by Faith Gibson
“I thought you wanted to take the summer to relax?” Frey stepped closer, leaning his hip against the table where Matthew was folding towels. Deacon remained where he was, not wanting to get in the way.
“I did, but if I get a couple classes in now, I won’t have to worry about my schedule as much during the season.”
“I’ll have to get with Slade and see if he can get into his apartment earlier if that’s what you really want to do.”
“No!” Matthew took a deep breath. “About that. Can we have someone else babysit me?”
That was it. Deacon couldn’t stand by any longer while Matthew floundered without Slade. “I’m going to make a phone call,” Deacon said, leaving Matthew and Frey alone.
“Deke,” Frey called out, but Deacon kept going. He had vowed to stay out of the other male’s business, but Matthew was important to Deacon, and he at least had to tell Slade what was going on so he could think about how his decisions were affecting his mate.
Deacon walked out of the gym and moved around the side of the building for privacy. He took a deep breath, pushing it out as he hit Slade’s contact number.
“Deacon? What’s up?”
“Your boy is getting ready to run.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Deacon relayed the conversation. “He’s upset, Slade, and you’re the only one who can do anything about it.”
“You know I can’t,” Slade groaned.
“I don’t know anything of the sort. Frey has given his blessing, so anything else holding you back is just an excuse. Are you going to be okay with another male following him to Athens to watch over him? Spend time with him?”
“No, I’m not, but... Fuck. I’ll be there in twenty.” Slade disconnected, and Deacon returned inside. Frey was hugging Abbi, and Kai was holding Amelia’s hand. Dante had Connor off to the side. The Goyle was kneeling in front of his son, talking to him in hushed tones. Of all the emotions Deacon was getting hit with, Connor’s were the strongest. Even more so than Matthew’s. When Deacon looked around for the teen, he didn’t see him. Doing his best to close off everyone else around him, he reached out, searching. By the time Deacon got a lock on Matthew, the others were gathered together as Abbi readied the kids for the aquarium.
Lorenzo entered the building, and Amelia pulled away from Kai. “Uncle Zo!” she yelled as she launched herself at the newcomer. Deacon loved how the girl greeted all the Goyles enthusiastically, giving some of them cute nicknames. And by the look on Lorenzo’s face, he did as well.
“How’s the princess today?” Lor asked.
“We’re going to the aquarium. Uncle Deke’s afraid of sharks, so he’s not gonna go. Are you afraid of sharks?”
Lor winked at Deacon before answering. “Yes, I am. Have you seen the teeth on those things?” He did a full-body shiver, causing Amelia to laugh.
Amelia cupped her hand around her mouth and whispered into Lorenzo’s ear. Deacon didn’t want to intrude on her secret, so he turned and went in search of Matthew. The teen was in the men’s locker room, holding a bottle of cleaner and a rag. Instead of wiping down the counter, he was staring at nothing.
“I really am sorry for being rude,” Matt said when he noticed Deacon.
“Apology accepted. Would you like some help cleaning?” Deacon needed to get to the hospital to check on Sabrina, but he wasn’t going to leave Matthew until Slade showed up.
“Nah, but thanks. I’ve got most of it done. I just need to clean the showers, and then I’ll be finished.”
“If you’re su—”
“Matthew?” Slade rushed into the locker room, sliding to a stop when he saw the teen.
“I’ll just...” Deacon thumbed over his shoulder, leaving the two to talk. He clapped Slade on the shoulder when he passed by, squeezing hard. Deacon could hear Frey and Dante talking in the office, so he headed that way. When he entered the small room, he opened his mouth to tell them Slade was there, but when he noticed Lorenzo, he kept that to himself.
“I took the liberty of telling Frey and Lor about Connor’s drawing,” Dante said.
“Thanks. I’m sorry he had to see that in his mind. I don’t know how you do it. Either one of you. Kids are...” Deacon closed his eyes briefly. “Kids are great, but I can’t imagine being responsible for their well-being.”
“You don’t want kids with Sabrina?” Frey asked.
