Heart Of Stone

  His clean-up crew had arrived at the warehouse in record time. They’d taken care of the bodies, no questions asked.

  Eric made a mental note to get a new driver. The last guy…well, he hadn’t survived. But his sacrifice had been appreciated. Maybe Eric would send the fellow’s mom some money. He thought she might have cancer or something…the driver had mentioned something about her once. Tony had been desperate to get money for her.

  So desperate that he’d been willing to overlook the things that happened inside that limo.

  Desperate people are the best employees.

  When the clean-up crew appeared, they’d come with more guards. So Eric had seized his opportunity and gotten the hell out of the warehouse.

  A knock sounded on his study door. He looked up from the screen in front of him, frowning. “What?”

  The door opened. His visitor was Raymond Banner, his head of security. The guy was former Black Ops, an ex-Mercenary for hire, and he had a definite talent for giving pain.

  Eric had hit gold when he’d found that guy.

  “The cops still haven’t appeared at the warehouse.”

  Eric grunted. “That’s because our hero didn’t call the cops. He dropped off the woman and he disappeared.” He’d already tapped into the hospital’s video feed. He’d seen the mystery fellow rush in, carrying the woman. The hero had put her on the nearest gurney, bellowed for a doctor, then rushed out.

  And where did you go?

  Eric looked back at his computer, tapping, tapping with his fingers. The GPS signal on the limo had gone dead. Odd. It should have still been sending him a signal. He’d counted on using that signal to lead him back to his new prey.

  “What about the woman? What do you want me to do with her?” Raymond asked.

  “She’s in surgery now. If she survives, we’ll evaluate then.” And we’ll kill her. Raymond would handle that job. The guy was absolutely brilliant at an up-close stealth attack. He could slip into that hospital and bam…Dead. “Don’t make any move until we see what happens next. If she dies on the operating table, then the cops will just think the man who brought her in…they’ll think he’s the one who hurt her. They’ll focus on him.”

  Raymond walked closer and the floor groaned beneath his feet. “You haven’t told me much about the guy.”

  “Not true.” The printer hummed behind him. “I’m even giving you a picture of him right now. Go take a look. And I’m running that picture through every facial recognition program that I have. I’ll soon have his name, his home address…his every secret.”

  Raymond picked up the printed picture. “How’d he know you were at the warehouse?”

  “He must have followed me.” Obviously. But Eric considered this point carefully. “From the charity ball.” Eric nodded. Must have been tailing me all along. “I’ll pull up the security footage from there, too. See who he talked to…see if anyone there knew him…”

  Raymond had just pointed him in the right direction. Eric gave a low hum as he worked. His whole body was revving up. There was nothing quite like the thrill of the hunt. He worked silently, his fingers flying. He always loved hacking, it was a basic skill he’d possessed since he was twelve years old. Computers were his world.

  When he accessed the security footage from the ball, his muscles tensed. It was easy to spot the mystery man…And it was also too easy to see the man watching Sabrina.

  My Sabrina. That bastard had followed Sabrina out onto the balcony. There were no cameras out there, so there was nothing for Eric to see. Since he couldn’t see what was happening on the balcony, Eric stared at the timeframe on the video feed, counting the seconds that passed as the mystery guy stayed out there with Sabrina.

  Too long. Far too long.

  Rage wrapped tightly around his heart and taking a breath? It got a hell of a lot harder.

  Then Sabrina was running back into the ballroom. Fear was on her face, and he knew Sabrina did not fear easily. And the man she left behind? He'd scared her. Interesting.

  Eric sped through the footage, but he never saw the other man leave the balcony. Obviously, the guy found another way to slip away from the party.

  Raymond cleared his throat. “Learn anything new?”

  Sabrina. It was always about her.

  A new admirer? Was that who this fellow was? Another fool who had become obsessed with her? If so, then it would be Eric’s job to end that obsession.

  “I think I know how to find him.” Eric smiled as he turned to face Raymond. “Wherever she is, he will be close by.”

  Raymond’s brows shot up. “She?” he repeated.

