3. Adeline

THREE

Adeline filled two bowls with Rice Krispies and poured a generous amount of milk over the cereal. The girls, still in their pink pajamas, sat not three inches in front of the television screen, and for the first time in her life, Adeline didn't care.

She forced a smile as she handed each girl a bowl.

"Thanks, Mom," Deanne mumbled.

"Don't spill it," Adeline admonished gently.

She watched the girls shove a spoonful of cereal into their mouths and felt a pang of guilt rise in her chest. They should be home after waking up in their beds. They should be eating their cereal out of their bowls.

Instead, she got herself wrapped up in this conundrum with no foreseeable way out of it. She wasn't sure who she was more furious with, herself or Tobias Bower. If truth be told, she was more upset with herself.

She had responsibilities now. She had the kids to take care of. With an audible sigh, Adeline turned toward the kitchen, where a steaming mug of coffee awaited her. Maybe a little milk and too much sugar would help kick-start her morning and make her feel better.

Four tablespoons later, Adeline wasn't feeling any better. If possible, she was feeling worse the longer she sat there mulling over everything going on. She still couldn't shake the feeling the girls would be better off without her.

They deserved parents who would understand their world. They needed shifter parents. Not some idiot human, too stupid to keep them out of trouble. But the thought of losing them was enough to make her sick. She dumped her coffee down the drain after one sip.

It swirled in the sink, turning the stainless steel a muddy brown color. She watched as it was sucked down the drain before rinsing the sink out and washing the cup.

Despite Gerri getting the safe house ready for them, Adeline had never felt less at home. The brown couch with its matching throw pillows added very little color to the already small living room.

There were large gold lamps on overly large end tables on either side of the couch. The rug in the middle of the floor was faded hues of green and blue. There was some generic art on the walls, mostly of vases filled with colorful flowers and bowls of perfectly ripe fruit.

Adeline took a seat on the couch and stared at the apple in the painting. A perfectly plump, red apple. If only apples really looked like that. If only life was as picture-perfect as that painting.

If it wasn't for the television droning on in the background and the sound of spoons clanking against little teeth, Adeline wouldn't even know the girls were in the room with her. She leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

Even though it was seven in the morning, she was exhausted. She dozed off to the sound of SpongeBob and Patrick plotting in earnest at the Krusty Krab. As soothing as Tom Kenny's voice was, her daughters' excited cries jerked her awake moments later.

"Auntie Gerri!"

Adeline's eyes flew open as Gerri walked into the room wearing a very snazzy pant-suit outfit with a neon green blazer.

"You'll certainly stop traffic," Adeline said with a smile.

Gerri laughed and twirled around. "Do you like it? I just got it last week. It's Veronica Beard. I couldn't pass up the color."

"I like it," Deanne piped up. "It would look good with my Converse."

"I'm sure it would, Dee," Gerri said with a genuine smile. "Adeline? How about a cup of coffee? You look like you're ready to drop."

That question was really code for "Let's go into the kitchen and chat." Adeline pulled herself to her feet and followed Gerri to where the pot of coffee still emitted a fragrant aroma.

Gerri pulled two mugs from the cupboard and filled each almost to the brim. She pressed the cup into Adeline's hands.

"Drink. And when was the last time you ate? Why don't we get you something to munch on?" Gerri rummaged through the cabinets. "How about a protein bar? It's better than nothing. Unless you want eggs and toast. But who wants eggs when they feel like crap?" She handed Adeline a peanut butter and dark chocolate protein bar.

Adeline took it and unwrapped it. She ate it quickly before taking a sip of her coffee. Her eyes started watering. "I think I'll add some milk and sugar. Lots of milk and sugar."

"Suit yourself. Just so you know, I had some friends of mine come and take your car a few hours ago. If anyone was tracking you, now they won't be able to. It's safe, and you'll get it back when everything settles down."

Adeline nodded, a single movement to show she heard what was said. She brought the mug to her lips and took a sip before remembering she wanted it light and sweet.

"Do you think we were followed?" Adeline opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. She dumped a generous heap into her coffee before capping the gallon jug and returning it to its spot on the bottom shelf.

Gerri's eyes flashed again, turning to gold in the blink of an eye. Once again, Adeline had to wonder if she had imagined it. It caught her off guard, and she stared at those tiny blue orbs intently for longer than necessary.

Gerri's knowing smile disappeared behind her own mug. "No, I don't. However, to be on the safe side, I've hired you a bodyguard. His name is Griffin. He'll escort the three of you to his home in Burlington. You'll stay there until this catastrophe with Tobias blows over. Griffin will keep you safe."

"Where's Burlington?" Jodi asked from the doorway.

