Malakai (The Stone Society Book 13)

by Faith Gibson

  The guardsman looked around at each one of them individually. “There’s a dog. Why is there a dog not secure in a crate? And where are you headed?”

  When no one immediately offered an answer, Josie stood. “Our destination will have been logged in the flight plan, but for the sake of expediency, we are headed to my fiancé’s family home in Samoa for our wedding. The girls and I are arriving early to ensure everything is set up properly, and the men were supposed to arrive when it’s time for the ceremony. I’m afraid this little snafu will set us back a few days.”

  The guardsman noticed Trevor, but before he could comment, Trevor said, “I’m the gay best friend, so I’m considered one of the girls.” Trevor batted his eyelashes at Josie, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “You call this a snafu? All of you almost—”

  “Children, Mister…?” Abbi said.

  “It’s Captain. Captain Sandoval.” Turning back to Josie, he asked, “Who is your fiancé’s family?”

  “The Palamos. They own a small island in Samoa.”

  The man was stunned. “They own a whole island?”

  Josie shrugged. “I’m marrying well. As for Molly, she’s a service dog.”

  Tessa stood then and did what she did best. “Are we going to chat all day? We have two pregnant women and two children who’ve been through an ordeal. Plus, I really need some fresh air.”

  “Yes, sorry. I’m afraid you won’t be more comfortable outside the cabin, but you can get up and stretch your legs. Since it’s clear no one needs medical attention, we’ll get underway.”

  The captain left, and everyone breathed easier. “Good job, Josie,” Isabelle said.

  Amelia walked back to where Josie was standing. “JoJo, you didn’t tell me you’re getting married. I need my best tutu. I always wear my best tutu when I’m the flower girl.”

  “Then we’ll have to find you a new, even better tutu.” Josie brushed the girl’s wild hair off her face. The idea of a wedding had been a ruse to keep the captain from asking too many questions, but now that it was out there, Josie wanted it to be reality. And they were headed to a tropical destination.

  Tessa was the first one out the door. Willow followed, but the others remained seated. Isabelle sat next to her niece.

  “As soon as we’re in Hawaii, I’m taking you and Abbi to the hospital.”

  Sophia smiled, her hands rubbing her stomach. “I’m not going to argue, but something happened when the pod was launched. It was like my shifter took over. I could feel it surrounding the baby. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

  Abbi stood and stretched her back. “I don’t have a shifter protecting my baby, so I definitely want to get checked out. If his activity is any indication, I think my son enjoyed the ride as much as Amelia.”

  Isabelle made her way to the back where Katherine was sitting quietly. “And how are you?”

  “Better now. I’m sorry about the mess. The smell can’t be easy on everyone.”

  Isabelle brushed Katherine’s hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry about that. Do you want me to get you some water?”

  “If you don’t mind. I’d like to rinse my mouth.”

  Isabelle moved to the galley. It amazed Josie how the cabin had been designed to separate from the rest of the plane. She caught Katherine looking at her.

  “My Julian designed this pod several years ago, back before the trouble with Alistair began. There are so many things – good things – his genius has come up with. But I can feel his sadness. His anger. He’s falling apart, and there’s nothing I can do to help. I’m worried about him.”

  Isabelle handed a bottle of water to the redhead. “I’ve noticed his mood as well. Julian feels responsible for all the bad that we’ve endured.”

  Sophia joined them. “Since Nik and I need somewhere to stay for the next little while, Nik thinks we should move in with you two. He feels like he’s let Julian down by not being there. All our males are going to take this latest hit hard, especially since Kaya was almost taken from us. Heck, we all came close to being taken. As mates, we need to stay strong for them. We need to stay safe too. When we get to Hawaii, we should move as a unit. There are nine of us plus Molly. I’m not sure what we can do with her while we go to the hospital, but Josie mentioned she’s a service dog, so maybe we continue with that idea. Bryce and Karson have our backs until Sinclair and the others get to us.”

  “Kai’s father and one of his brothers are in route as well. I agree we need to all stay together. That will be eight males guarding us until Kai and the others get to the island.”

