aisling grimlock 03 - grim discovery (31 page)

“You’re won’t think that in ten minutes when Braden and Aisling start smacking each other around,” Cillian offered, patting Woody’s shoulder as he moved around the amiable bar owner. “Trust me.”

“Ah, so there is a reason everyone is here together, after all.” Woody didn’t appear worried. “Why are Aisling and Braden fighting?”

“Because she’s a lying … .”

“Don’t think of finishing that sentence, Braden,” Dad warned.

Woody pursed his lips and turned his attention to Griffin. “You’re new. How did you get swept up in all of the fabulous Grimlock drama?”

Griffin pointed at me. “She’s too cute to ignore.”

“I see,” Woody said, his eyebrows moving up his forehead. “You’re the one who finally turned Aisling’s head, huh? You’re a brave man.”

“She’s not that scary,” Griffin teased, tugging on a strand of my hair.

“Oh, she’s delightful,” Woody said. “I was talking about her father and brothers.”

“They’re not that scary either.”

Dad scowled. “Don’t push your luck, Griffin … and keep your hands where I can see them.”

Woody chuckled. “What can I get everyone?”

“Just give us a few pitchers of whatever is on tap,” Dad said, his eyes thoughtful as they landed on Braden. “Keep them coming.”

ONE HOUR
and three glasses of beer later I stepped away from the table. Braden refused to sit anywhere close to me, instead opting to settle at the far end of the rounded booth with Aidan and Jerry. Jerry’s nonstop chatter was starting to get to him. I could tell. Unless you’re used to his daily antics, Jerry is best doled out in small doses. I couldn’t muster a lot of sympathy for Braden right now. After he attacked Griffin, I could barely look at him.

“What are you doing up here, kid?” Redmond asked, glancing over from his stool in front of the bar. “Are you hiding from Braden?”

“I’m not hiding,” I said, hopping on the seat next to him. “I’m … tired.”

“I know you are,” Redmond said, running his hand down the back of my head. “Don’t take Braden’s … crap … personally. He’s like a woman when he pouts.”

I made a face. “That’s insulting.”

“Hey, you just found out tonight that you think like a man,” Redmond countered. “I’m not sure how you can take that as an insult.”

“It’s like you just met me,” I grumbled. “I can turn anything into an insult.”

“I’ve noticed.” Redmond glanced around the bar. “Where is Griffin?”

“He’s off playing pool with Cillian.”

“At least Cillian isn’t angry with you anymore,” Redmond pointed out. “That’s something.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that Griffin figured out you would be the first to forgive me and Cillian would be second? It’s as though he’s magic.”

Redmond snorted. “I think the only thing magic about him is the way he cares for you,” he said. “That’s how he won Dad over. I still can’t believe that.”

“Join the club,” Woody said, shuffling in front of us across the bar. “Do you want something besides beer, little Grimlock?”

“I’ll have a whiskey straight up,” I said. “Make it a double.”

“Things can’t be that bad,” Woody said.

“They’re pretty bad,” Redmond supplied. “I … .” His gaze traveled to the front of the bar. “Oh, good. They’re about to get worse.”

“Do I even want to look?” I asked.

“No.”

I looked anyway, scowling when my gaze landed on Angelina Davenport. Her mother still lived in the area, so I shouldn’t have been surprised to see her. It was a nice two weeks without her, though. “I have absolutely no luck.”

“What’s funny is that she hasn’t been in here since you two fought last time,” Woody said. “It’s like she can sense when you’re here.”

“Evil comes in many forms and has many powers,” I muttered, turning back to the bar. “Make my whiskey a triple.”

“I’m not carrying you home,” Redmond said. “We walked. Don’t forget that.”

“Then I’ll sleep here.”

Redmond rolled his eyes. “You’re in a mood. Why don’t you go smack Angelina around? That will make you feel better.”

He wasn’t wrong. I glanced over my shoulder, grimacing when I realized Angelina was nowhere to be found. “Where did she go?”

“One guess,” Redmond said, hopping off his stool.

“Cillian,” I seethed, following Redmond. “I’m going to rip her hair out of her head.”

“It would be hotter if you weren’t my sister.”

I shoved Redmond to make him move faster, and when we rounded the corner my suspicions were proved true. Angelina stood close to Cillian, her finger working as she wound a strand of her hair around it and leaned in close.

