Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(10)

“I’m sorry I missed the wedding.”

The line went silent a moment before Camden said, “It’s all right, Gray. You’ve got a lot going on.”

Grayson stared out at the road in front of him. He did have a lot going on, but that wasn’t a good enough excuse to have missed his best friend’s wedding. Yet another person I’ve let down.

“We’ve got a video,” Camden said. “At some point, I’m going to make you sit through it.”

Grayson chuckled. “Name the date. I’d love to see it. How are you two liking Bonnersville?”

“Moving to Virginia was the smart decision, really. Living in a small town has its charms, but it’s a big change from DC. Autumn likes it, though.” His tone turned serious. “It’s nowhere near any of the Wicked Disciples chapters or the other motorcycle clubs they were associated with, so I feel better about that. Running into any of Butch’s buddies . . .”

“Wouldn’t be a good thing,” Grayson finished for him. A chill passed through him at the memory of his last case with Camden before he resigned from the task force.

Silence filled the line until Camden asked, “How’s your mom?”

“Not so great.” Grayson explained what had happened with his mother over the past few days. “I went up to spend a day with her but she’s not doing well, so I spent another night. I’m on my way back to DC now.”

“Will she be okay by herself?”

“My aunt’s staying with her.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel, the thought of his mother no longer being self-sufficient making a lump rise in his throat.

“How’s the case going?” Camden asked.

Grayson shifted his thoughts to work. Although Camden had left the task force back in May, Grayson was still trying to adjust to his absence, not only as his teammate but also as his roommate since Camden had gotten married and moved from DC. He was a great sounding board, though, and since his security clearance was still in good standing, Grayson had the green light from Eli to read Camden in on his current cases.

“Remember Paxton?”

“The drug dealer that Butch Cobb was rumored to have murdered?”

“Yep. Turns out he was working with someone called the Iceman.” Grayson spent a moment relating the general facts of the drug-ring case and what little he and Aiden had learned so far.

“What’s your cover?” Camden asked.

“Single dad named Greg Paulson,” Grayson said. “Got out of jail not too long ago for dealing drugs. Broke and willing to do anything to make money. Did some time in the Army, and sold drugs there too. I’m supposed to have moved from California this past summer to be close to my toddler son.”

“A dad. That’s definitely a new role for you.”

“Yeah, well, we’re not getting any younger. The kid makes sense. I have to say, though, I never thought I’d be a dad before you.”

Camden let out a low chuckle. “Take good care of that kid now.” He paused for a moment before adding, “And take the time you need to spend with your mother. Eli will understand.”

The levity of the moment faded, as did Grayson’s smile. “I will.”

He ended the call and did his best to shrug off his guilty thoughts. They wouldn’t do him any good. Despite it being a Saturday, he had a meeting scheduled with Eli in less than an hour. That’s where his focus needed to be.





Chapter Eight





“You’re still working?”

Claire glanced up with a smile as Gabe walked into the suite. “I have to.”

She hit the Save button before setting aside her laptop. Since she arrived yesterday afternoon, she’d spent every free minute working on not only Chris’s case, but the rest of her law school coursework. Thankfully, she’d made a bit of headway.

Gabe frowned. “You seem stressed.”

“I am,” she said, gesturing toward her laptop. “This project is a big deal.”

“Well, you need to get unstressed.” He waved a dismissive hand. “The weather is fantastic, and we need to take advantage.”

Claire blinked up at him in amazement. Gabe owned a company that managed holdings that boggled the mind. How was it that he never seemed worried?

She, on the other hand . . . when wasn’t she worried about something?

“You skipped breakfast,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her from the sofa. “Let’s go get lunch.”

She and Gabe were soon seated inside the resort’s five-star restaurant at a table that overlooked a pond. Water shot up from a decorative feature in the center, its splashing providing a soothing backdrop. As they waited for their server, Gabe gave her a rundown of what was planned for that evening.

“The chef who runs this restaurant will be preparing the meal. I’m just hoping his food is as impressive as his reputation.”

“What time is everyone arriving?”

“The jet arrives at three.”

Claire blinked in surprise. “You chartered a jet?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

She took in a quick breath, taken aback by the sharpness of his tone. “It’s nothing. I’m just surprised you have that in the budget, that’s all.”