“I could get used to this,” Taz snarked. “Thank God we’re the good guys.” She carried Rafe’s laptop case, not yet willing to give it up to anyone else.
Matthias took her suitcase and loaded it onto his luggage cart. “That’s why we have the Tribunal, to make sure rogues who wish to take lives are eliminated. When someone starts preying on the innocent, they cannot be tolerated. Besides the obvious that we cannot allow others to be harmed, it would be too easy for someone to abuse their power, get careless, and then get arrested, and our secret would be exposed.”
“Do you really think the governments would release information about us?” Taz said. “I have a feeling they’d want to keep us under wraps.” She never was a believer in government conspiracies, black helicopters, or men in black. She believed Roswell was a weather balloon, and that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
Then again, she never believed in vampires until a few weeks ago, much less suspected she was one.
Matthias stopped in his tracks and turned. Tim and Albert had to step around them with their luggage carts. Matthias kept his voice low. “I think they would pursue those like us relentlessly, lock us in labs, and experiment on us to try to duplicate the results to use for military applications.”
“You don’t have much use for the government, do you?”
He smiled the half smile that melted her every time. Damn, that was a lethal weapon.
“Not particularly. I spent too much time dealing up close and personally with them many moons ago. I also don’t have much use for lawyers.”
“Nice—hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
He grinned, and she knew he was yanking her chain. “Cara, if I wasn’t madly in love with you, I’d mistrust you on general principles.”
“What about my dad? You like him.”
“Ah, but I’ve known Tim for several centuries, before he was a lawyer. He’s been many things in his life.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s continue this discussion elsewhere, shall we, love?”
Tobias nosed up to them. “Are we going to stand here all night, children?”
She laughed. It was hard to miss the gawkers who made the same assumption she had about Tobias’ identity.
Timon answered the phone. “Yes?”
It was one of his henchmen. “They’ve arrived. We have a problem.”
“Yes, because why should it be any different than the last several botched attempts?” There was silence from the other end. “Well?”
“Sorry. Tobias Hawthorne is with them.”
Timon swore under his breath. He suspected this complication would bedevil them, but had hoped the eldest Hawthorne wouldn’t attend. “It shouldn’t interfere with our plans too much.” He hung up and scrubbed his face with his hands. He would be glad when this mess was over and behind him.
A smile crept across his lips. When it was over, he would enjoy watching Hawthorne’s face when he learned the Tribunal was no longer the supreme word on affairs in this world. It wasn’t instant gratification by any means, but it would happen soon enough, he had no doubt. Then he could tell them all to bow before him and end this stupid history of keeping silent and hidden. With Gerard’s resources, there would be no stopping them, a world ripe for the taking, as well it should be.
Chapter Seventeen
Taz and Matthias rode in the backseat of the rental while Tim drove and Albert rode shotgun. Tobias left on his own, in another car.
Matthias patted her hand. “Taz, you must promise me you won’t try to probe any of the Tribunal while we’re here.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want them to think you’re out of control.”
“You said yourself, a show of power to make them think twice before they screw with me.”
“Yes, but if you make them think a third time they might very well decide you’re too dangerous, too much of a threat.”
She studied him. “You’re worried about me, aren’t you?”
“Not worried about you. I’m worried about them. They don’t know you the way I do. I love you. I know your heart. Unfortunately, there are those who might fear your power out of jealousy.”
She finally nodded. “Okay. I’ll behave myself.”
“Don’t take it like that, Taz. That’s not how I meant it.”
“Well it’s how it came out.” How convenient, they were at the hotel. She shoved the back door open and stepped out without waiting for Matthias. Not only was the crawling out of her skin feeling back, she also dealt with an oppressive, heavy sensation, like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.
At least the fucking voice wasn’t chiming in with its opinion.
Thank God.
Ever since touching down at Heathrow, Taz felt a pall settle over her, different from her earlier grief, but similar. Like it was coming from outside her. There was something else, too. A mental itch she had to scratch or go crazy.
Taz didn’t wait for Matthias to wake up the next morning. She dressed before dawn, took the rental car keys, and left him a note.
I’ll be back this afternoon, I need to go exploring. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. If I’m delayed I’ll call the hotel and leave word.
She didn’t want to take a cell phone with her. She wanted to be alone without the world intruding.
She wanted to scratch this mental itch and see what it left her with.
Taz stopped for breakfast, then instinct more than anything led her to the M11. She followed it north, away from the city.
It was a cool, cloudy morning. Unsure why, she suddenly took an exit and stopped in a small town over an hour north of London. Taz wrapped her hands around the steering wheel and closed her eyes.
Why am I here?
“Flowers.” The reply breathed from her mind, not so much the voice, but a sad, melancholy thought.
Her eyes popped open. She hadn’t expected an answer, but that was right, wasn’t it? Just like the answer about which side of the bed Rafe slept on.
She located a small florist shop around the corner. Taz walked in, and while she’d never seen the stout clerk before in her life, Taz somehow knew her name was Ellen Axelrod and she had four children and had been married for over thirty years.
Not from reading her with her powers, either.
Maybe this was another fugue in the making? It sure felt like it.
Taz walked up to the counter and mustered a weak smile. Mrs. Axelrod smiled in return.
“’Allo, love. How can I help ye?”
Unsure what to get, Taz trusted her instincts. “I need two arrangements, please. Small ones. Lilies, and pink and yellow roses.”
“Ah, ye would be here for Mr. Collins’ order then. All right, love, are ye okay?”
The woman came around the counter, worried, and grabbed Taz by the arm to keep her from fainting. At the mention of Rafael’s name Taz felt the blood drain from her face. Her body went numb.
“C’mere, sit yerself down, miss.” Mrs. Axelrod guided Taz to a chair. “Ye don’t look well.”
She struggled not to cry. “Mr. Collins’ order?”
The florist nodded. “Aye, he gets the same thing every year when he comes in, always about this time. He preordered it a few weeks ago so I’d have time to put it together. He was getting ready to go on a trip and said he didn’t want to forget. Ye’re here for it, right?”
Taz nodded.
“Are ye okay, love? Ye look like ye’ve seen a ghost.”
She finally met the woman’s eyes. “I hate to be the one to tell you. Rafael died a couple of weeks ago.” A few days after placing the order, most likely.