Griffin, Knox, and I did as she said.
“You too, Thorn,” she said.
He pursed his lips. “But French, you and I are—”
“Move,” she said.
My father joined us.
“Now,” said French, “I’ve got to figure out what to do with all of you. You’re all very interesting subjects, and I’m sure I’d have a lot of fun getting inside your heads, but I don’t know if that would be wise.”
Knox nudged Griffin and me. We looked down. He had one of the “stage two” needles in his hand. He must have gotten it when he knocked them off the wall.
“I just want you all to know,” she said, “that your lives won’t be given in vain. You’ll be helping me to set up my new rule here at Operation Wraith, and you’ll be dying for a good cause.”
“Shut up,” yelled Knox, brandishing the needle. He dove for her.
French shot him.
He landed on her, driving the needle into her skin. Then his body went still. Beneath him, French wasn’t moving.
“Oh my,” said my father.
I took a deep breath. Knox would be okay. He’d only gone dark.
Griffin knelt down and picked up the gun. He pointed it at my dad. “Frank, what did he give her?”
“Very concentrated,” said my father. “Full amnesia, I’m afraid. She’ll be unconscious for a few hours. When she wakes up, she won’t even know her name.”
I grabbed another of the syringes. “Sounds good.” I advanced on my father.
“Wait,” he said. “What are you doing, Leigh? I did everything for you.”
“You killed people for money, dad,” I said. “You would have had Griffin killed. And you wanted to make me a killer.”
“Please,” he said. “I’m your father.”
“You’re a terrible father,” I said. I pushed the needle into his neck.
His eyes rolled back up in his head, and he slumped to the floor, lifeless.
Griffin was watching me.
I turned to him. “I had to do it.”
He nodded. “You did.” He pointed the gun at French. “Move Knox out of the way.”
“Wait,” I said. “She’s not going to remember anything.”
Griffin’s jaw twitched. “She deserves to die.”
“You don’t want to kill, though, do you, Griffin?”
He wavered a little.
“She’ll have amnesia. She’ll be someone else.”
He took a deep breath. “Okay.” He looked at me. “For you, doll. For you, she lives.” He bent down and hoisted Knox over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Griffin, Knox, and I stood together in another anonymous hotel room. The lights were out, and we were gathered around a row of unlit candles.
Griffin took a deep breath. He struck a match, brilliant flame in the darkness. He brought the match to the wick of the candle. “For Beth,” he said.
“For Beth,” said Knox.
Griffin handed the matches to me. I struck another match, and then I lit the next candle. “For Stacey and Jack,” I said.
I handed the matches to Knox. He struck a third match and lit the next candle. “For the other casualties. The assassins killed doing Op Wraith’s dirty work.”
Griffin took my hand. I reached out to take Knox’s, and, to my surprise, he let me. We stood silently, gazing into the small, flickering flames.
“Gone, but not forgotten,” whispered Griffin.
* * *
I gazed at Knox, who was bouncing Dixie in his arms. “I still don’t see how you convinced them to give you that baby.”
He tickled her tummy. “I got skills. And I know how to fake documentation. I learned stuff in Op Wraith.”
“I know. You said that, but...” I shook my head. “I mean, they just gave you a baby.”
“Well,” said Griffin. “It is his baby.”
“That’s true,” I said. “But you walked in there and came out with a baby.”
Knox shrugged, grinning. “Like I said, I got skills.”
“You sure that you don’t want to come with us?” Griffin asked.
“Positive,” said Knox. “I need to be alone with my daughter for a little bit. That’s what I want. Just the two of us.”
“All right,” said Griffin. He offered Knox his hand.
Knox shook it. The two looked into each other’s eyes, both gripping the other’s hand. “Look, about Beth—”
Griffin shook his head. “I tortured you for days. I think we’re even.”
Knox nodded. They dropped hands.
“Come here,” I said, hugging Knox. “You know if you ever need anything to find us.”
“Definitely,” he said.
I kissed the top of Dixie’s head. She gurgled.
“See you around,” said Knox. He turned to Dixie. “Can you wave bye-bye?” When she didn’t do anything, he raised her hand for her and made her wave.
I waved too. Griffin took me by the hand and led me away. We walked to the street, where a sleek, black car was parked.
“You know,” I said, as I opened the passenger door. “You’ve got to stop stealing cars.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m gonna have to go legit. Luckily, you remembered your dad’s bank password, and he’s got total amnesia, so he doesn’t even remember he has money. I used some of that information to procure this fine automobile.”
“Wait,” I said. “You bought this?”
He closed the door after himself. “Sure did.”
I grinned. “Okay. Well, I guess that’s cool.” I looked back to see that Knox and Dixie were going inside. “Knox seems happy.”
“You know, he does,” said Griffin. “And I can see why. He’s got his kid, he’s free. Everything’s all right.”
“Sure,” I said. “But I mean, I don’t ever want to have kids.”
Griffin turned the key in the ignition. “Never?”
My eyes widened. “What? You do?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we got time to talk about it, huh?”
