Page 9 of Rough Road

As much out of curiosity as because her list of names felt a little light, she smiled. “Is it Autumn?” That bitch showed up with Kale, Sedotal’s man she’d had to kill, and she’d been Grier’s ex, so Fiona wouldn’t really have minded if it was her name added to the kill list.

He chuckled. “No. And I don’t care what kind of little tricks you use. You’re not getting it out of me.” Oh fuck. He was acting like some teenager in love, trying to charm her, use his good looks and the smile that made her stomach turn to sweet-talk her. And his fucking finger was a little too close to the brand on her thigh. Yeah. He’d be losing that one first.

But she smiled and leaned in. “You don’t know what tricks I have up my short little skirt.”

She closed her eyes and went to her happy place when he leaned in to kiss her. He had breath like a toilet and thank God, he ended it soon. “You’re just gonna have to wait to show me because I have to get back to Pine Hill.”

That meant Fiona had a day or so to figure out the rest of her plan, so she didn’t have to go all-in with Sedotal. She smiled and started thinking.

* * *

Grier stared at the phone. Oh, just to hear her voice, to know she was safe filled his gut with a warmth he didn’t think he’d ever feel again. His gut told him she’d been trying to tell him something. Just on a little spring break. And the ledger turned out to be nothing more than a journal from her youth. So, he knew the call was more for his benefit than for whatever reason she was supposed to call.

Hamilton stared at him from across the desk. “What did she say?”

No harm in telling Hamilton. And maybe if he said the words out loud, he could make some sense of them. “That she was on spring break, that you’re supposed to take this to the Boston Monument tomorrow at five and that she knows you love the Boston Massacre statue better.” She’d also said she was fine. And that was the only thing that let him take a solid breath.

“A code, right?”

“Which means Sedotal is with her right now. But he’ll be back here at five tomorrow. So, she’ll be alone or guarded by someone else.” That much wasn’t rocket science. If something was going down in Boston, no way would Sedotal risk not being there to see it. “He wouldn’t bring her with him. Too risky, right?”

Hamilton shrugged and sighed. “Yeah, which means we have tomorrow to find her.”

“Yeah.” His wife and baby were in danger. And he had twenty-four hours or less to find them. He had to figure this out. “Okay. Does spring break mean anything to you?” But even as he spoke, Fiona’s voice laid over Mia’s in his head. “He took her to that fishing shack.”

“Thought you didn’t believe Mia.”

He didn’t want to believe her, wanted to kill her as much as he wanted her to be right. “I have to.”

“And if it’s a trap?”

Of course, it was a trap, but it was his only chance. His only lead. “I’m taking Sage.”

“You held a gun to his head. Then you punched him. I don’t think he’s your ally.” Hamilton had a valid point.

“Yeah. But the girl means something to him. And once we show up, Sedotal will know she told us where to go. He’ll have my back as long as I have hers.” He nodded at Hamilton, satisfied with the plan, such as it was.

“Do you have hers?”

Grier nodded. “I think I have to. Keep her safe.”

“Oh no. You’re not going anywhere without me.”

As much as Grier would love to have Hamilton along, there was security in having Hamilton ride beside him into whatever danger they faced, he needed him here, taking the ledger to the… massacre. God, his woman was a genius. He stared at Hamilton and smiled, shaking his head. “You have to stay here. Sedotal and his goons are gonna be waiting for you and we’re going to give them a nice big surprise.” As soon as he saw Fiona, he’d never let her go again. Ever.

As soon as Hamilton was on board with the plan and walked out to share his instruction with the others, Grier went to the cells for Sage and Mia.

He leaned against the wall opposite their cell doors, watched the girl try to clean the wound over Sage’s eye with a torn piece of her shirt. Neither bothered to look at him. Even when he spoke. “Fiona called.” Still nothing. And to be the guy who held their lives in his hands, he expected more. “I think she’s at the fishing shack you mentioned.” She glanced at him then quickly away, so he continued. “Since you helped me, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. All right?”

She turned, hands on her hips to glare at him. “Sage didn’t betray you.”

“I know.”

Now Sage looked at him. “Then why am I still in a cell?”

Grier chuckled. “Because I forgot the key.” And he had.

Mia nodded and pulled a hairpin out of the bun at the back of her head. She unlocked her door and walked out then unlocked Sage’s. Sage stared at her, mouth slightly open. “If you could do that the whole time…”