by Faith Gibson
Being strung out on drugs was alluring to those who wanted to forget about their lives. Rocky had just started living her life when Blake got her hooked. She hadn’t wanted to forget anything except the things he did to her when she was too doped up to fight. Rocky had basically lived in a zombie trance for over a year. She still had no idea how she managed to keep the bar from going under. You didn’t. Bridget did. Rocky smiled when she thought of her friend. Bridget was one of the good ones. Steady. Strong. Bridget would never succumb to the likes of Blake Stansbury.
When Rocky arrived at the gym, she made sure she had the free week offer in her purse before she went inside. The guy behind the counter was tall and fit, reminding her of Vivian’s description of Finley’s friends. They’re like gods. The man in front of her definitely fit the bill. The nervous butterflies she had from running to her car had turned into flutterings of a different kind. Rarely did a man affect her, but he was no mere man. When she realized she was staring and he was smirking, Rocky lowered her eyes and pulled the flyer out of her purse, handing it over. “I want to sign up for self-defense classes.”
The smile drained from the man’s gorgeous face. “Is someone hurting you, Chère?” he demanded in a deep cadence that sounded Cajun. If Rocky said yes, she had no doubt this guy would find the culprit and beat him within an inch of his life.
“No, nothing like that,” she reassured him. “I tend bar, and sometimes I have to walk to my car alone. I want to be able to protect myself. Just in case.”
The smile returned to his tan face, and he said, “Well, in that case, let’s get you signed up. Oui?”
“Oui,” Rocky responded, smiling back at his infectious visage.
“Remy Doucet, at your service,” he drawled, holding out his large hand.
“Rocky Cartwright.” She tentatively placed her small hand in his. Instead of shaking, Remy pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. The heat rose in her cheeks. If that had been Blake, she’d have wanted to wash her hand immediately, but Rocky felt nothing negative coming from the guy standing behind the counter. Strangely, she felt safe. Maybe it had been his attitude when she first walked in, or maybe it was wishful thinking on her part. What girl didn’t dream of a knight in shining armor riding in to save the day? Or sweep her off her feet. Rocky girl, you’re losing it.
Rocky had dressed in workout clothes, but after the paperwork was filled out, Remy informed her the women’s classes were on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. “Can you come back tomorrow, Chère?”
“I can, thank you.” Rocky was a little disappointed, but it gave her something to look forward to the following day. Remembering the meeting at the bar with the potential buyer, she checked the schedule for the classes. She could come to the early one and still have plenty of time to get home and cleaned up before she met with them.
“Let me walk you to your car, oui?” Remy offered, following her out the door. Rocky smiled up at him and nodded. Now that he was next to her, she realized exactly how large he was. He dwarfed Rocky, but she still didn’t feel intimidated. When she got to her car, he waited until she was safely inside before he returned to the building. Maybe chivalry wasn’t dead after all.
Instead of driving straight home, Rocky turned her car toward the beach. It wasn’t often she allowed herself the freedom to stray far from home. Locking herself away in her tiny apartment or the bar was her self-imposed penance for the bad choices she’d made. Sure, she was now clean from drugs, but she still felt dirty on the inside. It was another reason she would never let a man get close to her emotionally. How could she in good conscious give herself to a decent man when she wasn’t good? Wasn’t whole?
After parking in the public lot, Rocky put her cell phone and lighter in the zip pocket of her workout pants and shoved her small purse under the seat. She took one cigarette from the pack, because if she took any more, she’d end up smoking them all. Locking her car, Rocky kept her mace ready and walked down the wooden planks leading to the beach. Being March, it was practically deserted. The cool breeze off the ocean tossed her long hair about her shoulders, but Rocky didn’t try to contain it. She walked toward the ocean, making sure to stay far enough back the surf didn’t get on her tennis shoes. She might be giving herself the pleasure of seeing the waves roll in, but she wouldn’t go as far as putting her bare feet in the sand or the surf. That was too much of a good thing, and she didn’t deserve anything good. Rocky had already used up her allotment of good when Vivian saved her from herself.
