Enduring Retribution e-book (22 page)

Tristan held Bailey to him, comforting and soothing her. She was hurting and he had been the cause of it, he thought. He wanted to fix it, but he also feared that if told her that they were destined to care for the lost children, she would balk. That’s why they had come up with the plan to have her fall in love with a child and then ask her.

The little girl, who was probably about two to three months old, was of vampire descent, more than likely a pure blood. Someone had found her strapped into a car seat in an open field yesterday afternoon. Her parents, or as best they could tell, had been staked to the ground and left to meet the sun. There was nothing left to make a positive identification of them or the baby.

Presumably, whoever had killed her parents thought that the little girl would meet the same fate.

But children of vampires, pure or not, did not pick up the traits of vampirism until they were in their late twenties. Someone had dropped her off at Becca’s Place today, starving and cold.

Bailey moved back more and looked at Tristan. He marveled everyday that she was his. She had saved his mother’s life, and his. His mother was, at this moment, planning a huge wedding ceremony for them.

“You could have just asked, you know?” The baby was asleep now, her little fist stuck in her mouth.

He started to ask her what she meant, but he didn’t. What would be the point? They both knew what he should have done.

“What would you have said if I’d brought the baby in here and said I want us to adopt her?

You were terrified of her as it was.” He ran his finger down Bailey’s cheek, and then he touched the baby’s.

“Hummm, I’m not sure. Told you to fu...frig off, I suppose.” She laid the baby on the bed and turned her in her arms to be held. “Why do I do that, change my language for her? She can’t understand a word I say.”

“Bailey, I love you. I don’t know, I think it’s instinct, maybe. My brothers all did the same thing. Even I do it when they’re around. We should talk about this. Plus, hummm, you should know that...Bailey, my mom is planning a wedding for us.”

“I know. She came in today and had me try on her dress. Said it wouldn’t do. I don’t know what she meant, but she went out shaking her head and muttering something about my breasts.

Your father, he is...I like him. He makes me feel good about myself.”

He would, Tristan thought. “He told me he loves you. Said of all his daughters-in-law, you were by far his newest. But he did tell me that you would forever hold a special place in his heart for saving his mate and my brother…well, I don’t think you’ll ever want for bodyguards as long as they’re around. Aiden is quiet smitten with you already. I’ve warned him off. He’s the ladies man of the family.”

“His newest, huh?” Bailey looked at the sleeping baby. “I’m not sure about all this. I don’t do well with people, you know, and what about her? About the baby…do you know her name?”

Bailey touched her again, but left her to sleep on the bed.

“No, someone killed her parents, and tried to kill her too. She is only a couple of months old. I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to figure out who her family is. But I want her to be with us, Bailey. I would like for you and me to raise her.”

Bailey didn’t say anything for a long while, just stared at the baby. He couldn’t see her face as she stared at the baby, but he could feel her relaxed against him. When she looked back at him, his breath caught at the smile on her mouth.

“I would like to raise her with you too. But you have to know, if she wants to be girly, she’s going back to live with Shade.”

He laughed. “What should we call her?”

“Emma. Emma St. James.”

I woke up one morning and decided to give play time to the people in my head who were keeping me awake. Little did I know that they would be so relentless and want their time right now! I wrote for the pure joy of it and to entertain my family and friends. But mostly it was to get more than an hour of sleep without a story playing out. Of course, the more I write, the more they want. So…well, as a result of sleepless days (I work through the night as a gun toting grandma – nope not a vigilantly but an armed security guard) I have lots of stories written.

Hello! My name is Kathi Barton and I’m an author. I have been married to my very best friend Sonny for at times seems several lifetimes – in a good way, honey. And together we have three wonderful children and then the ones we brought into the world - Paul and Dale Barton, Jason and Wendy Barton and Danielle and Ben Conklin. They have given us seven of the greatest treasures on Earth. They don’t live at home seven days a week! No, seriously, seven grandchildren – Gavin, Spring, Ben, Trinity, Sarah, Kelly and Kian.