Sixx (The Stone Society, #7) (2 page)

Now, he was on his way to California to face the one woman he thought he could never have. The love of his life. The mother of his child. His mate. At Sixx’s request, Julian had run a background check on Rae. Not to invade her privacy, but so that Sixx would know what he was up against. She was still living in California. Her address had changed to New Lomita, a suburb of New Angeles. The house was better than the apartment she’d been living in, but it was still in a crowded neighborhood. Rae shared the home with Desmond. All research indicated she had never married, but how could she? How did a forty-seven-year-old woman explain how she still looked twenty-three? He knew from meeting Tessa’s mother, Elizabeth, that the mates didn’t age. Tessa and her mother could pass for twins.

Sixx almost felt bad for Rae having to live a lonely life of never finding love. Never being able to settle down. If Rae was still the feisty, stubborn woman he remembered, he had his work cut out for him in regaining her trust. She may never forgive him, but he would at least be honest about the reason he left. He wanted her to know his reason for leaving the way he did had been for the best at that time. Even if she never loved him, he wanted a chance at being a father to Desmond. If he had known he had a son, he would have come back sooner. Had he not disconnected his phone upon arrival on the East Coast, he probably would have known. That was something he couldn’t change. What he could do was try his damnedest to make up for lost time.

When the pilot alerted them they were preparing to land, Sixx’s stomach clinched a little tighter than it had before. He decided to meet with the other Clan members and get settled in before charging into Rae’s life like a bull.

The California weather was something Sixx had missed. He loved the sunshine and balmy days spent at the beach. If things went the way he hoped they would, he would pull his old surf board out of the storage room in his garage and hit the water in the next few weeks. One of the good things about being a Gargoyle was the cooler water temperatures didn’t bother you, and most days you had the surf to yourself in the winter months. Before he could think about that, he had a little problem to take care of.

Rafael and Kaya were staying at Sinclair’s home while they were visiting, but Urijah had taken Sixx up on his offer to stay with him. Sixx had bought the home several years ago in case one of the Gargoyles needed it. The house had been in foreclosure, and it was such a good deal, he couldn’t pass it up. Since no one had needed or wanted it, Sixx claimed it as his own, and now was glad he had. When he purchased the property, it had been one of a handful of times he had returned to California. Now, he was wondering if he might not be staying for good.

When they touched down at the airport, Sinclair was waiting for them. Sixx had forgotten how much he and Rafael looked alike until the brothers were standing side by side. “Welcome to sunny California,” Sin said when the four of them reached the bottom of the stairs. Rafe and Sin held each other for almost a full minute before pulling apart. It was apparent Rafael had missed his brother.

“Sin, I’d like to introduce you to your Queen. Kaya, my brother Sinclair.”

Sin fisted his heart and bowed to Kaya. “On my honor,” he said, pledging his loyalty and life to his sister-in-law before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. When he released her, he turned to Sixx and Uri. “Sixx, it’s wonderful to see you again. And you must be Urijah. Finley talks about you all the time,” Sin said. At those words, Uri frowned, but quickly masked his features. After shaking hands, Sin led them to where two vehicles were parked.

“When Rafe told me you were staying in your villa, I took the liberty of bringing you a car to drive.” He held out the keys to a Bugatti Veyron almost identical to the one Sixx had back in New Atlanta. “I’ll have your luggage delivered momentarily.”

“Thank you, Sin,” Sixx said, appreciative of his old friend’s thoughtfulness.

“Why does he get the shiny sports car and I get an SUV?” Kaya asked, drooling over the expensive vehicle.

“Because you are carrying my son, Bella Mia.” Rafael kissed her while caressing her stomach. “Now, let’s get on with it, shall we? I’m ready to slip into something more suited for this beautiful weather.”

Sixx and Uri said their goodbyes and promised to visit Sinclair’s home that evening for a small dinner party. After they angled into the sports car, he asked Uri, “Are you sure you want to stay with me?”

“Yes. I prefer the solitude as opposed to a houseful of cheerfulness.”

