“Griffin, I’m not joking.” I was close to crying and couldn’t stop the tears from pooling. “I have to go to the bathroom … now!”
“Go in the cup,” Redmond suggested. “I’ll make sure to keep my eyes up here.”
That sounded like the worst idea I’d ever heard, and my brothers once talked me into believing I could jump off the roof and fly. Luckily my father caught me by the back of my coat before I took flight. If I remembered correctly, my brothers were grounded for a month after that and I was able to eat my weight in ice cream. Hmm. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad memory after all.
“I’m not going in the cup,” I barked, regaining my senses. “I’m not a dude. I can’t manage it without peeing all over my clothes.”
“Well, we’re supposed to be following Mom,” Redmond reminded me. “If we lose her now, we’re done.”
“I … .” I gritted my teeth and pressed my eyes shut, not opening them again until Redmond slowed the truck and pulled to the side of the road. I was so relieved I almost kissed his cheek as I fumbled with the door handle. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank Mom.”
“What?” I furrowed my brow, frowning when I realized Mom and her partner had pulled in front of a nondescript house and were heading toward the front door. “What are they doing here?”
“I have no idea, but you’d better go quickly,” Redmond replied. “There are some bushes over there. Try not to get caught peeing in some random dude’s landscaping, by the way. If you get arrested I might never stop laughing.”
“Ha, ha, ha.” I bolted out of the truck and raced toward the bushes in question. They weren’t tall, but I was desperate. I did my business as quickly as possible, ignoring the fact that I had no toilet paper options and Griffin and Redmond knew exactly what I was doing. When I straightened to return to the truck, I realized Mom and her friend were back in front of the house. I could do nothing but duck back into the bushes and hope they didn’t see me.
“Well, that was a waste of time,” the man said, his disdain evident.
“Really, Rogan, must you be such a ray of sunshine?” Mom drawled, matching his tone. “We had to ask and you know it.”
“I could’ve told you what she’d say,” the man called Rogan snapped. “She had no idea what we were talking about, and now she thinks we’re morons.”
“I’m sure you’re used to that.” Mom’s eyes flashed with mirth when Rogan clenched his hands into fists at his sides. “Careful now. We both know what’s going to happen if you follow through on that inclination.”
“It might be worth it to shut your mouth.”
Mom’s tone was haughty. “You wouldn’t finish taking the swing. You’d be gone long before it landed. Remember who you’re dealing with.”
“I’m not likely to forget.” Rogan sneered, showing off a set of ugly, jagged teeth. “So what now? If she doesn’t know what happened to the disc, we’re out of options. We have nowhere else to look.”
“We have somewhere else to look,” Mom corrected. “I doubt it’s there, but we’ll give it a shot all the same.”
“And if we don’t find it?”
Mom shrugged. “I have no idea. I would suggest that getting out of town might be the superior option. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
“It’s always a joy to hang around with you,” Rogan complained, stomping toward his truck. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
Mom’s smile faded. “I believe karma got us both here.”
I remained crouching in the bushes until the truck took off down the street, and then I raced to Redmond’s truck and launched myself in the back. “Go!”
Redmond didn’t need to be told twice. He gunned the engine and slipped into traffic behind the truck carrying Rogan and Mom. He waited for me to fasten my seatbelt and catch my breath before asking the obvious question.
“What did you hear?”
I recited the conversation from memory.
“Disc?” Griffin scratched at the back of his neck. “Do you think they’re talking about the disc you saw in Harry’s house?”
“That would be my guess.”
“While you were handling your business, we ran the address,” Redmond supplied. “Guess who it belongs to.”
I hadn’t given it much thought, but now the answer was relatively easy to come by. “Harry Turner’s aunt?”
“You’re smarter than you look, which is a probably a good thing.” Redmond grinned as he allowed a car to pass him, making sure to keep Rogan’s vehicle in sight but working overtime not to crowd Mom and her cohort. “It can’t be a coincidence. They’re looking for that disc.”
“Which means it’s not at Harry’s house,” I mused. “I need to call Aidan.”
Griffin cast me a curious look as he watched me dig for my phone. “Why are you calling Aidan?”
“Because they went to Harry’s house to look around and I need to know what they found.” I pulled Aidan’s name up on my contact list and waited for him to answer. He sounded breathless when he did, but I didn’t wait for him to launch into his story. “Did you find anything at Harry’s house?”
“Well, hello to you, too.” I could practically see his grimace. “Now is not a great time.”
I flicked my eyes to the road to make sure Redmond hadn’t lost Mom before continuing. “It’s not a great time for us either. I need to ask you a question.”
“Yeah, I think it should wait until later.”
“It can’t wait.”
“It’s going to have to. I’m busy hiding in an alley behind Harry Turner’s house because Detective Green showed up out of nowhere and we had to run,” Aidan said. “He could be out here any second looking for us. I really can’t talk.”
“Who is that?” Braden barked. “If that’s Aisling, hang up. We don’t have time for her.”
I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle Braden, but that wasn’t an option so I filed it away for later. “I just have a quick question.”
