by Susan Illene
“I’ll call Melena and see if she’s got any other suggestions for what to do,” Cori said, wondering if she could talk the sensor into doing an active search with her supernatural radar. It would be massively time-consuming, especially with Mel’s schedule already being rather busy, but even if she just spent an hour or two per day scanning areas with her senses, it might turn up something.
“No need. I already talked to her, and we came up with a simple solution.”
Cori lifted a brow. “What’s that?”
“Do you know the mystic, Yvonne?” he asked.
“Yeah.” An image entered her mind of an older woman who used to run a tarot card reading place at Pioneer Park until her health forced her to stay closer to home. Yvonne could still do some powerful magic, but she tried to limit her activities these days since it took a heavy toll on her. “What about her?”
“If you have something meaningful that used to belong to your former husband, the mystic might be able to use it to track him,” Bartol said, then his expression soured. “But it would need to have strong emotional significance to him for the connection to work.”
Cori considered it. She hated to bother the older woman with her problems at all, but Griff would likely escalate his attacks from here on out. They needed to do something soon to stop him before things got any worse. “I still have our old wedding rings.”
“You kept them?” Bartol asked, surprised.
“Yeah. To remind myself why I should never get married again or emotionally involved with a man who could use my feelings against me.” She threw the blankets off of herself and hopped out of bed, letting Bartol see that all she wore was cream lace underwear with the matching camisole. Cori gave him a saucy look. “But fucking is still on the table.”
His face reddened, and he took a step back. “There are far more suitable men than me for you to slake your needs.”
Cori took a few steps closer, noting he practically strained to stand still and not run away. She stopped right in front of him and let him get a good look at her. The man was never going to get over his fear of being close to people if she didn’t do something to help him along. She spoke in a low, husky tone, “Don’t sell yourself short, Bartol. I have complete faith that you are worth ten regular men in bed.”
He worked his throat, and his gaze dipped to the swell of her breasts where they rose from her camisole. His attention lingered there for a long moment before he met her eyes again. “I’ll give you an hour—be ready when I return.”
“Sure,” she agreed, cocking her head to the side. “Clothes or no clothes?”
“Be fully dressed,” he growled.
Before she could respond, he flashed away. She checked the clock on her nightstand and realized it was barely eight in the morning. Couldn’t the man have come a little later? It wasn’t like they had to account for driving time, and she didn’t have to be at work until shortly before noon. Something told her he was a morning person, whereas she was a night owl. Thank God she wasn’t looking for a lasting relationship, or they’d never work out.
***
They arrived on the lawn in front of Yvonne’s house—a quaint place in the midst of a forest with no other homes nearby. Bartol’s arms were wrapped around Cori’s waist where he’d held her while flashing. In his usual fashion, he tried to jerk away once she stopped swaying from dizziness, but she gripped his wrists to stop him.
“It feels good when we’re close together like this,” she said, craning her neck around to bat her eyelashes at him. “Don’t you think?”
He leaped away from her like she’d just burst into fire. “No. It does not.”
It was too bad Melena wasn’t around to confirm whether he was lying or telling the truth. “If you say so.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You must cease with these flirtations. I’m not interested.”
“Not even a little?”
Bartol rubbed his face, taking a few seconds to answer. “Hardly.”
Cori chose to take that as an admission that there was at least something going on between them. She’d seen his expression when she’d climbed out of her bed and come toward him. The abuse he’d suffered in Purgatory might make him want to avoid physical contact, but the man still had needs.
While she wasn’t one to throw herself at just anyone, there was something about him that attracted her. Not enough to make a lifetime commitment, which would be impossible anyway with him being immortal, but she wanted to help him get past his trauma. Maybe if she did that, there would be hope for her as well. The primary difference between them being she hid her pain and fears better—most of the time, anyway. Griff resurfacing recently didn’t make things easier, but hopefully he’d be gone soon.
That thought reminded her why they were here. “Fine, pretend you don’t like me if that makes you feel better. Let’s just go talk to Yvonne.”
Bartol opened his mouth and shut it. Seeing he wasn’t going to refute her, she spun on her heels. He trailed behind her as they made their way up to the front door. Most houses in Alaska were built off the ground because of the heavy snow that lingered all winter. A lot of people had front steps of some sort, and this place was no exception. After reaching the top, she rang the doorbell. It took a full minute before anyone answered, and when they did, it was the mystic’s daughter rather than Yvonne.
“Hey, Diane.” Cori smiled at the middle-aged woman with long, dark brown hair that showed hints of gray. She was short and a little on the plump side, but she carried her weight well, and she had the sweetest heart-shaped face that instantly made you want to befriend her. “Sorry to bother you, but we need to talk to Yvonne.”
Diane looked at her with an exhausted expression. “My mother is in the hospital. She had a heart attack last night, and she’s been in and out of consciousness ever since. I just came home to pick up a few things before going back.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Cori apologized, feeling awful that they’d disturbed the woman during such a horrible time. If not for the fact that traveling with Bartol was so quick and easy, she might have at least called before coming. “Is Yvonne going to be okay?”
