Thorne Ch. 05

"No... yes." Barb replied. "I want you to tell me more about this world that I don't want to be in."

Adrianna closed the laptop and set it aside. She looked at Barb trying to assess if she was playing another game.

"Let me ask you a question." Adrianna said when Barb was sitting. "What in the hell is wrong with you? I mean I haven't known you for very long and I met your family for the first time the other day. But I saw how you treated them. I also saw how they treated you, so what gives? Why are you coming to me instead of going to them?"

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Barb snapped.

"I'll tell you." Adrianna said. "And I'll tell you why. Right now you're a danger to yourself, your child and the rest of us. Part of that is because of ignorance and part of it is because you don't give a fuck about anyone other than yourself. The latter part is an issue between you, Mr. Blackwell and your family. The first part is part of my protecting you and by extension that child and the rest of us."

As Barb listened, she once again realized that she had gotten far more than she bargained for. While she hadn't wanted to die young, she didn't want to live forever either. All she had wanted was to live the life of the idle rich. In spite of her jealousy and anger, she wondered how Kevyn and the others coped with their new lives. They hadn't been in the vampire world for much longer than she had, but yet they seemed to be adapting with little or no problem.

"I know that this is a hard change for you." Adrianna said, "But you have to stop thinking in terms of the human world. We live in the human world and to some degree follow their laws, but that is only so we don't stand out. We have our own set of laws and more times than not they are the opposite of what you're accustomed to. It's like Grant says, humans have this inexplicable need to be seen and heard. For them it can be a double-edged sword, but not so for us. Secrecy is an absolute must."

"You talk about humans as if you were never one." Barb said. "You're half human aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Adrianna replied. "And when I was fully human, I was like you... well, not like you in the way that you treat people; but in the way that you want and need to be noticed."

"Wait, I thought that you were born this way." Barb said.

"My father is vampire." Adrianna said, "But I was born human. I wasn't turned until I was in my late twenties."

"Who turned you?" Barb asked, "And why didn't you stay human?"

"My father turned me." Adrianna said quietly. "And for whatever reason, I never developed the sensitivity to the sun and kept many of my human attributes. I didn't remain human because I had no choice. From the time that I could talk I was taught that I needed to keep what my family was a secret. And for a long time, I did. There was something comforting in the knowledge that my family was different.

By the time I was in my teens, I no longer saw it that way. I couldn't spontaneously bring my friends home, I had to watch what I said... like what we're trying to get you to do now. Let's throw money into the mix. My father is very wealthy and I could and did have anything that I wanted. All I had to do was say his name and the world was mine. The problem was I didn't care who heard me. One day, I said my father's name in the presence of the wrong people. I had heard about hunters, but I thought them to be like the boogie man, made up to make a child behave. I didn't make it home that night or the next day."

"Weren't you guarded? Where were they?" Barb asked.

"The guard that was assigned to me had feelings for me even though he knew that he wasn't my mate. I took full advantage of those feelings and conned him into waiting outside for me. The man who heard me talking took me out through the back of the store. I'm sure that you're wondering where the other shoppers were." Adrianna said. "What happened was this, as soon as he heard my father's name, he called in reinforcements. He had no idea of how many guards I had with me, but he was determined to take me.

They had been after my father for quite some time but could never get close enough to capture him. By opening my big mouth, I gave them what they wanted. They kept me for two days in the hopes that by the time they contacted him, my father would be do anything to get me back."

"Did they hurt you?" Barb asked.

"Not at first." Adrianna replied. "They saved that for the first call that they made to my father."

Adrianna stood up and pulled up her shirt. A scar ran from the underside of her left breast to the underside of the right. Barb gasped in horror and shock.

"The hunters don't care who you are." Adrianna said as she sat down. "The only thing you will be to them is a means in which to expose your family. They won't care that you're pregnant or if you have children who love and need you. In fact, many of them prefer to take children. Think about it, what parent wouldn't sacrifice themselves for their child?"

"Your father came for you." Barb said almost surprised.

"Of course he did!" Adrianna snapped. "Did you think that he would have left me with those animals? What the hunters didn't know about my father was that the more threatened he was, the angrier he was; the more focused he became. They set up a meeting for the next evening at a place that was supposed to be neutral ground."