“Fine. What?”
“Did you find the disc in Harry’s house?”
“No, and the place has been tossed. I think Green believes we did it, which is going to be an issue because he’s going to arrest us if he finds us.”
“Did he see you?”
“I can’t be sure, but my guess is yes.”
That wasn’t good. “Oh, well, I guess you should probably hang up then.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Aidan said dryly. “Wait, before you hang up, did you learn anything from Harry’s aunt?”
That was a tricky question given who he was hiding with. Still, if something happened, it was best for him to know. “Mom was with another rogue reaper outside the house. Don’t tell Braden!” I rushed the last three words out of my mouth so quickly they ran together. Aidan got the gist, though, and I was thankful.
“I see. Where are you now?”
“Following her and the reaper. His name is Rogan. I’ve never seen him before. They were talking about a disc.”
“The disc that was in Harry Turner’s house but isn’t there any longer?”
“That would be the one. At least that’s my guess. They say they have one place left to look, but after that … .”
“So someone took the disc,” Aidan said. “The bad guys don’t have it. The cops don’t have it. Everyone is looking for it.”
“Pretty much.”
“And you were the last one seen with it,” Aidan mused.
I stilled. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It simply means that you were the last one to see it,” Aidan replied, refusing to back down. “You have a habit of sticking things in your pockets.”
“Are you calling me a thief?”
“No, but you are forgetful. I don’t suppose you accidentally took the disc?”
“Of course not.” I scoffed at the notion … and then I actually thought about it. “Well, maybe,” I hedged. “The storm was loud and he was yelling at me. I had the disc in my
hand and then he said something. There might be a chance I stuck it in my pocket.”
“I knew it!” Aidan practically exploded. “Where would the disc be now if you stuck it in your pocket?”
I wasn’t sure I liked his tone. “If I accidentally took it – and that’s a big if – it would be in the pocket of the jeans I wore that day.”
“And where are those now?”
“On the bedroom floor in the townhouse. We haven’t been back there in days because we’ve been staying at Grimlock Manor. No one has been around to do the laundry.”
“Which means it’s probably still there.”
Holy crap! The key to this entire mess, the disc we’d been trying to research for days, was in my jeans back at the townhouse. What were the odds? Wait, don’t answer that. Somehow I’m sure the limits of my intelligence will come into that discussion and no one wants that.
“Try to get out of there, and call Dad when you do,” I instructed. “I have to go.”
“Who are you calling?”
“Who do you think? We’re tailing Mom and you’re hiding from the cops. That leaves Cillian and Dad to get the disc.”
“He’s going to be angry.”
No, he was going to be furious. “That can’t be helped. I’ll be in touch.” I disconnected the call and ran my tongue over my teeth as I debated the best way to approach Dad.
“Just do it,” Redmond ordered, frowning as we approached the familiar gates of Eternal Sunshine Cemetery. Mom and Rogan pulled directly into the parking lot, but Redmond continued down for a block before parking. “Well, this is just … all kinds of suck.”
He wasn’t wrong. I heaved out a breath as I hit Dad’s number, watching as Griffin gripped the umbrella and stared at the sky. The weather remained clear – which was good – but I could feel the anxiety rolling off him.
“It’s going to be okay.” I reached forward and squeezed his hand. “I promise. You’ll be okay.”
Griffin mustered a smile for my benefit, but it was weak. “Call your Dad.”
“And then duck and cover when you do,” Redmond added. “When he finds out you had the key to solving all of this in your pants he’s going to melt down and you really will end up grounded.”
I had no doubt.
DAD’S DIATRIBE WAS one for the record books. I wished I could record it and play it back for him when he was drunk one night so everyone could get a good laugh. I didn’t have the option … or time.
Once he cooled down – or at least stopped screaming about how he couldn’t possibly be my father because no child of his could be as ridiculous as me – he announced he was going to get the disc and then head for the cemetery unless we called to warn him away. I think he wanted to see Mom in action for himself, but I didn’t press him on the issue.
We were behind Mom and Rogan when we reached the cemetery’s front gates, but it hardly mattered. We knew where they were going … and why. We’d been to the Olivet mausoleum so many times we could’ve made our way there in our sleep.
I plodded along the sidewalk, Redmond and Griffin on either side, and pondered what the new revelation would mean for us. I wasn’t surprised Mom turned out to be evil. I always believed it was not only possible but probable. Still, there was a dull ache in my heart I couldn’t quite identify. I was upset that my suspicions had been proven true. It wasn’t something I could easily swallow.
I slipped my hand into Griffin’s as we walked, thankful for his comforting presence. He slid me a sidelong look before squeezing my fingers and lowering his voice.
“We’re not a hundred percent sure yet.”
I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but it was a wasted effort. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. She’s working with someone else – I definitely believe that – but they’re the ones who conjured the storm. She was part of it from the beginning. I see no other explanation.”
“She might’ve infiltrated the group to get information,” Griffin offered. “Maybe she was working as a spy.”
I shook my head. “I know you’re trying to make things better for me, but it’s really not necessary. I expected this. It’s Braden who will be hurt.”
