by Faith Gibson
She looked around at her furniture and tried to imagine it mixing in with Deacon’s. She loved his house. It was furnished perfectly as far as she was concerned, so her things could be sold or donated. Other than her clothes, there was very little she wanted to take with her. That was a sad statement to how bland her life had been up until that point. She was thirty-six, yet her home wasn’t filled with mementos of a life well lived. Sabrina had been merely existing. She was ready to start enjoying her nights. Spending her free time with the gorgeous male who had claimed her.
Sabrina found a leather jacket in the back of her closet. It took her a minute to remember when or where she bought it. Seeing the coat reminded her of Deacon’s Harley. Sabrina dug her phone out of her purse then opened the search engine for the nearest motorcycle shop. There was one not too far out of the way from the route that took her to her new home, and they were open for another couple hours. Abandoning her clothes, Sabrina took what she’d already packed and tossed it in the back seat of the truck and then made her way to the bike store. Less than an hour later, she walked out with a shiny, black helmet, a couple pairs of jeans, and some riding boots.
Pulling up to the gate, she texted the number Deacon had given her for Julian and told him she was there. A few seconds later, the gate opened, and Sabrina pulled through. As she eased down the long driveway, she took her time so she could get a good look at her surroundings. All this land was now hers. Sabrina had never taken the time to enjoy activities like hiking, but she could envision walking with Deacon through the trees, enjoying nature in its purest form. Movement caught her eye, and for a second, Sabrina was scared someone was out there watching her. When she finally caught sight of what startled her, she laughed, joy infusing her soul. A doe and two fawns were bounding through the brush, the mom’s white tail a flag as it moved away. Yes, she could definitely get used to this.
It had taken a couple hours of Julian and Lucy working together, but they finally figured out where the building was Connor had seen in his vision. It turned out to be one of many abandoned churches in an area formerly known as Little Five Points. The small section of northeast New Atlanta had once been a thriving, artistic and eclectic area but now was nothing but shattered windows, broken sidewalks, and a haven for the homeless. That was one of the reasons it had taken so long to find the building. In his vision, Connor had seen it as it looked now, but in searching online, the building had been depicted with its flourishing façade from thirty years prior.
Stealth was not on their side. Five large males dressed in black battle gear with swords strapped to their backs drew attention from even the most strung-out person. Waiting until the cover of night would have been preferable, but they didn’t want to risk the child being moved. They had agreed on a cover story. If anyone asked, they were working on a film set. New Atlanta had become one of the premier cities for shooting movies, and a studio was set up a few blocks south of where the church was. An action movie currently being filmed in the area helped with their story. Dane had been advised of where they were going and for what reason. Paxton, being a cop, would be able to smooth things over if any other officers saw them and questioned what they were doing, as long as they didn’t inspect the swords too closely.
The five males separated, surrounding the old building. Deacon, not being a believer in the human God, had never stepped foot in a church. That didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate a beautiful structure for its architecture, the ornate wooden pillars rising from floor to ceiling, or what once had been artistic stained-glass windows. As he silently made his way along the side aisle leading from the front of the church to a doorway which opened into a dark, dank stairway, Deacon kept his senses open for anything which didn’t belong. This particular church had a floor beneath the sanctuary. The upstairs was one open cavern with the exception of a couple rooms behind the choir section. Lorenzo and Paxton had been tasked with searching there, while Deacon, Frey, and Jasper moved about the lower section. He felt the other Goyles’ tension as each one surveyed their own space within the building.
The lower level housed classrooms which at one time had been filled with adults and children learning lessons that helped them live a pious life. Offices now abandoned had been used by the men who were supposed to have a deeper knowledge of what the Christian Bible taught. Since said Bible had been translated many times over the centuries, Deacon wondered how much of the original text had lost its true meaning.