  “Sabrina. Sabrina Lark.” Her name was in endearment as it slipped from his lips. “He’ll be close to her.” And if there was one thing Eric knew how to do, it was find Sabrina. He could find her anywhere, anytime.

  Eric would never lose her again. He’d taken steps to make absolutely sure of that fact. Eric nodded toward Raymond. “Get your men ready. I’ll have her location for you within the next five minutes.”

  ***

  The bathroom door creaked open behind her. The bedcovers were wrapped tightly around her body. She cleared her throat and called out, “This doesn’t mean anything, so don’t go getting all excited. I just happen to like this bed. The others were either too soft or too hard, and I guess I’m just a Goldilocks because they didn’t work for me. There’s plenty of room here, so I’ll be sleeping in this bed tonight. If that’s a problem for you, feel free to go crash somewhere else.”

  She had her back to him so she couldn’t see his expression, but there was definite tension in his voice as he replied, “You’re kicking me out of my own bed?”

  Not kicking him out, not exactly. “I said there’s plenty of room. You just have to stay on your side of the bed.”

  “The whole thing is fucking mine.” Now he was disgruntled. She almost smiled. The floor creaked and then the mattress dipped as he slid onto the bed. Immediately, Sabrina could feel the heat from his body. She also realized—immediately—that she hadn’t taken into account just how big he was. Adam definitely took up more than half of the bed. She inched closer to the edge, not wanting to touch him.

  She liked it too much when they touched.

  The room was dark, she’d made a point of turning off all the lights. Sabrina had always found it easier to hide in the dark. She could hear the sound of his breathing, deep and even, and for some reason, that sound reassured her. It reassured her enough that she found the courage to ask, “Will the woman survive, do you think?”

  Silence…Then he said, “I’m not sure. She was pretty bad. Obviously, your ex wanted her to die.”

  Even though it was dark, she still squeezed her eyes shut. “No, he wants me to die. He’s just afraid if I do, all that wonderful inspiration I gave to him will die, too. He doesn’t want to go back to being ordinary. He doesn’t want to go back at all.”

  “But if he’s after you,” Adam’s voice growled, “then why doesn’t he have you? Tied up, locked up, and secured safely where he can always have you close by?”

  “Because he doesn’t like to get too close to me. He’s afraid of what I might convince him to do. The last time I tried to work my magic on him…I failed, but I could see him struggling. He’s worried I might be able to get in his head.” Her lips twisted. “He doesn’t even let his guards get too close to me.” She thought of her past. Of the hard choices she’d been forced to make. Of the choices most would never know about.

  Under the right circumstances, she could inspire her prey to do just about anything. Kill a friend, family member, a stranger…Or she could get that prey to take his own life.

  “So that’s why he hit you with his car, so he didn’t have to get physically close to you.”

  Probably. “Eric likes to remind me that he is always waiting nearby.”

  More silence. She should sleep. Sabrina knew she should close her eyes and just try to rest. Instead, she rolled toward him. Don’t ask him. Let
it go. Don’t push for what you don’t want to know. She figured that was the weak voice of her conscience, trying to stop her from making a bad decision. Too bad for her conscience, Sabrina had been ignoring its voice for a very long time.

  “The stone surprised me. I didn’t expect…” Her words trailed away.

  “You didn’t expect me to turn into a nine foot tall beast with wings and claws? Oh, sorry, a nine foot tall stone beast.”

  “I thought you might be a wolf shifter. Maybe a panther. But, no, I wasn’t expecting a gargoyle.” Sabrina paused. “That’s what you are, right? A gargoyle? Kind of hard to mistake that, you know, what with the whole stone beast thing that you had going on.”

  “Yes,” he rasped. “I’m a gargoyle.”

  “Your kind—they’re made, not born. I mean, I’ve been around a really long time, and I heard the stories, even if you are the first gargoyle that I’ve ever actually met.” Her words came faster. “Is it true? Were you once a man? A knight? Doing the whole wearing armor and riding a horse bit?”

