Slade: A Stone Society Novella (The Stone Society)

by Faith Gibson

  “Did you find him?” Julian asked when he answered.

  “Jules, the driver of the taxi said Matt’s been taken. I’m headed toward Sycamore where he said the van was. Please tell me you have eyes on it. Julian, help me!”

  “Slade, listen to me. I’m working on it. But you need to remember, not only are you Goyle, but you were a cop. Stop feeling with your heart and think with your brain. Do you want me to call Frey? I think I need to call—”

  “No! Fuck! Don’t call anyone yet. Just… Please, Julian. Help me find him.” Slade turned right onto Sycamore, and a couple blocks down, he came upon a convenience store, but there was no van. He continued until the street dead-ended at an intersection, so he turned around and went the other way. “He’s not here.”

  “Okay, don’t panic yet. Does Matt have his phone on him?”

  Slade looked both directions as he eased his way back down the street. “I don’t think so. He called from the taxi driver’s phone.”

  “That makes sense why the signal isn’t moving. Okay. I ran the plate on the van. It’s registered to WSD, Inc.”

  “Does that mean something to you?”

  “Hey, Slade. Nik here. I put you on speaker so we could all hear you.” Slade wondered if Julian was having a get-together, or if they were all still at the lab this late. Regardless, he was glad they were there to help Julian search for Matt. Slade was furious at himself and his godsdamned beast.

  “Are you still working? I know I’m interrupting, but please tell me you can help get Matty back.”

  “Yes. We’re helping Deacon with Sabrina’s brother. At first, they thought Sabrina had a stalker, but it was her youngest brother. Jerrick hadn’t been heard from in years. Turns out, he got out of the army and was propositioned by Gordon Flanagan. Jerrick became Unholy, but now he’s one of the Reborn. He was trying to get Sabrina’s attention about what Dr. Craven is up to.”

  “Reborn?”

  Nikolas answered, “That’s what they’re calling the Unholy who are being returned to a more normal, human state, like Evan. Now, about this WSD, Inc. When Rafael first had trouble with Alistair, that was the name of the company Lachlan fabricated to hide who was really behind the scenes. Since Alistair is dead, I’m assuming the van is now in the hands of Drago and the other Greeks who’ve taken over the Unholy.”

  “What are they doing in Florida, and when did they turn to kidnapping?” Slade asked.

  “As for kidnapping, they started with Connor, if not before. As to Florida, that’s probably because traffickers like setting up shop along borders and coasts so they can get the people out of the country quickly. Human trafficking is a lucrative business, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Greeks were involved. It takes money to raise an army of Reborn. I’m sending Remy a text to ask Lachlan about ownership of Alistair’s property now that he’s dead,” Nik said.

  “It’s too bad you and Matt didn’t complete the bond. You might be able to talk to him if you had,” Julian said, breaking Slade from his maudlin musings.

  “Talk to him? How?” Slade asked.

  “Through your minds. Several of the mates have been able to communicate after they completed the bond.”

  “Even those who are human?”

  “Yes. Dante and Connor can speak to one another, but then again, Connor’s special.”

  “Well, it’s too late for that now. Should I see if the camera in the store picked up anything?” Slade had pulled over to the side of the road across from the store.

  “I think that’d be a waste of time. We already know who the van belongs to.”

  Nik came back on the line. “Remy spoke to Lachlan. He said any vehicle under the WSD name would more than likely be in the hands of Drago and the other Greeks. Unless the van was stolen, we have to assume whoever took Matt is Gargoyle.”

  “Fuck!” Slade ran his hands through his hair, tugging the ends.

  “I understand what you’re going through,” Nik said. “We both do. I know telling you to remain calm is wasting my breath, but that’s all you can do right now. Keep calm, and let us do our job here.”

  “I’ve got all systems looking for the van,” Julian added. “Lucy’s here with us. She’s tenacious when it comes to finding someone. If she can find her father’s mate in the middle of Vermont, she can find anyone.”

  Slade appreciated everyone stepping in. “It’s late, though. I don’t want anyone else losing sleep because I can’t keep my mate safe.”

