Page 104 of Paths
The agents move to Weston, and since he’s still reeling from Betty’s brave shot to his groin and hit to the head, he complies easily.
The second I see it’s safe, I run to Foxy and stoop low to look into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He crooks his head this way and that way, stretching from where Weston was holding him. I reach for his neck to rub it for him, hoping he just needs to loosen his muscles. The scene alone was frightening enough, let alone for someone at the ripe age of eighty-eight.
“I’m fine,” Foxy tries to brush it off, but it’s easy to see the relief in his face. It cuts through me he had to endure that because of me.
I put my arms around him, and he follows suit. “I’m so sorry. Are you sure you’re okay? I can get a doctor to take a look at you.”
However, I know he’s fine because he pulls me into him tighter and starts to rub my back almost to my ass with one hand, and fingers my hair with the other.
That’s when I hear Grady growl, “Are you kidding me?”
With all that’s happened, I have to laugh.
When I finally disentangle myself from Foxy’s old-man grope, I look over to see Weston being cuffed by Trevor, and it seems Weston is just as confused as I am.
“You’re a pig?” Weston yells. “You fucker, I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”
Trevor looks bored. “Probably, because now I’m an eyewitness to you murdering Byron Murray. Don’t think you’ll be able to plea manslaughter for that one. I also just got word you’ve got soldiers flipping for lesser charges. We’ve got agents on the way to locate two additional bodies and it’s not even noon. Looks like your time’s up, MacLachlan.” Trevor looks to a fellow agent and says, “Mirandize him.” We all watch Weston being led out of the activities room before Trevor turns back and offers his hand to Grady. “Eli Pettit.”
Grady puts his left arm around me and shakes the hand of the man we knew as Trevor-the-bad-guy. But as it turns out, he isn’t. Grady mutters, “Things aren’t as they seem. Nice work.”
Eli Pettit turns his attention to me. “Sorry about your fall, Ms. Augustine. I did everything I could to keep Murray from touching you—it wasn’t easy. Sorry I didn’t do a better job at keeping you safe.”
After all that’s happened, I melt into Grady’s side, not quite sure what to say, so I wave him off. “It’s, um … it’s okay. I’m fine, really.”
I feel Grady exhale. “Glad I didn’t shoot you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t either, but trust me, that wasn’t the first time I about got my head blown off working this case. I’m glad this shit’s over.”
Grady wraps his other arm around me and puts his lips to the top of my head. “So am I.”
Pressing into Grady, I watch Eli Pettit turn and follow the other agents and Weston as they file out of the activities room of Rolling Hills Ranch. “I can’t believe it’s over.”
“Took long enough,” Grady mutters before he sighs again. I feel his hand on my cheek that’s not scraped. “You okay?”
My face softens into a small smile and I lift up on my toes to kiss him. “Yeah. I think I’ll be okay until forever.”
“Forever is good with me.” He gives me a squeeze before he kisses me back, and we hear clapping around us from my favorite group of senior citizens.
Chapter 27 – Orgasm Purgatory
Maya –
The last week has been surreal. But it’s been surreal because it’s been normal.
I haven’t had normal in a long time.
When I get right down to it, I’m not sure I’ve ever had normal. I know I didn’t grow up normal, and running away from the mob and my ex-fiancé was anything but. And being engaged so quickly to a man I creeped on is definitely not normal.
No one is after me because they’re all in jail. Grady spoke to our new undercover FBI friend a couple of times since last week. Eli assured us they have enough charges on the MacLachlans and the rest of the higher ups, they’ll all remain in jail while awaiting trial. He also added they have enough charges stacked up against them that I should be safe roaming the countryside until I’m at least eighty.
I’m free to come and go, work, and even socialize without having to look over my shoulder. It’s seriously been a strange sensation.
It took a whole week, but Grady finally convinced me to give notice at Whitetail. I knew in my heart I’d have to give up that job eventually, but actually telling Addy I would only be able to work for two more weeks was hard. I know they’ll be shorthanded until she can hire someone else but, as always, Addy was gracious and didn’t make me feel bad.
She grabbed my hands and smiled big. “I wondered what was taking you so long. You have a houseful of furniture being delivered later today and you’re getting married—you have no business working seven days a week anymore. I’m happy for you, and I’m super happy we’ll still be neighbors. You’ll be here drinking wine all the time anyway, I won’t even know you’re gone.”
