by Faith Gibson
“As I’ll ever be.” Desirae wasn’t sure what to expect, but she was interested in finding out more about the people and Gargoyles who were going to be a part of her new life.
When Michael led her to the garage, she frowned at the expensive sports car, all sleek and shined up, ready to whiz them down the hill. Not that she had anything against the Bugatti, she was just more of a four-wheel drive kind of girl. “Michael, can I ask a favor?”
“Sure, Doll. What is it?” Michael asked as he rounded the car to open the door for her.
“Can we go in the Jeep?” Desirae loved the wind in her hair.
Michael grinned at her. “I should have known. My girl hasn’t changed in all these years.” He strode the few steps it took to get to her and picked her up in his arms. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him behind his ear.
“Thank you,” she husked. “How long will it take me to get used to being near you? Whenever you touch me, all I can think of is getting naked.”
“Rae.” She didn’t have to look to know his cock was hard as stone. His tone spoke volumes.
“I’m serious. I’m doing my best to tamp down these urges, but you’re one sexy beast, Michael Gentry. By the way, you never told me your middle name.”
Michael laughed as he walked out of the garage to where the Jeep was parked. He placed her in the passenger seat and made his way to the driver’s side. She buckled up and waited to see if he would answer her.
Michael started the vehicle and turned the radio down. “My full name is Michele Frederico Giannino,” he admitted in an Italian accent. It was the sexiest fricking thing she’d ever heard. Grinning, Michael turned the radio back up and winked. Could he get any more perfect?
Chapter Twenty
Sixx wore a happy face for his mate, but he had a nagging feeling in his gut. The text he received from Thane saying there was no sign of Desi yet didn’t sit well with him. He knew it would take a while for his son to arrive in New Fresno, but he should have been there by now.
After they’d driven a few miles, Rae turned the radio down and asked, “Your last name’s Giannino?”
“Yes. When you live as long as I have, you need to reinvent yourself every so often. I have used several different surnames with Gentry being the latest. Rafael’s last name isn’t really Stone, it’s Di Pietro.”
“From everything you’ve told me, that makes sense. I wish I could have changed my name and moved away,” Rae muttered.
Sixx reached over and entwined their fingers together. “I’m sorry, Doll. If I could go back and change the way things happened, I would. All I can do is try to make up for everything going forward.” She nodded and turned the radio back up. That was the good thing about his mate – she didn’t dwell on things too long. At least she hadn’t in the past. He was still learning this older, more mature version, and so far, she seemed to be as level-headed as she had been when he first met her. When one of his favorite songs came on the radio, she turned it up even louder and sang along. They rode the rest of the way to Sin’s house enjoying the music and the California sunshine.
As they were pulling into Sin’s driveway, Rafael was putting luggage into an SUV. He parked beside them and hurried around to help Rae down out of the Jeep. “Rafael, are you leaving?” He knew by the look on Rafael’s face something had happened.
“Unfortunately, we have to cut our stay short.” He turned his eyes to Rae, and Sixx made the introductions.
“Rafael, Kaya, I’d like to introduce you to my mate. Rae, this is our King and Queen.” He had told Rae meeting them would be informal, but he could feel her turmoil inside. He was waiting on her to curtsy or something equally as cute.
Rafael fisted his heart and bowed his head. “On my honor.” Rae’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected the King of the Stone Society to bow to her.
Kaya stepped forward and placed her hands on Rae’s upper arms. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Desirae. I was looking forward to spending time with you, but it seems we’re needed back home. Could I convince you to go with us? We could talk on the jet.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well. Michael has been badgering me about visiting New Atlanta. He thinks I need the other mates’ guidance.”
“Kaya, if you don’t mind, I need to speak to Rafael a moment.”
“Of course. Come on, Rae. Let’s take a walk.” Kaya motioned for Desirae to follow her toward the back of the house. It only made sense she would take her to Sin’s garden so they could enjoy a peaceful chat while he and Rafe discussed Clan business.
Once they were out of earshot, Sixx asked, “Has something happened?”
