenneth closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. Opening his eyes, he looked at the road. “You’re playing with your food; now, you need to stop,” Kenneth said, and Besseta busted out laughing, beating the dashboard.

“I most certainly am not ‘playing with my food!’” Tiffany gasped, moving between the seats and looking at Kenneth. “They were taken on Besseta’s quest and must know why this is happening.”

Besseta laughed so hard she slid under her seatbelt into the floorboard, holding her sides. “Then they know, but you were rubbing it in,” Kenneth informed her.

“Well, what good is telling them if I can’t make fun of their choices?” Tiffany challenged, crossing her arms.

Nodding, Kenneth pointed out, “See, you were playing with your food.” A muffled yell through duct tape sounded from the back.

Tiffany whipped her head around to look at the pile. “Make another sound, and I suck your brain through your eye sockets!” she shouted, making Kenneth swerve the van.

“You have permission to play with your food,” Kenneth told her.

Tiffany looked over at Besseta, who was still laughing in the floorboard. “I have permission now, so stop laughing,” Tiffany told her, and Besseta curled into a tighter in a ball, still laughing. Huffing, Tiffany just sat back in her seat.

It was almost an hour later when Besseta crawled out of the floorboard and into her seat. “That was great.” Kenneth looked over at her and smiled. “I’m not that little, and this seat isn’t that big,” Besseta huffed.

“We could both sit in that seat, Besseta, and you are that little,” Tiffany sang out from the back.

Besseta leaned over to look around the seat. “Leave me alone, and play with your food,” she snapped. Kenneth slammed on the brakes, pulling over on the side of the road, laughing as he pounded the steering wheel.

“It’s not that funny,” Tiffany told him, and Kenneth threw his head back, howling. They waited until Kenneth quit then continued home. It was midmorning as they unloaded the eight men onto the boat.

“I’ll come back and clean the van,” Kenneth told them as he got on the boat.

Tiffany shook her head. “You don’t have to clean a vehicle every time you drive it.”

“I’m just doing the inside so if that vehicle is ever found, there aren’t traces of these eight.”

“So when you took me for my first ride in Eleanor and we got back, you started crying because of the bugs on the front?” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth spun around. “You scrubbed that car for three hours. A surgery could’ve been done on the hood,” Tiffany said before Kenneth opened his mouth.

“I did
not
cry,” Kenneth declared.

“Okay.” Tiffany crossed her arms. “You had tears in your eyes and were wailing but not crying.”

Kenneth looked away. “I wasn’t crying,” he mumbled. Besseta walked over, smiling, and hugged his waist.

“You only cried for a little while,” Besseta offered.

I don’t cry,
Kenneth’s thoughts told her.

After putting the men down in the dungeon, they headed into the house to find the dogs waiting. Tiffany picked up the puppies as Besseta picked up Bonnie and Clyde, each loving on their babies. Kenneth just walked past. “I wasn’t crying,” he mumbled at Tiffany.

As Kenneth went into the kitchen, Tiffany looked over at Besseta, who nodded. Satisfied, Tiffany walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table as Kenneth dug in the refrigerator. “Get your ass out of there. I’m cooking,” Besseta snapped.

“I’m hungry now,” Kenneth said as Besseta picked him up and carried him to the table then headed over to fix some food. “I have legs,” Kenneth told her as she turned on the stove.

“You weren’t using them,” Besseta pointed out.

Dropping down into a chair, Kenneth looked over at Tiffany. “I wasn’t crying.”

Scoffing, Tiffany flipped the back of her hand at him. “So when do you want to do this?” she asked, looking over at Besseta.

“Hey,” Kenneth snapped. “We weren’t here last night. I’m getting a night with my wife before you do this.”

“Fine,” Tiffany said, getting up. “I get the TV. I found a show that has love, honor, sacrifice, and tragedy.”

Very curious if he knew what it was, “What is it?” Kenneth asked.

“’Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’” Tiffany announced, and Kenneth snorted but kept a straight face. “It is a good show if you take into account and ignore what they got wrong,” Tiffany said, and Kenneth nodded. “Besides, Xander is awesome.” Tiffany smiled and walked out.

“Getting all the movies on demand providers, I’m afraid, has corrupted her,” Kenneth said as Besseta put down a plate.

