Page 44 of Ever After
I grab my hair and hold on to it. It took me a long time to grow my hair out, and I really don’t want to have to cut it. “Can we settle on dying it a different color?” I give him my best puppy dog eyes, holding out hope. I know it’s silly, it’s just hair, but I don’t want it all chopped off.
He gives me a sad smile. “Tell you what, we can dye it, and if it makes a big enough difference, we can leave it alone. Fair?”
I nod. “Yes, thank you.”
Grayson moves around the kitchen, gathering food for the two of us. The way his jeans and his shirt cling to him is making me hot with need. It’s been a few hours since we had fun this morning, and my body is responding to him as if he’s a piece of meat. I cross and uncross my legs, trying to find some relief.
He turns and watches me, tilting his head to the side. “What’s wrong, Finley?”
“I um… I…” I can’t get the words out. I feel too exposed out here. In the bedroom, it was just the two of us, no one around to see or hear anything. Sitting here in the kitchen, I risk Winston hearing or seeing us.
“I need to follow you to the bedroom, don’t I?”
I nod my head slowly. “Please.”
“I don’t want you doing anything you don’t want to do. You aren’t being forced to do any of this anymore. He doesn’t have that control over you.”
“I know,” I whisper, “but my body craves it. It’s like a drug, and I need a fix.”
“I at least want it to be enjoyable for you. Are you sure you want this? Sure you want it with me?”
“Grayson, ever since you started questioning me three weeks ago, I’ve wanted it to be you. You’re how I got through my two weeks there with Ma—Chris,” I correct myself. “If you’re not comfortable, I can go by myself, but the urge is usually sedated if I have someone else there.”
“Did anyone but Chris ever touch you?”
I nod my head. “Yes. There were two men before you the other night. Other than that, he just threatened to send Marco in to hurt me, but he never did. It was always just him.”
“I’m so sorry.” He pauses, and his demeanor changes. “Do you know why he chose you? Or were you just an unlucky victim?”
“He told me when he first took me that Nick saved me from being taken years before. Chris wanted me, but Nick got wind of it and put me on his payroll. It was his way of protecting me. He told me, when Nick was killed, I was the first intended victim.”
“Other than that, you don’t know why it was you? Does he know who killed Nick?”
“No to both. He said he wished he had killed the old man. I wish I had more information to tell you. Is it possible it was a client that was unhappy, or a competitor that wanted him gone?”
“I don’t know. Shaw’s working on the case, but last I heard, there are no leads.”
I stand and walk toward the stairs, holding my hand out for him. “Are you coming?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Grayson
I lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Finley is sleeping on her stomach next to me, the sheet barely covering her lower half. My phone chimes with a new message. I pick it up, being careful not to disturb her.
Winston:Get her hair color changed to red, and get her to Ian as soon as you can. I have you both booked on the first flight out. 6am tomorrow.
I knew Winston would come through for me. We have to stop at the store to buy a box of dye and also some clothes. I’ve been putting the plan of action into place since I decided we were going. Winston will drive her to the airport in a separate vehicle. I’ll make sure she stays with me through security and to the gate. I won’t let her out of my sight.
There’s no reason why this won’t work. She won’t have the same name, and with her new hair color, she won’t look like her.
I look at the text again.Red.Finley Grier is going to be one damn sexy redhead.
Me:Red is a good color. What is her new name going to be?
She stirs, and I put my phone down. I rub small circles on her back as she turns to face me.
“Hey,” she says, her voice still groggy with sleep.