A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(23)

She wasn’t the best at hiding her feelings, so when she opened the door, she wasn’t surprised to hear Irelyn say, “You have every right to be angry.”

Shaking her head, Kennedy pushed open the screen door and stepped back, allowing Irelyn to step inside. “I’m not angry, I’m just—” She shook her head again. No, she wouldn’t lie. “All right, I am angry, but mostly I’m hurt and confused. Where have you been, and why didn’t you at least call and let me know you’re okay?”

“I’m sorry.” She gave a small smile. “I’m not used to people caring where I am.”

“Even Grey?”

“Except for a few weeks here and there, Grey has always known my location.”

“Have you seen him lately?”

“A few weeks ago.” She glanced over Kennedy’s shoulder. “Mind if we sit down?”

“Of course. Come in and have a seat. Would you like something to drink or eat?”

“Water would be good.”

She led Irelyn into the living room and said, “Be right back.”

“Kennedy?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Yes?”

“Don’t call Grey. Okay?”

“I won’t, but don’t expect me not to tell him when I see him. I don’t keep secrets from my boss or my friends.”

“I understand. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve missed you.”

Giving her a solemn look, Kennedy walked away.



Irelyn settled into a chair with a giant sigh. Once she had decided to come here, she hadn’t been able to get Kennedy out of her mind. Kennedy was the first and only real female friend Irelyn had ever had. She didn’t waste time on regrets about that, but she did feel regret that she hadn’t been there for her friend when she had needed her most. Kennedy had almost died at the hands of Adam Slater. Irelyn had been out of the country by then, coming to terms with what she had done—what she needed to do. She hadn’t been a good friend to her only friend. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to change.

She gazed around at the organized chaos of the room. This was what a home was supposed to look like, from the comfortable-looking sofa that invited afternoon naps, to the basket full of stuffed animals and baby toys in the corner. Kennedy and Nick had made a home for themselves and for their daughter, filled with love, laughter, and all the things that went with having a family.

She had once ached for this beyond anything. She no longer thought about it. Wishing for something that would never happen was both pointless and a waste of energy.

“Here you go,” Kennedy said as she returned to the living room. She handed a glass of ice water to Irelyn and then sat on the sofa across from her.

Irelyn took a sip of her water, surprised to realize she was nervous. Kennedy was so authentic and real…such a good person. Irelyn had rarely met anyone so genuinely fine. It was easier to deal with the fake and the feral—the ones who were only looking out for themselves. That was what she had been raised with and knew how to handle.

“Talk to me, Irelyn. Tell me where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing for almost two years.”

Describing her life to Kennedy was not only impossible, it could be dangerous for her and Nick to know anything. No way was she going to put this family at risk.

“A bit of traveling.”

“Traveling where?”

“Europe, mostly.”

She watched as the other woman rose and came to sit on the arm of her chair. She should have known that Kennedy wasn’t going to accept a trite, uninformative answer.

“Talk to me,” Kennedy said. “You know you can trust me. I care about you…and I care about Grey. The attempt on his life has got everyone jittery. Lacey will be getting out of the hospital soon, but it’ll be at least a month before she’s able to go back to work. We’re all on edge.”

“But Grey is taking extra care, right? He’s taking the threat seriously?”

“Of course he’s taking it seriously. Someone tried to kill him.”

She didn’t tell Kennedy that attempts on Grey’s life weren’t all that uncommon. Grey was more than capable of protecting himself and usually handled the situation without police intervention. This time, because of Lacey’s injury, that hadn’t been possible. The assassination attempt had made international news, and the authorities, no doubt, were investigating heavily. That didn’t mean, however, that Grey wasn’t working on his own. His intel would reach farther and wider than anyone else’s.

“I’m glad Lacey is on the road to recovery. I hope she’ll come back to work for the Grey Justice Group. She’s one of the best handlers we’ve…Grey has ever had.”

Kennedy didn’t mention the slip, but Irelyn cursed herself anyway. She was exhausted, and it was showing. She needed to do what she’d come here to do and get out. Her flight for England left in a couple of hours.

“Grey’s not been the same without you.”

Those words stopped her in her tracks, and another slash was added to a heart that had become much too vulnerable lately. In just a few moments of being in Kennedy’s presence, she was a mass of emotions once again.

No, this couldn’t happen. She stood. “I need to get going.”