Julian (The Stone Society Book 9)

by Faith Gibson

  “No, I’m still looking at the feed.”

  Tessa was going to ask Julian if he’d said something when the voice sounded in her head.

  Andie, Katherine is in the infirmary.

  Tamian? Tessa’s heart sped up. There was no way her brother could be there with her, but no one else called her Andie.

  Yes, I had to take Katherine to the infirmary. Someone was drugging her food.

  “Katherine’s in the infirmary. Let’s go,” Tessa said, grabbing Julian by the arm to stop his pacing.

  “How the hell do you know that?” Gregor asked.

  “Tamian’s here.”

  “Where?” Julian asked as they entered the elevator.

  Where exactly are you, Tam?

  Hiding on the second floor. You need to hurry the hell up. The guard at the front door has called the Deputy Director. The place is already on lockdown.

  “Gregor, I need you to stop what you’re doing and pay attention to the exits. The guard has already locked down the facility, and we’re going to need an exit point.”

  When the elevator doors opened on the first floor, several guards were waiting on them, guns raised. “Agents, we need you to come with us,” one of the men said.

  Julian stepped in front of Tessa, shielding her with his shifter body. She knew the bullets couldn’t hurt Julian, but they could seriously fuck her up, and she wasn’t in the mood to go to the hospital. Or worse. Talking them down would be her best bet, so she responded. “In case you’ve forgotten, we are Special Agents with the FBI. You do not have authority over us.”

  “No, but the Deputy Director does, and he gave orders to detain both of you. We can do this the easy way or we–”

  A large body crashed into all four agents, knocking them down like bowling pins. The man looked at Tessa and growled, “Go. I’ve got them.” Like something out of an action movie, the stranger disarmed all four guards before Tessa could figure out what was going on.

  Andie, go!

  Tamian?

  Yes, now go!

  I didn’t recognize you.

  Yeah, well you don’t exactly look like you either, Special Agent Rayaz.

  Tessa couldn’t move. Her brother was there, within arm’s reach. She wanted to cry. She wanted to yell. But most of all she wanted to grab onto her brother and beg him to come with her. “Tam…”

  “Later, Rayaz, now go.” Tessa snapped out of her stupor, and she and Julian took off running toward the infirmary. Julian flung open the door to find Katherine lying on an examination table with an IV taped to her arm. He rushed to her side and dragged her into his arms. “Oh, Kat.” Tessa searched the room for the staff physician, not seeing anyone. She reached out with her senses and heard muffled protests coming from a closed door. Tamian had no doubt bound and gagged him or her.

  Andie, take the IV with you. I gave her an antidote to the drugs she was given. It will take about an hour to reverse the effects, but she’ll be fine physically.

  “Jules, we need to keep the IV in.” Tessa grabbed the bag off the pole and placed it on Katherine’s stomach as Julian picked her up off the table. “Stone, get us out of here,” Tessa said as they rushed out of the infirmary.

  Tamian, I don’t want to leave you here.

  I’ll come to the ranch later. Just go.

  Tessa should have known her brother would know where she was staying. She had so many questions for him, but for now, she had a mate to help kidnap.

  As much as Julian wanted to find whoever hurt his mate, he wanted to get Katherine to the ranch more. Gregor boomed in his earpiece, “There are guards at every exit. The good news is there’s only one at each door. The bad news is they all have weapons.”

  Julian handed his mate over to Tessa. “Hold her. I will shield you while taking them out. Gregor, do you have eyes on us?”

  “Yes, Brother. The door you’re moving toward is unlocked. It’s not the closest one to your vehicles, though. Once outside, you’re going to want to hurry. And Julian, you better not let anything happen to Tessa.”

  “On my honor, Brother,” Julian vowed as he moved toward the guard.

  “Stop right there,” the guard warned, raising a rifle toward Julian’s chest. Julian never slowed down. He picked up the pace and just as he was about to grab the weapon, the guard pulled the trigger, hitting Julian in the chest. He wrenched the rifle from the man’s hands and struck him in the temple with the butt, knocking him to the ground. Julian didn’t wait to see if he was alive or not. Instead, he stepped over his lifeless body and threw open the door. Tessa came through right behind him handing over Katherine.

