A Council of Betrayal (2 page)

“Anyway, we need you to check a wire for us,”
he continued, clearing his throat.

…

“Just because a vampire approached her, that
doesn’t mean the vampires as a whole sought the creation of the
chains.”

“I agree,” I told Logan, shifting positions
in the SUV and staring at the open road.

“Nor does it mean that one person is behind
all the recent attacks.”

“I know, Logan,” I groaned at him.

“I wonder how difficult chains like those are
to create.”

I groaned, “We can ask Jerry.”

“I suppose we will have to, since you killed
her already!” Logan raised his voice in irritation, hitting the
steering wheel.

I flipped him off.

He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. “You
need to work on your control.”

“Bite me.”

Logan dropped me off at the manor, sighing,
“Stay out of trouble.”

I laughed, “That’s my middle name.”

I plodded up the stairs and dropped my bags
off, rubbing the back of my neck.

“So Olie, you up for a game?” Tommy asked,
leaning in my doorway.

I laughed, “Yeah, let me shower and get some
rest. Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep also?”

He shrugged with a sly smile.

I grunted. A teenager was not outdoing me in
my ability to stay up late. “Fine, just let me shower.”

…

A full night and half a day later I claimed
one victory against Tommy. One.

“I’m tempted to revoke your video games,” I
groaned, rubbing my eyes as I sat on his floor.

“Olivia, don’t speak those words!” he teased
me.

“Alright, kid, I gotta get some sleep.”

“It’s the middle of the day.”

“I know. I still haven’t slept from last
night.” I pulled him into a side hug before retreating into my own
room.

…

“OLIE!” a gaggle of teenagers screamed from
the bottom of the stairs. I rolled over, cracking my door open.

“What?” I yelled back.

“Logan’s here to see you!”

I grumbled, tossing off the covers from my
midday nap. I ambled down the stairs while throwing my mess of hair
up. I had just seen the fucker yesterday, but the paternity test
results had come in and we needed to talk about it, since I was
keeping the bitch safe.

He raised an eyebrow at my rumpled shirt as I
plodded down the stairs. “Come on, the walls have ears,” I
grumbled, leading him to the conference room as the girls giggled
around the corner.

“Lorraine still wants to attend The
Conferences,” Logan said, slipping off his jacket and resting it on
the back of a leather chair. I closed the door with a huff.

“She can’t come, Logan,” I told him yet
again. I sat on the polished wood of the conference room table.

He leaned against the window overlooking the
front yard.

“I know, that’s what I’ve been telling her
every, single, time she calls.”

I laughed, “Who gave her a phone?”

“I think Blue is upset at me.”

I laughed harder, “Gee, ya think?”

“I’m not the one who assigned Blue to watch
Lorraine.”

“I’m not the one who knocked her up.”

He groaned before sitting next to me on the
table, our thighs touching. I felt his scorching heat through the
thin fabric of my yoga pants. I wasn’t thinking about it.

“I’d think she’d be taking this a little more
seriously after the last attack.”

Logan exhaled forcefully, leaning back, his
arms behind him. “Don’t remind me.”

“We’re lucky Blue and Victoria were both
there. According to Blue, she is actually listening without having
to be manipulated. It’s not our fault she didn’t take our warnings
seriously. Your unborn baby is a hot commodity.” I tried at humor,
pretty sure I failed.

His eyes cut to me. “Blue is an incubus?”

I nodded, “One of the more powerful.”

He shrugged. “I guess that is for the
best.”

I toyed with the envelope under my right
hand, on the opposite side from Logan. There was a reason he was
here and it wasn’t just to complain about Lorraine, his pregnant
ex-fiancée.

“I have the results.”

He didn’t look at me, but I caught the
clenching of his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes.

“She’s yours,” I whispered, a small smile on
my lips. I may not like Lorraine—okay, fine, I hate the bitch—but
the thought of Logan being a dad made me go all gooey inside. Not
that I’d admit it to him.

He didn’t breathe for a moment, before
looking at me with a mix of wonder and fear stealing his
features.

“She?” he asked, his voice soft.

“You are having a girl,” I whispered, my
smile growing.