“If she wants them, I’ll deal with it, but I hope I can convince her to wait a while. First, we need to talk about that drawing and what it means. If something were to happen to her before we’re mated, it won’t matter if we want kids or not.”
“I talked to Gregor, and he’s good with you taking time away from the Pen. I’ve also asked Lorenzo to help cover your mate when you need to rest. For the time being, I’ve taken you both off Unholy patrol.” Frey stood and walked around to the front of his desk, leaning against it. “I know how it feels to have someone after your mate, and I also understand wanting to be the one guarding her. But you need to stay sharp. If you wear yourself down, you won’t be any good to her.”
“I’m not going to turn down help. Lor, I appreciate you stepping in. Between the two of us guarding her outside the hospital and Jonas and Paxton on the inside, we should be able to stop whatever it is Connor saw.” At least Deacon hoped they could. “The only thing that bothers me is he couldn’t see a face.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Dante said. “I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking the face was obscure because there’s only the possibility of what his vision showed happening. Most of the things he’s drawn perfectly have come to pass exactly the way he depicted.”
“What if it’s something that already happened? Could it be she’s blocking something from her past?” Lorenzo asked.
“That’s a valid point. That would be the less evil of the two scenarios. But until Deacon mates with her or at least finds out more about Sabrina, we need to be vigilant in her safety,” Dante said. “Jonas has agreed to shadow her at the hospital, as will Paxton. Jonathon doesn’t need a guard twenty-four seven, so Paxton can help Jonas when he has duties which pull him away from Sabrina.”
“I have a date with her Thursday night. If that goes well, I should be able to get closer to her sooner rather than later. I don’t want to drive her away by delving into her past too quickly, though.” Deacon was already nervous about the date. He didn’t need the added stress of pushing her away by saying the wrong thing.
“I’ll be glad to take the overnight shift at her home. If you’ll give me her address, I’ll go by and scope it out. Find the best vantage point to watch her from,” Lor offered. “Also, it might be prudent to have Julian run a basic background check on Sabrina. Nothing too invasive, but one deep enough to see if there’s something from her past that made its way into the news.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I wouldn’t look at it as an invasion of privacy but more of gathering intel for security purposes,” Frey added. “You won’t be the first Goyle to have checked into his mate. While you’re at it, why don’t you have him monitor the security cameras in the hospital? He has Lucy there to help, so it isn’t like he would be short-handed at the moment.”
“I’ll call him before I head to the hospital. Speaking of short-handed, what did Rafael decide about Lachlan? Did he ever get in touch with Hunter?”
Frey pushed off his desk and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Hunter told Rafe he would come to New Atlanta if it was absolutely necessary, but he still hasn’t forgiven his mate. Since Lucy is here training with Julian, Rafael put Lachlan’s release on hold. Lucy’s good, from what Jules says, and that gives them time to look for a replacement for when she and Tamian head to New York.”
Deacon ran a hand over his short hair. He didn’t want to have Julian dive too deep into Sabrina’s background, but he told himself it was necessary. “Okay. I’m out of here. Lorenzo, I’ll text you Sabrina’s address. If you’ll do midnight to six, that�
��ll give me plenty of downtime, and Jonas and Paxton will have eyes on her at the hospital.”
“You got it, Brother. And I’m always a phone call away if you need me during the day.”
Deacon gripped Lor’s hand and pulled him into a hug. Lorenzo left the office, and Deacon let out a deep breath. “Slade’s here. I haven’t felt Matthew’s turmoil in the last few minutes, so maybe the two of them are going to work things out.”
“I think I’ll go see how things are going. He is my son, after all.” Frey squeezed Deacon’s shoulder on his way out of the door.
“And I have blood samples to help my mate with. If you need us, don’t hesitate to call.” Dante patted Deacon’s arm and followed his cousin out of the office, leaving Deacon alone.
Deacon closed the door to Frey’s office so he could call Julian in private. He’d just pulled his phone out of his pocket when a text came through. When he opened it, Deacon barked out a laugh at the photo of Brynna holding several pairs of jeans and at least half a dozen shirts, her face smiling like she’d hit the lottery. If shopping made her happy, he was glad to have needed her assistance. Thinking of his date with Sabrina, he wondered if his mate liked the mall. That was a question he would ask on Thursday. He sent a return text to Brynna telling her to buy everything she was holding before he dialed Julian’s number.
