by Faith Gibson
Tessa felt like she had been slapped. “You think the only reason he wanted me was to use me as a mule? You know what? Go to hell. Get the fuck out of my house, out of New Orleans, and out of my life.” She drank the rest of her beer and opened the cabinet for a bottle of tequila.
“I didn’t mean that he wouldn’t find you desirable.” Gregor couldn’t back pedal fast enough. Too late. This only made the decision to stay away from him easier.
“I said get out. I wasn’t joking. Nothing you can say now will make me want to truly be your mate. GET THE FUCK OUT!” Tessa hated losing control, but she was losing hers, quickly. She was so close to phasing, and she never wanted to give him that. Never wanted him to see her cry.
When he moved closer, she lost it. “GET OUT!” She threw the half-full bottle of tequila at his head. If he hadn’t been a shifter with quick reflexes, she would have hit him. Instead, the bottle hit the far wall and smashed into hundreds of pieces, clear liquid splashing on the floor.
Gregor held his hands up in the defensive position, “Okay, gods, I’m sorry. I’ll go. But I’ll be watching you. I’ll always be watching you.” The look on his face was one of torment. Tessa didn’t care. This was for the best. Gregor turned back one last time before he walked out of her home.
Tessa pulled another bottle of tequila out of the cabinet. This one was full. She unscrewed the cap and didn’t bother getting a glass. She grabbed another beer and took both liquids to the living room where she cranked the heaviest metal music she had available. It didn’t take long for half a bottle of liquor to numb the ache in her heart. Her last thought before she passed out was fuck you, Stone.
Twenty-Four
Kaya was surprised when she looked up from a report and Dane was sitting across from her. She hadn’t heard him come in. “Damn, Abbott, this new you is a lot quieter than the old you. What’s up?” She sat her pen down and gave him her undivided attention.
“I want to meet Rafael. I need answers, and I figure I better get them from the right person. I’m tired of not knowing what to do, who to talk to, who to trust. If he’s the King, he should shoot straight with me. Right?” Dane was sitting still. Stone still. Just like Rafael was capable of doing.
“Yes, he will shoot straight. I can arrange a meeting. When that happens, you will find out more than you bargained for. I want you to promise me you will keep a level head. You are new to all things shifter. Rafael is over five hundred years old, and like you said, he’s King. This means he will expect you to serve the family in the same capacity as all the other shifters. Can you do that?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I’m willing to listen. What I do know is I need answers, and my family has been less than forthcoming. Sure, they told me bits and pieces, but I need the whole scenario. I’m a detective; I gather facts. For now, I’m treating my life as just another case, and until I know all the facts, I won’t be able to make a decision.”
“Fair enough. I will set the meeting for tonight, if that’s not too soon.”
“The sooner the better. Now, about the latest victim. Same victimology as the others. CSU found what appears to be skin under this one’s fingernails, so hopefully, we have a break. We need one. I suggest doing a press conference alerting the public to take precautions.”
“I have already set it up. I was just waiting for you to return and confirm we have a serial killer. Do you want to take lead on the camera? You’re favorite reporter will be out there.” Kaya wasn’t a fan of Katherine Fox. While she was probably good at her job, she was a nuisance. Now that Kaya thought about it, she possibly fit the profile of the murder victims.
Dane’s brows burrowed deeper between his eyes. “You always do the press conferences. What is going on with you? Why are you pushing things in my lap?”
“I’m not pushing anything. I simply offered you an opportunity. Damn, Abbott, forget it. I’ll let you know when and where you will meet with Rafael.”
He didn’t proceed to get up. “I’m sorry. You’re just different. I’m not used to a Chief that doesn’t have everything and everyone by the balls. I’ve never known you to relinquish any control. I would be more than happy to do the press conference.” Dane then stood. “Are you going to be at the meeting tonight?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
Dane nodded. “I’ll go prepare a statement.”
“You have twenty minutes. And you might want to tell your little friend to watch her redheaded ass.”
