Sin (The Stone Society Book 8)

by Faith Gibson

  When they were close to their destination, Rocky’s breath caught in her chest as she gazed out the window at the blue waters of the Ionian Sea. Sin had given her a little background about the islands they were going to visit, but he’d failed to mention how beautiful they would be. Rocky definitely wanted to visit the islands when they weren’t on business and Sin could show her around.

  When their plane touched down, two Goyles she recognized exited a blacked out SUV and boarded the plane. After the initial hellos, the pilot joined them in the cabin, and Thane filled them in on what they’d been able to surmise up to that point. “We made contact with Carter. No one has heard any more from Donovan since he managed to get his message to Xavier. Unfortunately, we don’t know any more than we did before we arrived. Alistair hasn’t been sighted leaving his villa, but there are several vehicles coming and going. Hunter has a boat waiting to take you over to the island.” There was no airport on the small island where Alistair was holed up. Sin didn’t want to take the ferry, so Hunter was providing transportation for him.

  “When I spoke to the King earlier, he made it clear this is a get in-get out mission. I am not to engage, so this will hopefully not take too long. Thane, you will drive me to the harbor. Finley, you and Remy will stay aboard the plane with Rocky. When I am satisfied enough people have seen my face, I will return, and we will be on our way to Italia.” Sin’s deep voice slipped in and out of his accent when he became serious. One day soon, Rocky was going to ask him to teach her his native language.

  “Are you sure I can’t come with you?” Rocky asked. It wasn’t she didn’t trust the other Gargoyles, but she was scared for Sin.

  Sin placed his hand under her chin and tipped it up. “I am sure, Tesorina. I don’t want my uncle to know I’ve found my mate, and I sure as hell don’t want him anywhere near you. I am not going to take a chance on this being the one day he leaves the security of his villa.” Sin pulled Rocky to him and slanted his mouth across hers. This was a possessive kiss for the males to see. Sinclair had told her he trusted the others with Rocky’s life, but he still had to piss a circle around her since he was leaving her in their care. Sin and Thane strode out of the plane and over to the SUV, leaving Rocky with nothing to do but wait.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sin hated leaving Rocky, but he had a duty to the Clan, to his King, and he intended to fulfill it quickly. The sooner he showed “Rafael’s” face around the island, the sooner he and Rocky could get on with the fun part of their trip. Sin was in awe of his mate. She’d not once complained about the amount of time he spent on the phone or the computer. She was becoming fast friends with Ingrid, and that warmed Sin’s heart for both women. Ingrid never had children of her own. Not because she didn’t want them, but because her husband couldn’t have them. He’d died soon after they were married, and Ingrid never found love again. Instead, she devoted her life to caring for Sin. Rocky had been without her mother for fourteen years, and Sin could see the way Rocky clung to the affection Ingrid offered.

  Thane dropped Sin off at the harbor and waited for him to return. Hunter greeted Sin, and the two shook hands. Hunter had helped Dante and Isabelle get their son back when Isabelle’s supposedly dead husband had kidnapped the boy. After they boarded the small boat, Hunter gave Sin a list of establishments he had mapped. Hunter Thomason and his twin, Carter, had been born Greek, but once they realized what a dickhead their king was, they had pledged their loyalty to Xavier Montagnon, King of Italy. The two of them had recruited several of their own clan and were now spies for Xavier and Rafael. At one point, Carter had lived at Alistair’s villa, but when Dante’s mate had been kidnapped and held prisoner by Alistair and his adopted daughter, Kallisto, Carter had helped with Isabelle’s release. Having blown his cover, Carter had to lie low after that. Now, Donovan had taken Carter’s place and was currently on the inside with Alistair. If they could only get word to him regarding Sin’s mother.

  Hunter was a male of few words, and his broody disposition suited Sin just fine. Hunter dropped Sin off on the small island of Ithaca and handed him the keys to a car. “It’s the black BMW parked in the first row.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate your help, Hunter.”

