Brimstone Blues

Chapter Twenty-Three

Later that night, Taz waited until Matthias was sound asleep. Dame Agnew had to be wrong. Otherwise, that would mean…

That would mean she’d had sex with a dead man in her head. Not just once, but several times.

It would explain everything.

It would also turn her life upside down in a way she didn’t want to contemplate.

Taz shuddered at the implication. She unzipped the laptop case, took the computer into the bathroom, and shut the door before turning on the light. She prayed she wouldn’t find anything, because that would mean it was all yet another very realistic dream and that Rafe wasn’t alive in her brain. She scanned through the files, and it took her a minute to find it.

Her heart dropped. It was there, exactly where Rafe said it was. When she double clicked on it, a password prompt appeared.

Catydid

It was a large file, a journal going back several years. With her heart in her throat she found the entry he’d made in Yellowstone, after their dinner.

Taz is amazing! Truly breathtaking. If Matts wasn’t like a brother to me, I’d be tempted to give myself enough hope to try. Never since Cassandra has any woman ever made me feel like this, want to get close and let her inside my heart. She is so much like Cassandra in so many ways. Not in her looks, but… I just feel something there, deep inside. Like I’ve known her before.

Matts is one lucky bastard. God I envy him! I’d been teasing her all day, not realizing she wasn’t marked. I assumed—wrongly!—she was. There was just so much passion between them, so much power, I figured he must have. When she took me over and made me come to her on the boardwalk—I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want her to stop. I wanted her inside me, controlling me, and I wanted my hands on her. I know it was wrong to kiss her, but she was fresh and sweet and tasted like a brand-new day. I would have dropped to my knees and begged her to leave Matts on the spot if I thought she would have me, even for one hour.

I felt her regret, her guilt, when we talked later at dinner. On the way back to the cabins I did my best to reassure her, and managed to screw that up. She went to her cabin pissed at Matts. Well, it was his fault he didn’t tell her everything she needed to know by now.

But she loves me! She told me she loves me—and now I know why Matts waited so long for her. I would gladly wait ten, one hundred years for my own chance with her.

I know Matts told me he’d die for her, but so would I. I would gladly die for a chance to be with her. I see why he loves her so much. God help that man if he screws up and gives me a moment to be with her, I will steal her from him in a heartbeat. It’s a horrible thing to say, but I would. I love her. For the first time in centuries, I’m willing to hope and love again.

And that was it. He was murdered by Caroline and the demons less than a few hours later. In a way, he had died for a chance to be with her, just not in the way either wanted.

Taz shut the computer down and returned it to the bag, trying not to wake Matthias as she slid into bed. Closing her eyes she tried to go to sleep and couldn’t. She opened the room in her mind.

“Rafe?”

There he was, sitting in a chair. “And?”

It was real, it was true. He was really here. How else could she find that file? This wasn’t a dream.

Another chair appeared in front of him and she sat. She didn’t think of it. Apparently he had the ability to create things in her mind.

“I read it.” She looked at him. “I wasn’t just dreaming before, was I? Any of those times?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry I put you in this position.”

“Did you choose to come to me because you wanted me?”

“I told you, I didn’t think Matts could take me. What the hell was I supposed to do, go to Caroline?”

There was something more. Taz knew it, sensed him holding back, searched his face for answers. She could force him to tell, but she didn’t want to do that.

“Rafe, what are you not telling me?”

“It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.”

“Please, I have a right—”

“Anastazia,” he said, sharply, startling her. He’d never called her that, always Taz. “Please. One day.” He looked away. “One day, yes, I will. But there are some burdens you don’t need to bear. Especially not after tonight. Please, trust me.”

Surprisingly, she did. In a way she didn’t immediately trust Matthias when all this started.

In her mind they curled up together on a sofa that appeared in Rafael’s room. She sat, lying in his lap, with his arm draped over her.

They talked for what felt like hours. About his past, her past, and it felt strange but also comforting. Her guilt lifted.

