by V. A. Dold
Thomas walked into the training room an hour later and laid out the day’s schedule. The team’s excitement level ratcheted up a notch with each completed maneuver. One after the other executed to perfection. By noon, they were done, and flight plans home were being arranged.
“You want to hit the strip one last time with me?” John asked.
His expression and tone were so hopeful Thomas couldn’t say no. “Sure, why not. I’ll meet you in the lobby in thirty.”
Thomas did his best to look like he was enjoying the bar hopping fest that John was dragging him along on. A couple of weeks ago, he would have been all in, but now that he had Julia, the bars didn’t hold the same appeal.
It took a moment to adjust his eyes to the bright afternoon sun as they exited their fourth club. When they walked in, a stripper who eerily resembled Julia took the stage. Thomas had been so uncomfortable they only stayed for one beer and were now on the sidewalk again.
“Let’s hit Bellagio before we head back,” John said.
“Cool.” Thomas nodded. “I’d like to see that fountain show, like in ‘Ocean’s Eleven’.”
They were recounting scenes from the movie when Thomas felt a tingle run up his neck. Slowly he turned. Tim, their father, wasn’t more than twenty feet away, manhandling a woman young enough to be their sister.
The color drained from John’s face, as he stood frozen, the terror of his childhood memories etched on his face.
Thomas gently touched John’s shoulder and moved him into the shadows of an awning. “Stay here. I’ll handle this.”
In truth, he hadn’t seen or heard from Tim since Etienne banished him to Las Vegas. Except for John’s nightmares, he hadn’t given the bastard a moment’s thought. It hadn’t occurred to him his father would victimize another woman or child. He had simply been ecstatic to be rid of him. He wanted to kick himself. He should have known it was more than likely, and he’d make sure it didn’t happen again.
Tim was a mean, little son of a bitch, who liked to beat on those weaker than himself. It made him feel like a big man. Well, not anymore. Thomas squared his shoulders. This ended here.
“Let her go,” he growled coldly.
Tim turned his body language shouting this was none of your business until he recognized the face of his enemy. “Well, look who we have here. Where’s your punk brother, John?” he asked, searching the sidewalk for his missing son.
Tim’s eyes were emotionless, cold, pits, staring at him. He was used to intimidating his rivals, smaller rivals that is. Too bad it didn’t work on him. Hadn’t for a very long time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the terrified woman shudder. Her fear flipped a switch he hadn’t known he had. Tim enjoyed inflicting pain. Well now, he was about to be on the receiving end.
“I said, let her go. I won’t say it again.”
Tim let out a snort. “What do you think you’re going to do about it? If I remember correctly, you ran scared whenever I came around.”
“Take a good long look, Dad.” Thomas sneered. “Do you really think I’m going to run now?”
Tim’s eyes bulged as if he were seeing his oldest son as a grown man for the first time. Thomas actually watched the horror register in his father’s eyes when he realized he was totally screwed.
John chose that moment to face his fears and stand shoulder to shoulder with Thomas.
Two things happened simultaneously. The woman was shoved into John’s chest, and Thomas slammed his fist into Tim’s nose. Tim’s head flew back as blood splattered both men. As if in slow motion, the bastard crumbled like a house of cards in a light breeze.
With a fist full of his father’s shirt, Thomas snarled, “Get her out of here.”
All of the childhood fear evaporated from John’s eyes. He gave Thomas a single nod, and led the woman through the nearest doorway.
Several vampires materialized from the shadows, creating a visual blockade around the two men. Perfect, he could take care of this scum without witnesses.
Thomas turned his piercing blue gaze directly on his sperm donor. Leaning in, Tim’s rancid breath was hot on his face.
“It’s time you got a little payback from one of your victims,” he stated, his voice harsh.
There was a rigid set to his chin, and a scowl creased his brow. He was merciless with a deadly, ruthless resolve clearly carved on his face.
Without sparing a glance to Hans, the leader of this team of vampires, he growled, “Keep us out of sight and don’t let anyone hear this.”