Diane rubbed her face. “The doctors are hopeful, but it’s too early to tell yet.”
“Is your son with her?” Cori hadn’t seen any sign of the teenager.
“Yes.” She nodded. “He volunteered to stay while I came home. I think he’s even more worried than me about Mom, but I think she’s still got a few years left in her—if she takes it easy.”
Something told Cori that the woman wasn’t guessing and may have “known” that to be true. Diane was a mystic as well with her own special powers. Too bad this wasn’t a good time to ask her for help instead.
“Okay, well, we’ll just go. Sorry again to have disturbed you, and please tell your mother that I hope she gets better soon.” Cori started to turn away.
“Wait,” Diane said.
She turned back and gave the mystic an inquiring look.
“Give me your hand.” She reached out hers. “I feel there’s something I need to tell you, but I just can’t quite…” she trailed off.
A chill ran down Cori’s spine. Even though she’d been around supernaturals and magic for well over a year, some things still gave her the creeps. A woman with the power to “see” into a person’s future was one of those things. Diane was known for making dire predictions, which was why she rarely used her abilities and preferred to work a normal job instead.
After a moment more of hesitating, Cori gave the mystic her hand. They stood staring into each other’s gazes for more than a minute before breaking apart. Diane let out a long breath that she’d apparently been holding. “You’re in danger, though I suspect you know that. There are many difficult paths that lie ahead, and I can’t say which is the one you will take because that remains unclear, but none of them will be easy. Some will even lead to your death. The one thing you must know above all else is that you cannot survive the transition into bec
oming a vampire, so do not even attempt it.” The woman turned her gaze to Bartol. “If you protect her, she might stand a chance.”
Cori gulped. She hadn’t ever considered turning into a vampire—primarily because it was too dangerous. Only half of the people who tried it survived, and those that didn’t suffered horrific pain before succumbing to death. Except for those who didn’t care about the odds, most humans didn’t consider it unless they were already at death’s door. That would be the only reason Cori might make the choice, at least until now. It troubled her that Diane saw that decision might come soon, especially with all the measures they were already taking to stop Griff.
“Thank you for the warning,” Cori said.
Diane nodded. “You and Melena saved my family and me once. As I recall, you hit several DHS agents over the heads with shovels to stop them from taking us.” A hint of humor took over the sadness that had been in her eyes. “Not many people—particularly humans—would have stepped into that fight. I figure I owe you this much.”
Cori remembered that day very well. She had a slight authority problem, so when she and Melena caught the DHS agents at Yvonne and Diane’s house trying to take them away, it had been the perfect excuse to take out her frustrations on the government. That was back when the Department of Homeland Security had just discovered supernaturals and were kidnapping them for study. She and Mel had worked together to stop them. It was ironic that the sensor went on to work for the agency, but the position allowed her to make sure they didn’t try something like that again.
“Are you kidding?” Cori grinned, relieved to discuss a lighter topic. “I should have paid you for the opportunity.”
Diane smiled and shook her head, then addressed Bartol. “Keep a very close eye on this one. If she’s left to her own devices, who knows what trouble she might get into.”
“Truer words have never been spoken,” the nephilim said.
“Hey.” Cori slapped him in the chest, and he jolted in surprise. “Life isn’t worth living if you always play it safe.”
He gave her a look that said he’d learned otherwise. “I forget how young you are.”
“No.” She lifted her chin. “You forget that my time is finite, so I have to make the most of it.”
Diane cleared her throat. “If you two don’t mind, I need to finish up here.”
“Oh, right.” Cori gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry.”
The mystic’s expression warmed. “It was nice to have my mind taken off of my own problems for a few minutes. I hope things work out for you two.”
“For us?” Bartol asked, lifting a brow.
“I think you know what I mean,” she said sagely.
While he stuttered, she shut the door.
Cori gave him a moment before asking, “So what do we do now, boss?”
“Good question.” He gave her a tired look. “But I’ll think of something.”
“I’ve got some ideas.” She ran a finger down his chest, testing him.
“I’m certain you do,” he said, and before she knew it, he’d grabbed hold of her and transported them back to her cabin. Cori barely had the chance to blink at her spinning surroundings before he disappeared.
“Damn him.” She pressed a hand to the nearest wall to keep from falling. “He’s not going to run from me forever.”
Chapter 14
Cori
“Thanks for this,” Cori said, gathering up the sandwich wrappers from their lunch.
Melena shrugged. “It’s no big deal. This was the first chance I’ve had all day to take a break, so I figured it would be nice to stop by and eat with you.”
“Uh huh.” She dumped the wrappers into the garbage can and turned back to face Melena. “And it had nothing to do with the fact you were checking on me.”