"It wasn't was it?" Barb asked.

"No and they had no intentions of letting me go." Adrianna said. "The goal of the total annihilation of the vampire race. I was the daughter of a vampire and a way of continuing the race. No matter what my father did, I wasn't leaving there alive. So there I was, in pain, hungry, scared and filled with guilt. In my selfishness, I had endangered not only my family, but the families who were our friends. They would have tortured us until we gave them the names of the others."

"This is one crazy world." Barb murmured.

"It's a dangerous one as we keep telling you." Adrianna said. "Anyway, my father came to the meeting as planned. He came with the required list of names, but he had already warned them and they were gone. A couple of the unmated males insisted on going to the meeting with him, but remained unseen. As soon as the head of the hunters saw my father, he laughed thinking that he had tricked him. But my father had something that Rufus Saunders hadn't counted on- my father had his wife. I don't know how he got her unless one of the vampires under Saunders' employ helped, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that my father had the one thing that would gain my release."

A tear trickled down Adrianna's face and she quickly wiped it away.

"Now I had involved someone's mother. I knew who Olivia was. I had seen her every so often, but we never talked. Time seemed to stop as my father and Rufus stared at each other, neither one of them wanting to give in. My father offered Rufus his wife if he would release me. To this day I don't know what happened next. There were shouts, I felt pain and then there was nothing. I woke up a week later as you now see me. My father told me that Olivia's mother had been killed. Rufus believed and still believes that it was a vampire- it was, but it wasn't one of us."

"Who was it?" Barb asked.

"We don't know." Adrianna replied. "We think that it was one of the vampires that Rufus kept on retainer, but we have no proof of that. It could have been anyone."

"How do you know that it wasn't one of the ones who were with your father?" Barb asked.

"They were too busy dealing with the hunters." Adrianna said. "And my father was too busy trying to save me."

She stood up again, pulled her shirt up and exposed her back. Dead center was a raised, round scar that was the size of a quarter.

"That is where Rufus stabbed me. I was almost dead when my father made the decision to turn me."

Adrianna fixed her clothes and sat down.

"Oh my god." Barb said softly.

"I didn't tell you this for your entertainment or for your pity. I told you so that you will understand what can happen by not thinking of everyone else. Each of us has the potential to destroy all of us. Every time you are tempted to open your mouth, think about what you could be doing."

"Do you and your father still talk?" Barb asked after several minutes.

"Yes, but for a long time; it was awkward." Adrianna said. "I had to go to him and the others that I had placed in danger and apologize. Not everyone accepted my apology, some of them are still quite angry with me. Vampires have long memories."

"How long ago was this?" Barb asked.

"Ten Years ago." Adrianna replied. "Let's talk about what happened at the store..."

"I... I get it." Barb said.

"Do you?" Adrianna challenged. "Every time you say that, you go and do something stupid."

"I get it." Barb replied her tone curt.

Adrianna looked at her. Somehow, she didn't think that Barb really got it.

***

"Who is she?" Thorne asked looking at the body.

"According to her ID her name is Joanie Reed." Duke replied.

"Was she alone?" Thorne asked.

"Someone saw her talking to someone, but they didn't see who it was or if they got out of line." Duke said. "I ran her information and Thorne, we've got trouble. She's local and she has family. It's only a matter of time before they start worrying about her and the human police show up.

"Fuck!" Thorne said as he paced. He had dealt with the human police before and had no desire to repeat the experience. "Alright, we need to go on the offensive." He said. "Duke, call nine-one-one and then call Detective Mosby. I'd rather deal with the devil I know than one that I don't."

"Thorne are you sure about this?" Duke asked.

"It's better that we call them instead of her family." Thorne replied. "I'm going to my office. Call me when Mosby gets here."

Thorne went to his office, sat down and rubbed his temples. A rare headache was forming just behind his eyes. It seemed to him that every time he planned to sit down with Barb something happened to interrupt him. He knew that it was imperative that he talk to her about the Sinclaires, but the fates seemed to be conspiring against him.

