“The thing is…” She glanced at Penelope, who was still parked on the couch next to him but appeared engrossed in the picture book she was flipping through, one arm wrapped around Pinky. Sofia recognized the signs; the child was due for her nap soon.
“I need to put her down.” She pointed at the quiet little girl.
Griffin glanced down at her and his face brightened with a soft smile that stole Sofia’s breath away. If only he’d stayed or, at the very least, made contact sooner than four years later. And on his own, instead of at the behest of his boss.
Wait, what was she thinking? He hadn’t confirmed her accusation that he’d slept with her as insurance to make sure she took on the role of parent for Penelope, but neither did he deny it, and based on her experiences whenever her brother came around, a lack of denial was as good as admitting one’s guilt.
“Can I help?”
Sofia shook her head. “I’m lucky. She goes down pretty easy.”
He pushed off the couch, wincing only a little and not wobbling at all. “Then let me do it. You relax.” He pointed at her. “And figure out how you’re going to tell me about your brother.”
She opened her mouth, but he turned his back and reached for Penelope, who, without hesitation, allowed herself to be scooped into his arms. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and gave Sofia a little wave as Griffin carried her down the hall toward her bedroom.
Sofia was so distracted by the sweetness of that moment that she totally didn’t prepare for his inevitable return to the living room, and was startled out of her reverie when he said, “Okay, I’m ready to hear the story now.”
“I can’t.” She headed into the kitchen to retrieve a second lowball glass. Unlike him, she wasn’t accustomed to drinking tequila straight, so she added mixers and ice before turning to return to the living room.
Except he’d followed her into the kitchen and was now leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes glittering with determination. Four years ago, when she’d willingly and happily fallen into bed with him, he’d had that same look on his face, laced with lust. This version was no less compelling, unfortunately.
“I said I can’t.” She skirted around him so that she could snag the bottle of tequila from the coffee table and then returned to drop into a chair at the kitchen table. “I signed a contract. I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
He stalked over and sat down across from her. “Well, if that doesn’t provoke serious curiosity, I cannot imagine what would. So, you signed a contract with your own brother, who you are obviously afraid of. What did you get out of this contract?”
“His promise to stay away from me. And Penelope. Although he doesn’t know she exists, which is why I agreed to the contract.”
“Why would it be bad for your brother to know he has a niece, adopted or otherwise? Or is the fact that she is not a dragon the issue?”
Sofia shook her head. “I don’t even know if that would matter. I just…I can’t tell you, Griffin. Please don’t pressure me.”
He sat back in his chair, as if her words alone were enough for him to back off. “Okay.”
Apparently they were. She took a sip of her drink. “Thank you.”
He abruptly stood and faced the window, raking his hand through his hair. “This is a huge complication, especially since I don’t even know what exactly it all means.”
“I’m sorry. I just… I honestly don’t think Darius showing up has anything to do with Penelope, if that helps.”
“It does. If you’re sure?” He turned around and gave her an earnest look.
“I’m sure.”
“So we’re dealing with two separate issues. Does he know where you live?”
She hesitated. “If he found me at that park, it makes me think he’s been watching me. We go there a lot.”
“Which means it’s very likely he’s followed you back here at some point. Shit.” He paced over to the table and splashed tequila into his glass, lifted it to his lips, and swallowed. “I don’t like this. I feel like we’re sitting ducks here. We could go to the City of the Dead, but if there are humans around, Oliver won’t be able to shift to speak to us.” He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “And we have seven hours before the cemetery closes to tourists. Where else can we hide?”
Sofia twined her fingers together and considered their options. She’d never once in her entire life reached out to the reeve of the Rojo colony—not the one who was her father and didn’t know it nor the current one. Asking for help now, after all these years, seemed like it would be more hassle than it was worth. The only other person she could think of who might help was…
“Mitch. For whatever reason, Darius has never stepped foot into his bar. I don’t know why.” Although she had her suspicions. Mitch had never been tolerant of Darius’s drug trade, and he actively supported those who opposed it.
“Looks like we’re taking the kid to a bar.”
***
Despite the fact that Sofia had called off for tonight, Mitch wasn’t upset when she showed up in the middle of the afternoon with Penelope and Griffin in tow.
“How’s my baby girl?” he cooed at Penelope, who rubbed her eyes and hugged her stuffed dragon while she looked around at the dim interior of the bar. She’d woken when Griffin pulled her out of bed and placed her in the back seat of Sofia’s car, but then she’d promptly fallen back asleep until he lifted her out again and carried her into the bar.
“Just woke up from her nap,” Sofia said, and then she introduced Mitch and