  “You think we should continue on to Manono?” Katherine asked.

  “I do. Kai said Dante requested for Isabelle and Connor to be taken there. Since Julian stayed behind, you still need protection. Our original plan was to have us all together where we will be surrounded by a big family of Goyles. I don’t see the need to alter that, especially now.”

  “She’s right,” Tessa said when she and Willow returned from outside the pod. “We need to stick together so our mates can focus on finding Drago. Other than Isabelle, there’s nothing any of us can do to help, but right now, the antiserum isn’t priority. Finding Drago and his hacker sidekick is.”

  Sophia gasped and grabbed her belly. “Calm down, baby girl. I will not give birth in the middle of the ocean.”

  Isabelle grabbed her niece’s hand. “Was that a contraction?”

  “No. That was Nik’s daughter getting comfortable.”

  “Nik’s daughter?” Tessa asked, grinning.

  “Just you wait. When you’re pregnant, you’ll be claiming your baby is Gregor’s when he or she is using your ribs as a punching bag.”

  “No. They’ll definitely be Tessa’s kid when that happens,” Trevor said.

  “Shut it, Boy Wonder. You have no dog in this fight since you’ll never be pregnant.”

  “Thank god,” he muttered, smiling.

  Josie sat back and enjoyed the banter between the other mates. She might be newly bonded, but she already felt she was one of them. It warmed her heart they so quickly included her into their group. After thirty years, Josie had her own group of friends. Each one was different. It wasn’t like Presley’s friends who were formed in the same mold. These women – and Trevor – were from different walks of life. From a doctor to a dancer to a Mafia princess to a couple of badass watchers. Willow and Josie were probably more alike in their office jobs, but none of that mattered. They held a common bond and that was their males. Josie used to envy Presley because of her friends. Now, she pitied her sister. Presley would never have the love of a mate. She’d never have the loyalty of a large group of friends banding together. Never have children who would be raised with other children as a family. And Josie had all that for many years to come. And to think Josie came so close to throwing it all away.

  “What are you smiling about?” Tessa asked. “Is Kai talking dirty to you?”

  Josie laughed. “No. I was just thinking about how blessed I am to have all of you in my life.”

  “Damn straight, you do.”

  Bryce entered the cabin. “We’ll be docking in a few minutes. Sixx has reserved rooms at a resort for everyone, but the captain insists on taking you to the local hospital first.”

  “That’s not a problem. Sophia and Abbi need to see an obstetrician, and we’ve decided we’re all sticking together no matter where we go.”

  “What about Molly?” Bryce was petting the dog whose head was propped against Connor’s lap.

  “She’s a service dog. We’ll just have to say her vest was lost. What’s the captain’s plan to transport us and our luggage to the hospital? I don’t want us traveling in a bunch of different vehicles.” Tessa opened the overhead bin and retrieved her bag. The fact that all their things were intact was a nod to the quality of the craftsmanship of the jet.

  “There are two vans. I will ride in one, and Karson will be in the second. The captain has alerted the local police
as well as the hospital.”

  “What about the media?” Katherine asked. “Are we going to be bombarded with cameras and interviewers?”

  “No. I made it clear your privacy was priority. I was listening as he made the calls, and he stressed discretion. The police were notified as standard procedure, but you’ll be escorted into the hospital via a back entrance. Much like the entrance at New Atlanta General, the entrance to the morgue is separate here. They’ll have a private room set up where you’ll be able to wait as the others are being tended.”

  Captain Sandoval stuck his head in the door. “Everyone ready?”

  Tessa pulled down the bags from the bins, passing them out to their owners. Josie, Trevor, Willow, and Katherine helped carry Abbi’s and Sophia’s things, while Bryce took the kids’. Connor held tightly to Molly’s leash, but the dog made no move to get away. She stuck close to the quiet child as if she really were his companion.