He looked up. “Sorry, baby girl.” He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek before standing. “I have to go. Remember, let him love you.”

Like that, he was gone.

And then Matthias was kissing her. “Good morning, Taz,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. “Did you sleep well?”

She stretched and looked at the clock. Did I? She remembered looking at Rafael’s laptop, then talking with him. God, it felt like she hadn’t slept a wink! “Not as long as I’d like.”

“I’m sorry about that.” He trailed his fingers along her arm, making her shiver. She looked at him, struck again how Rafael’s eyes looked exactly like Matthias’.

Okay, this is not the time to think that.

She kissed him, feeling her desire grow. “How much time do we have?”

“Enough.” He rolled over on top of her, his lips on hers. His cock, hard and hot, rubbed against her hip. She shifted position until he had access. Then he was inside her, deliciously filling her pussy. She gasped, always surprised how good his cock felt when it was inside her, the way he perfectly fit her as if they were made as a matching pair.

As if they’d been together all their lives.

She dropped her mental barrier a little, just enough to let him in, but not enough he could find Rafe.

She hoped.

Matthias’ passion built. He rolled over again, pulling her on top of him so he could slip his hand between their bodies. His fingers gently parted her labia, finding her clit. She paused for a moment, moaning as he unerringly rolled her swollen nub between his talented fingers.

“Is that good, cara?”

“Yes!” she gasped. He didn’t stop until he brought her to climax. As he felt her contracting around him he grabbed her hips and thrust into her, pulling her against him, and she felt his explosion. She collapsed on his chest, gasping for breath as his hands gently kneaded the muscles in her back.

“I love you, Taz,” a voice whispered in her mind.

Is that Matthias, or Rafe?

She kissed Matthias. “I love you, too,” she thought to both.

During the car ride she closed her eyes and went to Rafe’s room. He was waiting.

“Taz, you don’t need to—”

She kissed him, and then stood back. “What is it?”

He looked down. “You don’t need to know.”

She touched his shoulder. “Rafe, please.”

He reluctantly revealed what he found in his travels through the recesses of her mind, but not exactly what it meant. Not the context of what she was. Before. Never evil, but always powerful.

She sat, stunned, on the sofa. “I can do that?”

He nodded, sitting next to her. “You can, but I don’t want you to do it because you think you have to get revenge for me. That’s not what I want you to do.”

She shook her head. “They’ll want to use drugs.” She looked at him. “This way, it would be instantaneous, wouldn’t it?”

“And painless. Fast.”

“Then that’s what has to happen.”

Dame Agnew met them at the door. “Hello.” She hugged Taz. “You didn’t have to come for this, dear.”

Taz sent Dame Agnew a thought, and the woman looked at her. “It would be highly irregular.”

“But can it be done?”

She nodded. Matthias, knowing he missed something, spoke up. “What?”

Dame Agnew scowled. “I’m sorry, Matthias, but it’s Tribunal business. Come with me, Taz.” Dame Agnew led her from the room, leaving Matthias stewing.

Well, he’d wanted me to join the board. This was one of the side effects. He couldn’t be privy to everything, no matter how well connected he was. He’ll have to get used to it.

The women walked down a long hall to where the other Tribunal members waited. Dame Agnew asked them, and they looked at each other. One of them spoke. “I don’t see why not, but it is something you must carefully consider, Anastazia.”

“I know it will be fast, painless. Better than they certainly deserve, but it would be faster than drugs.”

“As long as you can assure us?”

Taz nodded. “I want to do this.”

“Vengeance isn’t healthy, dear,” an older man, Tacy, she thought his name was, offered.

“This isn’t vengeance. This is carrying out a Tribunal-ordered sentence in the most humane way possible.”

The members considered, and Dame Agnew called for a vote. Unanimous, they agreed to let Taz do it.

“You need to tell Matthias and Tobias, dear,” Dame Agnew said.

“Why?”

