Dalton, Tymber - Love and Brimstone [Brimstone Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (2 page)

“Yes, I did. Very good.” Ten years old, she proved brilliant in school.

“Did Mom say if they’ll be home this weekend?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, dear, she didn’t. Would you like me to call her back?”

She shook her head and turned back to the screen. “No, it’s okay. Never mind.” She fell quiet.

“What is it, Taz?”

She finally turned to him. “Would you mind taking me to the movies tomorrow?”

“I would be delighted. Pick what you want, PG or below, young lady, and I’ll be happy to take you.”

“Can we get popcorn?”

“With all the extra butter you can wade through.”

She laughed. “Thanks, Robertson.”

“You’re welcome, my dear.”

He returned to his office. She hadn’t seen her parents in two months. Her father busy on the racing circuit, her mother in one movie after another, and busy with promotions when she wasn’t filming. He knew he was not a substitute for them, but Taz needed nurturing or she would become bitter.

That was the last thing he needed.

She picked a comedy, not too crude, and he laughed through it with her. As they left the theater, she took his hand and held it all the way to the car.

“Thank you for spending time with me,” she quietly said.

“Sweetheart, it’s my pleasure.”

He held the car door for her. She looked him in the eye when she got in. “You’re like a dad, you know that? That’s how I think of you. My other dad.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Taz. You have no idea how much that means to me. You’re like a daughter to me, too.”

She nodded. They rode home in companionable silence.

* * * *

“Anastazia Proctor, downstairs right now, young lady! You’re going to be late.”

“Jeez Louise, I’m coming,” she shouted back.

Tim sighed as he finished getting her scrambled eggs ready. She bounded into the kitchen, her long, wavy auburn hair in a loose ponytail. “I’ve still got twenty minutes before we have to leave. Chill.”

He eyed her choice of clothes. The shirt would do. It wasn’t his favorite, but it covered all her parts and wasn’t too tight. The jeans didn’t have holes in them, plus they covered all the parts not covered by the shirt. Her sneakers looked worn but were her favorites, so who was he to complain? They were on her feet. Her makeup was light, the agreed-upon amount, although in reality she didn’t need any.

But try to convince a thirteen-year-old of that.

“I don’t want you to be late for your first day of school,” he said.

“Will you come to the parent meeting?” She ripped into her eggs like a starving wolf.

He nodded. “Of course. I’ll be there at three.” How would he keep the boys off her this year? Junior high. How did other parents do it?

She finished her juice, rinsed her plate, and grabbed her backpack. “I guess my ’rents are passed out upstairs?”

“Taz!”

She shrugged. “I heard them come in last night. Excuse me, this morning. About six. My alarm went off a few minutes later.”

He shook his head. “Come on. Let’s go.” He grabbed his keys, and fifteen minutes later they neared the school. He pulled up to a red light and looked at her, fixing her with his gaze.

“Anastazia.”

She looked at him and he had her. “Remember,” he warned. “Avoid their eyes. Never ask for something when you’re looking someone in the eyes. Understand?”

She nodded with a dreamy expression on her face. He looked up as the light changed to green. “You have a good day today.” Fortunately for him, all he had to do was give her reminders from time to time.

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah,” she said, but she smiled. “What do I have for lunch?”

“Turkey wrap, swiss, light mayo.” He pulled into the drop-off and she leaned over and hugged him before getting out.

“See you at three, Robs.”

“Have a good day, sweetheart.”

He watched her walk toward the school. She smiled at a group of boys as she walked past.

Two of the boys fell in behind her, dreamy looks on their faces.

He closed his eyes. “Oh, dear God, please give me strength.”

* * * *

Tim didn’t know if he could handle having Eric and Bianca in the house at the same time. They had two states—at each other’s throats like wolverines or screwing like bunnies.

There was no middle ground, unless you counted passed out.

At least Eric made good on his promise to teach Taz how to drive. He spent the day tuning up his 1965 Mustang and went to pick her up from school as a surprise.

Robertson said a silent prayer as he watched Eric drive off.
Please bring my girl home safely, you silly sod.

Bianca yawned as she walked into the kitchen. “Good morning, Robertson.”

“Afternoon, Bianca.”

“Oh, is it?”

He placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her. She smiled. “You’re so efficient.” She shoveled in the eggs and asked for more. “And a damn good cook.”

“Thank you.”

“How’s my baby?”

“She’s doing great. Did you see the information I left for you?”

