Give Me Grace (42 page)

“
Two days!
” Travis exploded when we were back at the car. Casey opened the car door and I slid onto the backseat, knowing exactly how Travis felt. We were so close to getting answers I could taste it.

Checking my phone quickly after leaving it in the car, I saw two missed calls from John that set
my stomach churning. I knew why he was ringing. It was time to go home to Melbourne and face the music.

I wasn’t ready.

God, just two more days
, I pleaded silently.
Let me be here for Casey just a little bit longer.

Unaware of my sudden, inner turmoil, Casey huffed with frustration as he slammed the car door behind me. Hopping into the front passenger seat of Travis’s car, he slammed his own door for good measure. “What did you want me to do, beat it out of her?”

“A valid option,” I pointed out as I buckled my seat belt, forcing the missed calls from my mind.

Casey turned in his seat as Travis pulled onto the street, accelerating quickly. He raised his brows at me. “Since when did you get so bloodthirsty?”

“Since I met you,” I retorted.

“Jesus,” he muttered, turning back around. To the both of us, he said, “We’ve backed Morgan into a corner. Let her cool off and we’ll get it out of her, okay? I’ve waited this long. Two more days is not going to hurt.”

Of course it would hurt. I was already hurting for him so I couldn’t even imagine how bad it was for him.

It was going on dusk when we hit traffic on the return trip to the loft. Travis must’ve had his
phone hooked up by Bluetooth to his car because the sound of it ringing came blasting through the speakers.

“Yeah?” he answered as he pulled up at a set of red lights.

“Where are you, asshead?” Mac barked and the sound was amplified by a thousand, her voice booming at us in surround sound.

“Fuck,” Casey muttered.

“Working,” Travis replied.

There was a pause where Mac
appeared to be waiting for her brother to elaborate. He didn’t. The light turned green and he accelerated, his car growling powerfully as we shot off the line like it was a drag race. The car beside us rallied valiantly but faded fast and we left everyone behind. It was impressive and even though I was still shaky getting behind the wheel of a car, it didn’t lessen the urge to take this one for a test drive. Somehow I knew Travis wouldn’t be cool with that. Wreck one car,
one
, and it ruined you for life.

“Working where?” she eventually asked.

“Working at none of your damn business. What do you want?”

“Don’t be such a wanker, Travis,” her voice boomed
, and I felt like ducking for cover. “You’ve been acting like a little bitch ever since I stole that report.”

Travis white-knuckled the steering wheel. “Your little escapade could possibly get you arrested. Did you know Morgan has video surveillance of you ransacking her room?”

There was a pause. “No shit?” Then a bit more cautiously, “How do you know that?”

“How the fuck do you think I know that?” Travis growled.

“That bitch!” she fumed, and I nodded my agreement even though Mac couldn’t see it. “You’re not going to tell Dad, are you?”

She sounded worried
so I figured Steve would probably lock her in prison himself if he heard about what she did. It wasn’t easy being a girl and being badass. People tended not to like it. Not that Mac cared about whether anyone liked it or not. She was a law unto herself. “I will if you don’t stop going all
Dirty Harry
on everyone. It’s got to stop.”

“Yes, of course,” she replied quickly.

Travis slammed a fist on the steering wheel, obviously not believing a word of it. “I mean it.”

“So what happened?” she asked, deflecting. “Did you go pay her a little visit? Did she hand over the video?”

“Yes, and no. It was on a USB, but Morgan isn’t stupid. She’d have more than one copy floating around. Grace took it before she delivered Morgan her own little message.” Travis glanced at me in the rearview mirror and I caught a flash of amusement.

“She did?”

“I did,” I called out from the backseat.

“Yes!” Mac hissed gleefully and the sound echoed throug
h the car. “Did you make her bleed, Grace? Why wasn’t I invited to the smackdown?”

“For the exact same reason you
just called it a smackdown. This is not the WWE,” Casey replied, weighing into the conversation. “As if it isn’t hard enough doing our jobs without worrying about you girls in lockup for breaking and entering, and assault and battery.”

“She threatened to arrest Grace too? Bitch!” she growled again. The reminder of Morgan’s threat made me hot with anger all over again
, so I pressed the button for the window. It came down quickly, emitting subzero air into the car. I quickly put it back up before icicles formed on my eyelashes. “Did you throw Dad’s name about like confetti?”

