by V. A. Dold
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 when ever 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.”
John gave him a single nod; all the childhood fear gone from his eyes and led the woman into 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 ridged 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 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 hammered 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 of 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 twisted in a painful angle 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 move 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; it was slight 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 sooth 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 really 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 widened. 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 became like 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 battered face on the monitor as if she would actually 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.
“Whose 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.
“According to Google, we have one hour until sunset. Let’s get packed and hit the helipad in an hour fifteen.”
“You got it,” Michael said as he and Jack headed out the door.
John offered him a beer and sat quietly sipping his own while Thomas packed.
Thomas knew something was bothering John and waited for him to speak.
<
br /> “Are you okay?” John finally asked. “I know I’ve wanted to beat the shit out of that bastard for years, but you actually did it.”
“I’m fine. I would have killed him, but Hans stopped me.”
“Why the hell did he do that!”
“He didn’t want me living with the knowledge and guilt of having killed my own father. Regardless of how nasty and worthless he is.”
John sat silently for a few minutes before he nodded. “Yeah, I guess I can understand that.”
Thomas zipped his suitcase closed and grinned at John. “It was great knocking the piss out of him though.”
They made good time during the flight. And now butterflies were tap–dancing a jig in his stomach just thinking about kissing his woman senseless. He cut the motor of his new boat and docked at The Backwater’s pier. Finally, he was truly home.
Chapter 11
The bar was packed to the rafters, and the band was rocking the dancers on the hardwood floor. Thomas slipped in unnoticed and managed to grab a table in the back.
The constantly moving crowd made it difficult to keep Julia in sight but when he was able to catch a glimpse, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Her golden hair was tied back in a messy ponytail. And as she moved behind the bar, the overhead lights occasionally hit the soft tresses just so, showcasing the myriad of blond hues that layered throughout her heavy curtain of hair. His fingers itched to weave their way into all that soft silk. Tonight he had plans to do just that.
The sexy cashmere sweater she wore, hugging all her assets. With every move, he got to enjoy the jiggle and sway of her incredible breasts beneath the soft pink sweater. That single thought had him quickly scanning the crowd to make sure none of the men were admiring the assets only he had a right to appreciate.
Not a single man was daring to ogle her as she hustled to make another round of drinks. Logan must have let the men know she was off limits while he was away.
That’s right, guys, the curvy bombshell behind the bar is all mine.
