Gregor (Stone Society Book 2) (5 page)

Rafael’s
time with Kaya had passed too quickly. When she said she would give him a week
he didn’t realize most of his time would be spent taking care of Clan business.
Now that she was ready to go back to work, he had free time. “Bella Mia, please
take one more day. I am not ready to let you go.”

His
beautiful mate smiled up at him, her blonde hair fanned out over the pillows on
their bed. She had a satisfied look on her face, one he had put there. “You’re
very tempting, but one more day will turn into another one more day. I am
already behind in filing reports, and I don’t like that reporter knowing about
murders before I do. Besides, I need to keep an eye on Dane. I can’t believe
he’s a shifter. I’ve worked with him for years, and he’s never let on he’s
anything but human.”

“If
I hadn’t told you that I’m a shifter, you would never have known. Unless we
phase in front of someone, our secret is safe. I hope Jasper can get to the
bottom of what’s going on. If Dane is a newbie, that opens up a whole new set
of questions. I want you to be careful around him.”

“Like
I said, I’ve worked with him for years, and there’s no one I trust more to have
my back.” Kaya must have seen the hurt look in his eye because she quickly
amended her statement. “Except for you. I trust you with my life, my King.” 
She soothed the hurt away with her lips on his chest and her hand on his cock.

Rafael
knew better than to ask Kaya to quit her job. Until she was pregnant with their
child, she would continue working. For now, he didn’t want to talk about her
job or Dane. If he only had one more day with her, he was going to spend it in
bed. By the time he was finished with his Queen, she would be able to think of
nothing other than the way he made her feel. He pressed his lips to hers,
softly. His beast was momentarily sated, therefore he could give her some
tender loving. It wouldn’t take long before his needs turned rough again, so
while he could, he was going to be gentle.

Dane
was pouring over paperwork when Jasper walked into his office. Actually it was
Kaya’s office, but while she was on leave, he was taking advantage of the quiet
space. “Hey Abbott, how you doing?”  Jasper leaned against the door frame, arms
crossed over his chest. When Jasper confided he was a shifter, Dane wanted to
ask him a thousand and one questions. When he was going through his initial
transition, Tessa had told him there were others. She just didn’t tell him he
would be working with one.

“I’m
good. I was just going over the results from the coroner’s office.”  If he
could get his mind on business, he might possibly make it through the day
without talking about shifting. “The DNA results from the victim at the
warehouse match those from the hotel room, but we still can’t confirm the body
was that of Magnus Flanagan. We’ve searched every database there is, and there
is no record of Magnus Flanagan anywhere. I’m betting he had someone wipe his
identity so his brother couldn’t find him.”

“If
this victim isn’t Flanagan, why would he pretend to be? He would have to have known
the danger, unless he was trying to draw the man out. Who would be crazy enough
to do that? From what I’ve read, Gordon Flanagan is the vilest man to ever walk
this earth.”

“That’s
what we’re trying to find out. He’s not old, but he isn’t getting any younger. He
has made it his life’s mission to find that which was stolen from him. My guess
is he’s getting desperate and when people get desperate, bad things happen. I’d
say twelve dead bodies is just the beginning of what he has planned.”

“If
only Vincent Alexander would talk, maybe we could find out where Flanagan is
hiding out.”

Dane
thought for a second, “How do you know about Alexander? He was put in the Pen
before you got here.”  He observed Jasper’s face. For what, he wasn’t sure. Something
told him there was more to his new partner than what was visible on the
surface. Not that he thought Jasper was hiding anything, he was just different
somehow.

Jasper
closed the door and took the seat across from Dane. “I’ve been in town a while.
I was just waiting for my application to be approved. During that time, I kept
up with the goings on in the city. But back to my original question, how are
you? Are you getting your phasing under control?”