“My office was broken into. The files were removed from my desk drawers, and the security feed was erased. The apartment was also ransacked. With Mason watching over Willow at her home, nobody was there when it happened. Nik said the balcony door was unlocked, so whoever broke in was most likely a Gargoyle.”
“If they have the files, they know where you are building and can sabotage the sites.”
Rafe crossed his arms over his chest. “Exactly. If Alistair was behind this, why not hack in and steal the electronic files? Breaking in showed their hand. Either Alistair’s men are getting sloppy, or this was someone else.”
“Does anyone else have the capability to erase Julian’s security protocols?” Sixx asked.
“It isn’t likely, but I’m not going to count out the possibility. Still, I need to do damage control and make sure each property we are working on has extra security.”
“I bet Julian is beating himself up over this.”
Rafael sighed. “He will be when he gets back from the Pen. Katherine Fox has been arrested.”
“Arrested? For what?” Unless it was protesting, Sixx couldn’t see the petite redhead causing trouble.
“Being a spy. Selling classified information. The Feds were tipped off to crates of guns and military computer equipment being stored inside a house out in the country. Even though Jules did a thorough background check on her, the house is in Katherine’s name. He’s thinking the same hacker who is giving him hell is behind this. It wouldn’t take much to forge the paperwork.”
“I thought Alistair sent word he was calling a truce to get his daughter out of jail.”
Rafael ran a hand through his hair. “It’s what the letter said, but I don’t trust it for a second. He’s hated our family for far too long to simply let things go. Carter called Dante to let him know that Alistair hasn’t left his villa since he received Theron’s body. There have been few vehicles coming and going. Their man on the inside is basically in the dark, so to speak. Alistair is keeping whatever he’s planning quiet. I don’t have to tell you to guard Rae with your life, Brother. None of the mates have gotten by unscathed as of yet. I seriously doubt yours goes unnoticed, either.”
Sixx bristled at the truth. “I’m not worried about Rae. Desi’s the one out there alone right now, and Thane hasn’t heard from him yet. I can’t leave Rae by herself, but if we don’t hear from him soon, I’m going to look for him.”
“Do you think we could convince your mate to return to New Atlanta with us?”
Sixx shook his head. “Not without me. She was nervous as hell about meeting the both of you. I can’t imagine she would be comfortable in a jet alone with you for several hours. Besides, I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
“I can’t blame you there, Brother. We don’t have long; the women are coming this way. If Desi is missing, I’d bet Alistair is behind it. I’m not letting Kallisto out of the Pen anytime soon, nor is her sidekick getting anywhere near her again. Gregor said Sergei tried to warn Kallisto to be quiet, but he still caught all of their conversation. She is one pissed off female. If we thought she was venomous before being held in the prison, there’s no telling what she’d do if we released her. I’m rethinking my decision about injecting her with a tracker and sending her home to Greece.”
Before Sixx could respond, Rae and Kaya returned.
“How was the garden?” he asked his mate.
“How did you know that’s where we were?” Rae cocked her head to the side, studying Sixx.
“Because it’s where I would take a new friend to get acquainted. It’s so peaceful back there. You should see Rafael’s garden. It makes Sin’s look like a window box.”
“I heard that. If you’re going to diss my garden, you can stay out of it,” Sinclair joked as he met up with them. Rae gasped when she got a look at Sin. She looked back and forth between him and Rafael.
“Rae, I would like you to meet Rafael’s brother Sinclair. And no, they aren’t twins. Sin, my mate, Desirae.”
“On my honor.” As the others before him had, Sin pledged the sacred oath to Sixx’s mate. Rae must be getting used to the vows. She was no longer bewildered when the Clan greeted her in such a way.
“Well you certainly look like twins. Do your other brothers look like you, too?”
Rafael explained, “Not really. Gregor is shorter with blue eyes and favors our mother. Dante has lighter hair and green eyes. We have no idea who he takes after. But we were all there when he was born, so we cannot deny he is a Di Pietro. Sixx, I apologize for cutting this short, but I really must return home. Desirae, please consider visiting New Atlanta. I’m sure Kaya filled you in on how wonderful the other mates are.”
