by Faith Gibson
It wasn’t long before Lucy’s breathing evened out, and she drifted off to sleep. Instead of waking her so he could clean her up, Tamian let her rest. He held her close, reveling in the fact that they were mated, and now he had what the others did. When he thought back over the last hour and how their lovemaking had far surpassed any expectations he’d had, his cock started getting hard, so he turned his attention to things that would keep his excitement at bay, like what was going on back in the States with her boss. If Julian couldn’t work his magic, Tamian would find Ramey and convince him to tell the truth.
The mood at the manor was more somber than usual. Rafael convinced Priscilla to cook breakfast, and after everyone had their stomachs full, he directed the males outside so they could talk about what was going on, while the mates did their best to keep Priscilla’s mind off Jonathan. When he returned home the night before, Rafael was still upset after his discussion with Julian. Once he and Kaya settled in for the night, Rafael explained to her why he was hurt. She’d listened intently before easing his mood with both her words and her mouth on his cock. She calmed him in a way no one else could, and as he remained awake after making love with his mate, he understood the others didn’t think less of him.
He was King, but he was also their brother, and as such, they took on burdens so he wouldn’t have to. It was what family did. Even though he’d instructed Julian to take the day off, he and Katherine arrived along with the others, explaining how missing Priscilla’s cooking would have been a travesty. Rafael couldn’t disagree. Once he brought up the topic of Lachlan, he was glad his cousin was there.
“First off, I want you to know I appreciate you all more than you know. I was going to apologize for not seeing what everyone was going through, how some of you were trying to take some of the burden off my shoulders, but Kaya made me realize it’s what family does. We take on more than we should to keep each other from taking on too much.
“With some of the Greeks making their way into our city, I’m convinced Drago is building an army. We need to find his base of operations as well as figure out how he’s creating Unholy who are more than mindless drones. We need to follow them and figure out where they go during the day. If we need to call in reinforcements, then that’s what we’ll do. Sin has noticed more movement on the West Coast, but Dominic hasn’t seen an Unholy in weeks. Julian hasn’t had a chance to look into where the Greeks landed, because he’s been focused on helping Tamian’s mate.
“As you all know, Lucy is a Gryphon, and I had the opportunity to speak with some of her family. The Hounds of Zeus are a Greek legend, with Zeus creating the Gryphons – his Hounds – to watch over humans. We now know they’re more than a legend. Lucy’s family, the Lazlos, use the Hounds as the name for their motorcycle club, allowing only other Gryphons to be members. To those on the outside, the Hounds are nothing more than a club doing what other motorcycle gangs do. In truth, they are much like our Clan, but instead of focusing on the Unholy, they search for the Ministry.”
“Isn’t that the religious group who took credit for bombing Jonas’s clinic?” Frey asked.
“Yes. They’ve grown into a worldwide cult, and the Hounds search them out, taking down the leaders while trying to get the members help after they’ve disbanded the group. While they are basically mercenaries, I can’t argue with their methods. Innocent humans are taken in and brainwashed. The only religion these bastards adhere to is their own, trying to create a purer race. Think skinheads from a few decades back. Or Hitler. The Hounds do what is necessary to keep a war from breaking out.
“Having said that, they are willing to help however they can with the Unholy, but they have their own hands full.” Rafael explained how Lucy was coerced into joining the GIA. “She isn’t anywhere nearly as skilled as Julian with a computer. She learned a few hacking skills from a college classmate, but we think there’s more to it than the little bit of illegal searching she did when trying to find her father. Her boss, Deputy Director Phil Ramey, worked with Lucy’s father to create his own kind of super soldier. Lucy will be able to tell us more about that once we clear her name and take out her boss.”
Rafael talked about his and Kaya’s trip to New York and then on to New DC, and what Lucy had been forced to do. For some reason, Tessa had called Rafael instead of Gregor once they had Lucy back safe. He’d wanted to confide in his brother about the conversation with Tessa regarding children, but he decided it was best if they worked it out themselves. Rafael had his own problems to worry about, like helping Julian.