Laughter caught her attention, and Rocky turned her head toward the sound. Two couples were walking toward her along the water’s edge. The men favored so much they had to be brothers. One was fit and had tattoos covering most of his upper body. The other was built like Remy, and his arms were bare. Neither one was wearing a shirt, which seemed odd to Rocky. They looked familiar to her for some reason. Their women were both beautiful, and by the way they couldn’t keep their eyes off their men, obviously in love. As they passed by, they all spoke to Rocky and smiled. She couldn’t imagine finding a man who would make her blissfully happy. Rocky was envious, but she knew it was her own fault she’d never find a love like the kind these people had.
Rocky returned her attention to the waves and did her best not to let the tears fall.
She failed.
Miserably.
The waves coupled with her sobs drowned out any other noise around her until the one sound she hated more than anything else reached her ears. “Hello, Raquel.”
Landon Roxburgh was a godsend. Julian had turned the Goyle loose after about an hour of showing him around the Clan computer system, and the male had already found a couple of backdoor entryways his hacker nemesis had managed to find. Landon closed the portals and put even more elaborate security protocols in place. Julian silently berated himself for not finding those. His head wasn’t in the game, and since the Feds had Katherine, his lack of attention to detail was only getting worse. He had been torn between figuring out how to clear Katherine’s name and keeping the Clan secure. Now, Landon could help with the Clan while Julian focused on his mate.
Landon had managed to put Sixx’s plan in motion with regards to finding their hacker. If the culprit was paying attention, he would more than likely win the contest. Whether he or she came forward to claim the job offer was another matter altogether. Having accomplished the test, Landon began helping Julian hack into the FBI’s system. The Goyle was confident he’d be able to figure out what they had done with Katherine as well as help Julian fix the damning evidence against her.
“Is there anything else I can help with?” Landon asked.
“Yes. Figure out who’s been hacking our system. I never thought I’d admit this, but he’s smarter than I am. At this point, I’m hoping you are as well. I need to figure out how to undo the damage he’s done to my mate.”
“I’ll do what I can, Julian.” Landon turned to the computers and began typing faster than even Julian could. Julian left the Goyle to whatever it was he was doing and sat down at one of the monitors. While he was typing, he called Gregor to find out if the Feds had mentioned where they were taking Katherine.
A pissed off Gregor said, “Not only did they not tell me where they were taking her, they wouldn’t speak to me at all. They acted like I was a pile of shit they had stepped in and proceeded to march Katherine out the door without so much as a thank you or a kiss my ass. Talk about a chip on their shoulder. These guys are out to prove something. But why they insist on using Katherine to prove their point is beyond me.”
“We need to find a way to infiltrate their ranks, Brother. I talked to Nikolas, and as far as our records show, we have no Clan members within the FBI.”
“I’ll have Tessa call her father. Maybe Xavier has a contact we aren’t aware of.”
Julian sighed. “I would appreciate it. Not knowing what is going on with my mate is far worse than watching her from afar, especially now that I’ve promised to clear her name.”
“Like I told you before, Jules, we will get her away from them. One way or another.”
Julian thanked Gregor and hung up. He agreed with his cousin. One way or another. No matter what it took, he would free his mate, even if he had to do it illegally.
Rocky’s head lolled to the side. She was unable to hold it upright. Her tongue felt as though it was swollen, making it hard to swallow. Damn you, Blake. No, damn you, Rocky. You let your guard down, and now he has you again. The tears rolled down her cheeks, but her arms were filled with lead, and she couldn’t lift them to wipe her face. She had no idea how long she’d been out of it. Rocky tried to look around, but it was dark wherever she was. Rocky couldn’t tell if she was sitting on something soft or hard. Whatever Blake had given her was different than anything he’d injected her with before.
