by Faith Gibson
“We do, but we don’t need to rush in unprepared. We need to stick with our plan. Get in his house, install the cameras, and do this the right way, trusting the Hounds don’t do anything stupid. If Ramey goes back to his house, we’ll have to wait him out before I can get inside.”
“I’m calling Dad and have him send Vitto. We need more eyes.” Tamian placed the call to Xavier. Their father promised his friend would be on his way within the hour. Tamian had always felt nervous around the Gargoyle. He had been Xavier’s second in command since before Tamian came into being. He couldn’t help but wonder how the male felt about being passed over for the throne.
“I can feel you thinking over there. You need to stop worrying about things you can’t control.”
“But I can control it. All I have to do is say the word, and I’ll become King. I’m not ready for that, especially since I’ve found my mate. I need time with her before I even contemplate such a large change. Being with Lucy is going to be change enough.”
“And Dad knows that. Besides, Vitto thinks of you as a son. He’s going to have your back no matter what you decide. But for what it’s worth, I think you and Lucy would look stellar sitting on the throne together.”
Tamian snorted at the image of the two of them sitting on actual thrones in royal robes and crowns. “Yeah, no,” Tamian said. Besides, Lucy was only twenty-five. Becoming an agent so young, she had probably seen and done plenty in her short life, but Tamian wasn’t going to put such a large responsibility on her shoulders. Not if she didn’t want it. He wouldn’t be the type of King to rule alone without input from his mate. There was too much to do before any of that was a possibility, so he did his best to put the throne out of his mind.
Rafael hung up from a call with Travis. The young human was doing an outstanding job watching over Stone Incorporated while Rafe took care of the Clan. There was so much going on, and Rafe was feeling the strain. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with Kaya and enjoy the pregnancy. He didn’t want to add any more stress to his Queen, but he vowed when he married her she would be an integral part of running the Clan. So, when he hung up from speaking with Travis, he asked her to walk with him out to the garden. Sophia was in the house watching over Priscilla, so going outside was a welcomed break.
“What’s bothering you?” Kaya asked when Rafe pulled her down to his lap once they reached “their” bench.
Rafael wrapped his arms around her waist, cradling their child and pressed his forehead to her temple. “Lucy’s family has requested a meeting.” Rafe had already told Kaya about the other species and that Tamian’s mate was one of those shifters. “I wanted to talk to you before I made the call. It would be easier for me to fly to New York, but with everything going on here, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Sometimes easier isn’t always the right thing, but if you’re worried about me, I’ll be fine. There’s nothing either of us can do for Jonathan except help make him more comfortable. As for Priscilla, you’ve already seen to it that she cannot stay overnight with him. I think between me and a few others, we can handle things long enough for you to attend a meeting. If it’s a simple conversation, it’ll be a quick trip up there and back. Right?”
“I would hope so. They’ve been aware of our kind for a long time, but they don’t know us. They need to see what type of Clan their niece is getting involved with.”
“How have they been aware of Gargoyles without you being aware of them?”
“I’ve thought about that. Tamian mentioned they can shift into either the lion or the eagle, and I imagine at some point the eagles have seen the Gargoyles taking to the skies. They would be able to observe us while remaining undetected.”
“That makes sense. Was Tamian able to give you any more insight into what type of shifter the Gryphons are? Not in the physical sense, but what is it they do? The Gargoyles protect humans. Do the Gryphons?”
“He didn’t go into detail about what their mission is, so it’s another reason for me to meet with them. Feel them out. See what type of shifter Tamian’s bringing into our Clan. That goes both ways. He might be the Italian Prince, but he’s still one of ours. If they’re truly mates, this could possibly be the first time our species come together. So, in essence, we’re going to be family. We need to all be on the same page as to how we approach this knowledge.”
“Are you sure it wouldn’t be better for them to come to you? Or are you taking someone with you as backup? Not that you can’t handle yourself. I have every faith in your abilities, but one against who knows how many isn’t very good odds, even if this is just a meeting to talk.”
“I am going to take backup. I want you to go with me.” Rafael knew it was a risk, but a calculated one.
“Me? That’s... I’m shocked.”
“We won’t be gone long, and I trust our family to take care of things while we are away. I want the Gryphons to see not just the King and Queen, but two mates. I want them to see how devoted I am to you. Maybe that will put their minds at ease about how Lucy will be treated by Tamian. He mentioned Lucy’s grandmother. I’m hoping you can appeal to her, female to female. Not only about the two of them mating, but also about our kinds living in harmony.”
“You think I can do that?”
“I think you can do anything.” Rafael tipped Kaya’s chin up with his fingertip and settled his mouth over hers. Their tender moments had been few and far between lately, and he needed his Queen’s love as well as her strength. “I need you,” he whispered against her mouth.
“You have me.”
“Yes, but I need to be in you,” Rafael husked, pressing his erection harder against her ass. Kaya slid off his lap, pulled her dress up so she had access to her panties, and slid them down her legs. Rafael’s breath hitched. Kaya was always sexy, but seeing her carrying his child had his beast ready to fuck her constantly. Rafe unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down along with his briefs, exposing his hard, leaking cock. He wrapped it in his fist and gave it a few slow strokes. Kaya licked her lips before straddling his lap, easing down on his shaft until he was filling her up.
