Sixx (The Stone Society, #7) (3 page)

U
rijah was barely containing the beast within. The man he’d traveled thousands of miles to see was finally standing in front of him. Fin was within arm’s reach, and he was with someone else. That was proof they weren’t mates, not that he’d considered the notion before Sixx brought it up. No, this was nothing more than a one-sided affair, one that only existed in his mind.

Finley closed the distance between them, reaching out to touch Uri’s arm.

Uri recoiled. “Don’t.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? The minute I stepped into the room your hackles went up. I’ve fucking missed you, and this is how you’re going to act when you see me? What did I do?”

Sixx excused himself to the patio, and Urijah wished he hadn’t. With the other Gargoyle in the room, he had a buffer. A reason to put on a false smile and pretend all was right with the world. Now it was just the two of them, and there was no way he could lie to his best friend and get away with it, so he gave him a version of the truth. “You’ve begged me for months to come see you. I thought that meant things would be the way they were before you left. I didn’t realize I would have to share you with some whore.” He knew he was being a bastard, but he didn’t care.

“Some whore? Really? I don’t have to pay to have a woman on my arm. You know this, so why the hatred?”

“Forget it. I’m going to be so busy with the armory that I won’t have much time to spend with you, anyway.”

“Urijah, please. It’s me.” Finley reached behind Uri and cupped his neck. “What’s really going on?”

Uri couldn’t move. Fin’s hand was branding his skin, scorching his nerve endings. They were too close for comfort, and Uri closed his eyes before he did something really stupid – like kissing his best friend. When he finally opened them, he kept his gaze on his feet. “My apologies. I’ve missed you and didn’t expect to have to share your time with anyone else. I got used to having you all to myself before you moved out here. I didn’t mean to sound like a whiny little girl whose favorite doll she had to share.”

Fin ghosted his thumb over Uri’s neck. Or did he? “You don’t have to share me. I’ll get rid of her if you wish.”

Uri’s beast was screaming,
Yes, get rid of the bitch
, but Uri wouldn’t do anything to undermine his best friend’s happiness. He backed away from Fin, missing the feel of Fin’s hand as soon as he did. “No, it’s okay. Like I said, I’m going to be busy with the armory. Now, I’m going to take a shower. I’ll see you around.”

Uri grabbed the suitcase Finley had retrieved from the airport and headed up the stairs. “Uri, wait.” Finley’s voice was behind him on the staircase. “Urijah,” he said louder.

Uri stopped but didn’t turn around. He couldn’t allow Fin to see the hurt in his eyes.

“I’ll see you at Sinclair’s tonight for supper,” Fin said softly.

Uri didn’t respond. His voice would give away just as much as his face would. He stepped into the first guest bedroom he came to and closed the door. The room was facing the ocean, and a pair of glass doors opened to a balcony that overlooked the patio he and Sixx had been standing on earlier. Just as he moved to open the doors and let the fresh air in, Finley walked out onto the patio to speak with Sixx. Uri used his shifter hearing to eavesdrop.

Fin stepped up beside Sixx. “Sin mentioned why you’re here. Anything I can do to help?”

“I appreciate the offer, Brother, but this is one fucked-up mess I will have to deal with on my own.”

“I can’t believe you’ve had a mate for all these years and didn’t know it.”

Sixx turned so he was facing Finley and propped his arm against the railing. “Yes, the fates are real bitches, aren’t they? I mean, we’ve been able to mate with humans all along. At least males who prefer males are being paired with human men. I bet male Goyles will be mating with one another soon.”

Uri was going to kick Sixx’s ass. He didn’t need anyone to fight his battles for him. Besides, this wasn’t a battle, just a misguided sense of longing for his best friend. Nothing more.

Uri waited for Finley to respond. Instead of immediately saying something to Sixx, Fin turned toward the window. Uri was out of sight, but Fin still knew which room he’d retreated into. Fin looked back at Sixx and said, “I’m going to head out. I’ll see you at Sin’s later, yeah?”

