Chapter Seven

“What do you mean, he disappeared? Where the fuck did he go? ” Drago had to rein in his anger lest he threw his phone against the wall.

“I’m sorry, Sir. No one noticed until we were already at the warehouse. I went back out and searched the area myself for over three hours, but there’s no trace of him. ”

“Godsdamnit. Put Trexon on the phone. ” A Reborn wandering around the city with the ability to understand what the fuck was going on around him could ruin everything. The last thing he needed was for the male to be captured. Fucking Stone Society. Drago bet his left nut the male had been caught.

“Sir? ” Trexon answered.

“I want you to keep all the Unholy separated from the Reborn. And those who have half a brain now? You need to instill the fear of the gods in them. Make sure they understand what will happen if they jump ship. ”

“Yes, Sir. ”

“Also, I’m sending a new guy in. His name’s Hagen Rossum, and he’s a computer specialist. ”

“I remember him. He’s the kid Kallisto hired to hack for Alistair. ”

“That’s the one. Set him up in my apartment for the time being. If everything goes as planned here, I’ll be back within a week. Hagen knows what is required of him, so once he’s settled, you shouldn’t have to watch over him. Maybe have Renneck stay with him the first night, but after that, he can come back to the compound. ”

“We’ll handle it. ”

Drago disconnected. Trexon had better handle it. Losing one of the Reborn could be detrimental in the hands of the Stones. If the male talked, Rafael had the resources to find Dr. Craven. Drago pulled up the scientist’s number and called the man. Of course, it went to voicemail. “Call me as soon as you get this message. And Craven? You better not sell me out. ”

Arden entered the room without knocking. “The truck is loaded with the next shipment. ”

“Good. I’m needed back in New Atlanta, so I’m leaving you in charge of this part of our operation. ”

“What’s going on? ” Arden poured himself a tall glass of whiskey before leaning against the bar.

“One of the Reborn went walkabout, and the one in charge of overseeing that particular project failed to notice until it was too late. ”

“Could he have gone back to his family? ”

“It’s possible but not probable. The ones who’ve been turned the longest were promised money when Alistair was funding the project for Gordon Flanagan. The ones who joined the ranks later did so because they had nothing left. They’re soldiers coming home from the military who have no family, or they have PTSD so severe they can’t figure out how to become part of a society which no longer wants them. I have a feeling the American Clan took him. I need to get back to ensure Dr. Craven keeps his end of the bargain. ”

“I’ll take care of things here. Like I said, we have a shipment ready, and there’s plenty more where they came from. ”

“Very good. I’m going to call a meeting and announce to everyone you are in charge. If anyone steps out of line, take their head. We don’t have time to babysit our own males. ”

Drago lit the cigar he’d been chewing on, mesmerized by the smoke as it drifted up before dissipating into nothing. His plan had to work, or the Greeks as well as the Unholy would disappear like the smoke.

“Come with me, ” Frey said. Deacon knew Frey wasn’t mad at his son; he was worried. When they found Matthew, Frey said, “Matthew, would you like to apologize to Deacon? ” Frey’s voice was calm, but Deacon knew he was reining it in.

Matthew sighed and turned around. His shoulders dropped when he realized Deacon was standing next to Frey. “I’m sorry, Deacon. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Can we chalk it all up to teenage hormones? ”

Deacon and Frey looked at one another. They didn’t have to speak out loud to know what the other was thinking. They’d had this conversation a couple times while out patrolling for Unholy. If Slade didn’t claim Matthew soon, the teen was only going to get worse.

Before either one spoke, Matthew continued, “Do you think it’s too late to enroll in summer classes at UGA? ”

“I thought you wanted to take the summer to relax? ” Frey stepped closer, leaning his hip against the table where Matthew was folding towels. Deacon remained where he was, not wanting to get in the way.

“I did, but if I get a couple classes in now, I won’t have to worry about my schedule as much during the season. ”

“I’ll have to get with Slade and see if he can get into his apartment earlier if that’s what you really want to do. ”

“No! ” Matthew took a deep breath. “About that. Can we have someone else babysit me? ”

That was it. Deacon couldn’t stand by any longer while Matthew floundered without Slade. “I’m going to make a phone call, ” Deacon said, leaving Matthew and Frey alone.