She sat down beside him. “Are you kidding? Tiffany and I love going through them,” she smiled. “Even though we usually watch what’s on your list because we still suck at picking out movies.”

After inhaling his food, Kenneth got up. “I need a nap; then, I want to spend the day with you.”

“That’s okay, baby, but I think you’re blowing this out of proportion,” Besseta said, smiling. “But you do need some sleep; you’re slurring your words.”

Kissing Besseta, Kenneth walked out as Tiffany watched TV. “I wasn’t crying,” he said, walking up the stairs.

“Whatever,” Tiffany told him, staring wide-eyed at the TV. Besseta came in and sat down next to her as Bonnie and Clyde jumped up in her lap. Lifting the remote, Tiffany paused the show. “When he showed me how to drive Tina, Kenneth hit a mud puddle and stopped the car, got out, pulled his gun, and shot the mud puddle.”

Nodding, Besseta said, “I know; when you two got back, he put the S7 on the thing that lifts the cars up and started washing it. When he was done, Kenneth shot the lake four times.”

“Why did he shoot the lake?” Tiffany asked.

Shrugging, Besseta offered, “In case that water in the lake was associated with the water in the mud puddle.”

“I think Kenneth can be weird at times,” Tiffany said. “But I have to say for a human he is the most awesome one I’ve ever heard of or met. He knows cool stuff and has cool stuff.”

Besseta leaned over, hugging Tiffany’s arm. “Yes, I waited for just the right one.” She smiled.

“Can we go and play with the guns in the safe when he goes to sleep?” Tiffany asked in a low voice.

“Shh,” Besseta said, closing her eyes. “I can’t think about that when he’s awake.” Nodding, Tiffany pushed play.

***

Never remembering lying down, Kenneth sat up in bed, rubbing his face, and looked out the window to see it was dusk. “Damn, didn’t want to sleep that much,” he said, jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, dressed, and headed downstairs.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Kenneth heard bawling below him and took off running, taking the stairs two at a time. Tracing the sound of the wails, Kenneth saw Besseta holding a wailing Tiffany, who was holding all the dogs in her arms. Rivers were running out of Tiffany’s eyes, and Kenneth took off, jumping over the back of the couch.

Landing on the other side of Tiffany, he saw Besseta had a tear-streaked face as well. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, wrapping his arms around both of them.

Tiffany let out a loud wail, and Besseta looked up at him. “We watched
Old Yeller
,” Besseta sobbed.

“Oh man,” Kenneth groaned, hugging them tight as the dogs crawled up Tiffany’s chest, licking the tears running down her face.

“Then we watched
Where the Red Fern Grows
,” Besseta sniffled.

“Whoa, double whammy,” Kenneth said, leaning back to look down at Besseta. “Why did you watch it after
Old Yeller
?”

“It had a boy laughing on the cover with two dogs. How the hell was I supposed to know what was going to happen? That is delivering false hope, and someone needs to be drawn and quartered for that,” she told him, wiping the tears off her face.

Kenneth leaned down and kissed Besseta as Tiffany’s body shook with grief between them as she held Jack and Jill to her chest. Breaking the kiss, Kenneth ran back upstairs and came back carrying blankets and pillows, and Besseta just held Tiffany. Moving the coffee table, Kenneth made a pallet on the floor and started throwing pillows off the couch on it.

“I’m making a list of movies she isn’t allowed to watch,” Kenneth said, heading to the kitchen.

“I really wish you would,” Besseta said. “Because I’m not watching the damn things either,” she mumbled after he walked out, but Kenneth heard her thoughts.

Kenneth came back carrying a big bowl of popcorn and grabbed the remote, starting a Disney cartoon movie. Though used to picking up Besseta, Kenneth wasn’t used to the weight, and he struggled to pick up Tiffany but set her gently on the pallet as the dogs followed her. Picking up Besseta, Kenneth placed her beside Tiffany, and then he lay down on the other side of Tiffany as he and Besseta hugged her.

At first, Tiffany didn’t want to even look at the TV but soon was watching a mermaid singing. It wasn’t long until she stopped crying, and the three sat watching funny shows through the night. So being good friends and family, Kenneth and Besseta spent the night watching shows with Tiffany and the dogs.