“She did. Between Kaya and Sixx, I feel as if I know most of them already. Thank you for the offer. I’ll talk to Michael about coming to visit soon. I will definitely be there for the baby shower.” Rae’s eyes lit up when she mentioned the shower. Maybe she wasn’t opposed to babies after all. Or it could be that she was remembering the months when she was pregnant with Desi. Either way, Sixx was thrilled to see his mate smiling.
After the men shook hands and the women hugged, Sixx helped Rae climb into the Jeep. He wasn’t going to worry about Desi yet. He would give their son a little more time to arrive at his destination before Sixx freaked out. He was, however, going to take a little ride in that direction. Just in case. “It’s your birthday. What would you like to do?”
“I’d really like to go surfing, but we don’t have our boards, so how about we go for a drive? We’ll pick up something to eat at a drive-thru and just see where the road takes us.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sixx beamed. It shouldn’t surprise him that Rae was still easy to please. Sixx had been a suit and tie kind of male for so long. Working in the financial world was stuffy, and humans expected you to act a certain way. Now, he was back to the casual life he preferred, and his mate was right there with him. She really was perfect for him.
He pulled into an out of the way chicken place. One family-sized order of spicy chicken tenders with steak fries and rolls later, they were on the road again. It was like old times – his female by his side, good tunes on the radio, and riding with the wind in their hair. They didn’t need to talk in between bites of food. They were comfortable just being together. Life was perfect. Or it would be once he knew their son was safe.
If Rae figured out where Sixx was headed, she didn’t let on. She did check her cell phone several times. Sixx hadn’t heard any notifications of incoming texts or calls. Even if she’d had it on vibrate, he’d have sensed it. It was obvious she was waiting on Desi to let her know he was safe. The loneliness Rae must have endured these last years hit home with Sixx. He had lived over five hundred years having family and Clan around him constantly. Rae had lived alone having little interaction with anyone other than Desi. Their son was her whole life, and if anything happened to him, Sixx didn’t know if she’d be able to withstand the loss. The farther they drove with no word from Desi, the worse the feeling in his gut became.
Rae’s phone rang. “Tyson?” she answered, and with that, the sigh of relief Sixx had breathed was replaced by a quick tightening of panic in his chest. Using his shifter hearing, Sixx listened in.
“Yeah, Desirae. Is Desi with you? We’re about twenty minutes away from our sound check, and he’s not here.”
“He left early this morning. He should have been there by now. I’m going to call him.”
“I’ve been calling his phone for an hour. He isn’t answering.”
Rae looked over at Sixx, tears in her eyes. He grabbed her free hand and said, “We’ll find him, Doll. Tell Tyson to sit tight, and you’ll call him back.”
“Desirae, who are you talking to?” Tyson asked.
“My...” Rae raised her eyebrows.
“Tell him your friend, Doll.” They had plenty of time to explain to Desi’s bandmates who Michael was. Actually, they probably couldn’t tell them the truth. Fuck.
“My friend, Ty. Michael’s my friend, and he’s someone important to Desi, too. So don’t worry about me. Just hang tight. Our boy will show up soon. You’ll see.”
“Okay. If you talk to him, tell him we need to get a move on. Later, Pretty Momma.”
“Michael...” Sixx’s cell phone rang, cutting off whatever she was going to say.
“Thane, talk to me.”
“When your son didn’t show up, I sent Landon out looking for him. He found Desi’s car. The back tire was shredded, but there’s no sign of him. His bag’s still in the front seat.”
“Fuck. Text me the coordinates. I want to see for myself.”
“Coming to you now. I’ve called Gannon. He and Landon are scouring the area just in case he took off walking.”
“Was his phone in the car?” Sixx prayed it was on Desi so Julian could trace it.
“Landon didn’t see one.”
“Okay, thanks.” Sixx hung up and pulled over to the side of the road.
“Michael, oh god. Something’s happened to him. I just know it.” Rae hugged herself and started crying.
