Chapter Twelve

 

The afternoon wasn’t a complete loss. Julian was still trying to figure out who the driver of the van was, but he’d come up with the name of the other agent who’d accompanied Lucy to her dorm – Agent Kyle Barnes. Hacking into government systems wasn’t easy, but Julian had gained plenty of practice when he’d been searching for Katherine. Tamian aided in getting Katherine out of the Super Max facility when she’d been framed, and Julian felt the need to repay the favor. Tamian helped because he wanted to. The longer he was around the Stone Society, the more he felt part of their Clan. That was another reason he was hesitant to take the role of King for the Italians.

If Julian couldn’t come up with the driver’s name soon, Tamian was going to pay Agent Barnes a visit. He’d already spoken to Jonas about getting a specialized prosthetic made. He hated to ask for his help when Jonathan was in such bad shape, but like Jonas said, unless he came up with a cure for cancer soon, it wasn’t looking good for the human. Tamian prayed Lucy was a shifter. If she was, he wouldn’t have to worry as much about her health until they mated and she became a little more immortal. He couldn’t wait to find out if she was, what kind she was, and all about her species.

Having spent all afternoon cooped up in the hotel, Tamian was ready to get outside for a while. He needed to find a quiet place to concentrate on reaching out to Lucy again. It almost amused him how his every thought included her in some way. He was excited at the prospect of having a mate and making a home with her. But first, he had to find her. Tessa suggested reaching out to the Hounds, but if he couldn’t reach Lucy on her phone, then they couldn’t either. It was possible they had ways of communicating with one another, so finding them wasn’t an altogether bad idea. He didn’t know if they would be receptive to working together, especially if Lucy hadn’t clued them in that he wasn’t stalking her for the wrong reasons.

Maybe he should introduce himself to her family anyway. Get the lay of the land, so to speak. If Tamian met with them and explained how they were mates, it might help with them accepting him and helping him in finding her. “I’m going to get some fresh air,” he told Tessa.

“I’ll be here, Tam.” She gave him a warm hug before he walked out the door. He didn’t know what he’d do without his sister. She had been such a big part of his life for so long. Sharing her with Gregor was rough at first. So much so that Tamian had left New Atlanta and traveled around a bit. He’d ended up at the chalet, but after having been around the Clan, he’d gotten lonely without being around those he was coming to think of as family. Instead of introducing himself to the locals and getting to know them, he’d returned to the States.

New DC was busier than New Atlanta, but Tamian had no trouble finding a park where he could walk and breathe something other than smoggy air. He’d always loved the outdoors, and being Gargoyle, he found it necessary to his well-being to find those places where he could commune with nature. After he’d had a chance to ground himself, Tamian reached out to Lucy. It took several tries, but he finally got through.

“Sweetheart, can you hear me?”

“I’m here. Oh, my god, Tamian.”

“I’ve been trying to call and text.”

“My boss took my work phone, and the burner I have is useless. There’s no reception. I don’t even know if the Hounds can locate me using the tracker in my ring.”

“Do they know about me?”

“Yes, but they might think you’re the enemy. We didn’t have a chance to talk about you after you and I spoke.”

“Do you know where you are?”

“No. My boss blindfolded me. All I know is it’s a four-story building with a loading dock on the backside. I’m in the basement.”

“I’m going to reach out to the Hounds and explain who I am and who you are to me.”

“You mind explaining it to me first?”

“Oh, that might help. First, I have to ask you. Are you a shifter?”

“Yes. I’m a Gryphon. Does that bother you?”

“Not at all. It’s kind of sexy. Does it bother you I’m a Gargoyle?”

“Not at all. Your wings… oh, yeah.”

Tamian laughed at her response. “So, tell me about being a Gryphon.”

“I’m part eagle and part lion. I can shift into either or both at the same time, but I’m more drawn to the eagle.”

“So that was you in the woods in Holmesvik.”

“You catch on quickly. But back to what I am to you…”

“Gargoyles have one fated mate, and it seems you are mine”.

“Do I get a say in that at all?”

