Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations (5 page)

“Six months?” he answered. “How long were you and Bereno together?”

“We were never really ‘together,’” she said with air quotes, “but from the time I met him till I tried to cut his head off was twenty-one years,” she told him and saw him smile at that. “Why did you two quit seeing each other?” she asked.

“I told you, girlfriends have always seen my work as competition, not as part of me,” Kenneth explained. “Now w—” he stopped.

Looking at his face, she knew he wasn’t telling her something. “Bullshit, now why did you stop seeing her?” Besseta asked again.

“See started seeing someone else,” Kenneth said. “H—” and stopped again.

“Spit it out, or I burn the shirt,” she threatened.

Sighing, he said, “I went over to her apartment and saw her and another man on the couch, and they weren’t watching TV.”

“Where’s this bitch now?” Besseta asked with her cheeks getting red.

“Besseta, I wasn’t paying her enough attention,” he tried to explain.

“She still a cop?” Besseta asked with narrowed eyes.

“Besseta, are you going to go after all the women in my life that slept with someone?”

“Oh,” she said politely, “there’s more than one? Thank you, names please?” she asked with a cold smile.

“Besseta, you need to quit. They didn’t understand my work was part of me,” he pleaded.

“I did, and I loved that part of you, but we are getting off track. Names please?” she asked again.

Glancing at her, Kenneth was actually worried she was about to knock the door off and go hunting. “I’ve only dated three women in my adult life,” Kenneth admitted.

“Fascinating,” she droned. “Names?” she snarled. “Mickey and Maria know, don’t they?”

“Hey, Maria almost went to jail when Mickey told her why Jena and I weren’t seeing each other anymore. She beat the shit out of her and literally pulled half Jena’s hair out,” Kenneth said.

“Mickey didn’t get jealous?” Besseta asked, genuinely surprised.

“Ah, no,” he coughed. “He’s the one that drove her over to Jena’s. He said he couldn’t beat the shit out of a woman like that,” Kenneth admitted in a low voice.

“I love those two,” Besseta grinned. Then the grin fell off. “I know how to find Jenna now. Who are the other two?”

“Besseta,” Kenneth pleaded, and she just gazed at him. “One was in college, and the other seven years ago,” he said, hoping that was enough.

“IN COLLEGE!” she screeched. Her breathing got deeper. “Before or after?” she asked, huffing and puffing.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Kenneth stayed quiet but could feel his face getting warm from the glare Besseta was giving him. “Three months after.”

“Fucking turn this car south! I’m dipping that bitch in acid!” she screamed, reaching for the steering wheel. Trying to keep her hands off the steering wheel, he hit the brakes harder this time, heading for the shoulder, and ignored the horn that blew beside them.

When the car came to a stop, he tried to fight her hands, but she was many times stronger even in daylight. Besseta reached down, undid his seatbelt, and pulled him out of the seat into hers then climbed over, getting behind the steering wheel. Reaching over, Kenneth grabbed the keys. “Besseta, she has a family now!” he yelled.

“Then they can watch the bitch die!” she yelled back, reaching for his hand.

“Besseta, please,” he begged, and she kept coming, grabbing his hand and prying his fingers open one at a time. “Please, please, please stop,” he begged harder, and she held his wrist, leaving the last finger holding the key.

“It better be good.” She glared at him.

“Connie regrets it now. She even sent a letter apologizing for it,” he offered, and Besseta reached for the last finger. “Besseta, Connie isn’t worth you getting mad,” he said, reaching out and hugging her. “If she wouldn’t have done that, I wouldn’t have gotten you.”

She let go of the last finger and felt his arm around her. “That is true,” she said. “But the bitch still needs to die,” she said quickly, grabbing the keys as a police siren sounded behind them. Kenneth looked back to see a patrol car with its lights on.

Turning to Besseta, he saw she was putting the keys in the ignition. “We can’t outrun him,” Kenneth told her.

“He’s not in a Jag,” she growled.

“He has a radio,” Kenneth pointed out.

Slowly, she took her hand off the key. “Get rid of him, or I will. I’ll knock him out and handcuff him to a tree ten miles in the forest,” she warned as an older officer came up to her window. Kenneth reached over and hit the window button on the center console.

