by Cate Corvin
“Well, I have to say that I’m surprised. You’re not as weak-willed as most humans I’ve met.”
I whirled to find Angelique sitting on a settee at the end of Damien’s bed, gaze glued to her phone as she scrolled. Holy fuck, had she been here the whole time?
Obviously she had, and she’d heard everything. But why the hell was she in Damien’s bedroom in the first place? I was about to ask, but then I realized I didn’t give a shit. Not just then, anyway.
In no mood to deal with her, I went straight for the bed, tossed off my jacket and kicked my shoes off, then climbed up onto the pillow-top monstrosity. She could leave if she wanted, or she could sit there and scroll through—I craned my neck to see her phone—Dicks and Stones.
Wow. I snorted a laugh. For some reason, her being on the very risqué gargoyle dating app seemed so incongruous with her haughty demeanor, but then again, even uppity gargoyles needed to get laid, right?
She saw my gaze on her phone and quickly exited the app, showing her wallpaper to be a photo of a child’s drawing. I made out two figures on it before she turned off the screen altogether and tucked her phone away.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” I settled back on the bed, tucking my hands behind my head and closing my eyes. Sleep was already calling my name, and I was ready and willing to meet it halfway. “Why are you still here?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I have some work to do for Damien later, and there’s no point in taking the family chopper home only to leave again.”
Gargoyles and their choppers.
“Hmm. Okay, then.”
It was quiet for a long moment, and I could reach out and touch the Sandman, sleep was so close.
“I meant it, you know. You’re not what I expected.”
I opened my eyes to see her turned to look at me, expression thoughtful. “How so?”
“Most stonehearts have that sycophant thing going on, that crazy worship of what we are, and once they turn, they either keep it up, or they set out to abuse their new powers.” She cocked her head to the side. “Well, there’s the third kind, the females who search for the most powerful pureblood they can find and try to trap them. To be honest, I thought that’s what you’d done with Damien, but you don’t seem to want anything to do with him.”
Well, she was wrong no matter how you looked at it. I didn’t want anything to do with Damien’s power or money, but I wanted plenty to do with him. Plenty to do to him. Again. And being in this bed wasn’t helping that need at all. The image of myself lying here with my chest flayed open wasn’t even enough to dissuade my hormones from lusting after Damien.
Damn, I wasn’t any better than the teenage clerk, was I?
“With how pretty you are, I was sure you’d be after a ring on your finger before your chest had even healed completely.”
Okay, now I’d really entered the realm of the impossible. Model-gorgeous, perfect featured Angelique was calling me pretty? I was no slouch, but something wasn’t quite right there.
“Uh, thanks, but no. I have no interest in getting a ring on Damien.”
“Oh, it never would have happened. You’re pretty for a human, but you’re in the big leagues now. You don’t stand a chance.”
And there it was. That was much more in-line with my expectation of her.
“Please, stop,” I droned as I shut my eyes once again, “I can’t handle your flattery, it’s going straight to my head.”
Angelique huffed but didn’t say anything, and I searched behind my closed lids for the Sandman. I needed to apologize profusely for keeping him waiting.
My hair shifted as someone stroked my cheek, and I hummed in pleasure. The touch was so soft, and I wanted to burrow into it and regain my hold on sleep.
Until I thought about the last person who’d been in the room with me.
My eyes flew open and I opened my mouth to tell Angelique to back the fuck up, but I snapped it shut when I saw who stood over me. It was a blond, all right, but not the one I had expected.
“Hey, pardner.” Sawyer’s voice was low and sweet, a dark honey that made me want to grab him and pull him down on top of me.
But then the vents of the day flooded back and I resisted that urge. There were things to be settled before any hanky panky took place. Plus, even though I’d claimed the room for the time being, I had a feeling Damien might not appreciate me screwing the hell out of my gorgeous partner in his bed.
“What time is it?” I didn’t see a clock anywhere, but it was completely dark outside and it felt like I’d been asleep for hours.
“After midnight. You feeling alright?”
That flicker of irritation I always got when it felt like Sawyer was babying me came back. “I’m fine, Hawkins.”
He had the grace to look chagrined. “I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s habit. I’m not used to not having to worry about you just yet.”
I rolled onto my side and propped myself up on an elbow, which moved me closer to where he was perched on the edge of the bed. “I’m not saying you can’t worry about me, Sawyer. It’s natural to worry for those you care about. I just mean that you don’t have to kiss every bump and bruise and pat me on the head as you tell me I’ll be okay. I wasn’t breakable before, and I’m definitely not now.”
“You’re right. It’s just gonna be a hard switch to flip. But I will. Just be patient with me.” When he looked at me with that earnest gaze, was there really any chance I could ever deny him?
“I can do that.”
“So, about earlier—”
“Ugh!” I flopped onto my back and flung my arms wide. “Heaven save me from men who don’t know what to do with a strong woman!”
Sawyer laughed and moved with surprising agility until his upper body hovered over me. “Trust me, Sterling, I know exactly what to do with a strong woman. With this one in particular.” He lowered his head, slowly closing the gap between us.
