by Susan Hayes
“We go when he says we go. You know that.”
“He isn’t paying me enough to stay out here all fucking night on a wild goose chase.”
Stone stepped into the shadows and waited. One set of footsteps retreated toward the house while the other set headed his way. He would take out the first one inside the barn where there was less chance of the scuffle being overheard. That way he could leave the studio knowing Adina was safe. The moment the door swung open, Stone was on him, clapping his hands over the stranger’s ears to stun him before sending him flying into the nearest wall. There was a meaty thud as his head hit the timbers and then silence.
Primed and ready for battle, Stone grunted in disappointment at the unconscious heap now sprawled on the floor at his feet. The man went down without even throwing a punch. If Maxwell was branching out into criminal endeavors, he needed to start hiring a better class of thug. He heaved the man over one shoulder and headed for the door. There was no way he was leaving anyone behind to threaten Adina. He would secure this one and then go after the others.
Inspired by the earlier conversation of the two men, Stone opted to tie his captive to the most vicious looking statue he could find. The garden hose he found to bind the thug with wouldn’t hold the man for long, but it should keep him out of trouble long enough for the sheriff to arrive. Stone sighed as he checked the knot in the hose one last time. The sheriff’s imminent arrival meant he was on a tight schedule. He had plans for Maxwell that required the two of them having a few minutes of uninterrupted time alone. When he was done with him, Maxwell would never dream of bothering Adina again.
He took to the air to get a better view of where his remaining targets were located. It only took a few seconds to spot them. Maxwell was a slender shape lurking near the oak trees where they had their first confrontation. The other man was headed back toward the studio. Stone recognized him as the driver who was with Maxwell the other night. He was big, heavy, and slow. Stone grinned as he dove down on the unsuspecting thug. Maybe this one would put up a fight.
Despite his near silent descent his target sensed something and dropped into a fighting crouch mere seconds before Stone made contact. The two tumbled to the ground in a flurry of fists and cursing.
The fight only lasted a few minutes. It ended the moment his adversary caught sight of Stone’s face and realized he wasn’t fighting a man at all. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Stone hit him with an uppercut before the scream could become real, and the man faded into unconsciousness still staring at Stone in horror.
“See you in your nightmares,” he muttered at his adversary.
Stone was still securing the second thug beside his buddy when he heard voices raised in heated discussion near the front of the house. Angry words were thrown back and forth, and one of the voices belonged to Adina.
What the hell is she doing out here?
“I’m going to kill her myself,” he muttered and started running toward Adina. He shifted back to his human form along the way. He was more than capable of dealing with Maxwell in this form, and there would be fewer questions to answer later. When he came around the corner, he found his beloved standing between Maxwell and his vehicle, keeping the man at bay with three feet of sharpened steel. She owns a sword?
“…slimy, lying bastard. What part of no deal didn’t you understand? You can’t come onto another person’s property and take things just because you want them. That’s not how the world works!”
“I was merely attempting to repossess my property. I’ll have you up on charges for threatening me with bodily harm, you crazy harridan! I’ll sue!”
“No, you won’t,” Stone snarled.
“And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? The statue doesn’t belong to either of you! It’s mine. Everything the Drummond’s had is mine, now. It took generations to right the wrongs done to my family. That statue is the final piece. Once I have it, the vendetta ends.”
“You are Pearl Webb’s descendant,” Stone growled, the name leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I—yes. How did you know?” Maxwell stammered, gawking at Stone in confusion.
“You’re not the only one with an interest in the Drummond family history. You have the facts wrong, and I can assure you that the statue you seek does not belong to you.”
“Of course it does. It’s all mine.”
Adina scoffed. “Not all of it. Trust me on that one.”
“Why do you want it so badly?” Stone demanded.
“My grandfather made me promise that I would find it. It’s a relic of a bygone era and my grandfather believed it had great value to the Drummond family. I promised him I’d own it one day.”
Adina raised her blade slightly. “You will never own it.”
“That’s where you are wrong. I’m taking that statue and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” A split-second later Maxwell was pointing a gun at Adina and Stone saw red.
He shifted to his gargoyle form, unfurling his wings and roaring into the night sky as he threw himself between Adina and Maxwell.
“What the hell?” Maxwell squawked in terror and turned the gun on Stone.
A shot rang out and Adina screamed. After that, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Stone felt the sting of the bullet as it struck his chest and bounced off again. He was created to withstand far worse. His only thought was to protect Adina and hurt the son of a bitch who dared to aim a gun at her.
Snarling, he closed the distance between himself and his target. Maxwell took a step backward, but it was far too late for him to retreat. Stone swatted the gun out of Maxwell’s hand, sending it spinning off into the darkness. Once he knew his adversary was disarmed and the threat to Adina was over, Stone tore into Maxwell. All the rage, confusion, and pain he’d been feeling since regaining his memories came pouring out of him in a dark torrent.
“Stone,” Adina called his name.
He barely heard it over the roaring in his ears.