The officer bent down, looking in the open window. The look on Besseta’s face alone told a story that came close to making the officer step back. Looking over at Kenneth, the officer saw him shoot a pleading look at Besseta. “Sir, may I see you at the back of the car?” the officer told him and headed to the back of the car.

“You have five minutes,” Besseta growled. Quickly getting out, Kenneth almost ran back to the officer.

“Everything alright? I’m just checking since the next store is seventy miles away,” the officer told him.

Holding up his left hand, Kenneth rolled his wedding band with his thumb. “Sorry, sir, but we’ve only been married for a little over two months, and she asked me about my exes. It seems she doesn’t like how they treated me and wants to know everything,” Kenneth explained.

The officer looked back at the car then at Kenneth, who was still holding up his hand. “I’ve been married twenty-two years, and I’m going to tell you now. You tell them whatever they want to know, son. They will threaten to kill and beat the ones in your past, but it’s better your wife is mad at them and not you. When they act like they are going to follow through, jump in front of the car, and tell them it’s not worth it. You don’t want them doing something that will take them away from you,” the officer explained, and Kenneth caught, “When they act,” but he didn’t have a doubt in his mind Besseta would.

Stepping closer, Kenneth said, “You, ah, sound like you’ve had firsthand experience.”

“Yep, first year we were married. Wife grabbed a meat clever and headed for the door. I climbed under the truck and held on the axle so she wouldn’t leave. It got complicated after that, but she ended up staying home. You tell them everything they ask for so it doesn’t come out later. Just make sure your wife knows she’s the one that has you now and the only one you love,” the officer told him.

Kenneth looked back at the car then his watch. “Does this happen in all marriages?” he asked.

“Only in the ones that last forever,” the officer told him with a grin.

Intrigued, Kenneth leaned closer. “Did you, ah, want to chase down the sack of shit that hurt her?” he asked in a low voice, hoping Besseta wouldn’t hear, but forgot Besseta could hear the officer’s thoughts easily along with Kenneth’s voice.

“I caught the son of a bitch and beat the shit out of him,” the officer said proudly. “That’s the difference; we just want to beat the hell out of the ones that hurt them. Women want to come back with body parts.”

Kenneth stuck out his hand. “Thank you more than you’ll ever know,” he said, shaking the officer’s hand. “You may want to leave because I’m about to try and climb under the car. That’s good advice.”

“Only if you’ve told her everything,” the officer corrected.

“Then I’ll tell her everything then climb under the car,” Kenneth said, making a mental checklist. The officer wished him luck and left. Taking a deep breath, Kenneth walked back to the car and climbed in. “Okay—”

“I heard,” she interrupted. He was just glad she wasn’t breathing hard anymore, and he quickly spilled everything.

“Besseta, I know I can’t stop you, but I’ll try. Not because I care for them but because I care for you. I don’t want you to live with that,” he told her.

“I’m a vampire; I’ve killed for fewer reasons,” she droned. Taking a deep breath, Kenneth pushed his thoughts forward in his mind. Caught off guard, Besseta closed her eyes, feeling the thoughts of worry for her safety, mind, and soul if she did it. Slowly, she turned to him. “Okay, I won’t actively hunt Connie, but if I run across the bitch, I rip her arms off,” she compromised.

“I’ll take that,” Kenneth smiled. He reached over and hugged her, feeling the tension leave her body. “Don’t get me wrong; I’m thrilled you care for me that much, but it’s in the past.”

“You still going to go after Bereno?” she asked.

“If I lie and tell you no, are we heading south?” he asked, and she softly chuckled.

“Maybe,” she told him.

“If he acts like an ass, I’m going to,” Kenneth admitted, “but you are better than me.”

She leaned back, smiling. “No, you’re the best,” she told him. “We could just go off and kill our exes,” she threw out.

“Well…” Kenneth thought. “Nah, that would take time away from us. Not that the thought doesn’t have merit. I love you.”

“I love you too.” She smiled, and they kissed.

“How about we go see your friend, and we can talk about our past without wanting to kill people?” he offered.

“Sounds good,” she agreed, starting the car.

As she pulled out, he said, “Damn, never heard ‘dip the bitch in acid.’”

“Well, while you were talking with the cop, I got on my cell, looking for a supplier,” she admitted sheepishly.

