Nikolas (3 page)

Nikolas was getting desperate. When he asked the other librarians for Sophia’s schedule, neither one would give him the information he sought. The look on both their faces when they refused his request had been one of pity rather than disdain. Why wouldn’t they tell him the truth? If they thought they were protecting Sophia, he could accept that. If it wasn’t that… Was it possible she had a boyfriend? Nik hoped not. He’d hate to have to kick a human’s ass.

Even though he felt bad about invading her privacy, he attempted to run a background check on her. He wasn’t as adept at hacking as Julian, but he was no slouch. His research on the girl had come up with the bare minimum. He didn’t want his brother to know what he was up to, but at this point he was getting desperate. He had a decision to make. Would he involve Julian, or would he wait it out? He wanted to know more about the cute librarian. He decided to give it one more try before getting Jules involved.

Nik drove downtown and parked outside the library. As soon as he reached the inside of the tall building, he knew Sophia wasn’t there. He couldn’t sense honeysuckle anywhere. Still, he climbed the three flights of steps to the area where she usually worked. When he reached the information desk, a young girl looked up from the computer. “Can I help you?” she asked with a bright smile.

“I’m looking for Sophia. Is she here?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

The girl shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not. She’s taken a leave of absence.”

“What? When?” Nikolas was happy to get more information from the girl than the other women had offered, but it wasn’t the information he wanted to hear.

“A couple of days ago.”

Nik began pacing the room. He ran his hands through his hair but stopped when the girl said his name, “Mr. Stone.” When he looked at her, she continued, “I have something for you.” She held out an envelope. It wasn’t your basic everyday number ten. It was fine linen stationery in a pale shade of peach. His name was written in a beautiful cursive on the outside.

Nikolas muttered, “Thank you,” and took off down the stairs. He would read her words to him in private. He opened the door to his Audi and slid into the driver’s seat. His heart was tapping out a beat that did not match his usual calm. He didn’t use his Gargoyle abilities to slow it down, either. He relished the feeling of adrenaline coursing through his five hundred-year-old body. Even flying and taking down Unholy didn’t give him the jolt this envelope did. Allowing the claw on his index finger to elongate, he carefully sliced open the paper. He retracted the sharp nail before pulling the letter out. Inhaling deeply, he unfolded the peach paper and scanned the short message:

Nikolas, I am so sorry to have to leave just when you found me. Yours, Sophia

Nik turned the paper over, looking for more writing on the back. When he found none, he reread the note. What the fuck did that even mean?
Just when he found her
. And she signed it
yours
. If she was his, why the fuck had she disappeared on him? Why would she take a leave of absence now? He had too many questions and not enough answers. Fuck invading her privacy. He was going to confront her at home.

Being Beatrice allowed Sophia to follow the blonde and her companions. She couldn’t believe she’d been wrong about them. When the three of them split up, she decided to follow the woman. After a few blocks, the woman hailed a taxi, so Sophia did the same. “Where to?” the man asked in a thick Egyptian accent.

“Follow that taxi, please.” If the driver was suspicious, he didn’t let on. They rode for almost twenty minutes, arriving at the zoo. She pretended to fumble around in her purse for money, giving the other woman time to get out of her own taxi. When she was almost out of sight, Sophia shoved the money in the driver’s hand. She hurried to the entrance and arrived just in time to see the woman paying for her ticket. Sophia ducked behind a small family, purchased her own ticket, and headed in the direction the blonde had gone. Considering the woman had been in New Atlanta, Sophia had no doubt she had misjudged who was following her. Now that she knew all three passengers had been together, she would have to be more cautious. If the blonde was in bed with whoever was holding her parents captive, more than likely she was headed to the leopard enclosure.

Before she reached the area, Sophia hid behind a clump of bushes, watching the other woman to see what she was up to. The blonde sat on the same bench Sophia had been instructed to sit on. She glanced around before removing something from her pocket. The woman leaned forward and placed her hand underneath the bench. When she sat up, her hand was empty.
The woman didn’t immediately stand up. She pretended to be a tourist, enjoying the view of the large cat in front of her. She glanced around the area before
rising and walking off. She was headed straight toward Sophia. As she passed by, Sophia put her camera in front of her face and clicked.

Once the blonde left the area, Beatrice walked toward the bench, curious as to what was placed beneath. Was it a bomb? If so, it would need to be detonated by hand or else anyone that sat down would be a victim. Were they watching now? Was someone waiting for Sophia Brooks to sit on the bench so she could be killed? She walked closer to the bench and listened. She didn’t hear ticking, so she sat her somewhat heavy bag on the seat where the blonde had been. Again, she reached out and didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.

Sophia decided to take a chance, as stupid as it was, and pushed her bag out of the way. Sitting down, she placed her purse in her lap and dug around. She pulled out a pack of gum and
accidentally
dropped it on the ground. As she bent over to retrieve the gum, Sophia felt under the bench for whatever had been placed there. If they wanted her dead, surely they would have killed her somewhere less public. Her fingers touched a cold, metal object. This is what they wanted her to find. She pulled a round disk off the underside of the bench and palmed it. She placed it in her lap while she unwrapped a piece of gum and stuck it in her mouth.

