CHAPTER 9
Gio opened his eyes, looking around. He didn’t see Cobra or Taco anywhere. Instead, Rylee and Jude were there, which was nice, but it still was hurtful that every time Gio opened his eyes, his supposed mates were nowhere to be seen. Then again, his good friend and supposed maharishi Taco had left him. He had just opened the doors and flew off. Must be nice to have that ability.
Yes, Gio could open a door and take off using his lightning or even his wind, but he could accidently cause damage to Drago, or wherever he landed, and besides, he still had no clue where he was going to go to. Maybe he should say fuck it, and just head home and face the music. He could fight his father if he wanted to and he might even win, but at what cost? The only way to win was to kill the man, and he might not be the best father in the world… okay, the man was an evil son of a bitch, but he was still Gio’s dad. He couldn’t kill a stranger for his father, so how the hell could he do that to his own parent?
Rylee interrupted Gio’s thoughts, saying, “I have no clue what you’re thinking about, but you need to stop right now. You need to take a breath and think about how overwhelmed your mates are at this moment. They discover you’re their sentience, you get shot saving Cobra’s life…”
“Then they discover you aren’t who everyone thought you were for over twenty-five years, add into that the fact that your father is the godfather on the ten-most-wanted list.” Jude added.
Rylee nodded, saying, “And then you start talking stupid by saying you’re leaving. Which I have to say I am completely baffled about. Why would you leave the one place you know your father can’t get to you?”
“Fuck that! Why would you leave your sentiences? The two beings that will love you unconditionally, put your happiness and safety above their own, and do you know how off the charts sex is with your mate? I can tell you it is mind-blowing. You will never remember an orgasm as wonderful as the ones your mate can provide, and your maharishi… well, he has this way of linking you together so you feel everything your mate does and…”
“Jude! We are not talking about sex. We’re talking about Gio having a death wish and why he would choose to leave and most likely die, then stay and be with family that will help him, no matter what?” Rylee snapped.
Jude huffed, “Well, we have to give him the pluses on why he needs to stay now, don’t we? I happen to think if I wasn’t the sentience to Casper and Smoky, I might have gone for Cobra and Taco. Not only are they hot as hell, they are a wonderful pair, and have you seen Cobra in those short shorts he wears in the summer. Damn, he is packing.”
“Hey!” Gio shouted.
“Jude! I swear if you don’t stop talking like that, I’m telling Smoky and he’ll light your ass on fire, then he’ll tell Casper and he’ll whoop your ass like you deserve.” Rylee threatened.
Jude moaned, “Please tell them. I do love my ass played with, and a good spanking.”
“If he doesn’t stop talking about my mates like that, I just might light his ass on fire, and trust me, you won’t enjoy it.” Gio grumbled.
Jude snorted, “As if you care. If you gave a shit you wouldn’t talk about leaving them.”
Gio sat up, ignoring the pull of his stiches, hissing, “I don’t want to leave them, damn it, but I saw the anger in Pit’s eyes as well as yours, Jude, and Cobra’s. There is no way in hell I will be allowed to stay. When Pit gets back, he is going to tell me to go and I won’t fight him on it. I know what my father is, and I know what I’ve done. I am not someone Pit will ever trust to be around Bren, or any of his family, and I don’t blame him. For twenty-five years I have lied about everything. I used Drago as a safe house and never trusted anyone with my secret in all that time. I was only supposed to be here a few months. When more and more time went by, I should have gone to Pit and told him everything, but…”
“Why didn’t you?” Rylee quietly asked.
Sighing, Gio replied, “At first I didn’t because Clem said to keep my mouth shut. Then, when he stopped calling me, I got scared. I waited and waited to hear from him, and got scared that my father had got to him. I chanced it one day, and when I went into town to get some supplies for a few of the townspeople, I called his number, but an Agent Weisner answered. I asked for Clem and he told me Clem had retired. I didn’t know what to do, Rylee. How could Clem just leave me here and not say anything at all, and by then so much time had gone by, I was terrified Pit would toss me out on my ass, and what would I do then? I’d die. There was no other outcome.”
“Stone? You talked to Stone?” Jude asked.
Gio had no idea what Stone’s last name was, “I have no clue. He just answered Agent Weisner. So, if that’s his name then I guess so.”
“How long ago was this?” Rylee asked.
Gio had to think, then said, “About a year or so ago. The point is, by then I had been here so long, I was too afraid to go to Pit. How do I tell the leader of the D.O.A. I have done nothing but lie since coming to Drago? Like I already said, I was afraid that if I came clean he would make me leave, and then where would I go? My family would be in danger if I went there, and I know my father would find me no matter where I went anyway and I would be forced to fight him, and it wouldn’t be a fight to submission like shifters do it. It would be a fight to the death. I don’t want to be forced to kill my father. Yes, he is a vile evil man… but…”
“He’s still your father.” Rylee finished for him.
Gio nodded as the tears formed. “I don’t think I could do it. I don’t think I could kill my dad, no matter what he’s done to me and all those other people.”
“What if he was to attack Drago, Gio? What would you do then?” Jude asked, giving him a look Gio couldn’t define.
Not even hesitating, Gio said, “I would do whatever I had to do to keep the people in this town safe from my father. I would hate it and I would struggle with what I had to do, but I would do it regardless, because I love the people in Drago. They are wonderful people that went through their own hell. They don’t deserve to be put through more because of me.”
“Pit wasn’t angry with you, Gio. He has no intention of asking you to leave. He’s angry that Clem didn’t trust him enough to tell him what was going on. He’s angry because of what you had to do to save your family. He’s angry that he has been after your father for so long and hasn’t caught him yet. He’s angry because he and some of the other D.O.A. guys are the ones that stormed onto your family ranch to arrest him, but he was already gone.” Jude explained.
Sighing heavily, Gio whispered, “None of this matters anyway. Cobra and Taco want nothing to do with me now that they know who I am. Them not being here says it all.”
“You are their mate, Gio. I don’t care how pissed they might be at you, you are still their mate.” Rylee stated.
Jude nodded, “And as their mate, I don’t care how upset they might be. Your safety and happiness is still going to be our number one priority. It’s just how it is.”
Shaking his head, Gio whispered, “I might be their mate, Jude, but them not being here says it all. They want nothing to do with me.”