Pausing outside a closed door, Deacon searched the interior for any emotion or the subtlest heartbeat coming from within. The others were doing the same in their section of the massive structure. They had agreed on radio silence unless they found something. After reaching the last door, Deacon was ready to call it a bust. He ran his hand over his short hair, and a sigh caught in his throat when he felt it – fear. Holding up a closed fist so the others remained still, Deacon closed his eyes and concentrated. The faint sound of breathing came from somewhere below. “Do you hear that?” he whispered knowing the others would understand his words.
Frey responded, “It’s coming from below our feet. Julian, is there anything on the blueprints showing rooms underneath where we are now?”
Julian and Lucy were monitoring the comms. Tapping sounded through the earpiece as they waited for Julian to do his thing. “There isn’t another level to the church, but there is a tunnel which is left over from the old viaducts. It was supposedly closed off back in the early 1900s. The church was built on top of a stretch of abandoned railway property when the city diverted the traffic closer to downtown. It’s possible there is a covered trapdoor leading underneath, but I’m sorry. There’s nothing—"
“Wait. I’ve got something,” Lucy inserted. “Frey, I found an old article from the Prohibition Era. It says many buildings in that area were built on top of the old tunnels and were used by bootleggers. The church you’re in was originally a speakeasy and much smaller. Julian, look at this...”
Deacon and the others waited while Julian and Lucy chatted excitedly in their ears. “If what we’re looking at is correct, there’s a hidden door underneath the middle room on the west side of the floor you’re on,” Julian relayed.
Deacon, Frey, and Jasper moved quickly to the middle room and searched the floor. “Look,” Frey said, pointing. Several pieces of the hardwood were a darker color. Deacon dropped to his knees and extended his claws, inserting them between the seams of two boards. They came away with little effort, and after prying up the other discolored planks, he found a round, metal hasp.
Frey put a hand on his shoulder, halting his progress. “Lor, Pax, we found the trap door. Remain upstairs just in case Drago and his men come back for the child. We are going down.”
“Copy that,” Lorenzo replied.
Frey nodded, and Deacon pulled the handle. A heavy, iron door swung upward, and Deacon peered down into the dark hole. The sound of breathing hastened, and the fear he felt earlier intensified.
“He’s scared,” Deacon said. “Frey, you should go first. You have a child, and you’re better equipped at dealing with one.”
Frey didn’t argue. He lowered himself into the tunnel below, and Deacon and Jasper followed. The three moved silently down the tunnel until they came upon a small boy who was lying in the fetal position with his arms over his head. The smell of urine was strong, and Deacon had to calm his beast. It was ready to find Drago and take his head.
Frey put a hand to the boy’s shoulder, and the child whimpered. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe now. My name is Frey. This is Deacon and Jasper, and we’ve come to take you home.”
Red-rimmed eyes turned to look at them, and Deacon’s heart broke. “I don’t have a home,” the child whispered with an accent.
“You do now,” Frey assured him. “I have a large family, and now so do you. Let’s get you out of here, okay?”
The child’s eyes were filled with fear and distrust. “Look.” Frey pulled out his phone, flipping to the photos. “I have a d
aughter about your age. And my nephew, Connor? He’s the one who told us where you were.”
“Connor? I thought he was a dream,” the boy said.
“No. He might have been in your mind, but I promise, he’s real, and I can take you to see him. See? This is him with my daughter.” As the boy looked at the photo, Frey asked, “What’s your name?”
“I was born Rainier – Rain, but my uncle calls me Pima.”
“Why Pima?”
Rain hesitated before whispering, “It stands for pain in my arse.”
“Well, Rain, you will never be called that again. I promise.” Frey held out his large hand, and the child shuffled to his knees. When Rain took his hand, Frey lifted the boy into his arms. When Rain caught sight of Deacon and Jasper, he buried his face in Frey’s neck.
“We have company,” Paxton said over the comms, the sound of steel against leather loud as he pulled his sword from its sheath.
“How many?” Frey asked.
