Sixx (The Stone Society, #7) (33 page)

Desirae shook her head, laughing at her new friend. Tessa was a foul-mouthed rebel, and she didn’t make any bones about it. You either loved her or you didn’t, but she was unapologetic in her behavior. At least the wait for Simone’s plane to land wouldn’t be boring.

“I
’m getting really tired of waiting on a report from the human. What do you have for me, Achilles?”

Achilles knew he should have let the call go to voicemail. “One of the Goyles the human took as backup decided to go rogue and has abducted the half-blood son of Michael Gentry. When Sergei went to his meeting with Rafael, the King decided Sergei was lying about the break-in at the office and the kidnapping. He has been detained and is sitting in the penitentiary. Crane, the one who kidnapped the kid, and Drago are both off the grid. I am doing continuous facial recognition searches for both males, but so far, neither has turned up.”

Achilles pulled the phone away from his ear when Alistair roared. He didn’t need a burst eardrum. He poured himself a glass of scotch and exited onto the top deck of his yacht. The moon was calling for him to take to the skies. Being in the middle of the Mediterranean was one of the most peaceful places on the earth. Normally. When crazy fucking Greek kings weren’t throwing a temper tantrum. Achilles started to disconnect the call when Alistair calmed down.

“These screw-ups are on your head, Achilles. I thought you were a better leader than you’ve shown me these last few days. Find those two males and remove their fucking heads. Leave the human in prison to rot. I’ll find a way to get Kallisto out of prison myself.”

“Fuck you,” Achilles said to Alistair even though he’d already hung up. His fault? No fucking way was he going to take the blame for something those fuckwads did on their own.

“Just who are you fucking?” a deep, sexy voice asked from behind him.
Shit.
Achilles had been so focused on the phone conversation that he hadn’t heard his mate board his boat.

“Someone who thinks they can boss me around. What are you doing here?” Achilles asked. His mate never showed up unannounced, but then again, Achilles was close to the harbor.

“I came to ask for your help. I need you to dig up all the dirt you can on Alistair Gianopoulos.”

And he thought his night couldn’t get any worse.

S
ixx and Rae were waiting at the baggage area when Simone appeared on the escalator. They had discussed how the girl would react at seeing Desi’s parents looking so young, but they decided to start off with honesty. Rae approached the girl cautiously. “Simone?” Simone’s eyebrows rose when she got a look at Rae. She looked up at Sixx then back to Rae. “Hi, honey. I’m Desi’s mother, Desirae. This is his father, Michael Gentry. Let’s get your bags and get out of here.”

“I...” Simone didn’t move toward the carousel.

Sixx leaned in closer and whispered, “We have really good genes. I promise we’re older than we look. Please, Simone, we need you to help us find our son. He’s been missing too long now.” That spurred Simone into action. She continued to look at them both out of the corner of her eye. “Point out your bags, and I’ll get them for you,” Sixx instructed. When the luggage came around, Simone pointed to a single paisley-print suitcase. Sixx pulled it from the conveyor belt and motioned toward the door. Either the girl packed light, or she didn’t plan on staying long.

Rae stepped in beside Simone and said, “Thank you so much for agreeing to help us. I’m sure this is a little confusing for you, but I promise, everything will make sense after we tell you about Desi.”

When they reached the parking garage, Sixx placed Simone’s suitcase in the back before holding the door open for the girl. After everyone was situated, Rae turned in her seat and said, “Has Desi contacted you again?” Rae’s wistful tone tore at his heart.

“No, I haven’t been asleep since I talked to you on the phone.”

“Okay, that makes sense. Are you hungry? Did you get to eat on the plane?” Rae had planned on cooking for the girl, but Tessa and Gregor offered to do that so food would be ready when they got home.

“I’m not sure I can eat. This is all so surreal, I’m not even sure it happened. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve convinced myself it was a dream.”

“Simone, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened. And please remember, we won’t think you’re crazy. Most people don’t believe in psychic abilities, but there are many in our family who are able to communicate during dreams and meditation. It’s why Rae asked if Desi had contacted you again.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I had seen on the news that he was missing. I chalked what I thought was a dream up to seeing that. He was already on my mind before I went to sleep. In my dream, vision, whatever it was, Desi and I were walking through some tall grass by a river. It was so peaceful. He told me he was in trouble and that he was somewhere in California. He could hear the rivers and trees. I told him it was a great dream. That’s when he begged me to contact you, Ms. Rothchild.”

“Please, sweetheart, call me Desirae.”

“Desirae. That’s what Desi told me, to find you, and he said your name. I still thought it was a dream so I asked him to...” Simone cleared her throat and continued. “I asked him to kiss me. That’s when I woke up.”

“Is that all?” Sixx asked.

“No. After my roommate checked on me, I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I Googled your name, Desirae. I had never heard your name before, so I figured if your name was real, then I wasn’t crazy, and Desi really had been trying to contact me. I called the number on your website and left a voicemail. After a while, I finally went back to sleep. When I did, he reached out again. The only thing he said that time was that he was going to kiss me, just in case. It felt so real. I woke up right after that and called Cynthia. That’s all I know. I’m sorry.”

“No, sweetie, don’t apologize. You’ve given us renewed hope that we’ll find our son,” Rae said as she reached for Sixx’s hand. He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

“I don’t know what else I can do to help.”

Sixx caught Simone’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “We’re hoping with a little instruction, we’ll be able to help you meditate so that Desi can reach out to you again.”

“Why me?”  she asked.

Sixx knew what she was asking and why. “Before I answer that, how do you feel about Desi? Please forgive me for being invasive, but it’s important.”

