Sixx (The Stone Society, #7) (6 page)

“Goodnight, my Queen,” he responded softly as she walked toward the open patio door that led to the den.

“You better not be checking out her ass,” Rafael grumbled.

Sin threw his head back and laughed. He grabbed his flat stomach with his empty hand and continued laughing while looking at his brother. “It’s a nice ass,” Sin dared once he had his breathing under control. If he had been anyone else, Rafe would have never let him get away with such a comment, but he was Sin, Rafe’s brother and best friend. “Now that she’s gone inside, how about a cigar?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Rafe grinned, letting him know all was right between them.

Sin cut the tip off the end of his stogie and passed the cutter to Rafe. “Any word from Greece?” Sin asked as he puffed the cigar to life.

Rafael waited until his was cherry red before he responded. “None. I have a feeling our dear uncle is weighing the pros and cons of war. If he retaliates for the death of his son, he will lose his daughter. If he wants Kallisto to remain unharmed, then Theron’s death remains unavenged. I am hoping the female means enough to him that he puts aside his hatred for our Clan.”

“I still can’t believe he hates humans enough to start a Clan war, especially with his daughter being one of the humans he hates so much.”

“I believe it has more to do with Jonas going outside the Gargoyle lines than anything.” Rafe swirled the whiskey around in his glass before finishing it off.

Sin stood and retrieved the bottle from the bar, refilling his brother’s glass. “Does Alistair want the Gargoyles to die off? If we do not mate with humans, we do not continue to be. I, for one, welcome half-human offspring. Now that we know the half-bloods do phase eventually, I worry about the future of our species less.”

“Who knows what goes through his old mind? Even our mother is at a loss over the levels he has lowered himself to these last few months. I have a call in to Xavier’s man in Greece. I’m hoping he can get a feel for what Alistair has planned. He’s trying to get a man inside the compound. With Theron’s death and Carter’s disappearance, Alistair should be looking for a new right hand. He will be suspicious of anyone new, but there are a few men Donovan believes can get close enough without being too close.”

“Whoever it is needs to watch their back. I’ve rather enjoyed training, even if it is to prepare for the possibility of war. It has been a long time since I swung a sword, and the workout is exhilarating.”

“Exhilarating? Banyan must not work you as hard as Urijah does the rest of us.”

Sinclair grinned at his brother. “Has sitting behind a desk made you soft? Or is it staying hidden away behind closed doors with a beautiful blonde?”

Rafe cut his eyes at Sin. “I’ll show you soft, smartass.” Rafael grabbed his dick and sneered. Sin threw his head back, laughing. He had missed this playful side of Rafe. The one that disappeared when he stepped into their father’s shoes as leader of the Stone Society. He had missed his brother, period.

Sin puffed on the fat cigar and blew smoke rings into the air above his head wishing Rafe and Kaya could stay more than a few days. It felt good having them around. “Do you have to go back so soon?” he asked, not looking at Rafe. He didn’t want his brother to see how much he missed having him near. They were practically inseparable for the first four hundred years of their lives. Living on opposite sides of the country for the past two hundred had been hard. Harder than he would have ever imagined.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Rafe whispered. Sin turned to look at him then, and Rafe’s eyes were shining. “Having Kaya in my life is such a wonderful thing, but no one will ever replace you in my heart, Brother. I have enough room in here,” he thumped his chest, “for you both.” Rafe puffed his cigar a few times before continuing. “Let’s play it by ear. If things with Alistair remain as they are, being he is calm for the moment, we can probably extend our stay.”

Sinclair was overjoyed to hear it. He only wanted a little extra time to spend with Rafe until they were separated again for the gods only knew how long. “Most excellent.”

S
ixx had the windows rolled down and the music blasting. A Veyron was not the most practical vehicle to drive, especially in New Angeles traffic, but he opened it up when he had the chance. The car would be conspicuous in Rae’s neighborhood, but he couldn’t make himself drive the opposite direction to his home. When he neared the area where she lived, he turned the volume down on his radio and allowed the GPS voice to navigate the turns that took him to her home. Sixx didn’t dare stop, but he did slow to a crawl as he inspected the little house his mate and son called home. It was a neat little three-bedroom cottage.

As soon as he found out about Desi, Sixx had looked into Rae’s past as well as her finances. There was no way he would let them struggle, not with him having an astronomical amount of money sitting in the bank. He had found that not only were they not struggling, but Rae was sitting on a nice little nest egg. She had been frugal with her money, and she and Desi were doing okay. Now that he had a record deal, Desi would be doing more than okay if he managed his money the way his mother did. Having a financial wiz for a father wouldn’t hurt, either.

As badly as he wanted to park the car and get the initial meeting over with, Sixx turned toward New Malibu and headed home. Four more days. He would stick to the plan, and in four days, he would knock on the door to her cottage. She would receive a different gift for the next three days, then on Friday, he would deliver the last present to her himself. The surfboard he bought for her birthday all those years ago would finally be presented to her. Whether she accepted him into her life or not, at least she would have the board intended for her. The one she wanted. Once he hit the freeway, Sixx turned the music back up and enjoyed the salty California air as best he could.

When he arrived home, Sixx took to the swimming pool, hoping to wear his body down enough to get a good night’s sleep. As a Gargoyle, he could go days without needing to sleep; he just liked it. After spending a couple of hours swimming laps, he showered and retired under the soft covers of his massive bed.

When Sixx woke, the late morning sun coated his skin, and Sixx blinked his eyes open. He knew he had slept much later than normal, but the combination of the warmer temperature and the soft noises floating through the open windows had blanketed him like a cocoon. The only thing missing was the feel of a soft body next to him. Sixx wanted to be the cocoon for Rae, shielding her body, wrapping her in his warmth. He rolled over to his side and pulled the spare pillow to his chest, wishing it was her he was hugging.

