Chapter 9 #2
“What’s up?” He sees Violet, and something in him becomes more alert. He picks up the pace and rounds the hedge. “What do you need?”
“Can you find someone to sit with Violet so she can soak up some sunshine while I meet with Lexi?”
“I’ll do it.”
“You don’t have to,” I tell him. “I know you just pulled night shift.”
“I’m fine,” he says, and the look he shoots me dares me to argue.
All right then.
“Great. We won’t be long.”
“Take all the time you need,” he says and shoots me some weird pointed look that is so obvious I almost laugh.
“Will do.” I nudge Lexi. “See? She’s protected.”
“Are you good with this, Vi?” Lexi asks.
“I’m great,” Violet says, eyeing Razor with an interest that might be attraction but also an interest one might take in a science experiment.
“Come on. Let’s go find Grey,” I say. “I have an idea I want to run by you both.”
“Don’t grill Razor,” Lexi warns her friend.
“I would never,” Violet says, though her weak indignation says otherwise.
I bite back another smile. This girl is fun.
I catch Lexi’s expression as we turn back toward the house, and it’s the particular mixture of exasperated and fondness that people reserve for the ones they love most. I understand it completely.
“She’s something else,” I say when we’re out of earshot.
“She’s terrifying,” Lexi says. “In a good way.” She glances at me sideways. “I missed her so much when I first came here, but now… I wish she’d never come. Not under these circumstances. Don’t tell her I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me. And for what it’s worth, I understand.” I pretend I’m not thinking about Nash when I say the last part.
We walk for a moment through the stone paths, the fountain fading behind us.
“How’s Crow?” Lexi asks.
“The dumbass ran a patrol shift last night.” Lexi and I share a look, but neither of us is surprised or willing to put up a fight.
“He’s still nursing a few burns on his arm, but they’ll heal wolf-fast. Claire’s the one I'm more worried about.” I pause.
“She tried to go back for Bobby. She was devastated that she couldn’t save him. ”
Lexi nods sadly. “I know. Donahue told me.” She looks at the path ahead in a way that suggests she’s not really seeing it. “Bobby might have worked for Franco, but he wasn’t like those guys. And he didn’t deserve to die.”
“No.”
We reach the archway that leads back into the east wing corridor. Lexi slows slightly, the kind of slow that means she wants to say something and is deciding how.
“Nash drove you to the scene,” she says.
Not a question.
“He was with me when the call came in,” I say. Even. Informational.
“Mm.” Lexi looks straight ahead. “And after?”
“We went over patrol logistics.”
“At your apartment.”
“We worked late. It made sense.”
Another hmm. This one does a considerable amount of work.
“Lexi,” I say.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re saying a lot without saying anything.”
She glances at me with a smile that she’s clearly trying to keep small and failing at. “I just think it’s interesting. That’s all. He’s—” She appears to choose her words carefully. “He's very focused on you. In meetings. When you’re talking. When you’re not talking.”
“He’s an ally in a professional capacity.”
“Of course.”
“We’re coordinating patrol schedules.”
“Naturally.”
“There is nothing—”
“Mia.” She stops walking. Turns to face me with an expression that is gentle and completely undeceived. “I'm not trying to pry. I’m just—” She pauses. “You’re allowed to let someone in. That’s all I wanted to say.”
The words hit me in a soft spot I don’t like knowing I have.
“Grey’s probably off his call,” I say.
She holds my gaze for one more second. Then nods and lets it go. For now.
Grey is in his office, which apparently used to be some kind of lounge where Franco played pool and smoked cigars. The pool table is gone, but the stale smell of smoke remains.
My nose wrinkles immediately. “How do you get any work done in here?” I cough. “No, how do you breathe in here?”
Grey strides to the window and yanks it open. Then he turns on the fan sitting beside it. “Remediation company can’t come until next week,” he says. “I’m making do.”
“You know this house has, like, a million other rooms,” I say.
“But this room is next to Lexi’s office.” He looks at her as he says it, and the gooey eyes they make at each other makes me groan.
“Don’t eye fuck each other when I’m standing right here,” I say.
Lexi snorts as Grey crosses to her and plants a huge kiss on her mouth. “How about real f—”
“Grey,” Lexi says, swatting him, and he laughs but steps back.
“Fine. What can I do for you ladies?”
“I have an idea I want to run by you.”
“Sure. Sit.” He gestures to the sitting area near the fireplace. At least these chairs are new and not stained with cigar smoke and who knows what else from Franco’s era.
“How is Claire, by the way?” Grey asks before I can launch into the idea Nash had last night. “Nash said she was really shaken up after everything that happened yesterday.”
“I called her on my way in. Her roommate stayed home from work today to be with her. I’ll stop by tonight on my way home. But I think this is going to take some time. She risked her life trying to save Bobby and… It was a blow to have failed.”
“Fuck.” Grey’s tone is anguished—just like I feel.
Lexi reaches out and takes his hand in silent comfort.
“If she needs employment, have her come see Andy,” Lexi says. “We can find her something while the restaurant is being repaired.”
“I’ll tell her,” I say, grateful to have that figured out.
“And Crow…” Lexi begins.
“He’ll be okay,” I say. “I’m going to put him on training duty. Keep him busy with the newer patrols.”
“He’s going to hate that,” Grey says.
“But he won’t have to kill anything, and he won’t have time to spiral,” I say.
“Good point.” He sits back. “So, what’s your idea?”
“Well, it was actually Nash’s,” I say, slower now that the moment is here and I have to admit out loud that I want to spend a few days isolated in a remote forest with my one-night stand. Okay, maybe I won’t say that part out loud.
“You mean the recon mission,” Grey says.
I straighten. “He already told you?”
“He called me this morning. But said he wanted the final call to be yours. If you don’t think it’s a good idea, he’ll stand down.”
I blink. “He said that?”
Grey shrugs. “Why wouldn’t he? You’re the expert here. He’s an ally, but he doesn’t know our pack or Ramsey like you do.”
For some reason, my cheeks warm: Nash deferring to me. It shouldn’t feel this nice to be respected, but it does.
“Well, I didn’t get a phone call,” Lexi says. “Can someone fill me in?”