Vanessa and Veronica Ch. 08

"She answered me!" Victoria exclaimed and then threw up.

When she opened her eyes, she was laying on the couch with a cold washcloth over her eyes and Jamie Donahue sitting on the end of the couch watching her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better, where's my mom?"

"In the kitchen getting you something to drink." Jamie replied. "That was a very brave thing that you did."

Victoria sat up just as Katrina came in with two glasses, one with water and the other filled with juice.

"Drink all of it." she admonished.

"Where's everybody?" Victoria asked as she took the glass of water.

"In the other room..."

"I need to talk to Ronnie again, this time it won't be as hard."

"Squirt....."

"I told you not to call me that!" Victoria said to Jamie before turning her attention back to Katrina. "Mama I have to, I can help find her and... I think that I can talk to him too."

"Absolutely not!" Katrina exclaimed.

Ethan came into the room followed by Patrick who was holding the hand of a woman that Victoria knew to be his mate.

"Uncle Patrick!" Victoria screamed as she jumped off the couch and ran to him giving him her standard greeting.

"Hey pumpkin!" Patrick greeted as he hugged her tight. "I hear that you've been quite the brave one."

"Not really, I just want Ronnie back.... Is that your mate?" she asked looking at Kevyn.

"Yes and when this mess is over you can visit so that you can get to know her better."

"Okay but who's the lady with her?" Victoria asked.

"That's Kevyn's sister Louise and no she doesn't know about us so be careful."

"I get it." Victoria replied kissing Patrick on the cheek.

Patrick sat Victoria on her feet and quickly introduced her to Kevyn and Louise. While the introductions were happening, Katrina told Ethan about what Victoria wanted to do and his reaction matched her.

"There is no fucking way that I'm letting her do that!" he exclaimed.

The fact that Ethan cursed told Katrina how strongly he felt about Victoria's idea.

"I feel the same way." Katrina replied, "But what if it's the only way to save Veronica?"

Ethan didn't reply but hugged Katrina close, he didn't want to think about another one of his girls being in danger.

********

Something had just happened, Bradford felt it and saw the surprise on Veronica's face. He wondered if they had been found already and how much time he had left before the entire Sinclaire clan pounced on him.

"Who spoke to you?" he asked.

"My sister, they're coming for me and please don't take that as the cliché and predictable response of someone in trouble. I think that you know by now that I don't play the poor me, have pity on me game. It was meant as a fact and not a hope or dream."

Bradford looked at Veronica closely, she was telling the truth and if she got out of those chains, she would try to kill him. Logic told him to kill her right then and there but he didn't, he wanted to talk with her, he wanted to know where her courage came from.

"Courage?" Veronica asked. "Courage my ass! I told you that I'm pissed off! However, back to my question, why are you so afraid to confront my father? After all you have a death wish, your kidnapping me tells me that... do you want to be a martyr? To be considered yet another victim to the Sinclaires? And are you that afraid of me that you keep me in chains?"

"I fear no one!" Bradford exclaimed and slapped Veronica across the face hard enough that he drew blood.

"Uh huh," Veronica replied with a smile, "so Brad, tell me about Rosie, what did she look like?"

"What?" he asked thrown off by the sudden change of subject.

"I mean if you're going to kill me, I would like to know about the woman who I am being killed for."

Bradford hesitated, he really didn't want to tell this woman about Rosie but he felt compelled to tell her. Maybe it was because he felt that she was owed an explanation that he told her, he would never know.

As soon as he began to describe Rosie, Veronica knew which of her relatives raped her.... Patrick.

********

Katrina took Kevyn aside.

"I'm so sorry that your first time meeting us isn't a happy occasion."

"No worries, I just hope that everything is alright." Kevyn replied.

"Thank you for understanding." Katrina replied, "Maybe we can talk when this is over? Go to lunch or something."

"I would like that." Kevyn replied, "And please let me know if I can help in any way."

Katrina and Kevyn walked back to the group where a heated discussion was going on about Victoria reaching out to the vampire who had Veronica. Ethan was standing by his decision.

"Reaching out to Veronica is one thing but to reach out to him is another thing entirely!"

"I think that we're getting ahead of ourselves." Patrick said as Kevyn moved to his side, "Can we at least find out his name? It might help."

Everyone turned to Victoria who was again standing next to Jamie, "I can ask her." she said answering the unspoken question.

