aisling grimlock 03 - grim discovery

by Amanda M. Lee

  Hey, wait a minute … . “I’m not sexually aggressive,” I countered.

  “Oh, don’t back off now,” Griffin interjected. “You’ve dug us in this deep. Why don’t you own up to everything?”

  Uh-oh. I was definitely in trouble if Griffin was turning on me, too. “I’ve already owned up to everything.”

  “You forgot the part where I said I respected your father too much to do anything untoward in his house,” Griffin said, his face unreadable. “I’m a gentleman. You said you didn’t want to be a lady and that being reminded of the guy you spied on got your motor running and you just couldn’t contain yourself because I was so hot. You forced me to kiss you and then you tackled me on this couch.”

  I narrowed my eyes. He was clearly enjoying himself now that I was on the losing end of the conversation. Of course, I’d done it to myself. There was no one else to blame. “I guess I’m just a mindless sex animal,” I grumbled.

  “You’re a slave to your hormones, Bug,” Jerry said, clucking sympathetically. “You can’t help yourself.”

  Dad’s eyes were busy as they bounced around the room. “I’m not sure what just happened here … and I definitely don’t want to know,” he said. “I want everyone out of this office and in the dining room in exactly five minutes.”

  “I’m really sorry, Mr. Grimlock,” Griffin said. “Aisling just … ambushed me.”

  “Don’t let it happen again,” Dad threatened. “She’s tiny. You’re stronger than her. You can’t let her bully you.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  Dad turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Braden and Redmond cast evil glances in my direction before following. Jerry was the last to leave, apparently torn about wanting to comfort Griffin in his time of need and enjoying his newfound insight into the female psyche. Finally, he scampered off and left Griffin and me to collect ourselves.

  “Well, are you happy now that you turned me into a sex maniac?” I asked, making a face.

  “Actually, yes,” Griffin replied, unruffled. He reached behind the cushion and grabbed the file, slapping it into my hands as we moved toward the doorway. “Put that in your purse.”

  “I still don’t understand how this whole thing turned on me,” I admitted.

  “It wouldn’t have if you didn’t let an uncomfortable situation with your father get out of hand,” Griffin replied, leaning over to give me a quick kiss. “I have plans to put that sexually aggressive nature of yours on display when we’re alone tonight, by the way.” His grin was too charming to hate.

  “Now my whole family thinks I’m a pervert.”

  “Better you than me,” Griffin said. “Hide that file. I have a feeling this is going to be a short dinner because no one in your family can look you in the eye now that they know you were going to force me to do dirty things in your father’s office.”

  Well, that was at least something to look forward to.

  “DID I miss something?” Maya asked, her eyebrows knit together as she scanned the assembled dinner guests twenty minutes later. “Why is no one making eye contact?”

  “It’s nothing,” Dad said, vigorously stabbing into a piece of prime rib. “We don’t need to talk about it.”

  “We definitely missed something,” Cillian said, turning to Redmond for answers. “What happened?”

  “Aisling apparently let her hormones get away from her and practically jumped Griffin in the hallway,” Redmond replied.

  “No one needs to hear this story,” Dad barked.

  Redmond ignored him. “She dragged Griffin into Dad’s office, and that’s where he found them … kissing … on his couch.”

  Cillian smirked. “I see.”

  “Why is that a problem?” Maya asked. She was still getting used to the interpersonal relationships in the Grimlock household. “It’s not as though they were naked. Wait, tell me you weren’t naked, Griffin.”

  “We weren’t naked,” Griffin confirmed. “Although … Aisling was trying to get me there even though I fought her off with everything I had.”

  Maya’s face contorted. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “Jerry watches The View,” Braden supplied, reaching for the bowl of potatoes at the center of the table.

  “Okay … um … I definitely don’t understand that,” Maya admitted.

  “I had to explain how women are slaves to their hormones and men can’t always fight them off,” Jerry said. “Griffin really had no choice but to go into the library with Aisling. The male brain is incapable of saying no to a woman when she puts the full-court press on. Hey, I finally used a football metaphor.” He was proud of himself.

  “Basketball,” Aidan automatically corrected.

  “How does that work?” Maya asked.

  “I’m still trying to figure it out,” Dad muttered, draining his wine glass and immediately reaching for the bottle so he could pour another. “I’ll have you know that women were not like that when I was dating.”

  “Of course not,” I muttered. “You dated back in the Neanderthal age and preferred clubbing your women over the head and then carrying them to the hut yourself.”

  “No one asked for your opinion,” Dad warned.

  “I’m really confused,” Maya said. “Why does anyone have to be at fault? Griffin and Aisling are adults. If they want to make out, why does it matter?”

  “Because Dad still sees Aisling as an eight-year-old in pigtails,” Cillian replied. “She’ll always be the little girl who stopped in his office before dinner and munched on licorice while she told him about her day.”

  “I think that’s common for fathers when it comes to daughters,” Maya said. “While it was probably inconsiderate of Aisling and Griffin to do it in Mr. Grimlock’s office, they weren’t really doing anything wrong.”

  “Thank you,” I said, raising my glass in Maya’s direction. Griffin reached over and snagged the glass from me before I could sip from it. “Hey!”

