by Faith Gibson
Laughter coming from the kitchen grabbed Gregor’s attention. “You should have seen him, he was as surprised as I was.” Jasper, a cousin who had recently relocated from the west coast, was telling a tale. When he first arrived, the man would barely speak. Now he fit right in with the rest of them.
“Who are you talking about?” Gregor clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by.
“Dane Abbott, Kaya’s detective. We shook hands, and his fangs popped out.”
All conversation ceased as everyone turned to Jasper. Kaya dropped her coffee cup, the hot liquid splashing on her jean-clad legs. “What did you say?” She gripped Rafael’s arm for support. Priscilla, the housekeeper, grabbed a towel, mopping up the spilled coffee. “Please, Priscilla, I will clean up the mess. I’m the one who made it.” Kaya pulled at the older woman, trying to get her off the floor.
“Priscilla, we’ll clean this up. Please continue with breakfast.” Rafael asked everyone to make their way to the dining room. Once everyone was seated, he turned to Jasper. “Are you saying Dane Abbott is a shifter?”
“Well, yeah, but I think he’s a newbie. He had no control over his phase.”
Kaya asked, “What’s a newbie?”
Rafael explained it to her. “Someone who has just started their transitions. Mason is a newbie, but he had control of his phasing after the first day. Jas, how did he explain it?”
“He didn’t really, just said he was still getting the hang of it and wanted to know how I knew about phasing. I told him because I was one of his kind. He then mentioned Kaya being out for a few days, and I told him I had met Kaya and thought she was really nice. He wanted to know when I met her, and I said when she was kidnapped.”
“Did you tell him I’m a shifter?” Rafael sounded a little irritated.
“No, he said he had a brief to conduct, and he dropped the subject. Seriously though, he’s too old to be a newbie.”
“Kaya, when Dane was missing, where did he say he had been?” Rafael threaded his fingers through hers while he spoke to his Queen. If they were in the same room, Rafael was usually touching her.
“He said he was in the hospital, or a private clinic to be more precise.”
“This doesn’t make any sense. If he were one of ours, we would know about it. Jasper, get close to Dane and find out as much as you can. If he won’t open up, then I will think of something else. Kaya, don’t let on that you know anything just yet. If he didn’t tell you the truth before, I doubt he will now. We need to find out all we can about Dane.”
“Gregor, any word from our inmate?” They were hoping to get information voluntarily out of Vincent Alexander.
Gregor shook his head, “Not yet. He must have been a chain smoker, because all he writes is ‘cigarette’. The doctor prescribed the patch for him, but I’ve watched him through the window. After a few minutes he pulls it off and throws it on the floor. As far as any information, nothing. I’m going to give it a few more days.” He didn’t have to finish his statement. If after a few more days they still didn’t have any information on Gordon Flanagan, Gregor would get tough with him. Try to make him communicate.
After breakfast was over, the men all went their separate ways. Gregor hung back, asking to speak with Rafe.
“What is it my brother?” Rafael asked Kaya to excuse them as they walked outside to the patio.
“I think I’ve found my mate. There’s something strange about it though. Dante and I went out last night, and I saw a redhead who bumped into me a few years ago. Back then, I didn’t think anything about the reaction my body had to hers. Knowing about the possibility of mating with humans has me taking a closer look. Last night, I thought I was going to pass out. Just being close to her had my head in a fog. I wanted to see if I could get a reaction from her so I kissed her. Rafe, I thought she was going to fuck me right there in the bar. Until she bit me. The brat bit me.” Gregor was laughing now even though it hadn’t been funny the night before.
“Then what happened?”
“She told me I creeped her out, threw her pool stick down, and stormed out of the place.” Gregor didn’t laugh at that. He wasn’t a desperate man who hit on random women. The women came to him. “At first I was confused, because I had these feelings at work. Then I remembered what Nikolas said about Tessa being a redhead and riding a motorcycle. It took me a while, but I think I’ve finally put two and two together. Rafe, I need to see a picture of Tessa.”
