Chapter Five

Sabrina couldn’t think straight around Deacon, and when he touched her? Her brain momentarily short-circuited. He apologized for upsetting her, but it wasn’t his words that had her staring at him without speaking. She’d never encountered such a visceral need to be around someone the way she did when she encountered Deacon Wright. Over the past few weeks, she’d been drawn to him whenever she entered Mr. Holt’s room. Deacon attempted to blend into the background whenever she saw him, but that was impossible. At over six feet, the man was imposing in height as well as with his broad shoulders that seemed to carry the weight of the world on them. She’d never been intimidated by any man until her last boyfriend had used his mass to coerce Sabrina. And even though Deacon scared her with his size, there was something about him she couldn’t ignore.

She didn’t miss the silent conversation between him and Kaya. By the rolling of his eyes, Deacon found Kaya’s interference in his personal life ridiculous, if the smirk on his face was any indication. She felt better about saying yes to dinner when she realized Kaya felt comfortable enough with the guy to butt in. Rafael Stone wasn’t small by any stretch of the imagination, but Deacon was nearly as large as Frey Hartley, another one of Jonathan’s “family. ” If Deacon was half as gentle with her as Frey was with his wife, she might get through dinner on Thursday without throwing up or running out the back door of the restaurant. Or both.

It had been several years since Sabrina had been in a relationship. At first, she was hopeful Garrison would be the one. She’d dated a couple guys in college, but her focus had been on studying. She always knew, once she decided to become a doctor, she would put her studies and career first. Then, once she was established in her profession, she could relax a little and begin dating. She met Garrison at a hospital fundraiser. He was charming and kind. Said the right words. Did the right things. Things that had Sabrina overlooking the little red flags she should have seen. Having not been around a healthy relationship since her mother had been married to Jasmine’s father – and she’d been young back then – Sabrina had nothing to gauge her own relationship by.

In the beginning, Sabrina insisted they take things slowly, and Garrison agreed. When she first allowed him to keep a toothbrush and change of clothes at her house, it made sense. When her closet began filling up with more of his clothes, and her bathroom counter had as many of his toiletries as hers, Sabrina stepped back to assess the situation. She took a long look at whether or not she was in love with the man. She thought she was, but on those nights he went to his own home, she didn’t miss him. She appreciated the quiet. Enjoyed being able to watch what she wanted on TV. Drink a glass of wine without his running commentary of how important he was at his job. Didn’t have to worry about coming home from a long day of seeing patients and having to cook for him and do the dishes because he said that was her job.

It was then she realized he wasn’t the one. She wanted someone who understood when she needed quiet time. A man who would cook dinner or at least order take-out when her heart was too heavy for the task. Someone who asked what she wanted rather than assumed he knew best. Sabrina knew he had to go after she told Garrison she needed a weekend to herself. When his large hand wrapped around her throat as he shoved her into the wall accusing her of cheating, she was done. After he’d released her and apologized, promising to never touch her in anger again, she’d told him to take his things and leave.

She tried not to dwell on what happened afterward. It only brought pain to her heart and induced a panic attack for months. Sabrina hadn’t gone to the police, nor had she gone to the hospital to have her wounds tended. He’d left bruises on her face and ribs before pushing her to her knees. It could have been worse, but shoving his dick down her throat until she nearly passed out had been bad enough. Garrison had been smart in leaving no DNA evidence behind on her body, and she attributed that to the fact he was a cop. He stormed off without his clothes but not before he trashed most of her home. After giving herself a few days to deal, she packed all his things into boxes and took them to the nearest donation truck. She’d thought about texting him to come get them off her porch, but Sabrina didn’t want him anywhere near her. She had never given him a key to her place, but she still had the locks changed and an alarm system installed. Briefly, Sabrina considered getting a dog, but her long hours at the hospital would have meant the animal was alone more than it wasn’t.

It had taken more than a year for Sabrina to agree to another date, but she only said yes because the man was a doctor. Someone who swore an oath to heal. She drove her car to the restaurant so she could leave if she needed to. The man had asked if they could go back to her place, but she said she wasn’t ready. He asked her out a few more times, and each time she declined anything more than dinner. He finally stopped calling. She still saw him around the hospital, and he was friendly with her without making her feel bad. After that, she’d been fine coming home after work and spending weekends alone. Until now. And as much as Deacon’s size intimidated her, Sabrina was trusting both Joseph’s and Kaya’s word about Deacon Wright being a good, kind man. God, she hoped they were right.

