Dante (Stone Society Book 3) (24 page)

“No.
The King doesn’t want her harmed. I honestly don’t know why Theron pulled me
away. The only reason I can think of is he likes Isabelle.”

Dante
growled low in his chest. The thought of another Gargoyle being around his mate
had his shifter clawing at his insides. He calmed himself and paid attention as
Carter explained Isabelle’s schedule as well as where in the house her room was
located. Tessa stated what Dante was thinking, “He’s one Gargoyle.”

“He’s
more than that. Theron is bigger than I am and has a tendency to kill anything
that gets in his way.”

“Kill?
I thought full-bloods could only be killed with a sword.” Tessa said, looking
up at Gregor.

Carter
responded, “That’s true, mostly. I’ve never seen him go up against another
Goyle, though. Nobody is crazy enough to stand up to him.”

“Where’s
Frey when you need him?” Gregor asked, jokingly. Dante sized up Carter. If this
Theron was larger, he would be a formidable foe. If fighting the larger shifter
meant getting Isabelle out, Dante would take him on.

Donovan’s
voice came through, “The good news is there are no other Goyles on the
premises. He can’t take us all on and win. I had hoped we would get out without
causing a riot, but it looks like that isn’t going to happen. Princess, you are
highest ranking here. Is your father going to have our necks when we start a
Clan war?”

“Princess?
Shit! You’re Xavier’s daughter?” Carter stopped walking, fisted his heart, and
bowed.

“Yeah,
yeah, yeah. Princess, that’s me.”

Dante
inwardly grinned at Tessa for not taking her role as royalty too seriously. He
answered Donovan’s question. “No, Xavier won’t have your heads. I was there
when he pledged your Clan’s allegiance to our King, Rafael.”

As
the teams reached the end of their tunnels, they were trying to come up with
the best way to handle Theron. It was Tessa who broke through, “Leave him to
me. I have a plan.”

Carter
reminded her, “He’s a Gargoyle. He will hear us coming.”

“He’s
going to be confused, because he’ll think I’m Isabelle. By the time he realizes
what I’ve done, it’ll be too late.”

Gregor
groaned and pulled Tessa to his chest. “Why do I have the feeling I’m about to
have a heart attack?”

Tessa
pulled her backpack off her shoulders and pulled something out of a pocket.
Holding up a syringe, she grinned. “Like I said, I have a plan. Give me a
chance to try it the easy way. If that doesn’t work, then you can let the claws
out.”

“What
is that exactly?” Carter asked, pointing at the syringe.

“Hellebore
root.”

Dante
shouldn’t be surprised Tessa was prepared to take down a full-size Gargoyle.
Gregor took her face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll be
right behind you.”

Once
it was settled Tessa would take point, Carter explained where Isabelle’s room
was in relation to the opening of the tunnel. They had gone over the maps
several times, and everyone knew their jobs. The plan to tranquilize all the
human guards was still in play. The only difference now was their primary target.
Tessa had one shot to take Theron out with the tranquilizer.

Before
he opened the door, Carter told Donovan, “Kallisto and her sidekick were in the
house when I left.” A loud groan was heard, and Dante assumed it was Donovan.

“I’ll
take care of them and head your way,” Donovan said.

“Okay,
Princess, you’re up.” Carter opened the door.

Tessa
gave Gregor one last kiss and headed to take on the giant.

Silently,
Dante and Gregor followed Tessa, tranquilizing any human guards they came upon.
The zapping of guns and thunking of bodies hitting the floor came through the
transmitters. As they neared the hallway where Isabelle’s room was located,
Tessa took point. She didn’t look at Gregor. Dante knew from his own experience
Tessa was in the zone. Her head was in the game, focused on the play ahead of
her. She strolled along the hallway as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
Dante and Gregor stayed out of sight, listening through their coms.

