A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(64)

She tried to smile but was suddenly too tired to even try. “I guess we both need to work on the trust issue, don’t we?”

“We’ve been battling it for a long while. I never let you forget where we started.”

“It’s not forgettable.”

“No, it’s not. But we move forward, or we don’t move at all.”

She straightened her shoulders, ready to focus on the here and now once more. “You think Morrissey’s death has anything to do with you?”

“I doubt it. The man had almost as many enemies as I have.”

She wished she could smile about that, as he intended. She couldn’t. That just reminded her that someone hated him enough to pay a lot of money to have him killed.

“We’re still going away?”

“Without a doubt. Why don’t you call Lily and have her schedule our flight as soon as possible? I’ll deal with Gallagher, and then we’ll be on our way.”



Colorado Mountains





The house was lovelier than she remembered. She and Grey had purchased it several years ago, but had stayed in it only a handful of times. Built with a combination of rock, brick, and log, the small mansion stood like a massive boulder on a small hillside. Surrounded by giant trees and distant mountains topped with snow, it was Christmas-card perfect.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it is here.”

As they carried their bags inside, Grey briefly described the damage that Luis Mendoza’s men had done, all in an effort to find the man’s granddaughter. Not because he loved her, but because of his own selfish desires.

It no longer surprised her what people could do to one another. When she was younger, she had thought she was the rare breed and that other people had sane families and happy lives. As she got older, she realized that there were more sadists and evil people in the world than one could ever guess.

She glanced over at Grey. He fought against that evil every day. Most of the world knew him as a successful businessman and philanthropist, but only a few knew that he actively sought justice for those who’d been denied. Even fewer knew how lethal he was. To anyone who crossed him or hurt those he cared about, he was a dangerous opponent. And to Irelyn, who had met him at her most vulnerable, he was the center of her universe. Grey was as constant as the ocean and as steady as the mountains surrounding them. He had seen her at her very worst.

Their relationship had changed over the years. Maturity and wisdom had created a different dynamic. Their recent division was the closest they’d been to losing each other. She’d had her reasons for that separation, but it was clear Grey did not agree. A discussion was coming. An open, throw-it-all-out-there kind of talk. They hadn’t had one in a long while. She didn’t look forward to this one, but it had to be done. Things needed to be said, grievances had to be aired. Secrets, lies, and half-truths were a part of a past she’d worked hard to escape. They might not survive the outing, but allowing anger to fester would only be worse. She owed Grey the truth, no matter how ugly and painful.

On the plane, they had sat together in silence, a lovely, quiet peace between them. Nothing was settled. She likened the mood to a dormant volcano—seemingly tranquil, but beneath it all were volatile emotions that could spew forth like molten lava, decimating everything in their path.



“Everything okay?” Grey asked. She’d been standing in the foyer for several moments, her expression distant, her thoughts obviously a million miles away. He wanted her back with him, totally focused on the here and now.

“Yes. Fine.” She threw him a cool smile. “Just a bit weary, I guess.”

Irelyn Raine had endless energy. Her stamina and endurance could put any champion athlete to shame. He knew she was still exhausted and hurting from the last few days, but he recognized the words for what they were. An evasion.

“The meaningless responses stop now, Irelyn. We’ve known each other too long to treat each other like polite strangers.”

The distant expression disappeared and the look she gave him now could melt a furnace. That made him smile. This was the Irelyn he wanted to see. Fuming temper and all.

“Fine,” she snapped. “I thought we’d give ourselves a few moments of peace before the fireworks begin.”

“I’ve had enough of peace these last couple of years. We’ve been acting as if we don’t want to offend one another. That shit stops. You’ve got things to say, and baby, I do, too.”

“I’ll go put on my boxing gloves and meet you in the gym. Is that what you want?”

“No, it’s not. Stop turning everything into a battle. I just want the words from you, Irelyn. To know where you are in your head. What’s going on in that beautiful, intelligent brain?”

“You’re right. I’m looking for a fight.”

“I’ll oblige you in that, too, later on. For right now, I need words.”

“Meet you in the den in fifteen?”

He felt a loosening in his muscles. “Deal.”

She walked toward the stairway, her small bag in one hand. He waited until she was halfway up the stairs before he called out, “Oh, and Irelyn. Your bags go in the master bedroom, not the guest room. Understand?”

She looked over her shoulder, an unusual uncertainty on her face. “Where are your bags going?”