“I think you’re all going to hurt,” Griffin argued. “It’s okay to be hurt. She’s your mother. No matter what you said – or how many times you’ve said it – I always believed that part of you hoped she would turn back into the woman you remembered.”
“That was never going to happen. It was wishful thinking. I’m not an idiot, and yet part of me believed.”
“Is this the same part that believes I can withstand the power of the storm simply because I love you?”
“No. That’s a different part. By the way, I still believe that. I haven’t been proven wrong on that.”
“We’re never going to put ourselves in the position to find out.”
“Probably not, but I still have faith.”
“You’re always good for faith.”
“Really? When I was a kid my brothers thought I was a pessimist.”
“That’s because you like pretending you’re a pessimist. It takes time to realize you’re an optimist. Sure, you’re the snarkiest optimist I’ve ever met, but you’re an optimist all the same.”
I leaned over and pressed a kiss against his cheek. “That’s either very sweet or really insulting. I’m going to have to get back to you on my verdict after this is all over. I’ll either reward or punish you then.”
Griffin grinned. “I’m looking forward to it. In fact … .” He broke off when a furtive shadow barreled through the bushes and stopped on the pathway in front of us.
Mom, her silvery hair flying, fixed each of us with a dark look in turn. “What are you doing here?”
I saw no reason to lie. “We’re following you.”
“Me?” Mom’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. “Why would you be following me?”
“Because we know you’re looking for the disc.”
“Disc?” Mom slapped her hand to her brow. “I just knew you guys were going to screw this up.”
“We love you, too,” I drawled. “Now spill the dirt. Exactly who are you working for?”
“Myself.”
That was disheartening and expected at the same time. “I guess I should’ve known.”
“I guess you should have,” Mom agreed. “Now get out of here. If Rogan sees you, he’ll kill you.”
“I’m not afraid of Rogan.”
“You should be.”
“And why is that?”
Mom’s eyes flashed. “Because he’s not alone and … well … a storm is coming.”
“A storm?” I lifted my eyes to the sky and frowned when I realized things had gone almost completely dark. “Uh-oh.” I swiveled in Griffin’s direction and found him backing away from me, his hands raised as he tried to open the umbrella and increase the distance between us at the same time. “Where are you going?”
“Stay away from me!” Griffin was anguished. “I’m going. Don’t you dare follow me.”
He took off running just as the sky opened up and thunder rocked the ground and caused my heart to shudder.
This was definitely not good.
28
Twenty-Eight
I moved to chase Griffin, but Redmond instinctively grabbed the back of my shirt to keep me in place.
“What is it with people doing this to me?” I complained, lashing out with my hand in the hope he would release me. “I’m going to start walking around naked so you people can’t trap me with my own clothes. Just you wait!”
“You can’t follow him, Aisling. It’s not safe. I … stop it!” Redmond barked out the admonishment so loudly I had no choice but to give up the fight and stare at him. “I know you’re upset. I know he’s upset. But you can’t go after him. Not only is it not safe, but he wouldn’t want it. He made me promise that I would put you first.”
I balked. “When?”
“When you were going to the bathroom in some random
dude’s bushes – very classy, by the way – and we had a few minutes alone. He was firm and serious, and he made me promise that I would keep you away from him should the worst happen.”
I wanted to cry. No, seriously, I wanted to curl into a ball and cry. I wanted to call for my daddy to fix things and shut out the world. I could do none of those things, because I was an adult and I needed to handle my own problems.
“Fine.” I stopped fighting and hung limply in front of Redmond. “I won’t go after him.”
Redmond didn’t look convinced. “Do you promise?”
I nodded. “He’ll never get over hurting me if it comes to that. We won’t survive it. I’ll stay away, even though I’m terrified he’ll hurt someone else.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll simply stumble over Mom’s new boyfriend,” Redmond said pointedly, shifting his attention to Mom as he eased his grip on me. I could’ve escaped. I could’ve run and found Griffin. But I understood the best thing for Griffin was to leave him be, and I was determined to do right by him.
I had no idea when it happened, but suddenly I felt like an adult. I didn’t like it and I wanted to go back to being the immature baby of the family. For now, though, I had other things to deal with.
“How long have you been working against us?” I asked, my tone low and threatening.
Instead of reacting with mortification or denials, Mom merely shrugged. “There are different ways of solving a problem, Aisling. You should know that better than anyone.”
I turned to Redmond for confirmation. “Was that an answer?”
He shook his head, grim. “No. It was avoidance.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Mom didn’t act like a woman about to plead for the forgiveness of the children she’d betrayed. “If you expect me to say I didn’t want to avoid this situation, then you’re not the bright and engaged children I raised.”
Her tone and attitude set my teeth on edge. “Did you hear that, Redmond?” I challenged. “She thinks we’re idiots.”
“I heard.”
“I said nothing of the sort.” Mom sighed and glanced over her shoulder. When the area behind her remained silent and still, she turned back. “You need to get out of here. I don’t have much time, and if Rogan finds you … .”
Grim Tempest Page 26
