Page 66 of Kidnapping Their Third

Cora laughed. “Isn’t that the truth. I remember when Dad got super drunk once and insisted on telling me all these stories about his wild days before meeting Mom. I think he scarred me for life!”

Pike chuckled, letting her change the subject. “I know the feeling. I walked in on my mom and dad once. They were fully naked and having sex in the garden shed.”

Cora gasped. “No! How old were you?”

“It was last year!” Pike said, dramatically covering his eyes. Cora gasped, then laughed uproariously.

“Do you have any funny stories?” Cora asked Kimble, her eyes half open, and her body relaxed against the vampire.

“Many,” Kimble answered with a mischievous smile. “But can’t remember.”

“Bad vampire!” Cora pulled away long enough to smack his shoulder before snuggling back up against him. “Such a tease.”

They chatted, sharing funny stories and commenting on the unsuspecting humans passing by the bar’s windows. Cora consumed her second drink slower than the first, but it was still too fast for Pike. He did get Zan to bring over some water but only got half a glass into Cora before she was closing her eyes and using Kimble to prop her up.

“I think it’s time to head home,” Pike murmured. The vampire nodded and easily pulled Cora into his lap. She mumbled something, giggled, then rubbed her cheek against Kimble’s chest without opening her eyes.

“Are you all leaving my fine establishment?” Zan asked, stepping up and holding something out to Pike. He assumed it would be a bill but instead it was a small envelope. “That’s for the little human. Druid magic cure for hangovers. I keep a few on hand for the rare occasion a human overindulges here.”

Pike accepted the envelope and tucked it into his pocket. He had a little bit of cash from his last paycheck so he pulled that out and offered it to Zan. The shifter tucked his hands into his pockets and stepped out of reach.

“Nope! Ellie said to bill her for the drinks, and I would never go against her orders. Upsetting Ellie means making Mama Monroe angry. People who piss off Monroe don’t get to live long lives.”

There was no arguing with that.

“Thanks,” Pike said, putting his money away. “Next time we pay though.”

“Of course,” Zan agreed. “Unless some other immortal with deity-like powers tells me not to take your money.”

Chuckling at his own joke, Zan returned to his spot behind the bar. Kimble stood with Cora cradled against his chest. Pike moved to open the door for him, but Cora spoke up, freezing them both in place.

“I promise, I’m really thinking about it, every day,” she said, without opening her eyes. “I only need my fear to listen to myheart because I want to be joined to you guys more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

It was the sweetest words he’d ever heard.

Chapter 25

Cora

Rubbing her sweaty hands on her jeans, Cora took in the California ranch style house with a long front yard full of planters overflowing with blooming flowers. There was a gravel path from the sidewalk to the light blue front door. The color of the house and front yard set the property apart from all the other houses on the street with their almost uniform lawns and white, or off white, painted stucco.

Pike’s parents had bought a house that looked like everyone else's and with a little paint and a lot of love had transformed it into a colorful oasis in a sea of uniformity.

In the dim evening light she could just make out the hillside beyond the house. It was a typical Southern California hillside covered in cacti and scrub brush. Being backed up to a wild area must have made the house expensive to buy and difficult to insure. Wildfires were a yearly problem, and Cora bet the fire a few years ago got close to this property.

“Everything okay?” Pike asked. His question made her realize she’d been standing there staring at the house for several minutes.

“Yup,” she said, popping the P sound. “I’m great.”

Pike raised an eyebrow. “You sound constipated.”

Cora rolled her eyes as Kimble chuckled. “I might be a little nervous about meeting your family.”

Pike took her hand in his. “Don’t be, they’re going to love you.”

“Because you love me,” Cora murmured.

Pike kissed the top of her head. “Exactly! Now you’re getting it.”

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