Chapter Five

 

After breakfast, Tamian still hesitated to go see Harlow. Something about walking up to her fancy house and knocking on the door didn’t sit well with him. Tessa argued for a few minutes that it was the perfect plan, but he reminded her it was the perfect plan for her, not him. She let it go and opened the computer equipment while he took a shower. When he returned to the living area of the suite, Tessa said, “Come look at this. Your female has company.”

Tamian sat next to her on the sofa and stared at the monitor. Two bikers and a woman who looked to be in her forties got out of a blacked-out SUV and walked up to Harlow’s front door. They didn’t knock. Instead, the woman unlocked the door with a key. “How did you get camera footage of Harlow’s house?”

“While you were taking a swim in the lake, I might have done a little recon. And I also might have set up a few cameras around the perimeter.”

“She has cameras of her own. She probably knows what you did.”

“If that were true, she’d have already removed them. Besides, Julian tapped into her security feed and told me where her cameras pointed. I just made sure to stay away from those areas.”

“When was this?” Tamian indicated the scene playing out on the monitor.

“About an hour ago. This” – Tessa tapped a few keys, and the monitor changed to a split screen – “is current.” Thanks to Julian gaining access to Harlow’s cameras, six different squares highlighted six areas of her home. It surprised Tamian the windows weren’t covered with curtains. Instead, he and Tessa had a clear view of the two men shooting pool and the woman cooking breakfast. Tessa zoomed in on the shot of the kitchen. “Your mate’s hot, even with bedhead.”

His sister wasn’t wrong. Harlow’s hair was piled on top of her head in a messy knot, and the bulky robe did little to detract from her elegant features. “Whoever those people are seem right at home.”

“That’s because they’re family. The woman is Aurora Rose Lazlo, and the men are two of her sons,” Tessa informed him, sliding a laptop over in front of him. “We already know Harlow was adopted. Turns out the Balls were her birth mother’s aunt and uncle. Her birth father, Warryck, is a psychology professor, whereas the rest of his family is part of a motorcycle club, The Hounds of Zeus.”

“You’ve been busy.”

“Actually, Julian has. I’m good, but he’s brilliant. Keep reading,” Tessa said, pointing to the screen in front of Tamian. Harlow’s history, as well as that of the Lazlos, was well-documented. The information said nothing about any of them being Gargoyles or even half-bloods.

“There’s nothing about them being shifters, which I didn’t expect, but check this out.” Tamian turned the screen back toward Tessa and pointed at a certain paragraph. “Aurora looks really good for someone her age, don’t you think?”

“They must be shifters if this is right. But why wouldn’t they hide the fact that they’re older than they appear? I’ll call Nikolas and get him to look into their background further.”

Tamian took the computer, placing it on his lap as he went back over the information a second time. While rereading Harlow’s background, he glanced at the monitors to keep an eye on the female. The two males finished up their pool game and joined Harlow and Aurora in the kitchen. Without sound it was impossible to know what they were discussing, but by the looks on the men’s faces, whatever it was wasn’t good. Together, the two men rushed outside, and each took off in different directions.

“Uh oh,” Tessa said. It didn’t take long for the men to find the cameras Tessa had placed around the perimeter. “Did you see that?” Tessa scrambled to press a few buttons on the computer and rewound the feed. “There!” Tamian saw what she was referring to. As one of the males reached for the camera, a set of claws protruded from his fingertips.

“I guess we don’t have to assume they’re shifters any longer.”

“No, but it bothers me they aren’t in the database. Why wouldn’t Nik have record of them?”

Tamian sat back on the sofa and ran a hand down his face. “I guess that’s a question I’ll have to ask when I confront Harlow.”

“So, you’re going to see her?” Tessa tapped the keyboard and zoomed in on the male’s claws.

“I don’t see where I have a choice. Now, more than before, I want to find out why she was in Norway, and Rafael will want to know why the family hasn’t declared their loyalty in all these years.”

When Tessa didn’t respond, Tamian glanced at his sister. Her focus was on the screen, so he followed her eyes. She was staring at the enlarged image of the male’s hand. Tamian allowed his own claws to extend from his fingertips. Comparing his to those on the screen, there was a vast difference. Tessa did the same thing and put her hand next to Tamian’s. Her claws were smaller, and that made sense considering she was a female, but they were the same shape as Tamian’s. Those on the screen were nowhere near identical. Tessa turned and looked at Tamian. “Those aren’t Gargoyle claws.”

“They don’t appear to be, but are we aware of the existence of another type of shifter?” Tamian thought back to the way Harlow was able to disappear in the woods. If she was able to transform into something besides human – or Gargoyle – it would explain how she evaded him. It might also explain why he couldn’t read her mind. He wanted to test his theory. If he could get close to the others in her home, he could figure out if it was only his mate who could block him, or the others as well.

“You didn’t happen to bring any disguises, did you?”

Tessa placed the computer on the table and stood. “I did, but they’re both female. What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I need to get close to her family and see if I can feel their emotions. She knows my face as well as my identity. There’s no way I can test my theory without hiding who I am.”

“I can call Jonas and have him overnight a couple masks to us. That’ll give you a day to come up with a plan instead of just showing up at her home and bumbling your way through.”

