Dalton, Tymber - Love and Brimstone [Brimstone Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (21 page)

“He tranqued me? I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.” She started to sit up, and he helped her.

“Taz,” he said quietly, “you had no right to do what you did to that guard. That’s the kind of thing you cannot,
must
not do. Not unless a life depends on it.”

“I was being held against my will.”

“Do you think I’d let anyone hurt you?”

“You damn sure didn’t help. And you let them drug me?” She yanked her arm free.

“It was for your own good. You must calm down, let us help you through this transition. You were out of control.”

“Transition? You can look me in the eye and call it a transition? That’s
so
not the word I would use. Hellhole, nightmare, disaster—want a thesaurus?”

He sat next to her. “I know your world has been turned upside down. I know you can’t stand not being in control of your life. I know you’re mad at Matthias, and me, and Albert. I’m sorry. Calm down and look at this from our point of view. We couldn’t risk you turning on one or all of us and hurting someone. You are not a prisoner.”

“Then why the hell couldn’t I leave?”

“Because I agree with Matthias. Until we can get to the bottom of this, your life is in danger. Why don’t you try working with him instead of fighting him? He’s got enough to worry about trying to keep you safe without you fighting us every step of the way. You also need to learn about your new way of life.”

“Oh yes, that pesky ‘I’m a vampire’ problem. Why can’t you teach me?”

He shook his head. “I don’t have near the powers you and Matthias do. My job was to prepare you as much as I could to get you to this point. We had no idea you were as strong as you are. I taught you to remain in control, have empathy for others. Now you need to put every bit of that to good use.”

She wanted to push him off the plane. “How is the guard?”

“He’s okay. Matthias made him forget what happened. You didn’t hurt him, but he’ll be reassigned to corporate out in LA. He can’t have contact with you. Not until you learn to control yourself.”

Guilt swamped her. “I wasn’t trying to hurt him.”

“We know, but you don’t understand the full implications of your abilities. That’s what we’re trying to tell you. You have to learn.”

“Oh, great. Luke, I am your father.”

Robertson smiled. “That’s not funny.”

“You’re laughing.”

“I can’t help it with you sometimes.” He sighed and shook his head. “Work with us. Trust us. And admit that, in this case at least, you need help.”

She took a deep breath and shoved her anger back. “Fine. I’ll play nice. Can I make Matthias’ head explode?”

“Wait until next year. I’m due for a raise.” He smiled, finally getting a laugh out of her. He squeezed her hand. “Matthias is up front in the cabin. Why don’t you join us?”

Anger tried to regain a foothold, and she struggled to hold it back. This was all Matthias’ fault. If it wasn’t for him, she’d still be in LA, happy and oblivious, working for Bob Stanley and logging a respectable number of billable hours every week. Not almost getting stabbed by something that was a not-demon. “No. I don’t want to talk to him yet. Where are we going?”

“Yellowstone. To a small airstrip just north of the park. We’ll transfer from the jet to a puddle jumper in Livingston, and fly to Gardiner from there.”

“I didn’t pack.”

“I packed for you.”

“How long have I been out?”

“After Albert shot you, you started coming out of it in fifteen minutes. We were surprised, because what he loaded you with should have kept you down at least an hour. He had to dose you twice more before we could get the plane off the ground. You threw off each dose a lot faster than we expected.”

“How long have I been out?” she asked again.

“Five hours.”

“I’m going to pop his head like a grape,” she snarked without much enthusiasm.

“I’m sure that will be a great comfort to him, dear.”

The door opened. “My ears are burning,” Albert said. “Is she awake?”

“Give me a reason not to beat the crap out of you, Albert,” she snarled.

“My dear, believe me when I say it pained me to do that. My priority is keeping you safe. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish that. I’m not out to win a popularity contest with you.”

“Got
that
right.”

“You must be hungry, after that display. Would you like something to eat or drink? We have soda, tea, coffee—”

“You are a sucky flight attendant.”

“Quite. I can get you something hot or cold to eat. Sandwich? Soup?”

Robertson glared at her. “Mind your manners, Anastazia.”

“I was the one drugged like a rabid monkey, if you remember.”

“Because you were the one acting like a rabid monkey, dear. Please bring her some soup and a water with lemon,” Robertson told Albert.

“And a vodka,” she said.

Robertson shook his head, overruling her. “No. Not after all those drugs.”

When Albert left, Robertson turned on her and grabbed her arm, shaking her. “Don’t you understand? Someone is after you. This isn’t a game, Taz, and it’s not a traffic ticket you can talk your way out of. They are going to hurt or kill you. Unless you work with Matthias, they will succeed.”

