“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” she agrees.
The ride to Aqua Est Vita seems three times as long as it was yesterday. Probably because I’m terrified that something has happened to Penny, or is happening right now, and I’m not there to stop it.
I pull up to the restaurant, not even bothering to park in a space but just leaving my car double-parked in the street. I toss my keys to the valet, unconcerned about if he’ll actually move it or not. It can get towed for all I care.
Inside, I bypass the hostess stand, marching straight for the back with Dominic hot on my heels. “Penny?” I shout, disturbing the restaurant full of people loitering over their brunches.
“Griffin?” I hear her a split second before she comes into view, and even the smallest hint of her voice tamps down my fear a few notches. But seeing her sitting across from the most dangerous man in the city isn’t the least bit reassuring despite the fact that she looks perfectly whole and more than a bit confused at my sudden and loud appearance.
“Mr. Mahoney, lower your voice,” Conniver orders sharply, coming to his feet. “This restaurant is not the place for that sort of behavior.”
Is he for fucking real?
“You said you’d leave her alone,” I accuse, pointing a finger into his chest and not giving a shit about the security guard rapidly moving my way. Conniver doesn’t flinch and instead holds up a hand, stopping his guard.
“Griffin,” Penny hisses, her tone gone severe as she glances around at all the attention my entry has garnered.
“I believe my words were that she would come to no harm, and I think you’ll find that to be the case. Correct, Miss Lee?”
He looks expectantly at Penny, and when she turns confused eyes from him to me and back again, what she finally says is, “You talked to Griffin? About what?”
His lips twitch as though he’s fighting a smile. “I may have misled you to some degree. While we do apparently have Johnny K in common, we have another mutual acquaintance. Mr. Mahoney.” He gestures toward me like he’s Vanna White and I’m a letter he needs to spin around. “He came to see me last night to inform me that two of my men had been misbehaving in an attempt to correct their unfortunate mistake. He was quite persuasive in his request that I leave you alone.” Conniver arches a brow, giving me a tiny smirk. “To point, I had nothing to do with any of that and was wholly unaware until the issue was brought to my attention.”
I didn’t persuade him in the slightest. I begged, I demanded, I would’ve gladly laid down my life if it meant keeping her safe, and both Conniver and I know that. Penny hears something else entirely.
“You came to see him without me? And without telling me? Damn it, Griffin, you can’t keep hiding stuff from me and keeping secrets. What else is there? What else haven’t you told me?” Penny demands.
Is she fucking serious?
I’ve laid my heart bare for her, all the ugly, traumatic broken shards I have left. And she’s throwing it back in my face that I didn’t tell her sooner. As though there’s some acceptable timetable of when to reveal your darkest shame or deepest feelings, and I’ve totally fucked it up.
“Nothing,” I spit out. “I’ve told you everything, more than anybody else knows. Even Dominic. And I would’ve told you about this when I saw you today, except when I got to your place,you weren’t there. So, hi,” I say, waving a hand like we’re buddies who haven’t seen each other in a long time, not people in a really bumpy start of a new relationship, “last night after I left your place, I came to see Conniver, and told him what’s been going on. He was surprisingly understanding, and said you’d be okay and he would handle getting the ring back. Now it’s your turn. What are you doing here? With him?”
I’m not jealous. I’m scared of Conniver and don’t want him this close to Penny, especially when he’s watching our back-and-forth like it’s a daytime soap opera playing out in front of him. To be fair, he’s not the only one. The rest of the restaurant is doing the same thing because we’re making quite a scene.
She blinks, still processing what I’ve said, and is probably about to fillet me wide open for daring to speak to her in such a harsh manner. I can’t say it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done when I want her to give me a chance, but there was no right answer here. If I’d texted her last night, I would’ve been smothering her when she asked for space. Same thing if I’d shown up on her doorstep this morning. And now? I’ve blown everything by apparentlynottelling her? There’s no right, only wrongs.
Maybe that’s all I’m capable of, all I’ll ever do. No matter how well intentioned I am, I just fuck up.
“Redesigning the ring for Mr. Conniver?” Penny says, her voice unsure. Of me? Of him? Of herself? I’m not sure.
“Johnny K come through with the ring?” I ask Conniver, and he nods. I almost ask if the unluckiest thief in the world is still alive but quickly decide I don’t want to know the answer to that question. Not that Conniver would tell me anyway. I’m sure he’s well versed in speaking precisely to stay out of legal trouble.
Turning back to Penny, I clarify, “And you’re going to redesign it the way you wanted to do in the beginning of this whole thing?” She gives a tiny shrug. “Great. Everything’s golden, then. Guess my work here is done.”
Chapter 26
Penny
I watch Griffin spin away. See Dominic give him a sad puppy-dog look. In a second, all I can do is study Griffin’s broad, muscled back as he simply leaves.
What just happened?
“Sis, I told him that I hoped he hadn’t screwed things up too badly with you, but now, I think you’re the one screwing up. That assholelovesyou,” Dom says as soon as the door closes. “He was damn near reciting sonnets about you, waxing poetic about how cute your babies would be and looking forward to matching rocking chairs when you’re old and gray. And after he cracked open his cold, dead heart, you just told him it wasn’t good enough. That he wasn’t good enough.” He pins me with a glare of barely restrained anger. “And I think you know how many times he’s heard that.”
My mind spins, the world turning upside down. Is Dominic on Griffin’s side? I thought he was mad at Griffin? It seems like the tables have not only turned but entirely flipped, and my brother is protecting Griffin from me rather than the other way around now.
“He can’t keep secrets from me, hiding things like I can’t handle it,” I argue.
