aisling grimlock 03 - grim discovery (8 page)

Adam cleared his throat. “Yes, about that … um … Aisling, it was unfair of me to ambush you about your father and a political contribution. I’m truly sorry.”

I had a feeling Griffin made his distaste for the entire manipulation scenario known during my absence. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just … tired.”

“We’re both tired,” Griffin interjected. “In fact, we’re calling it a night.”

“We haven’t ordered yet,” Adam pointed out.

“We’ll pick up dinner on the way home,” Griffin said. “I just think it would be better for everyone if we left now.”

“I can force Meredith to apologize,” Adam offered. “If that will make Aisling feel better … she won’t like it, but she’ll do it.”

“That’s not necessary,” Griffin replied. “We’re going home. Aisling wants to get out of her outfit. She was just describing the one she’s going to climb into for me … and, well, I’m dying to see it.”

“I’m going to live to regret that,” I muttered under my breath so only Griffin could hear.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Adam said. “We look forward to seeing you next Saturday.”

I stilled, surprised, because there was no way this man could want a repeat of this day.

“We’ll talk about it and get back to you,” Griffin said. “For now, we just want to get home and relax.”

“Okay. Have a nice night.”

And just like that Adam dismissed us. Once it was just Griffin and me in the parking lot I turned toward him and pasted my best “you have to forgive me” smile on my face. “How much begging am I going to have to do to get out of trouble?”

The sensuous curve of Griffin’s lips was enough to make my stomach flip. “You’re going to be begging all night, baby.”

Strangely enough, that didn’t sound so bad. “Can we stop and get Chinese on the way home?”

“Absolutely,” Griffin said, tugging my hand and leading me toward his Explorer. “You’re going to need a full stomach for what I have planned.”

“And what do you have planned?”

“You’re going to need to do a lot of work to get out of your ticket, young lady. I think you should start stripping now.”

That sounded a heck of a lot better than the rest of my options for the night.

Seven

“Are you ready for this?” Griffin asked, pulling into the driveway in front of Grimlock Manor on Sunday afternoon and fixing me with a curious look.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Why would I be nervous?”

“You’re always nervous when we have dinner with my family,” I replied, attempting to unbuckle my seatbelt, but struggling because I was so tense.

“I’m not nervous when we have dinner with your family,” Griffin corrected, reaching over and hitting the seatbelt button to release me. “I just don’t like how your father looks at me.”

“How does he look at you?”

“Like I’m doing filthy things to his daughter.”

I snorted. “That stuff you did last night was pretty filthy,” I said. “We had to take a bath after … and that led to more filthy stuff.”

“You laughed all through every filthy thing we did,” Griffin pointed out. “It was the first time I’ve heard you laugh – I mean really laugh – in a week and a half.”

I pressed my lips together and met his gaze. “I … .”

“Don’t apologize for feeling what you’re feeling,” Griffin chided, wagging a finger in my face for emphasis. “I don’t know how you’re on two feet right now with all you’re dealing with. I didn’t say that to upset you … or make you worry that I’m going to walk away because you’re not chipper enough.

“I said it because I love to watch you laugh,” he continued. “You’ve had to pretend to be upbeat around your family and Jerry. You don’t have to do that with me. I don’t expect you to fake it when we’re together. Wait … that came out wrong.”

I burst out laughing, the simple act relieving some of the tension building in my chest. “Thank you for that.”

“Funnily enough, I didn’t mean that to be a joke,” Griffin said, grabbing my hand. “I
really
didn’t mean for that to be a joke.”

“Don’t worry. Your manhood is safe with me,” I teased. “I know what you meant. I’m … thankful that I can tell you everything. I would be lost without you right now.”

“Wow! That could be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I warned. “I just … I don’t see another way to get the information I’m looking for. We need a list of the rogue reapers and I know Dad keeps one in his office.”

“Do you think the guy with the wraith last night was another rogue reaper like Fontaine?”

“That’s my best guess,” I said, turning my eyes back to the hulking manor house where I spent my formative years. “Wraiths don’t usually hang out with the general populace, because they try to suck the life force out of them so they can survive. Who else would hang around a wraith?”

“Rogue reapers collect souls for money, right?”

I nodded.