“He’s... I only met him a couple of times, but he stuck with me. I mean, yeah, he’s a gorgeous, pompous-ass rock star, but it was something more. This is embarrassing since you’re his parents, but it’s like he calls to me, even when we’re not together. I look at other men, and they don’t even compare to Desi. I’ve canceled so many dates in the last year because I don’t want anyone else.”

Sixx smiled. “Thank you for your honesty. Like I told you on the phone, Desi is gifted. Most of our family is in one way or another. One way we are special is that we have one person we bond with on an intimate level. A soulmate, if you will. When we find that person, no one else will do. This may sound like bullshit, but it’s the truth. Desirae is my soulmate. I tried dating other women, but none of them compared to her. So I understand what you mean about not wanting anyone else. For Desi, he feels the same way about you, whether or not you’re around each other. You are bonded on a level so deep, you can connect to him telepathically.”

Simone stared out the window as they pulled into the driveway. Sixx rolled the window down and spoke into the security panels, “Desirae è il mio amore.” Sixx pulled into the garage, but left the door open so Simone wouldn’t feel locked in. “We have some of our family staying with us, helping to search for Desi. It’s probably going to be crazy and loud at times, but please let us know if you need anything, like some down time. While you are here, please think of this as your home, because whether you realize it or not, you are already considered part of our family.”

Rae put her arm around Simone’s shoulder and ushered her in the side door. Gregor and Tessa were on the patio and came inside to greet them when they reached the kitchen. They had agreed beforehand the males wouldn’t scare Simone away with the sacred vow. Tessa was first to reach her. “Hi, Simone. I’m Tessa, and this is my husband, Gregor. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. This is all very... I feel like I’m in a crazy dream.” Simone glanced around the house, checking things out.

“Are you hungry? We weren’t sure what you liked, so we kind of threw together a smorgasbord,” Tessa told the girl, directing her toward the table.

“Yes, I am actually. And I’m not really a picky eater. Growing up poor, you learn to eat whatever’s available.” Simone blushed when she realized what she said.

Rae smiled and patted her on the arm. “When Desi was young, we did good to eat much more than peanut butter and honey sandwiches some nights. Where you come from makes you stronger.”

Simone looked from Rae to Sixx. The wheels were turning behind her honey-colored eyes. Here they stood, in a huge house in the New Malibu hills, and Rae just admitted to struggling to make ends meet. “Mine and Rae’s story hasn’t always been a happy one. We were separated before I knew she was pregnant with Desi. I’ve only recently been reunited with them both. Now, let’s dig in, because I for one am hungry.”

Rae asked, “Who wants wine?”

Simone replied that she did, while Tessa and the males preferred beer. The females put the food on the table, and Sixx and Gregor grabbed plates and cutlery. Once they were all seated, everyone began passing dishes around, scooping out whatever they wanted, whether it went with the other dish or not. Simone remained quiet while the others made small talk during dinner. When everyone was finished, Sixx told Simone, “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to show you a few meditation techniques. I don’t want you to feel like you have to concentrate on Desi all the time, but if he’s trying to reach you and you aren’t asleep, this might allow you to be receptive to him.”

“Okay,” she agreed. Sixx led her to the patio with Rae following. They all took a seat around the table, and Tessa and Gregor remained in the kitchen to clean up.

“I brought you outside where there are a few noises. What I want you to do is close your eyes. Now, concentrate on everything around you. Think of your mind as a chest of drawers. I want you to separate the sounds you hear and put them away. Birds go in one drawer. The wind rustling in another. My voice goes in one as well. Distinguish between what is relevant and what isn’t. Even though he isn’t here, save the top drawer for Desi. When he reaches out for you, that’s where you will store the conversation he has with you.”

Sixx let her concentrate for a few minutes before instructing, “Try reaching out to him. If he’s contacted you, his mind is open.” Sixx stilled himself completely so he could observe Simone. Rae was following his instructions as well, and she was calmer than she’d been since he knocked on her door. Simone’s body was relaxed, her heart rate slow, and she seemed to truly be trying to open her mind. It was all Sixx could ask. He only hoped Desi would try to reach her again.

“I... I don’t hear anything. I’m sorry,” Simone spoke softly, opening her eyes to meet Sixx’s.

“No, it’s okay. As long as you’re receptive, I think he’ll contact you again when he’s ready. If he does contact you tonight, if you can, get as much information from him as possible. Tell him we are looking for him. Now, why don’t we show you to your room so you can get settled. It’s been a long day for all of us, and we need to get some rest. Just in case.” Sixx stood and motioned toward the door. Simone entered the house and stopped short at the sight of Urijah leaned against the wall talking to Gregor and Tessa.

“Ah, Uri, we’d like for you to meet Simone Campbell. She’s the young lady who Desi has been in contact with.” 

“It is an honor, Simone,” Uri said, inclining his head ever so slightly.

“Tha... thank you,” she stuttered. Urijah had that effect on a lot of people. Put a sword in his hand and you’d swear Erik the Red was going to show up at any moment.

Rae slid in beside Simone and said, “Are you ready to see your room?”

“Yes, please.” Simone followed Rae up the stairs to the guest bedrooms, glancing over her shoulder at Urijah before he disappeared from view. Rae’s voice carried down the steps, and Sixx couldn’t help but smile at how his mate had immediately went into “mother” mode with Simone. Her maternal instincts were good ones, and he prayed he would get the opportunity to see her in action with their own children.

Sixx turned to the others. “She tried contacting Desi, but she wasn’t successful. Now, we wait and see if he comes to her during sleep tonight. If so, we need to be ready to move out first thing. Rae and I are turning in. Uri, you’ll be closest to Simone’s room. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, please let me know.”

“Will do, Brother. Go get some sleep.” Urijah appeared tired. He’d been working long hours on the armory. Even though Gargoyles could go days without sleep if they had to, eventually they needed to get some rest.