The drug coursing through Rocky’s veins was nothing she would ever have paid money for. Or danced for. Or fucked for. This was something that made her want to cut her veins open so the blood would drain out, taking the poison with it. While she was lying there, Rocky thought about her short life. Twenty-four years old and she’d wasted everything. All for a fucking man. After what her cousin Tommy had put her through, Rocky knew she would never find anyone who’d want her. Good men didn’t want spoiled goods. But Blake had come along, and for a split second, she’d let herself think maybe, just maybe, she had a chance at happiness. Love wasn’t in the cards for a girl like Rocky. Neither was happiness.
Rocky had done her best to make a go of the bar, but she wasn’t smart enough to bring it back from the low she’d helped it to sink. She’d given up on thinking about love. She smiled when she bartended but never let herself study the men too closely. The couples on the beach flashed through her mind, and the ache in her chest tightened to an unbearable level. Why couldn’t the man she fell for have been one of the good guys? Why couldn’t she have met Remy instead of Blake? Too tired to try to fight it, Rocky closed her eyes and begged for death.
Her prayers went unanswered, and Rocky was aware of her body being moved. She didn’t open her eyes, because she didn’t want Blake to realize she was awake. At least she assumed it was Blake. If only she could stop her breathing, he might think he killed her. An ungodly amount of cologne was present on the man’s skin, making Rocky’s nose itch. She didn’t recognize the scent, but Blake could have changed fragrances in the last year. Rocky inhaled and did her best to hold her breath until the urge passed. Blake laid her down on something, and this time she could tell the surface was hard, like a table.
He began humming an unfamiliar tune, and that in itself was enough to make Rocky want to scratch his eyeballs out. It was something he did when he ignored her pleas for mercy. The only time he’d ever backed off was on the days she was supposed to dance. Fridays and Saturdays had been Rocky’s only brief respite from needing her fix. Those two days Blake fed her just enough of whatever concoction he came up with to keep her strung out while awake enough to give the patrons a good show.
Blake pushed her hair away from her face before bending over and pressing their lips together. Rocky managed not to flinch and give her state of wakefulness away. “I told you I always get what I want, Raquel. I’ve given you time to come to your senses, but I’m tired of waiting. You belong to me. You’ve had long enough of a reprieve.” His hand left her face and skimmed down her body. Her limbs were still heavy, but the weight of his hand was evident as he continued lower until he got to the juncture between her legs.
Rocky wanted to scream. She wanted to cry out for help, but she knew none was available. She’d been there before. Why the man insisted on drugging her for sex had been a mystery in the beginning, but now, she knew it would be a cold day in hell before she let him get anywhere near her body without being drugged. It was useless to try to fight him, so Rocky continued faking. If he decided to have his way with her, it would hopefully be quick and painless. Blake’s cell phone pinged. He let out a curse, and instead of continuing his perusal of her body, Blake stuck a needle in her arm, plunging yet more drugs into her system.
“Sleep, my Raquel.”
Rocky fought the drugs as long as she could. She recognized the room Blake was keeping her in was the basement at the club. If she could just get her cell phone. Her arms were growing heavier by the second, but she managed to figure out her phone was still in the pocket of her yoga pants. She felt it vibrate against her leg, but she couldn’t make her arms work. Good. Someone was looking for her. If she missed the meeting and didn’t show up for work, Bridget would start to worry about her and call someone. Vivian. Bridget would call Vivian.
Instead of going to the gym after sparring, Sin returned home. He continued to feel off, even though the feeling wasn’t nausea. Something was nagging at him. Something he’d never encountered before in his long life. Sin always prided himself on being the steady one. As steady as Rafael. He loved life. Loved to laugh. Loved to love. Maybe that was it. He was missing out on the love of a woman, and with his brothers and cousins finding their mates, he was jealous.