“It will be our pleasure, but perhaps we should move this to a less public location. I suggest the alley behind you,” Hans responded with humor in his tone. “My only regret is, our king forbids his death, at least by our hand.”
The vampires hated Tim as much as Thomas and John did.
Thomas pulled Tim to his feet and shoved him toward the opening the vampires had created in their circle. Tim’s only choice was the alley, and he was more than willing to take it.
Without a second thought, he turned and ran. No doubt hoping for an exit to appear within the rank, narrow space. He was wrong.
Where before Thomas had been a victim of this scum, now the victimizer was his prey. He allowed his father a moment of fruitless hope, prolonging the fear he knew the man was feeling.
Paybacks were a bitch, and he purposely took his time tracking Tim down to add to his fear and torment. Sometimes the uncertainty of what was to come was as much torture as the final pain you received. And Tim deserved everything he was about to get.
Long moments passed. The sound of traffic and a car horn blast were all that broke the silence. He patiently waited until the aggressive energy coming from the alley dissipated. He wanted Tim to think he had a chance, wanted him to have false hope, so he could snatch it from him like he had done to him and John so many times. And, there it was.
Tommy?
Thomas heard the terror in Julia’s voice, but he couldn’t deal with it right now. With an ability he hadn’t realized he had, he slammed a wall in place. Effectively blocking Julia from his mind and what was about to happen.
Menace radiated from him as he cracked his neck and walked to the mouth of the alley. A quick appraisal of the cardboard box and trash littered space told him there was only one hiding spot afforded to the bastard. A filthy dumpster jammed against the left wall.
The trash and broken glass crunched under Thomas’s boots as he took his time walking to the far side of the trash bin where he knew he would find Tim. An occasional rat scurried from under the trash as it sensed the predators filling the small space and ran for safer cover.
He stopped short of rounding the dumpster. “Are you going to be a man and come out on your own two feet, or do I need to drag your pathetic ass out?”
“Fuck you,” Tim shouted in a quavering voice.
Thomas sighed and took the final steps needed to see the pathetic excuse that was his father crouched between the wall and the dumpster. Tim’s shirt was drenched with sweat, no doubt from fear and the smell of urine was strong, the asshat had wet himself.
Thomas took hold of a leg and dragged a screeching Tim into the center of the alley. Slowly the vampires closed the circle, giving Thomas the visual and audio barrier he needed.
Tim’s eyes flashed around the small circle as if an exit would magically appear. Grabbing the front of Tim’s shirt, Thomas hauled him to his feet. “Look at me, you piece of shit. I want to see the fear in your eyes.”
Tim reluctantly tore his eyes from the vampires to glare at Thomas. That glare instantly turned to terror as recognition of his impending death filled his eyes.
“Please, son. Don’t hurt me. I’m your father, for Christ’s sake.”
“You should have felt that sentiment when I was a child, and as a father not beat your children. The road runs both ways, Daddy,” Thomas sneered.
In one fluid motion, Thomas stepped to Tim and hammere
d him with a flurry of blows to the face and body. His father must have been loaded with meth or some other street drug. The fear in the man’s eyes shifted toward insanity. He acted as if he hadn’t felt the blows, and even managed to nail Thomas with a hard uppercut to the jaw. The two went at it like roosters in a cockfight. Like all-star wrestlers, they used the circle of vampires as ropes in a boxing ring, bouncing off and slamming the other mercilessly.
Their faces were harsh masks of hatred, lips peeled back, and rage filled eyes. Death lived in their expressions.
A vicious blow from Thomas had Tim stumbling against a huge Asian vampire. With an angry snap of his fangs, the vampire shoved Tim toward the center of the circle.
His father’s clumsy movements masked the fact he was armed. The setting sun glinted off the old steel for only a fraction of a second when he pulled the battered blade from a back pocket of his grubby jeans.
