Grim Reunion (Aisling Grimlock Book 4)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Grimlock, but I do,” Jerry said. “Stalking, following, threatening and killing Angelina is our job.”

  “I see,” Mom said, pressing her lips together. “Well … I guess you told me.”

  “I guess we did,” I confirmed.

  “You should probably get home and rest that shoulder, Aisling,” Mom said. “You don’t want to be caught without protection when you’re not at your best.”

  Was that a threat? “We’re leaving.”

  “We’re going to watch The Facts of Life and look through catalogs,” Jerry said, smiling.

  “That sounds nice,” Mom said, forcing a smile for his benefit. “Be careful, Aisling. You still have the same mouth you had as a child, but not all of your enemies remain the same. You can’t win every battle with a hair-pulling contest.”

  Was that a warning or a threat? “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  17

  Seventeen

  “You did what?”

  I opted not to lie to Griffin when he returned to the townhouse a few hours later. I thought I should tell the truth because we were growing … and moving in together … and all that other crap. I should’ve gone with my first instinct so he wouldn’t yell at me.

  “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” I said, slouching lower on the couch. “We weren’t in any danger.”

  “Your mother showed up!”

  “I was there,” I said, forcing myself to remain calm. “She didn’t do anything but threaten Angelina and maybe sort of threaten me, but not overtly.”

  “It definitely wasn’t overt,” Jerry said solemnly. “Look how high-waisted everyone’s pants were in the eighties. It’s a good thing you didn’t grow up back then, Bug. You have a short torso, and those pants wouldn’t flatter your figure.”

  “Jerry, do you mind?” Griffin asked, making a face. “We’re trying to have a serious discussion.”

  “Are you insinuating The Facts of Life isn’t serious? They’re literally dealing with the facts of life. If that isn’t serious, I don’t know what is.”

  “I’m insinuating that I’m about to blow a gasket if you don’t shut up,” Griffin hissed.

  “Don’t talk to him that way,” I barked. “He’s just trying to ease the tension.”

  Griffin tugged a restless hand through his hair. “Did anything else happen?”

  I tilted my head to the side, considering. “We came to the conclusion that Angelina stuffs and next time it might be more fun to set the Kleenex on fire instead of following her.”

  I couldn’t be sure, but Griffin almost looked as if he was swallowing the urge to laugh. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and hope for the best, though.

  “That did it,” Griffin said, shaking his head. “Go into your bedroom and grab two pillows and something to sleep in.”

  I frowned. “Are you kicking me out of my own house?”

  “Grab your things,” Griffin intoned. “That includes your toothbrush.”

  I was confused, but did as instructed. Griffin held a bag of takeout – making sure to leave dinner selections on the table for Jerry and Aidan for later that evening – and then ushered me out of the townhouse. Instead of heading toward his truck, he directed me to his townhouse – I mean our new townhouse – and opened the door.

  “Are you going to make me sleep on the floor as punishment?” I asked, frustrated. “I know you’re upset and that I deserve to be yelled at, but I’m not sure I can take sleeping on the floor with this shoulder yet.”

  I pulled up short when I walked into the living room, pressing my lips together when I saw the box spring and mattress on the floor. Candles lighted the entire room.

  “Do you like it?” Griffin’s face was expressionless when I locked gazes with him.

  “What is it?”

  “I moved my bed out of my apartment today, with a little help from one of the other detectives, and I figured we could spend a few nights here when work isn’t being done until we can move in full time,” Griffin replied. “You said you wanted a special night here to spend together when we didn’t have to hurry to work and could be alone. I figured this was the best way to do that.”

  Warmth spread throughout my chest. “I thought you were angry with me.”

  “I’m not happy with you,” Griffin clarified. “I love you, though. I knew you were a pain when I fell in love with you. You’re still hurt, and that’s the biggest reason I wanted you to stay home and be quiet today. You didn’t get hurt again, though, and it sounds as if you and Jerry had fun. I’m going to let it go.”