“Of course, Sweetheart. You can say no, and I’ll respect your wishes. But I hope to have the opportunity to meet with you and see if you might eventually say yes. I might even show you my wings up close.”

“Now you’re playing dirty. But seriously, I hope to meet you as well. Gods, Tamian. I’m in the middle of a nightmare. My boss has me locked several floors beneath ground level, and if I don’t do what he says, I’m never going to see the light of day again.”

“Who is your boss?”

“Deputy Director Phil Ramey. The stuff he and Lucius were into… It’s batshit crazy. I’m surrounded by dead bodies floating in liquid suspension and partial torsos on slabs. The people all had extraordinary traits, and I’m supposed to figure out which gene caused their abilities, then transfer them into live subjects, thus making a super soldier of sorts. I only have thirty days with the four latest victims, because that’s when the serum my uncle created to keep the cells from deteriorating expires.”

“I take it you weren’t aware of what your uncle was doing?”

“Hell no. Right before I got the call to come back to New DC, I found a secret room underneath my uncle’s office. At the time, I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at, but it’s the same thing as here, only on a smaller scale.”

“I’ll get you out of there, I promise.”

“How?”

“Now that I have a name, I’m going to watch your boss and familiarize myself with his actions. Remember John? I will be able to become Phil Ramey the same way, but it will take a few days. Don’t freak out if one day your boss walks in and scoops you into his arms.”

“Ooh, gross. But if I know it’s you underneath the mask, I should be able to handle it.”

“I have no doubt.”

“So, mates, huh? Is that why we can speak to each other this way?”

“Yes and no. I can speak to just about anyone who’s able to open their mind. Can I tell you I find it odd calling you Lucy?”

“Why? That’s my name.”

“Before I knew that, I only had your aliases, and I preferred calling you Harlow.”

“That’s my middle name. I was named after my birth mother, but that’s a conversation for another time.”

“I’ll try not to call you that.”

“I don’t mind it; after all, I do use it as an alias. Crap. He’s back.”

“Lucy, be careful. Don’t give him any reason to move you from where you are.”

Tamian waited, but he didn’t receive a response. His heart was overjoyed that Lucy had been able to speak to him. Being able to communicate with her would help set his mind at ease until he could get to her. While she had been speaking to him, Tamian had found a tree to rest against. He didn’t move while he thought back over their conversation. His mate was a Gryphon, and the large eagle he’d seen had been her. That was… Damn. No wonder the Gryphons knew about Gargoyles. If they were able to fly around undetected, they could have seen Gargoyles shifting and taking to the skies. It would never have dawned on the Goyles to hide their true nature from the large birds. I can turn into either or both at the same time. Oh, holy gods. Tamian couldn’t wait to see Lucy turn into a lion. He was getting hard just thinking about it.

Shaking his head, he looked around to make sure he was alone and adjusted his dick before pushing away from the tree and heading back to the hotel. He had lots of work to do. On his way, he called Julian and gave him the name of Lucy’s boss. Once he had all the pertinent information on the man as well as a recent photo, he could set things in motion for when he found where Lucy was being held. He had to find her first, and if her tracker wasn’t being blocked, the Hounds would be able to help him.

 

 

“What do you mean you can’t contact her?” Rory yelled into the phone, interrupting Maveryck’s call with his brother. Mav would much rather deal with Ryker than their mother.

“Mom, please. Lucy’s text to Monk stated she was being relocated. We followed her when she was moved from her dorm, so we know where she is. But her phone is either dead, or they took it from her. We have the area monitored.”

“By monitored, you mean you don’t have eyes on her.”

Ryker said, “Mom, please let me handle this. You’re emotional, and it doesn’t help anything.”

Rory cursed a blue streak, and a few seconds later, the sound of a door slamming came through the phone. Mav might not be there, but he felt her ire all the same. He was glad he’d offered to go watch after Lucy, because when Rory got in a snit, the whole compound felt it.

“Damn, brother. I know she’s worried. We all are, but it’s not like Lucy can’t handle herself against a human.”