As
they waited, Dante felt the familiar pull of Isabelle. His heart clenched, and his
lungs tightened. His body knew it was so close to its lifeline. He would have
her in his arms soon. Tessa sniffed, her cue to the men that Theron was in her
sight. Dante and Gregor looked around the corner, and true to the plan, Tessa
walked past the guard causing him to turn his back to them. “What the fuck are
you doing out here?” he yelled at Tessa. She pretended to turn a key on her
lips.

“I
don’t give a godsdamn about my father’s fucking rules. I asked you a question.
How the fuck did you get out here?”

Tessa
ran her left hand up the big Goyle’s chest. “I went back to the library. I was
so bored being stuck in my room.” Her hand slid up the side of his neck and
into his hair. She tugged him down closer and whispered in his ear, “You are so
sexy when you’re mad.” Before he could register what was happening, she plunged
the needle in his neck and released all the hellebore into his system.

Theron
roared and backhanded Tessa with everything he had. She went flying down the
hall, hitting the wall about ten feet away. Gregor let out a roar of his own
and charged the larger Gargoyle. Dante was right behind him yelling, “Check on
Tessa, I’ve got him.”

Theron
rounded on them both and phased. The large Goyle was pissed. As Gregor got
closer, Theron took a swing. Gregor barely missed the sharp claws aimed at his
face. Dante took advantage of the opening and punched him in the kidneys. Theron
staggered, shook his head, and came at Dante. Dante took the fighter’s stance,
waiting for another opening. Theron was large, but he wasn’t quick. His
movements were being impaired by the poisonous herb in his system. Leading with
his claws, Theron took a swipe at Dante, but he was too slow. Dante led with a
left hook then followed up with a right uppercut. The larger Goyle went down to
his knees, and Dante popped out a front kick to his jaw. Even without the drugs
in his system, the kick would have taken him down. Dante was thankful for the
late night sparring sessions with Frey.

“Isabelle?”
Dante yelled at the door.

“Dante?
Dante, I’m here!” Isabelle was pounding on the door.

“Stand
back, Beautiful. I’m going to kick the door in.”

“I’m
back. Dante, get me out of here!”

Dante
planted his foot beside the knob and the door splintered. Isabelle was on the
far side of the room, but as soon as he pushed through the mangled wood, she
was in his arms.

“I
knew you’d come for me,” she whispered into his neck.

“Always.
I’ll always be here for you, Beautiful.” Dante ran his hands down her face.
“Are you hurt?”

Isabelle
shook her head. “I’m fine. Who was the creep yelling at?”

“Tessa.
Oh fuck, Tessa.” Dante grabbed Isabelle’s hand and led her into the hall where
Gregor was cradling an addled Tessa in his arms.

“What
the hell?” Isabelle was staring at a version of herself lying in Gregor’s arms.

“Hey,
Belle.” Tessa grinned at her cousin.

“That’s
amazing,” Isabelle whispered. “Are you okay? What happened?” Isabelle bent down
studying the bruise forming on Tessa’s face.

“That
happened,” Tessa said, pointing at Theron. “Help me stand up,” she said to
Gregor, holding her hand out. Once she was on her feet, she said, “I’m good.”

“Teams,
check in,” Donovan commanded through the transmitters.

When
each team gave the all clear, Donovan asked, “Dante, is Isabelle safe? What
about Tessa?”

“Yes,
I have Isabelle. Tessa’s a little shaken, but she’s on her feet.”

“Excellent,
we need to clear out.” The coms went silent as all the teams headed toward
their respective tunnels and made their way toward the city.

Tessa
pulled off the wig and prosthetic as she tried to walk. At the first stumble,
Gregor picked her up. “Let’s move out,” he instructed.

Dante
took another look at his mate and kissed her forehead before threading their
fingers together. They followed Gregor to the entrance of their tunnel. Carter
met them just outside of the doorway with a woman by his side. Dante knew this
wasn’t part of their plan and was going to question him until Isabelle held her
hand out to the woman and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Are you okay?”
Isabelle asked, concern shining in her eyes.