  “Are you going to let it go because you planned a romantic evening and don’t want to give it up?”

  “I’m letting it go because you are who you are and I don’t want to change you,” Griffin replied. “You’re safe. We’re in here for the night. We have Greek takeout, a bottle of wine and candles. I think we should enjoy the night and leave the arguing for another time – because there will be another argument. We both know that.”

  “Can we look at catalogs and think about furniture?” Generally I wouldn’t push my luck, but the warm and gooey mess that was my heart wanted to see how far Griffin would let me push this. “Jerry and I found some good things. I have the catalog with me.”

  “We can definitely look at furniture,” Griffin said, shaking his head as he chuckled. “After you eat dinner … and after we christen the apartment … I would love to look at furniture with you.”

  “You really are the perfect man,” I enthused, scurrying toward the bed. “We’re even close to the floor so I won’t have far to fall when you get out of control.”

  “When I get out of control?”

  I shrugged. “If you want us both to get out of control, I’m up for that.”

  Griffin’s face split into a wide grin. “Prepare yourself, baby, because I have a feeling it’s going to be an out-of-control night.”

  “OH, ISN’T that cute? Our sister is naked on the floor with her boy toy. I feel such pride.”

  I woke in a strange place – on a mattress on the floor – and found Redmond and Cillian staring down at me. It took me a moment to get my bearings, and when I realized where I was – and what I had spent the night doing – I clutched the blanket to my chest to make sure my brothers didn’t get an unintended show. “What are you doing here?”

  “We brought you breakfast,” Redmond replied dryly, shaking the McDonald’s bag in his hand. “It’s your favorite.”

  “Steak and egg bagel and two hash browns,” Cillian interjected, shaking his head as Griffin rubbed his eyes and focused on our visitors. “We brought you food, too. I’m not sure we should give it to you after this little … display … though.”

  “How did you even know we were here?” I grumbled.

  “Aidan told us when we stopped next door,” Redmond answered. “He also gave us a key so we wouldn’t wake you.”

  “I can’t wait to thank him for that.”

  Griffin made a face as he scanned the room. He takes a few minutes to wake up in the morning. He leaned over to get a better look at my shoulder and made a point of ignoring my brothers. “The good news is that your shoulder is healing,” he said. “The bad news is that the green tint makes it look worse than it did before.”

  “Awesome,” I muttered. “Do you two mind? I need to put some clothes on.”

  “Oh, we definitely mind,” Redmond replied. “Wait … that came out wrong. That made it sound as if I wanted to see you naked – which is the absolute last thing I want to do, just for the record. We mind that you’re naked on the floor. What’s wrong with you?”

  “No one invited you here,” I reminded him.

  “We have information on John Anderson,” Cillian offered. “And it’s something both of you will want to hear. Besides that, Dad insisted Aisling not go on any jobs alone until she’s completely healed. You’re teamed with me for the day.”

  “Well, that just figures,” I muttered, grunting when Griffin pressed his
finger against my shoulder. “You know that hurts, right?”

  “I’m just checking,” Griffin said. “I’m glad you won’t be on your own. That makes me feel better about leaving you today … especially after yesterday.”

  “What happened yesterday?” Redmond asked.

  “Can you two turn around, please?” I asked. “I need to put clothes on and I don’t want to risk you seeing my stuff.”

  Redmond made a horrified face. “Do you think we want to see it?”

  “I think you’re a pain in the ass,” I muttered. “Turn around.”

  Redmond and Cillian did as instructed while Griffin slipped into his boxer shorts and a shirt and I pulled on my yoga pants and an over-sized T-shirt. When they turned back around I immediately reached for the bag of food. “Gimme.”

  “There’s food for all of us in there,” Cillian said, glancing around. “I guess we’re sitting on the floor, huh?”

  “Don’t sit on the mattress,” Redmond warned. “You’ll get sex cooties.”