Sixx needed to call Julian, but he also needed to comfort his mate. He unhooked her seatbelt and pulled her over the console into his lap, not worrying about the box of chicken or the carton of french fries. Sixx was no longer hungry, and he doubted Rae would be able to eat anything until they found Desi. He slid the seat back, giving them more room and wrapped her in his arms. “Shhh, we don’t know that. Thane said Desi’s car had a flat tire. He probably hitched a ride with someone. I’m going to call Julian and have him track Desi’s phone.” Sixx forwarded Desi’s phone number to Julian before he called the Goyle.
“Sixx, now isn’t a good time,” Julian said when he answered.
“I heard about Katherine, Brother, and I’m sorry. What happened when you went to see her?”
“I realized it was unreasonable for me to visit her. She would want to know why I was there, and I wouldn’t have been able to tell her the truth, so I sat in my car and called Victoria. I will do what I always do and sit behind a computer digging for information. I suppose this is why you’ve called?”
“I’m truly sorry, Julian. While you were in Egypt helping Nikolas, I sat in your chair, and I know it isn’t easy. But yes, I need your help. I need you to trace Desi’s phone. He was supposed to be in New Fresno by now, and he isn’t. His car was located, but he’s not with it. I texted his number to you as well as the coordinates for his car.”
“My apologies, Sixx. It’s been an exhausting day. I’m on it.”
The sound of Julian’s fingers flying over the keyboard were mixed with Rae’s sniffles. Fuck! Why hadn’t he driven Desi? Sixx knew the dangers, but he didn’t think his son would be a target. Then again, why not? Connor had been kidnapped. Used as a pawn in Alistair’s cruel game. If something happened to Desi, Sixx was going to Greece and make sure the fucking Greek met the same fate as his son.
“I have it. His car is on Highway 43, but his phone is on the 198 in Three Rivers. Sixx, his phone is static. Either Desi is in Three Rivers, or his phone was dumped there. Considering that route leads East and not on the way to New Fresno...”
“Got it. Text me the coordinates for his phone. And Julian? Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, Sixx. Just go find your son.”
Sixx hung up and re
dialed Thane. “I’m sending you the coordinates to where Desi’s phone is since you’re closer.”
“I’m on it,” Thane assured him. Sixx closed his eyes and prayed to the gods for Desi to be safe.
“Come on, Doll. Get back in your seat. We need to go check out Desi’s rental.” He kissed her on the temple before helping Rae move back to the passenger side. She didn’t bother picking up the wayward chicken strips. She buckled up and stuck her thumb in her mouth, biting at the cuticle. Sixx wanted to continue holding his mate, but he didn’t have the luxury of time. His shifter senses told him Desi was in trouble, and the longer Sixx waited to find him, the farther away his son could be. In that moment, Sixx wished he’d gotten closer to one of the other Clan members. He could use a friend to keep him calm and let him know everything was going to turn out all right.
Landon was waiting with Desi’s rental when Sixx pulled up behind it. He wanted to ask Rae to stay in the Jeep, but she was already unbuckled and climbing down. He jumped down and met the other Goyle at the back tire. Sixx didn’t bother introducing Rae. She was in the car looking through Desi’s things. Landon whispered so only Sixx would hear, “The tire was shot out. I found the casing about fifty yards back. There was a set of fresh tire tracks where you’re parked now. I took several photos so we can send them to Julian.”
Sixx inclined his head. “Thank you, Landon. I appreciate you coming all the way out here.”
“We’re family. It’s what we do.”
Sixx walked around to where Rae was squatting in the open door. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular, just staring at the open bag on the passenger seat. “Doll, come on. Let me get Desi’s bag, and I’ll call a wrecker to come get the car.”
At first, she didn’t move, but when Sixx grabbed her upper arm, she jerked away. “This is that crazy man, isn’t it? The one you said was coming after everyone. He has Desi.”
“We don’t know that for sure, Rae. We can’t jump to conclusions yet.” Except he already had. Sixx knew in his heart his son had been taken. Desi was a half-blood, so he was strong, but he was no match for an old Gargoyle.
