Authors: Faith Gibson
Kaya was sitting
her front porch enjoying a cup of coffee when her phone rang. “Kane.”
“Boss, we just
received an anonymous tip: two bodies at an abandoned warehouse.” Walter Craven
was a twenty year veteran on the force. He was a good detective who was closing
in on retirement.
“Shit. Give me
the address.” She wrote the location down then looked at it again. “Craven,
that’s the address I sent you and Kyle to yesterday. Did you not go check it
out?”
“No, Ma’am. By
the time I got to the precinct, he had left without me. Have you not heard from
him?”
“No, I
haven’t. Okay, you go ahead to this location and I’ll meet you there.” Kaya
was pissed. She hung up and dialed Kyle. The call went straight to
voicemail. Next she called Wilkes. “Chief, I got your email but I haven’t had
a chance to look at it.”
“That can wait.
I want you to find Jorgenson’s vehicle. He’s M.I.A. I know this is Saturday,
but I have a missing detective. Call me as soon as you have the location. Also
take down this address. I need the owner’s name immediately. Yeah thanks,
Wilkes.”
Kaya didn’t
bother pouring her coffee out. She sat the mug down on her kitchen counter and
went to her bedroom to change clothes. She would bet money the Stones owned the
property.
Kaya was about
ten miles away from her destination when her phone rang. “Chief, I got the
information you wanted. The good news is Stone, Incorporated owns the
warehouse. The bad news is that Jorgenson’s GPS has been disabled.” Kaya
muttered, “Thanks”
and hung up. She immediately dialed a number she was
becoming too familiar with.
“Stone,
Incorporated.” The voice was an unfamiliar one but then again it was the
weekend. Probably an answering service. “This is Police Chief Kaya Kane. I need
to speak to Mr. Stone.”
“He is currently
unavailable. I will be glad to take a message for him.” Definitely a service.
“Tell him his
presence is required at his warehouse located in the Forest Grove Industrial
Park.”
“I will make
sure he gets the message.”
Kaya hung up
and drove. Dammit. She really didn’t want to believe Rafael was involved in
this mess. She kept telling herself that he was innocent until she had
indisputable proof of his guilt. Craven was at the scene when she arrived. He
was bent over, hands on his knees. She got out of her car and stopped. The man
was heaving his guts up.
“Jesus, Craven, what
is wrong with you?” She started toward the building, but he grabbed her arm.
“You really don’t want to go in there, Boss.” He released her arm and stood up,
wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. “I don’t know what the fuck that
even is in there.”
“Have you
secured the crime scene?” If this man was losing his breakfast, she really
didn’t want to go into the building. She normally didn’t have a weak stomach,
but she wasn’t going to risk it.
“No, Ma’am. Took
one look, and I was right back out here. I’ll call CSU. I suggest you stay
put.” He walked away from her and the puddle of vomit. She didn’t hang around
the area either. She was looking around for something to cover the spot with
when she noticed a shiny sports car pulling into the parking lot. A Corvette
convertible stopped, and Mr. Stone angled out of the car. The wrong Mr. Stone.
“Chief Kane,
Julian Stone.” He held his hand out to the pretty cop. He could see why Rafe
would be drawn to her, mate bond or not. She gripped his hand firmly and shook.
“I was expecting
your cousin, Rafael. Where is he?”
“I’m afraid he
is away at the moment. Would you care to tell me why we are here?” He gestured
to the building.
“Mr. Stone, I
appreciate you driving all the way out here but I need to speak with Rafael
since he owns the property.” Julian could smell the agitation rolling off Kaya.
Was it because she was hoping to see Rafael and was disappointed?
“First, please
call me Julian. Second, while I really should let you believe Rafael is the
sole owner of our little empire, I too, am part owner in this particular
building. Now, why are we here?” He heard the vehicles before he saw them;
Dante would be arriving within minutes.
“Very well, Mr.
Stone. We have another murder. At least we think it’s a murder. The body is
such that we aren’t certain what happened to it. Since you didn’t have security
cameras in place at the other warehouse, I’m assuming you don’t here either?”