  “I’m going to give you foot-in-butt cooties if you’re not careful,” I snapped, sitting on the edge of the mattress and watching as Cillian doled out the food. “What information do you have on John Anderson?”

  “What did you do yesterday that had Griffin worried?” Redmond countered.

  I averted my gaze. “Nothing.”

  Griffin rolled his eyes. “She and Jerry decided to follow Angelina for the afternoon to see if they could find more information on John Anderson to feed Cillian for his search,” he supplied. “They lost her while arguing over … who knows what … and they got out of the car to search for her.

  “Of course, Angelina found them and a fight broke out,” he continued, smiling in thanks when Cillian handed him a breakfast sandwich and coffee. “Angelina tried to attack Aisling, but your mother stepped in and threatened Angelina.”

  Cillian’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

  I nodded.

  “I don’t like Angelina, but we can’t let Mom wander around threatening people,” Redmond said. “That’s just … not normal. She was always told you to turn the other cheek when Angelina terrorized you.”

  “Well, now she wants to rip Angelina’s cheek off … and then probably eat it,” I said, eliciting groans from my brothers as I sank my teeth into the breakfast sandwich. “Yum.”

  “You eat like a pig sometimes,” Redmond said, tossing an empty straw wrapper in my direction. “What did Angelina say about Mom being back from the dead?”

  “She was confused,” I answered. “I mean, even I can’t blame her for that. She also told Mom to dye her hair and get a new moisturizer, which was kind of funny, but she left when I told her to leave.”

  “What did you say to Mom?” Cillian asked.

  “I told her she couldn’t threaten, stalk or kill Angelina,” I replied. “Then Jerry told her that was our job and took my side. She wasn’t happy, but she took off right after.”

  “I’m not sure how to feel about that,” Redmond admitted. “She seemed like a different person at dinner the other night. I still recognized parts of her, though. I want to believe she’s really in there.”

  “Everyone does,” I said, reaching for my Diet Coke. If I’m having McDonald’s breakfast, I need soda instead of coffee. I have no idea why. It’s probably some holdover from when I was a teenager. “She’s too different to trust, though. I know you guys don’t want to see it, but the more time I spend with her, the more obvious it becomes.”

  “I’m not stupid enough to believe she’s the same woman who raised us,” Redmond clarified. “Cillian isn’t either. I don’t think that necessarily means we have to shut her out of our lives, though.”

  “I’m going to play it by ear,” Cillian added. He always was the pragmatic one in a house full of lunatics. “I don’t trust her, but I’m not ready to cut her off yet. I want to watch the situation for a little bit and then decide.”

  “Well, I’m not trusting her until she tells us everything that happened to her,” I said. “I’m sorry, she has some explaining to do and every time she shows up she tosses things into upheaval and then leaves before answering any questions. That’s deliberate.”

  “You’re an outsider,” Redmond said, turning to Griffin. “What do you think?”

  “He’s not an outsider,” I snapped.

  “It’s okay, Aisling,” Griffin said, chuckling as he patted my hand. “I love your attitude when it comes to that, but I get what he’s saying. I didn’t know your mother before. My reaction to her isn’t based on anything other than old family stories.”

  “And?” Redmond prodded.

  “I don’t like the way she looks at Aisling,” Griffin admitted. “She seems to be working the crowd whenever she shows up. She’s testing people to gauge their reactions. I’ll tell you right now that if she is up to something nefarious, she’s going to rope Braden into it because he can’t seem to accept she’s not the same woman he remembers.”

  “I was afraid you were going to say that,” Redmond grumbled.

  “I’m still waiting,” Cillian said. “She’s definitely hiding something, but until we know what it is, I’m not making any snap decisions.”

  “What if she eats Angelina?” I pressed.

  “Then we’ll have something to discuss,” Cillian answered.

  “Tell me about John Anderson,” Griffin said, wiping his hands on a napkin and tossing his balled-up wrapper in the empty food bag. “What did you find on him?”

  “Nothing.”