Instead of standing immediately, Sophia decided to enjoy the scenery for a while longer. Sensing the shifter inside her, the big cat hissed and kept its distance. Sophia raised her camera and snapped a picture of the gorgeous animal. So as not to torment it any longer, she stood and left the area, dropping the disk in her bag before walking off. As curious as she was to find out what the object really was, she continued her visit around the zoo, not wanting to draw attention to herself for leaving too soon.

After a couple of hours, Sophia made her way back to the bed and breakfast. If JoJo knew she had walked around that long with an unknown object in her possession, he’d probably revoke her watcher card. Not that there was an actual card she received, but still… Once in the privacy of her small room, Sophia removed the gold disk from her bag and studied it. It was larger in diameter than any American coin, but not heavier. One side contained miniscule hieroglyphs. The other side was smooth. The outer edge contained a groove that ran the circumference. She placed her thumbnail into the groove and pulled. It did not come apart.

It was almost dinner time and her stomach let her know it. Sophia placed the disk inside the room safe and locked it up. She checked Beatrice’s reflection to make sure the prosthetic needed no adjustment. When she was pleased with her appearance, Beatrice headed down to the dining room. There were two couples, one older and one younger, seated at the table when she arrived. She smiled at them all as the older woman introduced them. “We’re the Waterfords. I’m Yvonne; this is my husband, Fred, our son Garrett, and his wife, Millicent.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Beatrice Nightingale,” she said through the transmitter at her throat. The voice coming out of her mouth belonged to a sweet little lady who visited the library once a week with her grandchildren. She understood the mechanics behind the transmitter having watched her grandfather design the device. Still, she was amazed how something so small could be so powerful.

“So, what brings you to Egypt? And alone I might add,” Yvonne asked.

Sophia didn’t appreciate the other woman’s judgmental tone. “Oh, my dear, I’m not alone. The pyramids were on my bucket list, so my daughter and her husband brought me here on vacation. They love the fast paced life and are staying at one of those large, posh resorts. I prefer something smaller, quieter,” she said while she waved her arm indicating the room. “Are you on vacation as well?”

“Yes, Garrett and Millicent are on a belated honeymoon,” Yvonne said with a frown.

“That explains why the kids are here. Why are
you
here?” Sophia couldn’t resist. She’d bet her last pound the woman had yet to untie the apron strings. Millicent did her best to hide her amusement. Garrett rolled his eyes. Fred looked at the ceiling. Yep, Sophia was right.

Yvonne huffed, “I’m here because they are too young to travel so far alone. I don’t know why they couldn’t have gone to the beach like a normal couple. It would have been so much cheaper.”

Sophia turned her attention to the “kids”. “Too young? What are you, late twenties? Why, you’re my age.”

Millicent raised her eyebrows. “Your age?”

“Oh, silly me. I meant my daughter’s age. Heaven knows I’m not young. But you two, you’re definitely old enough to travel without a chaperone.” Sophia winked at the young woman as Yvonne gasped beside her.

“Now listen here!” Yvonne started to speak her mind, but she was cut off as dinner was carted into the dining room.

After the servers left the room, Millicent grinned and asked, “So, Beatrice, what else is on your bucket list?”

Oh shit. She hadn’t thought about what she would like to do besides Nikolas Stone. “Well, let’s see. I would love to fly through the air like a bird, so jumping out of a plane is on the list.”
I want to fly with Nikolas, see his massive Gargoyle wings spread out. “
I collect books, and I want to go to the British library one day.”
I want to see Nik’s personal library.
“I think riding a camel in the desert is something I definitely want to try while I’m here.”
I want to ride Nikolas Stone, in the desert, at the beach, in the shower…
Sophia mentally chastised herself.
Get a grip, woman.
She had to get her mind off her mate. “So, Garrett, what do you do for a living?”

The conversation stayed on the younger couple for the rest of the meal. If Yvonne tried to interrupt, Sophia managed to steer talk back their way. She felt sorry for them. Having an overprotective mother-in-law couldn’t be easy. That’s one thing she’d never have to worry about, at least she didn’t think so. Having studied the Stone Society for many years, Sophia knew Nik’s father, Roberto, was no longer living. It only made sense that his mother wouldn’t be, either. Her own mother might not be ecstatic when she found out Nikolas was Sophia’s mate, especially since she’d kept her transitioning from her parents, but, she’d get over it. Their relationship was much better now that Sophia was grown. Sighing, she remembered the disk and the real reason she was in Egypt.

“If you’ll excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you all, and I’m sure we’ll dine together again.” Sophia pushed her chair away from the table and stood. Everyone stood with her except Yvonne. She was obviously miffed at being dismissed during dinner.

Millicent squeezed her hand. “Beatrice, you are a peach. I hope you have the opportunity to complete your bucket list.”

“Thank you. I don’t plan on leaving this world anytime soon. I plan on adding to my list,” she told her with a wink. Sophia patted the young woman’s hand and headed upstairs. There was some arguing at the table regarding Fred not taking up for Yvonne. Sophia shook her head. It took all kinds.

Once in her room, she stripped out of her disguise. The prosthetic was light, but it still itched after several hours. Sophia washed her face and changed into pajamas before opening her laptop and settling in to do some research.

“The disk is in place. Now we wait for Miss Brooks to show up,” the blonde told her partner on the phone. “Sergei, do you have eyes on the ferries?”