  “Don’t do that. Again, we know how you feel. Nikolas and I both let guilt just about eat us alive when Kat and Sophia were taken from us. All different circumstances, but as Alphas, we feel it’s our job to protect those entrusted to us. You told Matt to run so you wouldn’t bite him before you both were ready. There’s no shame in that. Besides, how were you to know the kid would go and play hero trying to save a kidnapping victim? If he hadn’t run, no one would know the woman had been taken. Maybe this is how things were supposed to go so we can save her and anyone else who’s been kidnapped?”

  “I see what you’re saying, but I still want to get him back sooner rather than later.”

  “We do too. For now, we’re going to keep this to ourselves. Frey doesn’t need to know.”

  “What about a BOLO? Can you do that?” If they issued a “be on the lookout” across the surrounding cities and counties, that would give them extra eyes.

  Julian sighed. “I could, but if we are dealing with Gargoyles, do we want to risk human lives getting involved and caught in the crossfire?”

  Slade shook his head, slumping down in his seat. “No. Not unless it’s a last measure. What should I do?”

  “For now, go back to the hotel. Pack your bags, and be ready to go. I have a feeling it won’t be long before we have eyes on the van. Do you have your sword with you?”

  “Yes. I never travel without it.”

  “Good. One of us’ll call you back as soon as we know anything.”

  “Thanks. Both of you.”

  “It’s what families do,” Nik said before disconnecting.

  Slade pulled back onto the road headed toward the hotel. His mind was whirling with thoughts of Matthew being held by Gargoyles. If he’d been taken by humans, the teen might stand a chance at defending himself, but against Goyles? “Fuck!”

  I’m—

  You need to shut the fuck up. This is all your fault.

  Slade’s beast retreated, more completely than Slade had felt in a long time. That was fine by him. He needed to be able to think without the beast interjecting its opinion every five minutes. Instead of taking the SUV to the valet, Slade found a meter on the street so he could leave quickly when Julian called back. When he entered the room, Slade leaned against the door and blew out a breath. This was so not how he saw his night going. When Matthew agreed to be his mate, Slade thought they would spend all night wrapped up in each other, taking turns making love and talking.

  When he moved away from the door, Slade stepped on something – Matthew’s phone. He bent over and picked it up, studying it to see if he’d cracked it. Cradling it to his chest, Slade sighed. Maybe he should have listened to his beast and bit his mate. At least they would be together.

  Chapter Twelve

  Julian rubbed the back of his neck. “We need to call Frey.”

  “Yes, we do,” Nikolas agreed.

  “But we’re not going to.” Julian sighed then looked at his brother.

  “We’re not?” Nik asked, eyebrows raised. Nikolas was older than Julian by a handful of years, but Julian often took lead when decisions were to be made.

  “No. At least, not yet.” Julian returned to the computer, knowing he was screwing up by keeping this from Frey.

  “Okay. I need coffee. You want a soda?” Nik asked.

  “Please.” Julian threaded his fingers, turned his palms away from his body, and cracked his knuckles.

  “I’ll get both. You two concentrate on Matthew,” Lucy offered. She went to the kitchen wit
h Tamian right behind her. Lucy had been a quick study and never hesitated to stay late to help with whatever Julian was working on. She even sent him home to Katherine some nights while she and Tamian remained at the lab. He hated to think of the two of them returning to New York, but he knew it was inevitable. Lucy had her own family she needed to assist.

  Lucy returned a few minutes later carrying two mugs of coffee. She handed one to Nik and placed the other in front of her station. Tamian handed Julian his soda before leaning a hip against the desk next to Lucy. He stood stone-still with his arms crossed over his chest, but his eyes were narrowed. Julian knew that look. He’d been around Tessa’s brother enough to know when he was getting ready to say something important. Tamian didn’t disappoint.

  “I’ve called my pilot. He’ll have my jet ready within the hour. I’m going to Florida to back Slade up. If Matthew has been taken by Gargoyles, we don’t know how many Slade will be up against when we find the teen.”

