Chapter Twenty-Four

Now that Sabrina’s “stalker” had been identified, there was no need for her to have a shadow. Deacon drove her to the hospital after an early morning of lovemaking followed by breakfast on the patio. They entered through the back door by the morgue and stopped to say good morning to Trevor who was dancing to music coming through his earbuds. When he noticed Deacon and Sabrina, Trevor’s face morphed into a grin.

“Good morning, Deacon, ” Trevor said, removing the earbuds. Holding out his hand, he said to Sabrina, “Good morning, My Lady. Trevor McKenzie at your service. ” When Sabrina placed her hand in Trevor’s, he bent low and kissed the back of her knuckles. Deacon growled, even though he knew Trevor was no threat. “Easy, Big Guy. You know I only have eyes for a sexy redhead. So, what brings you to my lair? ”

“Just passing through. We’re on our way to see Sabrina’s brother. ”

“Ah, yes. The mythical Reborn in the flesh. Jasper was telling me about how he and Mason saved Jerrick from the Unholy. I must say, I’m a little intrigued how a man can go from human to monster to human again. That shit has to take its toll on the psyche. But I know Jerrick is in good hands having such an excellent doctor for a sister. And if the way you two are clinging to each other is any indication, the mate bond has been forged, and therefore, Jerrick has you in his corner as well. Am I right? ”

“You are correct. We need to speak with Jerrick so Sabrina can get to work. Maybe you and Jasper can come by soon for a cookout? ”

“We would be honored. I can’t wait to spend a little time with your mate. Tell her my story and hear all about hers. ”

“I would like that, ” Sabrina said. “It was a pleasure to meet you. ”

“And you as well, My Fair Lady. ” Trevor bowed deep. When he rose, he returned the earbuds to his ears and danced away from them before pulling open a drawer housing a dead body.

“He’s different, ” Sabrina said, laughing as they were walking down the hallway.

“He is, but he’s a great guy. He and Jasper went through hell before they became mates, but I’ll wait and let him tell you all about it. ”

Hand-in-hand, they made their way to the private area where Jerrick was. When they got to the room, Dante and Gregor were outside the door. “Good morning, ” Deacon said.

Both males fisted their hearts and bowed their heads to Sabrina before shaking Deacon’s hand.

“Dante called me last night, and we had a conference call with Rafael. We’re all in agreement that Evan should be allowed to accompany Jerrick to New Orleans if that is his wish. I’ve spoken to Evan at length, and I don’t believe he should be held accountable any more than Jerrick for what they’ve been through. If the two of them can spend some time together, I think it will go a long way to helping them both heal, ” Gregor said. Laughter sounded from Jerrick’s room, and Gregor smiled. “I also thought if Jerrick could talk to Evan, he’d heal from his injuries better. Shall we? ”

Evan was sitting in the chair beside Jerrick’s bed. They both looked up when Deacon and the others entered the room. “Hello, Evan. It’s good to see you again. This is Sabrina Bailey, Jerrick’s sister. ”

Evan stood and held out his hand. “It’s my pleasure, Ma’am. ”

Sabrina blushed. “Thank you, Evan. I appreciate you coming to talk with Jerrick. ”

“He and I have a lot in common. ” Evan shyly glanced over at Jerrick. The vibe coming from the male was more than friendship. Deacon had never thought about either male’s sexual preference, but the way they kept stealing looks told him a lot. Maybe there would be more than healing going on in New Orleans.

“How are you feeling? ” Sabrina asked her brother.

“Better. My wounds are fading faster than I thought possible, but I guess that has something to do with whatever I was given to reverse the Unholiness. ” Everyone chuckled at his phrase.

Dante stepped up to the bed. “Julian has already started the process of getting you both new identities. You don’t have to use them if you don’t want to, but we think it would be wise for the time being. ”

“What do you think? Want to become someone new? ” Evan asked Jerrick.

“Definitely. The more we can do to keep Drago off our tail, the better. ”

“Okay, then. Let’s do it. Uh, how are we getting to New Orleans? I don’t have a car, ” Evan said.

“Don’t worry about anything, ” Gregor said. “Tessa and I will take you down there and get you settled. She’s been itching to go see Lilly. With Remy helping out at the Pen, I can take a few days off to show you around. With your new identities, Julian will set up bank accounts in both your names, and we’ll leave the car with you so you don’t have to rely on public transportation. ”

“Why are you being so kind? ” Evan asked, his voice choking over the words. Jerrick reached out and took Evan’s hand.

Gregor smiled. “Let’s just call it trying to right the wrongs of others. Gordon Flanagan thought he was my mate’s father, and when her mother disappeared with her, Flanagan lost his mind. Even though it wasn’t Tessa’s fault, she hates having any part of the Unholy being created. More than one of our family was affected by Flanagan. That’s the short of it. ”

“What about the other Reborn? What’s going to happen to them? ” Jerrick asked.