After spending a few minutes in Jonathan’s room chatting with the older man and Kaya, Sabrina’s heart felt lighter than it had the night before. It mainly had to do with the light that had returned to Mr. Holt’s eyes. Deacon was right when he said sometimes peace could only come from death, and she believed Jonathan was ready for the suffering to end. If his friends and family were any indication, the man had lived a good, happy life. Who was she to deny him the serenity he sought in moving on to the next part of his journey?

Sabrina was leaving when Kaya stopped her. “It was good talking to you, Sabrina. I look forward to seeing you soon. ”

Sabrina smiled. “Me too. ” Somehow, she knew she’d made a new friend in the pretty blonde. When she stepped into the hallway, Dante Di Pietro, the medical examiner and another friend of Mr. Holt’s, was walking down the hallway with a small boy.

When they were standing in front of her, Dante said, “Dr. Bailey, this is my son, Connor. ”

Sabrina held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure, Connor. ”

“The pleasure is mi—” Connor froze, grasping Sabrina’s hand. When he released it – after several long seconds – he looked at Dante and whispered, “Da. ”

Sabrina looked behind her to see what spooked the boy, but there was no one there. She waited for Connor to tell his father what was wrong, but they looked at each other, not speaking. “Dante? Is everything okay? ” she asked.

“Connor hasn’t been feeling well, that’s all. If you’ll excuse us, we want to check in with Jonathan for a few minutes. ”

“Of course. ” Sabrina stepped aside, and when the two of them entered the room, Connor looked at Sabrina with an expression that could only be fear. But what reason did the boy have to fear her?

Deacon stepped into the morgue just as Trevor was rushing out. “Where’s the fire? ”

“Hey, Deke. Gotta get over to campus before I’m late for class. Dante’s on his way if you wanna wait. ”

“Yeah, I can do that. See you later. ” Deacon hadn’t expected Dante to come in to work today since he was helping Isabelle with the blood sample he’d taken from Evan the night before. The male had been cooperative, even going so far as telling them all about Drago’s warehouses. The ones he knew about at least. They had called Rafael after talking to the male, and he agreed they should set him up in a cell much like Gabriel’s.

Deacon had the day off, which in the past, had been few and far between. In the last several weeks, Gregor had been spending more time at the Pen. At first, Deacon chalked it up to Tessa being out of town with Tamian, but lately, he thought something might be going on with the couple. Deacon didn’t want to pry, but it hurt him deeply whenever Gregor was near, and he wanted to help his boss. Not that he could give the male advise on what to do if something was wrong in his relationship with Tessa, considering Deacon had never been in one. It was one of the reasons he was scared shitless about taking Sabrina out to dinner.

He had considered asking Gregor for tips on dating, but he didn’t want to make the male feel any worse than he already did. Dante and Connor entered the morgue a few minutes later, and Deacon blurted, “I need help. ”

Dante frowned, looking between his son and Deacon. “Let me get Connor settled. ” He took the boy into his office and returned a few minutes later. “What’s wrong, Brother? ”

“I have a date with Sabrina. ” Since all the immediate members of the Clan knew who Jonathan’s doctor was, he didn’t need to expound on it being Dr. Bailey.

“That’s good news, isn’t it? ” Dante glanced between Deacon and his office.

Deacon reached out with his mind, and he felt Connor deeply troubled about something. “I’m not sure, ” he answered, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“Tell me why you aren’t sure. ”

“She’s…” Deacon paused, remembering his conversation with Kai. “It’s been twenty years since I took a woman on a date, and then it…” Deacon took a deep breath. “I have no idea what constitutes a good date with someone like Sabrina. I don’t want to screw up the first time I take her out. ”

“What do you know about her? ”

“Nothing, other than she’s a doctor. And she doesn’t like being in the presence of large males. I’ve felt her trepidation whenever she enters Jonathan’s room, and it has nothing to do with him or his condition. If we leave the room, her tension recedes. ”

“Maybe something happened in her past. Have you spoken to Jonas about her? He is her boss and could probably give you more personal information. ”

“No, I don’t want to put him in the position of betraying her trust. Just… I asked her out to dinner. ”

Dante leaned against the front of his desk. “Where are you taking her? ”

“I thought about Chez Vaison, but I didn’t want her to think I’m trying too hard to impress her. Giovanni’s is more my speed, but I also don’t want her to think I’m not trying hard enough. Where did you take Isabelle on your first date? ”