  Julian should have known the half-blood would offer to go help. That’s what he did. He’d been instrumental in getting Kat out of the Super Max. “Two against an unknown number isn’t much better than one.”

  “Six. Santiago’s family lives in New Miami. He’s calling his three brothers, and they’re going to meet us in New Cocoa. In the meantime, if you get a lock on Matthew’s location, we’ll either get rental cars or fly, if that’s more convenient.”

  Julian would have smiled, but this was Matthew. The teen and Abbi hadn’t been in their lives long, but that didn’t matter. They were family. Matthew was as much Frey’s child as Amelia, and if something even more dire were to happen to the boy, Frey would unleash his beast on everyone who had a hand in hurting his son. Drago wouldn’t have the opportunity to amass an army against the rest of the Clan.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to tell Frey? He’s going to be pissed when he finds out you kept this from him.” Tamian wasn’t wrong.

  “No, but I’ll take full responsibility. Nik, if you’ll help Lucy with the cameras, I’ll finish getting Jerrick’s and Evan’s new identifications ready. Once that’s done, I’ll be able to help you two.” Julian was used to multi-tasking, but even though Matthew was priority, helping Sabrina’s brother and the other Reborn was important as well.

  Everyone was quiet while they did their jobs. Twenty minutes later, Lucy said, “I got it!” The three males crowded around her as her monitor beeped. She pointed to a video she’d frozen, zooming in on the license plate. “This was fifteen minutes ago. Hang on.” She continued manipulating the cameras in the area the van was headed. “I was able to get satellite footage. They got on I-95 headed north.”

  Julian was glad Lucy had located the van, even if she’d done so using not-so-legal means. If the government knew what his computers were capable of, he would never have a day’s peace. That was why he trusted very few with what he could accomplish. Sure, the Clan knew he was brilliant and could hack the most secure computers, but they weren’t aware of the extensive system he’d created. The only one he was leery of was Lachlan. The male was more adept at coding than Julian, and he’d spent a lot of time getting personal with Julian’s system. It surprised Julian the male hadn’t threatened to out Julian to the government in exchange for his release from the Pen. But so far, he had taken his punishment for spying on them for Alistair with honor.

  While Lucy continued monitoring the van, Julian returned to what he was good at. He created an algorithm to search for Drago’s name as well as WSD, Inc. in Florida. If he and the Greeks were working in the state, Julian prayed the Goyle had used a credit card recently that would give them an idea of where Matthew was being taken. Then Tamian could go do what he was good at.

  When Matthew came to, it took a few seconds for reality to kick in. His head was pounding, and he couldn’t see. His hands were bound behind his back, and his legs were tied together as well. He’d fought the kidnappers – somewhat – and lost. He remained still so they wouldn’t know he was awake. With the hood covering his head, it was stuffy, but the van was cold inside. Whoever was driving had the AC blasting. The faint odor of urine hit his nose, and he willed himself not to flinch. The female must have pissed herself at some point, because his pants weren’t wet. She was making no sound that he could hear over the music coming from the radio, so Matt wondered if she was unconscious or doing her best to be inconspicuous as well.

  He had no idea how long he’d been out of it. Instead of panicking, he drew strength from the knowledge he had an uncle who was a genius, a father who would tear these men apart if he got his hands on them, and a mate who would move heaven and earth to get him back. If Slade still wanted him. Matthew had already broken his promise to stay vigilant. But he couldn’t in good conscience let the woman be kidnapped without at least trying to save her. He’d failed.

  The first thing Matt was going to do when he and his Goyle were reunited – because they would be reunited – was beg him to forgive him Then he was going to beg him to complete the bond. Getting abducted put things in perspective. Looking eighteen forever didn’t matter. People talking and leering didn’t matter. Slade did. They did. He never should have run. He should have stood his ground, because beast or not, Slade would never hurt Matt. He should be back at the hotel in his Goyle’s arms, not being taken to who knew where for who knew… “He’s pretty, plus he’s a fighter. I bet they’ll pay good money to fuck him.”

