choices

Quinn looked at the email again. It was very brief. simple stating a time and a link. He new the address of course. He had known the woman too long to not be suspicious though. Did she know about his game? only one way to find out. He waited until the appointed time and clicked the link. As the screen hummed to life, he smiled. Isabel might be a vampire who had already signed her own death warrant, but she was still eye candy. As her image came into view, He chuckled.

"Good evening, Isabel."

Isabel had been sat patiently waiting for the Tiger to connect to their private video link as her perfectly crimson nails drummed along the desk as she gazed at the screen. Once a black screen soon fuzzed into a clear picture as John Quinn appeared on the end.

"Evening John....My my, don't we look delectable this evening" she grinned.

Quinn smiled.

"I must say I was surprised to get your message but had intended on contacting you soon anyway."

He looked her over, letting her watch the pleasure he enjoyed in what he could see.

"Well you know me John. I like to keep everyone on their toes....especially you" she smirked.

She reached over and grabbed her glass of blood as she made a show of sipping it sensually.

"My dear John...You like tired, a pretty young woman keeping you awake to all hours?" she questioned him.

He laughed at her veiled comment.

"If you are referring to your indiscreet little pet, no. She has disappointed me. I thought she was going to come by to play, but she has not chosen to do so, except for hanging on Compton's arm when he came for Arabella's recital. I have concerns on that matter, but that is not my issue. Her stupidity and loose lips is my issue with her."

He reached to the keyboard and keyed an audio file.

"I was told you do not do coy John....But I have heard other tales. Tales of the Tiger between the sheets. I am a little sad that I will not get to test them for myself....A little envious that Isabel had her fun with you."

As the audio file closed, he looked back at the screen, watching her reaction.

"She said that in a public room where any number of people could have overheard her. Can you imagine if Compton or someone working for him had heard her? As for being tired, I had an old friend stop by last night and we got reacquainted, so to speak."

Isabel fought to keep herself together when she heard Roxanne's voice again as she bit down deeply into her lip tasting her own blood. But she could not let any signs of her weakness show, especially in front of the Tiger.

"Yes....Well she had her uses. She sent me quite the little package, a lot of information on the King. You have let yourself slip John...I am disappointed in you" she grinned attempting to gauge him

"Have I now? What lies did the little minx send you? let me see if I can remember her words right...'I do not like being turned down, tiger. You might want to keep that in mind.' I believe was the way she put it."

He watched her carefully.

"But to more pleasant matters, am I to understand that my little package arrived? I came across it a bit back in India and thought of you. I simply picked it up and waited for the right time to send it."

Isabel's hand reached out from screen view and pulled the large box that his gift had been delivered in as she opened and turned it so that the Tiger could see.

"You have not forgotten my tastes have you John...A little small for my liking but it will do" she smirked as she pulled the large necklace out and wrapped it around her neck "But I do love how it goes with my complexion" she complimented herself "It is a shame though, that you did not give her a whirl...You always loved cold things between your sheets" she chuckled.

He made a show of tracing her curve of her cheek on the screen.

"There is a big difference between cold.....and frigid, Isabel. The girl had no style, and no skill, so held little interest. Besides, she is a puppet. You and I both know that power is often a powerful aphrodisiac."

He smiled as she admired the necklace.

"I look forward to seeing it around your neck the next time I visit Dallas..."

Isabel had to keep her emotions in control as John talked so cruelly about Roxanne, but she made sure that he did not notice anything.

"Perhaps that may be the only thing you see on me...If I see that you have done well enough to get between my sheets again...Maybe once I have succeed in bringing Compton to his knees...And once that whore of his is out of the way...I remember that you dabbled once or twice with her. What was the matter? Too much for you to handle?" she laughed.

Oh Compton's were....Would soon be out of the way.

Quinn chuckled.

"Quite the opposite, Isabel. She lacked your creativity...and way too much baggage."

He grinned, remembering every detail of what she offered. She had been an interesting plaything once, but now that he had a chance to rebuild with his Tigress, Isabel held little interest. He however, let her see the grin as he seemed to picture the image she painted.

"Do us both one favor, Isabel. Tell your people to stay away from my land. I grow tired of reports of vampires with Texas accents threatening and attacking my guards and being killed. Such a terrible waste of manpower for you. I may be traveling to Dallas soon. The truce with Compton is dead, and it is only a matter of time...."

Isabel could not hide her surprise when John talked of travelling to Dallas.

"Jumping ships I see? Well I shall take your request under advisement....But while I have you undivided attention....Perhaps you would like to indulge as to why you failed in your task? The progeny's of the King still live?" he questioned him.

Isabel needed to see his reaction to confirm her suspicions, rumours that had been flying about.

Quinn threw back his head and laughed.

"It seemed your spy is less revealing than you thought, Isabel. Did she not tell you of our conversation on this exact matter? Your people screwed up when they attacked me. I pretended to be Compton's ally and 'faked' their demise to gain his trust..that is until your precious Roxanne screwed everything up. Thanks to his mistrust from her games, my targets were brought back into his compound. I was a day or two from having both progeny under my roof and easy access. I had even talked one into training in dodging silvered knives in her training program. All it would have taken is a slight adjustment in the settings on the thrower...but that is moot. Your people are the reason they live. I will fulfill my contract, Isabel. You know me. I always do. Keep your people out of my way unless you want me to send you back more fangs."

