Page 17 of Secrets at Dawn
He waved Toby over as though he owned Toby.
Toby stiffened. He gripped the handle of the front door. His instinct told him to run back inside and call the police. But he was also curious.
What did Wolf Dickwad want? Curiosity might get him killed. He still released the doorknob, letting it click shut, but he didn’t get closer. Toby’s phone felt like his only lifeline to safety. It tethered him to a reality he wouldn’t have had otherwise.
The neighbor to his right sat at a table next to her window, sipping coffee and eating a bagel. She might also have beenreading a book, as she did most mornings. Their gazes locked, and she waved before going back to her morning routine.
There was a walker in the park. He wore a fedora-style hat and a heavy coat. He walked with his back hunched. It was the only indicator of his age from that distance.
The old man stopped and turned toward them. Toby could feel his scowling disapproval from several yards away. Not that Toby knew what he’d done to earn it, but it didn’t matter. The old man noticed him. If he went missing, the police had someone who had last seen him, which meant they might find him.
Griffin wouldn’t let his disappearance go unchecked, right?
Gods, Toby hoped not.
Toby sighed and made his way to Wolf Dickwad. Before Toby even crossed the road, Wolf Dickwad held an envelope out to him. “We’ll double it after you make Kinnison Ransome disappear.”
“Who iswe?” But Toby never got his answer.
Wolf Dickwad let the envelope fall to the ground and then sped away.
Toby hesitated, but in the end, he picked it up. And then went to his apartment. He set it on his kitchen counter. The envelope had felt like lead in his hand, so he was glad to put it down. It made a plopping sound. Maybe it would sink right through the counter, as if it were made of lava. It was already burning his life right to the ground.
He didn’t open it, but the stack of cash was evident, even through the paper envelope.
As he left his apartment again, he thought about what he would do.
The first thing was to find out who Wolf Dickwad was working with. And then maybe he should also find out who Kinnison Ransome was.
****
Toby might have made a mistake in coming to the run with Griffin and Julia. The possibility that their safety might be compromised hadn’t occurred to him until he saw a woman sitting in her car in the parking lot. Was she here to spy on Toby? That was the million-dollar question. If someone held a gun to his head and told him to guess at her purpose, he’d say she was there for no other reason than to eat her breakfast while watching the sun come up. She was facing east, eating what might have been a protein bar as she stared ahead.
Toby would have sat in his car and watched the sun come up, too, if he hadn’t spotted Griffin in the tightest running pants and shirt known to man. All that construction stuff really did a body good, didn’t it? Seeing Griffin was exactly why Toby came. He thought with his dick instead of his head.
Toby licked his lips. What a view.
The horizon was great, too. It resembled a painting with the puffs of trees in silhouette. The sky was painted in rainbow colors, with pinks and reds. Each color led to a bluer and bluer sky. It was beautiful, but still not as beautiful as his mate, who had held him all night while they talked, then agreed to run with him and Julia so they would feel safe.
Toby couldn’t put Griffin in danger. He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to Griffin.
Toby sighed. Maybe he should back off the mating thing. He even thought about just heading home, but then Griffin saw him sitting in his car. Griffin smiled and then waved him over. Toby had to get closer, so he got out, pressed the button on his key fob to lock his car, and stuck his keys in the pocket of his pants.
Julia closed the distance between them. She had tears in her eyes when their gazes met, and when she spoke, it was through a wall of emotion. “Thank you.”
Toby nodded. “I hope you’re coping well.”
“I’m trying.” She shook her head. “It’s crazy because nothing actually happened—”
“Nothing is exactly what should have happened. But theydidassault you. They just didn’t get as far as they intended.” Toby was careful not to touch her. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. “I’m not a psychologist, but I’m pretty sure whatever you’re feeling and however you’re handling the trauma is all perfectly normal.”
She wiped at the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you for saying that. Griffin said the same thing.”
“Did he tell you that you’re doing great?”
She nodded and smiled.
“I can’t go running in the park anymore either. It’s way too scary now.” Toby met Griffin’s gaze over Julia’s head. “It’s nice of you to run with us.”