“Stone. Stop. He’s had enough.”
This time, her words got through. He glanced down at Maxwell and realized the man was only standing because Stone’s talons were sunk into the front of his jacket, holding him upright. “He could have killed you. He doesn’t deserve your sympathy.”
“I don’t care about him; I care about you. He’s not worth what it would cost you if you killed him.”
Stone carried Maxwell away from Adina, not stopping until he could slam Maxwell against the side of his SUV with enough force to make the vehicle rock.
Maxwell groaned and looked up at Stone. “You’re real.”
Stone curled his lip into a snarl, baring his fangs. “I am every nightmare you’ve ever had come to life. Never threaten her again. I protect what’s mine, little man, and she is mine.”
Maxwell’s eyes widened and a wild expression dawned on his battered face. “You are real. God in heaven, you’re actually real!”
Stone growled and shook Maxwell until his teeth rattled. “What I am doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you understand you are never to come near Adina again.”
Maxwell spat out a mouthful of blood and then raised his head to meet Stone’s gaze. “You can’t threaten me. I’m your master!”
“No one owns me.”
“I claim you! I bought you and you belong to me, now. My grandfather was right!”
Enraged, Stone backhanded Maxwell and then punched out the window of the SUV. “I will never belong to you. I was bound to the Drummond bloodline. If there were any still alive, I would be in their service. That means there isn’t a drop of that family’s blood in your veins. Your whole life has been based on a lie.”
Maxwell’s voice broke as he babbled in denial. “No! That’s not true. It can’t be true,”
“Here is the truth. You are descended from Pearl Webb, but your father was not John Drummond. I know, because I was there.”
Maxwell was shaking his head from side to side in jerky m
ovements. “No. It can’t be. It’s all supposed to be ours.”
“I’m telling you the truth, and it is up to you whether you believe it or not. You are not welcome here. If you ever come near Adina or her home again, I will tear you apart and scatter your remains across the whole damned desert.”
Maxwell stared at Stone. His jaw was slack and there was a mad light in his eyes that wasn’t there a moment ago. “It’s ours. We’re Drummonds…always were Drummonds.”
“I don’t know who your ancestor was, but his name wasn’t Drummond.” Stone released his hold on Maxwell and the smaller man crumbled to the ground. He was still talking to himself, but his words were incoherent now.
The moment Stone dropped Maxwell, Adina appeared at his side, her eyes dark with worry. “Are you okay? He shot you! I know you’re supposed to be impervious to that sort of thing, but for a second there…”
“I’m fine, but you wouldn’t be if he had shot you. Why the hell are you out here? With a sword, no less! I’m supposed to be the protector in this relationship, remember?”
She dismissed his point with a shrug and pointed to Maxwell. “You were busy dealing with the hired muscle and I didn’t want this guy getting away. Once I called the sheriff, I went back to the house, grabbed Betsy here and went to have a chat with Mr. Webb. As for why I have a sword, did you forget that my dad and my brother are both bladesmiths? I have several nice swords and a few daggers, too.”
“Betsy? Your sword is called Betsy?”
“Bloodthirsty Betsy, actually. She was my twelfth birthday present.” Adina hefted the blade and grinned. “Dad was horrified at the name, too.”
A siren wailed in the distance, announcing the arrival of the local law.
Stone glanced down at Maxwell, who was rocking back and forth on the ground as he groaned and babbled to himself about being a Drummond.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Adina asked.
Stone nudged him with one clawed foot and then shrugged. “His family was always prone to hysterics. At least, the ones I knew. Delicate dispositions and an overdeveloped sense of self-importance.”
“That sounds about right.” Adina glanced toward the road. “Theo is going to love dealing with all of this. You ready to meet our local sheriff?”
“The better question might be; is he ready to meet me?”
Adina laughed. “He has seen worse, believe me.”
“I’m still getting used to the idea that I’m not unusual by local standards. I have to admit, I like it.” Stone walked over and took the sword from Adina’s hand. “As for this? Later on we’re going to have a little chat about what will happen to you if you go rogue on me again. Then you’re going to show me these swords because I think I’m going to want to borrow one.”
She laughed. “I’ll have Dad or Hal make you one of your own as a wedding present.”
The siren’s wail drew closer. “So, what are we telling the sheriff?”
Adina grinned wickedly. “The absolute truth. Theo is a master when it comes to writing up police reports so the weird sounds downright mundane.”
“There are definitely perks to living in a town like this one. What do you want to do about Maxwell?”
“Threaten to charge him with trespassing and anything else we can think of. Not that I think he needs any more incentive to stay away from me. If he ever regains his wits, I doubt he’ll want to come back here.”
Stone wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her in against his side. “If he does, I’ll kill him. No one threatens what’s mine.”
“I love you, too,” she said as the sheriff pulled in the driveway, bathing them both in the brilliant beams of his headlights. It was going to be a long night.
CHAPTER NINE
It was close to dawn by the time Adina closed and locked the front door and went to rejoin Stone in the kitchen. There had been statements to make, questions to answer, and no small amount of explaining to do, but it was finally over. Now, she had some questions of her own she wanted answered.