  “Go to sleep, Sabrina.”

  “You were a knight, and a witch cursed you. She put you under a spell, and basically made you her slave, isn’t that how the story goes?” Her words wouldn’t stop. Her conscience was yelling at her to be quiet, but her conscience just wasn’t strong enough.

  “Go. To. Sleep.”

  Okay. The guy obviously didn’t want to share. She understood. Normally Sabrina didn’t share anything about herself. She just felt…different…with him. “I thought all the gargoyles were dead. That the witches used them up until nothing was left.”

  “Sabrina…” A warning edge blasted in his voice.

  “I think I’m the only muse left. Once, I had two sisters. We lived together in Greece. The people there treated us as if we were gods—goddesses. It was really nice, at first. But things went wrong. They often go wrong. My sisters were killed, and I was left alone.”

  “You get chatty at bedtime. I’ll have to remember that.”

  “Do you know what it’s like to go through centuries and centuries alone? To always watch what you say and do? To be so careful, but to still make so many mistakes? If you don’t know, let me just tell you. It sucks.” Then, Sabrina flopped back over, giving him her back.

  “So you’re trying to tell me that you aren’t as bad as people think?”

  Her eyes were closed. “No, I am bad. Don’t ever forget that.” Then she stopped talking. Not because she’d given into her conscience, but because if she said anything else, it would hurt too much.

  ***

  The man before Sabrina should’ve been a perfect king. He was young and strong and smart. So smart. He sat on the golden throne, his long legs stretching out before him. A cold smile curved his lips. His eyes were on the sight before him.

  The sight of a dead body. One of his own guards. The new king had killed him. Just run him through because he’d suspected the guard hadn’t been loyal.

  Or just…not loyal enough.

  Sabrina stood behind the curtain, watching and waiting. The king gave the order, and everyone swept from the royal chamber. The dead body was left behind, per the king’s request. When everyone was gone, the king rose. He walked toward the dead. He still held a bloodied knife in his hand. As Sabrina appeared from her hiding spot, he knelt and begin stabbing the man, over and over again.

  “He’s already dead.” Her words were soft, but the new king heard her. He always heard her. She’d been the one whispering in his ear for the last year. Telling him that he was meant to be more, telling him that he should rule. Telling him that his power was meant to be.

  But she could see the cracks now. Cracks in this aura. Cracks that told her…The madness that had fueled his father’s blood—that madness had also passed to the son. The more power he gained, the more the madness had grown. Had it strengthened because of the battles? Because of the bloodshed that didn’t stop? War could drive any man to the brink.

  Only this king…He’d gone beyond the brink.

  He was mutilating the dead. He was unraveling before her eyes.

  But he looked up at Sabrina and he smiled at her. “My muse.”

  He knew what she was. In this wondrous land, the humans loved their gods and goddesses. There had been no need to hide from him. He’d seemed so perfect.

  “This isn’t the path you want to take. This is a dark and twisting path, and at the end, you will only find the same madness that claimed your father.” She moved closer to him, sure that her heart was breaking. “There’s time to stop. There’s time to change.”

  He rose, moving away from the dead man and stalking toward her. “I am king. I do what I want. No one can stop me.” He paused right in front of her, and his left hand rose to touch her cheek. “I think the time of gods and goddesses should come to an end. People don’t need to worship you any longer. They need to see that you are no different from humans. That you live, that you breathe…” He lifted the hand that held the knife. “And that you bleed.”

  He was going to stab her. Sabrina knew it. He was going to murder her just as easily as he’d murdered the guard.

  “No. You don’t want to kill me.” She smiled at him, a sweet gentle smile. “I am not your enemy. I’m a friend. I’m the one who helped you. I’m the one who led you here.”

  The tip of the knife pressed just above her heart. “I don’t need you any longer. I don’t want the people worshiping you. They should worship —“

  “You?” Sabrina finished, her voice husky. “Is that what you want? For the humans to see you as their new god?”

  “That is what I shall become.”