  “You need to stay sober so you can drive,” Griffin said. “I need to drink after that whole … thing.”

  “But … .”

  “You took advantage of me,” Griffin said, his eyes twinkling. “I think it’s only fair.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “This sucks.”

  “That’s what happens when you’re a pervert,” Aidan said.

  “Eat your dinner, Aidan,” Dad ordered.

  “I am not a pervert,” I shot back. “Kissing does not make me a pervert.”

  “Stop saying pervert,” Dad instructed.

  “You’re a total pervert,” Aidan replied, ignoring Dad’s growing discomfort at the head of the table. “You were the one who explained sex to me when we were eight. I was perfectly happy with Mom and Dad’s cover story until you ruined it.”

  Griffin arched an eyebrow. “Cover story?”

  “They told us they were wrestling when we walked in one morning,” I explained.

  “Ah.”

  “For weeks I was happy thinking Dad was winning and Mom was comfortable letting him win,” Aidan said, shaking his head. “Then Aisling explained about sex and ruined everything.”

  “How did you know about that?” Dad asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

  I pointed at Redmond. “He told me.”

  Dad was disgusted. “Seriously? Why would you tell her that?”

  “Because she was going around trying to wrestle boys and telling them that you and Mom did it, so it was totally normal,” Redmond replied. “Don’t blame me because you told a stupid lie.”

  “This whole family should be committed,” Dad muttered. “You’re all going to kill me. You know that, right?”

  “I think I’m officially the good one today,” Aidan argued. “I’m the favorite.”

  “Weren’t you the one playing naked spying games with your sister?” Dad pressed.

  “Don’t phrase it like that,” Aidan said, wrinkling his nose. “That makes it sound like I was spying on her while she was
naked.”

  “Ugh,” Braden said, shuddering. “Don’t put that picture in anyone’s head.”

  “Hey! I look good naked,” I argued.

  “That’s what got Griffin in trouble in the first place,” Jerry said sagely. “Aisling teases him when she’s naked.”

  “Stop saying naked!” Dad’s rage continued to boil.

  “I think we can officially move this dinner to number one on the worst dinners list,” Griffin said, reaching for the bottle of wine. “I’m going to have nightmares.”

  “Join the club,” Braden shot back. “At least your nightmares aren’t going to involve your sister naked.”

  “That’s it,” Dad said, slamming his hands down on the table. “The next person who speaks is grounded for the rest of their lives!”

  As far as threats go, this one didn’t hold a lot of power.

  “Oh, look, Dad’s officially gone round the bend,” Redmond said. “Good job, Aisling.”

  How did this become my fault?

  Nine

  “Well, that’s officially one dinner I want to wipe from my mind forever,” I announced, closing my bedroom door and shutting Aidan and Jerry out for the night. They were in the living room watching The Golden Girls, and I didn’t want to deal with either of them unless I absolutely had to.

  Griffin sat on the bed wearing nothing but his boxer shorts, his eyes intent as they scanned the pilfered file.

  “I thought you were going to wait for me to open that,” I complained, climbing onto the bed next to him.

  “You took too long in the bathroom,” Griffin replied, glancing up. “What were you doing in there? I hope it wasn’t something perverted.”

  I scowled. “I’m never going to live this down.”

  Griffin leaned over and kissed my cheek, lingering long enough to rub his nose against my freshly scrubbed skin. “I love the way you smell after you wash your face,” he said. “Is that lavender?”

  I nodded as I pulled my hair back and hurriedly braided it. If I didn’t corral it, my morning bedhead would scare away the sturdiest of men – including Griffin. Of course, he’d seen me at my worst more times than I could count. I didn’t want to make a regular habit of it, though. “Did you find anything?”

  “I’m not sure what I’m looking at,” Griffin admitted, handing the file over to me. “Why do you braid your hair every night before bed?”

  “You’ve seen my hair when I don’t,” I reminded him. “I look like Frankenstein’s bride.”

  “I think it’s cute,” Griffin countered. “I like it messy. In fact, I like you best when you’re all stripped down and ready for bed.”

  “That’s because you think you’re going to get lucky.”

  “Oh, I’m getting lucky,” Griffin said. “After what you put me through, I’ve earned it.”

  “Oh, no,” I countered. “I’m sexually aggressive. I decide when we do it.”

  Griffin grinned. “I do love Jerry’s explanations – especially when they save our asses.”

  I couldn’t argue with the sentiment. “That’s why I decided to let him spout his nonsense,” I said. “I knew it would distract my dad.”

  “I don’t think your dad was distracted,” Griffin argued, reaching over and fingering my cotton pajama shorts. “I think he was confused and he didn’t know what to do, so letting Jerry snow him was the easiest way out of the conversation with a modicum of his pride intact.”

  “I guess.”

  “What do you see in that file?”

  “It’s an internal report on my mother’s death,” I replied. “My father lodged a formal complaint because we weren’t made aware that she was on a list.”

  “How does that work with reapers?”

  “You never reap your own,” I replied, rubbing my forehead. “It’s a rule. The higher-ups worry that if a member of your own family appeared on your list you would do everything possible to save them.”

