Page 24 of The Lies You Love
I fold my arms when a breeze hits. “Nothing. You’re giving me nothing then?”
He exhales noisily. “You’re wrong about this not being serious, he definitely has a thing for you. I’ll give you that. His interest in you has far surpassed anything I’ve stumbled across in his past.”
“You mean his flavor of the month.” I look down at my feet. “Do you have any idea what went on in there? Wasn’t that strange to you at all?” I hike my thumb to the club behind us, a few blocks down. Beck didn’t make his phone call until we were far enough away.
Griffin kicks a rock off the sidewalk into the small planter next to the building. “Becks is good at his job. I don’t know if anyone in the history of ever who has ever been as good at their job. He was made for protecting, and well, the whole month by month thing is the best he’s got to give.” He opens his arms out wide as if willing me to accept his explanation. Protecting? What does that mean?
“What does he protect?” I ask, eager for more. I can see Beck from my angle by the curb as he paces in the adjacent alley. He’s not looking at us, though. He’s speaking furiously into the speaker, punching the air for punctuation. He looks like he wants to smash something or someone.
Griffin furrows his brow when I turn my gaze back to him. “The government. He protects for the government. Or an entity thereof. I don’t know who, honestly. His job is dangerous. You asked what he was like as a kid,” he offers. I nod. “He was the one doing all the dangerous shit first. He was the test subject. Never afraid of consequences, just eager to push boundaries and make them obtainable for us, going after him. Sometimes I didn’t want to follow him.”
I lick my lips. “A leader,” I reply. “But a dangerous one.”
“He loved his sister something fierce. I think that was a weakness for a long time. He wanted to protect her from everything. Then, ah, the accident happened and turned his focus on protecting things inside his control.”
“What accident?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve already told you more than he’d want me to. Beck is a private man, and not just because he has to be, but also because he wants to be.”
“Of course. I won’t say anything.”
“You could do me a favor,” he counters.
I smirk. “What could I possibly do for you? Do you have a dog?”
Griffin raises both brows and shakes his head. “No. Why would you ask that?”
“I own a pet store, I assumed you knew that. Guess Beckett didn’t tell you much about me.”
“He told me plenty, just not things I’d admit to in mixed company.” He pauses. “It’s ah, actually, could you put in a good word with your friend? I’d like to take her on a date. A proper one.”
I grin wide. “She leaves a lasting impression wherever she goes,” I remark. “I’ll see what I can do, but,” I say, stalling when I realize that speaking a truth about my best friend might also be viewed as talking shit about her at the same time.
“But what?” Griffin asks, eyes wide.
Beck makes eye contact, and my stomach flips. It’s a stern, punishing look, something that tells me what’s on the agenda for later, but it also sends chills up my spine because Griffin just confirmed that his friend is dangerous. “Ramsey doesn’t usually date,” I say, turning back to the conversation to escape Beck’s appraisal.
“Usually. You’re saying there’s a chance?”
I bite my lip. “A chance for what?” Beck asks, striding up to us behind Griffin.
“A chance with my friend Ramsey,” I explain, trying to dodge his gaze because he still looks angry.
“Auden is going to put in a good word for me,” Griffin says, turning to jog toward a pickup spot for the car he ordered. “See you guys later!” he calls out, leaving me alone with Beck.
“You’re going to ask your friend to go on another date with him?” Beck asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. Everything go okay with your phone call?” His eyes rake me up and down. “Or do you need to go do some protecting off the clock?” I say, testing what Griffin told me.
Beck’s face is devoid of all emotion—the ultimate poker face. He slides his phone from his pocket without breaking eye contact. “Let’s go home now,” he says. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I made a quick business call.” After rushing us out of the building like it might explode.
His eyes flutter to the screen when he opens the app to order a ride, and I watch every move, anxious about what happened and why he won’t tell me. “Griffin told me,” I say, voice shaky.
He looks at me, a caustic sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. “Told you what exactly?”
“That your job is dangerous, and it has something to do with protecting. Was tonight, back in the club, something to do with your job? You nearly had me stumbling over myself as you pushed me out the door.” There was no subtlety about our exit.
Beck cocks his head. “Nothing was dangerous tonight.”
