Julian (The Stone Society Book 9)

by Faith Gibson

  After he disconnected, Rafael waited for the males to disburse before getting Mason’s attention. He and Slade walked over to where Rafael stood. “Slade, if I could ask you for a favor.”

  “Of course, my King.”

  “Please take Mason back to the office for me. I need to remain here until Dante arrives, and he and I have some things to discuss.”

  “I’d be happy to. Mason, you ready?”

  “Yes. Rafael, I’ll see you later?” Mason asked.

  “You will. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Mason frowned, so Rafe asked him, “Would you rather Slade stay with you?”

  “No, Sir. I can handle my beast.”

  “Very well.” Rafael clapped him on the shoulder, praying the young Goyle was right.

  Urijah, who had joined Rafael, was watching the two males walk away. Rafe didn’t know if Uri was concentrating on Slade because the male was gay or if he was lost in some other thought. Neither one mattered at that point. Rafael needed Urijah to be on his game. He was the best fighter they had, and Rafe would be asking him to lead the Clan in Greece. “Urijah, war is upon us. I need to make some phone calls to be certain, but it seems like my mother is dead. We do not know if Alistair killed her or if she willed herself to cross over. Either way, I have made the decision to act sooner rather than later.”

  “It’s what we’ve been training for. If you would allow it, I would like to be there. I would like to be among those you send to defend our Clan.”

  “I will allow it, Uri. And I would have you go one step further and lead our Clan into battle. You are our fiercest warrior.”

  Urijah fisted his heart and bowed low. “It would be my honor to lead our Clan. Thank you, my King.”

  “I will call a meeting soon. We will decide then how many males are needed and which ones will be chosen to go. Since you’ve been in charge of training, I would appreciate if you would be thinking on those among the Clan most likely to come away with their heads intact. I would also appreciate if you would put your personal differences aside with Banyan. If he is one of the best, I want him to be among the numbers.”

  “I promise you I will choose the most worthy.”

  “Then that is all I can ask of you. Now, I need to get inside and check on Connor. I will talk to you soon, Uri.”

  Urijah inclined his head before striding off to the storage shed. Rafael trusted no one more than the large male to lead their Clan into battle. With a heavy heart, Rafe made his way into Dante’s home to check on his nephew.

  Donovan was ready to take Alistair’s head. The fucking King wouldn’t let him out of his sight for five minutes. If the bastard didn’t trust him, he shouldn’t have made “Darian” his first in command. Then again, it might have something to do with the way Donovan reacted to the news that Athena was dead. He wasn’t even supposed to know Alistair’s sister was being held at the compound, so his outburst at her demise could have given the King cause for concern.

  There was no Donovan trusted among the males to cover for him long enough to try to get word to Rafael. He couldn’t even get a message to the twins. Now, he had a decision to make. Stay at the compound like he was supposed to where he could keep an eye on Alistair, or leave, never to be able to come back. Well, he could come back, but it would be on the other side of the battle lines.

  Donovan had worked with the Greek Clan long enough to know their strengths and weaknesses. He knew their numbers. He also knew all the entrances and exits where The Stone Society could sneak into the compound undetected, but that was only if he was there to post guards where he wanted them. Without him to secure the entrances, Rafael’s Clan would have to storm the gates, so to speak. If he remained where he was, Donovan was going to have to figure out a way to get a message to Rafael.

  Alistair was already paranoid on his best days. Now, the King was inviting Donovan to share his females. While Donovan wasn’t opposed to a good fucking, he was opposed to taking a woman to bed while Alistair watched. Ever since Athena had died, Donovan hadn’t been given more than ten minutes alone other than to shower and sleep. The first morning he awoke to find a guard outside his door, he stormed into Alistair’s office demanding an explanation. The King lied through his teeth stating he couldn’t have his best warrior unprotected. If he was the best, he didn’t need protection.