“We all know that, but Rory’s overprotective when it comes to her Little Dove. If Lucy had been raised with us, I don’t think Mom would be this bad. Now that we’ve all seen the shitshow down in Lucius’s secret room, she’s worried about Lucius’s influence over the years.”

“So, what? She thinks Lucy is tainted or something? That she isn’t smart enough to separate that madness from how normal Gryphons act?”

Ryker let out a heavy sigh. “I think it’s more like she feels like she let Lucy down by not fighting harder for her. Screw Harlow’s wishes. Her words, not mine. Anyway, I’ll deal with her later. Or better yet, I’ll let Pop deal with her. Now, tell me what you’re doing about Lucy.”

“Like I said, we have the area monitored. Monk took to his eagle and hasn’t left the area since Lucy was taken into the building. If she leaves, we’ll know it.”

“I don’t like that we don’t know what’s going on inside the building. Is there any way at all to get inside?”

Mav ran a hand down his face. “I’m working on it. But Lucy didn’t sound like she was in immediate danger. I think we need to trust her right now. If it gets too bad, she’ll shift into her lion and take out everyone in the vicinity.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Hang on a second…” Mav pulled the phone away from his ear and placed it against his chest. “Let me call you back.” He hung up and strode into the front room of the suite where they were staying. Mav stared at the man standing in the hallway asking if he could come in and speak with them. Spyder had his hand on the pistol at his lower back, but Maveryck knew it would be useless against the male.

“You’re that Garg—”

Tamian St. Claire pushed his way into the room and closed the door behind him. “I would appreciate if you wouldn’t announce that bit of information out loud. I’m here about Lucy.”

“What about her?” Maveryck waved his hand at Spyder to stand down.

“I just spoke with her a bit ago, and she is in trouble.”

“How did you speak to her? We’ve been trying her cell phone, and it’s dead.”

Tamian touched his temple. “In here.”

“Right,” Hawke snarled.

“Explain,” Maveryck said to the Gargoyle. He didn’t want to piss him off. Yet.

“Some Gargoyles have the ability to speak to others silently. At first, I couldn’t reach Lucy, but after a few tries, Lucy was able to open her mind to me.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’ve been stalking her.”

“I wasn’t stalking her, exactly. As I told Lucy, Gargoyles have one mate for life, and she is mine.”

When Spyder and Hawke took a step toward Tamian, Maveryck held up his hand. They didn’t need a confrontation. “You two wait in the hallway.” Reluctantly, they did as instructed, and Mav gestured to the sofa. “Please, have a seat. Would you like a drink? I know I would.” He went to where several bottles of liquor were arranged on the counter and poured a hefty glass of bourbon.

“No, thank you. When Lucy was in Norway, the Gargoyles there thought she was spying on them. Holmesvik is predominately a shifter town, and the residents had no idea Lucy is a shifter herself. When Gargoyles find their mates for the first time, we get a feeling. It’s a pull to our mate that can’t be denied. I saw Lucy’s picture on a computer monitor and felt the pull just by looking at her onscreen. I had to find out for sure if she was my mate, so I traveled to Norway. She figured out I was following her, and she gave me the slip.” Tamian’s smile grew larger as he told his story. Maveryck had no reason to doubt him, but neither did he have reason to believe him.

“Anyway, I followed her home. She saw me through the woods, and I’m guessing that is when she alerted your family that I had been there. Not that it’ll make you feel any better about the situation, but my sister is the one who put the cameras in the woods. I wasn’t aware Lucy had family to watch out for her, and I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her. I’m not the most outgoing male on the planet, and instead of knocking on her door and asking her out, I pretended to be a neighbor looking for my dog.”

“That was you?”

“Yes. I have access to prosthetics and can disguise myself to look like anyone. That is the reason I’m here, but I’ll get to that in a few minutes. When Lucy left her office, she texted me that she was being relocated. I attempted to follow, but I was caught at a traffic light. By the time I made it over the Potomac, the van was gone. She told me you have a tracker on her, and I was hoping it was still operable. There is a transmission jammer in the building where they’re keeping her, and that’s why her phone isn’t working.”