“I’m sure Nik or Julian can provide you with one. Go to the lab before you go to the Pen. Gregor, if Tessa is your mate, this could be good for us.” Tessa had knowledge about Jonas Montague that the men needed.
Gregor shook his head sadly. “I hate to say this, but I don’t think I’m going to get the fairy tale romance you and Kaya have, Brother. Red obviously doesn’t like me, and I pretty much can’t handle being around her. No, for whatever reasons, the fates have decided to play a joke on me.”
“You don’t know that. I felt the same way at first when I met Kaya, but let me tell you something. When you get the beast under control, it will be like nothing you ever imagined.”
“I hope you’re right. Now, go be with your woman. I’ll talk to you later.” Gregor pulled Rafe in, clapped him on the back with a quick hug, and released him. “Be well, my brother.”
“And you as well.”
Gregor wasn’t concerned about his beast. He didn’t think this woman would let him close enough to need to contain his inner hunger. For whatever reason, she didn’t like him. If he didn’t know this, he would think she was the perfect woman. She was a feisty redhead who rode a motorcycle and shot pool with the best of them. She had a smart mouth, and she cursed too much. While that might turn some men off, Gregor found it appealing. She was a tough broad, and that cranked his motor.
When he arrived at the lab, Gregor parked his Hummer between Julian’s Corvette and Nik’s Audi. The sports cars were cool but Gregor preferred the more rugged vehicle. While he did have a few muscle cars tucked away in his garage, if he needed speed, he would hop on his motorcycle and ride the wind.
Once inside, he found both his cousins at their computers, fingers tapping away at their keyboards. It never ceased to amaze him how geeky they both were. If geeky meant being the best at what they did, who was he to judge?
“Gregor, what brings you here?” Julian asked while continuing to type.
“I need to see a picture of Tessa Blackmore.” He really didn’t want to get into the mate discussion again, but he knew they wouldn’t let this go with no explanation.
Nikolas stopped typing and asked, “Didn’t you say she had visited the Pen? How do you not know what she looks like?”
“Yes she visits. It’s just that every time she has, I’ve been busy with something else, you know like putting Unholy in the Basement.”
“Here you go.” Julian pointed to his computer monitor. “Oh shit, I know that look. It’s the same one Nik has when he returns from the library.”
Gregor grimaced when he noticed Nik’s expression. “I hope I don’t have that look.” His cousin was not happy.
Julian inclined his head in his brother’s direction. “Nikolas’ mate has been M.I.A. the last few days. Tessa’s your mate, isn’t she?”
“I’m not sure, but yeah, I think she is.” Why would Tessa tell everyone at The Tavern her name was Trixie?
“If you’ve never seen her face, how do you know?” Nikolas asked, frowning.
“Oh, I’ve seen her face, I just didn’t know it was Tessa. About three years ago she bumped into me at a gas station. Then last night she came into the bar where Dante and I were having a drink. I thought I was going to black out. You know the feeling, Nik.” His cousin nodded. “I challenged her to a game of pool to get closer to her. That in itself was a mistake. After a few minutes of barely containing myself, I couldn’t take it any longer. I kissed her. I’m pretty sure she’s the one.”
“That’s great news, right? Not only do you have Isabel
le working for you, but now you can possibly get the information we need from her cousin.” Nikolas had spent many hours poring over the family journals, searching for information on bonding with humans.
“We’ll see.” Gregor didn’t want to admit to his cousins that the woman who was potentially his mate couldn’t stand him.
“I need to get to work. I’ll catch you two later.”
Gregor’s mind tried to sort through everything he knew so far about the spitfire. If Tessa was Trixie, he would make sure the next time she came to see Isabelle he was ready for her.