Julian replied
as he turned to see Dante walking up, “We are in the process of adding cameras
to all our properties.” Dante stood in front of him, and they both kept their
faces void of recognition.
Dante looked to
Kaya. “Chief Kane, what do we have?”
“I haven’t
actually seen the bodies but from Detective Craven’s reaction, the first one is
ugly.”
Dante
disappeared into the building and quickly returned, frowning.
“Chief Kane, I’m
not sure even dental records will give me a clue as to who
that
is in
there. It is going to take a hazmat crew to gather the remains. I did not see a
second body. Are you certain there were two?”
“The tip we
received said there were two, but I haven’t been in there yet, so no, I’m not
certain.”
Dante was
scowling now. “Mr. Stone, Chief Kane, if you both will excuse me, I will make
the call.”
Julian cocked
his head to the side. The unmistakable sound of a rifle slide carried across
the wind. He quickly stepped in front of Kaya, putting her between him and the
building. The bullet hit his back, and he tried to play it off with a fake
sneeze. Dante turned around. “Mr. Stone, are you catching something?” Julian
had to suppress a groan. “Yes, I believe I am. Maybe I will just grab my jacket
out of my car.”
“Here, let me
get it for you” Dante opened the passenger side door and grabbed the
windbreaker that was stowed behind the seat. Goyles rarely felt the cold, but
they never knew when they would need to hide a “wound”. “Here you go, Mr.
Stone.”
Dante
accidentally dropped the jacket just as Julian reached for it. “My apologies.”
Julian grabbed
the jacket off the ground along with the bullet that should be imbedded in his
back. He slid the jacket on, pocketing the evidence. “Thank you.”
Dante finished
his call to the hazmat crew. “They will be here within the hour. CSU will want
to suit up before they enter the building. Whoever did this wanted to make sure
the body could not be identified.” Julian watched the chief as her mind worked.
“Are you certain
there wasn’t another body?” Kaya asked Dante.
“I only saw the one.
Did Detective Craven not do a walk-through of the premises?”
“I don’t think
he got past the first body. I will go check it out myself.” If the remains were
as bad as Dante indicated, Julian hated for her to witness it.
“Chief Kane, are
you sure you want to go in there? I mean if it’s bad enough that your detective
can’t stomach it…” The look on her face stopped him.
“I may be a
woman, Mr. Stone, but I’m a seasoned officer. I can handle whatever is in that
warehouse.” With no warning, she turned and made her way into the building.
Julian listened
until her footsteps were on the other side of the warehouse before speaking to
Dante. “I need to get out of here and find whoever took a shot at us. I didn’t
have a chance to get a good look at the bullet, but I will take it back to the
lab and examine it.”
Dante looked
around as the CSU and hazmat crews parked and gathered their gear. “Jules, when
Frey said it was bad, he wasn’t exaggerating, but he said the man looked like
Magnus Flanagan. There’s no way he could tell by looking at
that
in
there. The killer must have come back. It’s as if someone poured acid on the
body parts that can provide proof of identity. And where the fuck is the second
body? I’m telling you brother, someone is out to get us. We need to locate the
cop and soon. I will stop by the lab on my way to the morgue to look at your
DNA samples. Then I will compare them to whatever I can get off this victim.
When the chief turns you loose, please call Rafe and fill him in.”
“Will do.” Kaya
appeared in the doorway looking a little green. “Did you find another body,
Chief?”
She shook her
head no. Stepping out of the building, she took a few deep breaths through her
mouth, obviously tamping down the urge to throw up. Julian had to give it to
her; the woman was tough. “Listen, Chief, both Rafael and I want to assist in
any way we can. We do not like the fact that our properties are being used in
such a way. Here’s my card. I need to finish the install of the security
systems on our other vacant buildings. If you have no further questions, I
would really like to get busy on that.”
“Yeah, you can
go but Mr. Stone, don’t leave town. The fact that your brother isn’t available
doesn’t look good.”
“I assure you
Rafael can provide proof of his whereabouts, but I will let him know of your
feelings.” Julian could definitely sense the changes in Miss Kane’s body
whenever his brother was mentioned. She was feeling something for the King.
