Dalton, Tymber - Brimstone Blues [Brimstone Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (33 page)

It took Dame Agnew’s full force of will to conceal the secret she promised Rafael she would tend.

“All the times you heard his voice whisper to you, the dreams, those were all him,” Dame Agnew said.

Taz could barely speak. “Does he—does he know he’s in there?”

Dame Agnew nodded. “He’s fully aware of what happened. Had anyone else seen you when he was in control, they might have thought you were sleepwalking. He can think and feel and to a certain extent, he can send his mind outside of you. That’s how he was able to help you evade the guards at Torvald’s house.”

Taz’s voice shook. “Does he hate me? Does he blame me for what happened?”

Dame Agnew smiled, shaking her head. “No. He doesn’t blame you at all, dear.”

That did it. Taz collapsed where she stood, sobbing, grieving and relieved at the same time. No one else blamed her for his death.

Apparently Rafe didn’t, either.

Dame Agnew knelt beside her, holding Taz as she poured out her anguish. It wasn’t like pulling at an old scab because the wound was still fresh and raw. It was like opening a barely constrained floodgate of grief and anger and guilt, a tidal wave of emotion that threatened to wash her out to sea.

After she composed herself, Taz asked, “What do I do for him?”

Dame Agnew shook her head. “Unless you want him gone, there’s nothing you can do. Not at this moment. One day there will be a time, if you wish to help him. He’ll tell you what he needs.”

“Then he’d be gone for good?”

She nodded. “Then he would be gone for good.”

“Does he want to be here?”

“He’d prefer not to be dead, but other than that, he doesn’t have an opinion one way or the other. He is very worried for you.”

“Please don’t say anything to Matthias.”

“You have my word.”

“Can I talk to Rafe?”

Dame Agnew brushed Taz’s hair out of her face. “Yes, child. However, you must figure that out on your own. No one can do that for you. I think once you’re ready to face him you’ll work out the logistics.” She stood and held her hand out to Taz. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Matthias will think I’ve been scolding you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Gerard scowled, looking at his phone before answering. “Yes?”

The voice on the other end sounded timid, hesitant. “We’ve had a complication.”

He growled. “What complication?”

The caller cleared his throat. “Timon has been incarcerated.”

“
WHAT?
”

The caller talked fast, out of fear. “Apparently his role was discovered by Hawthorne. He is now in custody under the Tribunal’s control.”

Gerard almost threw his phone. “Where are you?”

“I’m on my way to Gatwick right now, booked on a flight to Berlin leaving in two hours. I can’t stay here. Timon didn’t have my name, but depending on what interrogation methods they use, they might be able to discover what I look like.”

“Do we have anyone else we can use?”

“No, sir. Not at this time.”

“I. Am not. Happy.”

“I understand that, but I am not the one who made the initial plans.”

“You will contact me immediately upon reaching Berlin, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

Gerard hung up and screamed for his assistant. The man instantly appeared in the office doorway. “There is a flight from Gatwick to Berlin in two hours, and that operative is on it. I want his head on my desk in seventy-two hours, do I make myself clear?”

The assistant blanched but nodded and left to make the arrangements.

Only then did Gerard throw the cell phone against the wall. It shattered, leaving a dent where it impacted. He’d have to move up his alternate plans.

How could it be so difficult to get their hands on a single goddamn woman? Fucking cheap help.

He sat behind his desk and made a call on his secure phone. It took a moment for it to connect. On the other end, a man answered in Portuguese.

“
Olá
.”

“It’s me.”

“
Como vai
?” The male voice switched to thickly accented English. “To what I owe this honor?”

“There’s been a change of plans. I need you to speed up your research.”

There was a brief pause. “You have not acquired her?”

“No. We’re going with the alternate plan. How long?”

“You want it right, or you want it fast?”

“Fast.”

“Probably two years.”

Gerard fought the urge to crush the phone in his hand. “And if I want it right?”

“Five. For you, I rush things. We forego advance testing.”

“That’s the best you can do?”

The doctor’s deep, rich laugh rolled over the line. “You are an impatient…how you say,
bastardo
.”

This was the only man on the face of the planet that Gerard would tolerate this kind of talk from, because he was the only one on the face of the planet capable of the work going on in his Brazilian lab.

“You’ll find out what kind of
bastardo
I can be if you don’t deliver as promised. I already have an order for one head to be brought to my desk. Yours could be alongside it.”

Another rich, rolling laugh. “We have this talk how many times, my old friend? You know I do my best. You do not want to make matters worse, do you? We move too soon, it might make your life hell, not heaven. For a man your age, you should know patience.”

