Page 47 of Griz's Edge

Together, we move to a table, Blow and Nines joining in, along with Sniper and a few others.

“This is a family meeting,” Dad says.

“Yeah, Griz’s is our brother, we take his back on all things, including family meetings. Besides, Marley’s family, same as Grandma Ryan, means we’re sittin’ in on the meetin’,” Blow informs him, leaving no room for argument as he takes a seat.

Dad looks at me, his lip twitching, and shakes his head. “Swear, Lee-Lee, you’re a pain in my ass.”

“It’s not like that’s anything new, Dad,” Marla gripes, flopping back in a chair, eyes rolling. “I love you, Lee-Lee, but you’re constantly always getting into trouble.”

“No, I’m not,” I snap, stiffening and preparing myself not to launch across at my sister. I love her to death, but she’s apainin my ass with her sarcastic remarks. “None of what’s going on is any of yours,” I indicate to my siblings and parents both, “business. It has nothing to do with y’all. We still haven’t had a chance to even get into it because it just flipping happened yesterday. I needed a day to recoup, for Christ’s sake, I don’t need the family to come barging in acting likeI’m an infant needing my ass wiped.”

Okay, so the last part is a bit dramatic, but oh, flipping well.

“You don’t think we need to be here when we nearly lost you yesterday?” Marshall bites out through gritted teeth, glaring.

“No, I don’t,” I snap, glaring right back at him.

“Lee-Lee, you need to have your damn head examined then because there’s no way in fuck even as pissed as I am with you, that you think none of us need to be here. We nearly fuckin’ lost you yesterday.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t.” I wasn’t going to back down on this.

“Marley,” Griz murmurs and pulls me into his side, enough for him to whisper in my ear. “Calm down. You need to think.”

“I am thinking,” I tell him, twisting enough to look in his direction. “Marshall wants to act like I’m a kid when he knows damn well I’m not.”

“No, but he’s your big brother. Think about how you’d feel if you got told one of them had nearly been killed.”

I wouldn’t like it.

Okay, so Griz makes sense. Still, I didn’t need them coming in and throwing a shit fit about it. Acting like it was all my fault. Not when I don’t even know what it is yet. I mean, I know that the other things are connected. I don’t believe in coincidences.

Sighing heavily, I return my attention to my brother but don’t say anything. He doesn’t either. What he does is watch Griz and me a little more closer than before.

“If you two will stop the fighting, we can get this show on the road.” Dad grunts.

I look at him and see him pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed.

“You shouldn’t be surprised by the fighting, Dad. It’s how we always act, and you know it.”

Dad casts a glare at me. “Yeah, I know, but I figure one of these days, you three will actually get the fuck along.”

“Michael,” Mom snaps. “Stop it. You’re only going to egg Marley on. She will keep going to prove a point just as we all know she does.”

Yes, I would. I don’t back down from arguments or proving my point. They all know it, but still, they all continue to think Iwon’t. That I’ll back down. It’s not in me. It’s not the way my dad raised me to be.

“How about we get to the fucking point of all this and save the bantering for a time when my woman doesn’t have road rash all over her back and isn’t sitting here in pain,” Griz remarks, annoyance filling his tone in a way I haven’t heard before.

“I have something that will help with that,” Grandma Ryan says, opening her bag and digging through it. “I make this for Rain all the time when she asks for it. I just made a new batch and was going to give it to her yesterday but forgot.” Pulling out a jar, she slides it across the table. “It’s a salve you put on that will help with the pain and healing.”

“Damn, now I know where Rain gets that shit from.” I hear Nines mutter.

“Thanks, Grandma,” I say, catching the jar before it slides off the table. The last thing I need is to have to clean up a broken jar filled with whatever she’s made. “Now, Dad, what is it you need to share with the class?”

Dad glares at me for a second and lets out a heavy breath. “First up, you came to your mom and brought up shit the both of us have done our best to keep behind us.”

“I hadn’t meant to upset Mom, I simply wanted to know?—”

“We know you want to know what it was about, but you caught us both off guard,” he mutters, interrupting me. “We both know who the person was that was stalking your mom. Only we couldn’t do anything about it at the time, ‘cause who is going to believe a nineteen-year-old girl over a decorated officer?”

---