Brimstone Blues

Chapter Sixteen

With the exception of two security guards manning the front gate, no one else was home Wednesday afternoon when Taz returned a little early from the office. She knew Matthias and Albert were on their way home from the office, and Robertson was most likely grocery shopping. She changed into an oversized shirt and pair of flannel SpongeBob pajama pants, comfy lounging clothes.

She was settling in with her laptop to finish some e-mails when the doorbell rang.

“Crap.” She went to the front door and used the peep hole. Her jaw dropped and she had the door unlocked and opened before she remembered how she was dressed. She stammered a welcome to the unexpected guest.

Donald Sutherland, one of her favorite actors, stood before her.

“Hi, uh, sorry for how I’m dressed. I wasn’t expecting company. Please, come in.”

“I’m here to see Matthias. I’m—”

She grinned. “I know who you are. I’m a huge fan of your work. You’re amazing! I’m Anastazia Proctor, Matthias’ fiancée.”

Donald Sutherland walked in, an odd smile on his face, obviously used to weird fans. Or at least, weirdly dressed ones. They shook hands and she led him into the library. She moved her laptop from where she’d left it on the sofa and motioned for him to sit.

“I absolutely loved you in M*A*S*H. And Dirty Sexy Money is a fantastic show!” God, she was acting like a babbling idiot. Why was this actor different from any others? Why did he set her heart fluttering and her stomach twisting?

He sat and smiled. “Thank you very much. That’s very kind of you.”

“Matthias should be home any moment. I left the office before he did. Oh my God, I’ve worked with celebrities before, but this is an honor to meet you, sir. You look so much younger in person than you do on TV.” He did, too. He looked at least fifteen to twenty years younger in person. She knew TV supposedly added pounds, but didn’t know it added years, too.

He seemed at ease, his playful blue eyes gleaming. “None taken. I’m honored you appreciate my work so much.” Even his voice sounded sexy. Damn, he was cute. So what if he was older than her, he was a hottie! If it wasn’t for Matthias…

Taz shivered, trying to squelch that thought. No wonder he was such a great actor, his charisma just washed from him in waves.

She finally remembered to offer him something to drink, and he was regaling her with a story when Matthias walked in. She heard him and stood, turning to face him.

“Matthias! Why didn’t you tell me we had company coming over? Do you know who this is? This is—”

“Hello, Grandfather.” Matthias smiled. “Let me guess, you let her go on, didn’t you?”

Taz fell silent and looked from Matthias to their guest, a growing sense of idiocy washing over her. “What?”

Robertson entered the room. “Ah, Tobias. You’re early. Good to see you again.”

Taz looked at Robertson and swallowed. Looked at Matthias, who smiled, then to Tobias-slash-apparently-not-Donald Sutherland. “Huh?”

Matthias laughed. “I’m sorry, darling. You’re not the first person he’s pulled this with. I should have warned you.”

The man, who apparently wasn’t Donald Sutherland, laughed. The deep, mellow sound sent her heart into convoluted flutters. “Matthias, why did you dash her illusions? She’s my biggest fan.”

Taz’s face flushed beet red. She looked at the floor. “I am the. Biggest. Idiot. Ever.” Now she understood why his blue eyes turned her into a babbling moron. It was his vampire mojo. She hadn’t put up a strong barrier, not realizing he was a vampire.

“No, Taz, Grandfather is practical joker. I’m sure he’s been laid more times than he can remember over the past couple of decades by women thinking they had the real thing.”

“Now, Matthias my boy, that’s not a very nice thing to say to your grandfather.” He even sounded just like the actor.

“Is it true?” Matthias asked, and his grandfather grinned.

“Of course it’s true, but it’s still not very nice.” He walked over to Taz and held out his hand. “I’m sorry, dear, but you were so cute and so sweet, I couldn’t resist. Tobias Hawthorne. Yes, I’m Matthias’ grandfather, and no, I’m not Donald Sutherland. Although as you yourself noted, he looks a damn sight like me.”

Without looking at him she shook hands. “Pleased to meet you,” she mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed and feeling like a total idiot. “Excuse me while I go to the kitchen to find a knife to kill myself with,” she snarked.

Robertson caught up with her while she was rooting through the grocery bags on the counter for her mint tea. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

She looked up, spotted his amused smile, and went back to her hunt. “All right, you snot. Where’s my tea?”

He laughed and found it for her. She snatched the box from him, grumbling her thanks.

“Taz, you are far from the first or even the hundredth person he’s pulled that with. Ten thousandth, that might be close. He’s a stinker. Nice man, but with a very wide playful streak.”

She ripped open the box of tea bags and fixed a mug. It was something to do, because to go up to the bedroom she’d have to pass through the living room again, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet.

Robertson finished putting the groceries away and left her alone. She stared at the spoon she’d used to stir sugar into her tea, trying to clear her mind. Once she calmed down, and got over her disappointment and embarrassment, she’d go out and start over with Tobias-slash-not-Donald Sutherland.

Why does this kind of stuff happen to me? Before she met Matthias Hawthorne, her life didn’t hold many surprises. Ever since he came into her life, it was one fun-house horror after another.