“Because they get a say in this. Rafael was their blood relative. If they disagree, we must go with our first plan.” Dame Agnew sent her a thought. “You also need to ask Rafael’s permission.”

Taz nodded, withholding that it was his idea in the first place. Dame Agnew led her back to the sitting room where the four men waited.

“Matthias, Tobias. Taz needs to talk to you. Alone,” Dame Agnew said, and motioned for Albert and Tim to follow her. They closed the door. When Matthias stood, Taz didn’t go to him. She studied the floor.

“What is it, Taz?” She had a strong barrier up against him, not letting him in.

She had already summoned Rafael, letting him listen to the conversation and give his final input. She detailed her plan to Matthias and his grandfather while both silently listened.

Finally, Matthias said, “I’m not sure I like this, Taz. I don’t know what it’s going to do to you.”

Tobias nodded. “I think I agree with him.”

She shook her head. “I worked on some pro bono capital punishment cases when I was in law school. I know what the drugs do. They want to use the same combination they use for executions in the States, and it’s not fast, and it’s not painless. Not to say these bastards don’t deserve to die long and slow, but this way they literally would not suffer. At all.”

“But what is it going to do to you?” Tobias asked.

She met his gaze. “Honestly? If they want to use the drugs, I’ll stop the execution.”

“You would go against them?” Matthias asked.

“I’d have to. What I wanted to do to Caroline wasn’t right. By all rights she should suffer when she dies. We know she’s guilty. We know Bartholomew’s guilty. If I’m going to be a party to their deaths, I need to be willing to be a full party, not just an observer.”

Matthias sat, scrubbing his face with his hands. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Taz. I don’t want to give you permission to kill them.”

“I’m not looking for your permission, Matthias. I don’t need it. I’m looking for you both to agree to the execution, agree that if they’re going to die, they die quickly and painlessly.”

Rafael finally chimed in. “Don’t do anything that’s going to hurt you, Taz. I don’t want that.”

She closed her eyes and met him in his room. “Do you want me to not do it?”

“I won’t stop you either. If you feel you need to do this, then I’ll support you, but don’t do it for me. I wish I hadn’t shown you now.”

“Then I’ll take that as consent.” She opened her eyes and looked at Matthias. He was watching her. Could he sense what just happened?

He finally sighed. “Okay. I’ll agree to it, but only if I get to be there with you, and only if you know it won’t cause you any problems.”

“Agreed.”

Tobias nodded. “Ditto.”

Dame Agnew and the other Tribunal members led the way down the hall to a secure elevator where everyone crowded inside. Taz felt the elevator descend and knew when they stepped out they must be at least fifty feet underground, just from the length of the ride. Another stark hallway lay before them, and she followed Dame Agnew.

Matthias gently rested his hand on the small of Taz’s back, and she moved closer, drawing from his strength and warmth. Now that this was a reality, did she really want to do it?

Want, no. Need—yes. It was the only way.

This hallway ended in a secure door. Dame Agnew produced a key, opened the door, and then they were in a small room ending in a locked cell door. Two men stood watch over a bank of video monitors. Only four were lit, two showing Caroline’s cell, two showing Bartholomew’s cell.

Another Tribunal member produced yet another key and unlocked the door. They progressed through three more secure, locked doors.

Taz supposed when dealing with prisoners who could literally control minds, it was best to have an extreme system of checks and balances.

They reached Caroline’s cell door first, and she stood, probably sensing what would happen.

Taz moved to the front of the pack, Matthias beside her.

“Caroline, you need to sit,” Taz said. It wasn’t an order, but Caroline complied.

Dame Agnew took her place on Taz’s other side before she spoke. “Caroline Abernathy, you have been sentenced to death by the Tribunal for the murder of Rafael Collins, and the attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and bodily injury to Anastazia Proctor and Matthias Hawthorne.” Taz knew that was because of the Florida attack on him by the Other at her house. “Do you have any last words?”

Caroline looked at Taz. “I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t help, but I am.”

