As Vinnie and Griffin moved into their office to interview each staff member individually, Annie sat down at the bar. There were only a few customers finishing up their lunch, and while she didn't think she was hungry, when Danielle brought her a turkey club sandwich and an iced tea, she simply said, "Thanks."
"No problem. You have to eat," Danielle said. "I made sure Griffin got some food, too. What the two of you have been through today is horrific."
"It was awful," she admitted, sipping her tea.
"I knew something was off with Shari, but she wouldn't talk to me. I wish she would have said something if she was in trouble. I might have been able to help." Danielle paused. "Griffin said to tell you he's on the phone with the payroll people and it might be a while."
"That's fine. I need some time to catch my breath."
"Can I get you anything else?"
"No, this was really sweet of you."
"Don't worry about a bill; this is on the house. Boss's orders." Danielle gave her a smile. "I'm glad you've stuck around, Annie. Griffin needs someone like you."
"Someone like me?"
"Someone who can stand up to him. He's a lot of bark but not much bite. He's a sweetheart under all those hard edges, but not everyone sees that."
"I see it. He's a really wonderful man." She felt a wave of emotion run through her, and she drew in a deep breath. She could not break down now. She needed to hold it together for a while longer.
"Are you okay, Annie?" Danielle asked with concern.
"Just hungry," she said, taking a bite of her sandwich and blinking the tears out of her eyes.
"Well, then I'll let you eat."
She was happy when Danielle moved away to take care of another customer. She wasn't up for conversation at the moment.
After she finished lunch, she walked over to the tree and adjusted a few decorations, feeling sad that the tree might not be seen at all over the holidays. She wondered how long Griffin would keep the bar closed. This had to be such a busy time for them. They'd take a financial hit if they stayed shut down for too long.
Griffin finally made his way back into the bar, apologizing for having taken so long. Then they got back into the car and returned to the hospital. They sat by Shari's bedside for a good hour, watching her breathe in and out, but when the nurse confirmed that Shari would probably be asleep until morning, they decided to call it a day.
When they finally returned to her apartment, it was almost seven at night.
It had been a long day, filled with extreme emotions. While on one hand, it seemed like only minutes since she and Griffin had had breakfast together, on the other hand, it felt like ten years had passed.
"Do you want anything?" she asked Griffin, as she turned on lights, casting a cozy glow over the room.
"Nope."
He took off his coat and sat down on the couch, looking exhausted. He'd run his hand through his hair dozens of times during the day, there was a shadow of beard on his face, and his pallor was still off. She was worried about him. He was trying to do a lot of things at one time: taking care of his employees, making sure Shari was getting the best care, looking into updating the security system at the bar, checking in with Paul. She had a feeling at some point it was going to be too much.
She sat down next to him. "I want to help you. What can I do?"
"You're doing it," he said, taking her hand. "You're here."
"That doesn't seem like enough."
"Believe me, it's more than enough," he said, his gaze meeting hers. "You've been wonderful today, Annie."
"Just trying to hang in there with you."
He nodded, but he seemed distracted.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked. "It looks like you have something on your mind."
"I'm thinking that I need to do something I don't want to do."
"What's that?"
He pulled a phone from his pocket that she hadn't seen before. "Call my father and grandfather."
"Wasn't Paul going to do that?"
"He did speak to my father briefly, but I feel like I need to say something to them personally."
"That doesn't look like your usual phone."
"It's a burner phone, untraceable. I wouldn't want a call from me to jeopardize their safety."
"I don't think you ever told me how your family felt about what you did. Were they supportive?"
"My father was not. He thought I was throwing my life away, and in the end, his life, too. He was angry—justifiably so. My grandfather understood, but he almost died because of me, so I think he probably wished I hadn't done it, that he hadn't had to give up his bar, his friends, his home. I hurt them, Annie. I don't think I realized at the time how many people would be affected by what I did."
She was starting to see that the heavy weight Griffin had carried all these years hadn't been about himself, but about everyone else.
"I'm going out on the deck," she said, as she got to her feet. "There's a fire pit, couches, and lots of blankets. Why don't you join me after you decide what to do?"
"You don't have an opinion on whether I should make the call?" he asked with a frown. "That seems odd, Annie."
"I have an opinion, but it doesn't matter what I think, only what you think."
"Now you don't want to talk," he grumbled.
"It's your decision, Griffin. And you already know what you want to do." She walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine, an opener, and two glasses. Then she headed outside. She set the wine and glasses on the table surrounding the fire pit, then lit the flame. The cool ocean breeze played with the flames, but within minutes, a warm heat was filling the air.
She opened the wine, poured herself a glass and then sat down on one of the couches in front of the fire and pulled a blanket over her legs.
Several deep breaths and a couple of gulps of wine later, she felt her body starting to relax. She had no idea what was coming tomorrow, but she was going to try not to think about it until then.