First, Bartol had lingered after he brought Cori to the shop. She hadn’t known it at first, but when she accidentally knocked over a cup of water, he was right there to catch it inches before it hit the floor. As it appeared to float there for a second, she poked where she thought his head might be and ended up jabbing him in the nose. He became visible, gave her a guilty look, and flashed away. She was reasonably certain he’d left for good after that incident because she’d moved around the store yelling obscenities and throwing things around the room. He’d never showed. Thankfully, no customers were around to see that little tantrum.
Then Bambi stopped by shortly afterward. The troll examined every picture on the wall while making snide comments and lewd remarks that scared two potential customers away. If that wasn’t bad enough, she also stunk up the shop with her pungent body odor, so Cori had to spray the place with air freshener once she was gone. It was only twenty minutes later when Melena showed up “unexpectedly” for a late lunch. She and the others had been checking in on Cori daily since Griff vandalized her truck a week ago, and Cori was nearly at her wit's end.
“It’s been a while since your ex made his last move,” Melena said, unapologetic. “He’s going to act again soon, and we need to be ready when he does.”
Cori truly appreciated her friends watching out for her. She knew it was for the best that she accept their help, but she hated that it disrupted all of their lives in the process. This was a mess she’d gotten herself into because of how she’d handled her rage against Griff years ago. It was her responsibility to deal with him and no one else’s. Having said that, she’d have to be stupid to try taking on a vampire by herself. Even she knew the odds were against her on that.
Cori took a deep breath. “You’re right. With each day that goes by I feel like it’s building to the next attack, and something tells me it won’t be my truck next time.”
“Exactly,” Melena agreed.
The shop door chimed, and a man in his late-twenties walked inside wearing a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts. He clutched a piece of paper in his hand as he ran his gaze around the room. Cori hadn’t seen him before, but he had a clean-cut appearance with short brown hair and bright green eyes. This guy had to be Hayden—a customer who’d called yesterday about getting a tattoo of a reaper. It wasn’t the most common piece people asked for, but she’d done a couple of others during her career. They’d agreed he could come by at three o’clock.
He walked confidently toward them. “Are you Cori?”
“Yes. Are you Hayden?” After he nodded, she leaned toward Melena and whispered, “This is my next appointment, so time for you to go.”
The sensor crossed her arms and glared at the man. “Why’d you choose this place to get a tattoo?”
Hayden frowned. “A friend recommended it.”
“What friend?” she asked, narrowing her blue eyes.
“Tim Markham,” he said, tensing his shoulders. “Why?”
“And you’re only here to get a tattoo? Nothing else?” Melena pressed. She’d once been an interrogator in the U.S. Army, and at times like these, it showed.
“Yeah, just the tattoo. What else would I be here for?” Hayden took a tenuous step back, looking at the sensor like she was a crazy person.
Cori cleared her throat. “I’m sorry about her. She stole some money from the mob a few months back, and as you can imagine, she’s been paranoid ever since thinking they’re going to find her.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Personally, I don’t think it would occur to them to look for her in Alaska but try telling her that.”
Hayden’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
Melena turned her attention toward the storefront window, scanning the parking lot. “You can never be too careful,” she said in a spooky voice. “They’ve got people everywhere.”
What did it say about them that one woman could make up a ridiculous lie and the other would go along with it right away, no questions asked? This was why Cori liked having the sensor as a friend.
“Should I be worried?” Hayden asked, following Melena’s gaze.
“Not at all,” Cori reassured him. “Mel is on her way out, so if the mafia attacks, we won
’t be anywhere near the crossfire and it will just be her that gets shot…or blown up. What is it they do nowadays?”
The guy laughed. Something told Cori he wasn’t buying their story anymore.
“Next time, bring a bulletproof vest with you,” Melena advised, giving him a wink. “These are dangerous times.”
After the sensor left the store, Cori examined the paper Hayden had brought with him of the reaper design he wanted. It was a simple drawing of a figure wearing a long, dark cape with a hood covering most of his face. Of course, he had a scythe propped in his hand.
“Where do you want this?” she asked.
“On my back over my left shoulder blade and about this big.” He held up his hands to demonstrate the size, which was approximately the size of a paperback book.
They negotiated payment and terms, and then Cori got to work outlining the design so she could stencil it onto his skin before beginning the tattoo itself. It felt good to concentrate on something aside from her dangerous ex-husband. She prepped her work area in the private back room, adjusting the customer’s chair into a flat position and covering it with plastic to protect it from ink and blood splatter. She also laid out the supplies she’d need including ink, a cup of distilled water, and fresh needles with tubes for her coil tattoo machine.
“Where are your other tattoos?” Cori asked as she guided Hayden inside the room and instructed him to lie on his stomach. He’d mentioned on the phone this wouldn’t be his first time.
He settled into position. “Just the one on my calf.”
She glanced down and spotted an eagle on the back of his leg. It had faded enough that it had probably been there for at least five or six years. Cori continued chatting with him as she finished setting up. Even if this wasn’t his first time, it could still be a little unnerving to let a stranger poke needles into his body. Cori preferred for her customers to be as relaxed as possible.