It was an odd way of thinking, in Sixx’s opinion, but his home was the perfect sanctuary. The five thousand square foot villa sat on the New Malibu hillside overlooking the coastline from Broad Beach to Zuma Beach. Even though there were houses on either side of his, they were spread out in such a way he never saw his neighbors. After he bought the house, Sixx installed a fence around the property along with a security system that Julian designed. One thing he forgot to mention to Uri was that Finley had lived in the house while he was looking for his own place to call home. He wasn’t there now, but he still had a key and checked on the home often in Sixx’s absence. Since the two were friends, Sixx didn’t see where it should be an issue.

Sixx had lived alone his whole life, so he understood solitude, but he didn’t prefer it. He longed for the day he would have a mate and children filling his house with love and laughter. He prayed to the gods that he wasn’t too late to have that with Rae. Sure, they had a child together, but Desi was a grown man for all intents and purposes. Sixx had missed out on so much with his son. He was ready to remedy that, but he also wanted to have another child with his mate. One he could help raise, watch grow, and be there for all the milestones in their life.

When they arrived at the villa, Sixx spoke into the security panel, and the metal gates swung open, allowing them passage. If Uri was impressed with the estate, he didn’t say anything. All of the Gargoyles had enough money to purchase their own large homes, but Sixx knew Uri’s home was one of the smallest. From what he gathered, Uri spent most of his time at the armory and the gym, only using his house as a place to sleep. Hopefully, this trip would do the Goyle some good, and he would find whatever it was he was looking for.

“What’s out back?” Uri asked, focused on the building that was separate from the main house.

“That’s the guest house. If you prefer to stay out there instead of in the villa, you’re welcome to it. I want you to feel at home here, Uri. Whatever you need, it’s yours.”

Uri finally met his eyes. “Thank you. I’m not sure what I need, exactly. I’ve felt lost for quite a while now, and I’m hoping this change of scenery will do me good. Even though I like being alone, I think I’ll stay in the villa with you.”

“Excellent. Let’s go inside, and I’ll show you around.” He was glad Uri had decided to stay with him. He wanted to be able to talk to someone should things with Rae go worse than he expected they would. It shouldn’t surprise Sixx that the remote for the garage was clipped to the sun visor. He hit the button, and the door opened up for him.

The door into the house from the garage opened into a long hall. There was a mud room on the right and a laundry room to the left. At the end of the hallway was the massive kitchen. It was one of the things that had drawn Sixx to the home. That and all the windows allowing a view of the ocean. Urijah froze in the middle of the room, grabbing onto the large island.

“Are you okay?” Sixx asked. Gargoyles didn’t get sick, so he was truly concerned.

“Yeah, it’s just... Fuck!” he swore under his breath. Uri straightened up and inhaled deeply. “Oh, gods,” he said, closing his eyes.

What in the fuck was going on? Sixx took a deep breath. His heightened shifter senses detected subtle fragrances that included a faint trace of cologne and something, no,
someone
else. Shit. Finley had been in the house recently, but that shouldn’t bother Uri. Unless...

“Uri, are you and Fin mates?”

“That’s not possible.” Uri denied the notion, but the look on his face said otherwise. The Norseman strode out the back door and leaned against the rail of the patio. His knuckles were turning white at the intense grip he had on the metal.

Sixx knew he should leave the Goyle alone, but he couldn’t do it. He followed him out to the patio and stood next to him. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he offered his friendship in silence. Uri was taking deep breaths of the salty ocean air. If being in the kitchen for ten seconds was going to affect him this badly, he probably wouldn’t be able to stand staying in the house.

“Fin likes women, always has,” Uri offered. It was his way of explaining why they couldn’t be together. If the fates had deemed two male Gargoyles as mates, Sixx had a feeling Uri didn’t know his old friend as well as he thought he did.

“Have you ever been with women?”

“Of course I have. You don’t live almost eight hundred years and not bed a wench.”

Sixx whistled low. He didn’t know any of the Stone Society were that old. Uri turned his head toward Sixx and cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, I’m old, and yes, I’ve been through my fair share of women over the centuries. And men. I don’t label myself like humans feel the need to do. I don’t find it necessary to try to explain my sexual preference to anyone. I like who I like, but I do prefer males.”