  Hunter simply inclined his head. Whatever was going on in the male’s life was eating away at him. Sin didn’t want to pry, but damn if he didn’t want to help the Goyle. Leaving Hunter alone, Sin found the sports car and made quick work of visiting the establishments on the list. He had just entered the last one when a voice he recognized caught his attention. It had been a long time since Sin had heard the voice or seen the face, but it was one he’d never forget. Sin headed straight to the bar and ordered a double shot of ouzo while his uncle conducted business across the room. And by business, Sin meant Alistair watched while several women paraded in front of him. He pointed at two of them while the others disappeared into the back of the bar. Alistair pushed the young women in front of him toward the door. When he finally noticed Sin sitting there, Sin raised his glass and took a sip of the clear liquid.

  Alistair narrowed his eyes and asked, “Rafael, what are you doing on my island?”

  Sin shrugged. “I was in the neighborhood. Thought I would stop by and say hello to my mother. You wouldn’t by chance know where I could find her, would you?”

  One corner of Alistair’s mouth curled into a snarl. “I’m sorry. It’s not my day to watch after her. Besides, last I heard she was nowhere near Ithaca.”

  Sin ran the tip of his index finger around the rim of his glass, letting his uncle get a good look. “If you do run into her, tell her to call me.”

  “Where are you staying?” Alistair asked.

  “Around. She knows how to get in touch with me.” Sin tossed back the rest of the ouzo and returned the empty glass to the bar. When he stood from the stool and pulled out his wallet, his uncle waved him off.

  “Put that on my tab, Dennis. It’s the least I can do for family.” Alistair sneered at Sin and walked out the door. Sin gave his uncle a five-minute head start before making his way back to the marina. He called Rafael while he drove around the island making sure he wasn’t being followed.

  “Sin, was your mission successful?”

  “You could say that. I saw the bastard with my own eyes. He thought I was you, and we exchanged pleasantries.”

  “I don’t suppose he gave up Mother’s location.”

  “No, he didn’t. But I would be willing to bet he has her. What do you want me to do?”

  “Nothing. You did your job; now go spend some time with your mate. When you get here, we’ll pull together a plan of action.”

  “If you are sure.”

  “I’m sure. I’ll see you when you get here.” Rafael disconnected, and Sin drove around another hour before heading back to the harbor. He parked the BMW in the same spot he’d pulled it out of and strolled back to Hunter’s boat. When he stepped over the side, Hunter raised his eyebrows.

  “Your heartrate’s elevated. Is everything okay?”

  “I ran into my uncle, but I am fine. Now, please take me back across the sea. I need to see my mate.”

  Hunter did as asked. While they were skimming across the water, Sin started to ask the male about his life, but Hunter’s body language kept him from it. When they pulled into the slip, Sin shook Hunter’s hand. “Thank you again. I hope whatever is bothering you finds a favorable solution.”

  Ever since Stavros Sarantos had been hauled off to jail, Alistair had kept his human partners much longer than he was used to. He preferred to rotate them out after fucking them a few times, but now he didn’t have that luxury. He had more urgent matters to tend than vetting whores. Still, he’d taken the time out of his day to visit the local pub master who Alistair knew rotated new girls in and out. Color him surprised when his nephew had been sitting in the pub, sipping ouzo like he owned the place. Alistair knew that wasn’t true, because he owned the godsdamned pub.

  Kidnapping Athena had been a b
rilliant idea, and it worked like a charm in bringing Rafael into Alistair’s territory. There was no way the bastard could bring his whole army with him, and he wouldn’t dare chance leaving the mates at home without protection. Alistair needed Achilles to keep a line on where Rafael was. Kallisto had promised she was close to finding a replacement, but he knew he was going to have to take matters into his own hands. He had given his daughter a week, and she had failed him. Alistair called Achilles and left a voice message, making him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Now, he had to sit back and wait for the fucker to return his call. While he was waiting, he decided to see if he’d gotten his money’s worth of the two new girls he’d procured that afternoon.

  Alistair’s dick was hard just thinking about inflicting a little pain. He slashed a flogger over both bare asses at one time. Neither girl made a sound, not even a whimper. He hit them harder, and they remained quiet. He had hoped to get a rise out of them, but they’d been trained to accept the pain quietly. He hated training bitches, but if he was going to keep these two, he’d have to reprogram them.

