A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(41)

“I’m fine. There’s nothing that won’t mend.”

“Would you like something to drink or eat?”

Under ordinary circumstances, her answer would have been yes. She was both thirsty and hungry. However, her concern for Grey overrode those needs. She had to talk to him...he had to know.

“If Grey’s not at his offices, where is he?”

“He’ll be home soon. No worries.”

Her eyes narrowed. Kennedy was the most open and honest person Irelyn knew, and it was clear she was worried.

“What’s going on, Kennedy? Is Nick okay?”

“Yes, of course. Or at least…” She shook her head. “I mean, yes, he’s fine.”

“What’s happened?” Before Kennedy could deny that anything had happened, Irelyn quickly said, “It’s important that I know. I didn’t get to tell Grey why I came here. There are things he needs to know as soon as possible.”

“Very well. He didn’t want you to worry, so he asked me not to tell you, but you deserve to know. He wanted to be here when you woke, but he couldn’t. He’s set up a sting to catch the assassin who’s been trying to kill him.”

Ugly dread washed over her. “What kind of sting?”

“He bought an old theater. The old Dennison Theater on Fifth. It was going to be torn down, and Grey had it renovated. It’s really quite lovely. It was built in the late 1800s and has been closed for about—” Apparently recognizing she’d gotten off track, she gave a small self-conscious smile. “Anyway, he thought this would be a good way to control the situation.”

“How?”

“He invited only thirty or so people. Most of them work for the Grey Justice Group. All of them are trained. The plan is to capture this person. They’ll question him to find out who’s behind the contract on Grey.”

It would not be that simple. It was never that simple.

Thankful she had been trained by the best to hide her thoughts, she nodded calmly. “That does sound like it would work.”

“I’m just worried for Nick, but that’s nothing new.”

“He’ll be fine. I’m sure. He’s a skilled operative.” She rubbed her stomach slightly. “You know, come to think of it, I am a little hungry. Is that offer of food still on?”

“You bet. Grey thought you might be a bit nauseated after the sedative he gave you. How about some chicken broth and crackers to start you off? See how that settles.”

“Sounds delicious. Thank you.” There was no need to explain that she was a vegetarian. She wouldn’t be eating the soup.

Kennedy headed to the door, but stopped to look back at her. “I’m really glad you’re back, Irelyn. Grey’s not been the same since you’ve been gone.”

With all the things on her mind, all the things that could go wrong, Irelyn gave what she hoped was some semblance of a smile. The instant Kennedy walked out, closing the door behind her, Irelyn threw the covers back and twisted around to get out of bed. She clenched her teeth against the pain, which only served to remind her of the bruise on her jaw. There was not one inch on her body that didn’t ache. She could not let that stop her.

Broth would not take long to heat. She had to move fast. Irelyn strode quickly to her closet and threw on the first thing she found. Black jeans, turtleneck sweater, and trainers were not her usual style—she wasn’t even sure why she had them. Today, she was grateful she did. Hiding the bruises on her arm, legs, and neck would keep curious eyes away and wouldn’t attract unwanted attention.

Opening the small safe in the back of the closet, she took out a gun, one of her favorite knives, and a burner phone. She crept past the kitchen, noting the quiet sounds of Kennedy preparing a meal for her. She winced with regret. Treating one of her few friends so poorly did not sit well with her, but she had no choice.

Seconds later, she was in the elevator, headed to the first-floor lobby. The instant she was on the sidewalk, she breathed a little easier. Even though it was pouring rain and the theater was several blocks away, she would still make better time on foot. Grabbing a cab at this time of night in this weather would be next to impossible.

She took a breath and started running. To the untrained eye, she was just another avid runner who intended to get her mileage in, lousy weather or not. No one could know that she had a life-and-death agenda ahead of her. Her number one priority was to keep Grey safe. But one additional item was on her agenda as well. His would-be assassin had to stay alive, too.





Chapter Seventeen





She couldn’t believe Grey had actually bought the theater. It was even more beautiful than she had dreamed. When they had talked about buying the place, it had been her idea, not his. He had wanted to purchase an old Victorian mansion a half-dozen blocks away and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford both, but that wasn’t the point. For the last few years, before things went topsy-turvy on them, they had worked on a project each year together. One year, it had been a small park and playground. Another year, they’d purchased a run-down diner and turned it into an old-fashioned ice cream shop. It had been a hobby of sorts, and she had enjoyed every moment.

Grey had been surprisingly and vehemently against buying the old theater, pointing out structural issues, along with a possible mold problem. She had wanted it because of its romanticism and history, but had finally seen the wisdom in not throwing money into a losing venture. They had been on the verge of purchasing the Victorian mansion when things went sour.