CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Mia

The present…

It’s not long before Eric and Davis are back at the house. Somehow Eric manages to not only contact his ex-SEAL buddy who he’s hired to help with the Ri situation, but he manages to get Adam to the Hamptons in rapid, nearly impossible, speed.

Adam turns out to be tall, good looking and in his mid-thirties, with dark, wavy hair. “Adam is an expert of disguise,” Eric says as we all gather around the kitchen island. “That’s his thing. He can get anywhere and no one will know it’s him.”

I wonder what Adam’s thing was, but I assume for a SEAL that could just be his ability to kill and protect. It’s a bit disconcerting how comforting that is right about now, but then, my gut is screaming with a warning. We’re wading in knee-deep quicksand, still moving, but there’s the very real possibility that we’re already trapped and going under but don’t know it yet. “Walker Security is a diverse, skilled group,” Adam says, pulling me back into the moment as he responds to something Grayson has asked about Adam’s employer. “Mia,” Adam says, “I need you to tell me about the dynamic between you and Ri.”

Grayson’s displeasure cuts through the air and I have no doubt every person in this house feels the blade. “He wants to fuck her for obvious reasons, but as an added plus, he’d fuck me at the same time.”

Tension curls in my belly. This isn’t a topic I enjoy sharing, but it’s necessary. “He tried to kiss me recently,” I say. “I kneed him. Hard. Really hard. He’s pretty bitter.” I go on to run through the details of Ri finding out that I’m looking for a job and the Monday meeting.

Adam listens without much input and for the most part, Eric and Davis simply take it all in as well. They’re all thoughtful, attentive, intelligent people who will all have opinions, some of which I won’t agree with and some that I will. I prepare myself for the varied opinions, but Adam guides the conversation in an unexpected direction. “We already have a female from our team ready to stay at your apartment tonight,” he says. “With Ri showing interest in you, Mia, I suggest we have me play the boyfriend, and I can hang out with our Mia double at your place.”

“No,” I say, rejecting that idea. “Ri has to think he has a chance to turn me or he’ll go at Grayson ten times harder.”

“Mia, damn it,” Grayson says, his voice low, guttural.

I turn to him, my hand on his chest. “Hear me out. He feels like I’m a weapon. Let him keep that weapon while you knock his legs out from underneath him.”

“At the risk of being pummeled,” Eric says, “I agree. We’ll watch her, Grayson. We’ll wire her. We’ll keep her with you as much as possible.”

“Just make it count,” I say, focused on Grayson. “Use me to take him out before he takes you out.”

Grayson pulls me to him, ignoring the rest of the room. “I will. You can count on it.”

He says those words so damn vehemently I want to cheer. His focus is no longer on getting me out of town. It’s on ending this, on beating Ri once and for all. I push to my toes to give Grayson a quick kiss, but he cups the back of my head and slants his mouth over mine in a sultry, hot kiss that has Eric clearing his throat. “All right then. Time for us to head to the chopper service.”

As in all of us, since Eric and Davis missed their original departure time. Grayson reluctantly turns his attention to the room, his gaze on Adam. “Whatever it takes, he goes down. You understand?”

“Quite well,” Adam states. “Eric made that point in crystal clear terms.”

“Make sure you make it to your team,” Grayson replies. “Whatever it takes.”

“Perhaps we should talk outside,” Adam states.

“You can ride with me and Eric to the airport,” Grayson states, kissing me. “Ride with Davis, baby.”

I don’t like the way this is going down, but I’m not going to push. Grayson doesn’t like what Ri is making him become. I’ll give him the space he needs to handle this without worrying about how I’ll react. He’ll tell me what he did later when he’s ready. “What about my car?”

“I have another female agent handling it,” Adam states. “We have you covered.” He looks at Grayson, who motions him forward. It’s clear that right now Grayson is focused and he wants action.

Grayson and Adam head toward the door. Eric stands his ground and leans on the island across from me. “Selfless, beautiful, and in love. You’re what he needs. I might even fucking love you myself, that’s how much I believe he needed you.” He pushes off the island and follows Grayson and Adam toward the door.

Davis steps in front of me. “I don’t love you, but I like you.”

I laugh. “Right. You like me, but you accused me of being up to no good.”

“I had to push you and then look into your eyes and see what there was to see.”

“And what did you see?”

“His future wife.”

Those words stay with me as we head to Davis’s rental and with good reason. Grayson asked me to come home, but he didn’t give me my ring back. By the time I’m in the passenger seat of the sedan, Davis is in the driver’s seat. He shuts the door and then sits there a minute. “He’ll ask again.”

The words shock me and I turn to look at him. “What?”

“I’m a damn good attorney for a reason. I hit a nerve with the future wife thing. He’ll ask again.”

I inhale and shake my head, but I say nothing else. The only words that matter are the ones between me and Grayson, which are still too few. Thankfully Davis has never been a man of many words and he is, in fact, good at reading people. He leaves me to my thoughts, which include a reply to that talk about flaws that keeps bothering me.

The ride is short, though, and we pull through a private gate to park at a smaller building. The minute Davis kills the engine, Grayson is at my door, opening it, and pulling me to my feet, molding me close. “How was your talk?” I ask.

“Productive. Unfortunately, we need to meet a couple of Adam’s team at the apartment when we get home.”

“Home,” I say. “I love that word.”

“I’m glad you do, baby.” He kisses me. “Come on.” He takes my hand and guides me toward the chopper.

I have déjà vu about ten times over in the next five minutes. This place, the Sunday night return to the city, Grayson helping me into the chopper, his hand at my waist, us side by side in leather seats, familiar seats. And then, Grayson reaches over me and connects my seatbelt, and I flash back to that first Sunday again when he’d done the same thing: Now you go home with me, he’d said. Grayson’s lips hint at a curve, his green eyes alight with memories, and he lets me know that he’s thinking the same thing I am by saying, “Now you go home with me,” but he adds, “Now we go home.”

My hand goes to his jaw, and suddenly, the ring doesn’t matter. What matters is what comes next. “Now we go home,” I say.