Gregor (Stone Society Book 2) (13 page)

Tessa
grabbed Gregor’s arm and practically dragged him from the pub. Once outside, he
could tell she was gearing up to light into him, but he stopped her. “Tessa, we
have company.” He leaned in close so only she could hear him. “Your friend is
across the street, watching. If you want to get rid of him, kiss me.” Gregor knew
he was taking advantage of the situation, but he didn’t care. He would use any
excuse to get close to this woman.

Tessa
glanced out of the corner of her eye and noticed Dupart across the street,
leaning against a light pole with his arms crossed over his chest. With her
free hand, she slid her fingers into Gregor’s short hair, pulling him down,
closer to her face. She didn’t hesitate to open her mouth for him, seeking his
tongue. He fisted her hair in one hand and pulled her to him with the other.
Her body was coming alive, the arousal scent floating up to invade his nostrils.
His cock was hardening, wedged between their bodies. “Get a room,” was yelled
by a kid in a car going down St. Charles Street. “I think that’s a very good
idea,” Gregor breathed into her mouth.

“Yes,
let’s take this somewhere a little more private.” Tessa grabbed his hand and
threaded their fingers together. He walked with her back to her house, enjoying
the quiet before the storm. He knew she wasn’t going to just let this go. Her
emotions were a mixture of lust and anger. He was going to get an earful for
following her out of town.

When
they arrived at her house, Tessa still didn’t say anything. As soon as the door
was closed, instead of yelling at him, she dropped the food container to the
floor then pushed him against the wall, hard. If Gregor hadn’t been there to
witness what happened next, he never would have believed it. His mate dropped
to her knees and blew him. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through her
body like white water rapids. She practically ripped his pants open to get to
his hard cock. Tessa didn’t take care with his erection; she grabbed hold as
soon as it was free of his jeans and slammed it home to the back of her throat.
“Oh fuck,” he moaned.

The
sight of his dick sliding in and out of her wet, warm mouth, her red hair bobbing
up and down, and the sound of her moans had him close to shooting his wad down
her throat. “Oh gods. That’s it. Suck it hard.” Gregor had a feeling this was a
once in a lifetime occurrence for him, so he slowed his breathing and calmed
his body. He wanted this to last as long as possible. Tessa pulled his jeans
down farther on his legs, never losing the pace. He imagined her lying on her
back, head hanging off the side of the bed with the outline of his dick in her
throat as he slid in and out. If he ever got another chance to do this… That
thought fled his brain when he felt her mouth leave his cock.

Gregor
immediately missed the warmth. Tessa was looking up at him. Surely she wasn’t
such a sadist that she was going to stop. When she grabbed him with her hand,
he realized she was giving her mouth a break. One hand stroked his cock,
twisting the engorged head. Her free hand wiped the saliva off her chin then
grabbed his balls. Fuck! That felt so good. She tugged on his swollen sac with
just enough pressure to be painful yet still enjoyable. Her mouth once again
replaced her hand, and she set the rhythm to match the movement of his hips. “Gods,
Baby, seeing your pretty, wet mouth wrapped around my dick is so fucking hot.
Oh, fuck yeah.”  As much as he was enjoying this, she was probably getting
tired so he allowed his body to ramp back up.

When
Gregor fisted Tessa’s hair, a low groan escaped from her throat. He pulled hard
enough to be painful, and she moaned even louder. His girl liked it rough, too.
He took over the pace, thrusting in and out, fucking her mouth. “You suck so
fucking good, Baby. Swallow my cock. Take it all the way down.” Tessa grabbed
hold of his thighs, encouraging him on. When he couldn’t hold off any longer, Gregor
gripped her hair tighter, holding her face to his crotch as his come coated the
back of her throat. Once she had sucked him dry, she rose from her knees to
stand in front of him. Instead of wiping her chin, she crashed her mouth to his.
The taste of his spunk on her tongue had his dick filling out for round two. In
all his years, he had never tasted himself on a woman’s lips.

The
ringing of Tessa’s phone had her pulling away. “That changes nothing. You need
to go. Now.” Leaving him standing with his semi-hard cock and his jeans around
his thighs, Tessa picked up her to-go box and walked away.

Tessa
knew she had just screwed up. Big time. Kissing the man was one thing, but
having his cock in her mouth was going to be the death of her. There was no way
she could deny him anything, but she had to. Fuck! Why did he have to be so
enticing?  Oh, right, the mate bond. Even if that weren’t the case, Gregor
Stone was irresistible. The man was built like a heavyweight boxer. And his
eyes. Those godsdamn eyes. She made the mistake of looking at them when she was
giving her mouth a break from sucking his glorious dick.