“When Lucy is in the clear, it’s possible she will go back to helping her family search for the Ministry using her computer skills. Julian has agreed to teach Lucy, but that brings about another issue. Julian needs help past what Nik and Tessa are able to give.”
Rafael paused to take a sip of coffee while the others waited. Usually they would jump in and offer suggestions, but he’d made it clear before they started, he would do the talking. “After a lot of internal debate and talking it over with Julian, I reached out to Hunter this morning to get his opinion on Lachlan. We know what the male is capable of, and while I don’t trust him farther than Priscilla can throw him, I’ve decided to allow him to work with Julian until we can find someone else to help out in the lab. Hunter has agreed to relocate to New Atlanta in the interim to keep an eye on his mate.”
“What kind of assurance will we have that he won’t try to screw us over again?” Jasper asked.
“Before he’s released from the Pen, I’ll make it perfectly clear he has one chance to right the wrongs he did to our family. At the first sign of betrayal, I’ll take his head.” Rafael made that concession perfectly clear to Hunter, and the male could only agree to the terms, knowing it was the right call. “There’s a lot going on in all our lives, but it’s nothing we can’t handle as a Clan and as a family. We thought things would die down once Alistair was out of the picture, but now we have Drago to worry about. I’m looking forward to the day we can sit back and enjoy our mates and the children who are on their way into our lives, but until then, we need to continue working to make their world a safer place. Now, I don’t know about you, but I could go for a game of football. Who’s in?”
Ramey’s computer expert assured him he had all the feed from the cameras erased and destroyed. Before making his way to the lab, Ramey tried to contact all the workers from the lab who disappeared before he began shooting. Each one had signed a nondisclosure agreement, and they knew the ramifications of talking about what they saw or even where the building was. He’d made sure they were paid handsomely for their loyalty. He’d only found one of the employees, because the others had mysteriously taken extended vacations, according to their families. The one man he’d spoken to had been on his way out the door with several suitcases. When Ramey asked where he thought he was going, the man looked at him with a blank expression and replied, “To Hawaii,” showing Ramey the plane ticket.
Ramey contacted the airline as well as the hotel and canceled the reservations. It would be easier for the man to simply go missing than to miss his flight or not show up at the hotel. After loading the body into the back of the utility van he was driving, Ramey made his way to the lab. The man’s body would join those of the six Ramey had gunned down.
He wasn’t a small man, but dragging all that dead weight down to the lab by himself was taxing. While he caught his breath, Ramey unplugged computers, placing them on the cart used to haul the torsos. He cursed Lucy Ball as he thought of how much money he’d spent setting up the lab with the extensive equipment. If his suspicions were correct, there was the same equipment at Lucy’s home, and Ramey planned to retrieve it. That would help keep start-up costs down when he set up a new laboratory.
Once all the computer hardware as well as the handwritten notes were safely aboveground, Ramey doused the lab in gasoline. He stopped at every floor above the basement and did the same thing. When he was certain no shred of evidence would remain, he flicked open a ligh
ter and tossed it into the middle of the last room, where he’d pushed all the paper and cardboard into a pile. He watched it burn, making sure it was going to catch well enough to spread before rushing outside. After stowing the computer equipment and papers in his trunk, Ramey stood back while twenty years’ worth of work went up in flames.
Breaking twigs crunched behind him, and Ramey turned just in time to see a lion trot out of the woods. “What the hell?” He was nowhere near a zoo, and he didn’t understand how the animal was there. Ramey slowly backed toward his car as the heat from the fire fanned around him. Before he could reach safety, the animal lunged, knocking him backwards. Ramey attempted to shield his face from the sharp teeth, but he was no match for the beast. The large cat tore at his body with his teeth and claws. With one swipe of the lion’s front leg, pain like he’d never felt before ripped through Ramey’s neck.
