Kathi S Barton - [Aaron's Kiss 04] (9 page)

When Tucker was finally left alone, he lowered Sam gently to the bed. He knew she slept bare, but was not sure he could manage stripping her down without hurting himself sexually in the process. So he took off her jeans, socks, and shoes. He unbuttoned the shirt down far enough to unclasp the front closure on her bra, but left it where it was. He wanted to give her his vein, but didn’t want to chance waking her just yet.

He watched her for several minutes before someone came into the room. Tucker didn’t look to the person in the doorway, but continued to look at his Sam as he spoke softly. He was loathe to leave her, but knew that he must.

“She is resting now. Mr. Duncan said that her head would hurt in the morning, but otherwise she wouldn’t have any ill effects of tonight.” Tucker knew the master was standing there. He could also feel his anger.

“I’d like to have a word with you, Tucker,” Aaron said just as softly.

“Yes, sire. I will accept my punishment without complaint. I did attack you in your own home. I have no excuse for what I did. I would ask if you could see that Sam is taken care of and protected. I...I know that I shouldn’t ask this of you, but she didn’t—”

“Come with me, Tucker, please. Let Sam rest without us talking around her. No one will bother her here. She is safe. And Lizzy won’t hurt her again either. Her mother and I will see to that.”

Tucker reached down and touched her creamy skin, running his finger along the softness and then over her full lips. Then he leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers. He realized at that moment that he had never kissed her mouth before, didn’t know what she tasted like there. Well, he thought, it was too late for that now. He started to stand then stopped. Leaning down, he kissed her once more, and whispered against her mouth, “I could have loved you for an eternity.”

~CHAPTER SEVEN~

Aaron walked ahead of Tucker as they went down the long hallway toward Aaron’s study. He was still trying to figure the man out. Aaron had never met anyone so beaten before, not just physically, but mentally as well. He had started to do a search on Tucker James. He wanted to try and get a better handle on the man, see where he had come from and why had he stopped here. But something had stopped him from going ahead with it; something told Aaron that it would be a mistake to let anyone know where Tucker was, maybe a fatal one for him. When Tucker was seated across from him, Aaron began.

“First, I want to apologize to you for hurting Sam. I, too, must protect my mate, but what I did was hurt yours without finding out the facts before I reacted. All I could see what that Sara was hurting and nothing more. I’m very sorry for what happened to Sam.”

Tucker’s head jerked up. The look of surprise was very evident on his face. He had obviously never expected this. Then Aaron watched as the look of fear quickly moved into his eyes. Then he dropped his head again. Something or someone terrified this man.

“Who is it? Who do you hide from, Tucker? Who hurt you so badly that you cower when you enter a room? Someone has done this to you, and I’d like to know who.” Aaron started to stand, but stayed where he was. “You came here seeking my help, did you not? And have decided, for your own reasons, not to ask for it. I would like to know why.” Aaron was not a vain man, but he was curious as to why Tucker had decided that Aaron was not worth asking now.

For long moments, not a sound was made; all that could be heard was the ticking of the clock on the desk. Tucker seemed to be trying to make a decision and from the look on his face, a very difficult one. Aaron was relieved when Tucker decided to share his story.

“I’m trying to be free. My maker, she calls to me even now. I wish to escape her, to sever ties, but I can’t do that now. I can’t risk Sam. I wish that I could stay.

We’ve…we’ve heard about you helping others, taking them in. It…Marta, she’s dangerous and cruel. I fear that when she does find me, she will make me suffer—suffer more than before. Had it just been me, I might have asked you for your protection. But now…I cannot let my mate be hurt. It isn’t…no one should suffer what she would if Marta found out what she is to me. I’m sorry, sire, it isn’t right that I should talk ill of another of your kind, but I cannot lie to you.”

Aaron wasn’t surprised by what Tucker told him, but he was about the others hearing about him. Then he realized what Tucker had said. “What do you mean of my kind, Tucker? We, you and I, are of the same species. You said that she is cruel and dangerous. Do you think I’m the same, the same type of master?”