It didn't help that he wanted nothing to do with her and he hadn't lied when he told her that if it weren't for the child; she wouldn't be in his home. But the fact of the matter was; it was a package deal unless she took him up on his offer. He hoped that the police arrived quickly, did their business and left. He wanted to finish his talk with Barb.

The fact that he only referred to her as his mate on occasion really didn't bother him. He didn't see her as his mate and was sure that he never would. If she turned down his offer, then they had to come up with a way to live together peacefully. He looked at the clock and wondered how long it would be before Detective Mosby graced his office.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He already knew who it was, Mosby was downstairs.

"Mr. Blackwell!" Detective Brice Mosby greeted. "So we meet again over another dead body."

"You proved that the other murder didn't occur here did you not?" Thorne asked tersely. "I also believe that you caught the murderer."

"That's true." Mosby said, "But what are the chances of another body showing up in the same spot?"

"Look detective," Thorne said his tone impatient. "Either you're going to question my patrons or you're not, but either way you need to decide what you're going to do. It's getting late."

Mosby looked at Thorne, smiled and then walked away. Thorne followed him into the club confident that it would appear as any human club. The club was quiet when they walked in. The patrons eyed Thorne and the police warily. Word of the murder had run through the club in a matter of seconds and no one was allowed to leave.

****

"Something is happening." William said quietly. "Everyone is restless."

A moment later, word of the murder reached their table by way of their server.

"No one is allowed to leave." He said. "Drinks are on the house."

"Damn it!" Olivia swore. "Of course we would have to come to the one place that something happens at."

She looked around and saw Nell and the others coming back to the table.

"What's going on?" Nell asked as she sat down.

"They found a body behind the club." Olivia replied. "No one is allowed to leave."

"Was it a human?" Albert asked.

"Yes." Olivia replied. "On the bright side, the drinks are on the house."

Olivia turned around when everyone else did. Her eyes widened when she saw Thorne with the police.

"This is Thorne Blackwell's place?" She asked Albert. "You fucking picked Thorne Blackwell's place?"

"I don't see the problem." Albert said. "The murder could have happened somewhere else as well as here."

'You don't see the problem?" Olivia retorted. "You don't see the fucking problem? Thorne Blackwell knows me! If he sees us, we're not getting out of this club alive even with the police here."

"Then I guess we'd better not be seen." Albert replied. "And for what it's worth, I didn't think that he would be here tonight."

"They're starting at the far side of the room." Nell said. "If we stand up, it will draw attention to us. If we vanish, someone will see us."

"We'll vanish one by one." Albert said. "The only one who will be left is our fearless leader." He added sarcastically.

"We can't leave her!" Nell exclaimed.

"Why in the hell not?" Harry asked. "She would leave us."

Olivia didn't say anything. It was true. If it came down between them and her, she'd leave them in a heartbeat. If she was caught, she'd give them up without thinking about it. It didn't matter that they would be killed; their kind was even more hated than the hunters. They were traitors and would be treated as such.

Olivia felt William's eyes on her and wondered what he was thinking. She amended her thinking. Of all of them he would be the one that she would have qualms about giving up, but she would do it.

"Alright." Albert said. "Nell you go first and then Mary. Harry will follow you then William. I'll be last. Olivia will have to find her own way out."

Olivia noticed the gloat in Albert's voice when he said that she had to find her own way out. He was hoping that she would be caught. He knew that by the time she gave their names, they would be long gone. For the first time since the murder, she wondered if one of them had done it and planned for her to get caught. She dismissed the idea. They wouldn't be that stupid. It was too high risk of a plan. The fact that the murder happened while they were at the club was purely coincidental.

She watched as Nell looked around and then vanished followed by Mary. Harry gave her a sneering smile before he disappeared.

"I'll go last." William said when Albert looked at him.

"Don't argue with me." Albert hissed. "Get out of here."

William didn't move.

"I'm not leaving..."

"They're headed this way!" Olivia hissed.

Albert glared at William and vanished. Olivia stared at William when he didn't vanish as well.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm getting you out of here." William replied. "Do you have any idea of what they'll do to you if they catch you?"

Olivia knew. She had heard the stories, but what she wanted to know was why William cared.

"Shit!" William hissed and was gone.