“Ten. Two Goyles, seven Unholy, and one human.”
“Are the Goyles armed?”
“Yes, and they’re on us.”
“Grab the human, but take care of the others,” Frey instructed. The sound of fighting came through after that.
“Stay here with the boy. We’ll go assist,” Deacon said.
Frey nodded. “Let me know if you need help.”
Deacon returned to the opening, bent his knees, and jumped to the floor above with Jasper right behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Deacon and Jasper ran down the hallway and up the stairs to the sanctuary. Lor was battling the males single-handedly. The Unholy didn’t stand a chance against his sword, but Lorenzo was having a hard time against two armed Gargoyles. They had Lor boxed in, but when Deacon and Jasper stepped in, the two opposing males couldn’t hold off the three of them working together. The sound of metal clashing echoed in the cavernous sanctuary. The two they were fighting must have been Greeks leftover from Alistair’s army. Their fighting skills were fresh.
Deacon was glad their Clan had trained with swords over the last year, if not happy for the reason. As a Gargoyle, wielding a sword was something taught as soon as their initial transition kicked in, but for most, war was something they didn’t think about. Their kind rarely fought each other. Their duties were to keep humans safe and live peaceful lives. Fighting against others of their kind wasn’t quick. It wasn’t easy. Their stamina was on equal footing, and the only reason they were able to get the upper hand was because they outnumbered their opponents.
The fighting continued for what seemed like hours when a roar sounded, and Paxton charged down the middle aisle. With Paxton adding his sword, they were at a two-to-one advantage. When one of the males turned his attention to Paxton, Deacon swung his sword against his opponent’s neck. Beside him, Lorenzo waited until Jasper clashed with his opponent and took the challenger’s head from behind. It wasn’t a fair fight, but the end result had been inevitable. Blood spilled across the dirty floor as the two Gargoyles fell, their heads landing beside their lifeless bodies.
“Fuck!” Paxton yelled. “I lost the human. There was an SUV waiting, and I couldn’t use my shifter speed to catch them. There were too many people watching,” he said as he bent at the waist. He wasn’t winded, just pissed. Deacon felt the other male’s disappointment wash over him. As Lorenzo tried to calm the cop down, Deacon reached out to Julian on his comm.
“It’s over. Frey has the child, and we’re going to need cleanup.”
“Remy is already en route.”
“Jules, please call Dante and tell him I’m bringing the child to his house. There’s no way we can take him to the hospital,” Frey said. “Please tell him we need clothes. Rain is about a size eight.”
“On it, Brother.”
“Thank you. Deacon, is there a way out of there without me walking through the sanctuary?”
Paxton answered, “Yes. When you come up the steps, there’s a door that leads behind the choir, and there’s an exit out the back. I’ll go get the car and pull it around so we can get the hell out of here.”
Deacon and the others sheathed their swords before heading to the door where Frey would come out with Rain. Before they got to the back exit, Remy and Kai walked inside with Caleb and Aldredge, two guards from the Pen who helped with cleanup when necessary.
“Daddy?” Rain cried out. All the males turned to see who the boy was talking to.
“Rainier? Oh, Gods. Rain? My son!” Remy cried, dragging the boy out of Frey’s arms, hugging him close. Rain’s little arms closed around Remy’s neck as the two held on for all they were worth.
“Wait. I thought Isabelle said the child had Original blood,” Deacon muttered.
With tears streaking down his face, Remy said, “Yes. He does. His mother, my mate, she was from an Original line out of Australia. She went back to visit last year. Her brother and I don’t get along, so I told her to take Rain and go for a holiday. I got a call…” Remy choked up. “Her brother called and told me there’d been an accident. Said…”
Frey put his hand on Remy’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Brother. We get it. But Rain told us he didn’t have a home.”
Remy looked at his son, frowning. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and we’ll talk, yeah?” Rain nodded then laid his head back down on his father’s shoulder.