Tessa
liked sex. She had been with several men over the years, but not enough to be considered
a slut, yet enough that she knew when a man was going to be good in bed. Her
mate was going to ruin her for all other men. When she finally gave in, and she
was certain she would if they had sex, it would all be over. Gregor was
muttering under his breath by the front door. She tried not to laugh. It was
rude to leave him in such a state, but she needed him out of the house so she
could take care of her own aching need. She had no intention of letting him get
her naked.

“Tessa.” 
Gregor growled her name. Growled.

“Gregor.”
She didn’t growl back. No, he would probably like that. He was more than likely
still turned on by the blowjob.

“You
can’t just suck my dick then walk away.” His jeans were back in place with his
button up shirt untucked. This was a look she was getting used to. The night at
The Tavern when he rocked her world, he had been dressed less casually, really put
together. She preferred this just fucked look on him.

“I
can, and I did. I won’t apologize for the blowjob. I blame that on the fucking
fates. The mate bond and the adrenaline rush of you going all cave man at the
pub… that got my juices flowing.”

“I
like when your juices are flowing. You’re still turned on. I can smell your
arousal from here. Let me take care of that for you.” Gregor’s nostrils were
flaring. His Gargoyle senses had kicked in.

“I
can take care of that myself. I don’t need you or any other man. What I do need
is for you to tell me what the fuck you’re doing here.  How did you even know
where to find me?” Tessa opened the fridge and pulled out two beers. She could
really be a dick and not offer him one, but she just didn’t have it in her.

Gregor
took the offered bottle and downed half of it. “That’s not important.”

“It’s
very important. If you’re spying on me, that’s one thing. If someone is
offering up information freely, that’s another.”

“Maybe
I just want to keep my mate safe.” Gregor drank the rest then tossed the empty
bottle in the recycle bin.

“I’m
not your mate. Not until the fangs break the skin, and that’s never going to happen.”
She had to change the subject. “How’s Tamian?”

“Other
than being worried about you, he’s fine. He has made really good progress with his
undercover work. I moved him into general population before I left to come
here.”

“Why
would he be worried about me? Unless you told him where I was going.”

“I
might have mentioned it. He wanted to be the one to come after you. Since he’s
doing undercover inmate duty, he asked me to keep you safe; so here I am.”

Tessa
grabbed another beer out of the refrigerator and handed it to him. If he kept
up this pace, she was going to need to go to the store.

“Your
brother obviously keeps tabs on you, because he knew this Dupart was trouble. He
was right. You wanna tell me about him? How did you get hooked up with a
smuggler?”

“Smuggler?
No, Jacques owns a bar.” Tessa wasn’t about to tell her mate that he was
exactly right.

“I
hate to break it to you, Red, but he is indeed a criminal. Jacques Dupart has
been smuggling and brokering deals for a long time. He started off small, but
his empire has grown over the last few years. That must be what he wanted you
for. He thought you were an archaeologist traveling the world. Did he ever ask
you to pick up packages on your trips?”

Tessa
felt like she had been slapped. “You think the only reason he wanted me was to
use me as a mule?  You know what?  Go to hell. Get the fuck out of my house,
out of New Orleans, and out of my life.” She drank the rest of her beer and
opened the cabinet for a bottle of tequila.

“I
didn’t mean that he wouldn’t find you desirable.” Gregor couldn’t back pedal
fast enough. Too late. This only made the decision to stay away from him
easier.

“I
said get out. I wasn’t joking. Nothing you can say now will make me want to
truly be your mate. GET THE FUCK OUT!” Tessa hated losing control, but she was
losing hers, quickly. She was so close to phasing, and she never wanted to give
him that. Never wanted him to see her cry.

When
he moved closer, she lost it. “GET OUT!” She threw the half-full bottle of
tequila at his head. If he hadn’t been a shifter with quick reflexes, she would
have hit him. Instead, the bottle hit the far wall and smashed into hundreds of
pieces, clear liquid splashing on the floor.

Gregor
held his hands up in the defensive position, “Okay, gods, I’m sorry. I’ll go. But
I’ll be watching you. I’ll always be watching you.” The look on his face was
one of torment. Tessa didn’t care. This was for the best. Gregor turned back
one last time before he walked out of her home.

Tessa
pulled another bottle of tequila out of the cabinet. This one was full. She
unscrewed the cap and didn’t bother getting a glass. She grabbed another beer
and took both liquids to the living room where she cranked the heaviest metal
music she had available. It didn’t take long for half a bottle of liquor to
numb the ache in her heart. Her last thought before she passed out was
fuck
you, Stone
.

