A Council of Betrayal (3 page)

Blue was screaming and I ran to his voice
around the corner and down the dirty, smelly ally. I couldn’t
believe the bitch, she was not worth it at all.

A giant lion sideswiped me. “Ouch!” I went
down with a grunt, slamming my shoulder on the dirty brick
wall.

“Asshole!” I yelled, flailing in a pile of
garbage. Disgusting. Seriously, not worth it.

I lost track of the lion when he turned a
corner. I was hard pressed to match his speed. Barreling around the
corner, I slammed into Blue. “She’s got help,” he panted at me.

“Who?” I growled. Yes, someone I can
kill!

Blue shook his head. “Witch.”

Fucking witches, I really should have
known.

Logan roared a sound that struck terror into
everyone close by. Except for us, as we kept running straight into
the lion’s den. Haha, I’m a riot.

Blue shoved his shoulder against a worn blue
door and we both tumbled into the boarded-up shop.

A terrible wailing had us sprinting around
the corner. The witch lay dead, thick slices cutting her body into
multiple pieces. Good fucking riddance.

My gaze shifted to Lorraine and away from
Logan, who was shifting back into a naked man.

“You’re too late,” she wheezed, smiling at me
triumphantly, a hand clutched over her stomach. Fear drained the
blood from my face.

“Salt,” I whispered, my eyes darting
frantically around the warehouse. “Bring her back to the diner!” I
yelled, slamming into the same worn door and breaking it off the
hinges. I shielded my pretty face, my feet not slowing. I turned
the corner quickly, clobbering my shoulder against the brick
wall.

That was going to leave a mark.

My feet couldn’t carry me fast enough to save
that little, unborn baby girl. I barreled through the glass doors
of The Roasted Onion. Diving over patrons, I gathered three glass
salt shakers to my chest.

“Call an ambulance! The pregnant woman just
OD’d on drugs!” I bellowed, letting my guards fall and pushing
urgent compliance into the room.

Forks and knives clattered onto tables as
multiple people spoke rapidly on the phone. I snagged a glass of
water from a table, not giving a damn about the possible germs. I
kicked the doors open, my hands full, turned the corner and ran
into Logan, still naked, carrying Lorraine.

I twisted open the salt shakers and dumped
all three into the glass, using my fingers to mix the solution.

“Hold her mouth open!” I yelled, my fear
growing with each passing second.

Logan pulled her jaws open and Lorraine
struggled, her teeth leaving bloody imprints in the tender flesh of
his fingers. I forced the salt water solution into her mouth and
down her throat.

She tried not to swallow it, but it was
either that or drown. Her body made the right decision, and I kept
the steady steam down her throat until the entire glass was
emptied, chunks of ice falling over both of us.

I heard the sirens in the distance.

“Logan, clothing,” I commanded. He looked
from me to Lorraine, clearly torn.

“We got this, mate.” Blue wrapped a hand
around Logan’s corded bicep, and I knew he was pushing confidence
in our abilities.

With a nod Logan handed Lorraine over to us,
turning to disappear into the alley.

“I won’t carry her. I won’t be a mother, you
can’t make me!” Lorraine rasped between ragged breaths.

I leaned forward and whispered into her ear,
“This child will live Lorraine, your life depends on it. What did
you really think would happen if you killed Logan’s child?”

I pulled back and she vomited all over
me.

I’d have been disgusted if I wasn’t so
fucking relieved. My shoulders slumped as I turned her onto her
side, her body convulsing with dry heaves.

The ambulance was music to my ears.

“How we playing this, luv?” Blue asked
softly.

“Drug overdose. We are her support group,” I
whispered.

“What’s going on?” I heard the voices and
pounding feet behind me. I stepped back, letting them next to
Lorraine.

“She took some pills. I don’t know what, but
we made her drink salt water and, as you can see, we got her to
throw up.” I summarized.

“How far along?” one of the paramedics
asked.

“Twenty-six and a half weeks,” Blue answered.
Dammit, we were both attached to this kid.

“Alright, let’s get her vitals and move her
to the hospital. Is one of you coming with us?”

“Yes, I will.” Blue moved forward. “Olie, get
cleaned up and get Logan.”