Chapter Eight
HAVING HER BOSS shadow Sabrina shouldn’t have made her nervous, but she felt like there was more going on than him being cautious. She couldn’t be the first employee to have flowers delivered anonymously. And that shouldn’t have freaked her out as much as it had. After the phone call, Joseph had stuck to Sabrina every step she made with the exception of going into the restroom, and then he’d made her use the private one in his office.
When it was time for lunch, Joseph finally excused himself to take care of some business, but before he walked off, he told her a man named Paxton, one of the men who visited Jonathan Holt, would be guarding her.
“Joseph, I don’t think a guard is necessary.”
“Do this for my peace of mind. Paxton won’t follow you as closely as I did. As a matter of fact, you won’t even know he’s there.”
Sabrina had doubted she wouldn’t be able to find Paxton, especially if he was walking around in his uniform. Like the others who stood outside Jonathan’s hospital room, the man was large and impossible to miss. While she went about her day, Sabrina searched for the man, but either Joseph had been correct and the man was stealthy, or he’d given up on following her around the hospital. That was fine with her if he had. She didn’t need to take someone away from their job just because she was being foolish.
Although Mr. Holt had decided to stop treatment, Sabrina still stopped by to see him before she left for the day. Her breath caught when she walked in. Deacon’s head was tossed back, his throat vibrating as he laughed at something the older man had said. When he turned her way, Deacon’s eyes sparkled, and his smile was blinding. This one encounter was enough to have her defenses evaporate, so she didn’t know how she was going to make it through a date with the man.
Deacon stood and gently patted Jonathan on the leg. “Do you need anything before I go?”
Jonathan started to say something, but he choked on a cough before he could get the words out. Deacon rushed forward, pulling the older man up to a seated position, wrapping his massive arms around his friend so quickly Sabrina barely registered him moving. When the coughing spell was over, Jonathan patted Deacon’s hand, and Deacon slowly lowered the patient back to the bed. “Thank you, Deacon,” Jonathan whispered. Deacon brushed the man’s hair back off his forehead with such tenderness, Sabrina could only stare in wonderment. She knew not all large men were abusive, but to see the way Deacon tended to his friend chipped away another piece of her armor.
Maybe, just maybe, going on a date with Deacon would help tip the scales away from thoughts of all larger men being bad news. Heck, he was already doing that. As was the man she noticed leaning against the wall just inside the door. Paxton inclined his head to her before pushing away from the wall and stepping up to the other side of Jonathan’s bed. Deacon looked at Paxton, and the man nodded. Whatever the silent question had been, Deacon must have liked the answer, because he squeezed Jonathan’s hand and said he’d see him the next day.
Sabrina caught Deacon’s eye as he was walking out of the room. She didn’t say anything, only gave him a sad smile. After spending a few minutes with the patient, Sabrina left the room to make her way to her office so she could gather her things to head home. She should have been surprised to find Deacon waiting on her, but she wasn’t.
“Leaving for the day?” he asked.
“Yes. I just need to grab my things.”
“I’ll walk you out.” The way he said it left no room for argument, and if she was being honest, Sabrina was thankful her boss and these other men were watching out for her. You’re under their protection. Joseph’s words came back to her in that moment. As they walked the hallways, Deacon didn’t try to engage in conversation. He silently followed her while she retrieved her purse, shut down her computer, and locked the door. When they made it to her car in the parking garage, Deacon opened her door after she hit the fob to unlock it. Once she was seated, Deacon said, “Drive safe.” He closed the door for her, and Sabrina watched in her mirror as Deacon strode to a motorcycle parked a couple spots over. She’d never thought much about bikes, but damn if he didn’t make his look sexy. Oh yeah. She was in trouble with this one.