A combination of stumbling and lurching brought Tim in contact with Hans. His flailing actions were so ridiculous Hans hadn’t afforded the enemy proper attention and now sported a sliced arm as his reward. A wicked, ragged, blistering cut that looked like it burned and must have stung like hell.
The wound wouldn’t kill him, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a son of a bitch. The fucking knife must be coated with a shabby silver plating.
Hurling himself across the ring of men, Thomas knocked Tim off Hans. The force of the blow knocked the knife from his hand, and his momentum landed them on the filthy pavement with Thomas on Tim’s chest. A quick swing of his left leg and he straddled the bastard. He pulled his fists back and pummeled Tim’s face with everything he had. The smacks of fist meeting flesh were followed by pained groans. His fury was so focused he blocked out the ring of vampires surrounding them. He continued to punish the bastard until Tim’s face was unrecognizable pulp and his knuckles were raw.
Hans sensed Thomas’s resolve to annihilate his father. Thomas’s fist was drawn, ready to deliver the killing blow. Tim was nearly finished as it was. His nose angled painfully to the right. The human bled so heavily it just might bleed out. He could only hope.
“I’m going to kill you for everything you ever did to John and Mom,” Thomas growled.
Hans grabbed his arm. “Brother, you don’t want to do that.”
Thomas struggled with indecision. Finally, he lowered his fist, breathing heavily. Two of Hans’s men helped him to his feet and away from his worthless father.
Though Thomas both agreed and disagreed with Hans, he wanted Tim dead, but at the same time, he didn’t care to live with his father’s death on his hands. His whole body continued to shake with adrenaline, and his eyes remained dark with rage. Gasping for breath, his chest heaved, and angry energy poured from him, filling the narrow alley with its stench.
“Thomas, as much as this filth deserves to die,” Hans snarled. “I prefer you enjoy your life without the guilt you would no doubt feel if you personally killed this piece of shit. Let us leave that for another day, and gift another person with his death.”
Aggression still had Thomas revved up and spitting mad. With hatred coursing through his veins, he clenched and unclenched his fists.
Why am I sticky? When he looked down, he saw the bloody mess he’d made of his hands and clothing. He flexed his fingers a couple of times and felt the ache beginning to settle in now that he was coming down from the adrenaline high of the fight. This was going to hurt like a bitch in about an hour. A sharp pain in his left hand indicated he might have broken a finger or two, but at this moment in time, he didn’t care. He considered wiping the blood on Tim, but the tacky Hawaiian shirt he wore was soaked through, and there wasn’t an inch of clean fabric remaining.
Hans directed his men to toss Tim into the shadows, behind the dumpster. He could come to, lying in the filth of the alleyway. Not that the he deserved to draw another breath.
As Thomas turned to go, he yelled over his shoulder, “That’s how it feels to get your ass handed to you, asshole. Remember that when you feel like hitting a woman or child again, you fucking piece of shit. Because if you don’t, one of us will give you a refresher.”
Thomas thought he might have heard a moan in response, but he wasn’t sure and didn’t care one way or the other.
Julia? Can you hear me?
He felt the distance like a tangible fog. Yeah. She was there. The connection was weak, but he could sense her energy in their link.
Tommy? I’m here. Are you okay? I feel pain radiating from you.
He didn’t answer her question. He didn’t want her to worry. Instead, he closed his eyes briefly, allowing the sound of her voice to wash through his mind and soothe his damaged soul. His heart ached, and his body tightened, but her voice cured all. He picked up the pace, moving quickly through the streets, taking the shortest possible route back to his suite.
Can I Skype you in about twenty minutes? I really need to see your face.
I’ll be here, mon amour.
Thomas ran the few blocks back to the condo. He needed to put distance between himself and his father almost as much as he needed to see Julia.
One look in the vanity mirror, as he stepped into his bathroom, told him he would need a shower and new clothes before Julia laid eyes on him. Already, his shirt was hardening and crusty from the blood, and his hair was matted with gore and bits of trash.