  “We need to run,” Tessa said, taking off across the parking lot. Julian was right behind her, cradling Katherine to him as gently as he could while still running full out. Tessa had the door to Rayaz’s car open, and Julian placed Kat on the backseat, climbing in beside her. Tessa had the engine going and was peeling out as soon as his door shut. He was at an awkward angle, but he managed to pick Kat’s upper body off the seat and slide in under her without ripping the IV out of her arm. Tessa checked the rearview mirror several times. “Fuck!” she exclaimed. “Hang on, Jules,” she warned as she pressed the accelerator to the floor.

  Julian clung tightly to Katherine while being thrown from left to right as Tessa did her best to lose whoever was chasing them. His mate was still in his arms, not making any sound. He reached out to check her vitals and let out a huge breath when he found them to be close to normal. Bending over, he placed a kiss to her forehead, and whispered, “I have you now, my sweet Katherine. You are going to be okay, this I promise you.”

  Tessa turned the headlights off and used her shifter sight to guide them through the backroads. Turn after turn, Tessa took the corners like a professional driver. The female never ceased to amaze him. He didn’t disturb her while she navigated the streets in the dark. He trusted her to get them somewhere safe. When she slowed the vehicle to a normal speed, Tessa flipped on the headlights and took the onramp toward the interstate that lead to the ranch. “We’re going to have a hard time getting back to the agents to administer the antidote,” she said from the front seat. “Unless…”

  “Unless?” Julian prodded.

  Tessa shook her head. “Just thinking out loud. How is she?”

  “She is going to be okay,” he said, his voice low. Julian cleared his throat. “Thank you, Tessa.”

  “Don’t mention it. That’s the most fun I’ve had since Egypt,” she said, smiling. “Stone, can you hear me?”

  “I got you, Red.”

  “We’re five minutes out.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Julian could feel the love his cousin had for Tessa through the earpiece. He glanced down at his mate and wondered how long it would be before he felt that deep of a connection with Katherine.

  Tessa continued to check both the rearview and side mirrors, but after some seriously skilled driving on her part, they managed to arrive at the ranch alone. Gregor was waiting on the porch. He met the car in the driveway, and as soon as Tessa put it in park, he opened the door, taking Katherine from Julian’s arms long enough for him to slide out of the back seat. Gregor immediately returned her and asked, “How is she?” as Tessa stepped into his embrace.

  “She’s going to be okay, thanks to Tamian.”

  “I can’t believe he was there. I take it from your reaction you had no idea?” Gregor asked.

  “No idea. If he shows up here like he promised, I’m going to kick his ass,” she growled.

  Gregor led Tessa to the front door and held it open so Julian could get Katherine inside. “How long do we have until the agents need their antidote?” Gregor asked.

  Tessa pulled her phone out of Rayaz’s jacket pocket. “Three hours. The first thing I want to do is get into my own clothes. There’s no way I’d wear a suit every day,” she said, pulling the prosthetic off her face.

  Julian wanted to change as well. The dress shirt he wore had a bullet hole whe
re the guard shot him. He needed to get out of it before Katherine could see it and question him. He laid his mate in the middle of the bed he’d barely used, looking around for somewhere to put the IV bag. “Here, I think this will work,” Gregor said, bringing a wooden coatrack into the room. Tessa handed him a coat hanger, and Gregor untwisted it then reworked it so he could loop one end through the hole in the IV bag and the other over one of the arms of the rack. Once Katherine was settled, Julian motioned for Gregor and Tessa to go out into the hall.

  “While I’m changing clothes, I’d appreciate it if you’d both monitor FSM. We need to be ahead of anything unexpected. As far as the guards know, Agents Rayaz and Everhart are in the wind with the inmate. They are going to swarm both their houses soon if they haven’t already done so. How are we going to get the antidote to them?”

