by Faith Gibson
JULIAN
Stone Society Book 9
By Faith Gibson
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction.
Copyright © 2017 by Faith Gibson
Published by: Bramblerose Press LLC
Editor: Jagged Rose Wordsmithing
First edition: June 2017
Cover design: Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art
Cover photos: Deposit Photos
ISBN: 978- 0998516141
Dedication
To Milgia. Thank you for being such a big fan.
Acknowledgements
I know I say this every time, but without my writing posse, my books wouldn’t be what they are and my name wouldn’t be spread across the internet, in a good way, of course. Candy, Kendall, Jen, and Nikki, thank you for taking time out of your lives to make my dreams come true.
My Beta readers sometimes differ from book to book depending on the genre, but there is a core group of ladies who are there for me every single time, cheering me on. I love you all dearly.
To the fans of the Stone Society, thank you for following the journey. With each book, you continue to beg for more, and as long as you’re reading, I’ll be writing these characters.
As always, I have to give a huge shout out to Jay Aheer. She is one of the best at taking simple photos and turning them into art. Melding them so the vision shines through.
Thank you to everyone who writes reviews. They are still important. They are still appreciated.
Last but not least, lots of love to the man for encouraging what I do. Thanks, Babe.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Coming Soon
Cast of Characters
About the Author
Other Works by Faith Gibson
Prologue
New Atlanta
2024
Salvatore Fiore stalked back and forth in the darkness of the closed restaurant. Checking his watch, it was only two minutes later than the last time he looked. Being the head of the New Atlanta Mafia afforded Sal many luxuries, like being able to hire the best man for whatever job he needed done at any given moment. He knew the man he’d hired for this particular job wouldn’t let him down, but there had never been such an important task he’d asked of anyone. His cell phone pinged with an incoming text.
Done.
Sal let out a huge sigh. Knowing the job was complete gave him a little relief, but until the man walked into the restaurant, Sal wouldn’t rest easy. Twenty-eight minutes later, the package was delivered into Sal’s arms. He could only stare at such a small yet important treasure. When he looked up to thank the man for a job well done, Sal found himself alone. Cradling the bundle tightly against his chest, Sal used his free hand to call his lawyer. “Transfer the money.”
Returning to the large house he shared with his wife, Sal entered through the door leading from the garage and headed straight to the second-floor nursery. He wasn’t worried about Nora waking up. The medication she was on knocked her out for a solid ten hours each night. Placing the baby into the crib, he stood rubbing her back and singing her to sleep. It was amazing how much she resembled the child he’d held in his arms every night for the last year and a half. He prayed his wife wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. With her mental state being what it was, he would be surprised if she noticed their child was no longer ill. Sal’s grandmother warned him there was something off about his beautiful redheaded bride, but he had been so in love with Nora, he couldn’t see anything but her glorious smile and her emerald green eyes. He was still that much in love with her, despite her flaws.
Soon after his baby girl was born, the doctor informed them she wasn’t well and gave her a slim chance at surviving her first birthday. With this news, Sal spared no expense in having her cloned. The new baby could help keep his Katarina alive. Nora wasn’t capable of caring for one child, let alone two, so he put the new baby up for adoption. Having the lawyer who handled the adoption on his payroll assured Sal would know who raised the child and where they lived. Just in case. Almost eighteen months to the day, the unimaginable happened, and his Katarina relapsed; only it was too late for the clone to be of use. So, loving his wife more than life itself, Sal did the only thing he could.
Thinking about their own child who now lay in the house across town, he wept silently. Sal felt bad for the couple who would wake only to find an imposter in their daughter’s nursery. One who wasn’t long for this world.
For the few weeks after the swap, Sal made sure to keep the television turned off the news channels. Not that Nora would have known what he’d done. She had no clue Sal had Katarina cloned. She was never aware of the adoption. He kept the news turned off so his guilt wouldn’t eat him alive. Guilt at not saying a proper goodbye to his baby girl. Guilt at not burying her in the Fiore family plot. Guilt at taking away another couples’ happiness only to appease his and his wife’s.
For his own peace of mind, Sal kept baby Katarina by his side so he could keep an eye on her. Nora didn’t seem to mind. If she wanted time with their daughter, she would sit quietly in the rocking chair Sal had bought for his office. The stronger the bond between Sal and Katarina became, the more Nora lapsed into her own mind. By the time Katarina was four, her mother was so deeply withdrawn Sal did what he thought was best for everyone – he sent his wife away to be cared for. As much as he loved Nora, he loved his daughter that much more.
