“Or maybe you can be gay. Like I said, he’s my kid. He can wear whatever the hell he wants and grow up to kiss whoever the hell he wants.”
I rocked with laughter. “You say that now, but just wait until he brings home a Vampire.”
“Or a shoe salesman,” Wyatt added.
“Or a dominatrix,” I said, raising my bag.
Shepherd sighed. “You two knuckleheads wait outside while I pay.” He turned on his heel and barked at the salesman, “We’ll take both. And get him the blinking ones he was wearing earlier.”
Hunter’s eyes lit up when he realized he was going home with the shoes. As Roger gathered up all the boxes and tissue paper, Hunter ran to Shepherd and wrapped his arms around his middle. Shepherd’s gloved hand rumpled the little boy’s black hair.
As soon as Wyatt and I reached the balcony outside, I set down my bags and rested my arms on the metal rail. Weekdays weren’t very crowded, but I still enjoyed watching people going about their normal lives.
Wyatt tucked in the rest of his vintage green T-shirt with a Centipede game logo on the front. “Malls used to be hot spots, but that was before your time.”
“I’m surprised this one is still around since most of them are closing.”
“Not in Cognito. Immortals are the only ones keeping these places alive. We’re nostalgic and like to hold on to relics from our past. One day when you’re older, you’ll understand.”
“Whatever you say, grandpa.”
Wyatt watched a man trying on a hat down below. “Immortals do a lot of shopping here, and a few of them own some of the little stores. Like that arcade I was in. The owner’s a Shifter who was once a pinball champion. I guess you’ve never heard of pinball.”
I turned my gaze at a tall blond man walking jauntily toward the food court on our right. Did he have golden eyes? A Vampire smiled up at me from the jewelry shop on the first floor.
“Quit eavesdropping,” I muttered. “Mind your own damn business.”
He feigned a look of surprise before steering his black eyes away.
“Immortals, huh? No wonder everyone looks like zombies,” I said.
“I’m just bummed they shut down the cookie shop. Everyone’s trying to be healthy,” Wyatt said, making air quotes with his fingers.
“I think I just saw Niko by the glass elevator.” I picked up my bags and headed left.
Wyatt caught up. “Excited about your mission?”
“Sure, but why does it seem like I’m always the bait?”
“Blue was bait at Patrick’s party. Before you came along, that was her job. Viktor likes her fighting skills, but she’s a better tracker. When we started following rumors about the Shadow,” he said, making air quotes again, “and learned more about you, Viktor decided we needed some hard-core people on the team. It used to be Shep and Christian, but Viktor didn’t want Shep doing dangerous stuff all the time. Much to his dismay.”
“No doubt. He’s got an arsenal in his bedroom.”
“Yeah. So now Viktor puts him on jobs that require Sensor skills. Like touching dead bodies and murder weapons. But he also helps me out with research.”
“I think we found Claude.”
We both stopped dead in our tracks and stared at the leather chairs by one of the crossover points. Claude had his legs tucked inside slots on the footrest of the recliner, his eyes closed. A woman eating ice cream on a nearby bench was licking her plastic spoon and gawking at him as ifhewere the dessert.
Wyatt folded his arms. “Hey, Valentine. You practicing for your new job?”
Claude opened his luminous eyes and wet his lips, a blissful expression on his face. “What do you mean?”
Wyatt gestured toward Claude’s massive erection.
When Claude looked down, he behaved as if he had no clue how that thing got inside his fitted grey sweatpants. He yanked his bag off the chair next to him and held it over his lap.
“That’s one of those massaging chairs, isn’t it?” Wyatt cackled. “That’s a therapy session I ain’t got time for.”