She tried to calm down and focused on the silver spoon. Real silver. Robertson’s theory was why own it if you didn’t use it? She always loved the look and feel of real silver flatware, remembered sitting with him at the table and polishing their silver service when she was a kid. She may have had rich parents, but Robertson made her do chores. As an adult she looked back and thanked him for that lesson in work ethic.

Then the spoon moved. Not a lot, just a little, rocking back and forth on the bowl.

She opened her mouth to call for Robertson and stopped. It could have been a coincidence. Even though she knew she didn’t bump the table, a heavy, pine beast that wasn’t the least wobbly.

She focused on it again, trying to make it move. Nothing.

Something tickled at her mind, but she picked the spoon up and rinsed it, not wanting to investigate further. She had too much going on right now to worry about weird new powers, if that’s what it even was. Most likely she breathed heavy and it wobbled. That’s all. Or her imagination. She was feeling a little normal, why rock an already freakishly unstable boat?

After all, a woman who hears the voice of her fiancé’s dead cousin in her head was certainly capable of imagining a wobbling spoon, right?

Right.

Fortunately, the voice didn’t chime in with an opinion.

She finally sucked it up and returned to the living room. Tobias was seated, his long legs crossed, in one of the chairs. Matthias stood as she entered. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

She nodded and forced a smile. “I guess I shouldn’t feel embarrassed about my clothes, at least.”

Tobias grinned. She saw where Matthias’s blue eyes came from. Now that she wasn’t starstruck she noted the family resemblance. “My dear, I’m sure you would look absolutely enchanting in a flour sack.”

“Grandfather,” Matthias said, leading Taz to the sofa to sit next to him, “you wouldn’t be flirting with Taz, would you?”

Tobias feigned shock. “Matthias, even I am not so gauche as to attempt to seduce my grandson’s fiancée.”

Albert apparently had come in the front door at some point and stood off to the side. He coughed, but it sounded amazingly like, “Bullshit.” He looked around. “Oh, sorry. Frog in my throat.”

“So when is the big day?” Tobias asked, shooting a glare at Albert, who smiled.

Matthias looked to Taz. “We don’t have a date set yet.” He took her hand. “I’m leaving that up to her. It’s been a crazy few weeks, and we still have the Tribunal to deal with. Once we’re past that, we’ll have time to sit down and think about what we want to do. There’s no reason to rush.”

Tobias nodded. “I’m looking forward to seeing Millicent again. Remarkable woman.”

“Who?” Taz asked.

“Dame Agnew,” Albert said. “She’s the most senior member of the Tribunal.”

“Grandfather has many powerful contacts on the Tribunal and among the Clans,” Matthias explained to her.

She looked at Tobias. She didn’t feel any mental probes from him but sensed deep, calm power within. He might be a stinker, as Robertson said, yet she had a feeling when he got down to business, he wasn’t someone to screw with—or over. Perhaps that’s where Matthias inherited his quiet, solid strength.

“Okay.” She turned to Matthias. “Do you have any other relatives who might be popping in that, oh, for example, look like George Clooney or James Spader?”

He smiled. “No, sorry. Grandfather is our only celebrity look-alike.”

“Damn.”

“I have a few cousins, and my uncle, of course.”

“My brother, Patrick,” Tobias added.

“Rafael’s grandfather,” Taz said.

Tobias sadly nodded.

They should have some sort of funeral for Rafe, a memorial service at the very least, for those who loved him. She had to quit thinking she had the corner on the market of grief over his death.

The next morning, Tobias was alone in the kitchen when Taz went down for breakfast. His friendly smile alleviated some of her discomfort.

“Good morning, dear. Again, I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have teased you like that.”

It was hard not to like him. “It’s okay. I should be used to shit like that by now.” She realized what she said. “Sorry.”

He laughed. “That’s quite all right. Believe me, my ears aren’t sensitive, and I’ve been known to spout a few obscenities myself.”

She poured a cup of coffee and sat at the table. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything you wish.”

She took a moment to compose her thoughts. “First off, how old are you?”

“Eight hundred and forty-nine.”

She shuddered and her voice dropped. “How did you get through it?”

He studied her. “You mean losing loved ones?”

She met his eyes and nodded.

He touched her hand. “Anastazia, everyone copes in their own way. Rafael wouldn’t want you to be sad. He would want you to celebrate his life, remember the joy he brought you.”

Tobias’ comforting tone set her at ease. She dropped her mental barriers, just enough to send him a silent message.

“How do I talk with Matthias about this?”

He gripped her hand and mentally replied, “You don’t, if you don’t wish to. Always feel free to confide in me.”

She fought another bout of tears. “They’re going to chew me up and spit me out in London,” she whispered.

He gently squeezed her hand. “Anastazia, I think you have that backward. You’ve got them shitting proverbial bricks, darling.”

She laughed, but it sounded joyless. “I wish I believed that.”

“Don’t you realize that you’re—”

“Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it.”

His eyes crinkled in amusement. “But it’s the truth.”