“No, no I don’t. But I have…my mate will need me to be able to keep her safe. And we both know that as a human, Sam would suffer greatly in a fight with an older vampire. She will need your protection, too, should I stay within this realm. Asking for protection for me was one thing, sire, but for the two of us…I fear the price would be more than I have.”

Price. There was the word again. That did surprise him, on more levels than he wanted to admit. Though he wasn’t sure why yet. Did others, other masters, charge their subjects to protect their own people?

“You thought you needed to buy my protection? You think that’s the way it works?

With what? Help me to understand.”

Aaron was mad, not at Tucker, but at the thought of so many like this man going without their mate, their needs, because they didn’t have the money to do so. Not just the fear of having a mate and not being able to protect them, but the severe punishment for both of them. If a vampire came to him seeking protection for him and his mate, he would simply give it.

Aaron did take money from his subjects; he wouldn’t be able to give them any help if he didn’t. But he took it in the form of percentages earned. Vampires had little use for money, and they could live for centuries. Most of them, Aaron included, invested their money in houses, business, and even blood banks. And that money was used to provide for families that cared for vampires during the day, the ones who had no income. The money was used for legal fees if needed, anything and everything they needed beyond the scope of everyday life.

“I have nearly three million dollars saved, sire. It is all yours if you would agree to protect Sam. She is an innocent in this. I never meant to find her, or to bring her any trouble. But if my maker finds her, or even finds out about her…” Tucker shuddered visibly. “She will kill her. I can’t let that happen. I will take my punishment and leave.

I’ll leave the monies with you for Sam’s protection.” Aaron sat back and regarded the man before him. He was going to help him and his mate both. He had to. It was no longer a matter of Tucker being a vampire, but Aaron had come to like the couple and wanted them to be able to hang around.

“I need for you to tell me everything. And I mean everything. I want to know your maker inside and out, and all the dirt you have on this bitch, what she did to you and I’m sure others. You need only to pledge your fidelity to me. I don’t charge my people for this. In this realm, we work together, help each other. Your money is just that, yours.

I will take a percentage of your income from now on, but the other you came with you need to use to keep you and Sam. Can you do that, Tucker? Have you the right to pledge to me?”

“Sire, Sam will…”

“You let me worry about Sam. And Tucker, my man, if I’ve learned one thing about mates, it’s that they can be pretty fierce when they feel cornered. I think once you and Sam bond and mate, you’ll find her to be quite the help if you need her. She doesn’t strike me as the type of woman who would sit by and want you to take care of her.”

“No, sire, she does not.” Tucker grinned and so did Aaron. “She seems to be very able and willing to take any measures to make you understand her point of view as well. I do believe if she were a vampire, my maker wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Sam would make a very fine warrior.”

“I believe you might be right about that. Sara and her have...the two of them could and probably would kick both our asses if they thought we needed it, but I would appreciate it if you kept that little tidbit to yourself.” Tucker nodded and the men formed a bond. New and very tender, but a bond of friendship blossomed.

Just before sunrise the next morning, Tucker and Aaron left the study. They had a better understanding of one another—at least Aaron thought so. Tucker told Aaron he felt as if a burden had been somewhat lifted from his shoulders and Aaron felt sick. Sick at the treatment that one of his kind—no, he refused to think of her, this Marta, as one of his kind—could be so cruel to one of her children.

Aaron went in search Sara after showing Tucker where he could rest for the day.

Tuck said that he would like to be able to take Sam down with him, and Aaron agreed that would be a good idea. He did tell Tucker that the sublevels couldn’t be breached by anyone but the people Aaron or Sara allowed down there. He told them they would be safe in his home.

Sara was in the kitchen, of course, getting the children ready for preschool. He loved this time of the morning when he got to watch them all interact with each other.

And after his night, he needed it more than he ever had before.

He noticed that Pete, Dominic’s mate and another friend of the family, was there fussing with Lizzy’s hair. Finally, Duncan took the stretchy thing from her and showed her again how to pin up a little girl’s hair with it.

Aaron knew for a fact that she had been showed several times how to do it and thought she was egging Duncan on again. Aaron laughed at his man; these two had the strangest relationship and no one knew why. He then remembered to talk to her about some of the slang she was teaching Duncan and Mac. Some of it couldn’t be rated anything less than X.

