Chapter 18

Dumb Muggers

When Ethan returned with a hot breakfast, she ate and then showered. Afterwards, she wrapped herself in a towel, stepped back into the bedroom, then halted. She didn’t know what to think about the gothic outfit laid out on the bed for her.

“What’s this?”

“Your disguise,” Ethan said from the closet.

She considered the black wig, the black shirt and ruffled skirt, as she lifted the silver-studded black belt and black combat boots. Then her eyes moved over the…. “Is that…?”

“Yes, fake piercings, black eyeliner and lipstick.”

She gawked when she saw the goth version of Ethan exit the closet.

“Interesting look for you,” she said, examining his all-black attire. He wore a tight-fitting t-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, boots, and— “You dyed your hair black?”

“It’s temporary dye.”

“You’re fast. Was I in the shower that long?”

“You always take long showers, darling. Should I time you next time to prove it?”

She didn’t answer that. “Now you look like a real vampire,” she teased.

“Is this how vampires dress?”

“Maybe.”

“Since when have I ever dressed like this?”

“My proper British man would never dress like this, at least not that I know of. So I guess you’re not a real vampire, then.”

“This, my dear, will keep us unseen as we go to the doctor’s office.”

“Why such extremes?”

“Well, while you should be here in Glenwood Springs, you shouldn’t be going to the doctor. I’d be surprised if we were ever recognized in this.”

Me too, she thought. “I really have to go to the doctor like this?” I wonder what she’ll think of me.

“Yes.”

“In what car?”

“We’ll switch cars a few times, and go to a few other places first.”

“Are we going to this much trouble every time I go in for a visit?”

“We will if we have to, but hopefully we won’t.” He lifted the shirt from the bed. “Hurry up now, let’s get you dressed.”

Danielle let out a long exhale as she lowered onto the sofa when they returned. The trip had been exhausting. Not only did she still dislike doctors, they’d switched cars three times on the way back, and had changed out of their costumes at the second switch.

Of course she knew these visits were necessary and she had liked Ethan’s doctor choice for her, but somehow that never completely soothed the distress of it all. She turned to Ethan as he sat down next to her and said, “Hit me again.”

He chuckled, leaned closer and exhaled his breath over her face. “Better?”

“A little,” she said, savoring the vampire magic she could sense within him no matter where the sun was in the sky. But that hadn’t really been enough to comfort her distress either and she pushed to her feet, “I need to paint, and listen to heavy metal,” she said making her way to her studio, but not without staggering a little.

With Nickleback blasting in the background, she sketched out a self-portrait of a gothic, pregnant girl, who was scowling intently with her eyes, but smiling gently with her lips. And felt much better.

“Hmmm,” Ethan said from the doorway. “Not your usual style, but I like it. How did you manage to express sadness and joy at the same time?”

“I don’t know really. I guess it’s just how I’m feeling right now.”

His arms went around her. “I hope the baby is the joy part.”

“It’s both,” she admitted.

He turned her gently to face him and cradled her face with his hands. “It’s the doctor business that makes you sad, but you feel joy about our child.”

She could see that he knew his observation was accurate, and nodded to confirm it for him. He understood her so well, and accepted her regardless. She felt she needed to do the same for him, even when he wouldn’t let her have her Mini, and was grumpy after hunting.

While Ethan was gone hunting that night, she went to take pictures of her artwork to sell. But found that they were missing.

“Where did my paintings go?” she called out to anyone who might answer.

After a moment of silence, Richard strode into her studio and said, “I took them to be framed for you.”

“You did?”

He nodded, averting his gaze since the sun had set.

“Oh. But they didn’t need to be framed.”

“I don’t see why not. Nice work, by the way.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Which ones did you like?”

“The gothic girl was fascinating, but I favored the fairies.”

“Really? I never thought you’d be fond of fairies.”

“I’ve met the little buggers. What’s not to like?”

Danielle opened her mouth and then closed it, then opened it again. “I plan to sell those paintings on eBay. Will they be back soon?”

She was surprised when he started to sputter. “You can’t sell them. That wouldn’t be right. You’ve captured their little spirits too well. Those paintings must hang here.”

“But I can’t always use Ethan’s money. I want my own funds, and that’s what I do.” She stabbed a finger toward the unfinished painting on the easel. “That’s what I can sell.”

“Ethan’s fine with you spending his money, simply due to the fact that you’re his wife.”

Danielle frowned and folded her arms. “The paintings are for sell, and they’ll get more money framed, so thanks for that. Plus I need to go get more cadmium green paint. I’m out, and I think I should go alone. If I was immortal, that’s what I would do.” She said the last bit just to get under his skin for always telling her what to do.

His lips puckered, she knew he wanted to protest but somehow resisted. She left the room before he changed his mind and said anything else.

