“It does, actually.”
She caught sight of movement across the street, and panic rushed through her veins like a cheetah chasing its dinner. When the person she suspected had been hiding in the shadows stepped out onto the sidewalk, she jumped to the side and pressed her back against the wall next to the window, her heart racing approximately a thousand beats a second.
Griffin moved so that he was not standing directly in front of the glass. “What is it? What do you see?” His gaze swept the scene outside and then his lips compressed into a thin line. “It’s him, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “He’s never come into the bar before, though. At least, not for as long as I’ve worked here.” In truth, that was one of the reasons she’d stayed on as a waitress instead of trying to find employment somewhere with hours that might make it easier to raise a child by herself. This was one place she’d always felt safe.
“Antoinette and Ketu can keep you safe from him. Why have you never asked for their help?”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t.”
“Because of this contract you signed.”
“Yes.”
“And this contract is the reason you do not seem eager to take up residence at the reeve’s home.”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
He glanced out the window again and dragged his hand through his hair. “I cannot protect you by myself. We need help.”
“I know,” she said miserably. “Putting Penelope under the colony’s protection makes sense.”
“I will speak to Oliver after all.”
“What do you mean? Why?”
“Because despite my initial reluctance, Penelope should be under the gargoyles’ protection. It’s just that I cannot speak to them until sundown. And now that Darius is wandering about right out there, I think securing you with the Rojo colony is our best option but only for the short term. Once I’ve spoken with Oliver, we can make other arrangements. Something that will keep you from feeling so frightened and yet still protect you.”
“Will you be involved in this protection?”
He cut his gaze to the side. “Likely not.”
She reached out and snagged his hand, giving it a squeeze. “You did a great job protecting Penelope. And you still are.”
He rolled his eyes. “Clearly, dragons are not held to the same inability to lie as gargoyles are. Stay here. I will go speak to Antoinette about the best way to leave the bar and get to her home without that dragon out there noticing.”
“Thank you.”
He hesitated, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if he would lean forward and press his lips to her own, and gods help her, she wanted him to with a desperation that made no sense.
Her dragon huffed. Makes total sense.
He turned away and hurried down the stairs.
By the time he returned, she and Penelope had their bags—including his—on their shoulders and were ready to go.
“Antoinette and Ketu drove here, which makes our task infinitely easier. Ketu is pulling around to the employee entrance out back, while Antoinette has gone outside to speak to Darius.”
“What?” Sofia yelped and rushed over to the window, but no one was out there. “You told them? I told you—”
Griffin shook his head. “I pretended to notice something outside while Ketu was talking, which caused Antoinette to look as well. She saw movement and became curious. I will never divulge your secrets, Sofia. I swear it on my life.”
“That’s an impressive oath, considering you’re immortal.”
He smiled that charming smile that had hooked her in the first place.
She lowered her lids. “Well, let’s get moving.”
“If you do not want to do this, say it, Sofia. We will figure something else out. However, given Darius was just standing twenty feet away, I am not comfortable staying here any longer.”
“No, you’re right. I don’t want Mitch or Bebé to be in danger. We should go. I’m just nervous, that’s all.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never been to the reeve’s mansion before.”
***
As Ketu drove down a boulevard in the lower Garden District with huge oak trees shading the road on either side, he pointed at a white on white mansion the size of a small hotel. A wide front porch lined with bright green ferns in wicker baskets ran the entire length of the residence.
“That’s where we live,” he said, and then kept driving to the end of the block, where he turned the corner and then turned again, down an alley that stretched out behind the homes.
The backyard was much larger than Sofia expected, surrounded by a ten-foot tall, white wooden fence, which she supposed made sense given the inhabitants were dragons. They could have meetings and shift back here without any of the neighbors becoming aware. Although flying away, unless it was dark, was a whole other issue.
A porch ran the length of the back of the house as well, and there were four sets of French doors that opened into the backyard. A deck with a gazebo sat underneath a massive tree draped with Spanish moss, and there was a good-sized garden claiming a sunny spot off to the side.
“Swings,” Penelope said, pointing as they stepped out from underneath the carport and headed toward the nearest set of French doors.
“Why don’t we show you to your room and then I’m sure Henri will want to play on the swings with you,” Antoinette said.
“Manman!” A little boy rushed out of the house and threw himself into Antoinette’s arms and then quickly untangled himself and hurried to hug Ketu. “Dad!”
Antoinette sniffled and waved her hand in front of her face. “Sorry. He just started calling Ketu Dad a few months ago.