“I have to say, I think you and I are made for each other,” Kenneth confessed.

“Damn well better be because I’ll never marry again.”

Kenneth laughed. “You got that right. I found who I always looked for. You know when I first saw you I didn’t believe you were real.”

A blush exploded on Besseta’s face. “I know,” she whispered. “I caught the one and only complete thought then; you thought I was an angel.”

“And you are,” he said, reaching over and grabbing her leg, and Besseta stopped the car.

When they started back up, Kenneth moved the seat all the way back as she sat in his lap. They talked the entire way, laughing and sharing stories, cementing their paths in life together.

Chapter 4

In twenty-one hours, they came to the end of the road in British Columbia overlooking a tidal bay off the Pacific Ocean. They climbed out, and Kenneth looked over at Besseta. “Are you sure?” he asked. “We are still like eighty miles from the ocean.”

“Yes, Tiffany doesn’t like company,” she said, walking around to the front of the car. “You still want to go?”

“Hell yeah! I didn’t ride this far to not see your friend,” he said as he walked over to her, looking down the ravine to the bay. He then looked up to the dark, overcast sky.

“You’re going to have to get on my back, or I’ll have to carry you. If we hike your way, it will take us a few days to get to her, and the babies will be out of food before we get back,” she told him.

“You want to carry me or have me ride your back?” he asked with complete dignity.

“I’ll carry you,” she said, picking him up. “I think your legs would get in the way of mine.”

Kenneth was about to say something when the world sat on his body. He looked around to see Besseta had jumped off the ravine, way out and off. Fighting not to scream and wet his pants as the ground came rushing up, Kenneth tensed for impact. When he didn’t feel one, he relaxed as Besseta barely seemed to touch the ground, and they shot forward.

The wind blasted against him, and he felt her arms tighten around him as his tightened around her neck. Feeling like he was standing behind a jet engine, Kenneth just kept his eyes closed and quit trying to open them. He could feel them going up and over mountains and Besseta jumping. He didn’t know what she was jumping over, but could tell when they went airborne.

Then suddenly, Besseta came to a sliding stop. Kenneth opened one eye just to make sure it was okay then opened the other. They were in a small valley that opened to a much smaller bay, and he could smell the ocean. “We there?” he asked nervously.

“Almost. We’re close enough she can smell us,” Besseta told him as she let him down.

“We’re not going to see her?” he asked, confused.

“Baby, you don’t just run upon another vampire’s home. They kill first. Hesitation can get them killed,” she explained. “Especially one as powerful as Tiffany.”

“What do we do?” he asked, getting nervous.

“Wait till she comes to see.”

“She does know your smell, right?”

“Yes.” Besseta smiled. “She’s close and knows it’s me but doesn’t know your scent and is confused.”

Kenneth started looking around in curiosity. “If she doesn’t like people, I hope I’m not intruding. She’s your friend and all; I’m just saying I don’t want to hurt her feelings,” he said, looking around, and he caught a flashing blur.

“She won’t mind,” Besseta assured him, “after I explain.”

Hearing that, Kenneth’s body became rigid, watching the blur dart from tree to tree toward them. “She’s not as fast as you are,” Kenneth said, and Besseta looked over at him.

“You can see her running?” she asked, shocked.

“Yes, I’ve been watching you and learned how to follow you,” he said as the blur got closer and stopped in front of them.

“Besseta,” the figure cried and walked over holding out her arms. She wore a simple, long, white gown. Kenneth watched them hug and looked at who he hoped was Tiffany. She had an olive complexion with thick, straight, long, black hair. As they hugged, he noticed she was a head taller than Besseta, but since Besseta was tiny, that made Tiffany just short. Looking at her face, Kenneth grinned. Tiffany wasn’t really beautiful, but she was cute. If she were wearing black-rimmed glasses, he would think she was a nerd.

“Tiffany, I’ve missed you,” Besseta said, hugging her tight, and Kenneth winced, knowing if his body was in there it would’ve been crushed.

“How did you find me?” Tiffany asked, finally letting go.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Besseta giggled.