Dante answered, “We’ll do everything we can to get them away from Drago. Those who want help will have it. Those who don’t will end up in the Pen if they break the law. With the information Evan has given us, we’re better equipped to go after Drago and the other Greeks before their army of Unholy gets much larger. My brother Sinclair has seen an uprising of Unholy in California, so we’re working hard to battle them on both coasts. ”

While Deacon had been claiming his mate, the other Goyles had been working to keep Jerrick safe. He thought he’d have to argue Evan’s case to get him out of the Pen, but his Clan had been on the same wavelength. It was one less thing he had to worry about in regard to Jerrick. With that settled, Sabrina told her brother she’d check in with him around lunchtime, and Deacon escorted her to her office.

As soon as they were inside, Sabrina grabbed Deacon around the neck and pulled him down for a kiss. It got heated quickly, and Deacon grabbed Sabrina’s thighs, lifting her so she had to wrap her legs around him. “I’m never going to get enough of you, ” he muttered against her mouth.

“I don’t think this is the way the future chief of staff should behave, ” a voice said behind them.

Deacon lowered Sabrina to the floor, putting himself between her and whomever the voice belonged to. The man had his phone out. Using his shifter speed, Deacon grabbed it out of his hand.

“Hey, give that back, ” the man said, lunging toward Deacon.

Deacon growled low in his chest, and Sabrina stepped up beside him, looking at the phone.

“Paul, if you’re so hard up for pictures, I suggest you go home and watch porn. ”

Deacon smirked at his mate. He knew she had fire underneath her professional exterior, but it still surprised him. He deleted the photo and handed the phone back.

“You think you’re untouchable, but you’re not, ” Paul snarled.

Sabrina pushed the man, closing the door in his face. She leaned against the door, grinning.

“Who was that? ” Deacon asked.

“Paul Blankenship, Chief of Pediatrics, ” she answered, laughter in her eyes.

“I thought pediatrics was on the third floor. What was he doing up here? ”

“Ever since Joseph mentioned retiring, names have been tossed around for his replacement. Paul thinks he should get the job. ” Sabrina shrugged. “It’s nothing other than office politics. It’s probably a good thing he’s a pain in my ass, or we might have taken things too far. ”

“You’re probably right. I need to get out of here so you can get to work. I’ll be back around five. ” Deacon bent down and gave her a chaste kiss. Leaving Sabrina was even harder now since they’d completed the bond, but they both had jobs to do.

Deacon figured this thing with Paul was more than office politics. Sabrina was an alluring, successful woman, and he had a feeling Dr. Blankenship had something on his mind other than a job. That was too bad for the human, because Sabrina was Deacon’s. Deacon reached out with his senses, searching for Paul. Sabrina didn’t seem worried about the other doctor, but Deacon didn’t like his attitude or the tension in his body as he’d spoken to Sabrina. He followed the man’s scent to the stairwell. Deacon strode down to the third floor, but his scent continued downward. When Deacon reached the second floor, he opened the door and headed toward Jonas’s office. A loud, familiar voice carried down the hallway.

“I want to know who the Neanderthal is, ” Paul demanded.

Jonas’s response was softer, but it still carried the weight of a shifter. “I don’t see how that is any of your business. What were you doing on the fifth floor anyway? ”

“I… I was going to ask Sabrina if I could take her to dinner, ” Paul responded, his voice defeated. Deacon had been right. Well, too damn bad.

“A word of advice, Paul. Forget about Sabrina. Her heart fully belongs to the man who was kissing her. ”

“He wasn’t kissing her. They were practically having sex in her office! ”

Jonas chuckled. “Ah, I remember when my Caroline and I first got together. We couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves either. ” Paul sputtered, but Jonas kept going. “New love is like that. My suggestion is you mind your own business. I’ll talk to Sabrina. ”

“And warn her away from the loser? ”

“What? Of course not. I’ll remind her to close her office door for privacy. ”

Deacon had just enough time to duck into the office next to Jonas’s when Paul stormed down the hallway, cursing under his breath. Looking around, Deacon was glad the office was empty, or he’d have to explain to whomever it belonged to why he was hiding in there. When the coast was clear, Deacon strode to Jonas’s door and knocked. When the male looked up, he grinned.

“I take it you heard? ”

“Yes, and I apologize. It won’t happen again. ”

“Nonsense. I wasn’t lying when I said I remember how it was in the beginning. And I’ll let you in on a little secret. Two and a half centuries later, and that need hasn’t dissipated one bit. If you’re mauling one of my doctors in her office, I take it things are going well? ”

“We completed the bond last night. ”

Jonas’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m surprised you left the house this morning. ”

“It was difficult, but we both have jobs to do, and Sabrina wanted to check on Jerrick. ”

“How is he this morning? I haven’t had a chance to stop by there. ”

“Doing well. Whatever is in the serum that he was given is healing him pretty fast. His wounds were barely visible. ”

Jonas leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “Interesting. ”

“I know that look. What are you thinking? ” Deacon had a feeling it had something to do with Gabriel.

