by Faith Gibson
“I think it’s a real possibility. As Gargoyles, we have special gifts of awareness. Some even have stronger affinities at reading others. Our medical examiner’s adopted son, Connor, was able to communicate with Dante telepathically before they ever met. Connor had drawn a picture of Dante without ever laying eyes on him.”
“How is that possible?”
“Dante’s mate, Isabelle, is the daughter of Jonas Montague.”
“The scientist who caused the apocalypse?”
“Yes. Jonas is from the Original line of shifters. His bloodline is powerful. Isabelle’s son, Connor, even though young, inherited the blood and is extremely gifted. When he was kidnapped, he used drawings to tell Dante where he was.”
“Kidnapped? That poor boy,” Rae whispered.
“That’s another thing we need to discuss. But I’ll save that for later. Right now, I have an idea. Can you describe the female from your dreams in detail?”
“Yeah, I can. Her features are so vivid. I can still see them when I wake up.” Desi’s heart sped up. He’d always thought he’d never settle down because of his touring, but if there was a woman out there made specifically for him? The thought excited him. He wasn’t a player. He didn’t take random groupies to the tour bus for a quick fuck. While it might be because he didn’t want his mom disappointed at him being a man whore, he just didn’t feel the urge. On stage, he was Desmond Rothchild, rock ‘n roll’s vampire god. Off stage, he was just Desi.
“Rae, how do you feel about sketching Desi’s dream woman? If you can manage a close enough likeness, I can get Julian to run the picture through a facial recognition program. We might locate Desi’s mate for him.”
Desi fully expected his mother to say no. When she finally spoke up, it was to agree. “Yes, if you think it will work. Desi?”
“You can draw?” He had seen what his mom could do with a computer, but he’d never seen her pick up a pencil for anything other than to work her crossword puzzles.
“I dabble,” she admitted.
Michael coughed out a “bullshit,” obviously disagreeing with her.
“Whatever. You ready to do this now?” She waited for him to nod before she disappeared down the hall. He expected the silence between him and Michael to be uncomfortable, but his father didn’t allow it.
“Are you hungry? I can either order in or run out to grab us all something while I give you and your mom some privacy.”
“You’d do that?” Desi was surprised that Michael would leave him alone with his mom after way the he’d acted all alpha protective earlier.
“Of course I would. I’d do anything for you and your mom. Desi, I know you just met me, but I am going to spend the rest of my unnaturally long life making it all up to you. To both of you. I don’t expect you to accept me as your father right away. We may never get to that point. I’ll take friendship. Honestly, I’ll take any crumb you throw at my feet. I’ve missed out on so much of your life, and I’m ready to make amends. Whatever it takes. So yes, I’ll give you alone time with Rae. I’ll give you space, or I’ll sit and listen while you talk. I’ll take you surfing. I’ll sit and drink beer with you. I’ll come to your concerts and yell louder than anyone. What I won’t do is try to buy your love, so I won’t offer my Bugatti, but I will let you drive it.”
“You’ve got a fucking Bugatti? Don’t dismiss the bribery just yet. Everyone has a price,” he joked. It felt good to be able to banter with this man. His father. Desi never realized the extent to which he desired meeting Michael until that moment. He might be a grown man, but fuck it. Desi Rothchild had a father.
Chapter Fourteen
Sixx scribbled down Rae and Desi’s food order even though he had it memorized. As much as he wanted to stay and watch Rae draw their son’s dream woman, he had to give them time alone to discuss everything they’d heard and witnessed that day, without him there to interfere. Rae had to deal with Sixx returning after all these years, and Desi had to absorb the fact he was a half-blood Gargoyle. Desi was right about one thing – they had done without him this long. Even Desi had lived for a year after transitioning without help from anyone. Sixx needed to give them both time to come to terms with his return into their lives and what it meant going forward.
“Where’d the board come from?” Desi asked, running his fingers over the sunburst pattern.
“It’s my birthday present from Michael,” Rae explained.