Taz gently reached out for her, sensed she meant it. Caroline was unstable, had a lot of emotional problems. She had a poor upbringing and a lifelong habit of falling in with the wrong people, and that was an understatement. Taz knew it would always be a case of “sorry” with Caroline, whether she washed her red sweater with your whites, killed your puppy, or wrecked your car.

Or smothered your fiancé’s cousin.

Taz nodded. “Thank you.”

Dame Agnew cleared her throat. “The Tribunal orders the sentence be carried out.”

Caroline looked confused, expecting them to hook up drugs.

“This won’t hurt,” Taz whispered. She reached out again with her mind and took control of Caroline. Taz imagined a pair of scissors snipping the thread holding Caroline’s soul to her body, and it floated away like a stray balloon.

Caroline’s eyes fell closed. She slumped across the bunk.

Dame Agnew’s eyes widened. Another Tribunal member unlocked and entered the cell, checked Caroline’s pulse, and shook his head. “She’s gone.” Less than thirty seconds had passed.

Taz stared at Caroline’s body. “The sentence is carried out.”

Dame Agnew looked stunned. “How? How did you do that?”

Taz shook her head. “She didn’t even feel it.”

The other Tribunal members looked both awed and scared of Taz. She doubted any of them would dare cross her after tonight.

But she didn’t like that they feared her.

“It didn’t hurt her?” Dame Agnew asked.

“No. She didn’t know what happened. It’s like a guillotine. For the soul.”

“How did you know you can do this?” she asked.

Taz shrugged and looked at Caroline’s body, which the other man was now covering with a sheet.

And Taz lied. “I just realized I could. If you’d used the drugs, it would have taken several minutes for her to die, not to mention the half-hour prep time, the mental agony. If I wanted to torture her, I would have. If we’re seriously taking these rogues out, then we need to do it. They torture. We carry out a sentence.”

The Tribunal members nodded, agreeing with her logic but obviously still disquieted that she had that much power. Matthias’ arm encircled her waist for support, but she felt fine. Steady. Strong.

At least he wasn’t shying away from her. Matthias had been to hell and back with her, and Taz knew, finally, he would always walk by her side as long as he could physically put one foot in front of the other.

And he did not fear her.

As if sensing her thoughts, even through her strong barrier, Matthias laced his fingers through hers, squeezed her hand, and sent her a thought.

“I’m here. I’m not leaving you. Not unless you order me gone.”

She squeezed back.

Taz didn’t take any pleasure over what she did, and knew Bartholomew wouldn’t go down without some sort of scene. Had they gone with the traditional route, they’d still be screwing around trying to locate a vein, not to mention they’d be restraining Caroline, and someone could get hurt in the process.

They continued down another hall to Bartholomew’s cell. It was far enough from Caroline’s he couldn’t hear what happened. He sneered when he saw Taz.

“You couldn’t wait to see me die, could you?”

Dame Agnew repeated most of what she said to Caroline, but added a few more lines. “Torvald, you have been sentenced to death by the Tribunal for the conspiracy to commit the murder of Rafael Collins, the conspiracy to commit attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit bodily injury to Anastazia Proctor and Matthias Hawthorne, for conspiracy to commit heinous acts against our kind, and for rogue actions resulting in great bodily harm and death to others. Do you have any last words?”

He leered at them all. “I’ll see you all in Hell.”

Taz shook her head. “What a waste.”

“The Tribunal orders the sentence be carried out,” Dame Agnew said.

Taz knew Bartholomew wouldn’t sit. As he started another tirade, she simply reached out and snipped.

He dropped to the cell floor, dead before the sound of his voice stopped echoing in the concrete cell.

“The sentence is carried out,” Dame Agnew said, and turned from the cell, motioning for Taz, Matthias, and Tobias to follow her.

Back upstairs, she turned to Taz. “Are you all right, dear?”

