25

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks for reading, leaving your comments and voting positively! Vote if you like it.

And although I've fired my editor several times, I've decided to keep him. So 'The Brit' gets an applause ... except if you find mistakes. Email him if you do! lol

-----------------------

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"Little one," Hiliad whispered.

I jerked awake, considering I'd been woken up before with the shock of my life--a gun to my face, to be exact. I turned and saw Him smiling at me as we sat in His car.

"Are we there already, Master?" I mumbled.

"Yes. You passed out as soon as I closed your door."

"Oh. Well, it helped a little."

"Good. Before we go in, you must remove your collar." I was taken aback for a moment before I understood His point. I did so and put it in the glove compartment.

As we approached the entrance of the pub, I looked around for Wilma, who was working that night.

"Connee!" I heard a holler from behind the bar. "Hugh's over there." She cocked her head toward a booth. "I'll be right with you."

I turned and saw Hugh stand from the booth in the corner. I smiled warmly at him.

Before I could take a step, Hiliad grabbed me by the elbow and leaned down. "Remember, you are still my sub, and I am still your Master."

"I will never forget that, Master," I said sincerely.

He didn't smile. I wondered why as we walked to the booth how exactly I was supposed to act with Him in such a public place. I guessed it being our first time in the 'real world' I'd find out. But I wasn't going to push anything.

"Hello, Connee," Hugh said.

Seeing Hugh without being semi-conscious, his voice was so much more gentle than Hiliad's. But Hugh also looked much older than Him. Hugh just looked ... hard.

"Hiliad." With Hugh's acknowledgment of Master, anyone could have cut the air in the room with a knife. It was that tense.

"Hugh," Hiliad said coldly. I wondered if Hiliad thought I was attracted to Hugh. Master had nothing to worry about, though.

Right after we settled in the booth—Hiliad beside me and Hugh across from us—Wilma came to the table. "Hi, Hiliad, Connee. What can I ..." Wilma stopped in mid-sentence when she looked at me. "... Get you, Connee?" I didn't realize I still looked bad, even though I'd slept almost two hours on the drive over.

"I would love a Coke, please."

"Great! I know what you like, Hugh. Hiliad?"

Hiliad didn't reply but looked directly at me. I blushed, though I don't know why. I remembered what He drank. I'd fallen asleep many a night saying, 'Sheep's blood. Sheep's blood. Sheep's blood.' I told Wilma and she bounced off, saying she'd be back in a second. Hiliad gave me a small, quick smile.

"Hugh, do they have good food here?" I asked because I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since the night before.

"So I've heard," he replied nervously. "I no longer eat."

I shook my head embarrassed. "Of course. I'm sorry."

Hiliad shot His eyes in my direction, and I wondered if I'd messed up.

Thankfully Wilma came back with our drinks and Hugh told her I wanted to order something to eat. She returned with a menu, I ordered, and she finally joined us when she made sure her tables had full glasses. There was little conversation between the three of us while she was gone.

"So, what's going on?" Wilma asked, looking excited.

I, on the other hand, wasn't. I was the one that brought them into this mess, so I replied, "It's true that the Bintaurs are dying out, and I'm the sole female, apparently. That's why Thomas Milton wants me." I shivered. "I did research but didn't get much information. Other than my telekinesis, other Bins use mind-control, oh, and cutting. With a flip of the hand they can slice through the skin of an elephant." That made Wilma tense.

"I made a few calls," Hugh intervened. "This Thomas Milton lives in Arcola in Loudon County, Virginia. He is very powerful in that he possesses all of the abilities."

"Oh, god," I stuttered.

"Yes, Connee," Hugh said, his voice soft. "The Hemophelia gene runs in the majority of Bins, which is why the females have trouble conceiving. They've died shortly thereafter either through miscarrying or delivering a stillborn child."

"Right. Mom must not have had that gene because she gave birth to me. But how the hell are we supposed to stop him from getting me?"

"I've been thinking about that, Connee," Hiliad finally joined the conversation. "We have to bring those power out in you. You were really angry when you tossed me away." Hugh and Wilma looked shocked. He didn't elaborate. "And we've got to start right away if we are to use that when we meet him."

A woman with flaming red hair came over with the cheeseburger that I ordered. "Sandra, you didn't have to bring that," Wilma said. "I would've gotten it."

"No worries," she replied as she set it in front of me. "Enjoy," she said then left. I no longer had an appetite. Staring at the food, although it smelled good, my stomach was tied up in knots.