Sabrina blew out a breath and started her car. Deacon spoke very little after leaving Mr. Holt’s room, and he didn’t touch her. She wanted him to. Badly. Several times she felt the urge to reach out and touch his arm or hold his hand. Each time, she had to forcibly resist. What was it about him that drew her to him? After dating Garrison, Sabrina could appreciate a man who didn’t have much to say as long as he wasn’t always quiet. It would make for a long dinner if she had to carry the whole conversation.
Deacon followed her out of the garage and turned right onto the street behind her. He followed her all the way home, but when she pulled into her driveway, he didn’t stop. She had already texted her address to him for their date, so him knowing where she lived didn’t bother her. What did make her take pause was the fact that she wished he’d pulled in the driveway behind her and asked to come inside.
She was used to being alone for the most part, but she was at the point in her life where she was ready for companionship. At least on the weekends and maybe a couple nights during the week, if not more. She’d tried it with Garrison, but he had been the wrong man. Maybe Deacon would be the right one. When she stepped inside, Sabrina paused, trying to picture Deacon in her home. Would he sit in the recliner and expect her to wait on him? Or would he join her in the kitchen and help her with supper? Maybe he’d be the one to cook for her.
Sabrina laughed out loud imagining someone like Deacon donning an apron and puttering around the kitchen. She’d never thought of herself dating a biker. Or a warden at the penitentiary. Would he expect her to ride on the back of his motorcycle when he took her out Thursday? Surely the man had a car. But if he didn’t, she would gladly climb behind him and wrap her arms around his tight body. Sabrina laughed again. “Girl, you are getting way ahead of yourself.” Shaking her head, she went into her bedroom to change into her comfy clothes. Since she was alone, she took off her bra and breathed a sigh of relief as she did every day at this time.
After slipping into some yoga pants and a T-shirt, she padded back to the kitchen to find something to eat. As much as she’d hated the way Garrison treated her, Sabrina was looking forward to her date and what happened after. If things went well, she would enjoy asking Deacon over so she could cook for him. It was something she loved doing. It was one of the things that let her mind drift away from the patients and their diseases. Cooking for one wasn’t nearly as fun as whipping up a large meal to share with someone else. She opened the fridge so she coul
d see what she had on hand. If their date went well, she was going to ask Deacon over on Saturday, and she wanted to be prepared ahead of time.
“Getting ahead of yourself again,” she said aloud. But after talking with Joseph, Sabrina had a good feeling about Deacon. She already felt safe with him. Well, maybe not safe from the way she was drawn to him. She would need to be on guard if they were alone, because she didn’t trust herself not to jump him as soon as they were behind closed doors. Maybe it had been too long since she’d had a man in her bed. Or maybe Deacon was just that sexy.
Thinking about what she would like to cook and seeing what she needed from the store, Sabrina made a grocery list. She had plenty of time to get to the store before the weekend. And maybe while she was out, she would stop at the mall and find some new lingerie. Just in case.
DEACON MET LORENZO and Mason at an elementary school not far from Sabrina’s house so one of them could take his bike back to his house. He didn’t trust leaving his baby out where it could get trashed by teenagers with nothing better to do, or worse, stolen. Lorenzo had already scoped out the neighborhood and found the perfect spot to watch her home where they wouldn’t be seen. After making his way to a vacant house behind Sabrina’s, Deacon climbed to the roof and settled in.
While keeping his senses alert for anything amiss around Sabrina’s home, Deacon opened his phone to read the document Julian had sent. It tore at Deacon’s heart reading about Sabrina’s less than stellar childhood. Being an only child, he didn’t know what it was like having a sibling, much less three. And to be separated from them? That had to have hurt. It didn’t surprise him that Sabrina had accumulated debt from college and medical school. According to Julian’s findings, Sabrina’s grandmother had left a small sum of money in the bank upon her death, but it hadn’t been enough to pay for much of Sabrina’s education. Deacon felt guilty for prying into her personal information, but he wanted to help her any way he could. He should’ve waited until they completed the bond and handled it then, but he wanted his mate to have every advantage, and that included not being bogged down worrying about finances. Besides, who knew when they’d actually get around to completing the bond? They had yet to go on a date or spend any amount of time together.