  “Get on your knees,” he commanded. Both women scrambled off the bed and knelt in front of him, heads bowed. He tilted the blonde’s chin up using the handle of his toy. “Suck my cock,” he instructed. She immediately swallowed his erection all the way down, no gag reflex to be found. “Play with her pussy, but don’t make her come,” he instructed the brunette. She moved in behind the other girl and slid her hand between the blonde’s legs, stroking her clit while kissing on her shoulder and neck.

  The blonde moaned around his dick as the brunette stroked her clit and played with her breasts. She gave head better than any he’d ever had, sucking hard and taking him deep. Alistair was close to getting his nut when a knock on the door interrupted. “What?” he yelled.

  “Sir, we have a problem.”

  “What kind of problem?” he gritted through his teeth. The blonde worked his cock harder and faster.

  “It’s the prisoner. She’s… Sir, your sister is dead.”

  Alistair jerked, and the blonde’s teeth scraped his dick. He slapped her hard across the face, knocking her to the floor. No, no, no! Athena couldn’t be dead. He wasn’t finished using the bitch. Alistair pulled his pants up and fastened them as he stepped toward the door. He threw it open, shouldering past the Goyle who had been assigned to watch his sister. Alistair strode across the compound and down the stairs to the room where he was keeping Athena prisoner. Her body was stone still. He reached out with this shifter senses and found nothing. No breath, no movement, no life essence at all. The bitch had willed herself to cross over. “Godsdamn you!” he screamed and kicked her lifeless body.

  Sin made his way to the waiting SUV and told Thane what had transpired. As badly as Sin wanted to drive straight back to the airstrip, he had Thane circle around the city to be sure they weren’t followed. When they arrived, Sin jumped out of the SUV and ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. He needed to see his mate and make sure she was safe. He held his breath until Rocky’s beautiful smile greeted him.

  Bryce had been seated with the others until Sin and Thane were on board. “By the way your heart’s beating out of your chest, I’d say we need to get in the air?”

  “Yes.”

  Finley said, “I can feel your unease from over here. What happened?” Rocky linked their fingers together and leaned into his body, offering her support silently.

  Sin inhaled Rocky’s scent, allowing it to help calm him. “I saw Alistair,” Sin said. The males all spoke at the same time, and Rocky pulled back, looking at his face. “I am okay, Tesorina. My uncle was in the last bar I went to. He was purchasing girls to add to his stable. He mistook me for my brother, which was what we wanted. I asked him if he knew where Athena was, and of course he said no. He left, and here we are. Rafael and I are going to decide what to do when I go visit him next week.”

  “Are you sure he didn’t follow you?” Fin asked.

  “Pretty damn sure. I drove around for over an hour before I returned to the boat, and Thane and I took our time getting back here. Bryce, please get us in the air.”

  “Ten-four,” the Goyle said as he returned to his spot in the cockpit. The flight to Italy wasn’t a long one, but Sin still wanted to relax with his mate. Thane and Remy left the plane and loaded up in the SUV. They were taking another commercial flight so the jet wouldn’t be so crowded. As nice as it was, there wasn’t enough room for four large males, Rocky, and Andre.

  It didn’t surprise Sin to see Andre was paying special attention to Rocky. Whenever she was awake, the human made sure she was well fed and had whatever she wanted to drink. Her appetite had come back full force, and Sin wanted her to have her favorite foods, even on the jet, so he had called ahead and told Andre what those foods were. Rocky had spent time talking to the flight attendant on the trip over, and he was happy to see her comfortable around another human male. Since it was so late, Andre had fed the others but had kept a plate warm for Sin. Rocky sat close by his side while he ate a late dinner. It amazed him how content she was to sit for long stretches without talking. She was nothing like her best friend, and he thanked the fates they hadn’t stuck Sin with the loud redhead.