“I’ve waited far too long already.”

“No, you not wait nearly long enough.” The doctor’s voice hardened. “You know we cannot be too careful. You want what you want, but we fuck this up, you might get more than you bargained. Remember the Alpha experiments?”

Gerard remembered, shuddering. One of the few thoughts that could elicit that reaction from him. Yet again another reason he tolerated the doctor’s insolence. He’d tried to hire cheap help and it nearly destroyed them all. “All right. Fine. You’ve got carte blanche, whatever you need, just get it done.”

“
Muito bem
. You see reason. See? You not so bad.”

“Are your test subjects still viable?”

“
Sim
. Yes. They are kept in different locations and serviced by different staff. Inconvenient, but necessary. The man is our focus right now. He’s easier, more pliable nature. We must keep the woman heavily sedated, she much stronger. But that interferes with results. We use her as backup.”

“And the child?”

“Eh, she is a handful with much potential.”

“Keep me posted.”

“
Não se preocupe
. Do not worry, my friend. All good things to those who wait, no?”

The doctor hung up, and Gerard looked at the receiver. He’d already waited over ten years and was still no closer to his goal. He should have snatched her years ago, in the beginning, when she was vulnerable after their first failed attempt to acquire her. He’d heeded advice to wait and watch over fears of triggering Hawthorne’s suspicions. At least he had three guinea pigs to test on, and no one knew they were even alive.

Especially the girl.

He dropped the receiver onto the phone and leaned back, smiling. He
was
already one up on Hawthorne, wasn’t he? Despite all his money and skill and age, Hawthorne and his cousin failed to pierce through his carefully cultivated network. Not to mention Rafael Collins was dead.

He’d already won the first skirmish in this war, and Hawthorne didn’t even know a battle had been waged.

Perfect.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Taz closed the hotel room curtains and found a classical music station on the radio. She knew Matthias would be gone with Albert and her dad for several hours at least, on Tribunal business.

 
It wasn’t like she had a lot of experience doing this, but she was afraid if they were around, they might interfere somehow, force Rafe out. She didn’t want that.

Not yet, at least.

What she wanted was time alone with him, if this was true. Part of her couldn’t accept what Dame Agnew told her.

Part of her prayed it was.

Relaxing on the bed, she closed her eyes. She had to start with what she knew. In Yellowstone, when Matthias started teaching her how to use her powers, she’d created a mental room for Rafe, an image she could focus on. Furnished and complete with windows so she could look out, whether through her mental eyes or through the eyes of someone else.

She hadn’t visited Rafe’s room since that day in Yellowstone, afraid of how much it would hurt.

She conjured the door to Rafael’s room in her mind. She reached out and touched the doorknob, scared to open it. She remembered Yellowstone, remembered his scent, conjured the sound of his voice, the taste of his lips—

The feel of his love for her.

In her mind she closed her eyes and gripped the doorknob. She walked through the door, taking several blind steps inside. She stood there for a long moment, forcing her body to remember to breathe. In her mind there were no true scents or tastes, just memories of the real thing. She eventually opened her eyes.

“Hey, Taz baby.”

There he was, standing before her. Too shocked to say anything at first she threw her arms around him. Even in her mind he felt solid, there.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. It was like he was with her, not just in her mind, but
really
there, like he’d been in her dreams. “It’s okay, Taz.”

She sobbed, wailed. Wanted to hold him and never let go. Whatever feelings she had for him returned, overwhelming. This was beyond the love she had for Matthias. This felt like they’d shared something she couldn’t remember.

She finally backed away from him. He was dressed as he’d been that last night at dinner, the same jeans and shirt. Only he didn’t wear his ring.

He smiled and took her right hand. “I’m glad you took it. I don’t need it now.”

What might have been had he lived? Would they have been great friends? Would she have left Matthias for Rafe? Or would she have eventually distanced herself from him because of their feelings for each other? She loved Matthias, heart and soul. What she felt for Rafael was different.

“I
can
read your thoughts, you know.” He took her into his arms again, smiling, his blue eyes twinkling. “You were good, girl. You have no idea how good you were.” His eyes searched her face and her body responded. “I know you feel bad about what happened, but don’t. You were right. At least I went out with one hell of a bang, baby girl.”

She couldn’t help it, she kissed him. It wasn’t the earth-shattering, passionate kiss they’d shared on the boardwalk. It was like their good-bye kiss at dinner, tender, God-I-missed-you-welcome-back calm.

He kissed her back and eventually pulled away, looked at her, then touched his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry you’re going through this. I’m sorry to put you through this.”