“Casey did,” Travis confirmed.

“Good. Let her know we have people in high places. Make her sweat. I think we should—”

“Mac! Dammit. There
is no
we.
You’re not involving yourself in this any further. Are we clear?”

“Christ,
Trav!” she yelled and my ears smarted. “Let it go! Yes, I broke in, and yes, I stole the report. And you know what? I’d do it again and if I got arrested, then so be it. I happen to think it was worth doing jail time for. I’d even—”

“Mac,” Casey interrupted, but she was on a roll.

“—get a cool prison nickname like Lil’ Em Vicious, and—”

“Mac!”

She paused.

“Thank you,” he told her.

Another pause, then, “Anything for a guy as hot as you, Casey. Sorry, Grace,” she threw my way. “It’s just a fact.”

Casey laughed but Travis looked ready to pop a vein.

“You’re forgiven,” I told her. “I would’ve been right there with you if I hadn’t been strapped to a hospital bed.”

“Great. Then we’d have both of you working the chain gang,” Travis muttered dryly. “We need to keep you two separated.”

“Speaking of separation, it’s Mum and Dad’s thirtieth anniversary tonight.”

“Nice segue, Mac.” Travis told her, shifting
across two lanes and into the right turning lane that led us onto Casey’s street. I had to hold on at the quick, zippy manoeuvre.

“I thought so.
So back to my original question. Where are you, asshead? Everyone’s arrived at the back function room of the Florence Bar for the surprise party and the three of you are still a no show. Mum and Dad will be here soon.”

“Shit,” he muttered.

“You forgot!” Mac accused in high-pitched surround sound and I flinched. “How could you do that? Your wife organised the whole thing! Did you even give Casey and Grace the invitation?”

Travis widened his eyes at me in the rearview mirror, a silent plea to
lie.

I cleared my throat, relieved to see the loft up ahead. I’d long mastered the art of rapid dressing. A quick shower to wash off the evil that was Morgan and I could do my makeup in the car. “We’re on our way, Mac,” I told her.

“Sure you are,” she grouched, not believing a word of it.

“With everything going on, I’m not sure taking Grace out right now is a good idea,” Casey interjected.

“Rubbish,” Mac told him. “You
have
to be there, Casey. Mum and Dad are like your surrogate parents. Besides, the entire Badass Brigade will be at the party, not including the bar’s own security. What could go wrong?”

Casey groaned, rubbing a hand across a face that was weary. I wasn’t sure Mac should have added the
“what could go wrong” part to the end of her speech. Throwing something like that out there always preceded something bad happening.

“Fine,” he told her after
a long hesitation. “But we won’t stay long.”

“Good
. Maybe I should duck back quickly and grab Polly,” I heard her mutter.

“No!” Travis shouted as he pulled into the loft’s underground car park.

“Who’s Polly?” I asked.

“My gun,” she replied. “Polly Pistol.”

My brows flew up, not just at the part about Mac owning a gun, but because she’d
named
it. “Nice.”

“I know, right? Anyway, I have to go,
assheads. Your drinks are on me tonight, Grace.”

She hung up before I could reply.

Quinn sent a message to let me know the party was black-tie, so with Grace in the bath, I pulled my tux from the wardrobe and began to dress. I was frowning into the mirror, tying the bow, when the loft intercom buzzed. I gave up, letting the tie hang around my neck while I went to answer it.

I flicked on the security vision, revealing a guy standing there with a huge box. He was dressed casually—jeans, hoodie
, and cap—but he was shuffling from foot to foot. My eyes narrowed suspiciously. He was either up to something, impatient, or busting to take a piss.

I hit the intercom button. “Yeah?”

The guy cleared his throat. “I have a package for Grace Paterson. She here?”

Mitsy’s head perked up at the unfamiliar tone flooding the loft, letting out a little
woof
from his dog bed in the corner of the living room. I raised my brows at the little bastard. “Tough guy, huh?”

He woofed again, adding a bit of growl to the end of it as though saying, “Tougher than you, asshole.”

Shaking my head because I was having a conversation with a dog, I hit the intercom button again. “Who’s it from?”

I watched the guy check the tag then lean close to the intercom speaker on the outside wall. “Says it’s from Mackenzie Valentine?”

“Give me a minute,” I replied. Palming my phone off the kitchen bench, I called up Mac’s number and dialled.