She nodded. “I can’t make that school thing though. I’ve got to be in Paris for a shoot. Is that okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

She smiled as he refilled her plate. “We are so lucky to have you. You are the best ever. Promise you’ll never leave us.”

He avoided her gaze, a light crystal blue that caught and reflected the color of whatever room she was in. He was strong, but she was stronger in that way. Worse still, she didn’t know it.

“Absolutely, Bianca.”

“You’ve been so great with Anastazia. Except for us, you’re the only family she’s got.”

After she finished her meal, Bianca left to get ready for her appointment. She was gone by the time Anastazia blasted into the driveway with her father.

Tim walked outside and watched Taz circling the driveway as she tried to master finessing the clutch. The car finally jerked to a stop in front of the door. “Did you see me?” she squealed, running up to him and hugging him.

“Yes.” He laughed. “You were great.”

Eric’s expression clouded. He walked over to Tim, and before Eric could say anything, Tim looked at him.

“You’re a good dad, Eric,” Tim murmured as he fixed him with his gaze.

Eric’s expression went blank. Taz was too busy calling her friends about her driving lesson to notice what was going on.

“You’re a great dad, Eric. She loves you very, very much. You are doing a wonderful job raising your daughter.” After sixteen years, now was not the time for Eric to get jealous and decide he wanted to finally start carrying out his fatherly duties and spending more quality time with Taz. Tim had worked too hard with her to establish her self-control to have Eric and his reckless ways ruin it all.

Tim let him go. Eric blinked and smiled at him. “Did you see her?”

He nodded. “I’m so glad you were able to return for this. It means the world to her.”

“Yeah, well, you know. She’s a chip off the old block, huh?”

Tim nodded. “You’ll be home all week, I take it?”

He nodded. “I want to spend some time with her, out in the garage.”

“She’ll love that. Anything in particular you want for dinner…”

* * * *

“She’s beautiful,” Bianca whispered.

Tim nodded. “She resembles you both very much.”

They have no idea how much.

Eric sat on Tim’s other side, puffed up and proud. “That’s my baby,” he said. Taz walked across the stage, accepted her diploma, and waved at them. Tim waved back, trying to juggle the video and still cameras at the same time.

Bianca looked like she had a horrible thought and put her hand on Robertson’s arm. “You’re not going to…you won’t leave just because she’s graduating, will you?” she whispered.

He smiled. “No, Bianca. You’re stuck with me for a while longer, I imagine.”

She sounded relived. “Thank goodness. I mean, she’s got college, and I’ve got movies coming up, and we still need you…”

* * * *

The blue lights flashed in her rearview mirror. Tim looked at her as she pulled over. “I told you not to speed, young lady.” She was twenty and drove like her father—balls out.

The CHiP walked up to her window and pulled off his sunglasses. She flashed him a smile, and in two minutes, they were on their way.

Sans
ticket.

All she’d done was be polite and talk. The officer never even asked for her license.

Tim finally found his voice. “That was…amazing.”

She shrugged. “I haven’t had a ticket, but I get pulled over all the time. They just give me a warning and…uh, I guess I never told you that, huh?”

He shook his head, taking mental notes. She was so strong. Thank God he’d trained her well early on. He’d never caught her being cruel, and he was sure she wasn’t aware she was doing anything special.

She was just being nice. And polite.

* * * *

They sat at the kitchen table. Taz’s face looked red and puffy. A nearly empty box of tissues sat before her. Tim poured her another drink. Usually he discouraged her from imbibing, but tonight she needed it.

So did he.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “I just can’t.”

Tim kept the cell phone next to him, waiting for news. As soon as had been notified, he’d locked himself in his office and made a frantic series of phone calls, which started an avalanche of activity behind the scenes the likes of which Anastazia didn’t need to know.

He patted her on the hand. “Keep faith, dear. There are a lot of people looking for them.”

“And I was supposed to go, too! But I just had so much to do with exams and stuff.”

“It’s okay, Taz.”

She started crying again.

He had to keep it together for her sake. He prayed her parents would be found safely, but he didn’t hold out much hope.

His cell rang. He answered then shook his head when Taz looked hopefully at him. Nothing yet. He walked into his office and closed the door.

“We have a whole fleet out.” It was him, personally. He rarely called Tim, and never while Tim was at home or with Taz. He’d also never heard him sound so grim. “If they can be found, they will.”

“Good.”

“Do you think…I mean, should I—”

“No,” Tim said firmly. “I’ll take care of her. You stay away. It’s too soon.”