“Deke, ” Frey called out, but Deacon kept going. He had vowed to stay out of the other male’s business, but Matthew was important to Deacon, and he at least had to tell Slade what was going on so he could think about how his decisions were affecting his mate.

Deacon walked out of the gym and moved around the side of the building for privacy. He took a deep breath, pushing it out as he hit Slade’s contact number.

“Deacon? What’s up? ”

“Your boy is getting ready to run. ”

“What the hell are you talking about? ”

Deacon relayed the conversation. “He’s upset, Slade, and you’re the only one who can do anything about it. ”

“You know I can’t, ” Slade groaned.

“I don’t know anything of the sort. Frey has given his blessing, so anything else holding you back is just an excuse. Are you going to be okay with another male following him to Athens to watch over him? Spend time with him? ”

“No, I’m not, but… Fuck. I’ll be there in twenty. ” Slade disconnected, and Deacon returned inside. Frey was hugging Abbi, and Kai was holding Amelia’s hand. Dante had Connor off to the side. The Goyle was kneeling in front of his son, talking to him in hushed tones. Of all the emotions Deacon was getting hit with, Connor’s were the strongest. Even more so than Matthew’s. When Deacon looked around for the teen, he didn’t see him. Doing his best to close off everyone else around him, he reached out, searching. By the time Deacon got a lock on Matthew, the others were gathered together as Abbi readied the kids for the aquarium.

Lorenzo entered the building, and Amelia pulled away from Kai. “Uncle Zo! ” she yelled as she launched herself at the newcomer. Deacon loved how the girl greeted all the Goyles enthusiastically, giving some of them cute nicknames. And by the look on Lorenzo’s face, he did as well.

“How’s the princess today? ” Lor asked.

“We’re going to the aquarium. Uncle Deke’s afraid of sharks, so he’s not gonna go. Are you afraid of sharks? ”

Lor winked at Deacon before answering. “Yes, I am. Have you seen the teeth on those things? ” He did a full-body shiver, causing Amelia to laugh.

Amelia cupped her hand around her mouth and whispered into Lorenzo’s ear. Deacon didn’t want to intrude on her secret, so he turned and went in search of Matthew. The teen was in the men’s locker room, holding a bottle of cleaner and a rag. Instead of wiping down the counter, he was staring at nothing.

“I really am sorry for being rude, ” Matt said when he noticed Deacon.

“Apology accepted. Would you like some help cleaning? ” Deacon needed to get to the hospital to check on Sabrina, but he wasn’t going to leave Matthew until Slade showed up.

“Nah, but thanks. I’ve got most of it done. I just need to clean the showers, and then I’ll be finished. ”

“If you’re su—”

“Matthew? ” Slade rushed into the locker room, sliding to a stop when he saw the teen.

“I’ll just…” Deacon thumbed over his shoulder, leaving the two to talk. He clapped Slade on the shoulder when he passed by, squeezing hard. Deacon could hear Frey and Dante talking in the office, so he headed that way. When he entered the small room, he opened his mouth to tell them Slade was there, but when he noticed Lorenzo, he kept that to himself.

“I took the liberty of telling Frey and Lor about Connor’s drawing, ” Dante said.

“Thanks. I’m sorry he had to see that in his mind. I don’t know how you do it. Either one of you. Kids are…” Deacon closed his eyes briefly. “Kids are great, but I can’t imagine being responsible for their well-being. ”

“You don’t want kids with Sabrina? ” Frey asked.