The
woman nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”

“Wait,
there are two more women. Where are your friends?” Isabelle couldn’t leave
anyone behind.

“Huh?
I haven’t seen anyone else since I got here besides the Princess,” she
responded, obviously confused.

Isabelle
was certain she had heard three women talking.

 “She’s
right, Isabelle. There were no other women besides you two and the servants. Let’s
go,” Carter urged them on.

Everyone
was quiet as they travelled back the way they’d come earlier. Once they reached
the end of the passageway, Carter said, “I need to get Eve to a safe house. Her
leaving and my betrayal is going to cause as much chaos as Isabelle escaping.”
He glanced at Isabelle then turned to Dante and held out his hand. “You are a
lucky man, Dante.” They shook hands and Carter turned to Tessa. Once again
fisting his heart, he dipped his head quickly, “My Princess, it has been an
honor. Gregor, likewise.” They too shook hands, and Carter opened the doorway,
allowing them all to exit before he and the woman did. Once the foliage was
back in place hiding the entrance, they went their separate ways.

“Princess,
huh?” Isabelle asked, smiling at Tessa, tears filling her eyes. “I can’t
believe you found me. How
did
you find me?” Isabelle asked looking from
Tessa to Dante.

“I
put a transmitter in your purse,” Tessa told her, grinning.

“My
purse, I left it in the room!” Isabelle turned toward the door, but Dante
snagged her around the waist.

“I
will buy you a new purse. I will buy you fifty purses, but you are not going
back in that house. We need to get out of here and go get our son.”

Isabelle’s
heart clenched. “Connor! Oh my god, Connor. Do you know where he is?” Isabelle’s
previously unshed tears rolled down her cheeks.

Dante
pulled her into his body. “Shh, Beautiful, we will find him. I promise.” Dante
pushed her hair off her shoulder and cupped her face. “Isabelle, look at me.”
When she looked up, he said, “I made you a promise, and I don’t make vows I
cannot keep.” He wiped the tears away with his thumbs and placed a soft kiss on
her lips. Their tender moment was interrupted by a fussing Tessa.

“Put
me down, Stone. I can walk.”

“Red,
you took a nasty hit.”

“And
it won’t be the last one I take, either. As much as I love being in your arms,
we are going to cause a scene walking down the streets of Greece with you
carrying me. We are still not out of the woods yet. When Theron wakes up, he’ll
be on the hunt for us. We need to get to the condo, now.”

Dante
knew exactly what Gregor was feeling. He wanted to lift Isabelle in his arms
and never let her go. His body was tight at the nearness of Isabelle,
especially now she was safe. He couldn’t wait to get her back to the condo and
have some alone time with her.

The
two couples walked the short distance to the SUV and piled in. When the doors
closed, they all just sat there quietly. Gregor put his hand on the side of
Tessa’s face, assessing her bruise. Dante felt Isabelle slide over next to him.
She laced their fingers together and looked up at him. “Have I said thank you?”
Her eyes were again wet with unshed tears.

Dante
gently traced the contour of her eyebrows, her cheekbones, her chin. He leaned
in and touched their lips together. He had no idea what she had been through,
and he wanted to take it easy on her. She obviously had different ideas when
she pulled his head closer, carding her fingers through his hair. She opened
her mouth, her tongue touching his lips. His body thrummed with electricity,
his cock stirred to life. Moans were coming from all four throats. Tessa broke
the moment when she rasped, “I wish we’d taken a helicopter. Get us back to the
condo, and take me to bed.” Gregor cranked the SUV and headed back toward
Athens.

Dante
touched his forehead to Isabelle’s, needing the connection. As he thought of
Gregor and Tessa going back to the condo to make love, his dick hardened even
more. Not because he was thinking of them together, but because he knew he
would be alone with Isabelle in just a few hours. He was not an aggressive
Goyle, in fact he was quite the opposite. However, with the adrenaline still
flowing through his veins, he had no doubt he would have her naked and under
him as soon as they were alone. He leaned back and searched her eyes. “Are you
really okay? Did they hurt you?”