My stoneheart almost felt like my former human model, I could swear my pulse was racing and my breathing had shallowed. I wasn’t going to fuck Sawyer in Damien’s bed, but where had I landed on kissing? Had that been established?
Sawyer’s lips touched mine, gently at first, then harder as he hummed his pleasure.
Kissing: totally allowed. Encouraged, even. Highly.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing our upper bodies together. He felt so good in my embrace, and that was to say nothing of the taste of him as his tongue swept inside to tangle with mine.
Just as things were getting good—one of my hands had found its way to his hip and was trying to tug him over me completely—he pulled away and sat up.
“They’re out there waiting.” His breathing was rapid and his voice was full of gravel.
The very horny woman in me wanted to know what had to do with anything, but thankfully my saner self prevailed. I scrubbed my face with my hands, though I did take a second to trail my fingers over my tender, kiss-swollen lips.
“What, uh… what do you mean they’re waiting? For me?” It was probably not a good idea to stay sprawled out on the bed looking like a sacrificial offering to a virile king, so I sat up and tried to smooth what I was sure was some atrocious bedhead.
“Kinda. I said I wanted to come talk to you in private. I guess they meant it when they said they’d honor your request for us to have time alone together. They promised not to come in unless invited. I think they’re just glad you’re not trying to escape again. At least for the moment.” The cheeky grin he gave me made me smile back. He knew me too well.
“I feel like I’m being such a brat, but then why shouldn’t I? I didn’t ask for this.”
“I know that. We all do. Especially Damien, and I’d be willing to bet money that some of his frustration and anger comes from guilt. He didn’t ask because he didn’t want to risk you saying no.” Damn. Was Sawyer always so insightful?
Yes. Yes, of course he was. Hadn’t he
said things in the past that made me wonder just what he knew about Josh’s and my relationship? He was the only one I’d ever confided in that Josh and I had broken up before he’d been killed. Sawyer hadn’t been the least bit surprised.
“Am I blind? Do I just not see the things that are right in front of my face?”
“No, Zar, you’re not blind. You’re focused. That tunnel vision you get is what keeps you from seeing smaller things in the periphery.”
“Josh’s crazy wasn’t peripheral, yet I still had no idea it had gotten so bad until it blew up in my face.”
“You knew. Difference is, you didn’t want to know that one. You cared about him, so you willfully ignored what he really was.”
He was right, and it galled me to think back on the shit I’d let slide for the sake of what I thought was going to be a life together.
“I may not be blind, but I was definitely pretty stupid, at least in that situation.”
“It’s not all on you. Josh was good at hiding his endgame with a charming smile and misdirection.”
“What do you mean?” The hairs on the back of my neck lifted. We never really talked about Josh, mostly because he was in my past and I didn’t want to dwell there, where I’d been afraid for my life half the time, and miserable the rest. But the way Sawyer said that, with such conviction… there had to be more to it than general dislike.
“Just things I noticed. There’s a bad element in the precinct, and he seemed to be part of it. Cops that like to skirt the rules to their advantage, bending them just far enough to get away with it without punishment.”
It was true. I’d confronted Josh on more than one occasion for being lax with procedure, but he’d still urged me to bend those rules with him.
“You think… you think he was dirty?” It was scandalous to even speak those words about a fellow officer, and it felt dirtier still to say it about one who wasn’t with us any longer. He couldn’t defend himself or clear his name.
“I honestly don’t know, Zar. He just… there were things about him that didn’t seem on the up and up. He spent a lot of time with other cops, talking in huddles that went silent as soon as a superior passed by. It could have been innocent, but it definitely didn’t look good.”
I remembered those huddles, and superiors weren’t the only ones they’d quieted around. I’d approached on several occasions to ask Josh if he was ready to head home only for conversation to abruptly halt, or for all of them to conveniently start saying their goodbyes.
Something else had been bothering me since Josh’s death, but I’d never had anyone I could talk to about it who would understand. Even as Sawyer and I had grown closer, it had felt wrong to voice my concern. But if ever there was a time…
“The night of the fire, there was something… strange.” He lifted a brow when I paused, waiting for me to continue. “The call about the alarm going off at the tower came through, but dispatch didn’t follow proper protocol. It wasn’t Andre, the dispatcher who’d been on shift when we left, it was someone I’d never heard before.”
“Maybe Andre had to go home and someone was filling in. He may have just not known procedures well yet.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. We were the only unit to respond to the call. After Josh confirmed we were en route, the radio went completely silent.” Sawyer frowned. Yeah, that wasn’t just unusual, it was completely unheard of. It absolutely never happened, especially not in New York City.
“Why didn’t you follow up?”
“It didn’t click in the moment, at least not completely. Josh was being a bastard, even more so than usual. He kept accusing me of shit, claiming I’d been fucking… you.” It was awkward to say, to talk about how even before anything had ever happened between us, Josh had been completely obsessed with Sawyer. “And then after he died and I went on leave, it just wasn’t important. Now I’m wondering if there was more to it.”