“I don’t care if it’s the truth. I’m sick of people telling me how fucking strong I am. It doesn’t change the fact that I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin.” Yes, that feeling had returned, even though the voice was still blissfully silent.

He released her hand and sat back. “You’ve been through a lot of emotional trauma in a very short amount of time. If I seem flippant, believe me, I’m not. I do understand that you’re upset and confused. I’m looking at your situation from the far distant end of things. I am proof that you can endure great heartbreak and eventually live with it. You must go easy on yourself, allow time to adequately grieve and work through the process. Unfortunately, your grief has been compounded by the recent events, and you have been denied that time.”

“Do I have to be in there alone when I testify?”

He shook his head. “Matthias cannot be there, because he was a party to the events, but I can go in with you, if you wish.”

“Please.”

“You’ll do fine. From what I understand, you’re a very talented attorney.”

“I’ve never had to go up before a room full of vampires.”

“Anastazia,” he said, his voice dropping again, “Rafael was well loved amongst his peers. He was a powerful member of the Tribunal. You are going in there with a room full of allies, not adversaries.”

She nodded but didn’t feel much better.

Matthias appeared in the kitchen doorway, his hair disheveled from sleep. “There you are, sweetheart.” He walked over and kissed her. “Are you all right?”

“Tobias and I were talking.”

“I’m trying to convince her that she has nothing to worry about in London. I also told her I’ll go in with her.”

Matthias poured his coffee and joined them at the table. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Grandfather.”

“Son, we’re family.”

“And what a freaky little family we are,” Taz snarked.

They flew commercial. First class, of course. The five of them sat near each other, and Taz didn’t speak much during the long flight from Tampa to Heathrow. At one point, Matthias gently squeezed her hand. When she met his eyes, he smiled and sent her a thought.

“You’ll do fine.”

“Glad you have confidence in me.” She turned back to the window but didn’t release his hand.

“This will be over soon, and we can get on with life.”

“And what kind of life is that?” She turned to him and finally spoke out loud. “Tell me what kind of life it is, Matthias.” She kept her voice low. “Let’s face it, we’re always going to be looking over our shoulders now, aren’t we? We don’t know who hired Caroline, and they’ll try again. Maybe not next week, but it’s a matter of time.”

“I wish I had answers. All I know is I will devote everything I have to keeping you safe.”

Getting through Customs proved easy. With the help of Matthias’ blue eyes, as a group they were waved through with barely a glance at their passports.

“I could get used to this,” Taz snarked. “Thank God we’re the good guys.” She carried Rafe’s laptop case, not yet willing to give it up to anyone else.

Matthias took her suitcase and loaded it onto his luggage cart. “That’s why we have the Tribunal, to make sure rogues who wish to take lives are eliminated. When someone starts preying on the innocent, they cannot be tolerated. Besides the obvious that we cannot allow others to be harmed, it would be too easy for someone to abuse their power, get careless, and then get arrested, and our secret would be exposed.”

“Do you really think the governments would release information about us?” Taz said. “I have a feeling they’d want to keep us under wraps.” She never was a believer in government conspiracies, black helicopters, or men in black. She believed Roswell was a weather balloon, and that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Then again, she never believed in vampires until a few weeks ago, much less suspected she was one.

Matthias stopped in his tracks and turned. Tim and Albert had to step around them with their luggage carts. Matthias kept his voice low. “I think they would pursue those like us relentlessly, lock us in labs, and experiment on us to try to duplicate the results to use for military applications.”

“You don’t have much use for the government, do you?”

He smiled the half smile that melted her every time. Damn, that was a lethal weapon.

“Not particularly. I spent too much time dealing up close and personally with them many moons ago. I also don’t have much use for lawyers.”

“Nice—hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

He grinned, and she knew he was yanking her chain. “Cara, if I wasn’t madly in love with you, I’d mistrust you on general principles.”

“What about my dad? You like him.”

“Ah, but I’ve known Tim for several centuries, before he was a lawyer. He’s been many things in his life.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s continue this discussion elsewhere, shall we, love?”

Tobias nosed up to them. “Are we going to stand here all night, children?”

She laughed. It was hard to miss the gawkers who made the same assumption she had about Tobias’ identity.

Timon answered the phone. “Yes?”

It was one of his henchmen. “They’ve arrived. We have a problem.”

“Yes, because why should it be any different than the last several botched attempts?” There was silence from the other end. “Well?”

“Sorry. Tobias Hawthorne is with them.”

Timon swore under his breath. He suspected this complication would bedevil them, but had hoped the eldest Hawthorne wouldn’t attend. “It shouldn’t interfere with our plans too much.” He hung up and scrubbed his face with his hands. He would be glad when this mess was over and behind him.

A smile crept across his lips. When it was over, he would enjoy watching Hawthorne’s face when he learned the Tribunal was no longer the supreme word on affairs in this world. It wasn’t instant gratification by any means, but it would happen soon enough, he had no doubt. Then he could tell them all to bow before him and end this stupid history of keeping silent and hidden. With Gerard’s resources, there would be no stopping them, a world ripe for the taking, as well it should be.