Page 26 of Griffin Undone
Sun narrowed his eyes at Grim. “What?”
I found I wasn’t interested in the big reveal, just the aftermath. I pushed away from the wall. “I’m gonna get some fresh air.”
The door closed behind me seconds later. Quickening my steps, I moved far enough down the alley that I couldn’t hear Grim’s and Sun’s voices anymore, then pulled out my cell phone and dialed.
A sultry voice answered. “Talk to me, baby.”
“I can do far more than talk; you know that.”
Risk’s husky laugh filled my ear. “Oh yes, you can. Anytime.”
“Anytime but now.” I pushed the appropriate amount of regret into my words. “I’ll have to take a rain check. Need you to find something for me.”
The sound of brisk footsteps came through the line, followed by a quick, metallic slide. I pictured Risk’s curvy figure gliding a desk chair across a room, letting the image flood me with sexual warmth. I’d never seen her office—she was closemouthed about her location, as I would be if I didn’t need her to help me find one—but I’d seen her body, and close enough to imagine what she was doing perfectly. In my work I had contacts all over the world, and Risk had been counted among them for the past few years. She had a reputation for being hot, wild, and a whiz at finding anything you needed, anywhere in the Deep South. We’d spent years flirting over cell phones and computer lines before our first meeting a few weeks ago. We ended up in a hotel, much to our mutual satisfaction, both then and on several other occasions.
But there was no time for jerking off right now; I had to find a secure location to stash Kat, somewhere Sun and Grim—and Maddox’s werewolf buddies—couldn’t find her.
The clicking of keys accompanied Risk’s no-nonsense, “All right, hit me.”
I outlined what I was looking for, all the while keeping an ear out for company, but the lair remained quiet and no one joined me outside.
Risk muttered to herself as she searched, then asked, “How soon?”
“ASAP.”
Her throaty laugh filled my ear. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”
“Just everything.”
“Oh yes, you do, baby.” That breathy suggestion returned to her voice, sparking images of the things we’d done together, except this time, where Risk had been before, I now saw a redhead arching beneath me.
Kat.
Shock skidded along my skin. I slammed the door closed on the fantasy before it could take hold, ignoring the tightening behind my zipper.
“I’ve got it,” Risk said, pulling me back to the conversation. “And look, it’s available for immediate occupancy.”
With effort, I matched her light tone, running some quick calculations through my head. “Good. Send the details to my secure line. I’ll pull it up as soon as I can.”
“You got it, love. So”—her voice dropped, and I knew what was coming—“when can we…”
“Soon,” I told her, my mind occupied with my current dilemma.
A pouty whine traveled through the line, scraping along my nerves. The response got locked away, my tone nothing but pure honey as I said, “I’ve got some things to take care of, but once I’m settled, there’ll be time.”
“It’ll be worth it,” she purred. The promise cut off with a click of the line.
I shut down my phone, hoping it would be. I needed the resources she had to offer, not the least of which was a safe place to burn off my energy. Risk hid beneath enough layers that Maddox would never find her, and she didn’t need more than the mutual satisfaction we found together. Which made her perfect—for now.
The door to the hideout opened behind me and Sun exited. The scent of betrayal came with him, lingering like smoke in my nose, making me want to sneeze, putting me and my animal on edge at a time when I needed to be cold, detached. And yet I couldn’t deny that my indifference was feigned as I watched the white puffs of my breath rising in the cold air.
Sun stood just outside the door for a long moment, his silent regard ruffling my griffin’s feathers even more until my skin shivered in response. Finally Sun moved into my peripheral vision. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
What was that, a half-assed attempt at an apology? I snorted. “About Maddox? I did, remember?”
“I thought—”
“You didn’t think!” In the time it took me to jerk around and square off with Sun, my rage rocketed into the stratosphere, surprising even me. Hot lava shot into my veins, the past burning me from the inside out. “You believed I would kill my parents. Period. That said everything I needed to know.” I raked my gaze over his body. “You trusted some vision over not just my word, but the man you knew me to befor a hundred years, and you never even bothered to question it. You let my parents’ murderer walk away scot-free, and that”—I jabbed a finger at the prince’s chest—“is unforgivable.”
