Page 25 of Dragon's Golden Mate
“I know,” Kendrick replied honestly. He had no surviving heirs of his own, but he’d been confident in giving Beck the position as the new Alpha. He was a man who cared about others, who understood how the clan could best head into the future.
“Now then, I’d better get going.” Kendrick opened the door.
“Don’t you need your keys?” Beck pointed to the rack on the wall next to the door.
“No. I’m walking. It’s too nice of a day to get behind the wheel. I’ll be back later.” He stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh air. Transportation had changed drastically in his lifetime, and it could be very efficient and comfortable these days, but sometimes there was nothing better than a walk.
If only the act could clear his head of Maeve. They’d parted casually enough when they’d gotten back to The Crystal Cauldron. Maeve had said she’d try to find more information, and he’d intended to do the same. They’d said goodbye as though they were nothing more than two people who knew each other through their families, as though they hadn’t shared a passionate, secret kiss.
He was a confident man, yet Kendrick found himself wondering if Maeve was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her. Did that kiss mean anything in her eyes? Did her inner wolf thrash and fight when she was around him, wanting so desperately to be close? Kendrick couldn’t know unless he asked her, and that was one thing he definitely wouldn’t do.
No, right now, he just needed to concentrate on the church. The gargoyles had been an architectural surprise, but now they were more than that. The attack had caught him so unaware that he’d only fought back enough to keep himself and Maeve safe. He didn’t want to harm them, nor did he want to damage the cathedral in the process.
But what was he going to do about them now? He could bring the rest of his clan in and fight them, but that wouldn’t tell him why they were guarding the building in the first place. He could explain the situation to Cassandra Deegan, but she was a serious businesswoman. She’d laugh in his face and find someone else to work with.
Kendrick paid attention to the city layout and the nearby buildings as he walked to the church, hoping he’d find something that would give him a clue.Whatwas he missing? What had he not seen? Whatin all of his years had he not learned how to figure out?
Though he’d hoped a slow, walking approach to the church would give him a broader picture of the place, the scene that awaited him was something else entirely. An array of demolition machinery sat at the edge of the parking lot. A rusty yellow bucket excavator rested like a giant, tired creature with its head against the asphalt and its long neck arched in the air. A couple of bulldozers idled, their operators looking bored, and a large truck was parking a dumpster on the corner of the lot.
The demolition crew had company, though. A group of men and women, mostly older, stood in front of the church. They had signs in their hands that read ‘Don’t Tear Down Our History!’ and ‘Out with the New, in with the Old!’ They were a peaceful group, laughing, smiling, and even singing, but they stood directly in the way of the demolition crew. Whenever a passing car honked, they cheered and held their signs higher.
Kendrick slowed as he came into the parking lot, trying to take all of this in. He spotted a familiar face in the crowd of protestors. Lucille, Maeve’s sister, gave him a wink. He was just about to go talk to her when he heard his name.
“Mr. Alexander!”
He turned to see Cassandra Deegan walking swiftly toward him, her hand in the air. “Mr. Alexander! I was going to call you.”
“Yes, you said we’d schedule another time for me to get a better look at the building. It looks like I’m not the only one interested in the place.”
Cassandra shook her head. Her hair was pulled back into a tightly braided bun, making her angular features look severe. “That was the original plan, yes, but I was going to tell you I don’t need you anymore.” She had to raise her voice to be heard over the protestors as well as the bulldozer engines.
He stuck his thumbs in his pockets. “It looks to me like you do. This is just the type of incident you said you were trying to avoid. I take it word of your intention to tear this place down has gotten out.” Kendrick had a feeling that information had come directly from Maeve, but he wasn’t going to tell Cassandra that.
Nor was he going to tell her about how he and Maeve had broken into the church.
Cassandra waved her hand dismissively. “It would’ve been nice if I didn’t have to deal with them, but some things can’t be avoided. At any rate, I’m only waiting for one more permit from the citythat’s going to come through any minute. The historical society will just have to clear out of the way.”
Kendrick looked over as two more people joined the gathering crowd. They’d brought a cooler full of cold sodas and a bag of sandwiches. They wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon, and he doubted a slip of paper from the city would change that.
The historical society was the least of his concerns. “Why do you have the demolition crew here already? When you and I spoke, you wanted to make sure you had a logical argument for tearing the place down.” He thought he had more time.
“That was before that little earthquake. Can you believe that? Wild stuff. Anyway, the damage in there is much worse. I took a few photos of some things I found, like some cracks in the foundation. It’s enough that no one will question my decision in the long run.”
“I really think you ought to reconsider.” There was a lot Kendrick didn’t understand about the building, but he wanted the chance to find out. “Even if you spend money on repairs, you’d spend less than if you built something new. Building materials have gone up steeply, but the skill of builders themselves has only dropped. You could have a quality,one-of-a-kind building or a shoddy one that looks like everything else.”
“I appreciate that you have an affinity for the architecture, Mr. Alexander, but there’s really no point in you, the historical society, or anyone else arguing about it. Deegan Enterprises owns the land, and that’s where the decision lies.”
He bit his lower lip and let out a breath. His eyes lifted to the steeple, and he froze. The lionesque gargoyle had been right there at the edge of the castellated parapet just below the spire, but it was gone. The ones inside had moved, coming after him and Maeve, but he hadn’t seen that one. Where was it now? For that matter, where were the others? Had they gone back to their original positions once the coast was clear?
“I’d appreciate it if you’d let me take one last look through the building,” he said quickly, not concerned about the danger. He had to know. He had to understand. “I understand that I can’t sway you, but it’s not every day that you get to see a place like this.”
Cassandra shook her head firmly. “It isn’t safe, not even for an expert like you.”
He would’ve said the same thing in her place. He’d already tried when he’d asked Maeve to stayback. It’s just that it didn’t work on her. “I understand. Since you did pay my consultation fee, maybe I can talk with the historical society for you.”
“Have at it.” She waved her hand at them. “They’ll have to leave eventually. If you can persuade them so I don’t have to call the police, then that’s all the better.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He hurried to the crowd in front of the church, making a beeline for Lucille.
