Chapter Eight

Having her boss shadow Sabrina shouldn’t have made her nervous, but she felt like there was more going on than him being cautious. She couldn’t be the first employee to have flowers delivered anonymously. And that shouldn’t have freaked her out as much as it had. After the phone call, Joseph had stuck to Sabrina every step she made with the exception of going into the restroom, and then he’d made her use the private one in his office.

When it was time for lunch, Joseph finally excused himself to take care of some business, but before he walked off, he told her a man named Paxton, one of the men who visited Jonathan Holt, would be guarding her.

“Joseph, I don’t think a guard is necessary. ”

“Do this for my peace of mind. Paxton won’t follow you as closely as I did. As a matter of fact, you won’t even know he’s there. ”

Sabrina had doubted she wouldn’t be able to find Paxton, especially if he was walking around in his uniform. Like the others who stood outside Jonathan’s hospital room, the man was large and impossible to miss. While she went about her day, Sabrina searched for the man, but either Joseph had been correct and the man was stealthy, or he’d given up on following her around the hospital. That was fine with her if he had. She didn’t need to take someone away from their job just because she was being foolish.

Although Mr. Holt had decided to stop treatment, Sabrina still stopped by to see him before she left for the day. Her breath caught when she walked in. Deacon’s head was tossed back, his throat vibrating as he laughed at something the older man had said. When he turned her way, Deacon’s eyes sparkled, and his smile was blinding. This one encounter was enough to have her defenses evaporate, so she didn’t know how she was going to make it through a date with the man.

Deacon stood and gently patted Jonathan on the leg. “Do you need anything before I go? ”

Jonathan started to say something, but he choked on a cough before he could get the words out. Deacon rushed forward, pulling the older man up to a seated position, wrapping his massive arms around his friend so quickly Sabrina barely registered him moving. When the coughing spell was over, Jonathan patted Deacon’s hand, and Deacon slowly lowered the patient back to the bed. “Thank you, Deacon, ” Jonathan whispered. Deacon brushed the man’s hair back off his forehead with such tenderness, Sabrina could only stare in wonderment. She knew not all large men were abusive, but to see the way Deacon tended to his friend chipped away another piece of her armor.

Maybe, just maybe, going on a date with Deacon would help tip the scales away from thoughts of all larger men being bad news. Heck, he was already doing that. As was the man she noticed leaning against the wall just inside the door. Paxton inclined his head to her before pushing away from the wall and stepping up to the other side of Jonathan’s bed. Deacon looked at Paxton, and the man nodded. Whatever the silent question had been, Deacon must have liked the answer, because he squeezed Jonathan’s hand and said he’d see him the next day.

Sabrina caught Deacon’s eye as he was walking out of the room. She didn’t say anything, only gave him a sad smile. After spending a few minutes with the patient, Sabrina left the room to make her way to her office so she could gather her things to head home. She should have been surprised to find Deacon waiting on her, but she wasn’t.

“Leaving for the day? ” he asked.

“Yes. I just need to grab my things. ”

“I’ll walk you out. ” The way he said it left no room for argument, and if she was being honest, Sabrina was thankful her boss and these other men were watching out for her. You’re under their protection. Joseph’s words came back to her in that moment. As they walked the hallways, Deacon didn’t try to engage in conversation. He silently followed her while she retrieved her purse, shut down her computer, and locked the door. When they made it to her car in the parking garage, Deacon opened her door after she hit the fob to unlock it. Once she was seated, Deacon said, “Drive safe. ” He closed the door for her, and Sabrina watched in her mirror as Deacon strode to a motorcycle parked a couple spots over. She’d never thought much about bikes, but damn if he didn’t make his look sexy. Oh yeah. She was in trouble with this one.

Sabrina blew out a breath and started her car. Deacon spoke very little after leaving Mr. Holt’s room, and he didn’t touch her. She wanted him to. Badly. Several times she felt the urge to reach out and touch his arm or hold his hand. Each time, she had to forcibly resist. What was it about him that drew her to him? After dating Garrison, Sabrina could appreciate a man who didn’t have much to say as long as he wasn’t always quiet. It would make for a long dinner if she had to carry the whole conversation.

Deacon followed her out of the garage and turned right onto the street behind her. He followed her all the way home, but when she pulled into her driveway, he didn’t stop. She had already texted her address to him for their date, so him knowing where she lived didn’t bother her. What did make her take pause was the fact that she wished he’d pulled in the driveway behind her and asked to come inside.

She was used to being alone for the most part, but she was at the point in her life where she was ready for companionship. At least on the weekends and maybe a couple nights during the week, if not more. She’d tried it with Garrison, but he had been the wrong man. Maybe Deacon would be the right one. When she stepped inside, Sabrina paused, trying to picture Deacon in her home. Would he sit in the recliner and expect her to wait on him? Or would he join her in the kitchen and help her with supper? Maybe he’d be the one to cook for her.

Sabrina laughed out loud imagining someone like Deacon donning an apron and puttering around the kitchen. She’d never thought of herself dating a biker. Or a warden at the penitentiary. Would he expect her to ride on the back of his motorcycle when he took her out Thursday? Surely the man had a car. But if he didn’t, she would gladly climb behind him and wrap her arms around his tight body. Sabrina laughed again. “Girl, you are getting way ahead of yourself. ” Shaking her head, she went into her bedroom to change into her comfy clothes. Since she was alone, she took off her bra and breathed a sigh of relief as she did every day at this time.

