Read Online Dalton, Tymber - Brimstone Blues [Brimstone Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Tymber Dalton - Free Book Online Page B

That reminds me, I’ll have to take care of that, too.” She opened the door, and there was Rafe’s Mustang. She walked around it, a red and black Mustang Shelby GT, only a few months old. They’d talked about it at dinner in Yellowstone.
    Of course he had all the options.
    How appropriate. Of all cars, a Mustang.
    She looked around the garage and noticed the toolboxes, large Snap-on professional setups. He was a motor head.
    It reminded her of when she was a little girl, the few times her father was home, spending time with him out in the garage. He’d had lots of tools, and the scent of his garage had been similar. Motor oil, solvents, transmission fluid, rubber.
    She tenderly laid the jacket and shirt on the passenger seat and popped the hood, smiling as she looked. He’d modified the supercharged 5.4 V8 engine with a high-performance package that added even more horses to the already powerful pony. She was sure he’d most likely modified the rear end and trany, too. Money wouldn’t be an object, neither would voiding his factory warranty. Rafe could well afford to fix whatever he broke. It had a six-speed manual transmission, and she itched to put it through its paces.
    Something else she had in common with Rafe. Matthias didn’t care to know how his cars ran fast or well, just that they did. Rafe was obviously a hands-on guy—in more ways than one. Robertson wasn’t into cars, but he’d taken the time to learn enough from her father that he could fill in while Eric was on the race circuit, teaching Taz how to change her own oil and tires. Some of her best memories were of spending time in her father’s garage either watching or helping one or both men work on the stable of classic cars.
    Walking to the toolboxes, Taz looked through them, and noticed the empty packages and old parts on the workbench. Rafe had made several of the modifications himself. She studied the car. She was an old-school girl, preferred the original Mustangs to the new generation, but it was a sweet ride.
    “G o ahead, Taz. Take it. I want you to have it, baby girl.”
    For once, she welcomed the disembodied voice.
    “I’ll drive it back.”
    “What?” Matthias turned and realized she was already in the garage. He appeared in the doorway.
    “I said, I’ll drive it back. I want it. Where’s his keys?”
    “Taz, I don’t know if that’s—”
    “Matthias.” Her tone was don’t-fuck-with-me firm. “Where are his keys?”
    It was easier to give in. “I’ll get them. Let’s load these other things in the trunk.”

    * * * *

    Matthias handed her the key ring, the one Rafe had in Yellowstone. She sat behind the wheel and adjusted the seat and mirrors. His MP3 player was hooked to the stereo. Closing her eyes she almost heard Rafe’s laughter in her mind. She conjured his scent, but for once she didn’t feel like tears.
    Taz felt like driving.
    She caressed the steering wheel. Even though she’d never been in this car before, it felt like she’d spent hours driving it. Matthias popped the garage door, and she spied Rafe’s sunglasses on the dash. With trembling hands she slipped them on. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The car fired off immediately, throbbing around her. As if slipping into a dream, she slung her left arm over the wheel and smoothly shifted to reverse without having to look at the shift pattern. She backed out of the garage and impatiently waited for Matthias to lock the condo and get in the Hummer. The road lay before them, and Taz knew exactly how much pressure she needed on the modified clutch, the exact timing for each shift, as if the car was an extension of her.
    Rafe had left enough gas to get them to Perry, by her best guess. With Matthias following, she opened it up on I-75 and turned the MP3 player on.
    Last played—Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell album. One of her favorites. The volume turned up loud.
    The track “Heaven Can Wait” played. She shivered but didn’t change it,