Her phone buzzed, and she saw it was Kate. So much for not thinking about things. "Hi, Kate."
"Hey, how are you doing?"
"I'm all right. Did you find out anything?"
"I just got off the phone with a Detective Baker. He said he spoke to you earlier."
"Yes, at the hospital."
"He gave me more details about the stabbing of one of Griffin's employees. You left a bit of that out."
"I didn't want you to freak out."
"I'm a federal agent. I don't freak out. Although, I don't like to think of my sister walking in on a scene like that."
"Now you know how we feel when you run into danger. At any rate, what else did the detective say?"
"He has one main person of interest, Kenny Taylor."
"Griffin mentioned him to me. He's the cousin of the cop who was put into prison."
"Yes. Apparently, he recently arrived at the Orange County airport."
She blew out a breath. "He's in town. That can't be a coincidence."
"He doesn't think it is. They're looking for him now. Detective Baker also mentioned that the knife used in the attack probably belonged to the victim. They haven't found the weapon, but they did find a drawer open in the kitchen with one knife missing that appeared to be consistent with the victim's wounds."
"It was Shari's knife?" she asked in surprise.
"She could have grabbed it to defend herself. We won't know for sure until the detective has a chance to speak to her, but it's interesting that she wasn't attacked with a weapon that was brought to the scene."
"Why is that interesting?"
"It suggests to me that there was an argument that escalated into a stabbing and that it might not have been a premeditated act."
"Does it matter? She was still almost killed."
"It matters in the sense that it plays into the motivation of her assailants. What were they doing at her apartment? There was no evidence of a break-in, so it appears she let them in or they had a key.
They knew each other. So, what happened between the parties to change the dynamics of their relationship?"
"Griffin thinks that Shari might have refused to continue helping them."
"It's possible. There were unfortunately no witnesses. One woman on the first floor reported hearing a scream and a heavy thud, but she wasn't sure if it was on the TV."
"She couldn't tell the difference?"
"Detective Baker told me in that neighborhood people tend to look the other way, so apparently not. At any rate, Detective Baker is actively engaged in the investigation. He seems to be on it. I feel better knowing there's someone local involved and that he's competent."
"He's not bothered that Griffin went against his former partner?"
"He told me he's only interested in finding the person who attacked Shari Carlan, and I believed him. Now, let's talk about you."
She sighed, knowing what was coming. "I'm not leaving him, Kate."
"Are you in love with this guy?"
"Maybe," she admitted.
"Oh, Annie."
"What? He's a great person. You would like him."
"He sounds like he has a lot of baggage."
"Devin had baggage when you fell for him," she reminded her sister. "And you were in danger, too, as I recall."
"That was different. I'm a trained agent. You're an artist. This is not in your wheelhouse."
"I get that, but I'm sticking with Griffin."
"I don't want you to get hurt, Annie. And I don't just mean physically. You have a big heart, which can also be a big target."
"I appreciate your concern, but it's too late. I've already jumped off the cliff."
"Does Griffin feel the same way about you?"
"I think he does. He's got a lot on his plate right now, but we've gotten really close."
"So, I have one more question. Once this is over, what do you think Griffin will do?" Kate asked. "Is he going to remain Griffin Hale? Or does he go back to being Michael Payton? And where does that leave you?"
"That's not one question—that's three." She let out a sigh. "I don't know, Kate. But I really want this to be over, so I can find out."
* * *
Griffin must have stared at his phone for a good fifteen minutes before he finally punched in the number Paul had given him. It was his grandfather's number, not his dad's. He wanted to start with the one person who had always understood him better than anyone else—George Payton.
An older, raspy voice came on the line a moment later, and the familiar tone made his stomach turn over. This was the voice of the man who had really raised him, who had taught him how to be a man, to do what was right.
"Hello?" his grandfather said impatiently. "Is anyone there?"
"It's me," he said quickly, not wanting him to hang up. "It's—Michael." It was hard to say the name he'd used for the first thirty years of his life, but not the last four. He certainly didn't feel like Michael Payton anymore.
"Michael," his grandfather breathed. "I can't believe it's you. Are you all right?"
"I'm okay, but my new identity and location have been discovered. Someone is messing with me, and while I'm on the other side of the country, I didn't want you to be blindsided. I don't think anyone will come after you or Dad, but I can't guarantee it."
"Safety is never a guarantee, but I appreciate the heads-up. I'm sorry this situation has come back to haunt you. I was hoping it would never do that."
"I was too, but that was unrealistic."
"How have you been, Michael? What have you been doing? I've thought of you often these past years, wishing I knew where you were, if you were healthy, happy. I hoped for a call every Christmas, but I understood why you couldn't make contact."
"I thought it was best to make a clean break so that no one would ever hurt you again." Memories of his grandfather's beating still haunted him.
"I appreciate that, but I still miss you."