Chapter 16

As the sun slowly rose the next morning, Besseta and Tiffany were watching TV as Kenneth slept on the other side of Tiffany.

“I’m sorry I ruined his night,” Tiffany said, looking over. “Let’s do it tomorrow,” she offered.

“No, not unless he wants to. We have wasted too much time already,” Besseta said. “I’m going to fix him some breakfast and see what he says.”

Besseta jumped up with Bonnie and Clyde following her to the kitchen. Smelling bacon, Kenneth sat up, looking around. “I fell asleep again,” he said, looking down at Tiffany.

“Yes, halfway through
Aladdin
.” Tiffany smiled at him.

Leaning over, Kenneth kissed her forehead then ran to the bathroom. Tiffany got up, carrying the puppies to the kitchen, and put them out the back door. She stood with them as Bonnie and Clyde bounced out on the grass, taking care of business. The two puppies eased off into the grass and copied them.

When they were all done, Tiffany picked the puppies up and carried them back inside with Bonnie and Clyde scampering past her. She found Kenneth already eating at the table with Besseta sitting beside him.

Sitting across from them, Tiffany put the puppies down, and they ran over to their bowls. “Have you decided?” she asked.

Kenneth paused his eating. “She wants to go ahead,” he said, nodding to Besseta.

“I asked you, Kenneth, if
you
decided?” Tiffany clarified, and Besseta gasped in shock.

Kenneth sat back. “Well, I have to agree with Besseta; we’ve waited too long as it is now, and if she does this, we are waiting more till we know how it will affect her.” Not turning to Besseta as her thoughts filled his mind, Kenneth continued eating.

When the puppies ran back, Tiffany picked them up. “It won’t take Besseta as long to control it as it did me. I’ve been through it and can help her. It may be some time before she masters it, but we can’t wait that long.”

Besseta leaned over the table. “You’re my friend,” she whispered.

“Kenneth gave up his night with you to help get those wretched movies out of my mind,” Tiffany informed her. “That only reaffirms how good of a person he is, and you know if he didn’t want to do this, you would be the first to refuse.”

Stomping her bare foot on the floor hard, Besseta said, “I know that, but you’re my friend.”

Kissing the puppies, Tiffany threatened, “Keep on, little Besseta, and I’ll agree with Kenneth he loves you more.”

Leaning over and putting her head on Kenneth’s shoulder, Besseta moaned, “That’s not fair,” as Kenneth laughed.

“Okay, Besseta, before we start, I’m going to tell you this: Don’t Want anything after you drink. I don’t know how long till it takes effect, but never Want anything until you can control it. I need you to agree to this and only Want when we practice. Wanting is what triggers the power. If you Want Kenneth, he will come to you even if there is a wall in the way,” Tiffany warned.

The fork fell from Kenneth’s numb hand and hit the floor. Besseta got lightheaded and started having second thoughts as Bonnie and Clyde ran over, cleaning the fork off. “Shit,” Kenneth moaned.

“Another thing,” Tiffany grimaced. “You two need to talk about what you are going to do about sex. You can’t abstain because I’m afraid Besseta will Want, and I don’t know what would happen.”

Hearing that, Kenneth jumped up, almost letting Besseta fall to the floor and causing Bonnie and Clyde to take off running. “Hold on, now we
REALLY!
need to think about this!” he shouted.

Tiffany looked over at Besseta, who was nodding in agreement. “Well, if the cubari win, you won’t be having sex anyway,” Tiffany pointed out.

Besseta and Kenneth looked at each other as thoughts flew back and forth, and Tiffany didn’t complain about the private conversation. It was some time before they both looked at her. “Okay,” they said in unison.

Tiffany got up, putting the puppies down. “I’m going to feed; then, we will do it,” she said and darted out. Getting up, Besseta went back to cooking.

“Baby, I’m full,” Kenneth said, walking over.

“This is for those in the cells,” she told him. “If we feed them, we can make them last longer.”

Kenneth nodded. “Sounds good, but they don’t get bacon.” Besseta laughed. “I think you need to stay close to Tiffany till you have control over this,” he said, walking up behind her and hugging her.

