Love and Brimstone

Brimstone Vampires -1

by

Tymber Dalton

DEDICATION

To Hubby, because without him, I never would have realized my dream. To my mom and dad, for encouraging my writing when I was a kid. To Mr. B, He knows why.

To my readers for buying my scribbles, thank you all! And to my publisher, Siren-BookStrand, for having faith in me.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This was my first published book (originally bylined as Lesli Richardson). It was originally released by another publisher on August 8, 2008 (8/8/08), the opening day of the Olympics. I’ve learned a lot since then, and when it was first published, the original prologue, as well as some other scenes, ended up cut. I’ve always wished they had been included, because they give more insight to Taz’s personality. So here is the original version, revised and expanded from the way it was first published. I hope you enjoy it.

Prologue

Tim Robertson followed Eric Proctor through the kitchen, where Eric’s wife, Bianca, tried unsuccessfully to shovel pureed sweet potatoes into their baby’s mouth.

“Darling, this is Tim Robertson, the chap I told you about. The one I’m interviewing to be our business manager.”

“Hello,” Tim said. The attorney held out his hand as the woman flashed him an exasperated, exhausted smile.

Bianca started to shake his hand and realized too late hers was covered with baby food. “Uh, sorry. Nice to meet you, Mr. Robertson.”

Robertson smiled and reached for a dish towel. “That’s quite all right. Please, call me Tim. And who is this precious one?”

Eric laughed. “My pride and joy, Anastazia.”

“She’s adorable.” He fixed the little girl with his blue eyes. Transfixed by his gaze, she immediately stopped finger-painting with her food and cooed at him.

“Where are you from again?” Eric asked Tim.

“I was born and raised in Cheshire. Spent some time in London, but I’ve lived most of my adult life here in the States.”

“I won’t hold it against you, mate.” Eric laughed. “Bianca dragged me out of Dublin. Have to say, the weather is nicer here in LA—”

“Oh, crap!” Bianca swore. “The studio car is coming in an hour, and I still need to get ready. Crap!”

Anastazia burbled, still smiling at Tim. “Why don’t you let me feed her?” Tim offered, already taking off his suit coat and rolling up his sleeves.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask you to—” Tim fixed her with his blue gaze. She paused and looked from him to the baby, who was now body painting with her entree. “Really?”

He nodded, taking the spoon from her. “I love children.” He turned to the baby, who was once again entranced by her new friend. He scooped up a small spoonful. She obediently opened her mouth for him, keeping every bit of it in.

“You’re hired!” both parents said.

Tim winked at the baby, who flashed him a gummy grin. “I can stay late tonight, if you’d like. I don’t have any plans.”

Bianca’s face lit up in a dazzling smile. “Fantastic!” She quickly washed her hands. “Eric, I don’t know where you found him, but whatever he wants, give it to him.” She disappeared through the doorway.

Eric watched their new manager feed the baby. “She really likes you.” He nodded toward his daughter. “The baby, I mean. Although Bianca sure took a shine to you, too.”

“I have lots of nieces and nephews,” Tim said. He got the rest of the baby’s dinner into her. She finally cooed, burped, and giggled, her round green eyes sparkling. She has her father’s eyes, Tim noted.

Eric laughed. “I love her. But I’m not very…you know…parental.” Tim smelled a hint of bourbon on Eric’s breath. “Unfortunately, neither is Bianca. We love Tazzie to death, don’t get me wrong, but we’re both busy. We need someone…you know…responsible around.”

Tim nodded, wiping the baby clean with a damp cloth and cleaning the smeared food off the tray. “I understand completely.” He looked into Eric’s eyes. “I was going apartment hunting tomorrow. I’m tired of paying for a house when I’m rarely there.” He held Eric’s gaze as the baby quieted, watching them.

Eric’s face went blank for a moment. Then he grinned. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Stay right here!” He bolted from his chair and disappeared through the same door his wife had exited.

Tim smiled at the baby. “You and I will be great friends, won’t we, sweetheart?”

She clapped her chubby hands and gave him another gummy grin. He brushed her wispy hair from her forehead. “You’re going to be a beauty. I’ll certainly have my hands full with you.”

She reached out and took his finger in her hand and gnawed on it, making him laugh.

“Gah!” she babbled.

He chuckled. “Gah, indeed, young lady.”

Eric ran—literally—into the kitchen. He was moving so fast he grabbed the doorway as he rounded the corner to keep from going ass over teakettle.

“You’ll move in here,” he breathlessly exclaimed. “I talked to Bianca, and she’s all for it. Please say yes. It’ll save us a huge hassle. I’ve got racing season coming up, and she’s got two movies in the pipe. If you’re going to be handling all our stuff anyway, it makes sense. Tazzie really seems to like you. She hates most everyone else. I’ve never seen her take to anyone the way she takes to you.”

Tim looked at the baby. “Would you like that?”

She rewarded him with another gummy grin. “Gah!” She clapped.

He turned to Eric. “Splendid. Let me clean her up. Then you can show me where everything is and show me my new quarters.”

A puzzled look clouded Eric’s face. “You don’t mind being a babysitter? You’re an attorney.”

“I think a more accurate term for my position with you would be majordomo, and no, I don’t mind. I am perfectly capable of handling a baby as well as your affairs.” Eric blushed, which Tim didn’t miss. “I can hire staff to take care of cleaning and other tasks.” Tim fixed Eric with his eyes again.

His face momentarily went blank before he smiled. “Great! Bianca will be thrilled!” He bolted out the door.

“Does your father ever slow down?”

“Gah!”

Tim lifted her out of the high chair. “Yes, it is very gah. Let’s get you a bath and some pajamas, shall we?”

Eric left the house soon after his wife departed in the studio car. He mumbled something about a meeting. Tim said if Bianca checked in, he would tell her Eric was in the bathroom, and then call Eric’s cell.

Eric’s jaw dropped. “You’re amazing, man. You know that?”

He nodded. “I’ve been told I’m efficient.”

Tim checked on the baby, asleep in her crib. He’d move his things in tomorrow. But for now…

He placed a call as he watched her sleep.

A male voice on the other end answered. “Hello?”

“It’s Tim. No problems at all. They were tripping over themselves.”

“Hired you?” the other man asked.

“I start tomorrow. Well, tonight, technically.” He paused. “I need a favor.” He outlined his request.

“He won’t be happy about that,” the other man said.

“I don’t care. This one’s special. If he trusts me as much as he claims, he must take my word for it. Let me deal with her. And I mean hands off.”

“All right. I’ll tell him. If you need anything, let us know.”

“With these two as parents, I’ll need all the help I can get.”

* * *

“Now go play. Nicely,” Tim said. He sat on the park bench. Anastazia—Taz—was a five-year-old fireball. She liked wearing her reddish auburn hair loose and long. It was already to her shoulders and naturally wavy. He dressed her in jeans and sneakers, knowing she’d be filthy by the time they returned home from the park.

One of the moms sat next to him. While Tim was distracted talking with the woman, Taz took a toy car away from a boy older than her, who was now crying.

Tim noticed and stood. “Anastazia!” She looked up, guilt on her face, and ran over to him.

“Yes?”

He knelt so he could talk to her privately. He lowered his voice. “Where did you get this car?”

“From Billy. He gave it to me.”

“He gave it to you, or you took it?”

She fixed him with her green eyes. It took every ounce of his will to focus and not lose himself in her powerful gaze. “Gave it to me.”

“Anastazia,” Tim said with a warning tone, “did he give it to you, or did you ask him for it?”

She looked down. “I asked him.”

“Did he want to give it to you?”

She shook her head.

“Go return it. Then come here.”

She did. He moved to another bench for more privacy. He made her sit and look at him.

He softened his tone. “Taz, we’ve talked about this.”

“But he gave it to me. I asked him.”

“But you made him give it to you when you asked, didn’t you?”

She finally nodded.

“What if I asked you for Mr. BinkBink and you didn’t want to give him to me, but I made you?” She looked horrified. The thought of giving up her cherished teddy bear brought tears to her eyes.

“You cannot force someone to give you things,” he said.

“But I can.”

“I know you can, but it doesn’t mean you should. Never, ever, force someone to do it. It’s rude. And it’s mean. You don’t want to be a rude, mean little girl, do you?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He smiled at her. “You are a very special little girl. You must never be rude or mean. Never take things that are not freely given. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“If you forget, think about Mr. BinkBink, how you would hate to give him up if you didn’t want to.”

She nodded, earnestly this time.

Point made. Hopefully. It was a lesson she had to learn now, or he wouldn’t be able to teach her at all. If she didn’t learn empathy at this age, she would grow up to become very, very dangerous.

“Were you looking him in the eye when you asked him?”

She nodded.

“What have I told you about that?”

“Not to do it unless it’s you or Momma or Daddy or someone I want to be very close to.”

“Right. And?”

“Never ask for something when I do it.”

“Right. Why?”

Because it’s rude.”

“Good girl. Remember Mr. BinkBink. Don’t be rude, don’t be mean, and don’t take things from others unless they really, really want to give them to you. Understand?”

She nodded.

“Good girl. Now go play.”

He returned to his seat next to the mom to continue their conversation.

“She’s so beautiful and well mannered. I don’t know how you do it!”

He smiled. “She’s a very special little girl.”

* * *

Robertson stood in the doorway and looked at the television screen. “Anastazia, what on earth is that?”

She looked up from the couch. “It’s SyFy. It’s an old show called Dark Shadows. It’s pretty neat.”

He thought he successfully hid his smirk.

You have no idea how old.

“I did my homework already,” she continued. “You said I could watch TV when I got done.”

“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.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Tim had a thought. “You don’t think someone planned this, do you?”

“I thought about that,” he admitted. “She was supposed to be on the flight. She was listed on the passenger manifest. Keep her close to you until we know for sure.”

“Of course I will.”

Over the next days and weeks with no word on her parents’ fate, Tim guided Taz through the process. She spent many nights curled up on the couch with her head in his lap, twenty-four, but fragile as a child, crying herself to sleep. He ached for her, knowing he could help, but to do so would push things along too soon. She needed time to heal. Others had survived tragedies far worse than this.

She decided to sell the house, and he thought that would be the end. When he mentioned looking for his own place, she looked horrified.

“No, you can’t! I need you!”

He smiled. “Taz, you don’t need me hanging around.”

She nodded, frantically. “I’ll get a big condo near the office. Big enough you can have your space. Please, you’re the only family I’ve got!”

She looked desperate. Her parents had messed up the original plan by getting themselves killed on their trip to Rio. The revised edition was for her to finally be on her own, but he couldn’t stand to see her so miserable and upset.

He nodded. “I’ll stay.”

She threw her arms around him and hugged him, sobbing with relief. When he finally had a chance to be alone and phone about the change in plans, there was reluctant agreement.

“I’m not going to abandon her,” Tim said, adamant. “There’s plenty of time. Maybe this is for the best.”

“When does she start her new job?”

“Three months. Once she graduates from law school and completes her internship.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Brilliant. She will go far. She’s already got quite the reputation for fixing sticky situations, smoothing things over.”

“Excellent.”

“Everything will work out fine. You’ll see. Did he get the paperwork?”

“I think he’s still drooling over her picture.”

“Now do you see why I insisted on waiting for him to meet her?”

“Yes, you were right. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“It helps.” He paused, wanting his words to carry weight. “I meant what I told him. Make sure he understands my position clearly. If he breaks her heart, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

“He understands.”

“Good. He’d better. Because I don’t care how powerful he is, or how much money he has, or how long we’ve been friends. There won’t be a place on this earth he can hide from me if he hurts my little girl.”

Chapter One

“What kind of asshole sells automatic weapons to a demon anyway?” Rafael dropped the carry-on tote on his cousin’s desk and plopped down in one of the chairs facing him.

“Is that it?”

Rafael nodded. “And we need to speed this up. I’ve got a date at seven.” He leaned back, propping his feet on the desk and crossing his legs at the ankles.

“You always have a date.” Matthias unzipped the tote and removed a sealed plastic bag containing a large severed head. Semi-lupine in shape, vicious teeth jutted from the lower jaw. “Any problems?”

“Naw, customs was easy. Homeland Security my ass. And one less ‘chupacabra’ to terrify the locals.” Rafael used finger quotes around the word to show his disdain. “Friggin’ jerk. He had a whole warehouse full of guns. Oh, Matts, you should have seen the stewardess on the plane.”

“I thought you were going to take the corporate jet from Mexico City?” Matthias had left Rafael behind to finish the cleanup operation.

He shook his head. “Met this cute little coed from a cruise ship in Veracruz. You should’ve seen her—”

“I’m sure.” Matthias rolled his eyes and put the severed head back in the bag. “And your date tonight?”

Rafe shrugged. “I can’t help it if the customs agent was a cutie.”

“What did she see in your bag?”

“Bowling ball.”

Matthias shook his head and laughed as he sat. “I’ll have Albert send it to the lab for testing and an ID workup. It bothers me that one of them was hooking up with a daemon pulverem.”

“Bothers you?” Rafe flexed his left arm. “Screw that! You aren’t the one who got shot, big guy.”

“How is it, anyway?”

“I’ve been better, but it’s nearly healed. Still stiff.” He unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt to show the pink scar where the slug had entered his shoulder two days prior. “What the hell did you eat, anyway? You tasted, no offense, cuz, weird.”

“No weirder than the time I got sliced open in Dublin and you’d been out drinking that afternoon. I had a hangover for three damn days, thanks to you.”

“Ah, but you were alive to suffer.” Rafe grinned.

Matthias smiled. “And so are you. I told you we shouldn’t have eaten at that place for lunch. You insisted.”

“Oh, yeah.” He looked at Matthias’ desk and sat up. “What’s that?” He pointed to a picture.

Matthias slid it across the desk. Rafe picked it up, a low whistle escaping him. “Wow,” he said, his voice dropping. “That’s her?”

Matthias sat back and templed his fingers. “That’s her.”

Rafe studied the picture for a long moment. “I know you said…but she’s…wow.”

Matthias took the picture back. “And now you understand.”

Rafael looked stunned. “Yeah. Congratulations.”

“That’s a little premature. We haven’t even brought her in yet.”

“When?”

He shrugged. “When Tim tells me the time is right. I’ve waited this many years for her. I can wait a little longer. Maybe next month. Even then, who knows? There’s no guarantee she’ll even want to know me, much less have a relationship with me. This could have been an exercise in futility on my part.”

Rafe studied his hands. “On second thought, maybe I’ll fly home tonight. Take the corporate jet back to Atlanta.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I am pretty tired.”

Matthias studied Rafe for a long moment before speaking. When he did, his voice sounded soft, kind. “Rafe, she’s been dead for—”

Rafe held up a hand and smiled. “Don’t want to go there tonight, Matts. Sorry. I don’t feel like revisiting the past. You dealt with Sarah in your way, and I’ll deal with my shit in mine, okay?”

Matthias nodded. “All right.” He stepped around the desk and hugged Rafe. “See you next weekend at the Florida house?”

Rafe patted Matthias on the back before stepping away. “Yeah, I’ll be down. You’re going to drive me to the dealership, right?”

“It’s in?”

Rafael’s face broke into a huge grin. “You should see it! The salesman e-mailed me a picture. It’s a sweet ride. I test-drove one like it last month, but they didn’t have the color I wanted.”

“I’ll take your word for it. I prefer the original Mustangs myself.”

“It’s a Shelby Mustang GT500, man. The most powerful production model Mustang ever. It’s not ‘just’ a Mustang, Matts.” He stepped to the door as his face clouded again. “I’ll see you later then.”

Matthias nodded, and when he was alone, he returned to his desk and stared at her picture. He’d never shown it to Rafael before and wasn’t sure why he did tonight. He sighed and returned it to his desk. From the moment he first saw her picture when she turned twenty-five, he knew she was the one for him.

All he had to do was try to win her heart when he finally got to meet her in person.

Ten long years. It won’t kill me to wait a few weeks longer.

* * *

It wasn’t until Rafe was settled into one of the plush, leather seats on the corporate jet that he closed his eyes and let his mind wander, something he seemed to do a lot of lately. The flight crew knew enough not to bother him, that if he wanted something, he’d ask for it.

He enjoyed the relative solitude. This time, his memories drifted back to the first time he ever laid eyes on Cassandra. So many lifetimes ago…

He stared through the brush at the wonder before him. Gorgeous, simply breathtaking. Long, red hair and stunning green eyes, milky skin and a beautiful, curvy body he would love to hold. She had piled her clothes on the rocks by the bank while she skinny-dipped in the cool creek.

Unable to resist, he walked down the trail and sat next to her clothes and waited. When she finally turned and saw him there, she let out a startled eek! and sank into the water. The glimpse he’d gotten of her front was just as lovely as he imagined.

“I beg your pardon, sir, but you need to leave.”

He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. “Why should I? I love the view.”

She studied him for a moment. He saw more than wariness in her green eyes.

There was recognition.

“If you’re going to stare, you might as well tell me your name,” she said.

He grinned. “Rafael Collins. And you?”

“Cassandra Croyton.” She stood there, only her flesh from the chin up visible. “Are you going to stare at me all day, or will you let me get out and get my clothes?”

“Oh, don’t let me stop you from coming out.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

He felt more than a familiar throbbing start between his legs. He felt something blossom within his soul. “I’d love it, my sweet lady.”

She cautiously watched him. “I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“I don’t usually travel this far north. I needed to check on a landholding for my cousin. Perhaps you know him? Matthias Hawthorne.”

Her face changed. Something flashed through her eyes, and she stepped farther back in the water. “You’re one, too, aren’t you?”

What warmth he’d sensed from her was gone in a flash. As hot as the June day was, he felt a decided chill settle around her. “One what?”

She shook her head. “I’m not one to speak it.”

He stood. “Sorry I disturbed your bathing, m’lady.” He turned to go.

“Wait.”

Something in her voice stopped him. He turned.

“But…you’re here, and it’s the middle of the day. The sun’s out,” she said.

He nodded. “So I see. Do you have a specific reason for that observation?”

She studied him. As her green eyes traveled his body, he felt himself harden. He wanted her. He wouldn’t force her, and he wouldn’t overtake her.

But he wanted her. In a way he’d never wanted a woman in his entire life.

He wanted her for life.

Cassandra finally spoke again. “Do you have a place to stay for the night? There are highway men between here and your destination. It’s not safe.”

From the tone of her voice, he knew it was a lie. “You aren’t worried about me. And if anyone should worry, it would be them, believe me.”

She’d moved a little closer to the bank, but she still crouched deep within the water, concealing the most beautiful parts of her body from his appraising gaze. Finally, “No,” she whispered.

He stepped down to the water’s edge and watched her. “What do you think I am?” he quietly asked.

“What do you think I am?” she whispered in reply.

He smiled, sending out a probe. He watched her eyes, noticed she jumped as she felt his careful mental caress. “I think you’re a very talented, beautiful woman,” he said. “Very powerful. And with a beautiful heart.”

“You probably have women all over.”

He shook his head. “No. I have not married yet, not for lack of some wenches trying their best.”

That coaxed a smile from her lovely, full lips. “Are you calling me a wench, sir?”

“That would be the last thing I’d call someone as beautiful as you.”

They stared at each other for another long moment before she stood and stepped from the water. He fought the urge to take her into his arms and lick the drops of water from every inch of her flesh.

“We all have secrets, don’t we, Rafael?”

He nodded. “We do.”

She put her arms around him, kissing him. He carefully folded her against him, his hands skimming down her smooth, damp back to gently cup her cheeks.

“I’m willing to hold your secrets,” she said, “if you’re willing to hold mine—and me.”

Chapter Two

Two pairs of pantyhose sprouting runs, dropping her lipstick business end first on the bathroom floor, and now having to change from her skirt into a pair of slacks because of a coffee spill had to be bad omens for the day.

And she hadn’t even made it out of the driveway.

Anastazia Proctor stormed through the condo door into the kitchen. Robertson looked up from his newspaper, surprised at her return. “I thought you’d left, dear.”

“I did,” she snarled, stomping through the condo to her bedroom. She didn’t bother closing the door behind her. She heard him follow her down the hall to her doorway.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

She ripped off the skirt and threw it at him, grabbing a pair of slacks that would match her shirt and blazer off of a hanger in the closet. “It’s not a good day, and I’m not even out the door yet.”

He examined the coffee stain. “I’ll run it to the cleaners for you. Would you like me to make you another cup?”

“Please.”

He disappeared to the kitchen. She tried to calm herself while changing. Thank God she didn’t have to be in court today. And thank God for Tim Robertson. He was her rock, her sole comfort in this crazy world that, for today, seemed to especially conspire against her.

Around her height but stocky and robust, his British accent and infectious smile, punctuated by crisp blue eyes, always managed to soothe her. His warm, rounded British accent matched his sturdy frame. He seemed unchanged in the nearly thirty-five years since he came to work for her parents when she was a baby. He had to be somewhere between fifty and sixty.

She didn’t question it. Especially now that he was the only family she had.

“Do you need a towel for your seat, dear?” he called from the kitchen.

Crap. “I don’t think so, but let me take one anyway.” Hopefully the day would turn around for her. She woke up in an irritated state, too early for PMS, but with an unsettled, distracted notion that her world had shifted on its axis. So far, the morning’s events seemed to prove her infallible intuition correct yet again.

Taz made it back to the kitchen. “Is this okay?” She spun for Robertson. She would never be a runway model, but her confident, long-legged curves easily turned men’s heads.

He nodded. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.” He handed her a towel, a travel mug of coffee, and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Try to settle down and have a good day.”

“That doesn’t seem to be in the stars today.”

He smiled. She tried to ignore her feeling that there was more behind it than he let on. He put his hands on her shoulders.

“Anastazia Proctor, I can almost guarantee you that today will be a stellar day.”

* * *

She made it to work without getting in a wreck or spilling her second cup of coffee all over herself. Around ten o’clock, the intercom buzzer startled her. “Ms. Proctor, you have a visitor.”

Anastazia sighed. “Karen, did I have any appointments scheduled this morning?”

“No. Bob Stanley sent him down.”

Damn. The most senior of senior partners. What else could happen today? She patted her unruly auburn hair, pulled back in a neat but not-too-severe bun. “Okay. Send him in.”

She stood as an older man, maybe Robertson’s age, walked in.

Her visitor, immaculate from his tailored Armani suit and leather briefcase to his Edward Green shoes, had to be wearing well over five grand in clothing. His warm smile belied the perception behind his clear, light blue eyes. She watched him take in the room—and her—with a single glance.

Her mental alarm buzzed. This was a powerful man, one not to be messed with. Yet he seemed vaguely familiar for some reason.

“Good afternoon, Mister…?” She held out her hand, and he took it. His grip was politely firm, and before he let go, she had an odd feeling of déjà vu.

“Thompson. Albert Thompson.” He had a British accent, but where Robertson’s voice was rounded and warm, much like his frame, this man’s silky, cultured drawl matched his tall, lanky stature and angled face, topped by perfectly styled grey-blond hair.

“Anastazia Proctor.” She indicated a chair in front of her desk. “How can I help you today, Mr. Thompson?” She liked that he waited to sit until after she did. His suit didn’t even rumple.

“I shall get right to the point. My employer, Matthias Hawthorne, is looking for a new in-house attorney. You were highly recommended.”

“Corporate law is not my specialty, Mr. Thompson. Besides, I’m happy here.”

“I know.” He reached into his briefcase and removed a thin folder. He handed it to her over the desk. “You are a ‘fixer.’ With quite the reputation. That’s exactly what my employer needs.”

She reevaluated her visitor as she leaned back in her chair and thumbed through the folder. After skimming the contents, she closed it, tapping the edge on her desk. “This is very interesting. I’m still not sure why you approached me for this position. There are others more qualified.”

“None with your expertise, shall we say. And contacts.” Thompson fixed her with his eyes, and for a moment she lost her train of thought.

Her throat went dry. She forced her gaze away from his as she put the file on her desk. “I’m paid very well.”

“You would be guaranteed much more. My employer would like a chance to meet with you to discuss it in person.”

“I’ll have to look at my schedule.”

“Tomorrow evening?”

She tapped the intercom. “Karen, how does tomorrow evening look?”

“I’ll check.” Pause. “You’re clear.”

Her visitor smiled. “He’ll send a car to pick you up.”

“I’ll drive myself, thank you very much.”

“But—”

“Mr. Thompson,” she said, her eyes narrowing, “I am perfectly capable of driving myself. Frankly, I’m really not comfortable with the thought of getting into a car and going somewhere without—”

“Control?” he finished for her, smiling.

Annoyingly accurate. She hated when people pegged her like that. Not that it happened very often. “Yes, as a matter of fact.” She tapped the intercom button again. “Karen, please show Mr. Thompson out. Get the information from him about tomorrow night, thank you.” She stood. “I’ll read through the paperwork and consider it.”

He smiled, tipped his head, and followed Karen out.

Anastazia had a word or two for Bob Stanley.

* * *

Taz found Bob Stanley, stereotypically, practicing his putting. Considering she had the firm’s highest billable hours for the past nine years running, she’d earned the right to barge in unannounced.

“Bob, I just had an unusual visitor.” She perched uninvited on his leather sofa while he lined up a shot.

Bob’s eyes never wavered from the ball. “Albert said he wanted to talk with you.” Putt, score. He looked at her. “And?”

“What’s the deal with this freaky company? Is it a front for a drug cartel or something?”

Bob laughed and shook his head, returning the putter to his bag. “No, not quite. They do a lot of things. Matthias Hawthorne took over from his father. Looks just like him, too.” He sat. “You’d be stepping up in the world if you accepted their offer.”

“So tell me about the company.”

“I can’t. There’s not a lot I know. They’ve got fingers in a ton of pies. He pays his taxes and does things aboveboard, as best I can tell.”

“Then why does he want a fixer on the payroll?”

“Who knows?” He smiled. “You’re the best. You could make Jack the Ripper look like Winnie the Pooh.”

She smiled despite herself. She had a lot of practice in her field and had learned at the feet of the best of the best. How many times had Robertson gotten her parents out of jams, handled the press, squelched embarrassing stories, kept them from killing each other? All while getting her to school on time and helping her pass algebra.

“You’re saying you’re tired of me and want me out of here?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m not saying that at all. I’d hate like hell to lose you, Anastazia, but I don’t want to hold you back, either. It’s the kind of opportunity most people would give their left nut for. Just because you were lucky enough to nail an internship in college and sail on through into a cushy job doesn’t mean others can.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean? I worked hard to get where I am.”

“Yes, you did. You’re the absolute best of the best, and I’ve been damned lucky to have you on my team the last ten years. That’s why when Hawthorne came to me looking for recommendations, I had to put your name in the hat. Because you are the best.”

She puffed up a little. “Thanks.”

He smiled. “Now if we’re done, get the hell out.”

Chapter Three

The next evening, Anastazia drove up to the gate of Hawthorne’s estate at five till seven. It was impossible to see the house past the high, vine-covered wall. Before she rolled to a stop, the gate opened. She pulled through, watching it close behind her in the rearview mirror.

In the distance, lights glowed behind a thick stand of trees. The driveway, unpaved gravel but well maintained and nearly as smooth as asphalt, wound up a slight rise through a small wooded area before emerging in a large field. The house towered over the clearing. Large, but not one of those hideous hotel mansions with fifty rooms.

If Hawthorne sought to impress her, he failed. It was a little smaller than the house she grew up in. Bianca and Eric Proctor didn’t believe in keeping up with the Joneses—they’d kept up with the Hiltons. And the Trumps. When they died, Taz couldn’t bear to live in the monstrosity and scaled down to a condo just large enough to keep her and Robertson from tripping over each other every time they turned around.

A uniformed valet waited by the front steps and opened her door as soon as she stopped. Albert Thompson met her at the front door. “Good evening, Ms. Proctor.”

“Mr. Thompson.” She looked away from his eyes. Something still nagged her about him, like she knew him from somewhere. He seemed so familiar. She must have seen him in court before or something.

Robertson. That was it. He reminded her a lot of Robertson.

“Please, follow me.” He led her through the front entrance, which she was relieved to see wasn’t garishly decorated in what she thought of as faux old riche style. The decor was fairly modern, an odd mix that could only be called country Scandinavian. Not sterile, not a fake hunting lodge. Somewhere between home and hotel, striking just the right tone.

They passed a large formal banquet room and continued toward the back of the house to a small, comfortable dining room which, from the sound and scent, lay in close proximity to the kitchen. The round table seated six, but had been set for two.

“Please, have a seat. Mr. Hawthorne will be with you in a moment.” Thompson disappeared through another door, and she caught a glimpse of kitchen cabinets and tile floors as it swung shut behind him. A whiff of what she hoped was dinner drifted through to her. Something smelled really good.

Turning her attention to the walls, she realized the built-in shelves were filled not with stuffy antique books, but an eclectic assortment of mostly modern paperbacks and hardbacks in a wide variety of topics from best-selling fiction to nonfiction.

“I hope you don’t have any food allergies.”

She started and turned toward the man’s voice. She never heard the kitchen door swing open. Her host, she presumed, stood in the doorway. He held a large salad bowl filled with greens. Stepping forward, he set it on the table.

“I’m sorry I startled you.” He walked over and extended his hand. “Matthias Hawthorne.”

Her eyes met his. She offered her hand then blinked to stave off vertigo. He had the deepest, clearest blue eyes she’d ever seen. She felt she could get lost in his…

Not in the eyes!

She forced her eyes up, searching for safety. His sandy-brown hair was lightly sprinkled with grey around the temples. Finally dropping her gaze to his hand, she took a breath, feeling more than seeing his unwavering gaze. Hawthorne wore a quiet strength, an air of pleasant confidence.

“Nice to meet you. Anastazia Proctor.”

His grip felt cool and firm, but not pissing-contest strong. Hesitant to release his hand at first, she eventually did before risking another glance at his face. Something else about his eyes, the way the outer edges downturned slightly, gave him a careworn expression.

“I’m glad you accepted my invitation.” When he smiled, it softened his strong jaw, removed years from his eyes. Now she couldn’t tell if he was fifty-five or forty.

He motioned to the table. “I’ll be right back. Feel free to dig in.” He had the lightest trace of an accent, but from where she couldn’t say. Brit? Aussie? She’d have to check him out.

He moved quickly on his feet, gracefully. His arms looked strong, but not overly muscled. She could tell from the lay of his shirt along his torso he carried maybe an extra ten pounds, if that. He didn’t strike her as a gym rat. She watched him disappear through the kitchen door, noticing how his khakis clung to his firm backside.

Yum.

She shook her head. What? This is an interview, not a date. Good grief, what the hell’s wrong with me?

But her heart fluttered at an unsteady pace. Or was that her stomach? It felt like Hawthorne touched her very soul with those eyes, drawing her in.

She was pulling out a chair when he reappeared with two more bowls—vegetables—and returned to the kitchen. He returned with a small serving tray and a bowl of bread.

He’d rolled the sleeves of his chambray shirt up to his elbows, and there was a small spot of something near the third button. Whoops, a little gravy, perhaps?

“Roast beef. I hope you like it.”

“You cooked?”

His eyes twinkled as he reached for her salad bowl and served. “Dinner, yes. Dessert, no. My chef gets credit for that.”

“Somehow, I didn’t picture you as the domestic type.”

“How did you picture me?”

“Frankly, I don’t know. I suppose I didn’t.”

“I eat plenty of meals on the road, Ms. Proctor.” She liked how he didn’t assume he could use her first name, or any variety thereof. It really pissed her off when someone did. “When I get the chance to stay home and cook, especially for company, I take it. In fact, I have to be on a plane early tomorrow morning for Paris, so I’m afraid our dinner won’t last too late.”

She strangled the unexpected pang of disappointment that announcement dredged up in her. “Business?”

“Yes. Unfortunately.” His face clouded for a moment, and then it passed. “What did you think of our offer?”

“We haven’t discussed numbers yet.” The roast tasted delicious.

“Ah, yes.” He took a bite. “What’s your salary requirement?”

“I’m not used to doing business like this, Mr. Hawthorne.”

“Call me Matthias, please.”

“Mr. Hawthorne, if I take this job, and I’m not saying I will, I prefer to keep it professional. And I’m still not exactly sure what my duties would be. The paperwork Mr. Thompson left was just vague enough to be interesting without answering any of my questions.”

She took a bite of mashed potatoes. Obviously homemade and delicious, the perfect texture and flavor.

“In my business,” he explained, “it’s not uncommon to run into situations where I need someone with discretion to take care of issues that arise.”

She could have made at least three dirty jokes off the top of her head, but she kept them to herself. “I don’t know how much you discussed with Bob Stanley, but I will not cover up illegal activities.”

“And I would never ask that of you. Our corporation is involved in a wide variety of businesses all over the globe. All of them legal, I assure you. However, as you are well aware, sometimes embarrassing situations occur.”

“Such as?”

He shrugged, and she felt her heart take off again, out of control. What was it about him that got to her? This was totally not like her.

Stop that, she thought. Idiot. Don’t blow this.

But I’d like to blow—

Argh!

The trace of a smile crossed his face again. “For example, a vice president of one of my software firms got his secretary pregnant. She was of legal age, no worries, but he was married. And the mistress wanted support. We were able to help work out an amicable, as well as confidential, settlement that satisfied everyone and kept it out of court and the papers.”

“What happened to that person?” she asked. “The fixer you used?”

He looked at his plate. “Retired. But if you choose to take the job, you will have Albert at your full disposal.”

“Why can’t he take the job?”

“He’s a wonderful employee. Unfortunately I need an attorney, and he’s not.”

She took a few more bites. The food tasted really good. Nearly as good as Robertson’s cooking. If Hawthorne could cook like this, he would make a great husband if he wasn’t married already. No ring on either hand—

Focus, Taz!

“Don’t you have corporate attorneys on your payroll already?”

“I do. However, as you know, everyone specializes. I have tax attorneys and real estate attorneys and labor law attorneys, and on and on. But I need someone to work close by my side, whom I can fully confide in, who has contacts and certain specialized skill sets that can only be learned on the job, as it were. Someone flexible. I don’t have time to train. I also need someone who, at this time in their life, isn’t tied down by family commitments.”

That was a polite way of saying someone single.

It also set off her bullshit buzzer. “Why is that?”

“It’s a rigorous schedule, for starters. At first, at least. I have a wide variety of projects scheduled over the next six months, so whoever takes the job will live out of a suitcase quite a bit of the time. Sometimes travelling with me, sometimes alone.”

Travel with you? Let’s go…

“And I need someone I can trust. I do extensive research, Ms. Proctor. Among all of the potential candidates we’ve screened, only you have all the qualities I’m looking for.”

She tried to clear her head. It was hard to listen to him and not be distracted by his beautiful blue eyes. “You still haven’t told me exactly what I’d be doing.”

He put his fork down. “Legal work. Beyond that, I can’t be sure. You of all people know how unpredictable life can be.”

She knew that was a way of not answering a question he had the answer to. “You still haven’t mentioned money, Mr. Hawthorne.”

And there was that half smile. Again.

Be still, my friggin’ heart. Take me, I’m yours.

“One million the first year, one-five the second, and two million the third. After that, we can negotiate.”

She managed not to react. That was more than she was expecting.

Way more. “Plus expenses?”

He nodded. “Of course. You would also receive a discretionary operating budget. You would have a power of attorney for me, so you can see why I need someone very capable, trustworthy, and discreet in this position.”

“That’s a very large responsibility, to just take over like that.”

“As I said, Albert will be completely at your disposal, especially during the first few months. But as you saw he is getting along in years. The easier he can make your transition, the sooner he can retire.”

“I’m not saying I’ll take the job.” She was already thinking she might.

“I’ve talked with Bob Stanley. He has agreed to let you take it on a trial basis for six months to see if it’s a fit. If it doesn’t work, you’re free to resume your duties at his firm.”

Sneaks. Both of them. It pissed her off. While she had seriously considered saying yes, she changed her mind.

“I won’t give you an answer tonight.”

“Fair enough. For now, let’s enjoy dinner.”

* * *

They talked until nearly ten. On a personal level, Taz liked Hawthorne. She found him to be articulate, charming, and his dry sense of humor came through without being obnoxious. He was someone she thought she could easily work with.

She knew from experience the mask a man put on while trying to woo someone, be it client or employee or lover, was often far different than their real self. And there was the fact that every time his eyes met hers she lost her train of thought. He wasn’t underwear-model gorgeous. He was real-world, come-to-momma, would-love-to-take-him-home-to-momma handsome.

Which was another problem. She found herself really attracted to him, and that wasn’t a problem she normally had. It was always the other way around, guys coming on to her at work, forcing her to maintain a cool aloofness that earned her the “Ice Queen” label. Yet Hawthorne was different.

She wanted him.

After dinner, he walked her to the front door where Albert Thompson waited. Hawthorne turned to her, and for a moment she hoped he’d reach out to her, take her into his arms and—

“Albert will keep in touch.” Hawthorne extended his hand. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Proctor.”

She met his eyes as they shook hands and felt the electricity course through her again. She was no stranger to love and lust, but as much as she felt drawn to him, she didn’t need complications in her life right now. Especially a rich guy who probably had women stashed all over the place. She didn’t get a gay vibe from him, one of her weird intuitions that had never been wrong in the past. That meant he had to have at least one woman. How could he not?

Unless he’s a weird psycho.

He was easy on the eyes, for sure.

“Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne.”

Albert walked her down the steps to where the valet had her car waiting. It had been washed and detailed, inside and out.

Talk about being a good host. She felt spoiled.

“Ms. Proctor, when is a good time to follow up with you?”

She studied Albert. She couldn’t get over how something about him reminded her a lot of Robertson. “Friday morning.”

He nodded. “Very good. I’ll call you then.”

Chapter Four

To her surprise, when Taz returned home, she found Robertson sitting at the kitchen counter and reading the L.A. Times. He’d spent many of her high school and college nights waiting up for her, but it wasn’t something he did anymore.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” she joked.

He put down the paper. “Well?”

That explained it. “Oh, you’re not serious? You really waited up for me?”

“I wanted to hear how it went.”

She found her favorite mug and made a cup of hot tea. “Don’t worry, Dad, I didn’t let him kiss me.”

He laughed. “Taz, you are a real ballbuster, my dear. So what was his offer?”

She sipped her tea, making him wait. “One million.”

His eyes didn’t bug out, but his jaw dropped. “Dollars?”

“No, pesos. Of course dollars. For the first year. With a half mil raise the next two years, negotiable after that.”

“When do you start?”

She took another sip of tea. “I didn’t tell him I’d take it.”

“You what?” She started, not used to him yelling.

“I told him I’d think about it.”

He looked like he wanted to say something. Then she got a really strong feeling, another of her intuitions, that she’d made a horrible mistake by not saying yes immediately.

After a long moment he said, “When are you going to tell him yes?”

She studied her mug, unable to meet his piercing gaze. “I told his guy, Albert, to give me a call on Friday,” she mumbled.

“Friday?”

She jumped again. That was two screams in less than a minute. His blood pressure had to be through the roof. “Yes, Friday.” His agitation put her on the defensive. “I was sort of pissed off.”

“A man offers you one million dollars to work for him, and you tell him you’ll think about it? And you’re ‘sort of pissed off?’ About what? That he didn’t open a vein and offer to sign with his blood?” His voice climbed in octave and volume until she was afraid he’d hurt himself.

Hat trick! Even when she was seven and used one of the Lenox serving dishes as a water bowl for a stray cat, he hadn’t reached anything approaching this level of agitation.

She slammed her mug on the counter, slopping tea everywhere. “Hawthorne had the balls to go to Bob Stanley behind my back, before he ever talked to me, to clear it to go to work for him for six months on a trial basis.”

Robertson stared at her, speechless. Yet another Guinness record-worthy event.

He’s not having a stroke, is he?

He swallowed hard and sounded like he was having difficulty finding the words. “Let me get this straight, Taz. You have been offered one million dollars to go to work for a man on a trial basis, with clearance from your current employer to do it, so you have a safety net if it doesn’t work out. You don’t tell the man yes, you just tell him you’ll get back to him. And you have the nerve to be upset with him?”

She mopped up her spilled tea. “Well, when you say it like that, it sounds bad.”

“Taz, it sounds childish. You’re mad because he’s gone out of his way to make this an easy decision for you? I don’t believe you.”

That put her in full defensive mode. “Just because he’s throwing money at me doesn’t mean I’m going to take the job. I don’t need the money. You know that.”

From the look he gave her, she suspected sprouting a third eyeball in the middle of her forehead wouldn’t shock him more. “You’re really considering saying no?” he asked incredulously.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then what are you saying?”

She took another sip of what was left of her tea to buy her some time. “I feel like I’m being handled. I don’t like someone telling me what to do. You know that.”

“Who’s telling you what to do?”

“I feel like I’m being pushed into this.”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Giving you every reason to say yes isn’t pushing you, Taz.”

She shook her head firmly. “I’m not sure I’ll say yes.”

He studied her. “What is really going on here? This is over the top, even for a control freak like you.”

What was she supposed to say? That she felt like she could drown in Hawthorne’s eyes? That watching the way his butt looked as he walked away from her stirred feelings she hadn’t felt in a while? That she was going to have to take a long, cold shower before she could get any sleep?

“I’m just not sure he’d be a good—”

lover

“—fit for me, that’s all.”

Robertson’s eyes bored into her. She felt like he was trying to decide if she’d lost her mind or if he had.

“I’m not crazy,” she said.

“No, you’re very stubborn and extremely contrary.”

“What about you? If I go to work for him, he said I’d be travelling a lot for at least the first six months. What will you do?”

“You’re seriously worried about that? You’re worried about me? I’ll be fine. Don’t you dare use me as an excuse to hold yourself back.”

Part of her wanted to call Thompson right then and tell him yes. She had a feeling he’d be awake. Part of her wanted to wait until Friday and tell him no.

She mulled it over for a few moments before shaking her head. “There’s something going on here. I don’t like how neat and tidy this is. It’s just my intuition. You know that’s never wrong.”

And I don’t want to make a decision based upon how cute the guy is.

“Sometimes life is neat and tidy, Taz.”

“When has anything in my life ever been neat and tidy?”

He ran his hand through his hair, as if trying to not pull it out by the roots over her contrariness. “Sweetheart, I’m going to bed. I hope when you wake up tomorrow you’ll see this is a fantastic opportunity and take it. Seriously.” He patted her on the hand and met her eyes. “Do it. You deserve this chance.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek before disappearing to his side of the condo.

She studied her mug. Was she being stupid? She just didn’t like feeling pushed. She also didn’t like the suspicion that there was more to this whole situation than met the eye. That there was more to Thompson and Hawthorne than met the eye. When had her intuition ever been wrong?

That would be…never.

The last thing she wanted was to get involved in a nasty personal situation. How could she possibly be expected to remain professional around Matthias Hawthorne? By the end of dinner she was ready to jump his bones. If he’d tried to kiss her, she would have tackled him and ripped his clothes off. She didn’t like feeling out of control. Hawthorne was gorgeous. Well, she thought so, and around him she felt—

Helpless. Out of control. Defenseless.

She took a deep breath. She was better than this. She’d worked with handsome, charismatic men before. Never bedded them, even the ones who’d chased her. She didn’t mix work and pleasure. It was unprofessional. Very unprofessional.

But she was always the one being chased, not the other way around. She’d never met a man like Matthias Hawthorne before, a man who made her weak in the knees.

The lack of control she felt around him frightened her.

She rinsed her mug, walked down the hall to Robertson’s room, and knocked.

“Come in.”

He stood in the middle of the room, book in hand, on his way to bed. He motioned to the overstuffed chair. “Go ahead.”

She plopped down, remembering childhood, high school, college nights spent pouring her heart out to him. With her mom in one movie after another and her dad on the race circuit, Robertson had been the only ever-present, stabilizing force in her life. And she loved him like a father.

He sat on his bed across the room from her. “Tell me.”

She did. Not the most embarrassing of it, how out of control she felt around Hawthorne, but he got the gist.

“You’re scared,” he said, and she nodded. “And that’s why you can’t bring yourself to accept the job yet.”

“Exactly. I’ve never felt like this before. I felt trapped, in a good way. And I didn’t want to get loose.”

“That’s normal. It’s called attraction. It’s sexual tension.”

“I can’t work for someone like that.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”

“You can.”

She shook her head, hating herself, realizing she had to say no to this job that was, admittedly, a great chance. “I can’t. The first time he tried to get me into bed, that would be it.”

“Who says he’d try? Isn’t that just assuming a little too much?”

“I—” She shut her mouth. He was right. It was.

Narcissistic much?

But they always did. Robertson knew that. No matter what, whenever she worked in close proximity with a man for any length of time, except for Robertson and, of course, her own father, it always happened. It wasn’t a problem socially, because she could choose whom to date. At work, however, she had a lot of practice maintaining a cool, aloof professionalism, discouraging any personal interactions. The Ice Queen in action. Watch my frost.

“You know what happens to me,” she said. “Guys usually hit on me after a while.”

He nodded. “I do know. Believe it or not, that’s normal. You’re an attractive woman, Taz. Just because a man finds you attractive doesn’t mean you’ll fall for him.”

“Oh, you have no idea what this guy is like.”

“He’s different?”

She nodded. “That’s what scares me. There’s something different about him. What if I can’t say no?”

“You’re a lawyer. You know how to say no. Besides, what if he’s already attached?”

“No wedding ring.”

“You know that means nothing.”

“Okay, you’ve got me there.” She chewed her lip. “I don’t like going into a situation where I don’t have the advantage.” Or the control.

“And there lies the crux of your anxiety and fear, my dear.” He walked over to her, put his hand on hers, and stared into her eyes.

Twenty minutes later, she found herself in her bedroom with no memory of how she got there.

I must have talked his ear off. She went to take a shower.

A long, cold shower.

Chapter Five

Thompson reached for the ringing phone, instinctively knowing who the caller was. “Yes?”

“It’s me,” Robertson said. “Tell Matthias to lay off. He scared her half to death.”

“I think he needs an ice bath.”

“So does she. Thank God he told her the dinner couldn’t run late. We’d have to take a fire hose to them both.”

“Match made in heaven then?”

“Not if she tells you no on Friday.”

“What?” Thompson sat up. “How could she possibly say no?”

“I’ve been telling you,” Robertson said, “she’s not to be played. She senses a trap.”

“Do we need to up the offer?”

“Absolutely not. She’ll get suspicious.”

“Well, what is it then?”

“Matthias.”

“I thought they got along rather well.”

“That’s the problem. You don’t know her. I raised her. If there’s one thing that scares her, it’s feeling out of control. I’ve spent her entire life teaching her self-control, and she has practically none around him.”

“I could send him to talk to her personally.”

“No. She will refuse for sure.”

“You don’t understand how he feels about her.”

“Yes I do, and that’s the problem. She could sense it.”

“How? That’s not possible.”

“Have you ignored everything I’ve told you about her? She isn’t like us. She’s not even like Matthias and Rafael. She’s extremely perceptive.” Robertson fell silent for a moment. “I have an idea. Have Matthias schedule a board meeting Friday afternoon.”

“What?”

“Just do it. Routine stuff. Make something up. When you call her on Friday, don’t get her answer. Just ask her to drop by his office. Tell her Matthias wants a few moments of her time after the meeting to talk and get her answer in person. Say he’s on his way out of town and has a couple of minutes between the meeting and the airport. Set it up so she’s there for the tail end of the meeting, let her see him being professional. You’re smart. Figure something out. And ice him down. Maybe she’ll say yes.”

“This is silly.”

“It’s going to be a lot sillier if you don’t want her saying no. We won’t get a second chance.”

“No one ever tells him no.”

“She will if you don’t do what I say.”

Thompson thought it over and sighed. “Fine. I’ll set something up.”

“Good.”

Thompson hung up and walked upstairs, where he knocked on Matthias’ door. He related the conversation, and Matthias considered it.

“Maybe I did come on too strong.”

“He thinks she’s attracted to you.”

“Really?”