Olivia didn't have the chance to ask William what was happening before he vanished. She turned around and looked into the cold green eyes of Thorne Blackwell. Olivia stared at him unable to speak. She was in a word trapped. She frantically tried to think of something that she could tell the police so that they would take her with them, but nothing came to mind.

As if he was reading her mind, Thorne silenced her just as the Mosby approached the table.

"So far everyone claims to have seen nothing." He said as he looked at Olivia. "What about you? Did you see anything?"

Olivia shook her head no.

"Don't you talk?" Mosby asked.

Olivia glanced at Thorne, opened her mouth and spoke.

"Yes I talk." She said resisting the urge to massage her throat. "No I didn't see anything. I was standing toward the front so I saw nothing that was going on behind me."

"Did you come alone?" Mosby asked.

"Yes." Olivia lied.

She knew that Thorne didn't believe her, but the detective did; at least for the moment. He questioned her for several minutes before moving on leaving Thorne and Olivia alone.

"Stay put." Thorne said quietly.

****

The terrible four stood across the street in the same spot where weeks before, the Sinclaires stood after the attempted rescue of Barb. Albert was seething. He wasn't used to being challenged. Especially over a human hunter who had plans of killing them when they were no longer of use. He glared at William and then vanished back to the house. The others followed, with William being the last to leave. He looked at the club, sighed and then vanished.

*****

Two hours later, Olivia was sitting in Thorne's office flanked by two vampires. Thorne sat behind his desk assessing her.

"Who came with you?" he asked after several minutes.

"No one." Olivia said surprising herself. "I'm on vacation."

"You're lying." Thorne said. "Rufus Saunders would never let his only surviving child and successor travel alone."

Olivia didn't respond.

"How is it that of all of the clubs in the city, you ended up here? But even more importantly, you've been here for at least a week. Why haven't you killed anyone?"

Olivia tried to hide her surprise but couldn't. There was no way that he should have known that they were in the city. They hadn't killed anyone and had done nothing to call attention to themselves so how did he know?

"You were spotted a couple of days ago." Thorne said.

Olivia closed her eyes remembering the day that she had gone shopping alone, the day that she had been so busy pretending to be someone else. That had to have been when she was spotted. Shit! She thought as she imagined what her father was going to say. It would have been one thing had she not been alone when she was spotted, but she had breached security. There was going to be hell to pay when he found out.

But there was another problem, her crew was probably long gone by now. That she warned her father that there was the possibility of them escaping wasn't going to matter. He had placed them in her hands as a test and she had failed miserably.

"Why haven't you killed anyone?" Thorne asked again.

"I told you," Olivia said, "I'm on vacation."

"So you say." Thorne said. "Where's the rest of your group? And don't tell me that you were alone... Fuck me..." He murmured suddenly understanding without really understanding how he did. "You came with vampires didn't you? They were here... where are they?"

"Long gone I imagine." Olivia replied

"Duke, you know where to take her and make sure that you take her phone. Make sure that she's never left alone. I've got a phone call to make."

"I'm not going to tell you anything." Olivia said defiantly. "You can torture me all you want and I won't tell."

Thorne started to tell her that he wasn't into torture, but changed his mind.

"We'll see." His said with a cold smile. "Duke take her to the house just outside of the city and keep your eyes open. Her crew may come back for her although I doubt it."

As soon as he was alone, Thorne called Ethan.

*****

Noel looked through the website for vampire homes. He couldn't wait to be away from Barb and her attitude. He was still unsettled by how close he had come to hurting her. That alone was reason enough to move. He wondered what Thorne was going to do about her short of locking her in a room somewhere and throwing away the key. He turned his thoughts to the eyes. He was now certain that they were connected to one of the females related to Barb. When he stopped to think about it, there was a vague similarity to Barb's eyes as well. If he had to guess, he would choose Juliette as the link. His reaction to her had been too strong for it to have been one of the others. The question was how the two were related. The next question was where was she? According to the portrait she was an adult, but she hadn't been at the meeting. He entertained the thought that maybe she was out of state or maybe not even born yet. He discarded the latter thought. If she wasn't born, she wouldn't have been able to talk to him.