“Nah, she doesn’t look anything like Tessa Blackmore.” Dane didn’t bother elaborating. How in the hell had he put that together? Jasper.
Kaya leaned back in her chair. It seemed both she and Dane had changed over the last couple of weeks. He was right. Before she met Rafael, she never would have offered for anyone to do any aspect of her job. Now that it was possible for her and Rafael to have children, she was thinking more and more about retirement. She picked up the phone and called her mate, asking for a meeting between him and Dane.
Gregor was grateful for the trees in Tessa’s yard. He reached out with his senses, and when he determined there was no one around, he opened his wings, launching himself into a tree. He stayed perched on a limb until Tessa’s heartbeat calmed. The slow count meant she was probably asleep. He enjoyed her taste in music, even though he was sure she was using it as a means of escape. He often listened to hard rock when he wanted to let off some steam.
Tessa had failed to set the alarm on her doors before she passed out. He was going to stay where he was until she woke up and he knew she was safe. It was too early for her to be asleep for the night, but consuming copious amounts of liquor, if that’s what she’d done, would have her snoozing for a while.
Now that he knew about Dupart and the role Tessa was likely supposed to play in his little empire, Gregor needed to keep an eye on her. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. He only wanted her to see what type of man she had been keeping company with. Most women would have cried, but not his woman. He was thankful to be a shifter than when that bottle had been hurled at his head. Even though it wouldn’t truly hurt, smelling like eighty proof would’ve sucked. He leaned against the tree trunk and settled in.
Gregor didn’t want to take a chance on being seen. He was high enough in the tree that humans wouldn’t detect him. Still, he would wait until the sun was down before he eased out of his hiding spot. Gregor planned on tailing Tessa until she was ready to come home. Home. This was home for her, or at least one of them. What if he had really screwed up with her, and she decided to stay? He would have to convince her otherwise. Or move to New Orleans.
Sitting still for hours gave Gregor time to formulate a plan, at least when it came to dealing with Jacques. He called Julian to get the phone number for Dominic Dubois, the leader of the Louisiana Clan. He was going to enlist his help in shutting down Dupart. It might take a while, but if the man was in jail, he couldn’t bother Tessa.
His cousin answered the phone quickly. “Julian.”
“Hey, Jules. Did I catch you at a bad time?” He was talking quietly, even though he knew humans wouldn’t detect the sound of his voice.
“No, I am waiting on the press conference to come on. There has been another redhead death. Are you whispering?”
“Sort of. I’m right outside Tessa’s house. I was hoping to convince her to come home, but now I might try to persuade her to stay here until these murders are solved.” Gregor was convinced these killings had everything to do with Tessa.
“Hang on, the news anchor is on the screen.” Julian was turning the sound up on the television. A woman’s voice was coming through the phone. “This is Katherine Fox reporting live from the New Atlanta Police Precinct…”
“Fuck me,” Julian whispered.
“Is she that pretty?” Gregor was laughing until he heard his cousin growling.
“Oh fuck, I don’t feel so well. NIKOLAS!” Gregor had to yank the phone away from his ear when Julian yelled out.
“Godsdamn
Jules, what the fuck?” There was no answer on the other end, only muffled talking. “Jules…JULES…JULIAN!” Gregor whispered as loudly as he could without actually yelling.
“Hello? Gregor?” Nikolas was on the line. “Let me see, do you have warts? A growth of any sort?”
“What? Nik, what the fuck are you going on about? And what’s wrong with Julian?”
“Oh, I think he just figured out who his mate is. That reporter, Katherine Fox. She came on the screen, and he keeled over. I was just searching for the side effects. Hang on, Dane Abbott’s coming to the microphone.”