“Matthias,” Albert scolded, “concentrate. This is no time for you to think of yourself.”

“You don’t understand.”

“That was by your choice. I still don’t understand your logic.”

“When was the last time you were married?”

Albert didn’t answer.

“Exactly my point,” Matthias said when Thompson didn’t respond.

“I have loved.”

“And they’re still alive, somewhere out there. It’s no fun burying your wife.”

Albert softened his tone. “You can’t be sure she’ll love you, or even like you, Matthias. You’re waiting around like this, and you might be setting yourself up for disappointment.”

“I’ve waited ten years. And a lot longer than that to meet someone like her. It’s nothing. I can wait as long as it takes.”

“Well, you’ll have to back off regardless of your feelings. Let her get to know you. In fact, it might not be a bad idea if she doesn’t see much of you for the first several months.”

“What?”

“You said yourself you waited ten years. You can wait a while longer.”

Matthias chewed it over for a few minutes and nodded. “Whatever needs to happen, set it up.”

* * *

Albert called Taz on Friday morning. “Ms. Proctor, Mr. Hawthorne asked if you could please stop by his office late this afternoon to give him your answer in person. He has to leave for the airport by six, but his meeting should be over by five thirty. Then you can give him your answer in person.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Fine. What’s the address?”

Albert gave her the information, finished the call, and hung up. Robertson and Matthias looked at him. He fixed his gaze on Matthias. “Don’t screw this up.”

Matthias shook his head, looking younger than his years. “I won’t.”

* * *

Taz quietly followed Thompson into the back of the boardroom. If Hawthorne noticed her entrance, he didn’t acknowledge it. He was cool, professional, courteous to the attendees. She wasn’t sure what they were discussing, but she liked the way he ran his meeting. Respectfully, controlled. A don’t-fuck-with-me kind of guy who didn’t throw his weight around just because he could. He seemed to welcome input from the attendees, and everyone appeared at ease discussing items with him, even if they disagreed.

She had decided on the drive over to say no, as much as she hated to. Now, after seeing him in action, she didn’t feel the heart-pounding yearning of the other night.

Oh, he was still easy on the eyes, absolutely. But this side of him, the president of the company, was a different persona. The Ice Queen could coolly keep her distance and maintain her professionalism if this was what he was like on a daily basis.

Couldn’t I?

When the meeting ended, Hawthorne glanced at his watch—a Timex, not some obscenely expensive thing, she noted—and started gathering paperwork. Hawthorne didn’t look up as Thompson led her to the front of the room.

“Mr. Hawthorne, Ms. Proctor is here to see you.”

“Thank you, Albert.” He flashed her a smile without looking up from his papers. “I’m sorry I’m in a rush, Ms. Proctor, but my flight leaves at seven. Can we talk while we walk?”

“Uh, sure.” What the hell?

Well, okay. She wanted coolly professional? This was coolly professional.

Hawthorne slowed his long strides enough she could keep up without jogging. Thompson trailed behind them.

Hawthorne punched the elevator button. “So, have you considered our offer?” He didn’t meet her eyes, thumbing through his BlackBerry while he talked.

Okay, a little rude, but understandable considering how busy he is. “Um, yes. Yes I did.”

“And?” Hawthorne finally glanced at her, but their eyes didn’t meet.

“Uh—” What was I going to say? Oh. “Yes. I think I’d like to try it.”

What the hell. Why not?

Hawthorne smiled. As his eyes briefly traveled across hers, she felt that deep warmth again, starting between her legs and spreading through her entire body. Then it disappeared as Hawthorne stepped into the elevator, motioning them both in behind him.

“Good. Can you start Monday?”

“I suppose. I might need to spend some time in the other office—”

“Fine. Coordinate with Albert. I understand you’ll have loose ends to tie up. Do you have a passport?”

“Yes, I do.” If I can find it. She hadn’t used it since her parents died.

No. Won’t think about that.

“You might want to keep it on you. Sometimes things crop up requiring immediate travel.”

“Okay. I—”

“Albert, you can get all the paperwork ready this evening? Walk her through HR and get everything completed?”

“Yes, Mr. Hawthorne.”

“Wonderful. Ms. Proctor”—Hawthorne shifted his briefcase and stuck out his hand, a quick squeeze and release before she had time to process it—“good to have you on board.” The elevator door slid open. Hawthorne smiled and stepped out into the parking garage. Again she felt a hint of the longing she’d had during their dinner. “Thompson will get everything started. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Okay, thank—” Hawthorne walked away as the door slid shut, leaving Anastazia feeling slightly disoriented.

Albert smiled, punched the button to take them up to the main office suite. “Welcome to our family, Ms. Proctor.”

“Uh, okay. Thank you.”

* * *

Matthias climbed into the limo. “Home,” he told the driver.

Robertson looked at him. “Well?”

Matthias’ smile stretched from ear to ear. “She said yes.”

Robertson let out a huge sigh of relief. “Finally.”

“I was afraid she’d say no. I was sure she was going to, I felt it. How the hell did you know that would work?”

“I raised her, need I remind you. I know her. Considering her parents and all she’s been through, anything that makes her feel the slightest bit out of control scares the crap out of her. And you, Matthias, make her feel out of control.”

He looked out the window. “God, she’s amazing. She’s beautiful. Those gorgeous, green eyes. I just wanted to reach out and…and her mind—” He fell quiet, thinking about her.

“Well, keep it in your pants, Matthias. I don’t care if you need to sit in an ice bucket, you have to let her get to know you or she will run.”

“I would never force her to do anything. You know me better than that.”

“Do you honestly think you could? You felt it yourself. You have no idea how powerful she is. Mark my words, one day she’ll have you groveling on your knees.” Robertson leaned forward, his expression hard and cold. “And if you hurt her, I don’t care how much older or more powerful you are than I, if you break her heart, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Matthias smiled. “You were the right choice to raise her, Tim.” He turned back to the window. “I just wish we could have protected her parents.

Robertson nodded. “I know. I was worried about her. Do you really think it was more than an accident?”

“I don’t have any proof, but I feel it.”

* * *

Thompson made a call while they rode the elevator back up. Taz felt like a sleepwalker as he led her to human resources and shepherded her through paperwork. Then to IT, where she was issued an ID card, BlackBerry, laptop, and network passwords. A notary met them in Thompson’s office, and Taz signed forms for the power of attorney and corporate credit cards.

This can’t be happening. This never happened. How much money did Matthias Hawthorne have that his business ran so smoothly? Forget efficient, this was some sort of magic.

Then one last issue, a phlebotomist drew blood for the insurance and drug screening.

“One-stop shop?” Anastazia quipped. “Staff vampires, huh?”

Thompson’s head jerked up, and when he apparently realized she was referring to the technician, he relaxed, smiling.

“Quite. Mr. Hawthorne values his employees and their time. No need to waste it sending you running around when we can have it all done here.”

She also received a new set of keys, to Hawthorne’s home and office, along with her own office keys and passwords. Her office was two doors down from Hawthorne’s, separated by Thompson’s. It was gorgeous, with a huge desk and large windows.

It was after seven when Taz drove home, still in a daze. The past couple of hours felt like a blur. Was she really working for Matthias Hawthorne? The new Targus laptop case filled her passenger seat. It really happened.

She found two strange cars parked in her driveway, black Lincoln Town Cars. A man and a woman got out of one as she pulled in. At the same time, Anastazia’s new BlackBerry rang.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Proctor, it’s Albert Thompson. I meant to tell you, your corporate car will be delivered sometime this evening or tomorrow morning by ten at the latest. You’ll have to sign the papers there, but they should have a notary with them. You can use your corporate credit card for gas and any maintenance. I’ll have them for you on Monday. They’re being overnighted.”

Wow! I guess when you have a large company you get priority service. “Uh, thank you. I think the car’s here already.”

“Oh? Wonderful. I wasn’t sure they could get the order processed in time for tonight. I’ll let you go then.”

“Thanks.” She hung up and got out of her car. The man smiled at her.

“Ms. Proctor?” the salesman asked, introducing himself and the notary.

Chapter Six

Twenty minutes later, Taz still stood in her driveway, staring at her new Lincoln, when Robertson pulled in.

“What’s this?” he asked.

It took her a moment to respond. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. “My new corporate car.”

“You took the job?”

She nodded.

“Congratulations, Taz.” He hugged her and noticed she seemed dazed. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing, I guess. I’m just not used to such…”

“Efficiency?”

She nodded. “I mean—” She thought about it. Was she really complaining the paperwork seemed to need nothing more than signatures? That it was painless? That it was…

Efficient?

Spooky.

“When do you start?”

“Monday.”

“Excellent.”

She spent the weekend working, bringing her former assistant up to speed. She would have to spend several hours in her old office on Monday, and Bob Stanley told her not to worry about clearing it out yet.

“If it doesn’t work out, I meant it when I said you can come back. I don’t want to kick you out. You’re too valuable.”

“Thanks, Bob. I appreciate that.”

“Although, considering the history I have with Hawthorne’s company, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t want to work for him. Wonderful family, great business. Never hear anything negative about him or his corporation.”

* * *

She checked in with Albert Thompson on Monday morning. “I’ll be there in a few hours.”

“Wonderful. No rush. Mr. Hawthorne understands you need to work through the transition.”

She pulled into the parking garage at Hawthorne International just after lunch, and the gate opened immediately. She was going to turn in to the main parking area, but another gate arm lowered, blocking her access. The only way she could turn was to valet parking.

An attendant opened her door when she pulled up. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to find out how to get to the main parking area.”

The guy smiled. “No, Ms. Proctor, you’re in the right place. You’re assigned to valet.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“How did you know my name?”

He pointed to the booth, where a green light blinked on a control screen next to the computer. “Your car has a sensor—all the top execs do. It tells us who it is and automatically directs you here so we can park you.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“When you’re ready to leave,”—he handed her a laminated card—“punch this code into your phone, and we’ll have it waiting.”

She looked at it. “Okay. Thanks.” She gathered her things and, feeling like she’d dropped down Alice’s rabbit hole, headed for the elevator.

“Your parking setup is rather efficient,” she commented to Thompson who, most likely notified by the valet, was waiting for her upstairs by the elevator when she stepped out.

He took her laptop case from her and smiled. “Yes, it is. Why should you have to spend time looking for parking and walking around? It’s a great time-saver.”

“I guess.”

He led her to her office and set the case on her desk while she looked around.

“Mr. Hawthorne might not be in today,” he said, “but he told me to make sure you’re comfortable. Also, he told me to call the decorator if you wish to change the office around.”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” she assured him. “It’s fine.”

“And if the chair”—at least a five-hundred dollar, top-of-the-line model that was like sitting on air—“isn’t comfortable, feel free to get whatever works best for you. Just put it on a corporate card.” He handed her an envelope with three different credit cards. Platinum Amex. Visa. MasterCard.

She looked around and resisted the urge to pinch herself. “I’m waiting to wake up and find myself in a dream.”

Thompson smiled. She really liked him, sensed he was a powerful man to have on her side. Maybe it was because his eyes were the same clear blue as Robertson’s that he reminded her so much of him.

“Mr. Hawthorne is well aware his company is run by employees, not by him. He knows that to be the best, you have to hire the best and treat them like royalty to keep them.”

“I bet the Christmas party is a real hoot, huh?”

“Wait until you see the employee cafeteria.”

Thompson gave her the tour. Hawthorne International owned the entire building. The lower eight floors were leased to tenants. From there up, the other twelve floors were corporate offices. Well, except for the five-star restaurant—employee cafeteria—occupying most of one floor. In addition to two floors containing a health club, complete with Olympic-sized indoor pool, medical clinic, dental office, day care center, hair salon, massage—

“Did the Google guys ever work here?” she half joked.

“No, but one of their vice presidents did. He liked many of our ideas.”

A golden retriever ran out from one office and greeted them in the hallway. Thompson laughed as he bent down to pet it. “Hello, Winston, old boy. And there are other perks.”

“So I see.”

Okay, so obviously Matthias Hawthorne can’t be an asshole if he lets people bring pets and kids to work, right?

They worked their way back to the top floor, which contained their offices, a security station with three guards on duty, conference rooms, and a private library. There were no administrative assistants or receptionists on their floor, which she thought was odd. It was very private. Except for meetings and the practically invisible security staff, it would normally be just the three of them.

“Mr. Hawthorne values his privacy,” Thompson said as if reading her thoughts. “Considering the nature of our many businesses, it’s best not to have people poking around. Easier to bring in those we need rather than worrying about keeping others out. If you were wondering, only certain ID cards allow access to this floor unattended. If you need assistance with paperwork or tasks such as that, your assistant is one floor below. You can video conference with her or she can come up to you. You don’t have to go down to her unless you want to.”

“Saves my time?”

“Correct. Janice is assigned to you. She has been with us for many years and is very—”

“Efficient?”

He smiled. “Quite. The main receptionist downstairs screens our calls. For now, most of Mr. Hawthorne’s calls will come to me. Once you’re up to speed, you’ll take most of his calls. Few go directly to him. Usually if he gets a private call, it comes through his work or personal cell phones. There will be few things you won’t be authorized to handle for him. With the exceptions he’ll go over personally, the rare others can come to me.”

“How often is Mr. Hawthorne in the office?”

“He might be here for a month straight, and then gone for six. Ah, hello, Murry.”

A huge black cat with a white star-shaped mark in the middle of its forehead jumped up onto the library table. He loudly purred.

“That’s a good sign indeed,” Thompson said.

She reached out and petted it. It rubbed its head against her, its purring louder. “Why’s that?”

“He doesn’t like most people.”

One question answered. “Really?”

Thompson nodded. “He’s been with Mr. Hawthorne for years. He isn’t a very social cat, I’m afraid.”

The cat proceeded to make a liar out of Thompson by meowing at him and head butting her elbow.

“I’m impressed, Ms. Proctor. He seems to have taken an instant liking to you.”

Taz scratched the cat under his chin and along his back at the base of his tail. Murry purred even louder still as he closed his eyes and arched against her hand. “I think I just made a friend.”

* * *

Murry followed her to her office and curled up in a corner chair, watching her work. She didn’t mind. She loved animals, but she didn’t have time for any of her own.

Albert Thompson stuck his head in her open doorway. “Oh, Ms. Proctor, did you find your passport?”

“Yes, I have it.”

“Good. You may be going to London on Friday.”

“Ah. Okay.”

He disappeared. She briefly wondered how he knew she had to find it when her phone rang, distracting her. Robertson.

“How’s the first day going, sweetheart?”

“You should see this place. It’s amazing.” She hadn’t seen the inside of Hawthorne’s office yet, but if hers was this nice, she imagined his was even nicer.

“I imagine.”

“Guess what? I was just informed I might be going to London this week.”

“Excellent. I can hold my toga party while you’re gone.”

She laughed so hard she thought she’d wet her pants. He knew how to crack her up. Tea party, maybe. Toga party? Robertson?

He’d die first.

* * *

Her office came with a custom sound system, satellite TV—sixty-inch plasma flat screen, thank you very much—and an inner office lounge area. Including a full private bathroom with shower. She could come to work, exercise, and shower before starting her day. Not that she was a huge exercise freak, but instead of dragging herself to the gym after work once or twice a week, she could incorporate it as part of her daily routine. She’d been meaning to work out more. Now she had no excuse not to get into better shape.

The next day she brought several CDs to work with her. There was little traffic on their floor, and she left her door open with her music turned down low so she didn’t disturb Thompson. “Classical Gas” was currently playing, relaxing her without distraction.

“I love Mannheim Steamroller.”

She jumped. Matthias Hawthorne leaned against her doorway, smiling. Maybe she would have to start closing her door so he couldn’t sneak up on her. The guy sure was quiet.

“Mr. Hawthorne. I didn’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry I startled you. I just wanted to drop in and see how you’re doing. Is Albert getting you settled?”

“Everything is wonderful, thank you.” She tried to keep her eyes low, on his mouth—no, that wouldn’t work, she wanted to kiss those lips, but if she looked into those gorgeous eyes…

His lips curled in a smile. “Excellent. Did he tell you I might need you in London this week?”

She tried to control the heat building inside her under his gaze. “I’ll make sure I pack.”

“You’d only be gone a couple of days at the most, if you go. I personally keep a bag packed here, just in case. You can always buy what you need when you get there. Just put it on your corporate cards. Our travel department will handle arrangements for you, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

He took a step inside her office, as if reluctant to intrude. “I wanted to thank you for coming on board, Ms. Proctor. I know our company will greatly benefit from having you with us.”

That was nice of him. Bob Stanley always made her feel appreciated, but it was good to hear from the head honcho himself.

“Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne.”

He smiled, nodded, and left as quietly as he arrived. Like a ghost.

She was glad he didn’t try to get her to call him Matthias. Maybe Albert did, and maybe in the future she would, too, but not now. Not yet.

He was too damn gorgeous to get close to.

I’m not about to screw up the job of a lifetime by sleeping with the boss.

That evening, when she retrieved her car from the valet, she noticed it was gassed up and detailed.

What a time-saver.

Quite, as Robertson would say.

She felt spoiled. And loved it.

Chapter Seven

It didn’t take Taz long to get into a new routine. Normally not the earliest of risers, she found herself eager to be out of the house by five every morning. It allowed her time to use the exercise equipment with no interruptions. Apparently the valet staff worked twenty-four seven and were always ready when she arrived. The London trip washed out, but one morning midway through her second week, she was surprised to find someone already in the gym.

Matthias Hawthorne had worked up quite a sweat on the treadmill. She paused in the doorway and gulped. He wore headphones and didn’t seem to notice her at first. When he did, he waved, then went back to his jog.

Relieved, she made her way to an exercise bike on the far side of the room. Normally she ran the treadmill, but she was afraid she’d be too close to him and stare.

Even with his sweat-soaked shirt clinging to him he was gorgeous. He had a nice body, just a few extra pounds on his abs, but his legs and arms looked firm and lean. Combined with strong, smooth hands and long, slender fingers…

She cut that thought off.

She wondered what it would feel like having his cock buried deep inside her pussy…

So not helping!

She closed her eyes and pedaled harder, faster, trying to banish the image. He was gorgeous. She hoped he didn’t make this his new routine. He was far too distracting.

Eventually she glanced his way again and saw him working a cool-down routine with weights.

Oh good, he’ll be going soon. She didn’t know if that was relief or regret twisting her stomach.

She finished on the bike and headed to a treadmill. Hawthorne smiled and waved her over.

Crap.

“Would you mind spotting me? I didn’t want to bother you before. I’d like to do a few lifts.”

“Uh, okay. Sure.”

He set up a weight bench for one-hundred pounds, and she stood behind him, trying not to stare down at him—

those gorgeous arms

—while he lifted. Her gaze drifted to his waist, to his shorts, and she realized his loose shorts didn’t conceal much. She shivered, wondering again what he was like in bed…

She mentally smacked herself. Don’t do this, Taz. Don’t screw this up!

True to his word, he was done in a few minutes. He looked up at her. She couldn’t move her eyes fast enough and caught the full-on force of his gaze, which melted her very soul. Her panties felt instantly soaked as her clit throbbed and her nipples tightened.

“Thank you, Ms. Proctor. I appreciate it.”

Then he sat up. She found herself stammering, “You’re welcome,” and returned to the treadmill.

He left. Ten minutes later she gave up trying to finish her routine. She was too rattled, too distracted.

Too damn horny.

She couldn’t forget the image of him walking out of the gym, his firm thighs disappearing under his shorts…

Urgh! It had been too long since her last boyfriend. That’s all.

Way too long.

She stopped for a cup of coffee at the cafeteria and rode the elevator up. Hawthorne would, hopefully, be in his office taking a shower.

Boy, wouldn’t I like to help him soap up.

Argh! This. Is. Not. Helping!

She retreated to her office and locked the door. Then in the shower she stood under water as cold as she could tolerate, trying to wash the image of Matthias Hawthorne’s delicious body out of her mind.

* * *

By week four, Taz had settled into her job and, fortunately, Hawthorne didn’t reappear in the gym. She relaxed, enjoying the work. She wasn’t in close proximity to Hawthorne for any great length of time and found each encounter easier to endure than the last.

But she still found him totally yummalicious.

One afternoon, Hawthorne knocked on her open door. She looked up. “Come in, Mr. Hawthorne.”

He smiled. “Up for a car trip?”

She tried to conceal her surprise. “Beg pardon?”

“I’ve got an issue up in Vancouver.”

“Canada?”

He laughed. “Washington state.”

“Oh.”

“Can you be ready to leave in thirty minutes?”

She nodded. “I need to get some things out of my car. We’re not flying?”

“I need to stay out of airplanes for a few days. I’m sick of flying. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all.” Not if you don’t mind me barfing all over you out of sheer nervousness.

“Bring those other files with you, please. The ones we’ve been going through. We can talk about them on the way.”

“Right.”

She was glad she had her workout bag with her. Whatever she didn’t have she could pick up on the road. She packed, shut down her laptop, then called the valets to get what she needed from her car and put it wherever it needed to go. They were spookily…

Efficient.

She was waiting for him by the elevator twenty-nine minutes later. He smiled as he walked toward her, an overnight bag casually slung over his shoulder. She was still in her Versace suit and suddenly felt way overdressed compared to him. He wore jeans, tan white-soled boat shoes, and a blue pique-collared golf shirt.

“Nothing like the open road.” He smiled, and before she could protest, he grabbed one of her bags and carried it.

She thought they would take one of the larger cars, but she was wrong. Downstairs awaited a 1968 Mustang coupe, Acapulco blue. Her things were already inside.

“You’re kidding!” She stared, her jaw slack.

Hawthorne handed their bags to the valet. “Care to guess? I heard you’re a motor head.”

A race-car driver’s daughter, she immediately knew what he meant and shook her head. “If you tell me it’s only got a 200 under the hood, I’m gonna lose all respect for you, boss.” The Ice Queen had thawed. That was the most familiar she’d been toward him. “Is it a 390?”

It was a 1968 Mustang—could it get any better?

“You’ve got to be kidding. A 200? Please. 427. Four speed.”

She ran her hand over the door. Flawless. It was either cherry original or a very meticulous restoration. Smooth, no dings, no filler marks, not a hint of orange peel in the paint. The interior looked pristine, and with the exception of a CD player XM radio with an MP3 port, it was also original or a damn good restoration.

“How long have you owned it?”

She couldn’t read his smile. “A few years.”

She grinned, and for once she forgot how attracted she was to him. “You aren’t cruel enough to coop me up in this all the way to Vancouver and back and not let me drive, are you?”

He tossed her the keys, startling her, but she caught them. “Let’s go,” he said.

Sure she was dreaming, Taz tried to read Hawthorne’s expression as she passed him, swapping sides. She adjusted the driver seat, her legs a little shorter than his. She kicked off her heels and put them on the floor behind her seat. Brake and clutch, she shifted it into neutral. Then brake and gas, she fired it off. It roared to life immediately.

Taz closed her eyes and gripped the wheel. She hadn’t been in one of these in…years. Her dad’s ’65 Mustang had a 260 engine. She still remembered one of the few times he picked her up from school, when she turned sixteen, the afternoon he taught her how to drive.

One of the few things he did as her father that Robertson didn’t have to.

He’d sold it when she was eighteen. It nearly broke her heart, but he’d wanted her to have a larger, safer car with airbags, the whole nine yards. Every time she saw a classic Mustang it always struck a melancholy chord, reminding her of the best of her father.

I wish I still had that car.

Praying she didn’t make an ass out of herself and stall it—or worse, grind the gears or screw up a shift—she adjusted the old-style seatbelt to fit and roared out of the parking garage.

Hawthorne encouraged her to floor it on the freeway when they were north of the city. She wound it up, and soon they were doing eighty. She liked her Accord, and the corporate Town Car was nice.

But there was nothing like a muscle car.

She noticed at a gas stop it had a Florida license plate on the back. “I usually keep it down there,” he explained, “but I’ve missed driving it. I had it shipped. It arrived last week.”

They made good time up I-5. He directed her to a small hotel south of Sacramento. He checked them in, and for the first time, Taz felt truly comfortable around him, like she wasn’t going to pass out from forgetting to breathe. She called Robertson from her room before dinner and updated him on her location.

“Have fun,” Robertson said. He sounded like he was smiling. She knew that tone of voice all too well.

“Don’t read anything into that, buster.”

“The fastest way to your heart, dear, is a big-block V-8. Especially a Mustang. I’m surprised you didn’t drool.”

God, he knows me so well! She giggled. “You and I are going car shopping next week. I forgot how much fun they are.”

“Have a safe trip, sweetheart.”

Hawthorne knocked on her door, and they went to eat. She brought the files, and they spent two hours over dinner, talking business.

“Ms. Proctor, I appreciate your attention to detail. And even more, your appreciation for a fine car.”

“Thank you.” She hesitated, hoping it wasn’t a mistake to get familiar with him. “If you want, you can call me Anastazia.” She always pronounced it Anna-stay-zhia when introducing herself, because to say “Ahna-stay-zhia” just sounded too pretentious when she wasn’t British, even though it was her preference.

He eyed her over his coffee mug. “So, are you an Anna-stay-zhia, Ahna-stay-zhia, or Anna-stah-sha.”

The last he said with an affected Boston accent. She shuddered, laughing. “I like the second.”

“I notice you don’t pronounce it like that.”

“It always sounds better when others say it. My”—Friend? Male nanny? Guardian pro-temp?—“adopted dad says it like that.” That was the first time she’d referred to Robertson in that way, but it fit.

How sad is it that I don’t meet enough new people in my life to have ever had that problem before?

Hawthorne raised his eyebrow. “You’re adopted? I thought your parents—”

“He basically raised me,” she quickly interjected. “He started working for my parents when I was a baby. He was their business attorney, but Mom said he was the only one who could get me to eat without a fight, so he took over. He became their majordomo. Ran the house and tried to keep them in line, too.”

She studied her hands. “I loved my parents, but they were pretty busy. He was always there, he took care of me. He’s like a dad to me. When they died, I sold the house and got a condo and begged him to stay. I don’t have any other relatives. I don’t think he does, either. He’s my family.”

“He sounds like an admirable man.”

“Of course, he always called me Taz growing up. I was only Anastazia when I was in trouble.”

“Tasmanian Devil, eh?”

She laughed. “Well, I was hell on wheels. Considering who my parents were, Mr. Hawthorne, it’s amazing I’ve made it this far.”

“Matthias, please.”

And there was her unease, back with a vengeance. Muscle cars be damned.

“I, uh, no offense, but I’ve only been working for you for a few weeks now. Frankly, I’m not comfortable calling you that yet.” He could use her first name if he wanted to. She didn’t mind, because he was the boss. She just didn’t want him getting the wrong idea.

Yet.

“I understand. What are you most comfortable with me calling you?”

Darling, dearest, booty call, Mrs. Hawthorne, anytime you want, oh baby—

“My first name is okay.”

“But never Anna-stah-sha.” He laughed. Pahk ya cah in the yahd.

She grinned. “Lord, no.”

“Very well.” He paid their bill and helped her carry the files back to her room. He stopped at her door, where he handed them over. “Seven in the morning. We’ll eat downstairs before we hit the road again.”

“That’s fine.”

“Good night, Anastazia.”

The sound of her name on his lips made her shiver. His accent sounded slightly British, now that she thought about it. She wasn’t sure where he’d grown up, but her name sounded beautiful when he said it.

“Good night,” she managed.

He turned without hesitation—

Oh rats, I mean oh good, no awkward attempt to kiss.

—and walked several doors down to his room, where he went in without a backward glance.

She closed and locked her door and leaned against it while she tried to catch her breath. He was being a total gentleman, completely professional. Absolutely…

Wonderful.

Chapter Eight

“Well?” Albert asked.

“She hasn’t fled screaming into the night, if that’s what you mean,” Matthias said. “I thought she was going to die a happy woman when I tossed her the keys.”

“From now on, Tim plans everything.”

Matthias agreed. “I need a very cold shower to have any hope of getting to sleep. Unless…”

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you blow this—oh, poor choice of words.”

“Don’t worry, Albert. I’ve been totally professional.”

“Don’t scare her off with your singing, either.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my singing.”

“Yes, as long as you’re not singing. Good night, Matthias.”

He laughed. “Pass the word to Tim, would you?”

“I’m sure she’s already on the phone with him as we speak.”

Matthias hung up and rested his head against the headboard. He’d split them up by a few rooms to make her feel more at ease. And to reduce his own temptation.

He closed his eyes and searched for her. He held back, not wanting her to sense his presence. He wasn’t sure how sensitive she was, which was why he didn’t want to probe her while in the car or office. That would be too obvious.

He found her. Taz was getting ready for bed, talking on the phone with Tim. Score one for Albert.

Beautiful, wonderful, exquisite—inside and out.

Patience. Don’t ruin this.

He turned down his bed, put out the lights, and waited. She finally settled, tossing back and forth.

Despite what he told Albert, Matthias couldn’t resist sending out a gentle probe. He didn’t have to deeply explore her mind to feel her agitation, the frustration.

The sexual tension.

If only you knew, Anastazia.

Twenty minutes later, she was no closer to sleep. She laid there with her eyes open, staring at light patterns cast on the ceiling by a neon sign outside her window.

He had to do it or she’d feel horrible the next day, he justified.

Sleep, my dearest, he thought, using the lightest of touches on her mind. It was so hard not to plunge in, to soak her up. She was so close, so fully and completely open to him, unable to erect any barriers in her mind to keep him out.

Four rooms away, Anastazia’s eyes fluttered then closed.

I still have it. Matthias rolled over in search of his own restless slumber.

* * *

Matthias knocked as he walked past her door. She opened it almost immediately. He knew she’d been ready to go since six thirty, alternating between sitting on the bed and nervously pacing by the door.

“Good morning, Anastazia.”

“Good morning.”

He grabbed her overnight bag before she could object and motioned for her to go first. “How did you sleep?”

“Oh, I had a little trouble at first—”

—thinking about sliding into bed with you—

“—but then I just dropped off and slept straight through. You?”

“Wonderful.” He caught whispers of her thoughts and had to stifle his smile while loading the bags in the car. He couldn’t reveal his secrets to her too soon. “I’ll check out if you’ll get us a table. I’ll take coffee, black please, and their scramble special.”

His coffee was waiting and their order placed when he returned. She was going through her BlackBerry, answering messages. He pretended to do the same, and they made small talk until their food came.

She was ravenous. He hid his amusement. She probably wondered why she could eat like a horse and still have a great figure. Or maybe she didn’t. He didn’t take it for granted. She was perfect, beautiful rounded curves in all the right places, a real woman he could place his arms around and actually feel her body against him and not worry she’d break if he hugged her too tight. He couldn’t wait to feel her body against his—

He cut off that line of thinking and shifted in his chair, hoping she couldn’t sense his thoughts.

There was so much she would have to learn, and he would enjoy teaching her.

But not yet. It was far too soon, the earliest still months down the road, after she was settled and completely comfortable around him.

* * *

They were on the road by eight, discussing files. After an hour he was ready for music and opted for the XM radio.

“Big Tracks?” she asked when she saw the channel.

“Yes, I like the variety.”

He sang along with ZZ Top, managed to mangle Aerosmith, and she laughed and sang with him. They had lunch at a small diner before hitting the road again.

She seemed comfortable with him driving, which was itself amazing. He’d been told she rarely rode as a passenger with anyone except Tim. Otherwise she was pounding the floor with her foot, looking for an imaginary brake—or accelerator. There was something about Hawthorne she trusted, according to what Tim had told him.

At dinner that night, she closed the file they were working on and yawned. “I hope I sleep well tonight.”

He smiled. “I’m sure you will. Car trips are exhausting.”

“Tell me, I’m curious, how did you decide to come to me for this position?”

He hesitated, then opted for the truth.

Well, in part.

“If you’ll notice, for our headquarters we don’t hire. We recruit. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. Snobby, I know, but unfortunately I’ve learned the hard way that I must have the best people closest to me. I can only do that by handpicking staff. I was fortunate Bob Stanley owed me a large favor and had you on staff to refer. When we completed our background checks and research, you were the best of the choices.”

“What if I’d said no?”

He looked down at his drink.

I would have cried. “I would have upped the offer first, then found out what it would take to get you on board.”

She smiled. “That’s very flattering.”

“I mean it. You were the best candidate. We didn’t make offers to anyone else—only you. You were our first choice.”

My only choice.

* * *

By the end of the trip, she accidentally started to call him Matthias five times by his count. “Math-ister Hawthorne” is how it usually came out, and he hid his smile each time.

He pulled into the parking garage at Hawthorne International. “I know this was a business trip, but for once, I’m sorry to be home.” He knew that was a risky comment but hoped she took it the right way.

She smiled. “Thanks, Mr. Hawthorne. It was a good trip, even if it was for business. Thanks for letting me drive. Brought back good memories.”

The valets moved her things to her car.

“See you tomorrow,” he said.

She yawned. “I may be running a little late in the morning.”

“That’s perfectly understandable. I plan on being late myself.”

He waved and took the elevator up, where he found Albert and Tim waiting in his office.

They both looked at him expectantly, and he couldn’t conceal his broad grin. He dropped his overnight bag and approached Tim with a fake strangler’s grip. “You,” he said, grabbing Tim’s shoulders and gently shaking his friend, “are a total jerk! You’ve had her to yourself all these years!”

“Matthias,” he said, straightening his shirt, “she was a handful, believe me. A wonderful, lovely, charming, absolutely breathtaking handful. How do you think I got most of the grey hairs I have?” Which wasn’t much, all things considered.

“You are a genius, I will admit,” Matthias said. “An absolutely wonderful, evil genius.”

“Evil?” Albert arched an eyebrow.

“Well,” Tim said, “wait until she finds out the truth. She’ll bring you to your knees in terror unless we handle it right.”

“I can’t imagine her being like that,” Matthias insisted. “She’s strong, yes—”

“Matthias!” both men said at the same time.

Albert advanced. “You were specifically warned not to test her.”

He waved off their objection. “Don’t worry, I didn’t. It just—” He searched for the word then looked to Tim. “Her power rolls off her, in wonderful waves.”

Tim nodded. “That’s accurate. Fortunately, there have been very few times I’ve needed to control or distract her. I started young, teaching her to avoid looking into people’s eyes, not taking things that aren’t freely given. If I hadn’t, she’d be uncontrollable now. She’ll kill me when we tell her. She’ll be so upset.”

“She loves you,” Matthias told him. “She calls you her adopted dad.”

“Really?” Tim sat up, surprised. “She does?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Lucky bastard,” Albert teased. “To think, if I’d called heads, I would have had the honor.”

“Albert, she would have put you in your grave years ago. If her parents didn’t do you in first.” A wistful expression crossed his face. “They were a couple of insane loons, yes, but they loved Taz. They were a handful, but they were good people.”

Matthias’ eyes darkened. “If I ever get my hands on whoever’s responsible for their deaths, I’ll…” He left the thought hanging in the air.

Tim sighed. “There was nothing you could do. I thought they’d be safe. It could have been an accident. We don’t know. The weather did turn bad, and it was a small plane.”

“It’s too coincidental,” Matthias said. “They were obviously stronger than we first thought. We could have brought them in after Anastazia was fully instructed.”

“We still have Anastazia,” Albert consoled.

Matthias nodded. “And I’ll die to protect her.”

“Get in line,” Tim said. He finished his drink then pointed his glass at Matthias. “That goes for you, too. You hurt her—”

Matthias waved his hand at him. They’d bantered this back and forth countless times. Both knew the other was devoted. One as a father, the other as a lover.

Well, potential lover. If she’ll have me.

“Now you see why I kept you away until after she graduated college,” Tim said. “I knew you’d fall in love with her.”

“I’ll never doubt your judgment again.”

“Can I get that in writing?”

Matthias stated to replay the trip in his mind when Murry walked in and jumped on his desk.

“Good, you’re back. It’s about time.” Murry was easy to hear when someone could tune into him, or he revealed himself. Fortunately for them, Anastazia had yet to tap into those talents.

Especially since Murry liked to make fairly lascivious comments about her figure when Matthias was around.

“You’re pushy, aren’t you?” Matthias said, reaching out to pet the cat.

“Pushy my ass. We have a serious problem.”

“What do you mean?” Albert asked.

And the cat, who was far from ordinary, proceeded to ruin their night.

Chapter Nine

Murry took his time, settling himself on the desk before addressing them. “Well, one of the security men, I’m pretty sure he’s either possessed or a demon.”

“Which one?” Albert asked.

“The short one. Drayfield. Either way, this office has been infiltrated. I strongly suggest relocating to the Florida office as soon as possible. As in tomorrow.”

The men looked at each other. Murry was a reliable familiar. He had never been wrong before.

“Have there been plans?” Matthias asked.

“I don’t have all the details. They kick me out of the security office and close the door so I can’t hear. I told you to put the litter box in there, but no, you don’t listen to me—”

“All right, we get it,” Albert interrupted. He looked at them. “What’s the excuse?”

“Black mold?” Tim offered.

Even Murry shot him an exasperated look.

“I’ll immediately replace all the inner security personnel and get fresh staff, screen them,” Albert said.

Matthias looked at Tim. “Does she have a concealed carry permit?”

He nodded. “I insisted on it a couple of years ago, after she started trying cases. She could blow your balls off at a hundred yards.”

Matthias smiled. “All the more reason to love her.”

“I suppose,” Albert considered, “we could buy a large company down there. How about an insurance company? This is hurricane season in Florida, isn’t it? It would require an extensive amount of research for such a new acquisition.”

Matthias nodded. “Not the best excuse we can come up with, but that will have to do unless you can concoct something better. Just tell her there’s going to be a major acquisition and we need her there. Make the calls.”

Albert put it on speakerphone and reached her on her BlackBerry.

She took the news rather well, all things considered.

When they hung up, both men turned to Tim. He sighed. “I know, I know. Get packing.”

* * *

Forty-eight hours later, Robertson and Taz stood in the living room of their corporate rental house just north of Tampa. Taz still looked shell shocked.

“This is amazing.” She meant the whole situation. The house itself wasn’t bad, a little larger than their LA condo, which she assumed they’d be going back to in a few weeks. A few months, at the latest.

He patted her on the shoulder. “You’ll get through it. You’re flexible.”

She took his hand. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Sweetheart, do you think I’d miss this for the world?”

* * *

Hawthorne International owned a thirty-story building in south downtown Tampa. Taz’s new office overlooked the Tampa Bay Times Forum hockey complex where the Tampa Bay Lightning played. Albert knocked on her door, picking his path through boxes. “Good, I’m glad you made it.” Murry strolled in behind him. Taz smiled and knelt so she could pet the cat.

“Hey, you brought him.”

“Mr. Hawthorne always has him at his base of operations. He says Murry’s good luck.”

The cat looked at Albert and meowed loudly. Taz laughed, picking him up and stroking him. “I’m glad to see you too, fella,” she said. “You make it a little less stressful.”

The cat glared at Albert.

So there.

Albert glared back at the cat, but she missed it. “Mr. Hawthorne will be here in a few hours,” Albert said. “I’m hoping I’ll have paperwork for you to look through by then. You’ll also need an assistant for the next few months.”

“Oh, I’ll manage. I can telecommute with Janice at the LA office.”

He shook his head. “Mr. Hawthorne wants you to have an assistant here, not just a secretary.”

She finally realized what he meant. “You mean I need a you for me?” She smiled.

He paused before laughing. “Quite. Yes, you need an Albert.”

“You’re a prince.”

He groaned. She felt comfortable enough with him now to joke around a little, even call him by his first name at his insistence. “No comments about what’s in my can, right? I’ve heard that one quite enough.” He smiled, belying his irritated tone.

“I’ll contact HR and get the ball rolling.”

He nodded, wishing he could push her to the conclusion he wanted, but it wasn’t forthcoming.

Albert knew Tim was having lunch with her, and five minutes before he was scheduled to arrive—already in the elevator—Albert sprang their trap.

“Want to grab some lunch, Anastazia?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My dad’s meeting me.” She didn’t hesitate to call Tim that anymore, Albert noticed. “You know, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you joined us, if that’s okay with you?”

Thank you, Lord. Finally. “That’s fine. I look forward to meeting him.”

And in Tim walked, perfectly timed.

They went downstairs to the restaurant, which served fantastic authentic Cuban food.

Matthias arrived, supposedly unexpected, and sat with them. She made the introductions. “Mr. Hawthorne, my dad, Tim Robertson.”

Albert noticed Tim puffed up a little at that title. He shook hands with Matthias as if they hadn’t known each other for centuries.

“Did Albert mention to you about getting an assistant?” Matthias queried.

Albert and Tim held their breath.

She nodded. “I’ll contact HR about it.”

They talked for a few more moments, business items. Then Matthias looked at Tim. “You look familiar, but I can’t place you.”

“I’ve worked for Anastazia’s family since she was a child. I was her parents’ business attorney and majordomo.”

Matthias feigned a gobsmacked expression. Albert mentally warned him to tone it down a notch, and he did. “Are you retired?”

“In a manner of speaking. I was thrilled when Anastazia asked me to make the trip with her.”

Matthias looked at Anastazia. “Can you work with him?”

She’d lost track of the conversation. Albert noticed her tendency toward distraction around Matthias.

But that was fair, since Matthias was just as bad. He frequently lost himself in her green eyes.

“Sorry?”

“Mister—Robertson? How is your working relationship with Ms. Proctor?”

“Oh, it’s fine—”

“Perfect!” Matthias stuck out his hand to Tim, who did a good job of looking genuinely surprised. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Robertson. Glad to have you.” Matthias looked at his buzzing BlackBerry. “Sorry, but I have to take this.”

Then he left. Taz was so surprised she never noticed Albert slip his own phone back into its holster.

Later, while Taz was in her office, Albert was “showing” Tim around. They’d ordered Matthias out of the building because of the silly grin he couldn’t control.

“We did it,” Tim practically crowed.

“About time, too. I don’t know how much longer I can rein Matthias in. He’s totally besotted by her.”

* * *

After lunch, Taz returned to her office to work. Murry sat in the chair and stared at her, twitching the end of his tail in an irritated fashion.

At one point she thought she heard someone say, “Silly girl,” but there was no one around. She stared at the cat.

Murry innocently blinked at her from his perch in the chair.

Chapter Ten

Two weeks later, Taz was settled and busy. The office layout was a little smaller, but similar to the LA building, with their executive offices on the top floor. Except now Tim had the office on the other side of her, there wasn’t a security office, and they had a lovely shaded outdoor terrace she took the liberty of outfitting with several large potted tropical palms.

Matthias was out of the office, or so she thought. Albert and Tim were somewhere together doing research when the receptionist buzzed her.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Proctor. There is a Mr. Babson here to see you.”

“Babson?”

“Yes.”

Taz checked her calendar. “I don’t have anyone listed,” she said.

“He says he doesn’t have an appointment. He’s very sorry about that, but needs a few minutes of your time for some forms.”

Murry chose that minute to jump on her desk. Taz gently shooed him off. He returned, meowing loudly, and she wondered if he’d been fed yet. He suddenly seemed very agitated.

“Okay, ah, hold him for ten then send him up with a visitor access pass.”

“Yes, Ms. Proctor.”

Just what I need, she thought.

Murry jumped up on her desk again and loudly meowed.

“Stupid—listen!” she thought she heard someone say. But she knew she was alone and shook it off.

Must be a radio on somewhere. “Murry, you can’t do that. What’s gotten into you?” She scooped him up, scratching him under the chin. “Are you feeling ignored?”

He shrugged out of her grasp and bolted out the door. She sighed, finished what she was working on, and kept an eye on the time.

* * *

Murry knew Matthias, Albert, and Tim were two floors down. He ran for the stairwell.

This is bad. Very bad.

* * *

Taz eyed the elevator lights and timed it so she was standing in the hall when the doors opened. She caught a whiff of a strange odor, rotten eggy, reminding her of high school chem lab. She’d have to call Engineering to look at the AC unit.

“Mr. Babson, was it?” she asked.

He nodded. He was about her height and wore a cheap grey business suit a size too large. He had flat slate-grey eyes, and thinning reddish hair stuck up at odd angles like he’d been caught in a wind tunnel. He carried a large, scuffed leather briefcase.

“Sorry to drop in unannounced like this,” he said. “I was told to ask for you in person, that you had the authority to look through these papers.”

She motioned him to follow her, suddenly not wanting to shake hands with him. “What’s it regarding?”

There was that funny odor again. Chemical? It was acrid, not smoky, but close. Sharp, odd. She led him to the conference room.

“Beecham Manor.”

“I don’t know what that is. I’ll need to get my laptop. Please wait here and make yourself comfortable.”

He nodded, and she walked to her office.

* * *

Murry found the three men and bounced, hard, off Matthias’ knees.

“COME NOW!”

The men looked at the cat and then bolted for the stairs as one.

* * *

Taz smiled as she returned and set her laptop on the conference table. Babson had opened his briefcase and laid a couple of files on the table. He now stood across the room, examining the bookcases, his back to her.

“Can you please spell that for me?” she asked.

He did, working his way along the wall toward her, browsing titles while she searched, his back to her, hands in front of him.

Taz turned to speak to Babson and saw him approaching, a large knife in his hand. She didn’t have time to register what was happening. Matthias suddenly roared through the open conference-room door, carrying a large, upraised sword, and sliced through the intruder.

By the time Taz scrabbled backward away from them, the knife Babson wielded hit the floor, a bright orange flash lit the room, and then an acrid cloud of dust settled to the carpet.

Her mouth fell open, her scream imminent.

Albert and Tim flanked Matthias, who turned to her, lowering the sword as he reached out to her. “Anastazia, are you okay?”

Murry chose that moment to jump on the conference table, startling her. She screamed—loud, long, panicked. She backed away from Albert and Tim, her hands in front of her, warding the men away.

Albert turned to Matthias. “Put that damn thing down. Can’t you see she’s frightened?”

Matthias looked at the sword, laid it on the conference table, and held up two empty hands. “It’s okay, Anastazia. It’s gone. I took care of it.”

She stopped screaming only because she had to take a breath.

“Here it comes,” Tim said. Albert shot him a warning look.

“What the fuck was that?”

* * *

Taz looked at the men, still backing away, still warding them off. Had time slowed? Stopped? Because in the space of less than a few seconds a strange-smelling man attacked her with a knife, her employer took him out with a sword, and the attacker disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Not your normal day at the office.

Matthias tried again. “Anastazia, it’s okay. You’re safe—”

“What the hell is going on?” she shrieked. Matthias winced.

Robertson smiled. He was used to her volume. “That’s my girl. She’ll be fine.”

She turned on him. “What the hell is going on? I want answers!”

Matthias took a step toward her. She backed away from him. “Calm down and I’ll—”

“Calm down? Did you just tell me to calm down? What the fuck just happened? Where did that guy go? What the hell is going on—is that a sword?”

Murry, always helpful, chose that moment to reveal himself to her. “Calm down, sweetie. It was just a demon. Well, not technically a demon, but close enough.”

She’d started to scream something else, but it died on her lips as she stared at the cat. Her eyes grew even wider as a frightened squeak escaped her slack jaw.

The cat stepped toward her, across the table, deftly avoiding her laptop. “Yes, you heard me. A demon.”

She looked at the men, certain she’d just lost her mind. Obviously, what happened was that stress had triggered some sort of mental breakdown and—

“Yes, Murry just spoke to you,” Tim said gently.

Must. Focus. On. Breathing. And Taz did just that, the astonishment frozen on her face. She thought. She couldn’t tell for sure, because her whole body had gone numb.

* * *

She kept the conference table between herself and the men and warily eyed the sword. Albert had pulled Matthias back for fear she’d bolt from the room. They let Tim take point.

“Taz, honey, it’s okay.”

“What?” It came out a whisper. She wasn’t screaming anymore, but somehow this was worse. She sounded like her sanity had slipped a cog. Tim couldn’t blame her. Get her through the initial shock first, then figure out how the hell a demon not only tracked her down, but got into the office.