Kaya moved against him, using the muscles in her thighs to raise and lower her onto his cock. She gripped one of his shoulders for leverage while the other teased her nipples through the fabric of her dress. Her breasts had filled out even more since becoming pregnant, and Rafael couldn’t keep his hands or his mouth off them. Pulling the fabric down, exposing one of the hard peaks, Rafael tilted his head down until he could suck the nub into his mouth. Nipping with his teeth, he teased with his tongue and sucked just hard enough to elicit a gasp from his mate. He gave the other breast equal attention until Kaya pushed his head away. “I need you to move,” she urged.
Knowing the bench wasn’t comfortable for her knees, Rafael grabbed Kaya’s ass and stood. Using his shifter strength, he easily made love to his mate, thrusting up slowly before easing back out until the tip of his cock was at her entrance. Never taking their eyes off the other, Rafael loved Kaya as gently as possible while she held tightly around his neck. “Gods, I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too. More every day.”
Rafael kept a slow, steady pace, patiently waiting until Kaya’s body tightened inside, close to falling over the edge. When her breathing sped, he speared his cock deeper. Harder. Kaya closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side, offering him access if he wanted it. When her orgasm hit, Rafael’s fangs extended as her pussy gripped him from the inside. He knew they would make a mess, but he still couldn’t stop from spilling his seed deep within his mate. Not so gently, Rafael sank his teeth into the flesh between her neck and shoulder, growling against her skin.
Kaya grasped Rafael’s head with both hands, keeping his fangs where they were. She’d admitted long ago that his bite added to the euphoria of their coming together, and he always wanted each of her orgasms to be better than the last. The sigh leaving her mouth was the signal she was thoroughly blissed, and he retra
cted his fangs while settling back down on the bench, his half-hard cock still buried inside. Kaya’s mouth was on his before he could lick the blood from the puncture site.
When she leaned away, Kaya muttered, “It’s been a while since we made love in the jet.”
Rafael chuckled, and leaned in to kiss her nose. “Then I guess we should do something about that.”
“Yes, let’s.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lucy was surprised to have the lab to herself. All day, she kept waiting for her boss to barge in and demand to know what she’d been doing. What she had been tasked with was bad enough, but it was nerve-racking to constantly listen for the sound of the lock engaging. Lucy didn’t require eight hours of sleep on a daily basis to function well, but her night had been troubled with horrible images, making it impossible to sleep soundly. She wanted Tamian’s voice in her head. They’d said good morning, however briefly. His presence soothed her, but she also didn’t want to seem needy. He had told Lucy what he wanted her to do on her end, so she left him alone to carry out his plan in getting her free.
She had everything she needed to replicate the serum using her uncle’s formula, but she didn’t bother making any more. If Tamian was successful, Lucy would be out of the lab before the thirty days were up. Instead, she focused on looking for anything that would tie Ramey to the experiments. After some toast and coffee, Lucy decided to tear apart the computer. The scientists before her had mostly handwritten their notes, but there were files on the laptop going back a few years. One of the first things her friend Anna had taught her was nothing is ever completely deleted from a computer unless the user had more than average skills.
After a couple hours and not coming up with anything tying Ramey to the experiments, Lucy set about printing off everything pertaining to what she was supposed to be working on. What she did find that worried her was how the notes abruptly stopped. Not just with one scientist, but with a couple who’d been adding their input on the computer. She searched the written documents but couldn’t find where they had added anything. Why had they stopped? All she could come up with was they hadn’t been successful, and Ramey had replaced them.
Taking the printed sheets, Lucy added those to the notebooks and sorted them regarding the type of ability they pertained to. She then put everything in one spot so she and Tamian could easily grab it all when the time came. If Ramey asked, she would explain it as her way of organizing things to make it easier to sort through. She had no intention of carrying through with the experiments, but she had come up with her own plan of making it look as though she was working diligently. She’d read through enough of the notes to know what Ramey would look for should he come back to the lab.
It sounded crazy in her head, but as she cut into each torso, taking samples from each one, she apologized to them. Lucy knew in her heart they were victims. There was no proof indicating the torsos belonged to those who volunteered their bodies. When she got out of there, she vowed to find out where they came from. If Ramey was having people killed in the name of science, she would somehow prove it. Her family spent their time working against the Ministry, doing their best to rescue anyone who was being held against their will. She would ask them to aid her in this endeavor as well. If they couldn’t help, she would ask Tamian.
Then again, if she and Tamian were mates, and if they were compatible and ended up together, maybe she should ask him first. That’s what couples did, wasn’t it? Thinking about her grandparents, she knew she was right. Sutton had been the president of the Hounds, but that was the club, and like any other MC, only members had input, and Rory wasn’t a member. In all other facets of their lives, they were a team. Rarely was one seen without the other unless it was a time like when Rory came to visit at Lucy’s behest. And when Rory found out about Lucy’s problems, she had immediately shared them with her husband. Lucius and Vera had been close. Lucius might have hidden his work from Vera, but when it came to the way they interacted on a daily basis, there had been no doubt what they meant to one another.