Dane
really needed to talk to Tessa. She and Caroline didn’t tell him not to talk
about himself but then again, they didn’t tell him to broadcast what he is
either. Before he could answer, the desk phone rang. He held up one finger to
Jasper and answered, “Abbott. Yeah, I’ll be right there.”  Speak of the devil,
Tessa was there to see him.

“I
have a visitor. We’ll need to finish this conversation later. For now, I need
you to see if you can locate Elizabeth Flanagan. I know it’s like finding a
needle in a haystack, but that’s what the chief wants us to do.”  Dane rose
from his chair and made his way to the front of the precinct.

Dane
couldn’t miss the looks Tessa was getting from his fellow officers. She was a
good-looking woman even if she was wearing a funky jacket. Before he knew they
were related, he thought she was hot. Now he could still appreciate her
attractiveness, just in a platonic way. “Tessa, what brings you here?”

Her
smile hadn’t changed. It was the same every time he saw her: bright with a
little smirk. “Is there somewhere private we can go?”

“Yeah,
we can go to my office.”  He led her back to Kaya’s office and shut the door. She
held her finger to her lips and pulled something out of her backpack. She sat a
small black box on the desk and flipped a switch. “Now we can talk without
anyone hearing us. Not that anyone here could actually hear us, but you can
never be too careful.”

Dane
pointed at the gizmo on the desk. “Where did you get that?” He knew hi-tech
items existed, he had just never seen one up close.

“From
your father. Now, how are you? I’m sorry I haven’t been by sooner, but I’ve
been keeping an eye on Isabelle.”

“My
father? Oh, Montague. It’s going to take some time to get used to the fact he’s
my biological father and that I’m, well, this.” He swept his hand down his body.
“Listen, I’m glad you stopped by. We have a new detective who just started,
Jasper Jenkins. Is he one of my brothers? Caroline didn’t tell me the names of
my siblings other than Isabelle.”

“Why
would you think he’s your brother? Did something happen?”

“You
could say that. When I first met him and shook his hand, my fangs dropped. He
just laughed. When I asked why he wasn’t freaked out, he said he was one of
us.”

Tessa’s
face paled. “Dane, he is not one of us, as in half-bloods. He must be a Gargoyle
and new to the city. Shit. There’s so much you need to know, and I don’t have
time to go into all of it. I’ve got a missing watcher
and
I have to head
out to Louisiana in the morning. I need to find out about this Jasper and why
he would just offer up that he’s a shifter, unless he hasn’t met them all and thinks
you’re a full-blood.”

“Isn’t
that a good thing? I mean, if he’s a shifter, I can learn from him.” Dane was
getting more confused.

Tessa
was shaking her head. “Gargoyles don’t know about us, Dane. We have kept
ourselves secret all these years. Your father was ostracized from the Originals
for mating with your human mother. If they find out about us, we don’t know
what the repercussions will be. I’m sorry I can stay longer, but I really have
to go. I need to see your sister before I head out of town. But listen, be
careful. Don’t give away any information about us to this Jasper. If he asks
questions, just be vague.”

Dane
knew that was going to be as impossible as finding Elizabeth Flanagan. “I’ll
try, but Tessa, he’s a detective. He’s smart
and
he’s a shifter.” 

“Just
do your best. I will be back as soon as I can, and we’ll talk more about it
then.”  She walked up to Dane and wrapped her arms around him in a sisterly hug.

The
door to the office opened, and Jasper stuck his head in. “Sorry to interrupt,
but we have another murder. I’ll just let you two get back to whatever you were
doing.”  He closed the door.

Dane
sighed, but Tessa laughed. “How long do you think it’ll take before this is all
over the precinct?”

“Not
long, you’re too cute.”  Dane grinned at his cousin. They said their goodbyes,
and Dane prepared mentally to go to the crime scene. No matter how many dead
bodies he saw, it never got easier.