"Why don't you eat, Connee," Hiliad said with an edge to His voice. I took it as an order, not a suggestion.

I took a few bites and had to admit it was good. While I ate, Hiliad explained, "We'll leave Sunday, early evening, for Dulles airport," Hiliad said. "The flights have already been arranged. We'll meet with the queen as soon as we arrive and explain everything to her. Maybe she knows what to do with Milton."

Kill him, I thought. Wilma snickered, and I remembered she could read my mind. I thought it was cool, actually, that she could do that, although I wasn't sure if I could live with it.

"It is ... inconvenient," Wilma answered my thoughts out loud. "I learn to live with it, most of the time."

Hiliad's body became rigid. "If you'll excuse us, Hugh, Wilma, I need a moment alone with Connee."

I had a French fry almost to my lips when He yanked me from the seat until I was able to scoot myself out. We stood in the area by the restrooms because there was no one there. Getting a quick glance of the bartender, who looked at us oddly; it was as if he thought I was in trouble. I wanted to tell him I was fine, but there was no way I could. I only smiled reassuringly.

Leaning down, Hiliad whispered with authority, "You will watch your thoughts with Wilma around you, sub."

I knew exactly what He was referring to. "Yes, Master."

"Will it be too difficult for you?"

"Yes, it will, but I will watch myself."

"Good." He still didn't smile.

After rejoining Hugh and Wilma, I finished my dinner and was pleasantly full, but I could no longer keep my eyes open.

"Why don't we start tonight," Hiliad suggested.

I really, really didn't want to.

"I still have to finish my shift, but if things quieted down Dave might let me join you. I'd love to watch," Wilma said. "Unless you're not too tired, Connee," she added with a look of concern.

"I guess I can at least try, but I have to use the bathroom first."

"We'll meet you outside, Connee," Hugh said as he stood and let Wilma out.

My eyes flew open. "You mean ... with you two?" I asked in shock.

"Of course," Hiliad said as He put His hand out for me. "We'll have privacy at Wilma's house. And she sweetly offered." Wilma gave Him a sour look.

Scooting out of the booth, I protested the whole way, which was only five seconds. "I can't! Not with ... Wilma's boyfriend and ..." I knew I wouldn't win. "I just don't want to hurt either of you."

Both vampires laughed. "That'll hardly happen, Connee," Hiliad said.

Daniel threw Master ten feet ... "Oh, god," I muttered, straightening my skirt.

"We'll meet you outside. We'll go in my car," Hiliad told me. I watched them walk out.

"Wilma! Need another draught over here!" I heard someone call out.

"I've got to get back. I'll come straight home after work."

I wanted to talk to Wilma about the possibility that I could really hurt Hugh, but I didn't. I used the bathroom and came out, nerves starting to build up. Wilma had been waiting for me. "Connee, before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It's personal," she warned.

"I'll answer if I can."

"Is Hiliad making you do this, going to Virginia, I mean?"

"What? No! He isn't."

"You just seem ... scared of him."

I smiled, understanding her concern. Fighting to keep my thoughts to myself, I said, "Hiliad has done a lot for me. He's putting Himself in danger, too, by going."

"And why do you look like you haven't slept in days?" She was really concerned then.

"I ... had trouble sleeping last night, worrying about all of this. Look, Milton wants me to repopulate a species." I scoffed when I realized what I'd said. "He can't have me. I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Fine, but you can talk to me if you need to, you know?"

I smiled. "Yes, Wilma, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. By the way, I still have to make my lasagna for you."

"We'll make plans as soon as we come back."

"You bet," I said and watched her walk off.

Taking a deep breath, I headed outside to meet Hugh and Hiliad. Hiliad was leaning against His car and Hugh had his hands in his pockets. Oh, do you boys know what you are getting yourselves into? I thought.

A short time later ...

"Connee!" Hiliad barked at me. "You've got to try!"

Master, Hugh and I had been in Wilma's backyard for the past two hours practicing honing into my 'pushing' ability, or so I called it. Hugh and Hiliad stood twenty feet from me, both stanced to take my push and react in time so that they could land in a position that wouldn't cause them any damage. I knew Hiliad could fly but was curious why He wasn't able to get control of himself to land on His feet when Daniel pushed Him.

"You've got to pull from your gut—get mad. Think of something that made you the angriest in your life. Remember how you felt the night you shoved me," Hiliad was telling me.