  “As soon as Tamian gets here, he and I will take care of it. We should have time to sneak in before the Feds storm their homes. If that happens while we’re there, we’ll handle it. Gregor can keep an eye on their houses and let us know if someone shows up. You need to wipe the feed at the prison, at least during the time we were at the back door. If the powers that be see Everhart getting shot point blank, they’re going to want to know why he’s not in the hospital.”

  “I will take care of that as soon as I change clothes.”

  Gregor and Tessa headed to the other end of the house, and Julian made quick work of the mask and clothes. He sat down on the bed next to his mate’s hip and pulled her free hand in between both of his.

  Speaking softly, he brushed her red hair off her forehead while assuring Katherine she was ok. He could tell she hadn’t bathed in a couple of days and her clothes smelled of vomit, but that didn’t bother him. All that mattered was she was safe. With him. As soon as she was awake, he would make sure she was fed. As soon as she was feeling up to it, Julian would help her with a shower and get her on a plane headed for New Atlanta.

  Chapter Twelve

  Katherine’s mind was definitely playing tricks on her. Instead of having a nightmare about being tortured, she was hallucinating about a soft bed and a gentle touch to her skin. Julian’s voice was seeping through her subconscious again, and it was even better than before. Something pulled at her skin, but it wasn’t so bad she wanted to wake up. No, Kat wanted to sleep forever in the comfort of her surroundings. The soft touch disappeared, and voices sounded around her. They weren’t hateful, harsh tones like the guards used with her. It was more like distant mutterings. Those she could live with.

  As the voices became more distinct, Katherine realized she wasn’t dreaming, and the people were talking about her. She cracked her eyes to find Julian standing at the door to a room covered in old wallpaper. Definitely not her cell. Had he actually done what he promised he would and rescued her? While they were all focused on their conversation, Kat took the opportunity to listen in. It was hard to do with only one good ear, and they weren’t talking loud.

  “How did you know what antidote to use?” a pretty redhead asked a taller man who looked like he could be her brother.

  “Because I found out who was poisoning her food, and I convinced him to tell me what he was using.”

  “How did you even know we were in Texas? Where the hell have you been these last few months, and why the fuck haven’t you called me?” Yep, these two were definitely related somehow. A man stepped up to the redhead and wrapped her in his arms. He was… holy crap, he was the warden from New Atlanta.

  “Red, you and Tamian have a lot to talk about. Why don’t you both go outside for a bit?” He kissed her on the temple, and she calmed down immediately.

  “Come on, Andie. Let’s go talk,” the man named Tamian said.

  “Fine,” Andie responded and stalked away.

  Tamian nudged Julian and nodded at Katherine. Shit, he’d caught her looking.

  “Katherine…” Julian exhaled her name as if he’d been holding it inside. He moved to the bed more gracefully than a man his size should be able to. Sitting next to her, he lifted her hand to his lips. “Hi, Sweetheart,” he said softly, brushing her hair back. “How are you feeling?”

  Katherine mentally checked herself over. “Groggy, and my head hurts. Other than that, pretty good, considering.” She looked around the room and asked, “Is this real? Or am I still dreaming.”

  “This is real. You are safe now. As soon as we get some food in you and you feel up to it, I will be taking you home.”

  “Won’t they find me at home? Is it safe?”

  “My home is safe. I am going to have to hide you out for a while, but the Feds have no reason to suspect you would be with me. Is that okay with you?”

  Katherine nodded. “What happened?” she asked, holding up the hand with the IV taped to it.

  “One of the cooks was poisoning your food. Tamian figured it out and gave you something to counteract it.” Julian rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. “The bag is almost empty, so we will be able to remove the line in just a few minutes. You probably don’t feel like eating, but we need to get something in you to get your strength back.”

  “I…” Katherine was afraid to eat. The last two times she had she’d gotten sick.

  “I promise it will be poison-free,” he said with a grin. He was probably trying to lighten the mood, but she was still scared.

  “Who are those people?” she asked, pointing to the door, even though the others were no longer standing there. “The woman looks familiar, but the one she was arguing with…”

  “You have already met Gregor. He is my cousin. The female is his mate, Tessa, and Tamian is Tessa’s brother.”

