Page 12 of Cold Heir

“Well, that’s a bit of a long story,” he chuckled, “but we’re here.”

“Long time no see!” Glenn barely got the sentence out before pulling Levi into a tight embrace.

Now that my life was no longer flashing before my eyes, I got a good look at him.

A thick, gnarly, salt-and-pepper beard hid half his face. More of the frizzy mess hung down his shoulders, peeking out beneath a tattered military hat, a vintage, prewar piece.

There was nothing remarkable about his features, other than wrinkled skin that reminded me of a swatch of ancient leather. He nearly matched Levi’s height, but was frail by comparison. The tropical-themed shirt and cargo pants he wore were on par with the word Levi used to describe him—eccentric.

The man turned to observe me next, crimson irises scanning me slowly. It seemed that, despite Levi assuring him that we’d come in peace, I hadn’t been given a pass.

“This a friend of yours?” he eventually asked.

Levi shifted himself in front of me a bit more, hiding me behind his solid frame.

“Actually, she’s a bit more than that,” he explained. “But if you don’t mind letting us in to rest, I can tell you more about it.”

Glenn stared me down a bit longer, maybe wondering why I was dressed in rags and looked like a cat had vomited me up, but he answered Levi’s request with a shallow nod.

He brushed past us, sifting through dozens of keys on a ring, and then unlocked the front door we hadn’t even had a chance to knock on before being held at gunpoint.

“Place is a mess, but you’re welcome to whatever you need,” he offered.

“Thank you, sir,” Levi replied with a smile. “Any chance you’ve changed your stance on having a phone on the property?”

“I can’t believe you even had to ask!” Glenn eyed him in disbelief. “I’ll never invite the powers-that-be to listen in on my conversations.”

Levi seemed to expect that answer when he laughed.

“You’re welcome to rest here a bit, though, if you need to,” was Glenn’s gracious offer. “Should I prepare a bed, or are you two just passing through?”

The question prompted Levi to look me over concernedly.

“A place to sleep would be nice.” I guessed it was my weary eyes and slumped posture that influenced his response. “And, if it’s not too much to ask, do you happen to have something for Corina to eat?”

The man eyed me again as we stood in a small, dimly lit foyer. “Corina,” he repeated to himself. “Beautiful name.”

Still nervous, I smiled. “Thank you.”

He gave another of those quick nods. “You can check the cabinets for canned goods, but chances are they’re expired. Been a while since I’ve had visitors of the human variety.”

The corners of his mouth tugged up and the expression was only mildly comforting. I knew Levi trusted this guy to some extent, but I wasn’t sure he was stable. My mind drifted back to the recent memory of the large stick being snapped in two by a well-placed bear trap.

We moved toward a kitchen that I guessed had seen better days. The few missing floor tiles and cluttered surfaces were clues. Surprisingly, though, it wasn’tcompletelyfilthy, just needed a little T.L.C.

“Have a seat, sweetheart,” Glenn instructed.

Before obeying, I glanced toward Levi. He nodded to assure me it was safe to let my guard down, but I would only do so within reason.

“Now, let’s see,” Glenn sighed, approaching the cabinets for a look. He scanned several cans, noting that they’d gone bad years ago.

“Nope, nothing useful here, but I’ve got a garden out back,” he shared. “I grow carrots, celery, lettuce and a few other goodies for Miles, so if you’d like to grab something fresh, you’re welcome to it.”

Levi’s brow quirked. “Miles?”

Glenn nodded. “As you can imagine, it gets a littletooquiet out here, so I caught myself a rabbit a few years ago, and we get along famously. Best kind of buddy a guy can have—doesn’t talk, doesn’t expect much.” He shrugged casually. “He looked like a Miles to me, so that’s what I call him.”

Levi chuckled quietly. “I’ll see what I can find.”

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