He let his words sink in, watching their effect on her mood. His dismissal of Roxanne was intentional and the only way he was going to test his theory.

Isabel could not hide her anger at his words over Roxanne, she knew Roxanne better than anyone. She did not mess up anything or any task that she was given.

"You disappoint me John....Maybe I overestimated Roxanne...But that will not happen again. Perhaps you need some motivation to keep your mind on task....Oh don't worry about trying to figure out what it is...You will know very, very soon" she grinned.

Isabel always had a plan B, and a plan C, and a plan D and so on. She would always get what she wanted.

"Your favor and my payment is all the motivation you need, Isabel. I have never failed to finish out a contract for you."

He saw her annoyance and decided to bait the hook.

"She must have been such a pleasure to turn though, such a pretty little progeny. Too bad she is not as bright as her maker."

He paused, watching her reaction and smiled.

"I do hope that you can keep your people out of my way. This contract has taken too long and I am going to need to be far less....subtle..now. Anyone in my way is dust. Warn your people and your pet. I will not make exceptions again."

Isabel picked up on John's comment about her turning Roxanne. Information that no one else knew about as it had her quizzing about what else the Tiger knew.

"Well, Well John it seems that you are always thirsty for the kill...Maybe we should test that theory...If you are as loyal to me as you claim to be, and not to that pompous ass King Compton....I want you to come to Dallas....With one of his progeny's....I shall be kind and let you choose. You have three days to bring one of the to me" she instructed.

Quinn laughed harder than ever.

"I have never claimed to be loyal to anything but a paycheck, Isabel. I hold no allegiance to any vampire, royal or otherwise. You and I both know that. Your request is interesting, and I am even willing to consider it, but I will need resources from you to pull off that kind of coup on such short notice."

He thought carefully how he could spin this...

"I need two of your strike teams, and a diversion team, have them in town by tomorrow night and you will have your trophy soon enough. I need them to understand they follow my orders without question. I need to plan things for when we next meet, 'Isa', so I will leave you to your amusements."

Isabel could not help but laugh at the Tiger's remarks. After everything that she had felt in the last few weeks it was a change to laugh.

"John...You are not loyal to anything and that includes a pay check....You are loyal to yourself and we both know that....Get me one or perhaps both of the girls.....Or I shall send someone who will do it for me....And they will not be gentle....I have heard the rumours that he prefers young vampires, red heads are his favourite....But the young brunette....He will have her begging for death...And they will be delivered in boxes, maybe a hand missing there, maybe an arm. We both know that I will get what I want John. Your choice. Three days or two dead teenage girls...." she smirked.

Reaching for her glass of blood as she sipped sensually on it as she continued to gaze at him.

"Maybe I was too generous....Make it two days...You choice my dear Tiger" she grinned knowing that the Tiger did not like to be challenged.

His eyes went flat at her challenge.

"My daughter is in that house, Isabel. I warn you now. If any harm comes to her, by your hand or otherwise...it will not be a necklace I will see around your neck. It will be my own hands as I separate your head from your body. Rumors are always fun, Isabel, but understand this. My daughter is far more precious to me than anything you can dream up. I was even willing to let her train Compton's little brats to keep her safe from his anger with me."

He leaned toward the screen and spoke slowly and clearly.

"Give me what I asked for and all will go as it needs to. Defy me, harm my daughter, and we will have problems you cannot imagine. You have seen some small part of what I can do to someone I care nothing about. Imagine a moment what I could bring myself to do to someone I hate. I am not threatening you, mind you, only telling you to tell your people to stay back and leave my daughter out of this."

He paused, taking a breath.

"One last thing. The people you are going to send me. No vampires. If you are to keep your hands clean in this matter, it has to look like teams I assembled, and with my truce with Compton dead, I would not use vampires for this job."

Isabel was not standing for this, and especially of a pathetic animal who she could see believed that he was better than vampires.

"Now you understand this John! I am the Queen of Texas....and soon to be Louisiana once I have Compton on his knees begging for death when I strip away every single one of those who he holds some affection to. If you want my advice.....Get your daughter out of there in the next two days....I will get what I want John....You know that...Whether they come willingly or not...I will have the progeny of the King and I do not care who gets in the way....But from our past dwellings I am giving you a chance...Get your daughter out of Compton's care or I will not be held responsible if she puts up a fight...But if she does....I promise it will be a quick and painless death...Two days John. He is already on his way" she smirked.

Leaning over to the screen 

"Death is coming" as she burst out into a fit of laughter as she ended the video call.

Quinn felt his temper rising as the screen went blank. He was about to move on to the next step in his plans when he felt a buzz on his belt. He pulled out his phone and saw the number the message came from. Strange...I thought that phone was in the storage room. He opened the message and read it twice before putting two and two together.
'I love you Quinn. We will be together very soon -  B x'

Arabella must have grabbed a burn phone from storage before she left. Clever girl...it made him wonder what else she might have up her sleeve. His surprise, and the text message did much to calm him, but he needed to act fast. He pressed the intercom, hearing a crackle as it came to life.

"Tolvin, I need a transcript of that video call, and I need it 'yesterday'."

"Of course, Sir. You will have it on your computer within the hour. Any safeguards?"

"No, it is to be transmitted elsewhere so it will need to be easy to read."

He keyed up the private number that Compton had once given him and sent a simple text but marked it urgent.
~Vital we make contact. Not Personal. Daughters in danger. I have details.~