"I miss you, too. By the way, I opened a bar. It's not as good as yours, but we get a good crowd."
"No kidding. Isn't that something? You always did like working in the bar."
"I probably should have done that instead of becoming a cop."
"Well, maybe now is the right time. You married?"
"No."
"Don't want to let anyone get close to you?"
"I didn't want to let anyone get close, but recently I have." His gaze moved toward the windows. He couldn't see Annie, but he could see the glow from the fire pit, and he couldn't wait to join her under the blankets. He just wished that they weren't surrounded by danger, that they could just be normal, free to be together if they wanted to be.
"Is she good for you?" his grandfather asked.
"She makes me smile."
"Then she's exactly what you need. You had it rough growing up and worse after what happened; you deserve to smile."
"I feel like I need to cut her loose, though, keep her safe. But she's reluctant to go."
"Then she must care about you, too. Does she know everything?"
"She does now. She has been standing by me."
"Now you know what that feels like. Your grandmother always stood by me, no matter what, no matter how hard things got. That Paige, she wasn't worthy of you."
"Yeah, well, we don't need to talk about her." He cleared his throat. "How's Dad? Is he sober?"
"He is. He and his second wife are actually over in Italy right now."
"That's good. But does that mean you're alone?"
"No. I actually moved into a new apartment in a complex with some buddies. We play cards, go fishing, charm the single ladies. It's all good. I'm enjoying my retirement."
"I'm glad to hear it. Keep your eyes open."
"Don't worry about me. Take care of yourself, Michael, or whatever your name is."
"I will. I'm going to try to end this thing, Grandpa. I wasn't looking for more trouble, but now that it's here, I'm going after it. No more running. This needs to stop."
"I have every confidence in you. Don't wait another four years to call me."
"I won't," he promised. "Bye."
As his grandfather said good-night, he ended the call and let out a breath. Then he went to join Annie on the deck.
She opened up her blanket, and he slid in next to her.
"Want some wine?" she asked.
"I'm good for now. This is nice."
She gave him a smile. "It is nice. How did the call go?"
"Better than I thought. My grandfather sounded great. He's happy. He's living with friends. My dad is in Italy with his second wife. Everyone is good."
"That should make you feel a little less guilty about ruining their lives."
"A little." He gave her a thoughtful look. "You seem to have a way of knowing exactly how I feel. You see past my defenses."
"Sometimes. But you've built some fairly solid walls, Griffin."
"I had to do that."
"I understand now. But I'm glad some of them have come down between us."
"Me, too."
"I spoke to my sister Kate again. She had a long conversation with Detective Baker."
"Oh, yeah? I'm impressed he was willing to share his information with a fed. Cops can be territorial."
"I'm sure. But Kate has a way of getting what she wants."
"Did she learn that from you?"
Annie smiled. "Maybe. Anyway, she gave me two important pieces of information. Kenny Taylor arrived at the Orange County Airport sometime in the past few weeks."
His gut clenched. "She said that?"
"Detective Baker told her they're looking for him."
"That's huge news," he said. "It has to be him. He has to be the one calling the shots."
"It would seem so. At least we have a name now, someone to start with and maybe end with."
He pulled out his phone. "I'm going to text Paul."
"Maybe he can help locate this guy," Annie said.
"The more people looking, the better." After finishing the text,
he set down his phone. "You said there were two pieces of information."
"Yes. There was a drawer open in Shari's kitchen and a knife missing from what appeared to be a set. The assumption is that the weapon used against Shari came from her kitchen and wasn't brought to the scene."
"She must have pulled the knife in self-defense, and they used it against her."
"Hopefully, she can tell us tomorrow."
"Hopefully." He let out a breath. "Well, your sister has definitely gotten us some good information. I'm glad you brought her in."
"Me, too. And I'm glad you called your family. You needed to reconnect."
"It did feel good to hear my grandfather's voice," he admitted. "I told him about the bar. I think he was proud I followed in his footsteps."
"I'm sure he was proud." She gave him a tender smile. "You're an amazing person. I knew it the first second I met you, when you rescued me from the sharks. We might have had the craziest first meet of all time."
"I'd have to agree with that. One of these days I'm going to get you back in the water. You can't let a shark or two scare you away from the big, beautiful ocean."
"I would not count on that."
"But you love the beach, Annie."
"I like it from up here. Isn't this cozy?"
"I have to admit it's not bad."
"We could make it better," she said, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"Really? We're going there? With everything that's happened today?"
"Why not? It's been a rough day. We both could use a break. Live in the moment, baby."
He laughed. "My grandfather asked me if you were good for me."
"You told him about me?"
"Not your name, but I mentioned I was involved with someone."
"Involved. I like that word. What else did you tell him about me?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he teased.
She gave him a playful swat on the arm. "That's not fair. You know I'm a curious person."
"Well, you could try to get it out of me, but I don't know if you would be successful."
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