“Whoever employs these rogues has to have access to a lot of funds,” Griffin said. “We need that list so we can start going through bank records. Are you sure you’re up for sneaking into your father’s office and getting the list?”

“What other options do we have?” I asked. “If I ask him for it, he’ll want to know why.”

“I know we’ve talked about this, and I really don’t want to have an argument, but … you know you’re eventually going to have to tell your family what Fontaine told you, right?”

Griffin’s eyes were sympathetic when I risked a glance in his direction. “Will you think I’m a total idiot if I tell you I’m hoping we can prove Fontaine lied before I have to tell them?”

“I know that’s what you’re hoping for,” Griffin said, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “You’re in a no-win situation here. If your mother is alive, you should be able to celebrate. Because you are who you are, though, your mother could very well be trying to kill you.

“I don’t pretend to know what you guys went through when your mother died,” he continued. “You can’t keep this secret forever, though.”

“Because I’m betraying them,” I supplied. “I know.”

“It’s not that, Aisling,” Griffin argued. “I don’t think you’re betraying them. You’re taking this huge thing on yourself, though, and it’s not healthy. You need them just as much as they need to know.”

“They’ll be angry that I kept it from them.”

“They’ll get over it,” Griffin said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this family, it’s that you love with your whole hearts. You pick at each other … and you tease each other … and you beat up on each other whenever the mood strikes.

“There’s not one person in that house who doesn’t love you, though,” he said. “They’ll be angry at first. They will get over it.”

“I know you’re right,” I said. “It’s just … it would be so much easier if she was really dead. That’s awful to say, isn’t it?”

“If your mother is behind the attempts on your life, that’s a lot worse than wishing she was dead so that you can hold onto the good memories you have of her.”

“It’s just a mess.”

Griffin leaned over and dropped a soft kiss on my mouth before resting his forehead against mine. “I’m right here. We’ll get through this.”

“Thank you.”

We sat in silence for a full minute before I reluctantly pulled away, jumping in my seat when I found Braden standing at outside the passenger door. He didn’t look happy.

“What the hell?”

“If you’re done molesting my sister, we’re ready to serve drinks in the parlor,” Braden said, glaring at Griffin. “Keep your hands where I can see them when you’re getting out.”

“Did I mention how much I love spending time with your brothers?” Griffin asked.

“They’re nothing if not entertaining,” I agreed.

BY THE
time Griffin and I joined everyone else in the main parlor, I managed to calm myself enough to fake mindless conversation with my family … and by that I mean joining in with the endless sniping.

“I would not look like Fonzie if I wore a leather jacket while riding this motorcycle,” Redmond argued, tightly gripping his glass of whiskey as Jerry dubiously studied the motorcycle catalog.

“I don’t understand why that’s an insult,” Jerry sniffed. “Fonzie was the coolest guy at the diner. He jumped a shark.”

“Oh, sit on it,” Redmond muttered, shifting his attention to me. “Tell Jerry I don’t look like Fonzie.”

I smirked. “You do kind of look like Fonzie, now that you mention it,” I said, accepting the glass Aidan pressed into my hand without even glancing at it. I downed the drink in one gulp and handed it back for a refill, the aged whiskey burning my throat and causing my eyes to water. Once both of my hands were free, I shot Redmond an enthusiastic double thumbs-up. “Ayyy!”

“Do you plan to get drunk?” Aidan asked, glancing at my empty glass. “You didn’t even taste that.”

“It tasted fine,” I replied, briefly meeting Griffin’s gaze before turning my attention to the lone female in the room. “Hey, Maya.”

In addition to being a nurse and Griffin’s sister, Maya Taylor was Cillian’s newest love interest. I hesitate to call her his girlfriend because, well, my brothers don’t manage to maintain interest in love matches very long. I was worried Cillian’s eye would soon wander – and then I would have another problem when Griffin stood up for his sister’s honor.

“Hi, Aisling,” Maya said, beaming widely. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

“It’s not really a promotion,” I automatically corrected. “All it really means is that Aidan doesn’t have to babysit me any longer.”

“Which is good for both of us,” Aidan interjected, handing me another drink and watching to see whether I slammed it like the first. “Spending so much time together was starting to wear on our relationship.”

