When I opened them, Remi was studying me, her wide, expressive hazel eyes were lighter, and her jaw wasn't clenched as tightly as it was when I walked in.
"You brought Grayson in because you trust him, someone from the outside?"
I gave a small nod. Eyes still locked on hers. "I'm going to make it right!" I promised.
We sat there watching each other. I knew whatever Remi decided from this conversation could help fix things or set them on fire.
She looked to her left and took a deep breath, and when she looked back at me, I wasn't sure what I saw in her eyes.
"You hear anything… about Dane?”
Oh shit.
Was she throwing me a lifeline in the form of a test?
So, I shrugged, "I heard he went missing, rumours are that he left town."
“Missing?"
My pulse jumped.
Careful, I have to be careful with this.
I leaned back in my chair and folded my hands in front of me. “Maybe some problems don’t go through the system, maybe they resolve themselves.”
She tilted her head. “That so?”
“Sometimes you don’t need the right lawyer or judge. Sometimes you just need the right tool for the job.”
A flicker of something crossed her face. Not a smile, not quite. “A tool? Like a wrench?”
I gave her the smallest smile. “Not a wrench.”
She raised a brow. “Then what?”
“A hammer.”
Remi didn’t say anything. Just gave the barest nod, like that was the right answer.
I stood up and stretched, "I am going to go get a coffee and something to eat. I will grab you something too. But I want to move you back to holding for now, while I'm gone, it's safer."
Remi nodded and followed me out.
We moved through the hall side by side, and it felt like something had shifted... like maybe just maybe I was inching back over to her side of the line.
“Oh, and by the way,” she added as we reached the cell, “your sniper likes me better than you.”
I blinked. “Gray?”
She grinned.
I laughed, the first laugh in a long time. "Kiddo, I am not surprised. I am pretty sure everyone likes you better than me."
I got her settled in the cell, ensuring she was safe, and as I walked away, I let myself believe… maybe I hadn’t lost everything yet.
CHAPTER 52
AVA - A GIFT