A quiet knock sounded followed by a click as John unlocked the condo door and gaped at him.
“I’m surprised the cops didn’t pick me up looking like this.”
“Do you need a doctor?” John asked gently, and then he snarled. “Tell me the bastard is dead.”
Thomas clasped John’s shoulder as he shook his head. “Not that I know of, he was breathing when I left him in the alley. But who knows, he was in bad shape, so maybe he didn’t make it out of that rank shithole.”
John gave him a single nod before sitting heavily in a living room chair.
“I need to clean up. Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be right out.”
Twenty minutes later, he pulled a clean T-shirt over his head and powered up his laptop. Jack and Michael had joined John in the living room with a twelve pack of beer.
“Hi, guys. I need to talk to Julia, and then we can organize our trip home.”
Jack stood, ready for action. “Would you like us to finish the job you started today?”
“No, he’s not worth your effort. But thank you for offering.”
Jack nodded his acceptance and sat again as Thomas logged into Skype and placed his call.
Thomas saw her breath hitch and her eyes widen. The color drained from her face as her eyes jumped to his.
“Tommy,” she whispered, and he felt her arms wrap around him through their bond.
His first thought was Damn. I didn’t clean up well enough. Then he asked, “How did you touch me just now? We haven’t been able to do that since I got here.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s my intense need to hold you? I’ve heard extreme emotions can overcome distances sometimes.” Julia visibly trembled. “What the devil happened to you? That isn’t from training, is it?”
“No, baby. This isn’t from my training. I had a little meet and greet with my father.”
Julia gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock.
“Believe me, he’s in much worse shape than I am, and he deserved every punishing blow I delivered.”
“Oh, cher. I’m so sorry. Are you okay? I can be on the Le Beau jet within the hour.”
“No, sweetheart. Don’t do that. I’m flying home in a few hours. We just need to wait for the sun to set.” Then he smiled softly. “I’ll have you in my arms in a matter of hours.”
Gazing into her concerned eyes, his focus narrowed to tunnel vision. There was no one else in the world. Only Julia. Only her beautiful, smiling face and soft voice.
She held his gaze as she reached out to touch his bruised and batter
ed face on the monitor as if she would feel his warm skin beneath her fingertips. Her palm curved to cup his cheek gently before her fingers followed her gaze down his chest.
“Oh, mon amour. It’s so painful to not be with you right now,” she cried softly. That statement was the closest she had come to admitting the pain she felt. But in this instance, it was pain caused by her inability to cradle him in her arms and soothe his pain.
Only a couple of weeks ago, he would never have talked to a woman so intimately in front of an audience. And when he caught John grinning at him, he knew his little brother was going to have fun teasing him tonight, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered, but the woman gazing at him with love and concern in her eyes. Let him have his fun. In the end, he would have Julia in his arms and John would sleep in an empty bed. A little heckling was a small price to pay for this healing moment. He had the soft eyes and warm heart of the woman he loved, comforting his tattered soul.
Thomas kept her talking until he was satisfied he had calmed her fears. When he was sure she would stay put and wait for him, he said, “I can’t wait to see you, babe, and I hate to say goodbye, but I need to pack and get to the helipad.”
“Okay, but you take extra good care of yourself. My heart can’t handle any more injury to you. To tell the truth, I have to work a few hours tonight, so I should get going, too.”
“If you’re not at home, I’ll come to the bar,” Thomas assured her.
“Hurry, cher,” Julia whispered as she kissed her fingertips and touched them to his lips on the monitor. “I need to hold you in my arms.”
Thomas hesitated for a moment, holding her gaze with his own. Then boldly he said, “I love you, Julia.” And ended the call.
Thomas turned his computer chair around to face John and their friends. “Shut it. All of you.”
John busted a gut laughing so hard he had tears running down his face.
“Who’s going to be laughing tonight when I have a beautiful woman in my arms, and you have a cold, empty bed?”
That shut John up faster than a bucket of ice water over his head. Thought so.
