Page 27 of Outlaw Ridge: Griff
Everett paced near the front of the building, phone to his ear, his voice rising into clipped, furious tones.
Griff tuned him out. Whatever Everett said wasn’t going to stop what came next. These photos were evidence now, and if they were indeed unaltered, then it proved Everett had lied when he’d been questioned about Hannah’s murder and said he had hardly known her.
Lily bent to pick up the last photo, catching it just before the wind took it. She straightened, holding the image between two fingers like it might burn her.
She glanced at it, then handed it to Griff with a muttered, “I don’t know whether to blush or gag. He’s old enough to be her father.”
Griff took the photo, slid it into a fresh evidence bag. He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
When their eyes met, the humor in hers flickered into something else. Something low and quiet and real.
The air shifted.
He felt it, sharp and hot under the cold wind. That unwanted, inconvenient heat between them flared again, sudden and unwelcome, the kind that tightened things low and made a man think of everythingbutevidence bags and crime scenes.
Griff cursed himself silently and looked away. Now was not the time. But the tension lingered, pulsing just under the surface, refusing to be ignored.
The low purr of an engine broke the uneasy silence, and Griff turned toward the entrance of the lot as a sleek, dark blue luxury sedan eased into a space near Everett’s truck. It was the kind of car you didn’t see much in Outlaw Ridge. Polished, quiet, expensive without needing to shout about it.
The driver’s door opened, and Catherine Langston stepped out.
She moved with a kind of effortless poise, her blond hair swept back into a twist, pearl earrings glinting in the morning light. She wore a tailored cream coat, heels too sharp for the cracked pavement, and the kind of expression that could turn a room cold.
Former beauty queen. That’s what people said.
But what struck Griff wasn’t her looks. It was her eyes, icy and sharp. Hard as steel.
Everett lowered his phone, his voice shifting to something that sounded like forced charm. “Catherine. Didn’t expect you in this early.”
Griff caught the flicker of tension behind his smile.
Everett cleared his throat, gesturing vaguely to the lot. “Someone vandalized the property. Left a bunch of fake photos scattered out here. I’ve already called our attorney.”
Catherine didn’t answer him.
The woman walked straight toward Lily and Griff, her heels clicking on the pavement. She didn’t reach for anything, but her gaze dropped to the photo Lily still held, now sealed in a clear evidence bag.
The image left nothing to the imagination.
Everett. Hannah. Both faces visible. Both bare-assed naked and with Everett going doggy style on Hannah.
Catherine stared at it, her expression unreadable. She lifted her head, glanced slowly around the parking lot, then turned her gaze back to Lily.
“Let’s take this inside,” she said. Calm. Cool. Not even a flicker of emotion in her voice.
Catherine didn’t wait for Everett to catch up. She moved across the lot with brisk, purposeful steps, heels clicking with every stride. Without a word, she pulled a key fob from her coat pocket and unlocked the office door.
Griff followed, his attention split. Not once had Catherine looked around the parking lot. No glance to the hedges or the street, no sign of concern that someone might still be watching—or that the person who had scattered those photos might still be nearby.
He looked up at the building’s facade.
No exterior security cameras.
Everett had the cash to put cameras on every corner, but there wasn’t a single one Griff could see. Either arrogance or avoidance. Either way, he made a mental note to check for neighboring businesses that might have footage.
They stepped inside.
The warmth hit first, followed by the quiet hum of recessed lighting and the faint smell of expensive coffee. The lobby was all clean lines and polished surfaces. Neutral tones, leather seating. The kind of place meant to impress clients without trying too hard.