We sat in silence for long moments, and I could practically feel us both circling down the rabbit hole. Whatever Josh may have been into, there was a good chance that bad call had been a part of it. But what good did it do to prove it now? Josh was beyond the long arm of the law now, and digging it was up was likely to only make me enemies among his myriad admirers.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said with a shake of my head. “He’s gone, and tarnishing his memory by trying to prove it one way or another serves no purpose.”
“Hey. Sterling, look at me.” Sawyer tucked a knuckle under my chin and lifted so that I was forced to meet his eye. “He was a big part of your life. Knowing that he may not have been all you thought he was… it’s understandable for you to need the truth. If you want it, we’ll find it. Okay?”
I nodded wordlessly, my throat too tight for speech. I did need to know. But for now, I was done with this. I had more than enough on my plate without adding my possibly dirty dead ex-fiancé. I swallowed hard and pasted on a smile.
“So what have the three of you been up to while I was sleeping? And where did Angelique go? I thought it was her touching me when I woke up.”
He grinned. “I figured as much. You usually don’t mind my hands on you.” Thank goodness for slowed gargoyle circulation, otherwise I’d have been beet red at that. “Angelique had some business to attend to, so she left not too long after you came in here. Damien, Gio, and I talked about some safety-related stuff for you moving forward.”
I bristled a little, but fought it down. They were only trying to keep me safe. My apartment was out of the question, so I didn’t really have a viable alternative to whatever they’d come up with anyway.
“Don’t worry, pardner, I had your back. Honestly though, we all want you safe while still maintaining as much of your autonomy as possible. So the plan is for you to stay here, but you’ll have free run of the place. Gio will be here to escort you anywhere you want to go, either as a companion or he’ll stay further back and not bother you. Damien has already set up your room, he says it’s the nicest one after the master, but he said you can keep this room if you’d like.”
Well that wasn’t going to happen. I appreciated the offer, but I wanted my own space. I may have been able to block out the memory of my transplant today, but I’d had a lot on my mind. I didn’t relish the thought of waking up in a cold sweat from reliving it in my dreams, only to find myself right where it had happened.
“I’ll take the other room.”
“Good, because I don’t like the idea of sneaking into another man’s bed in the middle of the night to hold you.”
Damn, he was smooth. How had he managed to keep that back for so long? “That’s assuming Damien is willing to let you into the penthouse in the first place.”
“Well, that’s the other thing. As long as you’re here, I am, too. Damien’s already agreed to let me have another one of the rooms until the danger has passed. I don’t think he wants me here, but he’s smart enough not to refuse added security that you actually want around.”
Sawyer rose from the bed and held out a hand to help me up. I placed my palm in his and he lifted me effortlessly. Our fingers laced together, he led me out into the living room where Gio and Damien were lounging. It was odd to see Damien looking so relaxed after earlier. Seemed I wasn’t the only one who’d needed a little time to rest.
“I’m gonna show her to her room.”
“I’ll come with.” Gio bounded up from the couch, cock swinging free once again.
“Ditched the clothes, I see.” I couldn’t help my grin. The gargoyle did love his nudity.
“Always.” He gave a little shake of his hips that made his cock waggle, and it didn’t escape my notice that he was getting hard. The impulse to reach out and stroke him was strong, and I didn’t realize I was squeezing the shit out of Sawyer’s hand until he squeezed me back.
“This way.” I loosened my hold and followed.
I followed all twenty feet.
The door to my new room was at the beginning of the hallway, right next do
or to Damien’s. I didn’t think that was an accident.
When Sawyer twisted the knob and gave it a push, the door swung open to reveal a room that was far more opulent than any I’d ever stayed in, but it maintained an understated elegance that made it livable. I stepped inside and drew up short when I noted some of the things spread around the room.
My things.
Or at least, new replacements for the things that had been destroyed by the grenade. Books, a new journal and some of the art pens I liked to use, candles in my favorite scents. On top of the stack of books was a brand-new cellphone, far nicer than my old one, and since it was out of the box, I was willing to bet it was already set up.
“How…”
“Damien. We helped,” Gio offered.
So that was why he’d wanted to come with us. He wanted to see my reaction to their thoughtfulness.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice wobbling the slightest bit. I let go of Sawyer’s hand and got up on my toes to wrap my arms around Gio’s neck. He stooped to accommodate me, his arms going around my waist and clutching me tight.
“Whenever you need me, I’m just down the hall. You can come to me, or I’ll come to you. Either way, we’ll come.” He squeezed a little tighter when I snickered. He really was incorrigible. “I mean it. Whatever you need, okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered. I pulled back and brushed a kiss on his cheek, intending to let go, but his grip didn’t loosen. Instead he captured my lips with his and gave me a bruising kiss that stole my breath.
As fast as he’d kissed me, he was out the door, pulling it shut behind him. The way his wings had framed his bare ass on the way out was tantalizing as fuck, and I bit my lip to hold back a moan of appreciation. I turned to Sawyer, half-expecting fury to be painting his expression. Instead, he’d pulled down the covers on the bed and was positioning my pillow.
“Come on, lay down. You need more rest.”
He was right, I did. Despite my new nature, I felt run down, and damn did that bed look comfortable. Still, I needed to know if he was okay with what had just happened.
“Sawyer, about Gio—”