I nodded, watching them wheel her away,
hoping I had gotten to her in time. Please, let me have gotten
there in time.

Drawing a ragged breath, I turned, seeing
Logan in front of me, wearing the same terrified and helpless
expression. Clamping down on my emotions, I pointed him over to my
SUV. He nodded, his gaze shifting to where Lorraine was strapped
down and being loaded into the ambulance.

We waited a breath until they pulled away
before Logan ventured out, wearing a cardboard box. If it wasn’t
such a serious situation, I totally would have teased him about
it.

Getting into the SUV, Logan left the dirty
box on the ground.

“Where do we get you clothing at?” I asked,
throwing the vehicle into drive.

“Go to my place, we both need to clean
up.”

I nodded.

…

After the fastest showers ever, Logan was
driving us to the hospital.

“Blue texted, they’re asking questions,” I
relayed to Logan as I cringed at wearing Lorraine’s too-tight top
and yoga pants.

“How are we going to explain why we didn’t
allow her to get an abortion?” he asked softly.

“Drugs. She was so distraught that she asked
us to help her bring the baby to term cleanly.”

“What about her medical records?”

“Our doctor is already on site. She can
corroborate that Lorraine has had exceptional medical
treatment.”

“Will she corroborate our drug story?”

“Only if she wants to live.” I smiled.

Logan grunted, pulling into a parking place
in front of the ER.

We weaved our way through the busy bodies,
not needing to stop for directions, Logan’s nose able to seek out
his ex-fiancée and unborn child.

We crossed the threshold to see Lorraine in
restraints on the hospital bed, “That’s her! She is the one who has
kept me kidnapped. Please, you have to believe me! I don’t want
this baby, but they are forcing it on me.”

Blue was on the sidelines, arms crossed over
his middle.

The doctor and police officer both turned to
us. “I’m Olivia,” I began. “Part of what she is saying is true.
This is Logan, the father.”

The officer turned to Logan, “Can you explain
why the mother of your child is making such insane
accusations?”

Logan took a long inhale. “Unfortunately, she
is not well. In order to keep both her person and our unborn child
safe, we had to place her in a very well monitored
environment.”

That was impressive; he actually didn’t
lie.

“Did you keep her from an abortion?”

“Only because she asked us to. She knew the
lure of the drugs would be so great that she would do anything to
get back to them,” I answered. I had zero problems lying.

“They’re lying!” Lorraine screamed, sobbing.
“I don’t want this horrible creature!”

“I do.” Logan’s rough voice cut right to the
heart of the matter.

I walked forward, kindness in my gaze, and
sat next to Lorraine. She pulled and flailed, yelling
incoherently.

I took her restrained hand gently, folding
both of mine over hers.

“It’s okay, Lorraine, we are here now,” I
cooed to her as she flung her head violently from side to side. I
dumped contentment, peace and gratefulness into her. The bitch
could use the latter in huge, heaping amounts.

Slowly, her wailing calmed. “Easy,” I
continued my ministrations. She relented into soft sobbing.

I looked over at the doctor and the officer
before I turned to Blue. “Has her doctor been here yet?”

“Yes, she is running a second set of tests
personally,” Blue responded.

I nodded.

The doctor cleared his throat, holding his
metal clipboard under his arm. “All our preliminary tests show the
baby is doing fine, but we want to keep her for overnight
monitoring.”

“Can we get the restraints off?” I asked.

Blue pushed off the wall and even Logan
fidgeted, looking at me with worry. I’d been tied down before, and
it’s not a good feeling. The doctor looked at the officer, who
shrugged. “That’s your call, Doc. This seems to have taken care of
itself.”

The doctor turned his gaze back to us. “I
suppose we can give it a try.”

I nodded. “Thank you. We will be leaving Blue
and another one of my associates here to help watch over her.”

“What exactly do you do?” The officer turned
to me. Fucking hell, associate was not the right word.

“I specialize in protection for unique
situations, like this, for example.” The officer still watched me
closely.

“I can have my files sent over, for vetting
those who will be here,” I added.

He nodded, fucker was way too attentive for
my liking. “I’d appreciate it. Here’s my card.”

I took it. I was stomping down very hard on
my urge to sneer.