“Believe me, I’m not going far from her,” Besseta assured him. She spun around in his arms, looking up at him. “I just want to apologize now for any bruises I put on you when I do get it under control,” she said.

“Depending on how long it is, I may leave some on you,” Kenneth grinned.

Besseta laughed, hugging him. She had learned from Kenneth’s thoughts just how tight she could go without breaking anything. She rarely left bruises anymore unless she got caught up in the moment. “Ready,” Tiffany said behind them.

Kenneth kissed her and let her go. Besseta walked over as Tiffany bit her wrist, holding it out for Besseta. Taking a breath, Besseta took Tiffany’s wrist, brought it to her mouth, and drank.

When she pulled back, Besseta looked at Tiffany’s wrist already closing as the familiar pain started in her stomach. Wiping her mouth, Besseta smiled, but Kenneth could feel the pain Besseta felt. She ignored the pain and turned around to Kenneth and could tell by his face he knew what she was feeling because he was filling his mind with thousands of thoughts so she couldn’t hear them.

Putting on a brave face, Besseta walked over to him and dropped to the floor as pain shot through her. Kenneth dove down, picked her up, and carried her to the living room. Besseta was curled up in a tight ball, panting. Putting her on the pallet he had made, Kenneth laid with his chest to Besseta’s back and pulled her tight.

Tiffany walked behind them and sat down in front of Besseta. Reaching over, Tiffany caressed her head. “Breathe through the pain, little Besseta.”

“She’s comparing it to the pain of her turning. It’s worse than the other times she’s done it,” Kenneth told Tiffany.

As she listened, Tiffany nodded. “Can you hear me, Besseta?”

“She can, but you sound far off,” Kenneth told her.

“How does this compare to when you took William’s ability?” Tiffany asked, looking over at Kenneth.

The thoughts in Besseta’s mind roared in Kenneth’s. “It was worse than the others, but this is much worse,” Kenneth said as tears rolled down his face.

“It’s because the others were just making what you already had stronger: speed, strength, and hunger. You had smell but not the psychic ability to link with others. My power is new to you,” Tiffany told Besseta, caressing her head.

“You could’ve said something,” Kenneth said.

“It’s still only speculation but sound in reason,” Tiffany said, wiping tears out of her eyes.

“Will you keep doing it like she has been doing, feeding for several days?” Kenneth asked, holding Besseta tight.

“Yes, until we know,” Tiffany whispered, nodding. Closing his eyes, Kenneth tried to sooth Besseta with his thoughts. After an hour, Besseta started relaxing in his arms. Her mind started clearing, but the pain was still constant and throbbing.

As Kenneth relaxed, Besseta tightened up again and started panting. Holding her tight, Kenneth started soothing Besseta with his thoughts again, and she instantly relaxed some. Clearing his mind, Kenneth concentrated with everything he had on Besseta, and pain hit him like a truck. Feeling Besseta relax more, he fought not to give in to the pain and held her. Lying beside her, Kenneth held her and calmed her with his thoughts as pain coursed through his body.

At noon, Tiffany fed Kenneth as he lay with Besseta, refusing to leave. “Is it easing at all?” Tiffany asked, feeding him.

“Not really,” he said. “She’s just learning to ignore it.” Tiffany looked at Kenneth, seeing beads of sweat on his face. Glancing down, Tiffany noticed Kenneth’s body was drenched in sweat.

“Are you hot?” she asked, and he shook his head. As Kenneth laid his head down beside Besseta, Tiffany saw his muscles jerk every so often and his face give a little grimace. “You can feel it?” she asked.

“Yes,” Kenneth mumbled, closing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Kenneth opened his mind, concentrating on Besseta again.

Tiffany jumped back, seeing Besseta relax more and Kenneth’s body become rigid with the exception of his arms, which just held Besseta firmly to his chest. The more Kenneth’s body jerked, the more Besseta relaxed. When Kenneth couldn’t keep his concentration, Besseta would jerk back into a tight ball. Staring at Kenneth as his body grimaced, Tiffany wondered how he was sharing Besseta’s pain.

Watching as Kenneth would take a few deep breaths and control his breathing, Tiffany sat mesmerized as the pain left Besseta, hitting Kenneth until it broke his concentration. Then he would take some deep breaths and repeat the process.

