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"How is what?" Marv clicked the blinker and repositioned the gearshift as he sloweddown.
"Living with Grayson," I said. "I was a little worried that you two would be at each other's throats since you don't like each other all that much." If my admission surprised him, he didn't showit.
Marv waited until he had made the turn before his eyes slid my way. "We're fine," he said sharply before turning back to focus on theroad.
I tilted my head and watched him, narrowing my eyes as I did. "You sure aboutthat?”
Marv’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “We’ll work together and get through this and then he can be on hisway.”
“Why can’t he stay?” I asked. Then in a smaller voice, I whispered to myself, “Maybe I want himto.”
“No.”
There was no explanation. No outburst. Just a sudden and quiet “no” as my answer. I stared at him in surprise, then narrowed my eyes. “Why does Grayson bother you so much?” I persisted. “It's obvious there's history there. He's here, he's with us—why can't you just let whatever happened between you twogo?"
Marv clenched his jaw so hard I thought he was going to crack a few teeth. "Caruso isnotwith us," he practically growled. “The only reason he's on this case is because ofhisbrother. Don't forget that. Caruso isn't here to help us, or to help you. He's here to look out for the only thing he cares about,himself."
I shook my head. "I don't understand your animosity. Grayson doesn't seem as bad as you make him out to be. What did he do to you that was sobad?"
Marv shifted the gears angrily, snapping his wrist to the side as we slowed down and turned into the parking lot of the grocery store. He pulled into a spot and then jerked the car to a stop, yanking up the emergency brake before turning to me. "You want to know what he did?" he asked, his eyes dark, his expressionfurious.
"Yes," I snapped, "maybe then I'll understand why you're being such anasshole."
"He was in Iris, Harlow." Then, quieter, he said, “Well, almost. He was in training for a brief period. He was never fully inducted. But that doesn’t matter, you can’t trusthim.”
I listened with a quiet stillness as my lips pinched down in frustration. Marv’s gaze was filled with volatile emotions and it was that expression that kept me from lashing out in anger and irritation. He technically still hadn’t answered my question, though he had given me a hint as to why whatever Grayson did was being treated like a betrayal. Because it was. To Iris as much asMarv.
They both had their own thoughts about each other, and I wondered if either of them was right. Grayson obviously didn’t feel as thoughIriswas safe. Marv obviously didn’t feel as thoughGraysonwas safe—for others. I sighed and shook myhead.
When my phone buzzed, I pulled it out but didn’t recognize the number, so I slipped it in my pants pocket and turned back to the man next to me. “Marv—”
“Let’s go.” He cut me off and I jerked towards him, reaching out to snag his shirt as he turned the car off and unlatched his seatbelt, quickly stepping out and away from me. My hand closed around air, and I released a subtle growl offrustration.
I frowned even harder as, instead of walking around to open my door for me as he normally would, he strode purposefully towards the front of the grocery store. One way or another, he would have to get over his dislike of Grayson because I had a feeling—despite what Marv or Grayson believed—that Grayson would be sticking around for quite awhile.