“I’ll be there.” Fin and Sixx clapped each other on the back in a man hug, and Fin walked away without another word. Uri slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He closed his eyes and berated himself for coming on so strongly. He had missed his best friend something fierce, and now he was ruining any chance at spending quality time with him. He needed to pull his Gargoyle head out of his ass and enjoy whatever it was Fin offered him.

S
ixx felt bad for Urijah. It was obvious his feelings for Fin went beyond platonic. It was also obvious Finley was oblivious to the situation. Sixx wasn’t going to get involved any more than he already had by tossing out the males mating tidbit. If Finley didn’t think about what he said, Uri would have to tell him how he felt. Or not.

As soon as Fin left, Sixx made his way to the storage room inside the garage. He unlocked the door and flipped on the light switch. Hanging on the far wall were two surfboards. The white board with a black stripe dissecting the middle was seven feet long with a swallow tail. The board with a tie-dyed sunburst pattern flowing from the left side out was six feet long with a squash tail. His and hers. When Sixx first noticed Desirae, she was riding an old squat board, surrounded in the water by several friends. He was instantly attracted to the young woman who was larger than life. Her laughter could be heard over the waves, and her smile was as bright as the California sunshine. She was nothing like the women he’d bedded over the years. Rae was lean with small breasts, but he was drawn to her and began stalking her every move.

He followed her everywhere she went – to work, school, the beach, the surf shop where she hung out in her spare time. It was there that she told the owner what kind of board she was going to buy when she had enough money. The next day, Sixx went to another shop and ordered that exact board for her. It was going to be a birthday present, only he hadn’t stuck around long enough to give it to her. Before he had the chance to surprise her, he’d lost control of his beast and freaked the fuck out. Two weeks after he brought her board home, two days shy of her twenty-fourth birthday, Sixx hopped a plane for the East Coast.

“You surf?” Uri asked from behind. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t heard the other male walk up.

“I used to. I’m hoping to catch some waves before too long. I miss the water. Have you ever ridden a board?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

Sixx took one last look at the boards and asked, “Would you like to? I’m a pretty good teacher.”

“I think I’d like that. It gets boring doing the same thing century in and century out.”

“Truth, Brother.” Sixx grinned at the Goyle, but what he agreed wholeheartedly. When you live hundreds of years, it’s hard to find something new and different to make the time go by without boredom settling in. Even he had gotten tired of working in the finance industry. He would continue to manage the Stone Society’s portfolio, but he was ready for a change of scenery. For the last forty years, he’d sat behind a desk and worn a suit. He fucking hated suits. Now, he wanted to return to a life where shorts and flip-flops were the dress code.

“Excellent. We’ll head down to the surf shop whenever you’re ready, and you can pick out a board.”

“Are both of those yours?” Uri asked, pointing toward the closed door.

“No. I bought the smaller one for Rae. It was supposed to be a birthday present. If she forgives me, it still can be, just twenty-four years later.”

Urijah clapped him on the shoulder and said, “If she’s anything like the other mates, she’ll come around. Eventually.”

Sixx knew what Uri was saying was probably the truth, but he wasn’t looking forward to getting to
eventually
. “I hope you’re right. I’m going to head down to the beach and go for a walk. You want to come with?”

“You go ahead. I’m going to call a taxi and head over to the armory.”

“No need in that. Take the Veyron. If you’re not back in time to head over to Sinclair’s, I’ll have someone swing by and pick me up.”

“Thanks, Brother. I’ll be sure to return before then.”

Sixx didn’t wait for Uri to back the sports car out of the garage. He could have had Uri drop him off at the bottom of the hill, but the hike would do him good. He slid his feet into a pair of leather boat shoes and took off down the steep slope. Using his shifter speed, he reached the beach in less than fifteen minutes. He made his way along the public beach access and toed his shoes off before walking out onto the sand. The waves rolling onto the beach took him back to the last time he’d ridden the surf. He was ready to get his board out of storage and get back on the water. Sixx wanted his mate by his side when he did, but he wouldn’t hold his breath on that happening.

