Page 27 of Blue Lines and Lullabies

“Well, I think that’s between me and him. I mean, do you even know him?”

“I do.”

Her eyes widen, and she studies me before throwing back her head in laughter. “Oh my God, you’re his sister. You guys have the same damn eyes! I should have seen that as soon as you answered the door. What are you doing at Gabe’s? By the way, I’m Teagan.”

“Hi, Teagan, I’m —”

“Cassie. I know. Grant told me all about you. But that was ages ago. When did you move here?”

“Do you want to come in?” I ask.

“Oh, sure. I’d love to chat with you about Grant —” Teagan gasps as soon as she steps foot in the house and sees Mackenzie. “Oh. My. God. Does Gabe have a kid? Did you and Gabe have a kid together? Holy shit! Fuck. I shouldn’t cuss around a child. Do you think she can hear me? I can’t let her first word be fuck or shit.”

I throw back my head in raucous laughter. “She’s still a newborn, so I think you’re good with her not cussing just yet. And no, I didn’t have a child with Gabe. This is his daughter, though it’s not public knowledge.”

“Oh wow,” Teagan breathes reverently as she crouches next to Mackenzie. “Oh goodness. She is so stinking cute.”

“I know. She really is,” I murmur. Teagan immediately thought Mackenzie was mine, mine and Gabe’s, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it to be true. Would others assume she was mine? That Gabe and I were a couple? I physically shake my head in an attempt to jostle that thought out of my brain. “So, what can I help you with, Teagan? You said you’re looking for my brother? It doesn’t make a lot of sense that you’re here when you probably know both Gabe and Grant are on a road trip.”

“I took a chance to see if one of the guys has a roommate, or girlfriend, who would know how to get in touch with them.” Teagan looks uncomfortable.

“Did you reach out to Grant yourself?” I ask.

“I did, but we — well, we didn’t end on good terms, and I assume he thinks the worst and refuses to call me back.” Teagan looks chagrined as she waits for my response. “You didn’t know about me, did you?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t. In his defense, Grant has never been one to kiss and tell. I only knew about a high school girlfriend because I saw them with my own eyes. I don’t think he’s told me about one girlfriend since then,” I tell her honestly. My brother may be a complete dumbass for a lot of reasons, but he’s always kept secrets well. And he’s never been one to broadcast his relationships.

“The entire time I knew him, he never called me his girlfriend, Cassie. Unfortunately, I think I viewed the relationship as much more serious than he did.”

“Not necessarily. Grant is who he is. And while you may think I mean it in a way that you have to accept him exactly as he is, I only sort of do. But I also mean it in the way that Grant is incredibly confident in his ability to judge a person, or a relationship. If he believed in you and your relationship, he wouldn’t feel the need to tell people about it. Growing up, Grant didn’t care what others thought of him, or his choices. Once he made a decision, he was confident in that. He wouldn’t backpedal based on someone else’s opinion.”

“That’s actually what I’m afraid of,” she says nervously.

“Why? What’s going on?”

Tears fill Teagan’s eyes as she begins to fill me in. “I don’t know who else to go to. They said they’d release everything if I talked to anyone but Grant.”

“What?” I ask, a feeling of terror filling my belly.

“Someone cloned my phone. There are lots of pictures and some videos on there. Some pictures are just of me and some of Grant, but then there are some of us together. Whoever it is wants Grant to pay a million dollars, or they’ll put everything up on the internet.”

I stare at Teagan in shock. “And you tried to call my brother? And he hasn’t picked up or called you back?”

She nods. “I didn’t leave much information on the voicemail I left him because I didn’t want to frighten him. Do you think I should wait until they’re back in town? You’re right. I should wait.”

Teagan stands, and I’m confused about how that somehow became my solution. “I never said that. Knowing my brother, he’ll be furious if you don’t tell him immediately. When did they reach out to you first?”

“Last week,” she whispers. “I checked the Wolves’ schedule and saw Grant was scheduled to leave the next day, so I decided to wait. But they kept calling me. Then, a note showed up under my apartment door yesterday, and I freaked out. I went to Levi’s apartment first since he lives close to me. I tried Jax’s place, figuring he probably had a puck bunny staying there to watch his guinea pigs, and finally came here today.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, clearing my throat, “did you just say Jax has guinea pigs?”

“Oh yeah,” she says, a watery giggle breaking from her mouth. “He has like five or six of them. One bedroom in his condo is devoted to their cages, and he has a huge setup of tunnels that connect the cages. It’s pretty elaborate.”

“I am never going to be able to look at him the same way,” I tell her. When my phone rings with a FaceTime from my brother, I grin. “He’s not getting away now!”

I answer the call and wait for Grant’s face to fill the screen.

“Hey, Cass, can you do me a favor?”

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