Page 17 of Let Go My Gargoyle
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 Griffin.
“You’re the one Sofia tripped over,” Mitch said. “Thanks for paying for the broken glasses.”
Griffin glanced down at her and arched his brows but did not correct the owner. She needed to remember to thank him for that.
“So what’s going on?” Mitch asked.
“I’m sorry for calling off,” Sofia said and then cleared her throat. “We have a situation. I-I’m not sure it’s safe to be at my house right now.”
She could tell Mitch wanted to ask, but instead, he nodded and said, “You want to hang out down here or head upstairs?”
“What’s upstairs?” Griffin asked, looking up at the ceiling.
“An apartment. Bebé and I lived there when we first opened the place. We use it as rental income now, but it’s currently empty. You’re welcome to it for as long as you need it.”
At Griffin’s insistence, Sofia had packed a bag for both herself and Penelope in case they were not able to return to her house for a few days. Staying in Mitch’s apartment was as close to the perfect alternative as they were going to get. Darius wouldn’t think to look for her there, and they were only a few blocks from the City of the Dead.
The apartment was small, maybe six hundred square feet at the most. The kitchen encompassed one corner; the living room stretched across the front, with a row of windows overlooking the street below. An open doorway gave them a glimpse at the only bed in the entire place.
Hopefully, they wouldn’t be here long enough to have to work out sleeping arrangements.
Griffin placed his hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her forward so that he could step inside. She saw him glance at the bedroom, and then, as if reading her mind, said, “Relax, Sofia. I’m a gargoyle, remember? If we stay here long enough that it will be an issue, I’m perfectly capable of shifting into my stone form for the night, so you can sleep in peace.” And then he arched his brows. “Although I much prefer sleeping while in human form—and in a bed at that.”
Yeah, right, fat chance that’d happen. The sleeping comfortably bit, she meant.
For one thing, she had to figure out why Darius had popped back into her life. And then she had to deal with the fact that her adopted daughter would soon be training to become a lethal weapon for all of witchkind.
And then there was the fact that, since he’d shown up last night, she couldn’t stop thinking about what it had been like to share a bed with Griffin.
If she were able to sleep at all, it certainly wouldn’t be peaceful.