“Shouldn’t you be working the corner?” I asked, relishing the return of my snark. Who knew Angelina could make me feel better just by being her usual oily self? “I think I heard your pimp screaming for you a few seconds ago. It’s hard to tell. He could’ve just been yelling for some random whore, but I’m pretty sure he wanted you.”

Angelina straightened, running her tongue over her teeth as she regarded me. “Ugh. I should’ve known you would be here. I was having too good of a day for it to continue.”

“It’s probably karma.”

“It’s probably you,” Angelina countered. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re having a night out together as a family,” I replied. “That means no skanks are allowed.”

“If that’s the rule they wouldn’t have brought you,” Angelina shot back.

I moved toward her, my fingers itching to inflict severe hair horror, but Griffin stepped in my way. “No way, baby,” he said. “I can’t watch you murder someone and do nothing about it. That means you have to behave yourself while she’s around.”

“You should go to the bathroom,” I suggested. “Everything will be fine when you get back.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because she’s a filthy liar,” Angelina supplied.

“It’s better than being a skeezy streetwalker,” I snapped.

“Good grief,” Griffin said, grabbing me around the waist. “Why do you let her push your buttons? You know she likes to get under your skin.”

“Just like whatever form of herpes she’s carrying today,” I said.

“What’s going on?” Braden asked, clutching a fresh beer as he stepped into view. “I heard Aisling yelling. Did someone hit her?” He frowned when he saw Angelina. No matter how angry he was with me, there was no way he would take her side over mine. “Oh, man, who called for a prostitute?”

“Oh, you’re so funny, Braden,” Angelina hissed. “You’ve always been my least favorite of Aisling’s brothers. You know that, right?”

“I’m getting a T-shirt made up so I can wear it with pride,” Braden retorted.

“It’s probably because Braden and Aisling are so much alike,” Redmond said, smirking when Braden uncomfortably hopped from one foot to the other. “You hate Aisling, so you hate Braden by extension.”

Angelina wrinkled her nose. “You know what? That explains a lot. Cillian is the least like Aisling. That’s why he’s my favorite.”

“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “The only reason you like Cillian is because it bugs me.”

“Thanks,” Cillian said.

“You know what I mean,” I said. “You’re too good for her. Besides, you’re dating Maya.”

“Yes, and I’m really happy about it,” Griffin said.

“You should trade up,” Angelina said, focusing her ferret-like face on Griffin. “You deserve much better than Aisling. She’s horrible.”

I struggled to break free of Griffin’s grip again. “Let me go!”

“That’s not going to happen,” Griffin said, gritting his teeth and leaning back to ensure I couldn’t get at Angelina. “I cannot put you in jail. That means I have to stop whatever murderous ideas are playing around in that busy mind of yours.”

“I’m not going to kill her,” I countered. “I’m just going to rip her stupid hair out.”

“As much fun as that sounds, I’d rather carry your drunk behind back to your father’s house and crawl into bed with you,” Griffin said.

“I’m not drunk.”

“Well, you sound drunk,” Griffin said. “Come on. Let’s go outside so you can cool down.”

“I want her gone when I get back,” I ordered, reluctantly falling into step with Griffin. “Don’t let her touch you, Cillian. Word on the street is that she has crabs and herpes these days.”

“I’m going to make you pay for that,” Angelina seethed.

“We’ll handle her,” Redmond said, leveling his gaze on Griffin. “Just … keep her outside for at least fifteen minutes.”

“Oh, sure, task me with the impossible,” Griffin grumbled. “Come on, Rocky. If you’re good I’ll buy you a McDonald’s breakfast bagel tomorrow morning.”

Angelina snorted. “That will go straight to your thighs, Aisling. Maybe that’s what your boyfriend likes, though. That might explain a few things.”

“Shut up, Angelina,” Braden ordered. “Leave her alone.”

I was surprised Braden spoke up on my behalf.

“Ugh. You always take her side, Braden,” Angelina said.

“I’m not taking her side,” Braden countered. “I just hate you more than I hate her right now. That doesn’t mean I’m on her side.” His gaze met mine. “I’m not on her side.”

“SUCK
in some air and chill,” Griffin ordered once we were outside.

“I hate her,” I seethed, jerking away from him.

“I know you do. You’re not really angry with her, though.”

I rolled my eyes. “Are you going to get all psychological on me? Are you going to tell me that I’m really upset because Aidan and Braden are still angry with me? I already know that.”