Dante smirked. “Chez Vaison, and I was trying too hard. I didn’t know her first husband had tried to buy her affection. I showed up in the Aston Martin with flowers and a diamond bracelet. I chalked her lack of enthusiasm up to her reluctance to go out with me in the first place. She’d only found out about Gargoyles and then transitioned into a half-blood a few weeks prior. Add to that the idea of fated mates. It was a lot to digest. What has you worried about Sabrina? ”

“She’s a doctor. Educated. Smart. Beautiful. I would say I’m only a warden, but that would sound like I was disrespecting your brother. I drive a truck and ride a Harley. I don’t own any pants other than threadbare jeans or my work pants. I’m going to need to go shopping. ”

“My advice is let her see the real you. Don’t take her to an expensive restaurant until your anniversary. Don’t go out and buy a suit you’ll never wear again until possibly on said anniversary. Nice jeans and a button-up should be okay for Giovanni’s. The mate bond will do a lot of the work for you, but I understand not wanting a mate who hasn’t chosen you for herself. Talk to her. Ask her questions about her family and her life. Listen to what she tells you, and listen to what she doesn’t. Trust your abilities. I have a feeling your powers are even stronger than mine. ”

Deacon should have known Dante suspected there was more to Deacon’s empathy. The older male was powerful in his own right, and he was observant. Other than Gregor, Deacon had never trusted anyone enough to tell them, but this was Dante. His family. “You’re right. About my abilities. I’m more empathic than anyone I know of, and sometimes it gets to be too much. My beast does its best to shield me from the harshest of emotions, but sometimes…” Deacon blew out a breath.

Dante’s smile was sympathetic. “I can’t imagine. Well, I can, but my own abilities are nowhere near what you’re describing. Is that why you’ve never been in a relationship? ”

Deacon didn’t want to divulge too much about himself, even if he considered Dante family. Deacon wasn’t a virgin. Like most males, he had been with females when he was young. It didn’t take him long to realize sleeping with random women wasn’t for him. He hadn’t been on a date in over twenty years. Not since the last one turned out to be more than he could handle. He couldn’t think about that now. Not when he had his mate within his grasp. “That’s part of it. Mostly, I’ve been holding out for my mate. Why start something with a female I knew would end in heartache? I get why Sin did it. Some males prefer having someone to go home to every day, even if they’re not going to live as long as we do. I just couldn’t do it. ”

“I understand. Before Isabelle, I was only with a handful of females, and those were simply to scratch an itch. For an alpha Gargoyle, I’m not the most assertive when it comes to those types of things, ” Dante said.

Deacon was surprised Dante admitted something so personal, but it went a long way in showing he had trusted the right male with his doubts. He felt better, but he still needed to go shopping. “I’m going to get out of here and let you get busy. ”

“I’ll let you and the others know as soon as Isabelle and I figure out what Dr. Craven gave Evan. In the meantime, we have Julian and Lucy searching for the scientist. ”

“Let me know if they find him. I’ll go after the man myself. ”

Dante grinned, and it was good to see the male smiling so often. It was something he rarely did before he met Isabelle. “You’ll have to stand in line. Gregor’s already called dibs, but I have a feeling he won’t mind some company. ”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow when I get to the Pen. For now, I’ve got some shopping to do. I stopped by to see if Trevor wanted to go later, but he’s busy with school. ”

“You should call Travis and Brynna. If anyone can choose the right clothes for you, it will be her. ”

Deacon smiled, thinking of Banyan’s sister and Trevor’s brother. Brynna still hadn’t told Travis he was her mate, but whenever Deacon was around the couple, he knew it wouldn’t be long. The love she felt for the human consumed Deacon and briefly overshadowed any sadness or turmoil he felt from the others around him. “That’s an excellent idea. Thanks for the talk, Brother. ” He held out his hand for Dante to shake, but the male pulled him into an embrace. Calm instantly flooded Deacon, and he appreciated it more than he could ever say.

“Anytime. ”

Dante entered his office to find Connor sitting quietly, his hands folded in his lap. “I’m sorry, Da. That’s the best I could do. ”

Dante placed his hand on his son’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “Don’t apologize, Son. You’ll figure it out. ” Dante picked up the drawing. In it, Sabrina was being grabbed by a large, black man. Connor’s visions were usually detailed, but in this one, the man’s facial features were blurry. “Can you not see who the man is? Or did you not have time to finish? ”

“I can’t see him. ”

The child had only a regular lead pencil but had still managed to shade both Sabrina and the man so their skin tone was depicted correctly. His talent for drawing never ceased to amaze Dante. “You did well, Son. I need to make a call, and then we’ll get you to the gym. ” Dante hoped he could get to Deacon before the male got too far away.

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