Logan moved past me, undoing Lorraine’s
restraints, and I eased back. I turned along with everyone else,
watching him. How would it feel to have the woman carrying your
child trying to kill it? I couldn’t even imagine. His hands were
gentle, though, and she rolled over to her side, still sobbing.

I exhaled a trapped breath as the doctor and
police officer left us.

“I’m going to stay for a while, Blue,” Logan
said, sitting down next to Lorraine.

Blue’s eyes flashed to me, silently asking if
he should stay. I tried for a discreet shake of my head no.

“I’m capable of watching her,” Logan grunted.
Like I said, I tried, didn’t mean it was successful.

I rested a hand on Logan’s shoulder,
squeezing gently. “Call if you need anything.”

Logan nodded, his attention riveted to
Lorraine. I walked out with Blue, releasing a pent-up sigh as he
closed the door.

The officer spoke behind us. “So tell me,
what do you do again?”

I flicked my eyes down to his name badge.
“Officer Bacco, as I stated previously, I provide security for
unique situations.”

“And Lorraine asked you to help her?”

“She did, once she knew of the baby,” I
agreed.

He watched me shrewdly. “Why didn’t you let
her have an abortion when she changed her mind?”

My brows drew down. “She would have hated
herself for it.”

“How does the ex-fiancée of the Shifter
Nation get attached to drugs?”

“The same way anyone does.” My answers were
getting clipped.

“And no one bothered to get her cleaned up
until after she was pregnant?”

“Correct.”

“But now that she is carrying precious cargo,
you care?”

I tilted my head, stepping closer to him.
“All life is important, Officer Bacco, especially the unwanted. I
won’t lie: Have there been times when I wondered if Lorraine was
sincere in wanting to be rid of the child, for more reasons than
just the drugs? Yes. But you saw him.” I pointed toward Logan, who
we couldn’t see at that moment. “If she doesn’t want to have the
baby, she can pretend it never happened and walk out of the kid’s
life forever. Logan will take care of the child and we will take
care of Logan.”

Bacco watched me and I wasn’t backing down.
Okay, sure, did I feel a little, and I mean a very small,
insignificant amount of uncertainty about forcing Lorraine to carry
the baby to term? Yes.

Did a small part of me think Logan’s life
would be better without Lorraine and the baby? Yes.

But I meant what I had said: all life is
precious. Especially to Supernaturals, who struggle with fertility.
And yes, I will admit it, not being able to have children myself
made this little baby’s life that much more important.

Bacco nodded, stepping back. “I’d still like
those files.”

“Of course.” I smiled sweetly. I wasn’t
sending them.

Bacco turned and walked down the hall, and I
released a pent-up breath.

“So Blue, what’s on the agenda next?”

“You, my dear girl, need to get ready to
leave tomorrow,” Blue kindly reminded me.

“If Logan stays, I’m staying with him.”

“Is this a tit for tat? Logan has his unborn
child to concern himself with, and he undoubtedly will need his
right-hand woman to assist in his absence.”

I groaned, “Blue, do you have to be so damn
logical?”

He laughed. Fucking logical asshole.

…

The next day, I was analyzing the contents of
my trunk when Jerry pulled up in front of the manor.

“Are you ready?” Jerry asked, rubbing his
dark-skinned hands together excitedly. I was glad he was excited,
and equally glad he hadn’t heard of Lorraine’s thwarted attempt at
an abortion. I needed a little joy.

“I think so.”

Looking down to the bags at my feet, Jerry
laughed. “Olivia, I know all three of those bags are not
yours.”

I toed a bag before looking back into my
empty trunk. “Two are weapons, one is clothing.”

Jerry raised a mocha eyebrow at me. “You need
two bags of weapons?”

I turned, leaning against the tailgate. “I
was debating if I had time to get to Myrtle’s to buy more.”

“Olivia, it’s a meeting, not a war!” Jerry
laughed, pushing me away from the trunk and towards the car,
hoisting a bag.

I pulled the other two over my shoulders.

“It’s a war. It’s always a fucking war when
that much power gets together.”

Jerry deposited one of my duffle bags into
his SUV trunk with a thud.

“You need to focus on slot machines, tanned
bodies, and dirty dancing.” Jerry wrapped his arm around my
shoulders, his other arm extended in front of him as he attempted
to convey his daydream to me.