  Holy fuckballs! They were going to sell him. And the woman. Shit! Shit, shit, shit! He wasn’t prostitute material. Matthew did his best not to panic. Shit! Matt’s breathing started to pick up, so he concentrated on the relaxation techniques Frey had taught him. He did his best to put everything around him out of his mind except for that thing that brought him peace. Slade.

  Damnit. If he’d only had his phone, Slade could have Julian track him. Granted, the men who took him would probably have tossed it at some point, but at least he would have a starting point. Would he be able to use their bond and talk silently the way some of the others could? No, because they hadn’t completed the bond. Matt’s head was killing him, making it hard to think. The men weren’t talking, so he had no idea where they were headed. He tried his best to stay awake, but the pain was making it hard. The hum of the engine and the cold air weren’t helping, and Matt succumbed once again to sleep.

  Loud, angry voices roused Matthew. He had no idea how long he’d been out that time, but it didn’t matter. They had arrived at their destination, and by the feel of the bodies pressed to both sides of his, the men had picked up more victims along the way. He assumed they were women by the perfume he could smell through the dark fabric.

  “Why the fuck didn’t you just kill him? We don’t deal in males.”

  “No, but Mr. Collins does. I’ve seen some of the containers. Both male and female, all ages. I’ve heard there’s a market for pretty boys. This one is a little old, but I think someone would want him.”

  “You aren’t paid to think.”

  “Fuck you, Arden.”

  Arden growled. “This better not set us back, or you’ll be the one fucked and without your head as soon as Drago finds out.”

  Drago? Oh, fuck. These weren’t men. These were fucking Gargoyles. No wonder his head hurt so bad. It was a wonder they hadn’t killed him instead of just knocking him out. They hadn’t said his name, so he didn’t think they knew who he was. It had to be coincidence they grabbed him, but someone had found them in Key West. What if he and Slade had been followed? Grabbing Matt while he’d run had been the perfect opportunity. The sliding door opened, and Matthew froze. He knew better than to put up a fight against Goyles. He didn’t stand a chance, so he played possum. One of the women? Not so much as she struggled against them and tried to yell around the gag in her mouth.

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut up,” one of the males threatened. The woman whimpered. Matt remained unmoving.

  “Damn. How hard did you hit the kid?” the angry man – Arden
– asked right as the hood was removed from his head. He slapped Matt on the face so hard he had no choice but to cry out, giving away the fact that he wasn’t unconscious. Matt blinked against the light, his eyes watering. “No way.” Arden pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressed some buttons, then held the phone up next to Matthew’s face. “Holy gods. Do you know who this is?” The man’s voice was no longer angry. “You might have redeemed yourself after all.”

  “Why? Who is he?”

  “Matthew Hartley. He’s not going to Mr. Collins. Drago has a plan for this one.” Arden cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know if your day just got better or worse, Mr. Hartley.”

  Matthew didn’t either. If the leader of the Greeks in the States had plans for Matthew, it meant Matthew had been on his radar longer than they realized. Hagen coming into the gym looking for Matt further proved the hacker was working for Drago. Matt wouldn’t be sold to the trafficker, but his fate could be a lot worse. But if Drago wanted Matthew for some reason, that meant he’d likely be taken back to New Atlanta where Slade would have the help of the Clan in getting him back. Matthew kept his mouth shut, figuring he’d let the fates decide what was best.

  Growing up, his parents had taken him and Abbi to church on occasion, but they weren’t overly religious. Matthew hadn’t given much thought to God or some higher being, especially when enduring life at the hands of Troy. Either there was no God, or he didn’t care enough about Matthew to intervene. The Gargoyles believed in various gods and the fates. The Gryphons were supposedly created by Zeus. According to myth, Zeus had brothers and sisters, so who was to say there weren’t multiple gods and goddesses out there somewhere?

  “Nothing to say?” Arden asked. When Matthew simply stared at the Goyle, the male shook his head. “Humans,” he muttered. “Transfer the women to the truck. I’ll handle this one.” Arden leaned in and grabbed Matthew’s legs, pulling him to the edge of the door and tossed him over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. To a Gargoyle, he didn’t. Matthew didn’t fight the male. He knew it would be futile.