Sal raised his beloved daughter under the shadow of his secret identity. It was easy to hide who he was from her since she was so young. He was careful to never have too many of his men coming and going. He was careful in every aspect of their lives. Instead of hiring a nanny who could end up being a liability, Sal cared for Katarina himself with the help of his best friend and right hand, Stefan. She never wanted for anything except possibly the love of a mother she wouldn’t remember. Hers was a charmed life until it wasn’t. Until someone decided they wanted what Sal had. His identity. His money. His life. Everything – including his Katarina.
Chapter One
Present Day
2048
When the guard he’d been following turned his way, Julian Stone slid lower in the seat of his rental car. He was all about upholding the law. Usually. But when the law was detai
ning his mate for something she was innocent of? Julian could see bending the rules. Or breaking them. Actually, he would break every single one he had to if it meant getting Katherine out of this facility. A facility meant to house the worst criminals known to mankind and Gargoyles alike. The US government had spared no expense when they built the FSM – Federal SuperMax – just south of New Abilene, Texas.
Much like the New Atlanta Penitentiary his cousins had built, FSM had been constructed with the Unholy in mind, thus being constructed in the middle of nowhere. Only the government hadn’t been able to capture the beasts. Therefore, they were trying to save face in the eyes of the public by going after anyone and everyone they deemed “bad.” Instead of being taken to the women’s prison, the FBI had hauled Katherine to FSM, much to the dismay of Julian. Not being able to prove the evidence against his mate had been falsified, Julian was at his wit’s end; thus the reason he was devising a plan to bust her out of prison. Getting Katherine out of the heavily secured facility was going to be more difficult than he originally anticipated. As Julian adjusted the focus on his camera, zooming in on the guard, his phone rang.
If it had been anyone else calling, Julian would have let it go to voicemail. It wasn’t anyone; it was his King. “Rafael, what can I do for you?”
“Jules, where are you?”
Fuck. Not only could he not dismiss his cousin, he couldn’t lie to him. Wouldn’t lie to him. “Texas.”
“Would you care to share with the class what the fuck you are doing in Texas and why nobody knew where you are?”
“I told Landon where I was going.” Julian had hoped to fly to Texas, accomplish what he set out to do, and return home before anyone missed him.
“Jules,” Rafael growled.
Julian lowered the camera to his lap but kept his eyes on the agent. “This is where they are holding Katherine. They have her at FSM.”
“Why would the FBI take her to the SuperMax? That is like putting a toddler in a straitjacket instead of timeout.”
“Thus the reason I am in Texas.”
Rafael sighed. When he didn’t continue the conversation, Julian asked, “Rafe, what is going on?”
“This can wait, Jules. Do your homework, but do not attempt to break Katherine out of FSM on your own. That is an order. You bring the information home, and together, we will figure out a solid plan to rescue your mate.”
He should have known his cousin would realize what his intentions were. “I cannot ask anyone else to break the law.”
“You are not asking. We are offering.”
“Thanks, Brother. I will be home as soon as possible.”
“Be well, Julian.”
“And you, my King.”
Julian could tell by the tone of Rafael’s voice that something was, indeed, going on back home. Something more than he alluded to. Julian needed to get all the information he could about FSM and return to New Atlanta. He knew his family would have his back with regards to his mate, but it still didn’t sit well with him what he was going to ask them to do. Having already procured the blueprints for the facility before leaving New Atlanta, Julian needed photos of the outside as well. He started the car and drove to a nearby strip mall where he could leave the rental while he hiked back to the prison. Using a high-powered lens, Julian took pictures of all sides of the building, including the fencing, motion detectors, doors, guard towers, and entrances. Add these to the pictures he had of certain employees, and Julian felt he had enough information to come up with a viable plan. One that would take a lot of careful preparation and even more careful execution.
Before walking away, Julian closed his eyes and reached out his senses for Katherine. He didn’t expect to be able to feel her considering she wasn’t aware of their connection. Still, he tried. Kat, I’m here, Sweetheart. Hang on. Standing in the middle of the woods longer than he should have, Julian finally gave up when his meditation met with silence.
As bad as he hated to leave Texas, Julian headed back to the hotel to pack and make his way home. The sooner he returned to New Atlanta, the sooner he could enlist his family in his plan to bust Kat out of FSM.
Katherine walked into her prison cell for the first time without being shoved. The small room was glass on three sides and contained nothing but a stainless platform attached to the wall which held a thin pillow and blanket, where she slept. There was a toilet but no sink. Before today, she’d been treated like the worst kind of criminal. The clothes she had on were rank from being worn for days on end. Her long hair had been a matted mess, and her breath was so far past the point of stinking that she almost gagged on it.
