“Why does it matter to you? You don’t clean.” CJ raised her eyebrows.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying. It makes more sense.”
“Maybe to you.” CJ popped a chip in her mouth. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
Benjamin and CJ had rubbed each other the wrong way since they’d met. Griff found all of it entirely too entertaining. As soon as CJ walked into a room, Benjamin practically became a different person.
Maybe it was because Dez had joked with him, saying the two should date. Or it could be the fact that Benjamin and CJ had been thrown together at more than one event, especially as everyone else had paired off.
Griff knew better—he avoided those situations.
“What is on this sandwich?” Benjamin asked.
“What? Are you going to complain about that now, cowboy?” CJ shot back.
“Something just tastes different.” He examined the ham and cheese.
“I added some sriracha to the mayo.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because it tastes good.”
“You save the day once, and now you think you have free reign of the sriracha.”
CJ gave him a look. “We’re really not having this conversation, are we?”
Bethany and Griff exchanged a smile.
Griff had asked Benjamin once about why he let CJ rub him the wrong way. He’d said there was something he didn’t trust about CJ. But Griff had to wonder if there was more to it than that.
As much as Griff would like to pretend that this was just a casual lunch, he knew it wasn’t. It was evident by looking at everyone around the table that their thoughts were still on what had just happened.
Griff took a bite of a sandwich, wishing that it tasted good. But nothing would taste good right now. Too much was on the line for him to enjoy himself.
He longed for a minute alone with Bethany to check her emotional state. He knew this was hard on her. But he hadn’t had that opportunity to grab her alone yet, and he didn’t know when he would.
He only hoped all of this had a happy ending. There was a time in his life when he would’ve bet everything that good would win over evil. But now, he just didn’t know. At least not when it came to this life here on earth.
* * *
After lunch, Bethany and Elise escaped to the screened-in porch to enjoy some coffee and a nice ocean breeze. Griff had insisted on taking care of Ada for a little while so that Bethany could get some rest. She wasn’t going to argue.
Even though being outside didn’t feel like the safest option, they knew Benjamin and Colton were both downstairs cleaning up the crime-scene area and keeping an eye out for trouble. It felt good to be away from everything for a moment and to feel like maybe she and Elise were just two girlfriends catching up on life.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Bethany asked Elise as they sat beside each other on a bench swing. “I’m worried about you.”
Elise nodded. But, as she ran a hand through her hair, Bethany saw the tremble claiming her muscles. “I’ll be okay. I’ve been through worse.”
Bethany almost didn’t want to know what she was talking about. But, based on what Griff had already told her, Elise was not only grieving the loss of her husband but she’d almost been killed too.
“I should be asking you how you’re doing,” Elise said. “Seeing Ada almost being abducted twice . . . I can only imagine how you’re feeling. No mother should have to go through that.”
Bethany glanced down at her mug of coffee. “It all seems surreal, that’s for sure. I’m just so thankful that everything has turned out okay so far.”
“Me too.”
Bethany paused the swing as she caught a glimpse of what was happening inside.
On the other side of the screen door, she saw Ada sitting at the table painting Griff’s toenails.
“You’re doing a fantastic job.” Griff stared down at the pink slathered across his toes. “I feel like a million bucks.”
Ada beamed up at her dad.
Moisture filled Bethany’s eyes.
It was such a beautiful sight.
Griff had always been a great dad. It was why it made no sense when, one day, it seemed like a switch flipped and he decided to walk away from his family. To this day, Bethany still had trouble coming to terms with it. At first, she’d thought he would eventually come to his senses. But, as the months passed, it became clear that wouldn’t happen.
“He’s a good dad,” Elise said beside her.
Bethany crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, so as to not interrupt the moment. “He is. Or was. I’m not sure sometimes.”
Elise examined Bethany’s face, her expression a good mix of psychologist and friend. “You still love him, don’t you?”
“What?” Bethany let out a skeptical laugh and raked a hand through her hair. “No. That’s ridiculous. Griff and I have a child together. We’ll always have that bond. But nothing else.”
“That’s a shame,” she said softly. “Because I’m pretty sure he still loves you.”
Bethany blinked at Elise’s words, unsure if she heard correctly. “Why would you say that? It’s ridiculous—no offense. But I’ve given Griff every opportunity to make things right, and he’s obviously very content to be a bachelor.”
“No offense taken. But I’m really not sure that’s true. It’s pretty obvious by the way he looks at you that he cares.”
“When you love someone, you don’t abandon them.” A bitter edge laced Bethany’s words. She tried not to feel sorry for herself. She really did. But she still struggled to understand what had gone so wrong between them. Sure, they’d had their issues. Every married couple did. But they should have been able to work them out.
“I don’t know what Griff was thinking.” Elise shook her head and frowned. “Sometimes, I think he was trying to look out for you. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but . . . it’s just my gut feeling.”
Bethany couldn’t allow herself to believe that again. The risk was too great. “I just can’t see how he would think something like that. What’s best for Ada and me would be being a family. At least, it was. We’ve learned how to manage for ourselves—for the most part.”