Then like he just appeared, Tiffany looked over at him with a polite smile. “Besseta, wh—” she stopped and looked back at Besseta then back at Kenneth. “Oh my,” she said, taking a breath and placing her hand on her chest. “You fell in love,” Tiffany gasped, lunging at Besseta and wrapping her arms around her again.

“Yes I did,” Besseta beamed.

“I can see it on both of your faces,” Tiffany said, so excited.

“That’s not all, Tiffany,” Besseta said, and Tiffany let her go as Besseta held up her left hand, showing the ring. Tiffany let out a wail and wrapped her up again. “I knew you would be happy.” Besseta smiled with tears in her eyes.

“My little Besseta,” Tiffany wailed again, crying. Kenneth just watched the emotions, smiling.

When they let go of each other, Tiffany walked over toward him with Besseta behind her. Kenneth started getting scared and did the only thing he could. Completely forgetting his man card, he held up his hands. “I’m fragile.”

With his hands held out in front of him, they suddenly parted like they were pushed apart. “You must be a good man to get her,” Tiffany told him as she hugged him gently.

Hesitantly, Kenneth returned the hug. “Actually, we just had this argument, and she is the best,” Kenneth replied.

“We were still arguing,” Besseta snapped.

“I was the last one to say it,” Kenneth told her.

“We were here, so I got out,” she protested.

Letting Tiffany go, Kenneth said proudly, “That doesn’t matter. I won the argument.”

“If you two would like, we can go to my home, and you can continue. It would do my heart good to watch,” Tiffany interrupted with a big grin.

Kenneth crossed his arms. “I don’t know; you may take her side,” he objected.

“Well, if you spoke last, then the argument is yours,” Tiffany giggled.

“Oh man, I like her,” Kenneth told Besseta, pointing at Tiffany.

“Tiffany, that’s not fair,” Besseta complained.

Shaking her head, Tiffany laughed, “Besseta, I’m sure you win most arguments. He is truly smitten with you.”

Kenneth scoffed. “You better believe that. If I don’t give in, she won’t wear the shi—”

“Kenneth!” Besseta shouted, stopping him as she blushed.

“Well, you do,” he told her.

“Come, you must tell me more,” Tiffany laughed. Besseta walked over and picked Kenneth up. “Oh allow me,” Tiffany said, and Kenneth floated out of Besseta’s arms. Breaking out in a cold sweat, Kenneth looked around, hovering several feet off the ground, as Besseta walked in front of him.

“Okay, now I’m freaking out,” Kenneth called out as the world again sat on his chest then got right back off. He looked back and could tell they were miles away as he floated in the air behind the two when they came to a stop. “You know, I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I’m about to lose bowel and bladder control floating up here.”

Tiffany turned around. “Oh forgive me,” she said as he floated down, and his body straightened up so his feet touched the ground.

Besseta ran up to him. “She’s good, isn’t she, and see I told you how nice she is.”

“Yes, she’s very nice, but I really need to check my pants,” Kenneth told her truthfully. “Besseta, I just defied gravity, hovering off the ground, then shot through the air at what I’m sure was warp speed.”

“I told you she had telekinesis,” Besseta said, surprised.

Reaching out, Kenneth grabbed her shoulders. “Besseta, that’s like telling someone they won the lottery and showing them the money. It’s two totally different things,” he told her.

They heard laughter erupt and looked over at Tiffany sitting on the ground, laughing. “This is the best,” she wailed.

Kenneth looked down at Besseta. “You realize if she lived with us and she laughs at that, she would wet her pants at least twice a day,” Kenneth predicted.

Tiffany struggled to her feet then led them to a rock face with a boulder in the middle of it. She walked over and with little effort pushed the boulder, which was taller than Kenneth and almost as wide as it was tall. As it moved, it revealed a large opening. Tiffany waved her hand for them to enter. As Kenneth walked through the entrance, he could tell this wasn’t a natural cave.

As Tiffany closed the opening behind them, the light slowly left, leaving them in darkness. Like a statue, Kenneth stood in place as Tiffany and Besseta started talking, and he could hear their voices moving around, proving they were walking.

“Yeah, I just want you to know I can’t see the end of my nose,” Kenneth informed everyone.

“Again, Kenneth, I’m sorry, but I’m just happy to see Besseta and find her happily married,” Tiffany called back to him.

