Page 29 of Destined for Shadows
Kerbasi sighed and lowered his head. “Ever since you returned, I’ve waited for an opportunity to tell you that if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t have made it permanent.”
“Kerbasi,” Melena screamed from across the yard. “That is not how you make an apology! We’ve practiced this a hundred times, and you still managed to screw it up.”
The guardian shot her an annoyed look. “It’s not as easy now that I have to look at him. I’m trying.”
“And failing miserably. If you want to keep your shack in the backyard, you better try a whole hell of a lot harder,” she replied.
It still amazed Bartol that a woman who’d only recently become immortal and lacked any major power could get away with talking to the guardian like he was a child. Not only that, but Kerbasi put up with it and listened to her. How had Melena managed such a feat? What had she done to break through the guardian’s icy exterior and nonexistent heart?
“What I’m trying to say is…” Kerbasi began.
Unable to listen to another fake apology, Bartol leaped off the porch and sent his fist flying. His knuckles connected with Kerbasi’s jaw and sent him sailing ten feet through the air. The guardian landed on his backside and continued to slide for a few more feet before coming to a stop.
He rubbed his jaw. “I suppose I deserved that.”
Damned right he did.
“Come near me again,” Bartol growled. “And I won’t stop until there is nothing left of your face—maybe not even then.”
“I really am sorry,” Kerbasi said wretchedly, then flashed away.
Bartol let out a sigh of relief, then turned to find Melena and Cori gaping at him from the lawn. “What are you looking at?” he barked.
“A man who finally grew a pair,” Cori answered.
“A pair of what?” he asked, though he suspected the answer.
She grinned, climbing to her feet. “You know exactly what I mean. I don’t suppose there is any chance you’ll drop your pants so I can see how big they’ve grown?”
He decided he liked her better when she was ill. “You have vomit on your shirt.”
Her gaze dropped, and he took the opportunity to escape into the house. The damn women didn’t need him around to talk to each other. Bartol wouldn’t bother staying at all if he didn’t want to make certain Cori got home safely later.
Once he was inside, he headed for the kitchen, deciding Melena owed him food for all his trouble coming to her home. He and Tormod had been distracted from eating their dinner when they got the call about Cori, and he’d never gotten a chance to eat.
Bartol inspected the refrigerator, finding several slices of leftover pizza. While he warmed them in the microwave—one of the few modern inventions he appreciated—he sat on a stool at the kitchen bar. At least Emily and Tormod had not made it home yet so he could have a few moments of peace. Lucas was likely still at the nerou compound. From what Bartol understood, he had to work late there often. Micah—Lucas’ twin brother who also lived in the house—was nowhere to be seen either. He must have been with the nerou as well. It was Bartol’s luck that the only one with the night off was Kerbasi.
He was just pulling the pizza from the microwave when Cori and Melena came into the house, joining him in the kitchen. He pretended not to notice them as he sat down to eat his food. If they wanted to talk, they’d do it without his participation.
“So I talked to Derrick, and he said there have been at least a dozen young vampires who’ve shown up in Fairbanks in the last month, but only half of them have petitioned to stay in town. None of those fit the description of your ex-husband, though,” Melena said, taking a seat across from Bartol.
Cori sat down next to her. “How is he keeping track of the ones who haven’t checked in with him?”
“He’s got informants.”
“Could he ask them if they’ve seen anyone who looks like Griff?”
Melena sighed. “It would help if we had a picture.”
“And because I burned them all I don’t have one,” Cori replied, glancing at Bartol who had a piece of pizza halfway into his mouth.
He glowered at her until she looked away. If she thought he’d already forgiven her for that earlier comment about his appendages, she was mistaken. He intended to hold onto that for some time.
“Does Griff have any family in town who might have a photo of him?” Melena asked.
“I’m fairly certain his parents are still alive. Assuming they haven’t moved, their place isn’t too far from here, but there’s no way I’m going near his father.” Cori shuddered. “He’s worse than his son.”
Bartol looked up, wondering what she meant by that. There was so much about the woman he still didn’t know that it seemed as if new details emerged every time he saw her. “Is there any chance your former husband could be staying there?”