  Donovan had gone from having free rein to being put on a leash. He ate his meals with Alistair instead of with his fellow warriors. A male had been ordered to follow him everywhere he went, only giving him enough privacy to shit and shower alone. When Donovan tried to make nice with the males assigned to him, he’d found his words falling on deaf ears. Alistair was a scary motherfucker, so Donovan didn’t blame the Goyles for doing as they were told.

  He sat down at the table to the right of where Alistair sat. Donovan’s posture should have told the King he wasn’t in the mood for any more of his bullshit. Obviously, it didn’t. “Darian, I would like for you to join me tonight in the bedroom.” Alistair didn’t bother looking at him when he spoke. Instead, he unfolded the linen napkin and placed it on his lap. Donovan was still getting used to being called by a different name, but it was similar enough he could wing it if he forgot.

  “I’m afraid I have other plans.”

  That got the King’s attention. “What kind of other plans?”

  “I need to get away from all the testosterone. I’m hitting the pub.”

  “I do not think so,” Alistair sneered.

  “You can have your lapdogs follow me if you don’t trust me. I’m going to the pub and relax. Away from the compound. Away from the fighting. Away from you.”

  “You would do well to remember who you are speaking so irreverently to.”

  “And you’d do well to remember I am a well-trained warrior who is probably almost as old as you. If you want me to continue to be your right hand, I suggest you loosen the leash a little.”

  Alistair’s face darkened. If Donovan wasn’t certain he could best the King in combat, he’d have kept his mouth shut. “Are you challenging me?” Alistair roared, slamming his hands on the heavy wood table, silverware and china jumping out of place. The servants backed out of the room, wide-eyed and trembling.

  “Take it however you wish, Your Highness.” Donovan’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “I have been a faithful and loyal servant who has given you no reason whatsoever to doubt my loyalties. Unless you’ve taken a fancy to seeing me naked, I don’t understand why you suddenly decided to put me under twenty-four-hour lockdown.”

  “And I do not understand why you were so interested in my sister!” Alistair’s voice shook the walls.

  “Your sister? Everyone knew you were keeping Athena in the chambers below. That was common knowledge. I was surprised to find out she’d died. So what? Anyone else would have reacted the same way. I just happened to be the one standing there when that little tidbit of news was shared.”

  Alistair glared at Donovan, probably trying to determine whether or not he was lying. Donovan sat completely still, willing his breathing to remain calm. He even slowed it on purpose. He refused to be the one to break the stare-off they seemed to be having. Arching an eyebrow, Donovan sighed, letting Alistair know he was tired of the game.

  “Fine. Go to the pub. But you will take Demetri with you.”

  “Fine.” Donovan pushed back from the table. “I’ll go find him now. And Alistair, no more fucking together. That’s just weird.” He didn’t miss the low growl that escaped from the King. It wasn’t until he was in the north section of the villa that he let his guard down. He fully expected Alistair to follow him and attempt to take his head for the disrespect he’d shown, but when he made it to his bedroom, there was no one behind him. He didn’t have to go in search of Demetri. The Goyle was waiting outside his door.

  “You’re with me tonight. I’m going out, and I’ve already spoken to the King about it. If you want to change your clothes, do it now while I shower.” Donovan quickly showered and cha
nged out of his training gear, putting on something suitable for a night out. He would go to the pub, but he had other plans as well. By the time he was ready, Demetri was waiting outside his door, still wearing the same clothes he’d had on. Donovan rolled his eyes and said, “Let’s go.” If things went his way, Donovan would be able to ditch his babysitter and find someone to get word to Rafael.

  Chapter Seven

  When Julian walked into the living room, he knew something was wrong. The air was thick with a feeling akin to grief. “What has happened?” he asked. Everything had been fine when he left the room to take a shower after eating breakfast.

  Gregor and Tessa glanced at each other, both their faces full of sadness. It was Tessa who spoke up. “Connor had a vision about Athena. In it his grandmother was dead.”

  “What? Alistair killed his own sister?” Julian knew shit was bad, but this? This was tragic. Gregor’s face was impassive, but Julian could feel the grief from across the room. Rafael and their other brothers had to be beside themselves as well as devastated.