“Anastazia, Taz, look at me—look at me, sweetheart.” If he could just get her to look into his eyes, he could hopefully calm her, or, if necessary, push her over the edge into a faint. Then they could regroup.

Her eyes glazed over. She still wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she looked from the sword, to Matthias, who still had his hands up in front of him, showing her they were empty, to Albert, to the cat, who was now licking himself.

Repeat as necessary.

“Anastazia, look at me,” Tim tried again. When he took a step forward, she took a step back. He was actually happy to see that, because it meant at least some of her instincts were trying to kick in.

She was slipping toward shock. Barely a minute had passed.

He opted for a change in approach. “Anastazia!” He used his angry parent tone, and she looked at him, but before he could catch her gaze she stared at the sword again.

With his focus still on her, Tim said, “Get. The sword. Out of here.”

Albert grabbed it and set it around the corner, outside the door.

“See?” Matthias said. “The sword—”

“Shut up, Matthias,” Tim and Albert said together.

Surprisingly, that was all it took to bring her back.

“What did you call him?” she asked Tim, her tone still too low and far too quiet for his liking.

“Anastazia, it’s okay. We have a lot we need to talk—”

“Oh, you bet your ass we do!” Her normally calm and professional veneer had finally shattered.

The Ice Queen, melted.

Her eyes still wide, her gaze rapidly skipped from one man to another. She started to tremble, shock imminent.

Tim tried again. “Sweetheart, look at me. Now.”

She finally focused on his eyes long enough he could take her. He motioned to Albert, who brought a chair.

“You have to calm down.” Tim reached out for the woman he loved like a daughter, took her hand, and gently guided her to the chair. He stepped back. He didn’t like to do this to her for too long, but at least she was seated.

He released her. She blinked and looked at the three men. Her voice still trembled, sounding near breaking. “Will one of you please explain what the hell just happened?”

Tim struggled to keep his voice low and soft. “It’s very difficult to explain, and it’s a very long story.”

Chapter Eleven

Albert poured Taz a glass of water and handed it to Tim, who set it on the table and slid it close to her. She still looked like she could bolt from the chair and run at any moment.

Or faint.

She grasped the glass with trembling hands and took a sip.

When she next spoke, her voice sounded calmer, more like herself, but still unsteady. “What happened? One of you better explain, right now.”

The men deferred to Tim.

“It was a daemon pulverem,” he said, pulling a chair close to her so he could face her in case he had to take her again. “A ‘dust demon.’ Technically not a true demon. It’s more closely related to a goblin, but people erroneously call them demons because of the name. Please listen to me. I know this sounds incredible—”

“So not the word I would have used!”

“—but please hear me out.” He knew there would be interruptions and chose to ignore most of them. He’d never seen her this way, and it worried him. “For whatever reason, that thing came here today to hurt you.”

“I’ve never seen that man before in my life!”

“—and thank God Matthias stopped him.”

“What happened to the guy?”

“He went up in a puff of smoke. It’s what happens to a daemon pulverem when you run it through with that sword. And the next—”

“A demon?”

“—step is we need to find out who sent it here today, and why.”

“How long have you known Matthias and Albert? You’ve known them all along, haven’t you?” It didn’t escape anyone’s notice but hers that she’d used Matthias’ first name.

Finally.

“We’ll get to that in a minute—”

“No, we’ll fucking get to it right now!”

“—because right now, I need to make sure you’re okay. Did he hurt you?”

“Matthias? You came up with him.”

“The daemon. Did it touch you or hurt you? Did you shake hands with it?”

“I thought you said it wasn’t a demon?”

“For the sake of argument, let’s call it that. Did it touch you?”

She shook her head. “What was he doing here?”

“Did it say anything, or—”

“He had the weirdest odor.”

Tim nodded. “I know. It didn’t touch you? You didn’t shake hands with it?”

She shook her head again.

“Are you absolutely sure?”

She nodded.

“Okay, good.” Tim reached out, and she let him take her hands. They felt ice cold. He patted them, squeezed them, tried to warm them. “Did it say anything to you?” Tim tried again, not releasing her hands.

Her tone grew weak as the adrenaline rush faded. He would lose her soon. “No. He said he needed to discuss Beecham Manor, whatever that is. I got my laptop and was looking it up—”

“That’s fine, Taz. That’s good.” She missed the sharp looks the three men exchanged. That was Matthias’ Florida compound. They hadn’t given her that information yet.

So how had the intruder found out that information?

“Do you understand what happened?”

Wide-eyed, she shook her head. He tried again. “For some reason, that creature was sent here to attack you. We don’t know why.”

“But we will.” Matthias growled from the corner where he stood, arms crossed, watching.

“Do you understand?” Tim asked her.

She shook her head. “There’s no such thing as demons. What’s going on? Have I had a nervous breakdown?”

Tim worried. She was definitely growing weaker. He needed to piss her off again, refocus her. “You’re not going crazy, but we have been keeping secrets from you.”

Her eyes narrowed. There she was.

That’s my girl.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“I work for Matthias.”

“I know you do.”

“No. I mean I’ve worked for Matthias for a very long time.”

She started to speak, stopped, and chewed on that information. For the first time, she really looked at Matthias, then back to Tim. “What?”

Tim nodded. “I have worked for Matthias Hawthorne since before you were born.” No need to tell her how long.

Yet.

She still looked back and forth between them. “You worked for him? You’ve always worked for him?”

“My job was to protect you and your parents.” And again, no need to tell her more than that just yet. Little bits. Digestible bites.

“Demon?”

All three men nodded.

Taz looked where Tim still massaged her hands. She jerked them away. “I trusted you!” she hissed. “You’re the only family I’ve got!”

“I have never lied about how much I love you. You are the daughter I never had.”

She looked at Matthias. “And you! You suckered me into this job.”

“I had to keep you safe.”

“Oh, great! I worked for Bob Stanley for ten years and was never attacked by a demon a single time!” She looked at them, trying to make sense of the information. “What is so special about me and my family we’d need your protection?”

Matthias exchanged looks with the other two. He was on his own.

“Because,” Matthias said, “I’m not normal.”

“Tell me something I don’t fucking know, Matthias!” Anger had to be a good sign, right? And she was still calling him by his first name.

Matthias smiled at her.

“I’m a vampire,” he said.

She obviously waited for a punch line that wasn’t coming. “And?” she finally asked.

She looked at the other men. They weren’t laughing.

“You know, this stopped being funny before it ever started,” she said.

“No one’s kidding, Taz,” Tim said. “We all are.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Vampires.”

He nodded.

She stared at him. “Vampires.”

He nodded again. She looked at Matthias. “Vampire?”

Matthias nodded. She looked at Albert. “Vampire?”

He nodded.

Back to Tim. “Vampire?”

He nodded.

She looked at the table, put her hands on it for balance, and cautiously stood. “Well gentlemen,” she said slowly, eying them. “This has been real, and it’s been fun, but it hasn’t been real fun. If you don’t mind, I’m not sticking around for the second act.”

“Anastazia!” Tim sounded stern, looked her in the eye, and took control of her again.

* * *

A moment later she found herself back in the chair, wondering how she got there. Tim knelt in front of her and held her hands again. “Please, listen to me. You must believe us.”

She nodded. “Sure. Okay. Whatever you say.” She ran through the options in her mind. 5150 psychiatric hold? No, that was California. What’d they call it here in Florida? Baker Act, that was it.

She could get them Baker Acted, and that would mean a hold for evaluation. She had Matthias’ power of attorney, and she could do Robertson because he was family. Albert would be a problem—

“Anastazia,” Robertson said, interrupting her thoughts. “We are not crazy, and we do not need to be Baker Acted.”

She’d only thought that. How did he know?

“You can’t be vampires,” she said, lamely, “because I’ve seen you all eat and drink and go outside and drive cars!”

Matthias laughed at that one. “Vampires don’t drive cars?”

“They don’t in the movies. I think.”

He laughed again. Tim sent him a warning look. “The movies are just that, Taz, movies,” Tim explained. “Most of what popular culture knows about vampires is a myth created by Hollywood, not real life.”

“Because vampires are so misunderstood. Yeah, I get that. Just like the Tooth Fairy gets screwed while Santa Claus gets all the glory.”

“Anastazia!”

“That was actually pretty funny,” Matthias said.

Robertson turned on him. “You are not helping, Matthias.”

“I killed the demon. I say that counts as helping.”

Taz laughed despite herself. “I would say that counts. If it really happened.”

Tim threw his hands in the air and motioned for Matthias to take over. “Fine. You try to help her through this. I’ve only known her all her life and you…haven’t.” Telling her now of Matthias’ ten-year crush might not be the wisest choice.

Matthias hesitated, then sat in Tim’s vacated chair.

Then he looked her in the eye and smiled.

Oh, Jesus, that smile! It took her breath away and started a deep, longing ache inside her. No one ever made her feel like that. What were they talking about again?

Matthias waited for her eyes to settle and focus on him, his voice so soft she had to carefully tune her full attention.

“Anastazia,” he whispered. A delicious shiver ran up her spine and spread through her very core. “Are you all right?”

She slowly nodded, unable to pull her gaze from him.

She didn’t want to.

“I know this is difficult to believe. We understand you’re upset. We never wanted you to find out like this. This wasn’t the plan. But I have to protect you.”

“I can protect myself.”

“Of course you can.”

“Don’t patronize me, Matthias.”

He paused. She didn’t miss the satisfied smirk Robertson shot Matthias. “I’m not patronizing you, Anastazia. There is a lot for you to learn. You must get past this initial shock, and then we can get started.”

Taz fought the urge to lean over and kiss him. He wasn’t wearing cologne. He never did, but he smelled like bath soap and laundry detergent, his deodorant, and something else that made her want to reach over and…

She blinked. Holy crap, what is wrong with me? “You can’t convince me you all aren’t seriously whacked.”

Matthias nodded. “I know.”

She looked at them again. “You’re all crazy.”

He shook his head. “We’re not crazy. This situation, yes, is crazy.”

Robertson used a handkerchief to pick up the knife and carefully handed it to Matthias. She noticed they kept the cloth between their flesh and the weapon. Matthias showed it to her, and when she reached out to touch it, he pulled it back. “No. Never touch a demon’s knife with your bare hands.”

She looked. Made of metal, it resembled stainless steel, but darker. Several large, maroon stones were embedded in the rough handle, which was wrapped with a strange leather cord. It radiated a horrible feeling, a sick heat.

She turned away, unable to look at it. “No.”

Albert took it away. Even though he hadn’t actually touched the metal, Matthias wiped his hands on his pants. “There are a lot of things we must teach you. I can’t begin to explain it all.”

“What about his other…stuff?” She motioned to the briefcase and papers on the table.

“I’ll get them,” Robertson said, clearing the table.

“It won’t hurt him to touch that?”

“It’s just their tools,” Matthias explained. “The forged items you cannot ever touch. Or the demon itself, until you’re strong enough to fight.”

She still had trouble processing all of this. But she felt a little calmer.

“Vampire?” she asked him.

He nodded.

“Let me see your teeth.”

He suppressed a laugh and opened his mouth.

“You don’t have fangs.”

“Hollywood myth.”

She looked at Albert and Robertson. “Vampire?”

Matthias nodded.

She fell quiet for a long moment. “I don’t feel so good.”

“That’s understandable,” Matthias said. “This has been quite a shock for you.”

She watched them, and they didn’t interrupt her thoughts. Finally, in a soft voice that didn’t sound like her, she said, “Why are you doing this to me? Why are you putting me through this?”

* * *

Matthias wanted to reach out and hold her. He also knew if he did, it would send her running. Just to be this close to her and have the secret out, despite the circumstances, was a relief.

Tim, sensing her mood, stepped forward again. “Taz, we never wanted this to happen,” he said from behind Matthias. “This isn’t how we wanted you to find out. We were going to ease you into it, reveal things slowly, and once we had shown you many things, put a name to it.”

“You go out in the daytime. I spent three fucking days in a car with you,” she said to Matthias.

He nodded. “Hollywood lied. Imagine that.”

He sensed her choke back a reluctant laugh.

He smiled. “Anastazia,” he said, “just let us explain—”

“So, I’m going to be some sort of sick blood feast for you?”

“No!” all three men yelled in unison, making her jump.

“It’s not like that,” Matthias said. “If I called it something else, a shared genetic mutation, would that make it easier to understand?”

“No. And a ‘shared genetic mutation’ doesn’t explain you murdering that guy.” Taz stood, circling the room and avoiding Tim and Albert. Matthias remained seated.

“I didn’t murder him. You saw him. He had a knife. He was attacking you. Thank God—” He stopped before getting into further details about Murry. She had enough on her plate to deal with. The issue of their talking cat could wait. “Thank God we came back when we did. I would never forgive myself if anyone hurt you.”

* * *

Taz wanted to go to Matthias, hug him, but she felt too pissed. Why couldn’t he be a sweet, cute guy without the crazy bullshit? “I’m having a hard time understanding this. Am I losing my mind? Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming, right? I’m asleep in my office right now, and I’ve dozed off at my desk…”

All three men shook their heads.

Matthias stood. “Please hear me out. Let me tell you some things, and we can go from there.”

Chapter Twelve

“We don’t need blood to feed,” Matthias explained to Taz. “That’s a myth.”

“What about sunlight?” she asked. “You don’t blow up?”

He turned to the conference-room window and opened the blinds. The late afternoon sun streamed in, making her blink. “Another myth,” he said. “Our eyes are sometimes extremely sensitive to it. And yes, we can get sunburned like anyone else. You’ve seen me outside.”

“Break out the SPF 5,000,” she quipped.

His lips curled in a smile, but he didn’t reply.

“So, you aren’t a bloodsucker?” she asked.

He looked like he wanted to weigh his words. “There are,” he answered, “some old traditions, old rituals. I’m not sure I can adequately explain the full workings of them to you right now.”

“Because, what, I’m not worthy?”

“No, because I don’t know how to explain them without you understanding everything first.” He turned to the city beyond the glass. “Centuries ago, you couldn’t drive down to GNC for the latest vitamins and iron supplements. Animals, plants, and people were it. Less refined people, people with more advanced forms of the condition, frequently felt a craving sort of like some pregnant women get.”

“This is way more than pickles and ice cream,” she snarked.

“I’m not trying to justify it. I’m trying to explain it.” He turned from the window. “Do you know what it’s like outliving everyone you love? Having to move every few decades and give up your life to create a new one because you don’t want to answer uncomfortable questions? Having to watch the world embrace those horrible books, movies and”— he shuddered—“role-playing games romanticizing all these myths?”

“So why aren’t there more of you?”

He walked around the table and took his seat. “We cannot all breed and produce someone with the genes to pass it on.”

“Such a romantic. I’m surprised you’re still single.”

“Do you want answers or not?”

She held her hand out for him to continue.

“It’s like trying to breed a horse and a donkey. You get a hybrid. Not all hybrids are able to reproduce. Or look at it like a recessive gene. You have to find someone who carries the right combination of DNA to have a baby that has the traits to carry the line. It’s not uncommon for those of our kind to have children, but the vast majority of them are all human without the genetic mutations, or weak hybrids without enough of the DNA to pass on. We cannot interbreed the most powerful vampires if they are related. Imagine Deliverance with fangs.”

Yergh. “I thought you said you didn’t need blood to feed?”

“We don’t. But there was a tendency toward poor impulse control among the extremely inbred when that was still a common occurrence. A thirst for the adrenaline rush of the hunt and kill. Most Clans no longer have that problem. Rogues are few and far between and weeded out by us if they become dangerous.”

“So, no herds of human sheep? No dirt-filled coffins?”

He looked sick again. “The only truths are extreme longevity, mental powers, and the ability to heal quickly. In some of us.”

“What about the incredible flaming boy?”

“That’s different. That wasn’t a vampire. That was a demon.”

She held her head. This was too much. Then it hit her. “Where’s the hidden camera? I’m being Punk’d, right? This is a joke, or a test? Some sort of weird, twisted, sick kind of hazing?”

Matthias leaned back in his chair. “No.”

She paced in front of the window. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“I’ve watched your family for years. Your mother was descended from the Eastern European Clan.”

She wheeled around. “You what?”

He nodded. “You are of the line. That’s why Robertson has taken care of you since you were a baby.”

She tried to think of the implications. She’d yell at Robertson later. “So, what, you’re trying to bring me in to breed with you?”

Matthias jumped to his feet so fast she missed the movement. “That’s not why I hired you. I hired you because you’re good at what you do, and we need that now more than ever.” His voice softened. “I would never force myself on you.”

She stared at him. “But, you were hoping I would throw myself at you?”

“If you wish to get to know me better, that’s fine with me. I won’t lie to you. I find you extremely attractive. If nothing ever happens between us personally, at least you are now aware of your background and under our full protection.”

She sat, suddenly feeling tired and drained. Under other circumstances, his revelation about finding her attractive would have had her doing summersaults. Unfortunately, the whole crazy vampire bullshit put a damper on her enthusiasm. “I don’t know any more now than I did a few minutes ago. Demons? Vampires?”

“Demons are not exactly what you think they are. And like Tim said, that…thing wasn’t technically a demon.”

“Let me guess. They’re not the spawn of Satan, they’re just misunderstood?”

“No. What that thing was, it’s a creature more dust and energy than anything. That’s why he disappeared the way he did. When you strike them with that sword it breaks the surface tension. They dissolve. Its ‘body’ does anyway. Its spirit—I’m not sure if you can call it that—disappears, but it doesn’t get destroyed. They can regroup. However, it takes a while to rebuild a form. They are dark. They are real. As for Satan, I can’t answer that. I always had the impression those creatures were free agents. True demons are nothing like the myths. I would hope if Satan was real that he would have better organization among his minions.”

She was quiet. “So how old are you?”

“Do you really want to know?”

She nodded.

“I was nearly one hundred when Columbus discovered America.”

She dropped her head to the table and laughed. “This isn’t happening.”

Albert placed a folder on the table next to her. “The lab work.”

“What?” She looked up at him. “What lab work?”

“You gave blood for the hiring process, the drug screening.”

“Let me guess. You didn’t screen for drugs?”

“Only for the DNA markers. We wanted to be sure. There have been a lot of advances in testing the past few years, and we needed a fresh sample from you.”

She snatched up the folder and opened it, reading, not sure what she was looking for. Inside she found a report, a letter addressed to Matthias, summing it up.

Preliminary testing shows the sample provided contains the DNA markers we are actively tracking for the EE, WE, and NA Clans, with less than ten percent dilution factor, genetic traits sufficient enough…

“Well, at least my cholesterol is good.” She closed the folder and pushed it away, feeling ill. “I’m related to vampires?”

Albert shook his head. “You’re not related to vampires. You are a vampire.”

“I need air.” She bolted out the door to the terrace. Closing her eyes, the cool breeze washed over her.

This isn’t happening.

“Taz, I’m so sorry.”

Robertson’s voice startled her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to him.

She wanted to throw him off the roof.

“The feelings I’ve had for you are real. You are like a daughter to me, but I had a job to do.”

Her voice bore a granite edge. “You did it very well.”

“I do love you, Taz. Please believe me. I had to protect and prepare you—”

“You never mentioned anything about exploding demons or crazy vampire bosses!” She turned on him. “So what really happened to my parents?”

He shook his head. “We don’t know. When their plane went down, Matthias sent in a fleet of search and rescue teams to try to find them. He had nothing to do with their disappearance. How do you think they managed to stay alive and out of trouble for so many years?”

“You helped them. They couldn’t have found their asses with both hands and a flashlight if it wasn’t for you. You ran their lives.”

He snorted, the first time she ever heard him make that sound. “Not by myself, I didn’t. If it wasn’t for Matthias’ resources, I never could have handled them. He did his best to protect them, as he does others in your situation. There are so few, he tries to take all reasonable measures when he identifies someone of the line who is very strong.”

She grabbed the back of a chair and held on, suddenly feeling very dizzy. Her head buzzed as her vision swam. When she collapsed, Robertson yelled for help, and she felt him catch her…

* * *

Taz dreamed about her parents. Eric’s green eyes and rakish smile fit well with his Irish brogue. Her mother, Bianca, met him while filming in Dublin, and they were a match made in heaven. Except when they fought, which was often. He drank and chased women during his off-seasons, but Bianca always took him back, as if she couldn’t resist his charms. And she was no angel either. People jumped to fulfill her every whim—except Robertson. He was the one stable force in the Proctor household, not just for her but for her parents, too.

Taz dreamed about driving lessons with her father, times spent in the garage with him learning about cars. Robertson always hovered in the background watching over her, protecting her. Feeling more like a dad than her own father.

Her high school graduation, one of the few times her parents were together and smiling and there for her, and how they flew out that evening from LAX leaving her alone with Robertson to take her out to dinner in celebration…

Watching the TV reports, seeing publicity shots of her mom, her ice-blue eyes flashing on the screen while rescuers combed the wilds outside Rio looking for their small plane. Less famous than her mother, her father got second mention every time. It was always, “Actress Bianca Proctor and husband, race-car driver Eric Proctor, are missing…”

And Robertson there, holding her, helping her, taking over for her, providing a shield from the public, ensuring her the privacy to grieve…

* * *

Taz awoke in a dim room and lying on a soft couch. There was a cool, damp cloth on her forehead and a light blanket covering her. She started to sit up, remembered what happened, and opted to stay where she was until the dizziness abated.

“You’re okay.” Matthias was at her side. He snapped on a lamp. “You fainted. It was shock.” Concern lined his face.

She regretted taking this job. She should have followed her instincts to run. How much of her life was a sham, with Matthias Hawthorne pulling the strings?

“How long have you been watching me?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Huh? No, I mean how long, how many years?”

“Oh. We’ve tracked your family line for decades, ever since I untangled the genealogy after World War II. A lot of Clan members were scattered, many killed, during the wars in Europe. When your mother and father married and had you, I realized there was a potential danger to you because of their irresponsible behavior. That’s when I stepped in and made sure you had Tim to care for you. Once he realized you were much more powerful than just a hybrid, he stayed to keep you safe until you were old enough to bring in.”

“They never knew?”

He shook his head. “In most cases, unless it’s obvious someone has the line strong in them, I never make direct contact with the family. Especially if I feel they would be better off not knowing their lineage.”

“Why did you lie to me? Sucker me into this job?”

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hi, I’m a really old vampire. Do you want to come work for me?’ Like you’d give me a chance to say anything else. You’d think I was crazy.”

“Guess what, big guy? I do think you’re crazy. You just want to sleep with me. I can think of better pick-up lines than, ‘Hi, I’m a vampire, you’re a vampire, let’s suck.’”

“No. I won’t lie and tell you there were no ulterior motives, Anastazia, but that’s not the reason I brought you onboard. You are a talented, skilled, beautiful woman, and you are a valuable asset to this firm.”

She pulled the blanket away and sat up, determined to salvage a little of her dignity. “Asset to the firm. Great. Valuable firm ass is more like it.”

He caught her arm. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

She shook free. “That’s exactly how it came out.” She threw the door open, taking Tim and Albert by surprise. Her purse sat on the chair just inside her office. She grabbed it as she passed, barely breaking stride.

Matthias followed her. She didn’t dare meet his gaze, knowing she’d melt. “Anastazia, can we talk about this, please?”

“We have nothing to discuss, Mister Hawthorne. I am leaving this loony bin. You’ll have my letter of resignation tomorrow.” She yanked the door open harder than she meant, and it flew out of her grasp, bouncing off the wall. “Good day, sir.” She didn’t say anything to Robertson. She’d deal with him after she dealt with this. She could only handle one shift of her world on its axis in a day, and this was it.

How could I be so stupid?

“Please, Anastazia, wait—”

She held up a hand, not looking back as she walked to the elevator. Matthias fell silent behind her. He didn’t try to follow her down to the parking garage. By the time the elevator opened downstairs, the valet had her car waiting, running, door open. One of the men must have called ahead for her.

How thoughtful.

Asshats.

She held her tears at bay until she reached I-75.

What a moron I am. What a friggin’, absolute dumb-ass moron. How could I be so stupid?

Vampires and demons and clans, oh my. They were probably laughing their asses off back at the office. What kind of sick game was Hawthorne playing? And with Robertson in on it?

How could he betray me like that?

She felt foot meet floor and realized the speedometer needle was buried at 110. She immediately eased up. She didn’t need a ticket from FHP on top of everything else. Her day sucked badly enough already.

Chapter Thirteen

Robertson didn’t follow Taz home, and there were no calls on the answering machine. She switched her BlackBerry off, locked the front door behind her, and locked herself in her room.

She filled the tub and sank into the hot water, closing her eyes and trying to sort her thoughts.

This is a dream. A really, really bad dream. There are no such things as demons or vampires.

Babson didn’t disappear into a flaming pile of ash. If Criss Angel could appear to levitate on a city street, surely a man of Matthias Hawthorne’s considerable means could concoct an elaborate hoax.

And her employer—and admitted yummalicious hunk—was not a vampire.

She was not a vampire.

Correction, ex-employer. Despite her attraction to him, after that display there was no way in hell she was working for him anymore. She’d pack and be back in LA by the end of the week.

Or she’d wake up in the morning in the hospital, suffering from the flu or food poisoning. Part of her prayed that was the real answer, because despite the crazy events, part of her dreaded not working for handsome Matthias Hawthorne anymore.

Her doorbell rang. Fuck that, I’m not answering it. She didn’t care who it was. She sank lower in the water, trying to calm her nerves.

It rang again, then a third time, over the next few minutes. Finally, it stopped.

Talking cats. Exploding demons. Vampires…

Taz woke up and realized she’d dozed in the warm water. After drying off she donned her pajamas and robe. A glance out the window and she saw it was now past dark. Just her car in the driveway. Robertson must be giving her a wide berth tonight.

As damn well he should.

Taz stuck her head out the bedroom door. Dark. She made her way to the kitchen and turned on the light before grabbing a glass of wine. She felt she’d need more than that.

She remembered the doorbell. On the front step, she found a large bouquet.

How expected.

She sighed and brought it inside, locking the door behind her. She took the card and her wine back to her room, stopping to pick up her BlackBerry.

The card was in Matthias’ tidy script. He must have followed her from the office to get it out there that soon.

Anastazia, I’m sorry I couldn’t confide in you sooner. I never meant for you to find out like this. Please forgive me. I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me, but for your safety, will you please talk to me?

“For my safety?” She snorted. Oh, isn’t that just a tad on the melodramatic side? She balled the card up and flung it across the room where it hit the wall and landed on the floor.

A loud thump shook the back of the house, startling her. She slipped on a pair of sneakers then grabbed the 9mm from her purse, chambering a round and checking the safety.

One of the back windows shattered as she opened the bedroom door. She raced to the bedroom phone. Dead.

She didn’t have time to power up her BlackBerry.

From the bedroom doorway she yelled, “Whoever you are, get out! I have a gun, and I will kill you.”

She heard a growl. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She heard more glass breaking.

“That’s what you think.” The voice sounded barely human. There was something so cold, so harsh about it that made her want to crawl into her closet and hide.

Taz fought the urge to run and released the safety, bringing the gun up. Moving to the other side of the doorway, she kept the wall between her and the voice. It was large, whatever it was, with loud, ragged breath.

“I’m warning you, leave now!” She put the hall corner in her sights and tried to quiet her breathing. Her pulse raced, in her throat, in her head, in her chest. Praying she could keep the gun still, she held her breath.

There was another growl, closer. “Don’t run. You’ll only make the meat tough.”

What fresh hell is this? She had to be dreaming, still in the tub, right?

Wake up, Taz. Wake up now!

A misshapen shadow loomed around the corner. She prepared to pull the trigger when her front door exploded. The intruder howled as she jumped and squeezed the trigger. The bullet plunged into the hallway wall three feet up. A dark blur and a flash flowed past her, down the hall, and sounds of a violent struggle ensued.

She moved to follow but two pairs of arms were on her, pulling her toward the front door. She tried to fight. Robertson whispered in her ear, “Taz, it’s us, hurry!”

Taz let him take her and realized Albert was with him, and as they left she heard the sounds of a vicious fight. She managed to thumb the safety on the gun before they none too gently shoved her, headfirst, into the backseat of Matthias’ car. Thompson dove for the wheel, and they roared off, tires squealing.

She saw through the back window that her front door was splintered. “What the hell was that?” she screamed once she’d caught her breath.

Robertson ended up in the backseat next to her and exchanged looks with Albert in the mirror.

“Oh, stop that,” she yelled, close to hysterics. “Don’t do that. Tell me, goddamn it!”

Robertson grabbed her hand, the one without the gun. “It was an Other.”

“Another what?”

He shook his head. “Not ‘another.’ An Other.”

“What was it?”

“If we were casting a movie, we’d be looking for someone to play a werewolf. But that’s not what they really are. Shape-shifters are totally different, and they are our allies. These…I can’t begin to explain it right now, but if you were to call it a werewolf, you’d be close. They have always been called ‘the Others.’”

She felt her sanity slip yet another notch. “But what—” She stopped. “Wait. Who was with you? Did someone go after it?”

They exchanged looks again, and it hit her. “Matthias. That’s what I saw?”

Robertson nodded. “He went after it with the sword—”

“A sword? Are you shitting me? Fuck that, I’ve got hollow points!” She swatted the back of Albert’s seat. “Go back, turn around!”

Thompson tightened his grip on the steering wheel, speeding through the dark to I-75. “I can’t do that.”

“We’ve got to help him!”

“We can’t. We are under orders to get you to safety immediately. If the Others are after you, you are not safe.”

“But what about—”

“Taz,” Robertson said quietly, “Matthias knows what he’s doing.”

She didn’t like it. Whatever it was, the growling, gravelly voice she’d heard sounded like pure evil. She feared for Matthias. She also hated that she worried about the big fink and felt scared for him. She tried to cling to what little bit of sanity she could.

They coaxed her out of the car at Hawthorne’s compound. They’d parked safely inside the garage, and the men took up secure positions around her, Albert ahead and Robertson behind, as they led her inside the house.

She curled up in a large chair in the corner of Hawthorne’s living room and glared at them, not speaking, the gun lying in her lap. There was no word from Matthias. She tried not to worry, but it broke through her anger, and she kept thinking about the growling voice, the fearsome dread that filled her when she heard it.

Will Matthias be okay?

Thirty minutes later, Albert quit pacing and left driving Hawthorne’s Hummer. Yes, totally incognito, that huge, yellow vehicle.

Not.

Five large, stone-faced guards had arrived minutes after she did and kept watch on her in the house. How many outside, she didn’t venture to guess.

“If you were so worried about my safety,” she asked Robertson, “why did you all let me leave? And how did you just happen to show up in the nick of time? How do I know this isn’t some elaborate hoax?”

Robertson smiled kindly. “Matthias had a security team check the house before you got home. We were outside the whole time. We thought it best to give you space tonight. You were rather upset when you left.”

“Understatement of the year.”

When Robertson’s BlackBerry buzzed, he glanced at it before racing from the room. “Keep her here,” he told the guards. She tried to follow, but one stepped in front of her and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, miss. Please, don’t.” Taz sensed she could wave her gun in his face, probably shoot him, and the other guards would keep her in the room instead of getting him help. They were under orders to protect her and keep her there, and they would to the exclusion of their own lives, if she knew Robertson.

Taz heard a commotion through the garage door. One of the guards left to help, and a few moments later, the group returned. She went to the doorway, and when another guard tried to keep her from leaving, Albert said, “It’s okay. Let her through.”

They carried Matthias. Unconscious and bloody, his clothes shredded. Albert’s clothes were stained with dark smears she instinctively knew were Matthias’ blood.

Her anger fell away as she ran to him. “Oh my God! Is he—”

“He’s hurt very badly,” Albert confirmed. They reached his room at the far end of the upstairs hall, and two guards helped get him into bed.

“We have to get him to the hospital!”

Robertson grabbed her hand as she reached for the phone and pulled her into the bathroom. “Taz, you don’t understand. He can’t go to the hospital.”

“We can’t let him die.” The irony that she wanted to kill Matthias hours earlier was not lost on her, even under the circumstances.

“There’s nothing they can do that we can’t do for him here.” Robertson still had her firmly by the hand, apparently not about to let go until he knew he made his point. “Taz,” he said softly, “he’s not human. If they pull blood work, he’ll end up in isolation and the CDC will get involved. His blood looks nothing like normal blood under the microscope. It doesn’t react like normal blood. It’ll cause a lot of problems. If you can’t be objective, I’ll have to take you out of here. Please, trust me.”

She looked into his eyes. He’d never talked to her like this before. He obviously cared about Matthias, and she couldn’t imagine he would deliberately jeopardize his life.

She nodded.

Robertson touched her cheek. “That’s my girl.”

Albert stood alone at Matthias’ bedside after the guards left. She watched as he cut off Matthias’ blood-soaked shirt. Disgust, fear, and rage battled for control of her emotions. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore and say she didn’t have feelings for Matthias, especially when he lay there, near death, after having saved her life.

Across his chest several deep gashes still oozed blood. There was nothing fake about those. She could see the white of his ribs through one, even smell the blood. The men cut his pants off, and the soaked and shredded fabric gave way to more deep rips in his flesh. His face was bruised and battered. He struggled for each breath.

“Did he…?” Robertson asked Albert.

Albert nodded. “The head’s in the Hummer. And the sword. I barely got him in before more showed up. I’ve already phoned Rafael. He’s flying in to the executive airport. He’ll be here in about two hours.”

“Will he last that long?” Robertson asked.

Albert looked at Matthias. “He has to.”

“What? What’s going on?” Taz tried to stay out of their way but wanted to help.

Robertson used a wet washcloth to swab blood off Matthias as best he could. “His cousin, Rafael, lives south of Atlanta. If Matthias feeds from him, it will help him heal. Rafael has enough of the line in him.”

“Feed?” Her head was spinning. “What? He said he doesn’t drink blood?”

“We don’t, usually,” Albert said, now with large paramedic kit. “But in an extreme case like this, if Matthias feeds from someone strong of the line, it’s like a blood transfusion. Tim and I don’t have enough of the line in us to be any use. Rafael is much more powerful than us.”

She stared at them and tried to process what they said. She looked at Matthias’ battered body. He was dying, every ragged breath weaker than the last. She could feel it.

“I’m of the line. You said so.”

“No!” they both yelled, making her jump.

Robertson stood and went to her. “Yes, you’re of the Clan, and you have the line in you, but you’ve never done anything like this before. This isn’t like the movies. You have to know what you’re doing. It could kill you, and we can’t let you do that. Matthias wouldn’t want you to risk your life. We can’t even guarantee you’ve got enough of the line in you to help.”

“You can’t just let him die. The DNA report said I had a lot of the markers. Can’t you draw my blood and give it to him?”

The men exchanged looks. “It doesn’t work that way,” Albert said. “It has to be direct from the donor. There’s a ritual—I can’t get into it right now.” He turned to Robertson. “I’ll start an IV. That might help get his BP up until Rafael gets here. I’ll need your help to carry everything.”

Robertson nodded and handed Taz the washcloth before following Albert, leaving her alone with Matthias.

Obviously, this was no hoax. No one was crazy enough to rip themselves to shreds. Were they?

She touched his arm where an ugly gash ran from his shoulder to his elbow. This was real. This wasn’t her imagination. She wanted to take it back, take it all back. The angry words, everything. He’d saved her life.

Again. Twice in less than twenty-four hours.

The least she could do was repay the favor.

She quietly locked the bedroom door. Racing to the bathroom, she opened his medicine cabinet and found what she needed. She dropped the disposable razor and stomped it with the heel of her shoe, grinding it against the tile floor. Then she fished out the blade. She used a bottle of alcohol to sterilize the blade.

Carrying the blade, alcohol, and a towel into the bedroom, she wondered the best way to do this. Matthias groaned and moved his head.

She sat on the bed next to him, trying to make herself do it before she lost her nerve. In the movies it was always the neck, but she didn’t feel like slicing through her jugular or carotid artery and bleeding to death in minutes in case she was wrong. The wrist would be safer. With the towel in her lap, she splashed alcohol on her left wrist and tried to keep herself steady.

“Matthias,” she whispered. His eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on her before closing again. She pressed the blade against her wrist and gritted her teeth. This wasn’t going to be easy. She made a lengthwise cut along her arm inside the wrist, about two inches long, trying not to cut through the tendons and hoping it was enough.

It hurt like hell. Blood immediately oozed from the wound, and she fought the urge to throw up. She put the alcohol and blade on the bedside table. Unable to believe she was doing it, she pressed her wrist to his mouth, cupping the back of his head with her other hand.

“Come on, you son of a bitch,” she urged, gently shaking him when he didn’t do anything. “Come on, damn it. Drink. Do it. You have to do this before they get back.” She thought she heard voices at the bottom of the stairs.

Then his mouth opened. His tongue swiped across her flesh, and he latched on.

It felt like a shock wave rocked her. As his efforts grew in intensity, so did the feeling. Her wrist didn’t hurt anymore, even though she could now feel his teeth working on her skin. If he’d been latched onto her breast it couldn’t have felt any better. In fact, it felt a lot like sex.

She felt connected to him in a way she couldn’t comprehend, something she’d never experienced before. She also realized she didn’t want him to stop.

At least the movies got that part right.

Taz fought to ignore the pleasant, tingling ache between her legs as Matthias’ lips and tongue worked at the wound. The room spun, vertigo threatening to make her sick in a good way. He grabbed her wrist, pressing it firmly to his mouth, taking what he needed. From somewhere in the distance she was aware of loud, desperate voices, the doorknob rattling. Her world seemed to shrink, closing out everyone and everything except the feel of Matthias’ hot mouth against her flesh.

“Taz, open up!” Roberson yelled. “You can’t do this!” Fists pounded on the door. Robertson and Albert were both yelling. “Let us in, Taz. You’ve got to let us in!”

They’d break through soon.

Matthias’ open eyes filled with awareness and surprise as he focused on her, but he clutched her wrist, still sucking, drinking deeply. She looked at his chest and knew it had to be her imagination, but one of the shallower gashes had already healed, now just a pink scar. Two of the deeper ones were healing before her eyes.

He can suck me dry as long as this feeling doesn’t stop. Even her nipples tightened, her entire body feeling like one supercharged erogenous zone.

“Let us in! Taz, you’ve got to let us in!”

The pounding grew louder. As the door crashed inward, Matthias sat up and put his other arm protectively around her. She sank against him and let darkness fall, knowing this was the best feeling in the world, losing herself to him.

Chapter Fourteen

Voices drifted to her out of the darkness.

“Is she…?” She knew that voice, but it didn’t sound right.

“She’s just unconscious.” Albert.

Taz felt a sharp prick in her right arm, a cold sensation, then someone tugging on it.

She forced her eyes open. Someone had started an IV in her right arm. She closed her eyes again.

Someone took her left hand, holding it, squeezing it.

Then the familiar but ragged voice. “Come back to me, Anastazia. Please, don’t leave me. Not like this. I can’t lose you.”

She wanted to open her eyes again but couldn’t. She felt so tired.

“Will she make it?” Damn, that voice sounded familiar, but so strange, so hoarse.

“Yes.” That was Robertson. “The IV will boost her blood pressure until she can…”

Everything faded to black.

Again.

* * *

Taz willed her eyes open. The room looked dim. She still had the IV in her arm. The room snapped into focus. Someone still held her left hand.

Matthias’ head rested on the bed next to her, his hand clutching hers. There was a thin, pale line in her flesh where she’d sliced her wrist open.

That happened, right?

No bandage necessary because the wound had already healed.

Her tongue felt huge and dry in her mouth. She struggled to speak. “You big faker. They said you were dying.” It came out a lot weaker than it sounded in her mind.

Matthias’ head shot up, his eyes red. Had he been crying? There was still dried blood on his forehead, but it looked like he was healed, the worst gashes on his chest reduced to angry pink welts.

“Anastazia!” He called for the others.

The men raced into the room. Robertson and Albert checked her IV and vital signs.

Albert nodded at Matthias. “Her BP is up. She’ll be okay.”

Matthias looked relieved then angry. “You could have died!”

“You would have died.”

He gently touched his forehead to hers. “Don’t ever put yourself at risk like that again.”

“You’re welcome, big guy.”

He smiled.

I’d die a thousand deaths for that smile.

“Thank you,” he whispered. He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. She realized she didn’t mind. “Thank you from the bottom of my soul, Anastazia,” he murmured against her flesh.

“What happened?” she hoarsely asked.

“By the time we got the door open,” Robertson said, looking queasy, “we couldn’t stop you. He’d already started to feed. To pull you apart could have killed one or both of you. We just hoped he still had enough self-control to stop in time. Fortunately for you, young lady, he did.”

She tried to sit up, but Matthias gently put a hand on her shoulder. “No, don’t. Just relax. You’ve already received two pints.”

“How many quarts low was I?”

He chuckled. “We’ll rotate your tires next.”

“Don’t forget to check the wiper fluid.” She was too tired to be mad at him. That could wait. He was alive. That was all that mattered to her.

“Can I please talk you out of quitting?” he asked.

Her eyes focused on his, and she nodded. “I expect a raise. This wasn’t in my job description.”

Matthias laughed. Was there a better sound in the world? “Well, you are a ‘fixer.’ I could make a joke about a raise, but I’m afraid you’d slap me with a sexual harassment suit.”

Taz managed a smile. It was like he read her mind. She was sure she could get a “raise” out of him, and she didn’t mean her paycheck.

She closed her eyes. The feeling—God, the feeling had been incredible! Better than sex, nearly orgasmic, enveloping her entire body.

Maybe this was why they chose not to feed. They’d always be in bed if they did. Damn, that was good!

But what had happened?

I need to talk to him alone.

“Would you please excuse us?” Matthias asked the other men.

Her eyes flew open. Matthias looked at her and shook his head, just a little.

“We’ll be outside,” Robertson said. They left, pulling the door shut behind them. That’s when Taz finally noticed they’d moved her to a different room.

Matthias brought her left hand up to his mouth and kissed the pale thin scar on her wrist. She shivered with anticipation, closing her eyes, wanting a hell of a lot more than that.

Take me, right now. I want to feel it again.

“No, Anastazia,” he whispered, kissing her wrist again. “I’m not going to do that.”

I want you to. Please, take me.

“I can’t.”

Her eyes flew open when she realized he was responding to her silent comments. He smiled in answer to her unspoken question.

“But—how?” she managed to say out loud.

Matthias stroked her arm with his fingers, using the lightest of touches and making her shiver. “There’s a lot you don’t know about us. About what we are and what we can do. We haven’t had time for an in-depth discussion.”

“Does this mean I’ll become like you?”

“It doesn’t work like that. You can’t make someone into a vampire. You’re born that way. Besides, you’re already like me. Perhaps much stronger, from how fast I healed.”

“What about my thoughts? Why can’t I read yours?”

“By feed—” He paused, rephrasing his answer. “By you helping me, it’s attuned me to you. And it was a one-way street.”

“What if I—”

Yum! I mean, yergh!

“—drank your blood?”

“You don’t need to.”

“But what if I did?”

“There are a lot of variables. I can’t guarantee you can ever read my thoughts.”

She closed her eyes again. “Was I better than your cousin would have been?”

He laughed, loud and hearty. “For someone who didn’t believe in what we were yesterday, you sure changed your mind rather quickly. No, it wouldn’t have worked like that with him. For one thing, he would have known what to do. And he wouldn’t have his heart invested in it like you did.”

“Then what would he—what? What do you mean, my heart?”

“If I say anything else, I’m going to stick my foot in my mouth. Let’s just say for now, until we can discuss this, he would not have gotten the…sensations you did.” His smile faded. “You saved me, Anastazia. He would not have arrived in time. And to be honest, even then he might not have been able to revive me.”

“Then how did I manage it?”

He stroked her arm again.

God, that feels so good! It was hard to be mad at him when he touched her like that.

“Because of your power. Because of your heart. And because I cannot refuse you.”

Taz puzzled over his last comment, but before she could ask, he leaned over and tenderly kissed her forehead.

“Go to sleep. You need it. I can get cleaned up now that I know you’ll be okay. We’ll talk later, I promise. You did good, Anastazia. You saved my life. For that I owe you everything.”

She nodded. Matthias let go of her hand after one final, gentle squeeze. She realized he was wearing a pair of shorts, but he was still covered with dried blood. She closed her eyes and sent him a thought.

“Please be here when I wake up.”

He turned. “I will. I promise.”

* * *

It was dark outside, and someone had removed the IV while she slept. Taz carefully sat up, and the room threatened to spin before settling. Her stomach growled. How long had she been out?

Finally making it to vertical, she sat on the edge of the bed as the room dangerously tipped again. The empty IV pole stood nearby. The bedside clock read 8:15, but was it accurate?

She’d been out over twelve hours?

The room obligingly settled, and she staggered to the bathroom. On the hamper she found new underwear, a fluffy robe, and pajamas, all in her size. Deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss, all the brands she used, were set out on a shelf by the sink.

Robertson.

She wanted to be mad at him. How much had he lied over the years? All this time, he’d worked for Matthias.

But he was her only family.

She stepped into the shower, her hand on the wall for balance. She still felt a little woozy, but better. Her favorite shampoo and conditioner, new bottles, sat on a shelf just inside the door. And a new scrubbie. And her favorite bodywash. And a razor and shaving gel.

Robertson thought of everything.

With the shower as hot as she could stand it, she lost herself in thought. What did her house look like? What did the thing that trashed it, and nearly trashed Matthias in the process, look like?

There was disbelief and there was denial. She could choose to not believe what happened, but she couldn’t deny the severity of Matthias’ wounds or how fast he healed.

She had the scar on her wrist as proof of what happened.

Why did it attack her? And would another Other come after her?

The Other’s brother from another mother.

Okay, that was definitely stress. Lots and lots of stress.

She dressed and went downstairs in search of food. Robertson stood when she entered the kitchen.

“Taz!” He threw his arms around her, more emotional than she’d ever seen him. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, sweetheart.”

She returned his embrace and eventually managed to free herself. “I think I’m supposed to be angry at you. Can you fix me some eggs?”

He smiled. Was that relief? “Sit. How many?”

“Three, please. To start. I’m starving.” His scrambled eggs were the best in the world. Fluffy and cheesy, without a hint of whites. It was always her favorite meal, and no one ever cooked them as good as he did.

Albert appeared. “You’re looking a lot better.”

“Thank you. Did I really sleep all day?”

He nodded. “It’s nearly nine.”

“Where’s Matthias?”

“He’ll be in shortly.”

A moment later the door to the garage opened, and there he was, wearing a short-sleeved light-blue chambray shirt, jeans, and barefoot. Matthias looked like a yuppie, not a vampire.

He paused when he saw her. “Did you sleep well?”

Anastazia nodded, reaching out to touch a fresh, pale scar across his forehead. It had been a deep, bloody gash across his flesh when she saw him in the bedroom. “It’s gone.”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

“I want to see the thing’s head.”

All three men frowned. Robertson plated her eggs and handed them to her. “Taz, that’s not a good idea,” he said.

“Why not?” She dug into the eggs. Oh, they were great! She’d need more. This wouldn’t be enough. She was ravenous, ripped into them like a starving wolf. “I want to see it. I think I’ve earned the right.”

Matthias studied her for a moment and nodded. “All right.”

He returned with a clear garbage bag, like they used for recycling in the office. The thing’s head was semilupine in shape but twice as large. She saw dried, brown smears of blood through the plastic and closed her eyes.

“Okay, all right. I’m convinced.”

He took it away. When she heard the door to the garage close she opened her eyes. “Holy crap! How can they stay hidden looking like that?”

“That’s why they’re called the Others,” Albert explained. “They mostly stay to themselves. They’re actually the origin of the Bigfoot and Yeti myths. The Chupacabra. Any reliable sighting of a bipedal, crypto-zoological creature that isn’t a shape-shifter is most likely an Other. They have hybrids and humans helping them. Why they’re involved in this is—”

“Complicated,” Matthias said, returning. He carried the sword, wiping it with a white cloth. He laid it on the counter, and she noticed strange symbols inscribed on the blade. “I think it was a contract hit.”

