He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “I know.” He would make certain of it.
Cass smiled, and she walked inside, leaving him to follow. “You mind if I take a quick shower?”
“No.” He closed the door and reset his wards to sentry mode as she headed toward the bedroom. Not that he expected unwanted company, but you never knew who would drop by. He tossed his keys on the counter and set the books on one of the barstools as she disappeared. “You hungry?” Grayson called out as he went to the refrigerator and opened it.
“Not really. If you have tea, I’ll take that.”
He closed the fridge and turned to his cupboard. After digging behind a box of cereal, he found what he was looking for. “I’ve got orange spice, Earl Grey, and one called wild raspberry hibiscus.”
“The raspberry works.”
“Got it.” He pulled it out then unearthed an electric teakettle his sister had given him after swearing that microwaving water for tea was uncivilized.
He heard the shower go on as he set the kettle to heat. Grayson leaned against the counter and pulled out his phone. He was about to check his notifications when someone knocked on the door. He straightened, tension coiling through him. It was late, too late for a casual visitor, and Zane would have given him a heads-up if he was on his way over. A check of the wards showed a steady, uninterrupted green, not the angry red indicating a threat. Like many Keys, he understood the value of a security system that was both proactive and reactive.
Wary, he reached for his magic and the invisible weave of spells that protected his home. He got to the door and, with one hand on the handle, pressed his other to the door’s surface. His magic hummed back, steady and quiet.
He checked the Judas hole and jerked back with a hiss. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He undid the locks, yanked the door open, and then kept his body solidly in the opening. “What the hell are you doing here?”
The man on the other side was an older version of him, just a bit wirier and more worn down. There was gray in his hair and a hint of hollowness in his dark eyes. “Hello, son.”
“Why are you here, Dad?”
Dylan Beck took no offense at the less-than-welcoming question. “Because if I called, you wouldn’t pick up.”
Grayson refused to deny or apologize. “I’m busy.”
“So I’ve heard,” Dylan deadpanned.
Grayson narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Can I come in?” his father asked.
Grayson folded his arms. “It’s almost eleven.”
“And I’ve been waiting since nine.”
Grayson clenched his teeth, locking down the growl that wanted to escape. His father wasn’t going away. “Fine.” He dropped his arms, stepped back, and waved the man in. As Dylan crossed the threshold, Grayson said, “I’ve got company, so make this quick.”
He closed the door then stalked down the short hall to find his dad standing at the counter bar, his attention shifting from the books on the stool to Grayson. Grayson fought the urge to snatch up the books. Instead, he went to his bedroom door, through which he could still hear Cass’s shower, pulled it closed, and retraced his steps. He stopped a few feet from his dad, who had used a finger to lift the cover on the top book.
Dylan stared down at the pages. “Why are you messing with Cabal spells?”
“I’m a Key. Spells are my business.”
The older man let the cover go and studied him, his expression hard and his eyes dark as a muscle jumped in his clean-shaven jaw.
Years before, that look would have made Grayson flinch. Now he didn’t give the first damn what his dad saw. He just wanted him gone. He stood with his arms folded and waited for the old man to start talking. It didn’t take long.
“I got an unexpected call today.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Like I’m a kid or something. Grayson blew out a frustrated breath. “Burton.”
Dylan’s gaze went to the closed door and then came back. “What are you doing working with the Ambroses, boy?” he asked grimly.
Grayson narrowed his eyes as his temper started to churn, but he held it in check. “First, I’m not a damn boy. Second, none of your business.”
“It is my business when it appears my son is following his mother’s footsteps.”