  He thought he would kill her. He was wrong. Sabrina rose to her toes and she put her mouth beside his ear. “You need to eliminate the biggest threat to the throne. You should not hesitate, you should not stop. You must protect the throne. Always. The biggest threat is so close.”

  He’d gone still before her. “Biggest…threat?”

  “Yes.” She curled her hands around his wrist and moved the knife away from her heart. “That threat is you, Akin.” For the first time, she used his name, and just speaking it—it hurts. But the tip of the knife now pressed to his chest. Her whole body had turned icy. “Eliminate the threat. That is what a good king would do.”

  His eyes were emerald green. So deep, so pure. His eyes were staring into hers when the knife pierced his heart.

  ***

  “Don’t! Stop! I take it back!”

  Sabrina’s scream woke Adam. He jerked upright and immediately reached for her. His hands curled around her as Adam pulled her close. “Sabrina?”

  She drew in a deep, shuddering breath and her eyes opened. “I did not want that particular trip down memory lane.”

  Adam had no idea what she was talking about but—

  An alarm started beeping. Security alarm. “What the hell?” He jumped from the bed. He was naked, so he paused just long enough to grab a pair of running pants and then he was rushing toward the bank of security monitors in his office. He heard Sabrina rushing after him.

  “What’s happening?” Sabrina demanded.

  He sat in a chair before the monitors, his gaze flying over the screens. He saw two black SUVs parked in front of the building. Men in black—clothes and ski masks—were trying to break into the front entrance. Trying, not succeeding. “We’ve got company.”

  “They found you. Eric and his men—they must’ve followed you!”

  “Doubtful. I’m a hard guy to follow. I took your ex’s limo, but after I dropped off the victim at the hospital, I made sure that limo got ripped apart. I have a few friends who specialize in the dismantling business.” He slanted her a hard glance. “No one followed me. You’re the one who said Eric always seems to know where you are.” But now Adam wondered…just how did Eric keep tabs on Sabrina? Adam’s gaze swept over her and he tensed. “My shirt? Again?” Her firm breasts—breasts he’d been dreaming about before her scream had brought him crashing back
to reality—pressed against the front of the white, cotton T-shirt.

  Sabrina leaned against him, moving to get a better view of the monitors. Her hair fell forward and brushed over his arm. “I was wearing an evening gown, remember? You popped up and decided I had to take a ride on your bike. Not like I had a lot of pajama options. So, yes, I’m borrowing your shirt. Deal with it.”

  His gaze had dipped to her legs. Long, bare legs. Those legs had been in his dreams, too. They’ve been wrapped tightly around him.

  “Those are Eric’s men.” Her scent was about to drive him crazy. “I’ve seen the type before. They think that they are bad asses, wearing black gear, covering their faces, and always keeping their guns at the ready. I think they’re ex-military.” She exhaled angrily. “Eric is trying to surround himself with a powerful force.”

  Adam turned back to the monitors, and he tried to ignore the appeal of her sweet scent. “They aren’t powerful enough. Humans never are. And their bullets? They don’t do anything to stone.” He rose, sending his chair rolling back. Adam headed for the door.

  Sabrina grabbed his arms. “Wait—are you just going down there? Seriously? I counted at least half a dozen men, all with some really big guns.”

  “Yes, I’m going down there. And I don’t really give a shit how big their guns are.”

  Her lips parted. Beneath her hands, he was already starting to change. His skin was hardening, thickening, as flesh became stone.

  “Adam.” What could have been fear appeared in her eyes. “Let’s think about this. What if it’s a trap?”

  He held off the change, with an effort. An effort that made sweat break onto his body. “Stone, sweetheart, remember? They can’t hurt me when I’m a gargoyle. No human can hurt me then.” It was only when he was in the form of a man that he was vulnerable. Adam inclined his head toward her. “Besides, this is my job. I take out the stalker on your trail, and then I’m out of your life. The deal is done.”

  She didn’t look reassured. Her gaze darted to the monitors. He followed her stare. The men in black were now using some sort of saw to try and cut through the building’s main door. Nice try, but that wasn’t going to work.