"Burlington, dear," Gerri corrected gently. "It's in Vermont, and it's the biggest city in the state. There are just under forty-five thousand people, and it's filled with tourists and travel enthusiasts. They"re always putting on festivals and craft fairs. You guys will love it. It's the best place for an extended vacation."

Adeline listened quietly from her place by the refrigerator. Just under forty-five thousand people? It sounded smaller than any big city she'd ever heard of. Manhattan had over 1.6 million people. Los Angeles had almost four million people.

Realistically, though, no city could ever compare to those two, and Burlington was much larger than her own tiny town. The sheer size alone would help them blend in. If Adeline had to take a guess, that's why Gerri wanted her in a more populated area. It would be easier to hide if there were more hiding spots and more people to block them from view.

A knock on the door had all four heads turning in the direction of the sound.

"Ah, that must be Griffin." Gerri checked her watch. "Right on schedule. I'll be right back."

Adeline took another sip of her coffee, but if truth be told, she was nervous to leave with this Griffin fellow. That was until he walked in behind Gerri. Her jaw nearly hit the floor.

His height, though unconventional, was perfectly proportionate when compared to the width of his incredibly broad shoulders. His blue eyes found hers immediately. She stared back. He was quite the specimen if ever she saw one.

Their eyes met, and Adeline felt her breath leave her body. Never in her life had she met someone so incredibly … sexy. Damn, he was sexy.

She placed her mug on the counter and cleared her throat, trying to break the cloud of lust that surrounded her. Never had she reacted to a stranger like this before. It was bizarre.

"Adeline, this is Griffin. He'll be taking over for me. Griffin, Adeline. And these are her girls, Jodi and Deanne."

"Pleasure." His voice was deep and rich … and wholly insincere. He doesn't want to be here, Adeline realized.

"It's nice to meet you," Adeline replied. "Girls, why don't you get dressed and brush your teeth? I'm going to talk to Mr. …"

"Just Griffin."

"… I'm going to talk to Griffin here, and then we're going to head out, okay?"

"C'mon, girls, I'll help you," Gerri chimed in. She took Jodi's hand and escorted the two of them through the living room to the bathroom. Adeline watched them skip off, smiling when Gerri did a heel clap before they reached the doorway.

Once they were out of earshot, Adeline gestured to a chair and waited for Griffin to take a seat.

"Coffee?" she offered.

"No, thanks." He crossed an ankle over a knee and leaned back in his chair. He was the picture of ease while she was tense and nervous.

"I'm not sure how much Gerri told you," she began, but Griffin cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Nothing. Merely that you and your daughters need protection."

Adeline snorted. "That's an understatement."

With that, she delved into the last couple of weeks, giving particularly detailed descriptions of the threatening emails and text messages she'd been receiving. Griffin sat up a little straighter as he listened to her voice quiver at the mention of the black SUV parked outside her home.

She slid her old, now deactivated phone across the table so Griffin could see for himself the extent of the threatening messages. The muscles in his jaw twitched as he scrolled through the texts. Something about that made her feel oddly safe as if maybe she could trust this stranger after all.

He arched a brow at the mention of her tormentor's name. "Tobias Bower, you say?"

Adeline frowned and nodded. "I'm not sure if he, himself, is sending these messages, but yes. Do you know him?"

Griffin scoffed. "He's a shifter, didn't you know? And he's known throughout our community as a piece of sh … Sorry, as a bad guy."

She arched a dark brow in surprise. "You can say shit. I won't be offended. And no, I didn't know he was a shifter. He's worth billions. Billions!" She flung her hands up in frustration. "Once all the information I downloaded can be decrypted, I guarantee Tobias will get arrested. I'd stake my life on it."

She leaned closer to Griffin, speaking earnestly. "I've got everything saved, but it needs to be decoded. I'd also really like to know how they figured out it was me. Never, in all my years of hacking, have I been caught. And believe me, I've been in some sketchy situations, but I've always managed to cover my tracks."

"I'm sure we'll figure it out. It's just going to take time," Griffin said. "I think it's incredible you got as far as you did. No one has managed to take Tobias down yet, and many have tried. You've gotten a lot further than anyone I know of. It'll all be worth it in the end if you succeed. And I'll help you in any way I can. I'm sure Gerri will also. You have a lot of people in your corner, Adeline."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Her fear of being killed was tangible.

"It's going to be okay," he added.

She blew out a breath. "I hope so. If not for me, then for my girls. I want, more than anything, for them to grow up happy and healthy. I don't want this to interfere with their mental well-being."

"We'll make sure it doesn't," he said with conviction. "Those kids will be fine. And so will you."

"God, I hope so. And you really think you can keep me safe? More importantly, you really think you can keep my girls safe?"

Her question lingered in the air. The silence enveloped them as Adeline waited for Griffin's answer.