Page 46 of Bourbon and Lies

You.

“What about you, Laney?” interrupts the text conversation with Grant.

“I’m so sorry, what was the question?” I look around the room and pocket my phone. Whatever that just was is something I can dissect later, but right now, all eyes are on me. I just went from a sense of ease to a nervous buzz starting to make its way around my body.

Griz interjects from his chair, “You know she didn’t read it, Prue.” The way he says it feels protective.

“I was just trying to include her. You don't have to have read it to have an opinion about a book that has a morally gray female main character. But it’s fine.” She waves at the air in front of her.

The brunette to my right chimes in to respond, “I personally think it makes her a weak character. When we’ve read morally gray men, they’re usually strong mafia men or billionaires. She’s none of those things.”

Before I even realize I’m responding, the words are already out of my mouth. “That seems awfully patriarchal, doesn’t it?” I glance around the room quickly to see if I’m going to die on this mountain alone. I see a few smiling faces, so maybe not.“We’re okay with men who have questionable morals if they’re rich and powerful, but we’re not okay if those same types of morals are from a woman who isn’t well off?”

“I’m not saying I’m okay with it. I’m saying I find it more attractive in a man. And that makes me want to read it.”

I nod, but I can’t just let it ride. “Okay, I understand that. Is it that you like the fact that most morally gray men have an innocent female counterpart in these dynamics? Maybe you like the way they balance. But how do you feel about a morally gray female lead, whose male counterpart in a story has a perfect moral compass?”

She tilts her head to the side, her mouth pursed enough that it looks like she’s thinking about it. But instead, she shakes her head no. “Nope, still not doing it for me.” And all I can think to myself is that I’ve just described Grant Foxx and myself, or at least what I know about him and his reputation in this town.

Marla pipes in with a mouth filled with lemon poppyseed muffin. “I’d read that story one-handed, Laney.”

Enough laughs fill the room, allowing for that topic to die down, and thank goodness for it. I hadn’t planned to go head-to-head with anyone about the moral compasses of fictional characters. When my phone buzzes again, I decide to excuse myself from the chitchat. I smile as I close the bathroom door behind me and pull out my phone, expecting it to be Grant. But it’s not.

BEA

Has anyone from the U.S. Marshall’s office approached you?

LANEY

I’ve only dealt with you, Bea. No one else.

Less than thirty seconds later, she calls me.

“Hello?” I say quietly. I can hear a few people outside the bathroom door talking now, and I don’t want anyone to overhear this.

Bea’s raspy voice cuts right to the chase. “You need to keep it that way.”

My senses kick in, and I can tell by her tone and that simple sentence that something’s happened, and it’s not something good. “What’s going on, Bea?” She starts to answer, but I cut her off, “Don’t call me and say that shit to me just to keep me in the dark.”

She lets out a huff. “I knew I was right to keep this out of the proper channels.Heused to be in witness protection.”

I lean my back against the door, trying to work out who. “The person who tried to murder that woman? The monster I rescued her from was being protected by the U.S. government? Are you fucking joking?” It almost sounds too ridiculous to consider.

“He did a lot more thantryto murder someone, Laney. There are a number of missing persons that have been tied to him according to my contacts, after all of that evidence in the storage unit. But yes, he was WITSEC. Most of the people we relocate in the program have a criminal record. Usually, it’s misdemeanors, rarely anything violent. This isn’t something I’ve had happen before. Especially not at this scale.”

My heart beats so fast, I can feel my pulse moving along my neck, hear it in my ears, and I’ve picked away at the cuticle on mythumb so viciously that it’s starting to bleed. “Every time I think I can breathe and settle into this new life, I get a call from you.” I lick at the wound I just created. “Am I safe here?”

“You’re in the smartest situation I could hope for,” she says without it sounding like she’s done. “I’m not saying anything is going to happen here, but if there are any U.S. Marshalls, FBI, authorities of any kind sniffing around down there, you call me.”

“Dammit,” I breathe out.I wish my dad was here.

“Somebody messed up and I don’t know what it means in the long run. Everyone is keeping a tight lip on the whole thing, which makes my ass twitch. Hence, this call.” I hear her light one of her cloves, and then seconds later, push out a breath. “I’m telling you all of this because you’re not some victim, Laney. You stopped a murderer and saved someone who needed saving, and it earned you a life you never asked for. So I’m making it my business to be sure you’re safe. And the best way I can do that is to keep you aware of the situation. Now tell me you can handle it.”

She sounds like my dad. “I can handle it.” My eyes water, knowing my dad would be proud of this. Not everything I’ve done, but being brave would make him proud.

“Good.” Another puff. “If anything feels off, you find Grant or Ace and call me.”

“Grant knows?” I rush out. “He knows about what I’m doing here?”

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