Griffin’s smile was sympathetic. “Braden will get over this. He is. Aidan is already mostly over it. I do think you two need to talk and hug it out, though.”

“He’s not ready for that,” I said, resting my hands against the uneven brick of Woody’s Bar. “He will be tomorrow.”

Griffin smirked. “I like how you can read them all,” he said. “I especially like how they can all read you.”

“That’s because I think like a man.”

“Oh, don’t be bitter,” Griffin said, pulling me in for a hug. “The fact that you think like a man seventy-five percent of the time explains a lot about why you’re so fun to be around.”

“You know that makes you sound gay, right?”

Instead of answering, Griffin kissed my cheek. If he was bothered by the comparison, he didn’t voice it. That was someone else’s job.

“That’s a pretty homophobic thing to say.”

I jerked when I heard the voice, turning to find Bub perched on a nearby parked car. He was watching us, although I was pretty sure he wasn’t there when we walked outside.

“You don’t look like a hood ornament,” I said. “If someone sees you … .”

“I’m in a dark parking lot behind a bar,” Bub replied, nonplussed. “If someone sees me they’ll think they had too much to drink. They’d never tell anyone what they saw, because everyone would think they were crazy.”

“What are you doing here?” Griffin asked. “Aisling, don’t get close to him. He might bite you or something.”

Bub scowled – at least I think it was a scowl. “I don’t bite. I’m not some common dog that goes around biting people.”

“You look like a dog-owl,” I reminded him.

“And now I’m wondering why I even came here to warn you,” Bub muttered.

Griffin stiffened. “Warn us about what?”

“Whatever the wraiths and gargoyles have planned, it’s going to happen soon,” Bub said. “I couldn’t get close enough to hear the entire plan, but I do know that they’re desperate to get their hands on you. Something has changed … and if I have to guess, I think you guys are closing in on something.”

“Andrea,” I said. “They must know we’ve figured out who Andrea is.”

“I don’t think so,” Griffin countered. “You figured that out only three hours ago. I think it’s more likely your questioning of Everett and Fox Grimpond has gotten their attention.”

I narrowed my eyes as I studied Bub. “You don’t happen to know why Amber Grimpond changed her name and purposely became Griffin’s partner, do you?”

“I have no idea who these … Grimponds are,” Bub replied.

He was lying. I don’t know how I knew, but it was obvious. “Where will they try to grab me?”

“I have no idea.”

“What do you know?” I pressed. “Do you know where my mother is? Is she working with the Grimponds?”

“I’ve already told you I don’t know any Grimponds,” Bub replied. “I just came here to warn you. I don’t know anything other than what I’ve already told you.”

That was a lie, too. “I don’t think I believe you,” I said. “I think it’s kind of weird that you keep popping up just long enough to drop threats of doom and gloom on us. I think you know a lot more than you’re letting on.”

“I guess that’s why your brothers are considered the brains of the operation,” Bub shot back. “I’ve told you everything I know. I don’t have any other answers to offer.”

“Why do they want Aisling?” Griffin asked. “What do they think she’s the key to?”

“If I knew the answer to that it would fall under the aforementioned ‘other answers,’” Bub said. “I honestly don’t know why she’s important. Believe me. If I could figure that out, I’d be rich.”

“Why does a gargoyle need money?”

“I’ve been looking for a castle to call my very own,” Bub said, wrinkling his upper lip. “Don’t worry yourself about things you have no control over. Worry about things you can control.”

“And those are?”

“Your life,” Bub said. “A fight is coming, girl. You need to be ready for it.” With those words, Bub expanded his wings and took off into the night. He was gone from view within seconds.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“I think it’s time to get back to the house,” Griffin said. “I don’t like being exposed. I want you safe … and in bed.”

“Don’t say that in front of my father. He really will lock you in the dungeon.”

“Are you kidding me?” Griffin scoffed. “I’ll make it onto his ‘favorite child’ list one of these days. Just you wait and see.”

I tilted my head to the side as the familiar strains of “Carry on Wayward Son” started playing inside Woody’s. “Well, Jerry definitely won’t be at the top of that list.”

“Why?”

“Because Jerry is singing karaoke, and my father is likely to kill him if we don’t go in and rescue him.”

“He sounds pretty good,” Griffin said. “Maybe he could’ve been bigger than Justin Timberlake.”