Page 81 of Havenfall Harbor
“I decided to explore a little, but then I noticed the exit sign and decided to go outside.” My voice softens. “I had just realized I could go to my office and hang out for a little while when I felt it.” I reach up to the side of my head at the remembered pain and shock.
“Felt what?” Evan prompts.
I pinch my lips in a wince. “I don’t know, I don’t even know what hit me. I fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.”
Evan’s hand lands on my thigh, just above my knee, and he rubs his warm palm up and down for a moment before just settling it there.
“Can you remember anything else?” I look up at Griffin when he questions me.
“I remember hearing someone’s feet, like they were running.” I close my eyes and the memory of lying on the hard ground is fresh. “A voice.” I shake my head slowly. It feels like there’s something on the fringes, but I can’t recall what.
“So, there was definitely someone there?” This comes from Griffin.
“I think so. But it’s a little fuzzy. I mean, there would have had to have been though, right? It’s not like I just fell over and hit my head. I would have remembered tripping or something,” I reason.
Griffin jerks upright and begins pacing the room like a caged animal. “How did you find me?” I look over at Evan.
“When we woke up and you were gone, we went to go get you.”
I let out a little snort. “Why?”
“You left without waking us.” Griffin comes to a halt, glaring at me.
“I thought we had plans today,” Evan adds. I shake my head, finding myself at a total loss for words. They were serious?
Griffin crosses his arms over his chest and leans back a little. “We need to have an important conversation,” he tells me, an edge in his tone.
I peer over at Evan. “I kind of thought we were.”
Griffin makes a deep sound—half growl, half scoff. I turn my gaze back to him. “It is, but there are other things we need to tell you.”
“Are you going to fire me?” I whisper. I’m not sure how I came to that conclusion, but now that the thought is there, I start to get mad. Knocking Evan’s hand off my leg, I stand up. Twisting my lips, I realize my attire doesn’t quite lend itself to a professional position, but I don’t try to cover up. I lift my hand in the air, my finger already pointing in Griffin’s direction.
As soon as I open my mouth to tell Griffin exactly how heisn’tgoing to fire me, he ends up standing right in front of me. His nostrils flared while his chest is rising and falling rapidly. I snap my mouth closed. Having never seen anyone move that fast before, I’m taken a little by surprise.
You’d think the move would remind me I’m out of my element, that staying at Havenfall might not be in my best interest, especially since the danger I’m in has significantly changed, but it doesn’t. I’m not letting anyone push me out.
Evan stands up next to me and leans into my side, and in the process, he gets a little between Griffin and me.
I ball my fists at my sides, there is something about that man that makes me lose reason. I rarely have the urge to quarrel with anyone as much as I do with him. You’d think sheer intimidation would overrule that impulse. But no, nothing with him is ever that simple.
Griffin takes one small step back, which prompts Evan to do the same. “I am not and will not fire you,” Griffin states, his eye lids lowered. I watch him in much the same way.
“Good!” I finally muster after I register what he said.
“Quinn, we really need to find out what happened to you, we can’t allow something like that to happen again.”
“Or to go unpunished,” Griffin interjects.
Evan turns his head and gives his friend a censuring look. Eventually, he looks back at me. “Why don’t we sit back down? There is more we need to talk about.”
Griffin jerks himself into action and moves over to the corner of the couch. Without trying to be obvious, I watch him as he lowers himself in a languid sprawl.
I take the opposite corner and Evan seats himself on the coffee table Griffin abandoned. We end up making a rough triangle again, only this time there is more space between us.
I arrange my shirt back over my thighs, spending more time than needed examining the hem.
“You’re staying here, with us,” Griffin announces after a few seconds.
