Page 24 of Moody as a Minotaur

I glanced at Gage. I expected him to be glaring at the petite woman with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like a bouncer at a bar. Instead, I swore he was fighting a smile.

“I’m glad you are safe, Mrs. Girard,” the demon said when we got close to the vehicle.

She tilted her chin up. “That’sMs. Girard. I’m not defined by any man.”

“Fair enough.” Gage nodded. Now he was smiling too. “My apologies. I hope you have a good night.”

The demon turned on his heel and walked to the inn like he didn’t have a worry in the world. But I knew better. Someone would be watching to make sure that Edith Girard got into Parker’s vehicle and left.

None of us spoke on the drive through town. When we arrived back at the parking lot behind the Flying Rowan Café, Parker’s grandmother exited the vehicle and slipped through the door to his apartment like nothing had happened.

Parker dropped his head to the steering wheel. “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know what is wrong with her. I know she isn’t senile because she’s always been this way, but…”

I patted his back awkwardly. “It’s okay. She’s safe. That’s the important thing.”

And it didn’t sound like she’d seen anything. That was evenmoreimportant.

“I’m sorry you felt like you had to help me look for her. It’s so late…”

“I didn’t mind,” I said. And it was true. I’d wanted to help him. I always did. I liked spending time with him, which was usually why I didn’t. He was too tempting.

But it wasn’t a hardship.

Tonight, though, I’d also had ulterior motives, and that made me feel like I was lying to Parker. I didn’t like that. I hated Van, and I hated his ridiculous request that had put me in this position.

Parker sat up, and I pulled my hand away. Our gazes locked for one moment. His eyes were so beautiful; even in the shadowy interior of his car I found them mesmerizing. My pulse quickened. My leg tingled from where he’d touched me earlier. As the moment stretched longer, I half expected him to lean across that console again.

He yawned.

“I should… uh…” He motioned to his apartment.

I nodded. “Right. I’ll see you in the morning. I think we’ll both need coffee tomorrow.”

“You got that right,” Parker said. “And thank you, Levi. I mean it. Your coffee is on me for the rest of the week.”

“You don’t need to do that.” I waved off his offer.

“And call me. Any time you need something, I’m there. I promise,” he said.

I wanted to tell him I would always be there for him too. All he had to do was ask.

Instead, I walked away. I couldn’t make promises to him. He didn’t know anything about me and never could.I was already closer to him than I should have been. I needed to pull back. I hoped it wasn’t too late already.

8

MOUTHWATERING CRAVINGS FOR… COFFEE. REALLY.

LEVI

Shortly after nine in the morning, movement in one of the hunters’ rooms caught my attention. My eyes were gritty from staring across the parking lot from my office all night, but I stared at the flutter of the curtain anyway.

Teague was hiding out there somewhere, and no one had asked me to offer backup, but I couldn’t stop myself. The death mage had been up all night and had lost the hunters at least once already. An extra pair of eyes couldn’t hurt. Besides, it gave me something else to do besides fret over how to infiltrate a group of hunters.

Unsurprisingly, I had come up with exactly zero ideas.

Van had texted an hour or so ago to say Nelson would be coming soon to assist Teague, but the shadow jumper hadn’t shown up yet. Once he arrived, I’d be able to stop my vigil.

Nelson wasn’t the most approachable guy in theworld. His personal aesthetic was more like a villain in an action-adventure movie than heroic. His perpetually dark mood matched his clothing, but his magic was perfect for surveillance. When he took on his alternate form, he became a shadow. A literal shadow.