“I am certain that she doesn’t know that I Shifted and looked like Elizabeth. If she had gone for you looking like this,” she indicates her Liv self, “you would have dismissed her.”
Devon snorts in agreement and it annoys Cole. His wife is beautiful, perfect even, he doesn’t like it when Devon is less than complimentary about her natural looks. It begs the question as to what will happen once Devon joins them in their marriage. Will he want her as Elizabeth the whole time? Will she give it to him? Will it be a chore for her to Shift all the time in between her two personas? So much so that she gets pissed off and resentful. He catches Devon’s eye and knows immediately that he was thinking the same thing. He makes a note to discuss it later, when they are alone again.
Devon asks, “How will you do it? Go to the brothel as Elizabeth the way it happened with us?”
Cole does have something to say about that and he stands up to make his point loud and clear, “No!” he shouts. “You are not going there to reenact yours and Devon’s meeting. It’s gross!”
“Agreed,” Liv says soothingly. “You don’t have to worry. I am not going back there to play it out as my past self did.”
He feels marginally better about that. He doesn’t think he could bear it if she slept with an Other World version of any of them. Or an Other, Other World. That is just too much for him. He thinks it might possibly be his breaking point, so he is determined that she keeps her word.
“Then what?” he asks. “What exactly is your plan to lure him into the future?”
She sighs and sits heavily on the sofa seat he vacated. He sees Devon turn towards her and he regrets standing up as he wants to be as close to her as his sibling is.
“I don’t know. That’s why I said I would go tomorrow, so I have time to come up with a plan.” She turns to Devon and asks, “What do you think I should do? He must think like you, sort of. What would you accept?”
“Well, I accepted you as a Vampire straight away,” he says and Liv beams at him. “Not so sure I would have accepted time travel though.” He frowns. “Can I think about it and let you know?”
“Of course,” she says, taking his hand. He brings it to his lips to kiss, lingering over it with his eyes closed. Cole wonders if Devon is going to take the plunge now, but then she smiles up at him and holds her hand out for him to take. She stands and he leans down to kiss her.
“I’ve got it,” Devon says suddenly, and Liv pulls away to turn back to him.
“What?” she asks eagerly. She seems far too interested in this little adventure and that has him worried as to the reasons.
“Don’t tell, just do,” Devon says, and she frowns.
“What do you mean? Just abduct him?” she asks.
“Yes, in a manner of speaking. Go to find him and tell him who you are, who she is, and then just take him to the present,” he says.
“I don’t know about that,” Liv says. “It seems kind of a sudden introduction.”
“Look, if it was me, I would prefer it that way. If you start telling him you are from the future, not even his own future, you will completely freak him out and he probably will refuse to go. If you just do it, he will have to accept it.”
Well, it’s Devon logic. It sort of makes sense, but there are big holes in his theory.
“Well, I suppose it’s as good a plan as any,” she says and pats his hand in thanks. He smiles at her. “Make my excuses for me, I’m going to go now.”
“Wait,” Cole says. “You said you would go tomorrow.”
“I know, but the sooner I get it over with the better. I will try not to be too long,” she says and pulls him down for a lingering kiss. “Remember, this is our secret. I don’t want anyone else knowing about this.” She is adamant and it makes Cole even more suspicious, but as usual he keeps his opinions to himself rather than face her getting upset with him. He hates it when she gets upset or angry with him. It feels like his heart is breaking, so he woul
d rather just keep quiet and keep her happy. She has a vicious temper that flicks like a switch at the moment. He frowns as he remembers that the poolroom is still going through the process of repair after she lost her temper with Cade, when she tracked him back there after his turning. Who knew she could splinter glass with her eyes and throw fire from her hands?
“I love you,” he murmurs to her. She smiles and says it back. “Please don’t do anything stupid,” he adds, and she laughs.
“When have you ever known me to do something stupid?” she asks and the three of them laugh at her sassy wink and then she is gone in a twirl of black fog, to the Other, Other World and all the Other, Other versions of themselves. He has a bad feeling about this. A very, very bad feeling. He continues to stare at the space that she occupied for a few seconds, as does Devon.
“What?” he finally asks. “Why don’t you want her doing this?”
Cole blinks at him. How can he tell Devon that he doesn’t trust her? He keeps having this recurring nightmare of her time in that Other, Other World. He keeps dreaming of her having sex with the Constantine from there. She swore to him that she didn’t see anyone after they put her away to rest, but it sounds, to him, far too convenient. Surely, they would want to know that she was all right and check on her?
“Cole?” Devon prompts him. “Do you want her to yourself in that World?”
“Devon, that is just the stupidest thing I have ever heard. It’s not me, it isn’t Liv and it certainly isn’t you either,” Cole snaps at him.
“Sure,” he says. “But it must have crossed your mind.”