Twenty minutes earlier, Katherine had been allowed to bathe, brush her teeth, and change her clothes. She was given drab orange scrubs. If she wasn’t in prison, she might laugh. Katherine hated orange. Her hair was still tangled, but at least it was clean. It had taken every bit of fortitude to get near the running water. Having been water-boarded, the thought of the spray hitting her face took her breath on reflex. Her longing to be clean won out over her fear, and she managed to get through the ordeal without panicking.
When she arrived at the prison, the first thing they tried to get her to talk was to withhold food. Katherine was already on the thin side, but now her ribs were sticking out and her cheeks were sunken in. She’d caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as the guard was leading her away from the female agents’ locker room. FSM was not equipped to handle women inmates, or so she’d read years ago. When Katherine didn’t see any other female prisoners or a women’s shower, she believed it to still be true. The things she was being accused of were heinous, and if someone was guilty of those same crimes, she had no trouble with them being held at the SuperMax.
Instead of sitting on the cold, aluminum slab that doubled as her bed, Katherine opted to stretch out on the floor. Yoga had always been her stress reliever, but after the first few days of her “therapy,” as the agents called it, she’d not been able to do more than lie down. Her ear ached from where her eardrum had been pierced, and she could no longer hear out of it. She had no visible signs of where she’d been tortured. At that thought, she scratched at her neck. A spot on her nape had begun itching in the last few days, and Kat figured she’d been injected with some sort of mind-controlling drug.
As the therapy continued to fail to produce answers, the types of torture changed from physical to mental. When the female agent who oversaw the initial interrogation suggested hypnosis, Katherine begged her to try. Her pleas of innocence had gone unheard. She screamed until her voice gave out that she had no idea about any of the things she’d been accused of. The fact that her government could be so cruel to her had broken Katherine’s spirit. She’d never given much thought to torturing criminals. Now, it was all she could think about as she endured it day after day.
She’d lost track of the number of days since her life had been turned on its axis. Katherine still held onto the sliver of hope that Julian was trying to prove her innocence. That sliver was all she had left at that point. Did he know where the Feds had taken her? What about David? When thinking about the man she’d been dating, Katherine had no regrets. He was her cameraman at the station, and they were together all day every day. They’d gone out a few times but hadn’t taken things to a more physical level. Not that he hadn’t tried. As with the others who came before him, Katherine didn’t feel much of a spark. She agreed to try dating because he was convenient. Remembering the disappointed look on his face when Dane Abbott arrested her at work, she doubted David had given her a second thought.
Katherine didn’t take much time for men. Instead, she threw herself into her job. At twenty-five, she was an up-and-coming investigative reporter. There were too many unknown variables about her life as a child, so she decided to find a career where searching for information was part of the job. Some of the stories that landed Katherine behind the camera were boring. Some were downright scary. Others had her pulling out the metaphoric shovel and digging into the
lives of the elusive. Elusive men like Rafael Stone, cousin to Julian Stone – the one who’d claimed her. You are mine.
The warmth from Julian’s hand was a fading memory. “Because you belong to me, Sweetheart. After I prove your innocence, I’ll tell you everything, but know this Kat – you are mine.” His words, while confusing, had become her mantra. And the kiss? As long as she lived, Katherine would never forget the intensity with which Julian Stone pressed their lips together. The way he held her body against his, gripping her hair tightly. She’d never felt such a connection with any of the other men she’d encountered. Now, she wasn’t so sure it hadn’t been a cruel dream.
What she couldn’t figure out was why. Katherine had interacted with Julian on both a professional level as well as personal. The personal being he called out to her one day when she was leaving the coffee shop after speaking with the Chief of Police. Their conversation that day had been brief, but she felt as if they’d known each other forever. Any time Katherine was close to the man, her body tended to go on the fritz – as in she wanted to climb his tall, lithe frame and rut against him like a dog in heat. Obviously, there was something she’d missed between the last time they spoke and when he visited her at the penitentiary. Because you belong to me, Sweetheart. She couldn’t say the thought didn’t thrill her. Julian Stone was a high-profile, wealthy, not to mention exquisite specimen of a man. Now, all she had to do was survive being locked up to get the explanation he promised.
There was a lot in Katherine’s life she didn’t remember. That she didn’t understand. That she didn’t believe. She believed Julian when he said he’d prove her innocence. With nothing to do but think, Katherine wracked her brain for anything she might have subconsciously repressed from when she was young. Was it possible there was someone in her past who could be responsible for the terrible things she’d been accused of? Her whole life she’d had the same dream of when she was a small child. When she asked her foster parents about it, they told her it was just a dream, nothing more. She never believed them. Too many times Katherine saw flashes of a smile. Of being held. Feeling loved. Those flashes were of a stranger, though. Not the father she remembered.