“It doesn’t matter,” I said wearily, removing the clip from the back of my hair and letting the long tresses fall down my back. I rubbed the sore spot where the barrette had been digging in for the past three hours.
Griffin pushed my hand away and replaced my fingers with his, rubbing. I groaned appreciatively. “That feels good.”
“Sit down on the floor in front of the couch,” Griffin ordered. “I think you’ve earned a shoulder rub tonight, and I think we need to talk.”
I stiffened involuntarily.
“Wipe that look off your face right now,” Griffin chided. “Sit down.”
I did as instructed, kicking off my shoes and stretching my legs out under the coffee table. Griffin settled behind me, pressing my body between his knees as he started rubbing my neck. It felt heavenly.
Griffin chuckled when I groaned. “If you keep making noises like that this is going to be a short massage.”
I clamped my mouth shut.
“I want you to tell me about Angelina,” Griffin said after a beat, digging his fingers into the tight bundle of muscles between my shoulder blades.
“What do you want to know?”
“All of it,” Griffin said.
“It’s not a very interesting story,” I said. “We were in different elementary schools, so everyone was kind of thrust in each other’s worlds in middle school. She had this clique of little … harpies. They were horrible.
“They went after Jerry that very first day,” I continued. “I’m not sure how to explain Jerry in middle school. He was … .”
“Exactly the same as he is now?” Griffin suggested.
“Kind of,” I said. “Jerry always knew he was different. His mother – you should meet her by the way – knew he was different, too. She encouraged him to be whatever he wanted to be.”
“The way Jerry tells it, he took one look at you and decided you were going to be his best friend for life,” Griffin prodded.
“He decided I was a fashion victim and that I needed him.”
Griffin barked out a laugh. “Lean your head down.” He brushed my hair out of the way so he could kiss my neck, and then he proceeded to grind his fingers into my flesh. “What did Angelina do to Jerry?”
“Typical stuff,” I said, moaning a little despite myself when he found a sensitive spot. “She tortured him by putting dresses in his locker. She would write hateful little messages with nail polish on his locker and in his books. She called him ‘Jerry the Fairy.’”
“That must have been hard for him.”
“He took it better than I did,” I said. “I … didn’t like the way she looked at him.”
“Which was?”
“Like he was somehow beneath her.”
“So what did you do? Other than cutting holes in her pants, that is.”
“Oh, I wrote her cellphone number on the bathroom wall at my dad’s Knights of Columbus meeting hall,” I replied. “I said she was always open for a good time, so she had, like, fifty old dudes calling her for a month straight.”
Griffin snorted.
“I put red paint on her pants in art class one day and told everyone she’d started her period,” I added. “It was typical kid stuff most of the time.”
“Until?”
“I don’t know when things really got out of control,” I said. “In high school, she’d go after every boyfriend I had. I didn’t have a lot of them. No one wanted to date me because of my brothers.”
“I can see that.”
“Then … well … maybe we should just stop now?”
“Tell me,” Griffin urged.
“I told the football team she had herpes and that she was trying to pass it on to all of them,” I said. “They all refused to date her, especially after all those pamphlets from Planned Parenthood fell out of her locker.”
“Pamphlets?”
“Venereal disease is very serious.”
“Continue.”
“She didn’t take it well, and when she decided to get back at me she was … inventive,” I said. “She had one of her friends tell me that Jerry was crying in the high school at the Homecoming game senior year. When I went looking for him, I didn’t find Jerry.”
Griffin stilled his fingers. “What did you find?”
“She’d told Shawn Lassiter that he was going to meet her, and he was expecting some … special attention,” I said. “Then she locked me in the locker room with him and I was stuck there all night. Oh, and he was naked. She took his clothes.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. He was a wuss. When my father and brothers found me the next morning, though, it wasn’t pretty,” I said. “I think they would have killed him if they had the chance. The cops were called. Angelina denied everything. Shawn took her side because he was hoping he would still get some action.”
“Well, that was a bit much,” Griffin said. “How did you retaliate?”
“What makes you think I retaliated?”
“I’ve met you.”
“I put a sonogram picture in her locker and made sure everyone knew that the janitor was the one who knocked her up.”
Griffin shook his head. “How was that fair to the janitor?”
“I admitted what I’d done before he got in trouble,” I said. “It was just ten minutes of hilarity.”
“And then what happened?”
“We just kept going after each other,” I said. “The final straw was when she went after Cillian.”
“I don’t understand why he dated her.”
“She’s pretty,” I said. “She convinced him that she was a good person.”
“And then she cheated on him?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve been fighting ever since?”
“Yes.”
“What stories do you think she told Maya?”
“It doesn’t really matter,” I said. “She has no reason to lie. The truth makes me look just as bad. She’ll just leave her part in the whole mess out of it. I’m not exactly proud of everything I did.”
“Do you regret any of it?”
“Nope.”