“I was thinking of my son. If Isabelle can synthesize Evan’s blood properly, I’d like to recreate the serum and see if it has any effect on Gabriel. ”

“We’re going to do our best to find Dr. Craven. If that happens, it’s possible we can get our hands on the serum itself. If we do, I’ll let you know. ”

“I would appreciate that. Isabelle isn’t the most forthcoming with regards to my wishes. Anyway. ” Jonas waved Deacon off. “Congratulations on your mating. Sabrina is a welcome addition to the family. ”

Deacon said goodbye, and as he was walking toward the staircase, his phone pinged. He stopped to check his text, and it was a videoconference request from Rafael. If he hurried, Deacon could make it to the Pen before the meeting started.

Twenty minutes later, Deacon walked into the back door with five minutes to spare. Gregor and Remy were in Gregor’s office, and Gregor called Deacon in. “Just in time. ”

“Do you know what he wants to talk about? ” Deacon asked.

“Yes. We’re going after Craven and the child. With Jerrick’s help, Julian was able to pin down the location of the building where the Unholy were taken for their reversal. ” Gregor set his laptop on the conference table and the two of them sat together while Remy went to answer a call from one of the guards.

Rafael’s face popped up, and he greeted them as he always did, “Good morning, my Brothers. ”

“Good morning, Our King, ” Deacon and Gregor responded in unison, as did everyone else on the call.

“Julian was able to locate the building where Dr. Craven has been turning the Unholy. I sent last night’s patrol to check it out, but there was no sign of the doctor or the child. Just a few minutes ago, Connor had another vision. In this one, the child was alone in a dark room, crying. With no discernable features, Connor wasn’t able to give any details as to the location of the room. ”

“Brother, excuse me, ” Dante said.

“Go ahead, Dante. ”

“When Isabelle called to tell me Connor had another vision, I rushed home. He was quite distraught at not being able to give us any details. I had him meditate to help calm him. Rafe, Connor did more than that. He reached out to the other child, and he actually made contact. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I’m learning that there’s much more to Connor’s abilities than we know. ”

“Was he able to get a location? ”

“No, but he has a better description of where Craven took the child. I’m sending everything to Julian as we speak. ”

“Excellent. Frey, choose a team. As soon as Julian has the information, be ready to move out. I want that child found today. ”

“I’ll take Paxton, Jasper, Lorenzo, and Deacon. Everyone, bring your swords just in case. We’ll meet at the gym as soon as we finish on this call. I want to be ready to roll out as soon as Julian has any information, ” Frey instructed.

Deacon was torn between doing his duty and being home with Sabrina, but she was his mate, and as such, she would need to become accustomed to his duties to the Clan.

“With that settled, I’ll let those of you know who aren’t aware, I’ve agreed to release Evan. He and Sabrina’s brother Jerrick have decided to stay at Tessa’s house in New Orleans until we get a handle on Drago. Gregor and Tessa will be escorting them as soon as Jerrick is well enough to travel. Deacon, congratulations, Brother. I just got off the phone with Kaya. Sabrina told her you bonded last night. ”

“Thank you, and yes, we did. I take it Kaya’s at the hospital with Jonathan? ”

“Yes. He wanted to talk to her about Priscilla. ”

“How is Priscilla? ” Deacon asked. He had purposefully stayed away from the manor because the woman’s grief was too much.

“She’s not well. Not even Kaya’s pregnancy can pull her out of her despair. Honestly, I’m afraid we’ll lose her from a broken heart once Jonathan passes away. ”

“We’ll all rally together and make sure that doesn’t happen. If nothing else, Tessa and I can take her on a vacation somewhere to get her mind off things, ” Gregor offered.

“I appreciate that, Brother. Frey, how is Slade and Matthew’s vacation? Have you heard from either of them? ”

“I haven’t, but I didn’t expect to. Let’s hope no news is good news, ” Frey said.

“If there’s nothing else, we’ll wait for Julian to figure out where the child is, and we’ll go get him. Thank you all. Be well. ”

“Be well, our King. ” Gregor shut the connection to the video feed and leaned back, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Connor’s amazing, and I couldn’t be prouder to be his uncle, but I hope any children I have with Tessa don’t have special abilities. ”

“I hope I don’t have children, period, ” Deacon admitted.

“Really? I thought you liked kids. You’re great with Amelia and Connor. ”

“I love kids, but then I watch what Dante has to go through with Connor. He can do his best to protect him from outside forces, but how can he protect him from the horrors he sees in his mind? I don’t envy him at all. ”

“Truth, but it’s no different with adults. All you can do is love them and be there when they hurt. ”

Deacon didn’t disagree.

“Gregor, Deacon, we could use some help in the Basement, ” Remy called over the radio.

“Never a dull moment, ” Gregor said. Deacon didn’t disagree with that, either.

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