Elise’s expression showed she didn’t quite believe that.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs, interrupting them.
Good. Because Bethany didn’t want this conversation to go any further.
The last thing she wanted was to justify Griff’s actions.
Chapter Thirteen
Griff looked up at Colton and Benjamin as they stepped into the cottage. As Colton glanced over at him, Griff wiggled his toes, which were now painted cotton candy pink.
Colton paused and raised his eyebrows. “Pretty.”
“I think so too,” Griff said, observing his daughter’s handiwork. “Ada did a great job.”
“I’d say so. Hey, listen. As soon as your spa day is over, could I steal you for a few minutes?”
“I think she was just wrapping up now, weren’t you, Warrior Princess?” Griff leaned toward his daughter and kissed the top of her head.
Ada grinned and put the nail polish back into a plastic carry case. “All done, Daddy. Would you like me to fix your hair now?”
Griff ran his hand through his hair and tried to imagine what Ada might be considering doing with it. Braids? A pink streak? A burst of poofy curls just like his grandmother had sported?
“That will have to be for another day.” He looked over and saw Bethany and Elise step back into the cottage. Perfect timing. He looked at Bethany and nodded at Ada. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” Bethany said. There was a new look on her face—her expression almost looked strained.
What had they been talking about out there? Whatever it was, he couldn’t worry about it now.
Griff, Benjamin, and Colton slipped into the office down the hallway. Griff could tell that Colton had something on his mind, just by the way he held his shoulder
s. They looked stiff and unyielding. What had Colton learned?
“Commander Larson just called back,” Colton started.
Griff’s breath caught. “And?”
“He acknowledged that it doesn’t seem on the surface like a lot has been done to get to the bottom of this situation with the Savages. But he had a reason for it.”
Griff couldn’t imagine what that might be. Dealing with terrorists wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly or to be put on the back burner. He felt like that was exactly what the commander and secretary were doing.
“They think the traitor who’s infiltrated the government could all be at a higher level than Secretary Stabler or Commander Larson,” Colton said.
Griff twisted his head. “A higher level?”
“Maybe even at cabinet level.”
“The president’s cabinet?” The words didn’t even sound right leaving Griff’s lips.
“Maybe. They don’t know if it goes up that high. It could be within the CIA or Homeland Security. But they do feel that there’s still someone on the inside who’s feeding these guys information, someone other than Jason.”
“So they’re staying quiet about it for that reason?” Griff tried to give them the benefit of the doubt.
“They’re trying to keep a low profile until they can figure things out. Right now, they don’t know whom they can trust.”
“Did he tell you anything of value?” Griff tried to respect the way they were trying to handle the situation, but he had expected more from them.
“They do believe that these guys are planning some sort of attack.” Colton’s voice hardened, as if all this had upset him—and rightfully so. “They are trying to listen to the scuttlebutt around what’s going on. The CIA has shared some intel with them, and there have been other missions the SEALs have been deployed on to try to bring these guys down. But there hasn’t been any success with that yet.”
“That’s a shame, to put it lightly.”
“I agree. At this point, I guess what they want us to do is to trust them, to believe that they’re doing their jobs.”
Griff stared up at Colton. “What are you going to do?”
“I can’t help but think that the person behind the events of the past couple days is a minion, for lack of a better word, for someone else. I feel like someone else is pulling the strings and telling these other guys what to do. We need to find that person.”
“And you think Jason was one of those minions too, don’t you?”
“I do.”
If that was the case, they were just skimming the surface here. “Any guesses as to who the puppet master might be?”
“No, but I have to wonder who else might be helping this person. Because it’s bigger than one rogue agent or member of the military. There’s an entire network of these people who are working for the Savages. Maybe even someone we know or someone we’ve worked with.”
“Like who?”
Colton let out a long breath. “There are definitely people on the inside. Maybe another SEAL. Leonardo is still a suspect in my mind.”
“Leonardo?” Griff questioned.
Another SEAL had shown up in Lantern Beach a few months ago, out of the blue, and had asked for a job with Blackout. Griff had to admit that Leonardo wasn’t his favorite person. But they hadn’t seen him in town for a while. Still, could the man have been sent here to gather information?
“My guess is that they may have even planted someone close to Bethany,” Colton said.
“She did mention someone named Sal Philips. Benjamin is looking into him.” He turned toward his friend. “Speaking of which . . . any updates?”
“Sal didn’t show up for work today,” Benjamin announced. “And he’s been having financial troubles.”
Griff and Colton exchanged a look.
“We definitely need to look into this more,” Colton said. “In the meantime, anyone else? Maybe a coworker who has ties to the military.”
Griff’s mind raced. “Bethany’s friend Cindi . . . her husband is in the military.”
“Did he set off any red flags?” Colton asked.
“He’s always seemed a little strange. He’s hard to read, to say the least. Bethany is close with his wife.”
