Page 61 of Destined for Shadows
Bartol’s cell phone rang. He checked the screen and gave her an apologetic look. “Just a moment.”
While he went outside to talk on the phone, she pulled herself together. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d allowed herself to fall apart in front of a man. With Bartol, it was becoming easier with each passing day to let her guard down. Cori needed to get a grip on herself and stop leaning on him for support. He was immortal. For his own sake, he needed to keep his distance from her because she would die someday—probably sooner rather than later. She wouldn’t have minded sleeping with him a time or two, but now she feared she could actually get attached to him. Neither of them could afford that.
Cori stood, her gaze catching on the broken coffee mug near the kitchen doorway. She wasn’t about to leave that mess, especially since she wanted more coffee. Heading to the hall closet, she grabbed a broom and dustpan to clean it up. She had to take care since some of the shards nearly made it to the living room couch, and she still didn’t have any shoes on. After finishing, she dampened a washcloth and scrubbed her feet.
Bartol came back inside and joined her in the kitchen. “That was Melena.”
“What did she say?” Cori asked, rinsing out the washcloth.
“The sensor informed me that they found a young vampire who looks like Griff, but she isn’t sure it’s him,” Bartol said, watching her reaction closely. “She believes it would be better for you to see the vampire for yourself.”
Cori stilled. “Why don’t they think the vampire is him?”
“According to Melena, he was only made five or six months ago.”
She mulled that over. Was it possible Griff had survived her attack without becoming a vampire, and he was turned later? With the wounds she’d left him, she couldn’t imagine how, but stranger things had happened.
Cori shut off the water and set the washcloth aside. “Give me a few minutes to put my shoes on and then we can go.”
“Not yet.” Bartol shook his head. “The vampire is very young. He won’t wake for at least five or six more hours, and if we want to talk to him, it would be best to go when he is conscious.”
“You can’t force him awake?”
“We could,” Bartol said, crossing his arms. “But a new vampire forcibly woken at this time of day will be feral. It’s a self-defense mechanism because the only reason they should arise when the sun is high is to defend themselves. They can’t think clearly until closer to sunset.”
“I can still go over there to look at him and see if it’s Griff. We can wait around for him to wake up after that,” Cori argued. More than anything, she wanted to believe this nightmare was over and that they’d finally captured her ex-husband. She needed to see for herself.
Bartol’s expression hardened. “You need a little more rest.”
“I told you I’m fine!”
“The vampire is being held at Derrick’s house.” He took a step closer to her. “Until I’m satisfied you’re strong enough, I’m not letting you into a house full of vampires, werewolves, and anything else that might be staying there currently.”
She blanched. “They brought him to Derrick’s?”
“There are dungeon cells in the basement there with chains to hold him and no windows that would let sunlight inside. Melena and Lucas felt it was the best choice, especially since this is still Derrick’s territory, and he’s been cooperating with us.”
Cori supposed that much made sense. “I don’t see what difference a few hours is going to make with my health.”
“For one thing,” he said, heading to her refrigerator. “You haven’t eaten in almost two days, and you are nowhere near full strength yet.” Bartol jerked the door open and started grabbing random food items to put on the counter.
“What are you doing?” she asked, aghast. The pile continued to grow until it could almost feed an army.
“If you will not prepare a meal for yourself, then I will do it.”
He was determined to make her eat and since he was her transportation out of here, he wasn’t leaving her many choices. She stomped closer and crowded him until he stepped away from the fridge. “You don’t even know how to cook most of this!”
“Then save me from it,” he said, a determined glint in his eyes
Cori had no doubt he’d cook if she didn’t. It was sort of endearing that he’d do anything to make certain she ate if not for the fact she wanted to get to Derrick’s and see if the prisoner there was Griff. “Fine. I’ll cook.”
Bartol’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Let me know if you need any help.”
As he started to leave the kitchen, she called him back. “You’re not getting off that easy. No one learns to cook without getting their hands dirty, so get back in here and watch what I do.”
His face morphed into a martyred expression. Good. If they couldn’t leave yet, then he could be as miserable as her. Cori started sorting through the items he’d pulled from the fridge, keeping the eggs, cheese, and a few other items out while returning the rest. For the vegetables, she put them aside and pulled out a chopping board and knife.
“Start dicing these,” she ordered. “I assume in the last eighteen hundred years you at least picked up that skill.”
“Yes,” he growled, and without her having to tell him, he washed the tomatoes first. As he began chopping, Bartol glanced over at her. “There is one other thing you should know.”
“What’s that?”
He kept his gaze down on the cutting board. “Your truck is ready. We’ll stop by and pick it up on the way to Derrick’s.”
Cori wanted to have her own transportation again more than anything, but she knew damn well he’d only brought it up as another delay tactic. He’d keep her away from that house for as long as possible—likely to give Melena time to interrogate the vampire first. But something told her it was about more than that. Could it have been that he was worried about how she’d handle whoever was locked in that basement? Had she opened up too much to him today, and now he saw her as weak? Cori had a lot to think about as she and Bartol prepared a late breakfast for themselves.