  “I think that’s just human nature.”

  “We didn’t find out until … after.”

  “Tell me,” Griffin instructed, rubbing his thumb over my cheek. “I need to know if I’m going to help you. You don’t have to go into a lot of detail if it’s too hard for you. I just need to know the basics.”

  “It’s not too hard for me.”

  “You never talk about her, Aisling,” Griffin pointed out. “Sometimes you mention her in conjunction with your father, but you never really talk about her.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “Tell me … what was she like when you were growing up?”

  “She was a regular mom,” I replied, searching my memory. I remembered my mother as if I’d seen her just yesterday. I opted to bury those memories deep, though. Some things are too painful to dwell on. “I could always snow my father. I didn’t like being the only girl, but there were advantages to it.”

  “I’ll bet,” Griffin said, reclining on the pillows. “I’ll bet your father spoiled you and left the discipline to your mother.”

  “How did you know that?”

  “Because your father still doesn’t appear to know how to discipline you,” Griffin chuckled. “I especially liked when he grounded everyone for life tonight.”

  “Dad punished me,” I said. “I remember being yelled at. He still … when I wanted something, he was always the one I went to. My mother didn’t have a problem punishing any of us. Dad didn’t have a problem punishing my brothers. Where he was concerned, I was the only one who got away with murder when I was little.

  “We used to fight like you wouldn’t believe,” I continued. “Well, actually, you probably can believe it seeing how we act now. We really went at each other when we were kids, though. Braden and I fought like cats and dogs.”

  I glanced at Griffin, but he seemed content to let me talk.

  “Mom always pulled me aside after a big fight and told me that one day I would appreciate all of them,” I continued. “She told me I would love them and they would look out for me. I didn’t believe her.”

  “She was right.”

  “She was right,” I agreed. “She always knew when I was up to something. Dad thought he did, but I could cry on a dime and he’d back off because he hated when I cried. Mom never fell for my tears, and yet when my tears were real she always swooped in and tried to make me feel better.”

  “I think that’s a mother’s job,” Griffin said. “Tell me about the night she died.”

  “It was a late job that popped up out of nowhere,” I replied. “Dad was going to take it but … I can’t remember … something else came up. I think it was a conference call with the main office.

  “Redmond was on probation at the time and he offered to go, but Mom told him to stay at home and watch the rest of us,” I said. “It was just supposed to be a quick job. It was a fire. People couldn’t get out. She was going to pop in and collect the souls and then pop out.”

  “How could she do that in a fire without succumbing herself?”

  “As long as she got close to the soul it was supposed to be fine,” I answered. “Fires are always difficult. Sometimes we have to wait until long after they’re over because so many people are around. She apparently didn’t want to wait, and she rushed things … that’s what I was always told anyway.

  “She was more than an hour late returning before anyone even noticed,” I said. “We weren’t worried, though. Sometimes things take longer than they should. Dad sent us all to bed and … .” I broke off, lost in thought.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” Griffin said. “It’s okay.”

  “I want to tell you,” I replied, my voice raspy. “Braden woke me. He’d been crying. He told me to come downstairs. Dad was a mess. He told us Mom was dead, that she’d died in the fire.

  “I remember trying to ask questions, but Dad couldn’t stop crying long enough to answer them, and finally Redmond told me to be quiet because I was upsetting him,” I continued. “The next few days are kind of a blur. W
e didn’t have a body to bury. The fire was too hot. Dad still bought a coffin and we still had a funeral.

  “After that … Dad never cried again,” I said. “Life just … went on.”

  Griffin snagged me around the waist and pulled me so I was on top of him. “I’m sorry, baby. That had to be horrible.”

  “I don’t understand why Dad filed a formal inquiry and didn’t tell us about it,” I admitted, lifting the file again. “He never mentioned it.”

  “Your father was probably wallowing in grief and there was nothing else he could do,” Griffin said, stroking the back of my head. “Someone had to reap your mother’s soul, right? Who did that?”

  “Oh, um … .” I searched my memory. “It was the Grimpond family. They work out of Monroe County to the south of us. I’m not sure which of them reaped her. I wanted to go and see them after she … after … but Dad said that wasn’t allowed. I was angry with him at the time, but I kind of get it now.”

  “Do you think whoever reaped her talked to her soul before collecting it?”

  “I don’t know. That’s a good question, though.”

  Griffin brushed a kiss against my forehead as he studied the file. “How strict are these rules you have to work by?”

  “Pretty strict. Why?”

  “Would you get in trouble if you questioned this Grimpond family?”

  I lifted my head so I could study Griffin’s serious face. “I suppose. What good will that do?”

  “I think you’re missing something obvious here,” Griffin said. “The Grimpond family was supposed to reap your mother’s soul. If they did their job, how did she end up back here?”

  I pulled myself to a sitting position, stunned that question hadn’t entered my mind sooner. “Holy crap! How did I miss that?”

  Griffin snorted. “You’ve had a lot on your mind.”

  “Yeah, but that’s the answer to my problem,” I pointed out. “If the Grimponds really reaped Mom, there’s no way she could be back in town. There’s no way she could be the one who … .”