  Josie was pleasantly surprised at how well organized the captain and his crew were. The ride to the hospital was spent enjoying the scenery. Josie had never been to the Big Island, and she found its Old-World charm to be more beautiful than the lavishness of the more modern islands she and her family visited when she was younger. There was something to be said for the air with its gentle breeze. Unlike the big city of New Atlanta where everything was in constant motion, the island held a laid-back vibe. She couldn’t wait to visit Kai’s homeland.

  The next couple hours were spent eating takeout from a local restaurant while Sophia and Abbi were checked over. Both babies and mothers were deemed fine, and as soon as they had eaten, the group made their way to the resort Sixx had reserved. In their haste to pack, no one had brought a bathing suit, so Tessa took it upon herself to ask for everyone’s sizes and preferences. They each had their own room, but they all ended up in Isabelle’s suite. Both kids went down for a nap without fuss. Tessa had a laptop she must have packed, and she used it to search for a store where she could order bathing suits and have them delivered.

  “We don’t know how long we have until we leave for Samoa, and I for one could use a dip in the pool,” Tessa explained. “Plus, the kids need some normalcy. Just because we know this isn’t technically a vacation doesn’t mean we can’t treat it as such. Our lives are going to be stressful when we return home, so I suggest we use this time to relax as much as possible.”

  “Don’t forget to order tons of sunscreen,” Trevor motioned down his body. “The fluorescent lighting of the morgue does not a tanned body make.”

  Raised voices coming from the hallway had everyone jumping to their feet.

  “My daughter-in-law is in there,” a deep voice Josie recognized growled.

  Tessa reached out to stop Josie as she headed for the door. “That’s Ariki, Kai’s father.”

  “Look through the peephole to be sure.”

  Josie did as her friend requested, then threw open the door. “Bryce, it’s okay. Ariki…”

  Kai’s father grabbed her arms gently. “Laʻu tama teine, let me look at you.”

  “I’m fine, I promise.” Josie noticed another male who was definitely Kai’s brother. “You must be Pono. Thank you both for coming to see about me.” Pono smiled, placed a fist against his other palm, and bowed.

  “Bryce? What’s going on?” Two more men strode down the hallway in their direction.

  “Sinclair, Sixx. Good to see you both. This is Malakai’s mate, Josie.”

  Both males fisted their heart and, in unison, said, “On my honor.”

  Josie gave a little wave, but she was awestruck at the sight of Sixx. She knew he was Desmond Rothchild’s father, but seeing the male in person was shocking how much alike they looked. Sixx smirked, and Josie blushed. “Sorry. I’m Josie, and this is Malakai’s father and one of his brothers. Ariki and Pono, these males are Sinclair, the King’s brother, and Michael Gentry, who goes by Sixx.”

  Josie waited while the males grasped arms in greeting.

  “Now that the posturing is done, why don’t you all come in out of the hall?” Tessa said from the doorway.

  Sinclair grinned. “Tessa, I’m surprised you left Gregor to fend for himself.” He entered the room and pretended to shoot Tessa. Sixx followed, and Josie gestured to the room.

  “Please, join us.” Her new family entered the room, and Josie made the introductions. She and Kai’s father and brother stood off to the side while Sin and Sixx greeted the others.

  “There really is a dog,” Ariki said as Molly growled at the newcomers.

  Tessa walked over to where they were standing and knelt beside the Lab. “Molly, friends.” Molly stopped growling and began sniffing the two males. “My brother has an affinity for animals. He convinced Molly some Gargoyles aren’t the enemy.”

  “That’s an amazing gift to have.” Pono let Molly sniff his hand, and when she leaned into his palm, he rubbed her head.

  “Where are Thane and Gannon?” Tessa asked.

  “Thane is guarding the elevator, and Gannon is posted beside the stairway door. Rocky and Desirae send their love, by the way. When we told them where we were going, they were pissed we wouldn’t let them come with us.”

  “I’m surprised you left them behind,” Tessa admitted.

  “We’re only here until the others arrive, then we’re headed back home. Desi is on a break from touring, so he and Simone are there with Rae. It wasn’t all that hard to convince Rocky to stay behind. She and Simone have gotten close,” Sixx said.

  Pono snapped his fingers. “That’s why you look familiar.”