“Nice. But you don’t surf anymore.” Desi frowned at his mom.
“I’m hoping to remedy that, and soon. I took my board out yesterday, and I can’t wait for your mom to join me. Now, anything else you need while I’m out? Groceries? More liquor or beer?” Sixx was ready to get his little trip over with. The sooner he left, the sooner he could return. He’d already missed so much time being around his son, he didn’t want to lose anymore.
Rae gave him a funny look. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it.
“Doll, if you need something, I’ll get it for you. I promise I don’t mind.”
“I don’t want to put you out,” she explained.
“It won’t put me out. It will help you, plus it will give you and Desi more alone time. Now, what do you need?”
Rae walked over to the fridge and pulled a sheet off the top of a magnetic notepad. “It’s my grocery list. I’m not picky about what brand stuff is. Whatever’s on sale is fine.”
“You got it. Desi? Do you need anything?”
“Another bottle of vodka would work.”
Sixx added vodka to the list of groceries, even though he wouldn’t likely forget it. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. If you think of anything you need, just call my cell. Please lock the door behind me.” He placed a business card on the counter and exited through the back door. Before he was fully outside he turned back around and asked Rae, “May I take your picture? It’s for the mask we spoke of.”
“Sure,” she agreed. Sixx took a close-up of his mate. That beautiful pixie face staring back at him had a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He’d take it. As soon as he stepped outside, Sixx paused to reach out with his senses. The deadbolt was flipped. That was one less thing he had to worry about. There was something strange in the air. Something he couldn’t put his finger on, but it made him nervous. He wished he’d brought Urijah along as back-up. He hated leaving his mate and son alone with no protection, but they probably wouldn’t appreciate having a babysitter at this point in the game.
As soon as he was seated in the Jeep, he pulled out his cell phone and turned the ringer back on. He had several missed texts and one missed call. The texts were from Uri wanting to know if his balls were still attached. The missed call was from an unknown number, but there was no voice mail, so he dismissed it. After he was on the road, he connected a call to Julian. It was later on the East Coast, but the Goyle worked late every night. He refused to claim his mate while the shit with Alistair was ongoing. Sixx couldn’t really blame him. If he wasn’t such a selfish bastard, he’d have left Rae alone.
“Missing me already?” Julian said when he answered.
“You know it. My self-entertainment only lasts so long until boredom sets in. How are things back there?”
“Let’s see... Nik and Sophia are arguing over what color to paint the nursery. Frey is trying to get Abbi pregnant. Mason is torn between staying away from Willow and losing his virginity over her desk. Gregor has his hands full with Isabelle trying to rehabilitate Vincent. When she’s not sneaking him cigarettes, she’s taunting Kallisto. Travis is finally coming around. I think getting back to work helped with that. Dane finally asked Marley out on a proper date instead of stalking her table at the diner every morning.”
“And what of you and your mate? Change your mind about the cute little reporter?”
“No. Oh, I’ve no doubt I’ll eventually cave, but for now, I’m watching her from afar. How are things with you? Have you confronted Rae yet?”
“As a matter of fa
ct, yes. I did that this morning. It went better than I expected, honestly. I’ve also met my son.”
“The rock star who thinks he’s a vampire?” Julian laughed, but now that Sixx knew the truth, it wasn’t all that funny.
“He has good reason. He transitioned over a year ago and had no idea what he was.”
“Holy shit, that’s awful. I take it if he thinks he’s a vampire, he has no idea who his mate is.”
“No, and that’s the reason I’m calling. Desi has dreams of a woman he’s never met as far as he can remember. I think there’s a possibility the dreams are his shifter’s way of reminding Desi who she is. Right now, he is back at their house describing the woman to Rae who is sketching a photo.”
“And you want me to run her through facial recognition.”
“Yes. It’s been hard enough for Desi to go through being a half-blood for a year without knowing what he was. Both he and Rae took the truth fairly well. It’s going to take time for them to forgive me.”