“A girl,” he repeated on an exhale.

I reached behind our bodies, covering his
hand. “Do you want to see the ultrasound?” I asked tentatively.

He shook his head, clearing it, not moving
his hand under mine. “I’d love to.”

I handed him the envelope, removing my hand.
I watched closely as he opened it, noting his slight tremble. He
squinted, rotating the small black and white photo.

I laughed, “That’s her head.” I pointed.

“Is it supposed to be that large?”

I laughed again, “Yes, the doctor says she is
perfectly healthy.” I waited a moment before asking, “Do you want
to go to her next appointment?”

He sighed, the joy of finding out the child
was his now overshadowed by Lorraine and her betrayal, or maybe
just her general unpleasant behavior. I found her fucking
insufferable.

“I don’t know. As much as I’d like to see our
unborn child, I don’t want to upset Lorraine.”

“I’ve been at every appointment. Trust me,
the bitch is worked up plenty on her own.

“I’ll think about it. Have you heard from
Blake?”

It was my turn to groan. “I got a thank you
note.”

Logan scoffed, “You’re joking?”

“I wish I was.”

“What did it say?”

“I love you. I’m sorry. Please help me.”

“You’re joking!” he repeated, shocked.

I shook my head, looking over at him.
“Nope.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Let the fucker lie in the bed he made. His
problems are not mine, and I have plenty of my own.”

He grunted his approval.

“OLIE!” Tommy called out, banging on the
door.

“It’s open, you banshee!” I called out.

“I have arrived!” he announced, parading in
his Halloween costume. He was going as an executioner.

“How do I look?” he asked eagerly, twirling
around in his ensemble.

“Do I usually wear that much leather?” I
asked, tilting my head.

“Yes.” They both answered, emphatically, in
unison.

“Fine, but you clearly need more weapons.” I
waved a dismissive hand.

“That’s what I told Grams, but she said my
costume was offensive as it was.”

“I’ll talk to her,” I promised. “Where’s
Mindy?”

He rolled his eyes, coming to sit next to
Logan but leaning forward so I could see him.

“Learning how to hack into the police
department.”

“She’s like eleven!” I scolded.

“And your point is?” Tommy asked, an eyebrow
raised.

“Shouldn’t she be playing with dolls or
something?” I questioned.

“Not after the shit she went through. She
needs a destructive hobby and since she is too young to kill people
I thought this would be an acceptable replacement.”

“How very scientific of you,” Logan
commented.

“I know, right?” Tommy agreed.

“I should be going. I have to stop at
Darren’s before we fly out,” Logan said, standing. Did I imagine
his brush over my hand? Probably.

“He isn’t still trying to come?” I asked,
trying to prolong his visit.

“He is,” Logan answered, slipping his jacket
back on.

“No way. I need Kass and him here to watch
Tommy and the army of hackers he is training.” I gave Tommy a
playful shove.

“I’ll be sure to inform him. You flying out
with us?” Logan asked, adjusting the collar of his jacket.

“Yeah, Grams has vetoed my driving to
Vegas.”

“She’s probably worried you wouldn’t show up
again.” He lingered at the doorway, his eyes lingering on my
own.

“I was there for a full day. It’s not my
fault I had to deal with traffic ... for a week. Besides, what do
all those self-important asses do other than make big plans and
fail to follow though? I don’t even understand why we have to
go.”

“Careful, Olie. I think Logan is considered
one of those self-important asses,” Tommy muttered to me, leaning
closer.

I laughed and Logan did as well. “I’ll see
you on the plane,” he said. “Oh, and Tommy, I want a rematch.”

“Anytime, Logan. Anytime!”

I slung an arm around Tommy’s shoulders. I
meant what I had said: The Conferences were just a glorified
dick-measuring contest. The only value was that my defenses and
fighting skills were tested.

…

I had a full day between Logan’s visit and
our flight to Vegas. I decided to take a look at our security
cameras, not that I didn’t trust Becky to handle everything. Okay,
let’s be real. I have deep-seated trust issues, and something was
nagging at my awareness.

I pulled up Grams’s cameras.