“I’ll call him. I know just the disguise I’m going to use.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

Tamian’s eyes sparkled. “You’ll see. For now, though, I’d like for you to keep tabs on the males. If they leave, find out where they go.”

“You got it.”

Tamian went back into the bedroom, retrieved his phone, and called his uncle. After that was taken care of, Tamian got on the internet and did a little research. If he was going to get close to Harlow’s family, he needed to transform himself into someone completely different.

 

 

Kyllian stormed back into the house and tossed a busted-up camera onto the kitchen table. “This is completely unacceptable, Lucia.” Rarely did one of her family call her anything other than Lucy or Luce, but when they called her Lucia, she knew she was in trouble.

“I agree, Ian.” At breakfast, Lucy had confided in her uncles about her suspicions on being set up. As soon as the words left her mouth, Ian and Denny had stormed from the house to check the perimeter. Lucy was the only one who called them by their childhood names. To the Hounds, they were Kayos and Havyk. “It’s why I called Rory over.” Lucy glanced at her grandmother, begging silently for her to remain quiet about Tamian St. Claire.

“So now both of you are being followed,” Kyllian seethed. The brothers had overheard Lucy and Rory talking. They knew which cameras belonged on the property because they installed them. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out if someone had added their own to the mix.

“Lucy’s situation is worse, though, because there’s a Gargoyle after her.”

“Rory!” Lucy couldn’t believe her grandmother betrayed her. Then again, Rory was the matriarch of the Hounds. She was tough and fierce, and she would do anything to keep her family safe, even if it was to “out” Lucy.

“What? I said I wouldn’t tell your father. I said nothing about these two. We’ve not remained hidden from the Gargoyles all these years just to have one stumble upon us now.”

Lucy thumped her head on the table. She wanted to handle Tamian St. Claire herself. In more ways than one. Something about the Gargoyle called to her on a primal level, and if her family went after him, it would get ugly.

“Why is a Gargoyle after you?”

“Because I’m irresistible? Hell, I don’t know. I ran into him in Norway, and I think he was more interested in why I was there, in the shifter town that’s supposed to be a secret, than he was in me personally. When I left the country, he followed.”

“Is it possible he’s responsible for the cameras? Could he be in bed with whoever is after you inside the government?”

“Anything’s possible; we all know that. But I don’t think so. I think Ta— the Gargoyle is just curious. I didn’t feel threatened by him.” Lucy prayed her uncles didn’t catch her almost slip. Just because she knew who he was didn’t mean she was going to share that information with her family. She wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t feel threatened. She also wouldn’t share what she did feel when around the male.

“We have to tell Ryker about his. We need more information on both your situation at work as well as the Gargoyle. He’ll put a detail on you, and then—”

“No,” Lucy interjected, cutting Hayden off. “You know what my job entails. There’s no way I can have bikers following me around the globe without it setting off alarms. I don’t need muscle. I need someone who can hack into the system without being traced.”

“But you’re our resident computer specialist. We don’t know anyone with those capabilities other than you.”

“Exactly. While I appreciate your concern, I’ll have to figure this one out on my own. I’ll keep my head down but my eyes open. If I feel like it’s getting out of my control, I’ll let you know.”

Both her uncles glared at her while Rory took Lucy’s hand. “I’d feel better if you let at least one of the Hounds stay here with you.” She didn’t elaborate in front of Ian and Denny, but Lucy knew Rory wanted someone there in case Tamian showed back up. Lucy had mixed feelings. On one hand, she wanted Tamian to show up so she could confront him. Find out what he wanted with her. Then again, she was no match for a full-blooded Gargoyle. If he was up to no good, it would be better to have one of the Hounds around as backup.

“Okay. But only one. I don’t want my house turned into party central.”

Kyllian feigned innocence. “Who, us?” Hayden reached out, and they bumped knuckles. The two of them might be older in Gryphon years, but in human years, they acted like a couple of college frat boys, partying their way through life. The only time they were serious was when they were carrying out Hound duties. They might be low on the MC totem pole, but being in a family of bikers was an honor to them. Most of them anyway. Her father was the only Lazlo brother who’d refused to wear the club name on his back.

“I choose Monk.”

“Ooh, Little Lucy likes the tall, silent ones, huh?” Hayden teased.

Lucy rolled her eyes at her uncle. “Yes, silent being the operative word here.” In all the years she’d been around the Hounds, she’d never heard Liam “Monk” Nagano utter a word. She’d seen him use sign language, but she’d never asked if he’d been born mute, or if something else happened. He was a mixture of South Korean and Eastern European, but it was his Asian features that stood out amid the muscles and ink. Lucy didn’t care about any of that. What she liked was the fact that Monk was fierce, quiet, and yeah, easy on the eyes.

Kyllian pulled out his phone and left the room. Lucy might be getting a Hound as a bodyguard, but rarely did her family speak about club business in front of her. With nothing to do but wait, Lucy rose from the table and cleaned up the breakfast dishes. When Rory offered to help, Lucy shooed her away. “You cooked. I’ll clean.” This was an argument they had often, but Rory always let Lucy have her way and went with Hayden out onto the patio.