Merrick tracked the redhead through the passenger window of his Mustang. He glanced at the picture in his hand then back at the woman. Greta Powell, age 33. He put the photo back in the manila file folder and tucked it between his seat and console. Was she a dog lover? Most women were. He pulled up alongside her. “Excuse me, ma’am, have you seen a white poodle? My dog decided to run away, and I can’t find her anywhere.”
The pretty woman stopped and bent over, taking in Merrick’s features. He didn’t look like a stone-cold killer, did he? He flashed his straight white teeth and his dimpled grin. “Hi. Please tell me you’ve seen her. She’s kinda old, and I’m really afraid for her.”
“I’m sorry, I haven’t.” Greta was eyeballing Merrick’s physique. He probably should have on long sleeves with the weather being cool, but the way she was checking out the swirling tattoos wrapping around his bulging biceps could work to his favor.
“Would you help me search? Please?” Greta studied his face and nodded. He unlocked the door and like a mouse to the proverbial cheese, she slid into the trap. “I really appreciate this. I’ll drive slow and you call for her.”
“What’s her name?” Greta must not watch the news, or she would know she fit the profile of the most recent murder victims.
“Gretel.” He couldn’t resist.
“What did you say?” It was obviously similar enough to Greta to alarm her.
“Gretel, as in Hansel and Gretel. You know, where the kids are shoved in the oven by the witch? My mother just loved that story.”
“Yeah, I know the one. I just…” Greta turned toward the window and started calling for the missing dog. Driving slow gave Merrick the opportunity to check out his latest catch. She was just like the rest: red hair, slight build, beautiful face. He might have to have a little fun with this one before he snuffed the life out of her.
Seven
Isabelle was ready to give the warden her list of things she needed for the clinic. The medicine cabinet was stocked with items that at first glance didn’t make sense. After she read the notes Dr. Henshaw had scribbled in various files, they made perfect sense. She hated to think ill of the dead, but the man had been crazy. If she didn’t know better, she would think he had been on Gordon Flanagan’s payroll instead of the Pen’s.
Tessa told her to keep this information to herself, to not tell Gregor. What if Gregor already knew? She didn’t know the warden at all. No, until she had no doubt she could trust him, she would not divulge that she was aware of what Henshaw had been up to. Isabelle still hadn’t made it through every inmate’s file. There were so many, and the ones she had looked at required more than just a cursory glance. The inmates who were truly in need of medication were the ones who were being neglected.
She didn’t care that they were criminals; they were human. Isabelle had taken an oath, and that oath didn’t allow her to discriminate. She wanted to check on those prisoners who had been used as guinea pigs. She also couldn’t stop thinking of the albino. Something about him spoke to her, told her there was more to the man than just what was on the surface. The one thing she did know was he needed nicotine. The patch she was giving him obviously wasn’t strong enough, so she ordered a higher dose. She also ordered the medication that would help alleviate his cravings. If he was going to be stuck in a cell the rest of his life, he would not see a cigarette ever again.
Isabelle gathered her papers and headed to Gregor’s office. She would probably need to explain some of the medications. At her clinic, she ordered her own supplies. She needed to find out the protocol for the Pen and also find out who besides her could order prescription drugs. Stopping just outside his office door, she listened to make sure Gregor wasn’t on the phone. When she didn’t hear talking, she knocked. “Come in.” She should find his deep voice sexy. Instead, it was just another sound to her.
“Good morning, Sir. I have the list of supplies and medications I need.”
“I told you, Isabelle. There’s no need to call me Sir. Let’s see what you have.”
She handed the long list to him and waited while he read over everything. He didn’t flinch at the list of medications. “Do you want to order the meds yourself, or did you want us to get them?”
“I wanted to ask you what protocol is in that regard. With Dr. Henshaw being deceased, I didn’t know if you had someone else to order the medicine. I will be glad to place the order.”