“I’m okay. I didn’t enjoy that, if that’s what you’re wondering. As part of the Tribunal, one day I’ll make a decision about someone’s life and be a part of carrying out the sentence. If I didn’t think they were guilty, I never would have let them be executed. We know beyond a doubt they were, and they killed, would kill again if let loose. Caroline was unstable, even if she was remorseful. But Bartholomew—” Taz shuddered, unable to continue.

Dame Agnew nodded. “Matthias, take her home.”

“To the hotel?”

She shook her head. “To Florida. We don’t have any Tribunal business for a few weeks, at least, that she needs to be a part of. Love her.” She turned to Taz and put her hands on Taz’s shoulders. “Let him love you. Let these men take care of you. I know you’re a strong woman, I see a lot of me in you. The strongest people learn they must lean on those they love for support. That more than anything gives them strength beyond what they would have standing alone. It is not weakness to rely on others when you need them. And plan your wedding.” She smiled.

Taz nodded and let Matthias put his arm around her to lead her to the car. He sat in back with her, and she leaned against him, not crying for once. Albert drove while Robertson rode shotgun back to the hotel. She felt Matthias’ arm around her, and he rested his head against hers, protective, loving her even though she still had a thick barrier up against him.

She closed her eyes and went to Rafe’s room. He sat, waiting for her. He opened his arms, and she curled up in his lap and cried, even though in the car, with Matthias, she didn’t shed a tear.

Fortunately the car ride was long, and she had time to compose herself with Rafe. He tipped her face to his.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“I have to be.”

He kissed her lips, tenderly, then her forehead, and each cheek. “Thank you for being humane. You were far kinder to them than they ever were in their lives.”

“They would have killed again.”

“I know.” He met her eyes. “Are you really okay?”

She smiled. “Yes.”

He hugged her to him for a few minutes, then patted her shoulder. “Good news is, like this, you never get too heavy.” She laughed, and he kissed her again, gently. “Go to Matthias, Taz. Let him love you. He needs you, and you need him. I’ll be here, don’t worry.”

She opened her eyes and looked up at Matthias, found him studying her.

“Are you all right, Taz?”

She bit off her snarky reply that she wished everyone would quit asking her that. “I’m okay. I think everything’s going to be okay now.”

“I know it will.”

She looked at him, not trying to probe his mind. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” she whispered. He smiled and touched her face.

“Because your blood runs through me, remember? You saved my life. You fed me. I’ll admit you startled me in Yellowstone, at first. But I know you would never hurt me.” He kissed her. “And even if you were to hurt me, what could I do about it? You are far stronger than I am. I don’t think we’ve even come close to figuring out what you can do.”

She thought about the spoon moving but kept it to herself as he continued. “Taz, I love you. And I know you love me. I know deep in my heart, because of what we have shared between us, that the safest place I could ever be is by your side.”

She snuggled up to him. “Then why do you worry about whether I’m safe or not?”

“That’s my job. Let me have a little dignity.” She laughed with him. “I know you would never hurt someone unintentionally. You wouldn’t just walk into a Starbucks and pinch someone who didn’t make your caramel macchiato right.” Taz smiled, and Matthias continued. “I’m the brute force. If someone attacked us, you wouldn’t want to kill them outright. You’d be afraid to use your powers. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t hesitate to kick the living shit out of them.”

She laughed again. He was right. “I have a responsibility. If I’m going to be a part of this, they’ll do it right or I won’t let them.”

“I know. And I love you for it. If it was anyone else, I would have applauded their determination. I was just scared of what that might do to you.”

“Killing them?”

“Yes.”

“It was better than standing there for the better part of an hour watching them struggle against the IV team and fight the drugs before dying.”

“Yes, I know that now. I’m not as much of a stupid Neanderthal as you think.”

“Yes, you are, big guy. Just not about that.”

“Does that mean I get to drag you by the hair back to my cave?”

She kissed him and let her hand drift south to his lap. “By which hairs did you mean, sir, the short hairs?”

He jumped and laughed. “By whatever hairs I can have you, darling.”