"If we allow you to do this," Katrina said, "you have to promise not to speak to him."

"I promise." Victoria said placing her hand over her heart."

Ten minutes later Victoria was sitting on the couch with Jamie standing behind her. If anyone noticed how protective he was, becoming no one said anything. Victoria closed her eyes and made contact with Veronica, this time being much easier than the first.

"Ronnie? What's his name?"

******

This time when Veronica heard Victoria's voice she didn't jump. She didn't want to alert Bradford that she was talking with anyone from her family.

"Ronnie? You there?" Victoria asked

"I'm here and I'm ok for now, is Rik alright?"

"He's fine, just worried about you." Victoria replied, "Do you know the name of the vampire who took you?"

"Bradford Jefferson and the woman's name was Rosie-she was his mate."

"Okay, Ronnie? I'm sorry."

Veronica tamped down a surge of anger that Victoria was blaming herself for what Bradford was doing.

"No worries pumpkin." Veronica said, "There's one more thing, "tell papa that Uncle Patrick knew her. I have to go now."

As soon as she closed the connection to Victoria, Veronica turned her full attention back to Bradford. He was still talking about Rosie. A part of her truly sympathized with him but like her father she appreciated directness as opposed to game playing.

When Bradford stopped talking Veronica decided to make him an offer that he would be foolish to turn down.

"Brad, listen, we both know how this is going to end, either I will kill you or my father will so I'm going to make you an offer that you would be stupid to refuse."

Bradford laughed, "You have nothing that I would be interested in unless.... You took Rosie's place by my side in every way."

It was Veronica's turn to laugh, "You have got to be kidding! You and me? Never mind the fact that I'm already mated." she replied still laughing. "Here's my offer, you leave here now with Rosie and never come back. You have my word that you won't be hunted."

"That is no offer." Bradford shot back.

"Let me ask you this." Veronica said, "My family wasn't the only family doing this, so why did you target us?"

"Your father was ultimately responsible! He admits that he should have stopped the sanctioned rapes sooner, if he had Rosie would still be alive and I wouldn't be here getting ready to take your life. There is no offer that you can make that will change that."

"So it doesn't matter who did it just so someone pays is that it?" Veronica asked.

"Your father....."

"Yes, I get it." Veronica said cutting him off, "My family is responsible for what happened to Rosie, you're angry about it, and justifiably so but if you want to die so badly why kill me? You won't be around to see my family suffer so what's the point?"

"I don't have to see it; just knowing that they are suffering will be enough." Bradford replied.

"Ronnie!" Victoria whispered, "Uncle Patrick wants to meet with him."

"No." Veronica shot back and closed off communication.

********

"What happened?" Rik asked.

"She said no." Victoria replied as she tried to reach Veronica again.

Patrick sat on the sofa with Kevyn in his lap. This was his doing, the woman had been one of his victims and he needed and wanted to speak with her mate. "And say what?" he asked himself, "I'm sorry?" This was one thing that the Sinclaire power couldn't fix.

Kevyn sensing his discomfort held his hands tight in hers, she didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say other than the normal platitudes, "it'll be alright" was the one that came to mind. She had no idea if it was going to be alright but she did know remorse when she saw it. It occurred to her then that the Sinclaire family as a whole would always pay the price for their past as well as the victims and any surviving family or mates.

Guiltily she looked around the room for Louise. Once the introductions were over, she lost track of her when things started happening. She finally spotted her in a corner talking to a tall, handsome man who could only be a relative of the Sinclaire's with the blond hair and height.

"I know where she is!" Victoria exclaimed, "I know where she is!"

********

"It is most unfortunate that I have to kill you." Bradford said with true remorse.

"Then don't." Veronica countered, "My offer still stands."

"As does mine." Bradford countered.

"You mean the one about taking Rosie's place?" Veronica asked. "As you say, that's no offer but I do have a request."

"What would that be?" Bradford asked.

"Unchain me."

"Why would I want to do that?" Bradford asked amused.

"Because in spite of everything, you're a fair man. Isn't that what this is all about? You lost Rosie and you want to take one us? So here's what I'm thinking, you unchain me and if I manage to escape this whole thing is over. You take Rosie back to her resting place and from there you can do whatever you want with the exception of coming after my family again. So what do you say?"

Instead of answering, Bradford slowly began to approach Veronica.