***

It was dark when Kenneth passed out but wasn’t much longer until Besseta opened her eyes and looked around. Keeping her knees pulled up to her chest, Besseta lifted her head and saw Bonnie and Clyde asleep beside her pillow. Looking up, she saw Tiffany looking past her and realized she was looking at Kenneth.

“Tiffany,” Besseta croaked. Shaking her head, Tiffany looked down. “Water please,” Besseta barely whispered, feeling like her throat was filled with sand.

Darting out, Tiffany returned in the blink of an eye and knelt, putting the glass to Besseta’s lips. Besseta drained the glass then looked up at Tiffany, who had a look of dismay on her face. “What?” Besseta asked, and Tiffany just darted back to the kitchen, returning with more water.

“Here,” Tiffany said, putting the glass to Besseta’s lips. Finishing the glass, Besseta tried to straighten her legs, but pain racked her body again. Pulling her legs back tight into her chest, Besseta panted through the pain. Then she felt Kenneth’s arm tighten around her.

I’m here, my love,
she heard.

Then the pain eased.
I love you, baby,
she thought.

Always,
Kenneth’s voice sounded in her mind.

Always,
she thought, smiling as the pain eased more.

I will always be with you at your side.

Right where I want and need you.

The glass fell from Tiffany’s hand and hit the pallet. Luckily for the dogs, it didn’t break, and Tiffany dropped down next to it. She didn’t know how, but she could see with her own eyes, and it dawned on her that Kenneth was taking the pain away from Besseta, not sharing it. Willingly letting it rack his body to ease Besseta’s torment. “This isn’t possible,” Tiffany whispered, watching as the more Kenneth’s body tensed, the more Besseta’s body relaxed.

As the sky started to brighten, Tiffany was still sitting in the same spot and watched through the night as Besseta slowly moved her legs away from her chest and extended them. When Kenneth sat up, he startled her, and Tiffany let out a little yelp.

The dogs jumped up, looking around as Kenneth brushed the hair off Besseta’s face and kissed her cheek. Besseta smiled in her sleep as Kenneth stood, groaning, and looked over at Tiffany. The look of shock on her face told Kenneth what Tiffany knew.

“I’m going to eat and shower. She’ll wake in a little while, but don’t tell her please,” Kenneth said, pulling off his soaked shirt.

“Kenneth,” Tiffany said but didn’t know what she wanted to ask first.

As Kenneth moved off the pallet, his joints popped, making him grimace. “I’m serious; don’t tell her a thing,” he said, giving Tiffany a grave look. He started walking to the stairs.

“She’ll find out. Remember, you two have a mental bond.”

Kenneth stopped and looked over his shoulder at Tiffany. “No she won’t,” he said confidently. “She doesn’t know about the last time, so she won’t know about this time unless you tell her.”

A million questions flooded Tiffany’s mind as Kenneth ran upstairs. Jumping over the couch, Tiffany shot off after him and stopped at the top of the stairs, waiting on him. “You felt that the last time?” she asked, and Kenneth just walked past her. Darting past him, Tiffany stopped in front of him again, putting her hands on her hips.

“Not that bad,” Kenneth said, stepping around her and continuing to the bedroom, and suddenly, Tiffany was in front of him again. Stopping, Kenneth looked at her. “Look, the last time she did this, Besseta was in the dungeon. I felt she was hurting and wanted to make it stop. Then I dropped to the floor, feeling like someone poured acid on me for a second, then it was gone. I got up and did some stuff around here, and Besseta came out that afternoon.”

Finished, he walked around Tiffany, and she darted back in front of him. “Since you got this link to Besseta, can you
feel
more of what she’s experiencing?”

“Yes,” he said and went to walk around her again, but Tiffany leaned to block him. “All I can tell you is it makes it easier for me to know when something’s bothering her and what she’s feeling,” he said, walking around her. “Let me shower because she’s about to wake up,” Kenneth said, walking into the bedroom.

With her mind going several directions, Tiffany guided her body back downstairs as the dogs passed her going upstairs. Sitting back down by Besseta, Tiffany picked up the sleeping puppies and caressed Besseta’s head. It was very clear to Tiffany this link gave Kenneth more access to Besseta than she had to him, which made no sense; Besseta was the vampire.