“And not by accident. They tried to feed her to him first,” Evan snarls. I cover my mouth with my hand to keep in yet another gasp.
“How the fuck do you know that?” Griffin’s eyes are narrowed on Evan with suspicion.
“How the hell do you think I know? You told me.”
“I’ve never told anyone that!” Griffin’s entire body is rigid with tension.
“You did, you were half dead, but you did. I knew you didn’t remember.” Evan shakes his head slowly.
“I…” Griffin starts, but then he pauses to lick his lips. “Siberia?”
Evan nods, not looking in our direction. “You didn’t really tell me. It was mostly an utterance I overheard while I was trying to keep you alive.” No one speaks for a long time after that. We’re all too busy in our own heads.
I want to know how Griffin escaped, and what happened to his father and Eva, but I don’t want to push him. The stuff he just divulged is more than enough. I have a lifetime to get to know more about him.
The thought takes me off guard. Not only the fact that I’ll have all that time with him, and possibly more, but the fact that I want that. I want to spend every minute getting to know him and Evan better. I already can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t come to Havenfall and met both of them.
I’m astonished when I think about everything that had to fall into place for us to come together here and now in this moment. What would have happened if I’d never met Professor Mackey—or Mr. Mackey, as I knew him—way back then? Could everything have been different if not for that one moment in time?
I make a mental note to write him a thank you card, not just for helping me land the job at Havenfall Harbor, but for showing me the world through different colored lenses than my family offered.
“I still need to sort the phone situation,” Evan eventually says, pushing up from the couch.
“Are we coming?” I glance between the two men.
Griffin stands up surprisingly fast, as if he’s eager to escape the conversation we just had and the weight it left lingering in the room.
“Should I wait here or…?”
“I’d feel better if you were with us,” Griffin replies, extending his hand to me. I immediately take it and let him pull me to my feet. There’s a small shift at the corners of his eyes when I do. His face relaxes just the tiniest bit, but it’s enough to know he was worried about my response. It’s clear Griffin takes the blame for much more than is his due. It may even explain why he’s so closed off with people. Trust doesn’t seem to be something Griffin Stone hands out freely. I know Evan has it, I think I may even have a little myself, but I want to earn more.
I keep Griffin’s hand in mine and reach for Evan’s once we make it to his side. We would probably look strange to anyone who could see us walking to the door holding hands, but it settles something inside me. I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be, with exactly whom I should be.
Chapter 17
Quinn
Griffin checks to make sure the door is locked once we exit. I know it’s something he does for my benefit, and it makes me feel special, cared for. No matter how often Griffin sticks his foot in his mouth, which hasn’t been as often lately, he still has a way of making me feel cherished. Part of it is in the way he looks at me, as if there’s no one else in the room and he doesn’t care if there is.
“What’s the smile for?” Evan asks softly while bumping his arm into mine.
“I don’t know, just happy to be here, I guess. That sounds weird.” I purse my lips.
“No, it doesn’t. We’re happy you’re here too,” Evan tells me simply. His brown eyes linger on mine, and I feel like there’s so much lurking behind the warm depth of his gaze. I bet he has stories that would make me want to curse someone too.
Someday, he’ll open up to me. It’s not a question of it happening, just when. And as I’ve already concluded, we have lots of time for that. Right now, we need to deal with what’s going on at Havenfall.
“Hey, Randi,” Evan greets when we make it down to the lower level. I’ve seen way too much of this place lately. The stone walls are cold and bare, but nothing about it looks like a prison. It’s too clean, too sterile for that.
“Hey, boss,” Randi replies with a small smile on her face. It only takes me a moment to place her. She was one of the people who was working the desk when Evan took me to see Jacob and Riley.
“Any issues?” Evan leans his arms on the desk.
“Nuttin’ going on here.”
“Good. I’m going to talk to a few of them. Shouldn’t take too long.” I want to tell Evan he probably just jinxed us, but I don’t.
Evan makes his way over to one of the doors after Randi pulls the keys off a loop on her belt and hands them over to him. He knocks twice and unlocks the door. Caleb sits up quickly, rubbing his eyes as if he was just sleeping.