“I’m not having kids, Griffin. There’s no way. You see this stomach?” I pointed. “I’m not doing that.”
“You don’t even want to talk about it?”
I glared at him. “Of course you want to have kids. You don’t have to do anything.”
“Well,” he said. “You should probably finish college first.”
“You think?”
“So, I guess I better get you back to Thomas, so you can finish out the semester.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “Yes. Drive. And no more crazy talk of babies.”
He leaned across the car. “You’re all I need, doll.” And his lips found mine.
* * *
I banged the door of my apartment closed behind me and rushed down the steps. I was angry. We’d been back in Thomas for a month, long enough for me to get caught up on all my classes. I’d taken my last final exam earlier that afternoon. I’d come back to the apartment, hoping to celebrate with Griffin.
And then we’d gotten in a fight.
A bad fight.
We’d never fought like that before. Not once.
I made my way downtown, seething, turning over things he’d said to me, feeling angry about them, thinking of the perfect come back. I wished there was some way I could go back in time and tell him off, because I obviously hadn’t done it right the first time.
How dare he say things like that to me?
The jerk.
I went into The Purple Fiddle, made my way to the counter, and ordered a beer. The Holy Ghost Tent Revival was playing tonight, and they were setting up. That was part of what we’d argued about. I loved this band. They were high energy. They had brass musical instruments. They wore suspenders and button-up shirts. They sang harmonies together into their microphones when they weren’t jumping all over the stage. I wanted to see them.
And then he’d accused me of all kinds of stu
pid things.
I screamed at him. We weren’t in danger anymore. We were safe. I could go see a band and drink some beer if I wanted. He didn’t have to stop me from having a life.
But as I sat down to nurse my drink, watching the band do their sound tests, I didn’t feel vindicated for coming out on my own. I only felt lonely. I’d wanted to share this band with Griffin. I’d wanted to show him something fun and normal, since he’d lost so much of his life to violence and fear.
How had that turned into yelling at him? It should have been a good thing. Now, it all felt ruined.
My anger was draining away. I mostly felt sad now. I wished I could take back half the things I’d said. I fiddled with the salt shaker on the table. It was the male half of a pair of kissing hippies. The girl was the pepper. I pulled them away from each other, so that they stood back to back.
Now even the salt and pepper were fighting.
I sighed. Seeing this band wasn’t going to be worth it without Griffin. I’d wonder about him all night. I couldn’t be out here while he was at home. I couldn’t have fun if things weren’t right between us. I needed to apologize.
I got up. I wouldn’t get to finish my beer, but that was okay. I carried it back to the counter and set it down.
“Something wrong with that?” asked the guy working.
“No,” I said. “It’s fine. I just have to go.”
The door to The Purple Fiddle opened and Griffin walked in.
I ran to him. “Griffin, I was just coming to—”
“I was out of line, doll,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I am. I shouldn’t have said the stuff I did.”
“It’s okay,” he said.
“Is it?”
“Yes.” He fitted one of his hands behind my head, tangling his fingers in my hair. He kissed me thoroughly, right there in the doorway. I felt the kiss everywhere, from the top of my head to the ends of my toes. My limbs went shaky. I had to hold onto him to stand upright.
He broke the kiss, but we were still close.
“Let’s never fight again?” he murmured.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Will we always kiss like that afterwards?”
He chuckled, winding his arm around me and walking with me into the Fiddle. “So, this band isn’t religious?”
“Ma’am?” said the man at the counter. “You still want your beer?”
“Thanks,” I said, scooping it up. I looked up into Griffin’s gray eyes. “You’re going to love the music. And I’m going to make you dance.”
He cringed. “I don’t know about that.”
I smiled up at him. “If you love me, you will dance.”
He grinned. “Way to lay down an ultimatum, doll.”
I giggled. He kissed me again. My laughter filled both of our mouths. And I knew that everything was okay. We were safe. We were together. We were happy.
More about Griffin and Leigh? Buy Slow Agony.
Keep reading for a sneak peak at the first chapter.
Note: More intense than Slow Burn. Readers sensitive to controversial topics and disturbing violence are cautioned to use discretion.
Want freebies, information on new releases, discounts, and more? Visit my website to join my email list.
vjchambers.com
More fiction by V. J. Chambers on Amazon.
Slow Agony
“Oh my God, that exam was killer,” said my best friend Naomi Floyd, flopping down in a chair at the Wolves Den, the sandwich place on campus. “How’d you get done so fast?”
I grinned. “I’ve been reading the assigned books all semester, unlike some people.”
“Hey, I read for class. Sometimes.”
I laughed. “I ordered you turkey.” I handed over a basket containing a sandwich and fries.
“Thanks.” Naomi rummaged in her purse. “How much was it?”
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t need to pay me back.”
Naomi raised an eyebrow. “You never let me pay for stuff.”
“Because I have money.”
“From your dad, right?” She ate a French fry. “Is he coming for graduation?”
