Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

“What hotel are you at? Kareen said.

“What does that matter? I want my daughter back,” Natalia said, allowing anger to seep into her voice.

She was somewhat amazed how easy it was to allow the anger in.

“She's not with you?"

“What are you pulling, Kareen? You distract us and then you steal my daughter. Just who is being punished here? I think this is affecting me more than Uri. Where is my daughter?’

“She's safe, Nattie.’

The call ended.

Everyone was looking at her with curiosity.

“She actually had the nerve to say that she thought Victoria was with me.’

“What were her exact words?" Kate said.

'She’s not with you?’ Natalia said, repeating the words.

“They don't know where she is.’

Bonnie, Mag and Zena nodded.

"Your group has some plans, I hear,” Natalia said.

“Our group,’ Kate corrected. "Yes, we know about the plans. We made sure that the Council believed you were at a hotel all afternoon. Not this one, of course. We let drop a few rumors that your leg is really bothering you."

'So you have a fake Anpu running around as well?"

Kate chuckled.

“How do you figure these things out?"

“I have the app. His blip isn't where I saw him.’

“He needs a few lessons in being discrete,’ Bonnie said with a roll of her eyes.

“One good thing is that one tall Viperian male looks like any tall Viperian male in the dark,’ Kate said. “And when you look at the tracking app and it shows Anpu, then the man in the shadows has to be Anpu.’

“What time are we doing the other thing?’ Bonnie said.

“Midnight,’ Kate said.

“What other thing?’ Natalia said.

"Your leg is going to get so bad that we'll have to take you to a hospital, but we'll go to an Undent one.’

“I didn’t know my leg would get so bad.’

“Oh, definitely, Bonnie said with a grin.

“That will trip a few alarms and wake everyone up. We know Kareen, Jada Lee, Friesa, and Pearl are in tight. They're actually the ones running the Council.’

Natalia thought of Sherri.

“Is Sherri still part of this?"

Kate looked at Bonnie then back to Natalia.

“We have some suspicions. Most of these grand plans on taking over the Bank originated with Sherri. At least, that is what we believe,’ Kate said.

'Kareen once told me that the reason Sherri didn't get the death sentence was because there was unfinished business and they still needed her."

“That would be a great way to protect your leader. Put her in jail,” Mag said.

“How do you intend to bring down the Council?’ Natalia said.

'Viperian people have the right to bring a challenge to the Council. Anyone can do it, however, you have to have an extremely strong challenge to win. You need a majority to vote in your favor. However, even you with them taking Victoria, isn't a great enough challenge. But a missing child, Uri no longer in the running for the President, and other indiscretions might be enough,” Kate said. “Pissing off Ingus and Rubert, the Viperian Rubert, not Rubert Finch, would add to the challenge. Mirren is already on our side,’ Bonnie said.

'Viperian's pay a tax to Viperia. A united front to stop that would greatly reduce the power of the Council. That's their budget to do all their dirty work."

Natalia shook her head.

“Overwhelming.’

"You're only playing a small part. An extremely important part, however,’ Kate said.

There was a knock on the door.

“Dinner,’ Bonnie said, rising.

She grabbed a robe. Natalia was glad to see that she checked the peep hole before she opened the door. A young Viperian woman rolled in a cart just far enough in for Bonnie to take it, then she left. Natalia ate, but then went to bed to get some sleep. Kate woke her at midnight.

“They have people all around the hotel where they think you're staying. It's actually not far from here. We'll take you in that direction and then Anpu will join us. The word will spread from there.’ Bonnie already had the limo ready for them when they went down. There was a short pause at the back of another hotel and Anpu got in. He was fastening another chain around his neck.

“I almost didn't make it. My double had to go another way,’ he said.

"You need to pick up your game,’ Kate said. “This is serious, you know.’

“We had a backup plan that worked flawlessly,” he said.

The limo picked up the pace, heading toward the nearest hospital.

“We have a Tail."

That caused Natalia to look for the kitten. She was surprised to find her sitting at her feet.

'I meant a car following us,” Anpu said, following her gaze.

He was facing that way so he could watch out the back.

“When we pull up to emergency, let Anpu help you out. They will put you on a gurney,’ Kate said. “Then you are going to disappear.’

Anpu smiled.

“And behave yourself,’ Kate said, smacking Anpu’s arm.

“Don't insult me,” he said.

The limo pulled into the emergency entrance. Zena hopped out and dashed inside. Anpu stepped out, then opened the door by her. Natalia let him half carry her out. Zena came out with two attendants and a gurney. In moments, she was rolled into the hospital and down a hall. The gurney was rolled into a room, then the attendants left.

“Okay, this way,’ Kate said, helping Natalia off the gurney.

However, before they left, another man stepped in. Anpu handed him a chain

“Nattie," he said with a bow.

Natalia thought he looked exactly like Anpu.

No further introduction was made. and Natalia was led out of the room. However, Mag and Zena stayed behind. She followed Anpu with Kate at the rear. They wove their way through the hospital and out of a side door. A car was waiting for them.

“Evening, Nattie."