  “He called her Andie.”

  “That is her real name, but she never goes by it. He is the only one who calls her that.”

  “Why did you call her Gregor’s mate and not wife or girlfriend?”

  Julian’s smile fell momentarily, but he quickly recovered. “That is one of the things on a long list I need to explain to you. As soon as you are up and about, I promise to tell you everything.”

  Katherine trusted Julian. For whatever reason, she felt safe around him, among other things. It was a good thing she was out of it from the drugs, or she’d be asking him to take his clothes off. The need to touch him was getting stronger, and she didn’t mean holding hands. “What’s the date? I have no idea how long I’ve been away.”

  “Today is April thirtieth. You have been away for six weeks and two days.” Julian waited for her to respond, but she didn’t. She’d missed out on six weeks of her life, and for what? Kat had no idea why she had been targeted.

  “Can I bring you some soup? If you would rather wait until the IV is out so you can go into the kitchen and watch me prepare it, I understand. I probably wouldn’t trust anyone either.”

  “I trust you, but I would like to get out of bed.” The smile on Julian’s face lit up the room. Her trust meant something to him. And why would he risk the wrath of the federal government to rescue her if he wanted to hurt her. “Julian, why did you risk saving me?”

  “Because, you are exceptional, Kat. I have watched you from afar for some time now, but I am hoping after we have spent some time together while you are hiding out you will want to continue seeing me.”

  “But why now?”

  Julian glanced down to where their hands were joined. When he looked back up, he was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “My job within my family takes up a lot of time. I did not feel like I had enough time to devote to you. Things have changed, and let’s just say I have realized what is important.”

  “And what’s that?” she dared to ask.

  “You.” Julian kissed her knuckles again before standing. “Let me get the first aid kit. I will be right back.” Katherine studied Julian as he walked out the door. One of the things she’d noticed the first time she met Julian was how proper he spoke. That hadn’t changed. What had changed was the way he was dressed. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shir
t, something she’d never seen him in before. He’d always been wearing dress clothes, and she’d thought him sexy then, but now? The way his ass filled out the back of his jeans had her wanting to rip said jeans off his body. Could she honestly spend time with the man in his home and not make a fool of herself?

  “Here we go,” he said, as he placed the first aid supplies on the bed at her side. Julian expertly removed the IV from her arm, placed gauze over the insertion point in case it bled, and covered it with a bandage. He took the bag from the makeshift stand, wrapped the rubber tubing around it, and stuffed it all into a small canvas bag. When he put the bag into a suitcase, he explained his motions. “We cannot leave anything behind that will point to you. Once we are ready to leave here, Gregor and Tessa will wipe the place down to make sure we leave no traces of DNA.” Once that was finished, Julian showed her a bottle of aspirin before he uncapped the lid and removed the safety seal. “Aspirin okay?” he asked. “Tessa bought the pain relievers along with several other items from the pharmacy in case you needed them.”

  Katherine could see it was a new bottle, but like she told him, she trusted him. After she swallowed the pain relievers with some water, she asked, “How were you able to get me out of the prison?”

  Julian smiled. He pulled something out of his suitcase and put it over his face. When he turned around, he looked like a completely different person. “I might have impersonated a federal agent.”

  “That’s amazing,” she gushed. Kat knew the technology existed because of movies she’d seen, but to find out life-like disguises were available outside of the make-believe world of cinema was astounding.

  “Tessa portrayed Agent Rayaz. If Rayaz had not have called her boss fighting for your release, we would have been able to waltz in with no trouble.”

  “She wanted me released? Why? She’s the one who probed my mind.” Kat reached behind her head and touched the spot on her neck.

  “I guess when she was not able to get anything out of you that backed up the evidence, she realized you had been telling the truth, and she believed you had no knowledge of the crimes you were accused of. Her boss, however, had other ideas. I am pretty sure it was him who ordered you to be tortured and poisoned.” Julian’s face as well as his tone turned icy. Katherine didn’t want to be reminded of the torture so she changed the subject.