  After he ate, Sin took Rocky to the bedroom and lay down with her. His mind wouldn’t stop thinking about his uncle, but his mate needed to sleep. Rocky changed into shorts and a T-shirt and curled up next to Sin. The turbulence didn’t seem to bother her while she was awake, but if the plane dipped while she was sleeping, Rocky snuggled closer to him. Sin didn’t sleep, but he also didn’t move for fear of waking Rocky. He wanted her to have every opportunity to heal.

  When they landed, Finley was bouncing off the walls. He hated flying and was ready to hit the beach, where he could run and swim in the waters of the sea by the villa. Fin had never been there, but Sin had described his old homestead, and Finley was ready to partake of everything it had to offer. Sin was as well. He wanted to show Rocky where he’d been born and where he and his brothers had been taught the ways of their kind by their father. Next to sharing his homeland with Rocky, Sin was most looking forward to visiting his father’s grave after two hundred years.

  They were greeted by Penelope, her husband, and three children. Penelope was Priscilla’s sister and equally as devoted to the Clan as Priscilla and Jonathan. Fin, Remy, and Thane were privileged with the knowledge of where the villa was located as well as to whom it belonged, an honor few Gargoyles had been afforded. Rafael had bought their childhood home from their father before he was slain, and Rafe had kept its ownership hidden from everyone, including their mother. Athena helped rescue Isabelle and had been somewhat welcomed back into their lives. With the news that Rafael and Kaya were going to have a baby, Athena had become more involved with her family. Sin had hoped one day he would also give her a grandchild, but for now, he’d have to leave that to his brothers.

  Sin and Rocky spent the next three days basking in the sun by the Ionian Sea. They toured the grounds while Sin recounted tale after tale of growing up with his three brothers. He visited his father’s tomb alone while Rocky stayed in the kitchen with Penelope, learning to make cannoli. Their time flew by, but Rocky had been able to see a side of Sinclair no one else did. For a little while, he was the carefree boy running over the family home, laughing at everything and worrying about nothing. The three Goyles who were with them gave them space, but they all ate together in the large family dining room with Penelope and her family every evening. It did Sin’s heart good to have them all together and to see his mate flourishing among his Clan.

  When their time was up, they all bid goodbye and rode together to the airport. Finley was returning to California with Thane and Remy, while Sin took Rocky to meet his brothers and their families. Other than Bryce and Andre, Sin and Rocky had the jet all to themselves. Sin could tell Rocky was tired, but she was happy. He hoped meeting the other mates would continue adding to her joy. He needed to keep an eye on her and make sure sh
e got enough rest. He had noticed her frowning on occasion, but when he asked what was wrong, Rocky would perk back up and assure him nothing. Sin didn’t believe her, but he wanted her to come to him freely. He didn’t want to continuously badger her. Maybe one of the mates could get her to open up.

  The Clan’s jet landed at the New Atlanta airport shortly after noon on April second. The weather was perfect for that time of year on the East Coast, because it was akin to the weather in California. As Rafael walked toward them, Sin had to rein in his beast and not hit his brother. The fact he’d asked Sin to go to Greece so soon after he met his mate hadn’t sat well with him, even though Rafael had no way of knowing Rocky would be in trouble. Even though Sin had told Rocky that Rafael and Kaya were picking them up when the jet landed, she still stared in shock when she saw Rafael. Rocky looked back and forth between them. “I can tell you apart, but I can see why your uncle couldn’t. You look like twins.”

  Rafael and Kaya laughed, and after official introductions were made, Kaya took Rocky and hugged her tightly. “Welcome to the family,” she whispered. Rocky hugged her back and smiled her beautiful smile.

  “Thanks. It’s good to finally meet another woman. All that testosterone gets to be too much after a while,” Rocky admitted. She had never said anything to Sin about feeling overwhelmed being in the presence of the other males. He would make sure that didn’t happen again anytime soon.

  “I totally understand. We have family day at our house every Sunday, and sometimes I feel like I’m the coach of a football team instead of Queen to Gargoyles.”

  “Oh my God. You’re the Queen! Shit, and you’re… Am I supposed to bow? Do the fist thing? Sin?”