Page 15 of Between Love and Honor

“What redhead?” Marin asked.

“The one who was at the White House last night on the arm of a wealthy Russian criminal,” Griffin replied smugly. “Turns out she’s also the woman who ghosted him at his senior prom.”

Ben bit back a few choice words about Adam and his big mouth. “Don’t you people have enough to do besides sitting around and gossiping about me like a bunch of hens?”

“I imagine that once we have kids, our attention on you will wane,” his friend quipped. “Speaking of which. . .” He began to nuzzle his wife’s neck.

“Well, whoever she is, I don’t like her.” Marin swatted at her husband. “Not only because she dates criminals, but any girl would have been thrilled to go to the prom with you, Ben.”

He shot her an appreciative grin. “You’re going to make a great mother one day.”

“Yeah, about that, we were just getting ready to work on her potential motherhood when you rudely interrupted us,” Griffin said.

Marin slapped his shoulder. “You wish.” She vanished from the screen but her voice remained. “I’m busy making sample wedding cakes for Adam and Josslyn to taste test tomorrow. Do you want me to save you some, Ben?”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied half-heartedly.

“Huh,” Griffin joked. “This must be serious if you’re not jumping at the chance for free food.”

“When you were working counterfeit crimes, did you ever hear of the Phoenix?”

Griffin immediately sobered up. “He was before my time, but definitely a legend. His team took down some very prolific and dangerous money launderers. No one knows who was pulling the strings as the Phoenix. Even his death is shrouded in mystery. He died in a fiery car crash that’s still a cold case. Why do you ask?”

“The rumors of his death may have been greatly exaggerated.”

His friend was all ears now. “And you know this how, exactly?”

Ben shook his head. “I’m not at liberty to say. But I understand the Ronoff family was one of the Phoenix’s more prominent convictions. I’d love to get whatever intel you have concerning junior.”

“Sure thing. How quickly do you need it?”

“An hour ago.”

“Why did I know you’d say that? I’ll head over to the bureau and see what I can pull together for you.” Griffin stood up and stretched. “And what about the redhead?

What’s she got to do with all of this?”

That was the million-dollar question if there was one.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I guess I’ll find out tonight.”

“You found her?”

“More like she found me.”

“That’s a very interesting coincidence,” Griffin said.

“And you know how I feel about those.”

Ben had to agree with his buddy there. Marin appeared on the screen again.

Well, just so you know, if this woman hurts you, she’ll have to answer to me. And I’m very handy with a knife when it comes to the people I love.”

Touched by her words, he blew her a kiss. A few months earlier, the pretty blonde was forced to kill a man in order to save Griffin’s life. The episode still haunted her deeply.

“Thank you, Marin. But it won’t come to that. She can’t hurt me. I have a heart of stone, remember?”

She shook her head. “You just think you do. And something tells me this woman is the one who put the idea in your head.”

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