[i:d152396b4c]"I suppose."[/i:d152396b4c] He looked disappointed. He moved away from the broken, battered shell of Tobias. Ordering Glen to bring her upstairs into the main body of the house.

[i:d152396b4c]"Please. Can I at least have something to wear? And get washed?"[/i:d152396b4c] Her eyes followed Tobias as the others carried him onto a bed in an adjacent room. Kavanaugh looked at her, her magnificent figure marred only slightly by the mud. Her hair in tangles at her shoulders.

[i:d152396b4c]"Hmmm yes I think I can do that."[/i:d152396b4c]

He led her to a bathroom. Leaving her to get showered as a guard brought a bundle of clothes, evidently those of the woman of the house.

[i:d152396b4c]"When she's done. Bring her to my chambers."[/i:d152396b4c]

kathy stood under the shower letting the stream of hot water hit her skin, the mud running in rivulets of her body and spiralling down the plughole.

Her eyes closed momentarily as she stood nearer to the jet of water and let it wash over her face and then turned around, running her fingers through her hair to get the dried mud free.

As she stepped out she pulled a towel around her and rubbed herself dry and looked around the bathroom.

whoever lived her at least had good taste she thought as she applied chanel body cream over her skin.

Kathy checked the room for an escape route but alas it did'nt even have a window, perhaps she thought , he was willing to talk and not be so harsh with her.

the towel dropped to the floor and she looked at an already fading bruise on her ribs.

The clothes that she pulled on would not be of her choosing but at least they were warm and dry she thought.

Before she stepped out of the door to see what fate awaited her she looked in the mirror.
The jeans clung to her figure and the top was slightly too short, revealing her flat toned stomach, kathy smiled slightly and zipped up the blue hooded jacket that she had pulled on.

Kavanaugh waited in his study, an archway led to a luxurious four posted bed. Elegant silk hung from the bed frame, like an exuberant veil.

As she walked in he poured two glasses of Chablis.

[i:cee1aa5895]"Don't for a minute think that I've changed my mind Ms. Belvadere. I just tired myself by beating on your ghoul. You're still going to die. I just felt like giving myself more time to enjoy it. You wanted to talk? Then start with Kinsey, and why you killed him."[/i:cee1aa5895]

Kathy came in, her eyes widening as she saw the bed [b:cee1aa5895]and[/b:cee1aa5895] the wine. What does he expect now she thought. Taking a seat she lifted the glass as Glen left the room.

Kathy sighed as she took a sip of the wine.

" a very good year if Im not mistaken and I must commend you on your choice of decor"

Kathy made an effort to look around the room but all the time she could feel his eyes on her.

" I never asked you to recommend a decorator Ms Belvadere,I asked you why you killed Kinsey"

Kathy sat back in the leather sofa and looked at him.
"may I ask you something? who says I killed him and if they did what proof have they got?"

"I wont deny meeting him...this is pointless isn't it?" she sighed

"your a vent and you can see straight through me"

He nodded.
"quite so Ms Belvadere so why did you kill him?" he sipped his wine and leaned forward expectantly.

"basically, Its a bit of a pathetic reason but he offended me, he had done from the very moment I met him, he was more Brujah than ventrue"

Kavanaugh's eyes darkened.

[i:cb00522e4e]"Are you determined to meet final death so quickly?"[/i:cb00522e4e]

[i:cb00522e4e]"He was of the Ventrue. He wasn't some flippant, half-artistic, backstabbing hag."[/i:cb00522e4e]

He sat forward, hissing as he swallowed the wine. His glass quickly refilled as he poured the bottle.

Kathy sighed, shaking her head.

[i:cb00522e4e]"You really didn't know him too well did you?"[/i:cb00522e4e]

Kavanaugh leaned back, his shirt still unfastened hung open showing the sculpted, tanned muscles of his stomach. He grinned feeling her eyes on him. Grunting before he spoke again.

[i:cb00522e4e]"And I suppose you did? Then enlighten me."[/i:cb00522e4e]

" I met him in LA, at a club, he was at first appearance a typical ventrue, all very charming but all the night I felt uneasy with him. I wasn't there to find someone as well he knew it, I told him many times that I didn't need a partner. But he wouldn't have it, he kept on pushing. I was only there to make a business deal with him, thats all but he thought I would be part of the package"

"excuse Ms Belvadere, but you are a Toreador, they are renowned for how can I put it ...bedhopping to phrase a polite term"

Kathy put her glass down and looked at him.

"don't tar all my clan with the same brush, we are not all like that you know....Kinsey obviously didn't, he was rude and arrogant and quite franky put his clan to shame"

[i:3bfee29a3c]"Still. His manners, or lack thereof, is a poor reason to decapitate him on the fucking docks!"[/i:3bfee29a3c]

She shook a fraction. She obviously wasn't giving him the answers he sought.

[i:3bfee29a3c]"What were you doing on the docks with him? Why did you kill him. I would have thought a Toreador would have thought of some other way to ridicule him for his behaviour, without resorting to violence."[/i:3bfee29a3c]

She took a deep breath. If she was going to make it through the night she was going to have to tell him what had happened...