She found Stone in his human form, rinsing out their mugs in the sink. Even with his back to her, she could see by the set of his shoulders that he was as tired as she was. With everything that had happened she hadn’t been able to ask him how he was really doing. Now, she didn’t have to. “I was going to ask how you’re feeling, but I can see the answer for myself. You’re not fully healed yet, are you?”
He set down the mug and turned to face her. “Not completely, no. That spell your cousin cast was as brutal as she warned me it would be.”
“And yet you ordered me to go hide while you dealt with Maxwell and his men? You should have told me.”
“If I hadn’t been able to protect you, I would have flown us both out of there. I didn’t need to be at my best to handle that bunch. I was in no danger. I was a soldier even before I was…whatever I am now.”
She moved in close and hugged him. “You’re Stone Carver, my fiancé and a badass gargoyle. Are you ready to tell me about who you used to be? Or do you need to rest more, first?”
“All I need is you, and maybe a few hours of sleep in that nice, soft bed of yours. You haven’t gone to bed yet, either.”
“I didn’t want to leave you alone last night.”
“I heard what you said to your mom. I’m glad you stayed. It was comforting to know you were nearby. Of course, if you were in the house maybe you would have slept through our little adventure, so maybe it would have been better if you had listened to your parents.”
She laughed. “There you go, taking their side again. Is this going to be the way of things from now on?”
“I promise to take their side only when they’re out of earshot. Do you want to sleep, or would you like to learn what I remember?”
“I want to know all of it. Watching you go through that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The only thing that made it bearable was knowing that when it was over, you would finally be free. You are free, aren’t you? I mean, do you feel any different?”
“I remember everything. To answer your question, yes, I feel different. I can’t explain it, but something has changed. I believe your cousin was successful.”
She laid a hand on his chest, over his heart. “Is my name still here?”
His shirt vanished beneath her fingers, revealing that the elegant script was still in place. “You will be part of me forever, sweetling.”
“Maybe I should get your name tattooed over my heart so we match. I guess that’s my first question, too. Now that you know your real name, who do you want to be, Stone, or William?”
“You told me that I would always be Stone to you and I agree. William Drummond died a very long time ago.”
“Wait. What did you say your name was? But how—explain!” she said, stunned by what he had just told her.
“My name was William Drummond, and I was my first master’s bastard son. He gave me his name and recognized me when I came of age. He even saw to my education and training. I would have never inherited anything, but I was a member of his household and a man of means.”
“So he did this to his own son? Why?” Adina demanded. She couldn’t imagine how anyone would do that to their own child.
“I was out hawking with several of my half-brothers and there was an accident. Simon, the youngest, grew bored and strayed from the rest of us. We didn’t notice until we heard his horse screaming in distress. The boy found a wasp’s nest and was prodding it with a stick. They swarmed, stinging the horse and sending it into a panic. Simon was thrown and struck his head. He died the next day. Simon’s mother blamed me for his death, and eventually she turned them all against me. She had always resented my presence and thought to have me turned out. Instead, my father did this to me as punishment. I failed to save one Drummond, and so he made me into this so I would be compelled to protect his descendants for all time.”
“That’s horrible! He made you into a slave and then he took your memory so you would never know what he
did. Your father was a total bastard.”
Stone chuckled. “I love that you are incensed over something that happened centuries ago.”
“I don’t understand why you’re not bellowing in a fury and breaking things right now. Granted, I’m grateful you’re not busting up my furniture, but how are you so calm?”
“I’m not really calm. To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out what the hell I’m feeling. It’ll take me a while to work through it all. I lost so much, and then after all that time to have it dumped back into my head all at once…”
She hugged him hard. “So you might break things later?”
“Maybe. But I doubt it. I would rather start building a life than tearing things apart. I’ve waited a long time to be free. Long enough to know when to let things go, and to cherish what I have in the here and now.” He paused; then grinned down at her before reciting a familiar quotation. “Anger, fear, aggression, the dark side of the force are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”
“Really? You’re quoting Yoda again? What am I going to do with you, Stone?”
“I’m hoping you’ll take me to bed and let me make love to you before we both get some much-needed sleep.”
“Quit quoting the short, green, swamp puppet and you’ll have a better chance of getting me into bed. Couldn’t you at least quote Han Solo? He was hot!”
“I love you,” he declared and kissed her.
Within seconds, her entire body was humming with pleasure. She throbbed with sudden need and she rubbed her hardening nipples against the bare skin of his chest. His mouth claimed hers as his arms pulled her close and held her against the hard planes of his body.
She closed her eyes and kissed him back, letting go of everything else. There would be time to talk later. Time to ask all her questions and help him come to terms with his past. They were going to have a lifetime together.
“Can I take you to bed now, or do you want to talk more?” he whispered between heated kisses, his hands already busy undoing the clasp of her jeans.
“No more talking. I’m all yours.”