Page 20 of Morally Grey

I gather my clothes and dress before following him. The shackles weren’t needed. He isn’t going anywhere until we get the money, and if we get the money, I’m saved as well. I shouldfeel so much better right now. I have everything I wanted. Safety. His secrets.

So why do I feel like I have nothing at all?

Chapter Thirteen

Briar

The next few weeks pass in a whirlwind. Because I didn’t have a lot of time saved up, I was forced to return to work. The first few days were scary. Each time I returned home, I expected to find the couch empty and his things gone. After the first week, I finally started to relax.

We’ve been watching the cams every day. The feed comes complete with audio, so the meetings between the lawyers and Gloria’s sister—who is tapped to inherit her estate and children—have provided tons of information. Our greatest fear was that the sister would break into the safe and take any valuables before we had a chance to formulate a plan, but she seems to be the complete opposite of Gloria in every possible way. Instead of combing the house for financial gain, she’s devoted most of her time to the children.

That’s good for them, and Grey and I have both discussed how his actions have actually made their lives better. Even though he didn’t kill her for their sakes, they still reaped the benefits. I would never speak this thought aloud, but I like toimagine that those two children are our way of ensuring the babies who were stolen from us get to live on.

As for the relationship between me and Grey, I don’t know where we stand. We haven’t had sex since that one night, but the longing looks are there. Sometimes I catch him watching me out of the corner of my eye, but I’m thankful he hasn’t caught me watching him.

In the shower.

When he’s sleeping.

Once when he was beating his dick while standing in front of the sink.

I’m not proud of myself, but I’ve developed a bit of an obsession. Too bad it isn’t reciprocated. I fucked that up when I pushed him to talk.

Things have been different since that moment in the woods. I expected him to be weirded out or possibly scared of me after learning I murdered my ex, but I’ve been the one pussyfooting around. I don’t want to lose him, even though that’s the end goal. After we complete the job next week, he’ll hop on a plane and fly to safety.

“Nothing’s changed, has it?” I say as I set a steaming mug of decaf coffee in front of him at the kitchen table. “I mean, she’s still planning to take the kids out of town for a few days, right?”

Grey taps the computer screen. “That painting has been moved. Look at it.”

My eyebrows pull together as I look at the image. This camera points down a hallway, at the end of which hangs a massive painting of a black butterfly. The gold frame looks mildly askew, but I’m not sure why that matters.

“Maybe someone bumped it,” I offer, but Grey shakes his head and taps the screen again.

“I thought that too, but when I went back through the footage from earlier today, I realized we’re missing a chunk of time.Someone patched in footage from a different video from three p.m. to three fifteen.”

“Who would do that? And why?”

He leans closer to the screen. “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

I sit in a chair and scoot closer so that I can see the screen as well. Our shoulders touch, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Meanwhile, I revel in the closeness. His nose twitches, and he turns his head to face me.

“You, um . . . you smell nice.”

I smile at him. “Thanks.”

This is what we’ve been reduced to. Awkward compliments and stolen glances.

“New perfume?” he asks.

“No. I tried a new lotion, but I think it’s drying out my skin.” I hold my arm toward him, and he runs his fingertips over the fine reddish-blonde hairs.

“Feels pretty soft to me.” He swallows, then clears his throat. “It smells good too.”

“You said that already.”

“Right.”

I scoot my chair away so that we aren’t touching. Apparently, being too close to him scrambles his fucking brain. I’d have considered it a compliment, my ability to intimidate a murderer, but I don’t want to intimidate him. I want to seduce him.

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