Chapter Seven – Maribel
It wasn't bad enough that these people had taken her away from her home with Sheridan. It wasn't bad enough that she had been subjected to hours of interrogation masqueraded as 'trying to help her'. It wasn't bad enough that when she wasn't being questioned, she was all but locked in a hotel room that looked like something out of a horror story.
No. They had to let Phil come and see her.
Maribel stood holding the door open, glaring at her ex-boyfriend as he sat on her bed. "I told you to leave."
"Come on, Mari. It's me, you don't have to put up this charade."
"Fine. I told you to leave, you selfish son of a—"
"Mari!" Phil shook his head, looking shocked. "Honestly! You were never like this before. What did that vampire do to you?"
Maribel could see heads poking out of the other rooms along the hall. Most looked curious, others annoyed, some sympathetic. She would have just left Phil and gone to one of their rooms, as most were humans she recognized from the palace, but she didn't want him rifling through her things.
But if he thought he was going to embarrass her into letting him stay, he had another thing coming.
"For starters," she said, eyes flashing, "Sheridan paid off the massive amounts of debt that you gave me when you stole my identity!"
Phil stood. "Maribel, that wasn't what you thought. Look, maybe I was a jerk, but I do care about you. I want to help you."
"Don't even start. I am not going to listen to more of your lies. I love Sheridan and he loves me. He is my husband. Now leave me alone!"
Phil turned away. He kept his back to her and his head bowed for several minutes before he nodded. "I can see that I'm not going to get anywhere. But Mari, when you want to tell me the truth about what that vampire threatened you with to make you do what he wanted—"
"Shut up!"
She slammed the door after him as he left, seething internally. What was it with all these people? Why were they so desperate to make her say that she didn't want to be with Sheridan? It certainly wasn’t an investigation to protect the humans that had been living at the palace.
This was a witch hunt, pure and simple. But she was determined that Sheridan wasn't the one who was going to end up getting burned.
If she only knew what part Phil was playing in it… Was he hoping for money? Was he hoping that she would fall to her knees before him, and then sue Sheridan somehow? Or maybe use her to get a million dollars in debt that Sheridan would then pay for?
Well, that wasn't happening.
Maribel tugged her hair to its ends, annoyed and frustrated. Her daily interrogation was over, which meant that she was stuck in this room for the night. She had tried previously to go visit with the other humans, but those visits were usually interrupted by 'just a couple more questions' or other such nonsense. It didn’t take a genius to realize that the people holding them at this hotel didn't want the humans who had lived with the vampires to hold private conversations. Why, though, Maribel couldn't understand.
The result was that over the two weeks since she had been cruelly ripped away from her vampire king, Maribel had become incredibly lonely. She’d talked to Sheridan on the phone regularly, but it was not the same as being in his arms. Nobody would tell her when she would be able to go home. They all kept spouting the same crap about needing to protect the living blood donors.
She sank onto her bed, heart feeling heavy. Was it really legal for them to keep her here against her will?
A fit of anger seized her and she grabbed her phone, dialing Sheridan’s number. She had enough. She wanted out of here and she would. It didn't matter what stupid papers they waved in her face, they had no right to treat her like a criminal!
When I get home, I'm going to sue Armstrong for emotional distress. Or something like that.
"Maribel. Are you okay?" Sheridan's voice sounded worried when he answered.
"No, I'm not. I want to come home."
There was a brief moment. "I'll come get you right away."
Maribel let out a breath, feeling relieved. She had been afraid that he would tell her he couldn't come and get her, that they had to work with Armstrong and her goons. The knots in her shoulders relaxed. "Thank you."
"Of course. I'll see you soon."
Packing took only fifteen minutes, and Maribel headed down to the hotel lobby. Nobody stopped her, and her hopes rose. Maybe she was free to go after all. She closed her eyes, imagining being back home, sleeping in her own bed with her vampire king in her arms. It was such a lovely image that she didn't want to open her eyes again.
When she heard his voice, though, she gladly left the fantasy behind for reality. With a squeal, she ran to him. He rushed towards her, arms opening wide. They met in the middle of the lobby. Sheridan lifted her from the ground and swung her in a circle, holding her tightly.