She answered after two rings. “Casey.”

“Mac. Did you order something for Grace? There’s a guy here with a package. Says it from—”

“
I knew you weren’t on your way,” she snapped. “That package was supposed to arrive two hours ago.”

“What is it?” I asked and
returned to the security monitor to eye the big, glossy looking box.

“It’s a dress for tonight. I figured Grace wouldn’t have had time to shop. There should be matching shoes in there too, okay?”

I hit the buzzer, saying, “Come on up,” to the delivery guy. I watched him disappear through the downstairs door. Into the phone, I said, “Thanks, Mac.”

“You wait ‘til you see her in the dress. You can thank me then.” She chuckled and hung up.

I shook my head, a grin on my face as I opened the door. Mitsy began barking, the sound both savage and ear-splitting, which was quite a feat considering his small size. His claws ticked rapidly on the timber flooring as he raced to my side, his teeth bared in tiny, razor-sharp points.

“Holy shit,” the delivery guy exclaimed, taking an abrupt step back. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a dog, dude,” I replied dryly. Grabbing Mitsy off the floor, I tucked him under my left arm like a football. He was a quivering, snapping bundle of fur, his eyes fixed on the guy while he put the box at his feet and handed over an electronic pad for me to sign. I quickly scrawled my signature, took possession of the box in my other hand, and shut the door with my foot.

“Good boy, Mitsy,” I praised, deciding his
ferocity deserved a treat. Returning him to the floor and the box to the kitchen bench, I opened the pantry cupboard. The shelves were bare. Spying a lone packet of Doritos leftover from Grace’s holiday binge, I opened it and tossed a handful into his doggy bowl before taking one for myself.

Mitsy crunched loudly just as
Grace stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What are you feeding him?”

I swallowed the chip in my mouth and shifted in front of the packet, blocking it from view. “A doggy treat.”

“No you’re not. You’re feeding him Doritos.”

“Why did you ask if you already knew?”

“Because I wanted you to know I knew exactly what you were doing.”

My brows
flew up, confused. “By asking me what I was feeding him?”

Grace huffed. “You’re just trying to make Mitsy love you more than
me, luring him to the dark side with your bribes.”

“What, I’m the
‘dark side’
now?” I air-quoted. And didn’t she know the words
Mitsy
and
love
in the same sentence was ridiculous? The dog was about as loveable as a cactus.

With a roll of her eyes,
Grace started for the bedroom. Grabbing the box, I followed behind. Her skin was damp and flushed and a cloud of the rich, honey-scented body wash she favoured trailed behind her.

I c
hecked my watch and my lips curled with anticipation.

We had time.

“What’s this?” Grace asked, pausing to stare at the box when I dumped it on the bed. Noting the swirly black writing, she read out, “Collette Dinnigan.” She turned, her face flushing with sudden pleasure. “You bought me a dress?”

The way she look
ed at me made me wish I had. I was fully dressed, my jacket on and the tie still dangling around my neck, but she was looking at me like I was naked.

With a quick flick of
my hand, her towel unravelled and pooled at her feet. She sucked in a breath when I sank to the edge of the bed pulling her towards me. It brought her belly to eye level. I gripped her ass in my hands and leaned in, licking along the taut skin with the tip of my tongue

“Oh,” she breathed, her fingers in my hair. She tugged a little, getting my attention. “Do we have time?”

“Are you kidding?” I answered, my palms running down the backs of her thighs. The world could have been imploding for all I cared. “Don’t you know how sexy you are? All that fire under your skin gets me hot.” I told her between licks of her skin. “I was so damn proud of you today. You didn’t flinch once. You were strong and fierce and just watching you made my cock hard. So when you ask me if we have time, the answer is always yes.” Her nails scratched through my hair, giving me goose bumps. I looked up at her, my heart thumping. “You’re fast becoming my world, Grace, and that world is a place I never want to leave.”

“Casey,” Grace breathed and cr
awled naked onto my lap. My hands gripped her ass when she straddled me. I wanted to fuck her just like this. Leaning back on my elbows, I could thrust upwards and watch my cock disappear inside her. God, that would be hot. I reached for my fly and slid it down, freeing my erection. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

I could barely think
for her words to register. Her tits were in my face and my dick was hard enough to pound nails. I reached between us and massaged her clit. “Uh huh.”