“You’re telling me,” Jerry said, sitting on the couch next to Maya. “They were starting to compete for stories to tell me. I love them both dearly, but there’s only so many times I can hear about the eighty-year-old lady spy and the guy next door who can apparently bone for hours on end.”

Griffin furrowed his brow. “Bone?”

“You know,
bone
,” Jerry said, pointing toward his crotch and gyrating in case Griffin was especially slow this evening.

“I know what it means,” Griffin said. “I just haven’t heard anyone use the term since middle school.”

Jerry ignored him. “Apparently this gentleman should be giving us all lessons,” he said, smiling at Maya before leaning closer. “I don’t need lessons, but perhaps some of the straight men here do.”

Maya giggled. “Perhaps.”

Cillian frowned. “Is that supposed to be pointed at me?”

“It had better not be,” Griffin growled. He still wasn’t thrilled that his sister was dating one of my brothers. I didn’t blame him. The good news is that Cillian is the most responsible of the bunch. Of course, that isn’t saying much.

“How do you guys know how long he was … boning?” Redmond asked.

“We watched through the binoculars,” Aidan replied.

“You spied on a guy having sex?” Braden crinkled his forehead. “Wait, you spied with your sister on a guy having sex? That has to be against the law.”

“We didn’t spy together,” Aidan corrected. “I spied first and then she spied. Don’t turn it into something gross.”

Griffin cast me a sidelong look. “You spied on some guy having sex?”

Hmm. How was I going to make this sound good? “Well … .”

“She said she couldn’t believe anyone could go that long,” Jerry said. “She thinks Viagra had to be involved.”

“Somehow I feel I’m being insulted here,” Griffin muttered.

“Oh, don’t worry. You can go and prove your stamina out in your vehicle between courses,” Braden suggested. “You can finish what you started before I interrupted you a few minutes ago.”

“That’s not what we were doing,” Griffin argued. “We were … talking.”

“That’s not what talking looks like in my world.”

“Somebody get Braden a drink so he has something to do with his mouth besides annoy me,” I ordered.

“I’m on it,” Aidan said. “Just for the record, Aisling didn’t want to look. I, however, couldn’t stop looking. That guy was really … wow.”

“Wait, now I think I’m being insulted,” Jerry said. “I’ll have you know that I have the stamina of a bull.”

“And the outfit of a bullfighter so he can play both parts when he and Aidan role play,” I said, earning snickers from Redmond, Cillian and Braden.

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you and Officer Handcuffs,” Jerry shot back, his voice climbing an octave. “Don’t think we didn’t know what you two were up to last night.”

My cheeks burned as horrified violet eyes from every corner of the room turned in my direction.

“Who was up to what last night?” Dad asked, picking that moment to join the party.

Uh-oh, this wouldn’t end well. “Nothing,” I said hurriedly, getting to my feet. “I think I need to go to the bathroom.”

“What’s going on?” Dad asked, his eyes weary as he glanced around the room. “I probably don’t want to know, do I?”

“It’s nothing,” Redmond said.

“If it’s nothing, then tell me,” Dad prodded.

“My bladder is about to explode,” I said, handing my drink to Griffin.

“It’s really nothing,” Redmond repeated.

“Then tell me,” Dad growled.

“Aisling and Aidan spied on a neighbor of the soul they collected yesterday while he had sex,” Redmond supplied. “Apparently the guy could win the Olympic gold in sex. That freaked Braden out, which somehow made Jerry start talking about bullfighters, which made Aisling remind everyone he has a matador outfit, which made Jerry announce that Aisling and Griffin played some sort of dirty cop sex game last night. I think that pretty much catches you up.”

“Someone hand me a drink,” Dad snapped, his eyes burning as they landed on Griffin. “I blame you for this.”

“Whatever,” Griffin said, draining his own glass of whiskey before handing it over to Aidan. “Fill me up.”

“Hey, that’s what Aisling said last night,” Jerry pointed out. “Along with, ‘Oh, officer, you’re so big and strong,’ and ‘Isn’t there something else I could do to get out of this ticket, Detective Delicious?’”

Maya covered her mouth to hide her laugh while Redmond, Cillian and Braden shot triplicate looks of disgust in Griffin’s direction.