Hell, even her father had put his wife’s wishes before everyone else’s. Lucy didn’t know the type of relationship her parents had, but if his actions didn’t speak of love, then what did? She had never thought about it that way. She’d only seen it from her point of view. Maybe she’d been too hard on her father. And maybe they could sit down and have a long talk once this ordeal was over.
Lucy wanted that type of love for herself. She wouldn’t jump right into a relationship with Tamian just because the fates had deemed them to be mates, but she wouldn’t dismiss it either. She didn’t have a lot of experience when it came to dating. She’d gone out with a handful of guys in college, but most of those dates ended with the men wanting sex and nothing else. Not that she’d been opposed to the sex, but only one of the guys had offered up a friendship before trying to get her into his bed. That had lasted part of her sophomore year. He’d been a senior, and when he graduated, their relationship had ended. After that, she focused on her studies.
Being an agent hadn’t afforded her much time to pursue another relationship, and now, she was glad. It would have sucked for her to have fallen in love only to have Tamian come into her life after the fact. From the little interaction they had and the way she’d already felt drawn to him, Lucy had a feeling she wouldn’t have been able to avoid him despite being with someone else.
The phone on the desk rang, pulling Lucy from her musings. As much as she wanted to ignore it, she thought it best to answer in case it was her boss. “Hello?”
“Agent Ball, how are you progressing?”
“It’s a slow process. Considering the short time I’ve been here, I’d say I’m making good progress.”
“Tell me what you have under the microscope.”
What? How the hell did he...? Lucy looked around and found several cameras mounted to the wall. “You’re watching me?”
“Of course I am. I can’t be there holding your hand. This is too important for me not to keep an eye on you. So tell me what you have.”
Lucy was pissed. Instead of answering, she laid the receiver down and moved into the apartment. At first glance, she didn’t find any cameras, but that didn’t mean there weren’t hidden ones. When she returned to the phone, Ramey was yelling at her. Interrupting his tirade, she said, “I do not appreciate having my privacy invaded in such a way. If I find out there are cameras in the apartment, I’ll—”
“You’ll do what? You are at my mercy, Agent Ball, and you’d do well to remember that. There are no cameras hidden in the private area, but maybe I should rethink that?”
“No, you shouldn’t.”
“Tell me what’s under the microscope.”
Lucy took a few calming breaths and explained what she was looking at. Now that she knew he could see her, she made the lie believable. She rattled off comparisons between what was on the slide and notes she’d read, praying he wasn’t as familiar with the terminology as he could be. After bullshitting for several minutes nonstop, she paused, waiting for his response.
“I will be stopping by later tonight. Let’s hope you are further along and have something new for me.” The call disconnected, and Lucy stared at the phone before hanging it up. It was all she could do not to look at the camera and flip him off. Dammit! She needed to tell Tamian the lab was under surveillance in case that messed with his plans in getting her out.
Lucy blew some wayward strands of hair off her face. “Tamian?”
God, when had she become so needy? No, this wasn’t needy. This was wanting to warn Tamian.
“Hey, Sweetheart.”
“We have a problem. There are security cameras here in the lab. Ramey is watching me.”
“Okay, don’t panic. That won’t be a problem later, but for now, don’t give him any reason to doubt you’re doing your job.”
“Yeah, okay. I just thought you might need to know.”
“I’m glad you told me. Anything else?”
&nbs
p; “No. I’ll let you get back to whatever it is your doing.”
“I’m guarding Ramey’s house so my sister can put cameras inside. A little turnabout being fair play and all that, right?”
Lucy ducked her head to hide her smile. No need to give Ramey any reason to come see her sooner.
“Right. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
“Later, love.”
Love? Nope. Lucy wasn’t going there. You didn’t fall in love with someone before you knew them. Except Rory told her she knew the moment she laid eyes on Sutton he was the one. Still. Lucy turned her attention to the microscope. As long as she was being watched, she might as well see if she could learn something while pretending.
Tessa took longer than Tamian expected. When she finally emerged from the house, she was grinning. “I might have done a little snooping while I was in there.”
“Yeah? Did you find anything interesting?”
“Let’s just say the man’s taste in porn is hardcore BDSM, and he has his very own dungeon that was locked up tight.”
“If it was locked up... never mind. I forget how skilled you are at breaking and entering. I’m not even going to ask what you found.”
“Let’s just say he’s into pain, and I’d lay odds he’s the one doing the inflicting.”
Tamian got behind the wheel of the rental so Tessa could boot up her laptop and check the connection to the cameras. “Did you find anything relating to what he has Lucy working on?”
“Yes. There’s a hidden compartment in one of his desk drawers. In it was a ledger with names and descriptions of who I’m assuming are the victims. I snapped pictures of the pages before putting things back exactly the way I found them.”
“While you were busy, Lucy informed me he has cameras in the lab. He’s watching her.”
“Is that going to be a problem when we break her out?”