February in New Malibu boasted a pleasant sixty degrees, plus kids were in school, giving Sixx a peaceful walk along the surf’s edge. He knelt down to watch a small crab scuttle about. When he stood, the crab buried itself in the sand, thinking it was safe. Sixx scanned the water for dolphins, and not seeing any, took off walking again. Most animals avoided the Gargoyles because they recognized the beast within. Sixx had found that dolphins weren’t that way. He often swam with the majestic mammals when he was younger, before the land was so populous and binoculars were invented. Now, with cell phones everywhere, he had to be much more careful of his extracurricular activities.

The sun’s angle changed quite a bit, alerting Sixx to how long he’d been walking. If he turned back now, he’d make it home in plenty of time to take another shower before he needed to leave for Sinclair’s. On the way back, he spotted a house for sale. Memorizing the phone number on the listing sign, he considered living closer to the water. If he was going to spend his time surfing, a house on the beach would certainly be more convenient than the one in the hills. He wouldn’t have as much privacy, but it wouldn’t hurt to look at it.

When he arrived home, Sixx reached out with his senses, searching for Urijah. The Goyle was out back, so Sixx made his way to where his friend was relaxing. He must have been back a while seeing as there were several empty beer bottles on the table. Sixx pulled a longneck out of the ice-filled bucket and sat down at the patio table. “How is the armory?”

“It’s coming along nicely for the most part. Sinclair has done a great job with the specifications I sent.”

“He is a Di Pietro, so I’d expect nothing less.”

“Truth. The old building wasn’t bad, but the modifications will make it much easier for me to forge the type of weaponry we need should there be a war.”

“I know I’m not the only one who prays it doesn’t come to that. With Jasper taking Theron’s head, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alistair retaliated.”

Uri grabbed another beer and twisted off the cap. “Yes, but will the old fucker risk his beloved Kallisto?” Urijah had kidnapped Alistair’s adopted human daughter to use as leverage against the King of the Greeks.

“That’s the million-dollar question. For someone who despises humans, he sure has a funny way of showing it.”

There was a comfortable lull in the conversation until Uri asked, “How was the beach?”

Sixx couldn’t help but smile. “Peaceful. Home. I didn’t realize how much I missed being around the water until I stood inches from it. What is home for you?”

Uri didn’t answer right away. He gazed out over the beaches in the distance, his blond hair blowing softy around his shoulders. In that moment, Uri didn’t look like a Norse god; he appeared to be a lost young man. “I can’t say I have a home. I’ve been wandering this planet for nearly eight hundred years, and I’ve yet to find the place that calls to my soul.”

Sixx wanted to tell the Goyle that sometimes it wasn’t a place but a person that was home, but he didn’t want to cause him any more hurt than Uri already felt.

“It will take us about an hour to get to Sinclair’s. I need to make a quick phone call then I’ll be ready,” Sixx said, changing the subject.

Urijah downed his beer and stood, sighing. “Let me change clothes. I’m ready to get this shit over with.”

Sixx didn’t see anything wrong with the way Urijah was dressed. He glanced down at his cargo shorts and t-shirt. Of course he needed to put on something less casual. He didn’t want to offend his host nor his King. After he made the phone call, Sixx ran through the shower and changed into dress slacks and a polo. So much for the new dress code.

Urijah walked through the kitchen wearing dark jeans and a button-up shirt. His long blond hair was pulled back away from his face in a man bun. The faint scent of cologne lingered after he stepped into the garage. Sixx smiled. Whether it was on purpose or not, Urijah was going to look good for his friend.

Since this was Uri’s first trip to California, Sixx pointed out places he thought Urijah might be interested in. He also told the Norseman about living on the West Coast, including his time with Rae. “I freaked, man. When I walked in the bathroom and saw the bite marks on her neck, I knew I had to get out of there. I fell for her. Hard. But I wasn’t Sinclair. I couldn’t marry a woman only to watch her grow old and die.”