“I don’t like being played.”

“He’s not trying to play you. He’s not trying to get you to sleep with him. He’s trying to make you understand his point of view. He’s worried about you. We all are. We will give our lives to protect you, but you must stop fighting us. We need your help to keep you safe.”

She looked at him, not used to him talking to her with that depth of emotion and concern. The parental bossiness she was used to, but not the worry.

The worry scared her.

“I don’t like being told I can’t leave when I want.”

“And we don’t like telling you that. We want this over quickly so you can resume as normal—”

“Ha!”

“—a life as possible.”

* * * *

They transferred from the jet in Livingston. The small prop plane landed safely at the Gardiner airstrip. The town was small but active. It was early summer, tourists flocking into Yellowstone through the north entrance at the iconic stone archway.

Robertson and Albert left to make sure their arrangements were complete while Matthias took Anastazia to a small cafe on Park Street, the main strip through town. She promised Robertson she would behave herself and, for the meantime, stop fighting.

If she did, Albert promised not to dart her again.

They sat on the covered patio outside the restaurant. Matthias looked over his sunglasses at her. “Do you trust me?”

“Not really.”

His eyes twinkled. Her heart jumped, betraying her.
Why does he have to be so damn handsome?

“You won’t be disappointed,” he promised.

She didn’t respond, which he apparently took as a yes. She still felt pissed off, but she knew he was trying to make amends.

He ordered two buffalo burgers and relaxed in his chair. “I’m sorry your life has been turned upside down.”

“No you’re not.” She was still trying to be mad at him. Make him pay, mentally at least, for everything that happened.

Childish much? Absolutely.
She felt it was her prerogative. She never asked to be brought into this.

Matthias smiled. “Taz,” he said, “you had to find out sooner or later. I couldn’t risk you going to a doctor and falling into the government’s hands. When you were young, Robertson took you to our doctors, so there was never any worry.”

“So dramatic.”

“Truthful. If the government got ahold of you, there wouldn’t be much I could do to get you free. I’m powerful and connected, and fifty years ago, hell, even twenty years ago, I could have easily sprung you. But not today, not with all the high-tech security they have.”

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I know it takes some getting used to.”

“‘Getting used to?’ Did you learn the art of understatement from Robertson?”

He looked out over the street, his face an impenetrable mask. Yellowstone’s stone arch was visible across the field. “Anastazia, you have no idea. I have buried more friends and loved ones than you could ever imagine.”

It finally struck her he had a history—a long history—that she was not privy to.

How many women? How many children?
she thought before she could stop herself.

Matthias smiled, looking wistful and sad. “No children. None that lived. Health care was woefully lacking back then.”

She forced herself to ask. “And the women?”

He slowly nodded. “I had a wife. We married before my family history was revealed to me.” He wouldn’t look at Taz. “She wasn’t of the line. She died during childbirth with our third child. She was only twenty. I was twenty-one. I haven’t married since.”

“But you’re not a hermit.”

“No, I wasn’t.” He looked at her. “Do you really want to do this? Do you really want to go there?”

Did she?

Not really.
“I guess not.”

He fiddled with his napkin. “It doesn’t matter who was or wasn’t in my past. Just like it doesn’t matter who’s in your past.”

“But you know who’s in my past.”

“For your information, Robertson didn’t pry. He ensured your safety and maintained his discretion. It’s not like I had your house bugged.”

Ew, creepy!

“Besides,” he continued, ignoring her mental commentary, “while there are men out there who enjoy screwing any woman they can get their hands on, especially when they can have any woman they want, I am not one of those men.”

“Aw, only you could take a potentially sweet comment and turn it totally narcissistic.
Any
woman you want, huh?”

His voice hardened. “Would you like a demonstration?”

Her heart skipped a beat as heat flooded her face. “You mean, wow me with your undead charms?”

“Don’t call me that. And I wasn’t talking about you.”

Taz’s nerves felt especially out of sorts. Maybe a result of jet lag on top of the effects of the tranquilizers and the stress, but she wanted to bust his balls to Brazil and back for the hell of it.

Because she could.

“Don’t be an asshole, Matthias.”

He leaned forward and took off his sunglasses, squinting a little against the glare, his voice low. “I’m not trying to turn this into a pissing contest, Anastazia. I’m trying to answer your questions.”

“Somehow, you answering my questions always pisses me off.”

“Then quit asking.”

“Right, great way for me to stay in the loop, big guy.”