Haunt (Regenerate #5)

Chapter 12

The next day goes by slowly. Mark doesn't call us in for a meeting, so I spend my morning lounging around Lorna's house. Around dinner time I go up to Lorna's kitchen and find Mark sitting on a stool there.

"Where have you been all day?" I say. "I expected at least one team meeting today."

"You know if you missed me, you only have to say so."

"I didn't miss you," I say. "I was bored."

"Well I happen to have a day job," Mark says. "I do need to attend to business matters there from time to time."

"Unfortunately you just missed Lorna," I say.

"Who said I was here to see Lorna?"

I roll my eyes. "Wow, Mark. I sort of thought after yesterday you'd be able to take a hint."

He cocks his head to the side. "You called me Mark."

"That is your name," I say. "I'm sure I could find some other descriptors to use to refer to you, though."

"I like it when you call me Anthony," he says.

"And maybe I'll be inclined to call you Anthony when I'm less cross with you."

He leans back a little. "I actually did come to ask you something."

"The answer is no, I won't go on a date with you," I say.

"Duly noted," he says. "But that's not what I was going to ask. I wanted to ask why you were searching for people named Cole on the internet."

I blink. "Were you going through my browser history?"

"Yes," Mark admits. "I was trying to figure out why you were so mad at me."

"And you thought going through my browser history would help?"

He shrugs. "I think we've already established that I didn't handle the situation well."

"You still aren't."

"Nonetheless, I am interested," Mark says. "Who is Cole?"

I relent and take a seat. "He helped us out when you were under Siryn's control. Let us hide out in his RV. He threw his shoe at you. I wanted to find him to thank him, but he's disappeared. We were able to trace the RV, but no sign of him."

"I can help you look for him," Mark says. "I happen to be quite good at finding people."

"Yes, your stalker abilities are quite impressive," I say. "For now, I think we should focus on the House of Night, though."

"And our new knife friend," Mark says.

My phone beeps and I pull it out of my pocket as Mark goes to look at his. "It's from Mikayla," I say.

He nods. "I just got the same one, I'm guessing. Apparently Jess is at our headquarters?"

"And apparently he brought a friend."