Page 30 of Destined for Shadows
Cori shook her head. “I seriously doubt it. He doesn’t like his father much more than I do and only ever went there to see his mom.”
“I could go there,” Melena said.
“I suppose.” Cori frowned at her. “But could you convince his dad to give you the picture? His mom won’t do anything without her husband’s permission first.”
“I could always knock the man out and take it.”
“That wouldn’t work for two reasons,” Cori said, tucking a loose strand of her black hair behind her ear. “For one, I’ve never seen you hit a human unless they posed a physical threat to you. For two, Griff has an older brother who looks a lot like him. Jacob moved to Washington State not long after his brother and I got married—no idea if he’s still there—but you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them while you’re looking through the pictures.”
“But if you went with me…” Melena began.
“Nope,” Cori said, tone brooking no argument. “I can’t go to that house…ever again.”
Bartol got tired of them missing the obvious. “Send me, Micah, or Lucas. Any of us can compel the man into handing over the photos and question him on what he knows about his son.”
“I knew we kept you around for a good reason,” Melena said, grinning at him.
“I’m just here to eat your food in exchange for bringing your friend to you.”
The sensor lifted her brows. “Don’t pretend you did it for me. I’d barely told you what happened and where Cori was before you hung up and flashed there.”
He set his pizza slice down. “You gave me a place to stay when I didn’t have one, and you helped me find a new home. I owed you.”
“Which is why you’ve started teaching Tormod and my daughter how to track people in the woods around Cori’s house?” Melena snorted. “You forget I can read right through your lies.”
He’d barely begun training them, and she’d already found out? Bartol stood. “I do not have to put up with this.”
“There’s ice cream in the freezer if you stay,” Melena said, gesturing toward the refrigerator.
He glanced across the kitchen, tempted by the offering. More than once, Bartol had thought about stocking up on ice cream for his own home. The trick would be staying in a grocery store long enough to do it. There were so many things he wanted to buy in there, but his aversion to people still gripped him too tightly. The most he could do was grab the bare essentials.
“I suggest you finish your conversation quickly,” he warned, glancing at both women, “because after I finish my ice cream, I’m taking Cori home…whether she is ready or not.”
“Wow, somebody is grouchy tonight,” Emily said, coming into the kitchen.
Tormod followed behind her. “We did a sweep around Cori’s cabin before we left, but we didn’t sense any vampires within a mile of the place.”
Bartol nodded at him. “Thank you.”
“I could stay with you tonight if that would help,” Emily offered, looking at Cori.
“No,” she said. “Once I’m in the house I’ll be fine, and even if Griff does show up outside, I can just call Bartol. I’d rather not put you in any unnecessary danger.”
“Agreed,” he said, pleased to see the woman had that much sense.
Bartol headed for the freezer and took out a couple of ice cream sandwiches, tossing one to Tormod. The nerou caught it deftly in his right hand. Despite his initial reluctance to work with Bartol, he’d done well over the past two days. The young man deserved a small reward.
“Thanks,” Tormod said, studying the package of ice cream as if he’d never seen it before.
Emily gave him an amused look. “Just take the wrapping off and eat what’s inside.”
“There are so many ways to respond to that.” He cleared his throat when Melena shot him a dark look. “But I won’t say them.”
Emily punched his arm. “Don’t be an ass.”
Bartol settled back on his stool and began eating his ice cream sandwich while Cori and Melena worked out the details for how to track down Griff’s father. It was possible he didn’t live in the same place, but the sensor could look him up while she was at her Department of Homeland Security office the next day. Emily suggested looking the man up on the internet—a reference Bartol still didn’t understand—but Melena said her database would be more up to date. He pretended to follow what they were talking about. Thankfully no one noticed his confusion.
He finished his ice cream. “It’s time to go.”