Julian waited
until he was in the Vette and headed away from the warehouse to call Rafael.
Fuck.
He was upset with himself that he didn’t have all the buildings secured.
He would rectify that today. With the time difference, he didn’t know where
Rafael would be, but this couldn’t wait.
“Julian, please
tell me there isn’t more bad news.” Rafael sounded troubled.
“I’m sorry, but
there is. I just left the warehouse and it’s a mess. First, the body that is
supposedly Magnus is in such a state that hazmat was called in for removal.
Second, the body of Kaya’s detective was nowhere to be found. It has been
moved. You do not have to tell me to make the security my first priority. I
will be doing nothing else until all warehouses and empty buildings we own are
wired.”
“My plane is
taking off now. I will think on this and we will regroup when I return. Thank
you for the update.”
“Safe travels my
King.” The phone disconnected. Julian felt like a disappointment. With the
hacking of their computer system and now the failure to secure all the
buildings in a timely manner, his batting average was lessening every day.
That stopped now.
Nik came up
empty when he arrived at Dr. Sarantos’ home. Next up was the clinic she owned.
With it being the weekend, her working would be a long shot, but it was his only
option at that point. He parked in the spot next to a sleek, black Harley. The
lady in the picture didn’t look like someone who would ride a motorcycle. Maybe
she was with a patient. The front door was locked, so Nikolas knocked and
waited. He could hear talking in the interior of the building. He knocked
again, and the talking stopped. The lady from the picture was walking toward
him, followed by a feisty looking redhead. He would lay odds on who the bike
belonged to.
Dr. Sarantos
turned the lock and stood in the opening just enough to talk to Nik. “I’m sorry
the clinic is closed. If you would like an appointment, please call and make
one.”
“Dr. Sarantos,
I’m Nikolas Stone and I would like to speak to you about your father.” The
doctor held up her index finger in the “wait here” gesture and closed the door.
She turned toward the redhead and whispered something. His hearing allowed him
to eavesdrop.
“Tessa, I don’t
want to talk to him, and I especially don’t want to talk to you right now. Not
after everything you told me last night. I need time to process all of this.”
“I’ll talk to
him for you. I hate to say this, Belle, but I probably know Jonas better than
you do. I spent all my spare time in his lab with him, watching him work,
listening to the old stories.”
“Yes, you made
it very clear just how close you are to my parents. I can handle everything
else you said.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “But that, that was a
little too much. You talk to this man if you want. I don’t care.”
Nik saw the pained
expression on the doctor’s face as she frowned and walked away. So the redhead
knew Montague too. Interesting. Nik knocked again.
This time the
redhead, Tessa, opened the door. “Please come in. You’ll have to excuse Dr.
Sarantos. She has been up all night with a patient and is extremely tired.” She
didn’t lead him any further than the waiting room where she took a seat. He sat
across from her.
“I’m sorry; I
didn’t catch your name. You are?”
“Tessa. Tessa
Blackmore. Now, how may I help you, Mr. Stone?”
“I am very
interested in Dr. Montague’s written works. I am a collector of sorts and came
across a journal of his at the public library. The story was so interesting,
but it was incomplete. I was hoping Ms. Sarantos would have a copy of the other
journals so I can read them.”
Tessa squirmed
in her seat. There was something oddly familiar about the woman. Something that
called to him on a cellular level. It was nothing like his body’s connection
with Sophia; this was not sexual. No, this was some kind of psychological
recognition.
“Mr. Stone, as
you probably know, most of his works have already been duplicated and
published. What type of journal are you looking for? Are you wanting to clone
someone? A hot woman perhaps? You think one is good so two would be better?”
Nik laughed at
her humor. She was definitely feisty. “No, nothing like that. What I’m looking
for is a work of fiction. I have read every book the man ever wrote, but I’m
interested in one story in particular. I believe he was writing a series of
books about shapeshifters. Do you know the one?”
Tessa was very
nervous now even though Nik could see no sheen of perspiration covering her
skin. Interesting. “I do know the one. I’m curious as to how it made its way
into the library though. You see, that was one of his last works. The
publishers wouldn’t release it until they had read the complete story, and
since Dr. Montague passed away before the series was finished, it went
unpublished.”
