‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
60
The following morning there was no miniature intruder. Ibby woke him up as he opened the gate, pausing in the doorway when he saw how red Taylor’s eyes were. Taylor stood up from where he’d been laying, and when Ibby saw that he was ready to go he came inside to fetch the chain.
Saying something in Spanish, he indicated his neck with a smile. Taylor just gave him a confused look, knowing it must have been some sort of reference to the fact that they now wore the same collar. When Ibby said the same thing twice, he just shrugged apologetically.
Ibby waved his hand knowing that he didn’t understand him before leading him out and down to the breakfast hall.
“You look terrible,” the woman frowned when she saw him.
“Sorry Miss,” Taylor’s eyes lowered.
“Go and get yourself cleaned up, then come back for something to eat.”
He nodded as she spoke to Ibby in Spanish, before he took Taylor out and to the bathroom she’d shown him a couple of days earlier. He blanched when he saw himself in the mirror, and immediately washed his face. He must have done more crying the night before than he’d realised.
After breakfast the woman took him back to the study where he automatically knelt in front of the desk again. She stepped in front of him and stooped to detach the chain from his collar. Taylor immediately felt awkward at not having it there after three days with it, but was glad for the weight to be off his neck.
“I will call the children in shortly,” she said as she went back to the desk with the chain in her hands, “you’ll not be expected to do anything but meet them for today. They’ll need to get used to you before you can teach them anything.”
“Yes Miss,” Taylor’s eyes darted to the door before lowering.
He couldn’t stop himself glancing up when he heard something solid hit the table. When he saw that she’d put the taser on the desk, he gulped.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Yes Miss,” Taylor nodded warily, telling himself it was just a precaution.
She hit a button on her desk phone, presumably the intercom, “send them in.”
Moments later they heard footsteps running down the hall. Taylor looked up to the door as they watched it open, two young boys of about six or seven and a girl of about ten cautiously peeking around before stepping in.
The woman said something to them in Spanish, obviously coaxing them in closer. One of the boys had a cheeky grin on his face, and Taylor soon recognised his eyes as those belonging to the child who kept waking him up. He gave him a small smile in return.
“Taylor,” he was distracted by the woman’s voice, “these are Gabriela, my daughter, and the twins Javier and David.”
She said something to them in Spanish before David – the one with the grin – stepped forward.
“Taylor!” he said solidly, tapping him on the shoulder.
“Hello,” Taylor smiled, tall enough to look him in the eye as he knelt, “David.”
David just grinned back, stepping around to his side to look at his hair. Javier followed his brother, poking at Taylor’s arm until he raised it a little. Gabriela stayed by her mother’s side shyly.
“They’re beautiful,” Taylor looked up as David played with his hair, a little worried at speaking out of turn.
“Thank you,” she just smiled, a hand on Gabriela’s shoulder.
Saying something in Spanish, he indicated his neck with a smile. Taylor just gave him a confused look, knowing it must have been some sort of reference to the fact that they now wore the same collar. When Ibby said the same thing twice, he just shrugged apologetically.
Ibby waved his hand knowing that he didn’t understand him before leading him out and down to the breakfast hall.
“You look terrible,” the woman frowned when she saw him.
“Sorry Miss,” Taylor’s eyes lowered.
“Go and get yourself cleaned up, then come back for something to eat.”
He nodded as she spoke to Ibby in Spanish, before he took Taylor out and to the bathroom she’d shown him a couple of days earlier. He blanched when he saw himself in the mirror, and immediately washed his face. He must have done more crying the night before than he’d realised.
After breakfast the woman took him back to the study where he automatically knelt in front of the desk again. She stepped in front of him and stooped to detach the chain from his collar. Taylor immediately felt awkward at not having it there after three days with it, but was glad for the weight to be off his neck.
“I will call the children in shortly,” she said as she went back to the desk with the chain in her hands, “you’ll not be expected to do anything but meet them for today. They’ll need to get used to you before you can teach them anything.”
“Yes Miss,” Taylor’s eyes darted to the door before lowering.
He couldn’t stop himself glancing up when he heard something solid hit the table. When he saw that she’d put the taser on the desk, he gulped.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Yes Miss,” Taylor nodded warily, telling himself it was just a precaution.
She hit a button on her desk phone, presumably the intercom, “send them in.”
Moments later they heard footsteps running down the hall. Taylor looked up to the door as they watched it open, two young boys of about six or seven and a girl of about ten cautiously peeking around before stepping in.
The woman said something to them in Spanish, obviously coaxing them in closer. One of the boys had a cheeky grin on his face, and Taylor soon recognised his eyes as those belonging to the child who kept waking him up. He gave him a small smile in return.
“Taylor,” he was distracted by the woman’s voice, “these are Gabriela, my daughter, and the twins Javier and David.”
She said something to them in Spanish before David – the one with the grin – stepped forward.
“Taylor!” he said solidly, tapping him on the shoulder.
“Hello,” Taylor smiled, tall enough to look him in the eye as he knelt, “David.”
David just grinned back, stepping around to his side to look at his hair. Javier followed his brother, poking at Taylor’s arm until he raised it a little. Gabriela stayed by her mother’s side shyly.
“They’re beautiful,” Taylor looked up as David played with his hair, a little worried at speaking out of turn.
“Thank you,” she just smiled, a hand on Gabriela’s shoulder.