  Gregor sighed before saying, “We don’t know for sure. When Connor talked to Rafe about his vision, he said Mother had a smile on her face. Rafe thinks she willed herself to pass over before Alistair had a chance to torture her or use her further as a pawn.”

  “Did she not realize this would be so much worse? At least with her being held captive, we had a chance of getting her out. Now, fuck! Now, Rafael will rain damnation upon Alistair’s head.”

  “Maybe that’s what she wanted,” Tessa added.

  “What makes you say that?” Julian asked her.

  “Think about it. She and her family have been tormented by her psycho brother for over six hundred years. Wouldn’t you be tired of the bullshit too?”

  “You have a point. So, what’s the plan?” Julian asked as he went to the refrigerator and pulled out a soda.

  “War.” Gregor pulled Tessa to him, placing her back against his front so he could wrap his arms around her waist, settling his chin on her shoulder.

  “We need to go home,” Julian said, not bothering to hide the pain in his voice.

  “No. Rafael has called Sin, and once he arrives in New Atlanta, they are going to get with Uri and Frey and decide what to do. He instructed us to remain where we are until we can get Katherine home safely.”

  Julian turned to his cousin. “Gregor, I’m sorry, Brother.”

  “Thanks, Jules. It’s a shock, but it isn’t like she’s been around the last two hundred years. Priscilla has been more of a mother to us all than Athena ever thought of being. There’s nothing we can do to help, not until Rafe and the others come up with a plan. We need to stay the course and get your mate. Then we’ll all go home and join the others.”

  Julian knew in his heart there was nothing he could do to help back home, but he was still torn. If it were his mother, he’d be on the first plane to Greece and have the King’s head himself. They needed to move forward with their efforts. “We need to get close to Agent Everhart so we can record his voice. Since he never leaves his home, I think the best way to do that is to get into his house, plant a recorder, and pray he makes a phone call.”

  “Or, we could just call the man and record his voice over the phone,” Tessa said. “I’ve had to do that on more than one occasion, and it works. Unless you feel you need to get into his home for some other reason…”

  “I want to put in a camera to watch his mannerisms. I observed him last week, but I want to be able to portray him well enough to get in and out of the prison without causing suspicion. We need to decide how we’re going to incapacitate both agents.”

  Tessa grinned. “I’ve got that covered. I brought a concoction that will paralyze them. We’ll inject them with enough serum to cause paralysis for at least eight hours. They won’t be able to move, but we should also use zip ties to bind their hands and feet, just in case. Unless someone happens upon them in their homes, the agents won’t be a problem. Once we have Katherine, we’ll go back in and give them the antidote.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea? I am not so sure we should show our faces to either of them.”

  “Oh, we won’t. We’ll be wearing the prosthetics when we incapacitate them. Being Gargoyle, we should be able to sneak up on them, but can you imagine seeing yourself coming at you? That will be enough to slow them down if they happen to see us. I’ve never been caught yet, and I don’t plan on starting now. Speaking of the prosthetics, I spoke to Sophia this morning. She put them in an overnight package, so we should have them tomorrow.”

  Gregor grinned at his mate, and Julian had to smile. There was no doubt Gregor was proud of Tessa’s abilities at infiltrating someone’s home and posing as that person. “How often did you do this type of thing?” Julian asked.

  “Eh, once or twice,” she fudged.

  Gregor scoffed at his mate. “My ass. You’re too good at it, Red. Don’t forget we saw you imitate Isabelle. If I hadn’t known it was you, I wouldn’t have known it was you.”

  “How many times doesn’t matter, Stone. The fact that I know what I’m doing does. Now, I’m going to call Everhart. I’ll record his voice and work on the transmitter. I already have mine completed.”

  “When did you have time to do that?” Julian asked.

  “This morning. I woke up early and worked on it for a couple of hours. Once I get Everhart’s voice, I can complete yours as well. Right now, I’m going to install cameras in Rayaz’s home. I don’t want to risk following her again since she’s seen my face.”