“Good morning, everyone. Where are you all off to?” He knew, of course, but it was a matter of tradition that he asked.

“School, Daddy. Just like yesterday and the day before.” Mac could sound so grown up at times it scared him.

“Lizzy, has your mother talked with you about…you know?” He was still amazed at the power she had used to try and get into Sam’s head. He was also amazed that Sam had been able to withstand it for so long. When Sam had hit Sara with the blast, Aaron had felt it as hard as Sara had, their bond making her pains his. He was ashamed to remember he had hurt Sam without all the facts.

“Yes, Daddy, and I’m gonna make Sam a pretty picture in school today to tell her I’m sorry. And Tucker, is he gonna stay with us too?” He kissed her forehead. “I’m working on that, pumpkin.” He looked over at Pete and Sara. “I need your help today, both of you. If you can spare the time today, Pete, I also have another project I may need you to look into as well. It’s something right up your alley. Game?”

“Sure, I just have to go to Becca’s Place to update some security stuff. But I can do that later. Then I have a couple of part-timers down at the electronics store to be trained on some low tech stuff. Whatcha need?” Pete asked.

Becca’s Place was a place for abused and battered children to go for safety. It was not species specific, rather just for children. Since it had opened nearly five years ago, the house had saved over a thousand children from abuse, making sure they were well fed, well loved, and eventually finding safe havens for them. Shade and Colin, his best friend, has set it up. And Pete, the resident techie, had made sure the security was the best they could offer them.

“I need you to see what you can find on a Marta Lipscomb, a vamp. She’s a master in another realm in Missouri. Also, on Tucker James, he is one of hers.” He looked down at his notes before continuing. “I need for you to be very discreet with this. It could mean the lives of Tucker and Sam if she finds out where he is. Tucker said that she is calling him, but she hasn’t gotten any closer than when he left. Also, he has an open account at the bank. Make sure it’s untouchable by anyone but him for the moment. I don’t want Marta to get her hands on what’s his. Pete, I can’t tell you enough how important it is that she not get a scent about this. She’s one nasty bitch.”

“Sure. What sort of intel do you need—money, records...just everything? Sara was telling me that she felt Tuck’s pain, from this Marta?” At his nod, she continued. “I’ll get right on it. The Pack has just put in this new system that I want to play with.” She was grinning. It was a grin that he had come to recognize as “I’m so going to enjoy this.”

“Everything. Whatever you can find, even rumors, too, if you find some. At this point, assume everything you read, see, or hear is true. This woman is beyond cruel and I won’t have you endangering yourself too. It’s bad enough that...the things she did, probably still does, is staggering.”

“I’ll be careful. Tell Tuck that I’ll need to talk to him later about some stuff too. Just the usual background, make sure I have the right bitch and all. Sam too.” Pete smiled.

“Wow, have you tasted any of her stuff? Damn, that girl can bake! And what she can do with chocolate…well, it makes you wanna weep and sing odes to her.” The ribbon in Lizzy’s hair was finally finished and Pete left to go have her fun.

Aaron was just sitting back to watch his mate eat her breakfast when Mac looked at over at him.

“Daddy, can I talk to you, please, man to man?” Mac had grabbed his father’s hand and was holding it very tightly. Something had upset the little boy and Aaron was very worried. Aaron leaned down to scoop the little guy up into his arms and leaned his forehead onto Mac’s.

“Sure, but after the night I’ve had, do you think maybe you could spare a hug or two? It would certainly make things go a little easier for me for the rest of the day. Just having one of those can make everything perfect again.” Aaron knew that Mac needed the hug just as much as he did, but also knew that Mac wouldn’t bristle so much when he thought his dad needed them more. It was something the two of them had worked out. Lizzy would hug anyone and everyone, but Mac was a little more cautious. Since preschool had started, Mac had begun to think of hugs as “mushy girl stuff.” Aaron knew in a few years Mac would change his mind pretty quick about that. Aaron grinned. He couldn’t wait until Mac discovered that