Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Griffin asked one more thing, "Do you have any information on his life in Port City."

He hiccuped, "Port City isn't my playing grounds."

Griff read between the lines, slipping out another hundred dollar note, "Who's is it then?"

Fizzy's eyes flashed as he grabbed for the money and shoved it in with the first bribe. "I got a friend over there. Name's Tulip. You can usually find them at The Refuge."

†††

When Griffin got back home, CeCe was reading on the couch. A notebook was open next to her, dark script all over the page. She looked up, hair spilling over one shoulder. "Hey," her smile had his hand itching to touch her.

Griff walked over to her, bending down over the back of the couch to kiss her. Her head fell back as his hand tipped her chin up.

"Hey," he said against her lips after a few long seconds. "Another book?"

"Yep, this one's the last." She held up a thick red book with gold lettering. "Not going to lie, I've liked having something to do."

Guilt bled into him. CeCe had basically been locked up in this house for weeks. She kept busy by reorganizing, cleaning, and cooking, but that could only be done so many times.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He swept his thumb across her cheek, "I know this hasn't been easy."

"It's weird not having to go to work all the time and not worry about how I'm gonna pay rent or get food on the table for Cat." CeCe closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, "I feel pretty useless."

He knew that for a woman like Cece, someone who had always fought for everything in her life, this was hell. Useless meant failure. It meant dying. But surviving was in her blood. It had been since she was a kid, taking care of herself and her baby sister while her mom failed them.

"What you're doing is what's going to give us an advantage." He said honestly, "It's what's going to give us an even playing field."

Right now, as much as Griffin hated admitting it, they were always one to two steps behind. They needed the answers that CeCe and Cat were finding for them. It would give them an ideal of who they were actually going up against. What they were capable. And most importantly why.

Why were they doing this? What were their motives for trying to destroy everything?

"I hope so." CeCe sighed, then stretched out her arms as Griffin stood up. "What do you want for dinner tonight? Cat's staying with a friend, so it's just us."

"I, uh," Griffin hesitated, "I've actually got to make a trip tonight. I won't be back until really late."

CeCe frowned, "To where?"

"Port City." He made his way into the kitchen. "I've got a lead on someone who might know who Max Peters was before moving here."

That caught her attention. The soft pad of her footsteps followed behind him. "My old boss, Max Peters?"

"Yes."

Something lit her eyes. Something entirely too similar to her sister.

"No." Griffin refused before she got the chance to ask.

Her expression grew hard. "Excuse me?"

"You're not coming." He continued sharply, "It's too dangerous."

"I thought you were just gathering information." CeCe challenged, "A reconnoissance."

Griffin turned to face her completely, crossing his arms across his chest. "Doesn't matter. It could turn into a shit show at any second."