" its pointless me lying to you.....we had made a deal, as you well know, I was going to buy diamonds off him which he had by the way stolen from his own clan, he insulted me and my temper took over, noone calls me names, noone at all, I dont know who your informant is, but you better be paying them well, because they deserve it"

Kathy took a not needed deep breathe and leaned back in the sofa, her slender hands picking up the glass again as she sipped slowly on the wine, her eyes never leaving his .

[i:3bdb392617]"What do you mean he stole them? You stole them. Why do you think the others spared no expense in tracking you?"[/i:3bdb392617]

[i:3bdb392617]"Think about it. If I had stolen them, why would I have dealt with him?"[/i:3bdb392617]

Kavanaugh went quiet. His brows furrowed.

[i:3bdb392617]"Hmmm perhaps. But you do realise I can't let you live. I can't allow the Clan's dishonour by one of it's own. If he did indeed betray us. Become known to the others. Keeping up appearances if you will?"

"Unless of course you can propose something of value to me?"[/i:3bdb392617]

He looked deeply into her eyes. His desire more one of a man seeking to affirm his superiority, than carnal lust.

Kathy smiled slyly.

"well finally you seem to be seeing it from my point of view, if we are to reach an agreement I want one thing made clear, on no account do you touch my ghoul...again...if you don't agree to that...well the converstaion ends now"

he looked at her and snarled, his finely chiselled face turning to anger for a moment.

" I agree...I wont touch your ghoul, unless you displease me off course"

Kathy nodded and smiled.

" as to the honour of your clan...as I understand it, the vents stick together, they dont go behind each others backs trying to get what they can"

he stared at her harder and opened his mouth to speak.

"ive not finished yet and I do believe your clan at least lets a lady speak first, I can offer you half of the value of the diamonds if that will be off any help?"

[i:d584723eab]"Considering your predicament Ms. Belvadere, I'd expect no less than 70% of the value."[/i:d584723eab]

He stood then, his shirt hanging from him as he stepped forward. His suit trousers a stark contrast with his bronzed complexion. He finished his glass, then spoke in a hoarse whisper.

[i:d584723eab]"Now. Before your ghoul is "off the hook", shall we test your resolve?"[/i:d584723eab]

He smiled cruelly at her. Then ushered her into the sprawling bedroom....

" your no better than Kinsey! he presumed that I wanted him and your just the same! you seem to think that I will do anything to save my own skin dont you ?"

Kathy shouted as he pushed her towards the bedroom.

" come now Ms Belvadere, you act as this is a new experience for you, that is not what Ive heard about your clan"

His hands gripped her wrist and pulled her towards the large bed.

" Ive heard that your clan will do anything....and I mean anything to get what they want and the way I see it ...you want me to let you go "

Kathy glared at him as he pushed her onto the edge of the bed.

"please Im begging you ...you can have all of the diamonds....but not this .....please I beseech you"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at him apealing.

He looked at her tears, the crimson trails pooling before they traced her lips. The sight just made him hunger even more.

[i:b87a45fe4e]"The diamonds are of little consequence. I'm Ventrue. I already have money. But this..." He kissed her hard, the force making her stumble backwards onto the bed.

"Stop! Do you really want to take me like this? Don't you have any compassion?"[/i:b87a45fe4e]

[i:b87a45fe4e]"About as much compassion, as you have answers. You can't talk your way out of this. You agreed not to displease me. You don't want to do that now do you?"[/i:b87a45fe4e]

She tried to speak, her words stopped by his lips as he kissed her again. His hands tearing the hooded top open at the front.

Kathy stood looking in the mirror checking the bite and scratch marks on her body, then she turned back and walked towards the bed.

" not so high and mighty now are we?"

He gazed at her and weakly tried to lift his hand.

"oh spare me please....you messed with the wrong person and you lost ...badly, but there is one compensation, I have your blood running through my veins now, althought I bet you wish it wasn't"

he moaned as his eyes closed and kathy smiled, yes she had the scars, but he hadn't had his way with her, she had soon overcome him and as him fell asleep she had drunk him dry virtually.

Kathy pulled a sheet off them bed and walked to the doorway as she wrapped it around her body.

She listened and after a few minutes she was sure that there was noone outside in the corridor. Opening the door slowly she looked out hesistantly, her senses alert for any danger.

Tobias was laid in the room across from her and it looked like he was asleep, his lifeless body sprawled out on the bed.

"you ok Tobias?" Kathy shook him gently with one hand while the other worked on undoing the rope that tied his hands to the bedpost.

Kathy winced as he opened his eyes, the one that had been damaged was oozing a vile putrid smelling pus.

"mistress....I...I..." his eyes closed again as he drifted off.

"Tobias....wake up....we have to get out of here......look I have something for you"

Kathy dragged her nail across her wrist and held it over tobias's mouth, watching as her blood dripped onto his lips.

His eyes remained closed but his lips clamped onto her wrist as her blood dripped into his mouth.
Tobias moaned as he reached for her hand and pulled it to him close as he felt her blood flowing through him.

His eyes opened as he tasted her potent blood, there was something different about it another strange taste.

" Mistress?" he looked at her enquiringly.

"ventrue blood, it tastes good doesnt it?" she smiled as she pulled her wrist away from him.

"thats enought for now...come let me help you up I dont know how much time weve got"

With kathys help Tobias got up from the bed and as she went to take his arm he pushed hers away.
"I can walk ...Im fine....lead the way" His voice was weak and somehow weary but kathy nodded and led the way back to the bedroom.