“Grazie. How are you doing? Tia isn't missing you, is she?’ Natalia said.

“I told her I was staying in Hell due to all the work."

“Nice. Where are we going?"

Hell."

“And what are we doing there?’

“Hiding you, Nattie, so you can get some sleep,’ Grazie said.

“Oh, of course.’

The car drove to the alley behind her shop, but stopped at the first building. Grazie led the way. New locks were already on the doors and his fob opened them. He led them up the stairs. Natalia could see the building was spotless. It smelled of cleaning solution and new paint. Grazie opened another door at the top of the stairs and waved her in.

Natalia stepped into a large apartment. She felt as if it took up the whole floor. It was fully furnished.

“We have four bedrooms,” Grazie said. “Take your pick.’

Anpu headed for the sofa.

“How did you do all of this?" Natalia said.

“One of the stores we leased out on this block is a furniture store. Some relative of Yiggy's. We are getting furniture at a very big discount. You won't recognize your bank."

“It's not a bank yet."

“Details,’ he said.

Natalia peered out a window. The street lights were just bright enough to cast a warm glow. There were some lights on in a building farther up the street.

“I'd stay away from the windows, even thought we don't have lights on,’ Grazie said.

Kate waved her to a room. Natalia stepped into to find a queen sized bed. She didn't need any further encouragement. Before she slept, she thought of Victoria and gave her an imaginary kiss goodnight. She pretended Uri was beside her, which was easy to do when Tail snuggled against her. Her purring pushed her to sleep.

Meerup.

Natalia opened her eyes. Sunlight was stealing around the curtains in the window that she knew faced east.

“Morning, Tail.’

There was an en suite bathroom. The was a new toothbrush in a package on the counter and towels on a rack. She washed up. Tail sat on the counter pawing at the water until Natalia let her drink.

“I hope there's a litter box for you.’

She stepped out to find Anpu sleeping on the sofa. No one else seemed to be awake. However, by the time she reached the kitchen, Anpu had risen and was stretching. She let him be and searched the refrigerator. There was a jug of sanguine tea.

Tea?" she said.

He nodded.

She poured two glasses.

“Everyone else still sleeping?’ she said, figuring it was obvious, but Anpu shook his head.

“What are they doing?’

She noted the time on the microwave. It was almost seven am.

“Kate is at the shop getting your dress for tonight. Grazie is somewhere.’

Anpu rose to get his glass. He drained it in one go.

“Dress for tonight?

She hadn't fully expected to take part in the Charity Ball, other than to show up, do her bite, and leave.

Ill be recognized,’ she said.

Anpu smiled.

“No one will recognize you. Consider yourself an actress in a play. You will be fully made up.’

She stared at him and felt some hesitation asking her next question.

“Who's making me up?”

“Me!

“Why am I not surprised.’

He grinned and returned to the sofa

“We'll also be spending some time at the lake today.’

“Why?’ she said.

“We have reason to believe that Biffy and Hewie will be on their boat. It's their anniversary. They usually celebrate on their boat.’

“I see. And what are we going to be doing?”

Visiting them.”

“How about some more precise details?’

'If we can, we're planting some incriminating evidence of her having an affair. Distract them. That sort of thing.’

I see.

Natalia jumped when the door opened, but it was just Kate.

“Breakfast,’ she said, holding up a box.

“Pastries. Where did those come from?"

"You'd be amazed at what Yiggy's kitchen makes up’ Kate said. “l walked down the alley, and there's a full breakfast buffet going on. Mainly looked like Yiggy's extended family, but I saw some workers buying breakfast.’

Natalia picked through them while Kate put on a kettle for hot water. She noticed Anpu didn't take his until after they had chosen.

“What is the time schedule?” Natalia said.

“Rest here until this afternoon. No going out,’ Kate said. “Right now you're in the hospital. Bonnie passed on that they're giving Mag a full physical.”

Natalia looked at her with concern.

'Viperian doctor. We're just making sure she’s healing well. She's been unusually tired, Kate added. “Probably due to the loss of blood,’ Anpu said.

“Usually the case,’ Kate said.

“Do we have all the proper facilities for Tail?

“I noticed a litter box in the other bathroom,’ Kate said.

She pointed to a corner of the kitchen.

“And if I'm not mistaken, that looks like cat food. There is a water bowl right next to it."

Natalia took a few steps toward the windows.

“Stay away from the windows," Anpu said.

Natalia nodded and returned to the bedroom. Tail cuddled up with her. A few minutes later, she felt someone sit on the bed next to her.

“Time to get up,’ Anpu said. “It's almost noon.’

She sat up. Tail was sitting at the end of the bed licking a paw.

“Put these on. Here's a cover up.’

He handed her was looked like a handful of strings and set a dress on the bed.

“What is this?"

“Bathing suit.’

“This is less fabric than what I wore at the Sex Festival.’

He shrugged.

“Get dressed. I need to put some makeup on you.’

Natalia watched him leave the room, then looked at the handful of strings. The bottom piece was a thong, but it barely covered her in the front. The top piece covered the nipples and surprisingly held the weight of her breasts.

I'm essentially naked,’ she said, looking at herself in the mirror.

