The Vendeleer Brothers Book 2: Serenity Hill

“So what exactly are you doing with those… uh… party hats again?” Ian asked as they stood in Brian’s van huddled around his computers. Brian stacked the hats next to them and then immediately started typing away something on his computer.

“Well, remember how we said they were spirit hats? Well if I’m right, the hats should be made of spirit matter-which is something I’ve been looking into for the past couple of months since Pinnacle Gulch. If I can get a reading on these things, I might be able to figure out a way to act against the genie.”

The others stood there blinking as Brian concentrated on what he was doing.

“How can you be such an idiot and yet be a genius at the same time?” Jordyn asked, flabbergasted.

“Um… is that a compliment?” Brian asked, pausing in his work. “Or is that an insult? I can’t really tell…”

“Just take it as neutral.” Roderick offered with a shrug.

“O...k… then. Well, I’m going to need some time to work on this. Joey, will you help me like you did when we captured Janet?”

“Why certainly.” Joey said dreamily.

“Ok. While you two are working on that, unfortunately, the three of us probably need to go work on something else…” Jordyn muttered grumpily. Ian and Roderick exchanged glances, and then followed her out of the van.

“So… what’s up?” Roderick asked. Ian simply folded his arms and stood there expectantly. Jordyn sighed.

“It’s about time we did something about my coworker-Cameron Warrick. He’s the detective I came here to get in the first place. He might be able to help us. He’s been here longer and he might have more information. I’ve been putting off helping him because I hate his guts.”

Ian raised a brow.

“Why do you hate him so much?” he asked curiously. Jordyn scowled.

“You’ll see when you meet him. The only problem is, it’s really difficult to get him mad, so I’m not sure how this is going to work… I’ve been trying to think of something for days, and I’ve got nothing.”

The two brothers took a moment to think.

“Well… I suppose we could try… something other than anger…” Roderick reasoned. “I mean-anger worked on you two because you get angry pretty easy. What’s an emotion we could get out of him that would be easier?”

Jordyn only had to think for a moment, and then groaned.

“Oh no… I know exactly what I have to do…”

The two brothers waited to hear what she had to say next, when she suddenly turned to them threateningly.

“If you two ever speak about this, I swear I will kill you myself. Got it?!”

Roderick and Ian swallowed and nodded.

Whatever Jordyn was about to do, she wasn’t going to like it.

Not one bit.

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As the three of them walked up to the blue house with azaleas in front of it, Ian and Roderick couldn’t help but discuss quietly between themselves their theories of what Jordyn was going to do.

“Well, she hates me, so if he’s anything like me, it’ll probably have something to do with disgust.” Ian whispered. Roderick however, shook his head.

“I bet you anything he’s a womanizer and she’s going to appeal to his manly side.”

At this, Ian grimaced, knowing that this was highly likely, but not wanting to admit it because the thought of it made him extremely uncomfortable.

Jordyn knocked on the door, and the two brothers quieted down to watch what would happen.

“Hello there Jordyn!” Cameron exclaimed happily. “And you brought friends!!”

The three of them did their best to smile as the man brought them into his ‘home’.

“What can I do for you?” he asked once they were inside. Jordyn shifted uncomfortably.

“Um… Ian, Roderick, maybe you want to go wait outside…” she said stiffly.

“Oh no. We’re not missing whatever this is.” Ian said with a smirk, planting his feet firm on the ground. Jordyn groaned again as Cameron looked at her curiously.

“Hey… honey…” she said a bit awkwardly to her coworker, tossing her hair back and putting a hand on her hip. Ian’s jaw dropped open and Roderick put a hand to his mouth to stop himself from immediately bursting into laughter.

“So uh… I was thinking about what you said a few weeks ago… and I uh… changed my mind…”

It was weird to see her this way. Ian wanted to cover his own eyes, but it was like a trainwreck, and he couldn’t look away. Jordyn trailed a hand down her coworker’s chest and squeezed his arm.

“You were right. I actually do want you…” she said in a low sultry voice. Roderick snickered and Ian shook his head disapprovingly, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Cameron blinked, almost as if he were starting to come out of some sort of trance.

“I’m-I’m sorry?”

“Let me tell you what I want to do with you…” Jordyn said, pulling him closer and whispering something into his ear.

Cameron’s smile suddenly faded, and he puckered his lips.

SLAP!!

“What in the-.” the man said dumbfounded, putting a hand to his cheek in shock. Ian and Roderick couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Cameron turned to the woman in front of him, who was giving him her normal glare with her arms folded.

“But I thought-.”

“You really thought I’d ever do anything with you? Please. Even the idea of a date sickens me. Look around you moron. I had to get you to your senses one way or another. And I guess your carnal instincts rule out everything else.”

Cameron put out his lower lip and gave her some kind of smoulder.

“But peach-I think you might have just been finally telling me what you want subconciously…”

SLAP!

“OW!!”

“Oops. Sorry. I wasn’t sure if you were really back to yourself or not…” Jordyn said innocently.

“Ok ok! Geez! Just stop hitting me!”

Jordyn then turned towards the two brothers standing there with them with a threatening glare.

“As I said-anything about this and I swear I’ll-.”

“You don’t have to worry Jordyn.” Ian said with a smile as he and his brother saluted her. “Cause I’m sure neither of us want to see that ever again!”

“Here here!”

Jordyn narrowed her eyes.

“Fine. Anyways-Cameron, this is Ian and Roderick. They were the ones that helped me out on that Pinnacle Gulch case.”

Cameron eyed them with interest, and then held out his hand to them.

“Well nice to meet ya. I’m Cameron.” he said with a side smile. Ian hesitantly offered his hand only to have it crushed in an overpowering handshake. Roderick didn’t see it coming and also got the same treatment. Subtly, the both of them opened and closed their hands, trying to mask the pain.

“And how about a hug from my favorite coworker?” he asked, running a hand through his blonde hair and then holding his arms out like he was entitled. Jordyn stood there stiffly, and the brothers could tell she was trying hard not to lose it.

“If you keep this up, I’m going to slap you again “just to make sure that genie stuff is out of your system”.”

At this, she smirked and he frowned, and she strutted over to the door.

“Now when we leave, make sure to keep a smile or else they’ll come after you again. We’ve got a type of safe house, so you’re going to need to come with us. And no funny business. We’ve got work to do.”

Then she walked out the door.

Cameron smirked and started to follow her. Then he stopped and turned to the two brothers.

“Oh-by the way uh-Dick and-whatever your name is-I’ve called dibs, so hands off.”

Ian and Roderick looked at him incredulously.

“You’ve called… dibs?” Roderick asked. “On Jordyn?”

Cameron cocked some finger guns and winked as he backed out the door.

“You heard me!” he called when he was out of sight. Ian shook his head.

“I’ve known the man five minutes and I already strongly dislike him.” Roderick smirked.

“But Ian-you strongly dislike a lot of people.”

“Well, I guess that’s true. But him even more than most. He didn’t even bother to remember my name.”

“Well at least he didn’t think your name was Dick.” Roderick said distastefully. “Come on-I’d hate to leave Jordyn alone with that guy. Ian nodded in agreement.

“Yes. I would definitely fear for his safety…”