by Faith Gibson
“Okay, I’ll be back, but call if you need to get out before then.”
Sabrina nodded and followed Paxton to the door. Once he was through, she closed and locked it. She hated being boxed in. Her office wasn’t small, but with the door closed, it felt smaller than usual. The reason she had it locked was what had her losing sleep the night before. She tried to keep her mind on Deacon and their date, but she kept going back to the roses and the stranger in the hallway. Needing the extra caffeine, Sabrina popped a pod into her coffee maker and hit the start button. While it was heating, she picked up her phone and opened the call from Paxton so she could add his name to the contacts list. She placed her phone on the corner of her desk where she kept it while she was working.
After she had her coffee mixed with some caramel creamer, she took a sip before sitting. Sabrina lowered herself into her chair and reached out to place the mug on her coaster. Sabrina gasped, jerking her hand away from a picture which had been taped to the top of the ceramic square. Coffee splashed over her desk and her hand, tears welling up in her eyes. Instead of grabbing something to wipe up the spill or clean her hand, Sabrina picked up the photo. When she got a closer look, it was actually three photos that had been taped together. One was her standing on her porch. One was Jasmine smiling at someone out of the frame. And the third was of Terrence in what looked like a professional headshot. Why had they only chosen those three? Why not include Jerrick? Unless it was because he was somewhere on the other side of the world in the military. And how had they gotten the picture into her office? The door had been locked.
Sabrina’s doorknob rattled, and she jerked to her feet, her chair rolling back into the filing cabinets. A firm hand banged on the door, but Sabrina ignored it. She grabbed her phone and dialed Paxton. He answered before it rang once.
“Sabrina?” She couldn’t find her voice as whoever was at her door continued knocking without saying anything. “Sabrina? Fuck! I’m on my way.”
Tears continued to roll down her face as Sabrina stood frozen. Paxton announced himself as he knocked, so she knew it was him and not whoever had been trying to get in. He must have been right down the hallway, because he was there within seconds. When she unlocked the door, he took one look at her and cursed under his breath. She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay, but the man did the opposite. Paxton took a step back and blew out a breath.
“Did you see who it was at my door?” she asked.
“There was no one there. Did they not announce themselves?”
Sabrina shook her head. “There’s something else.” She picked up the photo and held it out to him. “This was on my desk. I locked my door last night. Deacon watched me.”
“And I watched you unlock it.” Instead of taking it from her, Paxton pointed. “That’s you, but who are the other two?”
“My sister, Jasmine, and my brother Terrence. I have another brother, but last I knew he was in the military.”
“Do you have an envelope? I need to take the photo in and have it tested.” Sabrina found an envelope, and Paxton told her to drop the photo inside. “Is there anyone who can take over your patients today?”
“I’m not letting whoever this is run me from my job. My patients need me, and I have you following me.”
“Fair enough. Do you have napkins or something I can use to clean the coffee off your desk?”
Sabrina waved him off. “I made the mess.” She opened the credenza door and pulled out a roll of paper towels, ripping off several sheets. As she dabbed them over the liquid, the tears returned. She did her best to blink them back, but one escaped.
“Shit,” Paxton muttered. Sabrina glanced up at him to see he was texting someone.
“What’s wrong?”
“I... Well, it’s—”
“Sabrina!” Joseph rushed into the room and pulled Sabrina into his arms. “Are you hurt?”
“No, just splashed coffee on my hand.” Sabrina rested her cheek against Joseph’s shoulder and sighed. “Why is someone after me? I don’t have enemies. Well, except maybe Paul, but he wouldn’t do something like this.”
“Paul? Blankenship?” Joseph slid his hands down to Sabrina’s and held her so he could look at her face. “Why would you think of Paul?”
“He stopped by right after I got the roses and mentioned the chief of staff position.”
Joseph released her hands, stepping back. “That prick. Let me make one thing clear. He’s not in the running, and even if he were to be nominated, there’s no way I’d allow him to run my hospital.”