Kaya
was surprised when she looked up from a report and Dane was sitting across from
her. She hadn’t heard him come in. “Damn, Abbott, this new you is a lot quieter
than the old you. What’s up?” She sat her pen down and gave him her undivided
attention.

“I
want to meet Rafael. I need answers, and I figure I better get them from the
right person. I’m tired of not knowing what to do, who to talk to, who to
trust. If he’s the King, he should shoot straight with me. Right?” Dane was
sitting still. Stone still. Just like Rafael was capable of doing.

“Yes,
he will shoot straight. I can arrange a meeting. When that happens, you will
find out more than you bargained for. I want you to promise me you will keep a
level head. You are new to all things shifter. Rafael is over five hundred
years old, and like you said, he’s King. This means he will expect you to serve
the family in the same capacity as all the other shifters. Can you do that?”

“I
honestly don’t know, but I’m willing to listen. What I do know is I need
answers, and my family has been less than forthcoming. Sure, they told me bits
and pieces, but I need the whole scenario. I’m a detective; I gather facts. For
now, I’m treating my life as just another case, and until I know all the facts,
I won’t be able to make a decision.”

“Fair
enough. I will set the meeting for tonight, if that’s not too soon.”

“The
sooner the better. Now, about the latest victim. Same victimology as the
others. CSU found what appears to be skin under this one’s fingernails, so
hopefully, we have a break. We need one. I suggest doing a press conference
alerting the public to take precautions.”

“I
have already set it up. I was just waiting for you to return and confirm we
have a serial killer. Do you want to take lead on the camera? You’re favorite
reporter will be out there.” Kaya wasn’t a fan of Katherine Fox. While she was
probably good at her job, she was a nuisance. Now that Kaya thought about it,
she possibly fit the profile of the murder victims.

Dane’s
brows burrowed deeper between his eyes. “You always do the press conferences. What
is going on with you? Why are you pushing things in my lap?”

“I’m
not pushing anything. I simply offered you an opportunity. Damn, Abbott, forget
it. I’ll let you know when and where you will meet with Rafael.”

He
didn’t proceed to get up. “I’m sorry. You’re just different. I’m not used to a
Chief that doesn’t have everything and everyone by the balls. I’ve never known
you to relinquish any control. I would be more than happy to do the press
conference.” Dane then stood. “Are you going to be at the meeting tonight?”

“Yes,
I’ll be there.”

Dane
nodded. “I’ll go prepare a statement.”

“You
have twenty minutes. And you might want to tell your little friend to watch her
redheaded ass.” 

“Nah,
she doesn’t look anything like Tessa Blackmore.” Dane didn’t bother elaborating.
How in the hell had he put that together?  Jasper.

Kaya
leaned back in her chair. It seemed both she and Dane had changed over the last
couple of weeks. He was right. Before she met Rafael, she never would have
offered for anyone to do any aspect of her job. Now that it was possible for
her and Rafael to have children, she was thinking more and more about
retirement. She picked up the phone and called her mate, asking for a meeting
between him and Dane.

Gregor
was grateful for the trees in Tessa’s yard. He reached out with his senses, and
when he determined there was no one around, he opened his wings, launching
himself into a tree. He stayed perched on a limb until Tessa’s heartbeat
calmed. The slow count meant she was probably asleep. He enjoyed her taste in
music, even though he was sure she was using it as a means of escape. He often
listened to hard rock when he wanted to let off some steam.

Tessa
had failed to set the alarm on her doors before she passed out. He was going to
stay where he was until she woke up and he knew she was safe. It was too early
for her to be asleep for the night, but consuming copious amounts of liquor, if
that’s what she’d done, would have her snoozing for a while.

 Now
that he knew about Dupart and the role Tessa was likely supposed to play in his
little empire, Gregor needed to keep an eye on her. He hadn’t meant to hurt her
feelings. He only wanted her to see what type of man she had been keeping
company with. Most women would have cried, but not his woman. He was thankful
to be a shifter than when that bottle had been hurled at his head. Even though
it wouldn’t truly hurt, smelling like eighty proof would’ve sucked. He leaned
against the tree trunk and settled in.

Gregor
didn’t want to take a chance on being seen. He was high enough in the tree that
humans wouldn’t detect him. Still, he would wait until the sun was down before
he eased out of his hiding spot. Gregor planned on tailing Tessa until she was
ready to come home. Home. This was home for her, or at least one of them. What
if he had really screwed up with her, and she decided to stay?  He would have
to convince her otherwise. Or move to New Orleans.

