Page 102 of Seeing Grayscale

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“It goes without saying. I’m broke and he’s rich. I’m nobody, and he’s somebody. Power comes with status, and he’s well above me. Doesn’t matter that I’ve seen him or know where it all goes down.”

That catches my attention. “You do?”

“Duh,” he deadpans but doesn’t look at me. “The scum tend to stick with other scum.”

“Cut that out,” I bark, reach over the center console, and rip the thumb out of his mouth. He growls, shooting daggers at me with his frosty glare, but I’m not deterred. On this, I’m standing my ground. “Not once have I ever implied, said, or made you feel likescum.Your situation is the fault of a flawed system—nothing more. Stop degrading yourself.”

“At least I have the balls to call it like it is! You’re going to just bend over and take it, man! Why?!” He wiggles his hand free, and I let it go, not wanting to crash.

With both hands back on the wheel, I chew my cheek, hoping the sharp pain will help ease some of the pressure in my chest. “What doyouhave to lose?” I whisper, not bothering to hide the way I feel. When he gasps, shocked that I dare say something like that, I add on, “nothing. It’s all been taken from you, right? Now you have nothing stopping you. Endless possibilities, paths, and choices are right at your fingertips. You could be anyone or anything. I don’t have that.”

I wish I did.

“I have nothing stopping me?”

“Correct.”

“That’s not the way I see it. If you go away, everything will stop me. The only way I have any possibility is withyou. And you’re determined to make sure that never happens. Don’t you see it?”

I glance at him.

“You might be the stepping stone I need to get across the water, but if you take that away, if you push me off, I’ll drown, Hunter. I’ll fucking drown.”

Blowing out a rough breath, I lift my right hand off the steering wheel and take his left one.

“You need to be the rock for both of us, alright? You can’t let some fucking psycho come in and take it away.”

“What do I do?”

“Fight. Stand up for yourself. Don’t let anyone make you do what you don’t want to.” He lifts our laced fingers and kisses my knuckles. “You have to fight.”

The reverent way his lips brush over my skin, the raw plea in his voice, sends a calming wave over me. I don’t want to lash out at him, and I certainly don’t want him caught in the middle of what I can only assume will be war.

For someone as young as he is, Gray is incredibly wise and insightful. He views things on a completely different spectrum, spotting all the areas shaded by my insecurities and fears.

I’ve let the possibility of my secrets coming to light cripple me. I’ve let some stranger walk intomyoffice, walk intomydomain, and threaten me—and by extension Gray. Someone precious to me. Someone I intend to keep my promise to, however that may come to pass. Is my father’s acceptance more important than the man beside me?

My heart says no, but I’ve never followed my heart.

Maybe it’s time I started.

First, though, I’ll need Gray’s help.

“Would you be willing to show me where Xavier meets with Dan and Raymond?”

Surprise lights up his eyes before he nods, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “I’ll show you whatever you want to see.”

The ‘hang out’ is nothing like I expected.

Snapping pictures on my phone, I get the address and the cars parked outside the house, and then drive off. It’s just your run-of-the-mill residential area, with everyday people going about their lives. But according to Gray, the inner walls hold nefarious individuals dealing in drugs, bodies, and even the occasional weapon. At the helm, Xavier sits. I don’t think he was there—none of the vehicles screamed arrogant prince—but we aren’t lingering to find out.

Since the house was back in Gray’s hometown, it takes a little over two hours to get back to my house. The entire drive, we talk about everything other than what we just did. I think it goes without saying that he’s proud of me—that I’m taking matters into my own hands and not cowering behind Xavier’s threats. I don’t know what I’ll do with the pictures yet, but having them only adds to my rising confidence. It gives me a semblance of hope, a chance to control the situation before it escapes me.

We pull into my garage, and I kill the engine. For a few moments, we sit in silence. Gray starts to nibble on his thumb, and I see the tell for what it is. That habitual chewing indicates various things, but right now, he’s got something on his mind. I roll my head along the rest, waiting for him to cough it up.

“Are you going to make me leave?” he whispers.

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