Tessa
left the police station and rode to the prison. If she was lucky she would have
a chance to talk to Isabelle then sneak around and find Tamian. She needed to
get her hands on Belle’s electronic entrance card so she could visit other
levels. If she was unlucky, she’d run into Gregor. She spent all day going over
various scenarios of getting caught and getting away. She needed more Intel on
the layout of the Pen before she attempted breaking her brother out.

Tessa
had spent the last thirteen years honing her skills. Her cover as an
archaeologist enabled her to travel the world and keep an eye on her cousins.
Even though she was a watcher, her job sometimes came with danger. Not all of
the cousins were in semi-safe locations such as New Atlanta. When the near
apocalypse happened thirty-three years earlier, countries fell apart, causing
them to revert to less than civil behavior. Why her family didn’t have the
shifters move to safer cities was a mystery. It was a question she asked every
time she was in her father’s presence, and his answer was always the same: for
their safety. Xavier obviously hadn’t visited the cities where they lived, or
he would know the cousins were far from safe.

Tessa
slowed her bike as she neared the guard shack, but the man just waved her on
through. Hmm. That was unexpected. She drove around to the back of the building
and parked by Belle’s car. The same few vehicles were in the lot as were
yesterday with the exception of a van, so that meant Gregor was more than
likely in the building. Shit. Hopefully she could call Belle and bypass having
to deal with the warden. She pulled her cell out of her pocket just as the back
door opened. Luckily it was just one of the guards. She walked through the door
without being questioned.

She
probably should have called her cousin first, but if Belle was in a mood she
might not want to see her. Tessa slipped quietly down the now familiar
hallways. She paused at Gregor’s door, listening for any proof of her mate. He would
talk quietly, then he would pause. Good, he was on the phone. Curiosity got the
better of her so she listened closely. “We went out to a bar last night. No, it
was rather boring. There was a pretty blonde who caught my eye. Yeah, you know
I’m a sucker for blondes.”  Tessa was fuming. A
blonde
? What the fuck
happened after she left The Tavern? Did he not know she was his mate?
Fuck
you, Stone.
She continued on past his door to Isabelle’s office.

She
didn’t bother knocking; she just barged in and closed the door. Isabelle looked
up at her, eyebrows raised. “You know, you really shouldn’t just show up here
without calling. What if I wasn’t here? Would you just go through my office
like you go through my home?” 

Tessa
pulled the same black box out of her backpack that she had in Dane’s office.
She flipped the switch and set it on the corner of the desk. Isabelle pointed
at it, “What is that, and
what
are you wearing?”

“This
is a device that allows us to speak freely without being overheard. I don’t
want the warden’s super hearing to be a problem. Have you found out any more
about what Henshaw was up to?” Tessa didn’t explain the odd looking jacket she
was wearing.

Isabelle
shook her head. “No, but I don’t believe Gregor is in on it.”  Tessa cringed
every time her cousin called Gregor by his name. She couldn’t have the man, but
she didn’t want her cousin to harbor any feelings for him either.

“And
why’s that? You didn’t mention any of this to him, did you?”  She really hoped
Isabelle was being smart.

“Of
course not. He actually brought up the fact that Dr. Henshaw was having trouble
diagnosing some of the inmates, and he wanted me to pay careful attention to
those files. If he was in on it, he sure made himself seem innocent.”

“Innocent
my ass. I’m telling you, do not trust him.”

“What
do you have against Gregor other than him being a full-blood?”

Tessa
was not having this conversation now. “Isn’t that enough? Anyway, the reason
I’m here is to tell you I’m going out of town for a while. I have to check on
one of your siblings. She’s a few years older, and I haven’t visited her in a
while. I’ve called one of the other watchers, Sophia, and she’s on standby
should you need anything. Here’s her number. She’s a little younger, but she
has been training for a few years.”  Tessa handed Isabelle a slip of paper with
the information scribbled on it.

Isabelle
crossed her arms over her breasts. “Do you know all my siblings? Who are you
going to see, and where does she live? I would like to start meeting my
family.”