Sabrina grinned at her boss. She loved when Joseph called it his hospital. If she took over as chief, would she think of it as hers? Heck, she already did for the most part.
“Can you stay with Sabrina while I run this to the lab?” Paxton asked.
“Of course, and besides, Deacon is on his way.”
“Deacon? Why is he coming?” Sabrina asked.
“Because I care about what happens to you,” Deacon said as he stalked into the room. There was no other way to describe the way the man made his way to her. When he reached her, Deacon pulled her to him and wrapped his large arms around her. A low rumble vibrated beneath Sabrina’s cheek. “Why does my mate smell like you, Joseph?”
His mate?
Paxton laughed, and Joseph shook his head. “Sabrina’s like a daughter to me. She was upset, and I gave her a hug until you could get here and do your job.”
His job?
Something was going on, and Sabrina wanted to know what it was, but she didn’t have time to find out. She had patients to see, and she still needed to get her computer work done. But being held by Deacon was frying her brain. And causing her belly to do flips. And getting her panties wet. Another vibration rose up from inside the man.
“I’m just going to go.” Paxton left, taking Joseph with him.
“Sabrina,” Deacon husked.
“Huh?” Yep, brain fried.
“Look at me,” he commanded. So, she did.
Deacon dipped his head and ghosted his lips against hers. Oh, hell no. If he was going to kiss her, he was going to do it right. Sabrina pulled Deacon’s head down and showed him the proper way to kiss a woman.
DEACON LOST ALL thought of keeping Sabrina safe when she kissed him deeper. He’d only wanted to get her mind off the photo and whoever was stalking her, because he was convinced whoever was leaving items for her was doing just that. Now that he had her in his arms with their tongues dancing the sultriest of tangos, all Deacon wanted was to strip her down so he could feel her silky skin against his. Bury his cock deep within her body and claim her as his mate. But he couldn’t. When Deacon broke the kiss, Sabrina sighed and pressed her forehead to his chest.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
Deacon tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes. “I’m not.” He wasn’t sorry for the kiss, but he was sorry they were in her office at the hospital where they weren’t really alone. “There’ll be plenty of time for more of that later. Right now, I want you to concentrate on your job.”
“What about your job? Why did Joseph say I was your job?”
Deacon couldn’t tell her the truth, so he got as close to possible. “I feel a strong connection to you, and as such, it is my job to protect you.”
“Why did you call me your mate?”
“Because of that connection I mentioned. I know we’ve only just met, but I’m drawn to you, and I want us to have a chance to see if this connection might lead to something deeper. More permanent. It’s fast, and we don’t know each other, but I want us to get there.”
“I feel it too. Is that weird? I’ve dated, sure. And I have to be honest. When I first met you, I was scared of you, but now I feel safe.”
“Good. I want you to feel safe. These items that are being left for you mean someone is getting into your locked office. My boss’s cousin is a security expert, and he’s going to figure out who is doing this. In the meantime, you will have someone
watching you twenty-four seven. I wish it could be me with you at all times, but that isn’t feasible, so I have friends like Paxton helping me until whoever is doing this is caught.”
“Do you think that’s really necessary?”
“Absolutely. Your safety is the most important thing to me. Now, are you ready to make your rounds?”
“Not yet. I still need to make some notes in my computer, and I’m running behind.”
“I’ll wait in the hallway if you’d like.”
“That would probably be for the best. If you sit in here, I won’t be able to concentrate.” Sabrina moved her hand from behind his neck down his chest and left it over his heart. Deacon clasped her hand in his and brought it to his mouth where he placed soft kisses on her knuckles.
“I’ll be right outside.” Leaving his mate was hard, but it had to be done. She needed to work, and he needed to call Julian.
When he closed the door behind him, Jonas was waiting. “Paxton left to take the photo to Julian. He’s going to talk to him about added security around Sabrina’s office.”
"I’m sorry about earlier,” Deacon said. “I know you have no designs on my female.”