Nikolas was silent so that Gregor could listen in.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. As you are aware, there have been several young women murdered in the last couple of weeks. Earlier today, another victim fitting the same description, washed up on the bank of the Chattahoochee. We have called this press conference to urge the women of New Atlanta, especially those with red hair and green eyes, to take extra precautions. If you have loved ones or friends with these physical characteristics, please contact them. All of the women were last seen in well-populated areas. We believe they were taken during daylight hours then disposed of at night. Our UnSub, or Unknown Subject, is most likely a good-looking male in his early thirties, possibly pretending to need assistance. If you have any information that would help us stop this killer, please call the crime force hotline at the number shown on your screen. Thank you.”
Once the detective had finished speaking, Nikolas was back. “Did you need something?”
“Yes. I need Dominic’s phone number. I have a little project for him.”
“Sure thing. I’ll text it to you. Would this have anything to do with your woman’s lover?” Nikolas snickered as he typed away on the computer.
Gregor growled into the phone and hung up. He was going to kick some geeky ass when he got home. Before he could do that, he had to take care of one Jacques Dupart. Gregor had met Dominic several years ago when Rafael called a meeting of all Clan leaders. Before the Unholy were created, the Gargoyles watched over the humans, just not as closely as they had to now. There were always monsters out in the world, but most weren’t so bad that the human police force couldn’t take them down. As soon as the first Unholy were unleashed into the world, Rafael wanted to prepare the Goyles. Special prisons were built in all major cities.
The Unholy army originated in New Atlanta, but Gordon Flanagan soon spread his lunacy across the country. He had been trying to flush out his wife and daughter for the last thirty-three years. Gregor had to wonder what Tessa thought about all the killing being done in her name, her mother’s name. He didn’t blame her for hiding from the madman, but it had to bother her that Flanagan would stop at nothing to reclaim what had been taken from him. Rafael was already making plans to up the search for Flanagan. Gregor was going to hurry that along by pressing Vincent. Now that the albino was talking, Gregor was going to make sure the words he spoke had meaning.
The music coming from Tessa’s house was now being played at a normal volume. His woman was awake. Her phone was ringing, and he listened as she answered then spoke to someone named Sophia. That’s the same name she had mentioned to Isabelle. Tessa mostly listened, cursed a little, listened again, and then hung up. She was mumbling to herself about Egypt, Gregor, Gargoyles, and men in general. Gregor turned his face toward the sky and whispered to the fates, “I know you put her with me for a reason. Just give me the patience to deal with her until she comes to her senses.”
With Tessa safe for the time being, Gregor quietly descended from the tree and walked to his rental car. He would call Dominic and set up a meeting. For now, he was going to take a walk down by the river. He would come back later and keep watch over his mate for the night.
Twenty-Five
Dane nicked his lip. Again. He had to get his fangs under control before he met Rafael. How had his life become this fantasy novel gone bad? Kaya put her blinker on, indicating they were turning into a driveway. There was no one behind him, so he didn’t bother. He stopped behind her, waiting. Instead of punching in a code to the security box, she spoke into the box and the gate opened. Must be voice recognition. High tech. When Kaya told him the meeting with Rafael would be at his home, he never imagined it would be the massive structure coming into his view.
Kaya parked in front of a large garage, and Dane parked beside her. He calmed himself. The pep-talk she had given him came back to his mind. She had told him all his questions would be answered, and he would be welcomed into the Clan. He angled out of his car and walked over to a waiting Kaya. “You ready?” She asked him.
“As I’ll ever be.” Actually, he was very ready. Tessa and Caroline had given him some information, but not enough. Tessa had told him to be quiet around the Gargoyles, but if they were as Kaya described them, he wanted in. He had already met two of them, and they treated him as an equal, not a cast-off. Half-blood or not, he wanted to play in the big leagues, not the minors. The front door opened, and an older man smiled at them. When Kaya passed by, she kissed him on the cheek. “Good evening, Jonathan. I’d like you to meet Dane Abbott. Dane, Jonathan. He and his sister Priscilla take care of the manor.”