I looked down into my own half-eaten sandwich. “No. He doesn’t... He’s not into things like that.” There were things I shared with Naomi, but the fact that last year I’d injected my father full of a substance that gave him total amnesia and then stolen all his money wasn’t one of them.
“Your dad is like this rich guy who never shows up anywhere,” said Naomi. “I mean, I thought for sure you’d call him in February, when—”
“Naomi...”
She flinched. “Right. We don’t talk about that.”
I took a bite of my sandwich. “I’d rather not dig all that back up again is all.”
“So, let me change the subject, then.” Naomi grinned. “Can you believe we’re graduating?”
I laughed. “It is surreal, isn’t it? I’ve spent two years in Thomas. And so much has happened here.” I’d nearly been killed, kicked cocaine, met the man of my dreams.
Lost the man of my dreams. My smile faded.
“I just somehow brought it back up again, didn’t I?” Naomi made a sympathetic face. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”
I tried a smile. “I did it to myself. Don’t worry about it.” I sighed. “You know, I keep thinking that one of these days, soon, I’m going to wake up, and the first thing I think of is not going to be how screwed up everything is. I’m going to feel happy for a little bit.”
She took my hand. “You will.”
“It’s been three and a half months,” I said. “How long does it take?”
She shrugged. “Oh, you know I’m the last person to ask about that. I mean, Derrick was sleeping with that girl for months before I found out. Months. And I still sometimes wish I could get him back.”
I picked up a French fry and ruefully began breaking it into pieces. “So what you’re saying is that it doesn’t matter how much of a dick he was, you’re still not over him?”
“No, I’m not saying that at all,” said Naomi. “I’m over him. It’s been six months. I even date now.”
I tossed what was left of the fry onto a napkin. “You call that dating?”
“Yes. It is dating.”
“But you meet those guys on those e-dating websites. And they’re always losers.”
“Not always.”
“You haven’t gone on a second date with any of them, have you?”
Naomi sighed. “Look, at least I’m trying.”
“You’re saying I’m not?”
“You aren’t.”
I leaned back in her chair. “It’s too soon.”
“It’s been three and a half months.”
“But we were together for ten months, and they say that it takes at least half of the time you were together to be ready for a new relationship.”
Naomi snorted. “Tell that to Derrick. He and that girl are engaged.”
I looked up at the ceiling. “It’s only that what I had with Griffin was really special. It wasn’t just another relationship.” I turned back to my sandwich. “I thought he was the one, you know?”
“He wouldn’t have run off on you if he had been.”
“Well, he had... issues. And they were really complicated. He ran away from me before, but it was only because he was afraid that he wasn’t enough for me, and—”
“Stop it,” said Naomi. “You can’t keep making excuses for him.”
“Anyway, he did come back. But when he found out what I did—”
“I know what happened, Leigh. But it wasn’t your fault.”
“Maybe it was. Maybe it was my fault.”
“No.” Naomi shook her head. “You can’t blame yourself. Stop it. Anyway, fuck men, okay? Sisters unite.”
I looked away.
Naomi took a bite of her sandwich. “Say it.”
“Sisters unite,” I mumbled.
“Like you mean it.”
I
glared at her. “Seriously? You’re going to make me repeat it?”
“This sandwich is really good,” said Naomi. “And I wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for my best friend, Leigh, who bought it for me. I can depend on her, not like the no-good men that done us wrong. Can I get an ‘Amen’?”
I rolled my eyes, but I was laughing. “Okay, okay. You’ve made your point.”
“Good,” said Naomi. “You coming to Clint’s big graduation blow out party?”
“No,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Because of the New Years thing,” I said. “I’m not going near him again.”
“It’s going to be a huge party,” she said. “You won’t even see him. You need to have some fun, Leigh. Exams are over, college is over—”
“For you, maybe,” I said. “I’m going to grad school in the fall.”
“Undergrad is over,” she amended. “Do something crazy for once.”
“I did enough crazy stuff to last a lifetime. All I want now is a nice, boring, unexciting life.”
“No, you don’t,” said Naomi. “You live for fun. You know it. I know it. Now, you’re going to meet me at The Purple Fiddle later this evening. No excuses.”
I sighed.
“You never know,” said Naomi. “Maybe you’ll meet someone.”
“I don’t want to meet someone.”
“So, you’re coming, though?”
I shrugged.
* * *
For about two months after Griffin left, I didn’t leave the house except to go to class. I practically starved to death because I wasn’t interested in food. When I did eat, I grabbed stuff from the frozen section of the grocery store or warmed up things at 7-Eleven. And that wasn’t really all that often. I felt broken and destroyed.
I still did.
Every morning, ever since he left the first time, I woke up thinking, “Where’s Griffin?”
Gone.
That was where Griffin was. Completely and utterly gone.
I hadn’t thought I’d be able to breathe without him. I was kind of disgusted with the fact that I could. I could survive. I was surviving. But I didn’t feel exactly alive. I felt half there, my physical body functioning, but my emotions damaged. Everything was screwed up.
Slow Burn: A Bad Boy Romance (Assassins Book 1) Page 26