As soon as he pulled in the driveway and parked, Sin made his way to the garden at the back of the swimming pool. Lush greenery surrounded a stone pathway which meandered back and forth forming an infinity symbol. Several benches were hidden among the foliage where one could sit and enjoy the serenity the garden offered. Sin stopped at one of the benches and sat down, stretching his arms along the back of the seat. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Using the techniques Frey had taught him many years ago, Sin compartmentalized all noise and pushed all thoughts away until he found the one sound that brought him the most peace.
The multitude of birds that made his garden home sang to each other. He had practiced until he could mimic each individual species’ particular tone. He envied the birds because they were free to fly whenever and wherever they felt like it. Often Sin wondered what the world would be like if the humans were aware of the Gargoyles’ existence, and they were free to fly whenever they wanted. Rafael, ever the voice of reason, reminded him it would be chaos. The government would try to either rule them differently, or worse, lock them up as they did the Unholy when they were successful in catching one.
Hiding their true nature was necessary, but it was still something they all fought with from time to time. With Sin’s shifter becoming more restless with each day that passed, he was having a harder time than usual. Maybe the nausea meant his mate was closer than he realized.
The peacefulness Sin finally felt was interrupted by Rafael’s ringtone coming through the phone. Sin leaned his head back and looked up. Had it been anyone other than Rafael, he would probably have let it go to voicemail.
“Rafe?”
“Hey, Brother. I wanted to let you know what I found out from Xavier. He spoke to his father, and William was confident those on the Elder Council would be split when it came to trying to overthrow Alistair, since I don’t have definitive proof he is behind the trouble with our mates. William feels most assured Alistair will throw Kallisto under the bus and claim his own innocence. Then there are those who didn’t agree with him when he urged Jonas’s clan to ostracize him, and it might not take much for them to side with us.”
“Kallisto is back in Greece, so we cannot make her talk. Sergei isn’t necessarily a credible witness since he is human. So, how do we get proof?”
“Find the hacker and make him talk.”
“That is easier said than done, Brother. Julian is having a hard enough time keeping the hacker out of our system.” Sinclair was confident Landon would be able to help secure the system, but if Julian hadn’t been able to locate the hacker before…
“Truth, but Sixx came up with an idea we feel could lure the hacker out into the open, so to speak. It is one of the things we are going to have Landon focusing on.” Rafael explained the idea of issuing a challenge and setting up a fake system. Whoever could infiltrate the system fastest would win a million dollars.
“What if the one we a
re after doesn’t need the money?”
“We’re hoping the bragging rights will entice him or her.”
“You think the culprit could be a woman?” Sin asked.
“I’ve met some intelligent women over the years.”
“I have as well, but I was thinking about the fact whoever is behind this could possibly be responsible for Katherine Fox’s predicament.”
“You don’t think women are capable of evil? Look at Kallisto Verga. That bitch kidnapped Connor and killed Isabelle’s friend,” Rafael seethed.
“You have a point. Speaking of Kallisto, any movement there?”
“She hasn’t left the compound, but word is Alistair left earlier this morning. We’re waiting to find out where he’s going. I’m going to let Julian and Landon do their best to track down the mystery hacker. If they can do that, maybe we can convince them they’re working for the wrong team. If not, we’ll plan accordingly.”
Sinclair didn’t have to ask what the plan entailed. The Clan was preparing for war.
Chapter Eight
Sin gave up on meditating after talking with his brother. He stepped into the pool house and changed out of his clothes into a pair of swim trunks. If Ingrid hadn’t been there, he’d have gone commando, but he didn’t want to give the older woman a heart-attack. After swimming laps for about an hour, Sin dried off and headed inside to find something to eat. Normally, he’d have eaten whatever leftovers were in the fridge, but he and Finley had taken care of everything Ingrid had prepared the night before. Actually, Finley had eaten everything. The Goyle could put away some food. Sinclair had no problem with the way Fin ate. Since he didn’t have his own cook, he often came over and ate Sin’s leftovers.