“You’re staying on the West Coast, aren’t you?” Julian’s fingers were no longer clicking on the keyboard.
“Yes, I am. I’ve been away long enough that I can come back to the ocean. If you miss me that much, you can always come visit. Or better yet, you could move here. You’ve been in New Atlanta for quite a while now.”
“Nikolas and I talked about moving, but that was before he met Sophia.”
“Is she not willing to relocate? Her parents live in New York.”
“Yes, but Jonas and Caroline are here in New Atlanta. The girl followed her grandfather to be with him.”
“How long ago, though? After seeing her and Nikolas together, I have a feeling she’d follow him through the afterlife and back to be with him.”
Julian laughed again and started his fingers running across the keyboard. “If she weren’t pregnant, I think that he’d have an easier time of it. She and Kaya are like two peas in a maternal pod. The other mates are always around now, making sure they’re not taking any risks.”
“I can understand that. I just wish Rae had had that group of females by her side when she was pregnant with Desi. Her holier-than-thou parents disowned her, so she was practically alone.”
“Damn, Brother.”
“Tell me about it. Listen, I wanted to give you a head’s up on the photo before I sent it to you. I’m headed back there in about an hour. If it’s too late, I will save it until tomorrow.”
“Sixx, I think by now you know with me there’s never such a thing as too late. Send it on so we can get started.”
“Thank you, Jules. Oh, before I forget, do you have Jonas’s phone number? I need for him to make a mask for Rae. She never leaves the house, afraid someone will recognize her.”
“Of course. I’ll text it to your phone.”
“Thank you again. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Later.”
Julian did as promised and sent the phone number. As soon as it came through, Sixx called Jonas and told him what he needed. The older Gargoyle didn’t hesitate in agreeing to help him. Ever since Isabelle and Connor had been kidnapped, the scientist was more than willing to do anything he could for the Clan.
Sixx hadn’t been gone all that long, but he decided if he got back sooner rather than later, they’d either forgive him or add it to his list of transgressions. He turned the Jeep into the parking lot of the local grocery store and found a spot near the front. It wasn’t crowded for a Thursday night. Pulling the list out of his pocket, he was amazed at how little Rae needed. She had yet to agree to come back to his house, so he decided to stock up on a few things that he liked. By the time he made it to the checkout counter, the cart was full. He paid for his purchases and loaded them into the back of the Jeep.
He stopped by the restaurant where he’d called ahead and grabbed their supper. When he arrived back at Rae’s, he was almost half an hour early. If they were still working on the sketch, he could busy himself putting away the groceries, even though he had no idea where they would go. He knocked on the back door, and Desi unlocked it, taking the food from him. “Good timing. We just finished with the sketch. I didn’t know my mom was so good at drawing,” Desi gushed.
“Talent runs in the family,” Sixx replied to his son.
“What’s your talent? Are you a singer, too?”
Sixx laughed. “Hardly. I guess my talents lie more in the financial realm. I am skilled at investing money. I do a lot of purchasing for the Clan. I do love music, though. Nikki Sixx is my all-time favorite, or at least he was until I heard your band. My nickname is Sixx.”
“Seriously? I guess I can see that, though. You looked more punk in the photos going around the internet. Your hair was spiked, and you could have passed for me on a bad day,” Desi joked.
Sixx reached out with his senses for Rae but still asked, “Where’s your mom? I want to see the photo.”
“Right here. I was doing a little shading around her eyes,” Rae said as she walked into the kitchen and held out the picture.
“Doll, I’m telling you. You are in the wrong line of work. Your drawings are phenomenal.” Sixx stared at the face of the pretty younger woman, taking in the shading Rae spoke of. Even though the likeness wasn’t in color, it was obvious she was of mixed heritage. “Do you recognize her?” he asked Desi.
“She does look familiar, but she isn’t someone I am in contact with on a regular basis. At least she’s pretty.”
“Desmond Michael Rothchild!” his mother scolded.