“Come on. We’ll take him to Dante so he and Isabelle can check him over. They should have clothes for him by the time we get there.” Frey gestured toward the back door.
“Thanks, Brother,” Remy said, his smile speaking of the joy at finding his son alive.
“I’ll stay here and help with cleanup,” Paxton, who was back inside, offered.
Lorenzo looked around at the mess. “I’ll help as well. The sooner these bodies are out of here, the better.”
Once outside, Frey and Jasper climbed into the front of the SUV after Deacon helped Remy and Rain get settled into the backseat. Deacon sat in the back with them. He couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. He never believed in miracles before that moment, but seeing Remy and his son reunited was nothing short of something supernatural.
The mood on the ride was joyous all around. Rain still emitted fear, but not nearly as much as he had when Deacon first encountered the boy. As much as he wanted to get home to Sabrina, Deacon’s need to make sure the child was okay was greater. Dante and Isabelle were waiting outside their home when Frey parked in the driveway. Even though it was late, Connor was standing with them.
Remy carried Rain, and the others followed them into the house. Isabelle directed Remy to follow her to Connor’s bedroom where he would be comfortable while she checked him over. Deacon and the others waited downstairs to give them privacy. Connor sat on Dante’s lap, his young face fraught with worry.
“Thanks to you, Rain is safe,” Dante told his son.
“I’m glad, Da. I’ll be his friend. He needs one,” Connor replied.
Dante hugged Connor, a proud smile gracing his usually stoic face.
They waited in silence until Isabelle returned downstairs. “Connor, will you please join Rain and his father in your bathroom?”
“Yes, ma’am.” When Connor reached the staircase, he turned back to his mother. “Is he okay?”
Isabelle forced a smile. “He will be.”
When Connor was up the stairs, Isabelle’s face was twisted in fury as she walked to Dante and sat down on his lap. “I’ll need to run bloodwork, but physically, he’s okay. Remy wants to wait until the morning so Rain can get some sleep. Dante, when you all capture Craven, I want a go at him before anyone else. No one, but especially not a child, should be used in such a way.”
“Did he say anything about how he ended up with Craven?”
“Just that one day his uncle took him for a ride to get ice cream, but instead, he handed him over to a stranger. Remy was getting upset, which was in turn upsetting Rain, so I suggested he get Rain a bath and offered for them to stay the nig
ht.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of it on Remy and Rain’s time. When Remy’s ready, we’ll go after the uncle,” Frey said. Deacon already knew the male was a dead man. Nobody messed with the Clan, but when it came to children? Deacon shook his head. It was another mark in the negative column of why he shouldn’t have kids.
He stood, as did Jasper and Frey. After saying their goodbyes, the three walked out to the porch. “Come on. I’ll drop you at your homes,” Frey said.
“I think I’ll fly,” Jasper countered. Deacon didn’t have to look at the sky to know it was the perfect night for it. Both their houses were close by, so he agreed to fly with him. Before they removed their shirts and unfurled their wings, they texted their mates to let them know they were on their way.
Sabrina was sitting on the back patio sipping a glass of wine when she heard a car pull up. Thinking it was Deacon, she hurried to the front door. When she opened it, Trevor was walking up the steps. His grin was sheepish. “I should have called first, but I don’t have your number.” He held up a bottle of wine. “I brought a peace offering.”
“How did you get in the gate?” she asked, holding the door open so he could enter.
“Oh. All the gates are programmed so family can get in. I hope I’m not bothering you; it’s just when Jasper and I first got together, I remember how lonely it was when he went on patrols or had to do Clan stuff, and I didn’t like sitting home alone. Since he’s off with Deacon and the others, I thought I’d keep you company and answer any questions you have about being a mate. Well, not any question, because I’m a guy, and I don’t get some of the hetero stuff, but anything else…” He shrugged, and Sabrina couldn’t help but laugh.