“If she wants them, I’ll deal with it, but I hope I can convince her to wait a while. First, we need to talk about that drawing and what it means. If something were to happen to her before we’re mated, it won’t matter if we want kids or not. ”

“I talked to Gregor, and he’s good with you taking time away from the Pen. I’ve also asked Lorenzo to help cover your mate when you need to rest. For the time being, I’ve taken you both off Unholy patrol. ” Frey stood and walked around to the front of his desk, leaning against it. “I know how it feels to have someone after your mate, and I also understand wanting to be the one guarding her. But you need to stay sharp. If you wear yourself down, you won’t be any good to her. ”

“I’m not going to turn down help. Lor, I appreciate you stepping in. Between the two of us guarding her outside the hospital and Jonas and Paxton on the inside, we should be able to stop whatever it is Connor saw. ” At least Deacon hoped they could. “The only thing that bothers me is he couldn’t see a face. ”

“I’ve been thinking about that, ” Dante said. “I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking the face was obscure because there’s only the possibility of what his vision showed happening. Most of the things he’s drawn perfectly have come to pass exactly the way he depicted. ”

“What if it’s something that already happened? Could it be she’s blocking something from her past? ” Lorenzo asked.

“That’s a valid point. That would be the less evil of the two scenarios. But until Deacon mates with her or at least finds out more about Sabrina, we need to be vigilant in her safety, ” Dante said. “Jonas has agreed to shadow her at the hospital, as will Paxton. Jonathon doesn’t need a guard twenty-four seven, so Paxton can help Jonas when he has duties which pull him away from Sabrina. ”

“I have a date with her Thursday night. If that goes well, I should be able to get closer to her sooner rather than later. I don’t want to drive her away by delving into her past too quickly, though. ” Deacon was already nervous about the date. He didn’t need the added stress of pushing her away by saying the wrong thing.

“I’ll be glad to take the overnight shift at her home. If you’ll give me her address, I’ll go by and scope it out. Find the best vantage point to watch her from, ” Lor offered. “Also, it might be prudent to have Julian run a basic background check on Sabrina. Nothing too invasive, but one deep enough to see if there’s something from her past that made its way into the news. ”

“That’s not a bad idea. I wouldn’t look at it as an invasion of privacy but more of gathering intel for security purposes, ” Frey added. “You won’t be the first Goyle to have checked into his mate. While you’re at it, why don’t you have him monitor the security cameras in the hospital? He has Lucy there to help, so it isn’t like he would be short-handed at the moment. ”

“I’ll call him before I head to the hospital. Speaking of short-handed, what did Rafael decide about Lachlan? Did he ever get in touch with Hunter? ”

Frey pushed off his desk and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Hunter told Rafe he would come to New Atlanta if it was absolutely necessary, but he still hasn’t forgiven his mate. Since Lucy is here training with Julian, Rafael put Lachlan’s release on hold. Lucy’s good, from what Jules says, and that gives them time to look for a replacement for when she and Tamian head to New York. ”

Deacon ran a hand over his short hair. He didn’t want to have Julian dive too deep into Sabrina’s background, but he told himself it was necessary. “Okay. I’m out of here. Lorenzo, I’ll text you Sabrina’s address. If you’ll do midnight to six, that’ll give me plenty of downtime, and Jonas and Paxton will have eyes on her at the hospital. ”

“You got it, Brother. And I’m always a phone call away if you need me during the day. ”

Deacon gripped Lor’s hand and pulled him into a hug. Lorenzo left the office, and Deacon let out a deep breath. “Slade’s here. I haven’t felt Matthew’s turmoil in the last few minutes, so maybe the two of them are going to work things out. ”

“I think I’ll go see how things are going. He is my son, after all. ” Frey squeezed Deacon’s shoulder on his way out of the door.

“And I have blood samples to help my mate with. If you need us, don’t hesitate to call. ” Dante patted Deacon’s arm and followed his cousin out of the office, leaving Deacon alone.

Deacon closed the door to Frey’s office so he could call Julian in private. He’d just pulled his phone out of his pocket when a text came through. When he opened it, Deacon barked out a laugh at the photo of Brynna holding several pairs of jeans and at least half a dozen shirts, her face smiling like she’d hit the lottery. If shopping made her happy, he was glad to have needed her assistance. Thinking of his date with Sabrina, he wondered if his mate liked the mall. That was a question he would ask on Thursday. He sent a return text to Brynna telling her to buy everything she was holding before he dialed Julian’s number.

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