"You dressed yet?’

She slipped on the dress, and it barely covered her ass which was bare because of the thong.

“I don't call this dressed,’ she said.

Take a seat,” Anpu said.

He put her hair up in a sloppy bun. However, he took such care in doing it that she figured it was on purpose. Next he applied makeup.

“I've never seen a spatula used in applying makeup.’

“Stop talking. This is not a spatula. I'm reshaping your face with putty.’

He had a whole array of makeup on the table and seemed to need all of it. She even saw him apply makeup onto a birth mark to make it disappear as well as to totally conceal her mark which ran down her arm.

“Don’t get me wet,’ she said.

This will all stay on even if you get wet.’

He glanced over at the kitchen.

“We're running out of time. I'm calling it good.’

He handed her a mirror.

Natalia didn’t recognize herself. He had managed to change how her cheekbones looked and somehow had made her nose look smaller. There were two beauty marks, or as she called them, moles. They were in unusual places. One was on the side of her chin. The other was high on a cheek. “My eyes are the same,’ she said.

"You'll be wearing sunglasses. It's a sunny day. Let's go."

He led her out the back and away from the areas of construction. A block over, he opened a car door for her. It was an older two door sports car with tinted windows. Tail hopped in first.

"Yours? she said.

"Yeah, I like older cars."

She remembered the one she rode in to the hospital.

“The other one?’

It's getting cleaned. You and Mag put a bit of blood in it. I can hardly impress a Viperian woman with this car. A car that smells of blood puts them off instantly.”

I'd believe that."

Natalia watched out the window. She recognized how they were going and wasn't surprised when they pulled into Moralis’s driveway. He lived on the lake.

“We are borrowing one of his boats,” Anpu said.

They left the car in the laneway and walked around the house to the dock. One boat was tied to the dock. Anpu waved her in.

“Sunglasses,’ he said, putting his own on.

The boat started up promptly. Natalia helped remove the ropes tying it to the dock. The boat slid out over the water.

The lake was almost empty being that it was the middle of the day.

'Hewie doesn't work?"

“He has managers. He's able to take a lot of time off. We've tried to entice him into an affair, but he won't bite. Apparently, Biffy satisfies his needs.’

Anpu grimaced.

She had the feeling he was thinking about what Hewie saw in her. However, she wondered what Biffy saw in Hewie He wasn't a looker. She figured the attractant was money.

She could see they were heading toward the more expensive side of the lake. The lake was large enough for some expensive yachts. She had heard from Moralis that people used them for entertaining not for boating. There was one boat in particular that Anpu was heading for.

Take off the dress,’ she heard Anpu say.

He was slowing down

She slipped off the dress and thrust out her breasts.

Anpu smiled.

“Behave yourself.’

Just admiring,’ he said.

As they drew closer, she could see Hewie. He was wearing only shorts and holding a drink and was the only one in sight.

“Greet him like an old friend,” Anpu said.

The boat slowly coasted up to the yacht. Natalia positioned herself to face the boat.

“Hewie. Hewie, is that you?’ she said, using a high voice. “My gosh. It's been ages.’

She stood, so she was in full view.

He came to the side of the boat to look down. His boat was about a foot taller than the boat she was in. However, his was much longer with a second level that looked like a sunbathing deck. “Hello,” he said.

His eyes were aimed right at her breasts. He even took off his sunglasses as if to get a better look. “Well, don't you look fine,” she said, putting as much seduction in her voice as she could.

Hewie seemed speechless, then flinched when an ear splitting screech filled the air. Biffy came running into view. It was obvious by how freely her breasts moved that she was wearing just the dress and nothing else.

“Hewie," she screamed. “You rotten devil. I knew it.”

She threw her drink at him and missed. Natalia had to shift to one side to avoid getting hit. The drink clunked against the boat, but luckily wasn't glass and didn’t break.

Hewie looked confused.

Biffy grabbed up a small portable table that was used between lounge chairs and hit him over the head.

Natalia felt her boat shift. Anpu had put it into reverse.

Biffy was pounding violently on Hewie who finally put up his arms to defend himself. He was already bleeding.

“Say, he’s mine, bitch,” Anpu said.

“He's mine, you bitch,” Natalia screamed.

“Never,” Biffy said. “Never.”

However, she didn't stop pounding on Hewie until he lunged at her to take away the table and push her down

Natalia felt unsteady on her feet and had to sit down. Anpu then spun the boat around, threw it into forward and drove off as fast as he could. She could see a grin on his face. Since she didn't know if his grin was for getting the results they got or for her, she put her dress back on.

With in ten minutes they were back at Moralis's dock.

“What the hell happened back there?” she said.

The unexpected. Didn't know she was the jealous type. I got some good video of her beating him. We can use that to our advantage.’

Natalia shook her head.

'If she’s the one behind my house getting destroyed, I wish she was the one getting beaten over the head.’

They tied up the boat and returned to the car. A phone rang just as Anpu started the engine. He took it out of the glove box.

"Yes?

He listened, not moving a muscle. Natalia could hardly tell he was breathing.

“We can do that."