“Yes,
I know all your siblings, but they have no idea who I am. I am going to see
Lillian who lives in Louisiana. I understand how you feel, and as soon as I get
back, I will give you the lowdown on who your siblings are and where they all
live. Right now, I don’t have time,” Tessa explained.

“I
still don’t see why you feel like I need a babysitter. I’ve seen Dane change,
so I know what to expect. And I don’t go anywhere but here and home. If I were
going to run into my mate, I think I’d have done it by now, don’t you?”

“You
go to the grocery store, the gas station, the post office, the library. You
could run into him or her any of those places, including here.”  Tessa threw
the
her
in there just to get a rise out of her cousin. She knew Isabelle
had experimented with girls in college.

“What
do you mean
her
? I don’t like women, and if my mate happens to be a
woman, she’s just out of luck.”

“I’m
just saying your mate could be anyone, and you could be in their presence at
any time and not realize it. Now, I have to go pack. My plane leaves early in
the morning, and I need some sleep. Take care of yourself, and if you need anything,
don’t hesitate to call Sophia.”  Tessa packed the black box in her backpack and
started to slide it over her arms. On second thought, leaving the backpack
would give her an excuse to visit again. She didn’t wait for Isabelle to say goodbye.
Tessa slipped out the door and headed away from Gregor’s office. Tessa used her
bond with Tamian to search for him silently. When she got no response, she
found the nearest door leading to the stairwells.

Isabelle
would kill her if she found out her keycard was missing, but it was the only
way she would be able to look for Tamian. She was pretty sure the steps going
up led to the main cell blocks, but something in her gut told her to go down. At
the bottom of the steps was another door requiring her to use the access card. She
paused before swiping it, listening for guards. When she heard none, she swiped
the plastic and was grateful the buzzer made little sound. She hesitated again,
searching for guards. When she found none, she continued on her way. She had entered
solitary confinement. Tamian surely wouldn’t be down here because his crime
didn’t warrant it. Still, Tessa peered in the windows of the steel doors on the
first level. It wasn’t bedtime yet, but most of the men were lying on their
beds. Luck was on her side when she located her brother.
Tamian. Tam, wake
up.

Her
brother opened his eyes and jumped off the bed. “
Andi, what are you doing
down here?”

“I
told you I was going to get you out of here.”
That ever present pull between
them tugged at her brain.

“And
I told you I’m in here for a reason. Listen to me. I put myself here. I’m
undercover. You have got to stop this craziness before you get caught. How did
you get down here anyway?”

“That
doesn’t matter. What does matter is you. Are you okay? Why would you put
yourself in this hell hole?”

“I’m
trying to get Intel on Gordon. There are men in here who were in his army. I’m
listening to see if I pick up any information that can help us find him.”

“So
you just went and got yourself locked up? How did you manage solitary if you
were arrested for assault?”

“The
warden was in on it. Gregor and his cousin, the owner of the gym, asked me to
do this. Don’t you see? It’s perfect.”

“You
do know they’re full-bloods, don’t you?”
Tessa couldn’t believe he put himself in here with
the enemy.

“Yeah,
but they’re the good guys.”

“How
do you know that? Better yet, just how long have you been in New Atlanta?”

“I’ve
been here a while. Someone has to watch the watcher.”
Tamian winked at her.

Tessa
listened for a moment. She was out of time, someone was behind her. “
Tam, I
have to go. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself in here.”

“I
promise.”
Tamian
placed his hand on the glass.
“I love you, sis.”

“And
I love you.” She placed her hand on the window briefly before taking off at a
quiet jog. She hoped like hell there was another staircase leading back up to
the main floor. She opened a door and was thankful the stairs did indeed lead
up. She took off running up the stairs only to find the door to the main floor
wouldn’t open. Why would Isabelle not have access to the main floor?  She
couldn’t stop now, she continued up until she found a door she could open. The
one she finally found unlocked led to the roof.
Well shit.