Lucy used the time to enjoy the silence. She loved her family, but she still wasn’t used to so much noise when they were around. Growing up with Lucius and Vera, Lucy had become accustomed to a quiet house. When she was at school, she surrounded herself with likeminded people. Lucy didn’t hang out with the partiers. She didn’t frequent dance clubs or hang out at bars where you had to yell to be heard. The Hounds were larger than life. If she had been raised with four male siblings, she might be as boisterous as they all were. She had no doubt with the five brothers being close in age, they all vied for attention while growing up. If she were a betting person, Lucy would wager Monk was an only child like she was.

When Kyllian returned to the kitchen, he said, “Sutton wants to talk to you.”

Lucy, with her hands buried in the soapy water, looked over her shoulder. “Is he on the phone?”

“No. He wants you at the compound.” Her uncle’s face didn’t betray any emotion, so Lucy didn’t know if that was good or bad.

“Why can’t I talk to him on the phone?”

“He misses you. And with the breach in security here, he would prefer all future conversations be held elsewhere. I’ll finish the dishes while you go get changed.”

When the Hounds wanted something, they got it. Sutton might not be the president of the club any longer, but he was the patriarch of the family, and therefore, still in charge. He didn’t micromanage the MC, but when something involved his wife or granddaughter, he was all up in that business. Lucy dried her hands, knowing arguing would be futile. She’d never given her grandparents a reason to be upset with her, and she wasn’t going to start now. Lucy was a Gryphon. She was tough, smart, resourceful, but she was still their “little girl”. Maybe one day her father would feel as deeply protective as the rest of them. With her being the spitting image of her mother, she doubted it.

“Does he think my house is bugged?” Lucy knew how small listening devices were and where they would be hidden. Still, she looked around her kitchen before heading to her bedroom.

“No. The alarms haven’t been triggered, but we didn’t catch whoever added extra cameras to the property, so anything is possible. Once he gets here, Monk will sweep the house.”

When Lucy first met her family, she’d hesitated in giving them access to her home. It took a while for her to trust them implicitly, but after being around her grandmother for a few months, Lucy agreed to having a family who could show up at any time, day or night. Four years later, they had yet to show up without an invitation or calling to give her a heads-up they were on their way. Since she had called Rory and asked her to come over, that still applied.

After throwing on some jeans and a T-shirt, Lucy grabbed her purse and followed the others out to the truck. It was odd she hadn’t been called into work. Rarely did she get more than a night to recharge before she was off on her next assignment. She’d take the reprieve as long as it lasted.

The Hounds’ compound wasn’t a typical MC compound. Sutton didn’t do anything half-assed. Lucy had investigated biker clubs while doing a little digging on her family. Their world was so different from the one she grew up in, and she wanted to know as much about them as possible before she even met them. After her initial meeting with her father, she could understand why her birth mother didn’t want her raised by the Lazlos. But the more she was around them, the more her ideas of who they were and what they stood for changed.

Instead of having a clubhouse amid a garage or porn studio, as was depicted on television shows, the compound wasn’t a bunkhouse where drinking and debauchery took place twenty-four seven. This was a place where family came together to discuss business. Yes, there was a huge oak table in the meeting room, but the place was neat while homey. Drinking was allowed, but Lucy had never seen the Hounds partying like it was their last night on earth. Denny and Ian were loud and rambunctious, but never were they disrespectful.

Unlike other clubs, the Hounds were all about family. Sure, the members were typical males in that they loved females, but they didn’t allow random women to walk around half naked just in case someone wanted a blow job. It was rare when one of the Hounds brought a female there. Only the ones who were in serious relationships allowed someone to see into that part of their life. A few of the members were married, and some even had children.

When Lucy finally met her family, Maveryck had been dating someone, and by the way they acted around each other, it was serious. Then one day, the girl walked out of Mav’s life without so much as a goodbye. He’d been devastated, but life went on. He hadn’t dated since as far as Lucy knew. Ryker being Ryker never mentioned a woman. If he dated, it was away from the family. Lucy had a feeling something happened in his past as well, because he was the most stoic man she’d ever met. Never in the four years she’d known her uncle had she seen him smile.

“Lucy, get your ass over here,” Sutton called out, holding his arms open. At least she knew her grandfather wasn’t pissed at her.

“Hey, Pops,” she said, allowing him to envelope her in his strong arms. The Lazlos, for the most part, were a touchy-feely kind of family. Growing up with Lucius and Vera, Lucy felt loved, but it wasn’t demonstrated as openly as with her grandparents and uncles. Only Ryker held her at arm’s length, but he often squeezed her hand briefly to let her know how he felt. The other uncles felt more like older brothers the way they cut up with her while portraying the protective males.

When Sutton turned her loose, he took the seat at the head of the table, indicating this was a family meeting and not club business. He pointed to the chair to his left where Mav normally sat. Rory went to the seat opposite Lucy, next to her husband. All the brothers were there – all but her father – as well as a few other Hounds she now thought of as family. When everyone was around the table, Sutton said, “Tell us everything, and that includes the Gargoyle who’s been following you.”

Well, shit.