Taz finished her eggs, her appetite fading with that new revelation. “Why me?”

Matthias sat across from her, his eyes boring into hers. “Because they want something from you.”

What?

Matthias looked at the counter. Robertson and Albert suddenly scooted, leaving them alone.

Okay, so she hadn’t imagined the mind reading.

Spooky.

Matthias looked at her. “If you want the truth, you cannot get angry at me for telling you.”

“Sure I can. Try me.”

Her heart skipped as his mouth curled in a delicious half smile. “From what I was able to find out before it died, the Others want to take you before you get pregnant. It didn’t know exactly why, it was just a hired hand.”

“They… What?”

“I’m just telling you what it told me.”

She couldn’t even think about what she wanted to say, because he could read her thoughts. “Pregnant? I’m not having a baby with you. We’re not even dating! You’re my boss—”

and I love you

“—don’t those idiots know that?”

Shit.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know I’ve got you at a disadvantage. If it’s any comfort, it fades at a distance.”

She glared at him. “This isn’t funny.”

“I agree.”

“My house is trashed, something evil is trying to kill me for having Rosemary’s baby, which I haven’t even had. Hell, I haven’t had sex in…in too damn long, not that it’s any of your business.”

The slightest trace of a smile touched his mouth. “No, they don’t think your baby would be evil.”

“Then what?”

“An heir. Able to continue the line. They think you have the genetic makeup, and for some reason, they want you.”

“What, are they running Match.com for homicidal freaks? Hello, I so did not sign up for that.”

“Regardless of what does or doesn’t happen between us, I will never force myself on you. I mean that. For now, you need to let us protect you. I can keep you safe.” He reached out and touched her hand, and she didn’t pull away.

He’s cute. And he is…

She looked at him. He was sitting right there. Able to read her thoughts.

She yanked her hand out of his. “I am pissed, you know.”

“You have every right to be.”

“You lied to me!”

“Mostly through omission, but yes.”

“What else have you lied about?”

“You weren’t replacing someone who retired. And Albert isn’t retiring any time soon.”

“You sneak. I knew it!”

“I needed you close to me. I’ve already explained that.”

“What about my stuff?”

“We’ll move it here. You can’t go back to your house.”

“In my own room?”

“Of course.”

She had to pace. She stood up and walked around the kitchen. There were worse prisons than this house, and worse wardens than Matthias.

And she didn’t want to die.

She didn’t want him to die.

“What’s next?” she asked.

“Figure out exactly what the Others want to accomplish, why they did this, if they were put up to it by someone else. They never interfere with our business. Never have in the past. Live and let live. Why they should care about an heir, if that really is what this is about, is beyond me.”

“But I thought—”

“I don’t know. That’s the problem. I’m only guessing and putting together some speculation based on what little I got out of that beast before I killed it. You’re on their radar now. Before this, you were unknown to the Others. To anyone. I took great pains to keep your identity a secret. Only one other person outside this family knew about you, and that person is in a position of trust. If it turned out you didn’t have the line in you, I wanted to keep you safe.”

“I’m in danger?”

“Until I get to the bottom of things.”

She was in full snark mode. “Well, why don’t we just get the Scooby gang together and pull the rubber mask off the bad guy?”

Matthias’ tone sounded sharp. “We don’t like this any more than you do. I wanted to ease you into this, slowly guide you to using your powers until you got to the point you couldn’t ignore it anymore. Then we were going to reveal the truth. Over a period of years, if necessary. I can’t undo what’s happened here—”

“Damn straight!”

“—but I promise you, heads will roll.”

When she looked green, he realized what he said. “I’m sorry. Bad choice of words.”

“No, really, ya think?”

Chapter Fifteen

Matthias left that night for London to investigate, which was both a blessing and a curse. Apparently she’d missed meeting his cousin, Rafael, who’d arrived and left again while she was unconscious. Taz couldn’t help but worry about Matthias, now that she admitted how she felt about him. Pissed off, check. Betrayed, double-check.

Romantically attracted to the big dope?

Triple-check.

It was nice not having to control her every thought. She needed time to sort out her feelings for Hawthorne. Obviously, he wouldn’t have a problem having a relationship with her, but she didn’t know if she wanted a relationship with him, or anyone else, for that matter. Not with demons and crazy wolf-things coming after her.

The new routine was creepy at first. Soon, however, it became a comfort. Especially when she thought about the thing that attacked her and nearly killed Matthias…and the evil growl it made. There was always a heavily armed contingent of guards close by, but they were discreet. She reluctantly gave in to Robertson’s request to remain at the house. They gave in to her request to work from wherever she wanted on the grounds, even outside.

Yay strong wireless connection. Between her laptop and BlackBerry, she was still able to work. And for her, the only choice was to work or figure out how to get a Thorazine drip. Working, at least, kept her distracted. Robertson or Albert, one of them always stayed at the house with her, ran to the office to fetch anything she needed. The second day she sent Albert to Tampa four times, mostly out of spite and irritation. She felt a little guilty later when he didn’t complain about the multiple and mostly unnecessary trips.

But only a little guilty.

* * *

Matthias returned three days later, just before midnight. Taz was working on her laptop in the library, a Dave Brubeck CD on the stereo. Matthias had an awesome collection of jazz music. She’d give him brownie points for that.

“Hello, Anastazia.” The sound of his voice startled her. She never heard him walk in. She also hated the way her heart skipped at the sound of his voice.

“Did you find out anything?” she asked.

“Not as much as I’d like. Whatever’s going on, it originated here in the States. The other Clans are as outraged as I am and are sending assistance.”

She’d had time to think things through and sent him a test thought.

“Testing one, two, three, you big dumb jerk.”

He smiled. “Yes, I can still hear you.”

“Shit.”

“Would you feel better if I slept downstairs?” he asked.

“No.”

She watched him stifle another smile.

“This sucks!” Even she had to laugh at that one before her laughter turned to sobs.

Apparently alarmed by her reaction, he went to her, put his arms around her, then folded her against his chest. She didn’t have to speak.

“You were dying, I thought I was going to lose you before I even knew you, and now you can read my thoughts. Oh my God this sucks…”

He whispered to her, “It’s okay…it’s okay,” as he rocked her in his arms, comforting her.

She eventually composed herself and sat up. He handed her a tissue. “Better?”

She nodded.

“I could stay in the guest house, if you’d prefer.”

She shook her head. “No.”

He reached out and gently stroked her hair. “You’ve been through a lot. You haven’t had time to process it. It’s overwhelming.”

She reached out and pulled him to her, kissing him. Then she pushed him away, shocking herself at her lack of self-control.

Why couldn’t she control herself around him?

And God, did it matter? He was a hunk, and she wanted him! Taz reached for him again, but he sat back and gently grabbed her wrists.

“I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

“But I want—”

“Listen to me, Anastazia. You aren’t ready. I’m not going to do that to you. If you decide you want to have a relationship with me, we will. I’m patient. I can wait. But I won’t take advantage of you, especially when you’re vulnerable.”

She felt herself falling into his deep, blue eyes, sleep overtaking her.

She let her sleepy voice drift into his mind. “Taz.”

“What?” he said.

She felt her eyes getting heavy, so tired. Was this more of his vampire powers? “You can call me Taz,” she whispered.

* * *

She awoke the next morning, alone, in her bed. He must have carried her upstairs.

Damn it, that is so not fair!

He could read her mind and put her to sleep?

“This sucks.”

She showered and dressed and stormed downstairs. Matthias was already at the kitchen table.

“We need to talk,” he said.

There was a full spread laid out on the table for breakfast. She sat and scooped food onto her plate. She dug in, choosing to eat instead of talk.

If he wants to know what I’m thinking, he can read my mind, by God.

Matthias smiled. She pointed her fork at him. “You are sooo on my shit list, buddy, it’s not even funny.”

“I know. I deserve it.”

The food was delicious. She recognized Robertson’s hand in the food, in the eggs and pancakes. God, she felt like she could eat a horse! Talk about a bottomless pit.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Matthias apologized.

She stared at him for a long moment. “What the hell did you do to me?”

“I thought it best you get a good night’s sleep so we could deal with things today.”

“What things?”

Matthias took a deep breath. “I know you’re used to being in control. This is one time you must let us guide you and take charge of the situation. Just until we can find out who’s behind this and make it safe for you again.”

She stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

“And I wanted to warn you it’s possible you might not feel like yourself. Between the shock of how you found out and then with what happened the other day between us, your instincts and powers are rapidly awakening. It may feel very overwhelming. You might have wild mood swings, anything from anger to euphoria.”

“You’ve obviously never seen me PMSing.”

He smiled. “We wanted to ease you into this transition, help you develop your skills. Robertson did as much as he could to teach you self-control, but it’s obvious you are far more powerful than we first thought. You have to be very careful not to let it get away from you.”

She snorted. “Riiight.” Well, she did feel jumpy, but that could easily be because of Matthias. Or her third cup of coffee.

“Ask me anything you want,” he offered.

She thought about it and decided it couldn’t hurt to play along. “If you’re”—she tried to do the math in her head and gave up—“around six hundred years old, how the hell did you manage to stay under the radar for so long? And how did you amass such a fortune?

“Six hundred and nine.”

“Aw, you don’t look a day over five hundred.”

Apparently used to her snark, he continued as if she hadn’t interrupted. “I wasn’t always a businessman. I ended up in government for a while. Eventually, when I had to move on, I became an entrepreneur. I’d create a business, run it for several years, then sell it to someone else.”

“Who would actually be you?”

He nodded. “Yes. Obviously it was easier to shuffle that kind of thing around before computers and the Internet. Ironically, now it’s easier to stay personally anonymous, but the business must be run legally to avoid scrutiny.”

She thought about what Bob Stanley said. “So Bob wasn’t dealing with your father?”

Matthias shook his head. “Me.”

“And what do you do now? To shuffle things around?” This was a surreal conversation.

“I have a few doctors on the payroll. Every few years one of them creates a new birth certificate for me. I file for a social security number, hold onto it.”

“So what is your real name?”

“Matthias is my real name. But I have to create new personas for legal purposes. I mean, really, I can’t go around with a driver’s license listing my birth date as 1900, can I? I use corporate credit cards, have several trusts, so I only have to update my personal identity every couple of decades.”

“How do you keep track?”

“Albert is my right hand. I could never do it without him.”

Albert and Robertson had snuck in at some point. She looked at Albert. Then it hit her. “How old are you?”

“Four hundred and eighty-four.”

She spit her mouthful of coffee into her mug. It was that or spray it across the table, and spit takes weren’t attractive. “But you look older than Matthias.”

“I don’t have as much of the line in me. Which is why I couldn’t help him the other day.”

She looked at Robertson, speechless.

“Two hundred ninety-seven. I’m the baby. Well, except for you, sweetheart.”

She closed her eyes. This was too much, too soon. Overload. “What about me?” she asked.

“According to the lab report,” Matthias said, “you have nearly all the DNA markers that we are aware of. The line is very strong in you, but we still don’t know for sure what combination of talents you have. Don’t you think it’s odd you’re thirty-five and still get carded? By everyone?”

She looked at him and he continued. “No wrinkles. No grey, without any cosmetic assistance at all. When was the last time you got sick, had a cold, a bruise? And look how fast your wrist healed.”

She stared at him. She just thought she was healthy. Lucky. Fortunate.

Matthias smiled. “Do you notice when you walk into a room, you immediately make friends? People gravitate to you. You could sell ice to Eskimos. All the times you got your friends out of trouble in school by smiling and talking them out of it, how they let you handle the cops or their parents or teachers for them. How you are so successful at your job. How you went into court and won cases even when the evidence was against your client. You’ve got a record Perry Mason would drool over.”

She opened her mouth to object then closed it. She couldn’t argue with a thing he’d said.

“And how many traffic tickets have you had?” he continued. “I don’t mean how many times you’ve been stopped, but actually ticketed?”

None. She had her father’s lead foot. Considering she quit counting the traffic stops when she hit twenty-five, the number was considerable. There were three or four stops a month.

The officer always issued her a verbal warning.

Matthias continued. “Notice I don’t have any women employed directly underneath me, except you. My executive assistants are all men. Otherwise I’d never get anything done. Women don’t feel catty toward you. They want to be your friend because they trust you, want to be around you. Didn’t you notice while you didn’t feel…” He hunted for the word. “Spectacular about any of the men you dated and had relationships with, they were absolutely nuts for you? You’d look them in the eye and they’d lose their train of thought, want to touch you, plead with you not to leave. You always wondered why they seemed so strong at first. Then they just seemed to melt, to change into someone without any will of their own.”

She wanted to yell, slap his face. How dare he know so much about her?

And how true it was. Every word.

“And Robertson didn’t even tell me most of that,” he quietly added.

It took her a moment to find her voice. “How did you know?”

Matthias leaned back. “Because, Taz, you and I are a lot alike.” To Albert he said, “Call Mayfield, please.”

Albert looked puzzled, but went to fetch the head groundskeeper.

“I see you need a demonstration,” Matthias said. “When he comes in, I’m going to stand behind you. I want you to look him in the eyes when I give you the signal and tell him exactly what I tell you to say, all right?”

She nodded. He took her hand and helped her to her feet.

Albert returned with Mayfield, an amiable man in his fifties, married with several kids. While she hadn’t done much more than say good morning to him a few times and pay him compliments on his work, she knew from overheard conversations he was dedicated, devoted to his job, and took great personal pride in the rose garden. Featured in magazines like Southern Living and Florida Gardener, he had cultivated a show-stopping collection of rare heirlooms. Carefully framed copies of the articles hung, prominently displayed, in the living room.

Matthias made small talk with him for a moment then walked behind Anastazia and put his hands on her shoulders. Being the polite man he was, Mayfield turned to face them.

She felt Matthias’ breath on her neck, his lips nearly touching her ear. She gulped, trying to ignore the nearly painful pleasure churning deep in her belly from his touch.

“Look into his eyes,” he whispered.

She forced herself to do it, ignoring the dangerous roll her stomach took. The gardener’s grey-blue eyes widened and fixed on hers.

“Dig a swimming pool,” Matthias whispered.

“Dig a swimming pool,” she repeated. That’s a good parrot. Polly want a cracker?

She felt Matthias’ fingers tighten slightly on her shoulders and knew he was trying not to laugh. At least one of them thought this was funny.

The gardener bobbed his head up and down. “Yes, ma’am. Wherever you want it.”

“Dig up the roses. Put it there,” Matthias breathed in her ear.

“Matthias—” His fingers tightened on her shoulders, not painfully, but she swallowed hard. “Dig up the roses. Put it there.”

The gardener nodded again, smiling, eager. “I’ll get started on it right away, ma’am.”

She gasped, knowing he wasn’t kidding. She turned to Hawthorne. “Matthias, no.”

“Mayfield, it’s a great morning, isn’t it?” Matthias stepped from behind Anastazia, and the gardener’s eyes clouded for a moment, confusion apparent.

“Uh, yes, sir, it is.”

“The roses are absolutely beautiful. I wanted to tell you that. Keep up the good work. You have my full confidence, and if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask myself or Albert or Tim.”

The gardener still looked puzzled. “Uh, yes, sir. Thank you. I, uh—”

Matthias moved in front of Anastazia, blocking Mayfield’s view of her. “Sleep.”

The gardener’s eyes dropped shut. His chin hit his chest. She didn’t know how he stayed upright.

“You did that on purpose,” she hissed. “You’ve hypnotized him before.”

Matthias turned to her. “No, I haven’t. You did it. You don’t often look people in the eye, do you?”

She stepped away. She’d done this? She looked at Albert and Robertson. Albert looked shocked and amazed. She didn’t think it was possible to shock him.

Of course she didn’t look people in the eye. They always seemed to lose their train of thought. Not to mention it just wasn’t comfortable for her, like she could see into their souls. Robertson had always taught her not to be rude, that it was rude to look people directly in the eye, especially when asking for something. To never, ever stare and ask for something.

“Anastazia,” Matthias said, “you have no idea how powerful you are. He would slit his own throat right now if you asked him to.” He turned to Mayfield. “Forget about the pool. That conversation never happened. You came in to answer her questions about the roses, and we had a quick chat. You’re doing an excellent job. We’re very happy with the work you do here. Wake up.”

Mayfield’s eyes snapped open and he smiled. “Thank you, sir. I enjoy working here.”

“Thanks for talking with us. I know you’re busy.”

“Anytime, Mr. Hawthorne. Ms. Proctor.” He shook hands with them and left.

Anastazia collapsed in a chair and tried to process her shock. “I did that?”

“I don’t know if you have all the gifts, but that is one of them.” Matthias stood in front of her. “Apparently you are very strong, considering you have no training. I don’t have a complete workup of your lineage. For all I know, your father’s family might be of the line, too. I haven’t been able to find anything beyond his grandparents because the records were destroyed by a fire during IRA bombings. From what I’ve heard about his…habits, he was also very persuasive.”

She looked at Robertson. “You teased me about my puppy dog eyes when I was a kid.”

Robertson smiled. “Your mother was exceptionally talented, although she didn’t know it. Why do you think people ran to do what she wanted?”

“You always told me not to look people in the eyes unless it was someone I wanted to be very close to and trusted. Or you or my parents.”

“And because I’ve known you since you were little, I’ve managed to build some immunity to it. Although no doubt, now that you know about your powers, if you wanted, you most likely could break through and take me over.”

“Son of a bitch.” She stood up and paced.

“Yes, Anastazia,” Matthias said. “You are very powerful.”

She turned on him. “Then why the hell doesn’t it work on you?”

Matthias grinned. “That’s not exactly accurate. Fortunately for me, you didn’t know it was among your many charms, and you haven’t had time to train. And after you saved me the other night—”

“I inoculated you.” She couldn’t stand the smarmy smile on his face.

“I wouldn’t put it like—”

She slapped him and stormed upstairs.

Robertson moved to stop her, but Matthias shook his head as he rubbed his stinging cheek. “No, let her go, Tim. I deserved it.”

* * *

Taz locked the bedroom door behind her. What kind of hell was she in? This must be a dream, a coma. She’d been in an accident and was hallucinating in a hospital bed.

She didn’t know who to trust. How could she trust Matthias? He had an agenda, and she didn’t know how to separate fact from fiction.

Yeah, he was cute—he was a hunk. Under different circumstances she’d give her left tit to be in his bed every night. But she couldn’t trust his motivations. She lay on the bed and closed her eyes.

Damn them all!

She wanted to be mad at Robertson and couldn’t. He was family. She wasn’t just a job to him—he really cared about her. Now with the truth out, the fact that he didn’t seem to have any family of his own made sense. He’d done his best to help her, prepared her as much as he could without revealing anything. At any time, she instinctively knew, he would have laid down his life for her, out of love and loyalty.

* * *

Taz returned downstairs after calming down. She found the three men sitting at the kitchen table. She slid into a chair on the other end, away from them.

“I’m sorry I slapped you,” she mumbled to Matthias.

He nodded. “I did warn you your emotions might run out of control.”

She studied her fingernails. “You ain’t kidding.” She took a deep breath and glanced down the table at the men. “Any ideas what happened?”

“I still don’t know who’s behind this,” Matthias said. “We need to get out of town. I already have a planned business trip to Yellowstone.”

“You do?”

“I originally wasn’t going to take you, but now I have to.”

Another surge of rage washed over her. “Cut the reluctant bullshit. Why don’t you just admit the reason you hired me was to work your way into my pants? Last night proves you can. Quit playing around and get it over with.”

“Anastazia, I told you I will not take advantage of you. Did I hire you to have you close to me? Absolutely. But I mostly hired you because you’re good at what you do.”

She focused her anger on Robertson. “And you had something to do with that.”

“Robertson didn’t push you into your line of work,” Matthias said. “If I remember his recollection of the conversation, you told him you wanted to be a ‘fixer.’ Like him.”

She thought back. He was right.

Damn him.

Matthias continued as if he hadn’t heard her thought. “If I knew making contact like this would put your life in danger, I would have come up with an alternate plan.”

She pushed back from the table, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. How much of her feelings for him were due to his funky vampire charm?

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ll stay here, thank you very much.”

“You don’t have a choice, I’m afraid. We leave this afternoon.”

She stared at him. She wasn’t sure what shocked her more—the recent revelations or that statement.

Matthias sensed her outrage. “Anastazia, you don’t understand. Someone wants to hurt or kill you. I cannot protect you if I’m not with you.” His condescending tone of voice did nothing to soothe her ire.

“You just left for Europe for a few days and felt pretty safe doing that.”

“That was stupid of me. Had I known then what I know now—”

“You said you didn’t know what was going on.”

“—I never would have left,” he continued as if she hadn’t interrupted. “Anastazia, you don’t understand. They have a purpose, and they will not stop until they succeed or we stop them. I will never forgive myself if you are hurt. Or worse.”

She stood and started to walk away. Suddenly, Matthias stood in front of her, forcing her to take a step back. He moved so fast she barely saw him.

“Get out of my way, Matthias.”

“No. You have to listen to me. I know this isn’t the way you want to handle—”

She shoved him. It was like pushing against a firmly rooted tree, but he moved.

“I’m not going with you. I’m going to pack, and then I’m taking the first flight out of Tampa to LA, and go back to work for Bob Stanley. I’ve had it with you and this crazy mess.”

“I’m sorry, Anastazia, but I can’t let you go.”

“Try and stop me.” She bolted for the front door. Outside, a guard stationed there turned. Matthias yelled for him to stop her, and she wheeled on the three. Matthias, Robertson, and Albert, who now had something in his hand, all took a step back from the force of her gaze. She turned and focused on the guard again.

Screw it. If she had this seriously wacky hypnotism, by God, she’d use it.

Taz ignored the sickening roll her stomach took as she fixed her eyes on the guard. “Let me out. Now.”

The guard’s eyes widened. Matthias yelled as the man moved to the side, out of her way.

She stepped through the door when something painful hit her in the back, between her shoulders. And as the front porch swooped up to meet her face-first, the world went dark.

Chapter Sixteen

The air in the room felt cool. Taz heard indistinct voices in the distance and a droning noise she couldn’t place. Her head hurt like a son of a bitch. She started to sit up and felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t. You shouldn’t move yet.”

Robertson.

She focused on him. Where was she, and what the hell was that noise? Her ears felt weird—

She was in a plane. The private cabin in the corporate jet.

Goddamn it.

Robertson looked at her and shook his head. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I tried to get to you first, but Albert was faster.”

She worked her jaw, trying to pop her ears to relieve the pressure. “What the hell did he hit me with?”

“A tranquilizer dart. He was afraid you might react badly to the news. Then a syringe of Versed finished you off before you fully came to.”

“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.”

“You questioned my ability to have any woman I want.” He placed his sunglasses on the table.

Unfortunately, the waitress chose that moment to return with their order. She placed the plates on the table. Before Taz could warn Matthias not to do it, he looked up at the woman and smiled, fixing her with the full force of his deep, blue eyes.

The waitress froze and stared at Matthias. A dreamy smile washed over her face.

The only other customers on the patio were at the far end and couldn’t hear. Deep in the pit of Taz’s stomach, a sick stirring twisted her insides.

“You are a beautiful woman,” Matthias murmured to the waitress, who smiled even larger if it was possible. She wore a wedding band on her left hand.

“Thank you,” she said.

Taz’s heart pounded. She wished he’d said it to her, not the waitress.

Matthias turned to face the waitress. He lounged in his chair, casually draping one arm over the back. “Would you like to go down on me right now? Just drop to your knees and pull my dick out of my pants and suck me off?”

The woman eagerly nodded, as if her life depended on it.

He glanced at Taz, and she knew he would pound the lesson home once and for all.

“You’d love to deep throat me, wouldn’t you?” he continued, relentless. “You’d spend hours on your knees for me, I bet.”

Happy to do it, the waitress eagerly licked her lips. Matthias looked at Taz, and she bolted for the bathroom. Now she understood why they’d been so upset when she took over the guard.

Holy crap!

When she returned, the waitress and Matthias were having a friendly discussion about the weather that time of year and how cold the previous winter had been.

The waitress smiled at her. “If your burger’s cold, let me know, and I’ll have the guys reheat it for you.”

Anastazia didn’t know if she could eat. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

Matthias had put his sunglasses back on and ripped into his burger.

“You’re an asshole,” Taz hissed when they were alone.

“I had to show you why we drugged you. You could have killed that guard, sent him an idle thought while under your spell, and he would have blasted his brains out. Or killed you. Or any one of us. Just a stray thought to him like, ‘I’d rather die than be cooped up here,’ or, ‘I’d like to kill that guy.’ I know Robertson went easy on you, but I won’t. I won’t risk innocent lives.”

Taz looked away. Matthias put his burger down and reached over, grabbed her wrist firmly, and forced her to look at him.

“What you and I can do can literally kill people or get people killed, Anastazia. I’m sorry, but I didn’t want to explain to that guard’s wife and kids why he died if you sent the wrong thought to him. I haven’t managed to stay unmolested for centuries by going around controlling people. I did it by maintaining an extreme level of self-control and discretion. Something that, up until now, you were a master of.”

He let her go and sat back. “She doesn’t even remember me saying it. I wouldn’t have done it. You should know that.”

Taz felt horrible, heartsick. She knew he was right but didn’t want to admit it. “No, I don’t know that.” She hadn’t considered the full ramifications of what she could do, and would hate herself if anyone got hurt because of her.

And if anyone dropped to their knees for Matthias Hawthorne, she wanted it to be her.

The burger did smell good, especially since it was hours since she ate. She took a bite—it was the best burger she’d ever had. “That’s my whole point, Matthias. I don’t know you. You’re forgetting you have the advantage.”

“My point was, and you are the one who accused me of being narcissistic, I don’t choose to have a woman just because I can. As you saw, I can. She’s happily married for over fifteen years, has two kids, and you saw what happened. I’ve made sure the women I’ve been with in my life always genuinely wanted to be with me. I refuse to use my skills like that. I have a conscience. Your problem is you hate not being in control.”

She glared at him. “Fuck you, Matthias.”

“I hope so.” He smiled. “Someday. Whenever you’re ready.”

Before she could find her voice to reply, Robertson and Albert appeared on the patio. As if by magic, the waitress brought two more buffalo burgers.

Taz remained quiet while Matthias went over their arrangements with the other men. If Robertson could tell something happened, he wasn’t letting on.

A few times she looked over at Matthias and shot him angry thoughts. He didn’t react, so she didn’t know if he could hear her thoughts or was just ignoring her.

She also didn’t like the guilt, and the jealously, rumbling through her gut.

Asshat.

Chapter Seventeen

Matthias held the Land Rover’s passenger door for Taz then climbed behind the wheel. Albert and Robertson followed close behind in a second Rover, with three heavily armed guards.

Taz didn’t speak, choosing to watch the passing scenery. Driving into the park, the harsh, arid mountains gave way to timberland, and then they were in Mammoth Hot Springs.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked.

“Why?”

“I thought you might want to use the bathroom because we’re driving straight through to Old Faithful. I want to get there before dark.”

She snorted. “Isn’t that kind of ironic? A vampire who wants to be inside before the sun goes down?”

“A vampire with some insane creatures coming after him and someone he cares deeply about, yes.” He pulled into a parking space in front of a store. “I’m going in for some drinks. Want anything?”

Someone he cares deeply about. The words echoed through her soul. She shook her head, and he left her standing on the sidewalk next to the SUV.

Albert and two of the guards followed Matthias into the store. Robertson and one of the guards stayed with her. Robertson handed her a digital camera. “What did you say to piss him off?”

“Piss him off? He—you should have seen—” She stopped, not knowing how to continue. “Oh, forget it.”

She walked around the Land Rover and looked at the small town. Under different circumstances, she’d enjoy walking around—

hand in hand

—with Matthias.

Oh hell with it, he was far enough away he couldn’t hear her thoughts. Right?

When Matthias returned, Taz walked into the store, used the restroom, and bought herself a bottled water. She didn’t know what made her more upset, that Matthias was so right all the time, or that he could read her thoughts.

Could he tell the sick feeling twisting her gut at the restaurant was jealousy? Insecurity?

How many women had he been with? Fifty? One hundred? The probability of a higher number made her ill. What straight, single woman wouldn’t jump at the chance to hop into bed with Matthias Hawthorne, even without his freaky vampire charm?

She’d slept with four men in her life. Now what made her sicker than her jealousy was the thought that maybe her lovers hadn’t been with her because they wanted to, but because they fell under her weird vampire aura.

Oh, yuck.

She practiced keeping a bubble around her thoughts the rest of the trip south. Matthias didn’t speak, and she worked at ignoring him. He gave her a park guidebook he bought at Mammoth, and she buried her nose in it, reading facts about Yellowstone.

The land was beautiful. There were still plenty of reminders from the 1988 fires, even over twenty years later, but new-growth trees were everywhere. They spotted bison just south of Madison. She didn’t resent it when Matthias wordlessly pulled over at her thought about stopping to take pictures.

The sun dipped behind the trees before they reached the Old Faithful Lodge. Matthias disappeared inside with Albert and returned a few minutes later with keys and paperwork.

They drove around to the old cabins, and she realized each building contained three or four rooms. They had two cabins, and no one consulted her when they pulled up to two adjoining cabins and the men unloaded luggage.

She got out and reached for her bags, but Robertson beat her to them.

“I’ll get them.” He picked them up, and she realized he was heading for the same room as Matthias.

Taz balked. “Oh, no. I’m not sharing a room with him.”

Matthias turned from the stoop, where he was unlocking the door. “Why not?”

Speech briefly escaped her. “Why not? You have the nerve to ask that?” He did, it seemed.

“You need to be protected.”

“I’m not sleeping with you!” She realized she’d nearly screamed that, and a couple of kids playing outside a few cabins over looked up. She took a deep breath, stepped closer to him, and hissed through clenched teeth. “I’m not sleeping with you!”

“I’m not asking you to. There are two beds.” Matthias took his bags inside the cabin. Taz fought the urge to scream in frustration.

She tried to grab her bags from Robertson. “Taz,” he said quietly, “please. Don’t do this. He wants to protect you.”

“I can protect myself.” He gave her the knowing-father look and she deflated. “He can hear my thoughts,” she whispered. “Why can’t I share a room with you?”

God, I sound like a whiny teenager.

“Because, I’m not as fast as he is with a sword.”

“We’ve got half a SEAL team with us. Why can’t I share a room with one of them?”

He looked down his nose at her. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

“What?”

He glanced around before stepping closer. “Haven’t you noticed none of them will look at you or meet your gaze? They’re under strict orders not to. He’ll fire them on the spot. He needs them clear-headed. If one of them shares a room with you, Matthias will have to peel him off you. Think about the guard at the house. Your powers are awakening, and it’s like dogs after a bitch in heat until you learn how to control them.”

“Oh nice, great. Thank you. Now I’m a bitch—hey, wait!” He was already mounting the concrete steps with her bags.

The room was small. Not small as in small, but small as in the master bathroom at her LA condo was larger than the entire room. The bathroom sink was affixed to the wall outside the bathroom. The bathroom was smaller than most closets, with barely room to turn around between the toilet and shower.

There were two beds, one double, one single. Matthias placed his bag on the single bed. He opened his bag and rooted through it, looking for something.

Robertson put her bags on the double bed and looked at her.

Behave, he mouthed, chucking her on the chin like he did when she was a kid.

Terrific.

* * *

Taz refused to speak to Matthias and positioned herself between Robertson and Albert when they walked as a group down the boardwalk, past the geysers, toward the Old Faithful Inn for dinner. At the table, she sat at the far end on the other side of the guards, hoping it was far enough away to protect her thoughts. She refused to look at Matthias throughout dinner. She sensed Matthias stole glances at her.

Tough. Let him look.

She still didn’t know what they were doing there. He needed to meet with scientists at the USGS, something about a computer system. Fine, great. Why bring her? Why not leave her at the house with an army of guards?

She tried to ignore his smirk. Oh hell, he can still hear my thoughts.

Taz was betrayed on the walk back to the cabins. Matthias came up from behind, and Robertson deftly stepped out of his way. Matthias cupped her elbow in his hand and gently propelled her a few steps ahead of the others.

“Hey, let go of me.”

“Not until you promise to quit acting like a brat.”

She mentally shot him a few choice curse words. “Did you get that?”

“Yes, I did.” He kept his voice low. The hired guns hovered a discreet distance behind the group. “I’m sorry, Taz. Really, truly sorry for all this. Would you please stop being mad at me long enough to talk?”

“No.” She shook his grip and tried to walk faster. He matched her stride, catching her elbow again.

“Taz, please.”

“Is this some sort of game to you? Do you really think you’re going to woo me into bed, and everything’s going to be hunky-dory between us?”

“No. Frankly, I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted anything to do with me again.”

She stopped in her tracks, and Robertson nearly ran into her. “What?”

“I said—”

“I heard you.”

Everyone stepped back, and Matthias guided her to the edge of the boardwalk, out of the main line of traffic. He kept his voice low. “Taz, I’m sorry. Truly, deeply sorry. Contrary to what you might think I don’t have a lot of experience with this. I’ve never done this before.”

“You’ve had a lot of women,” she shot back. “You said so yourself.”

His eyes narrowed, and his face hardened. “That’s not what I meant. There is a vast gulf between having and loving. And, if you remember, I’m a lot older than you. For your information I haven’t ‘had’ a woman in over ten years.”

Matthias walked away before she could conjure a response. Something in the set of his shoulders told her she’d crossed a line, maybe hurt his feelings. She knew she was being a bitch, and she couldn’t help herself. This wasn’t like her at all.

Albert walked up behind her. “He’s only loved one other, dear. He is as lost as you are.” He followed Matthias.

“Give him a chance, Taz,” Robertson said. “He’s trying.”

She walked back to the cabin, trailed by the three guards and feeling guilty.

Chapter Eighteen

“Why are we here?” Taz thought to Matthias.

Matthias lay on his bed, reading. He was still dressed, but shoeless, and making a concerted effort to ignore her.

Finally, she spoke out loud. “Are you ignoring me?”

He didn’t look at her. “I was under the impression you didn’t want me to speak to you. I was trying to give you some privacy.”

“Why are we here?”

He still didn’t look up from his book.

Frankly, she couldn’t blame him.

“I have some meetings,” he said, “and I need to keep you close. I’d rather have you here, where I can protect you. I have a lot of contacts in this area, and if someone tries to get into the park who doesn’t belong, I’ll know about it.”

She tried to wrap her mind around that. “Uh, so they wouldn’t possibly sneak in through thousands of miles of unwatched park borders? They’d come through one of the main gates?”

Snarky much?

He looked at her over the top of his book. “When I give you information, you get mad at me. When I withhold information, you get mad at me. So what would you have me do? Nothing I say to you is right.”

“What happened to bringing me into the loop?”

He put the book down and sat up. “I mean it. I don’t know what to say to you. I’m screwing this up, and for once in my life, I can’t fix it.”

She sat on her bed and didn’t reply. He watched her, saying nothing.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin. And then to hear you talk about your harem—”

Matthias threw his book across the room, and she flinched as it bounced off the wall by the door.

“Goddamn it, Taz! Would you quit thinking like that? Stop it. I can’t help that I had partners before I met you. I had sex, yes, I did. I’m not a virgin. So did you. If anyone has a right to be pissed, it’s me. It’s been ten years since I’ve had a relationship. You were still in college the last time I got laid.”

It took her a moment to digest what he said. “Wha—how dare you! How was I supposed to know I’d meet you?”

“Exactly my point.”

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing, comprehending what he meant. “You mean you were planning on meeting me all this time? All this time? Ten fucking years?” There was something both romantically sweet and totally creepy about that.

“No, Jesus, that’s not what I meant.” He stood and paced, which in the small room meant two strides one direction, turn, and two strides back across to his bed. “That’s not what I meant at all.” He stopped and closed his eyes, as if trying to put his thoughts together.

“Taz, I didn’t deliberately set this up as some sort of diabolical plan to sleep with you. I keep telling you that, and I wish you’d believe me. I knew you would need to be near us for protection and training. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you. You are a beautiful woman. And yes, I could probably work on you and take advantage of you and talk you into bed. If I was going to do that, don’t you think I would have done so back at the house, when you were physically and emotionally vulnerable and throwing yourself at me? Not to mention do you think I would get a cabin with two beds?”

She had to admit, it wasn’t the most romantic of arrangements.

“Right. And yes, I did listen to your thoughts that time.” He sat on his bed. “I’m not going to beg you. I won’t grovel. I’ve apologized for the way this has unraveled. When I find out who’s behind it, they will pay, I promise. I know you’re upset and confused. Part of that is stress, part of it is you’re tuning into your powers for the first time and you’re probably having difficulty maintaining some semblance of control over your emotions. But believe me, if you tell me you never want to sleep with me or have a relationship with me, okay, fine, I can deal with it. Like it, no. Accept it, yes. I would never force you to have a relationship with me if you didn’t want to.”

She stared at him. “I’m sorry,” she softly said. “I think I need sleep. Maybe tomorrow we can start over. You’re right, I don’t feel like myself.”

He took a deep breath and let it out before replying. “I think that’s a great idea.”

He found his book, straightened a few bent pages, and didn’t look her direction for the rest of the evening. She took a shower, finding it hard to move in the tiny space. When she turned off the light and tried to go to sleep, she watched his face, illuminated by moonlight streaming through the window over his bed.

His handsome profile looked old and weathered in the shadows.

How does he put up with me? I wouldn’t tolerate this shit from me if I was him.

The corner of his mouth curled at that last thought.

Taz rolled over and closed her eyes, wishing she could read his mind and really see what was going on behind those gorgeous blue eyes.

* * *

Matthias had already showered when she got up the next morning. He must have arisen before dawn. The light outside was chilly and grey when she emerged from the bathroom. He wasn’t in the room, and she heard him outside talking in a low voice with the other men.

She grabbed her jacket and joined them and thought she caught the briefest of smiles from Matthias.

“Good, you’re here,” he said. “Let’s get breakfast.”

He led the way with long strides, Albert at his side, not waiting for her. She followed, Robertson beside her.

“Well,” he said in her ear, “at least you’re not screaming at each other.”

“Shut up. I’m still mad at you.”

“No you’re not. You’re mad at the situation.”

She hated when he was right. The more she thought about what she did to the guard, the sicker it made her. She hated to admit it, but Albert did the right thing. If their circumstances were reversed, she would have done the same.

In a heartbeat.

Albert stopped her before anyone got hurt. She never thought about it, that she could hurt or kill someone with her thoughts. It explained why during the demonstration with Mayfield that Matthias stood at her shoulder, carefully controlling the situation.

Breakfast was good. Matthias never looked at her, didn’t speak to her, giving her space. She received the itinerary from Albert and Robertson and was able to watch Old Faithful erupt. The guards flanked her as she sat on the bench next to Albert while Robertson went with Matthias. Apparently their meeting was in one of the nearby buildings because they didn’t take the Rover.

“What did Matthias mean when he said he’d know if someone got in here who didn’t belong?”

Albert looked out over the geyser field. “Just that.”

“How come the Others can’t just hike through the woods to get here?”

“What do you smell, Anastazia?”

She sniffed. “I don’t know. Pine. Place smells like Christmas trees. And whatever the geysers are putting out, rotten egg smell. This whole place is a huge supervolcano. I saw it on the Discovery Channel.”

He nodded. “If you’re a fan of irony, which I am, you’ll be happy to learn a lot of what you’re smelling is sulfur. Another term for which is ‘brimstone.’”

She looked at him, sure he was pulling her leg. Then she realized he was serious. “You’re not kidding?”

He shook his head. “About something like this, I never kid, my dear. We are surrounded, if you will, by fire and brimstone.”

“Fire?”

He smiled. “Well, technically. The Others can’t stand sulfur. The smell. It burns them or something. Which, in this case, is lucky for us. Yellowstone has been a safe haven and meeting spot for our kind, as well as other paranormal breeds, for many, many years.”

“‘Other paranormal breeds?’ Do I even want to ask?”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Um, right. We’ll cover that later. Sorry, go ahead.”

“As I was going to say, the Others are most likely watching for us to leave the park, and we can probably expect some sort of trouble on the way out. They could send their hybrids, but they’re not much fonder of brimstone than the Others. And if they try to send humans through the gates, they’ll be spotted.”

“Because they have pointy horns growing out of their heads?”

He looked at her. “It doesn’t matter how they’d be spotted. They would.”

“Need-to-know basis?”

“And you don’t need to know right now. You’ve got enough on your plate. I’ll be happy to explain it all later. For now, you need to work on a few things. Lessons to learn, and all that.”

“Is this where we have the action montage sequence of me doing the kick-ass ninja-slayer training so I can handle evil bad things?”

He looked at her strangely.

“You never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV, did you?”

“No. But I heard it received quite a bit of critical praise for the writing. Too bad the facts were totally wrong.”

“Well, I got my black belt in karate because of that show. I wanted to be like Buffy.” Taz sighed. “How was I supposed to know it was life imitating art? Sort of.”

He smirked. “Matthias had a fit when Tim reported that. He was afraid you’d get hurt, or hurt someone. Once I convinced him you having those skills could only help, he settled down.”

“Back to the brimstone.”

“Ah, yes. Of course, as you are well aware by now, there is nothing evil or supernatural about what we are. It’s a physical condition, like any other genetic anomaly.”

“But you just said vampires are paranormal.” She rubbed her temples. “And that there are other paranormal breeds. You’re making my head hurt.”

“Paranormal, meaning outside the realm of the normal. By supernatural, I mean those silly, old Hollywood myths. There are legitimate explanations for what we are and what we can do that science just hasn’t caught up with yet. And explanations for the other ‘creatures’ out there as well.”

She stared at him. “You’re really nitpicky about semantics, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure people would argue with you about us not being supernatural.”

“Probably. But the truth is, we are not much different from ‘normal’ humans.”

“Only we tend to live a long time, have freaky powers of quick healing, can sometimes read each other’s thoughts, and drink blood,” she snarked.

“We don’t drink blood.”

“Usually.”

He sighed. “We don’t need to feed on blood to stay alive. But I’ll concede the point. Yes, sometimes, we drink blood.”

“That doesn’t explain the Others.”

“Did you know they are still discovering new species of creatures in the oceans and in rain forests, in both South America and Indonesia? Animals and plants never before known to science. Just in the past few years. If there was an intelligent species that wished to remain in the shadows, don’t you think they could accomplish it? Especially when they were fervently persecuted throughout most of history?”

She considered it. “Werewolves, huh?”

“Not really. There are breeds of shape-shifters out there, but like us, they are more interested in not being discovered than they are causing trouble. The Others, however, have a chip on their shoulder. They have for centuries. And while it’s easy for the Clans and most other types of paranormals to blend in and go undetected, it’s not so easy for the Others.”

“What are they?”

“They don’t usually hang around long enough to have that discussion. Most of the time they keep to themselves and don’t interact with humans outside their groups. Some of them can transform like shape-shifters, or so we’ve been told. But some of them are very nonhuman in their appearance and cannot shift.”

“I saw the head.” The thought of the dismembered head made her want to urp her breakfast. What had Matthias done with that, anyway? She hoped she didn’t open a freezer at the house and find it.

“That’s right—you did. But that’s just one form they have.”

She asked even though she didn’t want to. “Why did he take the head?”

“DNA. To track down its group. It was easier to take the head than to try to wrestle the whole body into the car. I was having a difficult enough time just getting Matthias loaded, as injured as he was.”

“It won’t turn into a human head and be waiting in the freezer for us, will it?”

“I doubt it. That was probably its true form anyway. Had it been a shape-shifter, it would have shifted when it died.”

“Area 51?”

He laughed. “Do I look like a Wikipedia of the Weird? Your guess is as good as mine. But I’ve personally seen a ghost.”

She stared across the geyser basin. Old Faithful still spouted steam occasionally, and in the distance, steam clouds puffed from other geysers in the chilly morning air.

“What else is there out there we don’t know about?”

“‘We’ meaning you and I and those like us, or ‘we’ meaning the rest of the world?”

“That.”

He paused, weighing his words. She sensed there was a lot of carefully concealed knowledge in that brain of his. “There are lots of unknowns, Anastazia, even to those like us. Most of the European lines managed to survive the worst of the Inquisition, the Plagues, the upheavals. Then World Wars I and II nearly killed the entire Eastern European Clan.”

“Couldn’t someone have done something?”

“And bring more attention to us? As it is, some of the greatest myths were written by those like us.”

“Really?”

“What better way to misdirect than create works of fiction? No one would believe it was real. Now there are so many people claiming to be ‘real’ vampires all over the world, and as you’ve seen, they’ve got it all wrong, that no one bats an eye about us anymore.”

“Ha-ha.”

He looked at her for a moment and smiled. “Yes, I get it. Bats. Ha-ha.”

“Except for science.”

“Ah, yes. That’s the true threat, now. There’s plenty of room for myths when blood can’t be analyzed under an electron microscope. That’s why it’s desperately important to identify all those like yourself and Matthias and bring them in from the cold, so to speak.”

“What about you?”

He shrugged and studied his hands. “I’m a hybrid. As is Tim. We have traits and certain talents, but our blood looks nearly normal. Normal enough. Which is why it was useless to heal Matthias.”

They sat for a long time, watching the geyser basin while she tried to collect her thoughts. “I don’t know why I’m taking it out on him,” she quietly admitted.

“I do. It’s understandable.”

She shook her head. “No it’s not. I’m not like this. I’m normally a controlled, rational person. I’m not like this at all. I don’t like being like this. I don’t like being a bitch.”

He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “You love him.”

Her heart rolled. Yes!

“Do I? Or is it just some sort of stupid vampire hypnosis infatuation?”

Albert looked at her, and she sensed a deep, timeless sadness in his heart.

“Kindred hearts sometimes take a while to find each other, my dear. And when they do, they are so much alike sometimes they fight before they realize they don’t need to. It’s fear. It’s normal. The soul always returns home, Anastazia. Never forget that. The heart knows what it knows, and the soul always returns home.”

There was something melancholy in his voice and manner, something deeper she sensed she didn’t want to explore right then—or shouldn’t. She opted for humor. “New World Order?”

“Doesn’t exist.” Damn, he was unflappable.

“Masons taking over the planet?”

“Only if the Shriners make enough of those funny clown cars for them.”

She laughed. Then something inside her turned loose, and she laughed until she cried and had to lean against his shoulder for support. He hesitantly put his arms around her then pulled her to him, let her cry against him. He was a lot like Robertson. It was almost as much a comfort having his arms around her. Protective.

Loving.

When she pulled herself together and sat up, sniffling, he handed her a handkerchief. He waited until she looked into his eyes, and she again felt there was more than he was telling her.

“Just give Matthias a chance,” he whispered. “That’s all he wants. He doesn’t expect you to do anything you don’t wish to do. Especially now that he owes you his life.”

Taz dried her eyes. “I don’t know what to think. I’m still sure I’m going to wake up in the hospital with Robertson telling me someone spiked my drink at a party and put me in a coma.”

Albert reached for her left hand and tenderly touched her wrist where the thin white scar bore mute testimony to what happened. “When you think that, take a look at this. You risked your life for him, Anastazia, without hesitation or thought for your own safety. Remember, the heart knows what it knows.”

Chapter Nineteen

Anastazia wanted to walk the boardwalk trail around the geyser basin. Albert glanced at his watch. “You’ve got time, but you have to take them with you.” He indicated the guards.

“You’re not coming?”

“This is one place we can almost guarantee you’re safe. And you’ll have them.”

“If I’m safe, why do I need Moe, Larry, and Curly?”

“Because Matthias refuses to take chances with your life.”

“I thought there were things you wanted me to work on.”

“There are.” He stood. “You’ll probably figure out at least one of them on your walk. We’ll talk later.” He glanced at the guards and lowered his voice so only she could hear. “Do not look them in the eye. Please, do not compromise them. Your anger is not at them. It’s at Matthias. Don’t risk their lives.”