“Other
than drugging me and scaring the crap out of me, they pretty much left me alone.
How long until we get where we’re going?”

“About
three hours,” Dante whispered in her ear.

Isabelle
pulled Dante back down to her for another kiss. He didn’t think he would last
three long hours without getting her skin to skin. Thankfully, she stopped her
tormenting kisses. She threaded their fingers together and leaned her head on
his shoulder. For the rest of the drive, she filled them in on everything that
happened from the time she got on the jet with Kallisto to right before they
rescued her.

 Finally
arriving back at the condo, Gregor parked the SUV in the underground garage. As
soon as the engine was off, he and Tessa were out of the vehicle and on their
way upstairs. Dante reached out to open his door, but Isabelle stopped him.
“Wait.” She surprised him when she snaked a leg over his lap so she was
straddling him. With her hands on his shoulders, Isabelle settled herself
against his erection. Dante couldn’t help the growl that escaped. His beast was
trying to take over. He may be passive, but his beast was alpha all the way. Isabelle
pulled his t-shirt up, running her hands along his skin. He slid down in the
seat so she had better access to his cock, grabbing her hips and urging her on.

Isabelle
rubbed back and forth over his erection, her arousal flooding his senses. “I
want you, Dante,” she husked, her voice pleading.

Dante’s
brain was half-way functioning. Most of his blood was in his other head. “Bed,”
he managed to choke out.

“I
need you, now.” Isabelle unbuttoned her blouse and let it slide down her arms.
She reached between her breasts and unsnapped her bra, her milky skin on
display. She grabbed Dante’s head and pulled his face down where she wanted it.
“Please,” she begged.

While
Dante would have preferred to be stretched out on the bed, he wouldn’t deny his
woman what she wanted. Couldn’t deny her anything. His hands left her hips and
cupped both breasts, pushing them together. Her nipples were hard peaks just
waiting to be laved. She had the perfect breasts to slide a hard dick between. As
Isabelle continued to grind against his cock, he licked and sucked, one nipple,
then the other. Isabelle leaned her head back, eyes closed, her breathing
ragged. He continued with his attention on her breasts, scraping his teeth
across her nipples. She moaned at the rough treatment and bore down on his
cock. If she didn’t stop writhing against him, he was going to come in his
pants.

“I
need to be inside you, Beautiful. We can go up to the bedroom, if you like.”

“No,
I want you inside me now. I can’t wait. Fuck me.”

Dante
was surprised and a little hurt at the crude words. Was that all she wanted
from him? Just a fuck? His beast was on board with the idea, clawing at him to
be unleashed.

“Dante,
please…” When Isabelle reached between them and grabbed his dick, all hurt left
his heart and was replaced with a savage need to take his woman. Here. Now. Beast
one, Dante zero. Not so gently he moved her off his lap so he could push his
pants down his legs. If she wanted a fuck, a fuck she would get. Isabelle removed
her clothes. Instead of straddling him, she leaned down and took his hard prick
into her mouth. She grabbed the base of his shaft with her hand and licked the
moisture off the swollen head. She took him to the back of her throat before
sliding her tongue from the base to the tip. “You taste so good,” she said, licking
her lips.

If
Dante didn’t get inside her soon, he was going to come in her mouth. The idea
of fucking her face definitely turned him on, but the first time he came, he
wanted to be inside her heat. “Isabelle, I am too close.” He grabbed her
gently, pulling her body over his. Rising up on her knees, she grabbed his cock
and directed it to her opening. With one quick thrust, he was seated as far as
he could go. As much as it was killing him, he stayed still, allowing her body
time to acclimate to his size. Isabelle had other ideas. She clutched his
shoulders, using his body for leverage, as she rode him. The sight of his woman
writhing in pleasure, the sound of her moaning, was too much.