Griffin
When I get back to Kalista, she’s dozing peacefully by the open window, sunlight dancing in her hair. She is astoundingly beautiful like that—not to mention unreasonably sensual, with that slip of a white dress bunched up artfully around her thighs.
I get the feeling that Kali knows how this will affect me, even if she couldn’t possibly have planned it, given her current state of unconsciousness. And she really does seem to be asleep, rather than pretending to be in an attempt to surprise me.
I feel a sly grin creep up my face.
She may not be planning on surprising me, but that conveniently means I’m ideally placed to surprise her instead. And after what happened last night—which has been on my mind all fucking day—I’m inclined to make this a surprise of the mutually pleasant kind.
I take a step towards her. Then—
I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. Frowning, I take it out to check the caller ID: it’s Leviathan.
Strange, since we spoke over the phone only two hours ago. I accept the call, curious.
“Yes?” I inquire quietly, forgoing a hello. I don’t want to wake up the sleeping beauty on my floor, after all. Well, not whilst I’m still fully clothed and otherwise occupied, that is.
“We have a problem,” Leviathan replies.
I stiffen immediately. And not in the way I’d very much prefer.
I stalk over to the bathroom and close the door behind me before returning my attention to the phone call.
“This problem would be…?”
“Someone has become aware of Kalista’s location within the past hour or so.”
Fuck.
“Are you sure?” I ask, knowing full-well that Leviathan is never wrong.
“I’m afraid so, Gryphon. I don’t know about the particulars, but some pretty nasty people seem quite intent on chasing after her now that they know where she is. I think it’s time you said goodbye to your safe house.”
I rub my temples in frustration as I try to think about how such information could have leaked. But I can’t think of anything—or anyone—who could be responsible. I glance at the bathroom door, and the woman sleeping peacefully behind it.
What have you done, Kalista?
“Check back in with me as soon as you have any update. We’ll be out of here in ten.” I hang up before Leviathan can express any assent.
I make no secret about my presence to Kalista now.
I all but wrench the bathroom door open to dart across my now not-so-safe house, hurriedly collecting passports, money, clothes, and as much of our recently acquired stash as I can think the two of us can feasibly carry.
I abruptly pause for a second.
The two of us? When did it become ‘the two of us’?
Griffin Abernathy works alone.
And yet that doesn’t currently change the fact that Kalista is here, finally waking up in a gorgeous heap on the floor.
“Get up,” I order curtly, not looking at her.
I can’t let her distract me—not again. She’s on the verge of ruining me.
The Gryphon brought down by a woman is not how I planned to end my career.
“Griff? What—” Kalista yawns, as she stretches her arms luxuriously above her head before standing up. “What’s up? Where are we going in such a hurry?”
“Out. Away from here. Literally anywhere else. We’ve been had,” I say, finally rounding on Kalista to narrow my eyes at her. “Or, rather, you’ve been had, and now I’m caught in the crossfire. Tell me, love, might you have done anything I’d rather you hadn’t done whilst I was otherwise indisposed?”
Kalista flinches at my question. It only confirms my suspicions that she’s the leak. She frowns in worry—it creases up her brow slightly, and it’s adorable—but I have bigger things to focus on.
“I might have talked to my dad on the phone,” Kalista murmurs, having the decency to look abashed as she says so.
I don’t say anything. I stare at her pointedly, waiting for her to elaborate.
Kalista gulps before continuing, as if anticipating that I might scream at her once she finishes explaining. But that’s not my style. No, I’ll explode on the inside. On the outside, I’ll keep that perfectly calm exterior I’ve mastered over years in the business.
She walks over to the wardrobe to pull out a dress. For a moment, I believe that she fully intends to strip in front of me despite our current topic of conversation. It makes my trousers begin to grow just a little too tight in response.
I ignore it. I have to.
Kalista pulls on a dress on top of the little white slip she already has on. Thank God for that.
“I saw my dad last night,” she finally says. “I didn’t speak to him, though! And he didn’t recognize me! But I…may have sent a note to him. And then he may have called me today.”
She’s moving as if she’s not aware of the obvious haste with which I need her to act right now, though she at least starts to help me pack up our belongings.
I turn on her, eyes widening.
Fuck.
“Kalista! Please tell me you didn’t—”
“Of course I didn’t say where or who I was with,” she interrupts. She runs a hand through her beautiful hair, clearly aggravated. “Why do you all think I’m so stupid? When have I ever given you cause to believe that?”
“You mean, besides this moment right now?”
Kalista gives me a measured look.
“Honestly, I didn’t tell him anything. It was hard not to, but I didn’t. My dad really believes I’m not safe. He said there are still people after me.”
“And he’s right, love,” I say as I throw a bag at her to pack her clothes into. “The call was clearly traced. There are people on their way here right now.”
Kalista goes bug-eyed. She’s finally clued in that we need to move with more haste.
“You could have led with that, Griff!” she cries as she suddenly picks up the pace, rushing over to the cabinet, which holds her precious Canary ring.
“Was ‘we’ve been had’ not obvious enough for you, Kali?”
I hate how much obvious irritation is coming through. I need to keep calm.
Kalista flings her hair up into a ponytail. “Let’s go, then. No need to be such a brat about it, Griff.”
I laugh as we head out of the door. Fuck, I’m going to miss this place. I was really rather fond of it.
Especially the kitchen. I spent thousands remodeling it.
“If anybody’s a brat, it’s the little heiress who wanted daddy to know she’s safe and sound.”
In any other situation, that kind of remark would likely have resulted in a slap to the face or a stab from a fencing foil. Luckily, Kalista has the sense to keep focused as we head through the winding streets to the rendezvous point Leviathan has just texted me.
I’ve allowed entertaining Kalista to blind me from my own priorities. I can’t let that happen again.
But then I see the fading marks on her neck—her ponytail exposing them to my eyes for the first time—physical proof of our night together…
And I really haven’t fucked a woman like that in a long time. So long as I can keep focused on my job, having Kalista along shouldn’t be a problem. I can’t let it be.
I have a reputation to uphold, after all.
And—most importantly—it would be a crying shame if I didn’t get to strip her down to nothing but glowing skin and moonlight at least one more time.
I just need to keep focused in the meantime.
“Griff, is this the place?” Kalista asks as I begin to slow down.
I survey the area before turning to her with a nod. “Yes. Transport should be here in five minutes.”
She looks at me with those beautiful eyes, skin glistening slightly in the late-afternoon sun.
Focus, Griff!
“No more calling or receiving calls from mummy or daddy, love,” I say, keeping my tone lightly condescending.
Kalista rolls her eyes. “As if you had to tell me that, Griff.”
Apparently, I did, considering we’re now in this mess.
“You cost me a rather splendid safe house, you know. I hope you’re aware that I expect to be paid back in full.”
Kalista smiles in a deliciously suggestive manner.
“Are you open to services in-kind?” she coos.
Oh, I like that. I allow her just a shadow of a smirk in response, confirming that I’m very much open to such a negotiation.
There’s a pause. And then—
“Where are we going to now, Griff?”
I can’t help but grin at the question.
“Morocco. I think you’ll like it there.”
My mind starts thinking about the hammam there—opulent baths which I’m certain Kalista will adore—and the fun we can have in them.
Kalista raises an eyebrow at the statement, and I have to stop myself from kissing her.
“And what makes you think that?”
“You’ll see, love, you’ll see.”
Kalista simply raises her eyebrow even further in response. In the golden afternoon light and with the breeze gently blowing her hair away from her face, she looks particularly irresistible, despite the trouble she’s put me through.
I look away from her.
I’ll make this work. For my own sake, I’ll make this work.