“I may have growled at someone getting close to my own mate a time or two hundred. Truth be told, I still do it, after all these years. I would say it gets easier, but it really doesn’t. Our connection to our mate is deep and everlasting, especially after you complete the bond. Your mate is as much of you as your shifter is.”
Deacon couldn’t imagine how Sabrina could become any more ingrained in him than she already was, but he’d been around the others enough to know the connection would get stronger. That scared the shit out of him.
“Gregor has given me time away from the Pen until we figure out who’s behind this. I told Sabrina she’d have someone guarding her at all times, and I plan on introducing her to Lorenzo later so she’s not surprised to see him watching her home.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t moving in with her,” Jonas said.
“Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind. But we haven’t even had our first date.”
“Then you better make it a doozy.” Jonas winked, and Deacon groaned.
“I’m not the world’s most experienced dater. It’s been a long time, and even then, it wasn’t anything serious. I said yes because the female wore me down. It was dinner and nothing more. I’ve waited on my mate to come along, and after four hundred years, here she is.”
“Trust in the mate pull. Sabrina won’t be able to stay away from you, especially now that you’ve kissed.”
“How...? Never mind. I got so caught up in it, I forgot anyone was around. But I think you’re right. What I felt from Sabrina was promising. I’m taking her to dinner tomorrow night, and if all goes well, that will be the end of it. Or the beginning, I should say.”
The door opened, and Sabrina said, “I’m ready.”
Deacon knew she meant she was ready to make her rounds, but he prayed she was ready to give them a chance. The smile on her face told him she was.
Chapter Eleven
DEACON GOT A text from Brynna while Sabrina was in with her fourth patient of the morning. Deacon wasn’t going to leave his mate alone at the hospital, so he told Brynna he would stop by later to pick up the clothes she’d gotten for him. Paxton had returned after spending time with Julian and Lucy at the lab, but instead of shadowing Sabrina, the male had gone to see Jonathan since Deacon wasn’t going to leave his mate’s side. The elevator doors opened, and a wave of grief hit Deacon hard. When he saw who was walking down the hall, he understood.
Priscilla was moving slowly toward him with Rafael and Kaya on either side. Both looked grim, but he wasn’t getting the same pain from them as he was the older human. They stopped in front of Deacon, and he pulled Priscilla into his arms. “Hey, Beautiful,” he whispered against her gray hair. Sabrina stepped out of her patient’s room, pausing until he turned Priscilla loose.
When Priscilla saw Sabrina, she choked back a sob. “Dr. Bailey, can’t you do something? Please? You have to save him. I can’t lose my brother.” Priscilla’s body shook as the tears poured down her face. Deacon was doing his best not to cringe, but the woman’s pain was close to bringing him to his knees.
“Let’s go somewhere and talk,” Sabrina suggested. Priscilla allowed herself to be ushered into a small family room. Deacon remained in the hallway, while Rafael and Kaya went inside to support their housekeeper. Deacon closed the door to give them some privacy, but being Gargoyle, he had no trouble hearing Sabrina. He stood sentry, watching the four of them through the window.
“Miss Holt, I know how much you love your brother, and I understand wanting him to be around longer, but have you stopped to think what he’s going through? At Jonathan’s age, the treatment he’s undergone has taken just as much a toll on his body as the disease itself. I talked to him at length about his decision. He’s tired, and he’s ready for the pain to go away, but he knows how badly this is hurting you, and it’s tearing him up inside. He’s not afraid to die, but he is afraid of how this will affect you when he does.”
“He’s been my whole life. Him and all my boys.” Priscilla reached out for Rafael’s hand.
“And you’ve been his. You’ve been his rock, Priscilla, and he needs you to continue doing that for him. He’s not strong enough to do it for both of you.” Rafael slid an arm around Priscilla’s shoulders and kissed her on the temple. “If I’ve not said it enough, you and Jonathan have been the parents we all needed when ours left us. Kaya and I are going to need a mother’s love and guidance as we welcome Sebastian into the world.”
Deacon felt the second Priscilla’s heart shifted. The sharp pain in his head and chest eased. “I can be strong. Just give me a minute to get my face together, and then I want to see him.”
