Page 155 of Brutal Collateral

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Griffin – August

The end of summer ishere and while plenty of people are in the Hamptons at the beach having fun, I’m stuck in this stifling basement of Gracie Mansion waiting to meet with the UN special projects budget committee so they can grill us about our proposal.

They’ll be voting in September before an annual break.

Three months with Ava have passed by quickly. Then I calculate when I got married. If she and I stick to the plan to split up six months after we’re married, that’s right around Christmas.

What a buzzkill for the holiday. Christ, my mother won’t stand for me getting a divorce. And damn, I don’t want one.

I don’t think she wants one either, but we’re still taking everything day by day. I believe she loves teaching self-defense at Isabella O’Rourke’s Women’s Center. Is that enough for her?

AmIenough for her?

She’s given no indication if she wants children, which would be expected if we made a go of this marriage. Would children satisfy her? I’ve been fucking her with a condom. I assume if I knocked her up accidentally, she’d chase me around the house with her knife.

Make me her next victim.

Fuck, I am her next victim because I’m crazy about her and she’s going to destroy me.

I snap out of these thoughts when the door opens. I stand up with Kai Powers next to me and Shane on the other side. Donly Conrad, our contact here at City Hall, struts to the table, and shakes my hand.

“Sorry, I’m late. There’s a problem with a new committee member,” he bristles.

“Who?” Shane asks because I know he crawled up the asses of everyone on that committee.

“A Rand Miller,” Donly says, looking at a sheet of paper in his hand.

“What?”I stiffen, pissed off that I didn’t even connect why he’s in New York. Ava never saw him again after that day in the restaurant. “What’s the problem?”

“I just had a private meeting with him.” Donly glances between me and my brother. “He says you attacked him, Griffin. Seven years ago while he was at BUD/S training in Coronado, California.”

“I caught him trying to assault...someone,” I answer right away.

Shane audibly gasps, and it’s like he knows I mean Ava. He’s seen me furious before but the fire raging behind my eyes is nothing like I’ve felt before.

“That’s not entirely how he remembers it,” Donly challenges me.

“I was anindependentsecurity officer at the time, and I did my job. How the hell is he involved in this process?”

“KyleMiller is the chairman of that special committee assigned to approve the project.” Donly throws up his hands like I’m supposed to know that.

“His father is the chairman?” I shake my head. “But this meet and greet is just a formality, right? It’s the senate committee who will vote.”

“These thingsusuallyare a formality,” Donly responds with a tight jaw. “This committee is just another layer of bureaucracy. Whatever they ask, be direct and succinct.”

“Will do. Thanks, Don,” Shane says and practically shoves me into the corner out of earshot so no one will hear what he has to say.

“I can fucking walk,” I snap away from my brother.

“What else are you not telling me?” Shane grabs my suit jacket. “I had to drag it out of you that youmetAva at the training center in California. You never mentioned roughing up someone there. Let alone a SEAL candidate. Or stopping him fromassaulting someone, who I’m guessing wasyour wife?”

“Keep your voice down.” I grip his shirt.

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