Hearing a lighter striking, he sighed. “That’s fine,” he said as the lighter caught, ejecting a flame. Smiling as the lighter moved toward a nine-candle candelabra, he started getting happy as it lit the first candle, and then he realized the lighter was floating and lighting candles like it was its own entity. 

With his hands trembling, Kenneth just ran toward the voices of Besseta and Tiffany to get away from the possessed lighter. Making out their shapes in front of him, Kenneth stopped some yards behind them, breathing heavily, and noticed the room getting brighter to his right. Turning as he stopped, he found the lighter lighting more candles on its own.

“Tiffany,” he called out, running toward the two. Tiffany turned with a smile. “Tiffany, sorry to interrupt again, but can I trouble you for a glass of wine, hard liquor, beer, I’ll even settle for paint thinner right now,” he begged with his face white as a sheet, trying not to look at the lighter.

“Certainly,” she said and disappeared.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Besseta asked, moving over to him.

Grabbing her shoulder, Kenneth pulled her close. “Don’t look, but a possessed lighter is following me because I’m scared of the dark,” he told her, trying to swallow, but his throat was parched.

“Baby, it’s just Tiffany—”

“I know what you said, baby,” he snapped. “You aren’t listening to me. A possessed zippo lighter is following me because I’m scared of the dark,” he explained slowly. “Oh my God, it’s coming over here!” Kenneth shouted and spun around, refusing to let the lighter know he saw it.

Besseta giggled as she reached out to comfort him. When her hand brushed his arm, Kenneth screamed and jumped. Shocked, Besseta just stood there as she saw Kenneth’s shoes even with her eyes until gravity pulled him back to Earth.

“Shit, it’s right behind you!” he shouted, pointing. Tiffany appeared beside them. Kenneth didn’t take that very well and let out a piercing scream, backing away and moving across the room as he did a cootie dance.

Totally at a loss, Tiffany looked at Besseta. “He seems a little high strung,” she offered.

“He’s handled everything fine so far. I think I pushed him a little too hard too fast,” Besseta considered.

“THE GODDAMN LIGHTER IS FUCKING FOLLOWING ME!” a blood-curdling scream erupted behind them. They turned to see Kenneth in a dead run at them. Before he reached them, he dropped to his knees and slid right between them then jumped to his feet, turning around in midair. Grabbing both of them, he spun them toward the lighter that was still working its way around the room, lighting candles.

He ducked behind both of them. “It’s coming over here; kill it,” he begged.

They both just stared at the lighter as Tiffany barely shook her head. “Besseta, I…erm, I don’t know what to say,” she confessed.

Besseta just shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t even try,” she said as the lighter floated over to rest on the table, and the top flipped closed. Besseta slowly turned to face Kenneth, who was hiding behind both of them. Seeing it was okay, Tiffany turned around with her.

Noticing they were facing him, Kenneth looked over their shoulders and didn’t see Satan’s zippo any more. Throwing his arms out, Kenneth wrapped them in a hug. “Oh my God thank you for killing that thing,” he almost cried out.

Pointing at the table, Tiffany started, “It’s—”

“Tiffany,” Besseta snapped, “don’t. He’s not ready for you to tell him.”

“Kenneth, I have the wine you requested,” Tiffany said, holding a bottle in one hand.

Releasing them from his embrace, he stepped back, taking the bottle, and looked down at it. “Ah, Tiffany, this is an 1880 Château,” he informed her.

“Yes it is,” she replied.

“Ahm,” he stuttered. “Ah, this is a seven-thousand-dollar bottle.”

Tiffany just looked at him, not comprehending. “Yes, is that much?” she asked hesitantly.

Kenneth just started blinking and opening and closing his mouth with nothing coming out. “Don’t say anything else. He’s very worrisome about money and wants to always think about it,” Besseta told her.

“How remarkable,” Tiffany said, turning to her with a huge smile.

“No, it’s tiresome,” Besseta corrected as she looked at Kenneth, who was in total shock.

Tiffany looked at Besseta. “May I try to help,” she glanced out of the corner of her eye at Kenneth, “someone understand?” Tiffany asked, not wanting to upset Besseta’s husband any more.

“Yes, that may work,” Besseta said and cut her eyes to the zippo on the table, “but not with
that
.”