After slipping into some yoga pants and a T-shirt, she padded back to the kitchen to find something to eat. As much as she’d hated the way Garrison treated her, Sabrina was looking forward to her date and what happened after. If things went well, she would enjoy asking Deacon over so she could cook for him. It was something she loved doing. It was one of the things that let her mind drift away from the patients and their diseases. Cooking for one wasn’t nearly as fun as whipping up a large meal to share with someone else. She opened the fridge so she could see what she had on hand. If their date went well, she was going to ask Deacon over on Saturday, and she wanted to be prepared ahead of time.

“Getting ahead of yourself again, ” she said aloud. But after talking with Joseph, Sabrina had a good feeling about Deacon. She already felt safe with him. Well, maybe not safe from the way she was drawn to him. She would need to be on guard if they were alone, because she didn’t trust herself not to jump him as soon as they were behind closed doors. Maybe it had been too long since she’d had a man in her bed. Or maybe Deacon was just that sexy.

Thinking about what she would like to cook and seeing what she needed from the store, Sabrina made a grocery list. She had plenty of time to get to the store before the weekend. And maybe while she was out, she would stop at the mall and find some new lingerie. Just in case.

Deacon met Lorenzo and Mason at an elementary school not far from Sabrina’s house so one of them could take his bike back to his house. He didn’t trust leaving his baby out where it could get trashed by teenagers with nothing better to do, or worse, stolen. Lorenzo had already scoped out the neighborhood and found the perfect spot to watch her home where they wouldn’t be seen. After making his way to a vacant house behind Sabrina’s, Deacon climbed to the roof and settled in.

While keeping his senses alert for anything amiss around Sabrina’s home, Deacon opened his phone to read the document Julian had sent. It tore at Deacon’s heart reading about Sabrina’s less than stellar childhood. Being an only child, he didn’t know what it was like having a sibling, much less three. And to be separated from them? That had to have hurt. It didn’t surprise him that Sabrina had accumulated debt from college and medical school. According to Julian’s findings, Sabrina’s grandmother had left a small sum of money in the bank upon her death, but it hadn’t been enough to pay for much of Sabrina’s education. Deacon felt guilty for prying into her personal information, but he wanted to help her any way he could. He should’ve waited until they completed the bond and handled it then, but he wanted his mate to have every advantage, and that included not being bogged down worrying about finances. Besides, who knew when they’d actually get around to completing the bond? They had yet to go on a date or spend any amount of time together.

Sabrina also had payments on the house she lived in, but if they were going to have a future together, Deacon planned for them to live at his house. Maybe all that extra room would get some use. Except… Why had he let Sixx convince him to buy something so large? Oh yes. So he could fill it with a family. A mate and children. Only Deacon didn’t think he could handle the children part of that equation.

Deacon finished reading over Sabrina’s information. There was nothing which stood out. After she graduated high school, she immediately started college. Her grandmother had died soon after, but Sabrina didn’t miss any time away. She continued on to medical school in New Chicago where she had lived all her life. Only when she’d been offered an internship in New Atlanta had she moved, and she’d been there ever since. What Julian hadn’t unearthed was whether or not Sabrina had ever been in a relationship. Deacon couldn’t see someone as attractive and successful as his mate being alone all these years. That was something he’d have to find out from her.

The rest of his time watching her house went by slowly. When midnight came around, Lor handed off his bike keys. “I’ve stashed my truck close by, so I’ll follow Sabrina to the hospital in the morning. ”

“Thanks, Brother. ” Deacon made his way to his bike, which was parked a few houses down on the next street over. As he wound his way through the backroads home, Deacon did his best to keep his mind clear. He trusted his Clan to watch over his mate while he went into work. He was looking forward to getting back and talking to Gregor. He wanted to know if Evan had told them anything more after the initial interrogation.

When he walked into the back door of the Pen after a few hours of sleep, Deacon was surprised to hear Tessa’s voice coming from Gregor’s office. Her laughter was like a ray of sunshine after a dismal storm. Instead of the turmoil he’d been feeling from Gregor these last few weeks, he was met with happiness. Relief. Whatever the two had been going through had either been hashed out, or at the least, put on hold. He hoped it was the former, because that would be two less people he had to deal with when it came to their emotions.

It had been too long since he’d seen the feisty redhead, and when Deacon stepped into Gregor’s office, Tessa jumped up and wrapped her arms around his waist. Gregor growled, and Tessa said, “Shut it, Stone. ” Gregor winked at Deacon over Tessa’s head. Not only was Gregor his boss but one of his closest friends. Gregor knew Deacon would die for Tessa, so the little show of jealousy was just that – a show. Probably for Tessa’s benefit.

“All right, Red. Let the man go. We have work to do. ”

Tessa released Deacon but not before she patted his face.

“Welcome home, ” he whispered.

Tessa smiled before looking at Gregor. “It’s good to be home. Really good. ”

And that was Deacon’s cue to leave the two of them alone. When he made it to the door, he said, “I’ll be downstairs with Evan when you’re ready, ” raising the bag of fast food he’d brought their prisoner. Closing the door behind him, Deacon locked it for good measure.

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