At the moment, it was Hiliad Fildri that was making me angry. And he was pissing me off because I'd been hearing the same thing for the past hour.

"I'm trying, Hiliad," I whined, running my fingers through my hair. I was on the verge of tears I was so tired, but I knew He was right. I planted my feet firmly in the soil, took a deep breath trying to find emotions that could flow out of me and threw my arm out. Hugh giggled and jerked a little. Hiliad looked at him perturbed before He looked at me. I thought maybe a bug was running up his leg.

"Connee," Hugh said, quietly at first. "I felt that."

"What?" I asked excitedly as I ran to them. "You felt what?"

"A tickle."

"Oh, for godssake!" Hiliad exclaimed. "Connee, you can't tickle a human to death!" He was not entertained or satisfied in the least. I was practically jumping for joy, or I was until He said that.

"Hiliad, it is something," Hugh said, forcing a smile at me.

Master shook His head, mumbled and started pacing. I could have stood there and cried if I hadn't heard Wilma's car come down her driveway and parked behind her house. She greeted us after she got out of the car. "How's it going?"

"Terrible!" Hiliad said. "We've been at this for two hours with nothing!"

"Now, wait a minute, Hiliad," Hugh interrupted. "She did tickle me."

"Why, Hugh!" Wilma said, laughing. "I never knew you were ticklish," she teased before she kissed him. Hugh grinned sheepishly.

Tickling? I had the power to knock people on their ass and all I could do was tickle them? That was it for me. I threw myself on the ground and started to cry.

"Oh, Connee," Wilma said, bending down to my level. "Why don't we go get something to drink."

"That's a good idea," Hiliad said. "I need a break."

"You need a break?" I snapped, looking at His blurred vision through my tears. "I'm the one that can't get ..." And I broke down again.

"Connee, honey, let's go inside," Wilma said again.

Reluctantly I got up and we headed to the house, with Hugh and Hiliad in tow. "Oh, no. Just us girls," she ordered.

When we were settled at the kitchen table, I had a little more control over myself, but the tears still fell. "Shit, Wilma. I don't want to let Hiliad down."

"Hiliad will get over it. He shouldn't push you like he is."

"Yes, He should. He's right. If we're supposed to meet Milton and confront him, how am I going to defend myself and protect you three?"

"We have four days to work on it, and you can work on it during the day while Hiliad is sleeping. Then you can surprise him at night."

Why hadn't I thought of that? I grabbed a tissue, blew my nose and threw it in the trash can. "Let's get on with this," I grumbled, not feeling any better.

Meeting up with Hugh and Hiliad again, it seemed the two vamps had thought of another approach. "Connee," Hiliad started, "Wilma and Hugh will stand at a distance, and I'll prompt you."

Yeah, that'll do it, I thought. I saw Wilma roll her eyes at me wearing a grin.

"Hugh Lewis," Hiliad continued, "You will forget everything you hear from me this night." Hugh nodded. "Wilma, will you promise me to keep whatever you hear from Connee's thoughts to yourself, never to be mentioned?"

Wilma was startled, but nodded as well. Hugh and Wilma walked away. "Mas ... Hiliad, I'm sorry I'm letting you down," I told Him sincerely. "Two."

"I'm sorry?" I asked, truly confused.

"Three," He counted, narrowing His eyes at me.

He was counting off my punishment! My ass twitched. "I'm trying, I really am. It's just I wish I could do more."

"You're not doing enough! Turn around," He demanded. I did so. I could feel Him step right behind me. "Close your eyes." I did that, too. "I will accept just one step back from either of them. For each step, I will deduct your ass being spanked for apologizing when I specifically instructed you not to."

I nodded and braced myself.

"Remember how outraged you were when Daniel kicked you out. How unloved and rejected you felt. The man didn't love you anymore. He threw you out like yesterday's newspaper. Three years of your life and your devotion to a low-life that didn't respect you ..."

Man, those words stung. He was right, of course. But I had long ago gotten rid of the hurt. Daniel had explained the situation to me. It was water under the bridge.

"The hen's blood splattering on you; it's body limply beating you ... All the anger, the scared little girl that Daddy abused ..."

Okay. That I could work with. I put myself in my 16-year old mind-set and saw my father whipping me with the hen that the wild dogs had killed. I was so frightened then, shaking like a leaf. I couldn't protect myself. I'd never protected myself from that beast. I heard myself breath heavily. My lips glowered, the hate and anger and resentment building from my stomach that seemed to fill my entire being. I tried to see myself the way I was then, to the way I was now, and what I would say to him.