“Maybe we should look into his background also, just to be safe,” Colton said.
“Good idea. But why not let the commander and Secretary Stabler figure it out?” Griff asked, anxious to hear his leader’s response.
“Because what if they’re wrong?”
Colton’s question hung in the air. It was a valid one. And it matched Griff’s instincts.
With stakes this high, they couldn’t take any chances.
* * *
The rest of the day had been a blur. They’d played games with Ada and tried to keep her occupied. They’d had dinner together. Everything felt normal, but Bethany knew it was anything but normal.
She was halfway relieved when nighttime finally fell, and it was time to get Ada to sleep. She, Griff, and Ada had gone to the cabana together. It had only taken ten minutes for her daughter to fall asleep. She was obviously exhausted.
With Ada snoozing on the bed and Griff in the shower, Bethany slipped outside. She just needed a moment alone.
Everything was hitting her. The shock was wearing off, and, instead, the grim reality of what had happened weighed on her shoulders.
Ada had almost been snatched. Twice.
If just one thing had been different in each situation Ada might not be here right now.
Bethany waved to the man standing guard, silently asking for privacy. He wore a police uniform, so Cassidy must have sent him to take over duty for a while. Bethany would have to introduce herself later, when she felt more social.
The officer seemed to get the message and slipped around the corner. He remained on guard, but not in her space. Thankfully.
She sucked in a breath, breathing in the fresh salt air. Above her, the stars shone brightly. The breeze felt cool and comforting. It was almost like nature knew Bethany needed a few of her favorite things right now.
Finally alone, tears streamed down her cheeks. The emotions she’d held inside released themselves in a whoosh that reminded Bethany of a crashing wave. She wanted to be strong—she had to be strong for Ada—but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she was scared.
Terrified, for that matter.
Her little girl had come so close to being snatched. Ada meant everything in the world to Bethany. If something had happened to her . . . Bethany wasn’t sure how she could go on.
The door creaked open behind her, and she glanced back.
Griff.
Quickly, Bethany wiped the moisture from her face and tried to compose herself.
But she couldn’t. The sob she tried to hold back escaped louder than ever—from deep in her gut, her soul, her heart.
The next instant, Griff was behind her. His arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her close while murmuring in her ear, “It’s okay to cry.”
Something about hearing him give her permission caused a dam to break inside her. More tears flowed down her cheeks, and cries wracked her body.
Griff held her closer, his arms strong and familiar. Bethany didn’t want to find comfort in him . . . but, despite herself, she did.
He understood. He’d almost lost his daughter too.
As angry as she was at the man, as much as she wanted to believe he didn’t care . . . she knew he did. He was just so confusing to her. Distant one minute. Looking at her with so much concern the next.
Bethany had to remind herself that this man had left her. He’d left Ada. He’d chosen a different life and given up on their vows.
She couldn’t pretend he hadn’t.
Getting used to Griff being around wasn’t in her best interest . . . or Ada’s. In the end, it would just lead to more heartache.
That was something she couldn’t afford.
Bethany sucked in a long breath and used the sleeve of her
sweatshirt to wipe beneath her eyes.
Then she stood and turned toward Griff. “Thank you, but . . . I should get inside. It’s been a long day.”
An unreadable expression crossed his gaze until he finally nodded. “Of course.”
She fled, trying to forget just how good it had felt to be in his arms.
That was easier said than done.
Chapter Fourteen
Griff couldn’t sleep. He had too many things running through his mind. So much had happened today. Too much.
Instead, he lay on his cot and let the facts race through his mind.
He was a solutions guy. He liked to come up with a plan, execute it, and find success. But in this situation, it was hard to see what the plan might be. He didn’t like that.
He fought a smile as he remembered the feeling of holding Bethany in his arms. He hadn’t intended on doing it. No, he’d intended on staying away for a long time. Forever, for that matter.
But that phone call two days ago had changed everything. He’d known when he saw both Bethany and Ada again that he loved them more than anything in this whole world. Could he ever make them understand why he’d had to leave?
And, even if he did explain, none of it seemed to matter anymore. Here they were, and they were in danger. This was the last thing that he’d wanted—the very thing he’d tried to avoid.
Griff closed his eyes again. Remembered the feel of Bethany in his arms. Remembered the sweet scent of her shampoo. Remembered feeling her soft skin against his.
His heart hammered in his chest. He’d missed that connection. He had missed Bethany. So much.
How was he going to get through this situation unscathed? Not only was he concerned about their safety, but he knew that, at the end of all this, he could be in a very dark place.
Maybe he would take Elise up on that offer to talk. Maybe he needed someone with whom to share his deepest secrets, to share the pieces of his heart that he’d tried to hide permanently.
He turned over again, wishing sleep would find him. Even though a guard was stationed outside the cabana, Griff couldn’t help but listen for any signs of trouble. The guys behind this were good. They were professionals. They would do whatever was necessary to get their hands on Ada.
Ripple Effect: Lantern Beach Blackout, Book 3 Page 7