Griff pulled her close. “It’s okay. She’s harmless.”
“Harmless?” Steph asked incredulously. “How can you be so casual about it? She pulled a gun on us!”
She extricated herself from his embrace and looked around. People were milling around, walking the sidewalks of Beverly Hills. Was there someone hiding in the bushes getting pictures of her with Griff’s arms around her?
“Should we get dinner?” he asked.
She slammed her hands into his chest. “No! How can you be so calm?”
He held her hands, keeping them on his chest. “Crazy shit happens to me all the time. It goes with the territory. You can’t have the fame without the crazies. Someone once sent me the dried-up umbilical cord from the baby son they named after me.” At her aggravated look, he added, “It wasn’t my son.”
She yanked her hands free. “I’m calling a cab.”
“Hold up. I’ll drive you back.” He gestured to the limo. “We’ve got wheels.”
She let out a shaky breath. “I fucking hate you.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Steph, you do not.”
“I do. My life has been nothing but a roller coaster of one disaster after another since you showed up.”
He reached out to her, and she jerked back. He dropped his hand. “You don’t mean that.”
She felt like crying as the adrenaline drained from her system, leaving her shaky and exhausted. Her shoulders slumped. This was the inevitable consequence of being drawn in by Griff. Everything went to shit. Never again, she vowed.
He took her hand and tugged. “Come on. I’ll take you back to the hotel. Promise.”
She went on shaky legs, unable to deal with any further hassle. “Fine,” she snapped. “Let’s go.”
She slid into the front passenger seat. She left a message at the front desk for Dave. What she wouldn’t give to have the strong, steady Dave at her side right now, instead of the laid-back, whatever-happens-is-cool Griff.
A cheerful Griff caught her up on his life on the drive to the hotel. She knew he was trying to put her at ease again after their scare. He told her of life on the road, all the cities, all the fans, the music. He still loved the music. She would’ve liked to tune him out, but she was so exhausted and drained that she could do nothing but close her eyes and let the words roll over her.
Griff pulled up to the hotel and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry about all the craziness. I hope we can be friends.”
“Sure,” she said. “As long as I never have to see you again. Very long-distance friends. Like before.”
He inclined his head with a small smile. “I can promise you with absolute certainty from someone that just looked death in the face that I will get the money together and, a year from now, that trust will be set up for Joey. Your brother will be set for life. Just give me one year, Steph. I will make it happen.”
She simply had no fight left in her. And it was all for Joey. If any good could come from this whole ordeal, it was that. “Okay, Griff. Make it happen.”
She got out of the car. It was late. Dave had probably gone to bed. She’d slip into the room quietly, and tomorrow they’d return home together.
~ ~ ~
The cab got stuck in a ton of traffic, but Dave finally made it back to the hotel. The first thing he did was call his sister from the hotel room phone. He needed someone to talk him down from this horrendous situation he’d found himself in because what he really wanted to do was kick Griffin Huntley’s ass and scream at Steph for deserting him. Neither of which would win him any points with Steph. He told Christina the whole sorry tale. Of course she focused on completely the wrong part.
“You actually rode on his private jet?” Christina asked. “How was it?”
“It was lovely,” he said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. “We enjoyed the finest wine and chatted about current events. What do you think!”
Christina let out a long breath that came through the phone loud and clear. “Why’d you go in the first place? He says jump, and you both say ‘how high?’”
“Because Steph was going, and there was no way I was leaving her alone with him.”