She felt odd but soon realized the guards blended in with the surroundings. Of course they would. They were trained to protect and serve and to become one with the wallpaper. They didn’t speak to her, and she didn’t try to make them uncomfortable by striking up conversations. She understood their orders and why they had to follow them.

She damn sure didn’t want to put them at physical risk.

The tallest one she dubbed Moe, and noticed that Larry, who had short, curly hair, and Curly, who was bald as a cue ball, hung behind a few steps. Moe walked beside her, just close enough the casual observer would think they were a couple. She took pictures of the geysers and stopped to watch a bison near the boardwalk. The men cautiously put themselves between her and the large animal. As she watched it looked up at her with huge brown eyes like deep pools.

“Walk away,” she thought to it.

Surprisingly, it turned and left. Maybe that was one of the “things” Albert referred to.

“Huh.” She’d have to ask Matthias about that later.

If he was speaking to her.

At one point she stopped and closed her eyes and inhaled. Crisp pine. Harsh sulfur. Now she placed Babson’s weird scent at the office before he attacked her—sulfur.

Her eyes flew open. Sweat.

She stole a glance at Curly, who was wearing a navy-blue jacket. The other two wore white windbreakers. Curly’s dark jacket absorbed the sun and made him hot. Around his neck and on his upper lip and forehead, small beads of perspiration glistened in the sun. He had to keep his jacket zipped to hide the gun he wore holstered under his left arm.

Gun oil. She could smell it. Two of them used the same brand, the third a different one.

Holy crap, I’ve got a super sniffer!

She walked in a daze, no longer looking, but smelling.

The boardwalk wound close to a stand of trees. She smelled something different and looked up to spot an osprey nest high in the branches above her.

She’d always had a sensitive sense of smell, which was why she didn’t wear perfume. She’d always chocked it up to allergies. How about hearing? Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the sounds.

Every sound echoed when she purposely listened. How had she never noticed this before? Yes, odd noises always disturbed her. Even those no one else heard. One morning, she’d spent thirty minutes pulled over on the side of the 5 on her way to Anaheim, trying to hunt down the source of an odd rattle in her trunk. It turned out to be a free-range quarter vibrating inside the spare tire compartment.

Moe gently touched her on the shoulder. As she turned, he looked away and held out his watch. “I’m sorry. Time to go.”

“Thank you.” They followed her along the path to the cabin where Robertson and Albert awaited.

“Did you have a nice walk?” Albert asked.

“Uh, yeah.” She glanced at the guards. “What can I say?”

“Around them, anything.”

“Okay. Bison.”

He smiled. “Yes?”

“Could have been a coincidence. I looked at it and told it to walk away, and it did.”

Albert smiled. “Excellent. Not all animals will do that.”

“Murry won’t.”

He shook his head. “Well, no. Murry isn’t exactly an animal. And even if he were a normal cat, he still probably wouldn’t.”

She’d leave that explanation for after they got home. She had enough to deal with. “Gotcha. Sounds.”

“Yes. Very acute hearing.”

“And scents.”

Robertson nodded. “Now you know it’s not allergies.”

“What else?”

“We’ll have to go through that,” Robertson said.

They walked to the Old Faithful Inn for lunch. “Where’s Matthias?” She noticed one of the Land Rovers was gone and kicked herself for missing him.

She was still aggravated at him on general principle.

“He had to drive up to Canyon Village,” Albert said. “He’ll be back before dinner, hopefully.”

“How long will we be in the park?”

“At least until the weekend. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

* * *

Matthias didn’t return before dinner. Or after. Larry and Curly checked her room before she went in for the evening. They stood sentry on the stoop. She looked at Matthias’ empty bed and admitted she missed him.

Fink.

This had to be love, didn’t it? The fact that he could make her feel so crazy proved it, right? She’d never felt like this before about any of the guys she dated.

Or was it the strange vampire attraction?

That thought filled her with deep sadness and more than a little self-loathing. How would she know if what she felt was real? And how would she know if he really liked her in return?

She tried to sleep. Sometime after her 12:18 clock check she managed to drift off. A noise startled her, and she almost screamed when a large shadow moved near Matthias’ bed.

“It’s me. It’s okay.” Matthias snapped on the bedside lamp, and she relaxed. “I’m sorry. I was trying not to wake you.”

“What time is it?” She glanced at the clock. 3:47. “Where have you been?”

He looked like he wanted to say something and stopped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

He looked sorry. She realized the room felt chilly. “Could you please bump the heat up?”

He nodded and found the heater control. It came on, and she shivered a little.

“Look, Matthias, I’m sorry I’m being such a bitch.”

He didn’t say anything. For once, she didn’t take offense.

“I know you’re doing your best,” she continued. “I know you’re sorry. I just feel like I need to…” She hunted for the right words. “I feel like I want to punch the living shit out of something. This is like having PMS and too much coffee and a dozen Krispy Kremes all at the same time.”

He sat on his bed and removed his shoes, not looking at her. “I know.”

“No, you don’t know—” She stopped herself and tried to regroup. “You’ve had a few hundred years to adjust to this. I’ve had a few days.”

He nodded. She realized for the first time he’d slept in his clothes the night before and was about to do it again. “Don’t you want to change out of those?” she asked.

“Not really. I want to be ready.”

“Ready for what?”

He didn’t answer.

“Albert said we were safe here.”

“I hope we’re safe. I can’t afford to be wrong. Being wrong before almost cost you your life. Twice.”

They sat in silence for a moment. “Thank you, Matthias. Really.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry for the demonstration in Gardiner, Taz. I shouldn’t have gone as far as I did. I should have talked with you, made you aware of the full ramifications before the incident at the house.”

“No, I deserved it.” She took the leap. “Can I have another chance?”

He looked at her and smiled. Her heart leaped in her chest, and she hoped she wasn’t drooling. “As many as you want. I can wait. I’m a patient man. Go back to sleep, and I don’t mean that as an order either,” he hastily added.

She laughed. “I had an idea.”

Surprisingly, with him there, she fell asleep quickly.

The next morning he was up before her. Only two hours sleep—how could he do it?

“Good morning.”

She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Morning.”

“There’s still plenty of hot water.”

“Thanks. What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Would you like to go with me?”

“Depends.” Yes, yes, yes!

He smiled. She wasn’t even mad that he read her thoughts that time. “One of our divisions is working with the USGS to develop new seismology-detection equipment. I’m meeting with scientists today. You might find it interesting.”

“Thanks. I’d like that.”

He hesitated, then held out his hand to her. She took it and threw back the covers. “Can I give you a hug without getting my nuts handed back to me?” he asked.

“Yes.”

She enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. She didn’t want him to let go, wanted to pull him into bed with her. The sheets would still be warm, and the room was chilly. She felt his cock harden against her. Heat flooded her body at the thought of how his strong arms would feel wrapped around her bare flesh…

She gasped when Matthias let her go and stepped back.

“Anastazia, not like this. Not until you really, truly feel it.”

She swallowed and understood what he was telling her at the cafe. Even though she expected to feel desire for Matthias, especially after what happened between them and knowing what she knew, the pull was still great.

So how much of this is real, and how much is his influence on me?

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I can handle rejection. I want you only if you really, when I’m not around, still have those feelings for me. Even you are not immune to me, and I don’t mean to sound like an asshole saying that. I’m not immune to you, either. But I’ve had a lot longer to practice my self-control, and I know how to keep it in my pants.”

Didn’t a guy like it when a woman tried to climb him like a tree? “How will spending all day with you help me figure out what I want?”

“You have to get to know me sometime. You also have to learn how to put up and maintain a mental barrier against others of our kind.”

“Why didn’t you have this effect on me before, when we first met?”

“Didn’t I?” He smiled. She blushed. She thought about the gym, the car trip, their first dinner meeting.

Yeah, she’d always had the hots for him.

“I can assure you,” he continued, “the feeling is mutual. And always has been.”

“Maybe I am really feeling it.”

“Maybe you are. I hope you are.” He looked like he wanted to reach out and touch her, but he turned away. “We’ll be waiting outside. Breakfast, and then onward.”

Chapter Twenty

After breakfast, she rode with Matthias. Everyone else followed in the second vehicle. “We’re staying down there because of the geyser basin,” he said. “Albert told me he explained some of it. Canyon Village is more convenient, but I’m willing to trade convenience for the additional safety factor.”

Matthias played tour guide along the way. When they passed West Thumb Geyser Basin, he pulled over at the first opportunity so she could see Yellowstone Lake.

“It’s huge.”

He nodded. “It’s also very unpredictable.”

They drove on in silence. When they passed Fishing Bridge, Taz tried to make amends. “I do want to learn as much as I can.”

“I know.” He didn’t look at her. “I’m not trying to keep you out of the loop. I want to tell you everything I know. But I’m worried about who’s trying to hurt you, so I’m a little preoccupied. I’m also trying to not overload you. It’s hard enough on you going through this without extra stuff to worry about.”

“What exactly is going on with me?”

“You’ve spent your life tightly controlled, which isn’t a bad thing. Tim taught you early on to control yourself without revealing anything about your powers. You’ve found ways to explain things that fit your view of reality. You didn’t think it was odd you effortlessly earned a black belt in less than two years?”

She shook her head.

“You are a crack target shooter. You fluently speak two foreign languages—”

“Three.”

“Three then. What’s the third?”

“I learned Italian last year.”

He smiled. “Eccellente, mia amore.”

Taz smiled as he continued. “Most people cannot do that. Things are easy for you in many ways, so you push yourself to do more. That’s been to compensate because you couldn’t use your powers, even though you didn’t know it. You had to deal with the built-up energy somehow. You needed the challenge, sought it out. Including people. When you broke up with your partners in the past, you realized it was because you felt they were totally open, no more secrets, and that you were the one in charge.”

“I don’t want secrets.”

“Pardon me, cara mia.” She smiled again. “Secrets wasn’t the right word. I mean they melted before you. At first they seemed strong, then it’s like they bowed before you without you even asking. They were totally open to you, without mystery, without any will of their own.”

She looked down at her lap. “Okay, fine. Yes.”

“You wanted an equal.”

“They were nice.”

“I didn’t say they weren’t. But looking back, you see what I mean.”

She nodded.

I won’t cry. I will not cry!

He didn’t look her way. “You don’t have to ignore those things anymore. Your intuition, your experiences, they’re all valid. You’re not just hypersensitive or obsessive. You can hear and see and sense so much more than others. You will learn how to control and master it, instead of ignoring and compensating.” When Taz rebuilt the bubble around her thoughts, Matthias fell silent. “You can do that, too.”

“When I do that, you can’t read my thoughts?”

“Not when you put up a strong one. It will be very draining on you if you do it too long. At first, at least.”

“Can’t you just not listen?”

“I try, but it’s like grocery store music. You don’t hear it until something catches your attention. Then the harder you try to tune it out, the louder it seems. I know you might not believe me, but I don’t spend time trying to listen to you. I spend most of my time actively focusing on other things so I’m not hearing you.”

“Thank you. I think.”

“Taz, please, don’t start with me.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. Seriously.” She touched his leg. “Truce? I’m sorry I’m snappy. I don’t want to be like that.”

He nodded. “I meant it when I said I have patience. I’m willing to wait. As long as it takes.” He looked at her, and she wished she could just let go, fall into his eyes and his arms and give herself to him without reservation. To fully trust him.

She didn’t speak the rest of the drive. He took her on a tour of the Canyon Visitor Education Center, through the large supervolcano exhibit. The others maintained a discreet distance, and Matthias was so caught up in the subject that she was able to forget their issues and enjoy herself.

It was nice seeing this side of him. Professional, yet personal and passionate about what he shared with her. He delighted in the large model of the Yellowstone caldera, explaining the different eruptions to her, how the hydrothermal features worked. After a while she saw yet another side of Matthias—enthusiastic, real. Normal. A really nice, smart guy she enjoyed spending time with.

Who happened to have a body to die for.

They met with a scientist and went on a short hike to see some of the equipment nearby. The scientist explained their gear to Taz. She knew from Matthias’ expression he was pleased. They didn’t finish until after three and had a late lunch at Canyon before setting off for their cabins at Old Faithful.

“Want to see something?” he asked as they left.

“Sure. Surprise me.” Her mood was greatly improved after the nearly normal morning they’d shared.

He took a turn and they headed down a winding, one-way paved road.

“Bring your camera.”

He parked. She followed him down a steep set of steps to an overlook. She heard a dull roar and finally spotted the source. Below them lay a huge canyon several hundred feet deep, sediments in the rocks painting it with vibrant colors, a river flowing through the bottom of it.

“There.” He pointed to their right.

It took her breath away. “That’s the lower falls!” She snapped several pictures.

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.”

She was acutely aware how close he stood behind her, not touching, but his mouth inches from her ear. She closed her eyes and tried not to think of what she wanted to do to him, how hot his breath felt against her skin…

“I’m sorry,” he said, stepping back. “I shouldn’t be so close.”

She turned and grabbed him, kissing him. He didn’t respond at first, but then he put his arms around her and kissed her back. It took every ounce of her will to release him. When she let go and stepped back against the fence, she realized he was shocked and speechless. That had been all her doing, not his. She turned from him, facing the falls.

“Don’t toy with me, Matthias,” she thought. “If you don’t want me to act like a bitch, don’t play with me, big guy.”

She heard his breathing, choppy and quick. She’d caught him by surprise.

Surprise!

“You’re right,” he gasped. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not,” she thought, then turned to him.

“I should embrace this instead of fighting it, right?”

He looked at her and nodded.

She realized they were alone on the overlook. There were plenty of people around, but for some reason they were all interested in other areas and not working their way down the stairs to the overhang. Moe, Larry, and Curly must be doing their job.

“You don’t tell me what to do. Don’t order me around like a kid,” she thought, hard. When Matthias winced, she realized maybe that was too strong.

He nodded and she continued, trying to lower her mental volume. “Just talk to me, Matthias. Please. Tell me what’s going on so I can participate and not feel like a prisoner. I need to learn how to control these freaky powers, right?”

He nodded again.

“Come here, big guy.”

As moved toward her, his eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she truly realized even he wasn’t immune to her. When she released him, he stopped a few steps away, watching her. Then, of his own free will, he closed the distance between them and took her into his arms.

She looked up at him. “This is bad stuff we’re going up against, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Are we going to die?” she whispered.

He knew what she meant. “Not if I can help it. But we’ve got a few more days here in the park, at least.”

“Then let’s not waste it.”

She kissed him.

* * *

Matthias managed to regain some self-control back at their cabin. He tried to pull away from her, and she captured him with her eyes, drawing him to her.

He shook his head, mentally struggling against her. “I can’t fight you, Taz.”

“Do you want to?”

She felt his resistance and released him. He collapsed on her bed. “No, I don’t want to fight you. I already told you, you have to learn self-control and restraint. I won’t force you to sleep with me. Please give me the same consideration.”

Her stomach twisted, remembering the guard, the waitress. Then she grew defensive. “You don’t have to force me. What is your problem, Matthias? I thought you’d be happy I want you.”

“Because you have to learn not to force people to your will. Not in circumstances like this. Especially now.”

She crossed her arms. “So what kind of circumstances are okay?”

“Life and death. Literally.”

“What about Mayfield and the waitress?”

“Those were demonstrations. Neither remembers what happened, and fortunately, neither does the guard. And it was just talk, not action. I didn’t make him dig up his roses, and I didn’t follow through with the waitress, obviously. They were not harmed. I do not make a normal practice of that. You had to learn because you weren’t listening. The only way to get you to listen was to show you why you cannot do that.”

She winced. “Okay, point taken.”

He closed his eyes. “You are much more powerful than I thought.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“It depends on what you do with it.” He sat up, tossing her jacket to her. “Come on.”

Matthias told the guards to wait for them at the end of the boardwalk then took her by the hand. It was getting late, the sun dipping low over the valley. There were still a few tourists scattered around, but most were waiting for Old Faithful’s next performance.

Matthias led Taz to a section of boardwalk near where she saw the bison. They were far enough from Old Faithful and the lodge and cabins that all they heard was the sound of the geysers, the breeze stirring the lodgepole pines, and insects and animals.

He sat. “Here.” He patted the space on the boardwalk next to him. When she was seated, he rearranged himself behind her, her back pressed against his chest, so she was sitting between his legs. He put his arms around her and held her hands.

“Close your eyes and relax against me. You don’t need to talk, just think.”

She tried to do as he asked, struggling to let go of her thoughts of what she wanted to do to him. She felt a twitch against her back and tried to ignore that as well.

He obviously liked her thoughts.

He pressed his cheek against hers. She felt his stubble, his scent stirring her emotions. It was difficult not to turn and kiss him.

“Keep your eyes closed. I want you to clear your mind. You remember what it looks like ahead of us? I want you to reach out with your mind, listen to my thoughts, see through my eyes. You have to trust me.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“I know you don’t,” he whispered. “That’s what you have to learn. That’s another reason I brought you here. We might not have time for this later. I needed a place we could practice in private, where I wouldn’t worry about you every moment you were out of my sight. Now relax and concentrate. Reach out to me.”

Taz wasn’t sure what to expect. She was never good at these mind clearing exercises. She always ended up getting sidetracked on a thousand different thoughts. Maybe if she tried to picture a darkened room.

She tried that.

With windows.

And suddenly, she was in a darkened room, walking toward the two open windows, looking out on—

“Good,” he whispered. “Let it come.”

There was a jolt in perspective, and she was looking through the windows, seeing what he saw. Her point of view shifted again and she saw through his eyes, really seeing. She looked to the left and watched a family walking toward them, engrossed in their picture taking. She pivoted his eyes to the right where a bison emerged from the trees.

She felt Matthias’ fingers on her wrists, felt his grip tighten slightly. She still couldn’t hear his thoughts.

“Do it,” he whispered, his voice soft in her ear but sounding a million miles away.

Taz looked at the bison, which grazed just outside the trees. It stopped chewing and paused.

“Look at me.”

It raised its head and looked at her.

“Come here.”

Matthias’ fingers tightened but he didn’t stop her.

Could he stop her, even if he wanted to?

The bison walked toward them.

“Stop.”

It stopped about fifteen feet away, watching them.

Finally, Matthias whispered in her ear. “Let it go, Taz.”

She watched the bison watching them.

“Go.”

It turned and walked into the trees.

Taz opened her eyes in time to see its tail twitch as it disappeared into the woods.

She turned to Matthias. His eyes were closed, and his face looked pinched. “Did I…” she asked, unable to continue.

He nodded and pulled away, rubbing his temples. “Oh my God. I had no idea you were that strong.”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “I couldn’t hear your thoughts.”

He nodded, his eyes still closed. “But you could see through my eyes.”

“Yes.”

“And you could control the bison. Through me.”

“Yes.” He still wouldn’t look at her. “Matthias, what’s wrong?”

“You latched on to me, and I was just there for the ride.” When he looked at her, she saw his eyes were bloodshot. She reached out to him, and he caught her hand, kissing it. “It’s okay. I probably shouldn’t have started with something complicated like that. It’s my fault.”

He tried to stand, stumbled, and she caught him. He regained his footing and kept her hand in his. “Come on. Let’s go get dinner.”

It was nearly dark, she realized with surprise. How long had they been there?

The others were relieved when they reappeared. Albert and Robertson sensed something happened but didn’t ask.

Taz squeezed Matthias’ hand and was pleased to feel him return the gesture. She sat across from him at dinner, talking with him and the others. When she stretched her foot under the table, he pushed his close and they sat like that, touching, for the rest of the meal.

Chapter Twenty-One

The others sensed their shift in behavior and followed at a discreet distance back to the cabins. Inside, Taz leaned forward to kiss Matthias. He gently pushed her away.

“Not yet.”

He made sure the door was securely locked. He kicked off his shoes and sat, cross-legged and fully dressed, on the double bed. He patted the bed in front of him. “Come here.”

She sat, kicking her shoes off first.

“Relax,” he whispered. “Lean against me.”

She did, finding it easier to trust him this time.

As he put his arms around her she resisted the urge to reach out to him with her mind.

“It’s okay, go ahead. I want you to. Gently, please.”

She tried, remembering how she’d looked through his eyes earlier. Maybe she could use the same imagery.

“Why can’t I hear your thoughts?”

“Because you haven’t figured out how, yet. You’re still afraid to open up to me. You should be able to hear my thoughts, as powerful as you are.”

In her mind she stood in the darkened room, looking around. The windows were before her, revealing the inside of their cabin. She turned to a door at the far end of the room in her mind and made her way to it. It was large and heavy, the doorknob old and ornate.

He read her thoughts. “Open it,” he whispered.

In her mind she reached for it. She hesitantly traced the handle, then wrapped her fingers around it and pulled. A blazing glow too intense for her to look at flooded her mind.

Her back arched and she cried out, but felt his arms around her, holding her.

“It’s okay, Taz. It’s all right. You’re safe.”

But that wasn’t in her ear—it was in her mind.

She backed out of the doorway and slammed it shut, heart pounding. She couldn’t do this.

“Yes, you can,” his voice whispered in her ear. His arms still held her, protecting her. “Trust me, Taz. You have to learn how to trust me.”

He was right and she knew it. She reached for the door handle again. He wanted her to do this, and he wouldn’t have her do something dangerous. Robertson trusted him, and he would never let her come to harm.

She had to learn to trust him.

She closed her mental eyes against the glare and opened the door, feeling the warmth of his thoughts against her face.

“It’s okay, Taz. I’ve got you.”

She felt his strength and couldn’t take it, closing the door again. This time controlled, gently.

“That’s a start,” he whispered. She collapsed against him on the bed, spent, drained.

How does he do it? How does he touch my thoughts without going crazy?

He pulled her to the bed with him, rocking her as she trembled. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “It’s okay…”

She must have slept because when she opened her eyes, his arm was protectively draped around her, and he’d pulled the sheet over them. They were both still dressed.

“Hey,” he whispered. “You okay?”

She nodded, instinctively pressing herself against him. His body seemed to fit perfectly against hers. “That was intense.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Is that what it felt like when you started reading my thoughts?”

“I’ve been doing it a lot longer. Not just yours, but I can read yours easily because of…what you did for me.”

“You said you didn’t know if I could read minds.”

“I didn’t, not for sure. Not until tonight. After I realized how powerful you are, I assumed you could. I needed to see if you could do it without an established physical…connection.”

She rolled to face him, eyes closed. She kissed him, hoping he wouldn’t pull away.

He didn’t.

She thought about how warm his emotions had felt, knowing a lot of that was about her, his intense feelings. And she wanted him.

Really wanted him.

Pressing against him she kissed him harder, moaning when his hands worked under her shirt to the waistband of her jeans.

She helped him remove his shirt while he parted her from hers, and they kissed, bare-chested, exploring with lips and tongues, passion so strong both could barely breathe.

“I want you, Matthias,” she thought, trying not to make it a command. “I really, really want you.”

He smiled. “Anastazia, your wish is my command.”

They slipped out of their pants. She thought he would take her then, but didn’t. Instead, he ran his hands over her body. He felt smooth and strong, and his fingers explored every contour and curve as if he’d known her his entire life.

She gasped when his tongue traced delicate circles across her belly. He trailed lower, working his lips down her flesh, his breath hot on her skin. He gently pushed her legs apart with his hands. Softly, he blew on her clit, making her whimper.

She wanted him. Needed him.

“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”

She felt the heat of his breath on her just before he flicked his tongue up and over her clit. She closed her eyes and moaned. This was better than she’d ever imagined it could be.

And she’d spent plenty of nights before all this happened imagining what Matthias Hawthorne might be like in bed.

He lazily circled her clit with his tongue, making her throb and sending a flood of heat to her pussy. She wanted more from him.

She didn’t care if he was reading her mind or not when he sucked her nub between his lips and lightly sucked. At the same time, he slipped two fingers into her wet cunt and fucked her with them. An explosion ripped all conscious thought from her. She plunged her fingers into his hair, holding on as he relentlessly drew her orgasm out, made it seemingly last forever.

Taz gasped for breath as she recovered. Before he could do anything, she pushed him back to the bed, turned around, and straddled him. She moaned as she went down on him, her lips swiping across his cockhead. She enjoyed the salty taste of his precum and teased his slit with her tongue, trying to coax more out of him.

Matthias wouldn’t be outdone. He clamped his hands on her hips to keep her firmly in place and buried his face in her cunt. She moaned around his cock and took him even deeper into her mouth as he fucked her pussy with his tongue. She tried to hold back, but couldn’t against his relentlessly skilled tongue. She deep throated him as orgasm after orgasm washed through her.

And still, he held himself back.

When she couldn’t take it anymore, she pushed up and escaped him. “I can’t,” she gasped. “Please, fuck me!”

He laughed and rolled on top of her, teasing her, kissing her. He pressed the head of his cock against her swollen, drenched pussy lips, not quite entering, and whispered in her ear, “Do you really want me to?”

“Yes,” she begged. “Please!”

He kissed her again. “I want you to taste me. I want you to have all of me.”

“But I tried and you wouldn’t—”

He snickered. “Not that.”

Her eyes flew open. “What?”

“Fair is fair,” he said, kissing her again.

Suddenly, she knew. As she closed her eyes and kissed him, she knew she was more powerful, even though he was older. She knew what he was offering.

And she wanted him—all of him.

Propped on one elbow, he used his other hand, gently guiding her. He tipped his head to the side, his lips near her ear, positioning her mouth against his neck for the best access. She felt his warm breath against her cheek. Between her legs his cock pressed so firmly, tantalizingly close, but not entering. She wanted him inside her, to become one with him. He resisted her attempts to thrust against him. He cupped the nape of her neck with his hand. She flicked out her tongue and lapped at his shoulder, enjoying the salty taste of his flesh.

“Just feel it,” he whispered. Then he thrust his cock hard and deep into her, drawing another moan from her. He felt so large, so hard inside her she bit down at the base of his neck where it gave way to his shoulder.

He pressed her mouth firmly against his neck as he gasped, “Harder,” and thrust again. She did, feeling his flesh give way beneath her teeth. She tasted him, and he moaned in her head as he thrust—

“Do it—oh, God, Taz, take it all from me, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted—”

—his cock deep inside her pussy. Her head spinning, his blood tasted like warm, red wine. She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her fingers into his back, trying to become one with him as his cock fucked deep inside her, deeper than any man had ever gone. As she met each thrust, she drank, Matthias moaning as he slid deep again, and for a second she thought there was no way she would climax again. She never had before, like this—

“Don’t stop, oh please don’t stop, Anastazia!”

—and his thoughts echoed in her mind along with a staccato tempo she instinctively knew was his heartbeat—

“I belong to you, Anastazia. I am yours, only yours, and I love you—”

—and she climaxed, her cunt walls massaging his cock as she bit even harder to stifle her scream.

His entire body stiffened. He thrust one last time, and she felt more than heard his cry as he exploded inside her. Eventually his breathing slowed, and he wrapped his arms around her, rolling to his side, taking her with him. Exhausted and spent, Taz fell asleep in the safety of his arms.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Matthias’ voice came to her from a long, shadowy hallway.

“Anastazia.”

She searched for him, knowing he was there, wanting to find him, needing him.

“Here.”

In her mind she turned and found him behind her. Taz opened her eyes, and Matthias smiled down at her, propped on one elbow in their bed. She started to speak, but he gently put a finger to her lips, then replaced it with his mouth.

“My love.”

Her eyes widened.

She could hear his thoughts. Without effort. It wasn’t a dream.

Her fingers trailed along his neck where she’d bit him. Chewed on him it felt like, but there wasn’t a mark, not even a bruise.

“Yes, it happened,” he spoke aloud.

She looked at him then kissed him. Her hands traveled below his waist and wrapped around his cock. He instantly responded by stiffening in her hand and rolling on top of her. She gasped as his cock easily slid in, filling her pussy. She threw her legs around him and thrust to meet him.

Reaching out with her mind, Matthias met her in the shadowy hall of their passion. It wasn’t quite six in the morning, but she wanted to spend all day in bed with him. Every stroke of his cock inside her hit her clit perfectly, in a way no other man ever had. She pushed the cliché out of her mind, enjoying having her brains fucked out.

Do this for the rest of her life? Hell, yes.

At one point she rolled on top of him, slowing their tempo to a steady, sultry rhythm while his fingers slipped between her legs and his thumb drew tight, sensual circles around her clit. When she came, he rolled on top of her and picked up speed, thrusting his cock deep and hard into her, his eyes boring into hers—

“I love you, Anastazia.”

—and she smiled.

“Take me, big guy,” she whispered. With another hard thrust he came, collapsing on her, his body trembling.

She wrapped her arms around him, and they slept again.

* * *

The knock on the door almost sounded polite. “Matthias, Anastazia, are you all right?” Albert managed to sound concerned and amused at the same time. Matthias lifted his head and glanced at the clock. “Oh hell,” he whispered. “It’s after eight.”

“They’re hungry.”

They both giggled. He kissed her, rolling off her.

“We’re okay, Albert,” he called out. “I’m sorry we overslept. Go ahead. We’ll meet you at breakfast.”

“Very well.”

She wrapped her arms around Matthias. “Not if I have my way,” she whispered in his ear.

He responded then pulled away. “We have to eat. Come on, let’s see how many vampires can fit in a phone booth.”

The shower was a tight squeeze. It wasn’t made for two, but they had fun trying. They held hands as they walked into the dining room. She watched Albert and Robertson exchange smiles.

“Fine, say I told you so and get it over with,” she snarked as Matthias pulled out her chair for her.

“Taz,” Robertson said, “I prefer not to. I’m just glad the war is over.”

She felt hungry, starving, ravenous. The food looked and tasted great, better than it had any other day. Colors and aromas were even more vivid. She paused at one point, her forkful of eggs halfway up to her mouth, and looked across the table at Matthias.

He smiled, watching her, his elbows on the table, hands clasped, food untouched.

“What?”

The other men watched her. She’d plowed through half her breakfast like a starving linebacker, and they hadn’t touched theirs yet. “What?” she said again, trying to control her irritation.

Matthias shook his head. “Nothing, dearest. You seem to have quite the appetite this morning.”

She nodded. “I feel like I haven’t eaten in a week.”

Albert and Matthias exchanged amused looks. Taz put her fork down. “Spill it. Come on, I’m tired of this. Next thing you know you guys will be trying to spell things behind my back.”

Matthias reached across the table and touched her hand as he looked into her eyes.

“We’ll talk after breakfast, Anastazia.”

She heard him clearly then looked at the others. They were now eating and hadn’t heard him.

She looked at Matthias, and he smiled. “Oh, the talks we can have, Anastazia.”

“Who said I want to talk?”

He grinned and grabbed his fork. “That too, my love.”

* * *

“Especially now, so early in the learning process, you are expending a lot of energy,” he explained as they walked, hand in hand, to the car. “If you didn’t eat, I’d be very worried because you would literally burn yourself out. It would kill you. Eventually, you’ll get to a point where it doesn’t exhaust you so much or make you so ravenous once you learn to control it.”

“I won’t end up looking like a friggin’ buffalo, will I?”

He smiled and pulled her to him, kissing her. “No chance of that, cara.” He ran his hands down to her backside, seductively grinding his hips against hers. “You are beautiful, perfection. Built like a woman should be.”

She wrapped her arms around him, gasping at the feel of his breath in her ear and his hard bulge pressing against her.

“That is what you do to me, Taz. That’s what you’ve done to me from the first time I laid eyes on you.” He finally released her, leaving her dizzy and breathing heavy, and helped her into the Rover.

He wouldn’t tell her where they were going and wouldn’t let her read his mind. She suspected she could force her way in, but she didn’t want to.

They headed east, alone. He pulled into the parking lot at West Thumb Geyser Basin and led her down the boardwalk to the lakeside. There were only a few scattered tourists, most enthralled by the features like Abyss Pool, Fishing Cone, or the paint pots. Matthias wanted to show her the lake.

There was a handrail at one section. He stood behind her and placed his hands over hers on top of it. She tried not to think about how the bulge now pressed against her lower back felt when he was inside her.

“Concentrate, Taz,” he silently teased.

“What do you want me to do?”

There wasn’t anyone close enough to hear them. “Look at the lake. Then I want you to close your eyes and see it in your mind.”

“Through your eyes? Like I did before?”

“No, through your mind. I don’t mean imagine it. I mean reach out with your mind and see it. Not through me.”

“How?”

“I can’t tell you that. Not that I don’t want to, but I don’t know how to tell you. I have a feeling there are things you can do that I can’t.”

That was a comfort.

Not.

She closed her eyes and felt his hands protectively covering hers on the handrail.

Leaning against him, she tried not to think about his warm breath on her neck. Instead, she tried to revisit the darkened room in her mind. She was two for two on imagery, so why screw with what worked?

He didn’t say or think anything, or else he was keeping his thoughts from her. She pictured the darkened room in her mind and walked over to the windows. The shades were drawn, but behind them it looked dark.

In her mind, she pictured a grey light dawning behind the shades. She reached out with both hands to raise the blinds.

Light fought its way through a thick, grey fog. How long would this take? She took a deep breath and smelled the lake, fish beneath the surface, and the sulfur from the hot springs behind them. The air felt cool, wet, like the lake, and even more than that. Blowing over the cold water from the east, she smelled things on the breeze from miles away, scents she couldn’t identify but instinctively knew bore down from the mountains beyond the lake, even perhaps from the Shoshone forest to the east.

Just like that, the fog lifted. In front of her lay the dark blue water of Yellowstone Lake with the Absaroka Range in stark relief on the far side to the east.

Matthias’ voice spoke in her mind. “Don’t open your eyes. Tell me what you see.”

Coherent thought escaped her. Just the shock of seeing the lake before her as a live image and not as a memory made her forget her purpose. She let her mind drift further. As with their session near Old Faithful, she was not just seeing out the windows but seeing the scene before her, only in her mind and not through Matthias’ eyes.

“There’s a yellow canoe to our left,” she whispered, “close to shore, with two people.”

“Good,” he murmured. “More. Let yourself float, like in a movie, an aerial view. Pan around with your mind.”

She did. It was amazing how easy it was once she tapped into it. She saw the two of them standing on the boardwalk, her head limp against Matthias’ shoulder. If not for him she’d be passed out on the boardwalk. Then she realized she couldn’t feel his body against her.

She raced over the parking area, the Land Rover, and saw a mule deer grazing by the path. She paused, and it looked up at her.

“Go,” she thought.

It bounded out of the parking area.

“Good,” he whispered in her ear. “Follow the road back to the cabins.”

She flew! Over cars, at the top of the trees, she raced across the landscape, amazed, astounded. Over the Continental Divide twice, through Craig Pass, and around to the valley where Old Faithful awaited.

And there she found Robertson and Albert, sitting in chairs outside the cabin, while Moe, Larry, and Curly quietly talked nearby. Robertson looked up sharply. Albert stopped talking, following his gaze.

“What is it, Tim?” he said.

“Anastazia,” Robertson said.

Matthias’ voice cut through the distance. “Come back to me.”

And like that, she was leaning against his shoulder, her knees weak. He caught her, scooped her up, and carried her to a nearby bench. She shivered. She was freezing despite the warm air. He draped his jacket around her shoulders, taking her hands in his, trying to warm them.

Something was wrong. The sun was in the wrong place. “How long have we been here?”

“Three hours,” he said. “I’m sorry I put you through that. I’m sorry we don’t have more time to ease you into this.”

She couldn’t stop shivering.

Matthias’ cell rang. Apparently annoyed at the interruption, he snapped it open. “Yes?”

Taz knew it was Albert. She heard him even though Matthias didn’t have the volume turned up loud.

He looked at her. “We’ll be back…”

Everything went dark.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Taz woke alone in their cabin. She was dressed, swaddled in several blankets, the heater running. Her stomach rumbled. What time was it?

Throwing back the covers, she sat up, and the room spun. Where is Matthias?

Twenty minutes after four. She’d missed lunch. No wonder she was starving. What happened? They were at West Thumb and—

Her stomach lurched, and she held her head in her hands. Cripes, it was worse than a hangover. She must have fainted. She’d been so cold, but now she felt better.

Her stomach lurched again, and she closed her eyes.

Better was a relative term. At least she wasn’t cold anymore. In fact, now she was sweating.

Keeping one hand on the bed for support, she carefully inched her way over to the heater and shut it off.

The door opened. Matthias carried a paper bag. The smell of food sent her stomach into a conflicted battle of ravenous hunger versus gut-twisting nausea.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I think.”

He turned the light on, and she winced then looked at the burgers he unpacked on the desk. They weren’t supposed to have food in the cabins, but she figured Matthias wasn’t worried about bears.

That was the least of their concerns.

“What happened?” She took a cheeseburger from him and picked at it, trying to settle her stomach.

He sat next to her. “You fainted at West Thumb.”

And before he could tell her the rest, she reached out with her mind and saw what happened, saw him trying to bring her around, calling her name, his face tight with panic—

“Oh my God, I’ve killed her, what have I done?”

—and then relief when he realized she was breathing, how he ran with her in his arms to the Land Rover, turning the heat up full blast despite how he was sweating, tucking his jacket around her, talking to her, trying to wake her. How he bundled her into bed in the cabin—

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s not your fault. You weren’t ready for such a huge step.” He tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I honestly didn’t think you could go that far. Once you started I didn’t want to bring you back before I knew what you could do.”

The burger tasted good, and eventually her stomach settled enough for her to enjoy it. And her hunger returned.

“I feel like I could eat an elephant.”

“You expended a lot of energy.”

“So what else can we do?” Taz felt ready to have this conversation.

“There are things, like you experienced yesterday and today, that we can do. Not all of us, only the more powerful. Some just have premonitions or really strong intuition. Most cannot consciously tap into what you did today.”

“Can we fly?”

He laughed. “Delta, Southwest, or American?”

“I was flying today.”

“In your mind. If I hadn’t been there, you would have been helpless.”

“Will that always happen?”

“I don’t know. You might learn to control it, or it might always take you over. You must promise that until you learn to control it, you never do it without me, without controlled circumstances. If you were alone and someone tried to hurt you…” He looked at her. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“Can you do that? What I did?”

“Not like that. Not the way you can. My cousin Rafael can. I’ve heard of others, but I’ve never been able. I have a fraction of the reach you have.”

“What about controlling animals?”

“Sometimes.”

“Changing into bats?”

She knew that would crack him up, and he laughed. “No.” He proceeded to tell her what he knew, what his labs discovered.

The genetic markers that made up the “vampire” syndrome were like any other genetic condition. Except much of it tapped into normally unused portions of the brain.

“Think about wolves,” he said, “how they effortlessly hunt as a pack, communicate wordlessly. It’s what we do, some of us anyways. Who knows? Maybe humans could do this once and we’re the last who still can.”

“What about the blood?”

“There is something in us that lacks certain nutrients. But now, with vitamins and fortified food, we don’t crave blood. We get everything we need off the shelf. There are rituals, most of which aren’t practiced anymore, but a few still remain out of need or…desire.”

He looked at her, and she blushed, a warm tingle growing between her legs and spreading. “There is something in our blood that our digestive enzymes don’t destroy. On the contrary, when we take it in, like we did, like you did for me, our bodies can instantly absorb and use it.”

“I still don’t understand the instant healing, the supersensitive hearing, all that. How we live longer.”

He shrugged. “Neither do I. It’s all part of it. As far as the healing, look at lizards. Some of them, they can regenerate new tails. Have you ever heard of progeria?”

She shook her head.

“It’s a genetic syndrome, where children age rapidly, dying usually by their teens, looking like old men and women.”

Her appetite slipped. “And?”

“It’s caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene. The cells break down prematurely. We think what we have is the exact opposite. It’s a mutation that’s super strong.”

“Does that explain everything?”

“No. There’s more than one mutation. How many, I’m not sure. Like any genetic disorder, it can be passed on. You have people who are carriers and those who actually have it. Being caused by more than one gene mutation supports my theory how some can have certain traits and not others. In your case, I suspect you have most, if not all, of the mutations. I believe your father was also of the line for you to be so strong.”

“Will I live as long as you?”

He caressed her cheek. “It doesn’t matter. Because if you’re not alive, I don’t want to be.”

“So we can’t ‘make’ another vampire?”

“No. Not like you’re thinking. That’s Hollywood myth.” She sensed his thought, but he clamped down on it, and she smiled.

“We could ‘make’ a vampire?” she teased.

“Takes about nine months,” he admitted with a sly smile.

She felt that sensual tingle between her legs again. “But there’s no guarantee.”

He shook his head, serious again. “No. Obviously early on there was a better chance. Now the bloodline is so diluted it’s difficult to have a baby with enough of the traits. Hybrids like Tim and Albert are not uncommon. If you have two powerful vampires, then of course there’s a better chance.”

“Which is rare.”

“Absolutely.”

“How did the whole ‘night rising’ thing get started?”

“Think about someone who didn’t age at the same rate as everyone else. There was a lot of religious persecution then. They were usually marked for death as an agent of the devil, so they were hidden by their families and allies, ventured out only at night. A few had an even rarer mutation where sunlight hurt them. But there are people today with that same genetic mutation who aren’t vampires.”

“And it was a great book.”

“There is that.”

“The undead crap?”

“Someone who doesn’t age, they must be supernatural. Or at least that’s what they thought back then.”

“Can we be killed?”

“Absolutely. You saw for yourself. I would have died if it wasn’t for you.”

“Stake through the heart?”

“Stake through any vital organ. Or a bullet. Or a knife. Car accident, et cetera. Not much different than any other human.”

“Minor wounds?”

“Depends on where and what they are. You’ve probably never had a paper cut, have you?”

She thought about it and started to disagree, when she realized he was right. She’d always thought she was just a fast healer. She might get a minor scratch somewhere, but immediately forgot about it. Most of the time, she healed up within the space of a few hours, a day at the most.

“We are not invincible,” he continued. “We can’t throw ourselves off a building and expect to survive. We’re not superhuman. Better reflexes, yes. In some cases stronger, but not movie-legend strong. Okay, we can move faster. I’ve had hundreds of years of training and practice. It doesn’t happen overnight. But a Hollywood stuntman can move faster and kick the ass of the average couch potato.”

“Robertson said he can’t swing a sword as well as you can.”

Matthias laughed. “Tim doesn’t do himself justice. I am older, and when I grew up we didn’t have Glocks and tasers.”

“Crosses and holy water?” She suspected she knew the answer.

“I spent some time studying in a monastery.”

“Garlic?”

“Love the stuff. Can’t make a good shrimp scampi without it.”

“Are there are vampires who don’t know what they are?”

“Look at you. All the Clans try to keep track as much as possible. In Asia it was easier because they lived in a remote region and controlled who married whom. As I already told you, the Eastern European Clan was nearly destroyed by the World Wars. The African Clan has encountered problems because of civil wars. Many of them relocated to Europe and merged with the Western European Clan for protection. The South American Clan is scattered, but I have contacts there. Many of them are descended from the Eastern European Clan.”

“Do they all run businesses?”

“Well, to a certain extent. Our Clan here is descended from the Western European Clan, which is now based in Great Britain. The Eastern European Clan handles the EU region. The Indonesian Clan takes care of Australia, too. We all help each other, try to identify and bring in anyone who—”

“Is like me.”

Matthias nodded. “If someone is just a hybrid, we try to leave them alone but keep tabs to see if they develop a strong and traceable mutation. Not all hybrids have the longevity and healing ability.”

“Are you the oldest in the States?”

“That I am aware of.”

“What about your cousin, Rafael?”

“He’s three hundred and forty. His grandfather and my grandfather are brothers. He’s very strong, but quite not as strong as me.”

“Why do we start out like normal humans?”

“Not totally normal.” He smiled. “Tim said you were powerful, even as a baby. The best guess we have right now is hormones. At birth your blood would have appeared nearly normal. Not different enough to raise any red flags. Once the body finishes puberty, hormones settle, the aging process slows to a crawl, and genetics takes over. The mutations you have determine how fast you age.”

Her mind reeled again, and her stomach growled. He took the burger wrapper and handed her another. “Eat. We’ve got to go to dinner.”

She started to protest, then realized how famished she was. She gobbled the burger down in just a few ravenous bites. Still, she felt hungry. “Why can’t the government know about us?”

His expression grew hard and cold. “When have you ever known the government to take knowledge like this and use it for the common good? Do you want to end up a lab rat? Vivisected, lying on a table while they ask you questions about how it feels to have them poking around inside you?”

“Okay, okay.” Her appetite faded again. “I get it.”

“That’s why one of my divisions is research. I’ve purchased three different pharmaceutical companies and four research labs to squelch research that threatens us.”

“Has the government captured any vampires before?”

He nodded. “One that I know of. I missed his lineage. He enlisted in the army to fight in the first Gulf War. I learned through my contacts they had him in Atlanta at the CDC, but before I could develop a plan to get him out, he’d killed himself. Fortunately, I got my hands on the files, and his remains were cremated before being returned to his family.”

She gasped. “Why did he kill himself?”

“If you realized you were going to spend the rest of your life as a science experiment, with no possibility of freedom, wouldn’t you rather die?”

She shuddered. “Yes.”

“He didn’t know what he was. Had he known, he most likely could have found a way to escape.” Sadness lined his face. “I don’t want anyone else to experience that again if I can help it. I work very hard to prevent our kind from being captured.”

“So is there or isn’t there supernatural stuff? What about the Others? And the daemon pulverem?”

He considered his answer. “If you took a working television back to the time of Jesus, what would they think?”

She considered. “That it was some sort of possessed box.”

“Or the word of God speaking.”

“What?”

“I’m not saying that’s what happened. But you and I would say, ‘Oh, that’s just Matt Lauer and The Today Show.’ We would think it’s normal. Consider some of the extremely isolated indigenous tribes. What they must have thought the first time they saw an airplane fly overhead.”

“Okay, I get your point. Just because it’s weird and outlandish, doesn’t mean it can’t be true or natural.”

“I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. You’ll hear me tell you, ‘I don’t know,’ quite a lot, and I’m sure it’ll piss you off.”

She snickered, but he continued. “I won’t lie to you.”

“Anymore.”

“Anymore,” he agreed.

“Why didn’t you try to date me instead of hiring me?”

“You wouldn’t have let me. You would have run so far in the other direction I never could have gotten close to you again. You would have sensed something was up and kept me at arm’s length.”

He was right. Damn it.

She looked at him. “I’m a vampire?”

He nodded. “You and I are vampires.”

“That’s going to take some getting used to.”

He noticed she’d finished eating. “Come.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go to dinner.”

She stood then sat down again.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked at him. “I’m not on the Pill right now. I don’t want to get pregnant!”

“You won’t. It’s not the right time of the month.”

“How would you know.” She looked at him, and he blushed. His face turned bright red, in fact. Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

“No,” he said quickly. “I just mean…” He looked at her. “I just know. I can only sense it with you, if that’s what you’re wondering. I don’t know how I know. I don’t know if it’s because of your scent or because of what we’ve gone through together or what.”

She held up a hand. “Never mind, big guy. Sorry I asked.” She studied him. “Will you let me know if it’s not safe?” Now that she worked the calendar in her head, he was probably right.

He nodded, the color fading from his face. “We have a few more days.”

“I need to see a doctor when we get home.”

He nodded, seemingly genuinely relieved to drop the topic.

He obviously isn’t the type to pick me up a box of tampons on the way home from work. His face went beet red again as he must have heard her thought. She laughed. “Sorry.”

He shook his head, smiled, and then took her into his arms for a kiss. “Go easy on me, Taz. I might be an old guy, but I’m still just a guy.”

* * *

After dinner, Taz and Matthias returned to the cabin. While he wanted her to go to sleep, she managed, without the help of supernatural charms, to coax him out of his clothes and into bed with her.

He nuzzled her neck with his lips, working his way down her chest to her breasts. He sucked her nipples into his mouth, teasing and tasting, sending floods of juices straight to her pussy.

No man ever had this effect on her before, the desire to just throw all caution to the wind and get utterly, completely, thoroughly fucked.