Dane shook the older man’s hand and told him it was a pleasure. Kaya continued on through the spacious place as if she lived there. She knew exactly where she was going, so he followed. He had expected to meet in an office setting, but instead, she led him to the kitchen. An older woman, Priscilla he presumed, was pulling cookies out of the oven. “Kaya! There you are, dear. I baked cookies. You must be Dane. What beautiful eyes you have.” Dane couldn’t help but grin as she rambled on.
“Priscilla, don’t scare our guest off.” A deep baritone voice came from behind Dane. He turned to see a tall, dark-haired man smiling at Priscilla. Kaya immediately went to him, and it was as if the rest of the world disappeared for them. When Kaya said she knew Rafael, she failed to mention just how well. When they broke from their kiss, the man turned to Dane. “Rafael Stone,” he said as he held out his large hand. There was no power grip, no throwing the testosterone around to mark his territory. It wasn’t necessary. This was Rafael Stone, King of the Gargoyles. His presence alone did the talking.
“Mr. Stone, Sir, uh… My King.” Dane didn’t know what to call him.
“Rafael is fine for now.” He was smiling, so Dane hadn’t screwed up… yet. “Priscilla, thank you for the cookies. If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to stay in here for a bit.” The older lady patted Rafael’s cheek as she walked by.
As Kaya pulled a spatula out of a drawer and scooped the cookies onto a plate, she asked, “Dane, would you like something to drink?”
“Water would be great, thanks.” He really wanted a shot of whiskey. Or two.
Rafael motioned to the stools at the island. “Dane, please have a seat.” Rafael, who was wearing faded blue jeans and an untucked button up shirt, sat on one of the stools at the island. His feet were bare. This was certainly not what Dane had been expecting. Kaya placed a glass of water in front of Dane and milk in front of Rafael. She poured herself a glass of wine and joined them. Rafael picked up a cookie and offered one to Dane. “Priscilla’s cookies are to die for.” He shoved the whole thing in his mouth, moaning as he chewed. Kaya was laughing at him.
Rafael drank half his milk, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and then spoke to Dane. “I appreciate you driving out here to meet with me. I was going to do this at the office, but I realized it would be better for you to see the real me. This is the Rafael Stone that most people don’t know, never see. This is where I am most comfortable. And this is the me that I want you to get to know. Not just as your King, but your friend as well.
“We are aware you have recently gone through your transition. First, I want you to know, this is all new to us, the Gargoyles. Until a couple of weeks ago, we didn’t know half-bloods existed. What I would like is for you to tell me your story. Start at the beginning, if you would please.”
“Okay, can you elaborate a little for me? We need to know everything you know, especially about your parents.” Rafael grabbed another cookie, this time eating it in more than one bite.
“I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to say, but I’ve been thinking about that. I was left to my own defenses my whole life, not knowing the truth of who and what I am. Don’t get me wrong, Caroline explained a lot of it to me. I haven’t seen her or Isabelle since I transitioned. Tessa did stop by, but she was hurrying out of town. I know they’re my family, but to me, family doesn’t throw you to the wolves with no survival guide. This is a lot of shit to take in, and I just thought I would have someone helping me through it. I don’t want you to think I’m some pussy whiner. I’m not. I just…”
Rafael interrupted him, “Dane, Son, it’s okay. I don’t think less of you because you are adjusting to being a shifter. If anything, I admire your strength. Gargoyles are born into families where being a shifter is first nature, not second. Children watch their parents phase from the time they come into this world and are taught that they, too, will be shifters.”
Dane couldn’t believe Rafael was proud of him or that he had called him son. He guessed being over five hundred years old earned him the right to call anyone whatever he wanted to. “Thank you. It is a lot to get used to. Jasper has tried to help, but I wanted to talk to my family first and find out if it was okay to speak freely about all this. Since they aren’t around, I’m making that decision for myself. If Gargoyles aren’t supposed to know about half-bloods, maybe the Gargoyles shouldn’t be mixing things up with humans.” Rafael flinched just the slightest at that.
