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“Tell me the truth.” Deacon pressed and took another intimidating step toward him.
"He brought the scrutiny of the Coven down on me, and I threw him out. He packed and left in his car a little over an hour ago." Able looked appropriately uncomfortable. "I don't know where he went." He paused for a moment and then blurted. "I can't afford trouble here, not from the coven or the cops." His business was clearly not as reputable as previously stated.
“Oh, you will have trouble, you will have plenty of trouble if anything happens to Gage.” Deacon abruptly turned and disappeared through the back door. He stopped as soon as he reached the side parking area and took a deep breath hoping to catch the scent of his beloved so beautiful and aromatic.
Deacon got a description and the license number of Gage's vehicle and first checked all the motels, hotels, and B&Bs and even drove through the state park, but Gage was nowhere to be found. In his heart, he felt that Gage was still in Mt. Pleasant. His injuries would make it impossible for him to comfortably travel very far.
As he was taking another run through town, checking lots and parking garages, his phone rang. It was Robert, so he answered immediately. He'd put in a call earlier to see if Gage had contacted Eddie again after being kicked out of his home, but Eddie had not heard from him. The search was putting him on edge. The longer he looked, the more desperate he felt.
“Hello.” He barked when he opened the call.
"His car was spotted at the strip mall on Lexington parked near the laundromat," Robert told him, and he instantly turned his car around and headed to Lexington. "I gave the description to Sheriff Keller and his men and asked them to look but not approach. They said he appears to be sleeping."
"Thanks, Robert. I was about to go out of my mind." Deacon was awash with relief.
"Be careful what you say to him, and good luck. Gage can be very skittish on a good day, so considering the events of the past day, he's going to be extremely agitated." Robert added a warning.
"I will be careful, and thanks again." With that, he closed the call just as he was pulling into the strip mall parking lot and driving over to the laundromat. It was secluded and a good place to get some sleep. He understood why Gage would choose it. It had some tree cover and very little foot traffic.
Gage's dark blue sedan sat about fifty feet to his right Deacon didn't want to spook him by parking too close. He got out of his vehicle and approached quickly. He couldn't bear to go slow at this point. As he drew nearer, he saw the dark brown hair pressed against the driver's side window and marveled at how soft and shiny it appeared. He didn't wake or move when Deacon came to stand next to his door and stare down into the car.
Gage's hair was partially covering his face, but still, Deacon could see the dark bruising around his jaw and the stitches in his lip. The swelling was also prominent. The sight hurt his heart, and he cringed at the brutality that he'd released on his beloved. He stood and just stared at him for a few seconds before reaching out and tapping lightly on the glass.
Gage jerked and then groaned, having caused himself pain with the movement. His head tilted to the side, and Deacon got a full view of the damage done, and it sickened him. Gage's right eye was black and blue and so swollen that he could not open it. The other eye was bloodshot, and his injuries were many. He was dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. Gage tried to focus on him, but he appeared to have trouble seeing him clearly. After a few seconds, he rolled down the window.
CHAPTER FOUR
Gage came awake with a start when he heard someone knocking on his window. He just wanted to rest for a few hours, and no one seemed willing to allow him that time always something to disturb him. He looked out at the man standing there and struggled to get a good look. The sun was at an angle that cast him in a shadow, and Gage only had one good eye at the moment.
He was tall, and well-dressed, and from what he could make out, he was quite handsome, but then most vampires were handsome. Gage had been around paranormal beings long enough that he could recognize most, especially vampires and wolves. This man was important; the cut of his suit indicated coven leadership, and that realization had Gage's heart surging into his throat. Hadn't this day been bad enough? Did he have to deal with more coven people?
Reluctantly he slowly rolled down the window and noticed a subtle smile creep into the man's dark eyes. It made him seem almost human. He thought about the vampires he dealt with last evening, and a chill shot up his spine. He hesitated before looking up at this man through the open window. Whatever he wanted, Gage just wanted to get it over with.
"Gage Montague?" He stated or asked Gage wasn't sure, but he answered anyway with a nod. "Deacon Haas." He announced and held out his hand. Gage was confused but didn't want to insult, so he took his hand, and the man held it and did not immediately release him. It wasn't a grip, just a gentle hold, but Gage felt that he could not pull away.
"Mr. Haas, what can I do for you?" Gage pressed, eager to end this contact and get back to lying still and closing his eyes.
"Call me Deacon." He then let go of Gage's hand and leaned on the open window. Gage felt the loss of his touch in a deeply personal way that confused him. He didn't know this man, and the contact should have been impersonal, but it wasn't. There was something in it that went beneath the surface.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you last night," Deacon stated abruptly and to the point, and then he took a deep breath as if he was having difficulty saying what he wanted to say. Gage was surprised that a man that looked like Deacon Haas could ever be uneasy or unsure.
He glanced up at him with his good eye and saw a man who was flawless. His eyes were dark as the night yet held a strange, unexpected warmth in their depth. His hair was impeccable jet black and swept back from his face in a short, sophisticated style. He was tall and solid like the coven soldiers, but he had an air of authority which meant he was not simply a soldier.
"You're hurt. Please let me help you." That offer was so unexpected that Gage could not respond. He simply stared at Deacon, certain that he'd misunderstood. Deacon opened the door and squatted down next to Gage once again, taking his hand but just holding it loosely, and the touch was gentle and comforting.
"It's my fault that you were hurt. Please let me make it right." Gage still was not understanding exactly what was happening, but he felt a growing trust in his gut that told him this man was genuine. He didn't believe that Deacon owed him anything. He wasn't there last night. Gage would have remembered such a stunning-looking man.
"I'm alright I just need a little rest, and then I'm leaving town. I need a fresh start somewhere bigger and without all the paranormal influences. Somewhere people don't know me, maybe Detroit." Gage noticed that his speech was being affected by the stitches in his lip and the swelling of his jaw. He just needed to get out of there, go somewhere new, and rest on the way.
“I have to go.” He said and attempted to grab the handle of his door, but Deacon interfered by moving to block the door. Why was he being so insistent?
"You're not well enough to drive. You need time to recover and to be treated for your injuries. Did your stepfather take you to the ER?" Deacon was feeling Gage's head and running his fingertips along his jaw and across his bottom lip. "Let me help you."
"How, what can you do? Able dressed the wounds and stitched up my lip. I don't need the ER. I can heal I just need to rest for a while." Gage tried to be firm, but the look on Deacon's face told him his words were not being heard.
"Come with me." He said and stood, taking Gage's hand and helping him from the car. He hadn't intended to exit his vehicle, but here he was, being led away by this man with the deep, sexy voice and commanding power. Gage just went with him feeling the security that he was radiating and falling into the need to be cared for. It was probably going to turn into one more big mistake, but right now, it felt good.
…