She suspected Richard had told Ethan about her plans, but apparently he decided to wait until morning to confront her about it. She was relieved he chose not to bring it up right after hunting, when he wasn’t in the best mood. “We can’t let you go alone,” Ethan said the next morning.

“It makes sense that I would. If I don’t act like I’m invincible, they’ll figure out I’m not.”

“Which you are not.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s just one tube of paint. It won’t take me that long and I’ll take the red beast if it makes you feel better.”

“What would make me feel better would be for you to go with several men to watch over you.”

“Fine, send them in separate cars. They’ll be close enough to help if there’s a problem, but I’ll be surprised if anyone attacks me at the art supply store.”

* * * * *

Danielle tossed her purchase onto the passenger side seat and then paused when she heard a shoe scuffle along the rocks in the parking lot. That sound was too close. She turned, and was confronted with a psychotic-looking male holding a knife. He looked too haggard and unhealthy to be a vampire.

Feeble ... and easy for her to defeat ... even while she was a mortal, and even while she was pregnant.

With his free hand, he shoved his matted blond hair from his face, as his other hand, clutching the knife, trembled. His gray-blue eyes appeared lost, violent, and unpredictable as he shifted his gaze from her face to her bag. His posture was slouched and menacing. The man had to be drunk or on drugs, and probably needed her money to purchase more. She knew his intentions. Still, she couldn’t help but be surprised by the fact that he meant to accost her in broad daylight!

The man lunged toward her, and grabbed for her purse. She responded just as she’d been trained to do. She blocked his knife wielding arm, grasped his wrist and twisted. She cringed when it cracked. She’d broken his wrist, and he wailed in pain as the blade dropped from his grip.

Next, Danielle stepped out, and swung him into the side of the Humvee, wrenching his fractured wrist to his back. His head bounced off the frame, and he grunted. With one kick to the back of his knees the man crumpled. As he fell, she shoved him so that he would land face down. And as soon as he met the pavement, she jammed one knee between his shoulder blades to make sure he stayed that way.

Less than a second later she noticed her guards taking hold of the assailant’s arms, just in case.

“Call the police,” she heard Merrick say.

“Already done,” answered Cedric.

“I’m gobsmacked,” said Richard. “That was brilliant!”

“Wow, mon chér! You took out an armed man while laden with a babe. Incredible!” the guard with the French accent said. She still didn’t know his name.

“Not really,” she argued, “I don’t think he’s all there. And he appears to be wasted.”

“Which would make him more dangerous, in my book,” said Merrick.

After a few moments of the men babbling on about how impressed they were, she could hear the sirens as the police neared, and considered the many large men standing around her. “I think some of you should faze back into the bushes. This may look really strange to the police.”

They looked around at each other. “She has a point. We look like a bunch of fools standing around while this slip of a young lady holds the villain in place.”

More than half of them disappeared and the others pretended to be witnesses when the authorities arrived.

* * * * *

“Apparently that made the news,” Ethan said. His tone was thick with concern and fury as he ground the words out through a set jaw, muscles pulsing.

“That just means that they’ll be more fooled into thinking I’m a vampire, right?” Danielle said, hoping to calm him.

“Why didn’t you guys get to her faster? She shouldn’t have had to deal with this on her own,” he demanded. His overprotective nature was really showing again.

“We were on our way, she just simply dealt with the cur so fast and efficiently we weren’t actually needed.”

“Ethan, don’t be upset. I’m fine. I had no idea there was a serial, daytime mugger on the loose. Plus, he wasn’t really that hard to defeat—” She feared that if she didn’t get him to calm down about this she just might be stranded inside this house for the remainder of her pregnancy, if not longer.

“Yes, he was quite unhinged,” Cedric said.

Ethan winced at that.

“Cedric, not helping. Ethan, he was just a little drunk—”

Merrick jumped in. “He seemed completely foxed to me. And not just with liquor, drugs as well.”

Danielle sank further into the sofa and moaned when Ethan’s knuckles turned white.

“I sure wish I’d witnessed this,” Max muttered, as he entered with Nadia. “I’ve always wanted to see how she fares against a real threat.”

“He wasn’t a real threat!” Danielle argued. “He looked like he was about to keel over anyway.”

“Danielle, you’ve done a huge favor for so many women around here. On the news, they said this man had attacked several ladies while they merely shopped. You’re a hero.”

“You’re not helping either,” she muttered to Nadia, then swept a look over Ethan’s face, trying to interpret the emotions raking across his features.

“Truth be told, it was quite impressive,” The Black Prince added, his eyes twinkling with admiration.

“I know what she’s capable of!” Ethan shouted. “She just shouldn’t have to! My wife shouldn’t have to apprehend mad thieves without aid!”

For some reason, this screamed comment struck her as funny, and she started laughing. The others joined in, and then so did Ethan after a long hesitation.