  Griffin lifted an eyebrow. “Nothing? You woke us up early and terrorized your naked sister because you found nothing?”

  “Yes, thank you for putting it that way,” Redmond deadpanned, causing Cillian to snicker.

  “I mean I found absolutely nothing,” Cillian clarified. “It’s not that I found the John Anderson sending Aisling flowers and shopping for a house with Angelina and he was clean. I mean I literally found nothing. John Anderson doesn’t seem to exist.”

  “Are you sure? That’s a really common name,” I said.

  “I’m sure,” Cillian said. “I went through every stockbroker in the state. There was one – Whilby and Anderson – that had offices in the Renaissance Center at one time.”

  “That’s it,” I said, nodding. “Whilby.”

  “That firm went out of business eight years ago, and there was no John Anderson in the employee records,” Cillian said, tossing his own wrapper in the bag. “Whoever John Anderson is, he’s not who he says he is.”

  “Well, I don’t like that,” Griffin said. “I knew there was something off about him when he showed so much interest in your sister.”

  “Hey!”

  “You know what I mean,” Griffin said, collecting my hand. “You’re easy to be attracted to and love, but he went out of his way to track you down after a five-minute conversation that I’m sure consisted of at least five uses of the word ‘slut’ and ten of the word ‘skank.’ It’s not normal.”

  “Well, we need to figure out who he is,” Redmond said. “His timing stinks. If he is interested in Aisling for some other reason, she could be in real danger.”

  “So could Angelina,” I mused.

  “Does that worry you?” Griffin looked surprised.

  “Well … .”

  “Holy crap. Hell has officially frozen over,” Redmond said, shaking his head as he chuckled.

  “I’m not worried about Angelina,” I clarified. “It’s just … if she dies, I want to be the one to do it.”

  Griffin made a face. “That’s not true,” he said. “You can’t stand her. She’s an awful person. You get off on fighting with her, though. You’d miss those arguments.”

  “That really sounds nothing like me,” I sniffed, picking at the blanket.

  “Whatever,” Griffin said, turning his eyes back to Cillian. “I expect you to watch her closely today. I’ll beat your ass if you lose her.”

  “And then you’ll cry,” I cooed, restin
g my head on his shoulder.

  Griffin tried to keep a straight face, and failed. “I’ll definitely cry.” He kissed the tip of my nose, eliciting disgusted groans from Redmond and Cillian. “Take care of my girl today, Cillian. I need her to come back to me in one piece. I need her to stay safe.”

  “We all need her to stay safe,” Cillian said. “Come on, Ais. You need to get in the shower so we can start our list. It’s going to be a long day.”

  18

  Eighteen

  “How’s your shoulder?”

  Cillian studied me from across the table at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in downtown Detroit shortly after noon. We were on our lunch break, having already completed two collections, and he was amiable yet distracted. He had something on his mind.

  “It’s okay,” I said, reaching for my iced tea. “Is that what you’ve been running through your busy brain all morning?”

  Cillian smirked. “Partially.”

  “You know I don’t believe you, right?”

  I have a unique relationship with each of my brothers. As the oldest, Redmond has always been the one who dotes on me and listens to my complaints. As my twin, Aidan always knows what I’m feeling before I do. As the one who shares my personality faults, Braden and I fight the most – and sometimes feel the most. Cillian, though, is the most sensitive of my brothers. Whenever I’m really upset, he’s generally the one to sooth my frazzled feelings. Today he seemed to be the frazzled one.

  “I’m worried about you, Ais,” Cillian said.

  His honesty surprised me. “Because I’m moving in with Griffin? Come on. I thought you were going to be on my side in this.”

  Cillian chuckled. “Not about that,” he said, shaking his head so his hair brushed the top of his shoulders. “For the record, I think moving in with Griffin will be good for you. I didn’t think you’d ever find someone who would put up with your mouth, but you actually found a guy who is pretty perfect for you.”

  “I love him.” I thought it would be harder to admit because my brothers liked ribbing me, but it was relatively easy.