“Michael?” Sixx asked. “You gave him my name?” He couldn’t believe it.
“Yes. He is your son, and I wanted him to have your name. I hoped you would return one day, sooner than you did. What is all this stuff? I had about five items on my list.” Changing the subject, Rae began shuffling through all the grocery bags, pulling items out and looking them over.
“You never agreed to come home with me, and I figured if we’re going to spend time together here, I needed to chip in on groceries.”
“Go home with you? Where’s home?” Desi asked.
“I’ve just recently moved back here from New Atlanta. I have a house up in New Malibu. Perfect for a couple of surf bums. It has a separate guest house. If you ever want to visit and need your privacy, it’s all yours. But you’re welcome to stay in the main house, too.”
“Damn, Old Man. A house in the hills and a Bugatti. What else are you hiding up your sleeve?” Desi wasn’t grinning, so Sixx didn’t know if he was being sarcastic or not. He didn’t know him well enough to tell.
“I told you, I’m good with investments, and as old as I am, I’ve amassed a small nest egg. Put it this way – your great grandchildren will be set.”
“Holy shit. Seriously? So if I need a new tour bus...”
Rae was studying a box of flavored crackers when she turned around and chastised their son. “Desmond, stop it. Your father didn’t show up so you could start begging for money.”
“Sorry.” Desi didn’t look sorry. He looked distant.
Sixx thought it best to change the subject before mother and son had a go at each other. “Do you have a scanner? It would be better to email the photo to Julian than try to send it via my phone. If not, I can take it home with me and send it from there.”
“Yes, there’s one in my bedroom.” Rae continued pulling random food items out of the bags. Sixx wasn’t about to go into Rae’s room. Even if Desi hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t risk it. Not yet. He found the pencil she’d used to sketch Desi’s dream girl and wrote Julian’s email address on the back of the food receipt.
“If you would please, scan the photo in. Here’s the email address for Julian. He’s expecting it.” Rae turned around, frowning. “Please. Then we need to eat before the food gets cold.” Rae took both the drawing and receipt, and disappeared to her bedroom. While she was gone, Sixx pulled the food from the bags and placed it on the kitchen table. He rummaged around until he found everything he needed – plates, forks, spo
ons, and napkins. He felt Desi’s eyes following him as he moved through the kitchen. He started to tell his son if he wanted a new tour bus, he’d get him one, but he stopped the words. Even though Sixx had more money than he’d ever be able to spend, he didn’t want to buy his son’s love. He wanted it to come naturally from talking things out and spending time together. “Do you want to eat in here or in the living room? What do you usually do?”
“We normally eat in there. Mom sits on the sofa, and I sit on the floor. It’s been that way as long as I can remember.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. I picked up a few more selections than the ones you both chose, so help yourself to any of it. I never can decide on one dish when it comes to Chinese food.” Sixx filled his plate with several different options. He grabbed a set of chopsticks as well as a spoon. He hated trying to pick up rice just to have it spill either back on the plate or in his lap.
Rae returned from her bedroom and announced, “There. All done. I waited to make sure it sent with no errors. How long do you think it’ll take this Julian to find the girl?” She placed the picture off to the side and began filling her own plate.
“It all depends. I’ve used the program several times, and each time the results came back differently than before.”
“Why have you used it? Who were you looking for?” Desi asked.
“That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you both about. Let’s get our food, and while we eat, I’ll fill you in on what’s been happening.” Sixx wasn’t looking forward to this part. He didn’t want to finally have a chance at a family only to push them away with talk of possible war, but they both had to hear the truth. All of it.
Plates piled with food, and glasses filled with the drink of their choice, Sixx and his small family sat in the living room. Desi on the floor with his back to the sofa. Rae on the sofa with her feet curled under her. That left Sixx to sit in the arm chair so he could see their faces while he spoke. He didn’t immediately go into talk of Alistair. Between bites he filled them in on the Clan happenings, starting with Jonas meeting Caroline.