She climbed into his lap and impaled herself on his cock, sighing with relief to feel that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

“This is so good,” she whispered.

He captured her lips with his. He grabbed her hips and as he fucked her with his cock, his tongue did the same to her mouth. She couldn’t get enough of him.

This time, she didn’t need his tongue or his finger or anything else but his cock sweetly fucking her to orgasm. It started slow, deep inside her, gentle waves that quickly swelled, crashing, breaking over her as she felt her body milking his member and triggering his orgasm.

She cried out, muffled by his lips on hers as his hips rocked against her harder, faster until one last climax left her spent and shivering in his arms.

They collapsed to the bed. She curled against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her.

“You’re an amazing woman, Anastazia,” he said, kissing her. “I am a very blessed man.”

In his arms she felt safe, protected. Loved. Even his scent felt imprinted on her heart, and the taste of him…

“Why didn’t you bite me that time?”

He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” She turned to look at him. “Uh, pain’s the last thing I thought of when you did that to me at the house.”

He smiled and kissed her. “It’s something special. We don’t need to do it every time to know we love each other.”

Then she caught a whiff of his thought. “Really?”

Matthias hesitated before nodding.

“I’m only the second person?”

He nodded.

She sat up to look at him. “Ever? You’re shitting me.”

“Why would I lie about that?”

“I mean, I just—”

“Rafe and I have fed each other, obviously, to save the other. But you are only the second woman I’ve ever tasted.”

She searched his eyes. “I’m the first to taste you?”

He nodded again as an ancient ache filled his face. “My wife wasn’t of the line. I…on our wedding night, before I knew what I was, it was…instinctive. I didn’t hurt her, thank God, but obviously she didn’t have the same need I did.”

Taz touched his cheek. He nuzzled her palm. “Matthias, really? I’m the first woman you’ve ever let do that?”

He nodded. “I waited until I found my true love, cara,” he murmured, deeply inhaling the scent of her hair. “I would have waited hundreds of years more if I had to. I belong only to you. You are the only woman on this planet who holds my blood in her veins.”

Something in his words thrilled and frightened her. He wasn’t bullshitting her. The fact that he loved and trusted her so much scared her. With that thought in mind, she snuggled into his arms again and closed her eyes.

Taz awoke before Matthias the next morning. As she watched him sleep, she resisted the urge to probe his thoughts. Now that it was a two-way street she understood what he’d meant about the connection between them.

How powerful am I?

She remembered the times in school she’d pulled quiz answers from nowhere. Not lucky guesses, she figured. She recalled watching her mother during interviews, how she played reporters, toyed with them, had them eating out of her palm.

Her father, too. He was a playboy and could snag any woman. How many times had he talked his way out of trouble with her mother? Sweet-talked her into forgiving him, both knowing it was just a matter of time before he strayed or drank again?

“Did he drink to escape the demons within him?”

“Yes,” Matthias said, startling her.

She glared at him. “I didn’t do that to you.”

“I’m sorry.” He took her hand and kissed it. “All I heard was that last part. You were rather intense. You think loudly, dear.”

“Oh,” she said, mollified.

“He most likely drank to escape what he thought was mental illness. He could focus on his driving. When he had downtime, he needed something to quiet what was inside. That’s why Tim took such great care to raise you the way he did, with self-control and restraint. Kept you busy with your studies and outside activities, taught you constructive ways to focus.”

“I miss them.”

He hugged her to him. “I know you do. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring them home to you.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“What now?” she asked him. The others remained in the parking lot while Matthias and Taz walked across the bridge over the Firehole River as the cool morning breeze competed with warm mist blowing off the basin.

They were in Midway Geyser Basin, heading toward Grand Prismatic Spring. Taz was a little unnerved to read in the guidebook how easily someone could fall into the hot water and die because of the temperature. According to the guidebook, people and animals had jumped in to swim and literally been boiled to death.

Most of the boardwalks had no guardrails.

“We have a meeting tomorrow,” he said.

“Scientists?”

He shook his head. “Guests. People you need to meet.”

She didn’t want to guess.

“I wish I could give you more time to practice, but we don’t have it.” They sat at the far western side of the basin on a short boardwalk extension that kept them out of the main traffic. They pretended they were looking out over the large spring. Most people took pictures and moved on, affording them relative privacy.

“What are we doing here?” she asked him.

“I want you to focus on blocking me from your mind.”

“Why?”

“No one you will meet tomorrow is stronger than me. None of them are older.”

“You don’t trust them?”

“I didn’t say that. I don’t want anyone knowing our business. It’s best you learn to block them without exhausting yourself.”

“You think they’ll try to read my thoughts?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps. Eventually you’ll be able to selectively block others. Allow only those you want to have access. For example, I can block others and still allow you in.”

“How do I do it?”

“You had the right idea the other day, of creating a bubble. I want you to fine-tune it so you don’t wear yourself out. I can read you without effort because of our relationship. Otherwise I would have to probe—” He stopped as she giggled. He playfully patted her leg. “Yes, I get the pun.”

“Sorry.”

“As I was saying, I would have to actively probe your mind. If you pay attention, you can feel someone trying to do that to you.”

“So I can’t broadcast my thoughts to them like I can you?”

“Not yet, at least. It would take great effort you can’t afford to expend right now. Think of these skills as mental muscles you have to develop to effectively use without wearing yourself out.”

“Hit me.”

He closed his eyes. A wall went up in his mind, shutting her out. She felt a pang as she realized the connection was gone. She missed it.

I took it for granted.

“Don’t close your eyes,” he said. “Just look around. You need to be able to feel this during distractions.”

Taz did as he said, and then she felt it. A slight tugging at the edge of her conscious. It was like small finger probing, looking for entry.

“Do you feel it?”

“Yes.” It was odd not having him naturally inside her head now that she was used to it.

He stopped, and she felt him withdraw. He opened his eyes.

“Were you in?”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to get in.”

Something with the power akin to a fist slammed into her mind. He reached out to steady her. Now she knew why they were sitting. If she’d been standing, she would have fallen off the boardwalk.

She looked at him, shocked. “Ow! What the hell was that?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you ready for it. I wanted you to feel a subtle attempt first.”

“That was about as subtle as a fucking atomic bomb.”

He nodded. “And you might feel that from someone. I want you ready for anything.”

She rubbed her forehead even though it didn’t hurt anymore. “How can you prepare for something like that?”

“You have to.” He let her go, closed his eyes again, and she felt a strong probe. She envisioned her bubble, built of concrete and rebar.

He smiled. “Talk about subtle.”

“What the hell do you want me to do?”

“You watched TV growing up.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Ever see Get Smart?”

“What? You’re kidding?”

He shook his head. “Try it. Well, obviously, one that would work.” She loved his playful smile. Even though she knew this was serious business, his smile lit her heart and melted her inside.

She envisioned a clear Cone of Silence surrounding her and felt his probe slide off. It was easier than the other image she’d used, and she realized it didn’t drain her nearly as much. “Hey, that’s not bad—ow!” He mentally hit her again, but this time she was startled more than rocked physically.

“Feel the difference?” he asked.

She nodded.

“At the meeting, you’ll need to find a balance between the Berlin Wall and a paper bag. Something that won’t distract you, that you can maintain without exhausting yourself. You also need to learn to strengthen it if you feel someone trying to snoop where they don’t belong.”

He looked toward the parking lot. She followed his gaze. A lone man made his way across the bridge, long strides quickly carrying him along the boardwalk. She instinctively knew he was coming to them.

“Now’s your chance to practice,” he said.

“Rafael?”

He nodded. “I wanted him here early. I trust him completely. We’ll need him as backup.”

The man rounded the Excelsior Geyser basin when she felt it. Different than Matthias, it was like someone picking her mind up in their hands, gently twisting it like a Rubik’s Cube, and trying to find entrance.

Someone who felt very familiar.

She was glad she was still sitting. She nervously reached out a hand for Matthias.

“It’s okay,” he encouraged. “You need to do this. He won’t hurt you, but he will test you. He’s very powerful, stronger in some ways than I am.”

Taz felt the intruding probe working around the perimeter of her mind. Fear overtook her. She eyed the quickly approaching stranger. Luckily, he was near a wide section of boardwalk. She slammed down the concrete wall, and even though Rafael was still halfway across the basin complex, he stumbled and fell to the boardwalk.

Matthias laughed. “Good work, sweetheart.”

The man got to his knees and looked at them, shaking his head. He approached and Matthias stood, smiling.

Rafael had his cousin’s intense blue eyes, but he was a little shorter, had a slighter build. The men shook hands before hugging. There was something so…familiar about him. Like she’d seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

She noticed the ring on his right hand, a fairly plain gold setting with a large, yellowish stone. He rubbed it with his thumb, twisting it on his finger. An ingrained stress tic, she thought.

“Matts, you should have warned me, big guy.”

“I didn’t know she could do that, Rafe.” She started to stand, and Matthias motioned to her to stay seated. “I don’t want you to trip.”

“Yeah, like I did,” Rafael quipped. He had short, dark, wavy hair and a roguish smile she imagined charmed many women to bed. He was handsome, but not in the same way as Matthias. He had a cloak of charm, a sense of playful, friendly ease about him that willingly drew people in and made him attractive without trying. “Rafael Collins.” He extended his hand, and she took it.

“Taz.” She looked at his face, studied him, trying to figure out what it was about him. Why did she feel okay with him calling her that right off the bat? There was something else teasing the edge of her conscious, so close, but when he let go of her hand it slipped from her mind.

She felt safe lowering her defenses. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to make you trip.”

Rafael smiled. “It’s okay, I understand. That was good. I enjoy falling for beautiful women.” He winked.

She felt a sudden probe, and he rocked back on his heels as she blocked it.

“Damn it!” Rafael’s swear was a mixture of pain, surprise, and admiration.

Matthias watched them. “Obviously, I didn’t use the full force of my mind on you, Taz. I wanted to see how you reacted to Rafe.” To his cousin he said, “I’m trying to help her find a fine balance.”

Rafael rubbed his forehead. “So I gathered.” He looked at her with newfound respect. “You have no idea how powerful you are.” She avoided his eyes, not wanting to try her luck. She knew she couldn’t refuse Matthias, no matter how strong he said she was. But she didn’t want to risk getting pulled in by his charismatic cousin, especially considering the odd feelings she had about him.

She sent a probe of her own to Rafael, imagined it as a gentle hand, squeezing, manipulating. She didn’t want to let go. He welcomed her in, she realized, dropping his barrier so she could easily slip inside his thoughts. And before she could really look inside Rafael’s mind, Matthias’ lips were on hers, passionately kissing her, breaking her train of thought.

When Matthias released her, she gasped, trying to get her breath back. “Darling, you need to wait before you try to do that, please,” Matthias said.

“Why did you kiss me?” Not that she was complaining.

“Because I knew it would distract you.”

Damn it. It did.

Rafael looked at her with shock and awe and something else, obviously not accustomed to meeting someone of her strength.

“You’re worried about her?” he asked Matthias. “Seriously? Why not just have her probe everyone at the meeting and see what’s up?”

“Because that would be rude.”

“Screw rude. She’s—”

“Powerful. Yes, I know. She’s also not used to using her powers, and we have no idea what she’s capable of.”

“And she’s sitting right here, you jerks,” Taz said from the boardwalk. “And she doesn’t like it when people talk about her like she’s not here!”

Matthias helped her to her feet. “Okay, we need a break. All of us. I want Tim and Albert to help us for the next phase.” They returned to the parking lot and rendezvoused at the cabins. With Larry, Moe, and Curly keeping watch outside, the five of them crammed inside Matthias’ room.

Matthias quickly updated Albert and Tim. Robertson didn’t seem surprised, but Albert looked stunned. “This is amazing!”

Matthias nodded. “I know.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring her to the meeting?” Albert asked.

“I have to. I don’t think there is a traitor in this group. If there is, the last place I want her is out of my sight. At least there will be enough allies at the meeting for us to protect her.”

“I thought you said you trusted these people?” she asked.

“I do. But there is such a thing as foolish risk.” Then Matthias’ mental wall appeared again, and she looked at him. Could she force him to lower it if she wanted to?

Reading her thoughts, he smiled. “You probably could, but please don’t try.”

Shit.

The men looked at each other, and she tried to stifle her left-out feeling. Matthias was obviously instructing them. They might not be as strong as he was, but he could certainly broadcast to them from this close. Especially considering how well he knew them.

Their attention shifted back to Taz. She sat cross-legged on the single bed, and Matthias smiled. “I want you to feel and identify the probes. Use whatever images you need to do this.”

“Go easy on us, sweetheart,” Tim warned. “We won’t hurt you, but you could hurt us if you’re not careful.”

Taz nodded, her palms sweaty. Could she do this?

She felt the first one and gently pushed it away, afraid she might hurt whoever it was.

“Who was that?” Matthias asked her.

Damn. “Uh, I didn’t look.”

“You need to identify the source besides repelling the probe. Try again.”

“Who was it?”

“They’ll try again.” Obviously he knew. He might not be as powerful as she was, but he had a lot more experience and control.

She felt it again, tried a few images, and settled on a small trout net. She scooped up the probe in her mind and looked at it. “Robertson.” Tipped it out and released it. Then imagined a tennis racket and swatted it back to him.

When his eyes popped open, Taz smiled in smug satisfaction.

“Damn!” he swore. She laughed. She didn’t think it was possible to make him swear.

“Good,” Matthias said. “Again.”

She snared the next one. Rafael. His felt different. Stronger, but like he was holding back. Before she returned it she felt a gentle, teasing caress from him and tried to ignore the warmth spreading between her legs.

It felt too good, too familiar.

The next was Matthias. She seductively toyed with him for a moment, noticing his smile. He cleared his throat. “Good.”

Albert was next. The probes were coming faster, with less time for her to respond to each.

She felt rocked from the side and saw Robertson’s smug smirk. “You weren’t paying attention, dear,” he chastised.

She viciously lobbed it back. But before she could complain they were everywhere, all over. She started to slam down her defenses when Matthias interrupted her.

“No. You must learn to repel them, not just block them.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated. When they stopped a few minutes later, she was sweating, trembling, and curled up on the bed in a fetal position.

Matthias looked at the others, and they wordlessly exited while he took her into his arms.

“I can’t do this.”

“You can,” he gently said. “And you will.” He brushed the hair from her eyes and held her as he waited for her tremors to stop. “You are more powerful than all of us put together. You can do anything you put your mind to.”

“I can’t do this. Just leave me here and go to the meeting.”

“You have to come with me.”

“Why?”

“Because they are going to try to help us solve this. They have to see for themselves how strong you are.”

She sat up and looked into his eyes. He’d dropped his defenses and revealed the truth. “Because you want them scared of me?”

Matthias nodded. “I want them to pass the word that you aren’t someone to fuck with. And that won’t happen—”

“Unless I am.”

He nodded again. “If they see they can rattle you, take you…” His eyes traveled over her face. “There won’t be anything to stop others from trying.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

They went to lunch once Taz recovered. Matthias sat next to Taz, across from Rafael. She studied Rafael while he talked with Matthias. She didn’t want to probe him, not so he could feel it. She tried to listen for his thoughts when she realized he didn’t have a shield up to block her. It would be rude to get into his mind.

Wouldn’t it?

She listened to them and looked at her food. She let her mind drift across the table and imagined a soft, swirling cloud of mist around Rafael’s head. If he was as strong as Matthias said and she could remain undetected, she had a chance of getting through tomorrow’s meeting without losing her mind.

Or looking like an idiot.

They were talking about something, but she wasn’t really paying attention. Then their voices floated to her from down a long, grey hall. She kept her eyes on her food, her mind on Rafael’s thoughts. She realized the imagery was important, allowed her to focus, and she slowly increased the density of the cloud around Rafael, drew closer to him, caressed the outer reaches of his mind.

And then she was inside, as easy as that. She was amazed how easy it was. Did he know she was there? Had he purposely let her in?

She sensed his love and devotion for Matthias. His mind felt different. Matthias felt like a soft quilt left in the sun, warm and enveloping. Rafael was a walk along a downtown city street on a cool spring day. There was more though, a lot more. She felt liquid heat churn in her lower belly as she latched on to his thoughts about her, things he wanted to do to her…

Then Rafael stood before her in her mind, and she stepped toward him—

“Anastazia.” Matthias gently patted her thigh. She opened her eyes and caught his amused smile. “Having fun?”

Her face reddened. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Not to the conversation.” His eyes twinkled. Across the table, Rafael smiled. Then she felt it—a soft, seductive mental caress. She shivered with pleasure.

It didn’t come from Matthias.

Oh crap. She met Rafael’s eyes for the briefest of moments before looking away, unable to deal with the unexpected rush of feelings and sensual heat the contact brought her.

Matthias brought her into the conversation, gave her background information on some of the people they were expecting, and went over the basics so she wouldn’t commit any etiquette faux pas. What Matthias and Rafael couldn’t remember, Albert and Tim filled in. After, Matthias walked between Taz and Rafael. She still felt the occasional mental caress from her lover’s cousin.

He was flirting with her. Hell, more than flirting, he was seducing her with his thoughts. Did Matthias know? Should she stop him? Should she say something to Matthias?

Did she want him to stop?

“Taz,” Matthias said, taking her hand. “Walk down the boardwalk, past where we were before. Tim sensed you from West Thumb, but I want to see if you can actively and functionally communicate at a distance with someone you don’t know well.”

She nodded, relieved to be away from them. The men sat at the edge of the boardwalk in front of Old Faithful, talking while she walked. Moe trailed behind with orders not to interfere, but if she collapsed to protect her and call for assistance.

She didn’t probe Matthias’ mind to see what they said when she left.

She didn’t want to.

She loved Matthias, had already come to terms with that despite their short amount of time together. There was still that niggling doubt in her brain, however. What if she was after him only because of what he could do to her? Or worse, he admitted how much stronger she was than him. What if he only wanted her because he couldn’t resist her?

And what of Rafael? Was he really flirting? Was it a planned test by Matthias to see how she’d handle it? Or was he just a victim of her vampire voodoo, too?

And why the hell did she feel like she knew Rafael when they’d just met? Why did she feel like she wanted to rip his clothes off and jump his bones?

Taz fought the urge to run. Not just down the boardwalk, but away. Take one of the Land Rovers and flee this whole crazy mess. Her regular life felt years and galaxies away. Had it just been six weeks since she took the job? And less than a week since her world shifted on its axis? And now—now she was a vampire and life was crazy.

“Are you okay, Taz?”

Matthias. She could hear him.

“Yes.”

What if Matthias couldn’t tell what Rafael was doing? Like an IM, could she be communicating independently with both of them, neither knowing about the other?

She walked a few minutes more, found a spot to sit on the boardwalk out of the way of traffic.

She cleared her mind and took a deep breath.

“Matthias.”

She was afraid she hadn’t sent it strongly enough when she felt him.

“My love.”

She smiled.

“He is a lucky man.” That was Rafael.

And there he was. She felt Rafael, not probing like earlier, but a gentle caress, a tease—

An invitation.

“Anastazia,” Matthias came to her. “Talk to me.”

“I’m sitting here with Moe staring at me, thinking to myself that it’s a beautiful day.”

She heard his laughter.

“Any chance I can talk you away from him?” Rafael again.

Was Rafael teasing or serious?

“I love him,” she sent back, hoping Rafael would stop…and part of her not wanting him to stop.

Matthias came to her next. “Try to see through my eyes.”

“I’m afraid to do that alone.”

“You have to learn sometime. You’re safe.”

She took a deep breath. Moe stood a few feet away, watching for any sign of trouble. Taz sent her mind out, locked onto Matthias, and stepped inside. Then she saw through Matthias’ eyes, watching Rafael looking at her—him—in a peculiar way.

“Very good. Don’t wear yourself out.”

She stepped back from the windows in the mental room she built for this and felt Rafael’s mental touch again.

“You are an amazing woman.”

“Quit flirting with me.”

Was that laughter? “Do you really want me to? He expects it from me.”

Talk about a three-way call from hell.

“Anastazia, I want you to try to take over Rafael the way you did me.”

She froze. “No, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Trust me.”

She was afraid to. Matthias, that was one thing. But Rafael? If it wasn’t for the attraction, that…something she couldn’t put her finger on…

“I can’t, she thought to him. Please don’t make me.”

“Anastazia, you can do anything you put your mind to.”

When she didn’t respond, she felt Matthias again.

“Please, my love.”

She sighed. She didn’t want to and was annoyed he wanted her to. Okay, he wants it, he gets it.

“All right, fine!”

She slammed into Rafael’s mind.

Teach the bastard to flirt with me.

She used the image of a room but changed it to better suit her impression of Rafael’s mind. Cooler colors, differently shaped windows, more modern furniture.

She felt Rafael try to push against her and she smiled. “Okay, buddy, you want me? Here I am. Come and get me.”

Just like that, he was up and walking.

With her in control.

She felt him trying to resist, unable to keep her out. Even if he’d had time to erect a mental block, she knew now she could break through it. Now that she’d already found the way in, he couldn’t keep her out.

And it felt good.

She watched Matthias’ stunned expression through Rafael’s eyes as Rafael robotically stood, then walked away. She looked through Rafael’s eyes and followed the boardwalk. She saw herself in the distance, watching.

“Anast—”

“Shut up, Matthias. You wanted me to do this, so fine. I’m doing it.” She could multitask! She ignored Matthias’ further comments and focused on Rafael. She didn’t feel bad because this was what they wanted, right? To test her powers? And he had been flirting with her.

“So how do you like me now, buddy?”

She sensed Rafael’s confusion. Obviously, he’d never been in this position before. She turned his mind around in her mental hands like a crazy puzzle box, examined it, felt the edges and contours, his thoughts and fears and loves and hates.

She could own him. It thrilled and frightened her. Rafael tried again to erect barriers against her, which she gently pushed down. He couldn’t resist her—she was already in residence. It was weird watching Rafael walk toward her and seeing through his eyes at the same time.

Moe tensed a little when Rafael strode past and stopped before her. Once Moe realized they were fine, he turned and walked a few yards away, giving them privacy. Anastazia studied Rafael for a long moment then released his mind and body.

“What do you think about me now, Rafe?”

He looked at her, considering her with new respect. He’d obviously underestimated her abilities.

And that was an understatement.

She stood, started to turn away, and Rafael grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, kissing her.

It happened so fast he caught her off guard. Then she responded, putting her arms around him and welcoming his tongue in her mouth, pressing her hips against him, feeling his sudden hard bulge pressing back, his hands on her body. Matthias felt passionately tender. This man was intense, heated passion, a centuries-old hunger in him Taz sensed only she could sate.

It felt like she’d kissed him before, like a long lost love. She didn’t want to stop. Hot, roiling passion pulsed through her as he ground his hips against hers, backing her toward the handrail. She wrapped her legs around him as his hands slid down to her hips, lifting and pulling him against her.

Screw it, she needed him. Taz grabbed his hips and pulled him against her. She eagerly devoured him, wanting him, wanting more.

Not to mention the control! She owned him, could own any man she wanted. She had to taste him, feel his teeth sink into her skin. She felt his lips on her neck, his teeth grazing her flesh, and she moaned softly against him, licking him, ready to—

Matthias was in her mind like a splash of cold water. “Anastazia, are you okay?”

She gasped and jerked away from Rafael. He watched her, his eyes narrowing.

Had she done that? Had it been Rafael kissing her, or had she made him do it?

On shaky legs she turned away from Rafe and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’m okay, Matthias—he’s okay. We’ll be back in a minute.”

She turned to Rafael. He stood with his back to her and leaned against the handrail for support.

Breathing heavy, she reached out and touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Rafe,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”

His voice sounded anything but—hoarse, ragged. “Yeah. Just give me a minute. Okay?”

“Okay.”

After several minutes he faced her. “I’m sorry, Taz.” He frantically worked his right thumb over his ring, twisting it around his finger, apparently unaware he was doing it.

She snorted, more to break her nervous tension than with amusement. “I don’t think you had much choice.”

“I did. I’ve been goading you all day. I’m sorry. You’re so strong, it’s just I—” He blocked the thought from her, and she didn’t press him for it. “I keep forgetting you’re really new at this. I’m sorry, baby girl.”

“I wish everyone would quit telling me how strong I am. If I’m so friggin’ strong, why do I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin any second? These assholes are going to chew me up and spit me out tomorrow.”

She lost it, her composure utterly, completely shattered. She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. She wanted Matthias’ arms around her, but there was only Rafael.

He went to her, willingly, and held her for several long minutes while she got it out of her system. Despite her irritation at the flirting, it was a comfort to be in his arms. Rafael held her, soothing, and even though moments earlier they were seconds from ripping off their clothes in public, now he was a safe haven, and she let him envelop her with his strength.

When she reluctantly stepped back, sniffling, she avoided his eyes. “Thanks, Rafe,” she said.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry this is so rough on you. You’re the first person we’ve had to deal with who—”

“I know, let me guess. Who is as strong as I am.”

“No. You’re the strongest. There’s never been anyone I know like you. You make Matthias and me look like amateurs, seriously. Once you can control it—Jesus Christ, Matts, we’re coming, give us a minute! She’s okay. She just needs a minute.” He smiled at her conspiratorially. “It’s like an annoying phone call.”

She laughed. Under different circumstances, she instinctively felt they could be close friends. Or more.

Much more.

She just hoped they all made it out alive so she could enjoy having him as a cousin.

Rafael stepped closer, lowered his voice, and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry, Taz. Really. I shouldn’t have been doing that. It wasn’t fair to you. Matts loves you. I’ve never seen the big guy like this, and that’s not bullshit. Go easy on him, okay?”

She nodded. He tenderly caressed her cheek before letting her go with a final hug.

He let her lead the way down the boardwalk back to the others as Moe brought up the rear. When Matthias saw her, he stood and waited, taking her into his arms when she reached him.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Tired.”

He looked at Rafael, concerned. “And?”

“She’s powerful.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you let her get some rest? You and I need to talk about tomorrow.”

Matthias looked at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Taz nodded, slipping her arms around Matthias. She didn’t want him to let go. She wanted to forget kissing Rafael—oh God, could Matthias tell what she’d just thought? Or was a barrier around the event enough? Or could he sense a barrier around it—

“I need to go lay down for a while,” she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head, and she turned, taking long strides away from them, nearly breaking into a run when she rounded the corner.

Tim caught up with her, Larry and Curly on his heels.

“What happened?” Tim asked, grabbing her arm to slow her pace.

She shook her head, fighting the tears. What felt like a game in the heat of the moment now filled her with shame. She didn’t want to do this anymore. Not at the expense of Matthias’ feelings, or Rafael’s, and not at the expense of her own morals.

At the cabin, Tim followed her inside and cornered her. “Anastazia. What happened?”

She fell against him, sobbing. Now knowing what to do, she showed him the events with her mind rather than told him. He sat beside her on the bed, rocking her, trying to comfort her.

“Oh Anastazia, my child. It’s all right.” Eventually, her tears stopped, and she left her head in his lap while he stroked her hair. “Are you going to tell him?” he asked.

“I think I have to. Don’t you?”

“That’s not for me to decide.”

“I can’t believe I did that. I’m horrible.”

“No, you’re not horrible. He’ll understand.”

“I love Matthias, and I kissed his cousin!”

“Rafael is a flirt. Matthias is well aware of his proclivities. We should have warned you ahead of time to be prepared.”

“I didn’t wink at him—I kissed him! And then I almost…” She broke down again, sobbing.

“I believe it was mutual.”

She shook her head. “It was like I couldn’t stop myself. I just had this power and I wanted it all, wanted more. I wanted him.”

“I thought he grabbed you?”

“He did. But it was just…I wanted more. It’s like I know him. Like I’ve known him for years.”

Robertson pulled her into a sitting position and wiped her tears with his handkerchief. “Listen to me carefully,” he said, brushing the hair out of her eyes. “Matthias loves you. He has waited ten years for you. Something like this isn’t going to kill him. When you were dating others, he could have easily taken you back then. He wanted you to have your life, your way, knowing eventually he’d have his chance to show you how much he loves you and win your heart.”

He squeezed her hands. “He brought this on himself, pushing you and Rafael together so soon. I warned him you might be overwhelmed, that it might not be a good idea to let you try to control Rafael. Matthias means well. He’s trying to get you as prepared as he can for tomorrow. We’re running out of time. And he is legitimately worried about making sure someone can’t take control of you against your will. Frankly, he’s more worried about that than he is worried about you controlling someone else. I guarantee you, what happened will not upset him.”

She looked at him. “Why can you stand up to me?”

“There were times you sorely tried my patience, dear. I love you as my child. Could you force me to your will?” He shrugged. “Perhaps. I don’t look at you that way. I see you as my daughter. I would fight you with every inch of my being if you tried. It would damage both of us—mentally and emotionally. Matthias may be older than you and I put together, but he didn’t raise you. Honestly? I was hoping you would one day love him. He is a good man, and I only want the best for my girl.”

“Then why did you push me go out with other guys?”

“Because I wanted you to date so when you met Matthias, you would see him for the man he is. He will not easily bend to your will, even though it may not seem like it now. You won’t always have to worry if he loves you because he feels it or because you want him to. Right now, he is just so happy to know you love him he’s like a giddy kid. As the two of you settle together you will see how truly strong he is.”

“Really?”

“Matthias’ wife died centuries ago, and he’s been in pain ever since. He’s never been in love since then, not until you. Once you were an adult, I showed him your picture, and he instantly fell in love with you. He hasn’t been with anyone since, waiting for you. I don’t know why you. There was something about you that drew him in a way I’ve never seen.”

“That’s sweet. Creepy, but sweet.”

He laughed, sitting back. “Remember, ten years to Matthias is like ten months or ten weeks to the average man. He wanted to be ready when you were.”

She fought her irritation. “So he was just trying to get into my pants the whole time?”

“No. He hoped eventually the two of you could take your relationship as far as it has gone. Honestly, as much as it would have pained him to see you with someone else, he was willing to settle for having you as his employee. Just to be near you. And to keep you safe. Don’t forget that him nearly dying and you saving his life wasn’t in his plan. He wanted to spend months, years if necessary, letting you get to know him before we broke any of this information to you. He wanted you to fall in love with him over time, if that was what you wanted. Unfortunately, the Others have forced an adjustment of our timetable.”

She sighed. “I have to tell him what happened.”

He patted her leg. “Whatever decision you make, that’s yours. For now, you should rest.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Matthias looked at Rafael. “So. Want to tell me what happened?”

Rafael watched Anastazia walk away before answering. He shook his head. “She had me, totally.” He turned to his cousin. “I couldn’t do anything. I mean, she had me by the brain and the balls, big guy. She ran the show.”

Matthias studied his cousin. “Except when you kissed her.”

Rafael reddened and studied the ground. “You saw that, huh?” He hoped Matthias didn’t see his other thoughts, his suspicions.

His hopes.

“I’m not an idiot, Rafe. You’ve baited her all day. She doesn’t usually close me out. She forgets I’m there. She’s still learning to hold a permanent barrier. She hasn’t learned to look for me inside her mind, and unless she puts up one of her strong walls, I’m there.”

“Then why the hell didn’t you stop me? Why didn’t you say something?”

Matthias turned, his voice harsh. “Because sooner or later, she may meet someone stronger than you or me who wants to possess her for all the wrong reasons. She has to be ready for it, able to stand up to them. If she’s going to kiss someone, I’d rather it be you than someone who doesn’t love her the way we do.”

Rafael looked at his cousin for a long moment before studying his feet again. “She loves you, Matts. I know she does. She feels horrible about what happened. You’re a lucky bastard, you know that?”

Matthias softened his tone. “I’m sorry, Rafe. This all happened so quickly. I didn’t mean to spring everything on her and you like this. I just want her to learn and be prepared.”

Rafe held up his hand. “Stop. It’s okay. Hey, one day maybe I’ll be lucky enough to meet someone like her. She doesn’t have a little sister, does she?” he joked.

“I think Carla’s still single.” Matthias smiled.

“Oh, hell no. That bitch is crazy. I wouldn’t do her with a borrowed dick, dude. I never did figure out why you dated her.”

“She was a distraction.”

“I need that kind of distraction like I need a friggin’ hole in my head.” Rafael looked toward the cabins. “You haven’t marked Taz yet. The way you feel, I was sure you had. Why not?”

Matthias shook his head. “Never. She must remain free to choose what—who—she wants.”

Rafael considered his cousin. “And what if she chooses someone else?”

“Then obviously I wasn’t good enough for her.” He looked at Rafael. “I don’t want her to need me. I want her to want me. To choose to love me because that’s her free will, not force her to stay with me because she’s bound to me.”

Rafael couldn’t bear the weight of Matthias’ gaze and looked out at the geyser field. “You’re really not going to mark her? As much as you love her and as strong as she is?”

Matthias shook his head.

“What if someone else marks her?”

Matthias whipped his head around. Rafael took a step back, holding up his hands defensively. “Hey, I didn’t—I wouldn’t. I’m just saying, she’s vulnerable right now. Wouldn’t it be best if she was marked by you so no one else takes her? At least you love her, would never leave her.” Left unsaid what they both knew, that Matthias wouldn’t misuse or abuse her or her powers.

He shook his head. “She will have to learn what it means, how to fight it. She’s strong enough. I just need time to work with her, train her, teach her how to protect herself. And I need your help to do it. You’re stronger than I am like that. And I trust you.” He looked away. “If I was ever to lose her to you, at least I know you would love her as much as I do and keep her safe. It wouldn’t make me happy, but her safety and happiness mean more to me than my ego.”

“Dude, you’re really not mad at me?”

Matthias shook his head again. “Not at you, Rafe. I’m mad at myself. You’re a horndog. I expect this kind of stuff from you. I should have warned you ahead of time to take it easy on her like that.” He smiled. “And I should have warned her about you.”

Rafael grinned. “Gee thanks, big guy. I think.”

Matthias stepped closer. “Just don’t do it again,” he warned in a growling tone before he walked toward the cabins.

Rafe wasn’t sure if Matthias was kidding and chose not to push him to find out. He was also afraid to look deeper. Taz was so much like—

No. He wouldn’t do this to himself. Even if it was true, she was Matthias’ love now. Just because she reminded him of his past didn’t make it true or real. No matter how much he hoped it was.

* * *

Tim emerged from Taz’s room and pulled the door shut behind him, intercepting Matthias. “Come on,” he said, pulling Matthias away.

“Where are we going?”

Tim took him across the compound, well out of Taz’s earshot. “She’s very upset.”

“I know about their kiss.”

Tim rethought his speech. “I didn’t tell you this, mind you.”

Matthias nodded. “I saw it happen.”

“You spied on them?”

“It’s not spying. She hasn’t learned how to close me out all the time. I had to do it in case something went wrong.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Of course not. I already had this talk with Rafael. He told me I should mark her.”

Before Robertson could sputter his outrage, Matthias held up a hand. “Don’t worry, I told him no.”

“I bloody well hope so!”

“Is she really upset?”

“She feels horrible. She’s afraid you’ll hate her.”

“I should go to her.”

Robertson grabbed his arm again. “No. Matthias, I didn’t tell you this so you could burst in there and get her worked up again. She’s upset and out of sorts, and her world has been totally ripped apart, if you’ve forgotten. If you tell her you saw the whole thing, it’ll really piss her off.”

“But—”

“She’ll accuse you of spying on her, not trusting her.”

Matthias looked like he wanted to say something, then reconsidered. “I should learn to listen to you one of these days, shouldn’t I?”

“When it comes to dealing with her, yes. When you’ve known her as long as I have, if you’re her husband, then you can tell me to butt the hell out. For now, she’s still my little girl, and I won’t have you screwing this up.”

“Then how do I talk to her?”

“Let her bring it up first. Then, and only then, admit you talked to Rafael. Omit the part about watching it happen because she’ll also be pissed that you were there and didn’t stop her.”

“But—”

“I’m telling you, that’s what will happen. Not to mention she’s so strong she might see it in your mind anyway, so keep a barrier around it.”

“So you’re saying she’ll be mad that I spied, and mad I didn’t stop the kiss?”

He nodded.

“That makes no sense.”

“Then march in there and confront her and see what happens.”

Matthias took a step back. He’d never seen Robertson so adamant. “Okay. I’ll listen.”

“It’s about time.”

Matthias looked at his watch. “Speaking of time, it’s getting late. Albert and I need to finish preparations for tomorrow.”

“I’ll stay here.”

He nodded. “Ask her to go to dinner with Rafael. Alone. No guards either.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Rafael understands my position now.”

“You’re not worried about him?”

“Marking her? No. I’d feed him his scrotum if he tried, and he knows it. Besides, he won’t do that to her. They have to work this out between them. He’ll keep her safe until I return.” Matthias looked at the cabin. “He’d lay down his life for her if I asked.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Robertson excused himself from dinner. He agreed with Matthias. He wanted Taz and Rafael to work this out themselves. He couldn’t manage every aspect of Taz’s new life, including how she dealt with Rafael. Matthias and Rafe were very close and spent a lot of time together in the course of business and as family. She needed to resolve this sooner rather than later.

Rafael knocked on her cabin door, and wordlessly she locked it behind her and kept up with him. Anastazia jammed her hands into her jacket pockets while they walked, afraid to get too close to Rafael. She maintained a sturdy mental barrier between them.

Halfway to the lodge, he stopped her. “Can we talk? Please?”

She shook her head. “I feel bad enough,” she softly said. “He’s going to hate me.”

“No, he won’t hate you. Matthias loves you. He could never hate you.”

She didn’t respond.

“Listen to me.” Rafael touched her chin and forced her to look at him. “Matthias loves you. I know you love him. I, however, am an idiot. I’m really sorry I messed with you today. I just figured as much as he loved you and how you acted around him that he’d marked you, so it wouldn’t matter if I flirted with you. It never occurred to me that he hadn’t or wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean, ‘marked me?’”

“You really don’t know?”

She shook her head.

“The old French slang term was coeur asservi, roughly speaking.”

“Enslaved heart?”

He nodded and hooked his arm through hers as they continued toward the lodge. “Not everyone can do it. Vampires”—she winced at the word, but he continued as if he didn’t notice—“like you and me and Matthias, we can mark someone. Not all vampires can, just stronger ones. Humans can be marked. So can other vampires who aren’t as strong as we are. You can only mark a stronger vampire if they allow you to.”

“Or if you trick them into it,” she finished.

He nodded. “I just assumed—”

“That he marked me because I wouldn’t know any better?”

Rafael nodded again. “I’m sorry.” He worked his ring, rubbing the band with his thumb. Maybe that’s why it was such a plain setting, because he used it like a worry stone. If it ever had any ornamentation he would have rubbed it smooth decades earlier.

“But what does it mean?” she asked.

He carefully considered his words. “It’s like a mental brand. It’s permanent. You can only romantically love the person who marks you. Your heart and soul belong to them, right or wrong.”

“So if Matthias had marked me, I wouldn’t have kissed you?”

“Right. Not willingly. I assumed…I just figured he had. The way he looks at you, feels about you, and the way you feel about him, I didn’t even think you weren’t marked. I’ve never seen him as happy as he is with you. He’s had relationships, but he’s never loved. Not since his wife died.”

“Why hasn’t he marked me?”

“Because he loves you. He wants you to willingly choose to be with him. He won’t ever force you.”

She considered his words. “Someone else could mark me?”

Rafael smiled, and her heart melted under his gaze. “Well, not for much longer. Not unless you let them. That’s one thing he wants to train you for, to protect yourself. It’s not like there’s a bunch of vampires walking around out there strong enough to make you buckle to their will.”

“So you mean there are vampires with flocks of these marked people running around slaving over them?” The thought churned her stomach.

He shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that. Because of the connection, you can only have one marked soul joined to you at a time.”

“Oh. So when they mark someone new, it disappears from the other person?”

He slowly shook his head. If he’d realized she was totally clueless, he wouldn’t have brought it up. “No,” he said softly. “When you mark someone, it’s for life. You own their heart and soul. Their heart’s free will. You totally control them. It’s a connection between you and the one you mark. If you decide you want to mark someone else, you can’t just release the other person. You can’t give back what you took.”

“But what happens to the first person if someone new is marked?”

“They die. And if the one who marks you dies, you die, too.”

She tried to absorb that information. “How many,” she asked, not wanting to know, afraid of the answer, “has Matthias marked in his life?”

“None. He doesn’t ever want to control someone like that.”

Whew! “And you?”

Rafael shook his head. “I don’t want that responsibility.”

“But there are vampires out there…” Morbid curiosity got the better of her.

“Yes. A few, not many. Centuries ago, I’ve been told, there were some who had no regard for others, especially for humans. They marked someone, and then when they tired of them, they found someone new. It’s rare now for someone to be marked unless they beg and plead for it. Anyone who marks another, they are held responsible by the Tribunal for that person’s life and well-being.”

Tribunal? That was one she’d have to remember to ask about later. “Why would someone want to be marked?”

He looked down. “I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced true heartbreak, that pain so deep and so strong you feel like it’s going to kill you. Being marked, it erases that pain.”

“How?”

“When you’re marked, you’re unable to love another. Your love is totally owned by the one who marks you. You forget the love you had for anyone else. Any feelings. You remember the relationship, remember you once loved them, but the emotions are gone. Love—and pain.”

She understood. “I can see how someone might want to forget the pain. But at the risk of their life? And giving up control?” Loving someone was one thing, but she’d be damned if she’d let them control her.

Rafael’s voice changed, and she sensed his despair. “There is emotional pain so deep that, for some, their only two choices are death, or the risk of death. Some would rather be marked than in pain, even at the risk of death.”

She shuddered. Going through her parents’ death had been bad, but she’d had Robertson by her side. She’d grieved, mourned, and moved on. There wasn’t a day she didn’t think about and miss them, but life had to continue.

What about people not as strong as she was?

They arrived at the lodge. “I could mark Matthias?”

Rafael nodded. “If you wanted. He’s strong enough he might fight you, but I don’t think he would. He’s devoted to you. He would rather die than hurt you. If you demanded it, he would give it to you, let you mark him. He’ll give you anything you ask for.”

She shivered, afraid. She’d never had anyone that deeply in love with her before. “How do I know he really loves me and isn’t just under some freaky vampire spell?”

Rafael smiled and held the door for her. “Because he refuses to mark you. He doesn’t want to take anything from you that you don’t freely give. He’s watched you all those years from afar. If he wanted to possess you, don’t you think he would have marked you years ago? He’s worked hard to protect you, to give you as normal a life as possible. He’s heartsick his plans changed. He wanted the chance to win your love like a normal guy.”

“He almost died.”

He nodded. “In a way you’ve marked him. He’s tasted you. You saved him. Your blood courses through his veins. And you did it with free will and an open heart, and complete and utter disregard for your own safety. That’s almost as powerful as a mark. Maybe more.”

“You were on the way. You could have saved him.”

He shook his head. “It would have been like a blood transfusion. I would have helped heal him. Even if I had gotten there in time, it would have taken days, if not weeks, for his wounds to heal completely. You are stronger than me. More than that, your heart and love, even back then, what was inside your soul reached out for him and brought him back.” Rafe smiled. “I know you’re upset we kissed, but unmarked or not, I don’t have a chance in hell with you in this life. You love him.”

They sat and ordered. “What’s with the ring?” she asked, pointing.

He looked as if seeing it for the first time. “Oh, this? It’s old. I’ve had it for—” He considered, then smiled. “I don’t remember how long I’ve had it. When I get nervous I tend to rub it.”

She sensed he was fibbing, but let it go. “So I’ve noticed. May I?”

He nodded and stretched his hand across the table. She was hesitant to touch him but carefully took his hand.

“I won’t bite, Taz.”

She laughed. He’d put up a weak barrier out of courtesy, knowing she could break through.

It hit her—why could she read his thoughts? Were her powers growing, or was it something more?

His ring was beautiful, a large, faceted yellowish stone catching every color in the room. “What is it?”

“Citrine. Real citrine, very rare. A few minor imperfections. This is the fifth or sixth setting I’ve had it in.”

It looked like a heavy-duty class ring without any decoration. Satiny smooth from years of his nervous tic.

“What does it signify?”

He shrugged, and when she released his hand, she sensed his regret. “Protection. At least, that’s what the lore says. It’s always brought me good luck. It has a lot of properties, emotional and physical healing, psychic warning system. Heck, one book I’ve got says it even clears constipation.”

He smiled as she laughed. Alone like this, she knew she was privileged to see the real man, not the mask he wore for everyone else. And he was sweet.

“Remind me, and I’ll loan you my book on crystals. I’ll bring it to the house next time I come down.” He paused. “When I say I don’t remember how long I’ve had it, that’s a fib. It’s over two hundred years old.” His voice was unusually quiet, sad. “I know I’m a pain in the ass, but this was from the one person who could tame me. She knew she was dying. She was worried about me, about what I’d do when she was gone. She wanted me protected. She knew what I was immediately when we first met.”

He paused. She didn’t interrupt, touched to see this side of him. Did anyone else ever see it? He met Taz’s eyes, fully aware of what he was doing.

“When I say Matthias loves you, I say it because I know the pain he’s felt. It’s not unusual for us to love and lose that love through the natural course of time. There’s nothing you can do about it. You are very fortunate you’ve found someone like you, someone who can give you many years of joy.”

He was sincere. He invited her into his mind, enough to see the woman, how much he’d loved her, how she died. And how his grief consumed him, nearly killed him.

“She wasn’t a vampire?”

He shook his head, took a drink of water. “Catydid—Cassandra—was a witch. A true witch, not one of those new age woo-woo Wiccans who light incense and think they’re powerful. I protected her because as you know, back then, it wasn’t popular. She was the closest thing to a doctor there was. She had strong intuitive abilities. Herbs, healing, midwife. She was special. She spent her life helping others, never harmed anyone.” Rafael’s barrier was back up, but now Taz knew more about him, why he was a playboy.

Why he didn’t want to get close to someone else.

“I know I’ve got a reputation, Taz. Everyone handles loss in their own way. Once I got over wanting to kill myself, I learned to move forward. I just decided it’s easier for me not to get too close to others. Play and leave.”

“Matthias knows.” Not a question.

“I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. I wanted to die. He wouldn’t let me kill myself, promised me it would get easier as time went on. In some ways it did, but in others… No one else knows, and I’d appreciate it if no one else did. They’d all be like, ‘Oh poor Rafe, he’s just so sad, let’s hook him up.’ Frankly, I don’t I want that anymore. I’m beyond that.”

“It hurts too bad.”

He nodded as he smiled. “God, look at me, the wet blanket. Let’s eat.”

They took their time and talked for nearly two hours. He was intelligent, funny, and sensitive. When he mentioned he had a Mustang, her eyes lit up, and they even talked cars for a while. They had a lot in common, and she knew they could easily talk all night.

There was a natural pause in their conversation toward the end of dinner, and she sensed something from him. The longer they were together, the more he let his guard down.

And, she realized, the more she let hers down, too.

“You remind me of her. A lot,” he whispered, meeting her eyes.

Taz quickly looked away. She loved Matthias. Rafael was different than him in so many ways, and yet so damn familiar. If she spent a lot of time around him, would it cause problems for her in her relationship with Matthias?

Rafael reached over and touched her hand. “Taz, baby, I’ll never come between the two of you. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot earlier. I meant it—I’m really sorry about that.”

She turned her hand over, took his, squeezed. “I know.” She forced her eyes back to his, searching. What if she had met Rafael first? What if Matthias hadn’t nearly died, if she didn’t feed him and have that bond with him, would she still feel the same?

Rafael smiled, raised her hand to his lips, and kissed it gently before releasing her. “We’ll never know, will we?” he whispered.

Taz blushed, unaware she’d broadcasted her thought to him. She knew this was the real Rafael, not the playful flirt everyone else saw.

She didn’t raise her barrier against him.

“And don’t forget, baby girl, my blood runs though the big guy’s veins. And his through mine. Centuries of saving each other’s asses,” he smirked. “So you’ve had a taste of me, too.” He paused. “Just promise me one thing.”