Turning the situation away from my 'father,' He continued. "You hated me for punishing you ... you loathed me ..."

I cast my arm out and spread my fingers from the tight fist and yelled, "You fucking bastard!"

Hiliad's voice had been right in my ear, still talking to me, but His voice suddenly faded away. I opened my eyes and looked at Hugh and Wilma, whose eyes were as round and wide as the moon, and they were looking behind me appalled.

"What ..." Turning around, I saw Hiliad just getting up ten feet away.

I didn't know what to think. Wilma grabbed me, jumping up and down, squealing, "You did it! Girl, that was great!"

My mind was still in a daze, though, when Hugh patted my shoulder once Wilma let go of me. I hesitated looking at Master for fear of His reaction. "Well, now all we have to work on is to direct your anger towards the intended target," Hiliad said.

I was pissed then, but when I finally did look at him, He was smiling. I'd made Him happy! I sighed in relief.

Hiliad drove me home that night and rewarded me for my efforts—three times.

But I still had a long way to go.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I spent the next day practicing and practicing in my apartment with Heather. Luckily, I never achieved the same feat as I had with Hugh and Master the night before. But truth be told I didn't achieve anything at all. I was really getting discouraged. There had to be another way to get the feeling back—or maybe it wasn't anger that set me off. It was already in me, wasn't it? After all, I was a Bintaur. It was our nature, whatever that meant.

After I ate lunch, Heather went back to sleep on the couch, and I figured the worst I could do to her was throw her against the back cushion. If I could tickle a human, I couldn't do too much to a feline.

So, I stood on the other side of the living room, closed my eyes and concentrated really hard. Nothing. Someway, any way and every way I tried to pull it out of me. I couldn't do it. I hated to have to tell Hiliad I'd been unsuccessful, but I did want to surprise him, so I'd just have to be patient.

By then I had to get ready for work, so I changed and headed out. I'd been working for a couple of hours, finishing certain things that had to be done for our trip to Virginia the following Sunday. Hiliad popped in when he first arrived to say hello and asked for the month's accrued balance on some accounts. So I got to work on that.

When I was finished, I placed the balance sheets on His desk so He could look at it when He was ready. Going out to the club I stood by His chair and waited because at the moment, there were a few pathetic humans at His feet.

"Connee? What can I do for you?" He finally asked then waved His hand to dismiss them.

"I just wanted to let you know that I've put the General Ledger sheets on your desk."

He smiled so sweetly at me. "You're terrific. Thank you, my love." He said the last part quietly so only I could hear Him. I turned to leave when He added, "What are you doing after work?"

I grinned sheepishly then replied, "Whatever you tell me, Master."

"How's your ass," He smirked, "other than it being perfect."

I blushed. "There's only one position I can't sit now, so it's better."

"Meet me downstairs at 2:15," He said very seriously. "Yes Master."

I got very little done for the rest of the night because I was all giddy, as well as wet as hell. But the most disturbing thing happened when I went downstairs: He wasn't there. I went upstairs to ask Liza.

"I have no idea where he is. I'm not supposed to watch him 24-7," she replied, clearly irritated.

"Liza, I just ... never mind."

I went back to my office and grabbed my purse, wondering what was going on. I turned the light off, locked the door behind me and turned ... almost running into Liza. She had changed into jeans and a button-down top. "I'll be escorting you home." There was no pleasure in her voice.

"Why?" I asked, curious as hell.

"Because your Master told me to," she said, curtly and nastily.

"Anyone but you," I snapped and walked away. I still hadn't gotten over what she had done to me ... to Hiliad, really.

She didn't say anything but followed me out the entrance door. I knew she was behind me, and I purposefully didn't hold it open for her. She may have thought she was coming with me, but she wouldn't be driving home with me. I got into the car and started the engine, and when she knew I wasn't going to open the door to let her in, she stood in front of the car, smirking smugly. Did she think I wasn't going to run her over? Even if I did I knew she wouldn't be hurt. I glared at her, narrowing my eyes.

"Liza, MOVE!" I shouted angrily, my hands tight on the top of the steering wheel. She put her hands on her hips and stood defiantly. "LIZA! I swear I'll run over your ass!" She smiled wickedly.

I stormed out of the car and stood face to face with her—well, face to chest, considering she was so much taller than me. "I am tired and I wanna go home! Why the hell does Hiliad think I need an escort?"