Page 34 of Bringing Chelsea Home

He returned to his desk, switched on his laptop, and opened the file on the men who’d purchasedThe Honeysfor next weekend. Those fools thought everything was anonymous and their identities couldn’t be traced, but Big Daddy paid people very well to find out such things. He should probably give ‘em all a raise. Maybe introduce ‘em toThe Honeys.

And there it was. Staring him right in the face. The key to capturing Elaine Prescott.

Later at theSafehouse

“Hold still,”Griff ordered and there was no mistaking the authority in his voice. “I said, hold still.”

“I’m not wearing a sling,” Elaine protested from the dining table chair. “How can I work if my arm is in a sling?”

“EMS said you need to let it rest,” Griff said, draping the oversize paisley shawl-scarf over her head, wrapping it around her left arm and tying the ends together in a knot. He stepped back, studying her as if admiring his handiwork. “It should do the trick.”

Elaine stared at the familiar fabric and then up at him from one of the office’s computer chairs. “This is mine. Where did you get this?”

“I found it in one of your dresser drawers.”

“You went through my drawers without permission?” Elaine frowned. “Really?”

His brows drew together and the sweet mouth she’d kissed just hours ago was now a fiercely held scowl. “Yeah, so what?” he retorted. “You got a problem with that?”

“Well, you could have asked.” Elaine snapped. Her arm really, really hurt. “There might have been something there I didn’t want anyone to see.”

“I’ve seen women’s underwear before, Prescott.” His dangerously quiet tone invited a challenge.

“Prescott?” Elaine fought to hold back her rising temper. “I’m Prescott now?”

“Don’t be perverse,” and the warning note remained in his words.

“I’m perverse?” Elaine shouted. “Who acted like a fool running after an armed man? He could have shot you, you idiot! You could have been killed!”

“So, I’m supposed to sit there and do nothing?” Griff shouted in return “Next, you’ll be saying you’re getting hurt was my fault because I was trying to keep you out of harm’s way.” Rage twisted his features, making him nearly unrecognizable. “Like it’s my fault for agreeing we go down there and you getting shot at as well as those other people and the undercover guys? And I couldn’t even catch the son-of-a-bitch!”

He strode away to brace his hands on the wide window overlooking the city. Night had arrived, the indigo painted sky full of twinkling starlight while an enormous full moon shared its glow with the Sunsphere. A seemingly peaceful end to what had been a very dangerous and potentially deadly day.

But not so peaceful between them.

Miller had arrived shortly after they had, and spent a long time questioning them, including Patrick, individually and as a group and had just left. Patrick behind him.

As her heart slowed,Elaine watched as Griff’s hands turned to fists and he gently pounded the window His ragged breathing belonged to a man trying to regain control of himself, while his rigid posture was that of a coiled rope, about to unravel.

When he remained where he was, Elaine went to stand beside him. “We agreed together to talk to Clark” she said, choosing her words carefully. “Discussed it, planned it, no secrets. Right?”

“Whatever.” His gaze remained fixed on some distant point among the lights.

“Why are so angry?” she asked. “Surely you don’t think any of this was your fault?”

He turned and she saw guilt mixed with fury stamped on his face. “I’m supposed to protect you, Elaine. Not make decisions that will get you and others killed.”

“Is that what you think you did?” she demanded. “That’s crazy thinking, not to say just plain dumb. Clark wanted to see both of us. We had to go together.”

“Oh, yeah?” His jeering tone returned. “Maybe I should have suggested we meet atSapphire’s.Not a likely place for a shoot-out.”

“Yeah,” Elaine retorted. “You listen to me, Lieutenant Griffin Allen Tyler! If we’d met Clark at the club, there’s no telling who might have been there with him. Big Daddy’s goons, people from The Cadre, who knows? They could have killed us, and no one would ever have known about it. Meeting in public was our best bet. Grant Miller had officers stationed all around the square to keep us safe as possible. No one got hurt. The shooter was an idiot for opening fire in a public place andyou’rea crazy idiot for running after him like you were a cop. That’s’ why Grant Miller and the others were there so stop blaming yourself for not catching the shooter because of your knee. You were running faster than anyone I’ve seen since I watched Bernie’s older brother round the bases and win the state baseball championship when he was in high school! You pushing me down saved my ass and I’ll kick yours up and down Gay Street if you don’t stop blaming yourself, got it?”

“It’s a nice ass.”

“What?” Elaine blinked.

“I said, ‘it’s a nice ass.’” The rage and sorrow had vanished from his face and eyes, and a tiny smile raised his lips ever so slightly. “Meaning yours. I’ve watched you walk across rooms, and you’ve got a really nice one.”

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