I reached across and snagged a condom off the bedside
table.

“Casey, I’m serious.”

I rolled the condom down quickly and looked up, my eyes dazed with lust. “What?”

“We need to talk.”

“Later.”

Grace shifted upwards and I took advantage, my cock sliding home. Her head fell back as I
drew back and rammed upwards. She moaned, squeezing me. “It’s important,” she managed to get out.

The worry in
her voice snagged my attention, but my brain struggled to reengage. “Whatever’s going on in that pretty head of yours, as long as we have each other, it’ll work out, okay?”

We were late.

I walked into the party of over a hundred people holding Grace’s hand. Surrounding chatter died off and those closest to us blinked and stared. I couldn’t blame them. Before we left, Grace pinned her hair at the nape of her neck in a messy knot, put something on her skin that made it shimmer under the lights, and slid into a short, gold dress with thin straps. It was covered in gems that reflected the light and came down in a V on her chest. My hand literally shook when I’d slid the back zipper closed, my fingers deliberately brushing the bare skin of her back.

I glanced at Grace, my eyes crinkling in a grin. “I’m so sexy in this tux everyo
ne can’t take their eyes off me. Hope that doesn’t bother you.”

Her
glossy, pink lips curved in an answering grin. “As long as it doesn’t bother you they’re only staring because your cock is still hanging out of your pants.”

“What the
…” I glanced down.

Grace threw back her head, her laugh loud and throaty. Squeezing her hand, I tugged her towards the bar. “Come on, chuckles. Let’s get you a glass of champagne before you do some damage wit
h those terrible jokes of yours.”

Turning to face the crowd after placing an order for champagne and whiskey with the bartender, Vince, I caught Mac heading our way. The red strapless number that clung to her body was no doubt giving her brothers a collective heart attack. As far as they were concerned Mac was still a virgin. A quick scan of the room showed two pairs of eyes tracking her. One set belonged to her eldest brother, Mitch, and they were busy telling the room
to back the fuck off. The other belonged to Jake, and what his were busy saying had me chuckling.

I grinned at Mac when she reached us.

She paused to stare.

My brow furrowed. “You okay?”

She cleared her throat. “Fine.”

Jake’s
gaze shifted from Mac to me and he scowled. I leaned into Mac’s side experimentally, keeping watch on him from the corner of my eye. Placing a hand on the small of her back, I asked her if she needed a drink. His hands fisted and he started our way.

“Thanks, Casey,” Mac replied.

Laughing silently, I removed my hand and asked Vince for another champagne.

“Casey,” Jake muttered as I handed Grace and Mac their drinks.

“Jake,” I replied with a nod and picked up my whiskey, taking a sip while the girls talked.

“First Evie, then Grace, and now Mac. You working your way through all the women one by one?”

His reference to Evie happened to be a kiss that was a long time ago. It was a weak moment at a time when we both needed it, but I knew it wasn’t Evie or Grace he was caring about right now. “You mean all the women,” I asked and arched a brow, “or just Mac?”

“I mean just Mac,” he snapped.

“Mate.” I slapped him on the back, shaking my head in sympathy. “Mitch, Travis, Jared,
and
Steve? A guy would need balls bigger than Mount Everest to take those four on. I wouldn’t want to be you for all the tea in China. Good luck,” I added and tossed back the contents of my whiskey.

On that note, I left my glass on the bar and guided Grace towards the centre of the room where Steve and Jenna h
eld court. After offering our congratulations, I got caught chatting with Steve about China’s brute coerciveness in disputing Asian waters and the potential risk of war with Vietnam.

He frowned at me, rubbing his jaw as he immersed himself in the subject. “The question is, how far is China willing to go?”

“They’ll go as far as they can before the U.S. intervenes,” I answered. “And the U.S. won’t do anything until Obama identifies there’s a national risk.”

“Jesus, Dad.” Travis shoved another whiskey in my hand as he joined our circle. “Relax. It’s a party.”

Steve ignored Travis and focused on Grace. “What do you think, Grace?”

“What do I think?” She puffed out her cheeks. “I think you need another drink.” He laughed, and then paused when she added, “I also think China’s assertiveness is driving U
.S. allies, including Australia, closer together and now is the time to hedge our position. We need to work for the best outcome and prepare for the worst. It’s a jungle out there. Sir,” she added.