“Let’s say I believe what you’ve said so far. It wouldn’t be too hard for you to figure out we put a tracker on her, especially if you were hanging around her home and looking through the windows. I know about Gargoyles’ extraordinary abilities. Tell me what kind of trouble you believe she’s in.”

“Lucy is being kept in a basement, and it is now her job to carry out a task Lucius was performing for the government before he died. She indicated it’s the same type of work she found in a secret room below the office in her home. Her boss is keeping Lucy sequestered with no outside contact. I don’t know where that building is, but if I did, I could get in and get her out.”

“How would you do that?” Maveryck was beginning to believe the male was telling the truth. How else would he have known about the horror story at Lucy’s?

“With the prosthetic I was speaking of. Lucy gave me the name of her boss. I need to follow him for a bit. Study his mannerisms and get a recording of his voice. My sister and I will take care of that aspect, but I need your help finding the building.”

“And when you get her out? What then? Lucy is under contract with the GIA. If you help her escape, they’ll just come looking for her and throw her in jail.”

“I will hide her out while we are amassing the necessary proof to have her boss thrown in jail instead. What he is doing – what he’s having Lucy do – is not only illegal but unethical.”

Maveryck poured another drink and slammed it back. “What exactly is he having her do?”

“Create super soldiers from the cells of dead subjects. The way she described the lab, there are four torsos on a slab with whole bodies being held in some type of liquid container.”

“That sounds like what she found at home.”

“I was hoping while those of us here in New DC are working toward getting Lucy out of the basement, those back in New York could search the room in her home for anything that could tie Lucius in with Lucy’s boss. “

“I’ll see to that. Now, back to rescuing Lucy. Where do you plan on hiding her? No offense, but our family isn’t going to let her out of our sight with you just because you claim to be her mate.”

“I would expect nothing less. I have several places in mind, but ultimately, I’ll leave that up to Lucy. Since she and I haven’t had the opportunity to spend time together and get to know what the other likes, I won’t assume she’d prefer a European chalet over the Garden District in New Orleans. She seemed to like Norway, so that’s also an option. Where is the least of our worries. Getting her out and collecting proof against her boss will take careful planning, and I would love it if you and I could work together. If things go the way I believe they will, you and I will be seeing quite a bit of each other in the future.”

“Yeah? Just because you claim she’s your mate, doesn’t Lucy get a say in all that?” That didn’t sound like something the Hounds could get behind. Everyone should be able to choose who they spend their life with.

“Like I told her, she absolutely has a say. If she and I spend time together and she decides I’m not the one for her, I’ll respect her wishes.”

“But if you only have one mate, won’t you be lonely without her?”

Tamian shoved his hands in his pockets, doing his best not to think about that scenario. “Yes, but I won’t force something she doesn’t want. For now, let’s worry about getting her away from her boss. I won’t do anything without your direct input. I’m not trying to step in and take over Lucy’s life or your family’s role in protecting her. I know how that feels, from both aspects. I watched over my sister until she found her mate, and when that happened, I felt as if I was no longer needed. Tessa has made me see the error of my thinking.”

Maveryck’s unease from when Tamian walked into the room was gone, which was odd. He didn’t trust everything the male said to be true, although he’d been pretty damn convincing. Mav would need to run this conversation by Ryker, but somehow, he knew in his gut things were going to work out.

“You have a deal.”

Tamian stood and held out his hand. “Thank you, Maveryck. I look forward to working with you. Here’s my phone number. If you’ll text me the coordinates of where Lucy is, I will get one of my Clan to pull up the blueprints so it will be easier to get inside. And I give you my word; I won’t go after Lucy without you there to help.” After they swapped numbers, Tamian showed himself out. It wasn’t until he had his phone in hand that he realized Tamian had called him by his name. He was already dialing Ryker when Spyder and Hawke walked back into the room, acting like they hadn’t just met a Gargoyle.

“Talk to me, Mav,” Ryker answered.

“You’re not going to believe this shit.”