He wrapped both hands around the wound, trying to stop the blood from leaving his body, but it was futile. Ramey knew he was close to death because his mind was playing tricks on him. The lion huffed in his face before morphing into an eagle with blue wings. Just before Ramey slipped away, the majestic bird took off into the air.
The day had been as close to perfect as Drago could have asked for. Arden kept Lacy occupied, and he and Audrey spent the whole day together. For a while, he’d forgotten all about the Unholy and planning his takeover. His mate was not only stunning in her two-piece as they walked along the water’s edge, but she was funny. He didn’t understand a lot of the pop culture she referenced, but he tucked away everything she said, vowing to study up on her interests so he could converse with her and not feel like a dolt.
He didn’t push for anything physical with her, against his beast’s wishes. Drago knew from spending time with her she would bolt at the first sign of aggression. He’d managed to get her to open up about her husband. He didn’t want to hear of their intimacy, but the more he knew about Burt Hughes, the better equipped he would be in taking the human down. After hearing of the man’s infidelity, Drago decided death would be too good for the man. Audrey had offered her husband an uncontested divorce, splitting things in half. That wasn’t good enough for Drago. If only Achilles was still around, Drago would call on the hacker and have him ruin Hughes in a different way. Drago thought back to the human kid Kallisto had hired. When he returned to New Atlanta, he would reach out to the human and offer him a job.
Audrey was leaving the next morning to return to Alabama and her life there. Drago needed Audrey by his side and in his bed. Taking her back to New Atlanta was a bad idea. If she found out about him and his plans, he had no doubt he’d lose her. Maybe a long-distance relationship was for the best. He didn’t need the distraction a mate would bring, but there was no way he could walk away from her. He’d never been the type of male to do the honorable thing, but he’d never met his mate. Drago would bide his time, get his revenge on Audrey’s husband on her behalf, and then he would decide how best to handle having her in his life.
He had dropped her off at her room earlier to shower and change for dinner. He met up with Arden to talk about the individual Greeks who’d made the trip to Florida. When it was time to retrieve the females for their last night together, He and Arden headed to the floor above them where Audrey’s room was. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Drago knew something was wrong. They both took off running, and when they reached the females’ room, strange sounds made Drago’s beast burst forth. He kicked open the door but stopped short when he saw one of the Greek males fucking Lacy. Drago rushed the male, slashing his claws across the other Goyle’s neck before pushing him off Lacy.
While Arden checked on the brunette, Drago searched the room for Audrey. When he found her, beaten and bruised with blood running down the corner of her mouth, he turned on the male. He didn’t have to check Audrey for a pulse. He couldn’t feel her life essence. Their tether had been severed. For one small moment in time, he’d considered a life filled with the love of a mate. The children they would have. He should have known better. No, Gargoyles like him weren’t fit for love. Turning on the male who’d taken Audrey’s life, he told him, “Run.”
The male didn’t hesitate to rush from the room. Drago wasn’t giving him a head-start. He just wanted to be alone with Audrey for a moment before he went in search of his blade. It didn’t matter what the male thought Drago’s reason was for letting him go; Drago would find him and take his head. If any other Gargoyles got in his way, he’d kill them as well. He needed an army, but for a brief, flickering moment, he’d had a purpose, other than killing Rafael Stone. Now, that purpose was gone, and he had nothing holding him back.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lucy had expected to stay in bed all day, but Tamian insisted on feeding her. As soon as the smell of bacon hit her nose, her stomach rumbled, and she couldn’t deny she was hungry. Lucy wasn’t a bad cook, but most of her time had been spent away from home, and she never had much of a chance to try new recipes. Cooking for one person sucked, and she hated throwing food out when she had to take off on a new assignment. Tamian, however, was at home in the kitchen, moving with the grace of a dancer.
