Page 96 of Paths
“Are you thinking about buying this place?”
Chapter 25 – You Saved Me
Grady –
“Well, are you?” she asks again.
I narrow my eyes, studying her but don’t answer. Instead, I ask, “What do you think?”
She frowns slightly. “Of this empty house or you acting weird?”
I shake my head. “Maya.”
She mirrors my stance and crosses her arms, but smirks in the process. “Because I think it’s weird that you’re acting so weird.”
I drop my head and study the floor in front of me. How do I even begin?
When she gets tired of waiting, her voice sounds frustrated. “Grady?”
I exhale and pull my hand through my hair as I look to her. She’s dropped her arms, impatient for an explanation.
“I was in the Army for four years,” I state.
She looks perplexed. “I know. You told me.”
“I was a Ranger assigned to Special Warfare.”
She tips her head and frowns. “Um, okay.”
I started, I can’t stop now. “Right before I left the Army, I was recruited to Delta Force.”
Really confused, she sounds like she’s playing along when she responds. “I assume that’s an honor?”
I raise my brows and make an understatement. “Yeah. Delta Force is not for the weak.”
“Grady.” She sighs. “You brought me across the street to an empty house for a reason I still don’t know, and now you’re speaking in riddles. There are moments when I feel I know you well, but right now I have no idea what you’re getting at.”
I decide to just say it. To get to where I want us to be, she needs to know. “My recruitment to Delta Force was a big deal. I caught the attention of a secret group and was recruited to contract overseas for our country and allies. For the past ten years, I was paid to eliminate threats. And I did. I eliminated a lot of them.”
“Right,” she agrees, impatiently. “You told me you worked in security.”
I relax my features and try to gauge her reaction. “I guess a certain security was obtained as a result of my work. But no, security is a cover for what I really did.”
I try not to let it affect me, but a hint of hurt bleeds through her features. “I don’t understand.”
“Terrorism, cartels, organized crime. You name it, if a country or organization couldn’t manage it, someone like myself was hired to take care of it.”
She crosses her arms protectively and takes a step back. “Take care of it?”
“Yes,” I confirm. “To eliminate the threat. A threat they couldn’t handle on their own.”
Her face falls and she whispers, “Wait. You mean if it couldn’t be dealt with legally?”
I put a hand up to stop her thoughts. “More like they couldn’t handle it legally in a timely manner. Sometimes the threat outweighs the time it takes because the system is slow. Especially if the system is corrupt.”
“What are you saying?” Her face is etched with uncertainty and I fucking hate it. She didn’t look this way when she found out I beat my dad so bad I put him in intensive care and he never woke up. Not when I threatened to kill the guy on the tarmac if he didn’t let her go. Not even when I slid that ring on her finger.
I don’t answer, but try to explain. “You know how I grew up—what my sisters and I dealt with for years. The day I walked in and saw my drunk-ass and high-as-a-kite father wailing on Gracie, I’d had it. She was so little, not even crying because she couldn’t. She was half out of it from his blows, curled into herself, barely whimpering. I fucking lost it, Maya. By that time, I was big and ten times stronger because of football. When the police showed up, I was covered in his blood. I swear to you, it’s the only time in my life I’ve lost time. One second I walked into the house to find my baby sister cut, bruised, and bleeding, and the next, I’m sitting on the floor by my lifeless father.”