Griffin blew out a sigh and rested his chin on top of my head. “Maya will figure out what Angelina is on her own. I’m sorry this happened, though. I had no idea this would blow up.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I probably deserve a little ire. I did some truly awful things to Angelina.”
“It sounds like you two did some truly awful things to each other,” Griffin said. “I remember teenage girls in middle and high school. The things you two did to each other – that locking-you-in-with-a-teenage-boy thing notwithstanding – don’t sound any different from what the girls in my school did to each other.”
“Yeah, but I’m betting the girls in your high school aren’t still doing them,” I said.
“Probably not,” Griffin conceded. “I can’t fault your loyalty, though. You love your brothers, and Angelina hurt Cillian. I have a feeling your brothers would kill me and hide the body if I did something to you.”
“Aidan was making plans before we found out Maya was your sister.”
Griffin reached his hands down under my rear and lifted me up to the couch, settling me on his lap and nuzzling his nose against my cheek. “I would never cheat on you. I hope you know that. I don’t do things like that.”
“Okay.”
“And you wouldn’t cheat on me, right?”
“No way,” I said. “I would never find another guy as hot as you.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Griffin teased, brushing his lips against my jaw. “I didn’t know you could be so sweet.”
“I’m a very sweet person.”
“I think you are,” Griffin said, shifting our bodies so we could stretch out on the couch. “I think you’re a rampant pain in the ass, but you’re also sweet.”
“I’m not really sweet. You know that, right?”
“You are,” Griffin said, tickling my ribs. “You’re so swee
t I think you’ve earned a reward this evening.”
“Wasn’t that the massage?”
“Oh, sweetheart, that was just … foreplay.”
Well, the evening was looking up.
“I DIDN’T say that the butt patting was erotic,” Jerry said, striding into the room huffily. “I said that it could be construed as erotic. That’s not the same thing.”
“It’s not erotic.”
“It is if you do it right.”
“I can’t believe we’re still … .” Aidan pulled up short, and when his eyes met mine I could almost see the murderous intentions rolling through his mind.
“What’s going on?” Jerry asked, pushing past Aidan. When he saw Griffin and me on the couch – our clothes strewn about the floor – he wasn’t nearly as bothered as Aidan. “It looks like you two had a good evening.”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until later?”
“Yes, well, Aidan says I’m an embarrassment in a sports bar,” Jerry said. “You know me; I don’t ever want to stay where I’m not wanted.”
“I get that.”
Griffin shifted next to me, making sure the blanket covered both of our naked bodies, and then fixed Jerry and Aidan with a blasé look. “How was your night otherwise?”
“Fine,” Jerry said. “How was your night?”
“It was a lot better five minutes ago.”
I studied Aidan. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I think I’m having a stroke. I’m just waiting for my head to implode. I’m kind of curious which one of you will be responsible for absorbing my soul.”
“Something tells me you’ll live,” Griffin said. “Hey, Jerry, can you hand me my boxer shorts?”
Jerry retrieved them from the floor, looking them over before he relinquished them. “The paisley is a nice pattern.”
“Um … thanks.”
Griffin slid into his boxer shorts and then propped himself up on his elbow. “Are you two just going to stand there staring?”
“I’m trying to decide where to hide your body,” Aidan said.
“Well, can you do that in the other room?”
“Why?”
“Because Aisling needs to get dressed.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Jerry said, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. “I’ve seen her naked more times than you have.”
Griffin lifted an eyebrow.
“He’s gay,” I said.
“Still … .”
“I don’t want to see her naked,” Aidan said.
“Then go in the other room.”
“You go in the other room.”
“I’ve already seen her naked,” Griffin said. “I’m hoping to see her again in a few minutes.”
“That’s it … you’re banned from the townhouse.”
“Whatever,” Griffin grumbled. “You’re becoming increasingly unhinged.”
He had a point. I’d never see Aidan so … flummoxed. “Seriously. It’s fine.” I pointed to the floor. “Hand me my panties.”
“I’m not touching your panties!”
“Oh, good grief,” Jerry said. He leaned down and scooped up the flimsy black patch of fabric, tossing it to me haphazardly after looking it over briefly. “You shouldn’t wear a thong, Bug. They cut you funny. You should wear those cute little panties I pointed out at Victoria’s Secret last week. They would look much better on your figure.”
Griffin shook his head. “You go underwear shopping together?”
“That’s what best friends do,” I said, fumbling under the covers to pull my panties back into place. “Can someone hand me my bra?”
“Where is it?” Jerry asked, scanning the floor.
“I don’t … oh, it’s on the table over there. I guess it kind of … flew.”
“Aidan, it’s by you,” Griffin said. “Can you please hand your sister her bra?”
Aidan glanced at the lacy material next to him, then up at me. He opened his mouth, and then snapped it shut. “I can’t look at you ever again.” He stalked toward Jerry’s bedroom. “You’ve completely ruined my sister!”
Once the door slammed, Jerry reclined on the couch. “Does anyone want to watch The Golden Girls? He’s going to be in there pouting for hours and I can’t deal with any more drama tonight.”