  “Do you mind installing the cameras in Everhart’s home too? I’m good at the install, but you’re better equipped at the breaking and entering.”

  “Not a problem. While I’m doing that, you and Gregor should continue to monitor the prison. The more we know about who comes and goes in what areas on a regular basis the better.”

  “Don’t forget, we need to try to find plans that contain the basement area. I don’t want you two going in blind,” Gregor added.

  “I’ll work on that while you watch the monitors. Tessa, do you need anything from me?”

  “Just Everhart’s cell phone number. I have a blocker on my phone so he won’t be able to trace the call.”

  “I’ll send it to your laptop now. Sounds like we have our day mapped out. Thank you both, again. There’s no way I could have done this alone.”

  “It’s what family does,” Tessa said. She stood from the table, assembled the items she needed, kissed Gregor on the cheek, and headed toward the front door. Gregor watched his mate walk away before settling in front of the monitors with a cup of coffee.

  Julian got busy hacking into every government system he knew of, but he found nothing on the layout of FSM. He even searched the files of the contractors hired to build the facility. It was like the plans didn’t exist. Having cousins who were architects, Julian knew the plans were out there somewhere. It was a possibility the online files had been destroyed so someone like him couldn’t gain access. If the government wanted to hide their underground torture chamber, they were doing a good job of it.

  In less time than Julian expected, Tessa called Gregor, and he put her on speaker. “Do you have eyes on Rayaz? I’m outside her home and want to make sure she’s far enough away I won’t receive a surprise.”

  “Yes, both she and Everhart entered the facility less than thirty minutes ago,” Gregor stated.

  “Okay. Call me if either one of them leave. I’ll… shit.”

  “What’s wrong?” Julian asked.

  “Nothing I can’t handle. Rayaz’s security system is different than any I’ve ever seen. I’ll figure it out.”

  “Would you like me to hack into it for you?”

  “If it won’t take more than five minutes. The company is Standard Security.”

  “Okay, hang on a sec…” Julian switched screens and pulled up the company’s website. Less than thirty seconds later, he was inside their system and had found the codes for Agent Rayaz�
�s alarm. With the stroke of a few keys, he had it disarmed. “You should be good to go. I’ll text the code to your phone so you can re-arm it when you leave.”

  “Thanks, Jules.” Tessa said and disconnected.

  “She’s amazing,” Julian muttered.

  Gregor laughed. “You have no idea. I’m ready for babies, but she’s afraid she won’t be a good mother. I can’t imagine my mate being bad at anything.”

  “How is she going to feel when you go to Greece without her?”

  “Who says I’m going without her? She’s a half-blood. Tessa’s proven more than once she’s invaluable in tough situations. You never know when we’ll come up against a human or a female we need help with. As much as I want to always protect her, I’m Goyle enough to admit she’s capable of taking care of herself.”

  “I almost wish Katherine were a half-blood. Then I’d know she was better equipped to handle all the fucked-up shit they’re doing to her.” Julian couldn’t focus on that now. He had to concentrate on the computer files and figure out the layout of the basement.

  Kallisto sipped her iced coffee while she waited for the person she was meeting. For whatever reason, the hacker contest had been pulled from the internet. She’d already failed to find a suitable replacement for Achilles within the timeframe her father had given her. That didn’t mean she’d given up. Kallisto was bound and determined to find someone who could work for Alistair, thus the reason she was hanging out in the coffee shop next to the university. When the bell rang over the door, Kallisto waved at the young man who walked in.

  Hagen Rossum sat down, and his eyes widened for a brief moment before he smiled. Kallisto had done her best to cover the pink scars marring her once pristine face, but they were still visible under the heavy make-up. “Hagen, thank you for meeting me.” Kallisto had placed an ad on the university student website for an expert computer user. She hadn’t been specific when writing the ad. Instead, she waited until she met with the candidates to find out in person what they were capable of. Hagen was the fourth and last candidate who had answered the ad. The three before him were experts in their fields, but none had been able to hack into all the systems she laid out before them.