  Sixx smiled, looking more like his son. “Guilty as charged.”

  Sin looked around. “Where are my two favorite kids?”

  The bedroom door flew open, and Amelia ran straight for him. “Uncle Sin!” Sinclair caught the whirlwind as she jumped for him.

  “Hello, my littlest love. Where is my little man?”

  Amelia pointed to the bedroom. “In there. He’s drawing again.”

  Isabelle rushed to check on her son, and Amelia turned to Kai’s family. “I’m Amelia. I don’t know you. Are you my uncles too?”

  Josie explained who the two males were, and Amelia told them, “Oh. We’re coming to your island for a wedding, and I get a new tutu to wear, ’cause I’m the flower girl.”

  Ariki raised an eyebrow at Josie. “It’s a long story.”

  “Well, we have several hours before my son gets here, so let’s hear it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Isabelle didn’t say anything as she padded closer to where Connor was concentrating on his drawing. When she saw the object of this particular vision, her breath caught. “Rebekah,” she whispered. Not a day went by where Isabelle didn’t think about Gabriel or his mate. In her task in recreating the antiserum, Isabelle hadn’t visited her brother as often as she would’ve liked. Gabriel was no worse than when he’d been imprisoned, but his recovery wasn’t as improved as she’d hoped. Maybe…

  “Connor?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Do you know who this is?” Connor had never met Gabriel, but he did know of his uncle. Isabelle talked to Dante about her brother often, and she never shied away from doing so in front of her son.

  “She’s someone important to Gabriel.”

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “Somewhere sunny. I need my colored pencils.” In their haste to pack, Isabelle had only grabbed the sketchbook.

  “I’ll get you some today.”

  “Thank you.” Connor continued filling in the picture with only the lead pencil at his disposal. The woman in the drawing was as beautiful as Isabelle remembered, but there was a deep sadness in her eyes. Isabelle knew in her heart the cause of her pain. Rebekah needed her mate. She needed Gabriel, and Gabriel needed Rebekah. If Isabelle could find the woman, maybe, just maybe, she could heal both their hearts.

  Drago sucked in a breath when he saw the text come through. This wasn’t what he had planned. Something this drastic would h
ave the Stone Society coming for him before he was ready. Yes, he had put Kaya in the hospital. Maybe he had intended to kill her, but this? It was too much.

  “What’s wrong?” Hagen asked. Drago handed his phone over.

  “That’s…” Hagen shook his head. “You never mentioned something of this magnitude.”

  “Because I had nothing to do with this. Whoever is on the other end of that message is fucking everything up. He said he had a plan to keep the Stone Society busy. That is not what I imagined.”

  “What are we going to do about it? Is there anything we can do?”

  Drago appreciated Hagen’s willingness to help, but Drago knew his boy was no match for the sender of the message. There was only one other who could pull that off, and Julian Stone would never go against his own family.

  There is one other

  Who?

  Achilles

  But he’s in prison

  Wasn’t he?

  “Drago?”

  “We have two options. We can continue with our plan and go after Craven. With this recent development, the Stone Society is going to be even more hellbent on coming after me, so I need to figure out a way to get to Rafael soon. That means more Unholy.”

  “And the other option?”

  “We run. We leave New Atlanta. We can continue working for Mr. Collins, and use the money to create new identities and live off the grid.”

  “What about being King?”

  “It’s hard to be King without your head. But you’re right. That has been the goal all along, so I will figure out a way to get to Rafael. If I’m not successful, and he or one of his Clan doesn’t kill me first, I will reevaluate the situation at that time.”

  “There’s a third option,” Hagen said.

  “And what’s that?”

  “Use this to your advantage,” Hagen said, pointing to the phone.

  “That’s…” Drago was going to say suicide, but if he played his cards right and came up with the correct strategy, it could work to his advantage. Hagen remained quiet while Drago contemplated the logistics as well as the risk. They could make it work. He knew he would be risking more than just his life, but Hagen knew the danger. Drago would somehow have to keep his assistant out of the line of fire. “Okay. Third option it is.”