“What?”

He gently touched her chin, and the heat in that simple gesture made her shiver with desire.

Rafael’s eyes fixed hers. She struggled to hear his low, emotion-filled voice. “Please, promise me if there’s ever a chance, you’ll give it to me first.”

Her heart raced. It was suddenly hard to breathe. It felt like hours that she stared into his eyes, knowing he wasn’t trying to control her but feeling that deep-seated connection she couldn’t explain. She wished she could give him that chance now, God help her.

She nodded and whispered, “I will. I promise.”

He smiled, sad and wistful. “I know I’ll never get that chance, because I know you love each other. I just want you to know how I feel. Just in case.” He squeezed her hand again. “I’ll make sure to look for you in my next life.” He laughed. “Dibs.”

She smiled and nodded again. “Me too. Dibs on you.” What was it about him? With Matthias she felt a pull, the attraction, at the very depths of her soul. This was even more still. This was familiar.

Like she’d loved him before. She knew it wasn’t due to his vampire charm, either. She felt it on a deeper level, similar to what she felt for Matthias, only different.

“Why do we feel this way?” she asked, speaking what they both felt. “Why do I love you, Rafe?”

He looked down at the table. She sensed he was holding back. “I don’t know.”

She waited, but he didn’t continue. “You have an idea, don’t you?”

He nodded, still not meeting her eyes.

It was like pulling teeth. She couldn’t stand it. “Rafe—”

He shook his head, looking at her again. “Water under the bridge, Taz baby. It doesn’t matter, does it? I know you and Matthias love each other. You have a chance to be happy together. And I am happy for you—both of you.”

She didn’t pry, but sensed more.

* * *

How could he ever tell her? Not that he had proof. That she was once Cassandra.

His Cassandra. His sweet, beautiful Catydid.

And beyond that, even… He had his suspicions, but why give Matthias even more reason not to screw up?

“Do you have your camera with you?” he asked.

She felt her pockets and nodded. “Why?”

“I’d like a couple of pictures. You can e-mail them to me later.”

He flagged the waiter over, moved to sit next to her, and the waiter took several pictures of them smiling, happy. Rafael asked for one more, and she turned to look at him, instinctively knowing what he wanted, letting him touch his forehead to hers like two intimate lovers instead of friends.

He managed to hold his tears at bay. He was convinced now more than ever of who she was, because of the things he felt from and about her.

She didn’t know. She couldn’t ever know. He couldn’t do that to Matthias or to her. She already loved his cousin. Perhaps one day he might have another chance with her. Until that time, he’d have to be content with his memories. And pictures.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

She smiled. Before he could move away, she touched his face and gently kissed him on the lips, but it was a good-bye, not the passionate embrace of earlier.

“I love you, Rafe. I’m sorry I can’t give you more than that right now.”

He met her eyes, nodded, stroked her cheek. “I know. It’s okay. I love you, too, Taz baby.”

You have no idea how much, baby girl.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Matthias knows, by the way,” Rafael said on their way back from dinner. “You can quit stressing.”

“What?”

“About this afternoon. Our little indiscretion.”

She groaned, stopping. “You told him?”

“I didn’t have to.”

“What?”

“Do you really think he’d leave me alone with you during an experiment like that, when you were so vulnerable?”

“What do you mean?”

Rafe laughed, putting an arm around her, hugging her to him and walking with her. “He was there the whole time, in your mind.”

Taz gasped, horrified. “No!”

“I didn’t realize it either. He told me you forget when he’s there.”

“He was there all day?”

“He said unless you deliberately block him, he’s there.”

“So he’s here right now?”

“Oh, I doubt that. Only when he’s close to you.” Rafael staggered as she pulled away from him and slammed her defenses closed.

“Uh, wow. Or unless you do that.”

“He saw us kissing? He heard…” She felt nauseous.

“Oh yeah, all afternoon. Hey, I’m embarrassed about it, too. Like I said, I thought—”

“Why the hell didn’t he stop us? And what the hell right does he have to stay in my head unless I tell him he can be there?”

“Uh, listen, Taz baby, I—”

“I’m going to kill him.” She stormed toward the cabins when around the corner walked Matthias, Albert, and Tim.

Matthias was smiling. It wasn’t until he was close enough to see Taz’s face in the fading light that he realized she was pissed.

“Taz, what’s—”

SLAP! Her hand stung, but the stunned look on Matthias’ face made it worth it. She didn’t know which was worse, her anger at his betrayal of her privacy and trust or her guilt over what she’d done with Rafe.

Nope, definitely anger in the lead.

“How dare you? You’ve been staying in my head all this time? You saw me kiss him this afternoon and you didn’t stop it? How”—SLAP—“dare you!”

* * *

She stormed to their cabin while Matthias contemplated the stinging in both cheeks.

Tim stepped up to him. “See, I told you so.”

“Shut up.”

Matthias turned to Rafael. “What the hell did you say to her?”

Rafael looked sheepish. “I told her you knew about the kiss. She was worried how you’d react. I was trying to make her feel better.”

“Yeah, that worked.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you haven’t told her all this stuff yet. I apologized, told her the only reason I’d played around with her was because I thought you’d marked her.”

“Oh, no. Please tell me you didn’t?”

“Well how the hell was I supposed to know she didn’t know anything about that? What you haven’t told her would fill a friggin’ book, Matts. I figured you and Mr. Nanny here had at least taught her some basics. Considering there will be strong vampires at the meeting, it might be a good idea she kept her distance from them.”

“We hadn’t got that far.”

“Well, duh. When were you going to clue me in? How am I supposed to help her if I don’t know what the hell is going on, big guy?”

Matthias turned and followed Taz, but she’d locked the cabin door. “Come on, Taz, please. Anastazia, don’t do this.” He reached out with his mind and met a razor wire barrier.

“Go away, Matthias.”

He tried the doorknob again and realized he didn’t have his key with him. He knocked. “Anastazia, please—”

Matthias felt the force of her anger slam into him, blasting him off the stoop and onto the ground nearly three feet below, knocking the wind out of him. He lay in the dirt trying to catch his breath while Tim looked down at him, not offering a hand.

“I told you so.” Tim had apparently slipped into protective father mode.

“Shut up!” Matthias got up, brushed his clothes off, and climbed the steps to try again. “Anastazia, would you please give me a chance—”

“Go away, Matthias. I don’t even want to look at you right now.”

“We have to prepare for tomorrow.”

“I’m not going.”

“You have to.”

“No, I don’t.” He could barely hear her through the door. It hit him for the first time that he couldn’t make her go if she decided she wasn’t going unless he physically dragged her there.

And even then, she was so powerful, she might be able to resist that.

He rested his head against the door and dropped his voice. “Please, let me explain.”

“No. Go away. I’m too angry to talk to you right now.”

He looked to Tim, who shrugged. No help there. “All you can do is wait for her to calm down,” he told Matthias.

“How long will that take?”

“At the rate you’re going? Maybe half past the Apocalypse. If you’re lucky, you stupid sod.”

* * *

Matthias shared Albert’s room that night. Rafael offered to let Matthias bunk with him, but his cabin was on the other side of the compound, and Matthias didn’t want to be that far from her. At least Albert’s room was just a wall away, in the same cabin. The guards remained at her door, two at a time.

Through the wall, Matthias heard her take a shower. He lay on his bed, his eyes closed, reaching out to her.

* * *

Taz ignored Matthias hovering outside her mind. Keeping the barrier up that long exhausted her, but she wasn’t about to drop it. She fought the urge to reach out and hurt him even though she knew he couldn’t stop her. She was powerful—she realized that now. She hadn’t understood how powerful until her talks with Rafe. He must have sensed her looking through his mind at dinner, trying to find more information about Matthias, yet he hadn’t tried to stop her.

And Rafael was attracted to her, too. Why did he feel so damn familiar, when she’d only met him that morning? It was more than just the trace of his blood in Matthias’ veins.

Why do I love him?

Well, how about that? Not one, but two gorgeous guys who wanted her. Loved her.

Hallelujah, it’s raining vampires. Amen.

She lay in bed and ignored Matthias tapping at her mental barrier. Vindictive? Hell yes. Matthias could have stopped her. And he spied on her. She didn’t know which made her angrier. To think she’d felt mortified that she kissed Rafael while Matthias knew the whole time and let it happen.

Big fink! Ugh.

Or voyeur. Ick!

She closed her eyes and let her mind drift across the compound. She found Rafael lying in his bed and not quite asleep yet.

Naughty boy. She sensed what was in his mind, saw that she was the star in a pretty hot fantasy. He was a bit of a perv, but harmless.

She withdrew then hesitated. Let Matthias have a taste of his own medicine. He wanted to watch? Fine. She’d give him an eyeful. She couldn’t deny her steamy afternoon kiss with Rafael left her wanting more.

A lot more.

Rafael was easy to take control of, especially so close to sleep. She infiltrated his fantasies and teased, taunted, deliciously tortured him. This is where succubi must have come from. Pissed-off vampires like herself getting even with their boyfriends and husbands.

Rafael squirmed in his bed, naked, powerless against her, begging her for release.

How much would he remember in the morning? Or would he think it was just a really hot wet dream? She toyed with him for nearly an hour, enjoying the power and control surging through her. Even more, she enjoyed knowing exactly what he wanted, as if she knew his body. Even though it was only in his mind, she saw his body, ran her hands all over him.

She enjoyed feeling his attention in return. In real life, she knew he was one hell of a lover. Probably even better than Matthias. It felt like she’d made love with Rafe countless times before, yet still felt passionate.

She smiled as he rolled over, his erection springing free from the sheets.

“Oh, naughty Rafe,” she whispered to him, bending her mouth to him, knowing even though it wasn’t real he felt her lips grip him, her tongue caress him.

He moaned as her own desire grew, knowing she was giving him pleasure.

She felt Matthias’ presence hovering near. Watching?

She hoped so. It would serve him right. She’d teach him not to use her as some damn guinea pig.

Rafael’s words at dinner suddenly came back to her. Matthias hadn’t marked her, wanted her to have free will to choose her path. And then Rafael moaned.

“Cassandra!”

Her stomach rolled as her own mind suddenly slammed back into alignment. This wasn’t how she wanted to be. If this was what power did to people, it wasn’t worth it. She did not want to control someone like this. Hurt someone with her powers just to get revenge.

That was enough to quench her desire faster than a bucket of ice water and pictures of dead puppies.

Unfortunately, she’d already done a damn good job of driving Rafael into a frenzied state of sexual limbo. She’d worked him to the point he clung to her mind, pleading with her for release, and she didn’t know how to extricate herself without finishing what she started. Feeling more than a little nauseous and self-loathful now, she gently pushed him away and allowed him to climax, not sure how else to break the connection without hurting him.

Taz felt his orgasm as if it was her own, heard him moan her name in his mind, and then she was able to withdraw without him clinging to her mind.

Oh, I’m going to be apologizing in the morning. From her to Rafe. No matter how mad she was, she had no right to do that to him. Especially after he’d opened up to her at dinner.

She felt Matthias was still there, clinging. Out of guilt more than anything, she lifted the barrier a little, enough to see him, afraid to let him in too much.

Matthias was also nearly asleep. She belatedly realized this time that he had not seen what she did with Rafe. She felt some relief there. He was so in love with her, so upset at hurting her that his mind clung to her, even in sleep.

Oh, she really owed Rafael a huge apology. And Matthias, too. This was way more than a kiss.

She caressed Matthias’ mind, guilt overwhelming her with what she’d just done to his cousin, when he responded—

“My love, Anastazia, my only, sweet love…”

She cried, hating herself. Now she had more to make up for. With him vulnerable like this, she could see exactly what Rafael meant about her blood running through Matthias’ veins. His love for her permeated every cell in his body, not just his heart and soul and mind.

Why couldn’t I see that before? This kind of behavior was so unlike her, and she didn’t understand it. Worse, she hated herself for it. She was not a petty, overreactive woman. It felt like some alien had suddenly taken possession of her brain. She didn’t want to be like this.

She loved Matthias and wanted to be with him. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

She caressed Matthias, allowing him in, letting his mind wrap around hers, lovingly, hiding what she did from him and knowing, like Rafe, that he hovered on the edge between sleep and passion.

“Matthias,” she whispered in his mind, “I love you.”

“My love, please, love me…”

She didn’t do what she did to Rafael, even though Matthias begged for it. Only if he was in bed with her, asking her himself, wide awake.

She allowed Matthias to drift in and around and through her, comforting him, coaxing him into fitful sleep. When she was sure he was asleep, she withdrew and gently closed the barrier. Now content and happy, he no longer clung to her.

Anastazia, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. She lay there hating herself, wishing she could take back what she did to Rafael. The bed felt huge and cold without Matthias next to her. She’d never felt more alone in her life. She couldn’t even talk to Robertson about this, too ashamed to admit what she’d done.

She drifted into tortured sleep, and her mind roiled with dreams about Rafael. At one point, he screamed her name, and she felt his essence slam into her like a meteor hitting the earth. She woke up trembling, drained, head aching, the echoes of Rafe’s presence and voice still in her mind.

Serves me right.

* * *

Rafe shuddered, caught in a dreamlike state somewhere between awake and sleep. Taz came to his mind, and even though he felt guilty and knew it was wrong, he let her have him with only token resistance, let her manipulate him. She was his cousin’s love now, in this life, but she was also a very pissed-off woman. Fighting her wouldn’t do any good, even if he could. In fact, it could make her mad, and she might accidentally hurt him. She still wasn’t totally in control of her powers, wouldn’t understand when to stop.

Besides, technically, she had once been his wife.

He felt why Matthias loved her now. She was strong, yet so tender and gentle, so fresh and new. No man could resist her if she set her sights on him. She still didn’t understand her nearly limitless power.

Rafael gave himself to her and wouldn’t tell anyone. What the hell? She wasn’t married yet. If Matthias wanted to keep her, he would have to mark her, or he would one day lose her to her power. Or to him, if given the chance.

It’s not like I’m actually sleeping with her. Talk about a fan-damn-tastic mind fuck!

Taz toyed with him, teased him, and he’d never felt such passion and power. Not since…

Cassandra.

He cut off that thought, trying to live here and now and not revisit the past. He gave himself to Taz, who she was now, knowing she needed to get this out of her system. And he certainly wasn’t going to complain if she was using him for revenge sex.

Okay, mental revenge sex. And it was the best damn sex he’d had since…since before he lost his sweet Catydid.

Rafael begged Taz for release, knowing it would drive him mad not to have it. When she gave it to him, he thought his entire body would explode through his cock. He moaned, clutched at the sheets, and felt every muscle in his body contract until he was spent.

Then she left. Taz’s abrupt withdrawal from his mind left a gaping void in his soul, driving him to tears of grief he hadn’t cried in centuries.

He rolled over, took a deep shuddering breath, and closed his eyes. The loneliness without Taz there with him was painful. He’d felt her regret at the end, her awareness that she’d made a terrible mistake.

I’ll talk with her tomorrow. Assure her I’m fine with what happened. She’d let her powers get the better of her, something he’d seen happen before. She really needs some breathing room to learn what she can do. She’d spent her entire life unaware of what she could do and keeping a tight rein on her self-control, and now it was backfiring on her.

Rafael felt exhausted, weak, and just as he drifted to sleep, he felt something tickle the edge of his mind.

At first he thought it was Taz and welcomed her back in. She could use him like that any time she wanted. Especially if it meant he could be with her again in some small way. Then the presence crept in, cold and icy. By the time he realized it wasn’t Taz, it was too late for him to fight. He’d welcomed her in and could not push her out.

He stood up, powerless against the person now in control of his mind, and unlocked his cabin door. Five figures entered his room. Unable to do anything else and sensing the end, Rafael reached out to the only person he knew for certain was strong enough to receive him.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The next morning, Taz got up and unlocked the cabin door. Moe and Curly stood guard outside and tipped their heads in silent greeting. She nodded back and closed the door again. She needed a shower. Even though she hadn’t physically touched Rafael, she still felt him, like she was wearing him, like he was still there with her. And those horrible dreams…

Note to self, never ever do that again to anyone.

Ever.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Matthias sat on the single bed, watching her.

“I’m sorry about yesterday, Taz. You have every right—”

She threw herself at him, kissing him, wrapping her arms around him.

He seemed surprised but quickly put his arms around her. She sat in his lap and kissed him, erecting a barrier in her mind, keeping him out, still too ashamed to admit what she’d done.

He gently pushed her back. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, kissed him again. “I’m sorry, Matthias. I’m so sorry.”

He held her, breathing in her scent, his hands on her back. “It’s okay. You’re not ready, and I’ve dragged you out here and thrown all this at you. It’s understandable you’re upset. You were right. I was wrong to let him kiss you, and I was wrong to spy on you the way I did. I had no right. I should have told you I could do that and would be there to keep you safe. I should not have kept that from you. I’m not mad that you kissed him, Taz. It’s okay. It was just a kiss. I know you two hit it off. I should have told Rafe to go easy on you. I could never be angry with you.”

She cried, sobbed. God, she hated that she felt so weak. She’d cried more in the past few days than she had in the past few years. Even when her parents died, she didn’t cry this much.

Matthias kissed her neck. “I owe you everything. I owe you my life. I can never repay you, Anastazia. I drag you out here and put you through hell and you still love me.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I don’t know how, but I promise I will make this up to you.”

He kissed her once more and gently extricated himself from her grasp. “We need to eat breakfast. The meeting is at ten, at Canyon. Will you please come with us?”

She nodded. She owed him, not the other way around. She owed him more than he would ever know.

“Good,” he said. “I need to take a shower.”

“Okay.” She waited until he was under the water and bolted out the door to Rafe’s cabin. Moe followed her, and when she arrived, she held her hand up to the guard, wanting him to stay away. He stopped just out of earshot, but close enough he could help.

She knocked on the door and it swung open.

“Rafe?” she called. No lights on, total silence.

His cabin didn’t have a raised stoop like hers. She noticed two strange grooves in the gravel by the front door, disappearing around the corner. She was about to investigate when she heard a noise inside, and Rafe emerged from the bathroom.

She could have sworn it had been empty.

His eyes glittered in the early morning light. “Yes?”

“Can I come in? I really think we need to talk.”

He didn’t turn on the light, just stood there looking at her. He was bare from the waist up, and she blushed as she remembered what he looked like the night before without clothes, even though it was just in her mind.

“I have to get ready,” he said.

She felt something out of sorts. When she tried to reach out to him with her mind, he took a step toward her. “I can’t talk now. Go.”

“Rafe, are you mad at me?”

His smile chilled her, and she suddenly had an overwhelming urge to run, a voice screaming the command in her mind.

Rafael looked at Moe standing behind her. “No, I’m not mad,” he whispered, his right hand on the doorframe. “I’m not mad at all.” She glanced at his ring. It looked wrong somehow. And he wasn’t rubbing it.

Rafael pushed the door shut and locked it. Taz stumbled backward, almost tripping.

There was something else, something she couldn’t place. Then she was sprinting, Moe barely able to keep up, back to the cabin.

Matthias was stepping out of the bathroom when she bolted in and collided with him.

He saw her face. “What is it?”

“There’s something wrong with Rafe.”

“What?”

She stammered. This wasn’t the time to try to talk. “I don’t know. He’s—there’s something wrong.”

Matthias grabbed a shirt, pulling it on as he ran. Moe was getting quite the workout this morning.

By the time the three of them reached his cabin, Rafael had climbed into his rental car, waving as he drove off.

Matthias turned. “What was it, Taz?”

She couldn’t tell him, not like this. Especially not in front of Moe. She swallowed hard. “I don’t know. There’s something really wrong with him. I can’t explain it because I don’t know what it is.”

With a look at Rafael’s disappearing taillights, Matthias strode back to their cabin, buttoning his shirt as he walked. Taz and Moe jogged to keep up with him. Matthias grabbed his cell and tried calling Rafe, but couldn’t get a signal.

“I can’t call him.” He grabbed her shoulders, and she almost lost her mental barrier. “What happened?”

She told him about how he acted aloof, and she knew it didn’t make sense. Not without telling Matthias about her activities the night before. And not without telling him the conversation they had at dinner.

Or how she felt about Rafe. And why she knew with dead certainty there was something really, really wrong with him.

By this time, Albert and Robertson were in their room, also concerned. They were trying to decide what to do when they heard a car approach.

Rafael.

Her gut twisted as they all piled onto the cabin stoop. Rafael emerged from the car, smiling. “Sorry I blew you off. I wanted to run over to the ranger station and see when the next Old Faithful eruption was.”

Matthias was obviously relieved, but Anastazia regarded Rafe with suspicion. There was something different. She tried probing and came upon a prickly, icy wall. He coldly smiled at her as he felt her probe.

He felt pissed at her. Obviously. Hopefully, that was all.

Maybe I’m overreacting.

They went to breakfast while Rafe left, going ahead to Canyon Village to prepare for the meeting.

In the Land Rover, Matthias reached over and took her hand. “Are we okay?” he asked, and she knew what he meant.

No, I’m not okay, it won’t be okay for a long time because I’m a rotten bitch. She kept her thoughts safe behind her mental barrier.

“Yes,” she said, forcing a smile. “We’re okay, big guy. I’m sorry about yesterday.”

He smiled back, but she felt him gently bumping against her mental barrier like a mosquito against a screen. He wasn’t trying to push or pry, but she sensed his confusion.

She brought his fingers up to her lips and kissed them. “I’m nervous,” she said. That, at least, was the truth. “I’m trying to practice.”

He looked relieved. “Okay.” He gently squeezed her hand. “That’s good.”

She felt his mental probe withdraw. When they pulled into the Canyon Village complex, her stomach tightened when she saw Rafe’s car.

She had time to do a little shopping before the meeting. Instead of keeping her there, Matthias let her go with two of the guards. He knew he couldn’t fight her, had to let her find her own path as much as possible, and it would help her relax. She found a backpack and a hat she liked then realized how thirsty she was. The high elevation and low humidity were playing hell with her body. She bought four bottles of cold water and tucked them into her new pack.

When she felt Matthias tap against her mind, she checked the time. The guards escorted her to the private meeting complex where Matthias greeted her with a smile and a kiss.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. She felt his concern, but he thought it was just her nerves. He still didn’t know.

He pulled her into a private room and took both her hands in his. “You don’t have to say anything. No one expects you to speak if you don’t want to. Or you can talk, if you wish.”

“Or tell them to go to hell?”

He smiled. “Or tell them to go to hell. A couple of them changed planes in Atlanta, so I imagine they feel like they’ve already been there and back.” She smiled and he continued. “The point is, if at any time you feel overwhelmed, reach out to me.”

She nodded, and he kissed her forehead. “It’s probably better to block them all strongly if you need to. But if anyone tries to probe you, see if you can figure out who it is so we know. No one here today is strong enough to mark you without your knowledge or consent. Especially if you have your super-duper barrier up. Rafael told me last night he explained it to you.”

Guilty, guilty, guilty…

“But,” he continued, “you do have to be careful. I’m more concerned for your safety than I am for those”—he hooked his thumb over his shoulder at the wall—“people in there. Got it?”

She nodded, and he squeezed her hand. “Good. You’ll do fine.”

He led her to the conference room, where she counted ten people besides them, Albert and Robertson, and Rafe. The guards stayed in the hallway.

There were six men and four women of varying ages. They could have been an assortment of volcanologists or academics instead of vampires. The youngest looked a little older than Taz, while the oldest appeared to be in his sixties. She already knew that was misleading and waited for the introductions.

She shook hands with the newcomers, keeping her barrier firmly in place. No one tried to probe her, and she didn’t try to probe any of them.

Matthias motioned everyone to sit. She realized Rafe had positioned himself at the far end of the conference table. He sat with his hands clasped and motionless in front of him, and she looked at his ring again. Something kept working at her intuition, but she couldn’t grasp it.

He wouldn’t meet her eyes. She couldn’t blame him. And there was still something, that…

No one was wearing cologne as far as she could tell. But someone smelled—

Wrong.

She sat through the first three hours of the meeting, trying to listen to Matthias outline what happened up until that point, things he’d found out from his trip overseas and other investigations. All the while, she tried to figure out what was wrong with Rafe. But he was blocking her. And she wasn’t about to force her way in.

At one point, Matthias looked at her and realized she wasn’t okay. He reached over and touched her hand, caught her eye, and she shook her head.

“Let’s take a break,” he announced.

Robertson and Matthias flanked her as they returned to the private room.

“I don’t feel good,” she said.

Boy, that was the truth.

Matthias looked concerned, and that made her feel worse. “Do you want to go back to the cabin?” He already had the Land Rover keys in his hand.

She shook her head, but took them from him anyway and slipped them in her pocket. “Not yet. I’ll be okay. Just let me stay here for a few minutes to catch my breath.”

He nodded. Moe stood guard outside while the others rejoined the meeting.

She felt better after lunch. She was standing at the window, looking down the hillside, when the door to the private room opened.

The guard left, and she immediately smelled something not right. Then the chill.

She turned. Rafe stood in the doorway.

“I told my cousin I would check on you,” he said.

Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong, besides Rafe apparently being mad at her. He held his hands at his side, his fingers still.

“Don’t let it touch you, Taz!”

She didn’t know whose voice that was in her head, but she listened. Rafe slowly approached, and she backed away, around the room, trying to edge her way toward the door, keeping furniture between them. She didn’t dare drop her barrier.

Rafe smiled. “That was interesting, what happened last night,” he said, and her stomach rolled.

“I’m sorry, Rafe,” she said, rounding a large leather sofa.

“Don’t be.” His smile looked cold and hard, without a hint of warmth. Had she really kissed him yesterday and liked it? His lips were two sharp, thin wounds of color in his pale face. What had she done to him? Did she hurt him?

Then in her mind, what almost sounded like Rafe’s voice screamed at her.

“Taz baby, please, get out of here! Run NOW!”

The guard stuck his head in. When Rafe turned, she bolted, her terror taking over.

She heard the guard call for Matthias, but she was in the Land Rover and on the road before they even reached the front door of the conference center.

Taz hesitated, then turned west toward Norris, instead of south, which would take her past West Thumb and then to the cabins. She could loop around the other way. She just had to—

“Get away, Taz. Don’t stop. Keep going.” If only that voice in her mind, the one sounding so much like Rafe, would stop backseat driving.

She felt Matthias tugging at her mind, pleading with her to let him in, and someone else.

Something else.

She slammed the barrier down. She’d been acting like a child and gotten herself in a jam. It was time she acted like an adult and cleaned up her own mess, took control of the situation. She’d let Matthias lead her through this—look where it got her—and now it was time to quit blaming him and do something about it.

Come to think of it, she was in this mess because Matthias insisted on being in charge. Bossing her around. Not telling her vital information. Hell, she’d gotten more information out of Rafe than she had out of Matthias. What if she hadn’t known about being marked and someone tried it at the meeting? When was Matthias planning on telling her?

Was he planning on telling her? Maybe he’d been planning to mark her, before she caught on, and Rafe spoiled it for him.

Maybe she’d picked the wrong cousin to settle down with.

She boiled, seethed, then tried to calm herself. No, she’d seen inside Matthias’ heart. He was telling her the truth. He didn’t want to control her. He wanted her to love him of her own free will.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t be pissed off at him.

On top of everything else, she felt like she was crawling out of her skin. They weren’t kidding when they told her she might feel overwhelmed. Whether it was her activities last night or the stress, or even really horrendous PMS, there was something different inside her today. She felt changed somehow.

Also, there was something horribly wrong with Rafe. In her gut she knew she was the cause. She couldn’t face Rafe, Matthias, or anyone right now. She needed to calm down, get hold of herself. She needed time to figure out what was going on, what to do. And she had to be alone to do it.

It was luck more than anything that got her to the Museum of the National Park Ranger, near Norris Campground, without running anyone off the road. Her original plan was go to Mammoth Hot Springs and double back later, but this sounded interesting. She could play tourist.

Except she couldn’t focus on the exhibits. She felt edgy, flighty. The new voice in her head drummed at her, worrying her, pressed her to keep moving, not to stop. She ignored it and asked the volunteer at the desk for information on the Norris Geyser Basin, close by but to the south, and returned to the Land Rover.

* * *

The men watched her peel out of the parking lot in a spray of gravel. Matthias started to run after her, but Robertson caught his arm.

“You’ll never catch her. We’ve got to get them out of here first.”

Rafe hung back. Matthias turned on him. “What happened?”

He shrugged. “She’s upset about something. I went to check on her, and she ran like a scalded cat.”

Matthias smelled a whiff of sulfur, unusual at the conference center but not impossible, he supposed, if the winds were right. He adjourned the meeting. Ten minutes later they piled into the other Land Rover while Rafe got into his car.

“I’ll head back to the cabins,” Rafe said, “and wait there for her in case she shows.”

Matthias nodded. He was driving the other Land Rover and stopped at the intersection, not following Rafe south.

“What is it?” Albert asked.

Matthias turned right, heading west. “I don’t know. I don’t think she went south.” He tried to find her, feel her. “I think she went this way.”

“Is Rafe okay?” Albert asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Taz was right. He seems off today.”

“I don’t know.” Matthias had bigger things to worry about than his perpetually horny cousin’s mood, but he did sense something out of the ordinary.

Matthias noticed the car trailing them. He was moving fast, ignoring the posted speed limits and passing slower-moving vehicles, and it passed, too. He didn’t say anything at first, then motioned to the others to look.

There were two picnic areas on the way to the west road. Matthias felt the need to stop and check them. When he reached the Norris Junction, he closed his eyes, prayed, and turned north. At the Museum of the National Park Ranger, Matthias had a sudden flash, wheeled in, and parked.

They poured out of the SUV. “Split up,” he said, even though the other Land Rover wasn’t there. “Let’s see if she’s been here.”

He walked to the far end of the parking lot and watched as the other car pulled in. It carried three men, all apparently dressed in identical Windbreakers. They dropped one off and left.

Matthias stepped back to the Land Rover, got what he wanted, and looked across the parking lot at Albert. Albert caught Robertson’s eye. The stranger went inside, returning a few minutes later.

Matthias covered the distance in less than five strides, the sword in his hand. Albert caught one of the stranger’s arms, Robertson the other.

The daemon pulverem glared at Matthias. “So, you finally figured it out?”

Chapter Thirty

Matthias grabbed the daemon pulverem by the throat, choking it, his rage protecting him from any attempts it might make to control him.

It didn’t care. It grinned at him. “You really are stupid, considering how old you are, Hawthorne.”

Matthias shook the thing. “Who wants her? Why do they want her?”

“Same reason you do. For an heir.”

“What?”

“Look asshole, ever heard of in vitro? You’re not the only one with scientists on the payroll. If the Others can create a hybrid cross with a vampire, they can save their race and kick human ass. And vampire ass.” He laughed, even though it was difficult with Matthias’ fingers digging into his trachea. “Alive, dead, they don’t care. All they want are her ovaries. Thank hell for dry ice, right?”

“Who hired you?”

“Us, dude.” He grinned. “Go ahead, off me. Every moment you waste with me puts us closer to her. My buddies will take care of her, and I’ll be back sooner than you—”

Matthias ran the creature through with the sword. It exploded in a cloud of foul ash. Matthias fought his rising bile.

“We have to find Taz. Right now.”

* * *

Taz stewed. Maybe this was a huge mistake. As much as she liked—okay, loved—Matthias, realistically, she barely knew him. Had only known him for a short time. How did she know he wasn’t playing her?

“Because you’ve glimpsed his soul.” That sounded like Rafe’s voice in her head again.

How ironic! Vampires had souls. Who’d a thunk?

And it would have nothing at all to do with the fact that Matthias lit her up like a Christmas tree in bed, would it?

Yeah. Uh-huh.

But what about Rafe? What she felt for him? She couldn’t deny she loved him, too.

“You love Matthias, Taz baby. Trust me, I know.”

God, that voice was annoying. Must be a guilty side effect of mentally raping Rafe. What a happy little house of horrors she built for herself.

Taz dropped change into the honor-system box and took a Norris Basin guide. She walked through the small museum breezeway, would look through the exhibits on her way back. She stopped at the Porcelain Basin overlook and then paused, checked the map, and changed her mind. She’d do the Back Basin trail first, then Porcelain. She needed time to calm down, Matthias and Rafael be damned, and she wanted to see as much as she could. Considering she’d spent most of the past week cooped up and unable to work out, a mile-and-a-half hike would go a long way toward helping her feel normal and work off some of her nervous agitation.

She still had two bottles of water in her pack, and her sunglasses and new hat helped cut the afternoon glare. She worked her way around the Back Basin trail, trying to relax. It was a comfort, in a way. That nature could be as unpredictable as humans.

Well, okay. Vampires. Sheesh.

It was as beautiful as it was harsh.

There were quite a few tourists walking in the same direction and at the same ambling pace she was, so she didn’t think anything of the two men trailing not too far behind.

* * *

“Where is she?” Robertson asked him again.

Matthias spun on his heel. “I don’t know. Don’t you think I would be with her if I knew?”

“Calm down. We’ll find her. Try reaching out to her again.”

“She’s blocking me. I don’t know where she is.”

“Calm down. Try again. Calmly.” Robertson knew Taz was upset, but he wasn’t strong enough to reach her from a distance even if she wasn’t blocking. He had to calm Matthias enough to get her to answer him. He wasn’t even sure Matthias was strong enough to reach her from a distance through her barrier.

Matthias glared at him, but took a deep breath and stepped away from them into the shade. He closed his eyes.

“Anastazia, please, you’re in danger.” He reached out to her, wishing he was stronger.

What if she dies because of me?

He tried to shut off that line of thought.

He didn’t know where she was. He had no idea. All he could feel was a hard shell, closed even to him.

* * *

Taz looked up and around, felt Matthias’ probe. He was worried.

No, damn it, he’s got to learn that just because he’s a bazillion years old he can’t boss me around. He has to treat me with respect, give me space when I need it. And not sit in my head and spy on me.

Uh, immature much?

No, wait, that wasn’t right. She was upset because of what she’d done, not because of Matthias. Even if it was his fault, he’d spied on her. Even if it was his fault he hadn’t clued her in to what she could do.

What if he didn’t know what she could do?

What if he didn’t want her to know what she could do?

She thought about letting him know where she was then reconsidered. She wasn’t even halfway around yet. He’d swoop in with the Stooges and ruin her peace and quiet. Besides, she was safe. The Others wouldn’t come out here of all places. It was nearly as safe as Old Faithful. Once she was close to the end of the trail, she’d send him a thought so he could quit worrying.

Until then, let him have a taste of his own medicine. She needed time to quiet her mind, figure out how to handle things with Rafe, and tell Matthias what happened. She needed to cool off. They were right about her feeling crazy with her powers awakening. And she didn’t trust herself to talk to anyone until she calmed down and regained some control over her temper.

Not to mention she didn’t trust herself not to hurt someone as upset as she was. She couldn’t live with herself if she did that. She already had enough amends to make as it was.

She stood and continued her walk, stopping frequently to take pictures like most of the other tourists.

* * *

One of the guards ran up to them. “Someone in the Museum thinks she headed to Norris Geyser Basin. She asked for information. It’s just a few minutes away.”

Matthias exchanged looks with Robertson, who shrugged. “She likes to hike. It’s a good place to start.”

They bolted for the Land Rover, Matthias’ heart pounding in his throat.

“Please, Taz, I couldn’t take it if I lost you.”

* * *

She tried to ignore Matthias tapping at her conscious. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. Between her guilt and his agitation, it was too much.

She closed her eyes.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” she mentally screamed at him.

* * *

“Ahhggg!” Matthias swerved, trying to maintain control of the SUV. He jammed the brakes and managed to pull onto the narrow shoulder without wrecking.

Albert reached over and shifted it into park. “What is it?”

Matthias had the heels of his palms pressed against his forehead as he writhed in pain. He couldn’t speak, just moan in agony.

Robertson got out and pulled Matthias from behind the wheel. One of the guards helped get him into the backseat. Robertson slid behind the wheel as he looked at Albert. “She’s pissed. Really pissed. Even I felt that one.”

He checked for traffic and floored it, racing toward Norris.

* * *

That was probably too much.

“Uh, yeah, baby, ya think?” She should name that new voice. It seemed bound and determined to have a life of its own. But why did it have to sound like Rafe?

On second thought, fuck Matthias. Maybe he’d learn not to piss her off. What was the use of having all these fantastic vampire powers if she couldn’t use them to at least hike by herself?

That brought a fresh wave of guilt. She didn’t want these powers if it meant hurting people who loved her, like Rafe and Matthias.

Taz walked, stewing. No more probes from Matthias. The further she walked, the worse she felt. One more thing to apologize for. She was really racking them up. Just add another one to her big list o’ guilt. Kiss the cousin? Check. Tell him you love him? Check. Practically rape him and then blast your fiancé’s brain? Check and checkeroonie.

In her mind she heard a chuckle, knew it wasn’t her. There was nothing at all funny about this mess she was in.

Add losing my mind and gaining a disembodied voice to the list. Why the hell not? Check.

She’d reached the far side of the back basin area, just past Vixen Geyser. She could backtrack and take the cut-through trail, see Steamboat, then reach out to Matthias and let him stop worrying.

Taz stopped for a break. There were less people now, except for the two men she kept noticing behind her. They didn’t look dressed for a hike. They looked like foreign tourists.

* * *

“How far?” Matthias moaned from the backseat. He was still in pain but at least coherent.

Albert checked the map. “Just ahead.”

Matthias nodded and pulled his hands from his face. His eyes looked horribly bloodshot, tears of pain streaming down his cheeks. She’d nailed him good. “Okay. When we get there, we’ve got to split up.”

“There’s the entrance.” Albert pointed, and Robertson braked hard, sliding around the corner, narrowly missing an RV in the process.

“Don’t stop. Circle the lot and see if the car’s here,” Matthias ordered.

They found the other Land Rover at the far end. Matthias stumbled from the backseat, the sword in hand. “Let’s go. Do we have a map?” She was here. He could feel her, he just couldn’t reach her.

Or reach out to her.

Fortunately, that late in the day the tourists were starting to thin out. The men found the box of trail guides and grabbed two without paying, barely breaking stride as they hit the museum.

Robertson found a volunteer and didn’t bother talking. He touched her shoulder and caught her eye. She looked at him, woozy, and he bolted toward Porcelain Basin. “She saw her go this way.”

Matthias stopped at the top of the descent and closed his eyes, almost afraid to reach out. He sensed Taz’s presence. She was here, or had been not too long before. He raced down the steps, trying to find her, and sent the guards to cover the other part of the trail while Robertson and Albert pounded down the path after Matthias.

* * *

Taz decided to cut her hike short. She felt bad about scaring Matthias, even worse about possibly hurting him. The sooner she got back, apologized, told the truth about what happened, and made amends with Matthias and Rafe, the sooner she could put it behind her.

And yes, she admitted she needed Matthias’ help. Obviously she wasn’t able to control herself—yet. Matthias was right. She was acting like a spoiled child. She needed to put on her big-girl panties and stop fighting the men. They were only trying to help her. They were right, and she was wrong.

God, she hated admitting that.

She turned back toward the shortcut, not paying attention to the two men until she was past them, smiling at them in passing. Something strange about them tickled her mind.

Taz consulted the guide. The path would take her past Corporal and Veteran Geysers, and Cistern Spring, before she hit Steamboat Geyser. She started to put the guide away when she got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Forcing herself not to run, she tried to look around without being obvious, even though her heart trip-hammered in her chest.

The two men had doubled back, following her.

The voice in her head chimed in with its opinion. “Taz baby, beat feet. Get the fuck out of here!”

I should tell Matthias where I am. She lifted the barrier in her mind a little.

* * *

Matthias tried to locate her as he thundered down the trail past Ledge Geyser. The trail split ahead—where was she? The others were on his heels, and when he felt Taz in his mind, he slid to a stop, the others nearly running into him.

“Wait.” Matthias spun around, looking. He could see through her eyes. She wasn’t on this path. He ripped the map from Albert’s hands. “She’s on the other—”

Through her mind he saw the two men following her and realized who they were. “No!” he screamed, and pushed past Albert and Robertson, running back the way they came.

* * *

The taller one nervously looked at his partner. The shorter one reached into his pocket. Taz sensed rather than saw this and broke into a run. This was a damn good time to chuck her pride.

“Matthias!”

She realized what it was about them. They had the same smell as Babson, the same smell as someone at the meeting that morning, but it was hard to tell at first because with the geysers and hot springs, they blended right in. She didn’t know if she could outrun them and decided she might have to stand and fight. Would they be susceptible to her powers?

* * *

“Matthias!”

He pushed himself harder. “Taz, I’m here! Run!”

He raced through the museum, pushing past people and down the trail on the other side. Now he knew where she was heading and could meet her.

“Taz, run!”

Albert and Robertson followed close on his heels, both feeling through Matthias what was happening, not wasting breath on words. They followed him down the path toward Steamboat Geyser.

* * *

Taz heard Matthias close by and pushed herself.

Then she stumbled.

Every horror movie she ever saw flashed through her mind. She knew she couldn’t outrun them, so she took a deep breath and turned. Reaching out with her mind, she saw into their thoughts, knew what happened.

The shorter demon panicked, knowing they couldn’t take her in a fair fight. He raised the gun and fired. She heard the noise, and by the time it registered he’d shot her, the bullet plunged into her chest.

It knocked the breath out of her. Everything moved in slow motion, and she screamed Matthias’ name again.

The demons closed the distance, oblivious to the dozen or so tourists who’d turned at the sound of the shot. The taller one nervously approached her splayed body, watched her gasp for air.

“Shit, man. What do we do now? She’s not dead.”

The short one raised the gun. “What the hell do you think?”

Chapter Thirty-One

Her scream hit Matthias so hard it knocked him down. Then he heard the shot.

“Go!” he yelled, “Run!”

Albert and Robertson raced past him, and he scrambled to his feet. “Hold on, Taz,” he moaned, in agony with her, “I’m coming!”

Albert rounded the corner first and screamed. The demon looked up as he fired again and missed, the shot kicking up a cloud of dust to her right. The guards, now catching up from behind, tackled the two daemon pulverem and disarmed them. Matthias stumbled down the path and tossed the sword to Robertson, who quickly dispatched the demons.

Matthias fell to his knees beside Taz and pulled her into his lap.

She couldn’t talk, every breath a struggle. The chest wound bubbled, sucking, and her eyes rolled in her head. He was losing her, felt her slipping from his mind.

“Hang on, Taz. Please, hang on.” Matthias tore at his wrist with his teeth, forcing the ragged and bloody wound against her lips. It couldn’t be too late. Please, God, it can’t be too late!

Robertson and Albert dropped to their knees beside them, helpless.

Her eyes closed. She wasn’t latching on.

“Come on, Taz, please,” Matthias begged. “You have to drink, you can’t leave me.”

She didn’t move.

* * *

From somewhere in the dark room in her mind, Taz thought she heard Matthias’ cries, pleading with her, begging. She was so tired, hurt so bad. She could just close her eyes and rest, and then it would feel better.

She looked around and saw a new door in her mental room, one she hadn’t pictured before. From around its edges seeped a beautiful soft, bluish glow. She reached for it. Through it, she instinctively knew, was a calm, soothing peace.

“Taz, please! Drink!” Matthias cried in her mind.

She wasn’t thirsty. She was tired, and she hurt.

If she went through the door, she could rest. It wouldn’t hurt anymore. Her hand touched the doorknob and found it cool, comforting.

Then she tasted something warm and sweet. Blood.

Matthias’ blood.

She thought she heard a voice and looked around. In the distant corner of the room, a shadowy figure emerged. It didn’t scare her. It actually filled her with peace, like a lost, familiar friend.

“Taz baby, sweetheart, don’t leave him. Please. Don’t open that door. You need to drink. You have to drink. For both of us…”

* * *

The bodyguards tried to keep people back. Matthias sobbed, begging, pleading, pressing his wrist against Taz’s mouth, rocking her. “Taz, Anastazia, don’t leave me, you can’t leave me.”

She took a long, ragged breath and lay still in his arms.

“Matthias,” Albert said quietly, “it’s over. She’s gone.”

“No!” He tore at his wrist again, drawing more blood, and pressed it against her lips. “No! I won’t let her go!”

Robertson fought his own despair, knew Matthias was on the verge of losing his mind. He started to reach out to Matthias when he saw Taz’s lip twitch.

Matthias looked, dropping his forehead to hers. “Drink, you have to drink, you have to. Please, don’t leave me, don’t leave me, you can’t leave me. I love you.”

They watched her lips move, and Matthias squeezed his arm with his other hand, trying to force more blood into her mouth. “That’s it, you can do it, Taz, you can do it.”

* * *

It was blood! She looked around, knowing she had to find the source. She backed away from the door, and it disappeared.

She heard Matthias’ voice in her mind, stronger, pleading. “Drink, you have to drink, you have to.”

She turned to look for the figure and—

Her eyes flew open as she gasped for air. It hurt like hell, her lungs on fire, every breath an excruciating effort. Suddenly, her mouth was full of Matthias’ blood, and she was so thirsty, thirstier than she’d ever been in her life.

Albert and Robertson grabbed each other. They watched Taz working at Matthias’ wrist, and he rocked her, encouraging, begging. She managed to bring a hand to his and press his wrist against her mouth, her fingers clutching at him.

“That’s it,” Matthias sobbed. “You can do it.”

Her eyes closed again, and she sank her teeth into his flesh, moaning in pain. He closed his eyes and didn’t care if she stopped in time or not. She was taking him, she would be okay, she would heal.

He tried to hold on to consciousness, but he heard Albert and Robertson’s voices spinning down behind him as the world went grey then black. Before he lost consciousness he heard her voice in his mind.

“Matthias.”

* * *

Matthias’ limp body was sprawled on the trail. Taz tried to sit up, disoriented, shaky. Robertson pulled her into his lap while Albert tended Matthias.

“What happened?” she asked.

Robertson ignored decorum and ripped open her shirt, found the slug, misshapen and mushroomed, caught in the fabric of her sports bra, next to her skin. There was a hole in her shirt, a hole in her bra, and everything soaked with her blood. But the pink welt in her skin was already fading to white before his eyes.

She looked at him. “What happened?” she asked again. Then she saw Matthias.

He was pale and still, his wrist torn and bloody. She threw herself at him, pushing Albert out of the way. “What happened?” she screamed.

“You were dying.”

“Matthias!” She grabbed the front of his shirt, shaking him. “Why won’t he wake up?”

“He fed you,” Robertson said.

She pulled Matthias to her, listening. His breath was shallow and weak. “Did I take too much?” she sobbed.

Albert nodded. “He was too distraught, too panicked. There wasn’t time for him to prepare.”

“Do something,” she screamed at them, and Robertson shook his head.

“We can’t.”

She looked around. A uniformed Park Service volunteer watched them, his jaw slack with disbelief. He had a Leatherman tool holstered on his hip, and she threw herself at him, ripping it from his belt before he could react.

With trembling fingers she tried to open it and fumbled. Robertson took it from her, and while Albert steadied her wrist, Robertson made the cut for her. She pressed it to Matthias’ mouth.

“Please, please, please—”

“Please, please, please,” she begged with her mind. “Drink!”

His lips moved, tasting, and she sobbed with relief. She collapsed against him, feeling him take back what he needed.

Then her world went black.

Again.

* * *

She woke up alone in the back of a speeding Land Rover. Behind the wheel, Robertson glanced at her in the rearview mirror when he realized she was awake.

“Where is he?” She noticed Moe in the front seat next to him.

“He’s okay, Taz. They’re behind us. We had to get you out of there before Park Service Police showed up. He made me take you out first, wanted you safe in case any other daemon pulverem showed up.”

Taz sat up and spied the other Land Rover following a short distance behind and gaining ground. She rested her head against the back of the seat and sobbed.

“I know what they are,” she said. “I saw what they did.”

“What?”

“I saw it, before they shot me.”