“What happened?”
“Oh, you make one little comment about how you always wanted to wear a cheerleading uniform and men just … flip out. It’s just so ridiculous.”
“Poor Jerry.”
“So, where did we land on The Golden Girls?”
“We’re going to bed,” Griffin said. “And I don’t care if you’ve seen her naked before, look the other way until we’re in the bedroom.”
“Fine,” Jerry said. “You don’t have to be such a prude, though.”
“I am not a prude,” Griffin said, climbing up from the couch.
I kept the blanket wrapped around my front as I followed Griffin to the bedroom. It was gaping in the back, but I didn’t really notice.
“You’re totally a prude,” Jerry said. “Hey, Bug?”
I stilled.
“I’m making an appointment at that spa for us this weekend,” he said. “You totally need to get your butt buffed.”
Griffin scowled. “It’s like living in a circus.”
“Come on,” I said, pushing him forward. “If you’re a good boy, I’ll let you play with the clown car.”
“That’s the only reason I’m still here,” Griffin grumbled.
“See you in the morning, Bug.”
Ten
“I don’t care what Jerry says. You don’t need to buff your butt.”
Griffin’s hands were warm as he snuggled up behind me the next morning.
“I thought you were appalled because Jerry has seen me naked.”
“I’ve thought about it, and it really doesn’t bother me.”
I waited.
“Okay, it bothers me,” Griffin conceded. “I guess I’ll just have to get over it. Jerry is your best friend, and it’s not as if he’s sexually attracted to you.”
“He’s definitely not attracted to me.”
“Have you seen him naked?”
“Yes.”
“Does he like … walk around naked?”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “Jerry thinks putting your naked bits on furniture other people use is tacky.”
“So, does he think what we did last night was tacky?”
“I’m betting he’s cleaning the couch as we speak.”
Griffin laughed. “He’s funny. I can see why you two are so close.”
Something about his wistful tone tugged at my heart. “Who is your best friend?”
“I don’t really have one.”
That was sad. “Never?”
Griffin shrugged. “I have friends. I just don’t bond with people like you do.”
“I’m not bonded to anyone but Jerry.”
“You’re bonded to Aidan.”
I frowned. “I don’t know what his deal is,” I said. “Right before we saw you with Maya he was the one trying to make me feel better by saying you were probably just busy with work and it wasn’t your choice not to call me.”
“I’m really sorry about that,” Griffin said, rubbing my hip with his finger. “Just for the record, if I have to go undercover again I’m not going to hesitate to wake you up.”
“Do you think you’ll have to?”
“Probably,” Griffin said. “It’s part of my job. Does that bother you?”
“I would be a hypocrite if it did,” I said. “You’ve been pretty understanding about all of my stuff.”
“I don’t know if ‘understanding’ is the right word, but I’m trying to be better,” he said. “I just never imagined any of this stuff was real. Now that I know it is, it’s kind of … .”
“Terrifying?”
“Interesting,” Griffin corrected. “I’m not going to lie, though. Your constant appearances at cr
ime scenes are going to cause problems.”
“I didn’t know that was going to happen.”
“I know you didn’t,” he said. “I just need you to be more careful. At a certain point, I might not be able to save you.”
“Well, hopefully it won’t be an issue again,” I said.
“Hopefully.”
The sound of his growling stomach filled the room.
“Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“Let’s get dressed,” I said. “I could eat, too.”
“Aren’t you worried about Aidan being at the breakfast table?”
“Nope,” I said, climbing out of bed. “He needs to get over himself. I have no idea what his problem is.”
“I think he’s just protective of you,” Griffin said. “I’m not taking it personally.”
“Don’t,” I said. “He’ll calm down.”
“Let’s hope so. I can only take so many dirty looks before I punch him in the face.”
“GOOD morning.”
Jerry was fluttering around the couch with an aerosol can in his rubber glove-covered hand when we exited the bedroom. “Don’t sit on the couch. I’m fumigating it.”
I shot Griffin a knowing “I told you” look.
“Do you think I have cooties?”
“Your bare butt was on my sofa,” Jerry said. “It’s just unsanitary. Although, to be fair, I’m mildly curious to see what it looks like.”
Griffin blanched. “Excuse me?”
“I’m kind of a butt connoisseur.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“Go and sit your butt down at the kitchen table,” Jerry ordered. “I have French toast in the oven.”
“Yum,” I said. “Peaches and walnuts?”
“And powdered sugar.”
“This is why I love you,” I said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I’m not kissing you,” Griffin said. “I’m going to eat the French toast, though.”
“You’ll kiss me some day,” Jerry said. “People just can’t stop themselves.”
“I’m willing to bet that never happens.”
“Never say never.”
I scanned the room. “Where is Aidan?”
“He’s getting ready,” Jerry said. “He’ll be out in a second.” He led us into the kitchen. “You need to stay off that couch for six hours.”
Grim Offerings (Aisling Grimlock Book 2) Page 7