“I have a cousin who is a doctor and he could order them, but since you are running the clinic now, I don’t see a reason you shouldn’t do the ordering yourself.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Isabelle still didn’t know why they had singled her out for the job. Gregor nodded so she continued. “Why didn’t you ask your cousin to take this job, why me?”
Gregor didn’t hesitate. “My cousin happens to be the city’s medical examiner. He loves what he does and would never consider leaving his position. Your name came up when we researched local doctors who specialized in infectious disease. While you will not be dealing with Unholy, your background made you a frontrunner. There are several inmates who have become ill while serving their time, and Dr. Henshaw was having a difficult time with a diagnosis. If he were still alive, I would have probably reached out to you anyway. When you go through the inmate records, I want you to concentrate on the open cases he was working on. Hopefully you will be able to discover what he could not.”
This made Isabelle feel much better. Of course he could be lying, but then again, if he was telling the truth, it would make her job much easier. Maybe soon she would be able to confide in him.
Tessa paced across her living room. Her fifth phone call to Sam had gone straight to voicemail just like the first four. She hated to call Sophia, but she was getting desperate. She thumbed through her contacts and found the girl’s number.
“Hello?”
“Sophia, this is Tessa. How are you?”
“Hey, Tessa. Honestly, I’m not doing too good. I was just about to call you. Have you spoken to my father?”
“No, I haven’t. I take it you haven’t spoken to your mother either?”
“No, it’s like they’ve both disappeared. Tessa, this isn’t like them. Either of them. They would never leave and not tell me.”
“You’re right. Shit. I have to take off to Louisiana, and I wanted to see if he could keep an eye on Isabelle. I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone. I realize this is really shitty timing. I’m pretty sure she’ll be okay, but you never know.”
“Of course. The clinic is close to the library, so I can check in on her during breaks.”
“Uh, actually she has a new job. She started working at the penitentiary a few days ago.”
“Why would she do that? She has her own practice.”
“Somehow she stumbled onto Dane, and I had to tell her the truth. While she was watching him transition, she came face to face with her mother. Talk about a shock; seeing Caroline after all these years, and the woman still looks to be in her thirties. She also found out Jonas is still alive and that I have spent time with both her parents over the years. Isabelle feels betrayed, and she wants nothing to do with any of us. Taking the job at the Pen was more an act of rebellion than anything.”
“I guess I would feel the same way. Of course I’ll check in on her. You go ahead on your trip and don’t worry about Isabelle. Just promise me you’ll keep an eye and ear open for my parents. I’m rea
lly worried about them, Tessa.”
“I’m going to make a few phone calls as soon as I hang up. We’ll find your parents.”
“Thanks. I need to head to the library now.”
“Speaking of the library, did you ever find out how Jonas’ journal ended up there? Nikolas Stone getting his hands on the first diary is not what we need.”
“Um, it had a fiction jacket on it. Someone must have planted it there. I will ask around and see what I can find out. I’m running late, I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Later.” Tessa hung up. She had a nagging feeling in her gut that something bad was going on with Sam and Monica. And that damn journal. Somebody must have put it in the library on purpose. Her first thought had been Sophia since the girl worked there, but what motive would she have?
Tessa placed several phone calls, but nobody had heard from Sam. He had not been sent out of the country and should be at home. Since Elizabeth also lived in New York, she was going to personally check on him. Elizabeth and Xavier never moved around. That was not the norm for the Gargoyle community. It was hard to explain why you never aged. Xavier had more money than the gods and had set Elizabeth up in a fortress. An extravagant, multi-million dollar fortress on a thousand acres. The area above their property was a no-fly zone. How Xavier had managed that was anyone’s guess.
While Tessa roamed the world looking after her cousins, Elizabeth stayed put, rarely leaving her home. Xavier did not take chances with his mate. He would kill Gordon Flanagan with his bare hands should the man ever find Elizabeth’s location. Technically, Elizabeth was still married to Gordon, but there was no way she could file for divorce without him finding her. Staying married on paper was the lesser of two evils.