“I understand. I’ve never been with a male, but I can see the appeal.” And he could. Sixx had more than once found himself checking out a good-looking male. Even though he’d never taken a male to bed, it was only because his body preferred females. “I have to ask, though, are you certain Finley isn’t your mate? You know how the fates do like to fuck with us. Just look at my own situation. I’ve had a mate for over twenty years and didn’t know it.”

Urijah didn’t answer. Instead, he turned his head toward the water and sighed. Sixx knew when to leave well enough alone, so he told his friend, “I’m going to take a shower. My bedroom is on the hallway to the left. The others are upstairs, to the right, just past the kitchen. Feel free to look around and choose whichever room you want to stay in. The refrigerator is stocked, and the liquor cabinet is in the living area just inside the door there,” he said, pointing to the next set of double doors at the end of the patio. “The pool and Jacuzzi are ready as well. While you are here, please think of this as your home. You don’t have to ask permission for anything.”

When Uri only nodded, Sixx left the Goyle alone and went inside. On his way to the massive master bedroom, he stopped in the kitchen and snagged a beer out of the fridge. Before he stepped into the bathroom, Sixx opened the glass doors that led to a large balcony. He welcomed the ocean breeze into his room, inhaling the salty air deep into his lungs. The sounds of the waves rolling into the shore floated along the air, soothing him in ways he had long forgotten. The peacefulness of the ocean washed over him like a child’s favorite blanket.

While the water was heating in the shower, Sixx took a long drink from the bottle of beer. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, knowing he looked exactly the same as the last time Rae saw him. His hair was just as black. His eyes just as dark. Now that he knew mates didn’t age once they were bitten, Rae would also look exactly as she had when he walked out the door of her apartment. Then again, she might have cut her long brown hair, or she could have dyed it blonde. When they met, both her arms had been covered in ink. Did she have new tattoos he needed to inspect? He hoped so. His cock was filling out just thinking about her tanned skin.

Voices from the kitchen interrupted thoughts of his mate. Sixx downed the rest of his beer and quickly showered instead of enjoying more visions of Desirae. His dick was angry at being ignored, and the beast inside growled at the neglect. “Chill out, asshole. We have company,” he told his shifter aloud. Sixx’s other half rarely came out of hiding unless he was patrolling for Unholy. For a shifter, his was fairly tame.

Once he’d pulled on a pair of shorts and t-shirt, Sixx made his way to the kitchen. The air was crackling with intensity. Uri’s emotions were all over the place. As soon as Sixx cleared the doorway, the reason was clear. Finley and a curvy redhead were standing in the kitchen talking to Uri. The woman was beautiful, and Fin had his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to his side. Fin had to feel the negative vibes being thrown his way. “Finley, good to see you again,” Sixx said, attempting to interrupt whatever was going on.

“Sixx, good to see you as well, Brother. I was just introducing Uri to Vivian. Viv, this is Michael Gentry, a.k.a. Sixx, owner of everything you see around you.”

Vivian was eyeing Sixx curiously. “You look like that rock star,” she stated.

“He likes to channel his inner Nikki Sixx from Mötley Crüe, thus the nickname,” Finley told her.

“No, I’m talking about Desmond Rothchild, lead singer for Cyanide Sweetness. You could be his brother.”

“Who?” Finley asked.

Uri jumped in, telling Vivian, “He doesn’t listen to hard rock, so he wouldn’t know who that is.”

Finley and Vivian both bristled at Uri’s tone. Sixx stepped beside Uri, ready to push the Goyle out the door if need be. “They do say everyone has a twin somewhere.” He wasn’t about to tell a stranger about Desi being his son, especially not a human stranger. When Finley raised his eyebrows, Sixx gave him a small shake of his head.

“How long are you staying?” Finley asked, looking at Uri.

Urijah was vibrating with anger, and Fin was oblivious to the reason. Maybe Uri was right and they weren’t mates. If they were, there’s no way Fin wouldn’t feel the ire his friend was emitting into the room. “Only as long as I have to.”

Fin frowned and told Vivian, “Will you please wait in the car? I need to talk to the guys about business matters.”

“Sure. It was a pleasure meeting you both,” she said before letting herself out the side door.

As soon as Vivian was safely outside, Finley turned to Uri, anger evident in his stance. When he glanced over at Sixx, Fin regained control of his attitude and sighed. “Uri...”