Page 15 of Grayson's Angel

Grayson clicked the phone off. It felt good to have friends that had your back.

Kara came out of the bathroom, drying her golden-blond locks with a towel. “Was that the sheriff?”

“Yes. He asked us to meet him at the diner instead of the sheriff’s office.”

“Did he mention whether they were able to send someone out to my dad’s ranch?”

“No. We’ll ask him when we meet with him.”

A flicker of worry flashed across her face. “Do you think he’s still alive?”

Grayson didn’t know how to answer the question. If her father was alive, he might wish he were dead. The mafia didn’t have the friendliest methods of retrieving information. Normally, the mafia tortured people with pliers or electricity. After Kara’s escape yesterday, they might be too angry to continue with the original plan.

“I don’t know, Angel, but we’ll work the case as if he is alive.”

“Okay,” she said sadly. “Do you think I’m weird for still caring about what happens to my father?”

If it were up to Grayson, he would take her father out along with the other men that hurt her. But the man in question was her father, and he still meant something to her. “It doesn’t matter what I think. We will try to help your father.” He shrugged. “Now hurry up. We need to get going.”

* * *

Grayson spottedthe sheriff’s dark-brown shirt the moment he walked into the diner. Hank was seated with him. It had been a few years since Grayson had seen Hank in person, but he looked just the same.

After spotting them, Hank got up and met them halfway down the diner’s long aisle. He held out his hand, and when Grayson took it, Hank pulled him into a one-armed hug.

“It's good to see you, Gray Wolf.” The man turned from Grayson and gave his full attention to Kara. “You must be Kara Davidson.”

She reached out to shake his hand, but instead, Hank pulled her into a hug.

Frowning, Grayson reached around her waist and pulled her out of his friend’s embrace. “You’ve hugged her long enough. If you need hugs, hug your wife and kid,” he grumbled.

“Why did you call him Gray Wolf?” Kara asked.

“In the military, we all go by nicknames. Grayson's nickname is Gray Wolf, but it’s up to him to tell you how he got it.” Hank motioned to the corner booth. “The sheriff and I were talking about the case.”

They made their way to the booth and introduced themselves to the sheriff.

Kara had barely settled into the seat before she fired off the first question. “Were you able to find my father?”

If Grayson’s dad had been alive, he would have done anything to save him. His father had always been there for him and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. When they failed, Devin Steele had been there to pick his boys up. Kara’s dad might have been a good man before her mom passed, but he sounded like an awful man presently, from what she had told him. Grayson had a feeling she was holding on to the good times, deep down. But she was in trouble because of her father, and he wasn’t the same person he used to be. He had turned evil, and most men didn’t recover once they were too far gone.

The sheriff rubbed the back of his neck. “We sent a deputy out to Montana Gold. The foreman said they haven’t seen your father in over two weeks. He normally shows up at the beginning of each month to get his allowance and then leaves.” The sheriff let out a long sigh. “When was the last time you talked to your dad?”

Kara blushed. “Six months ago. He needed money to get out of a bind. I wired him five grand and haven’t spoken to him since.”

“Your father has racked up a big rap sheet along with a lot of enemies.” He tapped the file in front of him. The folder was around an inch thick. She could see her father’s name on the tab poking out of the top of the folder. She knew without being told that the file was filled with her father’s troubles.

The conversation about Kara’s father came to a halt as the waitress walked up to the table, pulling out her pad and pencil to take the order. Grayson noticed that her name tag read “Daisy.” She motioned to Kara and Grayson. “Now that everyone is here, are you ready to order?”

Everyone at the table ordered the morning special. Grayson heard Kara’s stomach rumbling. She hadn’t eaten much the night before because the conversation had upset her. He would make sure she ate something for breakfast. She needed her strength to deal with what was coming.

When the waitress walked away, Kara gestured toward the manila file and asked, “Is this my father’s arrest record?”

“Yes, for the past year.”

“Can I see the file?” Not waiting for his reply, she reached across the table and snatched it from his hands.

“Kara, you might not like what you see in the folder.”

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