The four of them stood, and Sabrina handed the older woman a box of tissues. After blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, Priscilla stood taller than Deacon could remember. “I’m ready.”
Deacon opened the door for them and remained where he was standing as Rafael led Kaya and Priscilla into Jonathan’s room. He turned to Sabrina, who had her arms wrapped around her waist. Not caring who was watching, Deacon pulled her to his chest, offering what little support he could. “Thank you,” he murmured against her hair.
“For what?”
“Your words. No one else had the courage to tell Priscilla she was hurting Jonathan.”
“How do you know what I said? You were out here.”
“I have exceptional hearing. Now, do you want to go to the cafeteria for lunch? Or should I call and have something brought in?” Deacon hoped the change of subject would be enough to keep Sabrina from questioning him.
“I don’t know if I can eat right now. After the photo this morning and that conversation... I’m not...”
“You need to keep your strength up. How about I order soup or a salad? Something light?”
“Okay, but can we go somewhere? I’d like to get out of the building for a while.”
“Anywhere you want to go.” Deacon would take her to her favorite restaurant or on a long vacation if she asked it of him.
“Anywhere?” she asked, pulling away from his embrace. When she looked around and noticed another doctor staring at them, she frowned. “Let's go.” Sabrina didn’t wait on Deacon to follow as she headed away from the man who was staring at Deacon. Deacon glanced down at the man’s badge, taking note of his name. Paul Blankenship was a handsome man. Almost as tall as Deacon but not as built. As he caught up with his mate, Deacon made a mental note to ask her about the doctor as well as having Julian run a thorough check on the man.
As they stood waiting for the elevator, Deacon placed his hand on Sabrina’s back, rubbing small circles between her shoulders. He held his breath to see if she’d move away from him, but his heart warmed when she leaned in closer. Whether it was the mate pull or the need for comfort, he didn’t care. His female was getting used to his tou
ch. Welcoming it.
Once inside the elevator, Deacon asked, “Where would you like to go for lunch?”
“New Orleans,” Sabrina deadpanned.
“Okay, but we’ll need to stop and get my truck and some clothes. I don’t think your first time on the back of a bike should be a five-hundred-mile trip. I’ll also need to get a backrest for you.”
“Who says it’ll be my first time on a bike?” The elevator doors opened, and Sabrina stepped out. When she noticed he wasn’t by her side, she turned around. “Deacon?”
“You’ve ridden with someone?” He wanted to find out who with and kill the man. Well, kill was a strong word. Maybe just maim him so he couldn’t ride anymore. Sabrina grinned, and he realized she’d been goading him. “Not funny,” he muttered, stepping out of the elevator. She hooked her arm through his.
As they walked, she bumped his arm with her shoulder and laughed softly. Her demeanor changed when she noticed a man squatting down outside her office. Sabrina drew up short, and Deacon placed his free hand on the one she was using to hold his bicep. “It’s okay, Pretty Lady.”
Julian turned and smiled. “Hey, Brother. I was going to wait until later to do this, but I thought it best to get to it sooner rather than later.” He stood from where he was installing a new security panel on Sabrina’s door. Julian fisted his heart and bowed his head slightly before holding out his hand to Sabrina. “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Julian Stone.”
“Stone, as in Rafael and the benefactors to the hospital?” When Julian nodded, she asked, “Why would you be working on the door? Don’t you have people for that?”
Julian laughed. “Yes, and I’m those people.” He looked around before whispering, “I don’t trust your safety to just anyone. Let’s go inside your office.” Julian punched in a six-digit code, and when it beeped, he opened the door, allowing Sabrina to enter first. When they were safely inside, he said, “I’ve been monitoring the security feed for the hospital. Whoever is getting in knows where all the cameras are and keeps his head covered. This guy is good, but I’m hoping we’ll get a match to the fingerprints we found on the photo. The new lock has a biometric scan as well as a six-digit code that I’ll show you how to change or add access to for others who you allow in your office.”