Wow. He had seen
cool under pressure, but this woman took home first prize. Not only was her
heartbeat steady, she looked him in the eye without flinching while telling her
lie. Was it one she had practiced and recited over and over? Something was
going on here and if he heard her correctly earlier, she used the present tense
instead of the past when referring to the man. Jonas Montague was alive, and
this Tessa undoubtedly knew where he was.
“I would be so
grateful if you would ask Dr. Sarantos about the journals, just in case. If
they were never published, hopefully she will have the original manuscript,
being his only child. I am not going to be able to sleep until I know how his
story ends. You wouldn’t want me to lose sleep would you?” Nikolas was pouring
on the Stone charm and didn’t feel guilty in the least.
“I seriously
doubt a male like you would lose sleep over a fable, Mr. Stone. But since
you’re so cute, I will ask the doctor. Now, if you will excuse me, I have
somewhere I need to be.”
Cute? He wasn’t
cute; he was handsome. “Here’s my number in case Dr. Sarantos finds something.”
Tessa took the
card from his hand and shoved it into the back pocket of her tight jeans. If he
weren't certain Sophia was his mate, he would pay more attention to those
jeans. As it were, he truly wasn’t interested in what the pants encased. Yep,
definitely mated.
He offered her
his hand again and appreciated the tight grip. “I hope to hear from you, Miss
Blackmore.” She said nothing more as she walked him to the door, locking it
behind him.
Nik got in his
car and stared at the building. So Jonas Montague was alive, and the ladies
knew it. He couldn’t get the nagging feeling about the redhead to unclench its
jaws from his gut. He knew her. Somehow. He backed his Audi out of the parking
space and left the lot. Circling the block, he found a hidden spot where he
could watch and wait on Tessa to leave. She may not take him to Montague but
then again, she just might. While he waited, he called Julian to let him know
what had transpired and to see what was going on at the latest murder scene.
Tessa found
Isabelle just down the hall, obviously having eavesdropped. “Did you hear?”
“Yes, I often
wondered where the first one ended up. It all makes sense now. I have the other
journals and couldn’t make heads or tails of the stories because I didn’t know
how they started. If what you told me is in that journal…”
“I’m afraid it
is, but what worries me is this Mr. Stone. Belle, he’s a full-blood.”
“Well, that’s
good isn’t it? I mean don’t we want to interact with those of our kind? Jesus,
what am I saying, our kind…”
“That’s just it.
The Gargoyles ostracized your father when he mated with a human. Yes, this was
hundreds of years ago, but still, I’m sure they don’t want anything to do with
us. Didn’t you read his last journal?”
“No, it’s
missing as well. I only have those in the middle that speak of his children.
Tessa, just how many brothers and sisters do I have out there? He mentioned
several boys and girls. How did he hide them all from me, and why did I think I
was an only child?”
“You have a few.
Jonas thought it best to separate you all in case you were ever discovered.
I’ve been keeping tabs on all of you over the years. That’s what I do Belle,
I’m a watcher.”
“But if you’re a
half-blood, then is Gordon Flanagan one of them?” Isabelle started pacing the
room. Tessa knew it was information overload, but it was essential she go help
with Dane.
“That monster is
not
my father. Listen, I know this is a lot to take in and there’s more
you must know, but I have to go check on Dane. He’s going to be changing soon,
and they’re going to need me to be there.”
“They, who’s
they and what have you done with Dane? I’m his doctor; I should go with you.”
“Dane is in a
safe place where he can’t hurt himself or anyone else. This is what we do, what
I do. You’re welcome to come along, but only as my cousin, not as a doctor. Can
you do that?”
“I… yes. Yes, I
can.”
“Okay then,
let’s go.” Before Tessa started her bike, she pulled her phone from her back
pocket. The caller picked up, but Tessa didn’t wait for them to speak. “One of
Jonas’ journals was at the public library. How could this happen?” She
listened to the explanation, but it was not satisfactory. “We’ll discuss this
later.”