"I've missed you," he whispered.
"I've missed you, too." Maribel pressed a few quick kisses to his lips. "So, so much."
The moment was ruined when that Armstrong woman's voice rang out. "Our investigation has not finished."
Sheridan set Maribel down and frowned at the approaching woman. "Maribel phoned me requesting that I come take her home. Is she a prisoner now?"
"Of course not. None of the humans we have are prisoners. But until the investigation is complete, if any humans are removed from our custody and return to the vampire city, it will be considered a hostile act and we will have no choice but to get the military involved."
Maribel gaped at her. Was she serious? "I can't go home without starting a war?"
"You can go anywhere you like." Armstrong gave her a sneer that had her blood boiling. "But the vampires can't take you back to their city without starting a war."
"Look, you—"
Sheridan shook his head. He glared at Armstrong but held Maribel tightly. "It's best if you stay here for now, my darling."
"But—"
"My lawyers will be in touch with you, Miss Armstrong. I have received more than one complaint from these humans. They claim that you are holding them against their will and treating them like criminals." The vampire stepped forward, looming over the small human woman. "I told you that we protect our humans. I will not stand for this."
Armstrong's glare faltered and she didn't reply. Sheridan held her eye until she looked away, then turned to Maribel. His gaze softened and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll call you. I love you."
"I love you, too."
They kissed again and Sheridan reluctantly left. Maribel stood where she was, arms wrapped around her waist, as she watched him go. Billie was waiting at the door, her arms crossed. The little vampire was glaring at Armstrong so fiercely the phrase if looks could kill crossed Maribel's mind.
"Well." Armstrong pulled out her phone and typed something into it. "That was enlightening."
Tears pricked Maribel's eyes but she brushed them away. Hopefully, the threat of legal action would help expedite things. She wanted to go home.
"Miss Arnaz, I have some more questions for you."
"I'm not answering them," Maribel said shortly. "I'm not answering any more of your stupid questions. I want to go home and you're just trying to make things difficult for Sheridan."
Armstrong's lips pursed. "What if you might be able to see him sooner if you answered a few more questions?"
Maribel hesitated.
"That's what I thought. Come with me."
The woman strode away without another word. Maribel scowled but followed, lugging her suitcase with her. If answering a few more questions would help Armstrong cover her butt and let the humans return to the vampire city, than it was a torment Maribel would put up with.
Armstrong led her to the usual interrogation room. It was at the back of the hotel with a good view of the parking lot and nothing else. To Maribel's annoyance, Phil was there and Armstrong didn't tell him to leave. Rather, when she closed the door, she nodded at him.
"Your suspicions were correct. He loves her."
Phil smiled. "Like I said. I know how to read people, Kathleen."
Maribel's heart picked up pace and a ball of dread sank into her stomach. "What are you talking about?"
"The vampire king," Armstrong said. "He loves you. I'm willing to bet he'd start a war for you."
Maribel glanced at the door, but Phil was beside her in a second, his arms wrapping around her. His grip was painfully tight. Maribel kicked at Phil's shins. He yelped, growled, and pulled a gun from his belt. Maribel froze. Her heart hammered. Were they going to kill her now?
"That's right." Phil's grip loosened slightly as she stopped fighting against him. "Look, Mari, I like you. I really do. I don't want to have to hurt you. You won't make me do that, will you?"
She stared at the gun and shook her head.
Phil smiled pleasantly. "Good."
"Why are you doing this?"
"She wants to destroy the vampires. Something about her mother running off with one or something like that." Phil laughed when Armstrong glared at him. "Me, I'm in it for the money. Your king might start a war for you, but first, he'll pay a queen's ransom."
"Stop talking and get her out of here," Armstrong ordered. "Now, before someone sees."
Phil shrugged and propelled her towards the door. "Let's take a drive, Mari. Just you and me. Romantic, the way you like it."
Maribel allowed him to move her, her mind darting all over the place. There had to be a way out of this… didn't there?