With a cup of coffee in her hands, Lucy sat at the large island, studying her mate. They had made love several times, both in the bed and out. Tamian’s shower – their shower – was large enough for six people, and she shivered remembering how he took her against the tile walls. Tamian turned, his now blue eyes flashing with heat.
“You need to rein in your thoughts, or we’ll never get through breakfast.”
“Are you reading my mind?” she asked, smirking over her cup as she lifted it to her lips. She would not apologize for thinking sexy thoughts.
“I don’t have to. Your pulse is racing. Unless you’re worried about something, it means you’re thinking about sex. Plus, I can smell your arousal.”
“What can I say? You make me think naughty things.”
“We have the rest of our lives for naughty things.” Tamian dumped the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate before he pulled the eggs from the fridge. “We need to discuss what happens when we leave here.”
“What do you want to happen?” Lucy knew her heart, but she didn’t want to put ideas into Tamian’s head. He had already proven to be too sweet to her, and he would give in to whatever she wanted. Lucy didn’t expect to make all the decisions. She didn’t want to make them. She wanted their relationship to be an equal partnership.
“I want you to be happy, Sweetheart. If you want to live in New York and help your family, that’s what we’ll do. If you want to stay here and hide away from the world, I’m not opposed,” Tamian said, wiggling his eyebrows. Lucy laughed, cocking her head to the side. How had she gotten so lucky? He truly was perfect. “If you want to move to New Atlanta and let Julian teach you more about computers, he’s already agreed.”
“What about your wants and needs? I don’t want everything to be about me. We should make decisions that are in both our best interests.”
Tamian turned the heat down on the eggs and gave her his full attention. “The only thing I have to decide is whether or not to take over as King of Italy, and if we agreed on that subject, I can rule from anywhere. My father rules from New York, so I don’t see why I couldn’t as well. We don’t have to rush into that decision. When I was single, it wasn’t that big a deal. Now, I have a mate to consider, and your needs and wants come first. You’re young, Lucy. Pardon the cliché, but the world truly is your oyster. We have more money than we’ll ever spend, and if you decide you want to give up working, we can travel the world and see every corner, curve, ocean, sea, and mountain.”
Yep, her mate was perfect. “I’m not ready to retire just yet. I did quite a bit of traveling growing up, so it isn’t something I need to do full time. If I can get out of my contract with the GIA, I would like to help the Hounds, so studying computers with Julian sounds like a good idea. Plus, being in New Atlanta will keep you closer to Tessa for a bit and allow
me time to get to know your family and Clan. The way I see it, we both have the same oyster available to us.”
Lucy could feel the bond between the siblings, and she didn’t want to take them away from each other. She also wasn’t opposed to putting some space between herself and the Hounds. She’d eventually have to face Monk, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. She wanted him to get back to his life with the MC without her around to make him feel worse than he already did. His parting words to her and the look on his face hurt her heart. She’d never given him any indication she returned his affection, but she couldn’t discount his feelings either.
She loved her family, as overbearing as they could be. If she told them she was moving to Georgia to better help the Hounds, they would have to agree it was for the best. Between bouts of lovemaking, Lucy had taken the time to think about their future. She felt moving to New Atlanta was best for everyone.
“I realize I’m young, and I don’t know everything about your kind, but I’m not opposed to becoming Queen. If you can rule from anywhere, I don’t see it as an issue, but that’s one decision I’m going to leave up to you. Learning from Julian interests me, and once I get some experience under my belt, I’ll be able to work from anywhere. We can come back to Italy as often as you need.”
Smiling, Tamian returned his attention to the stove. “You are perfect, Sweetheart. Thank you for wanting me to be happy.”
“Why wouldn’t I? If you’re happy, you’re going to work harder to see to my needs and happiness. It’s a win-win situation. I know we’ve only just met, and we’re still learning things about each other. I’m looking forward to a future with you, once my name is cleared. We are blessed. We both have families who have our backs. We don’t have to worry about money or homes. We can do whatever we want, and what we want is to make the world a better place.”