This time next week it could very well be happening. He could be lying in his bed with his mate snuggled in close to his body. Or spread out on top of him, with her long brown hair falling over her shoulders, tickling his chest. Sixx’s cock came to life as he envisioned his mate sliding her thin frame down his body, encasing his erection in her sassy mouth. He pushed the covers down past his waist and fisted his length. He rubbed his thumb through the creamy liquid leaking from the tip. Normally he ignored his morning wood, but this was something more than his waking hard-on. This was his body reacting to the thought of his mate satisfying him. Giving herself over to his needs. He closed his eyes and stroked roughly, not even trying to make it last.

Sixx dug his heels into the bed, thrusting his dick faster into his fist. With the other hand he grabbed his balls, squeezing almost painfully. Bright green eyes flashed in his mind, looking up at him from between his legs. Rae loved to suck his dick, and he was ready to have her remind him how good at it she was. A couple more hard tugs and Sixx was shooting his load onto his stomach and chest, grunting his way through each shockwave. His orgasms were never as powerful as when he was with Rae or thinking about her.

Sixx stretched out like a dog having its belly rubbed. His cock was sated for the moment, and his body was ready for another swim. Once all the tingles abated, he rose from the bed and rinsed off in the shower before pulling on a pair of swim trunks. He stopped in the kitchen and popped a pod of coffee into the fancy machine Finley had purchased not too long ago. It was nice having both the one-cup brewer as well as the full-sized pot. Sixx was thankful to have someone he trusted fully to look after his home in his absence. He often thought about renting the spacious villa out but always seemed to change his mind before putting it on the market. He had never lived in this particular home, but there was something about it that called to him, letting him know it was, indeed, home. He’d felt it the few times he’d visited.

When the coffee finished brewing, Sixx took his mug out to the patio and sat down in the sunshine. He sipped his coffee while enjoying just
being
in the moment. The various plants and flowers that grew naturally around the property had taken on a life of their own, and Sixx made a mental note to call a professional to trim them back. He enjoyed the bright colors that invited hummingbirds to visit. Those little creatures amazed him while offering entertainment with their quick wings and territorial dive-bombing. They obviously had no trouble with him being a Gargoyle. The little birds never hesitated to come close enough for a drink of nectar when he was around. He had transplanted many of the flowering plants from his home in California to his place in New Atlanta when he saw the way they attracted the hummingbirds. He could sit for hours watching them flit around.

Until he noticed a bright tattoo on Rae’s arm, Sixx had never paid much attention to the little birds. He never paid attention to a lot of things until the little pixie-like female either pointed something out or had something she loved inked on her body. After he met Desirae, Sixx’s eyes were opened to so many things. Now, he wanted to open her eyes to the possibility of a life filled with love and a home together. One that would last through the ages.

When his coffee cup was empty, Sixx strode to the water’s edge and continued walking until it was deep enough for him to submerge himself. He swam underwater, back and forth, from end to end of the pool, letting the cool water wash over him. While he pulled his arms and kicked his legs, he relaxed his mind. Gargoyles couldn’t die from lack of oxygen, but they could eventually pass out. When he felt the burn in his lungs from being underwater for quite a while, he kicked his way to the surface, finding Urijah sitting at the patio table watching him.

A
listair stood on the balcony that overlooked the garden. A yellow wagtail pecked at the freshly turned dirt searching for worms. If Theron had died a hero, Alistair would probably give two shits that a bird was looking to feed its young from his son’s grave. Since Theron had allowed a lesser Gargoyle to beat him, one who not only preferred the company of men, but one who was mated to a human
boy
, Alistair couldn’t find it in him to worry over a bird. Theron was Alistair’s only heir, and now that he was gone, Alistair would need to find a strong male to carry on in his footsteps. Not that he planned on going anywhere anytime soon.

His nephew thought he would be persuaded to let this feud die down now that Kallisto was being held prisoner and being trussed up like a whore for the taking. Rafael severely underestimated him. Alistair’s feelings for his adopted daughter stemmed from his feelings for her mother. Alistair’s need for revenge was so much greater than mere
feelings
. His hatred for those lesser than his station, those pure bloods who cheapened the species by mating with humans and daring to produce offspring with them, had long fueled his need to see them all punished. Yes, he had taken a human lover, but not as a mate. Never as one to procreate with. Alistair had wanted the woman. He never needed her. She was a scratch to his itch. Nothing more. Now, his need to avenge his son, however weak he might have been, was surpassing his hatred for Jonas and his offspring and spilled over to his nephews and their Clan.

Alistair had to be careful in choosing someone to name as his successor. He would do it in such a way that whomever he chose wasn’t aware. He didn’t want anyone to get any ideas that Alistair was ready to step down or that he wasn’t fit to lead the Greeks. This was him being proactive, just in case. He had thought Carter would have made a good second-in-command, but the Goyle disappeared when Dante rescued Isabelle. Security footage had been erased, so Alistair didn’t know if Carter left of his own volition or if he’d been caught in the crossfire during that fiasco.

Movement at the far end of the property caught Alistair’s eye. Sergei, Kallisto’s lapdog, was moping around. He should send the human away, but Kallisto had found him useful. When the male was within earshot, Alistair called out, “Sergei, I would like to see you in my office.” The human nodded and turned toward the pathway leading inside the villa. By the time Sergei made his way inside, Alistair was sipping on a glass of brandy. “Have a seat.”

Ever since Sergei delivered Theron’s body to Alistair along with the message from Rafael, he hadn’t dared to look Alistair in the eye. He kept his chin down and his eyes averted. Smart human. “I have a job for you. I want you to travel back to the States and get Kallisto out of the Pen.”