When they reached the cabin, she ran to the other Land Rover and pulled at the door, crying when she saw Matthias. He stumbled into her arms, and they leaned against the car, trembling and relieved.

“I saw him, I know what happened, I saw him—”

He held her at arm’s length and looked her in the eye. “Calm down,” he said firmly, trying to steady her despite his own shaky legs. “Tell me.”

She couldn’t talk. She sent the thought to him, and his eyes narrowed as he pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair. “Okay. We’ll take care of it.”

The guards checked their room before Taz and Matthias went in and collapsed on the bed. He pulled her ruined shirt off and ran his fingers over her chest, touching the fresh scar, ripping her bra off and kissing her, ensuring she was okay—

“My beautiful, beautiful love.”

Exhausted, they fell asleep clutching each other.

Matthias panicked when he awoke and she wasn’t beside him. He found her in the shower, sobbing, trying to scrub the dried blood off. He pushed into the shower with her, clothes and all.

He kissed her, apologizing, grateful she was alive.

Finally he looked at her, his hands on her face. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again,” he whispered.

“I promise.” She threw her arms around him, and suddenly he was out of his clothes, had her pressed against the shower wall, and was inside her. His hands pulled her hips against him, her lips on his, both of them moaning.

“Matthias, I love you, I love you, I love you,” she chanted in his mind. When he came, she supported him until he got his breath back and could stand again.

He shut the water off, scooped her up, and took her to bed. He trailed kisses down her stomach to taste her, assure himself she was alive and well. In a few minutes she was cresting her own climax, her fingers wrapped in his hair, trembling from the power of the sensation.

He folded his arms around her and pulled the blanket over them, wanting to hold her, feel her, protect her.

She pressed herself against him, still shaking. “You saved me,” she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head, pausing to smell her hair, savoring her scent. “I cannot lose you. I will not lose you. Not like that.”

“I understand,” she whispered.

“What?”

“I meant to ask you back in Florida, after I…you…” She shuddered. “When I was recovering, you told me Rafe”—it was hard for her to say his name—“might not have been able to save you, but I could because of my heart, and because you couldn’t refuse me.”

He kissed her again. “Yes.”

“I understand. I heard you. I had to come back.”

He tipped her face so he could look into her eyes. “You have my love, Anastazia. I give it willingly, even back then.”

“I felt you calling me back, trying to keep me here.”

He nodded. “As I heard you.”

“It would have been so easy to walk through that door,” she admitted. “To just go to sleep and not wake up.”

And there had been something else, a figure…wasn’t there? Or was that just part of the stress and pain?

“We make the hard choice to survive,” Matthias said. “Death is easy. Living is difficult.”

She kissed him. They made love again, slowly, tenderly. As he slipped inside her, he kissed her, whispering her name over and over.

She stroked his back, meeting his slow thrusts with a gentle roll of her hips. He buried his face against her neck, and she whispered to him, “Matthias, my love.”

He moaned, climaxed, and lay still.

Taz wrapped her legs around his, her arms around him, holding him, not wanting to let go.

Exhausted, they slept.

Chapter Thirty-Two

They ventured out later that night, past midnight. The park was quiet, shrouded in darkness. No lights on in any cabins, and the moon played peekaboo behind the clouds.

They’d waited until late to do this, the guards keeping an eye on Rafe’s movements while Matthias and Taz rested up.

They didn’t want any witnesses.

Albert and Robertson met them at the corner of the cabin, and the sword briefly flashed in the moonlight. Taz held out her hand for it. Albert looked to Matthias. He nodded, and Albert passed it to her.

She hefted the sword. It felt unwieldy in her hands, but she could manage it for what she had to do.

This is my mess, and I have to take care of it.

She still didn’t know how she’d tell Matthias what happened between her and Rafe, but she knew it was her fault. In the pit of her stomach, she knew the repercussions were worse than she ever imagined.

They followed her across the compound to Rafe’s cabin on the edge of the woods. She knocked.

Rafe didn’t turn on the light, but they all heard him get up. Finally, he came to the door.

He stared at them for a moment. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Matthias watched as Taz closed her eyes. They all felt her reach out, not gently, walking through Rafe’s mental barriers as if they weren’t there. She opened her eyes and fixed Rafe—the daemon pulverem using Rafe’s form—with her gaze. She touched him with her mind and knew the truth.

It wasn’t him.

When she spoke, her voice sounded hard and cold.

“You’re not Rafael.”

“What?”

Matthias reached out. She held the creature’s mind captive, forcing it open and giving Matthias access. Was there any end to her powers? With her gaze on it, the daemon pulverem couldn’t move. She was right—it wasn’t Rafael. Matthias searched and found what he needed.

“I have it, Taz,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “You can do it. We’re done here.”

She nodded and hefted the sword. “This is for Rafael,” she sobbed, and ran it through him.

The daemon pulverem exploded, the dust settling on the doorstep.

* * *

They found Rafe’s body hidden in the woods several yards behind his cabin. The marks she’d seen that morning in the gravel were made by his heels when the creatures dragged his body out.

Matthias tried to get Taz to return to their cabin, but she insisted on watching the Stooges retrieve him. They carefully shrouded him in a blanket and gently loaded him into one of the Land Rovers. Before they left, she pulled the blanket from his face.

Rafe looked peaceful, at rest. And she felt empty, like a piece of her was now dead, too. Despite the reasons behind what she’d done, she hoped she’d given him some pleasure before he died.

Taz didn’t know how they killed him. She didn’t want to know. Whatever they’d done, it was soon after she’d left him. She knew that from what she saw in the daemon pulverem’s mind. She remembered giving Rafe release and withdrawing, wondering now if she left some vital defense unguarded by handling him so roughly.

And she wondered if the bad dreams she had later foretold his death.

Taz closed her eyes and silently wept, apologizing though she knew he was beyond the realm of even her considerable reach.

I’m so sorry, Rafe. I didn’t know this would happen. I’m so, so sorry.

Matthias’ words in the cafe in Gardiner haunted her.

“What you and I can do can literally kill people or get people killed.”

Even though she knew she didn’t kill Rafe, she still felt responsible. He was here to help her and Matthias. He’d been distracted, his guard down, because of games she played because she was pissed at Matthias.

Because she’d been an immature brat. And it hurt. She’d never hurt so bad. The guilt, the pain—this was her fault.

“It’s okay, Taz…”

Now if she could just get that phantom voice out of her head.

She found Rafael’s right hand. He still wore his ring. The daemon pulverem wasn’t able to reproduce it exactly when he imitated Rafe. And the creature didn’t know about Rafe’s nervous tic.

It slid off without resistance.

She slipped it on her right hand, and it fit, cool, but soon warming to her flesh. He had a thinner build than Matthias, his fingers about the same size as her own. The yellow stone winked at her in the moonlight, and she looked at Rafe.

I love you, Rafe. I don’t know why, but I do. I’ll never forget you. I wish I could have given you that chance. I’ll look for you first in our next life. I promise you have dibs. I don’t know how, but I will.

Anastazia touched his hand, his flesh cold, and tucked it under the blanket. She kissed her fingers and touched them to his lips, remembering their kiss on the boardwalk, their dinner, and how much they shared in such a short amount of time.

Taz felt Matthias’ hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault.” His voice sounded hoarse, full of barely restrained grief. Matthias put an arm around her, and with his free hand replaced the blanket over Rafe’s face. “You didn’t kill him.”

“I feel like I did,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“No, you didn’t. The daemon pulverem killed him, and whoever is responsible for sending them. Not you. He was much, much older than you and very powerful. He knew the risks, knew how to protect himself.”

She tried to protest then sent him her thoughts. Showed him what she did to Rafe the night before, too ashamed to speak it out loud.

His voice interrupted her. “Anastazia. Listen to me. You are my love, my one and only love, and you are not responsible for this.”

How could Matthias not hate her? Not only that, still love her? It amazed her, and again Taz wondered if he loved her because he wanted her or because she wanted him to.

Then he kissed her, and she felt Matthias inside her mind, gently seeking, probing. She let him, opening to him in her grief, baring herself. She might be more powerful, but he was more experienced. She wanted him in there now, wanted him to have his way.

“My love…”

She realized there was a way. Rafael had told her.

“Please do it, Matthias. Make it stop hurting. Mark me.”

She felt his mind caressing hers and wanted him to be the only one able to touch her thoughts like this. She never wanted to be the cause of another innocent’s death. She wanted the pain to go away, even at the risk of her own life.

She would rather die than hurt like this. Now she understood what Rafe meant about pain. She wasn’t responsible for her parents’ death. That had hurt, but that was a dull ache compared to this agony.

This felt like her heart would implode. She hadn’t taken Rafe’s breath from his body, but she left him open and defenseless. In her heart, she knew he’d died because of her.

Died loving her.

“Take me, Matthias. Mark me. Please, do it.”

He shook his head. “Please don’t ask this of me.”

“You have to. You can do this for me. I’m giving myself to you.”

Taz stopped short of forcing him. Matthias closed his eyes, touched his forehead to hers, and she felt him search through her mind.

“Are you sure? I cannot undo this once it’s done.”

“Please! I can’t stand this,” she sobbed. “Please do it. Rafe is dead because of me.”

He took her pain away. There was a blinding light in her mind and his voice—

“Sleep, my love.”

Her body went limp in his arms. He picked her up and carried her back to their cabin.

* * *

Matthias closed the door. She was asleep on their bed, would hopefully sleep until morning.

“I cannot believe you did that!” Robertson protested in low tones outside the cabin when Matthias returned. “I don’t care that she begged. You had no right! She didn’t understand the full ramifications of what it means.”

“You didn’t feel how desperate she was, how close to breaking. She holds herself personally responsible for his death. What was I to do, let her suffer? Let her blame herself?”

“Bloody hell, it was just a kiss, Matthias! Jesus Christ, Rafael was a flirt. He did stuff like that all the time, you know that.”

Matthias fixed Tim with his gaze. “Matthias, what happened?”

Matthias shook his head. “She wouldn’t want me to tell anyone. Not even you. Let’s just say she got a taste of how powerful she is, and it got away from her. She thinks what she did caused a breach in Rafael’s defenses and allowed the demons access, and she feels very guilty and ashamed.”

Looking stunned, Albert asked, “Did she?”

“There is a chance she’s right.”

Tim fought to keep his voice low. “You took her free will, Matthias. There is no excusing that.” For the first time in the centuries he’d known him, Tim hated Matthias, regretted letting him meet Anastazia. “For all the promises you gave me of letting her get to know you and make her own decisions, then you go and mark her? How could you do that?”

“I didn’t.”

“What?”

Matthias studied the ground. “I didn’t mark her.”

He grabbed Matthias by the arm and pulled him farther from the cabin. “She begged you. We all heard it. We were standing right there.”

Albert followed the conversation, obviously listening, but staying out of it.

Matthias looked at them. “I didn’t do what she asked.”

“Then what did you do?”

He looked down. “She was upset and didn’t realize what I was doing. Wasn’t doing. She’s so strong, she thought I would have to do what she wanted, but she was not forcing me. I never could have done it otherwise. I simply made her to go to sleep.”

Matthias fought his own tears. He’d glimpsed something in her mind, a suspicion, a fleeting idea that if true, made Rafael’s death all the more poignant. But now, in this life, Anastazia loved him—Matthias saw the depths of it in her thoughts, despite her feelings for Rafe. He saw how remorseful she was and how she’d come to him in the night after leaving Rafe.

She hurt so much, was in so much pain. And now he bore his own guilt for bringing her into a life she wasn’t yet ready for. If anyone was to blame, it was him.

Albert found his voice first. “She can still—”

Matthias looked at them, anger painted on his face. “I don’t want her if she doesn’t choose me willingly. What’s the point of having someone who can’t choose freedom? I want to be her husband, not her jailer. I had to do something, but I refuse to mark her.”

Tim clasped Matthias’ arm, and shook his head in amazement. “You’re bloody brilliant, you know that? I was sure you’d marked her. She practically ordered you to do it.”

Albert reached out to his friend, touched his arm. “Matthias, are you okay?”

“Rafe knew the risks. I understand her pain. I’m responsible for his death because he was here at my request.” His face darkened, and his voice dropped. “I will avenge him.”

“How will you keep this from her?” Tim gently asked. “You’ve given her full access. You will have to block her from your mind, at least from that part of it. What is she going to think when she finds out that you didn’t mark her? You know she’s stronger than you. It’s only a matter of time.”

Matthias shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m hoping she doesn’t notice until later, when she has learned enough and can accept she’s not to blame. If she does, I won’t lie to her.” He looked at them both. “But she’s not ready. You’re right that she didn’t understand what she asked. She thought she did, but she was only thinking of her pain. Her grief is so strong. She was near breaking. And I need her focused on her survival. Rafe would want that.”

The other two nodded in agreement.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Matthias didn’t sleep. He sat next to Taz in their bed, propped up with several pillows, watching her. Her pain was now his. He couldn’t blame her for what she did any more than he could blame a two-year-old for coloring on the walls. And that guilt was his. Alone.

Before dawn she rolled over in bed, and her hand touched his leg. She stirred, looked up at him, smiled.

He smiled back. “Did you sleep well?”

Taz nodded, stretched, started to speak, and then saw Rafael’s ring on her hand. She looked Matthias in the eye. Her face froze, and then a look of horror washed over her.

“What? Anastazia, what’s wrong?”

She sat up. “You didn’t—you didn’t mark me.”

He didn’t know what to say. He honestly hadn’t expected her to figure it out that soon. He shook his head.

She turned away from him. “Rafe—”

Matthias grabbed her, turned her to face him. “Listen to me. You did not kill Rafael.”

“How can you say that?”

He gently shook her. “You did not kill him. Those creatures killed him.”

“Matthias, he couldn’t keep me out if he tried. He died because of me, what I did.” He felt the curtain of despair settle around her, black and suffocating.

Matthias roughly pulled her to him. He kissed her hard, and she eventually responded. Once he knew he had her attention, he released her. “You did not kill Rafael.”

She started to shake her head. He placed his hands on her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. “I didn’t understand, at first. When you held the demon’s mind for me, I saw what happened to Rafael. He thought it was you coming back, and he welcomed you in. It was someone working with them, I’m still not sure who, and then they took him over. He was in control of his mind when it happened, not you. I didn’t understand everything until you showed me the rest.”

Tears rolled down her face. He felt her mind reaching for his. He opened himself to her, letting her explore, and she saw for herself. And understood.

He put his arms around her, and she collapsed against him. “I’m so sorry, Matthias. I’m so, so sorry. I understand now. I know what you meant.”

“I know you do. I’m sorry you had to learn like this. I tried to make it stop hurting.” He rocked her, stroking her hair, caressing her mind. “Rafe was here, willingly, helping us. He knew the risks.”

“It hurts so bad. I just want it to stop hurting.”

“I know,” he soothed. He had his own grief to deal with, but for the moment her safety and comfort were his priority. “But I won’t force you to love me,” he whispered. “We can get through this together. Our grief will ease, in time. Just let me help you through it. That’s all I ask.”

“How did you stand it when your wife died?”

“I put one foot in front of the other.” He kissed her. “I knew, eventually, would come a day when the hurt would subside enough I would not think about it all the time. And now I have you.”

“You don’t hate me?”

He shook his head. “Over this? Over anything? I could never hate you. This is my fault. I asked you to trust me. Instead of trying to push you, I should have locked you in here with me and spent the days letting you go through my mind so you would understand. You are starting a new life, and it’s my responsibility to teach you everything you need to survive. I have failed you.”

“How did you get past…the power? I—” She felt awkward talking to him, but she felt his mental nudge to go on. “I felt like I didn’t want to stop because of what I could do. The control I had over him.”

“Some don’t. It depends on what is in their heart.”

“What happens to them?”

“The answer is here.” He welcomed her to look in his mind. She did, saw why he didn’t want to talk about it. Even though it was centuries in the past, it was still fresh and horrible in his mind. After just a glance she pulled away, unable to deal with it.

“Do you think you can eventually trust me enough to let me all the way in, Taz?” he asked.

He knew she still held back out of fear. But not out of fear of him.

She trembled. Then he felt her truly open her mental barriers for the first time since she erected them, pulling him in. He didn’t fight her and understood why she felt so frightened.

Taz had only explored part of her mind, her powers. She was terrified of what lay outside the image of the mental room she created in her thoughts, beyond the comfortable boundaries she’d set for herself over the years. Because of that, he’d only accessed a very small part of abilities. Even now, freely open to him, there were still sections walled up and inaccessible. He wondered if she could even reach them. And her grief and pain were much, much deeper, nearly untouchable, because of her guilt and anguish over her actions.

And possibly because of untapped memories she had no idea existed within her soul.

She wasn’t just powerful—she was a force of nature.

Tim had taught her well.

They talked, touched minds, until Tim knocked on their door.

“You understand what you have to do today?” Matthias whispered.

She nodded.

“Can you do it?”

“I have to.”

“I know you don’t want to. I don’t like making you do this.”

She twisted the ring on her finger. He noticed but said nothing. If it comforted her, she should have it. “I have to do it. For him. For Rafe.”

He nodded. “For Rafe.”

“Matthias, I’m sorry.” She knew he’d seen her dinner conversation with Rafe in her memories.

He nodded. “The heart knows what it knows, and the soul always comes home. There are many kinds of love, many reasons for love. I know you love me. And I love you. I don’t begrudge what you felt for him. When we get home we can talk about this. Okay?”

Taz nodded and let him lead her from the cabin.

She noticed the guards were back, and she didn’t ask what they did with Rafe’s body. They ate breakfast in silence. Robertson and Albert rode with them in the Land Rover to Canyon Village. Apparently Matthias had communicated the plan to them already. Before he shut off the engine, he looked at her. “Can you do this?”

She nodded, her mouth set in a grim line. “I want whoever did this to pay.”

Robertson reached over the backseat and touched her shoulder. “We’ll be right there.”

She nodded.

The guards were in the other Land Rover, and they all moved toward the building. She realized she didn’t have her water and asked Matthias for the keys to the Rover. Fortunately, he couldn’t read her mind past the thick barrier she’d already placed. She retrieved a bottle of water and hurried to catch up, pocketing the keys.

The rest of the attendees soon arrived. Matthias somberly greeted them, had them sit at the table. He stood at the far end of the room, with all eyes on him. Taz waited in the private room with Albert and Robertson. When she felt Matthias tap at her conscious, they moved into the conference room.

They didn’t have a chance. Taz closed her eyes, gripped the back of the chair in front of her, and felt the power surge through her. The image she used was a tidal wave, of anger, of anguish, and it was so strong and unexpected the meeting attendees couldn’t react in time. There were no demons in here today, she knew, but she could smell fear.

As she held them, Matthias’ gaze grew cold and hard.

“I apologize for this. There was an attempt on Anastazia’s life yesterday, and my cousin Rafe was killed. This is more than personal, as you can imagine. I know not all of you are involved, and perhaps none of you are. But we have to be sure. If any of you are angry, I can’t blame you, and I will gladly stand and allow you to give me a piece of your mind after. But for now…” He turned to Anastazia.

She felt it, felt the shift as a mind tried to fight her. There was something, someone. Only one. She couldn’t isolate them because she was too busy holding all their barriers down. It took a toll. She felt Robertson’s arm slip around her waist, supporting her.

“It’s okay, Taz,” he whispered in her ear. “That’s my girl. You’re brilliant, sweetheart.”

Albert also hooked his arm through hers. “We’ve got you, dear.”

Matthias walked down the room and started with the man closest to her left, standing over him, looking through his mind. Matthias looked at Taz, shook his head, and she released the man. He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, shaking. This was repeated several more times, with each release freeing more power, steadying her, calming her. Matthias got to a woman on Taz’s right, three chairs away. Taz watched Matthias frown then move to the next without giving the signal to release her. He finished with the rest and went back to the woman.

She looked like she was in her fifties, with a harsh, pinched face and dark-brown hair pulled back in a severe bun. Her name was Caroline, and she was around four hundred years old. Not as powerful as Matthias or Rafe, but strong.

Matthias stared at Caroline. Then Taz stepped forward and gently pushed him out of her way.

He looked at Taz, shocked. He tried to get her to stop when she looked up at Matthias and shoved him with her mind.

He stumbled backward against the conference-room wall. Now Taz had Caroline, was inside her mind, despite how the woman squirmed to break free. Caroline was frozen in her chair, but her mind twisted and turned like a snake, struggling in vain to keep Anastazia out.

Taz closed her eyes, ignoring the feel of Robertson and Albert’s hands on her arms. She was vaguely aware of shaking them loose, sending them flying against the wall. She felt bad about that, aware it was her mind and not her body doing it, but she had the information she needed.

“Be gentle with them, Taz baby. They love you. Please don’t hurt them.”

The phantom voice. She didn’t know if it was her conscience or not, but she had to follow through with this.

For Rafe. For both of them.

She saw the plan, the payment from the Others for Caroline to deliver Anastazia to them for research. Or, failing that, certain parts of her on dry ice. Caroline only knew as much as they told her, which wasn’t much more than Matthias already knew from his investigation. She’d met with them in New York, on Long Island, in a private mansion, after their first and second attacks failed. But it wasn’t their compound. It was rented, so no help there.

Caroline hired the daemon pulverem and spied on Taz and Rafael that afternoon and evening, saw the kiss, saw them talking at dinner, took him as a way to get to Taz. Caroline was afraid of Matthias, and even more afraid of Taz.

Anastazia glared at her. “You have every reason to fear me, you bitch.”

Taz ignored Matthias and Robertson’s efforts to talk to her, gently pushing them and Albert out of her way with her mind. The other people cowered, awed and afraid, at the far end of the conference room. Anastazia ordered Caroline to stand. Like a robot, she did. Taz marched her to the doorway and looked at the other nine.

“I have no problems with any of you. Matthias told me perhaps the best way to keep people from bothering me was to scare everyone. Well pass the word—don’t fuck with me, or those I love. Especially those I love. She murdered Rafe, and she’s going to pay.”

Taz started to walk out with Caroline when Matthias called to her, pleading. “Anastazia, please don’t. Let us take care of her. You don’t want to do this.”

She turned, and he shrank from her. Part of Taz wanted to cry that even he was scared of her. He was her lover, her soul mate. But this was her mess to clean up, for her, for him, and most importantly, for Rafe.

“I’m sorry, Matthias, but I need to take care of this. I caused it, and I’ll finish it. Come on,” she said to Caroline, walking to the Land Rover.

The woman was silent, unable to talk, every bit of conscious effort struggling to break free from Anastazia’s mental grip. Taz unlocked the Land Rover and started it, waited for the woman to get inside, and roared out of the lot.

Only then did she release the others. Matthias, Albert, and Robertson bolted for the parking lot. “We have to stop her,” Matthias said.

“We can’t,” Robertson said. “She’s too strong. She’s going to kill Caroline.”

“I can’t let her do that,” Matthias said. “It’ll destroy her.”

“I don’t know if you can do anything about it,” Robertson said.

“We have to.” Matthias got the keys from Moe and told him to keep everyone there until they returned. They left, and he paused at the intersection. South or west?

He reached out to Taz. “My love, please tell me where you are.”

Taz felt Matthias in her mind and was afraid to respond for fear of hurting him. It took every ounce of control she had to keep Caroline immobilized while driving. Caroline was beating against Anastazia’s hold on her mind, struggling to get free.

Taz flashed him a mental image that made him shudder, but told him exactly where she was going.

And what she was going to do.

He floored the Rover, heading south.

“Where?” Robertson said.

His mouth was set in a grim line. “West Thumb Geyser Basin.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Matthias cursed when someone pulled out in front of them. He recklessly passed. He knew if Taz killed Caroline, no matter how justified it was, it would drive her over the brink of madness. Right now, Taz was still encased in guilt and grief, wanting revenge. Matthias couldn’t let her jeopardize her sanity.

When Matthias slid to a stop in the West Thumb parking lot, they saw Anastazia in the distance, marching Caroline down the boardwalk toward Abyss Pool. Matthias took off at a run, leaping over a guardrail to the boardwalk, trying to make up the distance with Robertson and Albert close on his heels.

Anastazia glanced over her shoulder as they approached the Y in the boardwalk at the pool. Caroline marched to the short end of the Y and stopped. Caroline was trembling, sweating in her efforts to break free of Taz’s grip.

Serves her right, Matthias thought before returning his attention to Anastazia.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered, “please, don’t do this.”

“She killed Rafe,” Taz said.

Matthias nodded, holding his hand out to her. “I know. But please, don’t do this. This isn’t how you want to be, how he would want you to be. Let us take care of her. Let the Tribunal handle her. That’s what Rafe would want, Taz. You know that. He loved you. He wouldn’t want you to do this, not even for him.”

Anastazia forced Caroline over the railing at the end of the boardwalk. He watched Caroline struggling not to step out onto the fragile crust surrounding the deep, blue hot spring.

“This is one of the deepest springs in the park,” Taz said, her voice sounding unnaturally flat. “Did you know that?”

Matthias nodded, desperate to keep her attention on him while Robertson and Albert tried to get to Caroline. Yes, the bitch deserved to die, but not like this. No one deserved to die like this.

“Yes, Anastazia, I know.”

Taz looked at the pool, steam drifting from its surface. She frowned at Robertson and Albert, stopping them from getting closer to Caroline, who was now standing beside the boardwalk, mere feet from the hot spring’s edge.

“Did you know this pool averages one hundred eighty-five degrees?” Taz asked him. “I read it in the guide book. That’s more than hot enough to kill. Human flesh is burned in seconds by water that’s only one sixty. That’s what the book said.”

Matthias nodded, inching closer. He was within five feet of Taz.

“The book said a bison fell into one of the springs, and it smelled like beef stew for a week,” Taz said. “I wonder what she’ll make it smell like?”

Caroline cried out, trying to fight the invisible hand forcing her toward the calm, turquoise water.

“Anastazia!” Matthias barked, and when she looked at him, he saw her eyes were dark, nearly black, and full of tears. “Darling, please don’t do this,” he pleaded, “not like this.”

She didn’t look away, and he noticed Robertson and Albert close the gap toward Caroline, within arm’s reach.

Matthias thought if he could distract Anastazia long enough, he could break her connection to Taz. He saw her working the ring on her hand, like Rafael did. Anastazia’s voice cracked as she looked at him.

“Rafe was so sweet. He didn’t deserve to die,” she sobbed. “He wanted to help us, help me. He loved us.” She looked at his ring on her hand, her thumb rubbing it. “He loved me. He would have died for you or me.”

Matthias forced himself another foot toward her. He knew she didn’t want to hurt him and counted on it. “I know, darling, I loved him, too. He was like a brother to me.”

“Distract her, Matts!” Matthias wasn’t sure who that voice belonged to. It almost sounded like Rafe, but it had to be Albert or Robertson, distorted by stress.

Taz wept, anguished tears rolling down her face and falling to the boardwalk below. “He wasn’t a jerk. He was so sad, missed his wife so much, was afraid to love again. That’s why he was the way he was.”

Matthias nodded. “Rafe was a very complex and sensitive man. Few knew that.”

“He was so grateful to you. Caroline picked him because she thought he was a horny idiot, that he’d be easy to get to and use him to get to me. She went with the daemon pulverem that night. She’s the one who actually killed him. She didn’t have to kill him, but she was scared of him identifying her. She could have let him live.”

Matthias felt Taz’s rage build, knew his chance would slip away if he didn’t act soon.

“Anastazia,” he whispered, “come back to me. Please.”

She shook her head. “I have to do this, for him.”

“Anastazia, I love you. Rafe wouldn’t want me to lose you. I almost lost you once. Please, you promised. You said you cannot refuse me.”

Time crawled. Matthias felt her focus falter for just a second, hesitation at his words, as she turned to finish Caroline. He did the only thing he could think of. He launched himself at her, tackling her and sinking his teeth into her neck, the force of the impact knocking them both to the boardwalk.

“Forgive me, my love,” he thought to her as he drank, her barriers crumbling as he took her.

Caroline screamed as her feet lifted off the ground. Robertson and Albert threw themselves at her over the railing, Robertson catching her hair, Albert grabbing an arm, and they roughly hauled her over the handrail onto the boardwalk. She sobbed, crying, begging them to save her.

“Shut up.” Albert slugged her, knocking her unconscious.

Matthias lay on top of Anastazia, his teeth still buried in her flesh, drinking, afraid or unable to let her go until he knew she couldn’t resist him. With Albert still on top of Caroline, Robertson scrambled over to Matthias.

Anastazia’s eyes rolled back in her head, only the whites showing, her hands frozen claws on Matthias’ back where she’d tried to fight him. She made a low, mewing sound and fell limp in his arms.

Matthias lifted his head from Taz’s neck and rolled off her. Robertson gathered Taz into his arms while Matthias sat up and bellowed, thundering and full of rage.

His eyes black, Matthias launched himself at Caroline.

Albert screamed, “Matthias, no!”

Robertson dropped Taz and lunged for Matthias, tackling him by the legs, bringing him down feet from Caroline. “I’m sorry, Matthias!” Robertson grabbed Matthias by the hair before he could react and slammed his head, face-first, into the boardwalk, knocking him unconscious.

Trembling, Robertson crawled back to Anastazia. She was breathing, her pulse weak but steady. Matthias drank enough to weaken her but not enough to kill. In the process he must have absorbed the full force of her rage and anguish.

Tim cradled Taz in his arms and looked at Albert, as stunned as he was. “What the hell do we do now?”

Albert shook his head, studying the three prone bodies around them. “I don’t know.”

* * *

Caroline came to first. With Caroline just happy to be alive and not the main ingredient in a hot spring full of vampire soup, Albert easily took control of her. Robertson carried Anastazia to the Land Rover and gently buckled her into the passenger seat, running back to the spring before Matthias awoke.

Albert took one arm, Robertson the other. They dragged Matthias between them to the Land Rover, throwing him unceremoniously into the backseat. Albert ordered Caroline into the other Rover, and he took off with her for Canyon Village while Robertson drove Taz and Matthias back to the cabin.

Taz was still unconscious when Robertson carried her into the room and laid her on the bed. Her pulse already felt stronger. She was healing herself, and would physically be okay without any further intervention.

He hoped.

Now, how to deal with Matthias?

He must have hit Matthias harder than he thought, or the shock to Matthias’ system was greater than he realized. Matthias was still slumped, unconscious, in the backseat. Robertson dragged him out and managed to hoist him across his shoulders without dropping him. He struggled up the cabin steps, and, unable to go any further, he lowered Matthias to the floor where he landed with a soft moan.

That was a good sign. He hoped.

Robertson dragged Matthias the rest of the way inside the cabin and rested for a moment, then wet a washcloth and tried to bring Matthias around. There was a large goose egg over his left eye where his head made contact with the boardwalk.

“Sorry, Matthias,” he apologized, “but I couldn’t let you do it any more than you could let her.”

After a few minutes, Matthias moaned again and tried to roll over.

“Thatta boy, just lie there and relax.”

“Shut up.”

“Hey, love hurts.”

Matthias’ hands went to his head, and he took the cloth from Robertson, gingerly feeling the damage. “What the hell did you hit me with?”

At least Matthias was back to himself. He hoped. “The boardwalk. Your unstoppable force met an immoveable object.”

“Oh, God.” Matthias didn’t open his eyes. “Caroline?”

“Nothing a change of knickers can’t cure. Albert has her. He took her back to Canyon Village to hand her over. I haven’t heard anything yet, but I’m sure we will soon. They’ll figure out how to deal with her. She’s the Tribunal’s problem now.”

He started to nod and moaned in pain. “Jesus Christ, was this because I bit Taz?”

“No, it’s because you were going after Caroline. I didn’t like that you bit Taz, but I understood why. I had to stop you, and that was the only thing I could do. It happened so fast.”

“Taz—”

“She’s okay. She’s still out. You stopped in time, but I didn’t like the way your eyes went black and you lunged after Caroline when you came up for air. I’m hoping you’re back to your old self.”

Matthias slowly sat up and looked at Albert. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, but they were back to their clear blue color.

“It was pure rage,” Matthias whispered, nearly sick at the memory. And her guilt and shame, but Robertson didn’t need to know that.

Robertson fixed Matthias with his gaze. “I changed her nappies when she was a baby. I think it’s time you tell me what happened, what she did that pushed her over the edge. She’s not this upset over a kiss, Matthias. I’m not an idiot. What happened between her and Rafael?”

He glanced at Anastazia, who was still unconscious, then back to Robertson. “It wasn’t her fault. She was mad at me.”

“Matthias, what did she do?”

He looked away and Robertson understood.

“She didn’t sleep with Rafael?”

Matthias shook his head. “She toyed with him. He was almost asleep, and she felt my presence, thought I was watching her. She let her mind go to him, played with him, thinking I could see what was happening. It was revenge for me not stopping her from kissing him earlier. And she got scared at the end, because she realized she liked the control she had over him.”

“Who knew our girl could be a succubus? And that’s when Caroline and the demons…?”

Matthias closed his eyes and nodded. “Just after. Rafe thought it was Taz returning, and he welcomed Caroline into his mind.”

Robertson looked at Taz. “Poor thing,” he whispered. “I drilled into her to never take unless someone freely offered. It must have torn her apart.”

Matthias nodded again. “That’s why she feels responsible for his death.”

Robertson sat back, shaking his head. “Maybe it would have been for the best if you’d marked her.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I don’t know. I had no idea she was this strong. All this happened so fast. We didn’t have time to prepare her.”

“Tim, listen to me. If it hadn’t been for you, teaching her the restraint you did, she would have killed Caroline as soon as we figured out who it was. That’s why she drove all the way to West Thumb. She was fighting, trying to talk herself out of killing Caroline, like she had another voice inside her, hoping we could stop her, but unable to stop herself. She felt she had to avenge Rafael’s death personally, because she considers herself responsible. She was torn between killing her and giving her to us.”

“Are you okay now?”

Matthias touched his forehead. “I will be. You’d better go help Albert.”

“I really don’t think I should leave you.”

“Tim, we’ll be okay. Go, please.”

Robertson checked Taz one last time and stopped at the cabin door. “Matthias, take care of her. I have to trust you with her now. Please protect my little girl.”

He nodded. “With my very life. You have my word.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Matthias showered and changed clothes. Taz was still unconscious. Hours later she moaned, rolled over, and lay still. Matthias checked her then gently probed her mind. She was catatonic, unresponsive. He tried to awaken her and eventually let her be once he realized how fragile she was.

Albert and Robertson returned to the cabins with the guards late that night. Robertson brought food, and Matthias ate while Albert gave him the update. Three of the attendees were Tribunal members and took Caroline into custody. Considering the circumstances, everyone understood Matthias’ actions.

There would be a hearing in London as soon as Taz was well enough to make the trip. The Tribunal would guard Caroline until then. Caroline confessed what she did after almost being boiled to death by Anastazia, and would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence or other suitable punishment, to be later determined by the Tribunal.

Anything was better than what Caroline saw in Anastazia’s thoughts, how she’d planned to slowly walk her, an inch at a time, into the scalding water until she died.

Whatever happened, they needed Caroline’s information for now, to investigate, discover who was behind the scheme.

By the next morning the men were concerned because Taz hadn’t regained consciousness. Her skin looked grey and pale, and while her pulse felt stronger than the day before, Matthias sensed her mind had weakened. They left for Gardiner and from there to Livingston, where the corporate jet awaited, fueled and ready to take off. Back home in Florida late that night, Robertson helped Matthias carry her upstairs to bed.

Matthias wrapped his body around her, cradled her, tried to get her to respond. She was full of guilt, pain, and shame over her actions. She was withdrawing, trying to die.

Trying to join Rafael.

Matthias closed his eyes and gently coaxed her thoughts to him. It took a while, but he found his way into her mental room where she based many of her images. He found her sitting in a rocking chair, her back to him. The walls were a dull grey instead of their usual colors, the windows dark.

Matthias thought he spied a shadowy figure in the corner, but when he looked again, it was gone.

“Anastazia, my love, you must return to me.” In her mind, he knelt next to her, taking her hands in his.

Her eyes were sunken, bloodshot, devoid of life. “I can’t. I killed him. I almost killed her. I’m a monster.”

“No, Anastazia, you’re not a monster. You’re my beautiful, sweet love. It will break my heart to lose you. I don’t want to go through that kind of loss twice in my life. We’ve had no time together. We should have centuries to love each other.”

She looked at him. “You don’t understand.”

Even in her mind she worked Rafael’s ring on her hand.

“I do understand. Do you think Rafael would want you to let yourself die? He loved you, Taz. You know he did.”

She didn’t respond, worked the ring harder.

“He survived for many years after Cassandra died. He told you that. I survived after my wife died. You will, too. You can. You have to.”

“You two weren’t monsters. I shouldn’t live.”

“You are anything but a monster. You are my love, my only, my beautiful, sweet love.”

Robertson’s warnings chose that moment to haunt Matthias, that she would have him groveling on his knees. Tim had been correct, but wrong about the circumstances.

“I can’t risk hurting someone else, Matthias. I need to die.”

“I won’t let you die. I didn’t let you hurt her.”

“You almost couldn’t stop me.”

“But I did.”

“I can’t give you that responsibility.”

“I want it, Taz. Give it to me.”

On the bed, her body shuddered in his arms. He took that as a good sign.

“I want to take care of you, Taz. It’s my fault this happened. You weren’t ready, and it was my responsibility to teach you, to protect you, and I failed.”

On the bed he kissed her, gently, tasting, caressing her lips with his. In his mind he told her, “You cannot die. I do not want to go through that again. All those centuries without love and now I have you. Please come back to me, and let me help you. Let me love you.”

He didn’t stop kissing her and eventually felt her respond a little.

“That’s it,” Matthias whispered, kissing her again. “Come back to me, please.”

Her eyes opened, but they were dull, flat, emotionless. She looked at him for a long moment then closed them again, trying to sink back into catatonia.

Matthias felt around in his pockets with one hand, found his pen knife, and opened it. If she was conscious, she would drink. She had to. He nicked the ends of his first and second fingers and squeezed. Small drops of blood oozed from the wounds. He dropped the knife to the table next to the bed.

Shifting position slightly, he pushed his fingers into her mouth, cradling her with his other arm. “You have to live for me. You cannot resist me. I cannot resist you.”

She tried pulling away, but she was too weak to struggle. She hadn’t eaten in nearly forty-eight hours, and with all the energy she expended, he was afraid she’d die if he didn’t do something soon.

Her tongue flicked at his fingers. She tasted then weakly sucked.

He kissed the top of her head. “I know you hurt. It’s okay. We’ll get through it together.”

As she weakly suckled, he tried to ignore how uncomfortably tight his jeans became. She was very weak. As fragile as she was, he was afraid to force her to drink more, wasn’t sure she’d take if it he did.

After twenty minutes she drifted into a deep sleep, his fingers still in her mouth. Her skin looked pinker. He risked searching her mind, saw she was stronger.

He didn’t remove his fingers, squeezing them occasionally to keep the blood moving. Every few minutes he stroked her cheek, and she involuntarily swallowed, like a baby. After a few hours he got up, feeling in her mind she was just deeply asleep and no longer catatonic.

Robertson stood as Matthias quietly closed the door behind him. He’d stationed himself in a chair just outside their bedroom door. “How is she?”

Matthias shook his head. “I wish I knew.”

Robertson watched her while Matthias ate dinner. Then Matthias returned to her, feeling a hundred years older over the past two days, and decided to take a bath to relax. He filled the large, deep spa tub with water and started to get in when he had a thought.

He went to Anastazia and looked in her mind. She was still sleeping but not as deeply. He took the knife into the bath and laid it on the edge of the tub then carefully undressed her and carried her into the bathroom, climbing into the tub with her, cradling her in his arms.

They floated in the warm, deep water. He took the knife and sliced into his fingers again, getting more blood.

With her resting against his chest he held her, murmuring her name over and over as he gently pushed his fingers into her mouth. This time she didn’t pull away, and he felt her latch on, stronger. He took one of her hands and placed it over his, encouraging her to hold on to him. Finally, she did.

He touched her mind, but she was still so frail he was afraid to push her. Over an hour later they were still there, but she was, at least, still feeding and responding.

When he felt her teeth on his fingers as the blood slowed, he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“Anastazia,” he commanded, “you must come back to me. Now.” Like that she was there, gasping, shuddering.

He turned her to face him and held her tightly against him as a low-pitched cry escaped her. Her eyes wide as the events flooded back, she took a deep shuddering breath and moaned in despair and shame.

“Oh, Matthias—”

“It’s okay. Let it out.”

She clutched him, wailing, her pain so deep he knew it felt, to her, like it had no bottom.

The bathroom door opened, and Robertson stuck his head in. Matthias shook his head, and Robertson disappeared, knowing Matthias was the only one who could help her now.

She cried herself hoarse, resting her head against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” she moaned. “How can you ever forgive me?”

“I forgive you because I love you. I just hope you can forgive me for not protecting you.”

She sobbed against his shoulder, and he knew she would eventually be okay, even if she didn’t think so. He reached over and ran more warm water, not letting go of her. After a while she quieted, her eyes open and staring at the ring on her hand.

“I couldn’t stop,” she whispered. “I wanted to kill Caroline. And then you almost…because of me.”

He kissed her forehead. “No. It’s not your fault.”

With the water supporting them, he gathered her to him, trailed kisses down her neck and over her breasts. His lips settled first on one breast, teasing her, eventually drawing content sighs from her, and then the other. She relaxed against him, her breath quickening.

“It’s not your fault,” he repeated, one hand sliding between her legs. He kissed her, his tongue exploring her lips and relief flooding his heart when she responded, moaning into his mouth while his fingers stroked her clit and pussy.

He rolled onto his back, pulling her to him. His cock easily slipped inside her. He held still, her legs wrapped around his waist, both of them weightless in the water. He kissed her, touching her mind again.

“I am yours, forever, Anastazia. I will never leave you unless you tell me to go.”

She kissed him back then rolled her hips against him, impaling herself even more deeply on his cock.

“Please take me, Matthias.”

He did. He grabbed her hips and fucked her, hard, fast, furiously, wanting to show her how much he loved her. Wanting to come deep inside her pussy, to become a part of her.

She met every thrust, her swollen clit rubbing against him and making her come first. He held back despite his aching cock and balls wanting to explode. He wanted more from her.

Taz came again, moaning his name as her head dropped to his shoulder.

“One more, love,” he whispered. “Give it to me.”

Her nails raked down his back, adding a delicious hint of pain to his building release.

Then he felt her climax again, her pussy squeezing him. “That’s it, baby.” He finally let go, and together they moaned, trembling, eventually falling still and sinking deeper into the water.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “I’ve got you, love,” he whispered. “I promise, I’ll never let you go.”

* * *

It took Matthias a couple of days to fully coax Taz out of her shell. She didn’t want to see anyone, not even Robertson. Matthias brought all her meals to her, held her, talked with her. Three days later, he woke to find her sitting by the bedroom window and staring out at the rose garden.

He went to her, kneeling at her feet and taking her hands. “Are you okay?”

She smiled, careworn and full of regret. “Not yet, but I think I will be. One day.”

“I’m sorry, Taz. I’m so sorry it happened like this.”

“I know, Matthias. I’m sorry, too.”

He kissed her right hand, where Rafe’s ring was warm against her skin. He knew she would never take it off, a constant reminder of her need to control who she was becoming. “Stay here.”

Matthias went to the dresser, took something out, and then returned and knelt beside her.

He held her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger. It was a gold band with diamonds and amethyst channel set and twined around a diamond solitaire. Around the band were tiny engraved symbols in a language she couldn’t read.

“I loved Rafe,” Matthias said with a playful smile, “but I admit I’m jealous his ring was on your hand before mine.”

She smiled, looking at it. “What does it say?”

“‘I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.’”

“That’s beautiful.”

“Song of Solomon.” He smiled, and the symbolic irony wasn’t lost on her. Vampires quoting the Bible. “Will you marry me?”

She nodded, throwing her arms around him. After they took a shower, she followed him downstairs to eat.

* * *

“I have something else for you,” Matthias said after breakfast. “A present I’ve been wanting to give you for a while.”

“What is it?”

He pushed back from the table and stood, holding his hand out to her. She took it, and he hooked his arm through hers. They walked outside and across the yard to the detached garage, where she knew he kept several other cars, separate from the ones garaged at the house.

Robertson and Albert followed. Matthias stopped before one of the closed garage bays. Robertson, she noted, held a remote control. Matthias stood behind her and gently put his hands over her eyes.

“Okay,” Matthias said.

She heard the door swing open, and then Matthias whispered in her ear, “I will give you anything you wish, my love. Anything within my power to give you.” Then he removed his hands.

In the garage was a 1965 Mustang coupe. Red.

Her heart skipped. “It looks like the one my dad used to have,” she said, walking into the garage and running her hand over the car.

She stooped down to look in the open driver’s side window. That was when she saw it—the small scratch in the center of the steering wheel, on the emblem. She remembered that scratch because she accidentally put it there with the key, remembered feeling horrible about doing it, when she was seventeen.

Turning, she saw Matthias’ proud smile. “Is it?”

Matthias nodded while Robertson beamed. “I told him when your dad wanted to sell it,” Robertson said. “He bought it, wanted to keep it for you.”

She felt the tears rolling down her face. Matthias put his arms around her. “I thought maybe you might want it, one day. If not, I knew I did.”

She squeezed him tightly, beyond words, knowing she could never love anyone as much as she loved that man at that moment in time.

When she wiped her eyes and regained her composure, she saw the blue ’68 in the next bay, back from California. Realization struck. “I asked you how long you’d owned it, and you said a few years.”

He shrugged.

“You bought it new, didn’t you?”

“How was I supposed to tell you that back then? It was the first one Bill Currie Ford received that year, down in Tampa. I paid extra for the privilege, just to have it.”

They went for a long drive in the ’65, Taz behind the wheel, and ended up in Tarpon Springs. He enjoyed giving her a tour of the quaint town. He took her to the Plaka Restaurant, a small Greek restaurant with excellent food. He even knew the owners, and she was welcomed like family.

It was a good feeling, something she never experienced before. Belonging.

She offered Matthias the keys for the return trip.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I trust you.”

She rested her hand on his thigh as they returned to his home. “When do we go back to LA?” she asked. “I know we have to go to London, to the Tribunal. But after that, what then?”

“I wanted to talk to you about that.”

“What?”

He glanced at her. “Would you mind staying here? Live here in Florida?”

“But you live in LA.”

“No. I was only out there to be close to you. I prefer it here. This is my home. If you want to live out there, we will. I will follow you wherever you wish to go.”

She watched the scenery through the windshield. It was different here in Florida than in California. She’d only been here a few times before this. And that was to Miami, which she heard was as different from most of Florida as LA was from California. It wasn’t like she had family or a bunch of friends tying her to the West Coast. Robertson was here. Matthias was here.

“If I don’t like it here?”

“Then we’ll be on the jet as soon as it takes us to pack.”

She considered it. “Okay. I’d like to see what it’s like then. Let’s stay here.”

He smiled. She knew he was happy but sensed he would do anything she asked no matter what it was. That scared and thrilled her.

* * *

That night in bed, she snuggled close to him. “I’ve wanted to ask about your family, your parents.” She didn’t want to ask about his wife or children yet.

Did he tense a little?

“I had no siblings. My father was killed early in the Spanish Inquisition. My mother was killed years before, when I was a baby, during a fire. I don’t even remember her.”

“Were they both…”

“Of the line? Yes. I’ve often thought my father’s heart and soul died long before his body did, when he lost my mother.”

“Your grandparents?

“My mother’s parents died before I was born. I don’t remember much of what my father said about them. My father’s mother didn’t have as much of the line in her. She died from the Plague a few hundred years ago.”

“And your grandfather? How did he die?”

Matthias looked at her and swallowed hard. “I meant to tell you, but with all the confusion I forgot. He’s coming for a visit next week.”

THE END

WWW.TYMBERDALTON.COM

Content

Love and Brimstone
Brimstone Vampires -1
by
Tymber Dalton

DEDICATION

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five