Chapter Ten
***Autumn***
IfoundGriffinsitting in the dining room with Caroline and Jones, the three of them looking as if nothing had happened. If you couldn’t read the anger in Griffin’s eyes. I recognized it, though, and it just sent me reeling even worse. “We need to talk.”
Con was right behind me. “You two go back to your office, Griffin. I’ll stay with the kids.”
Griffin scowled. “I’m eating.”
I walked over and grabbed his plate. “Not anymore, you’re not.”
He stood up, shocked, and watched as I disappeared through the kitchen door and tossed his plate on the counter. Coming back into the dining room, I glared at him and stomped out of the room, feeling him right behind me.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Right behind me, Griffin slammed his office door shut and glared down at me. “I should fire your ass right now. First, for being irresponsible enough to hand my kids off to just anyone, and second, for acting like a petulant child!”
“Oh, you’d know a lot about that.” I poked him in the chest, lost to my temper. “How dare you blame me for the kids going off with their mother. You didn’t tell me a thing. If there are rules that are to be followed, I have to know them. You didn’t tell me a thing about Stacy, and you let her march right in here like she owns the place. What was I supposed to think?”
“I didn’t let her march—”
“Yeah, you did! You have security, yet she got in. How was I supposed to know that she wasn’t allowed to be here, or with the kids? Am I supposed to read your mind?” I poked him again. “And how dare you bring those kids back inside and settle in for lunch without telling me they were okay! I was worried sick. I thought something terrible had happened. But, no! You’re just so inconsiderate that you didn’t think letting me know that they were okay was a good idea. Or maybe you just wanted me to suffer longer. Why else would you leave me in here, thinking that I’d gotten those babies hurt?”
“I didn’t—”
“This isn’t going to work. This is unhealthy and wrong. I can’t make magic. I can’t read through whatever bullshit lines you give and know what to do, or what not to do. I like those kids. I think I could help them. I’m not willing to subject myself to your tantrums, though. This fucking nanny doesn’t need to be screamed at and blamed for things that I can’t control.”
“Are you done?”
I poked him again, just for good measure, and then sank onto the couch behind me. Burying my face in my hands, I took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me that they can’t be with their mother?”
Griffin sank down next to me and growled. “It hadn’t come up. Security should’ve kept her out. She has visitation rights, but I figured I’d fill you in when we got there.”
I turned to face him. “Are they okay? Did she do anything to them?”
Shaking his head, he stretched his legs out in front of him and sighed. “They’re fine. She didn’t get anywhere with them.”
Letting out a heavy sigh of my own, I shook my head. “Was she just taking them for lunch or was there something else she had planned?”
“She’s been trying to get them away from me for the past six months. She got them one time and flew them to Mexico to hide.” Growling louder, he stood up and paced in front of me. “I don’t know how she got past security. I’m going to look into it and have someone’s head on a platter.”
“And you’re going to apologize for leaving me in here, worried sick.” I knew I was pushing him, but I couldn’t work for him if he couldn’t see how wrong that was.
He glared down at me with his hands on his hips. “You’re a pain in the ass.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“Sorry. I should’ve told you about Stacy. And I should’ve told you as soon as we had them back.” Sinking down next to me again, he rested his head on the back of the couch but turned his face to me. “I was angry. More at myself for letting it happen, but you were an easy target.”
I patted his chest where I’d poked him. “And I’m sorry for poking you.”
He caught my hand and held it. “She can’t get my kids. She’s a danger to herself and to them. This is me asking you to never let her take them again.”
I gently pulled my hand away and nodded. “Got it.”
“This is also me asking you to never take my plate away again. I was hungry.”
I laughed. “Sorry about that.”
He reached over and gently cupped my cheek. “I can tell you’re trying with the kids. I didn’t mean to be an asshole.”
A flutter started low in my stomach as I looked into his green eyes. There was so much intelligence and intensity behind them that it was almost hard to meet his gaze. I swallowed, remembering that I’d just had his brother inside me a little over twelve hours earlier. I had no business sitting next to him on his couch, making eyes at him.
“Okay. We got that settled. I’m going to round up the kids and see if I can’t make up for the morning.” I stood up and flashed a quick smile at him. “Thanks for not firing me.”
Griffin shrugged. “There’s still time.”
I laughed and left him sitting there, watching after me. I hurried away from him, feeling weird about how much I’d just felt attraction blossoming for him. It was one thing to recognize that he was a very handsome man. It was another thing entirely to be attracted to him. That was a line I couldn’t cross. Not after having sex with Zeke.
God, Zeke. I hadn’t even been able to think about how I’d slept with him on a whim. I was an idiot. There wasn’t another way to look at it. What a time to start finding my sexual freedom.