A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(62)

“All because of evil. Do you think some people are more apt to be evil than others? That there’s something inherently wrong with them at birth?”

“I don’t know. I do think we all come to a point in our lives where we have to acknowledge what is right and what is wrong. And make a decision on which side of the fence we will stand.”

“I’ve stood on that fence for a while now, haven’t I?”

“No, Irelyn, you haven’t been on that fence in a very long time. You just haven’t allowed yourself to notice.” He took her hand lying on the table and squeezed it.

“I told Kennedy about my past…about my training. About your parents.”

“How did she take it?”

“Surprisingly well, considering.”

“She’s a compassionate person.”

“Yes, she is.”

“Any reason you shared that with her?”

“I don’t know. I think… No, I know I’m tired of the isolation.”

He lifted the hand he was still holding to his lips. “I’d say that’s progress. Wouldn’t you?”

Progress? Yes. Could she go further, though? Both Kennedy and Dr. Tobin had encouraged her to do so. Could she finally come clean with Grey once and for all?



Grey picked up his empty plate and Irelyn’s almost empty one. He was pleased she’d eaten as much as she had. Last night when he was holding her, he’d noted her weight-loss. She had felt distinctly fragile in his arms. Days of eating regular meals and sleeping late would hopefully take care of that worry.

A soft hand closed around his wrist and he looked down at the lovely woman before him. He could stare into those luminous gray eyes forever and never tire of them. He also saw what she had tried to hide with cosmetics, fatigue and a lingering sadness.

“Why don’t you go take a relaxing bubble-bath? I’ll take care of the kitchen cleanup.”

“Thank you. That does sound lovely. I’ll wait up for you.”

“No need. Go on to sleep. I still have a few things I need to attend to.”

“But I—”

He pressed his fingers against her mouth. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Very well.” She glanced around the kitchen as if somewhat lost and then gave him a careful smile. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

He nodded and watched her leave the room. As they’d eaten dinner, Grey had kept a watchful eye on her mannerisms. While Irelyn could hide a multitude of thoughts with a pleasant or bland expression, telltale signs of stress or exhaustion were often revealed in the way she moved or her hand gestures. Her session with Dr. Tobin had likely given her some relief and closure from last night’s events but he knew she was still suffering. He intended to do everything within his power to ensure she had a chance to recover. And that was why he hadn’t told her what was going on in his mind.

Today, when she’d been out, something had clicked in his head. He wanted some time to evaluate his thoughts. Bringing them up to her now would ensure only one thing. She would dive in with him. While he valued her opinion and would gladly accept her help, he would wait. There was no harm in doing a bit of investigating on his own. When he had more to go on, he would bring her in on his suspicions. Telling her now when he had nothing substantial would accomplish nothing.

Grey finished the quick cleanup, prepared their coffee for the next day, and then went into his private office. Shutting the door, he headed to his computer and the notes he’d made earlier. He still had no concrete reasons for his suspicions. For right now, they were mere wisps of ideas and thoughts.

Clicking into his private email account, he read answers to several emails he’d sent earlier. The more he read, the stronger his suspicions grew.

As the ideas coalesced and settled in his mind, Grey sat back in his chair and began to dig even deeper into the twisted and evil world of Sebastian Dark.





Chapter Twenty-Five





Irelyn zipped the small duffel bag and set it on top of the larger one standing at the bedroom door. It was only seven in the morning, but she was packed and ready to go. She’d woken just past dawn with an odd, almost panicky feeling in the pit of her stomach. She rarely had this feeling of impending disaster, so when she did, she took heed. Problem was, they weren’t scheduled to leave until early afternoon. Grey had a couple of meetings he wanted to conduct in person. She knew if she told him she wanted to leave now, he would likely accommodate her, but she refused to give in to this silly premonition. The meetings were being held in his office here. He wasn’t leaving the apartment, and no one could gain entry unless on the approved-visitors list.

She told herself the worry came from exhaustion. She was still battered and bruised. Plus, so much had happened over a short period of time, it only made sense that she felt physically drained. She hadn’t slept well last night, had tossed and turned as nightmares dragged her through hell. She’d woken dry-eyed, with a throbbing headache. A hot shower and a bracing cup of coffee had helped, but she still felt washed out and ragged.

She also felt something she hadn’t in a long time. Insecure and undesirable. Grey had turned her down last night. That had never happened. Even at their lowest, most-distant moments, they had always been able to connect physically.