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“Aww, baby, you know you love me. You’re just mad I used up all the hot water this morning.” Maverick smirks, wrapping an arm around Nevaeh’s shoulders.
“Whatever,” she grumbles.
I giggle and snuggle into Grimm, tilting my head back wanting to see his face. “Let’s go.”
Grimm guides me out of the cafe and straight to a large pickup truck.
“When did you get this?” I ask, surprised as he opens the passenger door.
“Bought it about an hour ago,” he says, lifting me and planting me in my seat. “Needed it for Justice and you to ride in when you’re with me.”
“I have a car.”
“Yeah, and it’s small as shit. I ain’t drivin’ it unless I have to. Prefer to get you a new damn car that’s not some wreckage waiting to happen.” Grimm closes my door before I have a chance to argue that point, but I have to admit he’s got a point. It is small.
Grimm hops in behind the wheel and starts the truck. “We’ll get your car later. Gotta get Justice and head to your place to grab some shit. Then we’re going to my place.”
“Your place?”
“Yeah.” He jerks his chin and puts the truck in reverse. “It’s more space and I haven’t been there in a while.”
I swallow nervously, thinking about how he’s going to take me to his place. This is huge. Majorly huge and I don’t know what to do with it. We’ve been going warp speed, and there are no brakes, not that I’d want any. I guess it’s as if he’s giving me another piece of him. At the thought, I smile and look out the window. Maybe soon I’ll have all of Grimm since he holds all of me.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
APRICOT
In the last several days, things seem to have been strained between Grimm and me. Not of my doing. Or I want to believe it wasn’t something I’d done.
We’ve been staying at his place, and I love it. It’s peaceful in the middle of nowhere with no one around.
The house sits up high on a foundation to level the ground out. The stairs lead up to a porch I could envision having a porch swing on and sitting outside to listen to the sounds of the surrounding area. Inside he’s not really decorated as much but has the basics that any man would think to have, including an oversized couch and loveseat that sits in front of a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall. The rest of the house is bare for the most part except his bedroom, where he has clothes thrown all over the floor and the bed unmade.
The only thing about being here is that I’m not sure if Grimm actually wants me here. He hasn’t really spoken to me. After leaving the cafe the other day, he’d gone from being the Grimm I was coming to love back to the one who was distant and not speaking to me. If he does, it’s in minimal wording or about Justice. At this point, I’m starting to worry that he only has me here for Justice and nothing else.
Doubts keep flickering in my head, and it doesn’t help that he’s not even touched me. Not a kiss, a hug, nothing. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I’m sick of it and intend to confront him the first chance I get.
I figure since my mom has taken up watching Justice for Grimm, I decide to text her and ask if she’d watch him a little longer. I need to speak with Grimm. Find out what’s going on between us.
What if he’s done with me? He got his fill and wants to wash his hands of me but doesn’t know how without causing problems.
Panic races through my veins, and I can barely focus on the task at hand. Nevaeh starts in a week, she had to give her notice at the restaurant, and until then, I’m alone with several large orders. One day I’d like to add a delivery service, but that’s a ways to go. Blinking, I shove thoughts of the future, Grimm, everything to the side. I can’t deal with it now.
The bell over the door rings. I lift my gaze to greet whoever it is and smile at the sight of Tripp. “Hey.”
“Hey, sweetheart, how have you been?” he asks, coming up to the counter and leaning over it with that grin of his in place.
“I’m good.” I drop the ribbon and spin fully to face him. “What do you think of the shop?” I ask, waving a hand indicating the space.
“Looks great.” He nods. “Glad you got it up and going.”
“Thanks.” My smile brightens though I’m really not feeling it. Still, Tripp is a friend. He’d told me so when he’d text. “So . . . what brings you in?”
Tripp loses his grin and straightens. “I wanted to check in on you.”
I cock my head to the side, sensing there’s something more, and he does not want to tell me. “How about you tell me the truth?”
“I did want to check in on ya, sweetheart.” Tripp sighs and reaches up to brush a hand through his thick dark hair that he always wears messy. “I got a call from an informant. Sutherland and I have about a strike against the club wanting to use women associated within the club. We were close to here, so I’m in here while he’s on the phone with Viking.”