Yeah, I’m a distrustful bitch. The cameras
were everywhere in the house save the bathrooms, but they were set
up for our protection. This was not their intended purpose.

I had been absent for maybe a week and a
half. I wanted to see what she was up to.

I went back two full weeks and started
watching. I saw myself come in and out of her office. I watched the
kids bound gleefully in, the younger ones going behind her desk to
seek her comforting touch.

The older ones sat across the desk from her.
I watched Grams’s body language as she listened to the kids,
leaning forward, laughing together with them. She spent time with
all of them, never rushing them out.

Fast forwarding three days later on the
videos, I watched Hash walk into Grams’s office. I aggressively hit
the play button, wanting to see this visit in real time.

I sat forward on the edge of my chair,
slowing down the feed. Hitting—okay, maybe smashing—a few buttons,
I had sound.

Grams sat behind her desk and indicated to
Hash to take a seat.

“What can I do for you?” she asked
sweetly.

I watched Hash settle into the chair,
crossing his legs.

“I’ve come to speak with you regarding a new
position,” Hash stated.

Grams had the decency to look confused. “Do
you need another liaison for the police files?”

Hash leaned forward. “I want to offer you a
position with the human government.”

Grams laughed, “Why would I want a new
position?”

“Because you are human, you aren’t like these
freaks here.”

Grams’s jaw tightened. “They are not freaks.
They are children, children I am charged with protecting.”

Hash shrugged. “Let’s be honest, if you could
have your own wage, your own house, wouldn’t you prefer that?”

Grams paused, her perfectly polished nails
tapping her desk. Hash read her body language perfectly, leaning
forward.

“I can offer you all of that. I can give you
a life that is your own. No one’s orders to listen to. No one to
dictate how much you spend or on what. You, Mercer and Mindy can
build a normal life away from the controversy facing Olivia.”

Grams was still watching him. “What makes you
think I want that?”

Hash shrugged, and while I couldn’t see his
face, I knew he was smiling.

“Who doesn’t want to control their own
destiny? You are tied to Olivia right now, protected only as long
as she lives.”

Grams swallowed. How the fuck did Hash know
that? Why the fuck didn’t I know she was worried about that?

I sunk back in my chair, feeling I had failed
her. If she was confident in my skills, as I had always thought she
was, Hash couldn’t have touched her.

Grams’s gaze flicked to the camera I was
watching. She wrote something down and slid it over to Hash. He
read it, nodding, and tucked it into his pocket before leaving.

Why wouldn’t she tell me she wanted out?
Should I approach her about it? I chewed on my thumbnail. No, I’d
let this play out. I couldn’t force her to stay and I wouldn’t.

I was, however, going shopping. It had been
too long since I had seen my favorite troll and her impressive
array of weapons.

…

I was loading my car up at Myrtle’s, a smile
on my lips easing the tightness in my chest at the thought of Grams
leaving, when my phone rang.

“Bloody hell, woman, get your gun toting
assets down to The Roasted Onion on 5th! That imbecile just made an
escape attempt,” Blue yelled at me.

The phone went dead at my ear. I was running,
sliding to the driver’s door, using the handle to stabilize myself
as I wrenched it open. Fucking hell. I was going to kill Lorraine,
you know, after she had safely delivered Logan’s baby.

I pulled my phone back out hazardously from
the pocket I had shoved it in. It took me two tries to get the keys
in the ignition and crank the engine. I paused only long enough to
dial Logan. Once my SUV picked up the call over its speakers, I
tossed the phone and slammed the gas.

“What’s up, Olie?” Logan answered.

“The Roasted Onion on 5th, Lorraine, escape
attempt,” I barked out.

“WHAT?” he roared.

Horns blared as I skidded across an
intersection at a speed recommended only for movies.

“Shit, I’m ten minutes away—“ I yelled at
him.

“I’m shifting.” That ended our call. Ever
seen a lion with a phone? Me, either.

It took me seven minutes, three red lights,
and one damaged fender from taking the sidewalk and running into a
stop sign.

I flung myself out of the car, parked in a
clearly marked no parking zone. Whatever. They could tow my car,
I’d just steal it back later.