Sitting
still for hours gave Gregor time to formulate a plan, at least when it came to
dealing with Jacques. He called Julian to get the phone number for Dominic Dubois,
the leader of the Louisiana Clan. He was going to enlist his help in shutting
down Dupart. It might take a while, but if the man was in jail, he couldn’t
bother Tessa.

His
cousin answered the phone quickly. “Julian.”

“Hey,
Jules. Did I catch you at a bad time?” He was talking quietly, even though he
knew humans wouldn’t detect the sound of his voice.

“No,
I am waiting on the press conference to come on. There has been another redhead
death. Are you whispering?”

“Sort
of. I’m right outside Tessa’s house. I was hoping to convince her to come home,
but now I might try to persuade her to stay here until these murders are
solved.” Gregor was convinced these killings had everything to do with Tessa.

“Hang
on, the news anchor is on the screen.” Julian was turning the sound up on the
television. A woman’s voice was coming through the phone. “This is Katherine
Fox reporting live from the New Atlanta Police Precinct…”

“Fuck
me,” Julian whispered.

“Is
she that pretty?” Gregor was laughing until he heard his cousin growling.

“Oh
fuck, I don’t feel so well. NIKOLAS!”  Gregor had to yank the phone away from
his ear when Julian yelled out.

“Godsdamn
Jules, what the fuck?”  There was no answer on the other end, only muffled
talking. “Jules…JULES…JULIAN!” Gregor whispered as loudly as he could without
actually yelling.

“Hello?
Gregor?” Nikolas was on the line. “Let me see, do you have warts? A growth of
any sort?”

“What?
Nik, what the fuck are you going on about? And what’s wrong with Julian?”

“Oh,
I think he just figured out who his mate is. That reporter, Katherine Fox. She
came on the screen, and he keeled over. I was just searching for the side
effects. Hang on, Dane Abbott’s coming to the microphone.”

Nikolas
was silent so that Gregor could listen in.

“Thank
you for coming on such short notice. As you are aware, there have been several
young women murdered in the last couple of weeks. Earlier today, another victim
fitting the same description, washed up on the bank of the Chattahoochee. We
have called this press conference to urge the women of New Atlanta, especially
those with red hair and green eyes, to take extra precautions. If you have
loved ones or friends with these physical characteristics, please contact them.
All of the women were last seen in well-populated areas. We believe they were
taken during daylight hours then disposed of at night. Our UnSub, or Unknown
Subject, is most likely a good-looking male in his early thirties, possibly
pretending to need assistance. If you have any information that would help us
stop this killer, please call the crime force hotline at the number shown on
your screen. Thank you.”

 
Once the detective had finished speaking, Nikolas was back. “Did you need
something?”

“Yes.
 I need Dominic’s phone number. I have a little project for him.”

“Sure
thing. I’ll text it to you. Would this have anything to do with your woman’s
lover?” Nikolas snickered as he typed away on the computer.

Gregor
growled into the phone and hung up. He was going to kick some geeky ass when he
got home. Before he could do that, he had to take care of one Jacques Dupart. Gregor
had met Dominic several years ago when Rafael called a meeting of all Clan
leaders. Before the Unholy were created, the Gargoyles watched over the humans,
just not as closely as they had to now. There were always monsters out in the
world, but most weren’t so bad that the human police force couldn’t take them
down. As soon as the first Unholy were unleashed into the world, Rafael wanted
to prepare the Goyles. Special prisons were built in all major cities.

The
Unholy army originated in New Atlanta, but Gordon Flanagan soon spread his lunacy
across the country. He had been trying to flush out his wife and daughter for
the last thirty-three years. Gregor had to wonder what Tessa thought about all
the killing being done in her name, her mother’s name. He didn’t blame her for
hiding from the madman, but it had to bother her that Flanagan would stop at
nothing to reclaim what had been taken from him. Rafael was already making
plans to up the search for Flanagan. Gregor was going to hurry that along by
pressing Vincent. Now that the albino was talking, Gregor was going to make
sure the words he spoke had meaning.

The
music coming from Tessa’s house was now being played at a normal volume. His
woman was awake. Her phone was ringing, and he listened as she answered then
spoke to someone named Sophia. That’s the same name she had mentioned to
Isabelle. Tessa mostly listened, cursed a little, listened again, and then hung
up. She was mumbling to herself about Egypt, Gregor, Gargoyles, and men in
general. Gregor turned his face toward the sky and whispered to the fates, “I
know you put her with me for a reason. Just give me the patience to deal with
her until she comes to her senses.”

With
Tessa safe for the time being, Gregor quietly descended from the tree and walked
to his rental car. He would call Dominic and set up a meeting. For now, he was
going to take a walk down by the river. He would come back later and keep watch
over his mate for the night.