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"Go to him, Deacon."
“I will.”
"What did you do about Trenton?" Robert questioned, knowing full well that Deacon's vampire instincts would be screaming for revenge.
"I sent him away. He will be serving with Bastian in California," Deacon stated flatly. "It wasn't his fault he was following my orders, but still, I feared what I might do to him if we were to ever come in contact. He's a good soldier, but there is a part of me that would like to see him dead."
“Wise decision.” Robert smiled. “Now, finish up and go win the heart of your beloved.” Deacon smiled wearily.
“I’ll contact Silas and take a few days off to figure this out. I need to be focused only on Gage.” He decided.
“Good luck and congratulations on finding your beloved.”
“Thanks.”
…
“Get you worthless ass up and out of bed." Able yelled, and Gage froze for a few seconds before scrambling as best he could to a sitting position on the edge of his bed. "I want you out of here in the next ten minutes. Find yourself someplace else to live and someplace else to work because you're not welcome here anymore."
Gage wasn’t sure if he should ask why or just assume, he found out the truth of last night. He got to his feet and tried to swallow the pain that rocketed through him with each movement.
"You're bringing the Coven down on me, and I won't stand for it. You went on coven property and were stupid enough to get caught." Able grabbed some of Gage's clothing and tossed them at him. "Get dressed." He yelled. "You deal with them yourself from this moment on. I don't know you." Gage didn't answer just dropped his head and pulled on his jeans and then his sweatshirt.
Able walked over to the door and then turned back and pointed his finger at Gage. “If you aren’t out of here in the next ten minutes, I will throw your things out the back window, and you can pick them up from the alley." He left, and Gage grabbed his duffle bag and a messenger bag and began filling them with the things that were important to him.
Ten minutes wasn't enough time to pack everything, and Able did not make idle threats. If he wasn't headed down the back steps in ten minutes, things would start to get really ugly. He never should have stayed under Able’s control as long as he did. Thinking about it now, he should have gotten out after he graduated, but the rent was cheap over the bar, and he thought it would give him time to save for something better.
He would have to use his meager savings to see him through until he could heal and find another job. Staying in that rundown apartment and following that badger onto coven grounds were two of his worst decisions. He left his keys on the hook at the back door and headed out to the parking lot and to his car. Thank god Eddie had gotten it for him; otherwise, he'd be on foot, and in his condition, he wouldn't have gotten far.
After stowing his things in the backseat, he got behind the wheel and rested for just a few minutes. The packing and hurrying had really done a number on him, and the pain in his head was making him dizzy.
He knew he couldn't stay in the parking lot for long Able would send someone to roust him out. For lack of a better idea, he drove to the strip mall and found a quiet corner of their large parking lot, and settled in for a few hours. He needed to sleep and recuperate.
…
Deacon contacted Silas Patronne, leader of all security forces in and around the Coven, and requested a few days off. He kept it simple without too many details letting Silas know that he'd found his beloved and wanted the time off to pursue him. Silas gave him a week off and wished him well. "If you need more time or if I can be of any help to you in this matter, let me know." He added.
"Thank you, sir," Deacon responded, and then, like Robert, Silas wished him luck. It was going to take some luck for Deacon to be able to navigate the twists and upsets of this relationship that had yet to even begin. He had Gage's address and had worked out a tentative approach to explaining himself, so it was time to go and claim what was his.
It was his understanding that even humans felt the pull of Fate, so Gage would recognize him on some level, and he would have to work with that. First, he had to find him and apologize.
The bar was one of the most sordid and sleazy joints on the main and was one of the most popular with the paranormal citizens of Mt. Pleasant. Deacon didn't frequent the place, but now that he discovered his beloved had been working there for the past three years, he wished he'd spent every waking hour at the place. Perhaps he could have prevented the terrible misunderstanding that led to his beloved's mistreatment, and their bond could have had the time and familiarity to grow.
Unfortunately, Fate decided it would be better if he met his beloved under the worst circumstances possible. Deacon had no idea as to the level of Gage's injuries or what to expect when they met. He knew very little about the young man apart from the fact that he worked and resided at the Zen bar, he liked to trespass on coven property, and surprisingly he was a good friend of Eddie Boone.
Why hadn't he mentioned his friendship with Eddie to Lieutenant McKay? It may have got him the entry he so desperately craved, but instead, he took the punishment each time. Gage was confounding in several regards, and he looked forward to figuring him out.
The minute he stepped inside the bar, the atmosphere changed. It became quiet and watchful. His presence was suspect, and those closest to the doors left. Deacon walked up to the bar and asked for Able Colbert. The rough-looking shifter behind the bar looked at Deacon and decided to lie.
"He's not here." Deacon leapt over the bar and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him up against the wall. The move had not been anticipated, and the shifter was shocked and began choking and sputtering that Able was in the kitchen.
"Don't ever lie to me." Deacon held his panicked stare and drove home the seriousness of his threat. The shifter nodded and dropped his gaze. Deacon released him and charged into the kitchen just as Able was attempting to exit the back door, obviously having heard the commotion out front.
He grabbed Able and threw him across the room. He landed on the floor and scrambled to his feet. "I don't know what you want. I run a reputable establishment, and you have no right to run roughshod over us." Able held his hands out in front of him as if to ward him off, but Deacon was in no mood to play games with this idiot.
"What have you done with Gage Montague?" Deacon barked and took a step toward him as Able backed up. "I can feel his pain, panic, and sadness radiating through the air, but he is not here." Deacon's vampire instincts were raging, and he was on the edge of destroying this place and anyone stupid enough to go near him. Gage's panic was like a piercing knife to his heart, and he was wild with the need to ease his fears. Whatever happened here left his beloved feeling lost and afraid, and Deacon was going to find out what happened.
“Where is he?” Deacon shouted in Able’s face, and the shifter stiffened with fear. He didn't know where Gage was, and he feared for his own life if he didn't give Deacon an answer. Deacon was exceptionally skilled with mind reading, especially with shifters, and Able was an open book.
