Page 36 of Property of Grifter
He presses a kiss to my temple.“In that case, I’ve got a project for you.”
“You do?”
“Yep,” he says, as he looks toward my grandmother and several of the boys who are sitting at a table.“Hey, Nana!I’m going to steal Georgie for a minute.I want to show her something before dinner.”
Nana doesn’t even glance our way.“Now, Griffy, I don’t need to hear about your exploits with my Georgie, as long as you make an honest woman of her.As for dinner, Candyman’s teaching me Five Card Stud.We’ll just order pizza.You kids do whatever you want and don’t worry about this old woman.I got some wallets to make lighter in this here club.”
Scorpion, who is standing by the pool tables, chimes in.“I’ll order it, Nana.What do you like on it?”
“Throw everything but the kitchen sink on it, sweet pea!I’ll take off what I don’t want!”she calls back.
I glance up at Griffin.“We can just stay here too, if you want.To be honest, I’m scared of what kind of mischief Nana will get into if we leave.”
Griffin lets out a chuckle.“Alright, baby.”Then he yells, “Scorpion, get enough for everyone—me and Georgia are staying in, too.”
“You got it, Prez!”
Griffin takes my hand and leads me down a quiet hall to a plain red door.When I step inside, I stop.The walls are bare except for a massive flag hanging behind the table—a skull wearing a crown with an anarchy symbol burned into the design in the middle of the flag.
“This is where the guys and I meet,” he says.“Actually, the entire clubhouse is boring as hell.I want to see your magic everywhere around here.Still, I thought maybe you could start in here.”
“You want me to paint the flag on your wall?”
“Doesn’t have to be a flag,” he shrugs.“The club symbol is fine.Whatever you want to design really.”
I walk closer, running my fingers lightly over the flag’s edge.It’s bold.Dark.A little menacing—but that’s the club, I guess.I know the symbol is already tatted on Griffin’s back.He told me every member has it on their body as a show of family and loyalty.
“I can start this week,” I say quietly.“If you really want it.I’d like to try and get it done while my schedule is free.If I get a paying gig in the meantime, I’ll have to push it back.”
“Baby, you’re getting paid for this.This isn’t a favor.”
“You don’t have to pay me,” I protest.“You live here.I’d like to help.”
“I don’t plan on living here much longer.”
That makes me blink.“You don’t?”I ask, worried he’s already thinking about moving on.
He shakes his head.“I want to get a place of my own.Somewhere you and Nana can be with me.She needs a suitable bathroom and one story so she can access the entire house.She does great for her age, but I want her comfortable.Plus, we all need a home where we can be a family.”
I stare at him.“I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me, Georgie.”
“You want to move in together… and you want my Nana to move in too?”
He nods his head like it’s the simplest thing in the world and he hasn’t just rocked my world.“Of course.You two come as a package deal.We’ll find a house with a mother-in-law suite and a studio for you.She’ll love it—especially when we have kids.”
My whole body goes still.“Kids?Griffin, we haven’t even been dating a month.”
“So what?”he asks, completely unfazed.“I’m yours, you’re mine.That’s all that matters.”
“This is crazy,” I whisper.
“I’m getting tired of hearing that—even from your pretty little lips.Answer me this, Georgie,” he says, his tone soft but insistent.“When you think about your future—I’m talking ten years down the road—do you see me in it?”
My breath catches.I want to lie.I want to be practical.But when I picture the future—whatever it looks like—it’s him.It has been him from the moment I first met him.
I nod slowly.“Yeah.I do.”
